We scrounge around the building for the next couple of hours, hunting for items that might help us learn something about the Countless and their potential helpers.
But the rooms we observe are all just like the others, and we finally give up.
"What do you think happened there?" I hear Darky ask, scratching her dark hair. She brushes it out of her face, revealing her dark green eyes and pale cheeks.
"Well, I suppose that at some point in time, they either ransacked everything, or," Thunder pauses. "Someone else attacked them."
"But why would they do it to themselves?" Darky questions.
Thunder shrugs.
We start heading back through the halls and out the large doors. We meander through the ruined streets, occasionally stopping to look up at the buildings.
Finally, we start heading back to the camp.
+ + + + +
Thunder immediately begins to cook the fish we have left over, since we ate all that we brought. She sends me to go find some rosemary to sprinkle on it, and I head off into the forest.
The rosemary had been found by the river earlier, so I walk in that direction. I hear the trickling of water in the distance, and I follow it until I reach the stream.
There is already a person standing there.
When I see him, I stop abruptly, and dash to hide behind a tree. But my right foot slips on a wet maple leaf, and I slide down the slippery bank, splashing into the water.
"Darn," I say out loud, biting my lip.
I look up to see a boy around my age staring at me, with his head tilted to the right.
"Who are you?" He asks.
"Who are you?" I retort.
"This is my river," the boy says. "You're the one trespassing."
I gulp. I always thought that this was part of the forest, not someone else's property.
"My name is Timber," I say. "And I didn't know that this was private property." I start backing away.
Then I turn and run.
"Wait!" The boy shouts.
I sigh, then slowly turn back around.
"My name is Cronas," he says, outstretched his dirty hand to me. "And this isn't private property. It's just my mum's land that she has from her heritage."
I precariously take his hand, shake it, then release it.
"Who's your mum?" I ask, suddenly curious. Where did this boy come from? I think to my self. Does he have anything to do with my mission?
"Her name is Malone," the boy replies, now not seeming fragile at all. In fact, he seems very friendly. "She used to be really important, but then she was exiled."
I cock my head to the side in confusion. "If she was so important, then why was she exiled?"
The boy sighs. "I don't really know."
"I see," I say. "Well, I better be getting back." I start to turn around.
"Yeah, me too," says the boy, shrugging. "Bye."
I wave over my shoulder, then start to jog back. On my way, I snatch a handful of rosemary from a nearby bush.
When I get back to the camp, everyone is waiting for me.
"What took you so long to just get a fistful of rosemary?" Thunder questions me, her hand on her hips.
I shrug. "Well, I met this boy, he said his name was Cronas," I reply.
I see Lumination roll his eyes. "Not Cronas," he mumbles.
Thunder glares at him."It's about time you met him. His mother is a very important woman." She says, turning back to me.
"Yeah, that's what he told me too," I tell her. "Except he also said that she was exiled."
"Yep," Thunder says, nodding. "She was the first Countless member to be exiled."