Young Writers Society

k, though this is not so far back in the past like part 1, it is still not present day*

Gaia, yr 9987 A.R. (Aizean Rule), 17 years before present day.

Lucas coughed, taking a swig of water from his canteen, wishing for something smaller. It was his job to guard the wagon filled with meat the Hunters were bringing back to the villages he rubbed his head and looked up at the trees. The forest grew at the bottom of a canyon, at the top was dry and cracked wasteland, almost like a desert. Because of the climate, water was the most prescious resource for anyone who lived in this region. Because of this the two villages that bordered the canyon had to share the only source of water for miles around, a small lake that lay deep within the monster infested forest.

He was twenty-seven now, and had been married several years, he was almost too old to go on a Hunt but he was the best archer on either side of the canyon, twice a year the two villages sent six people into the woods, (the three best fighters from each village), to check on the lake, and catch as much meat as possible, the whole thing lasted for three weeks. Other then that, everyone was forbidden to set foot inside the forest, since it was infested with monsters.

Lucas heard something crashing through the bush to his left. Quickly he reached for his bow and nocked an arrow. It could be his friends, the sound was coming from the direction of the lake, but they were normally much quieter. He pulled the bow string taught and prepared to fire, as Talin stumbled into the clearing. Too late to stop shooting Lucas jerked the bow and sent the arrow into the ground at Talin's feet.

"Don't move like that in the woods Talin," He told the boy, who was just on his first Hunt. "You'll attract monsters, Or get mistaken for one." He laughed as he stepped forward, picking up the arrow and putting it in his quiver. "Now, what is it? That was loud, even for you. Is something wrong with the lake?"

Talin was already looking back the way they had come. Startled he jerked around to look at Lucas again. "What? Oh... No there's nothing wrong with the lake. It's just there are bodies by the lake."

Lucas shook his head. "So, what else is new? Just some monsters that died trying to get a drink of water."

Talin looked at him, the kid was as white as a ghost. "No they're human bodies. With the Aizea brand on their back, burned into it in fact."

Eyes widening Lucas broke into a run shouting at Talin over his shoulder to guard the wagon. He ran through the forest quickly following the trail Talin had made. When he got to the lake he saw the others standing around the bodies by the shore. It was a man and women, they looked like they had just been a few years younger then Lucas. From the wounds on their bodies they had been tortured, and the wounds had eventually killed them. Lucas was about to say something to the others when he heard a high thin cry. He shook his head, he must be imaging things, but looking at the others he could tell he wasn't. "Do you guys hear that too?" He asked, even though they were all already moving towards the sound.

Further along the shore a bulky pack that must have belonged to the dead couple had drifted into the lake and snagged on a fallen tree trunk. Lucas jumped up onto the trunk and moved out carefully to where the pack floated. Lucas' eyes widened as he stared at the pack, quickly he crouched down and ever so gently lifted the bundle out of the lake. Cradling it in his arms he began to walk back towards the others. "Guys..." He started tentatively. "I don't know how to say this, but it doesn't look like everything is dead here."

It was at that moment that the infant boy decided to go from whimpering to all out wailing. His cries, shattered the peace of woods around the lake.

***

"So what are we supposed to do with him? We can't just leave him here, but his parents were marked by Aizea. We'll be exucuted if they find out we have this kid." The group was sitting around a campfire. They'd brought the wagon to the lake, and burned the bodies. The baby was sleeping peacefully after they'd gotten him to drink the last of the milk they had with them.

"Look I know this'll be complicated, but I've got an idea" Lucas told the others, holding his hands close to the fire. "Aizea's next inspection isn't for another two months right? My wife just had a stillbirth. This kid is a newborn, we can pull the old switcheroo and they'll never know the difference."

Vesex, who rarely talked, looked over at Lucas. "You sure you want to do this Lucas? I know what it's like to lose a kid, it messes with your head, if Aizea finds out you pulled something like this they won't just kill you. There are far worse things then dying Lucas. Are. You. Sure?"

Lucas looked around the campfire at the other five, and then looked down at the boy sleeping on top of his cloak. The kid turned his head slightly and sneezed, before falling back into deep sleep. He glanced back up at Vesex, "I'm sure. This kid needs someone, he is innocent, a child so young he doesn't even know what Aizea is. I'm not going to let him die, just because i'm scared."

Nodding Vesex glanced around the circle at the other five, all six wore faces of deep thought. He told Lucas, "Okay, no one going to know kid was stillborn for another two weeks right? We can pull this off, so long as we get back to the villages fast, and we all keep our mouths shut. Does everyone understand that?"

All six of them nodded in agreement before turning and pulling the cloaks over themselves and trying to sleep. Lucas gaot up and tapped Vesex on the shoulder. He nodded towards an area in the woods away from the camp. When the two got their he turned to Vesex. "Sorry, but I didn't want to make everyone more nervous then they already are. So I didn't show you guys this, take a look Vesex."He pulled aside the blanket to bare the infant's left arm. A tiny glittering black-silver arm guard covered the entire forearm with magical symbols carved in gold. "You can read the ancient language, what does it mean?"

Vesex leaned closer to read the symbols that glowed in the near full moon's light. "The symbols are very complex, I can't quite read them, I think they tell a story, and there are warnings of some great danger. About all I can tell you is that this arm guard has a spell cast on it so that it will grow with the boy, and should never be removed. There is probably much more, but you'd need an expert scholar to translate it fully. And..."

"And they're all in Aizea, or watched by Aizea." Lucas finished the sentence for Vesex with a sigh. "Well then, I guess it can't be helped."

The two walked slowly back to the camp, Vesex looked over at Lucas. "So, what are you going to name him?

"I know that Kunika wanted to name our first child, but, I think, I'll call him Saiga. Saiga, which, in the ancient language means wind."

"Saiga, huh. It's a good name."