Lasse waited a second before correcting himself. “No, you can just get back here and admit defeat. Keep rations in mind. We can't help you if you break down in the forest or plains. You'll be scored on time, a report you’ll have to write, and if you keep up with your training.”
“Is this a regular exercise?” I asked. I had never heard of something like this.
Lasse shook his head. “The Allfather recommended this exercise to test your group's resilience and determination. Normally, I would have thought of something but he insisted.”
“Oh,” was the only reply I gave. I didn't expect the Allfather to directly interfere, especially not this early in our training.
“What are you waiting for? A goodbye kiss? Your families have been notified of your leave. Move!” Lasse yelled out.
We burst into action, grabbing the scaffolding and starting to put it on Dosor.
She laid on the ground as we attached the endless straps of reinforced leather, simply raising the legs when we needed to go around or under.
The saddle sat above her front legs with enough room for us four and rows of pouches along the sides. We attached the backpack Lasse handed us to it.
I sat at the front, Rachel immediately claiming the seat behind me and attaching herself to the saddle. Her arms still wrapped around my waist as the others mounted, the contact reassuring me that we were ready.
We quickly departed, not wanting to anger Lasse or diminish our score.
Stopping by my room, we grabbed Rachels alchemy kit and some rations.
The plains were simple enough to traverse, being the safest area in Tera due to the Dragonknights regularly flying over it. The biggest problem was finding and preparing enough food for all of us.
Dosor hunted alone when we camped, scouring the surrounding areas as Eva prepared food for the rest of us.
We did daily exercises to keep in shape and I thanked Ignatius for the cleaning cantrip Lin had shown us.
It meant that most of the cleaning fell to me because I could cast it without losing much power or utility but it didn’t clean everything so the others had to do something.
I didn't hate it. It left me plenty of time to go through different designs for enchantments in my head or chat with Rachel, something I had apparently done incorrectly for a while.
----------------------------------------
The Harndom Forest was a giant wall of darkwood trees that threatened to devour all light, a border impenetrable to mundane carts.
The thick trees reached high enough where we couldn't even discern singular branches in the treetops, all turning into a blurry green mess that covered everything. The lush grass of the plains quickly turned brown and patchy the deeper one went.
The mana density skyrocketed, billowing out of the forest like clouds and diffusing into the air.
It was fascinating to see how the mana density affected not only monsters but also plants.
We stopped at the border, Eva taking another look at the mission we were given. “It says to search for a Manticore lair at the lake of tranquillity. We are supposed to find a small artefact that has been lost in the assault on the Pale Serpents, a black metal cube approximately a foot in height and inscribed with countless runes.”
“Does anyone know what a Manticore looks like?” Ethan asked, looking at the mission statement over Evas shoulder. “I only saw a very crude picture Rachel had drawn once. It didn't look much like anything.”
“That was a perfectly fine drawing,” Rachel replied, pouting in my arms, having changed spots some time during our travels.
I rubbed her waist in quiet encouragement. I didn't think that it had really been good but we had to be supportive of each other.
“A lion's front legs and head, A snake head as a tail, and a goat's hind legs with its head growing out of the back,” Eva explained, ever helpful. “They can have multiple different magical abilities ranging from fire breath to armours of darkness.”
“Thank you, Eva,” I said, leading Dosor into the forest.
Ethan conjured a ball of light hovering next to Dosors head, illuminating the dark forest for us all to see.
The patchy brown grass vanished within seconds, replaced by gnarly roots that gave off the illusion of moving from the flickering candlelight and spotty rays of light managing to fight through the canopy.
Sounds of animals and shambling devoured originated from deep within the dark, threatening to burst into our view and attack, a constant threat on our mind.
Dosor wove through the trees, venturing deep into the unfamiliar terrain until the only light in view was from the candlelight.
It took a while before one of us dared to speak aloud and break the silence.
“Does anyone know where exactly we are going?” Rachel asked, squeezing my hands tightly.
I shrugged. “I am trusting Eva here. She studied the maps.”
