The jungle was without end. Harvey had walked through it day after day, slept in it night after night, and yet, it continued. His clothes were dirty and torn, and he still only had one shoe, evidence from when he escaped his small village of Tide’s Tale burning.
The forces that had come that night were unknown to Harvey. He was only an orphan of ten years, whose whole life had circled around serving the orc known as the Baron. Harvey’s small size and innocent face made him good at begging for coin, although everything he collected went to the Baron’s pocket at the end of the day. It had meant a place to sleep, though, and people he could almost call friends.
Not anymore, he thought, eyes downcast as he made his way over tangles of roots and brush. The Baron, Archie, Eve . . . they’re all dead.
Harvey could only account his survival to pure luck. He’d crawled out of the collapsed warehouse his group called their home, and ran through a village under attack. He’d barely made it into the shelter of the jungle and out of the battle. Since then he had not seen a single soul he recognized.
If anyone else was alive, I would have seen them by now.
One step in front of the other. Duck under a low branch. Search for edible berries in this brush. Listen for danger. Keep walking. It had been the same day after day.
The sound of screeching over the canopy of the trees drew his attention. Acting on instinct, the small boy quickly pressed himself against the trunk of a tree, curling up to be as tiny as possible. His brown hair was dirty and sweaty, pressed to his forehead. There was more screeching and chattering in a language he did not understand before whatever it was he heard fly off.
Harvey let out his breath in relief. Things flying over or passing through the jungle was a daily occurrence, but none of it had been a friendly creature. Just more of whatever force had attacked Tide’s Tale. Nowhere was safe. He was hardly able to sleep at night for the fear.
If I can get to Anenon, I will be safe.
The golden city with its tall spires was the only thing that he could focus on. It was with nostalgia he recalled his small sleeping corner in the Baron’s warehouse. Harvey had hung posters and flyers up on the walls depicting Anenon. It had been his dream to go there. A place where all his troubles would be behind him.
Harvey continued walking as the jungle grew dark around him and the insects came alive with the night. He tucked himself under a tangle of roots and slept fitfully and hungry.
He awoke to the dawn and the dew and his day passed just like the last. He hadn’t heard his own voice in so long. He hadn’t had a full meal in so long.
When will I die?
He knew he couldn’t keep this up forever. So, it was with disbelief at first that he came to the edge of a tall cliff and stared down at the bay below. He blinked hazel eyes against the sunlight, seeming harsh out of the cover of the jungle. A sea breeze stirred his clothes, and he lifted one weak hand to cover his eyes and gaze out below him. There, shining in the sunlight, was a golden city with tall spires.
Harvey stared at it for what felt like several minutes, uncomprehending, until a gasp rasped out of his lungs.
“Anenon!” his voice sounded like a stranger to his own ears.
He started forward and then stopped, surveying the cliff’s edge. There was no way down. A lump of depression settled in the pit of his stomach. He’d gotten so close. Even if he had a way down, his body wouldn’t give him any more strength.
Harvey sunk to his knees.
At least I got to see it.
His vision faded before him, and he collapsed onto the jungle floor.
.
.
.
“Boy, are you alive?”
“He’s not dead. He’s breathing.”
“He’s gonna be dead soon. Get some water and food over here.”
Harvey’s eyes blinked slowly open. A group of four adults knelt around him, their brows bent in worry. All were dirty and had weapons slung on their backs, but they wore no armor. There were two human males, a male dwarf, and a female elf.
“Who . . .” Harvey struggled to speak, his mind slow and foggy.
A pouch of water was put to his lips. He drank greedily, sitting up. The water soothed his rough throat and cleared his mind. The water was followed by a handful of crackers. Harvey stuffed them into his mouth, a great relief to his stomach.
“Thank you,” he said, looking across at his rescuers. “Who are you?”
“My name is Ann Grenna,” the elf said, her blonde hair braided back from a fair and angular face. “All of us are out foraging, but we are from the safe haven in these jungles. Where did you come from?”
