Colors swirled around Joseph, weaving in and out and dancing all around. He could see images within the colors. People that slowly took shape, yet all of them were too blurry to discern. Something about the colors was familiar and comforting, but he couldn't put a finger on what exactly. He reached out to touch one of them, but as he did, it vanished, seemingly evaporating into the darkness. He turned to see that all the other colors were vanishing as well, as were the figures within. They faded into the darkness all at once, leaving the boy alone in an empty void.

There was a hollow silence for many moments before a blurred voice began to cut through. It was a single word, being repeated over and over. It started off distant, but gradually grew closer and closer every time it was uttered. Finally, he could hear it clearly enough to discern what it was saying.

"joseph... Joseph... JOSEPH! Wake up!"

His eyes snapped open and he yelled in alarm as Naya shook him awake.

"Gah! Naya!" he yelled, clutching his chest as his heart raced. "What the-"

"Joseph, we need to go. Now!" There was panic on Naya's face as she said it, immediately telling Joseph that something was very wrong. He didn't question the woman. He stood up and grabbed the sack, following her as she began to run.

"What is it?" he asked as he came to her side.

"I heard footsteps. Whoever it is, it can't be good."

"Is it Taaz?"
"I don't know, just run. Once we think we're far enough away, we can slow down."

The two fell silent, both listening for the sound of footsteps in their snow. Sure enough, something else was running not far away, and it was running in their direction.The snow was no longer falling, meaning that their tracks wouldn't be lost so easily. They were being hunted. They weaved between the trees, trying to confuse and lose their pursuer, but it seemed that the mystery man would not be shaken. Neither of them dared to glance behind them, fearing that it would slow them down. They realized that whatever it was was gaining on them, and it was gaining ground at an alarming rate.

"Should we split?" Joseph asked, returning to Naya's side.

"No," she responded. "One of us could wander into critter territory. We've been careful so far, but one mistake could be dangerous."

"How do you know where the critter territory is anyway?"

"Don't ask any more questions right now, Joseph. Just run."

He obeyed, but made a mental note to ask her again later. That is, if they ever got the chance. Their pursuer was only a couple yards behind them, and was still getting closer. They could hear the person's heavy breaths, which pushed them to go faster.

Suddenly, something swung and swept Naya's feet out from underneath her, causing her to tumble head-first into the snow. Joseph pulled the sack off his shoulder and reached his arm in, only barely finding the handle of the knife they had swiped before something knocked the back out of his hands and into the snow.

He turned to face his attacker, and ducked just as a long, wooden pole swung over his head. It was the end of a spear, a spear that was gripped by Taaz. The expression on his face told Joseph that he was feeling anything but charitable. Joseph nervously gripped the knife, moving toward where Naya was lying and taking a defensive stance.

"Kid," Taaz hissed, "I don't wanna hurtcha."

"I think your spear begs to differ," Joseph snapped back, not backing off. As he stared at the spear, his heart began to race. Was he really about to do this? He could die if that thing hit him!

"The spear ain't for you, kid, now drop the knife."

"I'm not letting you hurt Naya either!" Joseph yelled, making a warning gesture with the blade.

"This spear ain't for her either, now shut yer trap and drop the knife. I'm only gonna say this one more time. If I hafta knock ya out and drag ya back to the settlement, I will."

"I'm not going back there," Joseph replied, his voice growing shaky as he stared at the spear. "I don't care if you say it's impossible, I have to get my memories back. If that means throwing myself into a dangerous world, so be it! I'd rather try it than be a complacent moron like you!"

Taaz stopped for a moment, as though stung by the youngster's voice. "Kid, I'm not complacent. I'm a survivor, and a leader. I put my people first, and my only job is keepin' them outta trouble. And right now, yer puttin' yerself in a world of trouble."

"I don't want to hear it!" The boy snapped. "I've made up my mind, and you can't stop me! I don't belong to you, I'm not one of your people, and I won't let you treat me like a baby!"

"Kid, you were one of my people the moment ya woke up, and as such, yer safety is my responsibility. You think yer prepared for the world out there, but you don't have the first clue what the fresh hell awaits ya." His voice was getting calmer as he spoke. "Now come on. Ya don't have to do this."

"I'm doing it anyway," Joseph growled, trying his best to look confident even though his entire body was shaking. "I've made up my mind."

