Why is it so hot? He squirmed under heavy covering. His sleeping quarters were kept cool in summer and winter alike. Although it was hot, he didn't want to move, but his bladder kept sending signals to get up. He opened his eyes a little. Why is his roof green? Eiden touched the soft fur covers on him. He couldn't remember having fur blankets.

Clade! Eiden threw the covers off and sat up blinking fast. He remembered being caught in the storm, the scary jungle and finally finding Clade's house. He got up and looked around. It was just past sunrise, but the small window only showed a dark and shadowy jungle.

"Good morning,"

"Good morning, it's very warm here." Eiden turned around to see Clade.

"The heat from the stones under the bed keeps the room warm. Made some food, come," Clade gestured towards the door.

"I want to use the bathroom, and...I'm wearing your clothes," Eiden said, looking down at the long nightshirt.

"Bathroom is the outhouse, down the hallway, step out from the side door." He followed Clade to the bathroom. His clothes were washed and hung beside the fireplace.

"Water of this barrel is cold and the cauldron has hot water. Use the basin to mix the water to wash." Clade showed him a metal cauldron placed over a fire pit and a medium-sized wood barrel filled with cold water. A plain earthenware basin sat on a stone-lined table top.

When Eiden washed and went back to the living room, Clade had boiled eggs, meat stew, and fried thin strips of meat, spread over a crudely made table.

"I don't eat much human food, so don't have bread and fruits." Clade put a bottle of honey, beside a hot steaming mug of chocolate.

"This is fine, I still have some of my rations in the satchel." Eiden started with the stew.

"It's good to eat warm food, I tried to avoid doing as much as magic, and didn't camp out anywhere for long." The fried strips of meat with honey smeared on them were surprisingly tasty.

"Thought about what you said yesterday," Clade said. Eiden stopped mid-bite to see what Clade's conclusion was.

"Will take you to a cave a little up there in the mountains. Is that okay?"

"A cave? That's amazing Clade, I could easily put wards and the Earth magic itself will help to conceal me." Eiden always thought caves were such admirable creations of nature, and had visited a few in the Moonstone Mountains.

"I'm going to put out the fire pit. Since recently moved, don't have much food stored. Pack whatever the things around. Still dark and wet in the jungle at this hour. Have a long walk ahead unless can teleport."

Eiden still couldn't believe that Clade was being so helpful. But, he's glad nonetheless.

"I can't teleport without knowing the location, there are ways to do so, but I don't know. I'm afraid I have to walk." Eiden said, packing food and books, while Clade stuffed some clothes and a few small fur covers into a rucksack. Eiden renewed his anti-tracking enchantments and cast one on Clade.

When they finally left Clade's home, the sun was peeking through the thick canopy of the jungle. Yet, It wasn't enough to penetrate the shadows of the huge ancient trees or to warm the chilly morning air.

[https://i.imgur.com/fwf7o8d.jpg]

Early morning in the ancient Sangona

Eiden breathed and felt magic in the air, thinking the forests he knew were nothing compared to this. The jungle was filled with a cacophony of animal sounds and he could sense the magical creatures all around him darting from tree to tree. Yesterday, he was tired and in panic, blindly teleported holding the magical thread that led to Clade. The storm and his fears of being caught prevented him from paying attention to the jungle. Now seeing it with no storms to blind him, he was awed and felt humbled.

The storm had made the ground sludgy and slippery in some places. Clade being a jungle dweller, could walk faster and instinctively avoided such obstacles. Eiden on the other hand, tangled in half of the creepers and vines around and almost fell face down into mud if not for Clade's fast reflexes. After catching him again for an umpteenth time, Clade shook him and growled.

"Watch your steps, idiot,"

They didn't stop long for breaks. Clade a few times found fruits for Eiden to munch, and they snacked on dried meat with honey.

"Clade," Eiden protested when Clade stood up to continue after the third small break. His legs were wobbly and would welcome a long rest.

"Little bit more, I'm aching," Eiden whined.

"Aching where?" Clade sat down again and sighed.

"Everywhere,"

"Eiden, we are still in my people's territory. Lucky, didn't meet anyone. If go faster, can reach a small waterfall before gets dark. A clearing close to that, hidden and safe. We can rest."

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"Do your people hate humans?" Eiden asked.

"Some of them very biased, some old people, younger ones too. Don't like that we interact with humans. You see, eyes and ears everywhere," Clade replied.

Eiden shivered suddenly, having a disturbing imaginary vision of his uncle asking birds and beasts to point out where they went.

“Let's go,“

After some time, when they reached an area with a little less undergrowth, Clade stopped.

"Around here, people often come to hunt and fish. Need to be very careful. Stay behind me all the time," he lowered his voice.

"Going to follow the stream, without getting very close to it." Clade chose verdant thickets to walk through. Eiden was struggling to match his pace and from time to time, clutched onto the back of Clade's clothes to slow him down. Closer to the stream were puddles and random springs that popped up after yesterday's storm. The decomposing leaves in the water emitted a putrid smell.

