After leaving, I walked with Kael, taking the lead. Directly behind me were Elara and the young boy, Finn.
Our previous shelter was no longer safe. The grass wolves could track our scent from a great distance. From what I knew, these creatures hunted in packs, usually numbering three to five, and always led by an alpha. These alphas were highly intelligent, which meant a confrontation with them would be anything but easy for the four of us.
After we had traveled for a while, Elara broke the silence.
"Yaw Seh Ig?" she asked.
I still hadn't quite grasped the Tasico language since yesterday, but her words sounded vaguely like "You see it?"
I followed her gaze. In the distance, there was a snake. It was covered in a thick, green, shell-like hide, and its emerald eyes glinted with a dangerous light. Kael began to approach it, his shield raised as he moved forward slowly. He was likely trying to hunt it. Yet, his eyes held a wariness, as if he were preparing to fight a dangerous monster.
The moment he was beside it, the snake spat a glob of green mucus that instantly melted a layer of his shield. He reacted just in time, lunging forward and driving his spear into the creature's body.
Impaled, the snake writhed for a moment before falling still. Kael let out a triumphant laugh, hoisting the dead snake into the air.
But his laughter felt wrong. In a place this quiet, such a loud noise was bound to attract trouble.
My instincts were correct. The sound drew a swarm of snakes toward us. There were at least ten times as many as the wolves from the day before. They moved in a V-formation, with three much larger snakes bringing up the rear.
Kael snapped back to reality, quickly pulling his spear free. Elara focused, her lips moving as she began chanting something. Finn, however, was frozen in fear, despite having two protectors.
Not knowing what else to do, I grabbed my staff and moved to support Kael. He swung his spear wildly while I brought my staff down hard on the slithering bodies. We fell into a surprisingly effective rhythm, and I could see a flicker of impressment in Kael's eyes.
But...
That was all it took. Seizing the opportunity, the grass wolves had silently crept up behind Finn. A sickening crunch echoed through the air.
Finn screamed. The sound startled Kael and me, and we both whirled around. Elara was already there, desperately grabbing onto Finn's legs, trying to pull him back. But she couldn't.
It was the alpha wolf. Its grip was too strong, its pull too powerful. She was helpless. Distracted, Kael was overwhelmed by the swarm of snakes, their fangs sinking into him. Seeing him go down, I fought with everything I had to pull the serpents off him. I tried. I truly tried.
After fifteen minutes of wrestling with the snakes, I finally managed to save him.
The three of us, shrouded in grief, began searching for a new shelter. As we walked, Elara began to cry. She spoke in a flood of new words, none of which I could understand.
"Finn, h£ iz mi oπly br°th£r. H£ |z th£ °ne | loce th£ m°st, mi br°th£r °nl| w@nt£d t° h£lp m£, I tr|£d t° st°p h|m b_t he w@s t°° stubborn. H£ s£cr£tli f°ll°w£d m£ °n mi tr|p, | °nli w@nt£d th£ b£st f°r h|m. Y£st£rd@y w@s th£ f|rst d@y, b£f°re | d|sc°v£r£d th£ w°lv£s, | d|sc°v£r£d h|m... |... °nli w@nt£d th£ b£st f°r h|m..."
(Finn, he is my only brother. He is the one I love the most. My brother only wanted to help me. I tried to stop him but he was too stubborn. He secretly followed me on my trip. I only wanted the best for him. Yesterday was the first day; before I discovered the wolves, I discovered him... I... only wanted the best for him...)
Her long, sorrowful speech left me stunned, unable to comprehend her broken words. Only one thought crossed my mind: "I wish I had a translator right now."
Kael remained silent. He said nothing, simply walking over to Elara and placing a hand on her shoulder. Her sobs were quiet, knowing that any loud noise would bring more danger. Not wanting to intrude, I walked on, listening to them from a distance.
After a while, we found refuge inside a cavity formed by the massive roots of a giant tree. It was cleaner than the previous cave. I started a fire to light the space. Elara retreated to a corner to sit alone, while Kael scouted the perimeter to see if there were any other openings. With Finn gone and Kael injured, though not severely, I stood guard at the entrance.