Theft (Part 1)

Left and right he moved, straying from side to side, a spider with only two legs. Two was all he needed however, the sound of thumping feet drawing nearer substituted the other six. As he swayed, Dunshu forest was a blur of mosaic green and brown, tall, lingering trees hanging above him. It’s alluring smell of all that was fresh was accused of swallowing both men and mice. Victims entering yet never departing. Most had no choice; the small division of which Chelkar was hurrying through was the only source of fresh food for two hundred kilometres in all directions.

Abruptly braking to a Holt, Chelkar greeted a Gonon with his left stilt trusted into his right eye. The beast being the first to reach the insect in the spider’s web. Before he could scurry again, another two confronted him, launching as one their bodies towards him. With his sword drawn, a great hum passed by the first ones right leg, jumping to the side and taking the swing. Too slow was the Volograd though to not face the second ones axe, cutting into the left side of his stomach. Yellow blood began oozing from his wound, sliding down his leg, and gathering on the forest floor. Satisfied the Ganon let out a roar, calling for his fellow comrades.

From what Chelkar saw though, lying on the ground, the blood already seized, was that assistance for this one was nowhere in site. Obviously from previous experience, the Ganon thought that Chelkar’s wound would not mend itself in less than thirty seconds. Believing he was safe, the foolish creature turned his back, calling again for another arrival. His last image was a scenic one of the forest, Kirensk chewing through his neck. Looking over to his brother in arms, Chelkar watched the Ganon squirm on the ground under his eyes, seeing the devils stakes within. Quickly raising his sword, fading again into a Ganon’s head, the blood which he spilt could not be mended. Like the remaining Volograd’s, in battle he was both cruel and unforgiving. Once again he was on the move, his keen eyes looking for any more signs of trouble.

Light outside the forest was now emerging through the trees, the slow, enduring rays reaching out and touching Chelkar’s face, warming his blood and lightening his spirit.

On foot, his stilts both broken after the previous encounters, each step was proving to be a hardship. Although he had recovered from his gash almost instantaneously, his blood still felt sluggish, still shaken after losing many of its comrades. Pure luck would have appeared to let Chelkar out of the forest, staggering through the last branches as he surfaced. Blinded at first by the triple sun beaming down on him

It was obvious that the Ganon’s had decided to spread out through the forest, obviously losing sight of their prey. The forest creaked and moaned as a gust of wind ran through, looking back, now about one hundred metres away, he heard the forest give a horrible whimper. It knew that it had let someone in, but also out. Chelkar knew that the Ganon’s would not go any further than the forest, for them, an invisible barrier surrounded the forest, the forest holding their reigns.

As his eyes finally came too, he viewed what was before him, a barren land of empty grim. He felt no sympathy as he turned away from the forest, not daring to look back. Taking his first step of many thousands to his two hundred-kilometre destination where he had come from. Putting his hand in and under his cloak, he gleamed at what he had stolen.