I found one of the pigs in the forest. It was drinking from a pool a few yards into the forest with its saddle still on so I hopped on holding cozy on my chest. We flew through the forest so fast it wasn't long before we stopped at a hole in the ground, there was wool scattered everywhere, I had to look away before I threw up. I rode on until I came to a cave, the wind started blowing, bringing down snow, filling any tracks made by the strange monster.
The sun was setting so I knew it was hopeless to continue in the storm. I tied the pig to a rock, covered the cave and lit a torch, illuminating the inside. I set a blanket I had scavenged on the floor and let cozy snuggle next to me, the cold wind howled outside but cozy kept me warm. The next morning I woke up and looked outside, no monsters in sight. I saddled up and gave the pig a carrot, he munched it and started to trot. We followed a trail of craters, all with things like wool, beef, pork and raw chicken. Whatever this thing was it had a hunger for animals but no appetite, it killed just for the fun of it.
We followed the trail until it disappeared, we kept walking and came to a temple on the edge of the jungle, the once sturdy walls cracked and crumbled, vines growing everywhere, it looked small but when I went inside it seemed larger, I went down a flight of stairs to where there were two ways, I went left and found three levers, the first did nothing, the second didn't either nor the third, but when I pulled down only the second I heard a sound of stone grinding. When I went back up part of the wall was gone, revealing a chest with bread and a leather tunic as well as an emerald inside. Going the right direction led to a dark hallway, i took a few steps and heard a click. Time slowed down, I saw a glint in the darkness and jumped to the wall. Cozy, who had just gotten brave enough to come down, stopped dead in his tracks with an arrow in the wall inches from his nose. I lit a torch and saw a very thin string on the floor it went into the wall and would set off the trap if we touched it, so I pulled out some shears to snip it.
"Step back cozy" I said, he walked back upstairs and I snipped the wire, nothing happened.
Then I heard sobbing, at the end of the hall was a little girl. About five years old by the look of it, she was shivering in a light blue shirt and jeans, the same clothes I was found in. Her hair was red and it went to her shoulders, she sat huddled in the corner and when she looked up at me her emerald colored eyes were filled with tears, she stopped crying and shrunk back into the corner.
"Don't worry" I said softly as I could to her "I won't hurt you, I promise"
She relaxed but stayed quiet
"Are you ok?" I asked, she shook her head and mumbled "hungry"
"Well here" I pulled out the bread from the chest and held out my hand, she cautiously took the bread and devoured it.
"How did you get here?" I asked
"Woke up scared, chased by bad things here" she said quietly, her lip quivered and she looked like she would cry just thinking about it "so cold"
I pulled out the tunic "here" I said as I pulled a clump of wool out from my shirt and stuffed it "put this on"
She did and stopped shivering, after she had calmed down she stood up and was greeted by cozy. I introduced him and she hugged his soft fur to death
"Alright" I said "we should cover up the entrance before it gets dark"
By the time it was we had the temple sealed off and lighted, I was in front of the fire, the girl was across from me and cozy was sleeping with his head in my lap.
"What's your name?" I asked, she quietly said "Angel"
"Are you lost? Where are your parents?"
She lowered her head "from the orphanage, went to sleep and woke up here"
"Well I was an orphan too" I told her "and I'm going to save my family"
She listened while I told her everything. How I got here, how Jet and Thalia took me in, what happened to them and why I had to save them. After I finished she said "can I come?"
She didn't have anywhere to go, no real choice in all honesty, but I still would have said yes. When day broke I put her up in the saddle and gave the pig a carrot, we started walking closer and closer to the truth.