“Guys don’t fight please… at least not because of me.” Blair finally spoke out being teary. He had a dangling hand yet he chose to think of his friends first. He didn’t want them to fall apart.

Blair still remembers the first day they came to this world vividly.

[Flashback]

“Ahh!” A man screamed as his leg was torn apart by a Char Eagle. The char eagle was feasting on his bloody leg as if it was the tastiest thing in the world.

Everywhere was chaos.

Birds eating men. Birds eating birds, and men hunting men.

In amidst this Blair stood. His legs shaking in fright, they refused to move. They were etched on to the earth as they were vibrating like there was no tomorrow.

It was then…

“Screach!” A char eagle who had not gotten his share from the last hunt came towards Blair. There was so much crowd in the other dead bodies the birds were feasting that he didn’t get a chance to but in and have a bite. Now instead of bothering with eating a shared meal, the eagle chose to do a fresh hunt instead.

It flew towards Blair. Blair wanted to run. He wanted to scream for help. But neither his voice nor his legs responded to his call. It was as if his body was possessed by a ghost. ‘Is this his end?’ he thought.

The beast eyes shimmered like stars. It had an easy pray this time around. At least that’s what it thought but alas its own end was near.

Kristie who was nearby swung his axe at the unaware bird. It was too focused on his prey that it forgot to judge its surroundings.

The axe fell on the bird’s neck beheading it in one swing. Meanwhile, another man with a sword ran to Blair. He scanned Blair from top to bottom checking if their were major injuries. It was not until he was done that he breathed a sigh of relief.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

“Yeee…eah.” Blair’s voice shook as he tried to get his words right.

“That’s good. Care to join us? It’s better if we tag along together.”

“Okkkkay” His voice was shaking giving him a wobby impression. But his head was swinging up and down like there was no tomorrow.

Blair was a thirteen year old. An early teenager. It wasn’t a surprise that he wasn’t able to react to the dire situation he was put in. But that doesn’t mean that he wanted to be useless. But, no matter how much he tried his body didn’t listen to him.

“I will try my best to help!” He claimed.

“Haha, good.” The man patted his shoulders.

Together they stood tall as they fought against the beasts. Sure some died, some got injured but they fought gallantly and survived till the very end.

That’s how they came together as a group. It wasn’t booze or beer at the evening table that brought them together, nor was it filial piety. It was the harsh battles that they had survived together that brought them closer to each other. The trust they had in each other during the battles, putting each other’s lives at stake for each other. Trusting one’s back on someone else while fending ferocious beasts. That’s how much trust they had developed amongst each other.

[flashback ends]

“Guys please don’t fight,” Blair cried again.

Everyone turned to him. They felt sorry for him. They felt pity for whatever this teenager had to go through. But what could they do? The situation which they were in didn’t allow them to think with a clear mind.

Dant was lost for words. The guilt that was ever existing in his heart grew all the more.

But can he keep shut? Will he able to survive if he does?

“Anyway enough with the arguments. With Bret joining us we have the majority here. So things work out in favour of leaving this stage.”

Verona nodded. Kristie sighed in dejection. His shoulders drooped as he swung his axe aimlessly.

“Yeah, whatever. I am coming along.”

Dant nodded.

He turned his head to Blair.

“What about you?” he asked.

His face lacked any emotion when he asked that. It was in a business-like tone.

But for Blair was that such a simple question?