Daylight broke, a faint light bathing the land. Those who did rest began to wake. Those already awake simply stood. Tommy walked out of their room, rubbing their eyes. No one else seemed to be up yet, or if they were they were still in their rooms. Carefully, they tiptoed through the main living room and out the front door.
Tommy sat down in the same place they had sat the day before. The town was silent, only a faint breeze offering any sound. They took a deep breath, letting the cool morning mist fill their lungs. They wanted to enjoy the tranquility before their journey. They wondered if there would ever be any time to rest. They wondered if they would ever come back home. They felt something as they thought these things. A weight in their chest and a sting in their eyes.
They rested their head on their knees, wiping the strange liquid from their eyes. It was the same as when one would yawn and their eyes would water. It was strange how an emotion could cause the same thing. Tommy wondered why this happened. Was there any point to tears? What would someone call this emotion? It didn’t feel nice.
People began to wake up, moving about, trying to continue as if nothing had happened. Certain people prepared their little shops, others flew off to gather resources. But even though they acted as if nothing were different, there was a lingering tension. Everyone was well aware of what happened. Everyone was aware of that missing gap that could never be filled. Tommy was sure that her absence was on everyone’s minds.
The door behind them opened and out walked the child from yesterday. Tommy never caught his name. Tommy waved hello, trying to get their mind off of what was troubling them.
"Hello Mr.Tommy!" the kid said quickly as he prepared to fly off.
"Wait, where are you going?"
"Hm? To go help gather the berries. Don't worry, I do this every morning, I'll be back soon!"
Before Tommy could get in another word, the kid flew off in a hurry. They watched as he disappeared into the thick of the trees. The tears began again. Tommy realized that he might never come back. Someone so young with their whole life ahead and them. In a spiral of thoughts, they imagined what that might look like. They didn't want to picture it, they had no way of knowing, but the thought terrified them nonetheless. The thought persisted, it wouldn't go away. They would never see that kid again.
"Tommy? Are you alright?" a familiar voice said as he walked through the door. Kenny sat down with Tommy, looking at him confused. "Do you have something in your eye? Should I go get help?"
"No, I'm fine. I'm just worried. That kid flew off and I...I don't know. What if he gets hurt, or murdered even?
"Felix? Oh, well...he's a strong kid. He knows his way around the woods better than anyone, I'm sure that he'll be ok."
"Doesn't he know what could happen? I mean, he knows about...about Daya, right? Does he not understand that could happen to him too?"
"...I don't think he can understand. He's...just a fledgling, h-how is he supposed to be able to understand something like...like that?"
They both sat in thought. They knew for certain that no one else fully understood this the same way they did, how could they expect someone so young, someone who is still trying to grasp other more natural concepts, possibly comprehend an act like murder? Tommy's thoughts changed from what-if scenarios to what they knew they had to do.
"Well then, we should hurry. The sooner we stop that Murdeman the better."
"Is that what you've decided to call it? The Murderman?"
"It's the best way I can define it with the given details. Murderman, Murderbeast, l-look the name of the thing doesn't matter, we have to get ready to go."
They stood up, heading back in to grab their things. Tommy grabbed their sword, Kenny got his hatchet. Mavis provided rations, the Elder gave them his blessings.
"You two are doing something incredible. What you are about to do will save not only our people, but many more who might have fallen victim to this thing otherwise. Please, return safely, both of you."
"Thank you Elder." Kenny said, a sad expression on his face."
"Kenny, I've known you since the day you were but an egg. You've grown to be such a wonderful and brave individual. I couldn't be more proud of you."
Tommy looked over at Kenny. His eyes seemed more glossy, as if full of tears. With a sniff, Kenny responded.
"T-thank you Elder Conroy. I promise, we'll come home safe once the threat is gone."
The Elder then turned to Tommy, who had been standing there awkwardly waiting for the two of them to finish. His expression was more stern, yet his eyes were full of concern and care.
"Please, Tommy, make sure our Kenny comes home to us..." he spoke, looking Tommy in the eyes. "We cannot afford to lose anyone else to this beast."
"Don't worry sir." Tommy said, saluting to the Elder as if it were muscle memory. "The Murderman will not harm anyone ever again, this I promise."
The Elder had a slightly confused look, this was the first time he had heard Tommy's title for the beast. He smiled a weary smile. Mavis joined him in waving goodbye. This might be the last time they ever get to see Kenny. Tommy could tell they didn't want to let go of him so soon, but birds must inevitably leave the nest.
The townspeople cheered and waved goodbye to Tommy and Kenny as they left the town, heading deeper into the woods. As they walked, the sounds of civilization grew more and more distant. Soon, all that was left was the sounds in the trees.
