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Close to fifty people were gather on the beach, a surprising feat considering the beast had only been discovered the night before. An advance party consisting primarily of local fishermen and hunters had attempted a form of restraints before the soldiers arrived. Many had stayed after the troops arrived and were now helping with sturdier bindings. An occasional argument broke out over the materials or placement, but were often settled without actual fisticuffs. A few brave, or perhaps just foolhardy, young men who had climbed onto the beast’s chest were making a game of trying to throw their fellows off-balance as the ground under them rose and fell with enormous breaths. One of these impetuous souls was the first to spot Şémig’s presence on the beach. Quickly getting the attention of one of his cohorts, the young man climbed off the giant chest to greet the Imperial official, his light brown hair glinting blond in the sunlight to match his golden eyes.

«Qui’ a sigh’, innit?» the young man greeted his superior with a gap-toothed grin.

«Yes, it is,» Şémig answered, eyes large as he surveyed the sleeping man-eater. Clearly, the stories had not exaggerated. This beast, though it looked like an oddly dressed man, was enormous. A single finger was only slightly thinner than Şémig’s waist and most likely stronger than his entire body. Even the beast’s breathing was a spectacle, especially with the three young man still balancing on its large chest.

«Were you the first to see it?» Şémig asked.

«Tha’d be m’mate, Uşram, milord,» the young man answered. «but I was second. Saw it slog righ’ ou’ th’waves, we did.»

«From the ocean?» Şémig repeated for clarification. While he was helpful, it was clear the young man was a fisher by trade, used to speaking fast and dropping sounds.

«Yessir,» the young man answered as another, black-haired youth approached. He had roughly the same build as the former and was perhaps only zaeté [1] taller. Like the brunette, he wore a rough off-white, sleeveless tunic and calf-length brown pants of similar material. The black-haired youth also sported a strip of rough fabric worn as a bandana that’s ends trailed midway down his back.

«Are you Uşram?» the Minister’s attendant asked, looking down at both young men. It was truly rare for him to have to look up at anyone, being a little under two zaetérolén [2] tall. The one exception to this was Altuón.

«That I am,» the black-haired young man answered with a straight face. «Baknél pro’ly already spun the fish tale.»

«Weren’t a fish tale,» the first insisted. «I tol’ ‘im the truth!»

«Uşram-ke [3],» Şémig interrupted. «Baknél merely told me that you watched the beast rise from the ocean.»

«That we did,» Uşram answered. «Hasn’t moved since.»

Of course, the second that was out of his mouth, a moan escaped the large creature. Panicked shouts came from the young men on its chest. They quickly scrambled down as beast started trying to move. Şémig took his cue from the others around him, stepping back a bit as the giant limbs strained against the ropes. It wasn’t long before most the locals and soldiers were looking at him for orders though.

«Keep it restrained!» he commanded, voice deepening as he shouted. «If you wish for your families to remain safe, do not let that beast rise!»

He could hear voices. Well, at least he thought he could. Slowly, his deep blue eyes blinked open, only to squint mostly closed again. Staring straight at the sun right after waking up was not a good thing. A groan escaped his chapped lips as he tried to get up. Except he couldn’t. Something was holding him down. Panic rose in the young man’s chest even as it felt like something was scrambling off it. Had there been bugs on him or something? He hoped not; just the thought of creepy crawlies scurrying all over him sent a shudder down his spine. A little more frantic at the thoughts of bugs and spiders crawling on him, the young man tried wrenching his body upright, only to have sharp bands of pain crisscross his body. Heart racing, he tried again, not caring about the pain. He just wanted up!

A loud shout tore from his lips as hot pinpricks of pain lit up his neck and arms. But he wasn’t going to give up! He swore he heard and felt part of whatever was holding him snap. Shouts of terror reached his ears as the pinpricks started to go numb. He rolled his neck, dark blond hair falling in front of his eyes as he kept straining to get upright. More restraints snapped away. He was almost free! Almost. Just as he felt one of the last restraints give way, a sharp pain lit up his left temple, and then everything went black.

