"How am I supposed to know?" Axl shot back. "It's not like I'm the healer."
"So we just carry him to the village while he's awake?" Vikter asked.
"Why not? It's not like he can walk right now."
Vikter glanced at the boy, who was looking them up and down.
"I think the majestic‑haired boy is looking for a fight," he muttered to Axl.
The boy immediately ran a hand through his hair, as if showing it off.
"Why do you think his hair is majestic?" Axl asked, raising an eyebrow.
Vikter stared at him, wide‑eyed. "You're the one who said his hair was majestic first!"
"Nah, I don't think I did. You're making that up."
"Stop lying. We both know you made the first comment."
"I think you're lying. You going senile this early?"
A small voice cut in.
"Is my hair that nice?"
Both boys froze and looked at the injured blond boy.
Axl shoved Vikter forward. "You heard the man. Confess your feelings."
Vikter stared at the boy for a moment, then sighed.
"Your hair is unusual… so yes, I think it looks good."
Axl cheered behind him.
"Axl, when we get to the village, you better hide, because I will find you and probably gut you."
"If you can catch me," Axl teased.
"How are we supposed to carry him back anyway?" Vikter asked.
"We could tie him to a log and carry him like we did with that deer."
Vikter was baffled that his friend even considered carrying an injured person in that way. As such, he didn't answer his friend right away.
The boy looked horrified. "Are you crazy? Why would you tie up someone who's injured?"
Axl snapped his fingers. "He's got a point. Why would you even consider my idea, Vik? You're supposed to be the smart one."
Vikter rolled his eyes. He would prefer if they left before nightfall so, it was time to find a solution.
"I think you should just piggyback him." Vikter said after a moment.
"Me? Why me? You're stronger so you do it."
"Because I carried him for almost an hour and a half. You can handle the rest, right?"
"No way. You must think I'm crazy." Axl pouted.
"You could bridal carry me."
Both boys turned to stare at the long blond‑haired, green‑eyed boy.
"Say that again," Vikter said.
The boy smiled and lifted his arms. "Bridal carry me to your village."
His smaller stature would've made it easy.
"Nope. No can do," Vikter said immediately.
Axl burst out laughing. "Vik, I didn't know you swung that way! All the girls in the mountains will be devastated that a man stole your heart!"
"Shut up! Besides, he wasn't serious."
"I'm dead serious," the boy replied with a perfectly straight face.
Axl collapsed into another fit of laughter, barely able to breathe.
Vikter glanced at the boy and noticed he'd turned his head to hide a smile.
"I knew it! You weren't serious!"
This time the boy laughed, it was loud, clear, and beautiful. Even Axl stopped laughing to stare.
"Look who's smitten now," Vikter teased, earning a slap from Axl.
"I'm debating between piggyback or throwing him over my shoulder. What do you think, Axl?"
"Definitely piggyback."
"Then pick him up."
Axl blinked. "You serious."
Vikter clutched his back dramatically. "Man, I don't think I can lift anything right now. My back hurts so bad I might collapse."
"Liar," Axl said flatly, but non the less he still crouched so the boy could climb on.
Axl loved making Vikter's life difficult, but he always helped when push came to shove.
When Axl stood, the boy inhaled sharply.
"That hurt, like really bad. Why does my left arm hurt so much?"
"Because it's broken?" Axl said, confused. "And both your legs. That's why I'm carrying you."
The boy blushed and said nothing.
Axl burst out laughing again. "Wait, did you actually think we were carrying you for no reason?"
Even Vikter had to hide a smile.
"I was wondering why it was hard to stand," the boy admitted. "But nothing looks broken. Why is that?"
"Because our healer already looked at you. Best healer on this part of the mountain. You're lucky we found you. You were so close to death I thought you were already gone."
The three set off, Axl carrying the boy while Vikter walked ahead.
"What's your name? I forgot to ask." Axl spoke up, probably because he could hardly stay quiet for long periods of time.
"It's Adi. Pleasure to meet you."
Vikter studied him. Small frame, long hair, soft voice, wide eyes, round face…
"Just asking, but Adi… are you a girl?"
Adi laughed softly to himself, not helping his case.
"I get that a lot back home. But no, I'm not female. That's why I usually wear a helmet and eat alone. Helps keep my image as a tough, serious leader."
"Are you really a leader?" Axl asked.
"I am. South of these mountains. I was sent here with a small group to investigate the mountains."
Vikter stiffened.
This smelled like bad news.
The mountain people stayed out of the plains' endless wars. They believed themselves to be above such things and had remained uninvolved for generations.
If plains folk were investigating the mountain…
Were they planning to bring the war upward?
They had already taken the ruins and mines at the mountains base. The mountain villages didn't care all that much, they never had a need for such places. But if the war climbed higher…
The villages would be dragged into their endless war, the same war he had escaped from as a child.
