REVOLTING.
That was the word that echoed in my mind after the explanation.
I raised my trembling hands towards my head, grabbing my hair soaked in blood, sweat and dirt, shaken by the revelations given.
HOW?! HOW CAN THIS HAPPEN?! THE GODS HAVE ABANDONED US!
My vision doubled and blurred, the ground spun beneath my feet in my sitting position, attacking me with dizziness and nausea.
MORTALS TRY TO OCCUPY THE POSITIONS ABANDONED FOR CENTURIES! ARROGANT, GREEDY AND IDEALISTIC FOOLS PROLONGING AN ENDLESS CYCLE!
"Arrre you alright?"
Micolash's unwavering voice pierced the crushing silence, making me raise my head and stare at his impassive expression.
I narrowed my eyes at his lack of reaction, feeling anger returning to my being.
HOW?! HOW COULD SOMEONE BE SO CALM KNOWING SUCH DARK SECRETS?!
"Am I alright?! AM I ALRIGHT?! HOW COULD I BE ALRIGHT KNOWING THAT THE TRUE GODS HAVE LEFT THIS WORLD AND THE ONE WHO MOST OF THE WORLD, MYSELF INCLUDED, WORSHIP IS ONE OF THEIR CREATIONS AFTER THE FAILED WORK THAT IS HUMANITY?!"
I pointed a finger in his direction, demanding answers, a reaction, anything, surprise, anger, anything but the face of someone who had already accepted everything as truth.
But I didn't get what I wanted, just a blink of tired eyes.
"I believe you want sssomeone to share your frustrations, prove me wrong, or serve as a target for your angerrr, but you won't find that here. Take your time to process the information, don't russsh."
I clenched my teeth tightly, hearing them click as a nervous tic attacked my left eye, and I raised both my hands, shaking with fury, towards his neck, grabbing the air repeatedly.
"I will not be arrogant by sssaying that I understand your anger, because I wasn't indoctrinated in an abundant religion sssince I was little. I can't imagine the crisis of faith that ssshakes you, but I assure you of one thing, attacking me won't help you in any way."
It was so close, just a few more moments and I would shut his annoying mouth. I would stop his heretical words and force him to reveal the truth to me, that he was lying, but…
…But it was true, the details, the amount of information, the places where I could find the answers if I wanted. No one could come up with such a complex lie without days of planning.
Oh, we are doomed!
I let out a dejected growl, slowly lowering my arms, resting them on my crossed legs.
The ground partially obscured by my hair became the focus of my vision and I returned to the beginning of everything, reviewing everything I had been told and repeating the same statements.
"The Gods have abandoned us…"
"Out of fear of humanity's potential and what it could become after killing two of the Old Godss by mastering the concepts they embodied. Honestly, I see Lovecraftian entitiesss running away as an achievement, not something you should despair about."
"Mortals try to occupy the positions abandoned centuries ago…"
"Thanks to a clever trap set by the Old Godsss, initially set against the Lizardmen, builders of Ma'habre, and a civilization that predates humanity in the worship of deitiesss."
"…Arrogant, greedy, and idealistic fools prolonging an endless cycle."
"I admit that many of them were what you mentioned, but there were also those with good intentions wishing to save humanity from stagnation. Unfortunately, the throne serves as the perfect reward after overcoming all the challenges of the dungeon, after all, you screwed up, didn't you? Divinity for the conqueror of adversitysss… Raising your ego and soul to the absolute limitsss, creating a powerful but twisted copy of the individual after answering a few questions that will decide his goal in leaving the Green Tone, abandoning his creator to the hunger and dangers of the birthplace of the Old Godsss. This copy, strong, intelligent, and charismatic, but far from omnipotent, will propel humanity into a new era of prosperity, only to stagnate again as its influence fades, losing its divine powers and immortality as it is slowly forgotten by time, resigning itself to the Hall of the Gods after its eventual death."
The way he spoke was like a teacher educating a naive child. I didn't know if I should feel offended or find it funny.
Yes... Funny... This was nothing more than a big joke created by beings above us, and we were nothing but the comedic twist.
