A few months after the light show, Runric, Falid, Ris, and Teg sat around what would hopefully become a campfire. They were in the Aeron region of Brethring, the home of a race of people known as caruans. Caruans were short people, with brown fur covering their bodies like a bear. They often lived in trees, which they could climb easily with their claws, or they lived in tents upon the open plains that were surrounded by the magical Brethring forests. Runric was human, not caruan, but he had spent nearly all of his fifteen years living among them with his dad, Oloric. The four friends traveled north from their home in Carwyn to visit some caruan villages that had stayed mostly isolated from the rest of Brethring. Nobody had seen or heard from anyone from the villages for a long time, which concerned the leaders in the Carwyn region. To appease their worry, the four friends set off to visit the remote villages.

    "You know, this whole fire-starting business would be a lot easier if you guys had any useful magic," Falid told the group as they sat around a pile of wood surrounded by stones. "You know, like fire magic." 

    "We could have brought Cecil along," Runric said. "Would that have made you happier?"

    Falid cringed. “No. I’d like to avoid starting wildfires, if you don’t mind. However, I would appreciate your dad’s presence. He has fire magic. He snaps his fingers and, poof, fire.” 

    "Yeah, except for his busted leg. You'd have to carry him halfway through the day."

    "Bah. Semantics." 

    "Besides, I've got this. Watch." Runric touched some dry tinder they placed under the logs and sparked it with lightning magic. It caught fire and slowly started burning the surrounding wood. 

    "See," Runric continued, "no problem." 

    “Admittedly, that worked. How come you have the most inconvenient magic? You've got three powers, but they're all weird. I say I'm thirsty, so you give me a pile of ice that takes an hour to melt. I need a campfire, and you have to spark your way to fire, which is no better than some flint and steel. You could just have fire and water like your dad.”

    Runric shrugged. "At least I've got powers. Better than nothing. You're the only one complaining."

    "That's because you three don't know how to complain,” Falid said. “Maybe on this trip I'll teach you how." 

    "Does he ever stop talking?" Ris asked. 

    "Nope," both Runric and Falid answered.

    "But the more he talks, the more he doesn't realize he's doing all the work," Runric said. "Like how he's already spinning the meat over the fire without us prompting him."

    “Okay, boys," Teg said in her high-pitched voice. "What's the plan for tomorrow since we've reached the Forest of Aeron?" 

    “Supposedly,” Falid said, “there was once a road that led through the forest, but I’m getting the sense that nobody has used it for some time.” 

    "Yeah, me too," said Ris. 

    "I noticed some animal tracks up ahead that will probably provide some sort of path through the trees, which we can try," Falid said. "It looks dense in there, though. Very dense." 

    "Not unexpected," Runric said. "That's why we brought these," he said, holding up one of the  newly forged machetes. 

    "Have you ever used one of those?" Falid asked. 

    "Not once." 

    "Thought so. It's going to be slow. Maybe we'll start getting some muscle on those bones of yours."

    "Honestly, I think that's half the reason Dad sent me up here."

    "Eat up, rest up," Falid said. "Tomorrow is going to be exhausting." 

    The next day was exhausting. They forced their way through the dense forest, climbed up the cliff sides, and traversed small streams. Falid led the way and Runric took the rear. They stopped to eat around midday. 

    "My arms are already killing me," Runric said, sitting down. Falid was in the best shape, being a hunter, and passed out the food to everyone. 

    "I gotta say," Falid said. "When traversing through a ridiculously dense forest of spiny branches and animal trails, being caruan is far superior to being human."

    "No argument here," said Runric. 

    "You're so scratched up you look like you lost a fight with a dozen cats."

    "Lots of hair. It must be nice. Also, whatever animals made this path are a lot shorter than me." 

    "My question is: do we know where we are going?" Ris interjected. "We're going somewhere, and I don't think we've gone in circles, but have you seen any sign of civilization?"

    "Not a bit," Falid agreed. "And I can't see very far in any direction either. This is much denser than any part of Brethring I've ever been in."

    "So which one of you manly men wants to climb a tree and see if you can see anything from the sky?" Teg asked. 

    “Uh. Not me," Runric said. "Another deficiency of being human. No claws."

    "I got it," Falid said. “Be back soon.” He stuffed a piece of jerky into his mouth and, without hesitation, clawed his way up the tree. A couple of minutes later, he climbed back down.

    "Well, I think we're going in the right direction. I can't be sure, but there is a giant tree in this forest that is much bigger than the rest. It might be a Loen tree. If people live here, I'm guessing they'll live near that tree. It seems like the path we're following leads in that direction."

    "Think we can make it there before the sun sets?" Ris asked. 

