"For their feet run to evil
And they hasten to shed blood.

- Proverbs 1:16

"Why not? You hate him as much as the rest of us do," the scruffy hunter, Hisma, interjected as he pulled out the torch he had ignited in the fire pit. "I don't hate him, per say," Keshi confessed, rubbing the back of his neck, "But I don't like the kid very much either." Hisma handed him the touch and began to light another one as he continued. "See, that's why I though Quime had told you about the plan." "Once again, what plan? I have no idea what you're talking about Hisma," Keshi stated. Hisma held his touch upright and looked around the darkness, making sure no one was around to hear their conversation. Everyone in the tribe had retired to their tents a while ago, since it was considerably late in the night. "Okay, listen here," Hisma whispered, bringing himself closer to the other's ear, "The birds have been more aggressive than normal, you know this. Well, a large number of our tribe members speculate it has to do with that kid's coming of age."

Keshi blinked and peered at the other with questioning eyes. "Sehun's?" "Yes, Sehun. Who else would I be talking about?" Hisma groaned, pulling his face down with his empty hand, "I swear your as dumb as a rock sometimes. Anyway, these people, our people, made a plan, though Quime was the one who really pulled it together. The guy basically gave Afgastee an ultimatum this morning. Either send the kid away, or the kid gets cut." Keshi's eyes slanted in disapproval. "What? He said that to Chief?" The other nodded and began snickering softly. "I could hear them from the hunting tent. Man, I didn't know Afgastee could yell that loud! And I hunt with him all the time." "Hisma, this isn't a laughing matter," Keshi grunted, "What's going to happen? What is Quime planning? And why are you telling me this?"

"Whoa man, calm down or you'll give yourself a heart attack," Hisma smirked, "Okay. So since old Afgastee hasn't made any initative to send the kid away, the tribe is taking things into their own hands—and by their 'own hands,' I really mean Quime. You know how he can rile everyone up. Maybe when Afgastee dies he'll become the new Chief-" "What? Into his hands? You mean they're going to-" "Kill the kid? Yes. Think of it like... symbolic revenge." Keshi grabbed the other aggressively by the shoulders and shook him. "When? Tell me when..." Hisma quirked his head to the side and stared at Keshi curiously. "Why do you care so much? It's happening tonight, when the dune birds cry.  He won't even know what hit him-" "Hisma you jik," Keshi hissed. "What?" the other said with a twisted grin, "Have you forgotten what his people did to ours? We all hate them. Keshi, they enslaved your parents. They took my sister. Don't you feel the hate? It's burning me, Keshi. It burns so much I need to release it! The kid deserves to die. This is retribution, Keshi. And I want you to take part in it. This is a way to free our pain."

Keshi glared at the other silently, his glowering gaze becoming soft. "What is it that I want? What is the right thing to do?," he contemplated as Hisma loosened the other's grip off his shoulders. "And think about it. With the kid gone, all Yeja's attention would be on you. She could be yours forever, ya know." Hisma cocked his head to the side playfully and grinned when he saw Keshi's eyes widen, handing dropping to his side, completely dazed at the thought. "You knew her before that kid did. And right when he came he completely captivated her attention. It was so obvious how fascinated she was by him. Doesn't it hurt, Keshi?" he asked, giving the other guy's shoulder a pat, "He took away your family and Yeja. So why don't you do something about it? With us?" Keshi swallowed hard and looked down at his feet, thinking for a moment before his eyes wandered back to the other. "Okay," he breathed out softly, "I'll help." Hisma grinned and chuckled, "That's the Keshi I know."

"Sehunnie," the soft voice whispered, "I'm so happy you're in my life." Sehun peeked his eyes open. Everything was blurry. His eyes were having a hard time focusing, and the brightness of the sunlight strained them a bit. He tried to speak, but for some reason he couldn't get any words out. The only things that escaped his throat were unintelligible mumbles, almost like the sound of gurgling. He continued to stare at the person standing over him. From the voice he could tell that she was defiantly female, but he still couldn't not make her face out clearly. 

A sudden urge to yawn fell upon him, causing a small squeak to leave his lips as he stretched his arms out. The woman smiled and began giggling lightly, reaching her hand down to caress the sides of his face. Her fingers danced lightly across his cheeks, brushing them with slow, soothing . "I love you, Sehun," "I love you too," he thought immediately, before suddenly realizing what he had mused, "Wait, what?" "I wish your father could see you," she whispered, her voice unexpectedly shifting to a saddened tone, "He loves you very much." Sehun tilted his head to the side, extremely confused by her statement. "My father?" A sigh escaped the woman's mouth as she pulled away. "You are so special, Sehun. You are so, very special," she hummed. Leaning down towards him, he felt her lips give his forehand a gentle kiss.

Instantaneously, he began to feel his eyes drooping heavily downward. His eye were closing. Sehun panicked and used all his strength to keep his eyes open, he wanted to know who she was. But it was no use. Everything grew increasingly darker. All the colors and shapes were fading, and all the sounds around him became muffled. A decrescendo to complete silence; complete emptiness. Suddenly, a small thought occurred to him. "Mom?"

"Get up!" a voice bellowed as someone began shaking Sehun's body violently. "What?" Sehun gasped, eyes whipping open. He sat up immediately and turned his head to the one shaking his collar. "K-Keshi? What are you doing here-" "I'm saving your life kid. Now get up! Unless you want them to kill you. Then you can just flop back down into your comfy dirt bag there," Keshi hissed, pulling the younger boy up to his feet. Sehun's head was still foggy. It took a few seconds for him to process what Keshi was saying. "What?" he mumbled as Keshi gave him a bag to hold. The older grabbed Sehun's clothes, some books, and his smaller weapons before throwing them all sloppily into the bag. "Do you want to die?" Keshi barked, sealing the bag closed and throwing a jacket over Sehun's shoulders, "Get your arms through the frickin' sleeves!" Sehun complied and slipped into the jacket as best he could, grabbing some shoes and quickly putting them on his feet. "Keshi, where are we going? And why so early in the morning?"

"Don't you get it?" Keshi snarled, grabbing Sehun by the shoulders and shaking him, "The tribe is coming to kill you!" Sehun gasped, heart dropping into the pit of his stomach. His hands became sh