Pepper instinctively took a few steps forward, seemingly leaning closer to see better. "Kema? He asked again. "Are you okay?"

The old scout withdrew his lips from his sharp teeth as if to laugh. Some of the blood from the man's lost horn entered his mouth, staining them all red. It flicked its thin, black tail and flapped violently on the hard ground. "Come closer," he said. His voice sounded higher than usual. Nervous. "Here we are."

Pepper glanced back quickly and saw that the entire Nightman tribe was huddled on the ground behind the circle, trying to stay away from it.

Komar staggered forward, tilting his head, rolling his eyes and staring at Pepper at a strange angle. "The boy should come. I don't eat it. ”

The chili pepper's internal organs have all turned into ice. There's something wrong with Koma – something very wrong. Everyone else knows what it is. He was acting abnormally. He didn't even look like he was hurt. He walked forward unevenly, step by step. He should lie down, and not

Koma staggered forward like lightning, grabbing Pepper's hair four paces away. Pepper was ready, but the old demon ran faster. Thankfully, his hair was still short and hadn't been washed in months, which saved his life – it was too greasy for Koma to grip.

Pepper turned her head and held the man's horn in front of her as a warning. "Stand back! He shouted.

"Boy. Be still. Kitte

-ghost。 ”

The old demon's disgusting presence seeped into Pepper's skin, making him feel like he was swimming in vomit. He felt his internal organs twist, and he didn't know if it was scared, but his mind was clear. He felt calm. Woke up.

"Stand back! Pepper shouted, trying to sound both dangerous and majestic in his voice, holding Koma's own horn in front of him as a weapon. He glanced back, hoping that someone would come and help him, but the Nightman didn't move. They all watched with wide eyes and expressionless faces.

Komar lost his footing with a loud bang and fell to the icy ground. Before Pepper realized she had been beaten, she stumbled a few steps forward. The demon flicked his tail so fast that it couldn't be seen at all, grabbing right past his back.

It doesn't even hurt – it just feels stressful at first. Warm pressure. Then it was wet and got cold in the winter air. Pepper realized that his back was just above his armpits, right across his thick shirt. If Komar hadn't stumbled, Pepper might have been cut in half.

Even that wasn't enough to make him panic. Something was helping him stay focused. He didn't know what it was, but his mind was clear, and somehow, he just knew. He felt something on him, as if someone was watching him and telling him to stand up. He jumped up and brushed his shirt, ignoring the blood that had dripped into his armpits, and was now running down his back to the itchy spot above his tail.

Koma's eyes rolled over his head and rested on Pepper. The cursed man stands awkwardly while Pepper tries to decide if he should attack. He should. He knew he should. There was a force within him that drove him to attack, to attack now, but he didn't.

When the old scout's lips retracted into the same hungry smile, Pepper knew that this was it. There is nothing wrong here. Kill or be killed. It's true, there's no escape.

Pepper didn't run fast enough. He's not strong enough, and he's not fast enough. He didn't stand a chance. He was dying. It is impossible for a child to fight with an adult and win.

Die a happy death. Dad's words came to his mind, and Pepper wasn't even sure if Dad had told him. But if Dad watched them confront, he would say something like that. He died happily and had a lot of other people's blood on his body.

Koma stood up straight, his paws bent, and leaned forward, pointing at Pepper with his remaining horns. But then he shuddered slightly, and lost his balance, as if he had been pushed. His wild eyes turned in all directions, and his head twisted to fit them. He seemed confused.

But Pepper is still not afraid, and he doesn't know why. He can do that. He felt energetic, came to his senses, and looked back at the Night Man again, huffing. They just wanted to watch him die. Crows will take them away. The raven took everything!

The old scout twitched slightly, and this time he had to steady himself with his feet. He was pushed! Pepper saw it. He was not forced into anything. Nothing can be seen.

But it doesn't matter how it happened. Pepper saw a gap, and this time, he jumped forward and stabbed the tip of the horn deep into the man's calf.

He felt the pressure of the man's flesh through the horns, felt it slid deep into it, felt it slid to the bone. This left a disgusting sensation in his arms, unlike what he felt when he cut open a rabbit.

Pepper jerked off the horns and jumped back in time, dodging the demon's clutches.

The demon was a little more cautious now, carefully stepping on the hole-in-the-hole leg, ready to catch Pepper as soon as it came into his range.

Pepper wasn't strong enough to pierce his skull through his jaw or eye socket - because there were so many bones blocking his brain. Maybe not strong enough to pierce the ribs for the heart. Anyway, Dad said that stabbing someone with a knife is much slower than slashing someone with a knife. All good places are hard to prick and don't suck enough blood. Even if he ends up killing Koma, Koma will kill him now.

But it doesn't matter. Pepper isn't afraid. Koma is much taller than him, sturdy, burly, and real. But even so, Pepper is not afraid. He felt something driving him to act, and that and his anger gathered in his stomach like a small fireball, giving him strength all over his body.

He and Koma circled each other cautiously, the demon's attention flickering in and out as if his brain wasn't working. But there's never enough time to open.

Something moved in the air above Koma's shoulder, and it nudged him again. The old scout turned his head and tried to hit the unseen.

Pepper jumped in and shoved the horns into the man's lower back, the flesh under the ribs. It sank too deep, almost all the way up to Pepper's hand. He didn't get it out in time.

