Sprig (Book #2)

By Houston Hare

A seed of hope in a world of hate...

Kaia has found a place among the rejects of the colony. Together, they have already made more progress than the other races who refuse to cooperate. But how long will her relationships last? Are they strong enough to face whoever is behind the disappearances on Daegal? Will the colony survive any more conflict?

Book 2 is the continuation of Kaia's journey on the land of Daegal. It contains Issues 8 through 15.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tallstrunt Press LLC
• Release date: Feb 22, 2023
• ISBN: 9798215445204

Houston Hare

A life-long adventurer and explorer, Houston Hare has never stopped dreaming. As a child, he wrote music and poetry, often depicting his journeys into the endless outdoors. As an adult, he hitchhiked across the United States to explore people and the country in which he resides. He has volunteered at farms and in several Central American countries. Through his exploration of the world around him, he found hope. Even though there are horrible tragedies all around us, there is still good.Now Houston has taken on his next adventure: writing a book that encapsulates the world he knows. His first work, Sprig, is an ongoing web serial brought to print with all of Houston's unique perspectives and creativity put into words.

Book preview

Book 2

HOUSTON HARE

Tallstrunt Press LLC

Sprig

Book 2

Copyright © 2023 Houston Hare

Tallstrunt Press LLC

https://Sprig.HoustonHare.com

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form by electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review.

First eBook Edition 2023

Paperback ISBN: 978-1-7342980-5-5

Hardcover ISBN: 978-1-7342980-6-2

Art by: Houston Hare

This is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters, and incidents either are a product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Published by Tallstrunt Press LLC

TallstruntPress.com

8.1 Ivalace - Rodrigo

It was getting dark—not that it changed much for Rodrigo—still, he could tell. He could see the light begin to fade through the small window in the side of the room. He looked around at the stone walls, the metal bars. He couldn’t believe he was in the same location that she had been just a few days ago. All because he felt convicted to help. He decided to help her allies, and look where that got him. Locked up in the same jail cell he had put them in.

Sure, it wasn’t exactly the same cell. Some things had changed. They had to have the Dwarves rebuild the stone wall that made up the exterior of the room. New lumber had to be laid above by the colonists, who were bribed into helping with promises of food. The house above, he knew, was still in shambles, but they couldn’t go on without jail cells. Not with all of the chaos going on right now.

Hydra’s were attacking the colony, prisoners were escaping, the Beastfolk were rising up against the wishes of the other representatives. And Rodrigo, set free the people that were supposedly to blame for all of it.

He still couldn’t be sure. He didn’t know if Raffa was telling the truth. But Raffa was one of the Heshima, the sect of Beastfolk that value honor above all else. He was now saying that Kaia wasn’t at fault, which meant he was either lying before or he was lying now. The thing was, Rodrigo had no idea why Raffa would be lying now. He had nothing to gain from claiming the Treek was innocent. He had no reason to protect her other than his honor. Meanwhile, he might have originally lied under the threat of Lobo.

Still, it raised so many questions. Why would this Treek help others? Why would she work with others? She must have been hated her whole life, yet she chooses to look past that? How insane is she?

Rodrigo paced his cell as he thought. He was alone, in the darkness. He had no visitors aside from the occasional simple meal since he had been confined down there the previous day. He liked it that way. He had no one he wished to see, aside from Alejandra.

He sighed. It had been so long since he had seen her. How long has it been now? thought Rodrigo. About two months? They had grand plans to sail away together when this was all over. To find some remote island where the war hadn’t touched and to spend their days together. But they had things to do first. They had promises to keep before they could run away.

It was all lost now. There was no hope on this stupid island. Just more conflict. He couldn’t believe that he was willing to have hope in the first place. Why did he take this position, to stand alongside other races and try to work together--even partly? Even working toward a common goal while remaining segregated was a horrible idea. He knew it from the start. He said it in his head, but the distant dream of finding Alejandra pushed him forward. And now, he had helped a Gnome and an Elf escape, and in doing so, had put himself in danger. Alejandra couldn’t still be alive anyway.

