Between two great walls, covered in dense vegetation, a group of five people followed a trail.
Dozens of meters tall, these walls seemed to be a single piece, as if formed long ago by some kind of seismic event in which the ground had been split in two, forming a sort of ravine. But now, it had its walls covered by lush vegetation, strengthened by the humid and cool environment.
However, when observed carefully, in some points that had escaped the thick coverage of leaves and branches, some windows and concrete walls were exposed; the ruins of abandoned buildings.
Amid that, the group, in single file, advanced carrying large backpacks proportional to their sizes, and with clothes that hid their entire bodies, leaving only the strip of their eyes visible.
With natural colors, they walked camouflaged amid the environment and in absolute silence, but it was then that one of them, with a feminine and childish voice, broke it.
"Big brother, can we play a little when we get there?"
With her hand, she pulled the hem of the clothing of the person walking right in front of her, while speaking in a low tone, just loud enough for those nearby to hear.
After glancing momentarily at his sister, he looked ahead.
"Well..."
Due to the garments he wore, it was impossible to perceive the difference in their appearances, but he, of greater stature, carried a bow in hand and a quiver at his waist.
Walking at the front of the line, he led the way.
I don't think it would be a problem to stay a little longer there after we're done...
While thinking, before reaching a verdict, a feminine voice called him.
"Seven..."
Coming from the end of the line, it didn't have the childish tone like the previous one, but was from someone who had already reached puberty.
"Wouldn't it be dangerous? To stay too long there? Since we're so close to the city center?"
Even if very slight, it was possible to perceive a certain fear in her voice.
This... Closing his eyes, Seven fell silent.
Within the city, the closer to the center, the more dangerous it tended to be.
Near where they lived, it was normal to find small animals, like rodents and birds; this remained so in much of the city. There were some exceptions, like places very close to the center or in some specific parts, like near the city edges, where there were some larger animals, like wolves and deer.
But the center was different.
Covered by extensive forest, it was inhabited by a vast variety of animals and other beings, among them, one of the most dangerous and common were the beasts.
Strange creatures created artificially, a mixture of various animals that, sometimes, didn't even make sense, but were strangely the best adapted to live in that inhospitable place.
They didn't live only there; Seven had already seen some beasts of sizes between a rat and a dog in other parts of the city. However, those that lived in the center were completely different, representing a substantially greater threat.
He had never seen one, but he still remembered what his father had told him, when he encountered one.
Chasing a deer, he ended up getting too close to that place.
Right after turning a street, there it was, imposing with the deer crushed under one of its paws. With an abnormal size, it had a build and proportions similar to those of a bison, but with paws and head of a large feline.
After a quick exchange of glances, Dad, without thinking twice, taking advantage that the animal was more interested in the deer than in him, left there.
His sister's concerns weren't exaggerated regarding the city center, but...
"Isis, this place is close when we consider the places we've been to so far, but it doesn't reach the point of being dangerous."
If it were, they wouldn't even be there, as they wouldn't be sent to do this, and if it were very necessary, Dad would come alone.
"Of course, it doesn't mean we can act the same way as in other parts of the city; we need to be careful, as we can still encounter medium-sized beasts or some larger animal..."
Looking at the sky, he saw that the sun had already passed its highest point.
"...But we won't have problems, as long as we don't linger too long..." — he murmured to himself —
Even though they had already passed midday, compared to the time they left home, which was right at dawn, and how much they had walked, they were on a good schedule.
"We can stay there another half hour, at most."
As long as they were in a safe place before sunset, he was sure they wouldn't have any problems.
"Thanks, big brother!"
Happy with the response, his youngest sister whispered something to the other two following her, with muffled laughter sounding.
As for Isis, with a fearful look, she turned her attention to the position of the sun.
"..."
Following the trail, besides the buildings, there were also large pieces of them fallen, covered in moss, lichen, and some small shrubs.
They didn't hinder the path, piled up near the base of the buildings, leaving ample space to pass.
However, the path wasn't perfect.
It seems it has grown since the last time I came here.
For a large trench interrupted the passage.
