Folklore - High Fantasy Wenovel

[Timick]

Tai nimbly flipped over the school's barbed-wire fence with his friends' help. Not even a second later he sprinted across the open field, making a beeline towards Block C and dove into the thick foliage by a windowsill. He shifted, careful not to make any noise, and made himself comfortable as he listened to the teacher inside the classroom. His tiny frame was completely hidden.

"...besides our Thumbling Kingdom, there is the Human, Cinderella, Giants and a few others. I'll be writing them all on the board." The crisp, young voice was loud—which was the reason Tai always came for her classes. It definitely was not because she sounded lovely.

He fished for a mirror shard wrapped in cloth from his pocket, and with a practiced motion raised it up to a suitable angle and read the notes written on the chalkboard. As long as it didn't reflect light inside, he should be alright.

Eight other kingdoms huh, that's cool—

Tai felt his ten year-old shirt being yanked from behind with a strong force as he was hoisted up mid-air.

"What're you doing here, brat?" the school's security officer scowled as he stared at the obviously malnourished kid. Tai grinned sheepishly at the bulky man. After a few seconds, The security officer seemed to have come to a decision and carried him in the direction of the principal's office.

Tai's smile vanished, his heart racing as he wrestled the officer to no avail. Realizing where he was being taken was only five steps away, he wriggled and tore his body through his undersized shirt. He fell to the ground as the officer grabbed at his arm.

Tai yanked his arm away before the officer got a good grip and sprinted towards the fence. Quickly skating the fence at the cost of a few slices to his body, he bolted to the nearest alley and never looked back.

Tai continued his sprint to a dark area of the alley, where four 12-year-old boys as scrawny as himself sat.

"What happened!" Tito, the shortest of them, came running towards him, scanning him from head to toe repeatedly. Tai let out a long sigh and brushed his curly green hair away from his eyes.

"I got caught."

"Well, good thing you got away," sweat was all of a sudden plastered on Tito's baby face. "You learn anything?"

With that question, the four boys stared at Tai expectantly.

"Yeah," Tai said with a triumphant smirk. "Besides our tribe, there's eight other kingdoms. Apparently, in size, we're the tiniest of them all. The largest sized tribe is called the Giants' Kingdom. The Human Kingdom has the most people, and—guess what—an adult thumbling is only as tall as their thumb."

"What about the other five kingdoms?" Tobey asked. His shoulder-length auburn hair fell neatly on his shoulders despite his dirty appearance.

"Got caught." Tai sighed. He'll definitely do better tomorrow. "Alright, let's look for some food".

"It's been a month since the last food distribution. If there is anything left to forage in this city, it's gone," Tobey chimed in. Tai paused. Tobey was right. However...

"Let's ask Tziporah, that homeless girl."

"You mean that suck-up city-rat? I'd rather die. Let's just steal." Tariq's lanky body towered over everyone else's.

"You forgot what happened the last time we tried to steal food?" Tobey looked up at Tariq in obvious disappointment . It's always nice to have Tobey around. If it weren't for him, he would be the only one in the group with a brain.

Tai walked to the end of the alley, his mind already made up.

"She doesn't have parents like us. Besides, a 'city rat' would definitely know these parts better than we do."

"I'd still rather die," Tariq said behind him. The malice was thick in his voice.

Tai couldn't help but laugh,"Well, I guess you'll be dying today."

Having dealt with Tariq, Tai stuck his head out the alley. The clean, cobblestoned sidewalks, beautifully constructed cement houses, and well-dressed people walking about already made this place foreign land to him. He glanced to the left. There sat the school, somewhere he'd definitely be one day. Beyond the school's fence, the security guard was nowhere to be seen. He was safe.

"It's midday, she should be around here somewhere...any ideas, Tim?" Tai asked. At medium height, Tim's skin had a light tan, just like his. Staring into the distance, Tim's stone-like face had no reaction. The womanizing bastard was definitely playing dumb. It seemed he had to reel out a bait...

"I have the latest Thumbling Beauties magazine—"

"She's three blocks away from us, by the bridge. In five minutes she will be roaming the streets, so if we hurry we should catch her." Tim said, his poker face reigning supreme.

Everyone stared at him, unimpressed. Tim broke out in a sweat. "Uh....if I had to guess, I'd guess she was there". Tito laughed boisterously, falling to the ground and disturbing each passerby.

"Thank you Tim," Tai nodded in satisfaction. If he didn't know Tim was deceptively delicate, he'd have been laughing with Tito. Tim already looked like he wanted to cry.

The five boys quickly made their way to the bridge, ignoring the unwanted attention their raggedy clothes brought.

On their way, Tai felt a stinging pain from his empty stomach. The hunger pangs were more and more painful throughout the past week, and he was becoming bonier by the day.

To distract himself from his depressing thoughts, he glanced at the green foliage that peeked above the towering walls of the Thumbling Tribe. The vibrant green leaves from the distant forest glowed in the sunlight and calmed his heart.

In no time, his group reached the bridge. There they saw Tziporah cleaning the river bank, picking up any garbage that floated by.

"Hey Tziporah!" Tai shouted to her as they approached. She gave Tai a sidelong glance then continued her work. Tai didn't mind. He stepped from his hesitant friends towards her.

Her waist-length jet black hair was clumped together by unknown substances. She was 11 years old, one year younger than him. Frail, slender hands gracefully reached for a soiled baby nappy and tossed it into a large, dirty cloth bag. Trodding up to her, Tai swung his arm around her shoulder.

"How u doin'," Tai gave her a toothy grin. Tziporah froze, cranked her neck towards him, then smiled. Her half-burnt face was frightening, but he didn't care.

