Chapter 14

The two young men exploded into the dense forests, each clinging strongly to the shotgun they held as if their lives depended on it. They were about the same age. Eighteen, tall and taut, with high torsos and heavy broad shoulders that deceived them into thinking they could hold the weight of the world in them.

One of them was called Tim. He was the son of a very important man in the city. His friend was Sidney. Tim was usually the more daring one. He was tall with very white skin that had been a little too tanned over the last summer. His eyes were hazel-blue, and his face a magical work of art. He was a fine young man in his prime, well-mannered and polished like the aristocrat that he was.

Sidney was an aristocrat too. His father was one of the high-ranking councilors in the city. Together, he and Tim had been friends since they were kids. They knew each other even better than most siblings. Sidney was about average, with long thin legs that made his strides longer an