The Forgotten Clan pt1

Deep within the depths of Vitalus, a vast network of caves spanned through the earth, lit by the glow of gems set in the walls, growing there from the old. In this dim world, four reos crept through the shadows, each carrying one plank of wood between their teeth. 

 

The four reos worked quickly, stealing supplies from an unmarked stash found by the Forgotten clan the week before, trying to help them get enough resources to live.

 

Cailu, the mediator of the group, the haedian they had met just a day before, led the group. He moved with quiet precision, stopping every few steps to listen for any signs of other reos from other clans, trying to keep them all safe. He knew these tunnels, he was born in them, he was the perfect leader for the operation.

 

Jeon-e, a dark coated reos, followed close by, her steps heavy-footed due to her size, but still conscious enough to try and keep them light. this was important, they could not fail.

 

Mer and Valentine, the two younger reos of the group, were already scanning the passageways ahead. Their smaller size and younger age were helpful tools in moving quickly and with dexterity. Mer, with his light colours, was a skilled scout when placed in a snowy environment, and his skill translated well enough in these caves, even if his fur presented a huge disadvantage with the contrast it created against the walls of the caves. Valentine, on the other hand, was quick on his feet and light on his paws, making it easy for him to dart away when unexpected sounds were heard from further ahead.

 

"Let’s make it quick," Valentine whispered, her eyes glinting with determination. "If we’re caught, I don't know what will happen to us."

 

Together, the four reos entered a small hole in the wall, where they knew the Forgotten clan had stashed extra materials, planks and beams, from their last raid. They were told that this spot had been chosen carefully, avoiding the main patrol routes of the other hedians that roamed these caves, but just as they picked up the first load, the faint sound of footsteps echoed down the tunnel behind them.

 

Mer froze, his ears pricking up. "There's someone close," he whispered, his voice tense.

 

Cailu's gaze sharpened. "We have no time to waste. Mer, Valentine. take what you can easily carry while running and start heading back to the Forgotten's den. Jeon-e and I will keep them distracted."

 

Mer and Valentine nodded, grabbing a plank each with their jaws before slipping silently back down the tunnels. The plan was simple but risky, Mer and Valentine would get what they could to safety, avoiding being seen so that the pocket of the cave where they had hidden the materials would not be found, while Cailu and Jeon-e distracted any approaching haedian by bringing them on a wild chase.

 

The two remaining reos, Cailu and Jeon-e, took on a run, slipping into an adjacent tunnel that ran parallel to the main passage. They moved quickly, creating sounds from their paws and intentionally toppling over rocks and small stones, hoping their wild run would create enough sound to be noticed by whoever stepped close to their secret corner and leading them away on a wild chase. It seemed to be working, the faint sound of footsteps following them, further away from the stash but also gradually fading as whoever they had led on the chase veered off in the wrong direction.

 

Once the pursuers were dealt with, Cailu and Jeon-e retraced their steps and hurried to catch up with Mer and Valentine, hoping they had gotten away unscated and unfollowed. They found the two of them in the same chamber where the stack was found, ready to get more resources out of it and bring it to the Forgotten, and let out a sigh of relief.

 

"All clear," Mer reported, his eyes gleaming. "We didn’t hear anyone following us."

 

Cailu grinned, relieved. "Good work guys, but this isn’t over yet. Let's try to bring out as much as possible, the next safe spot is close enough to the forgotten clan that it would be easier for them to move it en masse."

 

Mer's expression grew serious. "The tunnels are a big mess, I've seen signs of activity in the tunnels the Forgotten deemed safe, and I'm not sure if it's Forgotten's activity or if it's the other's clan. They need to send another clan for scouting, find new routes in case it is not their path, i think their stealing of resources was noticed, at least in some of the stashes. I don't know if it was noticed in the one we're helping raid, but the inner ones for sure are accounted more frequently and if they've stolen from those, it's possible they're upping the rounds and the haedian they leave at guard. it's a miracle there aren't guards to defend the stashes yet."

 

Cailu, who had been silently listening, tilted his head thoughtfully. "What if it's because they're low value resources? what if we... what if we targeted the gems?"

 

Valentine’s eyes widened in surprise. "The gems? You mean… the walls?"