"Hello Tai," she started, "What can I do for you today?"

Tai grinned brightly at her greeting,"You know any spots where we can find food? We're starving here."

"Everyone is starving here," her smile faded as she shrugged off his hand.

"Everyone poor, you mean. Though you should be fine, since you're busy being the garbage collector of rich folk," Tariq spat.

"Shut it," said Tai, "Tzipor—"

"I don't know of any spots," Tziporah quickly said, "I apologize." She returned to cleaning the river bank, seemingly serene.

Tobey coughed awkwardly, "Well, since we have already cleaned out all the usual spots yesterday, I guess this is where we part ways." Tai was unwilling to give up, but seeing his friends slowly stepping away from Tziporah, he sighed.

"Yeah, this is it guys," Tai said, "We'll meet again tomorrow, same alley."

Tobey, Tito, Tariq and Tom walked away, each to their own business. When they all left, Tai turned to Tziporah, and realized she was looking at him.

"I'm sorry about that," he said, embarrassed, "Tariq doesn't like anyone with enough money to have three meals a day."

"Mmm," Tziporah once again began cleaning the river, ignoring him. Tai did not mind, but laid on a patch of moss near her and stared at the clear blue sky of the afternoon.

The soft wind on his face and the subtle sounds of the garbage being fished from the water sang a lullaby to his ears and calmed his heart.

"Why do you always do that?"

Tai's attention was snapped into reality with her question. Tziporah stared at him with that blank look she always has.

"Hehe, do what?" he'll just play dumb.

"Everyday you hang around me, just like this. Why?" she stepped towards him.

Tai beamed, "You look lonely, that's all." Her blank face seemed to have cracked at his words.

"Uh.....thank you," she said. She fished for a pocket-sized book from a hidden pocket and gingerly gave it to him.

"Here. I think you would like this"

Tai's eyes widened, and he snatched it without courtesy. She continued, "It's about a Thumbling warrior's adventures outside the kingdom. My favorite part is where he said: 'A Thumbling knows he is not at home when even the grass is two times your height'. He died, sadly."

Tai's heart began to pound. A book. He actually has a book.

"...Thank you," he said.

Now he felt bad, he had nothing to give her. "...do you want to see my plant collection?" Plant collection was a bit of a stretch—they were more like glorified weeds he became fond of. Not like you could find a proper plant lying around here. These were the most valuable things he possessed.

Tai had never shown his precious treasures to anyone before. He was a little excited.

"No thanks," she cracked a smile, "I'm cleaning the river."

He wilted.

"You know, just because it's your job doesn't mean you should be doing it every second of your life. Take a break sometimes"

Tziporah laughed, "This was never a job. It's my hobby. Some people just happen to appreciate it and give me food sometimes." Tai stared at her, speechless.

He spent 20 more minutes by the river bank, nose-deep in the book. Realizing it was almost nighttime, he bade farewell to Tziporah and went home.

...

Tai carefully opened the delicate wooden door of his house. Making a beeline to the kitchen, there he saw Theresa, his mother, preparing dinner. It was the last ration of food left. Tiidrick, Tai's father, sat by the small dining table. Tai sat opposite to him, his stomach growling.

Not long after, Theresa dished out dinner and sat by the table as well. Three bowls of steaming brown slob and each only had enough for two mouthfuls.

"Thanks for the meal, ma," Tai said.

"Tsk," Tiidrick, Tai's father, stabbed into the blob and stuffed a spoonful in his mouth.

"Our last meal you mean. Been askin' around today. The food quota's gonna be handed out in the next four weeks. We won't survive." Tiidrick's broad shoulders drooped, much to Tai's surprise. He never saw his father so discouraged before.

Theresa abandoned her dinner and gently embraced Tiidrick. Tai was not letting his dad's mood impact his meal, though. In a minute the bowl was licked clean. Theresa gently coughed, looking at him.

"Tai, dear, could you please go upstairs to your room? Your father and I need to talk."

Tai acquiesced and went up stairs, not that it mattered. With all the holes in the already poorly constructed wooden floor and walls, you could hear anything. Entering his room, he sighed and plopped on his bed made of leaves sown together with hay stuffing. Not comfortable, but it worked.

The moonlight shone through the cracks in the ceiling, encasing the cramped room in ethereal light. His mom and dad's conversation drifted into his ears.

Not long after, his door creaked open and Theresa's bony yet slender frame stepped in. She gently sat by the edge of the bed and lovingly caressed Tai's rich green curls. She smiled.

"I always wonder who you inherited your green hair and eyes from. I remember when you were just born, and the first thing I saw when you opened your eyes were two beautiful emeralds staring back at me," Theresa wistfully twirled her fingers in his hair. "You do need a haircut though," She giggled.

Tai had to admit, his mother was beautiful. The moonlight beams serving as a backdrop only accentuated her soft facial features. Taking her sweet time, she hummed a lullaby, still caressing his hair.

"We will survive somehow. Don't mind your father, he was just a little frustrated." Tai gave her a reassuring smile. She always managed to calm his mind.

"Okay ma"

She gave him a light kiss on his head, and continued to hum the lullaby until he slowly faded away into slumber.

 

[Timick]

"Aaarrrggghhh!"

A shrill scream frightened Tai awake. Humongous jaws with razor sharp teeth filled his vision. A deafening growl resounded in his ears and brought forth a strong gale that threw his body backwards.

The huge maw snapped its jaws at him. Before he could feel terror, the beast was thrown to the side then collided with a colossal tree about fifty times its height.

The entire area was populated with similar massive trees, along with flora and fauna, save the small clearing where he was.