“I was not aware of such expectations,” she replied, “but we should slow down and look for tracks. We can always find our way back by following the Ciar originating from the sea of tranquillity until it splits and heading west. The problem is finding the lair but most tracks should lead to it as long as we are in the vicinity.”
“We can dismount and forage, I know most of the plants that grow here,” Rachel said, turning to look at me with big eyes.
She just wanted to collect ingredients and get off of the bumpy ride that was Dosor.
Ethan quickly piled on “I'd like to stretch my legs. Eva and I can set up camp and cook while you two forage.“
“How do we find you again?” I asked.
“I'll keep my light going but I'll have to channel some mana from time to time to keep it going so I won't be able to help you out immediately,” he explained, “but I am sure that you two want to spend some time alone.”
“Why?” I asked, “We are a crew. We should get used to spending a ton of time together.”
Rachel returned to staring forward, gripping my arm. “Caleb, we talked about this.”
Right, relationship. He meant something very different.
“Sorry,” I said before turning to Ethan, “Thanks. We'll be sure to use it wisely.”
“Caleb!” Rachel yelled out, whipping around with red creeping onto her face.
What was wrong about that?!
Ethan burst into laughter, continuously laughing uproariously until Dosor found a small spot to lay down.
We got off of Dosor and split into two groups.
Dosor stayed with Ethan and Eva, protecting them. They got the last of our meat from the rabbits and started preparing them for dinner.
Rachel and I redistributed everything out of the large backpack into dozens of small pouches along the saddle so we could take it with us to carry the foraged food.
“Maybe shouting in a forest full of monsters and devoured isn't the best idea,” Ethan whispered before we departed. “Create a flash of light when you want me to turn mine up.”
“Wouldn't they be more sensitive to light when living here?” Rachel ventured.
Eva grabbed her knife as she added her thoughts on the matter. “I do not think either will attract zero attention. The mana density here causes creatures to develop additional senses or abilities so we can not rule anything out. Telepathic communication or an enchanted necklace would be the only safe options.”
“Couldn't they have developed a mana sense of sorts?” Ethan asked, grabbing the last two rabbits we had. “Like Caleb has.”
“Yes, but that is highly unlikely.”
“I'll just have my own candlelight going and flash it once when we plan on returning, twice when we need help,” I interjected. “We’ll go south, Dosor staying with you should help.”
The bond between us still hasn't fully matured- I think- but I always had a sense of direction towards Dosor. It transformed into a sense of belonging when we are near, not too different from what I feel when near Rachel.
Of course it was different, but I had never been good at interpreting feelings. I still knew that I liked them both, just differently.
“Alright, watch out you two,” Ethan waved us off.
I conjured up a candlelight, feeling the ambient mana replenishing my reserves without me actually having to channel anything. It was pervasive but didn’t feel malicious.
Rachel held out a hand for me to take, stepping over the first of many roots. “How do we know where South is?“
I took her hand and raised my other, pointing a singular finger upwards and releasing a tiny strand of mana, letting it float freely while attached to my finger. It pointed straight towards Ethan and Eva. “Easy, magic.”
She looked at my finger, then back at me. “Are you casting a spell right now?”
“No, I- can you not see this?”
She shook her head. “No, I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Oh,” I said, perplexed, “I attached a small strand of mana to my finger without another attachment. Loose mana tends to stray north, even if barely.”
“You can feel your mana once it leaves your body?” she asked before dragging me down to the ground alongside her, kneeling in front of a tree trunk. “Look, Giant Puffballs!”
The puffballs looked like huge fuzzy balls of white mushroom. They had grown into the roots of the tree, stealing nutrients from it to nurture its own growth.
“Yeah, I can feel my mana, can’t you?” I answered before continuing the second strand of our conversation. “What’s so nice about giant puffballs? Aren’t wild mushrooms mostly poisonous?”
“A lot of mushrooms are poisonous, yes, but these puffballs don’t have any lookalikes that are poisonous and are tasty when grilled with spices,” she explained, grabbing her knife and cutting one open. “If they’re white inside they’re good to eat. I can’t feel my mana once it leaves my body, no.”