Koma turned around and tried to grab Pepper, but Pepper dodged and spun backwards. The demon ignored the horn sticking out of his back, though Pepper was sure it must be encouraging his guts.

The old scout's tail swung in the air, sharper than a knife. He missed, and then was confused.

Pepper saw Koma's toes cocked and his knees sink slightly, and warned him in time that a charge was coming. He shot himself to the side to avoid a bear hug that whirred and jumped in the air.

The demon turned his head, and Pepper instinctively sucked him all in, hiding without even thinking about it. Instantaneous reflections. He felt like he was about to be discovered, and so it happened.

Koma's eyes slid over him, and the demon kept spinning in circles, a confused expression on his bloodstained face. Seeing an opportunity, Pepper stepped forward and pulled the horns out with both hands. It broke free cleanly, and he quickly stepped back, crouched down, and hid again.

When Pepper realized that he could do this, he felt a grim smile stretch his cheeks. He could win. His back hurt now, and a sharp pain had slackened his arm all the way to his elbow. But it's okay - he can sew it up. Winning is possible. Let the god-damned, cowardly, black-hearted nightmen watch!

The demon howled, and it was a non-human tearing sound, as if he was screaming so loudly that it tore his throat. It spun, its tail flailing in all directions, clawing frantically at it. Pepper saw another opportunity and stabbed him right behind the thigh just below his ass. He pulled the horn out with both hands and stepped back in.

But he wasn't fast enough. Kema spotted him and prepared to attack again.

Despite the old scout's staring at him, Pepper desperately hid. For a moment, he felt Koma's gaze slip over him. The demon's foot slipped as he kept his balance.

A moment passed, and the demon found him again. This time, he kicked, grabbed Pepper's elbow, and threw his left arm to the side so hard that it felt as if it had been ripped off. There was a loud bang, and a hot pain rushed up his upper body, and at the same time he felt that something was wrong. He looked down and found that his shoulder was completely dislocated, and his arm was hanging uselessly there.

Pepper should have panicked at the time. He knew he should. But there is a calm atmosphere in the air that reassures him and helps him focus. He grabbed the horn with his right hand and was ready.

Koma raised his arms and slammed them with his claws, so close that Pepper had no chance to escape.

At that moment, Pepper hid again and forced his way in with all her strength. He slipped away.

It works. Koma soon found him again, and although he was looking at him at the time of the incident, he had lost his attention. That's what Pepper needs - just a split second at a time, either run away or fight back.

Pepper hid again, and the old scout's gaze looked away for a moment. He jumped forward and stabbed the man in the stomach, then back, but only with one arm, and couldn't go far.

The demon slammed with his claws, but Pepper hid. He stepped forward and stabbed the man in the side, then fled.

He hid again and attacked again. My knees. of the arm. side. It's the stomach again. Behind. It's never going to be deep, but there's always something.

But then he screwed up. Even though he couldn't reach his throat, he threw himself down his throat.

Koma hugged him tightly with his arms and opened his fangs to bite Pepper's face off. Pepper lowered her head, and Koma only bit his ear, biting through the ear, tearing off a large piece.

Pepper screamed, pain flashing through his mind. A thousand knives pierced deep into his brain, all over his body. Even his fingertips stinged like needles.

The old scout laughed, a soggy gurgling. Pepper heard him chewing and swallowing. "The cat ghost is delicious," he said, blood and saliva falling on Pepper's face.

Pepper writhed violently, trying to break free. He only had a good arm and couldn't get any leverage, but the attempt caused the bones of his injured shoulder to rub against each other and shoot through his chest. He screamed again.

Komar opened his mouth again, wide open, but this time with a genuine, blood-soaked smile on his face. He slowly gritted his teeth at Pepper, who struggled to break free, but to no avail. Slowly, slowly, teasing and torturing him. The heat and stench of the old scout hit him. His teeth were getting tighter and tighter, and Pepper couldn't push them anymore.

He did the last thing. One last twist of despair, he bit the man's throat. He gritted his teeth and bit off a bite of the man's flesh. He couldn't help but notice how light it tasted.

Koma screamed and let go of Pepper's hug. Not exactly, but just right.

Pepper swung his uninjured arm up and stabbed him frantically and desperately. The tip of the horn barely hit the demon's eye, and Pepper pushed it up with what little leverage he had. The spike pierced Koma's eye, her eye was deformed, and Pepper was still pressing. He pressed hard until he felt the horns hit the harder flesh and bones behind his eyes and get stuck there.

The old scout was so angry that he couldn't even scream, only a suffocating hiss, pure rage.

Pepper couldn't push the horns in anymore, so she spat out the meat and opened her mouth to take another bite.

The demons struggled to push him away, to toss him aside, but they wrapped themselves too tightly. Pepper struggled to keep himself from being thrown out, not knowing what he would do next if he was thrown out. He only had one arm to work with, but he frantically grabbed whatever he could. Just as Koma got enough chips to throw him out, Pepper's fingers grabbed his horn—the one that was still attached to his forehead.

Komar threw Pepper back, but Pepper still clung to the man's horns. The momentum was strong enough to throw him off balance. The old demon staggered forward and fell. Pepper leaned hard against the back of Koma's head, using her full body weight to hold her down.

