Thalira Estom, 17, Human–Hybrid Dryadkin (Wildborn)
"Let's take a break."
Thalira removed a water carrier from her pouch and passed it along to the group. The women drank gratefully after their long journey through Vorensia.
Meini gently pushed the carrier away when it reached her.
Her bladder had grown much weaker since the pregnancy, and she truly did not want to slow the group down.
The children, however, were filled with excitement. Having successfully passed through the Forest of the Drows, their laughter echoed softly through the trees.
The women relaxed slightly, their guards lowering now that the danger of Vorensia was behind them.
Just then, Norenshi stiffened.
Her eyes narrowed as she pressed her bare foot firmly against the ground.
Thalira noticed immediately.
Norenshi gave a small signal.
She had felt vibrations through the earth.
When did she learn that? Thalira wondered.
She did not remember teaching Norenshi that technique.
Leaving Vorani in charge of watching the group, Thalira quietly stepped away with Norenshi.
Their movement did not go unnoticed.
Bai saw them leave.
Curious, he stood up to follow after them, but before he could take more than two steps—
"And where are you going?"
Vorani's voice stopped him.
She was seated on a fallen log, gently feeding water to Roha, who rested on her lap.
"I really have to... go," Bai said quickly.
Vorani believed him.
Unfortunately for Bai, his younger brother did not.
"I'll go with him," Mesno volunteered immediately.
Bai's shoulders dropped in irritation.
"What are you up to?" Mesno accused suspiciously as the two boys wandered deeper into the forest.
"Any funny business and I'm telling mom."
"Why do you assume I'm up to something?" Bai scoffed.
He stuck a finger in his ear, picking lazily before flicking the wax away.
"You're such a pahlan."
In their dialect, the word meant tattletale.
Truthfully, Bai only wanted to catch up with his aunt.
That would certainly be better than listening to the younger children scream his ears off.
"Just so you know, I have my ey—"
Mesno's warning was cut short.
His foot suddenly slipped.
The ground beneath him crumbled.
He nearly tumbled straight over the edge of a cliff neither of them had noticed.
This was unfamiliar territory.
Neither boy had been watching where they stepped.
Luckily, Bai reacted quickly.
He lunged forward and grabbed his younger brother's arm just as Mesno began to fall.
Bai's hand clamped around a small branch.
For a moment, they hung there.
Then—
SNAP.
The branch broke.
The boys fell.
Instinctively, Bai pulled Mesno into his arms, squeezing his eyes shut as they plummeted toward the rocks below.
But the impact never came.
Slowly, they opened their eyes.
They were floating.
Suspended in midair.
Looking upward, they saw their mother standing at the cliff's edge.
Vorani's arms were stretched forward, trembling violently as if she were struggling to hold back an enormous weight.
The air around the boys shimmered faintly.
It was as if they were trapped inside an invisible bubble of wind.
"How...?" Mesno whispered.
Vorani slowly pulled them closer to the cliff.
Her arms shook harder with every passing second.
Sachi and Yesama rushed forward, grabbing the boys and dragging them safely onto solid ground.
The moment they were safe, Vorani collapsed to her knees.
Her chest heaved as the terrifying image of her children falling replayed through her mind.
Bai quickly checked Mesno for injuries.
Once he confirmed his brother was unharmed, he released a shaky breath.
SMACK! SMACK!
Both boys clutched their heads.
Before they could react further, Vorani pulled them both into a tight embrace.
Her voice lowered into a dangerous whisper.
"The next time you do something like that..."
Her arms tightened around them.
"I'll return you to Lior myself."
Both boys swallowed nervously.
They had never heard their mother sound so serious.
⸻
Thalira & Norenshi
High above in the trees, Thalira and Norenshi observed the forest quietly.
Norenshi pointed toward the undergrowth.
Moments later, a small group emerged cautiously from between the trees.
Five figures.
An older man.
An older woman carrying an infant.
A young man with a little girl in his arms.
Thalira's eyes widened in shock.
These creatures looked strangely familiar.
Their antlers branched outward like twisting tree limbs, growing naturally from their temples.
Their skin carried faint wooden textures, resembling bark that flowed along parts of their arms, shoulders, and neck.
Some areas appeared smooth like polished wood, while others resembled layered tree rings.
Their hair carried the colors of autumn leaves—deep reds, golds, and copper tones.
When they stepped, the earth beneath their feet seemed to respond slightly, as though roots beneath the soil recognized them.
They're Wildborn.
Suddenly—
THWIP!
An arrow struck the older man in the arm.
He cried out as the arrow pierced his forearm.
Instinctively, roots burst from the soil beneath him, whipping toward the direction of the attack.
"Run!" he shouted.
The others fled immediately.
Then their attackers appeared.
Dryads.
Norenshi's expression darkened instantly.
Without hesitation, she dropped from the tree.
Her feet struck the ground with tremendous force.
The earth trembled violently.
The Dryads lost their balance and fell.
Norenshi grabbed the wounded Wildborn and pulled him to his feet.
Thalira landed beside them seconds later, placing herself protectively in front of them.
The Dryads stared in disbelief.
Was there ever a Wildborn this strong?
Despite their shock, they continued their attack.
Arrows flew through the air.
Thalira raised her hand.
The ground surged upward instantly, forming a wall that blocked the arrows.
Then she planted one foot firmly into the soil.
With a powerful motion, the entire earthen wall launched forward.
The Dryads were struck before they could even react.
Just like when Thalira first entered Vorensia, the forest seemed to respond to her presence.
A thick fog rolled in suddenly.
Within seconds, the battlefield vanished behind a veil of mist.
"Thank you," the wounded Wildborn said gratefully.
"My name is Avide."
He looked toward the direction his family had fled.
"How could I face them if they had been harmed?"
"We're happy we could help," Thalira replied warmly, brushing leaves from her dress.
Norenshi nodded beside her.
"Our priority should be treating your wound."
Thalira rummaged through her pouch and removed crushed herbs that Sachi had prepared earlier.
Before the women had formed their new tribe, Sachi had always cared for the health of the others.
Though not formally trained, she possessed a remarkable gift.
She could locate plants within a two-mile radius using only her sense of smell.
"Norenshi, could you—"
Thalira paused as Avide turned toward her.
"Oh... right."
She tapped her own forehead lightly.
Norenshi understood immediately.
A second later, Avide collapsed peacefully onto the ground.
Thalira carefully removed the arrow from his arm.
Avide's face twisted in pain, even in unconsciousness.
She quickly cleaned the wound, applied Sachi's herbal mixture, and wrapped it securely with cloth.
Nearby, a young man watched silently.
Avide's son.
Dron.
After making sure his mother and siblings were safe, he had returned to check on his father.
Or confirm his death.
Before he could move closer—
The trees beside him suddenly parted.
The earth beneath his feet shifted.
Within seconds, Norenshi stood directly in front of him.
"Father!" he shouted.
He rushed forward and dropped beside Avide, relief flooding his face as he saw the treated wound.
Remembering where he stood, Dron quickly bowed.
"We thank you greatly," he said respectfully.
"May Amai, God of the Dryads, bless you."
Norenshi scowled.
The Wildborn had long been abandoned by Amai.
That abandonment was the reason they lived in their current state.
"May Lior bless you and your family as well," Thalira said gently, bowing in return.
Norenshi reluctantly followed.
"Since your father is unconscious, come with us. You and your family can rest with our tribe until he awakens."
Dron hesitated.
But after seeing that his father still lived because of them, he nodded.
Norenshi lifted Avide effortlessly over her shoulder.
Dron led them back to his family.
Soon they returned to the tribe.