    Falid thought for a moment. "Yes, but we are going to have to pick up the pace. Sorry, buddy," he said, looking at Runric, "but you'll need to keep up. I don't like the idea of camping in this mess. It gives me the creeps." 

    "Same here," said Ris. 

    “We’d best be off then," said Runric. "We can eat and walk at the same time."

    They hiked and hiked and hiked all day with no signs of civilization. It started getting late, and they sped up even more until Falid held up a hand to tell them to stop. He squatted down to the ground, examining a muddy spot. 

    "Wolves," he said. "The tracks are fresh." He pulled his bow off his back with a concerned look on his face. "Let's go," and he started jogging down the trail. Immediately, howls sounded in the distance. They ran. 

    The sun was setting when a vicious, snarling wolf jumped in front of them. Falid didn't hesitate. He nocked an arrow and released a shot at extreme speed. The wolf fell, but they could hear the howls of the rest of the pack nearby. They kept running. They could see the eyes of wolves in the now near-darkness. There was no point in hiding, so Runric used light magic to light the way. They ran as fast as they could until Falid abruptly stopped. In front of them stood a giant thirty-foot wall of wood and rock. 

    "Dead end," Falid said, turning around and facing the encircling wolves. "Teg, see if you can find a way up. Runric, Ris, these wolves look like they mean business." 

    They got the message, and the three men faced what they could now see were enormous wolves.

    "I didn't realize wolves were this big," Runric said, examining the situation.

    "They're not," said Falid. "Something isn't right, but let’s not wait around to ask them." He fired an arrow, and a wolf dropped with a howl. Other wolves charged, and Runric quickly covered the surrounding ground in ice, which sent a couple of them sprawling. Ris stabbed one with a knife, and Falid fired off a few more arrows. 

    "I think more are coming," Falid said before a gigantic lightning strike struck nearby and deafened them. The remaining wolves fled. Their ears drummed from the sound, and they looked around to see Teg talking to them. 

    "What?" Ris yelled. "I can't hear you." 

    "I said," yelled Teg, "that there is a rope to get up the wall."

    "Good work, Teg!" shouted Falid. "Just maybe a little warning next time you intend to blast our ears with thunder."

    "It worked, though," she said, smiling.

    "Sure did," Falid said. "Now up the rope. I don't think it will keep them away for long." 

    They climbed up the rope and a caruan man stood atop the wall holding a lantern and gazing at them with a puzzled look. He pulled the rope up and neatly placed it on top of a wall, enormous in both height and width. 

    "Uhh. Hi," Falid said. "Thanks for saving us down there. My name is Falid."

    "Glif," the man said, shaking Falid's hand. 

    They stood on top of the awkwardly for a moment while they looked at Glif and the giant wall which was illuminated by the light still shining from Runric's eyes. "Oh., and this is Teg, Ris, and Runric," Falid continued. 

    "He is human?" Glif asked Falid uncertainly, pointing at Runric. 

    "Yes, human."

    "I've never met a human before. Do all humans have light coming out of them like that?"

    They laughed. "No, not all of them do," Falid said. "Just this one. I think there is a lot for us to discuss, but we are tired and have just escaped wolves. Is there a place for us to stay for the night?"

    Glif thought for a moment. "This way," he said. “We haven’t had visitors in many years."

    He guided them down from the wall and to a small house that looked somewhat abandoned, but still functional. Above them soared the giant tree Falid had seen in the distance, but they were too tired to inquire about it further. They quickly lay down their packs and bedrolls and fell asleep. 

    When they awoke the next morning, the place was in an uproar. News of their arrival had spread, and people waited outside their houses to provide them with food and supplies. Similar to the other peoples of Brethring, they were happy and jovial, welcoming  guests with enthusiasm. Yet the area appeared run-down and in disarray. The people wore torn and ripped clothingand used broken tables and chairs. Now that it was light outside, they could all see the enormous wall that surrounded the entire village and the great Loen tree in the middle of the camp. The wall wasn't just tall, but very thick, big enough for several people to walk side by side on top of it without difficulty. 

    The people shoved food in front of them and forced them to sit in chairs and eat. A man sat across from them at a table and introduced himself. 

    "Hi, my name is Meled. I'm the leader of this village." 

    "I'm Falid and this is Teg, Ris, and Runric." 

    "I had heard rumors of a human in Brethring before our isolation." 

    "How long have you been walled in like this?" Falid asked. 

    “We’ve been trapped for several years now,” Meled said gloomily. 

    "Trapped? What do you mean?"

    "I think it's better that I show you."

    A few minutes later, after they finished breakfast, Meled led the four of them up the great Loen tree. Ramps and pathways built upon the tree led up and around to the very top, where they could see for miles and miles.

    "This is the great Loen tree of the Aeron region, in case you didn't notice," he said, smiling. 

    "It's how we found you," Falid said. "We just came straight for the giant tree." 