The severed horn was still in the eyes of the demon, and it fell to the ground first. It slammed into Pepper's skull, and Pepper felt it, but didn't hear it.

Komar twitched, motionless, and never moved again.

Pepper quickly stood up. He took a step back, then another step back. A wave of triumphant joy spread throughout his body. He wanted to shout, but didn't know what to say. He did it! He's alive, and he's fighting a demon! Dad will be very proud, no matter how well the flower sings, he will never be able to surpass!

He was only happy for a moment, and then he felt a pain again. The wound on his back stinged like it was on fire, and his shoulder hurt like 20 stones weighing on him. His ears, or the rest of them, felt like a three-inch-long fingernail in the cold air.

He was not yet swayed by emotions except for one emotion. He couldn't bring himself to see the body. The fear it caused, lying on the edge of his sight, was enough to wash away his good mood. He closed his eyes and walked forward, not opening them until he was sure that he had gone far enough and that the body was behind him.

To Pepper's surprise, the nightmen remained in place, huddled at the other end of the giant salt ring. He had expected them to run over and cheer and praise him. But they didn't. He didn't know why, but it felt like a betrayal, like an abandonment, and it hit him almost as hard as he hurt. It hurts.

He looked at them for a moment, trying to figure out what was going on. They were all motionless; Some opened their mouths wide in horror, others had expressions that he couldn't see. Hundreds of people, together. There were so many people, but none of them came to his aid. No one cheered.

Pepper looks around for Natak and soon finds him, still holding Sheila. When their eyes met, the little devil writhed and escaped from Natuk's arms. He ran forward, his glowing eyes shining like stars on his dark skin, dimming in the bright sunlight. Several others gave chase, but the little boy was too fast to catch up right away.

"Peppew, are you okay? He shouted. Just as he was about to cross the salt line, his father grabbed him by his coat and stopped him. "Peppew!" shouted Xie Si. Let it go!" The little boy fought, but his father lifted him up and pressed his arms to his sides.

Pepper found his voice when he saw Natuk walking to the edge of the circle. "Why don't you help me?" He shouted. "You want him to kill me, don't you?" Since you promised not to kill me, you want me to die at his hands!"

"Black Tail, kid, I-"

"If you don't want me to die, then why are you so quiet?" You just saw a little boy fighting with an adult, and no one cheered! But I won! I'm alive!"

Her father's eyes flashed with fire. He said, "Child! You - - - - - - "

Natak waved his hand to shut him up. The old demon said, "If I could, I would come and help you, but I couldn't." But to cheer? I took Koma out of his mom when I was thirteen. I cut his umbilical cord, bathed him, and placed him on his mother's chest. How can I be happy about what happened to him?"

This answer infuriated him, but Pepper couldn't find one.

Farat glared angrily and said, "Son, you are our curse."

"You are my curse!" Pepper shouted. The pain that tormented him only added fuel to his anger. "If you throw me to an outsider, Daddy will already have caught me, and we're already on our way to glory!" Instead, you locked me up, threatened to sell me, and then everyone ignored me and left me as lonely as possible! And then you decided to kill me!"

Natuk sighed sadly and said, "Son, Black Tail, that's not how it is—"

"If I'm your curse, you deserve it!"

"You're bleeding." Natuk said with an impatient sigh.

"I know! Pepper shouted.

"Really, God sent him to torture us."

"Maybe the gods sent me to see what you would do with a lost little boy, and you messed things up."

Everyone was thinking about this sentence and was silent for a long time. Pepper said this without thinking, but the longer she spoke, the better she felt.

Natuk didn't seem to think much of it, but who could make sense of him? He said, "Do you want to keep yelling and bleeding to death, or are we going to sew you up?"

Pepper frowned, but his anger quickly faded, allowing more pain to flood over him, as he realized that he was really starting to get cold. The cold air pressed into the wound on his back, and he felt more and more pain as his heart beat faster. Every time he breathed, it hit his whole body like a wave. Pepper's eyes soon filled with hot, stinging tears. "I want to be sewn up." He said he was weaker than he expected.

Natak smiled, but not in his eyes. He said, "Good. We didn't bring proper supplies, so hurry to my tent and bring the basket from the red corner. I need it to bandage your wounds. ”

"Why can't you get it?" He asked, blinking as he wiped away tears of pain as he tried to keep his voice steady. Why is Natuk still so ruthless? After all this?

"He can't hold anything in an arm like that, Elder," one woman said angrily. She was angular and serious, with a few strands of white hair in her jet-black hair that contrasted with her youthful face. Pepper wasn't sure if he had made out her, but he could barely make out through the tingling tears he couldn't blink. "Come here, kid."

For a moment, he wondered if there was a trick in this—had she promised not to kill him like the others? He didn't know her other than a few times he had seen her, like all the other Nightmen. But she stood very close to Farat. Should he escape while he still has a chance?

But a little push behind it made the decision for him. It was a subtle feeling, more like the wind, but it made him move. Pepper briefly wondered if any of the dead were on his side, as he felt something in the middle of the battle, maybe before that. But how does that make sense? All of them must have been dead Outlanders, and maybe some Nightmen.

