The sun highlighted the trees as a young boy of roughly 5 played in the forest he payed little attention to the world around him as he moved.
"Aven" the little boy paused as he heard his father.
"Aven, what are you doing out here alone?" A tall man with his Black hair cut short and bright blue eye starred at the boy.
"Daddy" the child squealed and ran to the man.
The man flinched and knelt by the child.
"Aven you must keep your voice down." The man scanned the forest around them.
"Sorry daddy" young Aven whispered holding on to his dad's pants leg.
"Little rascal" the man stood and smiled at the boy "so what are you doing out here?"
"We were playing" the boy fidgets and looked up "but I lost them".
The man's eyes flashed as he looked back to the village. "Why didn't you head back to the village?"
"I like it out here" the man just stood there for a second and then laughed.
'Haha, hopefully he has realised that they keep leaving him here on purpose.'
The man reached out to take his son's hand. "Well then why don't you join me on a little trip."
With that they head further into the forest.
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'Sense abilities' Aven sat by the fire as Joseph Randall walked back to the village.
'So that is what dad was teaching me.'
He reached out and removed the remainder of the meat from the skewers around the fire.
'Would it be better to show what I can do?' Aven moved his gaze over towards the gate. 'Maybe in the future but for now I'll do what I have to do to survive.'
'Wait was that really all he came out here for?'
Aven finished his food and extinguished the fire.
'What are they going to do about the rest of the malikia'.
He retrieved his dagger from his back and held it at the ready.
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As Joseph walked back to the gate, he kept his senses focused on Aven.
'There is far more to that boy than the villagers can or will say.'
Joseph smiled.
'This will be an interesting trip.'
"Haha"
'After going out to ask him to guide me to the clearing he talked of earlier i totally forgot.'
'I'll go again later if I have time.'
He made his way into the village, ignoring the guards as he past.
'I can't believe that even at a time like this they won't let the boy in, not even the village chief would agree.'
He made his way towards the village chief's hut.
As he arrived, he could hear raised voices from within. He frowned at the noise.
"Why? How can you still say there is no way that there are any malikia around, you just saw one with your own eyes." Jonathan exclaimed.
"Jonathan, no matter what you say his answer will not change." Damian remarked from his seat at the table.
"There are no malikia it is all that stupid boy's fault" Village Chief Dean exclaimed "just like his father".
"Now why don't you explain to us what you mean by that?" Joseph asked as he stepped into the room.
They all stood in silence waiting to see what chief Dean would do and says next, for a while he just seemed frozen in place before he visibly shook himself and turn a glare on Joseph.
"I have no obligation to tell you anything, you are here for a reason and have no power over anything else to do with this village." He exclaimed and turned to the door.
"Finish you job and get out" he stormed away leaving them in shock.
"What was that about?" Damian said as they starred at the door that Village Chief Dean had stormed out off.
'Well, that was unexpected, the sooner we leave the better but what is going on here?'
"Alright we finish here and leave this village soon. Damian, have you had a reply yet?"
"Yes I received an answer earlier, they are sending out a patrol to check the area but they won't arrive for 2 day. We have orders only to intervene if the malikia was to reach the village before them." Damian explained as he turned in his seat to face Joseph.
"Then do we leave the malikias alone and wait an extra 2 days before we leave?" Jonathan asked.
"No, we can't be late back to the institutes." Sabrina chimed in.
"Then what do we do." Damian asked the group.
"Everyone wait here get the young ones ready we will be leaving as soon as we can." Joseph stood and paused at the door "I'm going to check on the creatures that we felt if it is more malikia we may have to take action."
Joseph headed back towards the gate knowing time was now running out.