> "Hold onto this if something gets behind us it may be up to you to protect us!" 

Kituo quivered as those words streamed into his ears. He accepted the spear as it was placed into his hands. He couldn't determine if the spear craftsman words were sincere, but they had an impact. While it was most likely out of necessity, he trusted Kituo with a task. Not only that. His companions trusted him to guard their lives. Did they think he, who was the smallest between them, was strong enough to fight back whatever foe lunged at them? Kituo didn't. He struggled to hold the spear as familiar feelings seeped into his psyche. A drop of sweat rolled down the side of his head as he braced himself for yet another disaster. 

"O-okay," Kituo stammered. He wanted to add that was going to do his best but couldn't. He didn't think that such a statement would be truthful for he couldn't even promise himself that.

It took the strength of three bears for Kituo to grasp the spear. Still trembling, he had finally come to accept the weapon but in doing so he unlocked another task. All warriors needed to know how they were going to use their weapon before doing so. If they didn't then the consequences could be horrendous. Kituo shuttered at the thought of the worst possible outcomes of him chucking his spear impulsively. What if it wasn't the impending threat that killed off his companions but Kituo's inability to act properly? The longer Kituo looked at the spear the more he regretted accepting it. He was able to resist dropping it again for he felt that would accept the spear craftsman. Not only that, there was a force within Kituo that kept his fingers locked around the spear's shaft. His other arm remained wrapped around the lantern. Little did Kituo know that the same object he depended on for safety would soon draw to him serious distress.

> "I believe that something dark is going to happen Kituo, stay close to me and be prepared for pretty much anything right now" 

Thankfully, or unfortunately depending on further developments, Kituo wouldn't have to worry much about his usage of his spear. He tuned back into the crisis after feeling the wooden construct get ripped from his hands. His eyes trailed the spear as Simon hurled through the air away from him. It took a moment for Kituo to register just why he would do such a thing, but the realization hit him alongside Simon's voice. Kituo and his companions were all so far on edge that they were at risk of falling off if they moved only an inch the wrong direction. Kituo felt relieved that Simon had come to his aid for it meant that not much else would be expected of him. Simon to an extent was taking matters in his own hands which meant that Kituo would not be responsible for him any longer. It was harsh, but that was Kituo thought to repay his favor. Staying out of another man's way often did him well. That was a tenet of Kituo's philosophy that he followed. He was going to stick close to Simon as long as he wasn't swarmed by the hell that was soon to envelope the trio.

Without the spear occupying one of his hands, Kituo was free to secure the lantern with both. He held it up to his chest and pressed its warmth against his tattered shirt. Oh how he cherished the lantern. So far it had been the only light that fought back the darkness that clawed at Kituo both literally and figuratively. Although Kituo indeed intended to stick with Simon, the lantern had ascended to the top of his priority lists. Without the lantern Kituo estimated that he would be a mere speck of nothing within the forests depths. Its light soothed him as much as possible and granted him sanctuary. A pleasant falsehood that would burst into his utmost despair.

Kituo had become too involved with the lantern and paid for it earnestly. He wasn't prepared when the fiends descended onto him from the trees, the glare of their red eyes petrifying him. Kituo's teeth chattered, his body freezing as if he were standing in the midst of the desert's fiercest night. The winged fiends flocked him as if they vultures and he were a fresh gazelle carcass. Stunned, Kituo first thought to drop to his knees and tuck the lantern under his chin. He focused on keeping the lantern safe and not himself. The rat attack, which would forever haunt him, replayed in his mind. The trauma reminded Kituo that it was not his duty to protect the lantern but instead the other way around. His arms wobbling, he swung the lantern at the winged fiends in hopes of detering them away. 

"Get back! Get back!" Kituo screeched, his voice cracking under pressure.

He hadn't realized it yet but this was as close to fighting for his life as he had ever come. During the rat attack he panicked and screamed. Okay, so that wasn't much different than what he was doing now but at least he had some resolve to get the fiends away from him. He swung the lantern as if it were the spear. He cared not for the contents it contained, aiming to knock the lantern into his assailants if they came too close. Kituo also shut his eyes. The sounds of the assault would always rest within his mind but he could not bare to subject his eyes to more revulsion. When he finally decided to reopen them, Kituo scanned his surroundings for a window of escape. If he were to find one, he would attempt to remove the target from himself by fleeing in the appropriate direction. If this resort proved futile, then Kituo would have no other option but to continue standing his ground.