"What brought you all the way up here? You're pretty far from the base," Axl asked, pulling Vikter from his thoughts.
"We know the mountain people stay out of East and West affairs," Adi said, "but the East heard the West was moving around on the mountain. You never know what those beasts are doing, so I was sent on a recon mission."
He didn't seem bothered by their questions, and the boys didn't notice how quickly they'd befriended him.
"Were the West really moving up the mountain?" Axl asked, glancing at Vikter.
"Last I heard, they were staying in the ruins at the base. I haven't heard of them moving at all."
"See Adi, mission complete. Now you don't have to worry about anything. You can rest in our village for a while."
Axl sounded excited, and Adi grunted as Axl adjusted his grip.
Axl, you know how the villgers treat outsiders, Vikter thought to himself. But after a moment he decided not to say anything.
The villagers may accommodate those in need, but not all of them appreciate outsiders. As a matter of fact, most of them don't.
Vikter and a few others who escaped the war were allowed to stay because it would be beneath the villages to abandon those in need, but they were not happy about it, and it showed.
"Axl, you need to act your age. You're sixteen and about to be recognized as an adult."
"That doesn't mean I can't act like a child every now and then." He made a face at Vikter.
The three boys continued down the mountain toward the village, trading small talk and making jokes.
After awhile curiosity overtook the two boys from the mountain and they began to ask Adi what life was like off the mountain. Stuff like what foods were popular and what games people played.
The difference in their cultures and way of life soon had Adi asking the boys questions instead.
"Wait… no one on the mountain has abilities?" Adi asked, genuinely surprised, almost as if powers were something everyone should have.
"Not a one," Axl replied. "We have people with unique skills, sure, but nothing like the abilities you've described."
"No one can alter the earth? Bring thunder from the sky? Force someone to act against their will? Change memories? Shoot things from nothing? Do superhuman feats? Disappear? Anything?"
"Nothing like that," Vikter said. "We have healers, they're born with their gift and can heal things that shouldn't be possible. And gatherers, also born with their gift, who can always find whatever the village needs."
"But they are born with those, they can't earn them like what you said," Axl added. "Both are rare too. We only have three gatherers and two healers in our whole village."
"But nothing over the top? Nothing that asserts dominance or lets someone rule the mountains?" Adi looked genuinely perplexed.
"That's plains people stuff," Vikter said. "We don't need rulers when we can all live in peace. No village is above another. We only compete during festivals."
The uneasy feeling Vikter had earlier was fading, almost like he'd never doubted Adi at all.
"That field you woke up in is where a few of those competitions start," Axl added. "We've got one in a couple weeks. If you're still here, you can watch."
Adi tried to move his arm, winced, then asked, "How long will it take for my injuries to heal?"
"No clue," Axl said sounding a little too excited about it.
"Life here sounds peaceful," Adi murmured. "You don't seem to worry about anything. Everyone seems… at ease. Is everyone like this?"
Peaceful overall, but not at all times, Vikter thought.
"Of course," Axl answered. "Plains folk always try to be above one another. Mountain folk don't see the point. Peace is the natural state. Anyone who tries to ruin it usually had a poor upbringing or has a mental illness."
"What about hate? Isn't hate natural too?"
"Hate shows up sometimes," Vikter said, "but it can be rather easy to overcome. It's simple here, someone hates that someone else did something, but it rarely becomes a real issue. We know the plains have been stuck in a hate cycle for generations. That's why your war never ends."
"Must be a nice outlook."
Vikter almost missed it because it was mumbled, but he heard it non the less and wanted to know what was wrong with what he said.
After thinking for a moment, he decided not to press on. He hit a nerve of his new friend and he didn't like that.
Adi didn't say anything else. He just stared ahead, blank‑faced.
After a while, Axl whispered, "I think you broke him."
They walked in silence the rest of the way, except when Axl complained or tried to start a new conversation.
Eventually, the village came into view.
The village sat in a wide clearing surrounded by towering trees. The cabins looked small from the outside, but their interiors were spacious enough for multiple small generations to live in at a time. They had plenty of room to expand, but no reason to.
A wooden fence circled the village, with a gap marking the entrance. Two men in wool clothing stood guard with spears.
When the trio approached, the guards smiled at Vikter and Axl.
"There's our troublemakers," one said. "The Elder Healer told us you'd be bringing an outsider."
Both guards leaned to look at Adi over Axl's shoulder. Adi gave them a bright smile.
"Hello. My name is Adi. It's a pleasure to meet you both. Thank you for having me."
"Well, at least he has manners. Vikter, take notes," the second guard said.
"Man, everyone's making fun of me today," Vikter muttered, brushing past them into the village.
"Brat," one guard grumbled behind him.
Vikter ignored it. He was used to it.