animal ears

?Norman didn't come back for a long time, and Cole couldn't sit still, so he set off to look for him.

After walking around the nearby woods, he found no sign of Norman, so Cole decided to go deeper into the forest.

At this moment, a light gasp from behind caught Cole's attention.

"Norman?" Cole turned around immediately and shouted into the dark air.

But no reply.

So Cole asked again, "Is that Norman?"

Still no reply.

In the dark night, there is only the rustling of the leaves being blown by the wind.

Misheard?

So Cole continued to walk forward, the more he walked into the forest, the stronger the damp smell around him.

After searching around again, they still couldn't find half a person, and they were too far away, so Cole had to go back to the camp temporarily, because Palanch was waiting for him.

Looking at Cole's disappointed face when he returned, Palanch lowered his eyebrows, moved away, and let Cole sit down.

"No one was found?" Palanch fiddled with the bonfire.

"Yeah." Cole shook his head, "I've searched all over the place, but I don't know where it went."

Concern was evident in his tone.

Sighing, Palanch turned his head and said, "He will be back."

Knowing that Palanch was just comforting himself, Cole nodded slightly, turned his head to look at the flames, and replied in a low voice: "Yes."

I am still worried.

Palanch looked at Cole a few times and said, "Because you are here, he will definitely come back."

Because he is here, he will come back?

What a strange reason.

However, even though it was a strange reason, Cole couldn't help but think of Norman begging him not to leave him, those crazy eyes that seemed to eat him because he was afraid of being alone, and felt that what Palanch said That's right.

Norman is not leaving.

he will come back.

Cole believed it from the bottom of his heart, but he still couldn't help worrying, so that he couldn't sleep all night.

Norman didn't come back until dawn. He didn't say anything. He lay down behind Cole as soon as he came back, and then hugged him gently.

Immediately, Cole opened his eyes, but just as he was about to turn around, he smelled blood.

Norman was injured.

"No..." he opened his mouth.

"Now, please don't talk, lie in my arms obediently." The soft and gentle tone fit in the ear and spread into the heart.

Unknowingly, Cole nodded without looking back, and said, "Well, I see."

"Thank you." Norman seemed to smile, and then gently pressed his forehead against Cole's shoulder, and soon there was the sound of steady breathing.

Norman, asleep.

He seemed to be sleeping very deeply, but his arms had been tightly hugging Cole, without any sign of relaxing.Cole noticed that his body was a little stiff and his fingers were cold. He leaned back carefully and couldn't see his face clearly. He only knew that there was morning dew on his messy brown hair.

So his heart softened. Cole didn't move or speak. He just let Norman hug him silently. The cool temperature from Norman and his heartbeat came from his back. Cole gently stretched out his hand and grabbed him. Cold fingers, and then the body shrank back involuntarily.

This can be warmer.

The air before dawn was cool and thin, the bonfire had been extinguished, and the surroundings were dark and silent, but he couldn't ignore the heart that was clinging to his back. The strong and steady heartbeat was so familiar, as if it could drive away the pre-dawn All uneasy.

Because before dawn is the darkest, coldest, and most difficult time of the day.

If the two of you are together, you won't be afraid.

But at this time, there was that little bit of warmth in my mind, and some trance shadows gradually appeared in my mind, in a daze, like a dream.In the dream, it was also a night like this, it was pitch black, and you couldn't see your fingers. There was a very small child in front of him, holding a shivering little orc in his arms.

"Are you afraid?" the child asked.

who is it?

Cole walked in curiously, but the two children didn't seem to see him at all, they were still curled up on the ground. There was a small bonfire next to them, and the two were shivering from the cold.Feeling pitiful, he wanted to light the fire, but he couldn't touch anything at all. He froze for a moment, then looked at his hands, and smiled wryly.

It turns out that I can really feel that I am dreaming.

He shook his head helplessly, but no matter so much, Cole's eyes were quickly attracted to the little orc, because even though he made a sound with trembling teeth, he still shook his head stubbornly and said to the child: "No! , I'm not afraid at all."

His ears were shaking all the time.

"...Go home." The child persuaded in a low voice with a look of unbearable expression.

"Huh?" He opened his eyes wide and looked up.

"Go home tomorrow, it's too dangerous here." Gently, she lowered her head.

"What about you? Go back together?" the little orc asked.

"No, I... I'm still staying here. If I go back, the adults will be angry." The child raised his head helplessly and smiled at the little orc.

"I don't want it!" The clear child's voice immediately interrupted the child's words. The little orc puffed his face, stared at him, and then said with a flattened mouth, "I don't want to leave you alone, I want to stay too."

"I'm fine by myself."

"No, no! I'm going to stay!" Pushing away from the child's embrace, the little orc began to play tricks.

After a long time, the child moved the corners of his lips and asked, "...why?"

The sound is like a mosquito.

"Because," the little orc's eyes were red, he grabbed his sleeve, rushed over, stared at the child's eyes, and said very seriously, "I don't want to be separated from you, if we do, you will be here alone ... will die."

His eyes dimmed quietly.

"I don't want you to die." The weak orc said with crystal tears hanging from the corner of his eyes.

"I won't die." The comforting words were spoken very reluctantly.

"Liar."

"I really won't die." He said with a bitter smile.

"Liar, liar, liar!" screamed fiercely, and finally turned into crying.

The child was in a hurry, coaxed and coaxed the little orc and hugged the little orc again. In the end, the little orc was able to sleep peacefully until he was full of tears and tired from crying. He was still curled up in the child's arms, his face was completely dirty, But the child still couldn't help rubbing his face, so cherished.

"Obviously I was the one who stayed behind, but you cried into tears. You obviously said willful words, but your heart is kinder than anyone else. I know, I know, thank you, Norman, really Thank you……"

...Norman?

