The Firstlings

Aaron paced in his cell as anticipation and excitement consumed him. He was getting the chance to reunite with his siblings, and a fierce longing had gripped him, and he couldn’t keep still.

He let out a breath of relief when he heard the prison doors open.

Karla came to his cell with a group of guards trailing her. She handed him a pack stuffed with crystals and a few books. “These may come in handy when you reach your siblings.”

She stood back as the guards unlocked the cell and began to bind his hands with a thick rope. She explained to him that the Council insisted he be restrained while being escorted through the inner compound.

They led him through the winding corridors of the Stronghold and exited into the wide streets that cut through the central part of the city. Coming into the open sky still gave him a start, and his eyes stung as the sun was shining brightly.

There was a spring chill in the air, but the heat from the sun warmed his very soul. As they marched, he could see the citizens gather, and murmurs of ‘Firstlings’ and ‘Dark Times’ assaulted his sensitive ears.

He smiled with devilish charm as they paraded the streets. ‘This must be what it means to be a Prince, he even had his very own escort!’ He chuckled, unable to keep the excitement from his face and the wonder from his eyes.

The world was so amazing!

He beamed with joy as they marched through the streets and ended at large gates exiting the inner ring of the City. He saw Bently standing tall at the head of a small group of soldiers. He didn’t know what they were called, but the only term he could think of was some kind of scout.

Bently rushed to his side and started to undo his bindings.

“The Council didn’t want you running amuck in the Inner City, but these won’t be required any further.” He muttered as he tossed the ropes.

Aaron rubbed his sore wrist and looked away, not quite sure how to interact with the man.

“I have brought three Scouts with us to help locate your sibli—.”

“That won't be necessary,” Aaron interrupted. “I am bonded with my siblings. I can track them anywhere.”

“Fair enough,” Bently responded with a nod of his head. “But they still come. Beasts and untold horrors lurk in the shadows, and we need them as trackers. They are skilled Rangers and excel at what they do. It’ll make our journey safer.”

Aaron shrugged his shoulders in reply as Bently handed him a cloak. They started their journey at a brisk pace, exiting the city. As they passed the outskirts, he couldn’t help but notice again how dire the human situation had become.

The stench in the air was almost unbearable, and the sight of the sickly, malnourished humans made his stomach twist into knots. He saw a young girl, too thin for her age, hitting some kind of bouncy rock. Searching through his memories, he discovered it was a ball and one of the most amazing things he had ever seen!

‘Who would have ever thought of a bouncy rock?’

She noticed his stare and stopped playing, looking at him with curiosity. He was rather intrigued by the girl. He could see with his Sight that her core shone brighter than the others. A hint of sorrow passed through him at the thought of her never getting to enjoy such a core.

He didn’t mind working with humans, and the thought of helping them didn’t bother him. He didn’t hate them because they were a different Race, but for what they did to Mother. ‘Especially the big man’, he thought as he swallowed his resentment.

They moved past the slums, and the road began to turn rough as the wilderness crept in. He trailed behind the group and kept his head down. He refused to mingle with his Mother’s killers any longer than needed.

As he was contemplating his awkward position, Bently slowed his steps, coming beside him. He pulled a small dagger from his waist and leaned over, handing it to him. He took the blade and looked into the big man’s eyes. He stared back with a pale face, still suffering from his ailment.

“The wilderness is dangerous, and although the Labrinth isn’t far, you can never be too safe. Our old camp is just past the entrance. We will use that to make camp as we scour the tunnels,” he elaborated, taking shallow breaths.

Aaron nodded to the man in understanding as Bently stepped away, taking the lead again. ‘At least he was willing to arm me’. The thought of cutting the man open crossed his mind, but he dismissed it sourly, as he had a mission and the man seemed sincere about helping them.

Besides, he’d already lost that fight once before.

They moved at a steady pace, and he could see the road vanishing as if nature were strangling it to death. As they trekked further into the forest, a howl sounded in the distance, startling them all.

The Rangers crouched low and began to spread out, pulling bows from their backs.

One dashed forward silently as Bently pulled his dreadful sword and whispered to Aaron in alarm, “Keep low and stay alert! Those are fangs. Pack animals that prowl the forest. They aren’t too difficult one at a time, but in groups they are deadly.”

They remained alert as the Ranger came back and reported that a pack of fangs was close. He took them to a rocky outcropping overlooking a small part of the forest. The other Rangers swept behind them, doing their best to cover tracks.

They sat downwind, overlooking the forest, and Aaron's eyes went wide when he saw what entered their view.

It was a humongous, hairy creature three times his size in height and just as long. It had a large head buried in long, tangled fur, with its snout peeking out as it sniffed the air wildly. Massive antlers rose from the top of its head, giving it an intimidating look, and he could see faint whisps of mana swirling on their tips.

Its body was huge and covered in the same long, ragged fur, dragging the forest floor. Its legs were like tree trunks, and he could almost feel the ground tremble with each step. He looked to the side as Bently moved closer.