The beast quickly sprung up on its four feet and growled at its intruder. It was another beast that looked quute different, with four feet as well but bigger and thicker. It had matted skin, unlike the furry skin of the first beast. They stared off at each other for a few seconds.

He did not know where he was, but he knew life-threatening danger. Years worth of experience from escaping kicked in and immediately he got to his feet to run, but fell flat on his face. His hands and feet were bound by a rough rope. Terror rose from his heart as he aggressively tried to squeeze his bony hands through the rope bindings.

The matted beast pounced at its furry opponent, completely dominating it. The angry furry beast tore into the matted beast's skin with its teeth. With each tussle, the ground beneath Tai vibrated, reminding him of how tiny he was to everything around him.

How tiny he was....

His mind immediately went to the book Tziporah gave him as her comment echoed in his ears: "A Thumbling knows he is not at home when even the grass is two times his height."

He glanced again at his surroundings. The grass...was two times a Thumbling's height. He was in the forest outside the kingdom.

Boom!

The furred beast slammed its larger opponent against the tree. Tai tapped into every memory and experience he had to break free from the complex knot. Whoever did this to him definitely wanted him to die without resistance.

Just like the people around him. Or rather, the people who once were around him.

Thumbling bones decorated his surroundings like a twisted graveyard. It spanned a ten meter radius, which was huge for him. The graveyard was a mixture of red, brown and black, giving the rancid stench stinging his nose a new meaning, threatening him to throw up. The strong scent of fresh blood mixed within the rancid stench reminded him of what cruel fate awaited him if he did not get moving immediately.

He finally freed himself at the cost of deep abrasions on his hands and feet. At that moment, the two creatures were heavily injured, and were facing off in their final clash.

He did not stay to watch. He shot up to his feet and sprinted in the opposite direction of the fight. Running across the bone-infested field, he aimed for the lush grass bordering the area. Well, grass for the beasts, but a forest to him. It was the perfect place to conceal himself as he escaped.

In the corner of his eyes, he saw a girl, shivering in terror as she stared wide-eyed at the clash between the beasts. She was not bound like he was, and despite that, she was not moving—seemingly terrorized. The large burn scar on her face contrasted against her hazel eyes.

...Tziporah?

Without a second thought he changed course, dashing in her direction. He dragged her unto her feet. Her hazel eyes regained focus as she turned to him in surprise.

"We need to run."

She nodded shakily.

Seeing she was physically unharmed, he grabbed her hand and dashed towards the grass with no reservation. He was halfway there when he heard the sickening crunch of bones.

Tai looked behind him. The furry beast howled in agony as its opponent clamped its jaws around its neck. The matted beast slowly released the now broken neck of the furry creature, turned in their direction, and revealed a bloody smile.

"You're next," it said.

That was the last scene he saw before he reached the grass.

...​

Tai trudged on the muddy ground, his bare feet sinking slightly with each step. The stems of the grass running along the forest floor threatened to trip him, but he had yet to fall.

Tziporah wasn't so fortunate. She fell so often that he decided to give her a piggyback ride. At first, she was loo light to feel the burden of her weight, but after nearly two hours, he was a fatigued mess. His makeshift sack made from his shirst also wore him down.

He looked up and tried to peer through the small openings the grass allowed. The orange glow of evening basked the forest in a warm glow. At least, from what he could see.

It was beautiful.

"Tai...you've been squeezing my feet for two hours now," Tziporah's soft voice betrayed her weakness. It was then he realized that he was still tense. Tai chuckled nervously and loosened his grip.

"Thank you," her hot breath tickled his neck.

Seeing that they really were not being chased, his preservation instincts fully wore off. He finally had time to think properly.

He was worried, and that animal with the creepy smile did nothing to help. Why did he end up here? Who will water his plants while he's not at home? Why was Tziporah here too? If she was here, what about his other friends?

...what about his parents?

The very thought of them being endangered tore at his heart. He suppressed it to have maximum awareness of his surroundings.

Speaking of surroundings, Tziporah has been unnaturally quiet. She was quiet before, but this time, it was different. She must be much more scared than he was.

Despite his messy mental state, he found himself smiling in fascination. In the Thumbling Kingdom, there were no trees or plants. Even the 'plants' he had at home were glorified weeds, at least that's what his parents told him. Looking around, they were right.

The stalks of grass surrounding them were lush and sported a healthy green unlike anything he had ever seen. Through the gaps above, the rich brown barks of the towering trees stood proudly, their crowns being adorned with leaves of various shapes, sizes and colors.

The scenery served well as a distraction from all his worries, especially that beast. Well, a bear, according to Tziporah, and the other one was called a wolf. Tai committed their names to his memory.

He rummaged in his makeshift sack by his hip that he made using his shirt. Finding a piece of mushroom, he bit into it with relish as he waded through the grass.

The evening glow was slowly welcoming the dark of night. If what was said in the book was true, they needed to find shelter, and fast.

 

[Timick]

The moonlit night completely replaced the receding glow of dusk. The air was chilly, and the deafening silence was unnerving.

"Tai... are you sure this is safe?"

This is definitely not safe.

"Yep," Tai patted her head, "now go on inside."

She gingerly stepped into a hollow branch they discovered while walking through the seemingly endless grass. It was the only habitable area they found amidst thorny bushes, moss-covered rocks, and wide trunks of numerous trees.

She squealed and ran outside as numerous bugs crawled out behind her, scattering in all directions. Tai didn't mind them, though. His fear of bugs disappeared since that time he explored the sewers with his friends. Thinking of them made his heart ache.

He was reluctant to ask Tziporah how she felt about their situation. She was even more pitiful than him and seemed to be stretched thin from what happened today.

