Chapter 33: Connection

Tavin forced his legs to move, step after heavy step, even as they screamed at him to stop. He wasn’t sure how long he had been at this; the moon had gone behind some of the only clouds in the sky some time ago. He also didn’t know how far behind Valina he was, but he was determined to catch up. He looked down at the bag of candies Valina had left him; it was already half-empty. He still didn’t know what they were made of, but he had been relying on them so heavily that he wasn’t sure what he would do when he ran out.

The road ahead of him wound through the trees, never seeming to end, always lasting one more corner. He had never been out this far before—there had been no reason to leave Varenwald. Most of the people he grew up around were like that. He had always been meaning to, but it always didn’t seem like the right time. Tavin chuckled to himself as he realized that this was the last way he thought it would happen.