The Other King: And the Objects of the Gods *COMPLETED*

Tharama was the first person I saw coming back from training. His spear was already on his hip.

"Ready?" I ask, his guard fades for a second when excitement reaches his eyes as he nods. "Good." I smile though he can't see it because I kept my covering on. Once he pulls the hood over his head, I open the door for us to make our way.

"Pylah's teaching Angelica how to shoot an arrow, should we go help them first?" I shrug, not sure why not. We find Pylah and Angelica in our usual hunting grounds. A wide berth of grass that opens up and leaves deer and prey for the taking. Angelica had the bow and arrow up and ready, she held it slightly wrong but I'll tell her after she shoots. Pylah doesn't notice us yet either. The focus was on a small rabbit, Angelica was about ready to shoot until we heard thump thump thump from the left. Sounds like a deer.

I couldn't see it at first. I was looking for a living brown furred thirty foot or smaller hooved foot animal that was to be easily spotted from the dark wooded trees that varied from dark brown to black but only was correct about a few things. This deer was indeed hooved and thirty feet tall but dead, or dying, that blended in with the trees. Angelica lowers her bow, there's nothing to eat on that living skeleton. The only flesh on it's bones are rotten and falling off with mummy type skin. It trots into the berth, but it didn't notice us yet, I hope it doesn't at all.

I remember the deer from when Autumn almost attacked me. I'm hoping this isn't the same one. Moss and flowers that are now replaced by rotting flesh and skin.

I have to look up to see the head of the animal, the mouth and nostrils let out a grey smoke. It's face looks identical to the one I'm wearing right now. Made of bone.

When it snaps it's head in our direction, it takes a moment moving it's head. Not sure how it can see with empty eye sockets but before I can figure out it runs off.

I take a step toward the girls and a twig snaps under my foot. Angelica is fast with her bow, shooting an arrow right at my face. I dodge it just in time by crouching down. I peel the mask off my face and put my mask to my hip and it stays there like it did to my face. Tharama does the same.

"You're holding it wrong," I say with a smile. "But impressive. You're good with a bow." After I show her how to properly hold it, I point it at a nearby tree before turning to Tharama.

"When she shoots, I want you to deflect it by guiding the tree's branches. Can you do that?" He looks the opposite of confident but he nods again.

Angelica holds up her new form, she's a fast learner, before shooting. Tharama's hands moved up a second too late and by the time a branch moved the arrow was already stuck in the bark.

"Try to be fast, Tharama." I encouraged him.

"The nature spirit says not to practice on his home." I almost forgot about those guys. Now I can't sense anything which makes me miss my ability even more.

"Can you sense an abandoned tree?" Tharama nods and leads us from the meadow, Pylah grabs the arrow from the nymphs tree. We go to this oak tree, a chunk of the side is missing. But it's flat, perfect for target practice. I point and she shoots, Tharama was faster this time but the branch he moved fell down as if chopped off from the body of the tree.

"Tharama," I turn to him. "What are you trying to do? What's the command in your head when you speak to it?"

"Move down." He shrugs.

"It should protect yourself. Tell it to protect itself and be it's guide to the danger. Try that."

He nods and we try again. This time, before Angelica even shoots, three of the lowest branches cover up the flat section completely, so fast that the arrow was misguided by the wind it caused and hit crickedly in one of the arms.