Taaz took a breath and readied his spear. "Fine. Then prove it. Prove yer ready for that world out there."

Joseph went white. "Wait, what?"

Too late. Taaz was already lunging. Joseph leapt to the side, tumbling into the snow but getting back to his feet as quick as he could. Taaz moved swiftly and smoothly, redirecting his attack to swing at Joseph's head. Joseph fell backward, evading the blow but falling into the snow once again. Next thing he knew, the point of the spear was level with his nose.

"I knew it," Taaz sighed. "Yer not ready. Now come on, yer comin' back with me."

With a roar and a sudden burst of strength, Joseph swung his leg and kicked at Taaz's feet, catching the man by surprise. Though he didn't fall, he lost his balance and gave Joseph just enough time to get to his feet and aim a kick at the man's chest. Taaz brought up his spear just in time to block, but his balance was thrown off once again. Joseph took advantage and aimed another kick, but Taaz caught the boy's foot with his spear and threw him back into the snow.

"I give ya points fer effort, kid, but it's not gonna be enough down there in the real world." He reached down, extending a hand to Joseph. Joseph sighed and reached out his own hand, allowing the man to pull him to his feet. "Second thing," Taaz commented, "is that if ya were really as determined as ya said ya were, ya woulda kept fightin'. Ya gave up just now. Ya showed me what I needed to see."

Joseph's head hung, and he refused to meet the man's eyes. He was right. Without thinking, Joseph had given up. He hadn't been strong enough to defend himself, and he hadn't been able to prove his own determination to Taaz, to Naya, and to himself.

"Down there," Taaz continued, "the folk ain't gonna fight for ya. Ya get that now?"

Joseph nodded.

"Good. Naya? Let's head back now."

Naya was already on her feet, looking just as defeated as Joseph was. They had to face the reality though. They had failed, and they'd failed miserably. The three turned and began their voyage back to the settlement without a word, each of them contemplating everything that had happened. Glancing at Naya, Joseph noticed that she seemed oddly disspirited for one who didn't want him to leave in the first place.

They had only taken a few steps when another noise broke the woodland silence. Taaz perked up immediately, but gestured for Naya and Joseph to stay put. The noise was like something pushing its way through the snow, scuttling along on tiny legs as it did so. It wasn't terribly close, nor was it distant, and it seemed to circle around the trio several times. Periodically, it would stop and make a strange clicking noise before continuing to circle. Joseph caught a breif glimpse of something shifting in the snow, but was unable to determine what it was.

"Don't move," Taaz said in a hushed tone. "It could hear ya."

"Is this a critter, Taaz?" Naya asked, her face going white.

"Nothin' else moves through the snow like that," the man hissed back.

The sense of overwhelming fear had returned to Joseph, and the boy was struggling to keep from hyperventilating. He remembered someone saying that if one ever saw a critter, they were already dead. He wasn't ready to die. Tears began to form in his eyes as his mind descended into a state of utter panic.

The creature was shifting closer, still stopping and clicking every few seconds before circling closer still. Through his state of panic, one thought emerged in Joseph's mind. Can it even see us? That thought brought a sort of clarity, and he began to build off of it.

It keeps circling, but never attacking. It's like it's trying to zero in on our location. But we're three people, and we stick out, so we should be plain to see. Is it blind? Then how does it navigate, smell? No, these coats are rancid, it'd be able to find us easily. Then it must move by sound? Or maybe vibration? How blind is it? Is it completely blind, or can it tell light from dark?

One look at the boy and Taaz could see the gears turning. "The kid is onto something," he whispered to Naya. "He might be more capable than I thought."

Naya made no response, but a smile was growing on her face.

The next question, Joseph continued, is whether or not the other two have realized this. How far ahead have they planned? Neither of them claim to have seen a critter, and there's no reason to lie about that. So they don't know how they hunt or attack. All they know is that they're long and serpentine, and that they're probably either poisonous or carrying some sort of infection. Can I afford to tell the others? How sensitive is it to hearing? They're whispering, but it's getting closer. Is it following their sounds? No, we were making a lot of noise before. It's possible that it found our general area long before we noticed it. I need to figure out how sensitive it is.

Joseph slowly held up his knife, then tossed it into the snow several yards away. As soon as the blade sunk into the snow, the creature stopped. It made the same clicking noise several times before circling around the area where the knife had dropped. As it did, Joseph could make out its body more clearly. It was roughly twelve feet long, with plates of dark brown armor that poked through the snow.

