They'd been walking uphill for a while now. After a day of walking, Herogi was exhausted. But even still, she could hardly sleep when night had come. She didn't want to trust Amante. He could be easily manipulating her, or tricking her into something. And what if he killed her! But the morning sun rose, and they were back on track.

They came upon a small stream from a river and stopped to drink. Herogi, still keeping her distance from Amante, pulled a canteen out of her small pouch, and began filling it with water for later. Amante seemed to recognize where they were, and Herogi wasn't sure if that was a good or bad thing yet. They then crossed the stream and came into a lighter clearing of trees.

They saw a shadow, dancing in the sunlight between two trees. Herogi tensed, placing her hand on the hatchet swinging at her hip, ready for anything. Meanwhile, Amante moved casually over to what Herogi could not see.

"We're here!" he exclaimed happily. Herogi raised an eyebrow and jogged lightly over to the shadow to see what it was. A purple flag danced on a pole. It had a quadrilateral shaped symbol of a golden eye with three short black triangles around it. It had to be the flag of the Sly Vulpes, tribe of illusion.

"Where's the village?" Herogi asked him.

"Listen to me." He turned to her with a serious expression on his face. He didn't answer her question. "The Sly Vulpes can be very mysterious, and they're really good at lying. Don't let them fool you. Most of them practice tribal magic, and seeing as that magic is of illusion, anything could be fake. If I use the dark magic, I can see through it all but you won't. So don't leave me, and you'll be safe."

"Um..." Herogi felt like her hatchet just got heavier. "They hate you right?"

"You already asked this," he reminded her.

"Right, but..." She looked over his shoulder. "They may think I'm also a Chaton. Turn around."

Amante turned around suspiciously and saw six people dressed in the skins of wolves, foxes, and coyotes. It was easy to recognize that Herogi and Amante were, in fact, in trouble. Amante scrunched up his face, cursing to himself as the two recoiled in notice of the danger around them.

"The Chatons are here," one of them whispered. Someone wearing the cloak of a wolf, nodded and made a strange-sounding tribal cry. All six crouched down into a warrior pose in sync. They all held a bow–arrow notched–aimed at Herogi and Amante. The empty eyes from the wild dog hides that the warriors wore carried a peculiar presence. Those vacant eyes could see through any lie.

"I'm not a Chaton," Herogi muttered, barely audible. The protectors took no notice of her. She glanced at Amante who was not helping the situation by getting in a fighting stance, gripping his spear angrily. "What are you doing?" she said through gritted teeth. Belki growled deeply from the other side of Herogi.

"There aren't six of them," he muttered back. Something whistled by her ear, and it took a few moments for Herogi to realize it was actually an arrow. She looked up to where it had come from within the trees, but no one was there. Amante spun around facing the open air and looked forward as if he were ready to fight the seemingly clear trees.

"Great," Herogi said aloud to herself. She had finally realized what Amante had meant. And now, she couldn't see all the real people and was clueless about how to protect herself. The real warriors were invisible. She took out her hatchet, shaking as she held it defensively in front of her. Belki stood protectively at her side, though Herogi knew that the cat was just as confused as she was.

"Why have you come?" said one of the six she could see. Amante spun around, still in the same stance.

"Um..." He looked like he had to think about it.

"Speak fool!" said another.

"We are just lost!" he exclaimed.

"Yeah, you heard that?" The woman looked around at her fellow protectors with a chuckle. "They're just two Chatons, just two people who want to slaughter our home, two lost little liars! This is no coincidence!"

"I'm not a Chaton!" Herogi choked out, louder than she had before.

"Yes, you are," another man said with a low growl.

"No! She is telling the truth," said an invisible voice. A girl stepped out from the sunlight, just six feet away from Amante and Herogi. She had been invisible just seconds before. The girl cautiously approached Herogi with a skeptical look on her face, studying her. "Look, she does not wear their colors."

"See!" Herogi exclaimed. "This girl is right!" The girl went to touch Belki's head gently.

"She must be from the Cretos," she said, getting closer.

"Don't touch her," Herogi said, swatting the girl's hand away from Belki. The girl just glared at her before walking back to the original six.

"Bee," she addressed the woman in wolf's skin.