Rodrigo heard a commotion outside. It was getting dark and people would no doubt be eating at the tavern or heading to their tents about now, but there were people in the town square. And there were a lot of them. He stood with his head against the bars, pushing his ear as close to the window as he could manage. He tried to see whatever he could, but it wasn’t much use.

He heard gruff voices, with an accent. It was the Dwarves. And some were crying. Some were laughing. A conversation closer to Rodrigo’s window started. Where did they come from? said one person.

I don’t know. They just walked out of the woods with the Treek girl and her group, said another.

The Treek girl? thought Rodrigo. She came back?

He thought of how they had parted—his threats on her life. And now... Well, look at me, he thought. But he wasn’t even sure of that threat now. Raffa seemed to be telling the truth the second time around which made his previous thoughts illegitimate. Still, that girl had caused so much trouble. She had stirred the pot when it was already volatile enough. She had made people remember that we all are different races.

And now she was back . . . with Dwarves.

Are they colonists? asked the questioner in the conversation.

I don’t know. I’ve never seen them before, said the other.

Not just Dwarves, but the missing Dwarves? No. They had to be mistaken. But if they weren’t—if somehow that was a group of the original Dwarven colonists—that meant there was hope. Alejandra—she could still be out there. She could be alive. She might need help. These Dwarves, if they were from the original Dwarven colony, could be the key to finding her. Screw this colony. Screw it’s messed up politics, and it’s mixed races. Rodrigo had hope again. He could save Alejandra. He could bring her back and they could live out their dreams and leave all of this behind them.

Rodrigo woke the next morning to Srak bringing him breakfast. It was a bowl of soup with chicken and noodles. They no doubt picked Srak to do it because Rodrigo wouldn’t even begin to try reasoning with him. And Rodrigo didn’t. The Saurian tossed the food into Rodrigo’s cell with barely a glance. Then he turned and left the room.

Rodrigo gobbled down the soup, dipping the stale piece of bread into it to make the old flavor less noticeable. When he finished the bread, the soup was cold enough that he brought the bowl to his lips and gulped it down. It wasn’t great, but it was something.

A few hours passed. The colony was still bustling with a new commotion but Rodrigo could only hear the mumbles of distant conversations. He did see that the apothecary next door to the lodge was busy. A whole slew of Dwarves were standing by the entrance. Were they in line to be treated? Rodrigo craned his neck further to get a better glimpse. No, they were just standing in front of it, as if guarding the building. That was odd.

Rodrigo couldn’t make out any faces, but it was a good number of Dwarves. It might have been close to the number that were camping in the colony. Maybe a little less. It was hard to tell with the short window only giving him a view from the waist down.

Rodrigo was studying them, trying to get more information, when the door opened behind him. It wasn’t yet time for lunch. Rodrigo turned to find Tallesia walking down the hall to his cell. Finally, someone more reasonable than Srak, Rodrigo thought.

She held up a key ring and brought it to the cell door. We’re going to discuss your... situation, said Tallesia.

They helped us. And you know Sungura wasn’t in her right mind. She was going to make the whole thing worse, said Rodrigo.

I do know that, but you acted without talking to the rest of us, said Tallesia. That’s what concerns me the most.

I won’t do it again. I didn’t know who was on Sungura’s side, said Rodrigo.

We will discuss it, said Tallesia. There have been some new developments.

What new developments? asked Rodrigo.

Tallesia didn’t respond.

He wasn’t used to being at someone else’s mercy. He was the one who people had to answer to, not the other way around. Yet here he was, being kept in the dark by an Elf. It made his blood boil. And it was all because he was trying to deescalate. He was trying to keep the colony from erupting. If Sungura attacked the Gnome and the Elf, it would bring the war to the colony. The colony would have fallen apart, yet the others chose to turn a blind eye. They chose to trust Sungura not to attack.

Tallesia led Rodrigo out of the room, down the hallway and up the stairs. They walked outside and the daylight warmed Rodrigo’s cold bones. Tallesia joined the rest of the representatives who stood with a Human woman he knew as Simone. Rodrigo glanced at her, confused.

