BK1 Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Nineteen

"Ow", I complained as Rian tied scraps of my cloak around my shoulder and chest.

"Sorry, bandages aren't my thing" She lightened her touch, dabbing some of the blood from my arm. The blue shirt Eduard had given me was ruined. The sleeves were torn, holes dotting my chest from the craven bats. My cloak only reached my waist, the ends shredded.

Rian looked similar. We were both scratched, with minor bite marks puncturing our skin. We kept vigilant of the craven bats still in the rafters. They watched us with their beady eyes, but they kept their distance after we took down the dog beast.

"There, that's the best I can do", Rian sighed, pulling away as I tested my new arm sling. The muscles in my shoulder had been torn. My right arm was no longer functional. Not without extreme pain. I don't know if I would have kept conscious during the initial bite without my pain resistance skill.

"Thanks. Are you okay?" I asked, seeing the tear in Rian's left leg from the beast. Her blood had dried and flaked on the material of her trousers.

"I'll be fine. It didn't get too deep," she winced, walking over to the dog beast's body. It lay on the cold stone floor, its eyes void of life. "I'm going to get its core. Do you want to get the craven bats?"

"Ugh, sure. I just dig them out, right?" I gingerly took my dagger with my working left hand and picked up one of the bats' bodies.

"Yeah, should be in their chest" Rian stabbed into the dog beast carcass and began to dig.

I grimaced, holding the bat. Its hairless body felt cold. I had never touched anything dead before. I placed it on the ground and sank my dagger into its dead flesh. The sensation was weird as its body squelched when I ripped my dagger down until I felt something hard resist the blade. Biting my lip to hold back my nausea, I put my dagger aside and stuck my hand into the wound. Grabbing the hard round object in its chest. With a yank, I removed the small core of the craven bat.

The object in my hand was a dark green. It throbbed with energy the moment it touched my skin. Aether swirled in its centre, and it felt warm, unlike the body I pulled it from.

"Wind core", Rian glanced over my shoulder. "Most craven bats will have them."

"They didn't use wind Aether, though?" I asked, picking up another to repeat the process.

"They weren't at a high enough level to do so. We got lucky this thing," Rian kicked the dog beast, "didn't have a chance to use its water Aether" She held out a much larger dark blue core.

"It was more than luck", I sighed, my shoulder throbbing. "It was a miracle."

"No, it was your insight about those mushrooms that saved us". Rian carefully picked up the mushrooms scattered on the floor as I stabbed another craven bat.

"I didn't think we would use them so soon," I said, pulling out a fourth wind core and adding it to my backpack.

"I doubt this will be the only demonic beast we encounter", Rian mumbled, handing me the mushrooms she placed in another cloth bag made from the remains of my cloak. She then began helping with the rest of the craven bats. "We should probably devise some tactics for the next one we encounter. Especially now that you can't use that arm."

"Right, I won't be able to help much, so you will have to do most of the fighting" I frowned. I was already weak, to begin with. Now I was pretty much useless.

"Well, let's get out of here first, and we can discuss our options on the way?"

"Sure" I nodded, and we quickly finished up with the remaining craven bats. We ended up with twelve small wind cores and one medium water core. Rian kept the water core, and we split the wind cores between us. I had no idea how to use them, but I remembered Eduard had said beast cores were useful for summoners.

We cut some of the dog beast meat for our rations as we didn't know when we would come across more food. I didn't like the idea of eating it, but as Rian put it, it couldn't be that bad. The snake beast meat was edible, so in theory, this should be too.

Leaning on each other, we finally headed for the light at the end of the cave.

***

We shielded our eyes as we approached the light. After being in the cave's darkness for so long, they hurt from the intensity. Unfortunately, the source was from a gap up a short incline. I found it challenging to keep a grip with just one hand, and Rian struggled to push up the slope with her leg. Nevertheless, we climbed, helping each other where we could and squeezed through the gap ungracefully.

Finally, we were out.

The plains of the highlands stretched far out, the meadows gently swaying in the fresh wind. The air was clean, and I took a deep breath of relief. The sky was bright, and there was nothing around that I would classify as dangerous.

It was just us.

No sign of the Army brigade.

"They left then", I grumbled. I had thought they might have, but it was depressing to see our theory confirmed.

"As I thought they would. Come on. Maybe they left a trail we can follow" Rian grabbed my good hand and dragged me forward from my stupor.

"Are we even close to where they were?" I had no clue where we were.

Did Rian know?

"No idea, but if we walk in the opposite direction from the tunnel, we might find something" Rian drew one of her blades, her eyes darting around us, looking for danger.

I hadn't thought of that.

Nodding, I shifted my backpack and kept up with her pace. It was easier now that she was limping every other step. We walked for some time as the sun in the sky was beaming down on us. Without the brigade surrounding us, the plains felt empty. I hadn't realised how accustomed I had grown to the noise of others marching beside me. Without them, I felt exposed. A bird's cry in the sky made me jump as I became anxious from the quiet. I worried that we could be ambushed at any moment. After that, it became difficult to think of anything else.

In an attempt to divert my anxiety, I held my palm forward as we walked.

"Sign update", I called, and a list of shortened information appeared.

Blood Sign Updates:

Jian – Flowing Water: 6 – (Novice) +1

Dagger Strike: 10 – (Initiate) +2

Pain Resistance: 25 – (Apprentice) +2

Stamina: 11– (Initiate) +3

The shortened information was much easier to check my skills. The added note of how much they had improved was also helpful. I was happy to see my dagger strike and stamina have evolved to initiate grade. That could be why I didn't feel as exhausted walking as I had when first starting the march. My body was slowly getting better accustomed to strenuous activity.