"Nora, you know of all people not to trust anyone," Bee said wisely.

"Yes, but I can see she isn't trying to fool us. She doesn't even know how to use magic!" Nora exclaimed. Herogi huffed in embarrassment.

"Yet the other one used dark magic." Bee furrowed her eyebrows. "Open fire."

Arrows began to fly from what seemed like nowhere. By some miracle, none of them even grazed Herogi. However, Amante was maneuvering his spear around his body in all directions just to deflect them. He kicked at the air, and a man appeared briefly before vanishing again. Herogi's heart raced, as she swung her hatchet like a maniac around herself at nothing. She only hoped it would keep the invisible ones away, but she felt like a fool while doing it.

"Enough!" A new man came into the clearing, standing next to the flagpole. Herogi sensed the man's authority. Then she noticed the peculiar goat legs sticking out from under the hide skins he wore. Could he be a satyr?

The attacks ceased abruptly, and new forms revealed themselves from under their illusions. All the figures turned and looked at him, instantly bowing. Amante bowed too, pulling Herogi down with him.

"This is not our way. What are you? Fools?" the man continued, slowly walking towards Herogi and Amante to examine them. "Just because we may not like a certain kind of people, does not give you the right to go shoot your arrows about, trying to get rid of them."

"Chief Peek sir..." one of them tried to protest but the man waved his hand at him to signal silence.

"We will take them into the village, and if they are in fact who they deny being, we will keep them as hostages. Hopefully, that will be a warning to the Chatons. These travelers look tired. Give them a hut, food, and water. We will figure this all out later," Peek said with power in his voice. He nodded and everyone got to their feet.

Herogi didn't know what to say. Neither did Amante. The chief of the Sly Vulpes had just saved their necks, yet, Herogi didn't know if she could trust him or not.

***

Peek didn't let them out of his sight after that. It was obvious that, despite his words, he still held the same grudge or fear of them. Herogi herself didn't feel all that threatening, and the strangers most likely didn't think so either. In fact, as they were led to the village which was now no longer invisible to the eye, they kept forgetting her. While they swarmed Amante, so close that there was no way he could escape, Herogi trailed behind them all like a puppy. Even Belki was taken away by a smaller group of tribe members, not one of them minding Herogi any attention.

They were taken into an underground stone walled bunker that must have taken ages to build, strong enough to prevent them from escaping or hurting others. Unless Amante decided otherwise, that is, but the Sly Vulpes didn't necessarily think of that. In the center of the bunker was a simple wooden low standing table with a set of straw mats around it. Peek sat himself down at the head of the table, motioning for Herogi to sit at the opposite side. Meanwhile, eight guards surrounded the room, stiff as statues.

"You two are not lost, am I correct?" Peek questioned. They nodded shamefully. "Good. You cannot lie to us, we can see right through it."

"Yes, sir," Herogi spoke, but her voice felt dry, sounding squeaky and pathetic. Peek smiled, revealing several wrinkles on his balding forehead. He had two dull small sunbleached goat horns protruding from his receding hairline, confirming Herogi's suspicions of the chief being a satyr.

"And I take it, you're from different tribes," he continued.

"That is correct," Amante answered. His hands were cuffed to the table, whereas Herogi was free. Peek brushed his furry goat legs with his fingers, anxious for answers.

"Who are you then?" Peek continued to ask. The two were silent, like they were unsure of who they really were. Or perhaps they were waiting for the other to speak. Herogi gathered her courage, which wasn't too hard for her to find at all.

"I am Herogi, daughter of Desparo and Yaku, protector of the Cretos." She didn't mention the fact that she didn't really want to be there in the first place. She looked at Amante, who was staring at his handcuffs like they were a complicated math equation. He finally spoke as Peek began to grow impatient, still running his fingers through the fur of his goat legs.

"And I..." He grunted in discomfort. "You already know who I am."

"That I do," Peek grinned, but under his smile was a face of fear. "Now, tell me why a Chaton and Cretos would ever travel together."

"We have joined forces," Amante explained.

"Not exactly," Herogi said under her breath. Amante glared at her, and she smiled back at him mockingly.

"Do your tribes know about this?" Peek asked politely, excusing their behavior.

"No. They don't," Amante said quickly.