* FOUR DAYS LATER *

«They want how many?» the blond young woman asked, tugging at her love’s muscular arm. With a sigh, he turned to face her, losing his black hair from its binding. He shook his head slightly, letting it fall around his face like a screen, before cupping her cheek in a calloused palm. He gazed into her soft golden-brown eyes, mirrored concern in his own dark eyes.

«Half a herd,» he answered softly, smoothing the skin under her eye with his thumb.

«Hisen,» she whispered urgently, grabbing his vest.

«It’s not like it’ll just be me and the herd,» he comforted her. «They asked for archers, too, so I’m bringing the best in the village.»

«Darn straight, you are,» a young woman with cropped mahogany hair and golden eyes interjected. «Kaela, there is no way in the Cursed Land that I would let this idiot go by himself.»

«But why just the two of you?» the blond, Kaela, insisted before putting on a determined face. «If you go, I’m coming too.»

«Kaela, no,» the young man argued, gripping her shoulders with his rough hands. «You know why Ro and I were chosen.»

«I’m going,» Kaela insisted, not losing any edge. «I can help with the herding, same as Ro. And I cook better than both of you.»

«She’s right, you know,» the other woman intoned, resting her chin on the top curve of her bow. «Besides, isn’t that half the reason you’re promised to her?»

The jibe brought a blush to both of the others’ faces as the mahogany-haired woman laughed. Other villagers passed them by, smiling at the mirth and embarrassment on the young faces. Eventually, Hisen looked away from the still-grinning Ro.

«Hardly half,» he grumbled, still mostly red. Ro just cocked an eyebrow, not saying a word. She knew she had gotten the young couple, but wasn’t about to rub their noses in it. It was just friendly teasing, after all, no need to get carried away. She watched as Kaela pressed a slender hand to Hisen’s chest. There was no envy in her eyes as she watched, even though he was pretty much the only eligible bachelor around her age left in the village. Instead, there was more of a happy-big-sister look in her eyes, which she pretty much was to him. Born a year and a half before him to his mother’s brother and sister-in-law, she had grown up acting like an older sister, including all the usual childhood teasing. After losing both her parents within a year of each other, she had moved in with Hisen and his parents, becoming even more like a sister.

«Is this it?» a new voice startled the three. Ro was quick to get her bow strung and an arrow nocked as Hisen put himself between the stranger and his love and cousin. Both relaxed when they saw it was just the runner.

«Just the three of you?» he queried, shaking his head.

«Yes,» Kaela was quick to answer, only to be overlapped by Hisen’s equally adamant «No.»

«Yes,» Ro put in with a smile as the lovers started arguing again. «He won’t be able to convince her to stay.»

«I think the Minister was hoping to have more volunteers,» the youth replied nervously.

«Néunis can’t spare more,» Ro shot back, ice creeping into her voice. «Not since the last war with Indrav, in any case.»

After Ro finished, it became clear that Kaela and Hisen had reached some sort of agreement, but that neither one was fully happy with it. Ro cocked an eyebrow, hoping for some explanation, but not really expecting either to say anything. True to form, Hisen started rounding up the animals to be driven to the coast near Vardéna. The youth sighed, seeming relieved.

«It’ll be faster to take the barges than to drive them,» Hisen commented once the sheep-like animals were rounded up. «Should only take us three days.»

«Couldn’t we load them into carts? They go faster,» the impatient youth asked. He had already taken four days to get to Néunis, and he wanted to get back as fast as possible.

«Sheep [4] are easier to get on barges than carts,» Hisen explained patiently.

«But -»

«Trust the herder, boy,» Ro interjected, fixing her bag and quiver over her shoulders as Kaela walked up. «Besides, if we followed your suggestion to go overland, it would take twice as long. The Great River flows fast in the middle.»

No one questioned her. Ro’s mother, Élya, had grown up on one of the river people’s docks on the Great River. The woman had told her daughter much about life as a river-woman, including how to sense the Great River’s moods and currents.

It wasn’t until Kaela came strutting up that anyone moved or spoke. The usually chipper blond looked between the hunter, herder, and runner. It was clear that of the four of them, the runner was the youngest, most likely apprenticed to a fisher or some other tradesmen. He only reached Ro’s shoulder, but it looked like he would probably surpass her one zaetérol and 73 zaetén. The youth shifted nervously around his elders, signaling to the blond that it was definitely time to get moving.