Rodrigo, you are free to go so long as you can play by the rules of this colony, said Tibil, who had also been waiting nearby. This is your final chance to coexist here.

Stupid Dwarf, Rodrigo thought. Talking down to me because I did my job. Ridiculous. But Rodrigo knew he had to play nice. Yes, I can do that.

That means no more getting in the way of what the representatives decide, added Tallesia.

Rodrigo looked confused. He looked at Simone, standing with them.

What do you mean? asked Rodrigo.

We’re replacing you, said Srak. His Saurian mouth caused the words to come out like he was spitting.

Rodrigo’s face began to turn red. Because I did what I had to do to protect the colony? To keep all of this from falling into ruin?

Because you acted alone, said Tallesia. "Because you didn’t consult the rest of us before acting against Sungura. And because the Humans don’t want you as their representative anymore. They don’t think they can trust you, so they appointed Simone."

And what, you’re just going to leave Sungura alone then? asked Rodrigo. She acted alone. She—

She did not act alone, said Sillius. She talked to us before she went after them with the other Beastfolk, and she planned to bring them back to the colony. And that’s what she did. Now we can figure out what to do with them as a group.

As a group, thought Rodrigo, holding back a laugh. We’ve never done anything as a group.

As a colonist, you’ll have to contribute if you want to stay here, said Tibil. He seemed happy to say it. Like he was proud to be dethroning Rodrigo.

And as we said, you’re welcome to stay in the colony, as a colonist, but you need to stay out of our way and stay out of representative business, said Tallesia.

Rodrigo was so furious that he wanted to attack. He wanted to burn them all and show them who was really in charge. This stupid group of arrogant idiots, each of them pompous in their artificial power. And this colony... Yes, Rodrigo knew it would implode sooner or later, but he had spent the last month avoiding it at all costs. He’d done everything he could to protect the delicate balance of the colony—to keep any race from feeling like they were taken advantage of or given the short end of the stick. And as a result, they strip him of his title. This must be the beginning of the end of this colony.

Rodrigo turned to leave, and Srak put his hand on Rodrigo’s shoulder. We weren’t done yet.

Get your hand off of me, said Rodrigo. He stared up at the towering Saurian. He wasn’t afraid of him, even if Srak’s magic was a counter to his own.

The lizardman stood taller as if preparing for a fight. Srak, let him go, said Tallesia. We’ve said what we needed to say.

Srak snorted through his nose and then took his hand back. Rodrigo walked away.

It was ridiculous that they thought they were something because they were ‘representatives’ of a race. They thought they knew what was good for this place, but regardless of what Sungura ended up doing, she was planning to kill them. She wanted revenge, and probably still does. They think they’re helping the colony, but they are only making it worse.

Sure, Simone was a good person, but that didn’t mean she knew this colony. She didn’t know the other representatives, and what they were up to. She didn’t know the issues among many of the other Humans. Displacing Rodrigo was sure to bring the colony crumbling down.

Rodrigo walked over to the tent where he had been staying, by the ruined Lodge. The wall was still being repaired with fresh lumber. He packed up his tent and the rest of his things and then headed toward the encampment at the bottom of the hill.

He passed the apothecary’s building on the way, and saw a collection of Dwarves outside, with the bobcat Beastfolk and the Elven boy. Trying not to draw too much attention, Rodrigo asked one of the Dwarves what was going on there.

The Dwarf looked around as if making sure that Rodrigo was talking to him. The Treek girl, Kaia, and some of our own. They’re hurt. We’re making sure nobody tries anything.

Why are you protecting a Treek? asked Rodrigo.

She did the same for us, said the Dwarf.

Rodrigo stared in confusion. After a moment, he nodded and continued to his new home among the Human tents below.

8.2 Ivalace - Kricoo

The dense jungle leaves blocked her view as she tried to keep up. The others were ahead, running away from her. But it was different from before. They weren’t running from another giant ape-like creature that Kricoo had never seen before. No, this time they were running too something they spotted in the distance. It was some kind of structure. A building maybe. Arayoo saw it when he flew up to scout, and they were understandably excited—Kricoo included.