"Hahaha…"
I couldn't help but laugh weakly, feeling something wet run down my face and stain the floor.
The tears continued as I clutched my head, speaking more than I knew now, more knowledge that Micolash confirmed.
"Alll-mer is a creation of the Old Gods…"
"Yes, after Sylvian requested and was disappointed with Vitruvia's creation of humanity, for his love would never be reciprocated. Vitruvia, learning from her previous failure, created the ultimate human, Alll-merrr. So, the story taught to you by the church occurs, except for the details of his ascension. Alll-merrr went to Ma'habre after his death, becoming an Ascended God after discarding his malicious subconscious, creating the Sulfuric Godsss. In other words, he cheated to become a God on par with the Old Godsss, because the correct method would involve becoming a pure and perfect being, which was impossible without discarding his other side."
"The God I worshipped was a mortal, and he created a cruel God worshipped by cultists in a realm of suffering, a place where human souls go to be burned in eternal agony… Such arrogance and heresy…"
"An unfortunate consequence of his ascension, but it is necessary to open the question of whether the ends justified the meansss, after all, humanity has temporarily freed itself from the sstagnation of the old Kingss and Sultanss and the influence of the Old Godss, entering a new era of progress that is slowly approaching its end. The New Godsss have only prolonged the inevitable through the ages, but this will not last forever. It is necessary for someone truly powerful to take the reins of destiny and guide humanity again."
"And Le'gard is that someone?"
"Either Madeleine, or no one."
We remained in a suffocating silence, slowly broken by my sobs. I slowly raised my head, feeling the weight of a rock on my neck, and stared at the child who was listening attentively to the conversation.
She didn't say a single word, in fact, I would have thought she was a statue, considering how still she was, if it weren't for the blinking of her eyes and subtle breathing. Her face didn't show much emotion and I couldn't imagine what was going through her head after such revelations that no person should hear.
"Le'gard believes himself to be the Prophesized One who will unify humanity without death and violence, all his questionable actions and interest in the occult led him to seek the Cube of the Depthsss and be imprisoned in this dungeon. He plans to emulate the power of the souls of the current New Godsss and become something greater than a New God, ignorant of the consequences of such an action. Simultaneously, the New Goddesss Nilvan, holder of the Endless Soul, in all her love and faith in the progress of humanity, appeared to Le'gard in his dreams, generating a child with an Old Sssoul, who through a convoluted plan, would become an Ascended God who would propel humanity into a new era."
"Wait, if what you say is true, then what about…"
My eyes widened at this revelation.
That's not possible… He… Le'gard wouldn't abandon…
"Yesss, Madeleine is Le'gard and Nilvan's daughterrr."
The weight of his words fell on our shoulders. I froze as if I were on the peak of a mountain.
The girl in question hugged her legs and hid her face in her knees, shaking like a leaf in the wind, releasing barely audible sighs.
Poor child.
"I-is that true?! Is there nothing we can do?!"
"Yes, but we are not without options. As I sssaid before, destiny is not guaranteed. Prophecies are unreliable, if Le'gard becomes a New God, then he is The Prophesssized One. If Madeleine ascends, then Nilvan planned everything correctly, but here comes the interesting part, this only worksss if everything goes right, the prophecies and plans will only be correct if everything goesss as planned, but as we have seen since our arrival, there is a lot of room for error. We can perish in countless waysss, as there are no invisible forces or divine interventionss protecting us."
"So all this death and suffering was based on a series of assumptions and fragile plans?"
"Corrrect."
"And how do we stop it?"
"Simple, by killing Le'gard before he completes hisss goal."
Madeleine flinched at his cold, cutting words. I frowned, giving Micolash a glare, who barely showed any reaction, only raising a questioning eyebrow as if there was nothing wrong.
"Suppose we thwart Le'gard's plans, what will we do next?"
"That'sss for Madeleine to decide."
The silence returned and the words died in my throat. I opened and closed my mouth repeatedly, searching for something to say, but there was nothing.
I tightened my grip on my legs, feeling several emotions bubbling in my chest, anger, indignation, revolt, sadness and more.
What should I do now after everything that was revealed to me? What was the point? We are nothing to the Gods, pawns on a board moving according to their commands, living under the illusion of free will.
