Chapter 35: Ch 34 “Camping”

The songbirds chirped their elaborate mating songs in the darkness of the early dawn just as the sun began its gradual rise from below the horizon, basking the heavens in crimson red. The light unhurriedly cleansed the land of the darkness forcing it into long shadows. 

The dawn eventually reached a small camp basking it with its bloody light. A singular figure sat on a log beside the campfire, its fire losing its tenacity hours prior before the first signs of the dawn. The muscular figure stirred the grey ash, reigniting the embers to shine a soft orange-red light onto its face.

 

  The morning light pierced the tent's wall, bathing Kia's pearly white face using her face as a blank canvas to paint its rosy, orange painting. Girl's eyebrows dipped into a frown, unhappy with the morning light shining straight into her sealed eyes. 

Iris ran her finger on the sleeping girl's cheek, causing her body to shudder slightly. The elf lifted her finger severing the connection with Kia's smooth skin in response the slumbering undead's head searched for Iris, eventually finding the clothed elf's chest she snuggled her head into the elf's body. 

Iris did not dare nor wanted to move, staying in the same position all night in fear of waking the necromancer and more importantly admiring Kia in her sleep.

 

"Iris?" Kia whispered, her exhaustion instantly apparent to Iris.

 

"Yes." Elf mirrored the girl's tone.

 

"Sleepy."

 

"We have a long time before having to wake up," Iris pulled Kia closer to herself. "Want breakfast?" She said receiving an expected nod. Elf tried to stand up, but Kia clung to her padded jacket. She took off her jacket and gave it to Kia who buried her face into it. "Scandalous~" Said Iris as she watched Kia's torso moving up and down as the girl smelled her's jacket before walking out.

 

"Good morning," The tall pale elf said to Albert idly stirring the ashen campfire. "Would you mind if I use some of your group's food to make breakfast?"

 

"You too," Albert's grey eyes reflected the soft light as he responded. "Don't even worry about it."

 

"Appreciated," Iris said. "I don't know how much you slept, but you can take a nap while I'm here."

 

"Nah, I'm all good." The man turned his head back towards the ashen fireplace.

 

  Iris quietly went about her business of gathering dry kindling in the area around the camp. After a while, she managed to carry a large bundle of small sticks, dead moss and dry fungi in her hands back into the camp.

 

As she approached, Albert twitched before glancing at her, seemingly calming down.

After lighting a new fire, elf sat opposite to the ageing man and started to peel the brow skin of the earthfruit revelling the poisonous yellow flesh hiding underneath. She placed the last peeled vegetables in the pot with boiling water. Stretching her long arm toward Kia's brown backpack. Elf smoothly pulled the bulky-looking backpack and skilfully undid the buttons holding the backpack closed.

She looked inside of it finding nothing, the undead was so used to Kia pulling things out of the backpack forgetting that it was just an illusion.

 

"Something happens?" The man in front of her asked.

 

"Nothing," Iris replied not realising that she clicked her tongue. "Wrong backpack." A small self-depreciative smile formed on her face.

 

"And the right bag is in there?" Albert pointed at the tent behind Iris.

 

"Yea." 

 

"Oh, that's tough. What do you need anyway maybe we have it?" Adventurer said.

 

"Meat would be nice." 

 

"I think we have some cured lamb...somewhere here," Albert started to rummage through his team's luggage. "...Found it." He said showing Iris an entire lamb hind leg.

 

"I will not use an entire leg but I will try to see what I can come up with." Elf said.

 

  Iris cut a meaty chunk off the leg, cutting it into long vertical strips. She lay the meat strips beside each other and further cut them into small cubes. Elf stirred the vegetables in the boiling water before skewering the small chunks over the fire.

 

"What you doing?" Albert said as he sniffed the air.

 

"Lightly searing the meat," The tall pale elf answered. "Smaller chunks cook faster.

 

  As the meat turned into the golden brown Iris desired she ran her finger along the stick throwing the meat into the pot and putting the metal lid over it. 

