Chapter 37: Funeral
In the morning, Kael found himself all alone in his stone bed, making him wonder if he had overslept. So, he stretched a little, rubbed his eyes, and walked outside the cave.
Only then did he realize that they had actually slept in the same cave within the valley that Steve had previously occupied.
'They must've been exhausted... and also worried, so they just decided to use this place.'
It was surprisingly clean, probably because it had only been used by the Fanged Lions to hide until Kiona would have fallen into their trap.
As he stepped out of the damp cave, the glaring sunlight hit his face and nearly blinded him. He had to raise his arm to shield his eyes before they gradually adjusted.
'It's almost noon? I slept that long?' Kael was genuinely surprised as he fully emerged into the open.
Fortunately, he didn't have to go searching for his subordinates. He spotted Seth sitting quietly on a boulder not far away. It took him a second to identify which twin it was, but he quickly remembered that Seth was the calmer one. That detail helped.
'All the lions looked the same to me... and now they're twins? How the hell am I supposed to tell them apart otherwise?'
He shook his head, amused by his own thoughts, and approached him, asking, "Morning. Where are the others?"
Seth jumped slightly at the sound of the voice. But seeing that it was Kael, he relaxed and let out a deep breath. "You really are fine, Master."
"That I am."