Tziporah was currently using him as a meat shield, hiding behind him. If it weren't for the situation, he'd shove her in the tree branch and run away cackling. Instead, he stepped forward and inspected inside.

Mom did say I was mature for my age.

"Don't worry, they're all gone now," Tai said with mirth in his eyes. Tziporah blushed and hurried inside. Tai fished for dead leaves by the branch and used them to cover the entrance .

Tai and Tziporah huddled together in absolute darkness. It was really cold. Seeing Tziporah curl herself into a ball, he wrapped his arms around her to give her warmth.

"Tai...aren't you scared?"

"Huh??? What do you mean…don't I look scared?" He sure felt scared.

"No," she said immediately.

Tai sighed, "I was thrown into this forest and nearly died. Thankfully, there were mushrooms here, so we didn't starve, but...what about my family and friends? I'm alive—I don't need to care about myself. What about them?" He choked on the last word, the emotions and thoughts he's been trying to suppress all along threatening to erupt.

"Oh," Tziporah said. He couldn't see her face in the dark, especially since she's all curled up.

"This is the first time that I've opened up like this to anyone other than my family," he added, his voice barely a whisper. Tziporah didn't respond.

The night became even frostier, and they huddled even closer. Not long after, he heard faint, steady snores from Tziporah. He wanted to sleep too, but couldn't.

As the night progressed, he felt colder and colder. His teeth began to chatter, and Tziporah began shivering despite being fast asleep. As he started pondering whether or not to sneak outside for one of those dead leaves to cover themselves, he heard heavy, pounding steps of some creature outside, disturbing the silence he grew comfortable with.

The monotone footsteps grew louder and louder till Tai felt vibrations that increased in intensity. The creature was surprisingly slow and was getting even slower as the footsteps gradually became louder. Were they found?

Tai's body tensed and lightly shook Tziporah to wake her u-

Crunch!

Half of their shelter was crushed in half, missing them by a centimeter. The massive foot of the creature slowly raised itself and moved on as a chilly wind rushed in and slapped Tai in the face. Tziporah remained fast asleep.

Tai's eyes widened as he stared outside. Though it was nighttime, the moonlight was strong, so he was able to identify objects and vaguely perceive their color. And that was why... either his mind was playing games with him, or the grass outside was pitch black. The trees in the distance donned a shade of darkness, looking eerily different from daytime.

The book said no one who roamed the forest at night time ever came back alive. It never said why.

The ink-black grass, besides the ones flattened by the creature, pulsed like living, breathing organisms, and thick veins bulged from the trunk of the trees.

Through the leaves' gaps, he saw the massive creature. Thick lacerations decorated its body and oozed a pitch-black substance.

The creature trembled and fell to its side with a loud thud. The forest was once again quiet. Thick, long limbs akin to arms without hands stretched out from the shadows and penetrated the animal through its lacerations.

The limbs paused.

Two glowing eyes blinked opened in the darkness of the shadows where the limb came from and gazed at the half-crushed branch, where Tai and Tziporah were.

He pressed his face unto Tziporah's head, not daring to look up or move. For a few seconds, he struggled to breathe as he heard weird wet noises from the direction of the collapsed beast. Tziporah attempted to shift mid-slumber, but he held her firmly in place.

Silence reigned in the forest once again.

Tai held Tziporah, unmoving, his face still planted on her head.

...​

Tai didn't sleep all night. The most he did was levitate between a state of slumber and awakeness while his mind was consciously active. He felt groggy and irate. Despite everything that happened, Tziporah was still snoring and even smiling at that!

I can't believe this.

The morning glow of the sun illuminated Tziporah's peaceful face as she laid cradled in his arms. A good while after the incident last night, he loosened his arms around her, then a punch greeted his face as she stretched and adopted a different sleeping position. He definitely tasted blood.

Now that it was daytime and he could finally see, he stared at her for a minute. If it weren't for her scar, she'd have been decent-looking. He really wanted to ask her what happened, but it really wasn't his place.

He gently shook her then tickled her feet to wake her up. Tziporah eyes shot open as she flailed her feet around like a drugged worm. He wasn't so grumpy anymore. He grinned.

"Good morning"

She glared at him and huffed, not saying a word.

They set off once again, aimlessly. They sucked the morning dew drops from off leaves to quench their thirst and ate strange, juicy red balls they found that Tziporah called 'raspberries'. Tai never felt so sated in his life.

It felt strange.

During their breakfast, he narrated what happened last night to her. She ate her food and said nothing.

The chirps and coos of birds permeated the forest, bringing it to life. An animal called a 'deer' even sniffed them once. It surprisingly didn't terrorize them. The air was fresher too. He never knew inhaling could feel so refreshing.

Tai turned to Tziporah as they walked, "So...we have no idea where we are exactly, and where we are going. We'll look for a stable shelter first, somewhere close to food and water. As for what to do after that...we'll cross that bridge when we reach there. What do you think?" This was the best plan he had.

She didn't respond.

It's been hours since they woke, and Tziporah barely spoke to him or looked in his direction. She even refused every help he offered. Tai stopped in front of her and forcefully brought her to a halt.

"I'm sorry for tickling you awake this morning. I was wrong...will you forgive me?" He sincerely looked her in the eyes. He was quite fond of her, and he didn't want her to be upset with him.

"...that's not it," she looked away, her eyes watering. They stood there in silence. She seemed to have something heavy on her chest that she needed to let out, so he patiently waited for her to spill. Hopefully she didn't take too long, as they couldn't stay at one place for a long period in this forest.

