Free Web NovelChapter 7: Warmth In The Cave
The flames crackled softly within the cave as their golden glow danced across rough stone walls while shadows stretched and twisted endlessly around the gathered exiles.
Outside, the winds of the Nether Lands continued their mournful howling, carrying distant sounds from the cursed forest beyond... frёewebnoѵel.ƈo๓
Yet inside the cave, for the first time since arriving in this dreadful Lands, there was warmth. It might be fragile, flickering and temporary... But it was real.
The group of eight sat around the fire in silence as no one relaxed, at least not completely...
The horrors of the forest still lingered fresh within their minds as blood stained some of their clothes while exhaustion weighed heavily upon every movement.
Even breathing felt tiring now...
The failed Vanguard sat with his Shield resting beside him while carefully sharpening the edge of his large Sword against a whetstone he had somehow saved...
The failed Pyromancer leaned quietly against the cave wall, staring at the flames as though trying to lose himself within them...
The failed Merchant sat near the younger girl, absentmindedly polishing the silver Coins floating lazily around her fingers...
The failed Gnost remained close to his Lantern, refusing to let it stray far from his reach. But no one mocked him for it as the Lantern had become their first light within the darkness...
And in a place like this... Light usually means survival.
The silence lingered peacefully for several moments until suddenly...
GRRRR
The sound echoed embarrassingly through the cave before everyone turned toward a frozen failed Gnost...
The failed Gnost’s pale face reddened instantly as his stomach growled once more in betrayal.
"S-sorry..." He said, looking away awkwardly. "...I haven’t eaten anything since the awakening ceremony."
For a moment, nobody spoke... Then the failed Vanguard snorted softly followed by the failed Pyromancer who laughed under his breath...
Even the failed Merchant hid a faint smile behind her hand.
But no one mocked him for his hunger because truthfully, most of them were also starving and to prove that point...
"Sister..." The younger girl weakly tugged at her sibling’s sleeve. "...I am hungry." She said.
Her small voice carried exhaustion more than complaint as the older sister looked down at her quietly.
Some of the coldness on her face melted away as she brushed strands of silver-black hair from her younger sister’s face, "We’ll eat soon."
The assurance lingered in the air like a fleeting promise until the failed Alchemist suddenly released a dramatic sigh.
"Do not fear..." He said dramatically before rising to his feet. Then he placed a hand on his chest and puffed it out, "This great Alchemist shall whip up something magnificent for us."
The failed Pyromancer rolled his eyes sarcastically as he scoffed disdainfullly, "Pft. With what ingredients?"
"With hope and suffering. That’s what." The failed Merchant suddenly chipped in.
"That explains why he failed at alchemy." The failed Gnost would say, shaking his head in amusement.
The cave actually grew lighter afterward. This time it wasn’t from Aether or the fire, but because of the laughter that existed there.
The failed Alchemist ignored the mockery of the group with exaggerated dignity before marching toward the massive bear carcass laying deeper within the cave.
He placed both hands against it and pushed... But nothing happened. The enormous beast did not even move slightly...
"You have to put your back into it." The failed Vanguard reminded before letting out a laugh.
The failed Alchemist’s face darkened and turned to glare at him, then he turned to push harder. Muscles bulged under his arms yet still nothing...
Eventually, the failed Vanguard sighed before standing beside him. "Move aside..."
Together, the two managed to drag the massive carcass closer toward the fire with considerable effort. And after that, the failed Vanguard was almost panting hard which made the failed Alchemist give him a disdainful side glance...
The failed Merchant looked at them doubtfully and asked the failed Alchemist, "And how exactly are you planning to cook that thing?"
He stared at her dramatically before muttering, "Oh ye of little faith..." Then he sighed slightly. "Watch this."
There was a shimmer of bronze Aether and his Viscount Tier Cauldron materialized once more with a a heavy metallic resonance. Using gathered uneven stones from the cave, the failed Alchemist managed to create a makeshift stove and placed his Cauldron on top of it...
After he was done, the failed Alchemist crossed his arms proudly and smiled, "This shall suffice." He said wiggling his brows at the failed Merchant.
The others watched in amusement before they got to work afterwards...
The failed Vanguard helped in cutting out portions of the bear like a seasoned butcher with his large Sword...
The faiked Pyromancer adjusted the flames beneath the Cauldron...
The failed Gnost awkwardly assisted where he could, mostly by illuminating the area whenever needed...
Even the younger girl watched curiously now despite her earlier fear...
And that was how life slowly returned to the cave. It was somewhat messy, broken and uncertain, but it was alive... And away from them all, Regaleon sat alone.
The flickering firelight illuminated portions of his rusted golden Armour while the silver Halberd rested quietly across his lap.
His golden eyes was lowered, distant and thoughtful and unlike others, he had yet to remove his Armour. At least not fully... Because somehow, it felt wrong to lower his guard within this Lands.
The cave might offer temporary shelter... But safety? No. Safety dies not exist here, only survival.
