Beyond The Waning Light of Paradise

Chapter 22: The Gray Path

The morning sun bathed Amberheart in a warm golden light, but the city's usual vibrancy felt muted. Silas couldn't shake the shadow of his father's words from the night before. He was seated in the study, his thoughts interrupted only by the occasional chirping of birds outside the window. Today, they would leave for Impsbane, the closest place for them to undergo Rowan's Soulweaver trial. But before that, there were preparations to make.

Rowan entered the study quietly, his expression focused, though softened by the bear cub nestled in his arms. The tiny creature looked up at Rowan with bright blue eyes, its golden fur catching the sunlight streaming in from the window.

"We should start gathering what we need for the journey," Rowan said, breaking Silas's reverie. "Uncle Chen is already making arrangements."

Silas nodded, standing up and brushing off the lingering thoughts. "Let's get started then." They made their way through the familiar halls of the manor. As they reached the door, he glanced at the bear cub and raised an eyebrow. "Have you named him yet?"

Rowan smiled a hint of pride in his eyes. "I'm thinking of calling him Árktōs," he said, his tone suggesting he was trying to impress Silas with the choice. "What do you think? It's a cool name, right?."

Silas gave him a flat look, unimpressed. "Huh... Even I know that's just the word for 'bear' in Theron."

Rowan deflated like a balloon, his earlier confidence evaporating. "Well, I thought it sounded cool," he muttered, looking down at the cub.

Trying to salvage the situation, Rowan began to rattle off other potential names, his voice filled with a mix of determination and desperation. "Maybe Sunny? Or Cubby? Honeybee?"

Silas fought to keep a straight face, a grin slowly breaking through. "Honeybee? You can't be serious, Rowan." His laughter echoed through the room, the tension finally breaking.

Rowan flushed with embarrassment, his cheeks turning a light shade of pink as he cradled the bear cub closer. The cub, seemingly aware of the situation, grunted softly, its expression almost mirroring Rowan's dissatisfaction.

Silas laughed even harder at that, doubling over with mirth. "It doesn't even like the names you're picking! Poor little guy."

Rowan huffed, looking at the cub thoughtfully before settling on something simpler. "Alright, fine. How about Goldie?"

The bear cub made another soft grunt but nestled closer into Rowan's arms, apparently resigned to its new name. Rowan gave Silas a pointed look, daring him to make another comment.

"Goldie it is, then," Silas said, still chuckling but with a more subdued tone. "Simple, fitting, and not likely to embarrass him in front of other bears."

Rowan rolled his eyes but couldn't help the small smile tugging at his lips as they left the study. The cub squirmed slightly, adjusting to the name, while Silas's laughter echoed in his mind, a small but welcome break from the heaviness of the day ahead.

☪︎ ･ﾟ ･ﾟ·:｡･ﾟﾟ･⋆˖⁺‧₊☽◯☾₊‧⁺˖⋆･ﾟ ･ﾟ·:｡･ﾟﾟ･❂

The marketplace was bustling with activity as usual, merchants calling out their wares and townsfolk haggling for the best prices. Silas and Rowan moved through the crowd with purpose, stopping at various stalls to pick up supplies for their journey. Uncle Chen was already there, speaking with a merchant whose wares were known to be of the highest quality.

"These will serve you well," Uncle Chen said, handing them a package wrapped in thick, waxed cloth. "Recovery Salves for wounds, antidotes for both physical and magical poisons, and some powerful healing potions. Use them sparingly; they're difficult to replace."