Ahndrian Archives

“His name was Inali. He was a roamer, just a year above us. He wasn’t exactly special, not by any of the usual roamer standards, but he was strong. He could jump around. Disappear and reappear, a lot like Rei, but different. It really annoyed Trevor when he used it to steal restricted books.” Thomas chuckled. It wasn’t enough to say the memories flooded his mind as he spoke— they’d all been on repeat every day.

He ran his hand over his eye before he continued, “I was a lot different from Inali. He wanted to live every day and I... I guess I honestly just didn’t care whether I lived or died.”

Thomas’s voice dropped to an almost inaudible volume with the last few words. The crunch of the twigs and leaves under their feet as they raced through the forest would have drowned them out completely if it had been anyone else listening.

“Inali didn’t really change anything for me, not while he was here, but like I said...inseparable. I still didn’t care, but I knew that while I was still alive, at least, I wanted to spend it with him. That much I was sure of. Then a few days ago, nothing made sense anymore.”

Thomas fell silent. Alice could see him fighting to say more— words caught in his throat like they were doing their best to silence him on their own.

“A few days ago, Inali snuck out with the guys he was going to graduate with. Hours after that, retrieval team was sent out, like they were for us. Things were bad when they got back.” Rei spoke up.

“They were all killed. They were murdered. The wounds on them couldn’t come from one of the beasts. They were sliced and stabbed with a blade. A human blade. Chief’s worried that there might be a variant, but I know what I saw!” Thomas screamed.

Alice placed her hand on his back, “Anger is okay. But we’ll be caught faster screaming.”

Rei stifled a chuckle and Thomas couldn’t help but let a small, crooked smile slip.

“He would’ve totally hated you.” Thomas joked. “Thanks.”

“Mm,” Alice answered.

Thomas smiled and looked forward again as they ducked the last few branches and made it out to the clearing where they first met Alice. The bodies of the beasts they killed had already turned to dust. Bits of their bone still lay rotting on the stone platform, but the flesh had all but crumbled and blown away.

“We’re taught that they rot quickly, so we should leave their bodies. We’ve tried bringing them into the city for study, but even dead they can’t get past the forest’s edge.” Thomas explained.

“Why did we come here?” Alice asked.

Thomas pulled the notebook from his back pocket again and held it out to her. Alice reached out slowly and took it, thumbing through the pages once more. She started to wonder if Thomas really did smile this much when he was with Inali.

“This clearing is only 20 meters from where they found them. When Inali died, they didn’t just kill him. Whoever hurt Inali took his dagger too. I want it back. Just like you did for Harriet. Can you use that?”

“Probably would have been better to ask her that when we were still in town.” Rei interjected.

Thomas did his best to ignore her— only realizing the flaw in his plan at that moment. Alice paid it no mind. She lifted the notebook to her face, flipping through the pages to try and separate the strong scent of Thomas covering the journal. He’d clearly had it on him every day. Probably long before Inali died. However, despite how faint it was, she could still pick up on the other smell. Even lingering, it was delightful— calm.

She closed her eyes and did her best to focus. After only a few seconds, she was growing frustrated. She opened her eyes to find Rei leaning in close to her— watching her. Alice shook her head and took a few steps away from her, only stopping when she could once again smell the forest around her.

“What the hell was that!” Rei asked with a pitiful frown on her face.

“I can’t smell when you’re close.” Alice responded curtly.

“Is that good or bad? It sounds bad.” Rei asked again.

“Usually, good. Not now.” Alice answered once more before closing her eyes again and focusing on the second scent from the journal.

Alice, Thomas, Rei, and Rabbit rushed through the forest, ducking every obstacle between them and the scent Alice was tracking. It was growing stronger as they raced farther out into the wild, but Alice was sure that it was moving around.

Each of them could feel the distance they had crossed. They’d easily tripled their distance from the city and Alice could tell that the beasts in this area were growing in number. However, none of them seemed to be moving. Which meant they were dead, or asleep. She couldn’t be sure which was worse.