“That’s a Grazer. They look like harmless beasts, but they have a nefarious side,” Bently said, pointing at the fur covering its body. “Their fur is rather deadly. As it walks through the forest, it will trap prey within its fibers and consume them.”

Aaron looked in horror when he noticed where Bently was pointing. Small animals and even plants had become entangled in the beast's fur, and the nasty fibers were consuming them. They looked as if they were being melted into the fibers and were still alive, struggling to be free.

‘Don’t try to pet that thing!’ He thought wryly.

As the large beast passed them, going deeper into the woods, howls came again, raising all the hair on his body. His instincts screamed at him to run, but he trusted in the skill of the Rangers and stood his ground as a pack of even more terrifying beasts came into view.

Over a dozen howled in glee as their prey came into sight.

They had large manes of fur surrounding their necks and trailing their bodies. They were like wolves in build, but that’s where the resemblance ended. Their heads were hairless, with wrinkled skin pulled tight across their faces and small, beady eyes.

Their gums were pulled back in a cruel, never-ending smile. All to make room for their massive, daggerlike teeth, stained dark from use. Saliva drooled from their mouths as they ran with the thrill of the hunt in their howls.

The smell of death filled the air as they passed, and Aaron couldn’t help but shudder at the thought of what could be their outcome in the wider world. He regretted not wanting the Rangers present. Their skills had allowed them to stay out of the path of these beasts.

The forest cleared, and the howls receded as the pack chased their prey into the distance. Setting off again, they picked up their pace, staying alert for any signs of danger. As the sun began to set, Aaron saw a large boulder with a cave entrance at its heart.

The entrance to the Labyrinth.

As they reached the mouth of the cave, a Ranger stepped forward and summoned a small flame in the palm of his hand. He held it high to light the dark passage as they entered, heading down a steep set of stairs carved from the stone floor.

Aaron stared at the Ranger in fascination, peering at the magical flame in his hand. He had seen the fire the humans wielded in the attack on their Nest. Though he still thought they were despicable, he couldn’t help but be curious. The Ranger became amused and chuckled at him, bringing the flame closer so he could see.

“I’m not a very capable Flame Seeker, so I joined the Rangers,” he explained with a smile. “My Insights are weak, but they work wonders for light at least.” He luaghed as he took the lead with Bently at his side.

They traveled for some distance, taking a few turns through the tunnels, and came to a large intersection. He could see signs of habitation in the area and figured this was the old camp Bently spoke about. Picking a spot near the back, he watched as the humans began preparing a fire and setting up makeshift tents.

He laid down on a blanket that one of the Rangers had given him and listened to them casually conversing while brewing some type of drink. He couldn’t follow the conversion and had no interest in trying.

Since coming into the Labrinth, his Bond began to strengthen, and he could feel his siblings were not too far away. He thought of slipping off into the tunnels, but doubt kept lingering in his heart. The world was amazing, but also scary and deadly.

‘Could they survive on their own?’

Or would they be like the rest of humanity, or even worse? The world was completely new to them, and initially, he believed in their abilities, but now he wasn’t so sure of the outcome. Seeing the City, packs of beasts, and the humans use of magic had opened his eyes.

They needed human knowledge to give them a better chance at survival.

He would work with them like he had promised and would lead his siblings from the Labyrinth. Sighing with resolve, he heard the area go quiet as the Rangers gradually fell into slumber.

Bently had gone a bit further away from the group, near one of the side tunnels. Aaron had seen the looks the others had given the man and could tell they had also seen something wrong with him, but they never voiced their opinions.

As he focused his senses on the big man's location, he winced.

The man's sobs were heavy and full of sorrow.

They cut into Aaron as the weight they carried was overbearing. ‘This guy is a wreck!’ He thought as he tried to shut down his senses. He slowly drifted into a fitful sleep, to sobs and pants faintly echoing in the tunnels.

Aaron came alert when something brushed his blanket!

He reached up with a start just in time to catch a dagger in the hand. Roaring in pain, he tried to lunge backward and reach for his own dagger but slipped on the blanket, falling to his back.

And he stared in horror at the dagger aimed at his heart.

He closed his eyes in anticipation and flinched, hearing a gurgling sound. He was ready for the fateful blow, but... nothing ever came.

He opened his eyes to see one of the Rangers, cut in half, falling to the ground as blood and viscera pooled onto the tunnel floor. Aaron hissed in shock at the figure behind the fallen Ranger.

Bently stood tall like a mountain with his large sword covered in blood and a look of pure murder in his eyes.

The other Rangers had woken from Aaron's screams and were huddled behind the big man. They cowered at the crazy look in his eyes as he addressed them and made clear his stance.

“None are to touch the Firstlings,” he huffed with a look of challenge.

“Yes sir!” They replied obediently, refusing to look him in the eye.

They helped Aaron bandage his wounded hand as Bently removed the corpse from the camp. As everything fell quiet, he replaced his blanket and sat staring at the small fire. Getting any more sleep was out of the question, and he was still struggling to calm his nerves.

He couldn't help but have a single thought...

‘This guy was serious!’