She waited a second before continuing, inspecting the white flesh of the puffballs. “That’s impressive! It explains why your enchantments are so good.”
Rustling of leaves had Rachel jumping, clinging to my arm as I set down the backpack.
Her heart was pounding rapidly as I patted her arm, looking around to check for any monsters and drawing my dagger.
“My enchantments are the product of my hard work, not some innate talent,” I replied more harshly than I intended, keeping my head on a swivel. “I don’t think we’ll be grilling them in the middle of a forest. We have nothing to stop a fire from spreading and I don’t want to start a forest fire.”
She abandoned the enchantment conversation and solely focused on the mushrooms. “I know my way around fires. The real problem is the lack of any spices but these will be great for Dosor, big and nourishing,” she said, harvesting the puffball and stuffing it into the backpack.
“I hope she likes it,” I said, moving onto the next puffball. “We still haven't figured out if she doesn't like anything. She ate everything we set in front of her.”
Rachel handed me the knife and pointed at the bottom of the puffball as I stowed my dagger away.
“Start with the knife here and cut it evenly, or break it off by levering,” she explained before adding with a giggle “Do you remember the watermelon?”
Dosor had eaten it in one bite, making the most adorable sound as she got surprised by the torrent of juice spilling forth and had to clean herself.
“Yes,” I replied as I followed her instructions, levering the puffball off of the root. “Is this good?”
She grabbed the puffball and looked it over, turning it in her hands. “Yeah, it's fine. They are one of the safest mushrooms to harvest as they don't have any poisonous lookalikes so they should all be fine.”
We collected a few more puffballs and moved on in silence.
Rachel broke the silence as she pulled me to a tree. “Look, Chives!”
This pattern repeated itself until we filled up the entire backpack and had both of our arms full of alchemical ingredients and food.
Ethan's candlelight was easy to spot in the darkness and we quickly found the rest of the crew.
Dosor was chewing something, a rusty sword laying beside the small fire Ethan and Eva had built to cook.
“What did Dosor eat?” I asked, already dreading the answer.
Ethan glared at Dosor as he explained “I tried to stop her from eating it directly, but-”
“A devoured,” Eva interrupted. “It attacked us, Ethan saved me, and then Dosor started eating before we could stop her. We got rid of the scraps of armour but Ethan said you'd want to check the sword.”
“I think it's magical,” he added before turning to Eva “Thanks for ratting me out.”
She tilted her head to the side like a confused cat. “You're welcome.”
I ignored Eva’s… peculiar response and carefully dropped the mushrooms and backpack next to Dosor, away from her lashing tail.
Grabbing the rusty sword, I found it riddled with enchantments as old as me, if not older.
I cast a quick analytical spell and saw it for what it was, a mess.
The framework was sloppy and uninspired, reeking of someone copying and mixing the enchantments of half a dozen weapons with no thought behind it. One of them actually belonged on a spear, reinforcing only the tip and making the spine of the blade more flexible in this case.
The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.
Actually, it worked pretty well here but this wasn't its intended use which made me kind of annoyed.
The majority had been worn down by the ambient mana and regular abuse the devoured put it through.
There was nothing revolutionary built into this. I would barely allow this on my crew at its prime and only if I had no one who could enchant. It was good loot for a random devoured but I had the resources and time to make us way better gear unless Lin keeps forcing us to study in the afternoons.
She wasn’t exactly forcing us but I didn’t want to get bad grades and disappoint Mom.
It took me another minute to find a fulcrum where all the enchantments converged, a weakpoint.
“Do you want to see something cool?” I asked Rachel, who had already unpacked and sorted the mushrooms and ingredients.
She was sitting on the ground and pulverising a root in her mortar, looking up at me. “Of course.”
I hit the sword against a rock, cutting a groove into it before holding it up for her to see and focusing mana at the tip of my finger. “It’s very sturdy, isn’t it?”