"Clade, let's have a break," he said pleadingly, clinging to Clade's cloak, breathless after the hurried walk.

"Ok, but not here. There's a shallow pool a little ahead," Eiden stumbled along huffing and panting. They stopped near a shallow rocky pool and some conveniently placed boulders to sit and lean.

"Can we drink the water from this?" Eiden had already taken off his shoes and put his legs in the water.

"No, don't drink, not clean enough. Can conjure water to drink, can't you," Clade unpacked their food and the fruits. Spreading them on a flat rock, they ate and drank water, mixed with honey for Eiden and mixed with blood for Clade.

"I'm sleepy." Eiden moved to a sandy spot drying the surface with a little heat-generating spell.

"No naps, just rest. Remember yesterday's storm. It rains here without warning. Can't waste time on the way." Clade looked sleepy too, but he was used to walking in the jungle better than Eiden.

"Just a little bit,"

Eiden was woken up by a rough shake.

"Hide behind those boulders. Don't move, don't make any sound," Clade whispered, pulling him towards the boulders. Eiden crouched on the wet ground, his heart was racing and sleepiness vanished. Soon he heard footsteps, some heavier than others, thumping. A big guy, he guessed.

"Oh, look, who's lurking here?" a nasty growling voice said.

"Clade the human bootlicker, Ack..reeking of human smell," a nasal voice mocked. Sounds like a female.

"Mind your own business, Del," Clade's answer was more of resignation than resentment. Eiden understood that this was not an isolated occurrence.

"You little worm, go and lick their feet and all, bring them here, then that's our business," there was an angry hiss. What. Did they see him? Eiden held his breath.

"Ain't bringing any humans here. Del. Only go out occasionally."

"Leave it Del. Your humans need you then. Someone had come around. Asking for you." The third voice was more neutral, but clear dislike towards Clade.

"Me? when?"

"A few days ago. Bring those around and hurt our people, you're done, Master Clade, remember it,"

Clade appeared over the boulders and Eiden barely stopped a startled scream. Clade helped him to crawl out of his hiding spot.

"That's not about you, right?" Clade asked. His face was like a mask of indifference, but Eiden sensed that he was unnerved by the information. Eiden shook his head.

"No, I came yesterday. I didn't enter the jungle until evening."

"Need to hurry." Clade picked up his rucksack.

"Clade, can't we walk throughout the night and go to the cave?"

"No. Walking at night is too dangerous. Don't worry. Not many people going beyond the place we stay tonight." Clade clapped Eiden in the back.

In the Sangona, the morning comes late and the night comes early. The afternoon sun quickly gave away, allowing dark shadows to grow everywhere.

"Clade, are we there yet?” Eiden was ready to sleep on his feet.

"We are close, you're slow,"

"Excuse me for having short legs, big brute," Eiden grumbled, scrambling after Clade.

"Listen. Hear the waterfall," Clade said.

The distant sound of the crashing water was a gentle push to walk a bit more with his last bit of strength. At last, they arrived at a small waterfall, nestled among the tall trees, it couldn't be seen from far away.

Clade guided Eiden to a small cove that was hidden among boulders. Large boulders around them protected it from wind and the floor was damp, a little magic could fix that. The place was unusually clean and the floor was covered with white sand. When he voiced his thoughts, Clade explained that he stays here at night when he wanders too far from home.

Eiden wanted to have a bath in the pool where the cascade fell forming a white mass of bubbles, just like a bubble bath.

"Alright. Don't go too far. Stay in a shallow area. Don't take too long,"

Eiden skipped happily, he dumped his clothes on the bank, dove into the clean cool water, and let the magic of the water wash his aches away. When he came back to the camp, Clade had prepared a bed on a grass mat, which he had hidden in the cove to use when he stayed.

They boiled meat and some yam, which they brought from Clade's house. The warm meal was filling and Eiden felt content. They huddled under the fur blanket and fell asleep.

Eiden woke up abruptly from his slumber, he thought he heard an explosion. But there was only the sound of nature. His shaking and fast movements made Clade stir sleepily and sit up.

"What's up?" Clade asked, yawning and stretching his arms.

"Did you hear an explosion?" Eiden looked around and listened attentively.

"No, perhaps the waterfall. What's the time?"

"3 am." Eiden suddenly remembered what the explosion was.

"Oh," he exclaimed, lying down again.

"It must be the accident that Uncle told me," he explained to Clade.

“Uncle said there was an explosion at the last attack when I was with my parents. But I never dreamed about it before."

"What did you see?"

"Nothing, I don't remember. Only I woke up and thought there was an explosion," Eiden said, trying to recall anything from the dream.

"Eiden, wake up," Clade shook him, he had already gotten dressed to leave.

Eiden wanted nothing more than to sleep a little more but got up fast, every minute he spent outside was dangerous. They started a steady walk uphill, stopping more frequently for short breaks as the climb exhausted both of them.

Finally, they reached the caves where Clade said it could be a safe place.