«Which barges are we taking?» she asked, picking up a stick to help drive the sheep.

«Vúlmuer,» Hisen answered, glancing in Ro’s direction. She nodded, getting her bow ready to be used as a herder’s staff. Since the last war with Indrav, everyone had had to learn how to herd and tend the fields. With the women and their implements at the ready, Hisen started driving the sheep southeast, towards the river. Both Ro and Kaela followed suit, keeping the small herd together as Hisen controlled the overall direction. The young runner stared after them for a bit before jogging to catch up. He stayed level with Kaela, attempted to help where he could. She gently corrected him as the other two merely focused on keeping the herd moving at a decent speed.

Mune straddled the gap between land and water as he watched the northwestern horizon. By now, news had spread far and wide about the man-eater found near the mouth of the Great River. The runner had missed this particular dock, going overland by cart and şéthen [5]. The man really didn’t have any issue with that, knowing rivers only flowed one direction and fighting the current would take as much time as going overland. But if anyone was coming from Néunis to help, this should be the route they take. The man sighed, crossing his arms over his broad chest. He was about to give up on anyone from Néunis coming that night when he heard the deep bleating of sheep. Squinting against the setting sun, the stocky man saw the dark mass of a small herd.

«Rebvae [6]!» he shouted, his deep baritone easily carrying over the brief stretch of plains.

«Rebvae!» a very familiar voice answered back as the herd and herders approached, one holding up a long, curved stick. A loud chuckle exploded from his chest. Of course that girl would answer the call for volunteers, just like her father had. More Vúlmuer river people joined Mune’s watch as the herd approached.

«Ready two barges to depart at sunrise,» the man ordered, his normal speaking voice sounding like a hoarse whisper when compared to his overpowering shout. To his right, one of the men nodded, leading a handful away to fulfill their leader’s order. On his left, one young man smiled as he watched the herd approach. Like Mune, he was stocky and built like a swimmer with broad shoulders and a large chest. His black eyes glinted in the fading light as a few other river people went to replace the tired herders. Even with a small herd, it usually took a day to drive the stubborn animals from Néunis. Stepping forward, the young Mune-double warmly greeted the herder with cropped mahogany hair as the black-haired one looped his arm around the blond.

«You need to visit more, cousin,» the river-man teased. «Dad thought your father’s people married you off without telling us.»

«My parents would never,» the black-haired herder interjected good-naturedly. «It’s foolish to upset the Vúlmuer.»

«Darn straight,» Mune grunted, looking over the travelers. The youngest-looking of the four also looked the most tired. He also was unfamiliar to the river-men. Mune assumed he was the Vardéna runner. «Hard travelling without a şéthe, innit?»

«Yes, sir,» the youth answered, leaning on a stick he had found along the way. Despite being young and having decent stamina, it took more work than he expected to drive the herd what would take him maybe half a day alone.

«All right, kids, time for sleep,» Mune announced, guiding them to the huts built along the river. Holding open the curtain of the largest one, he watched as the younger people shuffled inside.

«Must have been a draining trip,» the young man who had teased the travelers commented after they settled in the guest-hut.

«Herding sheep that distance with an inexperienced boy is the same as going over rapids with one in charge, Réis,» Mune grumbled to his son as they walked away. Réis turned back to look at the hut as they walked, remembering how only one of the herders had commented back.

«So Hisen just takes it better?» he asked, still trying to wrap his head around herding.

«Hisen apprenticed as a herder,» Mune answered easily. «He’s used to being on his feet all day. Even Ro and Kaela have the advantage of needing to help with the herds. But that doesn’t help when someone’s in a hurry and has no idea what they’re doing.»

Réis merely nodded, trying to absorb all the wisdom he could from his father. One day, leadership of the Vúlmuer dock would pass to him, so it was good for the young man to learn about herding and other land activities. Especially those of Néunis. He knew that, when the weather held, a leisurely trip to the small village on the border of the Deepwoods took about a day on foot. They must have really pushed the herd to cover that distance in the same amount of time.