Rachel nodded.
I drilled into the ricasso of the sword and watched the enchantments unravel through my analysis spell before slamming it against the rock once more.
It shattered into tiny pieces, scattering over the ground. “Well, not anymore.”
She applauded politely. “Very cool but why break it? We could have used that sword, right?”
Ethan shook his head with a smile. “Here we go…”
“No,” I said, tossing the hilt to the shards. “I wouldn’t want anyone of us to use enchantments that volatile. Anyone with some enchanting knowledge could break that sword during combat which would be way more lethal than not using it. Unenchanted equipment is better than badly enchanted equipment.”
“Ahh,” she answered, “That makes sense. Good thing our mighty Dragonknight keeps us save from the corruption of bad enchantments.”
I walked over and sat down next to her. “Ha ha. I am serious, faulty equipment is no joke.”
Rachel wrapped an arm around my shoulder and squeezed me. “I know, it’s the same with potions. It’s worse to depend on a potion that fails than not to have a potion at all.”
Eva put two bowls in front of us. “Dinner is ready.”
We thanked her and all began to dig in, quickly polishing off the bowls before continuing on foot.
Time was difficult to gauge in the Harndom forest as the difference in illumination was so subtle with a candlelight constantly lighting our way that we stopped a few times out of exhaustion instead of the night laiming us to sleep before we found tracks.
“Here’s a weird trail,” Ethan called out, “looks like a giant goat got chased by a lion. This must be it!”
We crowded around the trail with Dosor surrounding us, inspecting the trail from above.
Quickly following the trail, I felt like we circled through a huge part of the forest. The trail looped around trees, rocks and ultimately ended when it entered the Ciar.
The canopy covered the river, extending way beyond what the trees normally should be able to support, leaving the waters to run in the darkness.
The river was deceptively small here, only betrayed by the sound of the rushing water that revealed the raging current beneath.
Dosor drank from the river as we started talking and filling our waterskins.
“What now?” Rachel asked.
I looked around for any hints as to where the trail lead but it went straight into the Ciar and disappeared.
“I think we need a new trail,” I said, checking if there are any other trails in that direction.
Eva pointed way up the river. “There is another trail there that vanishes into the river. I think we are on the right track.”
“Alright. How do we cross the river?” I asked, leading Dosor up to where Eva pointed. “I doubt that Dosor can cross it without getting dragged along.”
“I doubt that its strong enough to whisk away Dosor, but maybe she can jump across,” Ethan pointed out.
“Have you seen her wings?” I asked rhetorically. “She’d get pushed by the entire river at once. I am sure that she can jump across.”
Dosor purred and lowered herself for us to get on her back.
We got on her back and let her carry us across the river in one large bounding jump.
Eva pointed further up the river. “The trail continues.”
I notified Dosor and let her follow the trail, sniffing at the ground.
It didn't take us long until we found the lake of tranquillity. The ambient mana skyrocketed as the surrounding trees thinned and let some moonlight past the canopy.
Dosor halted at the edge of the clearing, just in front of a tranquil lake, its surface reflecting the dim light of the moon.
In the middle of the lake was a small rock that penetrated the surface, providing enough space for the creature atop to curl around a small pedestal.
The Manticores lion-like head stared at us, unsettling intelligence showing in its eyes. Its goat head lulled around, idly swaying from side to side with its tongue sticking out of its mouth. The snake tail dipped into the water and raised high before continuing to observe the surroundings.
There was no doubt in my mind that this was the heart of the Harndom Forest, thick waves of mana rolling through the lake and into the surrounding earth. The air crackled with an unspoken tension.
The glowing cube atop the pedestal revealed the Manticores mythical features with stark clarity: the regal leonine head poised atop majestically powerful forelegs, the sinuous snake tail twitching with a latent threat and vigilance, and the goat's hindquarters, the gaze of its peculiar second head staring into the void incomprehensibly.
“Remember, we're here for the artefact. Let's see if we can get it without fighting,” I reminded everyone.