I was foolish, ignorant, blind to the truth, but who should I blame for that? My parents? They were taught by my grandparents, and my grandparents by my great-grandparents. The Church? No, they only repeat their ancient tradition from ancient times.
Le'gard? He is just another ambitious fool who thinks he is destined for greatness. I still remember our conversation on the plains, his dream of unifying humanity, and now I understand what he meant.
Should I stop him? If the prophecy is true, then he will bring peace and prosperity to the world, but do the atrocities committed along the way justify the outcome?
How many of his sweet words were nothing more than lies? How many innocents perished because of his actions? How many people had their lives destroyed by his manipulations?
And to think that this was the man I loved, a man who abandoned me at the first opportunity to advance his plans. Did he even regret it at some point? He must have seen me as a loyal, useful, but disposable dog.
Looking back on my past, I realize how ridiculous I was, a young woman blindly in love with someone who would never respond to her feelings.
And what about the child, his daughter? Does he even know of her existence? Does he even care about her? About her feelings?
No child should go through this, another piece on the chessboard of the Gods. What will become of her? No one should carry such a burden.
Despite all my ramblings, the question remains: what should I do? Fight? Run? Or search for answers?
Yes… I will do this, I will seek knowledge, I will find Le'gard and hear the answers coming from his mouth, then I will decide his fate… The veracity of the prophecy is irrelevant, I will make him pay for his crimes.
"So, when will we search for Le'gard?"
Madeleine revealed her face and looked at me deeply upon hearing my words. I tried to offer her a comforting look, but I didn't know how to do it, considering the possible fate of her father.
Micolash watched me with a curious gleam in his eyes, showing a rare flash of surprise.
"You don't have to accompany usss, the dungeon prevents me from leaving, but I believe it won't do the sssame to you."
"How do you expect me to leave knowing what's going on here?! The fate of the world is at stake! My honor won't allow me to stay still!"
"Don't you have a family waiting for you outssside? How would they feel if you didn't returrrn?"
"What happens here will affect them too! I have to do this!"
"Do you have to do thisss because you want to, or because you feel pressured to? Do you plan to delve deeper into the dungeon because Madeleine and I are going together, or because you want to change the world? I don't need a followerrr, my group is large enough. We will encounter horrorsss beyond our comprehension, how do you expect to continue when we encounter them if only my words are so ssshocking?"
I admit that her cold and cruel words pierced me like arrows, but I couldn't give up now, I needed to know.
"I couldn't care less what you think of me, but understand one thing, I am not a helpless maiden! How I react to what we find is my business and I will head towards Ma'habre with or without your company! You can laugh or pity me, but that is my choice!"
I waited for his answer, breathing heavily as I tried to calm the burning fury in my chest.
Micolash, on the other hand, assumed a solemn posture with his eyes closed and his face thoughtful before opening them and answering.
"Very well, then ssso be it. We will go to Ma'habre, but not now. We are completely unprepared, we will perisssh uselessly if we advance like this. We need to rest, heal our wounds, stock up on supplies, and acquire better equipment and spellsss."
Relief ran through me, I couldn't help but smile at her words, however, the child did not share our feelings.
I was still pondering what I should do to help her, however, her father acted first. Placing a gentle hand on her head, he spoke:
"Madeleine, I will not dare to say that I understand what you feel, I will not say that I have knowledge of what goes through your mind, but everything I have said is true. You are the child of two powerful individuals who may or may not have been chosen by fate, however, they both plan to create a new era of different worlds. This is the truth and nothing will change that, what you do with this information is your choice. I am not saying that you should swallow your feelings and pretend that nothing has happened, take as much time as you need, but know this, I will be by your side until the end and I will respect your choice. If you wish to become a God, then we will go to the depths together, if you wish to escape and live a normal life, then we will find a way out together, let this world that we owe nothing to decay or another ambitious fool try to change it. I won't abandon you or blame you for your parents' actions, but I need to ask you something: do you still trust me even after I've hidden all this knowledge from you?"
The child raised her head, staring into the depths of her protector's eyes, which showed more emotion than all previous interactions.
