Out of the darkness of the trees, a figure erged. Ethan's mana bolt hovered, ready to strike, but it was his own wolf. The thing was the wolf was not by itself. Sitting atop the wolf was a small hooded figure.
Ethan blinked. His mana bolt crackled for a mont before fizzling out as he got a proper look at the unexpected sight. His wolf padded forward, looking completely unhard, but what truly caught his attention was the small hooded figure perched atop its back.
A little girl.
She couldn't have been older than ten, her fra small and fragile beneath the oversized cloak draped over her shoulders. Her face was partially obscured by the hood, but Ethan could see the faint glint of wide, unblinking eyes watching him. She clung tightly to the wolf's fur, her tiny hands gripping it with an almost desperate strength.
Lia gasped. "Who… is she?"
Ethan had no idea. "I was about to ask the sa thing." He studied the girl closely and suddenly rembered what Grug had told him. Was this the other person locked up in the underground tunnel?
The wolf stopped just a few feet away from him, standing still as the girl slowly slid off its back. Her small feet barely made a sound against the forest floor. Then, with the eerie silence of soone far too calm for their situation, she opened her mouth.
"I found you," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.
Ethan raised a brow. "Huh?"
The little girl then looked up, revealing the brightest and sweetest smile that Ethan had ever seen. "Thank you for saving , big brother."
Ethan froze. He exchanged a bewildered glance with Lia, who looked just as confused as he felt. "You… know him?" Lia asked hesitantly.
The girl nodded eagerly, her hood slipping slightly to reveal short, silvery-white hair. "Of course," she said. "Big brother is the one who saved from those monsters."
"Ah." Lia nodded. "So you were just saying casually."
Ethan scratched his head. "Okay. So now you are outside. Go to your house or sothing." He then turned to Lia and grabbed her before starting to run. "Co on. We cannot stay here and chit-chat. We need to get inside the city. We need to blend in."
Ethan barely took two steps before he felt a tug on his sleeve. The little girl had latched onto him, her small fingers grasping his shirt with an iron grip that shouldn't have been possible for soone her size.
"Big brother," she said sweetly, her tone unwavering despite Ethan trying to pull away. "I'm coming with you."
Ethan sighed, already regretting not just ignoring her from the start. "Look, kid, I don't have ti for this. You should go back ho."
"I don't have a ho," she replied instantly, her grip tightening.
Lia frowned. "Then… your parents?"
The girl shook her head.
Ethan groaned. "Great. Fantastic. But I can't take you with ."
The girl tilted her head. "Why not? You saved . That ans I belong to you now."
Ethan nearly choked on air. "That is not how this works."
She pouted. "It is now."
Ethan shot her a glare. "You cannot co with ."
"I will co." Now tears started streaming down the little girl's eyes. She finally let go of his sleeve but only so she could grab his hand instead. "Big brother, don't leave ," she said firmly, her wide eyes peering up at him.
Ethan knew arguing was pointless. They were wasting ti. He exhaled sharply, squeezing his eyes shut for a brief mont before opening them again. "Fine," he muttered. "You can co. But stay quiet and follow ."
The girl bead, instantly changing her attitude. "Okay, big brother!"
Ethan rubbed his temples, feeling a headache forming already. "You're a little nace, aren't you?" he muttered under his breath.
Lia, who had been watching with undisguised amusent, let out a quiet chuckle.
"Shut up," Ethan grumbled. He turned back to the girl, who was still gripping his hand tightly. "Alright, kid, first things first—what's your na?"
The girl blinked up at him before tilting her head slightly. "I… don't rember."
Ethan's frown deepened. "You don't rember?" He narrowed his eyes, scanning her face carefully. There was no trace of deceit in her expression, only a quiet sort of confusion as if she were trying to recall sothing and coming up empty.
Lia crouched down slightly, studying the child with a gentle look. "You don't rember anything? Your na, your family, where you're from?"
The girl hesitated, her small hands gripping the edges of her rag. "I rember the dark," she admitted softly. "I rember being alone. And then, the monsters ca."
Ethan exchanged another glance with Lia. That didn't sound good.
"Alright, never mind that for now." He exhaled and straightened up. "We'll figure it out later. For now, we need to move before anyone cos looking for us."
The girl nodded obediently. Ethan sighed, then grabbed Lia's wrist and started moving again, keeping a firm grip on the girl's hand so she wouldn't lag behind.
The girl simply smiled. "Okay, big brother."
Ethan groaned. He had a bad feeling this kid was going to be a handful.
The three rushed to the city and luckily the guards did not care too much about Lia and the kid and allowed them in as soon as Ethan flashed his city token to them. Only after they were inside, did he finally allow himself an exhale.
The streets were bustling with people. It was the perfect place to blend in.
Lia walked beside him, keeping a cautious eye on their surroundings, while the little girl clung to his sleeve, her tiny fingers wrapped around his wrist like she was afraid he'd disappear if she let go.
Ethan sighed. "Alright, first things first. We need to get sowhere safe." He then heard a loud grumble coming from the small girl's stomach. "I guess we need to find so food too."
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