Armored. So it's probably not a snake. From the scuttling noise it makes, I'd guess it's some sort of massive centipede or millipede. Probably a centipede, which means that it might have a venomous bite. I wish I could see it's head or underbelly, but this snow is too thick.

The creature was now making a new noise: it was hissing and shreiking. It seemed frustrated that it had been fooled. It lifted its head from the snow and began to let out a high-pitched scream that forced Joseph and Naya to cover their ears. Taaz, unwilling to drop his weapon to protect his ears, looked to be in pain. As soon as its head lifted up, Joseph knew what he needed to know. Its head was heavily armored, as was its underbelly, and it moved on small, armored legs. The creature would be utterly impenetrable from the outside, assuming that its armor was as tough as it looked.

That noise is trouble. It's probably either made to immobilize prey with a painful noise, or a signal for backup. Or maybe it's echolocation? But isn't echolocation so high no one can even hear it? Whatever it is, I have to move now.

Without warning, he yanked the spear from Taaz's hands and began to run toward the monster. It stopped the noise at once, and lunged toward him. He threw himself to the side, evading the blow and tumbling into the snow before using the momentum to roll and return to his feet.

That got its attention, all right. This spear should theoretically do the trick. I can aim for a gap in its scales, or...

He glanced at the creature's mouth, which was guarded by plates of armor. Occasionally, those plates would open up to reveal massive mandibles that could easily tear flesh and bone alike. Joseph's heart began to race once more upon seeing those fangs.

If I mess this up even slightly, I could die. Actually, I would definitely die. I might die either way. No, don't do this, come on Joseph don't stop now!

The creature lunged again, attempting to tear into the boy. He aimed his spear for the thrust, but at the last minute shifted to the side and swung the weapon across the side of the monster's head, sending it tumbling back and shaking its head in confusion. It writed for a moment, seemingly in a daze, and Joseph saw his opening. He moved in on it, attempting to drive the spear between its plates of armor. It sunk in, and a greed fluid oozed out of the wound as the creature let out several screams of pain.

The attack didn't kill it, though, in fact, it only seemed to make the creature angrier. The boy pulled out the spear and prepared for another attack, but was caught off guard as the beast's tail swung like a whip, slamming into Joseph and throwing him into a nearby tree. The centipede wasted no time moving in on its prey, which was now completely vulnerable. Joseph managed to return to his feet just in time to see the creature's mandibles lunging for his face. He raised his arms, yelled in terror, and clamped his eyes shut, waiting for the end.

The end never came. He held his eyes shut, not sure if he was dead or not. If he was dead, then it had hurt less than he expected. If he was alive, then how had the beast not torn his head off already? When he finally managed to open his eyes, he still saw the creature. It seemed to be frozen in the air, unmoving. At first, he was puzzled as to how it was possible. That is, until he realized that he was still holding the spear. The spear that extended into the creature's mouth and pierced through a gap in the armor on the other side.

Green fluid was spewing everywhere, and the creature's wriggling legs were slowly coming to a halt. It's jaws slowly attempted to tear at the spear, but it was too weak to make any difference. The critter was dead. With a sudden force, Joseph tore the spear from the monster and it slumped to the ground. Joseph fell to his knees, his whole body trembling terribly.
"Did... did I just-?"

"Spirits be hanged," Taaz breathed, his jaw hanging wide open. "You did it. You killed a critter. You actually killed one! Kid, that ain't supposed to be possible!" He ran toward Joseph, squeezing the boy in a massive and tight hug. "You were incredible! How'd ya pull that off?"

All Joseph could manage to say was "I don't know."

After a moment of celebrating, Taaz retrieved the knife and began to carefully cut the scales off of the massive centipede

"What are you doing," the boy asked as he glanced at Taaz.

"This fella's got a lotta meat. The other outcasts will be eatin' well tonight. As fer the scales, I want you to take 'em."

"Take them? Why?" Joseph asked, cocking his head.

"'Cuz these things are tough as rock. I'd betcha that any shop in town would be happy to pay a hefty price for 'em. Ya could fetch a decent haul to get yerself started."

Joseph stopped. "Hold on, are you saying that-"

"Yeah," Taaz cut across him. "Ya did something nobody expected. Ya proved yerself. After seein' that, I'm willin' to letcha head on down to town. But first, yer gonna come back to the settlement so I can teach ya a bit more about fightin'. Once ya can prove yerself a second time, I'll take ya to town myself. Sound fair?"