He stepped over the salt ring, experiencing the sense of separation he had noticed before. It really reminded him of one of his mother's shields, and even if you hold this, you can't see anything.

The old woman nodded, kneeling down to check his shoulder. She told him to let go of his arm, and let it hang down again, causing him to whimper in pain. She touched his shoulder to wonder what was going on inside, then turned his wrist and tugged lightly.

The bones slid back together so fast that Pepper didn't even realize what was going on until it was all over. The sharp pain is gone, and only a slight pain remains. He thought it would be scary, and even opened his mouth to let out a scream that he didn't need at all.

"Do you feel better now?" Good. Be careful with your arms during this time. Don't lift anything too heavy, or it will happen again," the woman said. "Now go and get the medicine basket. Hurry, but don't run. Just go. ”

Pepper moved his arm up and down to see if it was really fixed. This is. It felt like normal.

"Hurry up, kitten. You're still bleeding," the woman said. For a moment, she crossed her arms and looked a lot like her mother, even though she was a completely different person.

"I'll be right back," he said. He had just crossed the salt line when the whispering came back, and the feeling of something he couldn't see moving around. He wondered why there were so many people here? Why are there so many?

Natak's tent was not far from the center of the camp, and it only took him a while to get there, even on foot. As soon as he arrived, the basket of medical supplies was placed in the same place that the elders had said they had said—in a corner, mostly red from deerskins. Pepper was tempted to lift it up with his injured arm to take a look, but the feeling of the bone cracking was too vivid in his memory. Instead, he lifted it up with his arms, and it was tugging at the long wound on his back, and he whimpered quietly.

When he returned to the salt circle, he found that most of the Nightmen had moved forward again, waiting for him. Farat, Teswan, and several other stronger men met his gaze, but as he approached, they separated to let him in.

It made him nervous to walk through the circle and walk among them, but they promised not to kill him, and he was no longer afraid...... However, now that he remembered, the fear returned. After all, it wasn't gone forever - the thought of the blood on his back drove away what little peace he had left.

Natuk ordered him to kneel, and with a few hands took his arm and carefully took off his shirt. He gritted his teeth and closed his eyes, trying to ignore the sharp pain, but what really made him scream in pain was when they dragged it past his bitten ear. The feeling of having your nails pulled is worse than having your back opened.

He had never felt so naked in his life as he did now, kneeling on the cold, hard ground, surrounded by strangers even after all this time. He was still wearing pants, but the cold air on his body made him unable to forget how vulnerable he was. At least they haven't stepped on its tail yet. He realized that it was fear that made him feel that way. Fear is back.

As soon as he closed his eyes and thought about something else, two little hands grabbed him, and he peeked and saw little Xie Si standing there, looking sad. "It's alright, Pepi."

"I know." Pepper said, struggling to control her voice. He also has a friend here. He didn't need to be so afraid. Still, he is. It's going to hurt. "But...... Can you, huh...... Can you keep holding my hand?" Because they're going to be terrible when they sew me up, and—"

Someone dragged a cloth over the wound, from shoulder to shoulder, and Pepper screamed like a dog that had been stepped on. Tears filled his eyes, and he had to close them again. He felt her grip on his hand tighter, probably the tightest the boy could get.

"It's okay, Pepi!" It's okay!" Xie Si insisted eagerly.

After a while, when they started stitching him, Pepper felt the first sting of the needle. The needles hurt enough, over and over again, but the worst part was that they had to squeeze the skin together. With each poke, he felt like he had been stabbed again, and they poked him from both sides, all the way down his spine, causing double the pain.

Pepper endured as patiently as she could. He was worried that he wouldn't be able to stop crying once he started, it would be noisy and embarrassing, so he kept his chin up and tried not to cry. Most of the time, he just holds his breath a lot. She had been brave enough to hold his hand, and she said that every time Pepper cringed.

When the sewing was close enough to the center that only Natuk could sew on him, a commotion spread throughout the tribe. Many of the demons who had been watching him turned their attention elsewhere, in the direction of Koma's corpse. Pepper almost got up and ran away, thinking that the old scout must have come back to life and was still coming towards him.

But before he could speak, Xie Si put his hand down and shouted, "Dinah!"

When Pepper turned to look, Natuk grabbed his head, turned him around, and almost poked him in the face with a needle. "Stay still, kitten. We're almost done. ”

Pepper heard Deanna running from far away, her feet lapping against the wet ground. She stopped about thirty paces behind him, probably right next to the corpse.

"What the hell is going on?" She shouted. Then, in a calm but equally confused voice, she said, "What's wrong with him?" Why are you all in there? Where do these angry ghosts come from?"

He heard movement, and it sounded like she was moving the corpse to examine.

"Why...... Judging by the size of the footprints, it looks like a group of women took turns stabbing him?" What did he do?"

"Dinah! She shouted again, and this time someone heard her.

"Oh, Sheth! Wait a minute, let me put these somewhere. Deanna threw a big, heavy thing and landed a few paces away with a thud. Come here, dear child. You can tell me what's going on because no one else knows. ”

Pepper heard Deanna pick up Seth, and she hugged him tightly. He squeezed her back and made the same noise. Even in the agony of stitching, Pepper felt the pain of jealousy. "Oh, you're so strong!" She said. "You ......"

She was silent, and so was everyone. He could feel their fear of her, and he could see it from their silence and trying not to look at her.