"Then why?" Peek crossed his hairy legs, continuing to comb his fingers through them.

"I'm afraid I can't tell you exactly," Amante stated.

"What?" Herogi hissed. Amante bumped the table as a warning to her. Herogi remained quiet.

"I know of something strongly bound to your tribe. But I am afraid to tell you, in case of panic," Amante continued.

"Well, now that I know it is worthy of panic, how does that help the situation?" Peek questioned.

"I'm not really sure," Amante said sarcastically. "I need you to bring me someone from your tribe who is wise, powerful with magic, a good fighter, and a valued member. We need to speak with them."

"I see," Peek looked like he was in deep thought. "I think I know what you mean. Why must you speak to them?"

"I'm on a quest, chief. It's important," Amante declared.

"Fine," Peek gave him a suspicious look and turned to one of the guards. "Go get Misty. The red-haired one."

"Isn't she a gatherer?" the guard asked weakly.

"That is not important, just bring her here," Peek narrowed his eyebrows. The guard nodded and left the bunker.

It took longer than expected to go get the mysterious girl. The silence had been extremely awkward, and uncomfortable. Herogi wondered what would happen if she simply got up and left. But then she thought of Amante hunting her down afterward and things spiraling out of control.

Nonetheless, the guard had returned with a shoulder-length auburn-haired girl. She wore a yellowish torn hide as a dress with a fox's skin wrapped around her waist. Under her eyes were two black painted lines like whiskers. Her hair had white ends, making her look similar to the fox around her waist. But what caught Herogi's attention was how white the girl's skin was. She'd never seen someone quite like that before. Everyone she knew had brown or darker skin, not fair and freckled as this girl was.

"Misty, we are sorry to interrupt your harvest, but we have something.. rather strange for you," Peek stood up to greet her. She bowed her head towards him, then stared at Amante with a searing flame in her sky blue eyes.

"It is quite all right," she said with a calming voice.

"This is Misty," Peek introduced it as if it wasn't obvious already. "She is exactly who you described to me."

"Thank you Peek," Amante said from where he was cuffed. Misty took a seat at the opposite end of the table from Peek.

"She is young, this is her sixteenth year. But that does nothing to taint her abilities. Now, Amante, can you explain to me why you are here?" Peek sat back down.

"Of course sir," Amante said. Herogi noticed how he flicked his wrists in his handcuffs, and how the air around them suddenly became stale and quiet. "The Chief and guards can't hear us," he said to Herogi and Misty. "I have set a false conversation for their ears."

"You can't fool him. Our tribe is designed for trickery like that," Misty narrowed her eyes.

"I'm pretty good," Amante smirked, pushing away her words.

"I told you to stop using dark magic," Herogi stuck out her bottom lip, folding her arms in displeasure.

"Oh I'm sorry, does it make you scared?" Amante said coyly. Herogi rolled her eyes.

"Dark mag-" Misty was interrupted by Amante.

"It doesn't matter," he spoke. "Misty, we need you to come with us," he stated. "It's urgent."

He then explained about the prophecy and the war. He talked about how they needed to unite all the tribes together, and his idea of gathering a powerful member from each tribe. He explained what would happen if they would fail, which seemed to catch Misty's attention. All the while Herogi felt uncomfortably out of place.

"So..." she began to say as he finished. "You want to take me with you. That makes sense, but why is she here?" Misty gestured to Herogi. Herogi huffed in annoyance.

"That was an accident," Amante brushed it off. "We will return to the Cretos later to get a valuable member."

"Excuse me, I am valuable," Herogi tapped her foot. Amante looked at her like she was crazy.

"If it was a member of my fellow citizens who told you this prophecy, how come we don't know about it?" Misty asked.
"She only told me," Amante responded. "But that's beside the point. I don't know how much time we have, are you with us or not?"

"I may be. But this isn't secretly a plan to kill me, right?" Misty raised an eyebrow.

"Why does everybody think I'm trying to kill them?" Amante asked aloud.

"Because you're an infamous killer," Herogi coughed.

"Whatever," Amante stood up. Herogi stared at his wrists in surprise, seeing that the cuff somehow remained intact but no longer bound him to the table. "We should go. Misty, you coming?"

