We traveled out of the village in silence. I felt angry, and I didn't know why. It just felt… wrong. No other words described it better.

I glared at Devon's back. He wasn't to blame. What would he have even done? The people were dead, and jumping on stage like a madman helped nobody.

Yet why was I so mad?

We were at the spot where we had arrived when we exited the portal. Devon still hadn't said a word, and knowing him, he wouldn't. I chewed my cheek and scowled; it was the only thing I could do.

Devon reached for something under his shirt and pulled out a necklace. The chain was a simple string, while the medallion between his fingers was made of shiny metal. I caught white paint lines on one side and black ones on the other.

He held up the necklace and showed it to me. He then deliberately showed himself biting his lip hard enough to draw blood. With his finger, he wiped a drop on his glove and then smeared it on the white line of the medallion.

Afterward, he wiped the blood off on his pants and slipped the necklace back under his shirt. I raised an eyebrow, but I got my answer before I could ask another question—a single black root sprouted from the ground and then several more.

Like the archways from the portal spell, the roots grew into their familiar form, and rainbowy lights appeared in its center. The portal back to the Warren had arrived, and Devon wasted no time in stepping through.

I moved up and exhaled, welcoming the distraction of the strange sensation that came with teleporting places. As before, my cloak shifted around my body, and I sank into its embrace. The stretching sensation began, and I tried to shift around and squirm but failed to move.

A moment later, my feet touched the stone cave flooring of the Warren, and I searched for Devon only to see that he was nowhere to be found.

Neina sat in her chair, her book covering her face.

"Did he-" I started.

"Yep. Took the whisper tunnels. He'll be back if you want to wait," Neina interrupted.

"Ah." I shifted around, but there wasn't much to look at besides Neina. "Do you know where he went?"

"Yes, but I suggest you wait or go somewhere on your own. He went to deliver the moon elk to someone you don't want to meet right now. Trust me."

"Okay."

This is so damn awkward.

"Any suggestions on what to do with this?" I asked as I held up the sack full of food.

Neina lowered her book so her eyes were staring over the pages. "That is for you. For the raw meat, grab a room with a cooking pot and a fireplace."

"Oh." I lowered the sack and sighed. "How did you know what's inside?"

Neina sighed and set her book down. Her legs shifted off the armrest, and she crossed them. She placed her chin in her hands and stared. "Did you really ask what to do with a mysterious sack without elaborating and expect me to know the answer?"

"Well, I-"

"Devon needs to force your shift already. You're practically blind." She raised her hand to stop me from speaking. "Use your nose. I smelled the meat the moment you appeared."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't." I looked up, and she shook her head. "Stop being sorry for being a pup. Get over yourself. This place is as much your home as it is mine. You belong here, Cain."

Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

There was a lot to say about the amount of relief those words made me feel.

Something to dive into later.

"Thanks. Last question, I swear."

"Hmm?"

"Do I have a room? I'm not really sure what the living situation is like."

"Take the Whisper Tunnels. Whisper 'Haven Four.' Just imagine a black stone door with a golden knocker."

"Don't I need a clearer image?"

She glared and slowly picked up her book.

Right, I did say it was the last question.

I smiled and walked towards the wall where the tunnels lay behind. Keeping my eyes open, I walked through the wall and entered the tunnels.

Welp, let's hope Neina didn't mess with me.

"Haven four..." I whispered.

I imagined a big black door with a golden knocker. The image was rather plain, but Neina didn't provide other details. I'd just have to trust her.

My feet carried me into a jog down the tunnel. It seemed endless; within seconds, the wall behind me vanished. Glancing back, I saw only more tunnel. To stay focused, I kept whispering the place's name, reinforcing the door's image in my mind.

The journey didn't take long; it felt as smooth as breathing. One moment, there was an endless passage. The next, the tunnel ended, and a tall black door stretched into the far wall.

It was twice as wide as I was, and the knocker looked gigantic. Its metal shined in polished gold, starkly contrasting with the pitch-black door.

Glancing back the way I came, everything looked normal. With a shrug, I approached the door and tried to push, but it didn't budge. I couldn't find a doorknob or an indent to place my hand, so I did the only logical thing and grabbed the gigantic knocker.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

I released the knocker, and the door swung open silently. Only the void greeted me behind the door, and I stepped back.

No matter where I moved my head, the pitch-black darkness beyond was just that.

I debated going back and asking Neina if I'd discovered the right door but decided not to.

She might bite my head off if I keep disturbing her peace.

That thought got me to chuckle and rub my hands on my pants.

Damn, you're scared.

I was. The strange void ahead of me left me with an uneasy feeling. However, tiredness won in the end, and I wanted to take a nap more than I feared the magic doorway.

Bracing myself, I placed one foot inside the doorway and looked down. The darkness was absolute and cut off my foot, but as I pulled it out a second later, my limb remained undamaged. Taking that as a sign I was safe, I pushed through the void wall and stopped.

I expected another cave room, maybe even a small closet. But a small, open clearing in the middle of a forest never crossed my mind.

The trees were dark and rich, the bark smooth. The tall trunks continued high into the sky, where they fanned out into bushy canopies. Their leaves were a royal blue, almost like sapphires. Above the trees, a bright sun conquered the sky, its golden rays lighting the azure leaves from behind.

And on the ground level, a stone-lined campfire pit sat in the middle of the expanded room. Patches of soft-looking grass grew from the soil several feet away. When I closed my eyes, I heard the sounds of moving water. When I opened them, I turned and saw what looked like part of a pond off to the right.

I whistled softly. This wasn't exactly what I meant by needing a room, but this was so much better. It felt like camping but all to myself in what looked like a perfectly safe and peaceful forest.

With one quick walk around the small clearing, I peeked down the pathways. The pond bubbled beautifully. A small stream flowed through it, delivering a constant supply of fresh water that dripped into a pool below.

Another pathway on the opposite end led to a deep cave that extended into a small room with a pile of clean-looking blankets thrown on the floor.

At least I have a bed.

With the area clear, I returned to the center with the fire pit and plopped my butt atop a grass square. The grass felt as soft as it looked, and I relaxed. Feeling peace for the first time in what felt like ages, I settled deeper and placed my arms behind my head.

Except when I did, my arm flared up in pain, and I sat up in alert. I looked down at my arm and found it swollen with inflamed red scabs crisscrossing up my arm. Turning my hand around, I found it similarly swollen, but it looked more healed than the cuts.

I don't remember getting these… Did I just not notice?

Reaching up to touch my face, it felt hot and tender, more injuries I had forgotten about. As a last check, I pulled up my pant leg and found the area where the boar had stabbed me in the same state as my other wounds.

That didn't seem right; none of the injuries should have been this healed. It all felt too fast, even with magic, yet here I sat, alive and breathing.

I should be in the emergency room, yet I relax in a magical forest room… Just how strange can my life get?

My eyes scanned the clearing as I held my breath. Ten seconds passed, and nothing happened, so I slowly exhaled and sank to the ground. For a moment, I feared I cursed myself and tempted fate. It wasn't entirely out of the realm of existence; luck existed as a stat, after all.

I stared at the leafy canopy, ignoring the deeper thoughts simmering beneath the surface. If I pushed them out of my mind, I could relax, and that's all I needed.

To relax. A single moment to spend as me, by myself.

A loud rumbling interrupted my silent contemplation, and I reached a hand down to pat my stomach.

So much for sleeping. Does fish jerky taste good?