"Elder, you'd better give me a reasonable explanation." Deanna said, her voice muffled.

The old demon was unmoved, and said, "Girl, come and sit here." I guess our poor kitten ghost would like to see a friendly face. ”

Natuk squeezed and poked again at an inopportune time, and Pepper had to hold back a whimper of pain and blink her eyes in an effort to squeeze more tears out, at which point Deanna walked into his field of vision.

After a moment's hesitation, she sat down with a heavy thud, her folded knee almost touching his. She stood beside her, holding her hand. She was still wearing the same loose, baggy pants as before, with the same old cloth tied to her chest, but the first thing Pepper noticed was how clean they were. She also took a bath, as no marks or abrasions of dirt, bark, or anything else could be seen on her skin. That must be cold.

But it felt good to see her. Although his heart reached out to her, hoping that she would be his friend again, relief made him stronger. However, her facial expression was stiff at first, full of ruthlessness and anger. Pepper stared at her, pleading with his eyes. She stared at me, cold, crazy. However, he decided not to say it to him. She was angry at him, which gave him hope.

Natak's needle plunged into Pepper's sensitive spot again, and Pepper hissed, then he felt the thread pass through and continued hissing. He could no longer meet Deanna's gaze, so he lowered his head. She took his hand again, squeezing it as tightly as before.

Deanna grabbed his chin, lifted his head again, and said, "Oh, poor fellow. They even make you listen. It looks like someone has taken a big bite. I'm sorry, Pepper. I should have stayed. ”

"Yes, you should!" He shouted, unable to control the sudden well-up of emotion in his mind. I went through a lot of things at the same time, but mostly hurt and angry. She could have kept him safe. It was easy for her, but she didn't. "I was almost killed!" He said angrily. He lowered his head again and began to sob, and with great difficulty he could not hold back his throat and cry out loud.

Anger, frustration, betrayal, fear, everything. Now everything is exposed, and there is nothing he can do about it. He could only hold out for so long.

Deanna put a gentle hand on the back of his neck and pressed her forehead against his. She held him silently, and he watched as tears dripped down his face, blackening the ground. With every prick of Natuk's needle, he let out a scream, and every gust of wind in his ears made him whimper.

Natuk finally stitched up and began wrapping the bandages around his chest and shoulders, and Pepper realized that the wound was still painful and would continue to hurt, and his relief quickly turned to fear.

"I'm not safe anywhere, never will be." After a while, Pepper held her throat.

"Yes, you are, Pepper. I'm sorry," Deanna said. He felt he could hear pity in her voice.

"No place is safe. Daddy isn't coming, is he? Pepper said. The idea was so dark that he didn't even want to say it, but it came out on its own.

"I should have stayed. I made a big mistake. I'm sorry," Deanna said. She sounded genuinely regretful, which made Pepper look up in surprise. Deanna's gaze met him, and he could barely recognize who he saw. She had been confident, even condescending, but now her eyes were pleading with him. Her mouth, which only smiled with sneer or mockery, frowned in sympathy. It was as if ten layers had been stripped of her body.

"Dinah? What is Yellow?" She asked.

"I had so much on my head that I didn't even think about it. I'm just, I'm messed up again, right? I went deer hunting because I thought it would make everyone happy, but when I came back, I found angry ghosts everywhere and Pepper had been torn apart. There was also a dead man, and he must have been defending the Horde. That's your best scout, right? What hurt him? Did you drive it away? I'm sorry, Elder. Everyone. I should be here. ”

"The ......," Natuk began, but he paused, not knowing what to say.

"Koma attacked Pepiyu."

"What? Deanna said, her face suddenly flattening as she tried to digest the words. So the women came and saved him. Those little footprints, and ...... Oh, elves, they fight him with their horns, don't they? That's why he had so many stab wounds on his body. Anyone else hurt?"

For a moment no one spoke. Deanna stood up, and Pepper immediately missed her warmth. "What happened? Why are you all staring like that? Pepper?"

Natuk stood up and gestured for Deanna to relax. "This circle protects us from ghosts," he said. Because of our traditions, that kind of thing will corrupt us. Koma was caught outside and defeated. He loses his mind and attacks Pepper. ”

"I see. So Pepper arrived at you just in time? Why do only women fight? Is it safer for them to leave?"

The old demon looked more painful than Pepper had ever seen. He looked completely deflated, as if he had sucked up all the rest of his life. "Pepper fights him alone." He concluded, barely louder than a whisper.

Deanna stared blankly for a moment, pondering what Natuk had just said. Pepper looked at her face and finally got into a pose. "What?!!" she shouted.

The elder was embarrassed to say, "We can't help him, or we'll be depraved and violent." I regret it—"

Deanna stamped her foot hard, and Pepper felt the ground tremble. He jumped, unsure if he needed to get out of the way before getting kicked. Her eyes turned solid black with star-like dots on them, but the scene left Pepper confused, not scared. However, when she spoke, it still sounded like herself. "You let Pepper fight an adult and don't help at all?" You didn't even throw a stone? Are you just standing there watching? Look at me! Answer!"

"There's nothing we can do," Farat said. "We're going to do the same thing before we venture again."