The crimson light of the sun turned into brilliant yellow painting the sky its usual blue as the two adventurers silently sat watching the orange flame in front of them flicker. Occasionally elf would stir her improvised meal for a brief moment.

 

"Hello Anna, Hello Albert." Cisil yawned his greetings.

 

  Iris watched as the young adventurer of a similar age to Anna sat beside her. She gave the man in front of her a puzzled look but he only shrugged with his bulky shoulders. The three sat in silence for a couple of moments.

 

*Yawn* Cisil beside her yawned weirdly as his arm stretched high above him and travelled onto the elf's shoulder. "Nice morning isn't it."

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"It's sure nice~ Fhm!" Iris could barely contain her laughter as she spoke.

 

"What!" Cisil quickly pushed himself away from the elf as she sat there unmoved by his push. "---"

 

"Hahahaha!" Albert's loud cackling drowned Cisil words. "Heavens, she did you good!" He chuckled as he removed a tear that formed in his eye.

 

A vein bulged on Cisil's forehead but before he could answer a female voice called out from one of the tents.

 

"What is happening here?" Anna called out.

 

"Nothing." The suddenly embarrassed Cisil said.

 

"Just having a good laugh." His companion elaborated.

 

"Sure," The blond hair human, eyed Iris and the men beside her with suspicion. "Uh! What you cooking!?" She excitedly asked as she spotted the pot over the fire.

 

"Stew," Replied the elven cook. "I reckon it's about ready to serve."

 

  Iris started to pour a portion of the brown-coloured stew to each of the humans around her, ensuring that enough of the stew was left to feed the ever-hungry girl.

 

"Why are you not eating?" Anna asked the elf.

 

"Just going to check on Siri." Iris stood up and entered Kia's tent. "Hello?" She said as she closed the 'door'. Kia was still sleeping, face buried in the elf's jacket. "Someone there?" She spoke to the sleeping undead receiving a barely lucid mutter. 

Iris sat down and placed Kia's head in between her legs. She delicately moved the strands of silky black hair from girl's face. "Is everything alright? Please tell me." Elf asked quietly.

 

"Mmm?" Kia's eyes half opened, and her eyes glowed brighter than ever. "I-I'm fine." She answered.

 

Iris leaned closer to Kia and whispered softly. "Promise?"

 

"Promise." The girl smiled as her eyes dimmed.

 

"Then breakfast is waiting." The risen gave the shorter undead a quick peck before standing up. 

 

  The two exited their tent, the girls were silently greeted by the other adventurers who were still eating the meat stew. Iris poured two portions worth of stew onto Kia's bowl. Iris herself scraped the remaining leftovers that were stuck to the pot's walls, not only did she didn't have to eat but the sight of Kia happily swaying from side to side as she ate her meal filled her body with fulfilment.

After everyone finished their meal, all five of the adventurers started to pack up their camp. They loaded themselves onto the cart while Albert struggled to calm down their horse. Eventually, they departed towards where the map marked the previously unexplored dungeon. Albert sat in the driver seat along with Cisil while Anna, Iris and Kia sat at the back.

Kia rested her head on elf's arm as the cart lazily made its way.

 

"You really care about her." The human cleric whispered to Iris, pulling the petite girl's hood which had slipped off slightly.

 

"Thanks."

 

---

 

POV Unknown.

"My Lord." A figure clad in black kneeled before a man or perhaps kneeled before the flag hung behind.

 

"Speak." The man sitting lazily on a luxurious chair with purple cushions said, twirling a knife in his hands. His face was shrouded in darkness.

 

"One of our oracles in the city wrote this." The kneeling figure extended his hand marked with the same symbol as on the flag.

 

The seated man stood up and walked on the wooden floor towards the figure, each step reverberated throughout the room. He unsealed the letter and started to read.

 

"Dismissed." Man said after finishing reading. The figure left without a word. 

The man turn and kneeled before the flag bearing a purple left hand surrounded by darkness. 

"No light without shadow." The man said before leaving.