5 Leaving Home

For the first time in years, I didn't sleep during the day instead I kept walking following the setting sun as I made my way forward. Some nights I lost my way and by the time the sun had risen it was already at my side or back. Though something I noticed is that the further I went from my home the greener the grass was and how much more vibrant the life became. More birds, insects, and other things wandered the imaginary path that I followed.

Surprisingly I didn't run into any people or even encounter any roads. Just the empty hills between the boundaries of civilization.

While munching on a pile of apples I had collected I felt a sharp pain, and letting out a yelp I jumped to the branches above me. When I looked at my leg I saw the one thing I wasn't expecting. An arrow.

"It hit!!"

Hearing the call I looked towards the source and saw a group approaching. All wearing leathers and cloaks, carrying weapons.

"After it"

Leaping down I felt a tear in my arm as an arrow whistles past embedding itself into the tree I had jumped from.

"Dam! I missed"

Jumping around the back of the tree I finally yanked the arrow out of my leg finally letting the wound heal.

"You two go to the left we'll go right" A new voice suggested.

Not knowing what to do I climbed back up the tree hiding myself amongst the branches and leaves. Finally getting a better look at my pursuers, all had rough features and brown hair. Two carried longbows while the leader, presumably, had a short bow and a sword strapped to his hip.

"Where did it…"

Slapping one of the bowman's heads the leader pointed upwards "He's in the tree, you idiot"

Pointing their bows up the group started firing volley after volley into the maze of branches that I hid in. Knowing I couldn't stay here forever. I made up my mind, jumping above the tree I held my hand up and threw a fireball in their general direction.

Screaming, one of the bowmen managed to get out "Magic beast! Dodge, now!"

As they jumped to the sides my fireball exploded near them and I took off at full speed toward the open plains intending to hide in the tall grass.

Reaching the grass I looked back and saw them at least fifty yards away. Remembering I was so much faster I started running through the grass till I was out of eyesight. Finding a rabbit hole I crawled in, barely fitting, and slept the rest of the day there. Then when night came I continued walking expecting to fall back into the same routine as before but an hour in I entered the farm fields of a small town.

Though these fields which should have some sort of crops were desolate and cold. Nothing seemed to be growing.

Glad at the prospect of warmth and something else other than fruit I ran between fence posts till I made it to the back of a small house. Climbing up to the shut windows I quickly found one that wasn't locked and eased it open. Finding the house dark I assumed everyone was asleep and headed inside.

Sneaking around the house I found multiple pieces of bread which I happily munched on and swallowed into my non-existent stomach. After finishing the small amount of bread I looked around the place and noticed the house was actually empty? Jumping back out the window I vaulted to the top of the house to get a better look. The entire town was dark, except for the bright orange light at the center of the town.

Curious about this strange event I checked several more houses closing in towards the center of the town. The closer I got the more I found children sleeping in groups within the homes, some on beds, some on the floor and as I reached the center I could hear a loud roaring of people as if a mob was beckoning people to join them.

Jumping from rooftop to rooftop I made my way to a house that gave me a clear view. Below me was a group, no, more like a mob. About a hundred in total, way too few to fill up this town.

"They're back" someone called from below.

Turning my head I saw what they did and quickly flattened myself onto the rooftop. The men that had chased me earlier had arrived carrying a stick with a dead deer tied to it and carrying it like a stretcher.

"That's it? "That can't be all!" were the complaints I heard from the multitude of people below.

Amongst the commotion, a hooded man wearing tight-fitting ropes stepped out of the crowd saying "Now, now let's all calm down we have much to be grateful for including this harvest"

"What are you talking about?! Nothing has grown in months and the animals avoid our home" screamed an angry man.

Looking anxious the hooded man tried calming down the crowd "We do what we can to survive, with this we have enough stored up that we can move on from this withering place, Now return home and gather all you can we leave as soon as the sun rises".

As the crowd dispersed I snuck lower on the roof in order not to be seen and as I watched the people pass me by I thought about what they had said. I picked up the last piece of bread I had kept with me and left it on the windowsill of the house I had hidden on.

Leaping from house to house I made my way back to the field that had led me here and as I have done before I brought my horns down and healed the land. One by one I traveled from field to field healing and growing whatever had been planted. As the sun rose once again I found a small hole near the base of a tree I curled up and fell asleep.