Pepper felt emboldened and added, "Farat is going to kill me." He and Koma were going to do it in secret. Natak will let them do it when he finds out. I am alive because I can hide. ”

"Are you all idiots?" Deanna shouted, gesturing angrily with her entire body. "I thought I was the stupid one! You have everything you need to save the tribe. Everything is arranged, just like God planned, and you spit it on their faces! I've been thinking about this for days. ”

Farat interjected, "I think it's time for you to leave, outsider. We don't need to—"

"Close it! If you say one more word, I'll kill you, traitor. I'm not in the mood!" Deanna began to pace, shouting and gesturing. Her starry black eyes sparkled in the sun. Where has Pepper seen this before? She continued, "All you have to do is make his son happy, and you will have the most powerful ally that the gods can send you, and see what you do with him!" Have you forgotten that he was the son of Androx? Didn't I tell you not to mess with him? What did I tell you? What did I tell you, Natak? Let me hear it!"

The old demon did not answer. Instead, he looked as if he wished he could sink into the ground and disappear. The fact that most demons look more of a shame than a rage makes Pepper happy. They deserve to be scolded like this, and Deanna will make Agunn proud of the work she does.

"In fact," she continued pacing, pointing angrily at her fingers, interrupting her from time to time, "the more I think about it, the more stupid you seem." Do you want to defeat the Xenotypes? Did you know that Pepper could have taught you to fight like a Rafaelian? He knows the whole move, and you watch him practice every morning without asking to join. And then it was me. I can have an army on my own, but you make me feel like an outsider. I saved your people, but you can hardly tolerate me! Why don't you beg me to fight for you every waking moment? Are you stupid, or do you just want to be exterminated?"

Deanna's growl stopped for a moment, and she gasped.

Sensing the opportunity, Natuk said in a conciliatory tone: "Deanna, your lack of understanding does not mean that we are acting stupidly. We only did what we had to do, no more, no less. You say I can act differently, but I'm not free to take risks. The burden I have to carry—"

"The weight you carry prevents you from seeing the answer that is before you, Natuk, you rotten old milk bag! You bite the hands of the gods, how can they lift you up? Is being too stubborn and stupid an excuse?"

Pepper suddenly remembered where he had seen Deanna's eyes before, and her eyes had become like this. It's all black, covered with small white spots like stars. “Palthos……? He said calmly.

Deanna looked at him, nodded slightly, and then jumped up again. "By the way, Patos, how could I forget?" Pepper called God a friend, and his whole family said so. A god. As a friend. The god of orphans, in fact. Frankly, if you want to see a tribe of dead gods without ancestors, it looks a lot like this. You should have an idea of orphans and their usual fate. I know I have. ”

She lowered her head, a look of frustration on her face, as if she didn't know what to say. An angry whisper began to ring out in the crowd. They talked quietly, and the air was filled with an uneasy buzz. When she raised her head again, stared boldly at everyone, and said no more, her eyes returned to normal, like an ordinary stone woman, white-brown.

Pepper was sure he hadn't imagined God's eyes. It's not a trick of light, because it's too bright here to see anything like this. Patos touched her, or he was nearby, or he was watching her, or something. But if God is nearby, why doesn't He take care of Pepper? Why did he almost get killed? It's not the gods who are helping them to fight—it must be the gods, because that's not what Patos did. He always takes advantage of others.

But he couldn't help but wonder what it would be like if the Night People did what they were supposed to do. And if they treat him as a human being, like the son of Andrx? They still won't let him run away as he thought at first, but they'll lock him up somewhere instead of locking him alone in a cold cave. Wolf sca

When they come, they will let him play with their children, and he will make fifty friends. He could sleep with different families every night, and he would go to see Sheth's parents and tell them they were in Dya

Where was he before a came.

Then, when Daddy finally comes, Pepper will ask him to help them, and Daddy will do the same. Instead, Natak tried to gain Pepper's sympathy without showing any genuine affection, but that didn't work. At least until yesterday, Natuk told me about the tent when he said he should have brought a knife. For a moment, he thought he might be accepted and no longer feel so miserable and lonely all the time.

Then Farat and the others decided to kill him.

It could have been very, very different. It could have been fun, fun, and safe, but the thought of it is irritating. The more Pepper imagined what might have happened, the angrier he became. He could have had friends. The pain of the wound added fuel to his fire, and it grew worse and worse until he could no longer be quiet.

He jumped up and caught the eyes of many. He gritted his teeth in anger, and his breath hissed. He clenched his fists. It felt like his face was flushed. It could have been different! He didn't have to suffer like that!

Pepper wanted to shout, but he didn't know what to say, Deanna had already said it. Maybe it was Patos himself who sent Pepper there, but the next time he saw him again, he could complain to God. The people of the night are coming, and they are listening. “Dya

A is correct! He shouted, his voice so loud that he was dumb.

He brushed Natuk's hand away, stamped his foot towards the salt ring, and a plan began to take shape. He stepped outside, letting the whispers of the dead and the gentle breeze of their fingers blow past him. He felt that courage again, that thing that drove away his fears. What is that? Something he'll worry about later.

Pepper turns to face the Nightfolk and finds that almost everyone is looking at him, with concern and curiosity on their faces. He shouted as loudly as he could, "You have Pepper, you treat him worse than a dog!" Look at what happened to him! Did you see that? Look at my ears! So guess what! You don't like Pepper, so now you've got Androx's son!"