Cole watched this scene like a bystander, deeply shaken in his heart.

As for that little orc, with its awkward character, and those sincere amber eyes, Cole's heart trembled.

Is this...

However, the scene changed at this time, and Cole saw the child secretly take the little orc who hadn't woken up to the exit of the forest. He thought there would be no sad parting, but he still ran into the forest alone while crying, and then fell into the mud .

danger──

Seeing the sinking child, Cole wanted to grab the child's hand, but he suddenly remembered that this was just a dream.In the end, he could only watch the child desperately moving his body, pawing the wet swamp with his hands step by step, and returning to the shore.

The child wants to live, and the desire to survive is obvious in his eyes.

Although he was crying, although he had no strength, although he knew very well that no one would save him.

What is difficult, painful, and tormenting is not life, but a lonely heart.

Cole followed the child step by step, clenched his hands slightly.

Wet and smelly body, muddy footsteps, lost eyes, every dawn looking forward to the temperature, only to find that only my dear despair has never gone far, so I keep shouting in my heart, calling for someone to come.So I forced my face to smile, so I was no longer self-willed, so maybe gradually, my heart became barren.

He thought he could hold on, until one day, he was attacked by ferocious beasts and left half his life. He curled up in the crevice of the cave with no way out, his ankles were covered with blood, he couldn't walk, and the only exit had already been preyed upon. Those who want to occupy it will become the turtle in the urn, and can only wait for death slowly.

At this moment, he actually covered his belly and laughed out loud, then squatted on the ground, crying in despair, tears falling drop by drop into the soil.

"Help me—"

Shockingly fragile.

"Who is coming—help me..." He shouted with all his strength.

He wanted to go forward, but... he couldn't touch it, so he could only watch silently.

Look, my past self.

Then Cole woke up.

The night sky is still cold, still dark, and still elusive. It unfolds like a black scroll, and then is slowly eroded, leaving only a trace of blood on the scroll.

Was everything just a dream, or... a real memory?

At this time, a low sigh came from the distant wind.

Cole opened his eyes when he heard the sound, but he couldn't find the source of the sound. He sat up slightly and found that the sky in the distance was white, and it would soon be dawn.

Norman and Palanch were fast asleep.

I looked at the voice again, but there was nothing in front of me.

Maybe it's really my own overthinking?

So he quietly went to the nearby creek, intending to wash his face, but when he squatted down, he was keenly aware of the sight cast from somewhere in the forest, such a straightforward sight, like burning skin The flames didn't move away even for a moment.

Are you being targeted?

Cole lowered his mood, turned his head slightly, and began to carefully examine the smell mixed in the wind.

left, or right...

The other party seems to consciously keep a distance from him, is he testing?

But at this time, the smell of the other party disappeared all of a sudden.

he's gone?

Should be orcs passing by or hunting.

Thinking this way, without taking it to heart, Cole looked around to confirm that the other party had left, and then walked back to the camp.

The two are still asleep.

Cole suddenly felt something was wrong.

In the past, the two of them would wake up whenever they saw the slightest movement of their own. Why did they sleep so soundly today?

Surprised, Cole stepped forward and pushed Norman, but Norman didn't have the slightest intention of waking up, so Cole turned around and shook Palanch, and the same happened.

"Hey, you two!" Cole yelled.

But, there was no response, they were sleeping very soundly, if they were not still breathing, Cole would have thought they were dead.

At this time, there was a rustling sound from the shade of the trees behind, and an orc slowly came out from the darkness. He was wearing a mask and had an unfamiliar smell on his body.

Frowning, Cole took a breath, put away his fingers, turned back and said coldly: "What did you do to them?"

The visitor didn't come forward, but blocked Cole quietly. The pupils under the mask seemed lifeless, but Cole could see that his eyeballs were red.

red? !

Just when he was surprised, the other party had already rushed up.

The man's movements were so fast that he didn't even see his shadow. Cole barely blocked it, gritted his teeth, looked sideways at the two people behind him who were still sleeping soundly, and fought back with all his strength, but was severely beaten Lift it up, and in an instant, fall to the tree in front of you.

The trunk, on the other hand, was broken by a powerful force.

As big as the power of terror.

Standing up again, Cole only felt a fishy smell in his throat, and blood slowly flowed out from the corner of his mouth. He looked at the other party and stood up suddenly, but the other party was still cold, as if his eyes without mechanism pierced Cole's heart. The ice was blood red, as if he was no longer a normal person.

Who is it? !

Cole wanted to ask a question, but the other party moved faster. Before Cole could react, he rushed over again, hit Cole hard in the abdomen with his elbow, and then threw it on the tree. His throat felt salty. Cole Reluctantly getting up, he was caught again, and the opponent's merciless fist just hit him straight.

There is no room to fight back.

Soon, Cole was beaten with blood all over his face, but the man couldn't even breathe.

Cole opened his eyes silently, staring at the other party, and the fists that kept falling on him. He couldn't sit still, otherwise Norman and Palanch would have no trouble.So he calmed down, and when he swung his fist again, Cole opened his eyes wide, and then blocked his fist.

"Your fist is very powerful, but unfortunately your attack method is too monotonous." Then he clasped his elbow with his backhand and fell straight down, "It's easy to be seen through."

Then he took out the bone knife, pointed it at his throat, and peeled off the mask.

Cole was terribly frightened.

Under the mask...is a bloody face with no facial features at all, except for the muddy red eyes, the whole face is rotten, and blood can even be seen flowing out, and there is an uneasy feeling in the air immediately. A rotten smell.While Cole was in a daze, the man kicked Cole away, stood up slowly, stared at Cole in a daze again, and then cracked his scarlet teeth. ?