Nothing happened for a moment, until something flashed in Madeleine's eyes.
Quick as lightning, the girl stood up and hugged her father's waist with all her strength, shaking and sobbing vigorously, releasing all her accumulated feelings.
It was strange to hear the voice of someone who had remained silent for so long, despite the incomprehensible noises.
Micolash did his best to return the gesture, hesitating before wrapping Madeleine with his monstrous arm, remaining static immediately afterwards.
Their attitudes contrasted, however, this sight made a small smile creep across my face.
How had such a beautiful bond been born in the midst of this darkness?
Slowly, Micolash turned his head towards me and a shiver ran through my body, because at the beginning of the trail of tears that ran down his face, his snake eyes were observing something beyond me.
At that moment, I felt myself being stared at by the beast in human skin that I had faced earlier, it was still there, waiting for the right moment to come out.
May Alll-mer have mercy on whoever harms this child, because his father will not.
-XXXXXX-
"Ready to go?" Micolash asked me, hiding part of his face behind his iron mask scratched by my sword.
I didn't answer at first, preferring to analyze his appearance, his trench coat missing the right sleeve covered in tears, dirt, stains and blood, whether his or his enemies', hardened leather armor still intact, but with marks from attacks that failed to penetrate it, and a bloody, but intact leather hood.
His strange shirt, pants, and shoes, and the large bag slung across his back, were in no better condition, but he didn't seem to mind.
Other than that, he carried his grimoire in one hand and a jagged blade in the other.
Madeleine was armed with a dagger, wearing a leather helmet and armor similar to her father's, with a doll's head protruding from her collar, next to her rope necklace, encasing a shiny stone.
The wolf, now identified as female, finished licking its wounds, stopping its limp, ready for the journey.
The knight we had fought earlier, now a undead reanimated by Micolash, to my horror, stood near the exit of the chamber, oblivious to his severed arm in the corner of the cave.
"Yes." I nodded in response, beating my chest with the fist of my left arm equipped with my shield, a familiar and nostalgic gesture.
"Then we will deparrrt, but before we leave the caves, I believe that you and Madeleine should increassse your affinity with the God of the Depths." Micolash pointed to the four corpses of the cave dwellers next to us.
Imagine my surprise when he left the chamber with the knight and returned with two corpses. According to him, there was a limit of affinity with each Old God, and two was the limit for the God of the Depths.
I don't understand the relationship between numbers and such an abstract concept as affinity, but I wasn't the one receiving divine visions. I bit the inside of my cheek and looked away, uncomfortable with the whole situation.
Ritualistic sacrifice to a God I do not worship. My faith and feelings are no longer the same. I can't say whether I hate the Gods or not, but I don't blindly believe in their teachings, not anymore.
Sighing, I resigned myself and dragged two bodies towards the walkway, throwing them from the edge towards the hungry mouth of the God of the Depths, watching as the colossal being showed signs of life and crushed the flesh with noises that turned my stomach.
I resisted the urge to vomit when the rotten breath hit my face, intensified by the tingling in my flesh.
When it was all over, I noticed something different in my being, the darkness didn't bother me that much, the insects didn't disgust me, and when I looked at the God again, I felt a certain sympathy for the creature, a kind of understanding between us.
I moved away from the deity while I stared at my hands, searching for some visible change, but only something inside me had changed.
I barely noticed when Micolash placed two more corpses on the edge of the walkway and stepped aside, allowing Madeleine to push them off.
The child jumped slightly, having a similar reaction to mine, feeling her body for changes.
We reconvened, Micolash and I talking about the new experiment, discussing the similar results, less fear of the dark, acceptance of the insects, and a connection to the Old God.
With that done, we headed toward the exit. Micolash caught my eye on the way as he removed something from the inside pocket of his coat, the large meat cleaver from one of the monsters we had slain.
"Forgive me for your sssword. Please accept this as an apology until we recoverrr a suitable weapon for you from our hideout."
I accepted the weapon without hesitation, better than fighting barehanded.
"Thank you very much, but what do you mean by hideout?"
"An isolated place in the dungeon that we've chosen as a resting place."