    "You are fortunate to have made it. It's not safe outside the wall. Look east, beyond the wall. What do you see?"

    "It looks … dead," Runric said. "The leaves are falling off of the trees. I've heard of leaves falling during wintertime, but I've never seen it happen in Brethring."

    "That's because it doesn't happen in Brethring," Meled said. "Until several years ago, at least. Somehow, a great sickness overtook the forest. It didn't just affect the trees. Did you notice the size of the wolves you encountered yesterday?”

    "Yeah," Falid said. "They were huge." 

    "Those were the small beasts around here."

    Falid's eyes went wide. 

    “Some alphas around here are massive, which is why we need such a gigantic wall. They're also very aggressive. We only go outside the wall in very prepared groups, and we don't even have a gate. To enter, you either climb the wall or use a rope ladder.” 

    "I bet that makes it difficult to gather supplies outside of the wall."

    "It's very difficult."

    Just then, a horn sounded, and people scurried toward one section of the wall. 

    "Excuse me, I must be going," Meled said. Instead of climbing back down the tree, he grabbed a set of handlebars and attached them to a rope that strung from the top of the treeand landed on the wall. He jumped off the platform, holding on to the handlebars, and zip-lined down to the wall. 

    "Now that's the way to travel!" Falid said, grabbing a set of handlebars himself and following. The rest of them did the same. 

    On top of  the wall, a half-dozen archers aimed bows toward the ground. 

    "It's going back for another attack," one of them said, and from out of the trees ran a massive boar at least seven feet tall and weighing thousands of pounds. It ran straight for the wall and rammed directly into it. The wall shook, and the group stumbled to keep their footing. Several archers pummeled the boar with arrows, but many didn't pierce its hide. One boy, a little younger than Falid, aimed for its head with a small crossbow, but it didn't pierce the skull either. 

    "Good thinking," Falid said. "Aim for its eyes. It's weaker there." 

    "That would be quite a shot," one of them said. 

    "Mind if I give it a try?" Falid asked. 

    "Be my guest," and he handed over his bow. 

    The boar came around for another attack, and Falid aimed from atop the thirty-foot wall. As it accelerated toward the wall, Falid didn't hesitate, firing well before any other archer. The arrow struck the boar right through the right eye, and it immediately tumbled to the ground and crashed into the wall. The archers cheered. 

    “Uh, what do we do about the body?" Runric asked, and he noticed that the archers had once again regained their stance. 

    "Now the fun begins," Meled said. "The archers keep other game away from the body, and we bring out a crane." 

    "Crane?" 

    Meled pointed toward several caruans who rolled a giant crane on wheels to the wall. It was over forty feet tall and held a platform to lower down over the wall. 

    They spent the next several minutes throwing rocks at vultures and shooting arrows at other animals that came to feast upon the massive carcass, while they loaded the gigantic boar onto the crane. After the boar was finally lifted over the wall, Ris and Teg went off to do Ris and Teg things, like repair and clean everything in sight. Runric and Falid took a stroll along the top of the wall. 

    "It all feels so wrong," Runric said. "There is some sort of evil presence here." 

    Falid looked out inquisitively at the forest, uncharacteristically silent. 

    "What is it?" Runric asked him. "You've got that look about you."

    "I think it's more than just an evil presence," Falid said after a few moments. "I think the forest is gearing up for an assault. I can feel it."

    "I'm not sure I would recognize that if it were happening," Runric said. 

    "I can't explain it. Just a feeling. A hunter's instinct, I guess."

    Again a horn sounded in the distance, then another and another. 

    "Does that mean three more attacks?" Runric asked.

    "I think so, come on," and they ran down the wall.

    "I need my bow!" Falid yelled as they ran, and he hopped down a sliding pole to run back to where they had stayed for the night to gather his weapons. Runric kept running, feeling the wall shake. Boom, boom, boom. Multiple animals attacked the wall, and judging by the tremors, were just as big as the previous boar. 

    Runric ran until he came to a place on the wall where the boy with the crossbow stood by himself. A pack of overly large monkeys jumped toward them, and the boy realized it was a problem.

    "They're scaling the wall," the boy said. "Help." 

    He fired his small crossbow, and a monkey screeched, falling to the ground. Runric moved into action. He knelt and placed his hand along the wall. He pushed power out of his hands, and ice spread over a huge section of the wall from top to bottom. 

    "That should slow them," Runric said as two monkeys fell from the wall, hissing. "Are monkeys supposed to hiss?"

    "I don't think so," the boy said. "I don't know how you did that, but we might need some more magic. Here comes the big one."

    "That wasn't the big one?!" Runric said incredulously. 

    Sure enough, a giant gorilla came out from the shadows, looked up at them, and roared. While the roar was intimidating, it was nothing compared to the gorilla slamming his fist into the wall. The wall trembled, and pieces of it broke off. 