The Manticore regarded us with a curious blend of suspicion and intrigue. It seemed to sense our purpose but held out hope, letting us approach peacefully or retreat for we would not survive an encounter with it.
Rachel, still nestled in my arms, shifted slightly, her eyes narrowing in a mixture of fascination and caution. “Holy…” she whispered, seconds away from jumping off to study it in detail.
It wasn’t her area of expertise but it would have been impressive to anyone.
As we cautiously approached the lake's edge, the Manticore maintained its vigil, its multiple heads watching us with an intensity that hinted at an understanding beyond the ordinary. The lake itself, the supposed Lake of Tranquility, mirrored the scene in a distorted reflection.
Now that I thought of it, I had never heard of recent stories of this lake, only ones from before the Raid on the Pale Serpents.
As we cautiously approached the lake's edge, the Manticore maintained its vigil, its multiple heads watching us with an intensity that hinted at an understanding beyond the ordinary. The lake itself, the supposed Lake of Tranquility, mirrored the scene in a distorted reflection.
Ethan, ever the diplomat, spoke aloud, using a quick spell to carry his voice across the water, “Mighty Manticore, we seek not to disturb your-”
“I know what you seek,” the booming voice of the Manticore filled the clearing, effortlessly crossing the water without magical assistance. “You seek to rip the heart of our forest away from the life it is nourishing to further your necromantic machinations.”
“We- No.” I replied, stumped by the… articulated response from the Manticore.
The Manticore’s gaze shifted between us, intelligence evident in its calculated movements. “So you wish to enter my territory and lie to my face? I had expected better after my last visitor.”
“No, we don’t want to rip out any heart,” I answered, leading Dosor to the edge of the water.
It slowly rose to its paws, the snake tail keeping watch. “Then what leads you here?”
“We were given a mission to retrieve a lost artefact,” I explained, keeping Dosor from attacking. “A metallic cube covered in runes that is supposed to be in your regal hoard.”
“It appears that you have been deceived,” the Manticore said, producing a sound similar to a sigh. “The artefact you seek is the heart of our forest, nurturing all of the creatures and plants within its boundaries.”
“Oh, we only sought to bring it back to its rightful owners,” I elaborated. “But please understand that I need to convince myself whether it is as vital as you said.”
“Only one of you may enter my domain,” it decreed.
“I should do it,” I said to the others, “I've got the best chance to get away and know the most about enchantments.”
“We both know that I am faster than you,” Ethan argued.
I dismounted from Dosor. “Yeah, which means you and Dosor will react immediately. It just makes sense to send me, I trust you guys completely.”
“I side with Sir Interita,“ Eva added.
Rachel quickly piled on “I think Caleb should go. I don't want either of you to go but he has the best chances.”
“Fine,” Ethan conceded, raising his hands in defence. “You go, but we are coming to rescue you the moment stuff goes sideways.”
Rachel leaned down, halfway out of the saddle, and cupped my cheeks.
“Come back in one piece,” she ordered before pulling me into a deep kiss, her hands moving to wrap around my neck and keep me close.
I tried to copy her, wrapping an arm around her shoulder and reciprocating. I just couldn't believe how good it felt with this being her first relationship.
She broke the kiss abruptly, falling out of the saddle and pulling me down as her head crashed into my shoulder.
The strap of her harness kept her from falling to the ground, dangling her by Dosor's side like a sack of vegetables.
“Uhm...”
“Not a word,” she interrupted me before Ethan or I could say anything.
So, should I help her or not?
Ethan started to pull her back onto the saddle, taking the decision out of my hands.
I quickly helped him and stepped up to the edge of the water.
The water started to retreat as I took another step forward, flowing waves of water circling around me.
The Manticores magic kept circling me, keeping me dry as I approached the regal beast.
I might have grown up with dragons surrounding me but the chimeric properties of the Manticore sent shivers down my spine as the lionhead focused solely on me.
The retreating water around the rock island the Manticore had settled on revealed roughly hewn stairs that circled upwards.
