Life in a new Kingdom

Helping Celia to her feet, I noticed that her wounds had begun to heal. Strengths of a Demon, I suppose. That doesn't mean she was going to be fine anytime soon. Lukia rubbed her bandage; it clearly stung as the deep crimson bled through the bandage, but it wasn't life-threatening. Thinking about our situation, I felt we needed to reconsider moving forward; I had to protect them.

"Let's head back to town and rest. Tackle this another day."

"What? No. We don't have the time or luxury to afford it. We continue forward." Lukia demands.

"Look at you and Celia. Your wounds may not be serious, but they are going to slow you both down. This was a bad start to the hunt; let's not make it our last."

"My lord, I know your intentions are good, but you don't have to worry about me; I should be fine if I don't fight for a while." Celia stands firm, her body stiff from the pain.

"Caleb, we only have a few days to hunt this beast and a few days to haul back what we can for the reward. This is my life, and the Phantom Blades lives on the line. If I die, so be it; I'd rather die hunting than as a slave."

"Do you have any healing potions? Are there any more healing spells you can muster? We lost some resources; if we continue, we will surely have more difficulty hunting this creature."

"I am limited as a Ranger for healing others, but what I have should be enough to stitch us together until we reach the end; that is all that matters. Now, move forward and help me reach the destination before dark. I am not going to help carry Celia on my own."

"I can walk fine; I just need a second to get my bearings."

A long thought pierces my mind. I focused too much on protecting them; I couldn't keep doubting their abilities. Hell, I know that those Dire wolves would have done a number to myself if Celia didn't put up those flames. Deep sighs escape my lips before I shake my head, frustrated.

"Celia, can you walk? I don't need you acting tough on me now; just be honest." I look at her with a serious expression.

"For now, I need a hand; my wounds are still healing. Sorry for being such a burden."

"Don't be. I can't exactly give you my hand, being my size and all. Lukia, can you give her a hand and keep up?"

"Who do you take me for? I can still go on."

"Good, grab Celia and follow me."

"Wait, I said I'm not going back to town-"

"We got a hunt to finish, don't we? You are right, Lukia. We don't have a lot of time to get this done. I'll keep an eye out while we move, make sure no surprises happen again." I walk down the road, going further and deeper into the forest.

"Well, I'll be... Alright, Celia, let me help you."

Lukia takes her shoulder and lugs it over her head, steadily propping her up, and they begin to follow behind me. It was a quiet journey forward; after some time, Celia had the strength to limp alone. Her wounds were more or less closed and ready to heal.

"So, you really are a Demon?" Lukia speaks.

"Yes, what of it?" Celia responds.

"Nothing, just thought you guys would look more..."

"More what?"

"More monstrous? Figured you guys would be all claws and massive horns that could stab someone."

"Don't believe every fairy tale you hear. No, only Demon lords and kings have those traits. Unless you evolve to a certain stage as a Demon, very few would obtain similar physical traits of a lord."

"Have you met anyone who was like that?"

"Yes, my husband."

"You have a husband?!"

"Had is the word. He's dead now. But yes, he was pretty strong enough to have these horns and claws, but you can have them appear or disappear on command. My husband didn't like their look, so he mostly never showed it."

"If you evolved, would you like to have them?" Celia stops in her tracks after hearing her words. I was listening deeply while watching forward. Celia looks at her hands and rubs her head.

"I prefer to look like this. It suits me."

"I'll say, you have beautiful hair. I mean, it's great; I like the color." Lukia seems to rub her head, embarrassed.

"Celia is perfect the way she is. I wouldn't want her to be any other way." I speak toward them—a soft smile across my face. Celia blushes a bit, the pinkish hue barely noticeable under her tanned skin.

"Don't butter me up like that; it's embarrassing!" Celia moves her hands to cover her face. We all laugh.

Night soon begins to approach, and Lukia suggests we camp for the night. Rest as much as we can before hunting the creature. I help set camp with Lukia, letting Celia rest and recover from her wounds. It takes a minute, but I learned a lot about some survival techniques and setting up shelters. The cold wind brushes against our backs as we sit before the fire. Celia sits next to me, trying to keep us warm with a single blanket. Lukia seemed very distant while we rested at camp. It was almost like something was on her mind. I decide to press for answers.

"What's on your mind? You seem a little lost."

"Hmm? Oh, it is nothing. Just thinking about home is all."

"Where's that?"

"Believe it or not, my town was not far from Saiana. It wasn't very big, but my father was the headhunter and chief of the village. My mother was once a traveling holy woman but decided to stay in the village when she healed my father's wounds after a dangerous hunt. Soon, they were married and had me, their daughter."

"What happened to your village and parents?" Celia asks.

"It was raided and burned down by a tribe of goblins. My father perished along with my mother as they stayed behind to save as many as they could, but the flames trapped them. A powerful hobgoblin was leading a large horde of goblins. I was just a young woman then, but I will always remember that day. I sat and watched from afar as my mother was stabbed and left on the ground to bleed out and my father's arm torn off. Not before he ripped out the eye of that monster before it took his head. Only a fifth of us survived that raid; most of them wandered off to nearby villages, and some died from wounds sustained or sickness. Then there was me, who stayed around, using what my father taught me, and lived in woods and forests like this one around Heistorm. For thirty years, It was just me. Until this creature or one like its kind appeared and caused me to be enslaved by the Iron Chain."

"I see. I am very sorry to hear that." Celia looks down, unable to say much to comfort.

"Is that why you seem distant unless it is someone important to you? Like Gale?" I ask.

"More or less. I owe them my life; it's more like I owe them than I really like them. But I do like them; they are pretty fun to know and hang around. Of the jobs we've been on, I can tell they share a deep bond. Something I might hope to have, but I don't know. I don't know if I should stay with them after paying my debt. I feel like I would still owe Gale somehow."

"Well, if you like them, I think you are more than welcome to continue the journey with them. I think they need someone who isn't a total asshole to even out the poor decisions they make. You can be their moral compass."

"Moral compass?"

"Err... it's a figure of speech. You can be their voice of reason, stop them from making a terrible mistake or going down the wrong path."

"I never thought about it like that."

"Now you do."

"Well, I guess... Thanks."

"Don't worry, I won't tell them you said that about them."

"Oh, please do; it would be too embarrassing to face them otherwise."

Our laughs fill the empty void of the night sky. Celia had slowly fallen asleep soon after. Lukia turned herself in, and I found myself lying near Celia. I stared at her just to fill my mind with anything before I closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep. The fire cracks and lights up the surrounding area, keeping us safe from the elements.