The boy's blue eyes widened as he took in what Taaz was saying. "Yes, that sounds fair," he said quickly. Somehow, in a matter of minutes, the situation had gone from hopeless to hopeful. He hurried over to Naya to tell her the good news, only to find her lying unconscious in the snow. He shook at her shoulders, attempting to wake her, but she didn't budge. "Taaz, something's wrong," he called out. "Naya isn't moving."

Taaz seemed unconcerned. "Let her sleep, she'll be up before too long. She passed out when she saw ya facin' the critter. We'll carry 'er back 'till she wakes up. Then she can carry us two in return, sound good?"

Joseph snickered at the comment. "Yeah, sounds good."

In the absence of a severe snowstorm, the journey back to the settlement was much more forgiving than the one down had been. Taaz seemed to know certain shortcuts through critter territory, which Joseph assumed had allowed him to cut through quickly and preemptively locate the two runaways.

At one point, Joseph asked if it was really true that no one had ever seen a critter. His fight had not lived up to the certain-death expectations that he had regarding the beasts. When he asked, Taaz simply laughed.

"Based on tracks found in the snow, we learned that the critters prolly move in groups. You could fight one o' those things, but ten?"

"So then why not just take the whole hunting party? Even a group of those things wouldn't stand a chance against you guys!"

"Kid," Taaz sighed, "don't let this take away from yer victory, but that thing was a baby. Prolly got separated from the group. We've seen tracks left by critters five to ten times the size of the one ya killed. Nobody wants to go findin' out what a monstrosity that size looks like, and the people who got curious never came back."

Joseph guped, and said no more.

During the entire day-long trip back to the settlement, Naya did not wake up. Upon returning to the other outcasts, they inspected her and found that she was running a severe fever just like the one Joseph had before. Joseph himself, however, was fine. His guess was that previous exposure had given him some sort of immunity, though no one truly knew for sure. Taaz stated of himself that he was probably fine for similar reasons, reporting that he once came down with a similar fever after roaming the woods for some time. As for Naya, the woman rarely so much as left the cabin. If it truly was a virus one could gain an immunity to, the odds of her becoming exposed to it were low. Oddly, the virus never seemed to be contagious, leaving Joseph with many questions regarding its nature.

Once the woman was in stable condition, Joseph began his training with Taaz. His goal was to fight Taaz without any weapons and win. Taaz was allowed one weapon, which would put Joseph at a disadvantage. In order to win, "flimsy Joe" would have to learn to evade, and to use his surroundings to his advantage completely.

Training started off poorly, with Joseph getting struck several different ways with the flat end of a spear. Every time Taaz struck a vital point, he made sure to comment on how "dead" the boy was.

"Come on, Joe, ya gotta fight like yer life depends on it! Remember how you fought against that critter!" he would lecture over and over again, trying but failing to bring out that same fighting instinct the boy showed.

After hours of training that was going nowhere, Taaz let out a defeated groan. "Kid, yer a huge up and down person, ya know that? One second yer a bumbling coward, the next yer passionate and fierce, then the next yer a weaklin' all over again!"

Nevertheless, they agreed to train again the next day, and the day after until he improved. In the evenings, Joseph was by Naya's side, making sure she was still stable. One elderly woman commented that she was sleeping more because her body was more frail, and less capable of handling the illness. She only woke up to eat, and even then it was like she was in a trance. She couldn't carry conversation, and fell directly back to sleep after her daily meal.

In the later hours, Joseph stared into the flames as they slowly died down. With Naya constantly asleep, it hit him just how alone he felt. If he really did leave, would he be okay being on his own? Even if he could protect himself, what would it be like to truly feel alone? He glanced back to the bedroom where she slept. She had been his closest companion thus far. Can I really stand to just leave? He found himself wondering over and over.

He stared at the flames until they burned away to nothingness, just as he and all the other outcasts did. Once the final embers faded to black and the other people went to sleep, Joseph realized what he had to do. He stood up and made his way to the closet and grabbed the spear that he had used to kill the monster before quietly making his way to the front door. As he was about to leave, he cast one final glance toward Naya, then over to Taaz. With a deep breath, he slipped outside into the cold, where the snow had just begun to fall.