The snake tail kept looking down upon me as I ascended the stairs.
Climbing the final step, I found myself face to face with the lionshead.
“Hello,” I said.
It scoffed, sending a hot puff of air into my face. “Finish your inspection of the Heart and be on your way.”
“Alright,” I conceded, quickly walking to the pedestal.
Atop the pedestal was the cube, our sought after artefact. It was perfectly cubical and covered in runes so dense they melded into a singular coat of paint.
A part of the mana washing off of it looped back into the top of the cube, vanishing inside, but the majority got pumped into the earth and water.
I started casting an analytical spell to figure out the workings of this artefact but got interrupted when the heavy paw of the Manticore settled around my neck.
“That is enough, human,” it threatened, extending its claws. “Your spells will not be needed.”
“I can't guarantee that this is what we're searching for without casting an analysis spell,” I argued, frozen still beneath its paws.
“You won't cast any spells,” it growled. “The Heart will remain here no matter what your mission is.”
“I am sorry, mighty Manticore, but we can not leave until we verify that this is the artefact we seek,” I said, “I fear that we will have to take up arms if you insist on keeping us from it.”
A claw settled around my throat. “Cast your spell, but you will find yourself lacking a throat to chant with if you take one wrong step,” it threatened.
I gulped as the Manticore's claws remained a threatening presence around my throat as I cautiously initiated the analysis spell.
The intricate lines of mana unfolded before me, spanning from one shore to the other, painting a mural of magic that transcended everything I had ever seen. The majority of the mana flowed into the earth and water, sustaining the delicate balance of the Harndom but it didn’t exactly show any concrete process how it was conjured or how it was even possible to conjure mana.
As the revelation sank in, a profound clarity blossomed.
The cube wasn’t a mere object to be claimed; it was an integral part that kept the forest alive.
I lowered my hands, signaling the end of the spell.
The Manticore’s claws retreated, and I turned to face the regal beast. “Mighy Manticore,” I began, carefully mulling my words, “we sought this artefact with incomplete knowledge. It is apparent that the cube is needed for the Harndom Forest to survive. We did not fully understand the significance of our mission. It appears the mission was a different kind of test than we expected.”
My words felt awkward as I tried to emulate the Manticores manner of speech.
The Manticore regarded me with a mixture of wariness and curiosity. “Your admission speaks of sincerity, human. But what course of action do you propose now that you understand the delicate balance we uphold?”
I took a step forward, pretending to be more confident than I felt. “We seek not to disrupt the harmony of the Harndom as that would go against our orders. A peaceful solution where we can ensure the balance is maintained while allowing us to complete our mission?”
The Manticore’s multiple heads exchanged glances, contemplating my words.
After a moment of tense silence, it spoke with a measured tone. “You tread on treacherous ground, human. The cube is the Heart of the Harndom, and its connection to the first is profound. However, if you are willing to make a solemn pledge to protect the delicate equilibrium, I may consider a compromise.”
Eagerly, I nodded. “We pledge to honour the balance of the Harndom. Our approach was born of ignorance, but we now understand the consequences. Allow us to return and explain to those who sent us so no others may threaten the sanctity of this forest.”
The Manticores gaze bore into mine, assessing the sincerity of my words. After a prolonged moment, it finally relented. “Very well, human. Take your leave, and may your actions align with your promises. Fail in this pledge, and the Harndom will not suffer trespass lightly.”
Gratitiude and relief flooded me as I backed away.
I turned to face my companions, being held back by Dosor, conveying the peaceful resolution with a nod.
“Thank you, mighty manticore, “ I said, taking my leave.
The water made way for me as I returned to my crew.
“And?” Ethan asked me the moment I got out of the water. “What did it say? Do we have to fight?”
“We’re fine,” I reassured them, “the cube is vital to the Harndom so we can’t take it.”
Eva cut in, stringing her bow. “The mission clearly states that we should recover the artefact. The Manticore could be lying about the role of it.”