"Tai...your friends, and family, are safe and in the Thumbling Kingdom. Your parents...arranged for you to die out here. I tried to stop them…and the rest was history."

 

[Timick]

His family was the foundation of his happiness. All their love, no one else has ever shown that to him. There was no way they would do that.

But...

It made so much sense.

Dear memories of his parents flashed by like a slideshow on 2x speed in his mind.

His mother's kind smile,

The delicious candy dad brought for him,

When they tuck him in at nights, everything.

Everything was a lie.

Tziporah was still talking to him. He didn't care.

All he could hear was the hum of his mother's lullaby.

Tears flowed like a river from his eyes. It didn't make him feel better.

"Tai! Don't- Don't cry," Tziporah looked left and right, frantic and unsure of what to do. "You'll be fine..."

All my life...

Heavy thuds resounded in the forest, quickly approaching their direction.

Dad said family was the only thing we have in this world.

"Tai.....we need to run..." Tziporah said, her voice trembling.

Mom said I was the apple of her eyes.

"Tai!"

Dad lied to me.

Tziporah dragged his body towards a tree and shoved him into a cramped hole then ran off somewhere.

Mom lied to me.

...​

Tziporah screamed in horror and ran with all her might through the jagged terrain of the forest.

Hot streams of tears ran down her face as the heavy thumping of the huge monstrosity of a wolf's feet resounded behind her.

Six wolves...she didn't even know how they were going to share her tiny body amongst themselves.

A fifty of her steps equaled one of theirs. But still, she ran. Her weak constitution due to homelessness finally caught up to her. Each step was more strenuous than the last. No sooner, she saw stars and began panting like a dog.

She felt the monsters shorten the distance between them as their gazes on her back felt more and more intense.

She looked around furtively, trying to find something—anything—for cover. She spotted a few large shrubs to her right and changed course towards them. At that point, she could practically feel the wolves' hot, windy breath.

As she almost entered the shrubbery, she felt a blinding pain in the center of her back, stretching from her neck to her lower back. She ran into the shrubbery, going on all fours and crawling beneath the intricate web of branches. Warm liquid flowed down her body from her back.

The six wolves tore at the shrub with their claws. Tziporah crawled even faster, trying to avoid the falling sticks and leaves. Immediately behind the bush happened to be a tree with a thin crack stemming from its base.

Yes!

Finally there was hope. She felt a renewed strength in her body and gave a last push towards the tree. A falling twig stabbed in her wound and Tziporah screamed in pain. She pushed forward.

The shrub was rapidly decreasing in size, and she could now practically see the wolves above her. Their merciless eyes stared at her with a suffocating greed. Her heart lurched.

Thank goodness she was almost there.

Most of the bush was now torn to shreds by the time she finally left the web of thin branches. She scurried up the large, thick tree root protruding from the ground and shot towards the tree crack.

As she neared the crack, despair invaded her heart like ink in water. It was too narrow. She desperately pressed her body against it, hoping for some miracle to happen. The six wolves have now fully demolished the blocking thicket, and one of them pounced at her.

She forced her body in the crack and screamed in pain as the wood gratered against her back.

A millisecond before the wolf attacked the position she once was, she forced her entire body in. Her body spasmed in pain with every movement.

The beast clawed at the crack, brushing her arm and leaving another wound.

Her lips trembled as she uttered incoherent pleas, her eyes bloodshot. She had long run out of tears.

...​

Tai sat, curled up in the hole Tziporah shoved him in for 10 minutes, but it felt like an eternity.

He wiped away the snot from his nose as he slowly regained clarity. He rolled out of the hole, got up, and stretched. His heart....felt messy.

He was confused, hurt, and many other things that he didn't even know how to identify. His mind was a swirl of questions.

He needed more information.

He needed to find Tziporah. He ran in the direction he vaguely remembered Tziporah went. Based on his vague memory, she was being chased by wolves. She saved him and sacrificed herself.

Another conflicting thought popped up in his already crowded brain. He was suspicious of Tziporah lying to him, but, would a person that lied to him about his parent's actions sacrifice themself for that person?

If what Tziporah said was true, then she tried saving him from being abandoned out here, then received the same fate in the process.

Tracing the large footsteps that crushed every fauna in its way, he ran for five minutes straight at full speed. His heart ached even more for the destroyed plants.

As far as Tai knew, Tziporah was a sincere, naive girl... she would not lie to him. He knew her that much.

...did he?

If she really played a part in this...he could leave her to die. He will most likely die trying to save her life anyways. But what if she really was innocent? Soon, he heard a commotion in the distance to his right and sped in that direction.

There he saw six wolves clawing at a thin crack, ripping out the bark of the tree. Laid between him and the scene was a shredded bush. Underneath it was a thin trail of blood leading towards the tree. However, the wolves had no signs of injury.

Tai suddenly felt cold.

He circumvented the shredded bush and dashed towards the wolves, whose backs were all turned to him. Then he grabbed a tiny, pointed stone that he could grip in his hand as he leaped and grabbed the wagging bushy tail of the wolf causing the most damage.

The tail didn't react, and continued wagging rhythmically. He stuffed the rock in his makeshift bag and climbed with experienced grace. Finally reaching the wolf's back amidst the fur, he ran up its spine and reached its head.

The animal shook its body then continued its attack on the tree with its companions. Reaching the top of its head, Tai took the stone, laid flat on his belly, and slowly crawled forward, using his elbows and his feet.

He barely moved towards its eye, careful not to alert the creature. When he finally reached within arm reach of its huge eye, he stabbed the wolf in its eye using the stone. His hand, along with the stone, sunk deeply into the gel-like substance.

