Life in a new Kingdom

A large gust of wind blew through us. Whipping our hair wildly. The fresh air and scenery lifted the gritty feeling of those caves and the nest. The exit led past a small incline, but a path over the rocky surface must lead toward the main road. Lukia did her best to guide me up the hill before we crossed the edge.

"Where is everyone?" Lukia asks. She is right; not a soul is in sight. I fear the thought of them leaving us behind after escaping. Most of them were injured or needed to be cared for, so moving away from the exit to safety was something I wouldn't blame them for.

"Let's look for tracks..." my voice trailed off. My vision was blurry, and my body was growing heavy. Each step felt like I was walking on air, and the ground beneath me was missing.

"Caleb, are you alright?" A ringing tone fills my ears as my senses slowly start to shut down. The adrenaline and sheer willpower of battle had kept me standing the entire time. Spending that time to talk to Lukia felt like a waste if my body was going into shock. It didn't take long before I stumbled and fell onto my stomach. Lukia shouted something, but I was far too gone to understand what she said.

"...There they are...! Over here...!" Muffled voices in the distance as my vision fades from black. Vibrations ripple through the snow, but my body slowly grows still, and the sound of my heartbeat slows. Until the final beat, it becomes silent. My breath stuck in my lungs. The light feeling of my body carries me back onto a hard surface.

At first, I thought death was clutching me away. But in the distance of my abyss, I felt a presence in my mind. No, in my very being, something reached out. A divine feeling washed over me; in the darkness, there was an odd light that broke through—a grey smudge of a figure blurred in a violent tempest. An echo of its breath rippled through the space. Its arms reached out, or at least I could assume it was arms reached toward me.

"You're not ready for this yet. Nowhere close to what you are to be. Wake up. I'll make sure you never see me until you are ready." The voice ripples out in violent waves that vibrate through my entire body. Feeling and a steady heartbeat returned, and soon my other senses. After what felt like a solid minute of a soft warmth washing over my body, the cold air filled my lungs as my eyes shot open in a frenzy.

"Calm down, you're safe!" Lukia shouts as she lays a hand on my chest, keeping me from getting to my feet. I look around to find myself surrounded by a wide variety of people. Confusion and a haze of my memory plays as I blacked out.

"Your body was so cold; I used what I could to keep you warm with my magic." Herk was by my side. His hands pale from exhausting all of his mana in healing spells. He was sickly and fraught with exhaustion.

"Herk... Did we do it...?"

"Of course! You wouldn't be alive if you didn't!" Gale laughs as he places his hand on my back. After adjusting to my condition, I noticed that Ivian, Herk, and Yann had returned and found the others. After regrouping, they returned for us, and that was when I had blacked out. Herk wasted no time to make sure I would live and poured everything he could into healing me back to health. My arm was still visibly damaged, but it was bearable.

"How is everyone?" I ask.

"When Herk found us, he quickly healed Nana of the dark magic that she was inflicted with before we rode all the way to you guys. He healed you with every bit of his strength, and a lot of it was to remove the dark magic that you were hit with." Gale points to the bruise on my arm. The pain was all but numbed due to the spell, but the mark that the spell left had faded away.

"And what about Uzel and his party?"

"Just over the ridge. They are resting as much as they can."

"When we left you guys, we rode our best to Saiana and gave the bodies to the guild. Mayor Keiga gave us a round of horses to take with us to transport everyone back. We also obtained a cart for the gravely wounded."

"Uzel and Syphine need it," I say in response.

"Don't worry, Nana and Eriie are ensuring they are comfortable on the way back. We have enough horses for everyone to ride, but someone needs to ride double."

"Me and Caleb are both very light, we'll share one." Lukia chimes in. She grabs the reins of one of the horses and leads it next to us. I look up and still feel dazed. I have Gale to help me get up to the horse. Lukia saddles in behind me and takes the reins.

"Herk, you don't look too good; take it easy on the way back." Gale pats his friend's back before taking a horse. Yorn rides next to us, and he places his hand on Lukia.

"Thank you for saving me and giving me the chance to save my friends. I am in your debt."

"No need, we don't leave a fellow adventurer behind regardless. You saved us with your spells, too." Yorn nods and rides up ahead. Leaving the cart pulled in the back while me and Lukia ride in the middle. Flushed with a slight fever, I try my best to relax as we depart. Nana rides up to us and looks at me with worry.

"I know that look... For a stone-cold Guild Master, you certainly show a lot of care to me."

"You reminded me of someone I once knew. He's gone now, but I have a hard time remembering him without feeling like this. But you made me remember more clearly."

"So, I am just a tool for your memory? That's harsh."

"Don't jest like that. I appreciate everything you have done during this entire incident. You have certainly proven to me that you are a capable person. Rest now, I am still the most experienced here so I will watch us and make sure we get home." Nana rides on ahead, leaving me with my warmed body. A soft pair of hands wrap around my waist, and I am pulled back into Lukia's chest. I feel her body is cold compared to mine.

"I should properly thank you for everything. I am still not great at this, but I know at least this is appropriate." Before I could respond, a soft pair of lips kissed my cheek. I don't know how to feel in that moment. A brief flash of Tia fills my mind before I look at Lukia. Her smile toward me was full of care and support. I let out a gasp before I let it go.

Not so long afterward, I feel the time passing by rapidly. My eyes were barely able to stay awake until they closed, letting a much-needed rest occur. I press my fingers on Lukia's arms before slipping into a deep sleep...