She chased after them, not knowing what she’d find each time she pushed through a wall of leaves. But Quetza had been teaching her to rely on her magic more. Now was as good a time as any. She focused on the energy within herself and closed her eyes as she ran. It was still scary, especially in a dense jungle full of oversized animals, but she was fairly certain she could do it. From the darkness inside her closed eyelids, a light began to appear. She could see the plants as they were blowing in the wind, moving in quick jerks. It was sped up. She saw blurs of animals that had crossed the same path earlier that day, or maybe the day before. She was still honing the timing of it all.

It was a lot to take in at once. It was hard to parse all of it, but she didn’t need to. All she had to do was focus on her next footsteps, where they would land. And she did. She could see the shape of the ground before her and moved her feet in accordance. She saw a branch waving sporadically in the wind at the same level as her head and ducked in preparation for it.

She smiled, excited that she was using her magic, and using it well. She thought of the others. She thought of the looks they gave her when she messed something up or when she didn’t yet know how to use her magic in certain situations. Maybe she’d be able to prove to them that she can contribute. If she kept this up, she would stand shoulder to shoulder with them and no longer be looked down on.

She continued, with her feet landing on flat ground each time, thanks to her sight magic filling in the upcoming path. Then the image became blurred. Kricoo tried to focus on the ground but there was a blur too dense to see through. She opened her eyes without slowing down and crashed into the back of another Avian. He was already moving to dodge, but she still knocked him off one foot. Kricoo tripped over the other foot and was launched into the clearing in front of him. She skidded in the dirt and then turned to look up at him. It was Skaith, the last one she would want to run into.

Skaith stared down at her with his dark eyes set in a scowl. A gust of wind caused his dark brown feathers to raise in the wrong direction and his yellow hooked beak pointed down at her, accusatorily.

I’m sorry, said Kricoo. She tried not to look up at him. She had a feeling that because her own Avian features resembled a barn owl, she looked weak—unimportant. She didn’t want to give him the gratification of thinking he embarrassed her. But he did.

Get up, said Skaith. He looked away and back up at something behind her. She pushed herself onto taloned feet and turned to see what he was staring at. The others were in the clearing as well looking at a tiered stone pyramid sitting among the jungle foliage.

Woah, said Kricoo. After the word left her mouth, she regretted saying it. One more thing to make her look like a novice out here.

There’s a door over here, said Calack. The others approached and after a few moments of fiddling, there was a sound of grinding stone as Calack pushed the stone door aside.

Careful, said Arayoo. There may be traps.

I can go first, said Skaith. I’ll keep my mind open. Arayoo nodded and Calack stepped aside.

Quetza went in next, her tropical colored feathers disappearing into the darkness. Calack and Arayoo followed, leaving only Kricoo outside.

Kricoo hurried to the edge of the doorway and stepped inside, hoping not to get behind and lose the group. She knew they wouldn’t wait and she didn’t want to face whatever might be in the forest behind them.

The group moved fast, as did most Avians. But living with Avians was different than exploring with them. They were on a mission, and it was clear. They waited for nothing, relying on their magic to prepare them for threats. And this group was some of the best. She was lucky to be with them, even though she didn’t feel that way.

The light from the doorway quickly faded as she entered the pyramid. The path took a sharp left turn and then a right, and then the path split.

Oh no, she thought to herself. How do I find them now? She looked at both paths trying to find signs of the other Avians. There was nothing definite in the dim lighting. She thought again about her training. She needed to learn to rely on it more. She closed her eyes, and her view only darkened a little, but magic filled her mind with images. She could see the walls. They were old. There was very little change in a long time, aside from a crack forming, or dust falling from them, but that wasn’t what she was after.

She focused on the ground and the space between the walls and the blurs filled in. The blurs went off to the left. She followed with her eyes still closed but her mind open. The blurs danced in her mind like wisps of smoke. A different color for each of the Avians she followed. Dark brown for Skaith. He was the most faded. Yellow and orange for Quetza. Black for Calack and White for Arayoo.

She followed them around several bends and then saw the blurs begin to solidify again. She thought of last time and didn’t want to have another accident, especially in such tight quarters. She closed her mind and opened her eyes as she slowed her pace.