Much more extensive than that street, with dozens of meters in length, it crossed more than ten rows of buildings, parallel to each other, in both directions.
Stopping near the edge, Seven analyzed the street that was on the other side of the barrier.
"Let's go to that street; there's no way to pass where we are..." Checking ahead, on the trail they were on, a fallen building blocked the passage.
After checking the bottom of the trench, Seven jumped into its interior, sliding down the embankment to cushion the fall. As soon as he reached the bottom, after cleaning his clothes, he turned to the others.
"You can come."
One by one, with his help, they descended there, before resuming walking.
But, after taking just a few steps, Seven noticed something strange when his feet sank into the mud.
The ground is very waterlogged...
Not just him, but the people coming right behind also sank into the ground, something that slowed the group's pace.
Maybe a spring has formed here? That would be quite problematic.... If the water presence increased too much, a small swamp could end up forming there or, in the worst case, a lake.
Seven knew this; events like this weren't abnormal, where something ended up blocking a path they used.
If this path ends up blocked because of this, we'll have to find another one...
The routes they followed were always the same, as they were chosen for being the most efficient; to remain so, any indication that it might be blocked deserved attention.
Observing the surface, he looked for more evidence.
Besides the mud, there were also some puddles of water in scattered points.
I don't see any water flow. If a spring were forming there, it would be natural for some water flow over the mud to drain to lower points.
Searching for some clue, his eyes soon turned to dozens of meters ahead, to the end of the trench, which was the lowest point.
There, a large metallic structure clashed with the vegetation and concrete surrounding it.
Seven imagined that was what caused all that destruction.
On a flat base, various metallic structures protruded from its sides and met forming an arch, like ribs. Moreover, several meters long, its tip pointed upward while held by one of the buildings.
Although a bit distant, looking at that, Seven remembered the snake skeletons he had already found.
...I wonder how this got here?
Vaguely, that skeleton also resembled an airplane fuselage, as it was still possible to see a few metal panels covering some of the ribs of the structure. Like those he had seen in books at home; however, when looking more closely, he couldn't find other very important elements of one, like the wings and the tail.
Whatever it was, it had crashed into the ground at high speed, dragging over a long stretch knocking down everything in its path.
Nothing there either...
Near the base of that pile of metal, there wasn't much water accumulated.
It doesn't make sense for a spring that leaves the ground so damp not to have enough volume to at least create a path over the mud or some point with greater water presence...
That part of the trench was the lowest, and even so, there wasn't the amount of water one would expect, having only a few small puddles.
If it's not that, maybe it's rainwater accumulated from—
Breaking his thoughts, Seven felt his clothing pulled.
"?"
"Big brother, my leg is getting stuck..."
His youngest sister, Mia, being the smallest in the group, was having difficulty dealing with the waterlogged ground.
Seven, seeing that there was still a long way to go before they got out of there, shifting the backpack to the front—
"Come."
—he crouched down, offering for her to climb on his back.
His sister, cheerful, approached to climb, but stopped suddenly, disheartened.
"Big brother... I'll get your clothes dirty if I climb..."
Downcast, she looked sadly at her mud-stained clothes.
"What? You don't need to worry about that; I'll just need to wash when we get home, but of course, if you don't want to, no problem."
When he started to stand up, he was quickly interrupted.
"I want to!"
This time, without hesitation, she climbed on his back and, smiling with her eyes, held firmly onto him.
"Thanks!"
Standing up, Seven looked at his siblings coming right behind.
"Can you continue? Victor?"
"...Yes."
Although he had a size similar to Mia's, he was handling the terrain very well, something that surprised him.
"Very well then..."
Resuming the path, the group started walking again.
Seven, now with heavier steps, sank deeper into the mud, but without caring, turned his attention to his surroundings.
It seems it was rainwater after all...
Although the rainy season had passed some time ago, that trench could have stored the water from then, since there was nowhere for it to drain, and gradually, it reduced by evaporation and soil absorption.
It's autumn, so it's not impossible that it's this..., but it's the first time this happens...
Traversing the trench, although on difficult terrain, they reached the adjacent street.
"One moment."
Placing his sister on the ground, he climbed the embankment to the top to look around.