Regaleon’s fingers lightly brushed the surface of his Halberd and then slowly, his gaze narrowed. He noticed something had changed about it and that was something he realized shortly after the battle against the Wights...
At first, he believed that exhaustion had clouded his mind but after careful observation, he realized it was real.
The rust coating portions of his armour had begun peeling away; it was only slightly as there were small cracks and tiny fractured, but beneath those decayed layers... Gold gleamed. It was not dull gold, it was radiant gold...
The Halberd too had changed subtly as parts of the silver surface looked cleaner now and somehow sharper beneath the flickering cave light...
And then, there was the crimson line tracing both Soul Essences. It was faint, almost invisible unless observed closely...
The crimson markings stretched subtly along portions of both Armour and Halberd like incomplete runes carved into metal. Regaleon still could not understand what they meant but he was determined to find out...
Which is why he now sat in meditation. His eyes were closer as his breathing slowed moving rhythmically with the rising and falling of his chest. He was trying to connect with his Soul Essences...
Every awakener possessed something known as the Life Link. A spiritual bond connecting wielder and Essence together. Through it, awakeners gradually understood their powers, Aether Veins and hidden abilities...
For most nobles, their Life Link developed naturally over time after the awakening but for Regaleon, it felt strangely distant. Like trying to hear whispers under and endless ocean.
Still, he reached inward carefully... Sensing and listening. At first there was nothing as he only saw darkness...
Then faintly, he felt something. A strange presence hidden within his Soul Essences. It was cold, ancient and lonely.
The sensation was similar to the feeling of standing upon an endless battlefield beneath a crimson sky with broken weapons littering the ground and a mountain of corpses stretching endlessly into the horizon...
And with that sensation came a strange feeling as if he was been watched. Like something far away had set it’s sight on him. Something that was vast and primordial...
Regaleon’s brows furrowed slightly. He was about to link deeper when he suddenly sensed another presence beside him...
His eyes snapped open instantly while his shoulders tensed with his Halberd almost prepared to strike. Turning to his side, he saw the person...
The older sister had quietly settled near him during his meditation. Without her Cloak, she looked less like a phantom assassin and more like a weary young woman carrying too much burden upon narrow shoulders.
Her ragged clothes hung loosely against her frame while strands of silver-black hair reflected softly beneath the firelight.
For several moments, neither of them spoke as the girl simply looked toward the others gathered around the fire...
Her younger sister was smiling faintly now while watching the failed Alchemist argued loudly with the failed Vanguard about whether bear meat required seasoning or not...
It was a small, ordinary scene and yet it was strangely peaceful and soothing.
Then, the older girl finally spoke, "I wanted to thank you," Her voice remained calm and cold. And as quiet as winter snowfall.
Regaleon already knew what she was talking about. Earlier, during the battle, a Wight had nearly reached her sister but he had intercepted it. He killed the Wight and saved her sister...
"It was nothing..." Regaleon replied simply. "...there is no need for thanks."
The girl turned toward him, her dark eyes staring at him as if studying him carefully. "You are different." She said suddenly. Like a critic arriving at a factual conclusion.
Regaleon frowned but he didn’t say anything. He remained silent as he waited for her to continue which she did...
"Most knights are proud, arrogant and loud..." Her gaze drifted to the flames as she said those words. There was also a bitter undertone that lingered beneath those words, as though experience had shaped them.
"...But you..." She then slowly turned towards Regaleon and for a brief moment silence fell between them. "...you are cold, composed and calm." She continued, the firelight flickering softly in her silver eyes.
"It feels like there is a depth to you that no one can understand."
Regaleon stared at her quietly, golden eyes looking at her silver ones as he fell into thought...
Strange? No one had ever described him that way before. To his house, House Valehart, he was merely a failure. A stain upon noble prestige and a trash amongst treasure...
And yet, this girl who he barely knew for a few short hours was able to notice something others never bothered seeing. But he kept none of his thoughts on his face as he replied flatly, "I didn’t take you for someone who speaks much."
The girl blinked and then surprisingly, a faint almost imperceptible smile touched her lips briefly. Regaleon was right...
Since the journey began, she truly hadn’t spoken much. In fact, it was the failed Alchemist that did most of the talking. While she had only spoken to either comfort her sister or answer necessary questions. The rest of the time... She was silent, icy and distant.
And now, she willingly sat beside another, conversing with him. But there was something about the boy that intrigued her... fгee𝑤ebɳoveɭ.cøm
Perhaps, it might be because broken things recognized one another easier than others could...
Or perhaps, it was because shared survival simply created strange forms of trust between survivors.
The girl did not answer to his statement direct. Instead, she softly said, "Thank you."
And then, she rose gracefully to her feet and turned to her younger sister who was now waving toward her beside the flame now. With the same cold expression she had maintained through the journey, she made her way towards the rest of the group, leaving Regaleon in his thoughts...
Regaleon’s gaze followed her figure briefly as he watched the firelight illuminate her silhouette gently before shadows reclaimed portions of it again...
Then, he cleared his mind and closed his eyes once more.
Their journey had only just begun and they still have a long way to go...
