They acquire a few comforts of their previous lives. Food, clothing, books and baubles. And a few weapons. Knives, mainly, not much better than the wood and stone shanks Loren has already fashioned for them, but they are appreciated.
Another year passes. They occasionally loot newspapers. Vaeland has been at war all these years. No longer civil. Now the country is caught in a different fight. It is the battleground for Intar and Dozer. Warnings of immortal soldiers afoot. People of terrifying strength. The young forest bandits soon see for themselves.
The young man is eighteen when they try to rob the wrong vehicle.
It is only an old man, they think. All by himself. Easy.
Mira feigns injuries and waves him down. When he stops, the rest of them descend upon him. Loren goes in for the kill. He is stopped by a monstrous creature, appearing as if from nowhere. It is humanoid, perhaps, yet still a thing like nothing they have ever seen. Black scales cover its body instead of flesh.
They make to turn and flee, but four more people arrive, blocking their paths and pinning them down.
“It is okay,” says the old man. “They are but children. Not the prey we were looking for.”
And the monster speaks. “What shall we do with them?” Its voice is low and vibrating.
The old man looks over the young bandits. “You are homeless, no?”
No one dares answer.
“They can come with us,” the old man says.
Loren is braver than anyone else when he asks, “Who are you?”
The old man eyes him. “My name is Dozer.”
Chapter Forty-Two: ‘Thy forgotten history...’
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The Abolish encampment is full of frightening people. The monster’s name, they soon learn, is Gohvis. And he is not a monster, but a man. All the same, even the scary people seem scared of him.
“There is no need to do this yourself,” says Gohvis. “This is why we have initiators.”
“Yes, but I want to,” says Dozer. “I find these children amusing.”