"When I fought the Murderman, it retreated off this way. It's the only lead we have, so just keep an eye out for anything." Kenny whispered to Tommy. Tommy nodded, it was best to keep quiet. If the Murderman was nearby, they'd want to get the jump on it.
The crushing of fallen sticks, the rustling of the leaves in the wind, the chirp of wild birds, everything seemed calm and peaceful. This is how it should be, this is how it naturally was. But nothing could ease the feeling of dread that loomed over Tommy and Kenny. Every step was a gamble, every second could be their last. They both acknowledged this, they both felt this fear, but they continued onward despite the urge to run back to the comfort of home. They couldn't turn back. Even if they did, they knew it would only follow them and murder them there. There was no such thing as safety anymore. The Murderman had taken it, ruined it. It didn't exist now.
They kept walking, not daring to stop, but no matter how far they traveled, they couldn't find any trace of the Murderman. The sun began to set, and still nothing was found. Even beyond the forest there was nothing. For all they knew, they could be going in the wrong direction. Kenny seemed increasingly frustrated by this, but Tommy kept a level head.
"We should stop and set up a fire. We shouldn't travel in the dark." they told Kenny, for once stopping in their tracks.
"W-what? Tommy we have to keep looking, we can't just stop now."
"We won't be able to see in the dark. If we keep wandering around we'll be putting ourselves at risk. I'll keep watch, I'll let you know if I see anything."
Kenny wasn't a fan of this idea, but Tommy was right. They'd get nowhere by blindly searching the dark of night, although they weren't making much progress either way. Grumbling, Kenny went to help gather the materials they would need to make a small fire. Tommy worked on making a small pit, they had learned how to make contained fires during their training. Fire was a universal sign of comfort. It provided light and warmth. Tommy questioned if it could push back the dread of the night when it came.
With dry grass and sticks, they made a small fire pit together. When the sun began to set, the pile was set ablaze. The embers lit up the sky like stars against the once again empty sky.
"Starless and empty." Kenny thought out loud as he gazed upwards. "That thing took the sky with it too. Not even anything to wish on now. Did it murder the stars too?"
"I'm sure...I'm sure it's just bad weather." Tommy attempted to reason with Kenny. But they knew very well it wasn't the weather. The sky had been clear all day, and there were certainly no clouds now. The stars weren't covered, they were missing.
"...are you sure you want to keep watch, Tommy? I'm perfectly fine keeping an eye out if you need the rest."
"It's fine, you should get some sleep Kenny. You owe me tomorrow night though." Tommy chuckled.
"Hmph, alright. Well...goodnight Tommy."
Kenny curled up into a ball of fluff, wrapping his tail around himself for extra comfort. Tommy tapped their fingers on their leg as they sat, now alone in the dark. They could tell it was going to be a very long night.
The sky remained dark, the only light being that of the fire. Every now and then, Tommy added another bit of wood to keep it burning. If it were to go out, they'd be unprotected by whatever might be waiting for them in the dark. They had to keep the fire burning, they had to keep their blade ready, and they had to keep awake. Their body wanted to betray their intentions, their eyes occasionally beginning to close, their mind drifting to sleep, before they forced themself awake again. They looked over at Kenny. He seemed to be sleeping pretty well despite the lack of a bed or nest. Still, Tommy could imagine how uncomfortable it must be to sleep on the ground. Although the catbirds were probably more well adjusted to such conditions, it surely isn't pleasant to sleep so far from home.
Tommy wondered if catbirds dream. They wondered what catbirds might dream about. They wondered what Kenny might be dreaming about. They wondered if they had similar dreams. Tommy wondered if anyone dreamt the way they did. They wondered if the Murderman dreams.
There was rustling in the nearby flora. Tommy quickly stood, sword in hand.
Silence.
They remained frozen in place, eyes quickly glancing around, desperately searching for what made the sound. There was this sickness unlike anything they had ever felt before, a fear that they could not understand. For a moment they almost forgot to breathe, caught up in their terror.
And then they heard it again.
It was closer this time, coming from behind them now. They quickly turned, pointing their sword towards the sound. They heard a quiet hush, whatever was there was responding to Tommy's behavior.
"Shh...I brought you...a gift." it whispered, its voice deep and smooth. It sounded almost gentle, yet Tommy could feel the malice lying hidden in his words.
Tommy glared into the dark, unable to see what was speaking to them. Every now and then they saw what they believed to be a figure, but they couldn't track it. There was more rustling, something moving on the ground. Tommy heard a soft chuckle as something rolled to their feet. They looked down.
It was Daya's head.
"KENNY!" Tommy shouted as they attempted to swing blindly into the dark. Their sword hit nothing, slicing only air. "KENNY WAKE UP!"
Kenny shot awake, scrambling to grab his hatchet. Tommy's breathing was erratic, their whole body shaking.
