Kituo clenched the shaft of the spear so hard that he could have swore he heard the wood crack. He wasn't about Simon not taking the spear, he was a bit irritated that he had to hold onto it. Kituo didn't have the courage to fight a battle and he knew it. Furthermore, the rat attack had traumatized him and he was feeling particularly non-violent as a result. He took his eyes off Simon as he went to go prepare the fire, leaving him to his own devices. For now Kituo would remain on standby until one of his two companions produced results. He stood quietly as he formulated a plan on how he would avoid a fight if one should happen. While he previously considered abandoning his party, he was starting to think against it. How long would a coward such as himself last amongst the forest and its unexplored depths? Not very long, that was a guarantee. This left Kituo with another dilemma. When he inevitably became petrified at the sight of an enemy, he would to find a way to explain his reluctance to his party in order for them to remain on peaceful terms. Kituo hated when things were expected of him. Failure seemed to be all he was capable of.

Fazing into the moment, Kituo caught a glimpse of a dark blur whizzing within the trees. His paranoia came into effect and detonated his peace of mind. So the spear craftsman was right after all! Kituo's good perked up while his torn one twitched as he tuned his hearing into his surroundings. He couldn't quite catch any abnormal sounds, mostly because the injury he sustained dwindled his hearing a few notches. Kituo sighed. Why was he even trying? It wasn't like he would be of a any help regardless.

_If a fight really where to break out,_ Kituo mused, his eyes aimed toward the grass, _it would be better for all of us if I hid somewhere safe. That tough guy will probably be able to do better if he doesn't have to worry about me._

Kituo looked down at the spear. He wanted to throw it into the undergrowth. A coward like him wasn't worthy of holding a weapon. Never mind that it was made out of haste. Kituo would fail even if the spear was handcrafted by the gods themselves. Kituo acknowledged the real reason why he wanted Simon to hold onto the spear. While it was true that he was too afraid to fight, it was also because that the mere thought of a weapon in his palms revived a haunting memory. That of his original dream.

_"No son of my mine is going to throw his life away on a battlefield! You're going to be better than me, Kituo! More than just a stone cutter!"_

_"I sent you to that school because I thought it would make me proud. I was wrong."_

"Ergh!" Kituo lashed out, his eyes slamming shut as he winced. He dropped the spear onto the ground, its blade narrowly missing his feet. 

> _"Kituo...Maji. Help us."_

"W-what?" Kituo stammered, blinking. "Who was that?" 

He looked to the Sparrow King who had not moved from along the stream. Kituo was unable to determine whether the whispers were from the specter or not. It was hard to pinpoint the Sparrow King's exact voice for it sounded as if multiple people were speaking simultaneously. Kituo kept his gaze locked on the Sparrow King just in case it struck, his heart rate speeding up as it turned his head towards the spear craftsman. Kituo wondered what the Sparrow King was going to communicate if it spoke anything at all. He also hoped that it would soon leave for the specter's presence was making him uneasy. 

The popping sound of flames caught Kituo's attention right as he felt a soft pressure pat the side of his neck. His focus pried away from the brilliance of the fire that Simon managed to conjure, Kituo darted his eyes around to discover what it was that touched him. He found nothing. That beyond freaked them out.

"Guys!" Kituo unintentionally whelped, the pitch of his voice climbing to forest's canopy. "Something hit my neck!"