"I will. But on one condition, you must swear to me, that you will remain faithful to us," Misty explained. "Attempt anything, and I'll kill you."

"Trust me I won't," he said and began to head for the stairs out of the bunker. Misty glanced at Herogi.

"I still don't trust him," Herogi admitted and the foxy Misty gave her a smile.

Amante's illusion must have gone away because the air felt fresh again, and Herogi could hear everything normally around her as if her senses had been heightened. Peek looked at Misty, and they exchanged a few promising words, out of earshot of Amante and Herogi who were already leaving. Misty must have convinced him to let the group continue on their journey.

"I would like to say goodbye to my family, and grab a few things. Would you join me? I'm not allowed to leave you two alone so, you have to come with me anyways. Let's go." She sounded like she was speaking to herself rather than to Amante or Herogi. She guided them into the heart of the village. No one was out in the streets, probably because they had sent the village into lockdown. But it was still a very lovely place with vibrant colors. And the air smelled sweet from the surrounding crops of the village during the harvest.

"You're a gatherer, right?" Herogi asked, still captivated by the wonderful smells. They had been led to a clay hut with a thatched roof that Misty called her home.

"Yes. We gatherers are very busy right now during harvest. I do hope they will be ok without me," she said as she walked over to a cot on the edge of the hut. She pulled out a trunk from underneath it and opened it. Inside was a bow, and a quiver of arrows that Misty threw over her shoulder.

"Misty?" a woman called. A new figure entered the tent. A woman that looked similar to Misty.

"Mom," Misty hugged the woman. "I.. I know this sounds weird, and really sudden but-"

"Why are the murderers in our tent?'' The woman looked at Herogi and Amante with wide eyes.

"I'm not a murderer. He is." Herogi pointed at Amante who sighed in annoyance with her.

"I have to go," Misty concluded. "I can't explain it, there's so much I need to say to you but I just need you to stay here. And try not to worry about me," Misty looked like she was about to cry. Herogi suddenly realized how homesick she felt, and how she hadn't even said goodbye to her family. She wanted to beat Amante for that.

"Misty," the woman addressed, blood rushing to her cheeks, "you can't be serious."

"It's what I get for being, well, who I am," Misty replied. "Promise me you'll say goodbye to Acosador for me."

"Can't he go with you?" the woman protested. Misty glanced at Herogi and Amante, then back at her mom.

"I don't think a dog would help us much," she admitted. Herogi immediately thought of Belki and well... a dog wouldn't hurt much, right?

"He'll protect you-"

"Acosador stays here. He'll slow us down. When I get back, I'll explain everything," Misty had her hand on her mother's shoulder. Her mother nodded solemnly.

"Take this then–" her mother took the necklace from around her neck and gave it to Misty– "it has guided me through the many battles I've fought."

The necklace was similar to the one Amante wore. Except it was purple with the same symbol of the yellow eye painted on their flag. Herogi guessed that Misty's mom was a warrior, or a retired one. But there was something about the woman that was off putting, Herogi couldn't quite place her finger on it.

"Thank you," Misty put the necklace on and kissed her mother's cheek. "This quest will bring glory to our family, we'll be heroes!"

"You were always my hero," Her mother hugged Misty one last time before they finally left the small hut.

Herogi carried a sort of mourning in her head. Not over death but over her own wants, and desires being left behind. She was jealous of Misty, but she would never admit that. Herogi thought herself higher than others, a selfish act, but true.

"I'm sorry," Amante whispered to Herogi, obviously reading her mood.

"I hate you," she whispered back before jogging up to Misty on the way out of the village. 

Fun Fact!

Many people in Armonia wear a feather in their hair. These feathers are usually dyed based on the tribe they come from, meaning or representing different things.

For instance, Herogi wears three pink feathers! Pink means rebirth and growth! 

Amante, on the other hand, wears two blue feathers attached to the headpiece he wears (a wooden circle with jade beads fixated to the back of his hair, dangling six small wooden and painted cylindrical rods... I don't think I describe it like... at all in this book for whatever reason). Blue represents his tribe, the Chatons. Blue also has many other meanings, one being the ocean and the changing of tides/possibilities.

Misty does not wear a feather! However, most Sly Vulpes who do wear purple! Purple is a strong, protective color, which represents loyalty.