"Tommy, what's going on?!" Kenny asked in a panic as he stood, his ears tucked back as he searched for the threat. There was no sound other than Tommy's struggling breath. Kenny took a step forward, only for Tommy to shout back.
"NO DON'T LOOK! You...y-you don't want to see this."
Tommy lowered their blade, resting it on the ground. They leaned down to pick up Daya's head, almost throwing up in the process. Her eyes were open, a look of horror stuck on her face. Red liquid dripped onto Tommy's hands from the neck wound, cold to the touch. Blood isn't supposed to be cold. This is wrong.
"Tommy...what is it?"
Tommy couldn't speak, their eyes stuck on what they held in their hands. Is this what murder looked like? They felt almost thankful that they held Daya's head. If this is how it made them feel, they couldn't imagine if that beast had shown the body to her mother.
"...go back to sleep Kenny." Tommy said, their voice quiet and empty. "Whatever was there...I scared it off."
"Tommy I'm not dumb, what happened." Kenny spoke as they stepped closer despite Tommy's warning. Tommy tried to hide it from him, but he was quick to see what had caused Tommy so much panic.
"Oh...o-oh, Daya..." Kenny said, covering his beak with his hands, his voice riddled with pain at the sight of someone he knew in such a state. He stepped back, trying his best to look away.
"Go back to sleep Kenny. I'll...I'll see if I can give her a somewhat decent funeral."
Tommy's expression was blank, their eyes staring at the ground now. They turned, setting Daya's head down and covering it with grass and dirt. Kenny curled up on the ground, shivering and fighting back tears. It wasn't long before he sat up, crawling away from his sleeping spot to throw up. Tommy finished the makeshift grave, marking it with twigs. Their mind was full of so many emotions, fear, sadness, guilt, anger, but none of it could find its way through a barrier of apathy. Tommy noticed this strange sensation, or rather the strange lack of sensation. They hated it, they hated the pain this thing had caused, they hated it.
Nothing like this had ever been seen before. Such suffering wasn't supposed to exist, and Tommy knew that. This apathy wasn't supposed to exist. Tommy wasn't even sure how they knew these impossible words or why they knew them when no one else did. They pulled their hair, holding back a scream as the tears finally fell from their eyes. One feeling came through, a want, a desire. They needed to make it pay.
Tommy made their way back to the small camp, the fire was dim, Kenny laid curled up with his head buried in his arms. Tommy found their sword and sat down by the fire once again. They added some sticks, the last thing they needed was for it to die out. They couldn't let emotions take over, they had to be rational if they wanted to avoid ending up like Daya. But that was easier said than done. The protection of emotionlessness disappeared, leaving Tommy with nothing but angry sobs. Somehow, the Murderman had managed to hurt them without even touching them. Their chest ached and their eyes burned. They looked down at their hands, little splotches of dried blood still on them. In a way, it made them feel as though they had been the one to murder Daya. They attempted to get the blood off their hands, using the tears dripping from their face to help wash it away. It only cleansed things on a surface level, the death remained soaked deeply in Tommy's mind.
The night passed without any other interruptions. After a while Kenny seemed to fall asleep again. Tommy remained awake, waiting almost eagerly for the sun to rise. The fire became nothing but smolders as the golden light of morning filled the sky, the cold wind occasionally blowing. Tommy tried to think of home, of those moments by the tree. They tried to think of anything but here, even for just a moment. This was only the start of their journey, they knew they couldn't go back. Yet they couldn't help but miss everyone at home already.
Kenny slowly sat up, ruffling his feathers. He cleared his throat and looked up at the sky before looking to Tommy. Tommy was sitting in the same spot as before, only now they were looking at Kenny with tired eyes.
"Good morning." Tommy said, their voice still hushed.
Not another word was said as they got up to head out. Tommy showed Kenny where they had made the grave, giving Kenny a moment to say goodbye.
"Daya..." he whispered, "I promise...we'll find the thing that did this to you...I'm so sorry."
Tommy could hear Kenny begin to cry, unable to hold back his grief anymore. Tommy knelt down beside him, rubbing their hand on his back in an attempt to comfort him. They could feel Kenny's pain, his regret for not being able to save her. But as he dried his tears, another feeling became stronger. A strong sense of determination. Tommy and Kenny both knew that the Murderman had to be stopped, and now they were more driven than ever to see it brought to justice.
They left their little camp, continuing beyond the grave and through thick grass. The air was frigid and the grass was wet from drops of dew. There was the occasional call of a wild bird from within the trees, a reminder for the two that they were never truly alone. They walked in silence, unsure of what to say to one another. Although Tommy worried the question might only upset Kenny further, they couldn't help but ask.
"So, you uh...you knew Daya, right? What was she like?"
