Devvyn spotted Gaur before the Hunter spotted him, ambling up the main track that led toward the Shores, shoulders loose but strides wide enough to make the ground crunch under his boots. The early morning haze clung low over the tracks, muting the colours of the warehouses and low buildings around them.
Gaur lifted a hand in greeting as they drew closer, then closed the gap with surprising speed. Without warning, he clapped Devvyn twice on the shoulder, each pat heavy enough to shove him forward. Devvyn stumbled and almost went sprawling onto the gravel, but before he could hit the ground, Gaur's thick hand hooked the back of his collar and steadied him.
"Little thief,” Gaur said with a grin, "honestly, I thought you'd chicken out. I was just on my way to let your grandmother know you weren't going to honour our deal.”
Devvyn shrugged out of Gaur's hold, brushing the spot where the Hunter's hand had been. "I'm only ten minutes late, Gaur. And you can drop all your blustering. We both know you weren't going to do anything.”
The grin faded. Gaur's eyes swept over him with a quick, measuring look, like a man deciding whether to push a fight or leave it. "Don't go all cocky on me, little thief,” he said.
Devvyn didn't bite. He turned, hands in his pockets, and kept walking toward the faint sound of gulls crying over the Shores.
"So,” Gaur said after a moment, his longer legs matching Devvyn's stride in two steps, "where's the Echo Locator?”
Without breaking pace, Devvyn reached down and patted the satchel slung across his shoulder. "Right here.”
"Good.” Gaur's gaze flicked to the bag, then he strode past. His boots crunched steadily on the gravel. "Keep up,” he called over his shoulder. "My team hates to be late.”
The morning air was cool enough to bite at Devvyn's nose, carrying with it the briny tang of the sea and the faint stink of fish. By the time they reached the edge of the Shores, Gaur's team was already gathered in a loose half-circle near a row of five big trucks, each one a battered workhorse of dented panels and faded paint.
At the back of every truck, heavy Echo storage crates sat lashed down with thick straps.
"See?” Gaur said, sweeping a hand toward his men. "Just ten. We used to be twenty-five.” He turned to the team. "Boys, this is Devvyn. He'll be joining us on today's hunt. Devvyn, my men.”
"Good morning, everyone,” Devvyn said.
The Hunters with their faces drawn and eyes still heavy with sleep gave their replies slowly, like the words had to be dragged up from the bottom of their throats. A sluggish murmur rippled through the group.
"Hello, Devvyn.”
"Welcome, Devvyn.”
"Morning, Devvyn.”
Before the quiet could stretch, Gaur strode to the front of the nearest truck, pulled a bundled pack from the passenger seat, and tossed it toward him. "Get changed,” he said.
Devvyn caught it against his chest and turned toward Gaur's office at the side of the yard. "Alright. I'll be right back.”
"What are you doing?” Gaur's voice snapped behind him.
"Going to change,” Devvyn said, glancing over his shoulder. "As you instructed,” Devvyn said slowly.
"There's no time for that,” Gaur replied. "Change here.”
Devvyn waited for the smirk, the laugh, the tell that this was another one of Gaur's little games. But the Hunter's face stayed straight. The rest of the team didn't even crack a smile. Gaur was serious. Suppressing a groan, he set the pack down, kicked off his boots, and tugged his shirt over his head.
Gaur cupped his hands around his mouth. "Alright, boys, load up while little Devvyn changes!”
The group chuckled, not loudly but enough for Devvyn to feel the heat rise at the back of his neck. Shaking his head, he changed quickly, slipping into the dark, thick-weave hunting uniform and lacing up the heavy boots. The fabric smelled of soap, and Devvyn was grateful that at least Gaur had given him a clean uniform.
When Devvyn finished tightening the last lace on his boots, Gaur crooked a finger at him from across the yard.
"Over here,” he called, jerking his thumb toward one of the trucks.
Devvyn slung the satchel back over his shoulder and crossed to where Gaur stood.
"You're riding with me,” Gaur said, jerking his chin toward the passenger door as he opened the door.
Devvyn climbed into the truck. He set the bundle of clothes and shoes he'd changed out of on the dashboard in a messy pile. Gaur got in after him, using his huge body to sandwich Devvyn between him and the Hunter in the driver's seat.
The Hunter glanced at him with an easy grin. "Hey, man. I'm Victor Marrowind. Heard of you.”
Devvyn's brow lifted in mild surprise, and he grinned back. "Good to meet you, sir.”
Victor laughed, shaking his head. "Nah, none of that. I'm just seventeen. Only a couple of years on you.”
