1 In the unknown

"Hurry up! We need to reach the canyon before sunset and only then can we rest."

The gusts of wind that brushed against my juvenile face prompted me to slowly open my eyes. It was only then that I had a grasp of my surroundings. The never-ending jewel-blue sky and the beaming sun were surreal; with each breath, the brisk forest air filled my lungs.

"Jett, you can go back to sleep. I'll wake you up when we arrive."

The man who had just spoken was a tall, dark-skinned man wearing a deer pelt cloak; he was my father.

"It's okay dad, I can rest later."

Our convoy consisted of thirty members; the children and the elderly were on horseback while the rest undertook the journey on foot. The continent was divided into three parts: the human kingdom, the elven kingdom and the beast land. Each of the territories bordered the others. A great battle had taken place thousands of years ago and ever since then, no attempt was made to communicate and the knowledge of the other kingdoms wasn't passed down.

Our village was located on the edge of the human kingdom, next to the beast land. News of barbarians ransacking other tribes reached our ears. It was certain that the king would not bother helping us because we were seen as mere peasants and outcasts, therefore, a consensus was reached. We had to relocate.

The adults were used to moving but as I was only five years old, this was a new experience. My mother had passed away while giving birth to me and the only keepsake I possessed was a necklace. I inherited most of my looks from my father, from my tanned skin to my white hair. My walnut-brown eyes were drawn to my left, peering at the beast land.

The hickory trunks seemed to pierce heaven itself; the branches and leaves formed grand domes that did not seize to amaze me. The trees were so compact that no matter how hard we tried, we couldn't see beyond the border.

"Dad! Dad! What kind of beasts reside there?" I asked while pointing to the left.

"What kind of stupid questions are you asking?"

The person who had just spoken was Megan; the latter was around my age and we grew up together.

"It's a perfectly fine question. Truth is we don't know and we don't want to know. The mere mention of their name still terrifies us to this day," dad replied.

A drop of water fell on my cheek eliciting me to raise my head. I extended my arm, palm facing the sky. Water hit my hand and slid down. Lady luck was not on our side; rain was the last thing that we needed. The sky flashed and thunder roared, shaking us to our core.

"Don't stop or you'll get left behind! Be careful not to slip."

The soil beneath our feet absorbed the water and soon enough, we were walking on mud. The horses had trouble moving due to their weight and the carriage dug itself into the ground. The downpour intensified and thunder began roaring, harbinger of doom. The pitter-patter of the rain on the leaves muffled most sounds, but could not attenuate someone shouting.

"THEY ARE THERE!"

Our heads swiveled back to find the source of the voice. What we saw sent cold shivers down our spines. Father's mouth was wide open and his face turned pale. The barbarians were a hundred meters behind us.

"Enter the beast land!"

Our chances of survival were significantly higher in the dense forest rather than in the open. Without a trace of hesitation, father dismounted the horse and grabbed me. His legs moved as fast as they could and he sprinted into the forest; the others soon followed suit.

"DON'T LET A SINGLE ONE ESCAPE!"

My hands were trembling and my teeth gritted against each other. A blood-curdling scream along with slashing sounds echoed throughout the forest; the hairs on the back of my neck stood up.

"Stay strong son," father whispered.

We ran with all of our might as our lives depended on it. Cuts and scratches filled our bodies as we made our way through the dense vegetation. After five minutes of uninterrupted running, we reached a small clearing. By this point, only fifteen of us remained. Everyone stopped dead in their tracks. The noise of crunching leaves surrounded us; the bandits had encircled us and were closing in. Running was futile...

"Jett, don't come out no matter what. Remember, I'll always be with you in your heart. I love you."

He placed me inside a bush as quickly as he could before rejoining the others; Megan's dad tried emulating father but his efforts were in vain as the bandits were already here. Tears rolled down my cheeks as I muffled my cries with my hands. The raiders numbered ten; their previously shiny swords were now stained red with blood. Their faces wore the sickest smiles imaginable; this was my first encounter with people who took pleasure in killing.

I was useless. I was pathetic. The only thing I could do was pray.

"KILL THEM."

It was a one-sided massacre. Blood splattered everywhere as bodies fell to the ground. My tribesmen did not have a glimmer of hope; deep in my heart, I wanted father to run away. However, that was not the type of man he was. His feet pushed off the ground as he leapt forwards, baring his fist. His punch landed flush against the jaw of one of the bandits. The latter was propelled backwards and was knocked out cold. Despite having never received traditional martial arts training, father was still the tribe's best fighter.

A smile emerged on my face as I thought that we stood a chance, but I couldn't have been more wrong. Father dropped to his knees and blood spewed from his mouth. His wet hair covered most of his face, but I could see that he was in excruciating pain. Behind him, a muscular man gripped what seemed to be a hilt and pulled a sword out of his back. With a shake, he removed the blood and water that was covering the blade.

"Since you've fought so valiantly, you need a proper send off. Grab his arms."

Two men grabbed my father's arms and extended them.

"Since you hit one of us, this is only fair."

With a swing of his sword, the barbarian cut through his right arm like a hot knife through butter. Vital fluids gushed out of the open wound and flowed down the side of his body. Father bit his lower lip to not make a sound. I tried to close my eyes to not bear witness to the horrific scene but I couldn't miss what might have been the last time I saw him. The man lifted his blade and brought the sword down once again, removing his other arm. Father couldn't resist the pain and let out a spine-chilling scream.

"That's better," the man said while laughing.

The remaining people including Megan had been captured and were forced to watch this gruesome scene.

His screams ceased. My eyes went blank and my skin was void of color. The leaves on the ground crunched as something rolled towards me. My face was scrunched up as I cried my eyes out. It was my father's severed head. His lifeless eyes seemed to stare into my soul.

"Take the rest of them with us, we have better uses for them."

Within a minute, I was left alone with the corpses. I rocked back and forth unable to remove the macabre execution from my mind. The memories of my late father raced through my head. He had been with me through every step of my life. I could not fathom that my hero had been snatched from me. It was unforgivable...

My mourning was cut short as I sensed something in front of me. I lifted my head and let out a scream. Three giant figures were peering at me!