«How long does it usually take to drive a herd that size here?» he asked.

«Two days at the sheep’s pace,» the older man grunted, happy his son was taking an interest in these things naturally. «Day and a half if pushed with breaks.»

Réis nodded, figuring out on his own just how much the four of them must have pushed themselves. He didn’t ask any more questions as his father led him to the floating barge they called home.

Golden eyes watched the shore slip past as the sound of rushing water and bleating sheep filled the air. Here, there was peace. Elephants, wild ox and şéthen grazed in the distance. With a contented sigh, Ro rested her chin on her hands as she watched the land slide past. Even though she had been raised in Néunis, being on the water still felt natural to her. Another body settled next to her without a word, just providing company. They were almost to Vardéna and the reason the runner had been in such a rush. Already, they were beginning to see signs of a massive number of people.

«Did you hear why the Minister wanted volunteers?» Kaela cautiously asked.

«The runner didn’t say,» Ro answered, curiosity leaking into her voice. «I wonder what’s going on.»

Standing up, Ro tried to make out what was going on onshore. She kept catching snippets of conversation as the wind carried them over the water, but what was said didn’t make sense. Soon enough, the barges reached what appeared to be a military blockade. The runner, looking a little green on the first barge, relayed the orders he had been given, and they were allowed to pass. As they continued downstream, more people could be seen crowding the streets and shoreline.

«How are we gonna get through that?» Kaela asked.

«Your stick, my bow and Hisen’s staff,» Ro answered as the barge docked.

Minister Altuón was overseeing the distribution of able bodies as a herd of sheep approached from the docks. This was good. More food for the man-eater, to hopefully dissuade it from eating any Hitak’ens. Other herds had arrived over the past few days and their numbers, as well as hunting ox, wild şéthen, ocean fish and even the mighty wild elephants, had helped feed the massive creature. The dark minister had recently been joined by another member of the Imperial Council, Minister of Militia Géyahe, and although the man had a head for arranging archers, spearmen, and swordsmen efficiently, Altuón could admit to questioning his motives. It was true that to contain such a beast as the man-eater required the military, but for Géyahe to arrive in person was unprecedented. Sharp, dark eyes watched as the herders were relieved of their responsibility. Two approached him after seeming to ask who was in charge.

«Minister Altuón, two able bodies from Néunis,» one started as soon as they were within respectable speaking distance. Altuón’s eyes scanned the black-haired young man, noting the apparent strength of his arms and legs and width of his shoulders and chest. Quickly, the minister classified him as a herder.

«Thank you for your swift arrival,» Altuón responded before turning his attention to the herder’s companion. He was immediately struck by bright golden eyes that seemed to peer into his very soul. He had seen such eyes before, and though the face bore little resemblance to that man, the set of the shoulders and carriage of the body did. A hunter, excellent bowman.

«It is our pleasure to serve the Empire in this time of need,» the hunter spoke, voice breaking many of Altuón’s assumptions.

«A woman?» he asked astonished, looking over this hunter again. Golden eyes narrowed.

«What of it?» she asked. «The runner asked for archers and able bodies; he said nothing about sex.»

«Ro is the best in the village,» the herder quickly cut in. «As was her father before her… Until we lost him.»

Altuón nodded, remembering the man with burgundy hair and golden eyes like this hunter’s. She had to be his child. «She has my eyes and hair, but the rest of her… She’s like her mother. Can’t say no to either of them,» the words echoed in the minister’s head as he looked down on the herder and hunter. He could see the pain and anger in her eyes, like so many who had been orphaned or widowed by the war, but there was something else.

«Altuón!» a grating shout broke him from his gaze. «We are supposed to be containing the man-eater not conversing with peasants.»

«Minister Géyahe,» the taller man grunted, turning his attention to the angular Minister of Militia. «The support of the people is the key to our success in this campaign.»

The lighter man huffed up at the tall, muscular Minister glaring down at him. It was no secret that Minister Géyahe was repulsed by the very thought of interacting with the common people, believing them less than himself and the soldiers trained to defend them. Of course, this mindset could be linked to his Indrav’en heritage. Many had feared he would turn on Hitaka because of this, Altuón included. Suffice to say, the smaller, sharper Minister had proven his loyalty, at the cost of many lives.

