𝘢 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘦 - 𝘯𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘵𝘱𝘯

𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘟𝘟𝘝𝘐

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐒 𝐀𝐑𝐂

𝐓𝐖𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐘 𝐒𝐈𝐗
___________

"He should've been back by now." Rebecca mutters, her voice tinged with worry. Her gaze falls upon the hallway that leads to the entrance.

We all sit around the fire, finishing up our dinner, but the atmosphere is tense and uneasy. You try to distract yourself by focusing on seeing, your fingers moving deftly as you sew together the black fabric. But it's impossible to shake off the feeling. It's been hours since you left Salvus, and there's no sign of him yet.

Jess speaks up, her voice barely above a whisper, "What if he's dead?" The words hang in the air like a dark cloud, and you can't help but snap your head up, your eyes locking onto her with a stern glare.

"Don't say that." you exclaim, your voice firm.

"He's been gone for a long time, and we need to do something about it. We should go out and look for him!" Jess argues back, her voice filled with worry. The fire crackles and spits embers into the air as the two of you lock eyes, the tension between you tense. The others look up, their faces reflecting their own concerns and fears.

You try to speak, but the words don't come out. You realize that Jess is right - you should go back out and look for Salvus. "I don't know," you whisper, tossing aside the fabric and standing up. "We should wait a little longer."

As you start to walk away, Haku suddenly flies in, and you stop in your tracks. Looking down at him, you gaze up and see Salvus approaching. Your eyes widen in relief. "Salvus!" you exclaim, rushing over to him.

You see that he looks exhausted but unharmed. "What took you so long?" you ask, concern etched on your face.

Salvus huffs, tossing his gear aside on the ground. "Sorry, they put up quite a fight." he replies, his breathing heavy.

"I was so worried about you, Salvus." you whisper, your voice trembling with relief as you gaze up at him.

His eyes soften slightly as he looks at you, and he sighs heavily. "I know, I can't go back to town. If they find out I'm there, they'll kill me on sight."

Steven approaches, standing beside you. "What happens when our supplies run low?"

Salvus thinks for a moment before responding, his voice measured. "You, Y/n, and Max should go. It's too risky for me to return to town, and I can't put the rest of you in danger."

Your eyebrows furrow in concern as you question Salvus's plan. "Are you sure?"

Salvus nods firmly, his jaw clenched. "We have no other choice." With a heavy heart, you nod in reluctant agreement.

Salvus walks past the two of you, his movements wearied, and approaches the fire. He sits down with a sigh, pouring himself a bowl of hot soup from the pot. The sound of slurping and the crackling of the fire fill the silence as you and Steven exchange glances.

"Kolevax is aware of the situation, I informed him through a letter." Salvus says while eating a piece of meat, the juices dripping from his mouth as he chews. "The three of you will need to take over my errands."

Your face twitches, "Do you mean killing people?"

Salvus clarifies, "My tasks vary, whatever Kolevax needs. It could be anything from gathering information to...other things."

Steven comments, "With Max on our side, it should be straightforward if it comes down to it."

You return to your spot, picking up the fabric and resuming sewing, saying, "In that case, we'll need to create disguises for you demons."

You pause. "I'll need to get more fabric."

Salvus nods. "We'll need to be careful, but I trust you can do it." The fire crackles and spits embers into the air as you work, the sound of fabric rustling and the smell of cooking meat filling the air.

-

As the night wears on, the sounds of the room grow quieter, with one by one, the others leave for bed, exhausted from the day's events. You and Salvus remain, sitting by the dying embers of the fire, the flickering flames casting eerie shadows on the surrounding the tunnel.

You lift your cup of tea to your lips, feeling the warmth spread through your hands, and take a slow sip, savoring the flavor. Setting the cup aside, you gaze into the fire, lost in thought.

"We should consider reducing our trips to town." you say finally, breaking the silence. "The Reapers are making things too dangerous. I know we need supplies, but it's not worth the risk."

Salvus doesn't immediately respond. He's engrossed in honing his spearhead, the whetstone gliding smoothly along the blade's edge, the soft scraping sound punctuating the night's stillness.

You can sense his mind is elsewhere, though, his thoughts chewing on the same concerns that keep you up at night.

After a moment, he grunts a soft acknowledgement, "I know."

You chew on your bottom lip. "Why do they keep bothering you? Is it really just because you left their group?" You ask, seeking clarification.

Salvus nods his head slightly, his eyes clouded with memories. "They didn't take kindly to my decision to leave. It was like I was betraying them by choosing a different path." His voice is low, the pain of the past still lingering.

"It's like they saw me as a traitor." Salvus continues, his voice filled with frustration. "They couldn't understand why I wanted to leave. I mean, I had my reasons, but they didn't want to hear it."

You nod your head, understanding. "And now they're coming after you because of it?"

Salvus nods again. "They won't stop until they've punished me for leaving. But I won't go back. I can't."

You want to help him, to ease his burden, but you know it's not that simple. The Reapers are dangerous, and they won't hesitate to hurt anyone who gets in their way.

"We can take things easy from now on." You suggest. "I think we can both agree on that."