Once my wounds were fully healed and my energy returned tenfold, I once again began my journey to get through this forest with a Druid by my side. She had stopped talking, skipping, or whistling, leaving us with the silence I had been begging for since the beginning. But now, I found it awkward, and stifling.

I lost track of time and direction, and ended up following Kit without realising it, that is, until we reached a small, strange looking hut.

It was round, and built from sticks and hardened mud. “Where are we?” I asked Kit.

She smiled, “A safe hut! Mine, to be specific.”

“Safe hut?” I frowned, “doesn’t look very safe to me.”

Kit nodded towards it, “Go on, go inside.”

I sighed, but didn’t argue, I walked right up to and tried to open what I suspected was a door...only to be thrown five feet back by some invisible force.

Kit stood over me, still grinning, “See? Told ya, safe hut. Only I and those I deem friends may enter it.” She reached down and helped me up.

“Got it.” I mumbled grouchily.

Kit pulled my over and whispered something to the hut, immediately, the door swung open. Kit entered and turned around to face me. “Well?” She asked expectantly, “Are you coming in?”

I hesitated, why was I trusting this girl? It now occurred to me, that for the first time in my life, I was blindly trusting a stranger, despite the fact that they annoyed me. Finally, I followed her inside. I couldn’t quite place my finger on it, but it was almost as if she was...familiar. Like I had known her for longer than two days.

The inside was filled with jugs of water and baskets, weaved from grass, full of fruits. “What the hell?” I said, turning towards Kit, as I did so, I banged my head on the low roof. “Why didn’t we come here for breakfast instead of making fight that-that thing!”

Kit shrugged, “Never crossed my mind.” She picked up an apple and tossed it to me, “Hungry?”

I batted it away, “No, I’m…” What was I? “Confused.”

Kit sat down on the ground and started tossing berries from another basket into her mouth, “Confused about what Ethan?”

I sat down in front of her, “You, this forest, everything that’s been going on since I got to this stupid place, take your pick Kit.”

Kit thought for a moment, throwing a couple more berries into her mouth. “Okay, what about me confuses you?”

I leaned forward, “You’re a Forest Druid, right?”

“Yup.” Another berry.

“That means you protect this entire forest?”

“Yes.” This time, five more berries in one gulp.

“According to legends, these forests that Druids protect are plentiful, but this,” I gestured to the baskets of fruit and water, “Is the most food I’ve seen so far in this place, not to mention the severe lack of animals and birds, even bugs!”

Kit stopped snacking and looked sad, “Ask me another question.”

“No.” I scooted closer, determined to figure this out, “Those guys from before, they said Aeron lives here, which would explain the lack of creatures. What is going on her Kit? Where is everything?”

Kit now looked mad, “Another. Question.”

“No!” I yelled, “Tell me Kit! What is this place?”

“You aren’t ready! Ask a different question!”

“I said no Kit. What am I not ready for?” I pleaded.

“Your future!” Kit yelled back at me, “You aren’t prepared, not yet.” She banged a fist on the ground in between us.

I grabbed her hand, “What do you mean, ‘My future’?”

She yanked her hand back and looked down hugging her shoulders, “I-I just want things to change!”.

“What things to change? Kit, please, I don’t know what’s going on. All I know is, that I feel like I’m somehow connected to all of this, to you, and I don’t know why. Please Kit, tell me.”

“Fine.” Kit glared at me, “But all that I can tell you is this, Ethan Peregrin, you are destined to kill Aeron, and I must train you”

Silence. I stared at Kit, I wanted to call her silly, stupid, a liar. But I couldn’t, because as soon as she said those words, I couldn’t help but suddenly feel right. This was my destiny, I knew it, and there was nothing I could do about it. I was at a loss for words.

“See.” Kit grumbled, “Told you you weren’t ready.”

I swallowed, “Um, so, how exactly am I supposed to do that?” I asked hoarsely.

“Magic.” Kit said, as if that was an easy thing for me to do.

“Magic.” I stated.

“Magic.” She said, nodding.

I couldn’t handle this anymore, I stood up and ran outside, behind me I heard Kit calling for me to come back, but I wasn’t going to. I wasn’t coming back, I wasn’t going to learn magic, and I wasn’t going to risk my life to kill an ancient evil. I, was leaving.

