1 Trees and Bees

"Look, I just wanted you to understand some basic defensive skills. Just in case, you'll never know when a creep gets to you."

Nyla's father never ceases to amaze her. Weekends are rarely boring since they are always up to something.

Motorcycle riding...

Botany...

Ghost hunting...

and lately, self defense. And by the looks of it, was actually their most successful endeavor for skill-based improvement in recent memory.

"Dad, you just taught me how to kick them in the balls and run the other way. I think we're done here today."

"Not yet, we need to do the thing...you know."

"Oh..."

Nyla and her father Zoran paused briefly and stood side by side. Training in the middle of the forest, father and daughter stood silently listening to the wind. Nyla's long black hair danced with the wind while Zoran's prayer stance is calmly taking the silence as if it's listening for something.

Facing decade old trees the duo took a deep breath and exhaling from their mouth when they heard it...

A tree creaked louder as if a branch is about to crack. Then it made a distinct sound:

"HHHAAASSHHHAAALLLASSAAANAHHH NYYYYLLLAA"

Calmly, Nyla whispered in reply, "ssaaalllaammmaahhhsaaaakkuussooohhh." Her father nodded in agreement with her whisper, smiling while keeping his eyes closed.

The wind that ruffled the trees slowly faded - a sign for them to go in peace and go back to the village. The pair did not spoke while walking back home although Nyla has thousands of questions to ask her father about their constant interaction with nature.

"Dad?"

"In time Nyla," Her dad replied.

Before she could ask one more time. Trees started ruffling again but this time it's louder than ever as if it's angry and wants to shake off something.

And it actually did. Two small, winged creatures fell of the tree. Bluish grey in color, the creatures stood their ground in front of the duo armed with stone-tipped spears.

Zoran instinctively stood in front of Nyla. While pulling out his wooden knife, she firmly told her daughter,

"Stand back, I'll take care of these spearlings."

Nyla and Zoran have seen these small creatures before. Their sharp, piranha-like teeth can cut through wood really fast. Although small, they are incredibly quick and they regard their size as an advantage because they can easily evade any type of attack.

By the way, these creatures also have a 360-degree vision because well, they have four eyes. So they are basically something out of a horror story - except they are right in your face ready to pounce.

But Nyla and Zoran are also not your regular forest dwelling adventurers. Zoran stood in front of the spearlings with wooden knife in his right hand.

"Dakung Espada," Zoran muttered with eagerness.

In an instant, the wooden knife is covered by a yellowish light that formed a shaped of a giant sword. Attacking, he swung his sword from up high towards the spearlings. The ground shook and sliced the ground where his sword landed.

He missed. The spearlings jumped high above him.

Drawing their claws out they were about to land on Zoran when his sword swung again.

This time, it's a direct hit. The spearlings disintegrate like they didn't exist. Only large sliced ground remain as proof of the fight.

"Another day, another set of spearlings." Zoran sighed.

"Yeah, next time it's my turn to fight." Nyla picking up her dad from the ground.

Returning home, Nyla and Zoran talked about the recent attack. It's been a steady pace of spearlings in the past few days and concerns are growing that it's just a start of something bigger.

Something must have happened. It's big and it's going to cause something bigger.

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