Harvey glanced across at the others. The dwarf had a crossbow strapped to his back and had deep brown skin and a bald head. One male human was pale with a freckled face and curly red hair. He had a thin smile and a spear on his back. The other human had coppery skin with a black beard and wavy hair. His smile was easy and his eyes were bright despite the tri-cornered hat shading his face.
“My name is Harvey. I’m from the Great Archipelago,” he responded. “My village was attacked and I escaped. But that was . . . it was many days ago. Weeks? I don’t know.”
“You poor thing,” Ann sighed. “Come with us. We’ll get you to the haven and a full belly of food.”
The man with the hat picked Harvey up and carried him on his back, stating, “Let’s not have you walk any further. Especially with only one shoe!”
A small chuckle escaped Harvey, and he held on tightly as the group trekked along the cliff face.
“Are we going to Anenon?” Harvey asked.
“It’s not safe there, unfortunately,” the dwarf sighed. “The Chaos Legion’s presence makes everything dangerous. Especially for people like us.”
“The Chaos Legion?” Harvey questioned. That didn’t make any sense. Anenon was safe. It had always been safe. It was his dream to go there and find a new life. He refused to believe it was too late for that.
“The Chaos Legion are the ones that attacked the archipelago,” Ann replied, leading the party ahead and picking a careful path through the foliage. “As far as we can make out, they are all over Azmare. We’ve seen their ships going out onto the seas, so we’re not sure how the other lands have fared. We are trying to fight them, though, which is why we are in hiding.”
“What? Wait, stop!”
The group paused, turning curiously back at the boy.
“Set me down,” Harvey demanded. His heart pounded in his chest. This couldn’t be happening. He couldn’t have come all this way to Anenon, to get so close, to find that it was just out of reach.
The man gently sat him down. Harvey found his legs were weak, but through sheer willpower he kept himself upright.
“What’s wrong?” the dwarf asked.
“I have to go to Anenon,” Harvey insisted. “That’s where I was heading. I was always told it was safe.”
“It used to be,” Ann responded. “But not anymore. The Chaos Legion is attacking it daily, and it’s simply not safe. I’m so sorry you came all this way. Were you supposed to meet someone there?”
“No . . . no, I am on my own . . .” Harvey’s voice drifted off as his thoughts spun. He shot a sharp look at all of them. “It was my dream to go there for safety, though. For a better life.” He knew they wouldn’t understand. They couldn’t understand.
The pale human with red hair spoke to him for the first time. His tone was sharp-edged, his eyes cold. “Dreams get crushed under the Chaos Legion.”
“He’s just a kid–” Ann began, but she was interrupted as the pale man carried on.
“He needs to grow up and realize what is going on! If the Knives could just get the support--”
The dark-haired man that had been carrying Harvey held up a hand. His tone was calm, but his expression held no room for argument as he stated, “Enough. The Knives’ strategy is out of the question. We’ve got to get this kid to shelter, he’s going to die if he doesn’t get more food and water in him.”
The reality of those words felt like a slap across Harvey’s face. As his mind reeled with his situation, he still managed a glare up at the group and asked, “How do I know I can even trust any of you? You might be the same people that attacked my town!”
Ann held up placating hands. “You are in shock. We all have been in the same situation. Please, though. At least come to our haven and get some food and water. Then you can decide if you want to stay or not. There are more like us there. There are kids your age, too.”
Harvey paused, considering. “There are more of you?”
“Aye, we’re a small band but we are mighty. All survivors and refugees and people who won’t give up,” Ann replied.
“Survivors just like you, kid,” the man with the hat added.
Harvey relented, his shoulders drooping with a heavy sigh. He nodded, and allowed himself to be picked back up. He found his energy spent, the argument having weakened him just like his trek through the jungle. He allowed himself to rest as they walked for a few miles. Ann led them to one large tree and wiped soil off the ground to reveal a metal handle. She performed a series of knocks, and a trapdoor in the ground opened up.
“You’re back!” a voice said cheerily from inside. “Come on in, come on in.”
“We found another survivor, this one from the archipelago. A child,” Ann informed as she vanished under the ground.
