"We should go find him," said Maggie in a hurried voice, reloading the rifle Dylan had lent her. Hers had been left behind in the hobgoblin village, where she had passed out under the fangs of those flesh-hungry hyenas.
"I don't think anything's happened to him. Dylan's careful, after all," Elisa replied, still leaning against the tree.
"Still, it's been almost six hours since he went looking for food… If I'd known it would take this long, I would've offered to share my rations." Maggie forced the magazine into place, making sure it clicked into the weapon.
Truth be told, Dylan had been gone for quite a while. Even though he claimed he was out hunting, Maggie wasn't buying it. It would take more than that to fool her.
And besides, Dylan wasn't stupid — or at least that's what she liked to believe. A lieutenant for three years, with plenty of missions under his belt, he'd climbed the ranks through merit, or so she thought. If Dylan had felt the need to lie to go over her authority, then Maggie wanted to believe he had a good reason.
This time, she was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt.
But now, it was getting long. They had already shared their rations, and Maggie had even set some food aside, just in case Dylan came back empty-handed.
Minutes stretched into hours, and still no sign of Dylan. Worry began to silently settle in the glances the two young women exchanged.
That's why Maggie was gearing up to go find him.
Her upper body was wrapped entirely in bandages, all the way down to her arms. Even her cheek still bore a patch.
After absorbing the anima gems Dylan had left her before leaving, she had felt lighter, almost euphoric. During the purification process, most of her wounds had closed. Only the deepest ones were still visible, but even those would heal soon.
Her regeneration had improved again. Now Maggie could move freely, though a dull ache still lingered here and there.
She raised the rifle, getting ready to take her first step when a sharp crack rang out — like a dry branch snapping under a heavy foot.
She froze, lifted her weapon toward the sound.
In the shadows, a man's silhouette appeared. He wore a military uniform, the side of his coat and vest torn. Both hands held high, he deliberately dropped the sliced thighs of his game, which landed with a wet splat.
His pockets were full, his uniform stained with blood. His gray eyes, always cold, locked onto Maggie… but this time, something new passed through them — a restrained pain, like fire beneath ice.
It was Dylan.
He hadn't called her name. He kept his hands raised, motionless, waiting for Maggie to decide. When she managed to swallow her surprise, she slowly lowered her weapon.
"Took you a whole day to get a couple of thighs?" she asked, her tone neutral, almost blasé.
Dylan, true to himself, replied in that detached voice, sarcasm shielding his weariness:
"Well… turns out that 'game' belonged to a group of hobgoblins returning from their own hunt. Let's just say we had a long conversation. Very… diplomatic."
He bent down to pick up the meat he'd dropped, strapped it back onto his pack without another word, and resumed walking.
He passed by Maggie, leaving her speechless. She stood there, weapon lowered, confused, trying to read something on his face. But he said nothing.
His back moved away, broad and solid despite the tears in his uniform. His pockets bulged, and yet, Dylan moved forward without looking back.
Maggie soon caught up to him, her boots thudding softly on the damp ground as she followed the wounded soldier's steps.
"You're not too hurt?" she asked, her eyes scanning the torn side of his coat.
"Ask the mummy wrapped in bandages," Dylan scoffed with a dry laugh. "No, not too bad. At least not as bad as you."
Before she could respond, he continued:
"Your movements seem smoother. How are the wounds?"
"Most of them are already healed. But the deeper ones are still being stubborn."
She swallowed hard, a hint of hope in her voice:
"Elisa said that at this rate, I could reach the perception stage if I absorb more anima gems."
In front of her, Dylan laughed — not his usual sarcastic chuckle, but something brighter, more impatient, like a kid being promised a new adventure. His voice rang clearer despite his exhaustion:
"Well, let's get to it then. I'm curious to see what it's like."
---
Once they reached the shade of the tree where Elisa was resting alone, Dylan dropped the two chunks of meat next to her, without a word.
She looked up, recognized him instantly… and gave him a punch — not too hard, but well-placed.
"My blood turned black worrying about you, where the hell were you?!" she growled, getting up. Her bandaged arm moved freely, a sign the pain had eased — or that she was good at pretending.
"I think we'll need to make a fire," Dylan simply said, pointing at the meat.
Elisa's face lit up instantly, like a child seeing a freshly baked cake.
"Count on me for that! In forty years of life, no one in the village cooked better than me."
Dylan raised an eyebrow, his eyes widening slightly at the revelation. He stared at her for a second before letting out:
"Oh really, now?"
"Yes! You two go find firewood, I'll handle the rest!"
Time passed gently. The fire crackled beneath the tree, wrapping the trio in a comforting warmth. Afternoon shadows stretched longer, and the smell of grilled meat teased their stomachs.
Dylan was the first to taste it. He bit into a juicy piece of thigh, eyes half-closed, chewing slowly.
"Mmm… I admit," he mumbled with a full mouth, "it's pretty damn good."
"Pretty damn good?!" Elisa snapped. "I crushed herbs for seasoning with one hand, and all I get is 'pretty good'?!"
Maggie stifled a laugh as she took her bite. She didn't say anything, but her sparkling eyes said it all.
Their makeshift camp, in the middle of nowhere, had just gained a trace of home.
To spice things up further, Dylan reached into his pockets and pulled out about fifteen brightly colored stones. They immediately caught the flickering firelight, casting dancing reflections on their faces.
"Guess who's reaching the perception stage today?!" he declared, with a grin as wide as it was smug.
Maggie's eyes widened, but she didn't seem surprised. More like… she was confirming a suspicion. Her gaze shifted from the gems to Dylan, with a trace of restraint.
"You see," he said, almost juggling the stones, "I had a very productive chat with a hunting group who kindly offered me their anima gems. Haha. I think they really liked me."
Silence fell. Then his tone changed, turned serious.
"And… I also met a little girl."
He gently placed the stones on the ground.
"She told me to leave. Calmly. No threats. Just… this calm certainty in her voice. She went and got those gems for me. And the weirdest part? I looked everywhere, and I didn't find a single body among the hunters I fought."
His gaze turned to Elisa. He stared, for a long moment. More to gauge her reaction than to get an answer.
"I don't know if you know who she is… but I think we stayed here one day too long. Tonight, we absorb those gems. We reach that damn stage. And tomorrow, we wipe out that village those hobgoblins came from. With some luck, half of their force is already gone."
Elisa, usually so sharp, didn't respond right away. She stared at the stones, the fire, then at Dylan. A dark flicker passed through her gaze.
"A girl…" she murmured, almost to herself. "I've never heard of her. She must be a lost child wandering the zone… But that makes it even stranger. There's no way she could survive here alone."
"So, what do we do?" Dylan asked, his voice neutral.
"As you said: we absorb these anima gems. With a bit of luck, you'll reach the perception stage, and your strength will increase significantly. That'll make the attack on the village easier."
Dylan and Maggie nodded. They divided the loot fairly. Dylan took four gems, including the one from the chieftain who had given him such a hard time. Maggie took four as well. The remaining six were entrusted to Elisa.
The three of them sat around the fire, stones in hand, preparing to dive their minds into the shimmering crystals.
"I'm not sure what we're supposed to say… uh… cheers?" Dylan said, lifting a gem, half-embarrassed, half-amused.
Maggie and Elisa burst out laughing and raised theirs in response.
"CHEERS!!!" they shouted in unison.