Chapter 30: Elena agent
They made their way far from the Moonlight Kingdom, traveling in silence through dense forest paths until the silver spires were no longer visible behind them. The journey had taken most of the night, and Eren’s muscles ached from the exertion of his escape and the subsequent trek.
"We’ll rest here," Lira announced as they reached a small clearing where the remnants of an old campsite were visible. "I use this place sometimes when traveling between kingdoms. We’re safe for now."
She moved with practiced efficiency, rekindling a fire in a stone-ringed pit and retrieving supplies from a hollowed tree trunk nearby. Her movements were fluid and graceful, but Eren noticed something peculiar about her—she seemed prone to small mishaps. As she bent to arrange her bedroll, the strap of her leather armor slipped unexpectedly off her shoulder, exposing more skin than she’d intended. She quickly adjusted it with a practiced motion that suggested this happened often.
"You should sleep," she told him, gesturing to a flat area across the fire. "I’ll take first watch. Tomorrow’s journey will be demanding."
Eren nodded, his face impassive despite his exhaustion. He arranged his cloak on the ground but kept his dagger within easy reach. Trust was not something he would give freely, especially to an agent of Thornvale. As he settled down, his thoughts whirled with questions about what lay ahead, what secrets awaited him, and whether he had made the right decision in leaving.
The night passed in fitful sleep, his dreams filled with shadowy figures and whispered prophecies. When dawn finally broke through the canopy of leaves above, Eren found himself still tired, his mind heavy with unresolved thoughts.
Something wet touched his cheek, then his forehead. Groggy and disoriented, Eren’s eyes fluttered open to find himself face-to-face with a strange creature he’d never seen before. It had four legs, a pair of translucent wings that caught the morning light, and large, curious eyes that stared directly into his. Its tongue darted out again, licking his face enthusiastically.
Eren shouted in surprise, his hand instinctively reaching for his dagger. In one fluid motion, he had the blade out and pointed at the creature, which merely tilted its head quizzically at him.
"Don’t you dare!" Lira’s voice cut through the clearing like a whip. She appeared from behind a nearby bush, several fish dangling from a line in her hand. "That’s a homic. They’re harmless, just curious about new people."
Eren slowly lowered his dagger, eyeing the creature warily as it continued to lick his hand affectionately. Now that the initial shock had passed, he could see the homic more clearly—it resembled something between a fox and a butterfly, with fur that shifted colors subtly as it moved. Its wings pulsed with inner light, casting prism-like rainbows across the forest floor, while its eyes—deep pools of amber flecked with gold—seemed almost sentient in their curiosity.
"Get off," he muttered, shaking his hand to dislodge the creature, which merely bounced back excitedly, wings fluttering. Eren scowled and waved it away more forcefully. The homic finally retreated a short distance, watching him with what seemed like amusement in its eyes.