«And I suppose you think this common archer could match the skills of those trained for battle?» Géyahe sneered, looking over at Ro. She raised her chin defiantly, eyes narrowing.

«Allow me to show you, my Minister,» she responded, her voice deeper with hidden aggression, «exactly what my skills are.»

«By all means,» Géyahe scoffed, leading the archer to the practice field. The herder looked to Altuón for instruction and was pointed toward the flocks that were being gathered. With a nod, the men parted, Altuón following the woman archer and Géyahe.

Ro wasted no time proving her skill, hitting each target, moving or not, with two arrows until she ran out. Her head held high, she was pleased to see the shock in Minister Géyahe’s face and approval in Minister Altuón’s.

«I believe we have found you another archer, Géyahe,» Altuón chuckled, noting the shock on his fellow Minister’s face.

«I suppose we have,» the sharp man answered. «What is your name, archer.»

«Ro,» she answered, allowing her voice to return to normal. «I am Ro mé-he Brékén’il [7], proud daughter of Néunis.»

Géyahe sputtered incoherently for a few moments before collecting himself. Altuón, on the other hand, had had his suspicions justified. His dark eyes watched as the tawny hunter retrieved her arrows even as soldiers gathered around to watch. Many had heard her answer to Géyahe, and their eyes showed it. Altuón cocked his head. She was strong, cool, confident, an even match for many men in the Imperial army.

«Soldier!» Géyahe finally snapped after Ro had replaced her arrows. «Take this woman into town. She can help cook.»

«I’m sure I can find my way,» Ro answered. «My friend already made her way there earlier.»

Without another word, the young hunter left the two Ministers, her friend, and a lot of confused soldiers behind. Of course, they wouldn’t see past her sex. Why should they? With a sigh, Ro released the tension of her bowstring, allowing one end to slip down some ways on the body of the bow. It was faster to restring this way, in case she needed to. Following her nose, Ro came to the place where more food than an average feast was being prepared. Fresh bread and buns mixed with whole-roasted animals in carts set just outside what was once a baker’s shop. Not immediately seeing a head of blond hair, the hunter continued on, noticing some boys playing near the carts of food. She didn’t think much of it, figuring the food was for the soldiers, and continued on, still not sure why the army was in a river town. Soon enough, she found herself in a crowd all going the same direction. Deciding not to fight, she allowed herself to be moved along. It wasn’t long before a large fence came into view, clearly recently built. Curious, Ro pushed her way forward, trying to see what was going on.

«Hold!» a soldier to her right called, walking closer. «No weapons allowed here unless authorized by an Imperial Minister.»

«The Minister of National Affairs approves of my skill,» Ro responded, automatically deepening her voice.

«Follow me,» the soldier replied, beckoning the young hunter inside the fence. What was inside was something she had never expected to see.

Nathan lay on the ground, hands pillowed under his head, eyes closed. When he had woken up a second time seven days ago, he had found himself confined in a knee-high fence with at least ten tiny chains, like necklace chains, attached to a thin strip of metal around his left ankle. Shortly after a few carts had been rolled in with him, accompanied with what looked like tiny people with itty swords on sticks. He had sat up, and the little people-things had left in a hurry, leaving three carts of cooked meat, bread and some veggies. He’d eaten every scrap, not able to help noticing how crunchy the meat was.

With a sigh, the young man rolled over, facing the gate where his food usually came. It was odd how quickly he’d gotten used to them feeding him like this. Of course, it had taken some trial and error and his stomach growling. The first time the little people-things had heard it, many of them had scurried away in fear. Now, they were good at feeding him before it growled. Not for the first time, he pulled his cell out of one of the pockets of his cargo shorts. As usual, he tried turning it on without success. He’d let all the parts dry out as much as he could. Of course, it wouldn’t be much help even if it did work. With a sigh, he slipped it back into his pocket and watched the gate. Sure enough, the gate opened, allowing three carts to be pulled through by tiny ox-things and with the people things surrounding it. There was one this time who didn’t seem to match the others. While most the tiny people things who came in with his food wore what looked like magenta uniforms, this one wore what was probably pretty common clothing. The ox-things were unharnessed and led back through the gate while most of the purple people and the newcomer stayed. This, too, he was used to. He didn’t know why they watched him eat, only that they did.