I nodded in confirmation and we continued our journey, crossing the wooden bridge one at a time and observing the devastation of the cave dwellers' village.
Silence, ruins and mutilated bodies, the Moonless Guards made a point of slaughtering the survivors of the cave-in.
Micolash suggested we scour the site for supplies and, as much as I hated the idea of stealing from the dead, we needed it more than they did.
I made a point of taking a spear for myself, sheathing the cleaver in the leather belt around my waist.
The search continued and we found a myriad of artifacts in what appeared to be the stock of a yellow turban marker.
We filled our bags with blue vials, explosive vials, beef, ale and opium powder. Luckily, I had a pipe with me.
We recovered a long rope from a house where the only survivor of the massacre was, a child from the village. He didn't react to our presence, trembling, huddled in a corner.
We left him alone and headed for the exit, my heart heavy the whole way, because Le'gard and I had brought the monsters here.
We followed a long passage inside several houses, where Micolash picked up a so-called soul stone on the upper floor.
On the other side, we descended until we reached a wooden platform with a large hole in its center, we tied the rope to a wooden beam and prepared to descend.
But first, I checked a wooden chest that I had glimpsed, hidden behind rocks and mine carts.
I didn't have many coins with me, I preferred to save them for something more important, so I opened the normal chest and checked its contents, getting a red vial.
With that done, we descended down the rope, Micolash with Madeleine on his shoulders and Moonless on mine.
It was a terrifying descent, the wolf didn't stop still, struggling and howling during the descent.
I lost count of how many times I almost lost my grip on the rope, fearing I would fall to my death, the stench of the creature didn't help.
When we reached the bottom, we entered the tunnel in front of us and Micolash shouted for the undead knight to jump.
Seconds later, a crash followed by a tremor shook the tunnel. When the dust settled, we saw the knight partially sunk into the earth.
He crawled out of the hole and followed us without complaint.
At that moment, I felt glad that he had no will of his own. I would kill whoever forced me to jump from such a height, my legs hurt just thinking about it.
If the smell of Moonless disgusted me, then the rot that clogged the tunnel made me want to risk the labyrinthine passages again.
It was a festival of carnage, naked men and women wearing wolf masks devouring each other in the darkness.
Grunts, howls and growls tore through the air, mixing with the sounds of blood spilling, flesh tearing and bones breaking.
"W-what is this damned banquet?!"
I bit my tongue, mentally scolding myself.
Luckily, the cannibals did not acknowledge our presence and we did not become the next victims, so focused on their ritual.
I stared at the members of our group, observing their reactions.
The knight didn't react, as usual, Moonless contented himself with nibbling on a severed leg, Madeleine was pale and wide-eyed, and Micolash remained calm.
"These are the Wolf Masksss, men and women from the dungeon who have lossst themselves in the worship of Gro-goroth, the God of Destruction. Human and blood sacrificess are waysss of worshipping him, and here I can increase my affinity with him."
"D-did you lose your mind again?! Do you expect us to participate in this macabre ritual?!"
"No, just me. I haven't become a monster yet. You can participate if you wish, but I won't force or allow Madeleine to join."
"But what if you become one of them?!"
"Your concern is appreciated, however, the firssst time is frrree, so I'll be fine. You can wait for me on the path ahead, I'll join the group in sssoon" Micolash then approached what seemed to be the leader of the cultists, the only one not participating, and said something to him.
I didn't hear his words, but he removed his iron mask and replaced it with a wolf mask handed to him.
I got tired of watching like a surprised animal, I clicked my tongue and shook my head, muttering a prayer that would never be answered and tried to grab the child's arm, but she fled from my touch.
She watched me suspiciously, pointing her dagger in my direction. Moonless stopped at her side, growling in attack position.
"Forgive me for my abrupt actions, I know you don't trust me, but you heard your father's words. We will not participate in the ritual, so it is best that we move on."
The child wrinkled her nose, her gaze alternating between me and Micolash who jumped as if struck by lightning, disappearing into a dark corner seconds later.
Madeleine sighed and nodded, waving her weapon for me to lead the way. So I did, wading through the tide of madness with my senses heightened and my weapon in hand.
