Through the crowd came a woman with dark ebony skin and black hair, with thin glasses. This was Brandi. "What's going on here?" she demanded.

Marcela interjected, "It's my fault, I allowed something horrible to happen. "Kaela was just..." Brandi cut her off. "All three of you follow me".   They made it back to a small pocket of the cave, which had a salvaged table. Brandi's office. 

"Marcela, you should know better. The Dowath ask one thing from us and one thing only, peace. Do you realize what would happen if they decide to kick us out of here? We'd all be dead in a week. There are one or two voices who already say things would be better with us gone," Marcela says under her breath, "Dmoko". "Yes," Brandi continues, "But if these outbursts continue, more will start thinking just like him. The price is too high for us to let it ever get close to that point". 

After their berating, the women leave. Marcela pulls Kaela aside. "Listen, Kaela, that should not have happened. Sometimes we get caught up in things and forget who we are. For what it's worth, I am glad there's someone here now who will let us know when we're acting like asses. 

Kaela only looks down. "I have to take a rest now, I'm very tired".

Kaela took a break and lay on her cot. Shortly, she was asleep. What was supposed to be a quick nap turns into a deep slumber. She has the dream again. 

It was a dream that she had not had in a while, but still reappears at times, never letting her go. It is always so vivid.

Five years ago. Her tribe is on the move in a massive caravan. 

Usually, it's not advisable to travel long distances in such large numbers. It made you a target. Secondly, it was not advisable to travel over wide open spaces. 

This they had to do. The season was changing, and they had to make it to the forest where there was more safety than their current camp. Up ahead, they could see it, the treeline. It was still far away, but their parade of wagons, horses and people on foot had made it this far. 

JaKaelath sat up front between her mother and father as they steered their wagon. The only tension was the fact that sitting between them made her feel like a child. 

Around them was the sound of children laughing, older folks talking about similar journeys and young scared warriors. 

She looked over and saw her good friend Kragon, riding his favorite new horse, "Whisper," near his family's wagon. He had told her he named the horse after her, or, actually, to be the opposite of her and her headstrong personality. He had only recently asked her father for permission to date her. Her father had told JaKaelath that he would grant permission to the boy soon. 

The mumblings were low at first; another rider had sworn he saw a Ponu up ahead, behind a small rock formation that jutted out of the ground. No one else could see it, but he was sure he had seen a flash of the pink uniforms they wore. Moments later, thoughts of the Ponu were soon put aside. 

The sentries called out almost in unison, "Dowath!!!" Her father let out a sad and chilling "no..."

Panic ensued. The young warriors quickly reached for weapons to distribute. They were on them in an instant. Two Dowath scooped in and snatched sentries. There were at least 4 or 5 more monsters approaching. 

From the wagon, in the middle of the confusion, JaKaelath looked over and saw a Ponu woman running in the distance. The rider was right. Who knows how long the Ponu had been hiding there, waiting for something to distract the Dowath, giving her a chance to run for her life. 

Her father was on the back of the uncovered wagon. He grabbed a gun and a spear and tried to swipe at the creatures as they flew by. If he can get one to impale itself, it may be more effective than small bullets. 

JaKaelath crawled to the back to help her father. 

She saw Kragon on his horse yelling at her, "JaKaelath, get back inside the wagon!!!" She ignored him. She would not sit by with her father out trying to defend them.

By now, the wagons and horses are moving as fast as they can, still the Dowath swoop down, snatching victims. A woman yells out as her son is snatched away from her. Moments later, a similar fate awaits her. 

To the left of them, a Dowath landed to the back of a wagon and flipped it, sending the family inside flying out. 

To the right, in a show of almost impossible strength, a Dowath landed behind a moving horse and picked it up by its hind legs, with the rider still on it, slinging them both. 

"Use the big gun," JaKaelath's father desperately yells.

In another wagon, the cover was removed, revealing what looked like an old-fashioned Gatling gun. A few Scavengers prepare it on the fast-moving wagon. One scavenger, apparently specially trained to use it, sits behind the gun and starts firing. "I can't get a good shot, we're moving too fast, and it's too bumpy". Soon, a Dowath lands right on the platform and, with one swipe, knocks the gun off the platform, breaking it in two, and killing the operator who is pinned beneath it. 

Any gun available is being used, but to no effect. 

As Jakaelath's father turns around to see the carnage unfolding, a Dowath swoops in and snatches him, taking him high into the air. A Chorus of "no" and "can't be" rings out as, like so many of the victims, he is dropped to his death so the Dowath can return and finish off the rest. 

JaKaelath looks on in horror. She was almost snatched herself if not for her mother yelling out her name, causing her to dodge the creature. 

It circles and lands in front of JaKaelath and slowly moves towards her. Panic grips her, and she moves almost on automatic. 

She takes the shotgun and fires point-blank at the creature. It still comes with its wings covering it from the blast. Then she fires again, and again. 5 rounds in total, and the last only makes the creature angrily scream at her. JaKaelath realizes this will be her final moments alive as the creature prepares to swipe. 

Just then, the entire wagon flips over. Her mother, realizing what was about to happen, turned the wagon sharply, throwing both the Dowath and her daughter off. It was far from the ideal solution, but it was the only desperate move she could make.

Near her, the Dowath screams in agony. A metal bar on the side of the wagon had impaled the creature. It was not dead yet, but most likely soon would be.

She crawls over and looks at her mother with tears in her eyes. She's crushed, killed instantly. 

In the far distance, she sees even more Dowath approaching. Their wings looking like an approaching appointment with death.

Janeda's wagon pulls by, no time to stop, she yells, "JaKaelath, honey, get in now!!!"

She runs. She won't let her mother's sacrifice be in vain. 

Once onboard, Janeda tells her driver to make it to the treeline with all you've got. JaKaelath sees Kragon and his horse moving alongside their fast-moving wagon. Kragon rides hard with a blank look on his face and tears streaming down. His young brother's dead body lying across the horse.

 

Only about half the wagons remain as they desperately try to make it to the treeline. Going faster, hearing screams, faster, more screams, faster! She wakes up.