    The boy fired his crossbow, and the arrow hit the gorilla directly in the head, but it bounced off harmlessly. 

    "Stupid bow," the boy said. "It's not big enough to harm it. Got any other tricks up your sleeve?"

    “Uh, let me see." 

    Runric pointed a finger at the giant gorilla and let out an electric bolt that missed and struck the ground. 

    “Okay, that didn't work. It's hard to control. Let me try again," he said, aiming for another strike. This time, the lightning struck the gorilla directly in the shoulder. Unfortunately, it only upset the gorilla, causing it to stomp the ground and beat the wall more ferociously. 

    “Okay, we need a new plan," the boy yelled over the loud banging sounds. "That plan is clearly not working."

    "Agreed!" 

    "What else can you do?"

    "Not much. I can try blinding it." He shined a light out of his eyes directly into the gorilla's eyes, but the gorilla didn't even flinch. 

    "Cool, but useless," the boy yelled. 

    "How about a snowball fight?" Runric yelled and started throwing ice balls from his hands down at the gorilla. This proved to be a little more effective and slowed the gorilla's pace."

    “Okay, why don't you run to get help?” Runric yelled as he continued to pummel the beast with ice. 

    "No need," the boy said. "Your archer friend is back." 

    Falid came running up, and in the blink of an eye, he nocked an arrow and fired, striking the gorilla right between the eyes. The gorilla immediately collapsed to the ground.

    "Well," Runric said. "That works." 

    "Wow!" the boy said. "What a shot! My name is Hilew. I want to learn to shoot like that." 

    Falid paused, staring at the gorilla to make sure it would not get up again, then responded. "It looks like you're already pretty good with that crossbow."

    "This little thing. It can hardly hurt a fly. I want to learn to use a real longbow, but I don't have one. Everyone around here has been too busy to teach me how to make one."

    "Well, here, I can teach you how to use mine while we monitor this gorilla. I bet it'll make a nice rug for someone."

    "I'll go find someone to bring the crane over here," Runric said, and left the two archers to defend that section of the wall. 

    Runric jogged along the wall towards another group of warriors who had slain another ferociously colossal beast. Before he made it to them, however, the day grew dark, and people cried out all over the village. A vast flock of crows blanketed the entire sky, blocking the sun and letting out vicious caws. Somewhere, another beast attacked, and the entire wall trembled. 

    Archers scrambled in the darkness, some firing upon the birds, but they were far too high in the sky to be reached with arrows. It quickly became pitch black, and Runric let out a stream of light from his eyes to see where he was going. Slowly, people found lanterns to get some light, but it did little to push back the encroaching darkness. 

    Runric climbed down a nearby ladder and sprinted toward the Loen tree at the center of the village, magic from his eyes lighting the way in front of him. He climbed up and up to the top of the tree, where he was most visible to the entire village, and forced himself to glow with a small but visible light. He needed to give the village some hope, and what better way than a shining light in the darkness? 

    He scanned the walls, the sounds of ramming growing louder and louder. His eyes still let out streams of light wherever he looked, and he saw three giant rams along a section of the wall doing what they do best: ramming. He pointed and with his eyes, led a group of archers to the location along the wall. A few volleys of arrows and the beasts fell. The awful sound of caws continued unabated, instilling terror in the villagers. 

    "We're with you, teacher," Ris said as he ran up the ramp of the tree. 

    "What can we do to help?" Teg asked, following. 

    "We need to find the animals on the wall and get as much light as we can to the archers," Runric said. "I think it's time to let loose your lightning. Show me what you've got!" 

    "Yes!" Ris and Teg cried in tandem. 

    Lightning is hard to control, even for magic users. It never goes in a straight line and rarely goes towards the intended target. This makes it particularly dangerous to use in a fight. However, when targets fill the entire sky, it's hard to go wrong with a bit of lightning. Ris and Teg let out big lightning bolts into the sky, matching the loud caws with glorious thunder. Crows fell from the sky in masses, occasionally causing the sun to shine through before a near-endless supply of birds filled the gap. More importantly, the lightning helped light the village. Ris and Teg found a rhythm in their strikes and alternated sending lightning into the air to keep everything lit as much as possible. 

    "Bear on the north side," Ris said, Runric shifting his eyes to light the way. Archers followed. 

    "Large cat on the southwest side," Teg said. "Is that a jaguar? What types of animals live in this forest?"

    "All sorts, it seems," Runric said. 

    “Uh oh, Runric, move to the southwest. The jaguar made it onto the wall."

    Sure enough, a jaguar had leaped to the top of the wall and stood facing down two young caruans. An arrow pierced its side, but it stared them down, unfazed. 