Far below, golden eyes gazed up in amazement as able hands restrung a well-used bow. Their attention was drawn to the carts as a large hand gripped one, effortlessly lifting it from the ground. Drawing two arrows from her quiver, the young hunter watched as the giant eagerly dumped at least a quarter of the cart into its mouth, wincing as its large teeth made short work of any bones still in the meat. The Imperial soldiers around her didn’t seem to react much at all. Taking a deep breath, Ro tried to relax, but kept her bow and arrows at ready. It was only after the giant put down the empty cart and grabbed the second that Ro noticed movement in the third. Looking around at the guards, no one else seemed to notice anything about the third cart as the giant practically inhaled the food in the second cart. Panic started growing as the second empty cart joined the first. Just as the last cart was lifted a young head peeked out, worry clear in the boy’s chocolate eyes as the cart left the ground. Ro stumbled forward, eyes fixed on the cart as the giant lifted it to his face. Without thinking, Ro had already drawn and aimed an arrow toward the giant’s face.

Bédyil hid under the food again as the cart was lifted. He hadn’t known what the cart of food was for when he first hid. Now all he wished for was his mother’s softness and his father’s firm hold. He quivered underneath the roast haunches and flanks as the cart was tipped. Food tumbled off him, revealing a mouth large enough for him to disappear into. Fear gripping his young heart in an iron fist, the boy scrambled for a way to not be eaten even as an arrow whizzed over his head and buried its head in the man-eater’s cheek just below the large eye.

Nathan loosed a shout of pain at stab just below his right eye, nearly dropping the cart of food. He brought his left hand up to feel for whatever it was that had stung him even as two of the purple people grabbed the newcomer, taking something from them. His fingers brushed against something that almost felt like a needle sticking out of his skin. Furrowing his brow, the young man allowed the cart of food to lower, feeling at the needle thing. As he did, a small yelp from the cart in his other hand drew his attention. Looking down, he saw a little brown face staring up at him from among the food. Blue eyes widened at the thought of what could have happened. He wouldn’t have even known until it was too late! His left hand slowly reached for the small boy in the food cart, only to have the boy disappear into the food. The corner of his mouth quirked up as he started digging for the kid, finally pinching a little leg between his thumb and pointer. He could hear several shouts go up from the crowd as he dangled the struggling boy. Carefully, he lowered the still-full cart before gently putting the kid down in his right palm.

The boy immediately backed away, only to be met with curled fingers at his back. He could hear his mother calling somewhere below and behind him. Suddenly, he felt himself starting to lower and pressed himself further into the curled fingers. A startled yelp tore from his throat as the large digits moved, flattening as the back of his living platform made contact with the ground. Quickly, he scrambled off rushing past a young archer being disarmed by Imperial soldiers and into his mother’s arms.

The archer kicked and bucked as she was forced outside the fence. She was forced to her knees in the dirt street as soon as they were several zaetérolén from the gate. Somewhere to her right, a blade hissed from its sheath. Her breathing quickened as the cool metal touched the back of her neck. This was it; she was going to join her parents in the World Beyond. Of course, that didn’t stop her from struggling against the iron grips of the soldiers.

«Stop!» a deep voice called just as the soldier was about to bring down his blade. «What is this about?»

«This archer loosed an arrow on the man-eater,» the soldier with the drawn blade answered. «Minister Géyahe was clear in his orders about such attacks.»

A man in a golden robe stepped forward, holding his hand out for the sword. The soldier’s brown eyes darted from the archer to his fellow soldiers to the new man.

«The man-eater was sent from the Kings, therefore, her fate is his to decide,» the man in gold continued.

«Our orders, sir,» the soldier tried to interject, his blade lowering to his side.

«Could be in direct opposition to the will of the Kings,» the other interrupted. «They have already sent one man-eater; do you wish for them to send another if this archer is not to be killed?»