Before Devvyn could answer, Gaur slapped the side of the truck with an open palm, the sound sharp in the morning air. "Let's roll, boys!” he bellowed.
The truck engines roared to life almost in unison. Victor shifted the truck into gear and began to pull away from the Shores, the crates in the back rattling softly with the motion. The other Hunters followed. They rumbled straight down the Shores, the sea on one side flashing between breaks in the dunes, and rolled past the jagged outcroppings of the Coral Coves, then beyond the point where the railway tracks gave up and ended in a tangle of rust and weeds.
From there, the ground turned harsh and uneven. The tires thumped over scattered stone, the jolts rattling through the frame. Dust kicked up in pale clouds behind them.
Devvyn glanced at Gaur. "Where exactly are we going?”
"The Verdant Shroud,” Gaur said, eyes on the road ahead. "We're hunting just earth Echos today. Best place to find them is the Shroud. If we get finished early, might head over to another hunting site.”
"Oh,” Devvyn replied, settling back into his seat. The whistle against his chest went icy, the cold biting into his chest. Panic flickered through him, sharp and sudden, but then the metal warmed again, as if nothing had happened. He exhaled slowly. The man had told him the whistle was bonded to him now—nothing could go wrong. He hoped. He'd left the cold ball behind.
He forced his voice to stay casual. "So… how does Echo hunting actually work?”
Gaur scratched at his jaw. "Not something I'm great at explaining, but I'll give it a try. First thing's safety. All Hunters stay covered head to toe. When we hit the field, everyone puts on insulated gloves. That's to make sure no Echo touches skin by accident. If one does…” He gave a grim shrug. "Bonding risk. And if you're not ready for it, you're done for.”
"Done for,” Devvyn repeated quietly. "Ever had it happen?”
"Twice, on my team.” Gaur's voice was flat. "Both dead.”
The truck bumped hard over a ridge, and Gaur continued. "Once we're all geared up, we get to work, searching for signs in the ground. Areas with Echos in the earth tend to have ripple patterns in the sand, or the ground'll be sunk in a bit. The signs are subtle—you could stare at 'em for hours and see nothing unless you've been doing this for years.”
Victor drove them around a cluster of sharp rocks, but then hit the gas too soon over a rough patch. The truck jolted violently, throwing Devvyn against the dashboard.
"Careful!” Gaur barked.
"Sorry, sorry,” Victor muttered, easing the speed.
"Like I was saying,” Gaur went on, "once we find a sign, we start digging. Could be right under the surface, could be twenty feet down. We go slow, use hoes or axes first. If it's deeper, we drill, but slow so we don't damage the Echo. If you hit one directly, you could crack it.”
Devvyn kept his eyes on him. "And once you've got an Echo?”
"We measure its lux power with a special tool, then put it straight into its own metal casing, and then into a crate. We group them by lux so Echos of the same lux go in the same crate. They're easier to keep track of that way."
By now, the scenery had shifted. The sharp rocks gave way to patches of green, grass stretching in uneven clumps, trees beginning to appear like scattered sentries. The air grew thicker, with an underlying scent of moss.
"And that's it,” Gaur finished, leaning back as the trucks rolled toward the looming tree line of the Verdant Shroud.
Devvyn turned to the window, watching the forest draw closer. Devvyn tilted his head. "Sounds pretty easy to me.”
Gaur barked out a laugh, loud, rough, and so forceful his shoulders shook. Victor joined in, his own laughter spilling over until both men were nearly doubled in their seats.
Gaur wiped at his eyes. "Easy, he says…” He gasped for breath, grinning. "Little thief, you've got no idea.”
Victor shook his head, still chuckling. "Sounds easy in theory, sure. But in real life? Finding Echo signs can take hours. And even if you do find one, they don't just sit still waiting for you. They move under the earth sometimes. You might finish digging and realise the thing's already shifted out of reach. Or worse, there was never one there in the first place.”
"And while you're dealing with all that,” Gaur added, his tone dropping, "you've got to keep your head on a swivel for the Shroud Creatures. They'll rip you apart limb from limb if they get you.”
Devvyn blinked. "Shroud creatures? Never heard of those.”
Victor glanced at him with a crooked grin. "Don't worry. It's an urban legend amongst Echo Hunters. Gaur's just trying to scare you. He says this to all the new Hunters. We've never encountered any creature. Probably never will."
The truck jolted as the ground changed again, but now the horizon ahead was no longer a flat expanse. Rising before them was the Verdant Shroud, walls of colossal trees, their trunks packed so tightly together they formed a living barrier.