When she did, she looked ahead. The group was staring at the ground, a light beyond them outlined their silhouettes. Kricoo stepped closer and found a white glowing shape like a snake lining the floor.

What is it? said Skaith.

Arayoo was the one to answer. This must be what the others were talking about. The veins of magic.

And it looks like we’ve found ours, said Quetza.

Indeed, said Arayoo. But let’s not tamper with it. There’s no telling what it might do.

What veins? asked Kricoo.

Just don’t mess with it, said Skaith.

The group continued down the corridor. Taking quick turns that took Kricoo longer to follow than the rest. She heard talk up ahead, but couldn’t tell what they were saying. When she reached the approximate location, she felt the floor shift beneath her. A hand grabbed her by the feathers and yanked her to the floor. She opened her eyes and saw spears sticking out of the wall where she just stood.

Keep your mind open, hissed Skaith.

Oh... Thanks, said Kricoo. Once again, Skaith had embarrassed her. He offered no help but still reprimanded her every time she missed something. It was infuriating. How was she supposed to get better if all they ever did was look down on her and treat her like she was incapable? They wouldn’t have even let her come to Daegal if they weren’t hurting for willing warriors so badly. They resented her, and all she wanted to do was help. She wanted to find her people.

Skaith continued through the darkness through the maze and Kricoo lifted herself back to her feet. She opened her mind again and continued to follow, paying extra attention to ripples in the blurs of smoke that might indicate that the others had dodged some kind of trap.

The maze wound on for what seemed like forever, and Kricoo was moving slower to ensure that she was interpreting her magic correctly. When it did finally come to an end, the blurs coalesced into the rough shapes of Avians. She opened her eyes. The white glow of the veins on the floor and ceiling was so bright that she could make out where everyone was and who each figure was. They all stood in a tight corridor that seemed to stop at a dead end. White veins pushed through the crack in the dead end. That must be what they were after.

Arayoo was working on something in the wall. It was like he was reading it, but there were only a series of dots arranged in the shape of an eye from what Kricoo could see. Arayoo pushed a white feathered hand against a panel that was hidden only a second ago and a door shifted, though it did not open entirely. The vines wedged it in place.

I’ve got it, said Calack. He backed up and everyone flattened against the wall. Calack was big, so it was hard to stay out of his way. The large black feathered Avian ran at the door like a ghost in the shadows. There was a noise, and then the light of the room beyond poured into the hallway.

It was much of the same light—a white pulsing glow emanating from the veins themselves. In this room, there were enough veins that it made for a significant light source.

The Avians entered slowly and Kricoo wasn’t sure why. She entered last, wishing they had talked to her about what all of this might be. Sure they could see things that other races couldn’t, but they couldn’t read minds. Nobody could. She was trying to help. Kricoo just wished they would keep her informed like the others. She was tired of being left in the dark.

At the center of the room, where the veins were at their brightest, she saw two bodies lying on the ground. One was an Avian, with brown and black speckled feathers. The other was Saurian, with green scales and yellow fins that ran down the top of his head and center of his back.

What were they doing here? Thought Kricoo. Were they fighting? Did they both die at the same time?

Kricoo looked at the others who exchanged glances, but not with her. She had a feeling they knew more about these veins. They did not look surprised in the least. Rather, it looked like seeing them in person confirmed their suspicions. Suspicions not shared with Kricoo.

Alongside the two bodies, was a book. Kricoo walked closer, hoping to not draw the attention of the others. The book was open, and she read a line from it.

...he grew bigger by the day—as big as a horse, then a house, and then a small hill. He was monstrous, and out of control.

Kricoo recognized the text. It was from The Dangers of Magic, a book that all races had in some form or another. However, there was something odd about this copy. It didn’t look like it was created in the same way as any other copy she had seen. This one looked to be hand-written with quill and ink. It looked like a rough draft almost.

The rest of the group walked about the room, studying it—looking for age-old secrets.

Kricoo didn’t care. She could look dumb and inexperienced. She needed to find their people just like the rest of them and withholding information was only going to hurt that goal. What is all of this? she asked.