He put his toes in the small groove, where all the salt formed a circle. A cruel smile appeared on his face, even as the cold air licked his injured ear, making his eyes moist again.

The Nightmen screamed in unison, and five hundred of them lunged in his direction to stop him.

But he steadied his feet, and they stopped, realizing that they still had a chance. With a single kick, the circle disappears. Then the ghosts will come in, right? It must be like this, otherwise they wouldn't have jumped like that.

Farat and Natuk were the closest, only five paces away. Farat held the knife in both hands, and Natuk stretched out his arms, ready to grab him.

"What does it feel like to have your fate in the hands of someone who doesn't care about you, Natuk?" Not so good, is it! Pepper said.

"Pepper, please, calm down. See how I heal your wounds? We are not your enemies. Natuk pleaded. He still looks as pathetic and defeated as before, one watching his last efforts fail.

"No, Pepper is gone. Remember? You drove Pepper away, so I'm Andoks son now!"

Farah pointed to one of the knives and said, "Child! If you dare to touch a grain of salt, I'll chop you up. Do you understand?"

Pepper looked at him angrily for a moment. This is the end of Farat's vow not to kill him. "Deanna, would you please come over for a moment?" But don't get too close. ”

Deanna stepped forward, holding Shakes in her arms. Her parents tried to pull the boy away, but she shrugged her shoulders and nodded to them, and they relented. She stopped a little further behind Farah and leaned a little further.

"You owe my family a favor, Deanna. A

d

okles helped you, fed you and Sheth, and even made that coat for him. Then when the prince and his men came, Daddy protected you, and then you turned your back on us. Remember? Remember what you said? You say Daddy is a murderer and you don't want Seth to be around him. You say Daddy is a fool. But he's not!" Pepper crossed her arms to make herself look more noble, though doing so would stretch the stitches on her back a little and make him frown slightly. To cover up, he tried to frown like his father.

"Pepper, what are you doing?" She asked softly. "I can't let you hurt her."

"I asked you a question first!" Do you remember?" Pepper said. Why is Dad still standing now? Something like this.

"I remember," she said, her voice still calm.

"Daddy protected you when the prince wanted to take Xie Si back, but you just said a bunch of mean things and left, and then look what happened to us!"

"I know I made a mistake, Pepper. There are a lot of them. What do you want to say? She said her voice had lost its tenderness.

"Farat and Koma agreed to kill me and throw my body in the snow. Koma is dead, so as the son of Andlocles, I swear: if you kill Farat, our family will forgive you, right now. ”

The nightmen gasped together, and everyone inhaled at the same time, loud enough for Pepper to hear. Deanna blinked, then whispered a few words to Shes before putting him down. He ran back to his parents, who surrounded him to protect him.

Farat's anger subsided. His mouth was slightly open, the tip of his knife reaching to the ground, and he turned his head to look at Deanna. The woman who had helped Pepper bandage her arm and stitches stepped forward and pleaded, "Please, don't be my husband!" Please, don't do this! I helped you!"

Pepper paused, almost frightened. He didn't know that Farat had a wife, and he didn't know that it was her. But that's the problem, isn't it? They never accepted him. And Dad wouldn't first check if the person he killed had a family. He suppressed the pity that came to him as best he could, and said, "Pepper will care." But A

d

The son of Okles did not. Can't let my enemies live. Too bad. ”

Deanna said, still whispering, "Pepper, what's going on?" What are you planning?"

"I'm doing what my dad would do. Farat will kill me at every chance. ”

"It's crazy. That's not right, Pepper. Please, stop here. Things will still work out. ”

"Did I say I was going to argue?" Did I say I was going to kill Farah?"

Deanna swallowed, moving her feet nervously. She glanced at the great war leader, and their eyes met. There was a deathly calm in the crowd. Even the evil ghosts watched quietly.

After a moment, Farah's eyes widened. He tried to turn around, but he couldn't stand still and fell to the ground. It was only after a moment that Pepper noticed that bright red blood was gushing from the man's neck. It was a deep wound, deep enough to cut off all blood flow to the brain, causing him to pass out instantly. Dad once explained what was going on when he was killing a sheep.

Natuk wiped a knife on Farah's clothes before the night reacted to what they saw. Many of them screamed in horror and retreated. Jaeger fell on top of her husband and turned him over, trying to stop the bleeding with her hands. But it was too late – the river had almost stopped. It spread out on the ground into a large pool, almost the size of a man.

Although Pepper had seen something like this before, it was so close that he felt disgusted. Even if something happened to Koma. He felt his face turn pale and then green, but felt like a heavy hand on his shoulder, stabilizing him, even though there was nothing there.

The Nightman Elder calmly and indifferently met Pepper's gaze, still holding the knife in his hand. He spoke, though not loud—loud enough to be heard, and that's it. "I give you this man's blood. Kitten ghost, if you want to spare us, what else do we have to give you?"

When everyone quieted down to listen, the clamor of fear disappeared. Some people repeat the old man's words to those who did not hear them. It seems that everyone has an answer ready, and Pepper forces her mind to calm down and says, "You all have to come and help me find Daddy, and then you have to help him get rid of the king." I heard about the king's army, so I already knew. I know the army is looking for him, and you don't think he can escape, and he can't find me, do you?"