Then, after another few minutes, the scent she was tracking stopped a few kilometers ahead of them. Their target didn’t start moving again while they closed the remaining distance. The closer they got, the more difficult it became to shroud themselves in the trees. By the time they were within a few meters of the source of the smell, they slowed to a walk-in order to avoid being seen.

Rei was the first to spot the smoke escaping through the branches.

“There’s a fire over there. Let me take a look first.” Rei whispered, not waiting for a response before vanishing from sight.

“What the hell, Rei.” Thomas knew his words went unheard, but even he wasn’t dumb enough to walk up to them alone.

“It’s okay.” Alice said, her eyes locked on the trees.

Thomas looked over at her and couldn’t help but wonder what she’d gone through that she could look so calm. As far as he knew, whoever, or whatever, they were tracking killed Inali. He knew his idea was crazy and the longer they tracked the scent, the further they got from the city— suddenly he knew what it was like to fear for his own life.

His eyes drifted to Rabbit who continued to stand behind Alice, watching her back just as calm as she was. He couldn’t help but wonder if Rabbit even knew what was going on, or if he was just faithfully following another wolf.

A small twig landed between Thomas and Alice, pulling Thomas out of his head.

“Alice,” Thomas whispered. “Rei is back.”

“I know.” Alice responded— placing her hand near her ear.

On cue, Rei reappeared between the two of them. Her skin was almost sickly pale and the fear in her eyes was unmistakable.

“What happened?” Thomas asked.

Rei took a deep breath and looked straight out at the small group of trees as she spoke, “There’s two of them in there. Man, and a woman maybe. Definitely human.”

“I knew it. Did they...,” his voice trailed off, not wanting to hear the answer to his own question.

Rei looked over at him, her face showing no signs of her normal humor, “They have it. For sure. One of them was holding your knife like it was his.”

Thomas felt his throat tighten, yet all the air seemed to rush from his lungs. His worked. It really worked. Alice worked.

“I thought the weapon was Inali’s?” Alice asked.

“It was. I made it for him,” Thomas seemed mystified once more, as memories crashed in again and again. “The old man taught me how to make roamer weapons from the metal they used for our containers. Your container is used to make your weapon or its ammo when you’re in your second year. I got to make his. It was his graduation gift.”

Every inch of Alice felt like it was on fire the moment Alice heard the end of his story. She couldn’t help but see herself— and she saw Harriet. She remembered how she felt when she went to see her, and someone told her what had happened. She remembered the countless times, one of Harriet’s friends died and all that she kept was their weapon. She always told Alice they were special, but she never told her why. Maybe it was because they couldn’t find Alice’s container, so she could never have one.

She remembered finding out that no one had Harriet’s. The bandits who ambushed the retrieval team on their way back took it. They took all of their weapons. That was rage. Alice remembered that scent. Like embers, smoldering her skin. She ignored every rule Harriet ever set for her in her mission to get Harriet’s weapon back.

She hated these kinds of answers. The kind that reminded her why she tried to go unnoticed. She’d avoid Harriet for days if she was angry— weeks when she was sad. Alice couldn’t take it. She didn’t smell those things when she was alone. Not before Harriet died.

Now, everything smelled like ash. The air stunk of it, and it was all coming from her. Then, it was gone.

“Alice,” Rei’s voice made Alice jump.

Her hand was placed gently on Alice’s shoulder, just enough that Alice would feel it. The fear in her eyes had turned to worry. Her gaze shifted between Alice’s face and her hands. Even Thomas stared wide eyed at her from where he sat.

Alice looked down and couldn’t believe her own eyes. In her anger, she’d grown claws of her own.

“Your eyes are little white right now too, but I’m sure that’s just a Lycan thing...right?” Rei asked.

Alice didn’t have an answer. She’d never seen any of this.

“Look, we can ask Trevor when we get back. We have to decide whether or not we’re going through with this.” Thomas spoke up.