The wolf barked in pain and swung its head side to side then blinked, threatening to crush Tai's arm. Tai grunted in pain and used his other hand to grab a fistful of hair as he held on for dear life.

At this point the other wolves looked on in confusion. One of them tried to smack him off with its paw, but ended up missing him by a hair's breadth and instead clawed the wolf's eyelid.

The wolf opened its injured eye in another bout of pain as Tai yanked his hand back, bringing some gel-like flesh along with it. With his hand now free, he stabbed at the once again closed eyelid and the wolf howled in agony.

It opened its eyelid again and this time, Tai took a deep breath and launched his entire body into the eye.

His body sunk in the substance with ease as the wolf dropped and rolled on the ground. Tai dug into the gel substance till only messy mush remained.

Seeing that everything was utterly wrecked, he pried the eye open and slid out with the eye membrane and fell awkwardly on the forest floor.

The wolf continued to whimper in pain and rolling on the ground. He ignored it and ran towards the crack.

The other wolves, for some reason, either ran off, or were currently sniffing their assumed leader and were completely ignoring himself and Tziporah.

As he neared Tziporah, he saw her pale body lodged in the tree crack with her unfocused hazel eyes wide open. Blood slowly trickled from her body into a small bloody pool by her feet.

 

[Timick]

The morning sunlight was blocked by thick gray clouds, giving the heart-wrenching scene a gloomy vybe. The adrenaline and faint glee at killing one of those horrifying beasts faded away like a wisp of smoke.

Tai ran to Tziporah and, without hesitation, carefully dragged her out. With each movement, her body twitched, yet her eyes remained unfocused.

He gently laid her slumped body sideways on the tree root and assessed her injuries. The gash on her arm is fine for now, but the slice in her back...

He really didn't know what to do.

The warm blood flowed with unnatural ease from the long, narrow and deep wound. If he didn't act now, Tziporah would definitely die.

Think.....think...

That incident when Tito got a deep cut while they were frolicking about in the city popped into his mind. Based on what he remembered, the wound has to stop bleeding first, then you clean it, then bandage it.

He knew how to do none of those, let alone for such a large, deep slice. He looked around. Maybe he could use a leaf to cover it then apply pressure?

He swiftly placed his plan into action, to no success. As a result of his actions, he agitated the wound.

Pressure won't work...maybe he could seal it? But with what?

He could stuff a leaf in it...

Tai pondered as his eyes caught a gooey, sticky substance that oozed from the scratches of the abused tree. His eyes lit up.

He immediately scooped a handful and hastily made his way towards Tziporah. He slathered it all on her wound thoroughly.

He looked at his handiwork. It was messy. He admitted it.

An unnecessarily thick coating mixed with blood covered the slice wound that stretched along her frail ivory back. He tried as best as possible to remove the strands of hair mixed in the coating, but instead made the remaining goo in his hand mix with her hair further.

He's killing her at this point, if she's not already dead.

Thank goodness she's still breathing.

Now that he temporarily solved that emergency, he could finally assess their situation.

He scanned their surroundings. Due to the earlier scuffle, a small, messy clearing laid around him. The bits of bush were scattered across the scene. The injured wolf was nowhere to be seen, save the faint whimpers in the distance.

If these animals wanted to eat them so badly, then with the bloody state Tziporah was in, nowhere on the forest floor would be safe.

Tai stared at the branches of the colossal trees. He heard the echoing chirps of birds, but never saw one. Those winged creatures might be more dangerous, but he'll never know if he doesn't try.

The morning sun shone ever so brightly as insects, rodents and other creatures made the forest pulse with life.

His heart ached for the destroyed fauna. Despite the heartbreak he felt earlier—and still feeling now, the abundance of greenery excited his inner wannabe gardener, though the emotion was buried under the throbbing pain of his chest.

He wished he could go back in time—to the time when his parents wanted him. He took a deep breath and shoved his thoughts away. He touched Tziporah's forehead. She was hot.

I need to get Tziporah to high ground.

Being this tiny didn't allow him to see a lot of trees due to the blocking bush and grass, but he remembered this weird, wide spreading tree he glanced at yesterday. Its branches were thick enough to move around comfortably with room to spare.

Most importantly, there are some odd, rope-like things that draped from the sides of the branches, touching the ground. If he could climb those, they would be safe.

With his destination locked, Tai propped Tziporah over his shoulders and ran as quickly as he could without draining his energy too quickly.

If that tree was safe enough, they could use it as a base for a few days.

Bypassing the torn-up bush, he retraced their path, just past the branch they slept in. He stopped and peered inside. The risk was great, but if the tree proved dangerous, they could lodge here again.

Before he could react, an elongated insect creature with innumerable legs pounced out of the darkness and bit at him with two sharp, pointy mandibles.

Tai fell backwards in a start and Tziporah's limp body cushioned the fall. Thank goodness the ground here wasn't rocky.

Tai kicked at the creature with his foot immediately and besides the painful recoil he felt, the creature bore no reaction. Its shiny, beady eyes stared at him coldly. It bit into his shoulder.

Tai screamed as blinding pain assaulted his senses. He felt pain rattle violently throughout his body and his eyes bulged. He watched in terror as the creature yanked at his flesh. The pain multiplied.

He hugged the creature in a desperate attempt to keep his body intact. The insect swung its body left and right aggressively in retaliation, but Tai held on by sheer will to live.

He had to live.

Tai tried but failed to latch his feet unto the bug. Its numerous sharp legs attempted to scratch him to no avail.

Blood gushed from the wound in his shoulder, and the bug shook more aggressively. Tai gritted his teeth and released one arm. His twin wounds opened even further and he yelled angrily as he smashed his fist into every animal's weakness—the eyes.

