For the people of the Endora tribe, the wilds were a dangerous place. Even within their own community, they were only safe for as long as the great beast Rashendala willed them so. And that will was wearing thinner each day.
Few from the tribe ventured far from their small village, and fewer still risked entering the wilds’ depths. For some who did, there was no other choice, and as for the others, they discovered that within the borders of the village they would not find whatever it was they yearned for. Suwa was of the latter.
The boy’s adventurous spirit was hard to keep bound to a single place as small as the community where he had grown up, even if he knew the dangers well. However, he was not so irresponsible as to leave his family behind; not like his father. Instead, he only sated the most basic of his curiosity by exploring the area around the edge of what was considered home. It was during such a venture that the event happened.
Suwa was hoping to find something he could give his sister to make her feel better after an argument. Something pretty that couldn't be found in the village; maybe a flower, shell, or stone. The specifics didn't matter, as long as it proved to be a suitable distraction. Having gone out in secret a few times before, he had a good idea where to look.
There was a small glade on the other side of a river shallow where he remembered seeing striking purple flowers with white centers. As long as the flowers were still in bloom, they would serve his purpose well. Luckily, the area wasn't too far from home, so no one would need to know he left if he moved swiftly. And, as he waded across the water, the flowers he was searching for came into view. The vivid red vines the flowers bloomed from created a web between the trees at the far end of the glade and spread across the ground in a small sheet.
If he were to be discovered here by one of Rashendala’s beasts, then having the elders find out that he secretly left the village would be the least of Suwa’s worries. So, with that in mind, he made sure to move forward as quietly as possible, creeping all the way to the red vines.
When Suwa reached the vines, the tension that had been building up within him finally dissipated as he relaxed and reached out to pluck a flower. However, the moment Suwa’s fingers touched one of the flower’s petals, the vines at his feet began to twitch before suddenly wrapping around his ankles and dragging him closer.
Struggling seemed futile, as the more he flailed about the more tangled he became in the web of vines. It was not long before even those vain struggles became impossible with the vines tightened around his limbs. All his instincts up to this point had told him to remain silent as to not risk alerting any nearby beasts, but he was about to lose his only chance to cry for help if he waited any longer.
With a deep breath, Suwa filled his lungs with the air needed to shout, but before he could make a sound, something sprang out from behind the vines. Suwa was sure it was a beast come to finish him, and he closed his eyes in surrender. However, instead of being devoured, Suwa found the vines around him loosen their grip and release him. Opening his eyes again, Suwa found another gehm like him standing amidst the vines, which had been cut to pieces by the blade held in the mysterious gehm's hand.
Suwa didn't recognize the gehm from his village, but the idea that they might be from somewhere else in the wilds seemed even less likely than a fellow member of the village come to rescue him; which was practically impossible. Needless to say, Suwa was dumbstruck by the turn of events.
“Sezio! Why did you suddenly disappear?” another gehm asked as they wandered into the glade from the same direction as the previous one. “Oh.”
“Are you alright?” The man who had saved him held his hand out to Suwa, but Suwa was still too bewildered to understand so the man grabbed Suwa’s hand to lift him up on his own. That was enough to wake Suwa from his stupor.
“Wh–what … who are you?”
“What did you do to the poor kid, Sezio? He's terrified.”
“Nothing. I just saved him from these carnivorous vines.”
Suwa looked around as the two spoke about him. The vines were no longer moving, and there were three more gehm arriving after the others; a woman and two men. Even after standing and taking a moment for the adrenaline in his system to clear, he still didn't recognize the gehm who had come to his rescue. Of course, they came from the opposite direction as his village, so he should never have expected otherwise.
“I’m Sezio. And you are?”
“Suwa. Where did you come from? Did you really come from the wilds?” despite the sincerity of his question, everyone laughed when they heard Suwa's words.
“Are you lost? Or maybe your home is nearby?”
“Yes,” Suwa answered, without clarifying which question he was answering. However, as he spoke, he also lifted his hand to point in the direction of his village.
“That's fantastic! Sezio, we finally found another village!” the woman in the group said. “It's been ages since the last time we saw a settlement. Maybe we can finally get some new companions.”
“Easy, Moiya, the poor boy is already overwhelmed as it is. Boy, Suwa, do you think you could lead us to your village? We would like to get some new supplies and maybe some proper rest. And if allowed, speak to an elder or leader.”
“Y–yeah, umm, this way.”
“Thanks, and here,” Sezio plucked a flower from the dead vines and handed it to Suwa, “A souvenir.”