I ran until my legs shook and my lungs burned. The sky above was a deep orange as the sun began to fade; I now found myself hopelessly lost. Great.

“Gosh dangit!” I shouted. I turned around, but realized I had no idea where I had come from. I was hopelessly lost.

I heard some snapping twigs behind me and turned around, “Kit?” I called out nervously, “Is that you?”

No answer.

I began to creep as silently as I could towards the sound of someone walking towards me. As soon as I saw who it was, I leapt behind a bush before they could see me. It was Plum and Peachy, from before. Why were they still in this forest? Hadn’t Kit kicked them out?

“I’m telling you Alastor, I heard someone, what is it’s the girl again?” Peachy pleaded anxiously with Plum, who I now knew was named “Alastor”.

“Stop being a wuss Malcolm, besides, I wouldn’t mind having a rematch with that little Druid girl, teach her a lesson she won’t forget.” Alastor growled.

A fierce protective feeling burned in my gut at the mention of harming Kit. Although I did not like her, Kit had done nothing to warrant being attacked by two grown men. Stupidly, I allowed my emotions to get the better of me and step out of hiding place, wielding the large stick I had found. I put on what I thought was a fierce, brave face, but was most likely one of cowardly determination.

“I don’t know what you guys want with this forest, but Kit told you two to leave, and there is no way in hell I’m letting you continue harming this forest and Kit.” I pointed the stick at Alastor.

He stared at me in confusion for a few moments, then burst into laughter, “You really think a stick is going to scare me away little boy?” I didn’t answer. He pushed the stick away and squinted at me, “I recognize you, you were the whelp with the Druid girl.”

“Her name,” I said, quaking, “Is Kit, and she is far more than just a Druid.” What was I doing? I was a coward, not a hero, I always had been, and always would be. But something about Kit, something she had said, made me want to be a hero. I had a destiny, a future of greatness.

I realized now that Kit had given me purpose, if I ever made it out of this alive, I would face my future with a new determination.

Alastor sneered at me, “Why should I care about the girl's name, all I know is that you have some kind of attachment to her, which means she may very well care about you, which means…” he grinned, and I got a glimpse of rotting, blackened teeth, “You are the key to me getting my hands on that stupid girl.”

He nodded, and I realized I had forgotten about Peachy, or Malcolm. I turned around just in time to see a large hair fist heading straight towards my face, and in an explosion of white and red, my world faded to gray, and sank into an endless sea of blackness. 

When I awoke, I found myself tied up, resting against the rough bark of a tree. The cool night wind chilled me, but in the darkness I could pick up the faint glow of a fire. My head pounded and my eyesight was blurry, groaning, I attempted to find a way to escape my predicament.

I could overhear Alastor and Malcolm chatting and laughing by the fire. I struggled against my bindings, but couldn’t break them. I cursed, look at what my bravery had gotten me, heroics are not for men like me, born into a life of cowardice and self preservation.

I thought of my mother, what would happen to her? What would she think, losing her only son to a couple of thugs in a fight over a girl neither parties liked? What a way to go.

I had to find a way to escape, no matter what escaping required. What was it Kit had told me? I had magic powers? What a load of rot. A true magically inclined hero would be able to snap his restraints in a matter of seconds, hell, he wouldn’t have even been captured in the first place!

In a fit of anger, I decided to prove Kit wrong just by attempting to perform the magic I was so sure I did not possess. Closing my eyes I focused hard on the burning frustration in the pit of my stomach. The burning began to grow, spreading through my body until it overcame me, ravaging my senses. I gasped in pain and opened my eyes wide, What did I do now? Yeah, great, I managed to do something that at least felt remotly magical, but I had no way of knowing how I did it, let alone how to control it! I tried to relax and give in to my instincts, release, I told it, release. In a burst of heat and light, my hands caught fire and turned to tightened ropes into a pile of ashes.

I gazed at them in amazement, in front of me, I heard Alastor and Malcolm shout in shock and outrage, and start running towards me. I looked up at them and smiled, “You two have no idea how much trouble you’re in.” I said, slowly raising my flaming hand into the air.