Retreat

Droplets of water will come down and hit me on the top of the head every few steps.

It was so cold my breath made clouds in front of me, not that I could see them.

It reminded me of being in the bottom of the lake.

We travelled in the dark in silence only the sound of our stomachs could be heard.

On the second day Yuit gave in and opened his mouth.

"Please Mage Rumi we are hungry and have not eaten for three days".

Rumi scratched his head, "Nothing I can do about it Yuit".

"Stay strong" he added as if that would fill our bellies.

Fooya who had woken up the night before gave Yuit a scowl as if saying 'What did you expect'.

"How much farther to the other side"? Yuit asked and Alia stopped.

"Do not ask that question again, we want mages who will focus on the task at hand not count down the moments until it is over" Alia rebuked sharply.

Yuit clenched his fist and I could hear his heavy breathing out of frustration.

"We can do this" Leen said placing her hand on his shoulder.

They are all dissatisfied with the way they are being treated but no one has the courage to voice how they feel for fear of being abandoned.

We kept walking until I heard scratching sounds coming from around us.

Rumi heard the same and raised his fist in the air, the white light of mana illuminating the area around us making the fist sized slugs on the wall visible.

Everyone besides Alia, Rumi and I gasped.

Yuit almost let a scream out but placed a hand over his own mouth.

"Well... you said you are hungry" Rumi smiled making all the children tremble.

"No" Leena said shaking her head.

"What are they" Yuit asked his dry throat cracking.

"Shoo Slugs... they aren't poisonous don't worry" he said remembering how an Olim boy died from food poisoning.

"No... No" Leen kept shaking her head.

"We have no wood, hurry up and collect your slugs cut the eyes and drain the fluids in the center".

The eyes sat on top of a round milky white body with a blue streak going across horizontally.

Yuit went to action quickly drawing out a sharp hunting knife that was three fourth a hand width and as long as my forearm.

As soon as he split into the slug the others began to squirm away quickly.

I drew my blade and slashed up and horizontally as it was moving surprisingly quickly in the opposing direction.

Despite its meek visage I put all my strength into taking out the eyes, I ended up with a clean cut with no bleeding going diagonally from below removing the section with the eyes.

The light from Rumis hand dimmed and went dark, moments later a ball of fire took its place.

It grew to the size of a fist and hovered above a stone jutting out of the ground.

"Make sure to clean the insides" he said as I picked up my still squirming prey.

I split it horizontally from the stomach to get a look inside and found only one tube connecting different nerves to a nub near the tip where I removed its 'head'.

I removed the nub quickly feeling it go limp in my hand and proceeded to carve out the inner tube without disturbing the muscles.

After I was done it looked like pork belly.

Leen looked onwards disgusted by what she was seeing while Fooya continued to hunt one of her own.

Yuit on the other hand followed my lead and began to clean his but he had a foul odor to it because he cut into the tube in the center.

Slicing it through the center I thin it out even further before quick cuts turned it into bacon.

I placed all of my my pieces on the hot rock.

Leen was already staring at me but as soon as the aroma wafted in the air Yuit and Fooya stopped what they are doing to ogle the hot meat.

Their adolescent minds short circuited at the sight of the cooking meat.

"Don't cut yourself" I said to Yuit as he mindlessly used his knife.

He quickly finished his task and brought his meat over placing it whole on the hot stone.

I flipped the meat quickly burning my fingers as I did but I didn't mind.

I lifted one out and took a bite not expecting the taste I would find.

It tasted like Kobe beef and made me freeze as it melted in my mouth.

I had a thin tendril connected to Ava and our pleasure rebounded off of each other, a tear dropped down my eye.

"Are you okay"? Yuit asked.

I didn't answer, I stacked all the slices and cut them in half stuffing as much as I could in my bag while scarfing down the rest.

"Better hurry ladies" Rumi said as he brought the fireball down once more to maintain the heat.

Fooya came running back with a slimy stinky mess and Leen continued to stare at us.

"Shes been like that for a while now" Yuit said as he sliced into his meat and placed it back onto the stone.

I ignored him once more and ran into the darkness coming back minutes later with three slugs that I gutted and cleaned so quick it impressed even Alia.

Yuit was sharing his food with Fooya while Leen was picking at one of his slices that resembled a foul smelling steak.

I grilled my meat next to Fooya and since there was plenty of space Rumi moved the fireball over a little and let me cook all of it.

Once our meat was finished his fireball was extinguished and we went back into the darkness.

Leen huddled next to Fooya who was ravishing her meat while Yuit came and sat next to me.

"Would the great hunter share his spoils with the weak and timid"? he asked as he sat cross legged.

"Would you be mad if I said no" I chuckled.

"You have no idea" he replied making us both laugh as I hand him a few slices.

"I can't even close my eyes... those slugs can be anywhere" he said.

It was so dark it was hard to see a few feet in front of yourself and the thought of all these creatures around us made none of us want to rest.

"Let's move" Rumis voice came moments later.

I burped and took a swig of my water skin.

We walked for one day and night until we see a light coming around a bend on the second day

It looked like a pillar of light descending from the heavens but in reality it was the mountain pass.

"We made it" Rumi said sighing, it didn't look like it but he was as uncomfortable as Leen was in that damp place.

The moment we crossed the threshold an arrow was shot towards Rumis head.

He moved his head to the side and it passed by Yuits head before disappearing into the darkness.

"Drop your bags and belongings your surrounded"! A voice came out from above.

My daggers make no noise as I dull the edges with mana while removing them slowly.

"We should retreat" Alia said drawing her one handed sword.

"Ill be damned if I am going back there" Rumi said as he bit into his finger.