    "It's Falid!" Teg said. 

    He had two knives out, and for some reason, the boy, Hilew, wielded Falid's bow. Falid stepped in front of Hilew while the boy retreated, still aiming the bow. The jaguar leaped at Falid, who dove underneath the jump, slashing the jaguar's belly and then rolling quickly out of the way. Hilew fired a devastating strike right through the jaguar's mouth just as the jaguar landed. It fell still, and everyone let out a tremendous sigh of relief. 

    "No time to rest," Ris said. "There are two bears now." 

    Runric turned and shined a light on the bears. Arrows littered the bears, but they hardly slowed them as they rampaged toward the wall. A rythmic thunder from Ris and Teg continued to drown out the caws of the crows above. Glimpses of sunlight illuminated more and more beasts surrounding the wall. Falid spent all his arrows and wielded one knife, the other knife wielded by Hilew. They sprinted towards a pile of stocked arrows. Chaos ensued, but teams of archers stayed together, keeping the beasts at bay. Runric continued shining light in dark places, but they were getting tired. Already the pace of lightning strikes was slowing, but there seemed to be an endless supply of beasts attacking.

    Then suddenly the caws of the crows turned into a screech, and in the sky above flew a giant, blue bird, larger than an eagle. It soared through the flock of crows, and they scattered. Sunlight burst upon the village, as dozens upon dozens of crows fell from the sky. Ice shot out of the giant bird's mouth, striking crows with powerful pellets. The thunder stopped, and the caws halted. For a moment, everything was still and quiet; then someone shouted. 

    "It's the Adeira. It's come in our time of need!" 

    All the beasts fled back into the forest, afraid of the powerful bird, and Ris, Teg, and Runric all sat down in exhaustion. Ris pulled out some food, and they ate in silence. After a few minutes, Meled made his way to the top platform of the tree. He nodded at the three of them in appreciation, then addressed the village. 

    "Brothers and sisters," he bellowed. "Today is a dark day, both literally and figuratively. Everyone fought hard to defend our home and this sacred Loen tree. In all my years, I have never seen such bravery. Not a single one of you panicked or cowered in fear despite the suddenness of the attack. For that, I commend you.”

    There was a small cheer in the crowd, which now gathered at the base of the giant tree.

    "Yet I fear, in fact I am quite certain, that the beasts will return. This has been a marked shift in the behavior of these corrupted animals, and without a doubt they will attack again. Eat and gather your strength, but in mere minutes, we must begin preparations for another attack. There is no time to waste. All of you know what to do."

    There was a hushed silence, like the eye of the storm, and at that moment Runric's inner spirit moved, filling him with emotion. He stood up, the entire village looking up at him. 

    "Brothers and sisters," he cried out. "I may not be caruan, but I am a Brethringer. It is the only place I can ever remember. It pains me to see such a wonderful group of people become so isolated. It should never be this way. I can see your spirit is strong, but you're worn out, bruised, and battered. Yet, clearly, you are not broken." Cheers rang out. 

    "Let me tell you a small part of a large story. A story that, until today, had never come so close to home. It's a story from my father, Oloric, from the land of Larauniel. It's a story of how darkness crept into the kingdoms of Selah, tainting the minds of men and women alike. It's a story of war and betrayal, of an evil that should never exist in this world. You have experienced this evil. It corrupts the surrounding trees, and it literally comes to your doorstep. This story, however, is not one of despair. It is one of great hope because it's a story of how El Selah provides.

    "El Selah's Spirit is moving to counter the darkness. My father was a testament to this in Larauniel, and I stand before you today a testament to the great blessings El Selah has bestowed upon the world."

    He raised his hands in front of him and sent snow falling to the ground. He shined magical light on the snow, letting it glisten over the people. His power wasn't as strong as it was when he manifested during the light show, but, nonetheless, it was strong enough to make a beautiful display. The crowd watched in wonder, soaking it all in. 

    "I'm not the only one with these gifts. Ris and Teg have some too, along with many, many others. In time, many of you will receive blessings, and I promise … I promise I will not stop until we cleanse every last tree and every last animal in this forest."

    The people looked up at Runric and the snow falling from above. They didn't cheer or cry out, but they believed. They saw more than just a teenage boy standing upon a tree. They saw more than the fancy lights and the magic snow. They saw hope, and they believed. They believed in the boy who embodied the Spirit of El Selah, in Runric, the Apostle, the one who came to teach them about the blessings. 

    Given their already wondrous state, it was no surprise to any of them when a nael, shaped as a star, descended from the sky, shining brighter and brighter. A melodious song echoed from the nael until it stopped upon Runric's head. It emanated a blindingly bright light, then dulled to a soft honey-colored glow to form a naelrune on Runric's forehead. 

    "Behold!" Falid said from the crowd. "A blessing from El Selah!"