I admit I felt ridiculous, being held prisoner by a child, but the monstrous wolf and the loyal knight encouraged me to cooperate.
Besides, there was the risk that she would invent some lie to direct her father's wrath against me.
I passed in front of the place where Micolash disappeared, I didn't stop to look, but I was sure I glimpsed the familiar glowing eyes feasting on something red near the ground.
I drowned my feelings in that moment, it was not time to stop. I checked to see if my companions were still following me and the leaders out of this madhouse.
I expected to find more horrors as we left the passage and entered a medium-sized chamber, but to everyone's surprise, it seemed like we had entered a paradise compared to the previous place.
We found ourselves in an irregularly shaped rocky room, with mining equipment scattered across the flat floor. Luminous moss covered the rock formations on the floor and ceiling, bathing the room in a soft green light.
However, this was no comparison to the crystal clear body of water to our left, a small lake formed in the path of a river that ran down through narrow tunnels.
I must have laughed like a madwoman, but I didn't care. I ran towards the water and crouched down on the bank, removing a glass flask from my bag, filling it and drinking it right away.
That sip of water suddenly felt like the best drink in the world. I repeated my actions until I was full, sighing contentedly when I finished.
Madeleine and Moonless shared my sentiments, plunging their mouths into the water and drinking as much as they could.
"This is a miracle! I never expected to find clean water around here!"
"Well, then the Salmon Sssnake lake ended here."
We drew our weapons and assumed combat positions, stopping when we realized it was only Micolash.
"Salmon Snake?" I asked, lowering my weapon and analyzing his appearance, sighing at how indifferent he acted with his mouth covered in blood.
"We faced a monstrous salamander in the upper tunnelsss. Normally, it would hide at the bottom of a lake full of corpsesss, attracting victims with luminous objectsss. I suppose the rearrangement of the tunnelsss changed its location and, consequently, created a current that dragged the bodiesss away. We must take advantage while we can to quench our thirst, stock up on water and…"
Micolash raised his right arm and sniffed his armpit, then looked at his filthy form, clicking his tongue in frustration.
…And bathe, I believe we deserve a ressst."
"Yes, please!"
I didn't bother to hide my intentions, it had been a while since I had last bathed. I wanted nothing more than to wash the dirt off my body. However, there was a problem.
"Which one of us will go first?"
"You can go if you wisssh, I don't mind waiting." Micolash said, walking to the center of the chamber, where he rested his strange bag on a large rock and rummaged through its contents.
"Hm… You answered too quickly." I narrowed my eyes, regarding him suspiciously.
"I don't underssstand, what are you implying?" He removed his mask and tilted his head in confusion.
"Alright, stay behind the rock, I don't want to see your eyes, all of them, on me when I'm naked."
"Seriousssly? After everything that's happened, that's your biggest concerrrn? I'm not a pervert."
"If what you say is true, then you won't mind doing as I ask."
"Alright, everything to end thisss pointless discussion. But first, help me gather the mining toolsss, we'll use the wood as kindling for a fire."
So we wandered around the chamber, gathering the materials in question, building a fire to warm ourselves and dry our clothes after our bath.
We gathered all the scraps of cloth we had to use as towels, and with everything done, I made sure I wasn't being watched and removed my armor piece by piece.
The metal plates clicked against the floor as each leather strap was opened, leaving me in a pair of cloth bra and underwear, which I quickly removed, stepping into the freezing water ahead.
I shivered at the temperature, but kept moving forward until the water reached my stomach. I looked down, seeing my reflection staring back at me, and what I saw bothered me.
My face was haggard and downcast, the sparkle in my eyes gone, as if something had been taken from me, but what exactly? My love? My faith? My worldview? I might never find out the answer.
On the bright side, there weren't many injuries on my body, a few scratches and bruises, but nothing to worry about, my trusty armor withstood most of the blows.
However, there were two signs of injury that stood out from the rest, the five puncture marks on my shoulder and the red handprint on my neck.
I glanced at the rock where Micolash was hiding, then returned to my original position. There was no point in confronting him about this, we were even now.
I sighed for the umpteenth time, sinking into the water, washing the blood and dirt from my body, allowing myself a moment of peace and silence.
