Chapter 36 – At the Edge of Wilderness
Chapter 36
At the Edge of Wilderness
Date: Day 27 of Harvestmoon. 1024 Aethellgard Concord Year.
The golden and silver orbs had already climbed past the horizon. Casting their mingled light across the grasslands. The brightness pushed against their closed eyelids.
They had truly slept like logs. The exhaustion from the battle had demanded its due. Every muscle. Every fiber. Every ounce of energy had been spent. And they had paid it.
Hyoren woke first.
His eyelids fluttered. Blinking against the brightness. His mind foggy. Trying to make sense of where he was. The rock ceiling above him. The smell of dry grass beneath him. The sound of water nearby.
Then he felt the breath on his neck. Soft. Rhythmic. The soft sensation of an arm draped across his chest. A body pressed against his side. Curved into him. Fitting perfectly against his form.
Finally, he remembered yesterday.
The battle. The Alpha. The desperation. The victory. The aftermath. The conversation by the fire. Elise pulling him close. Falling asleep together. The warmth of her body against his.
He stiffened slightly. His body becoming aware of every point of contact. The weight of her arm across his chest. The warmth of her body seeping into his side. The tickle of her hair against his skin.
His squirming also woke Elise up.
"Mm."
A soft sound. A murmur of protest. Her eyes still closed. Her body still heavy.
"Morning already?"
She rubbed her sleepy eyes. Her knuckles pressing against her lids. Trying to drive away the remnants of sleep. Her silver hair was a mess. Tangled. Falling across her face.
Then her eyes opened. Finding his face. Recognizing him. A soft smile forming on her lips.
"Morning, Hyoren."
Her voice was rough with sleep. Low. Almost a whisper.
She stretched beside him. Her body extending. Her arms reaching above her head. A groan of satisfaction escaping her lips.
"Good morning, Elise. Well, it's not morning anymore, though."
He chuckled a bit. The sound came easily. Natural. Something that had become more frequent around her.
He sat up slowly. Testing his body. Feeling the protest in his muscles. The stiffness in his joints. Then stood. His legs bore his weight. Holding steady. No trembling. No weakness.
He stretched. Reaching for the sky. Feeling his muscles extend. Feeling the pull in his back. The tension released slowly.
There was still pain. A dull ache that pervaded his body. The remnants of the backlash from his unique skill. But it was muted. Manageable. Nothing like the agony of yesterday.
He jumped slightly. Testing his legs. His balance. The ground held firm beneath his feet. Then tried to walk. A few steps across the shelter. Back and forth. His stride was steady.
"It seems a good night's rest and eating good food finally made me fully recovered."
He spoke the words with relief. The fear of permanent damage had lingered. But now, standing on his own two feet, he felt almost normal.
"There's still a bit of dull pain. But I can walk and run normally."
He tested his arm. Rotating his shoulder. Flexing his fingers. The motion was smooth.
"I can't fight at 100% yet, though."
Elise smiled. A warm, relieved expression. Seeing him up and moving. Seeing him recovered. The tension in her shoulders eased.
"That's good."
She pushed herself up. Standing beside him. Her movements were fluid.
"We can resume our journey then."
She walked toward the river.
Hyoren followed closely. His legs steady beneath him. His pace matching hers. Side by side.
She knelt at the water's edge. Cupping the cool liquid in her hands. Splashing it on her face. The water ran down her cheeks. Dripping onto the rocks below.
Then she fixed her tangled hair. Her fingers worked through the silver strands. Detangling the knots that had formed during sleep. She gathered it, pulled it back, and tied it in her usual ponytail.
Hyoren also washed his face. Driving away the last traces of sleepiness. The cold water was a shock to his system. He scrubbed his skin. Removing every trace of the battle he could find. The caking blood on his arms. The dried grime on his face.
He saw his reflection in the water.
The unkempt hair. Falling past his shoulders now. More than forty days without a haircut. The unshaven stubble on his jaw. A beard beginning to form. His face had changed since arriving in this world. Leaner. More defined.
He fixed his hair too. It was already too long. Unmanageable. He found small strips of leather from his bag. And tied it at the back. Practical like Elise's.
They returned to their camp. The dying embers of last night's fire. Orange sparks still glowing among the ash. The scattered remains of their bedding.
Elise knelt by the fire pit. Putting more branches on the dying embers. Feeding the sparks. Blowing gently. The fire crackled. Warmth spread through the small shelter.
She took a small chunk of Alpha meat. The last of their fresh stores. And roasted it over the fire. Seasoning it lightly with salt and pepper. The rich and savory smell filled the shelter.
"We don't have any more preserved meat."
Her voice was practical.
"We should buy some whenever we find a traveling merchant on the road later."