The group climbed down a rope ladder and into an underground cavern system. Harvey took it all in with wide eyes. Oil lanterns gave the place a honey glow and illuminated multiple crates, wooden benches, and branching tunnels. A few dozen people mingled about, all a mix of races and ages. He saw weapons line the walls, some well-made and others makeshift. Many people were bandaged and some walked on crutches.
Ann turned to the man that carried Harvey. “Get him someplace safe, will you? I’m going to turn our report in.”
The man nodded and carried Harvey further into the cavern.
“What is your report about?” Harvey asked.
The man shook his head. “Nothing you need to worry yourself about. By the way, Harvey, my name is Maleko Haoa. You call on me if you need any help, okay?”
Harvey nodded as he was brought into a small chamber with multiple cots. A few children slept in them, and one played with a doll on the floor. He didn’t need to be told to know what this room was for. A place for orphans. He was placed on a bed and Maleko left to get some food for him.
A sigh of relief escaped Harvey. He’d made it to safety. He slumped back on his cot, the gentleness of it a stark contrast against the harsh jungle he’d spent so long in. A few of the kids in the room offered him small smiles, but no one approached. The haunted look in their eyes shook him. Did he look like that, too?
As Harvey waited, two older adolescents shuffled into the room. Both were gangly boys with daggers on their belts and shadows under their eyes. They glanced over once at Harvey before doing a double-take.
“You new here?” one asked, moving over towards the child.
“I am. I escaped my village being attacked.”
The adolescent nodded grimly. “The Chaos Legion just takes and takes, doesn’t it? Did you lose your family in the attack?”
“No, I was already an orphan.”
The adolescent moved closer. “Are you interested in getting revenge on the Chaos Legion for what they did to your home?”
Harvey frowned. “I don’t know. I’m just hungry, really.”
The young man nodded. “Of course. Once you get to feeling better, come talk to us, yeah? We’re part of a group here called the Knives. We are tired of the Chaos Legion taking what they want and killing who they want. We want to take the fight to them. My name’s Stephen, and this is Jim,” he inclined his head towards his friend. “You’re small, you would be really good at doing some jobs for the Knives. There’s money and food to be found too, of course.”
Harvey’s frown deepened. There was that name again. The Knives. “Okay . . . thanks . . .”
“You should give him some space,” Maleko’s deep voice cut through their conversation as the man strode through the door, tattered cloak hanging off his frame. “He just got here and is ill.”
The adolescents smiled and nodded, but the way the three exchanged looks was not friendly in the slightest. The two left the room, and Maleko sat down beside Harvey with a bowl of porridge in one hand and a large pouch of water in the other.
“This is all for you,” he said warmly. “Eat slowly and get some sleep. You’ve got a long recovery ahead.”
“Thank you,” Harvey took the bowl. It warmed his hands and the hearty smell made his stomach growl. He glanced up at Maleko. “What exactly are the Knives?”
Maleko’s dark eyes narrowed slightly. “Everyone here has been through a lot, and it affects us all in different ways. The Knives take a more extreme approach to our fight. Stay clear of them, alright? They’ll only get you into trouble.”
Maleko patted Harvey’s shoulder and left him to his meal. As soon as the food hit his tongue, Harvey forgot all about the the Knives, the Chaos Legion, and his destroyed home village. This haven may not have been Anenon, but it would do for now. For the first time in a very long while, he went to bed with a full stomach and slept soundly.
Collect special Limited NFTs related to this story at https://www.splintertalk.io/nfts/
Credits:
Story: Ashley Roepel & Scott Roepel
Editor: Sean Ryan
Narrative Lead: Joey Shimerdla
Character Art (cover): Edith Hinojosa Becerril
Illustrations: Edith Hinojosa Becerril
Graphic Design: Tamer "Defolt" Oukour
Voice Acting: David Dahdah
Ending credits song: AfterSound
Music/SFX: Blaudiss
Post Production: INFLUX Pictures
Creative Director: Nate Aguila