The bug shrieked and slammed his body on the ground repeatedly. The aggravated wound got deeper. Tai blacked out.

When he regained consciousness, he felt his body slam into the ground once again. The beast was still in a frenzy.

He gave one more push through the pain and used his right arm to forcibly loosen one of its mandibles from his skin. Blood gushed even more from his wound as he strained to barely unhook the mandible from his flesh.

The beast continued its frenzy and Tai, hooked by one mandible, was flung away as the latched mandible was ripped out of his flesh. He landed in a bed of dried leaves.

The insect loomed over him, shaking its mandibles. He could almost feel its glee at his suffering.

Tai couldn't help but softly chuckle at that moment. If his parents wanted him to die, they really chose the right place.

If he died here, no one would know, let alone care.

Despite that, he was going to live.

 

[Timick]

Tai expected the bug to finish him off in one go, as the creatures in the forest weren't the type to give hope to their prey.

The creature, surprisingly, stood there, with half of its lengthy body poised upwards. Its numerous, sharp legs began to tremble, and the bug became more and more agitated.

Its tough exoskeleton skin loosened, and before Tai's very eyes, the bug molted.

Layers upon layers of the bug's upper body molted rapidly, and what was revealed underneath was a golden, Thumbling upper body. It looked exactly like a thumbling except for its mouth, which remained as mandibles, and its eyes. Its eyes were completely black, cold and cruel.

It was also quite ugly. The weird creature suddenly uttered strange noises that Tai assumed to be words. The more it tried, the more coherent it became.

"Niiish bloood," it said to him while checking out its new appearance,"Shhhtrong Blood"

He definitely wasn't waiting on this ugly thing to have its moment.

The molted skin—its molted claws particularly, caught his attention. The potential weapon portruded from the pile of molted skin and was not far from him. With much effort, he moved off his back with a groan and positioned himself for a suicidal sprint towards the molted skin by the bug. Pain, more intense than ever, coursed through his body and blurred his vision.

The bug at that moment was rambling on and flailing its two new human appendages, unsure what to do with them.

Tai groggily went on all fours and crawled as fast as he could towards the claw. What felt like years in reality was only a few seconds as Tai pushed on with all his might.

"What you doing...little food?" Two powerful adult-sized arms grabbed at him—and completely missed. The bug screeched in anger, or maybe embarrassment, and once again attacked him. It closed in on him, not leaving any room for mistakes. Tai, however, finally reached the weapon.

With calculated ferocity, he thrusted the claw towards its chest when it was close enough for him to see the crazed twinkle in its eyes.

The claw was extremely sharp, he will give it that much. Tai's impromptu weapon carved a hole through the body of the half-thumbling creature.

It didn't live for long after that. The dead body fell on him and brought him more pain in his injured state. With much struggle, he pushed the creature off him, and creeped to Tziporah, who was worse for wear but, surprisingly, not dead.

...

Tai stared at the tree. It was much, much wider now that he was close, and the rope-like appendages were all at least two times the width of his torso.

His injury was now somewhat stable with his makeshift leaf band-aid wrapped around it. The pain was still strong as ever. He was starting to suspect that he was poisoned.

He pressed forward into the rope-maze, whilst dragging a broad leaf with Tziporah laid on it, unconscious.

A cacophony of noises from insects and animals permeated the forest, serving as a constant reminder that he was at the bottom of the food chain.

He was a wreck, and was numb at that point. He once had a hope to somehow return home. All he wanted now was to survive.

After wading through the rope-maze, he found an appendage which was quite jagged. To climb, it would be his best option.

...

With a desperate grunt, Tai strained to haul himself unto the edge of the expansive tree branch. He rolled himself away from the edge as his sweat painted the woody surface of the tree.

He finally did it.

He caught his breath for a few seconds before pulling up a rope with Tziporah attached to it. It wasn't the most comfortable method, but it was the best he could do.

Finally, they were safe.

His stomach growled loudly as it begged for attention. He ignored it, though. He was no stranger to this feeling. Oddly enough, it brought comfort, since it was the only thing that remained the same.

He laid beside Tziporah and, with relief, slept soundly.

Three days have passed, and Tai became more and more skilled at traversing the rough terrain and avoiding danger. Tziporah was still unconscious, but thankfully, she seemed stable.

After witnessing more than a few animals being killed by that monster every night, Tai realized that as long as one doesn't move, they would not be harmed. He also observed the uncanny disappearances of the corpses after every night.

It was now the evening of the fifth day since they've been in the forest, and finally Tziporah began to stir.

Her eyes barely cracked open as she recoiled from the light of day. Tai smirked at her.

"About time," He said, "you've been out for three days now."

She stared at him in response. After keeping eye contact with her for a few seconds, Tai began to feel guilty. She wouldn't have been in this if she didn't sacrifice herself for him.

He muttered a thank you to her. He was genuinely grateful after all.

After his apology, her eyes seemed more expressive. He guessed she was happy. Her delicate lips, cracked and dry, barely twitched, which seemed to have taken much energy on her part.

Tai rummaged through his new and improved sack for a sealed jug that he managed to carve from a suitable branch using the claw he kept.

The weapon was no longer a bug's leg with sharp edges, but now a proper weapon with a handle.

After finding his precious jug, he pried open Tziporah's mouth and gently fed her some water.

Not long after, she was able to make audible sounds and could, at least, with much effort, feed herself. She gingerly ate some berries Tai foraged in the past days.

For the rest of the evening, they sat in silence. At that moment, Tai and Tziporah seemed to have come to a tacit understanding.

He huddled closer towards her till they were touching shoulders. Tziporah leaned on him.