Soon the sky began to darken, and we slowed our pace. We agreed it was too dangerous to walk at night, so we set up a makeshift camp. Unfortunately, neither of us had a tent. Both of our marching partners had them. So we laid our bedrolls directly onto the ground, the night sky sparkling above.

We managed a small fire and attempted to cook the dog beast meat. Rian saw me turning it on a stick and rolled her eyes, grabbing it from me before I could finish. She sprinkled a powder onto it and then set it beside hers after piercing it with holes. I watched them cook and couldn't quite figure out why she had been mad at my cooking. However, when I bit into the cooked meat, my eyes widened as the flesh melted in my mouth with a pleasant taste of pepper and salt.

"This is good!" I exclaimed, my ravenous stomach begging for more.

"Why do you sound surprised" Rian laughed, biting into her own.

"I-I just, I didn't know you could cook", I meekly blushed, devouring it.

"It's nothing, just a skill I picked up", she shrugged, smiling, clearly happy about the compliment.

"Do you think you could teach me? Whatever I cook turns black," I asked, eager to learn. If I could cook like this, I wouldn't have to rely on others to make my food for me.

"Sure, I don't think I could stand by whilst you burn perfectly good food anyway", she grinned and proceeded to show me her techniques.

Apparently, piercing the meat allowed the heat to cook through it better, and adding spices improved flavour considerably. I attempted to cook a few small chunks on my own, but they still burnt, and I pouted in frustration. Rian explained I wasn't turning them enough, so I tried again with a few more small pieces when a tingle sizzled in my body.

"Sign update", I called excitedly, and a box appeared.

Blood Sign Updates:

New Skill Gained

General: Cooking: - 1 – (Novice)

"You got the skill?" Rian asked, enjoying my enthusiasm.

"Yes! I can't wait to show Teresa. She is just as bad as I am" I popped the small chunk I had cooked into my mouth. It wasn't as good as Rian's, but it wasn't burnt.

"She's that commoner you are teamed with?"

"Yes", I nodded. "She's from Ingalham."

"Oh, that wooded town? She must have travelled here with Lord Landrick" Rian cleaned her metal skewer and placed it back into her backpack.

"Landrick? You mean the Marquess of Ingalham?"

"Yeah, his son joined up this year with us. I haven't spoken with him, but he seemed okay. A little standoffish."

"Sounds familiar", I teased, and Rian scowled.

"I am not standoffish" She folded her arms with a glare.

"Sure, and I'm not a Crazy Cerue" I raised my eyebrow. We looked at each other before smiling.

"Maybe I could stand to loosen up a little", Rian slouched, leaning back on her bedroll to stare up at the sky.

"Maybe, but then I would have to start acting sensible" I tugged my lips, leaning my head in my good hand as I lay in my own bedroll.

"True, that may be difficult for you", she teased me back, and we laughed.

"I never did ask you", Rian started, a little hesitant. "Why did you… why did you do that?" She paused, seeing my confusion. "The um, night with a man in a tavern, of all places", she clarified.

"Oh, simple answer?" I asked, and she nodded.

"I wanted to annul my engagement with Garret Asher. Didn't do much good, though."

"You ruined your reputation just to cancel an engagement?" her voice furrowed in surprise. "Why don't you just refuse?"

"I did", I sighed. "My Father thinks my marriage to Garret is the best choice". I looked up at the sky as the stars watched us. It was a beautiful night. "He wouldn't listen."

"I'm sorry", Rian quietly responded, her face frowning. "I understand. I can't refuse my Father either."

"I know", I smiled sullenly. Remembering that Rian wanted to be a seamstress, not a summoner.

"Maybe when we get to the capital, you could be a seamstress as a hobby?"

"Perhaps", she fidgeted in her bedroll. "Do you know what you want to do? As a profession?"

"No clue", I sighed. "I still need to learn what my options are or what I'm good at. General Saika said I could join the medical research team with my herbology skills."

"He doesn't give recommendations often. Albertine works under him."

"Oh? What does Albertine do?"

"She chose the warrior profession against Father's will. He wants all of us to be enchanters" Rian raised one of her blades high as she inspected the runes etched onto the metal.

"I see. I think Eduard is in administration. He doesn't tell me much."

"Callan?"

"I'm not sure. He never told me but from his personality… I would guess he wants to be a warrior," I theorised as much from his station guarding us trainees.

"Makes sense, he is…."

"A hothead?" I finished her sentence as she grinned, nodding.

"Yes, a hothead."

"Do you talk much? With Callan, I mean?" I asked, knowing that they were engaged in my second life. In my third life, they hadn't gotten engaged. I never understood why, as I was primarily trapped in Garret's mansion. It had bothered me. I had wondered if it was because of my antagonistic actions towards Rian in my second life that had made the difference. That and Callan had perished in my third life during an excursion into the deadlands.

"Not really", she shrugged. "He only ever interacted with me when we… argued" She sheepishly looked away, confirming my suspicion.

So, I had been their catalyst.

We talked into the night. Discussing cooking techniques, nobles we both disliked, such as Garret, and ideas for what the dog beast may have been. We distracted ourselves from our situation as we did. Taking comfort in each other's presence. We came up with a battle plan should we be attacked again. Eventually, we took turns sleeping so one of us could guard against demonic beasts.

Then morning came.