It's safe. It doesn't differ at all from the previous street, with the two walls on the sides and the vegetation covering them; the place was empty.
Finishing climbing, he exited the trench, before turning to his siblings.
"You can come." He said, extending his arm.
After a few minutes, with everyone already out of the trench, Seven turned to the path.
"We're almost there." Further ahead, it was already possible to see the end of that valley.
...
Arriving at the end of the corridor, a wide landscape enveloped them.
"Wow!"
As if waiting for them, a light cold breeze passed through the group.
Perplexed, Isis admired the place.
A large lake was surrounded by wide areas covered in low grass.
"How beautiful..."
"When I came with Dad the first time, I was also impressed."
With Seven's comment, Isis came back to herself.
"Yes..."
"I've never seen a lake like this."
Accustomed to seeing small ponds and streams, something of that size was surprising for Seven too, but it wasn't just that which impressed.
That place was a void of constructions right in the middle of a forgotten great metropolis. Surrounded by buildings on all sides, like a wall, although it wasn't possible to know if it tried to protect that place from the city, or the abandoned metropolis from nature.
While the two still admired the place, the three youngest, without wasting time, had already left the line and were running toward the lake.
One of them, turning back, noticed his distant siblings.
Removing the cloaks that covered his head, so the sound wouldn't be muffled, revealed his young appearance with a small scar on his face. Around thirteen years old, he had light brown hair and a big smile.
"Come on, why are you standing there!"
"We're already coming!"
Starting to walk, Seven takes a few steps, but upon noticing that Isis was in the same place, turned to her.
"Wa—"
Looking fixedly at the plains surrounding the lake, although with most of her face covered, Seven stopped upon perceiving something in her gaze.
"—What is it? Did you see something?"
As if waking up, she shook her head.
"It's nothing... I just felt a bit short of breath, that's all."
Passing by him, she followed behind her younger siblings.
Watching her walk away, for a moment Seven extended his hand toward her.
" Is— "
"Come on, brother! Let's finish this quick!"
But, lowering it, he started walking.
"... Yes! I'm coming!"
***
Beside the lagoon, organized in a line there were four group members in formation.
Already without any cloth covering their faces, it was now possible to see their faces, all very young.
At one end of the line, there was a teenager with long dark brown hair, bordering on black. Moreover, even being young, it was already possible to perceive that, when she became an adult, she would become a beautiful woman, due to the delicate features developing on her face.
Right beside her, there were three children.
Two of them, of similar childish appearance, had blond hair that under the sun reflected a color bordering on golden, but differed by the hair length, one short and the other long, as well as by being boy and girl.
The last one, at the other end of the line, was the second tallest, even though he still had a more childish face. With light brown hair and a small scar on his face, he looked attentively at the last group member, standing in front of them.
With an older appearance, he seemed to have an age close to the teenager's and, besides more serious features, had dark brown hair.
"Observe these two plants." He said, holding one in each hand.
With long and smooth leaves, it was possible to see some drops of water still dripping over it.
"They may look similar, but if you observe carefully, you'll notice that the coloration of one is weaker than the other, the one we came to fetch."
Raising one hand, he indicated which one.
"They grow near the lake's edges, so be careful not to fall into it; the water must already be quite cold for the time of year."
Raising one hand, the boy with the scar asked:
"And the other?"
"It's no good for anything, Leon; it's just any plant."
Throwing it away, he crouched down, picking up a backpack that was near his foot.
"After picking them, you must store them carefully, as they're used to make painkillers, but be careful not to put them where you keep your knives or flints, so as not to wet them."
That plant was a strong medicinal herb, but which could only be harvested once a year. When they got home, it would be ground and turned into powder, to use as an analgesic.
"Search in pairs, one older with one younger, one picks the other carries and stores; the groups are: Leon with Victor and Isis with Mia. Understood?"
"Yes."
The four, separating into pairs, moved away from there, leaving Seven alone.
Approaching the lake, Isis entered the tall vegetation surrounding it, while Mia went right behind her, holding onto her clothing so as not to get lost.
After some time walking, reaching the lake's edge, the pair stopped.