Kenny didn't respond, his ears drooping at the question. Tommy realized they shouldn't have asked something like that so soon. They kept walking, not saying a word. Then Kenny spoke.
"We grew up together. In the village, everyone knows each other. She was always a very sweet girl, always willing to help people in need. She...she didn't deserve it..."
Tommy nodded in understanding.
"When we're finally done, let's make sure to give her a proper resting place near the village. I'm sure the Elder can put together a little...service for her."
"I don't know, Tommy. I think...n-nevermind. That sounds like a good idea..."
Kenny began to trail behind, following Tommy instead of taking the lead like he did before. Tommy would occasionally look back to make sure that he was still following. There was doubt, Tommy could tell. They had to take the lead, to keep them both going. Who knew where the beast was now, perhaps it had run off in another direction. Or perhaps it didn't matter. Tommy thought for a moment, they might not be the ones hunting the Murderman, but rather the other way around. It was hunting them, playing with its food.
Tommy changed their direction a bit, going off of their intended path.
"Tommy, where are you going?" Kenny asked, still following Tommy.
"Trust me. We need to go this way."
Tommy wasn't sure why they felt the need to go in this direction. After all, it didn't really matter. But they felt drawn to go this way, as if it were the better option. Tommy trusted their instinct and followed the path they had chosen, Kenny trailing close behind. As they went, the feeling turned from instinct to a definable pull. Something must be waiting for them, Tommy was almost certain of it. Not something, but rather someone. But who it was, Tommy couldn't tell. This sensation was new, just one of many things Tommy would have to figure out eventually.
There was another stretch of forest, the trees looming above them. Tommy stopped, glancing around. Had they gone in a circle? Was their intuition lying to them?
"Well? What's the hold up?" Kenny inquired, tapping his foot on the dirt.
"This looks familiar...Kenny, did we...?"
Kenny made his way over to one of the trees, tapping on it with a finger.
"Different kind of tree, the bark and leaves aren't the same as the ones back home."
Tommy looked closely. Kenny was right, the bark was different, it was lighter with faint patterns that weren't on the trees of the village. Tommy had never seen trees like these before, only ever seeing the ones in the vicinity of the village and their own home. There was a low hanging branch. Tommy reached up to break it off. As it broke, a loud bang rang through the air.
"What the...?" Tommy said, looking at the stick they now held in their hand. There was no way that something as simple as breaking a twig off of a tree could make a sound like that. Tommy wasn't sure if they had ever really heard anything like that before. It was like the sound a tree makes when it falls, but still there was something unique about it.
The same sound could be heard from further in the woods, another bang from some unknown source. Tommy and Kenny hurried off to figure out what it was, certain that it couldn't be good news. As they drew nearer and nearer, Tommy could feel the pull from earlier grow stronger and stronger. They had to reach whatever it was, whoever it was. They were in danger.
The sound rang out again, this time with the sound of impact against the trees. Shouting could be heard, a single person screaming out as the sounds continued. They became more rapid, desperate even. Something grazed Tommy's face, drawing a small amount of blood. The sound was dangerous, but they had to keep going. They kept low, trying to stay out of sight and hopefully out of range of whatever it was that made the sound. They then saw a clearing, and in the faint light that escaped past the trees, they saw what they were after.
He stood there, hunched over, covering his chest. Something else escaped further into the trees, too quickly for them to be able to see what it was. The man leaned up, moving his arm to reveal a nasty gash. In his other arm he held a strange object, likely the thing that they had heard earlier. Tommy stood up, Kenny attempting to bring them back out of sight. The man quickly looked over, his eyes full of rage. Tommy lifted their hands to show they held no weapons, but it did nothing to calm the stranger. He raised the object, pointing it in Tommy's direction.
"What the hell are you..." he rasped out, "Get the fuck away from me."
"Sir, wait, please just listen for a second..."
As Tommy took a step forward, Kenny let go. They approached the man, whose hands were steady, his mysterious weapon pointed at Tommy's head.
"BACK THE FUCK UP! I'LL SHOOT!" he shouted, practically spitting as he yelled. The words made no sense to Tommy, but they knew it was a threat. Despite the violent appearance the man had, Tommy felt something from him. This person was important. Despite having never met him in their life, it felt as though Tommy was seeing an old friend.
"TOMMY, GET BACK HERE!" Kenny yelled to Tommy, trying to get them away from the man, but Tommy paid no attention.
Tommy slowly stepped closer, cautiously raising their hand to reach out for the man. It was as if their body wasn't their own, they didn't know him, but something clawed at the back of their mind. Emotions that didn't belong to Tommy began to stir as they approached the stranger.
The stranger squeezed his eyes shut, the world stopped in its tracks for a moment.
The only sound was that of his finger on the trigger.