    Then, as if the crowd had suddenly been unmuted, they roared in joyous delight. Runric stretched out his hand, not understanding but feeling what to do, and made it snow. This time, however, he pulsed his newfound power into the snow, and it glistened with a honey color as it covered the village. Immediately, an inner peace filled the people, strengthening their resolve. It was like no other feeling, just the purest peace imaginable, as if nothing could break the resolve in their hearts. They all stood among the snowflakes in complete stillness until, after several minutes, it was time to move.

    "Begin preparations!" Runric said, and they all rose and began working. Runric continued the honey-tinted snow from atop the tree.

    “Well, I'll be," said Ris. "That's the second time I've been present for a new gift of yours. What is this one?"

    It was Teg who answered. "It's peace," she spoke softly, and Runric nodded. "I can feel it." 

    "It's coming through the snow," Ris said. "How does that work? I've never seen that before." 

    "Yes, it's not very common because you need more than one power to combine them," Runric said. 

    "Not that I'm complaining," Ris said, "but wouldn't it be easier to send out some peaceful light or something?” 

    "That would be convenient, but I can't. I can feel that I can't, and I think I know why. My dad has always separated the powers into three categories: elemental, insightful, and physical."

    "We all have lightning," Ris said. "So that would be elemental. Your ice would also be elemental, right?"

    "Correct. However, my light is not elemental, it's insightful. It penetrates any darkness and gives understanding to what exists. This new power, it's peace. It can affect emotions. It's also an insightful gift. I can't combine two powers of the same type, so I'm using the elemental power of snow to transfer the insightful power of peace."

    "It's very … majestic," Teg said. "I love it."

    "I think," Runric said. "That I need to use it on the animals. There's something corrupted about them. Something tainted. Maybe this new power can expel it."

    "Worth a try," Ris said. "Let's get down to the wall, but man, I'm beat. I don't know how you have enough energy to do all of that magic."

    "The new manifestation has given me a surge; otherwise, my magic would be drained."

    The village was bustling with movement, everyone hurrying to make last-minute preparations. Caruans diligently worked the cranes to gather every dead beast along the wall. The three of them had just made it up to the wall when the horns sounded. The next fight began. 

    This time it was leopards charging through the forest and making giant leaps at the wall. They scratched and clawed, trying to find grips in the wood and stone to make another leap to the top. Most of them fell back down, but a couple of them made it to the top of the thirty-foot wall. Volleys of arrows immediately rained down, dropping several of them. 

    "Runric, how's your throwing arm?" Teg asked. 

    "My what?"

    "Ever been in a snowball fight?"

    "I'm best friends with Falid. What do you think?"

    "Good point," Teg said. "He's probably the only one crazy enough to start a snowball fight with a person who can literally make snowballs out of thin air. But I'm getting distracted. How about throwing a peaceful snowball and seeing what happens?"

    "Oooohhhh. I'm following you now. I'll give it a shot." 

    Nearby, a leopard leaped at the wall, and Runric saw his chance. A snowball filled his hand, and he infused it with honey-colored peace magic. He threw it, striking the leopard directly in the face. The leopard fell from the wall, landing on its feet. While other beasts around it snarled angrily, it lay down on the ground. 

    "Hey, I think it worked," Ris said after a moment. "It's not attacking." 

    "I think you spoke too soon," Teg said. "It's getting up again." 

    “Maybe it worked, but it just didn't last. We might need more than a snowball's worth of peace magic."

    "That's probably true," Teg answered. "But maybe the taint just runs deep." 

    "I have an idea," Runric said. "Where's Falid? I need an archer."

    "He's running around like a man possessed," the boy, Hilew, said, walking up. "But I have his bow," and he held up Falid's bow. 

    “Okay,” Runric said, raising an eyebrow. "I'm assuming there's a good reason for that. You can help us then. Can I see one of your arrows?"

    He handed Runric an arrow, and Runric took it in his hand. He covered the arrowhead with a coating of honey-colored ice. 

    "Ooo, good thinking," Teg said. 

    "Think you can still shoot this with a heavier tip?" Runric asked. 

    Hilew weighed the arrow in his hand. "Yeah, no problem."

    "Great, now shoot something and let us watch. Just one shot for now. We need to see what happens to the animal."

    The same leopard Runric hit with the snowball geared up for another jump. It made it about twenty feet off the ground and gripped the wall with its claws. Hilew aimed and shot an arrow, piercing its shoulder. The leopard shrieked in pain, falling to the ground. Once again, it lay down on the ground. They watched patiently for a minute, two minutes, and it continued to lie still. After three minutes, it rose, turned around, and walked into the forest. They all cheered. 