Skaith gave her a pointed look. Arayoo looked her way and said, It’s none of your concern.

I’m trying to help, said Kricoo. It’s just hard to when you won’t—

Enough, said Skaith. You’ll be told more when you’re ready to be told more.

Kricoo looked at Quetza, hoping her teacher would at least support her in this. Quetza met her eyes, and then looked away.

That was it! She was tired of not getting any answers, of always being kept out of the loop. Why did they think it was better this way?

Kricoo looked around the room, her eyes watering with embarrassment and frustration. The light of the veins sparkled in her eyes. She looked at it and could feel it’s power in her mind. It danced along as if teasing her. Like her group withholding information, the veins glowed with untouchable energy. But if those veins were filled with sight magic, maybe she could use it. Even just a little of it in such a raw form would be sure to give her answers, maybe even more answers than the others had. What would they think of her then?

She knew they told her not to, but a little bit couldn’t hurt, could it? Kricoo closed her eyes and opened her mind. She focused a sliver of her magic on the veins. She focused on the center of the room where the veins were at their brightest.

At first, it didn’t feel like much. The images of the Avians in her group walked quickly backward, out of the room and the room was left empty. There was no movement other than the pulsing of the veins.

Then, the vision sped up rapidly. Kricoo began breathing heavily, and a sharp headache set in. She tried to pull back, to close her mind, and open her eyes, but the magic had locked her in. The visions zoomed and the room was suddenly underwater, with white veins lighting up the various blurs of fish and other aquatic creatures that swam by and through the room. The visions went on for what felt like hundreds of years.

She struggled to pull herself out and heard a distant scream. It was a familiar scream. It was her own. The visions churned on and the temple was free of water once again. The white veins crawled out of existence and at the center of the room was the brown and black speckled Avian with the green Saurian. They rose to life. Their bodies unslumped, and they shared a hug before walking backwards, out of the room.

Kricoo tried again to escape the vision, but the veins held her there. Her own scream was like a warhorn blasting in her ears. The vision traveled to the center of the room and then deep underground, through dirt and roots and stone. Deeper it went, and the vision went dark.

Kricoo thought it might be over. She tried to close her mind again, but it didn’t seem to work. She waited, in the darkness, and then, she heard it.

Thmmp thmp

A white light lit a shape, round and muscular, with each beat. It pulsed.

Thmmp thmp

She waited in silence. One more time:

Thmmp thmp

Her mind closed and Kricoo fell to the ground. Her head was pounding and she could feel a fresh stream of blood running from her nostrils.

What happened to her eyes? said Quetza.

You foolish girl, shouted Arayoo.

Kricoo tried to open her eyes, but everything was black. She tried again and still saw nothing. I can’t see! she said, frantic.

You looked deeper than you could handle, said Arayoo. What did you see? Kricoo looked around, trying desperately to see something.

She felt hands grab her shoulders, What did you see? shouted Arayoo.

Kricoo looked up in the direction of his voice. I—I saw a giant’s beating heart.

8.3 Ivalace - Lolan

People stared at them—studied them as they walked into the colony. Kaia was looking worse for wear. She was sweating and holding her own weight less and less as they walked. Lolan was tired, but he couldn’t give up now, not with the end so close, and definitely not with her current state. She needed help, sooner rather than later.

He walked among the Dwarves, sticking out above them. Tigala and Zef stepped closer to them as they entered the colony. The Beastfolk horde was there, watching. Lobo didn’t take his eyes off of them. He wanted revenge. It was clear.

This place, the colony, it was not a safe place for them, but it might be the only place that could help Kaia and Talia. It was their only option.

Tallesia, the Elven representative approached. She looked back and forth from Lolan to the Dwarves. Are these the colonists? asked Tallesia.

Lolan tried to avoid eye contact, afraid that even his eyes might give away his heritage. He nodded.

Where—How did you find them? asked Tallesia.

Can we fill you in once our injured are taken care of? asked Cavel. There are a few that need immediate attention.

Yes. Yes, of course, said Tallesia.