 

Cailu shook his head. "Not the walls, they for sure have some already carved out and stashed somewhere, we just need to find them. What if we caused a collapse nearby one of the more protected chambers and when they're distracted by the commotion and instead of focused on protecting the resources, we strike and steal what we can? I'm sure those gems could be more valuable than construction materials to the Forgotten."

 

Jeon-e hesitated, her brow furrowed. "That’s... dangerous. It could work, we could get a lot of them easily with us four, but it would mean a higher risk than what we signed for when we agreed to help the Forgotten clan. Are you sure that's ok with you, Mer and Valentine?"

 

Mer and Valentine nodded, and Cailu’s eyes sparkled with determination, his young age peeking through. "Alright. We’ll split up. Mer, Valentine, you two will head back and start moving the first load out. Jeon-e and I will look for a path we can take to get out of there, and if there's one precarious enough to create a collapse. Once you hear a huge mess going down, follow the path you saw in the map they showed us towards the center and the sound, we won't target far away from the destruction, so you should easily find us. But you’ll need to move fast, don't leave any resource lying around. and if you can't come to us fast enough, don't bother and just keep bringing out the materials we have, they're enough. If they catch on to our plan, we won’t get a second chance."

 

Mer and Valentine sighed, both understanding the stakes but also waiting to be part of more of the action, even if young. They turned and darted off down the tunnel, heading toward the Forgotten territory with a plank each in their mouth, trying to make the roundtrip quicker so they could be involved. Jeon-e only hoped they wouldn't start being reckless. Meanwhile, she and Cailu padded toward the inner caves, where they were sure at least one deposit that had gems lay hidden.

 

They circled around it for a while. and found an area that would be perfect for their mission two tunnels down the position of the stash, but accessible enough with a zig-zag between another set of tunnels. Cailu examined the base of one wall, where a large crack ran along the stone. "If we weaken this section, the whole wall should come down," he whispered, glancing at Jeon-e. "It’ll be just enough to make them rush here from the nearby tunnels."

 

Jeon-e nodded, and together they began loosening stones and piling small rocks to create a trap. Carefully, they nudged loose rocks, removing enough so that the structure would collapse with just a little pressure.

 

"Let’s make sure we’re out of sight when it happens," Cailu muttered. "Once the haedians are here, we need to slip out quickly."

 

With a final shove, Jeon-e and Cailu released a large rock that rolled down, striking the carefully placed stones. The wall trembled, and with a loud crack, chunks of rock fell to the ground. A cloud of dust filled the tunnel, and the sound echoed through them.

 

They darted into a narrow side tunnel just as the first haedian arrived, their eyes wide with horror as they took in the damage. More and more haedians filled that tunnel, all following the main roads, unaware of the presence of Cailu and Jeon-e in the proximity.

 

Hidden in the shadows, they both watched the chaos for a moment, before slipping back from where they came, circling around and going for the stash they had been trying to get into. They hurried down the winding paths, meeting Mer and Valentine along the way, who had just returned after dropping off the first load of supplies when they heard the sound and rushed there as fast as they could.

 

"They're are completely focused on the collapse," Mer reported with a sly grin. "We've passed a tunnel that had someone in there earlier and nobody was there."

 

The four of them entered the stash quietly, their eyes widening at the sight. There, lying around, sacks full of gems, all arranged in neat rows divided by colour. 

 

Together, the four reos all grabbed one each, the weight light enough luckily that they could run with them, and retraced their steps to the Forgotten stash. With the enemy occupied with the collapse, they were able to gather three to four sacks each before Mer came back from the trip and let them all know the commotion was starting to disperse, and the guards were starting to go back to their positions.

 

They all deemed it too risky to go back and limited themselves to carrying out the things they had already collected, moving them swiftly from enemy territory to the Forgotten's one, where there were already other haedians to help bring them into their inner territory.

 

Finally, as the stash began to look more and more empty, they all took the last of the remaining and darted out of there. 

 

Once outside, Cailu smiled, a sense of satisfaction settling over him. "We took a risk, but it was worth it. As long as we stick together, we can take on any challenge this adventure throws at us. Thank you for embarking on this journey with me"

 

The four reos sat in silence for a moment, the weight of their accomplishment sinking in. They had risked everything to help those in need, and though they would still need to make more trips to survive, they knew they had made a difference, at least for today.

 

For now, at least, the Forgotten could rest easy, their needs taken care of thanks to them.