    However, before long, several horns sounded throughout the camp, drowning out the cheers. Giant, angry animals flooded out of the forest on all sides of the village. There were herds of buffalo, massive stags, monkeys, boars, leopards, jaguars, elk, and even a giant sloth. To make matters worse, it started raining. Huge thunderclouds rolled across the sky, darkening the village. Lightning crackled and thunder roared, but this time, the people lit their lanterns quickly. 

    "Runric!" Ris yelled over the thunder. "You need to find the arrow stockpile and ice all the arrowheads!"

    "Got it!" Runric yelled back, scanning the area for the stockpile. 

    Whoosh!

    "Time to do great Runric magic things!" Falid yelled as he ran by in a blur. He was moving so fast that Runric didn't have time to respond before Falid jumped off the top of the thirty-foot wall, landing atop a giant stag. More importantly, his bare chest glowed a dark orange. 

    "He's manifesting!" Teg said. 

    "I've never seen him move so fast," Ris said. 

    "I told you guys," said Hilew. "He's moving like a man possessed."

    "Well, until now I didn't realize that was different from a normal description of Falid," Runric said. Teg and Ris laughed. 

    "I'm guessing that's one of the physical type magic abilities you told us about," said Ris. 

    "I think so. I think it's agility, but let's not just stand here. Where is the stockpile?" 

    "This way," said Hilew, and they ran down the wall. 

    Runric coated arrowhead after arrowhead with honey-colored ice. 

    "Teg and Ris, distribute the arrows and spread the word," Runric said. "Hilew, just keep shooting. The bigger animals may need more than one shot. I'm not sure."

    "Got it," they said and ran in different directions. 

    Falid ran by, somehow getting back on top of the wall. 

    "Wait, wait, wait," Runric yelled. Falid rolled to a stop and then burst back toward Runric. 

    "Nice gift!" Runric said. "How does it feel?"

    "Unbelievable," Falid said. "I can move like there's no tomorrow. I think when I stop manifesting, I'm going to crash for a week."

    "Here, eat some jerky," Runric said, handing him some food. "And let me see your knives. My new gift is peace magic, and we figured out that it's removing the taint from the animals. It works better if it penetrates the skin. I've been covering arrowheads with a combination of ice and peace, and the animals just lay down or walk off afterward. Not sure how well it will work with your knives but try to get some ice on or inside them, and it should help."

    "Got it," Falid said, grabbing his ice-covered knives. "Gotta go." 

    "Go get 'em." 

    With another giant leap, Falid flew off the wall and back into the fray. The rain still came down, but Falid's glow kept him from drawing any archer fire. In the battle, he was a one-man wrecking ball, moving with incredible speed and precision. He patrolled the west side of the wall by himself, moving from beast to beast, slaying them or calming them with peace-infused ice. Archers moved towards the other parts of the wall that were not as well defended. Runric ran toward them, pushing a wheelbarrow of ice arrows. 

    On the north side, it was chaos. Bobcats had reached the top of the wall and were clawing and biting at people.

    "Keep them on the wall, don't let them into the village!" someone was shouting. 

    A bobcat jumped in front of Runric, who quickly stopped his wheelbarrow. The bobcat leaped at Runric, and without thinking, he fell to the ground just underneath the claws of the cat. He had no weapon, but he dove on top of the cat and grabbed it around the torso. The cat screeched and thrashed, but Runric held on. While he was manifesting, peace was his most powerful magic, so he shoved honey-colored peace magic into the cat. The cat slowly calmed down, but Runric didn't stop. He could feel something wrong inside the cat, a taint that left an unnatural, evil feeling. He pushed more and more peace magic into it, sensing the taint lessen until it disappeared entirely. The cat looked around, its eyes changing, and with some sort of primal recognition, it charged. Not at Runric or any caruan. It charged the other beasts on top of the wall. 

    Caruans came running toward Runric, helping him up and gathering the arrows.

    "Use the new arrows," Runric said. "They'll help. No time to explain. I've got an idea," and he turned in the other direction and ran towards Falid. 

    He found Falid amongst a heap of dead beasts. Only one remained, and it was face-to-face with Falid. Falid, of course, was taunting it. 

    "Bring it on, pipsqueak!" he yelled at the beast. "I didn't realize they grew 'em so small in the wild!"

    The beast, actually, was no pipsqueak at all. It was, in fact, an eight-foot-tall rhino, which probably weighed five thousand pounds.

    "Falid!" Runric yelled. "I need you to get me on top of the rhino!"

    Falid stopped and looked at Runric incredulously. "You know I'm supposed to be the crazy one. You can't take my job." 

    "I'm serious. It'll be awesome."

    "Well, good enough for me. Throw me that rope up there."

