By a slow moving brook in between the hills was a small cottage where a family of tortles lived their lives. Three children playing in the grass while their mother hung out the laundry.

  “It’s a beautiful sight, isn’t it?” Kilek said, wiping a tear from his eye.

  “Yes?” Mayhem said, looking at the scene. “Everything looks fine,”

  “Let’s keep moving.” Thunder said, Kilek reached out and held her arm.

  “Hold on, we can afford a little time.” He said.

  “To do what?” Shaynen asked. “We can’t interact with them in any way, so we’d just have to watch them do their chores. Which sounds silly.”

  “Maybe it does, but it means the world to me.” Kilek said.

  “Which is why we have to keep moving,” Thunder said gently. “Because if we don’t we could get stuck here. That’s what the ick is trying to do, remember? Run down the clock or Shaynen’s resilience or whatever so that it can take him and then us too.” Kilek only stared at the scene, forlorn. Jiit took him by the hand and started leading him away. Meeting slight resistance but moving on regardless.

  “That’s all of us,” Thunder said. “It’s got nothing left to throw at us.”

  “I hope tho.” Jiit said. “We’re in no pothithon for a thrap.”

  “Yeah, and we’re not ready for a fight.” Shaynen said. Jiit pulled his hood back up and hid again while Mayhem gave Shaynen a light slap upside the head.

  “What?” He asked, They moved through the hills and into another grove of trees.

  “Why so many trees?” Thunder sighed. “Why do we keep going into-”

  “Wait! I remember where I am!” Shaynen yelled, unaware he was interrupting. “I spent years here before the monastery!”

  “This is where you lived with your family?” Mayhem asked.

  “No, I lost them and then I was here.” Shaynen said.

  “With someone taking you to the monastery, right?” Mayhem asked.

  “No, I was just here. Just me.” Shaynen said. “Then I stumbled upon their garden and that’s where they found me.”

  “What about the fire?” Jiit asked.

  “I think it happened before this, that was how I got lost in the river.” Shaynen said.

  “I’m sorry?” Kilek asked. “Tell it straight, boy. Start from the fire and work your way forward.”

  “Oh, okay. See. I lived with my parents and then there was a fire that broke out in our little town and when it did, my mother took me trying to escape and then she threw me into the river which carried me here!”

  “So, you have no idea if your parents actually died?” Mayhem asked.

  “No, they did, he told me so.” Shaynen said. “Right before we came here.”

  “Who? I thought the river carried you here.” Thunder said and looked at Kilek suspiciously. Shaynen paused, thinking hard.

  “There was a river. There was a night sky, with two moons, and then I was here. I think.” Shaynen said. The trees shifted, the trunks melding together into stone walls.

  “Think harder, try and remember.” Mayhem coached gently, walking to him and placing a hand on his shoulder. “Focus on the forest, there’s something here that you need to remember. What is it?”

  “What do I need to remember?” Shaynen said, “No one else had to remember stuff.”

  “That’s because we didn’t have a demon hiding in our brains!” Mayhem said. “Now what happened here?!”

  “I don’t know! I don’t remember!” Shaynen yelled. “There were two moons! And then… then…” Shaynen pushed the palms of his hands into his eyes. Trying so hard to remember.

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  “Shaynen,” Mayhem took his hands out of his eyes. “I need you to think, was there a fire? Or did they tell you there was a fire?”

  “What?” Shaynen asked, his eyes watering. “What do you mean?”

  “When you lost your parents, was there fire? Was it hot?” Mayhem asked, her eyes serious as death. Shaynen shook his head.

  “I. No. It was cold. I was really cold, and the river was cold.” Shaynen said.

  “It was cold before the river?” Mayhem pressed.

  “Yeah.” Shaynen nodded. Mayhem turned to the others.

  “Why would the monathetery lie?” Jiit asked.

  “It’s possible they didn’t, and the trauma was so great that he latched onto the first explanation that didn’t hurt as much.” Kilek said. “But I agree that it is suspicious.”

  “Something that you locked away is hiding the ick, and we gotta find it.” Thunder said. “So let’s look around for something to jog that memory.” Thunder took Shaynen’s hand and Mayhem held his other. They started walking deeper into the forest and away from the walls.