-XXXXXX-
I should have known better.
I complained mentally, wrapped in a patchwork quilt, shivering near the fire, while my armor and undergarments dried around me.
"Isss something bothering you?" Micolash asked, and I made sure to respond with a glare.
He mumbled something in an incomprehensible language and averted all his eyes upward.
We returned to our uncomfortable silence, listening to the crackling of the flames as we waited for Madeleine to return.
Neither of us felt comfortable helping the child in this situation, so we explained the basics to her and Micolash sent Moonless and the knight to protect her.
"D'arce?"
"Yes?"
"Could you do it like thisss?" Micolash flexed his monstrous arm.
I frowned, curious as to what he planned, but I complied with his request, stretching my arm out and flexing it.
A single eye on his arm looked at me and widened in surprise.
"Wow, I didn't exxxpect that."
"Yes, I know, laugh at me all you want. I'm not the epitome of femininity, grace, and beauty like the other noblewoman."
"It'sss not that bad. Isn't that the result of your hard work, yearsss of dedication and training? I believe that makes you more capable of defending yourssself than a noblewoman."
"Yes, but it has the undesirable effect of driving away the men I've been interested in. Most noblemen's sons don't like a woman who is more skilled and physically capable than they are."
"Well, I can think of one person who doesss."
"What did you say?!"
"Nothing!"
I don't know whether to feel flattered and embarrassed by his words, or surprised that I got any kind of reaction from him.
Unfortunately, I didn't get the chance to press for an explanation, as Madeleine returned wrapped in a piece of cloth, accompanied by the wolf and undead, who placed her washed clothes and equipment near the fire.
"My turrrn now."
Micolash stood up without another word, taking his "towel". I heard his footsteps retreating, followed by his clothes hitting the ground and his body entering the water.
If I already felt disconnected from my new companion, then I was a stranger to the child.
There was nothing in common between us to discuss that wasn't extremely uncomfortable, so we just stared at the fire.
Whether out of curiosity or the lack of noise, I leaned back, seeing Micolash with his back to me.
He was taller than me, but with a thin build, and probably lighter or of equal weight, however, his strength did not match his body.
I observed the point where his monstrous arm connected to his body, noting the red spiral-shaped flesh replacing his shoulder, part of his back and I assume his chest.
It contrasted with his normal skin tone, with pulsing veins running beyond the transformed part.
One detail I noticed now that he probably didn't know about was the white locks of hair on the back of his head, near his neck.
Looking down, my breath stopped when I saw something disconcerting...
"AH!"
I closed my mouth, holding back a surprised scream and my heart almost jumping out of my chest and staring at the one who pinched my leg.
Madeleine, who was watching with half-closed eyes in a failed attempt at intimidation, became adorable.
"I know I'm being hypocritical, but you need to see this."
The girl raised a questioning eyebrow and looked where I was pointing, realizing what I meant.
Micolash's shadow, it didn't follow his movements as he moved during the bath, his shadow remained static, its direction and length didn't match the intensity of the nearby light.
Madeleine grumbled and returned to her place, petting the wolf that was now resting next to her.
I chose to do the same, several thoughts running through my mind, wondering what he was becoming.
-XXXXXX-
"This is delicious! What animal does this meat belong to?!" I exclaimed in amazement, savoring the roasted meat skewered on a twig.
"Salmon Sssnake, the creature's meat is an extremely nutritious delicacy, sssatisfying an individual's hunger completely, even when raw." Micolash replied, devouring the meat and twig in one bite.
I laughed nervously at the display and focused on the child and the wolf, the former eating with a glint in her eye and the latter tearing apart its portion of meat.
Strangely, despite all the dangers and horrors we had faced and cruel truths we had learned, none of it bothered me now.
There was a certain beauty in this moment, a certain peace and tranquility.
Maybe… Maybe everything will work out in the end if we keep going like this. Maybe we'll escape the dungeon, and then... And then... I don't know yet, but I'll leave that problem for the future, not let my ramblings ruin the moment.
Then I went back to eating, wishing this peaceful vision would last forever.
END OF CHAPTER