A sky full of stars greets us. More than could ever be counted, shining and twinkling.
A red moon sits in the middle of the tiny lights, completing the beautiful canvas that makes up the sky.
I could look for hours and never get bored.
However, I force myself to look down and absorb the rest of my surroundings.
We stepped out into a clearing coated with pine needles, muffling everyone's footsteps. Pine trees circle the little clearing, rock clusters creating breaks in the tree line.
Torches had been set periodically around the edge of the clearing, the flames flickering in the soft breeze.
Looking back behind me, the large opening we had all walked out of is minuscule compared to the towering mountain it is apart of. A rectangular slab of rock lies on the right side of the cave entrance.
'What moved it? That things got to weigh more than a few tons…'
The last few people are stepping out from the cave, mouths agape. A very short girl with a bob cut dressed in jeans and a hoodie emerges last. Looking at the surroundings, she quietly darted into the crowd of people.
Another person catches my eye.
He's got dark jeans, a black tank top, and a buzz cut which makes him stand out. A silver chain hangs from his belt loops and he's got a couple of rings on his ears and one on his lip.
Some of the people around me are quietly talking, making gestures towards the cave and forest. A few people are walking around, asking everyone if they know where we are.
There's a lot more than twenty of us. Maybe a hundred or so. And no one seemed familiar.
"Ey, watch it!"
Hearing the same sarcastic voice that was in the cave, I look in the direction it came from.
I can see the guy with the black tank top angrily looking down on a shorter, skinnier guy wearing a dirty hoodie. His thin, rodent like face trembled in fear. Front teeth just a little too big for his mouth clack as his jaw shakes.
"I-I'm sorry! I d-didn't mean to run into you."
"Don't matter that you're sorry! You shoulda watched where the hell you were going!"
The thinner guy cowered when the man in front of him raised a fist.
"That is enough!"
I recognize the serious tone of voice and turn to see him pushing through the crowd.
Smoothly walking over in a pair of khakis and a navy blue cardigan, the torch light flashes off glasses as he steps between the two of them.
Looking up at the seemingly new contender with a scowl, the hyper aggressive man puffed his chest out more than it already was. It's steadily getting redder and redder, a vein popping out of his neck and forehead.
Afraid that a fight is about to break out, I muster my courage and walk up to them, putting my hand on tomato heads shoulder.
"Calm down, it was an honest mistake. He's already said sorry."
He turns, directing the full power of his glare at me. Not backing down, I tighten my grip on his shoulder, meeting his dark grey eyes with my own.
We stand like this, unblinking, neither of us moving an inch. People around us can see the tension, and are nudging their new friends.
Seeing this, he shrugs my hand off his shoulder with a grunt and turns around, grumbling and rubbing his shoulder as he slowly walks away.
I follow him with my eyes until I lose sight of him in the crowd.
The boy who had accidentally started the encounter collapsed to the ground. After giving him a few seconds to compose himself, I offer him a hand up.
Taking my hand gratefully, he manages to get to his feet, looking paler than a ghost.
"Thanks" he squeaks after turning to look at me and the man wearing khakis, "I-I don't know what would've happened if he started f-fighting me. I don't think I'm very good in brawls."
He gives a weak laugh then looks down at the ground.
I chuckle a little bit, then pat him on the shoulder.
"It's no biggie, don't worry about it. Besides, I think you could have laid him out."
I give him a wink, then turn to guy who had joined the confrontation before me.
"Thanks for stepping in. It's not easy to stand up to people as hyper aggressive as that."
"As you said, it was not a big deal. By the way, I'm Matthew."
"Nice to meet you, I'm Kairo."
Surprisingly, I remember my name quite easily.
"Kairo, huh? Interesting name. Oh, I'm Ratto! But you can call me Rat."
I scratch the back of my head and grin in response to Ratto's comment.
"Thanks, if I remembered where I got it I'd tell you. Speaking of, do you guys have any clue what's going on?"
Matthew quickly responds.
"I am not sure. The only thing I remember is waking up in that cave and talking to that rude barbarian over there."
He tilts his head in the direction the angry guy walked off in.
"And now we are in a forest. There really does not seem to be-"
My head snaps up and I make a motion for him to be quiet. Something feels different, but I can't tell what it is.
I glance around and try to listen, but the conversations in the background are too loud.
When my eyes search around the trees I realize what's wrong.
"Where did the breeze go?"
As soon as I said that, It appeared.
I say It because I'm not sure what It is. Wrapped tightly in black fabric, there's no telling if it's male or female.
I'm not even sure it's human. The bumps on its forehead suggest otherwise. While not being all that big in general, I can still feel an aura around it that tells me it's dangerous.
"So you guys are the new group, huh? You don't look all that impressive to me. Well, a job is a job. And who knows what threat you might be to us in the future…"
The masculine voice coming from under a grey mask deepened as a sinister energy filled the clearing.