"We can't fight the king's army for you. If we could, we wouldn't be where we are now. ”

"Well, if you don't even try, I'll kick the salt out now, and whoever is not carried away by the shadows, I'll come to him at night." This is your last chance to survive as a people. ”

Natuk didn't look any stronger than he had just been. He was still sad and depressed. He looks like his flesh only hangs from the horns of his bones. His eyes were black from exhaustion, but now Pepper found a dangerous anger brewing. Where did his weak arm get the strength to cut Farah's throat? Farat was the tallest and strongest man in the tribe.

"And what about our children?"

"Deanna will protect Chess. I don't know anyone else, do I? So that's not my problem. Unless you swear to help me save Androx. ”

The Night Man unconsciously leaned over to see what Natak would do, and the pressure of the moment was almost suffocating. Deanna stretched out her arms in a pose that looked relaxed, but she was actually ready. Pepper recognized it. Dad taught him something like that.

Natak deliberately put the knife back in his belt. "Kitten ghost, I swear not to kill you, count you lucky."

"Elder, you can't live." Deanna said.

"Maybe. I know what you don't know. Pepper, your request is impossible. We can't leave the Order until the spirits are no longer malevolent, unless you want to cast a spell on us to ward them off. But even if we can leave, if you drag us into the war, then we are finished. I'm more willing to deal with people who turn around and let me try my luck. Kick the salt out and cut us in two. Natak's words were calm and cold.

Pepper felt his face turn pale, and fear grabbed him again. He was always sure it would work. What should he do now? He almost kicked the salt off, but he imagined them going crazy in front of him, and then ...... Then they all came to him. He can't even beat one, what about 500? Will he be able to escape and hide in time?

He looked at Deanna and tried for her to hint at what he was going to do, almost panicking, but she looked like she was biting the inside of her lip because she was thinking too much. His mind shifted from her to Sheila, and from Sheila to the children trapped under the rocks, and he realized he had one more thing to say.

"Everyone is like a precious piece of fur that can't be removed," Pepper said. "I thought you couldn't spare any more manpower. What if the woman who just came back with the child her father saved, I guess her name is Adiya? She's over there. What if she's one of the dead and you'll never find out where the children are?"

Deanna said, "Natak, Pepper is still a child. You should have negotiated with his father, but he wasn't there. So I'm here to help Pepper. First, we'll help you make amulets for everyone. You know how to do it, right?"

"Absolutely. We don't have enough time to make so many games. ”

"Good. I'll give you an offer. Come with me and Pepper and help him find his father. Along the way, as soon as we get close to the Outlanders, no matter how many, I will help you kill them, and you can take their weapons and horses, as well as any armor, as long as you can wear them. I think you can wear their chain mail. Once we find Andrx, you'll be able to bargain with him in person. ”

Natak listened, looking displeased. He said, "Young woman, I know you think highly of yourself, but you shouldn't have said to kill any alien creatures we encountered."

"I'm doing it."

Pepper said, "Daddy hates demons. He hated the Nightmen. But it's not the Nightmen who he hates, it's the Riders. So tell him. He didn't know that they were made from children. He wouldn't like it, he would want to stop the king forever. ”

"What if he chooses to kill us all, as you threatened?" Natuk said. He seemed to be getting angrier.

"He won't," Pepper said.

"Why not? Why did he suddenly change his mind? Natak chirped.

"Because I don't—" Pepper was speechless for a moment and had to clear her throat. He could feel the result of the words creeping in on him from behind. "Because I conquered you, it's my decision."

Natuk laughed, but it was a cold, unjoyful voice. Several of the other Nightmen grinned; A few people laughed. None of them seemed to be funny. "When did you do that?" I'm not going to bow down to a child!" As he spoke, the elder waved his arm vigorously and made a cutting motion that Pepper could see the real flame in his eyes. Old pride.

Pepper almost panicked again. He almost took a step back, dodging the Elder's wrath; Only indecision can make him stand on his feet.

"Go away, kitten!" You have always been our curse. We won't help you, not now, and not in the future! Leave us and go! Natak shouted.

But Pepper knew he couldn't. He couldn't find his father alone, not even with Deanna. If he hadn't been with the Nightmen, Wolfscar might never have found him again. He racked his brains to find an answer, but he didn't think of anything but fear. Everything fell apart.

Out of the corner of his eye, he seemed to see a figure in the wind, like one of his father's soldiers, tall and strong, with a shield and a spear. Next to him was another person, and another person crossed over him. Pepper turned to look and saw nothing, but he could feel something in his heart beginning to give him strength, like a comforting hand on his shadow instead of his body. He knew what he had to do. He tried to speak, over and over again. But it didn't work out. There is only one thing left.

Pepper took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down. "But I did conquer you. Am I not?"

Natak said, "No, son, you don't. Neither can you. Let's go. "Sounds like a threat.

"Yes, I saw it. I conquered you now. Said the son of Androcles. He kicks the salt. For a moment, there was only the wheezing of the Night Man and the wide eyes of the Nightmen. In that emptiness, the whispers of the shadows roared into screams. Pepper felt them rush past him in countless ways, lunging towards the demons. Then there was chaos.