Separated

Chapter 26

At first, I don't really process what I see.

But than reality hits me: "S-Skylar?"

Laying on the ground, not moving, here is Skylar, my Patrol Instructor. Dead on the ground.

Jett gasps, reaching my point behind me. We both have one question in mind. "How?"

I sink on the ground, and let out a shaky breath. "Why?"

Jett nudges Skylar gently, and we sit there for a while.

We gently pick him up, and set him down on some flowers we had gathered. Cinnabun and Fang eventually met up with us, and saw what happened. We lay him on the flowers, and say some words.

We take him, and put him onto the branches we made. Than, with a sigh, I take the torch, and we all together light the branches up. The fire seems to be lively and full, the complete opposite of the mood.

We scatter the remains of what the fire left, and bow down to the ground. "Oh goddess of earth, Terra, please let Skylar the raccoon's spirit reach peace and be freed" I silently say, and the others let their own prayers be cried by their inner voices.

We all get up, and with nods, run to Basilah. It takes a while, but reaching the cabin, we tell her the news. She takes action right away, sending letters to the Mayor and other authorities. Basilah also has the other Patrol Guards called back.

Everyone is sent back home, and we tell what happened. Mom nods her head. "Apparently, some other animals had similar things happen to them. It has been happening all over Wyanet, and no one has any idea why..." She mutters. Dinner is eaten in silence.

The next day, we go in for patrol. Yes, it wasn't one of the days we signed for, yet Basilah had sent out a message that now, all patrol guards have to come very frequently.

News of other dead animals had also been found in other parts of Wyanet.

Panic was spreading all around, and many did not know what to do. To prevent from being attacked more, patrol guards are now not only being frequently sent to check on the land, but also stay at the borders of our town.

The Everfern Forest has a good multiple towns and small villages. Each place's patrol guards are sent out to look and overlap each others lands, so some days Jett and I end up going to other villages.

We all work together, keeping everyone safe.

Yet many patrol guards also will just be roaming the borders of their own village, to make sure that even if we are attacked, at least the villages should be protected very well.

Many other animals also were taking action. Food prices started to become higher as being able to get ingredients and other things to make food was limited to twice a week. It wasn't that we were running out, just to make sure everyone besides patrol guards barely steps foot outside the towns.

Even if normal citizens got the right to go out because of a good reason, they would be accompanied by two patrol guards. No one who goes out of town now is banned from going alone.

Even going out in the village/town itself seems to have now been getting less and less. Most children's parents limit their kids to being able to only play in their personal land. Some kids even have some days of schooling off, and where the market place filled with adults to youngsters, roaming and playing games, trying new foods, buying all sorts of goods has stopped.

The fun things to do have now just stopped, and animals only visit the marketplace to buy goods that are necessary. Everyone stays indoors as much as possible, only going out when needed.

Hunting barely even happens anymore, since going out is being limited. Since limiting hunting is something we already have been doing, it isn't that bad of a thing; we still to get the normal foods and we have Kairo, so food isn't really scarce.

Though having fun and enjoying ourselves is something that really animals are now doing indoors. When kids want to play with each other, usually one family just invites the other whole family to stay over for three or more days, so everyone stays and gets to chat but it isn't like everyone is going over everday, instead they just stay together for a while.

It definitly is much tougher now, and no one seems to enjoy it. Being a patrol guard is something that I found challenging, yet very exciting; Now though it is still challenging, Jett and I take it ten times more seriously; we did before too, but now we don't go admiring the scenery, have some random chats while roaming, etc.

We do as told, making sure to communicate about what we see, etc. Only at home do we actually get to really act like brother and sister. When going to Patrolling, we switch off our friendly, chill and playful sides and turn on the serious patrolling mode.

Everyone's changing right now, everything is changing. A more tense mood and serious tone seems to cloud over the land of Wyanet and take part, as if we all are going through a phase.

We all do our part, keeping each other safe, and looking out for any threats.

If only it was enough.