Tai took in the fresh forest air. From now on, all they had were each other.

 

[Timick]

The moon's milky white light reflected on the glossy surfaces of tree barks, though barely illuminating the ptich-black forest. The forest floor, however, seemed to absorb all light, almost appearing to be a sea of darkness.

Tai already told Tziporah of all he knew about the forest so far, much to her shock.

Her wound doesn't look too good. It was black and blue at the moment and there was no bleeding.

However, her rising fever had him worried. As they huddled together in the chilly night, Tai felt the biting chill of the air and the burning heat of her skin.

This was the first time Tziporah saw the forest at nighttime. She gaped in an exaggerated manner at the pulsing black veins. Tai was almost sure she wanted to hide in a hole.

Sadly, this tree sported a perfectly smooth surface. If it weren't for his trusty blade he always had by his side, he wouldn't have been able to climb onto the branch they resided on.

Tziporah eventually calmed down. She stared vacantly into the surroundings whilst leaning on his shoulder. As Tai was about to fall asleep, she poked his cheek.

"Are we really descendants of Tom Thumb?"she said.

He perked up, his interest peaked "Of course, all of us Thumblings are".

"Really?", she immediately retorted, "Then why is it people like us suffer so much, by the hands of our own!?"

He had no answer. A low rumble of thunder resounded throughout the forest, and a heavy downpour of rain followed. Heavy droplets drenched them again and again despite the numerous leaves towering above them.

Tziporah continued, "We're all basically relatives, right?...Why do some of us starve while some drown in opulence? You're Tai Thumb, I'm Tziporah Thumb...everyone in the kingdom has the same last name. As a matter of fact, all our names start with the letter T as well. Why....why can't I even have a home to live in?" She became sadder and sadder as she spoke.

"We'll have a home to live in, don't worry. We'll have all we could ever want and need," Tai said. He'll definitely make sure of that.

The following day after breakfast, Tai aimed to carve out a cave within the hard, smooth tree trunk. This took him all day.

Tziporah was not getting better or worse, which was a miracle in his opinion. She went through alot, including the downpour of rain last night.

Since that night, Tziporah became more talkative and he came to know of her background. She once had a family who was in servitude to a powerful and wealthy family. She, of course, was a servant girl. That was all he knew so far.

Seeing the horrid scar on her face, he can guess whatever happened left her without a family and a home. She never mentioned having any siblings. Her family meant alot to her, and she missed them dearly.

Two more days passed, and they got closer and closer. The rich forest never failed to provide food much to their happiness.

While sighing in appreciation of a full stomach, he carefully, albeit a bit clumsily, made delicate carvings into the wall of their new home. It was quite spacious- like a mansion.

"Tai, what are you doing?", Tziporah said. Her caramel eyes stared unblinkingly in curiosity as she laid on a bed made of dead leaves.

She was now bald, as she requested. She claimed it was because her hair was irreparable.

Tai grinned, "I'm making a map of the area. We need to make note of all the spots we can find food as well as spots where there is definitely danger"

She looked at him with mirth, "Tai…do you know how to draw a map?"

Well….he thought he did?

Tai sheepishly sat by her bedside and patiently waited like a dedicated student for her to teach him.

…

Tai could now confidently say he knew how to draw a map. He deftly traveled along tree branches to gain a thorough view of his surroundings from a vantage point.

Picking up speed on a thin branch, he leaped towards a branch close by. He narrowly missed death by a hair's breadth as he clung for his life.

Not scraping himself up another branch for the first time, he continued his exploration, not the slightest bit rattled.

He then climbed upwards along the tree. Based on what he had seen so far, this is the tallest tree in the small area he managed to scout.

He beads of sweat rolled off his dirty face and traveled past his bare upper body to his old and soaked pants. He carefully lodged his hands and feet into the shallow grooves of the tree.

Once he felt secure, he scanned his surroundings, searching for any hostile predators. Seeing there was none, he shakily sighed in relief and continued his climb.

In two hours, he sat, tired, on one of the highest branches. He was right-this tree was the perfect choice to explore what was above and what he saw took his breath away.

Birds of all different colours and sizes flew about in the sky. Some dove into fruit trees to eat, some frolicked from tree to tree and some violently fought with other birds. The scene before him was chaotic yet in harmony.

His tree, however, saw no birds. Seeing there were no fruits or seeds of any kind on this tree, it was not an anomaly as to why it was so.

Against all odds, he heard the caw of a bird quite close behind him. As he turned around, he was grabbed by the waist and before he knew it, he was far, far above the tree he felt so secure in.

The bird's clamp around his waist squeezed tighter. He aggressively wrestled for freedom as he gasped for air.

Suddenly, the bird swerved left and right as birds of all different species clawed at him to snatch him away. Not far away, another bird's prey was similarly attacked. It was torn to shreds as the birds tussled with each other.

Dread filled his heart.The birds did not seem so breathtaking anymore.

Amidst the chaos, the bird flew higher and higher, gradually losing its enemies. The once colossal trees shrunk smaller and smaller.

Eventually, the last hostile bird gave up and flew away, joining the chaos of birds below.

With all the massive creatures gone, Tai finally got a chance to have a full view of around him.

As far as he could see, a large green blanket of trees coated the land. Colours of every kind decorated the green expanse, and he also saw moving dots, which must be birds, flying around for miles on end.

However, the bird which captured him flew in the direction of large landmassess extending from the green blanket and reaching toward the skies.

The bird firmly held him in its grasp while it flew higher and higher. It was a struggle for him to breathe before, but now, he was sure that there was just not enough air to sustain him anymore. He heaved, wheezed and choked, dying to get air.