The soldiers all balked at the thought, leaving the archer unguarded for a split second. It was all she needed to bolt, silently thanking the Kings for sparing her meager existence. She ran through the dirt streets, ignoring the shouts and disruptions she caused. Ducking and weaving, she threw a glance over her shoulder at exactly the wrong moment, running right into someone larger than herself. Before she knew it, strong arms wrapped around her, quelling her struggles. When she finally looked up, she was met with the hard face of an Imperial soldier.

«Please,» she murmured before being dragged off.

Nathan had watched curiously as the new little person darted off, half getting up to watch their progress. Absently, a hand drifted to the ‘needle’ in his cheek. As his fingers brushed over it again, he felt tiny feathers along one end. What the heck? As delicately as he could, he pinched the little needle thing between his thumb and pointer finger, tugging at it. It offered some resistance, but he was able to pull the thing out. Closing one eye, he examined the little thing. It was an arrow, a tiny arrow! Brow furrowing curiously, he turned the little thing over in his fingers.

“Oops,” he murmured as the little arrow broke. With a sigh, he dropped the pieces and rubbed where the arrow had been. Even after a week, he had no clue what was going on. The empty carts had been taken from his enclosure after he had actually finished off the third one. This time he had checked to make sure there weren’t any more extras in it.

Just as he was about to relax again, the gate opened again. Dark blue eyes widened as a struggling tiny person was pushed through. Curious, he moved to get closer, causing the tiny chains to jangle. The little person looked up at him, backing towards the now-closed gate. As he brought his face closer, they pressed themselves against the gate. His brow furrowed as the person started pounding on the gate, shouting words he didn’t understand. Slowly, he started reaching towards them. More panicked shouts drifted up to his ears as his hand wrapped around the tiny person. He could feel the tiny limbs thrashing against his fingers. Carefully, he lifted his hand, sitting back. His eyes widened as the tiny body’s struggling worsened. Words he couldn’t understand filtered from his closed fist.

“Hey, easy in there,” he murmured, bringing his other hand up. Slowly, he opened his fingers. His eyes widened at the small person in his hand. This was as close as he had been able to get to one of them so far. The little person panicked, pressing themselves against his curled fingers. Tilting his head a little, he lifted them closer.

“Eh-he!” he heard them shout, covering their head with teeny hands. As they shook, Nathan took the opportunity to look them over some more. He could make out dark reddish-brown hair and tanned skin. The clothing was similar to what he could make out of the purple men. As gently as he could, he pinched the small person’s waist between a thumb and pointer, holding them up to eye level. He could feel their shaking even as he looked them over. He tilted his hand a little, trying to get a better look. For all intents and purposes, they looked… human.

She was going to die. There was no question in the hunter’s mind about that. Not that she regretted her decision to shoot at the man-eater. She had saved the boy; that’s what mattered. Still, she couldn’t help shaking as its large blue eyes drank her in. Her hands flew to the fingers holding her as she was tipped, scared golden eyes meeting large blue eyes. The large pupils dilated, giving her a clear reflection of herself in their depths.

«Please, don’t eat me,» she begged, face screwed up in fear.

A touch of sympathy appeared in the head-sized eyes. Without warning, something solid touched the soles of her shoes, causing her to look down. The second she did, she was released into the man-eater’s other hand. Was it toying with her? Slowly, she looked back up at the large blue eyes, trying not to think of how easy it would be for the beast to end her right now.

[1] A unit of measure roughly the same as a centimeter, proportionally. Originally, the width of a man’s finger.

[2] Sing. zaétérol. One hundred zaété.

[3] Sir, or when applied to a woman, ma’am. Similar to mister, miss, and missus in English.

[4] This is a rough translation of the Hittakkeén word uriz, which are similar to American Bighorn Sheep or mouflon, but woolier.

[5] Sing. şéthe, a relative of the Indian nilgai antelope. On this particular island, they are ridden like horses.

[6] An informal greeting like “hi” or “hey”.

[7] Lit. female child of Brékén. Can be translated as daughter of Brékén, but can also be used as a surname.