Crouching near the water, Isis began searching among the plants for the medicinal herb.
As they grew inside the water, she could only see the tips of their leaves visible, swaying on the surface.
"Wow! So many!" Excited, Mia commented.
There were many of them, at least many similar to it.
"Most aren't the right one; observe the color of the leaves."
Even if slight, it was possible to perceive some with darker tones than the others; those were the minority.
Stretching her arm, Isis grabbed the tip of one of them, which without offering any resistance, came loose, being pulled out still with the root.
Turning around, she went to hand it to Mia, but stopped upon noticing something.
"Where's your backpack?"
"It's... here?
Searching with her hand on her back, Mia didn't feel it.
"Hm?"
After looking back in her search and not finding it, she turned to her sister with a lost expression.
A few seconds later, her expression changed again, as if a light had turned on.
"I forgot I took it off when we arrived here!"
Without wasting time, turning around, she ran back.
Isis, who watched that impassively, letting out a sigh, allowed a smile to escape.
"Honestly..."
Setting aside the plant she had in hand, she resumed collecting.
Besides being in smaller numbers, the herb they came to fetch was also farther from the edges.
I wonder if this happens because they always pick the ones closest...
As it was her first time there, she didn't know for sure what it could be, since it was possible that it simply developed better in deeper places, which were consequently the farthest.
Stretching her arm, with difficulty, she tried to reach another plant.
"Almost there...."
When she starts to hear the sound of something approaching.
"Mia, already back?"
Without looking back, Isis continued trying to grab the plant, until she managed to hold it with the tips of her fingers and began pulling.
"You were quick, so I haven't picked any other yet, just this one that's by my side."
Finally pulling it out and annoyed by her sister's silence, she turned.
"Why aren't you—
Seven, distant from the lake, observed the meeting of the city with the plain, with the low grass being agitated by the strong air current passing toward the buildings.
With the bow in hand, he had an arrow already nocked.
"It wouldn't be hard to notice something approaching..."
Being in the middle of an open area, that role was quite easy, as if anything tried to approach, it would be seen from afar.
Turning to the lake, his siblings had already started harvesting the herbs. He couldn't see any of them, as in the middle of that vegetation they were completely enveloped by it, although he could perceive their movement through the plants when it wasn't windy.
He couldn't see any of them, as they were in the middle of that vegetation, although he could perceive them when they moved by the shaking of some plants when it wasn't windy.
All that vegetation, similar to gray sticks, surrounded the entire lake, but even being tall, around two meters, it wasn't the tallest plant in the plain.
Also near the lake there was a single tree, which although it had a small canopy, its thick trunk and large roots occupied a wide area around it.
With a good part of them exposed above the ground, the roots formed a large tangle, with various spaces between them, resembling small tunnels.
Even not being very large, they had a size that would allow a few larger animals to hide in them.
Maybe I should check if there's something hidden between
"Aaaah!!"
Breaking the silence of the place, Seven hears a scream coming from the lake, with the sound of something falling into the water right after.
Without wasting time, standing up, he started running toward the sound.
That voice... it's Isis's!!
Pushing through the brush, he got closer and closer to where the scream came from while carrying the bow and arrow with him.
When, upon parting space amid a bush, he came face to face with something.
"What?" Startled, he took an instinctive step back.
A being, wearing a metallic helmet with a gas filter attached, quite worn and covered in rust marks, besides green lichen present in various points, like on the lenses that covered the eyes.
With the bow in hand, he begins to ready it when—
"Leon!"
Isis!
Hearing her voice coming from the lake, Seven turned to him, where he saw her emerge from inside the water.
Seeing her, he almost started to laugh, but upon noticing her gaze, he held back.
Covered in aquatic plants and with wet hair, she looked like some kind of monster that had just woken up. Besides the plants, on her head there was something that looked like a frog, only its skin wasn't normal, covered in scales similar to those of a lizard.
"He's back!"
Leon, approaching his sister, ignoring the gaze that pierced him, perhaps because he couldn't see anything with that helmet, grabbed the frog that was on top of her head. Which, as if already knowing this, jumped into his arms.
Translation done by Grok 3.