Do you have a medical station? asked Cavel.

Tallesia looked at Lolan and then back at Cavel. Yes, the apothecary is over here. She led the Dwarves to the building. They laid down the stretchers, that held the brainwashed guards and Talia, and carried the injured into the building.

Inside was a Human woman with frizzy brown hair, barely tied up. Oh. Oh my. Uh, what happened? she asked.

A mountain fell on us, said Dunnel. He came in to keep guard, standing against the wall as Talia was laid on a bench. Lolan brought Kaia over to a table to lie down.

These two were stabbed, said Lolan pointing to Talia and Kaia.

As he got Kaia settled on the table, she looked up at him. Thanks for the help, she said, giving him a pathetic smile. He hoped she’d be alright. He helped get the bandage off of her as she laid down, revealing the pink tender skin that was spreading around it. It didn’t look good.

Lolan tried not to react. He smiled back at her and said, Hang in there.

Oh my, um yes, said the apothecary. Just lay them anywhere. I’ll get to work.

I’d like to help, said Cavel as he entered the small building. I have medical training. And I want to make sure they’re taken care of,

Dunnel stepped forward, cornering the apothecary in her own house and said, "No mistakes. We’ve got a whole army of Dwarves out there. Mistakes would not be wise."

The frizzy-haired woman gulped and said, Yes, yes. No mistakes. I’ll do everything I can to help them. She slipped passed Dunnel and gave an embarrassed chuckle as she disappeared into the back room. A moment later she returned with a basket of supplies. There was cloth, some tiny knives, and a dozen or so jars of powders, liquids, and paste. If you need anything else, let me know and I can help you find it, she said to Cavel.

Cavel nodded and gave a tight smile. Thank you.

Can I help? asked Lolan. He looked down at Kaia who was beginning to slip out of consciousness. Her eyes rolled back into her head and she breathed heavy as she laid on the table.

I think space would be best at this point. If you trust me that is, said Cavel.

Lolan looked at Kaia to see if she had heard. She nodded without looking back at him.

Okay, I’ll be right outside if you need anything, said Lolan, mostly for Kaia’s sake.

Lolan walked back out the door where the Dwarves were gathered. Many sat on the ground nursing blisters on their feet and groaning from the long walk and little food. Dwarves that Lolan had seen before began filtering into the town square now. Some came from the gates, others from the tavern, and more from the encampment down the hill. Tears began to flow and cries of joy rang out as the Dwarve greeted their long lost family.

Lolan stood by the door watching it all. He couldn’t imagine what they were feeling—what it would be like to be reunited with your family after you thought they were dead. He had dreamed of it so many nights when he was younger, hiding among the Elves. He wished he could have a people of his own, a people that wouldn’t be disgusted by his mixed heritage. He knew it would never happen though. The world doesn’t want half-Elves, he thought. It doesn’t want half-Humans. It wants everyone, nice and separate in their tidy groups. And it has worked so far.

Other races gathered around, watching the reunited families in confusion.

What is this? asked a Saurian with teal scales.

Are they the lost? said an Elf.

Tallesia stepped up by the Dwarves and began to address the questions. Yes. Yes. They are from the original Dwarven colony. They just arrived.

Who found them? said a Human, as a Gnome called out: How did they get here?

The Treek girl’s group found them, said a Human woman that Lolan had only ever seen among the Human tents in the encampment. She stood facing the crowd like Tallesia.

More questions rained down from the crowd and Tallesia walked over to Lolan. Do you mind addressing the questions, she asked, but she didn’t wait for an answer. She pulled on his arm to bring him to a central point in front of the crowd.

Where did you find them? asked an Avian.

Do they know where the others are? asked a Beastfolk.

Lolan tried to escape Tallesia’s clutches, but she held him firm, and the colony did need answers. He looked back and saw Tigala and Zef guarding the apothecary’s house behind the swarm of Dwarves reuniting. Tallesia let go of him and he was standing in the middle of the crowd.

They don’t remember much, said Lolan. "There was some kind of brainwashing that happened. That’s why some of them are strapped to stretchers. They’re still under