The group was on the move again. Ian had properly rested and made another golem, so they had two.
He couldn't make any more, fearing he would waste more energy and time.
"We should walk faster." Third Light commented, swinging his spear to clear some vines from their path.
The air was thick and crackling with tension.
Even Han, who spent most of his time scanning for what could kill him, was lost in thought.
'I was dead. That vast, empty feeling was death.' Now that the adrenaline-fueled high was over, the true situation was dawning on him.
His eyes glossed over to Third Light for a second, 'This body, these hands…' He looked at his hands. The blisters that plagued them were with the burns. Gone.
It was like he had been renewed but that was what scared him.
'If this body, as it is, was gotten from his power, is it still mine? Is it his? Where do I end as a person and begin as an extension of his power?'
He bumped into Ian's back and lifted his head slowly to look.
The group had stopped walking and the reason was clear.
Trees were broken and twisted unnaturally, large footprints remade the terrain, slimy trails and blood smeared the ground, covering it in a sticky black mixture with a pungent odor.
Third Light knelt beside one of the beast carcasses there. It looked like what was once a monkey-type beast had been killed violently by another.
"Shit!" Third Light cursed and stood, dust falling off his clothes.
Ash approached him, "Is it… that?"
Third Light nodded and Rish shifted slightly, "That shouldn't have happened. What went wrong‽" She flailed her arms around.
Ian stepped forward, "Should we be openly discussing this?" The others froze for a moment.
Rish ran her finger over the hilt of her knife, a habit of hers, "So that's why we saw that bird. It was running away."
Third Light nodded, "Yes, that beast." He pointed to the monkey, "It was trampled to death by others."
Han, since his resurrection, shook terribly.
His eyes widened and trembled, 'That beast that almost killed me… was running away?!'
His knees weakened, his heart pounded, and he wanted nothing more than to turn around and sprint into the forest, but he knew better.
If, somehow, he escaped Third Light and survived the colossal beasts in the forest, he'd still have to answer to the Dawn Enterprise, Third Light's father's company, and from what he had heard, it would be better if he got eaten.
"No matter. We'll resume our march." Third Light spoke after a moment of silence.
The others snapped their heads at him in stunned silence.
Han stared at nothing, 'He is going to get us killed!'
Third Light chuckled lightly before bursting out with laughter, "Calm down. If That is still here and is interested in us, we would already be decimated alongside this region of the forest."
Ian smiled wryly, "I mean, he has a point. That is most likely ignoring us because we are too weak to be a threat or it has gotten its fill."
His words made the others flinch and Third Light grit his teeth, "Yes, we are too weak." He spat slowly.
Ash muttered incoherent sentences to himself and looked at his map again, "We are almost there. Just a few hundred meters."
Ian nodded and clicked his fingers. His golems started a march forward.
They slowly disappeared from their view, into the destroyed forest.
A few minutes later, Ian smiled, "Found them." The other members gripped their weapons while Han fastened his bag.
Third Light pointed the tip of his spear at where the golems had gone, "Go!"
Ash rushed through the forest, dodging fallen branches and swiftly avoiding decimated trunks.
He fixed an arrow into his bow as he disappeared from view.
Rish was more silent, moving like a shadow behind Ash, disappearing even before him.
Ian gripped the warhammer that rested constantly on his back. He pulled it down and charged unceremoniously into the distance.
Third Light turned to Han, "And you?"
Han turned to him, face ashen, "W-wait what?"
"Won't you participate? You are part of the party, aren't you?" Third Light clarified and Han swallowed.
'I can't say no because that's technically why I'm here but he really can't expect me to go there. I'll just get in their way or worse, get one of them killed.'
He kept his eyes on Third Light whose faint smile was starting to fade.
"Yes, I'm going now." Han blurted out and ran in the same direction as the others had.
Third Light laughed behind him, "Good. Otherwise, I might have considered terminating your contract."
A shiver ran down Han's spine. For some reason, he felt like Third Light wasn't actually referring to his contract.
Han awkwardly jumped over uprooted trunks and ducked under swaying branches just to reach his destination.
The tree line receded and the soil turned rather loose and brightened.
He continued to run and came to a shore leading to a crystalline blue ocean.
For a moment, his breath ceased. Birds in the distance streaked the azure sky and grey clouds rolled off just before the horizon.
The sun was fixed at an angle, casting its golden light on the ocean.
Before his breath could resume, a firm hand gripped his shoulder and pulled him, a giant claw snapping where his head had been a moment before.
Han gasped but Ian pushed him aside and swung his hammer to meet another claw.
His foe was a giant crab with a pale grey shell and human-like eyes.
The carapace was covered with crystalline blue water drops that perfectly reflected the sun like mini stars.
Ian pushed the crab aside and swerved, dodging the swing of a claw, "What are you doing here?" He spat as he stumped on the sand.
It surged and wrapped around Ian's other hand, creating a make-shift shield. Ian blocked an attack with the shield and landed a heavy blow with the warhammer.
The crab's shell cracked and black blood oozed out before it collapsed.
Han watched in silence. Indeed, what was he doing there?