She turned the meat. Cooking it evenly. The fat sizzled. Dripping into the fire.
"For now, let's eat lightly."
They both ate the meat. Savoring the last of the Alpha's flesh. They ate slowly.
Then, they tidied their camp.
Elise took the Ward Stones. The four square stones glowed faintly as she secured them in her bag.
Hyoren doused the fire with sand. Smoke rose from the ashes. Then he broke apart the makeshift bed. Scattering the dry grass. Returning the shelter to its natural state.
Elise took her bag. Slinging it over her shoulders. Adjusting the straps. Making sure everything was secure. Then she slung her bow across her back. Checked her quiver. Counted the arrows that remained.
The count was critically low. Lost in the battle with the wolves. Used against the Alpha. She hoped the journey would be safer after this. They would reach town soon. She could resupply there.
Hyoren slung his bag as well. Securing his makeshift dagger on his belt. The steel tip wrapped in leather. He checked the Cinder-maw daggers. Secured there too.
His hand felt empty. No long shaft to grip. No familiar weight of his spear. He was so used to having it.
He threw away the walking stick he had used yesterday. No longer needed. His legs were strong again.
Elise looked back at him. Her emerald eyes met his.
"Ready, Hyoren? Let's go."
Hyoren nodded. Catching up with her. Falling into step beside her. Their strides synchronized.
"Let's go, Elise."
They started walking. Leaving the camp behind. Leaving the Green Grassland behind. Leaving the memories of the battle. All of it fading into the distance as they moved forward.
***
Their footsteps fell in rhythm. The grasslands stretched before them.
The river they kept following widened and curved to the west not long after. Its waters spreading. Its course bending away from their path. But Elise didn't follow it. She continued walking north.
"The river will go to Akela from here."
She gestured toward the flowing water. The current moving away from their path. The surface glittering in the dual sunlight.
"But we won't follow it from now. We should try to reach the road. And walk on the road. It will be safer."
The river had already guided Hyoren since his cave. It had been his companion. His landmark. His source of water and direction. For more than forty days. Through the forest. Through the wilderness. It had led him to safety.
And now they were going to depart from it.
But Hyoren nodded. No need to be too sentimental about a river. It had served its purpose. It had brought him this far. That was enough.
"Understood Elise..."
His voice was steady.
"Traveling through the road is definitely going to be safer."
They continued walking north. Side by side. Their shadows stretched behind them.
The grassland began to change around them. Subtly at first. Then more noticeably. The grass grew shorter. Patches of bare earth appeared.
The bushes started to appear more often. Clusters of vegetation. Thicker. Greener. Breaking the monotony of the plains.
"We should reach the road soon."
Elise's voice carried a note of relief.
"These Silver Oak trees are the mark. We're already leaving the grassland."
The trees started to appear more often too. Scattered at first. Then in greater numbers. Their presence changing the landscape. Transforming it from open plains to something else. Something between grassland and forest.
Hyoren examined the trees. Studying them with new interest. They were like small oaks. Much shorter than the trees he had seen in the Forest of No Return. The ironwood giants that had blocked out the sky. These were different. More modest. With multiple branches spreading outward.
But the bark was distinctive. Silver. Almost metallic in the sunlight. Shimmering slightly as the breeze rustled through the leaves. The surface caught the light. Reflecting it in subtle patterns. Like polished metal.
It wasn't a towering forest. The trees weren't dense enough to block the sky. To form walls of vegetation. But they were numerous enough. Dense enough. To change the character of the land. To make it something other than grassland.
Elise ducked under one of Silver Oak branches. Her fingers brushed the bark as she passed.
"These Silver Oaks are often used as bows. They are strong and elastic. Perfect to make bow."
She gestured at the bow slung on her shoulder. The weapon she had carried.
"Mine is also made from these wood."
Hyoren nodded. He continued walking while looking at the trees. Examining the bark. The branches. The way the wood curved and bent.
"SSo this wood isn't good for making a spear, huh... let alone building."
He thought about his lost spear. He thought about replacing it. Crafting something new from the materials around him.
Elise chuckled. A light sound.
"Hyoren, you..."
She glanced back at him while walking forward. Her green eyes sparkling with amusement.
"Still want to repair your spear by yourself?"
She turned around. Both her arms on her hips. A mock stern expression on her face.
"Mou. Just leave it to professional later in the city!"
Hyoren scratched his cheek. Embarrassed. Caught in his habit.
"Sorry, Elise... just can't help thinking out of habit."
Elise smiled. She was not angry. The stern expression melted into something softer. Warmer. She turned around and continued walking.
"Please stop doing everything by yourself starting now, okay? Let Blacksmith craft your weapon. Let Armorer craft your armor."