I raised a hand to stop her from making any more preparations for combat. “I checked myself and it didn’t have much of a grasp on magic so I doubt that it could have fooled me.”
Eva insisted "Sir Interita, with all due respect, the Manticore may not have had a strong grasp on magic, but it could still be deceiving you. We can't dismiss the possibility that it's manipulating the truth to protect the artefact."
I considered her words, understanding the gravity of the situation. "Eva, your caution is valid, but I could sense the sincerity in the Manticore's words. Its duty is bound to the Heart of the Harndom, and disrupting that balance is not in its interest. There's a profound connection between the cube and the forest that I can't ignore."
She observed me for a moment, a blank expression on her face, before she continued “You are the Knight. It is your decision in the end.”
“Alright, we'll go back to Dragon's Heart and report,” I decreed, mounting Dosor. “I think this was more about finding the artefact and negotiating than it was about actually getting it back.”
“Alright,” Eva conceded, stowing her bow.
----------------------------------------
The journey back to Dragon's Heart was just as uneventful as our journey to the Lake of tranquillity, finding us at Dragon's Maw.
“Our first successful return,” I said, savouring the feeling.
Ethan quickly added “The first of many.”
“Are you two always going to be so dramatic?” Rachel asked with a grin.
“Definitely,” both Ethan and I replied.
We made our way to the stables and started taking off Dosor's scaffolding, placating her with the last of our supplies.
The hides of our prey and anything neither Rachel or I could use got handed to servants to sell. A part of the money would get back to us, excluding a sizable fee for finding buyers.
We ended up with ten pouches stuffed to the brim with alchemical ingredients for Rachel and three pouches of materials for me to use for our equipment.
The rest got discarded or given off to sell.
The sorting of loot and washing of the scaffolding took the majority of the day and turned into a relaxing afternoon spent chatting with my best friends.
I almost forgot to notify Lasse of the outcome of our mission if it hadn't been for Eva reminding me.
“So the cube sustains the forest?” he asked, looking over my status report I had written on our journey back. “The Allfather had given me the mission for you and I thought it a simple find and retreat. My apologies, but I'd say you passed.”
He handed me the report back and continued “Hand this in to Lin.”
I saluted and went on my way, dropping the report off at Lin's room.
Rachel had started sorting all our Loot into my room but must have fallen asleep, curled on the table she had to climb on to reach the top shelf.
There was no way that she had actually ended up there because she fell asleep out of exhaustion. She did this on purpose.
I walked over and picked her up, gently laying her onto my bed.
I changed out of my clothes, took a shower, and joined her in bed, softly wrapping her in my embrace.
“Are you excited?” she asked sleepily as I settled down.
I chuckled, having already expected her not to actually be asleep. “Excited about what? I am sure that Lin will find thousands of mistakes in it.”
“Your report is fine, I checked it,” she replied, weakly slapping my arm that I settled around her waist, “I meant about the meeting of the Knights in a week. It'll be your first time, won't it?”
I looked out the window and at the rising moon on the horizon.
“I completely lost track of that,” I murmured, “I just wish I could take you with me to the actual meeting. I know you want to meet the other Knights.”
“I mostly want to meet their alchemists and compare notes,” she corrected me, snuggling further into my arms. “But you'll have Ethan by your side and he'll keep you from making any major blunders.”
I pinched her side and asked “Why did I agree to this again?”
She looked over her shoulder with a smirk, gazing into my eyes as she teased “because I am adorable and you can't resist my charm.”
I laughed, which only caused her to pout as I replied “You are indeed adorable but you worry too much. I will be surrounded by the strongest of the Dragonknights with Mom and Ethan right at my side.”
“That's why I am concerned,” she answered, shivering, “your mom isn't the most down to earth person I know and you'll easily get dragged into something we won't be able to complete.”
“I thought you said that I was destined for greatness,” I countered, “I promise you I won't get us dragged into something we can't handle.”
“You better,” she replied, nestling deeper into the blankets to escape the cold.
We drifted away from serious topics and went to sleep soon after, snuggled in a cocoon of blankets.