    Runric tossed him the rope, and he grabbed it just as the rhino charged directly at Falid. Falid waited and waited, thenjumped out of the way at the very last moment. The rhino crashed into the wall, which caved inwards as portions of it broke off and fell to the ground. Falid quickly threw the rope around the rhino's enormous neck, grabbed both ends of it, and climbed atop the rhino's back. 

    Runric wasn't idle. He was already climbing down an anchored rope used to get down to collect dead beasts. The rhino roared and thrashed, but Falid jumped on its back, holding tightly to the rope. Halfway down the wall, Runric aimed at the feet of the rhino, and sheets of ice formed on the ground. The rhino tumbled, and Runric leaped, landing with a thud right behind Falid on the rhino's back.

    "Now that's what I'm talking about!" Falid said. "This is the most awesomest day in the history of ever!" 

    Runric was already pressing honey-colored magic into the thick rhino skin as they continued to slide on the ice. 

    "Care to tell me why we just did the most awesome thing ever?" Falid asked.

    "I think it'll help us once the taint is gone. It worked on the bobcat."

    "Please tell me I get to ride a rhino into the thick of the battle over there."

    "That's the plan."

    "Oohhhhh! This is great. The story is going to be epic. I can see your dad now. 'Falid, what did you do on your day of manifestation?’ Oh, nothing much, Master O. I just rode the back of a giant rhino into battle to save lost and wonderful people from being swarmed by enormous monsters."

    "I'm regretting this already," Runric said. 

    Meanwhile, the rhino had calmed down and rose to its feet. Runric could feel a change in its demeanor. 

    "Come now, boy," Falid said. "I know you know what to do," and he patted the rhino on the shoulder. 

    The rhino slowly started to walk, then jog, then gallop to full speed. Runric and Falid clung to the rope still lassoed around its neck. 

    "Hold on!" Falid said. 

    "No, I thought I'd let go!" Runric said sarcastically. 

    The rhino ran alongside the circular wall, and it didn't take long until they rode right into the thick of battle. A herd of elephants beat against the wall, smashing it with their tusks. The wall started crumbling, and archers scrambled towards safer sections. To make matters worse, a pride of lions prowled, waiting for the wall to collapse. 

    "Not gonna lie," Falid yelled. "When your dad told stories of all these animals, I thought he made half of them up. Did someone import a zoo into this forest or something?"

    "Yeah, it's crazy. Uh, can you control this rhino at all?"

    "Not a chance," Falid yelled right before the rhino rammed its horn straight into the side of an elephant at full speed. The two of them went flying off the rhino's back. Falid deftly landed on his feet and immediately started running, knives out. Runric was much less fortunate. He hit the ground hard with a tumble. After finally coming to a stop, he opened his eyes to see a lion charging directly at him. He shot out a blast of ice, but it was too late. The lion was on top of him. 

    Out of nowhere, a knife flew through the air and struck right through the lion's neck. Shortly afterward Falid blurred by to regain his knife from the dead lion. 

    "Here," he said. "I'll boost you onto an elephant." 

    Runric thought the idea crazy but stepped on Falid's outstretched hands. Falid flung him up just enough to get on top of a nearby elephant's back. He didn't bother to sit up. He just lay face-down on his belly and sent honey-colored magic into the gray, thick elephant skin. 

    Meanwhile, Falid defended Runric's position from the lions as the rhino continued to rampage against the tainted beasts. It spiked a couple of lions with its horns, forcing the rest of the lions to back away. Eventually, Runric finished removing the taint from the elephant, and it started stomping around at other beasts. He carefully jumped off the giant elephant and pressed himself against the wall. 

    A volley of ice-tipped arrows rained down on all the beasts. Then another, then another. Soon, all the beasts lay dead or still. Runric, exhausted, moved towards the closest still animal and expunged the taint. He repeated the process until he had cured all the animals in the area. Most of the animals wandered off into the forest, except for the rhino, who carried Falid on his back, a rope around its neck.

    "Onward Frankie! Let's find more giant, crazy, evil beasts!"

    "You named it!?" Runric yelled. 

    "Of course. Me and Frankie are besties. Sorry, Runric, you've been replaced by a giant, awesome, no-longer evil beast." Together, Falid and the rhino took off along the wall toward another battle. 

    Runric pulled himself up by a rope they had let down for him. The wind changed, and the rain stopped. The clouds opened and a setting sun shone on the village. Runric and the other archers jogged down the wall toward more battles, but the heavy fighting was over. Falid mopped up any stray, aggressive beasts, and Runric cured any survivors from their taint. The day was won. 

     Falid and Runric both had a little time left of their manifestations, so they climbed up to the top of the Loen tree to look out at the scene. It was messy, but they'd survived. Runric made more honey-colored snow descend upon the villagers, and Falid climbed through the limbs of the tree over and over. When their manifestations finally expired, they both collapsed on top of the tree and fell asleep.