  “Just let your mind wander and remember at its leisure.” Kilek said, walking behind Shaynen and placing a hand on his shoulder supportively.

  “I feel a little cramped. I’m doing my best.” Shaynen said, pulling away from the group. The trees shuddered and branches cracked in the distance. Shaynen jumped back into the group as they huddled together.

  “Wath that the demon?” Jiit asked.

  “I don’t know.” Kilek said.

  “I feel very unarmed right now.” Thunder growled, baring her teeth and claws.

  “Agreed, grab something, anything.” Mayhem said and she dashed to a tree and grabbed a branch, Kilek scooped up a handful of rocks, and Jiit picked up a giant rock. They all came together and put their backs to each other and waited for whatever monster was coming for them.

  The trees opened and let in the sunlight, chasing the shrinking shadows back and away farther and farther until only a small patch of darkness remained. Cowaring in the refuge of stone walls. Raising their weapons, the party moved toward the shadow as a unit. Ready to pounce. But the sight of the ick gave them pause.

  It was shivering and fighting for breath in the corner of stone. Shaking like a leaf in fear. It was pitiful.

  “It can’t survive here.” Kilek said finally. “Your mind is inhospitable to it.”

  “What? Why?” Shaynen asked. Kilek shook his head. The trees shook and bent, streaming in a pale light that vaporized the ick in a single high pitched whistle of a scream.

  There you are. I see you now.

  The voice rumbled like thunder but had no voice. The party turned and saw a pair of moons shifting in the sky like eyes, looking down on them. Shaynen’s hand flew to his face. Covering his eye as he dropped to the ground.

  You see me, now come find me.

  Shaynen woke with a start and fell from the tree. He caught himself and landed in a roll that left him at the feet of the professor. Shaynen coughed hard before throwing up a black,oily liquid that reeked of rot. Shaynen hurled a second time, the vile substance burning his throat.

  “Gods, get the boy some water!” Kilek yelled as he came up behind him. Jiit was off, running to the river and pulling out a waterskin to fill with fresh flowing water. Mayhem dropped to Shaynen’s side and pulled his hair back. Wincing as he choked and threw up again.

  “Are you feeling better?” Thunder asked after Shaynen finished being sick.

  “I guess?” He mumbled. Jiit returned with the waterskin and handed it to him.

  “Rinse and spit before drinking.” Jiit said. Shaynen nodded and followed the directions given.

  “Sorry about the lawn.” Kilek said.

  “I dare say it’s better out than in.” Professor Xuliaga said with a grimace. Mayhem helped Shaynen to his feet, he leaned on her heavily.

  “Shaynen what was that thing?” Thunder asked. Shaynen looked at her exhaustedly.

  “I think we should hold the questions for later.” Professor Xuliaga said. “We have an empty dorm room, you can rest there for now.”

  “Thank you, we would also love use of the library if there is one.” Jiit said.

  “There is, I’ll get you two hall passes so you can walk among the halls without any trouble.” The professor said as he led them back toward the university building.The professor led them through the halls to a room where there were four beds in a bunkbed fashion.

  “I’ll grab you hall passes.” He said and headed off. Mayhem and Jiit brought Shaynen to one of the beds and laid him down onto it. He fell asleep before he even hit the bed.

  “What do you think?” Jiit asked, sitting on the opposite bed.

  “I want one of the top bunks.” Mayhem said. “That’s what I think.”

  “Not that,” Jiit said. “You think he’s part of the cult? You think he’s knows?”

  “No,” Mayhem laughed. Jiit stared at her hard. “Okay look, He’s definitely got some brainwashing but in my experience? That’s common in those religious places. And on top of that? I don’t think he’s capable of insulting someone, much less intentionally leading them to ruin.”

  “I have to agree with Mayhem.” Kilek said. “Boy’s naive, but not malicious.” Jiit looked at them both.

  “You too, Thunder?” He asked, turning. Thunder took a long breath.

  “Something isn’t adding up. I agree the black antlers have their prints all over this. But I don’t believe he knows anything about it.” Thunder said finally.

  “Fine,” Jiit threw up his hands. “But I’m keeping an eye on him.”

  “I think we all are.” Kilek said. “Related to the Antlers or not, there’s something lurking in there.”