Elise found a small trail. A faint path winding between the trees. Barely visible. But there. And decided to follow it.
"Unless crafting is your goal."
She chuckled. The sound fading into the trees ahead.
Hyoren caught up to her. Matching her pace. Walking side by side. Their footsteps crunching on the dry earth.
"Haha. Sorry, Elise... but no. My immediate goal is still becoming adventurer. Don't worry."
He chuckled. The tension from the past days slowly fading.
Elise turned her head to face Hyoren. And smiled. A genuine smile.
"Good. That's good."
Elise raised her arms towards the sky. Stretching. Her pointed ears twitched. Catching the sounds of the forest. The rustle of leaves.
"Now. I'm sure we're already close to road. I think we will see the road after we climb those small hill."
She pointed at the hill in front of them. It wasn't really a hill. More like a mound of earth. A gentle rise in the landscape. Barely noticeable against the horizon.
Hyoren smiled. Relieved. The journey was almost over. Civilization was close.
"I see. That's good. Road means there should be less monsters, right?"
Elise glanced back at him. A quick look over her shoulder. Nodding as she walked.
"That's right."
Her voice was confident. Reassuring.
"And we'll meet travelers. Merchants. Knight patrols."
Her steps steady. Her pace unwavering.
"The road is generally safe around here."
They continued walking. The trees were not enough to hinder them. The spacing was wide. The terrain was flat. The undergrowth was minimal. Their pace remained good. Steady. Rhythmic.
Then, after they climbed a small hill, they stopped.
***
Hyoren and Elise saw it.
About a kilometer from their position. A road.
An almost straight road stretching from east to west. A line carved into the landscape.
From afar, it was a dirt road. But not like the paths he had trodden in the forest. Not like the rough trails of the grasslands. It looked compact and smooth. Packed down by countless feet. Countless wheels. Countless journeys. Not paved with stone. Certainly not asphalt. But still. Smooth. Maintained.
The road was busy.
There were travelers. Figures walking in both directions. Individuals. Groups. There were wagons. Drawn by horses. Carrying goods. Carrying people. There were horseback riders. Moving faster than the others. Passing along.
From Hyoren's perspective, it seemed four carriages could tread side by side with space to spare. It was a wide road. A road built for commerce. For travel. For connection between distant places.
Elise stopped. Turning to face Hyoren. A smile on her face. She stretched her hands out. Presenting the view like a gift.
"Here we are."
Her voice carried pride and relief.
"King's Highway."
Hyoren stared at the road. At the travelers. At the wagons. At the signs of civilization.
"King's Highway."
The words came out as a mutter.
"Finally. Civilization..."
His eyes were awed. Wide. Taking in the sight. After more than forty days in the wilderness. After the forest. After the goblins. After the Alpha. Finally, he could see traces of civilization.
Elise smiled. Seeing his reaction. Understanding his wonder. Then she explained. Pointing. Gesturing. Orienting him in this new landscape.
"This King's Highway."
She gestured broadly at the road beneath them.
"Is an artery road connecting cities in the Kingdom of Altaria. They're always named as such."
She turned slightly. Pointing to the west. The direction they would be traveling.
"And this specific part..."
She gestured to the west.
"Leads to Frontier City Akela."
Hyoren looked west. The road stretching into the distance. Disappearing over the horizon.
She turned again. Gesturing to the southeast. Away from the Forest of No Return.
"Seaside City Yughur."
She turned a third time. Gesturing toward the towering mountain on the east. The peaks were massive. Enormous. Their heights not even visible from this distance. Shrouded in clouds.
"To that Dragon's Tooth Mountain Range. Specifically..."
Her voice carried a note of something. Awe. Respect.
"Dungeon City Harvengald."
Hyoren processed the information about the geography. Filing it away in his mind. The three cities. The connections between them.
The mention of Dungeon made him curious. It was another staple of fantasy. Dungeons. Labyrinths. Places of danger and treasure. But he shelved the curiosity for now. There were more important things to do.
"I see."
He nodded slowly. Absorbing the information.
"But our destination is Akela? Not the other cities?"
Elise nodded. Her expression practical.
"Because from here, the closest is Akela."
She began to explain. Her voice taking on a lecturing tone.
"Harvengald would take us twelve to fifteen days of walking through treacherous mountain ranges."
She shook her head slightly.
"And Yughur would take us six to eight days."
Another shake.
"While Akela..."
She smiled.
"Is only two days away."
Hyoren turned his gaze toward the west. Toward Akela. The city was not visible yet. Hidden by distance. They still needed to walk two more days on the road. But it would be a journey on the road. Not through territory controlled by Apex or Goblin Kings. Not through wilderness.
Through civilization.