Chains of Vengeance

Chapter 121: Order

Narinder continued his journey through Darkwood, though with each step frustration grew within him. He had not found Haro, and the forest seemed to have no more secrets to reveal to him this time. Time was running out, and he would soon have to return to collect the special dish that Fera was preparing with the blood and the heart of the heretic. But Narinder was not one to give up easily; he wanted to bring something back, some proof of his time in the forest.

As he moved forward, his eyes fell on an old statue of Leshy. Although it was common to see these figures in Darkwood, recent events and the fall of the temple of chaos made him think that they would soon disappear, swallowed by nature or by oblivion.

With a half smile, Narinder said quietly, "Well, at least I don't want to leave empty-handed." His crown, answering his wish, transformed into a shovel with a dark glint. With precision, he began to dig around the statue, carefully removing the earth that held it to the foundation of the ground. After freeing the base, he transformed the crown into a sharp pick and hit the points where the stones joined, breaking off the pieces until the statue was finally free.

With satisfaction, he picked it up and contemplated it for a moment. The image of Leshy seemed like a relic of times past, of a brother who would never return. Then, with a simple gesture, he put the statue in his infinite pocket, inside his crown, where he could keep it safe from the erosion of time and abandonment.

With nothing else to do in the forest, and with the promise of returning later, Narinder turned around to go in search of Fera and her prepared dish.

Narinder arrived at the designated area and found Fera, the little white rabbit, engaged in a game with spider webs. With delicacy and skill, Fera tangled and untangled the fibers between her hands, as if braiding small threads of magic or catching dreams in her web. The rabbit's fingers moved with precision and dexterity, her eyes shining with excitement as she made the web take on whimsical shapes.

Narinder cleared his throat to catch his attention. "I hope to hear good news."

Fera, smiling with satisfaction, showed him a bowl of leaves that contained the dish. Inside that handmade bowl, the cooked heart had a spectacular aroma and color; the spices were mixed with a touch of hot chili, and there was a soft accompaniment of potatoes and carrots, slow-cooked to perfection.

"I must confess that I could not resist tasting the blood. I lightly salted it and cooked it on low heat," Fera confessed, savoring the experience in her mind. "It was delicious, and even Helob drooled poison from excitement. Don't worry, your meat was untouchable, we respected the deal and were completely satisfied!"

Narinder nodded, and with a gesture, he carefully put the dish away in his crown, as if placing it in a safe. Then he looked at the rabbit and said, "My next excursion will be in Anura. If you are interested in cooking me another heart like this, wait for me over there."

Fera showed a smile that revealed her sharp teeth. "With pleasure. After today's hunt, I will tell Helob to prepare his webs. We will set off to Anura and hunt! Amphibians are a delicacy."

Narinder nodded and, without further ado, teleported back to the cult, satisfied with his reward and his future plans in Anura.

—-

Meanwhile Goliath slowly opened his eyes, feeling the throbbing pain in every corner of his body. The ceiling of the healing room greeted him with a soft light and the scent of fresh herbs. Beside him, a green frog was concentrating, patiently crushing some camellia flowers in a stone mortar, while the sound of crushed petals and the scent of nature filled the air.

"Ugh... my head... where am I? Who won?" asked Goliath, trying to get up even though his body felt heavy and sore.

The frog put his mixture aside and calmly approached. "Easy, easy. It was a draw, both of them were knocked out at the same time. It was a worthy duel, believe me."