Chapter 4 - Why me? Give Me A Break?

The one person who understood what I was going through—my only companion in this nightmare—is gone. I stumble down the riverbank, legs burning, shouting his name with every ragged breath. The water rushes past, indifferent, offering no sign of him—no body on the shore, no figure on the far side. Nothing. If only I’d poured more strength into that spell. My hunger had drained me, leaving my mana a flickering ember, too weak to save him. This is my fault, I think, collapsing to my knees. The weight of it crushes me. What do I do now? If Willow were here, she’d know—she’d feel this same hollow ache. I sit there, mud soaking into my robes, wondering why me, why this endless spiral of loss.

Voices echo in the distance, sharp and unfamiliar. Not again. I can’t face more trouble—not now. Adrenaline surges, and I scramble toward a fallen tree, it’s a hollowed trunk a desperate refuge. I crouch inside, peering through a knothole, heart hammering.

Then I see it: a Hamadryas Baboon, its fur a startling white, leaping and chattering. I thought they were extinct. It sniffs the air, drawing closer, its noise a chaotic drumbeat. Panic claws at me. I grip my staff, the last dregs of mana tingling in my fingertips. A burly man bursts from the brush, half-naked, tattered undergarments and a dented helmet. A massive sword gleams in his right hand.

“Gary, come!” he bellows. “What’ve you found, boy?”

The Baboon grunts, pointing toward my hiding spot. I tremble, clutching my staff tighter. One good spell left—that’s all I’ve got. The man strides over, raises his blade, and swings. The log splits with a thunderous crack, splinters flying, the steel missing me by inches. I yelp, thrust my staff forward, and begin to chant. He staggers back, startled, but before I can finish, the Baboon lunges, snatching the staff and hurling it beyond reach. The man lets out a primal roar, seizing me by the collar. My feet dangle as he lifts me effortlessly. Exhaustion hits like a wave—sleepless nights, an empty stomach—and my vision blurs. I fight to stay conscious, but darkness swallows me whole.

A screech jolts me awake—the shrill cry sends shivers down my body. My eyes flutter open, arms and legs bound tight. I’m slung over the man’s shoulder, the ground swaying beneath me with each of his steps.

“Let me down!” I scream, thrashing weakly.

He glances back, unperturbed. “Sorry, little lady, can’t do that. You were flailing fiercely before you passed out—hurting yourself in the process. I bound you up for your own safety.”

“Safety?” I rasp. “So you’re not going to kill me?” He chuckles, a low rumble. “Heavens, no... Can’t say the same for my brother, though—he’s a mean one. Looks like me, but he’s back at camp setting up. I was just hunting.” He pauses, eyeing a snare in the distance.

“Mind if I put you down? Gotta grab those rabbits I caught.” I snort. “Oh, please, let me just stay up here.” He doesn’t catch the sarcasm and drops me onto a pile of leaves with a thud. I groan as he gathers his catch.

“I’ll untie you,” he says. “Camp’s just over there. Join us if you want—rabbit and bamboo shoot stew’s on the menu.” My stomach growls. Bamboo shoots are my weakness, and I’m starving.

“Can I have my staff back?” I ask. “Just in case.”

He nods. “Gary!” The baboon lopes over, dropping my staff at my feet with a grunt. As the man cuts my bonds,

“What should I call you?” he asks. “Sondra,” I reply. “And you?” He grins, puffing out his chest. “Malacoda Ass-Kicker of the Havens, #12239, and this is Gary, my best friend”

I blink. “Well, Malacoda, thanks for not killing me—and for the meal invite, I guess.”

“It’s nothing,” he says. “Come on.”

I stand, brushing off dirt, and follow him, Gary trailing behind me like a strange, white-furred shadow.

Entered by: 0xD9f7…1b90 and preserved on chain (see transaction)