BLADES AND BONES

Chapter 11: A Heart so cold

"Did you hear that?", Yureka spoke suddenly. She was panting. Her group halted for a moment. "The roars and howls from afar..did we all hear that or it's just me?" She thought she was hallucinating again.

"No, your highness. I heard it, too", Alex quickly replied. "Me, too.", the rest of the knights seconded. "We must be going. Those monsters might find us. We've had enough loss for the day.", the blue-eyed cavalryman suggested. They have lost four along the journey. Roughly six of the knights were left, two wounded, after encountering different wild creatures and illusions. Wolves, large bats and other horrifying beasts viciously attacked the wanderers. Strong as they were, the armed men and the princess were still humans. They can't even rest for an hour. Now they learned why people fear the forest. The stories were true. Despite that, Yureka worried about Kesk. 'Kesk, where are you? '

The corpses of the necromancer, the bloodhounds and the sleipner lay on the ground, in the spot where they're killed.

"You...killed them all.", Kesk could not believe that Ashven was that strong.

"Yes.", he replied with a devilish smile at the farmer. Shortly, he licked the muscular organ he harvested from the chest of the conjurer. Having witnessed such grotesque act, the albino vomitted what's left in his hungry, empty stomach. He sat down after.

"Ah my bad. I tend to be so liberal. Want some?" The albino wiped the mess on his lips, shaking his head no. "Pick your food then. The horse or dog?" He took a bite at the heart like it was an apple, only bloodier.

"We could have talked with the necromancer to change the sleipner back to normal.", Kesk looked away as the other ate his prize.

"Zao can't do that. Look around you. Everything he's done was a bloody mess. He even made them attack me. Those beasts tried to kill me so I killed them first. But you did a good job of distracting Zao. That's a good sign we are going to be good partners! By the way, where did you get that dagger?", then he licked the blood around his mouth. He has consumed more than half of his food. His next move was to sit beside his human friend.

Kesk sighed. "Partners... You can't even find me a decent food. How can we be good partners?", he whined. "And oh, I got this knife in the kitchen before we left." The male placed the dagger flat on the surface. Surely, he doesn't want to get involved in a killing spree again.

The brunet chuckled, "Alright. I take it that you don't eat dog or horse meat. Let's find some fruits or vegetables then. Or do you eat grass, too?" Taking the last piece of meat chunk into his mouth, chewing it, and he swallowed it.

"Grass.", he said in a flat tone and continued, "You really enjoy mocking your human friend." He gazed on the dead horse with many feet. Using the improvised wooden crutch, he stood up and approached the corpse, surveying the hideous appearance. The other followed. "So this is Ludivan?"

"Good guess. Too bad he was combined with your horse Kip.", wiping his bloody hand on his black handkerchief that he threw on the dead hybrid afterwards.

"What did he ever do to you and Zao?" Kesk was beginning to get curious on the real intentions of the necromancer and the Blackheart member, making eye contact as he questioned the brunet.

Ashven crossed his arms. "I told you. You don't need to know that. Besides, let's find you some food."

'A secret, huh? ' , the farmer wondered. "Alright. I'm the master here so I'll decide where we go from here on." Ashven nodded, like an obedient puppy. The farmer brought his compass out from the pouch with his back turned to the other. Then, he searched for the direction to San Tima. "Let's go back to San Tima."

"If you insist.", Ashven frowned. He followed the limping man. Along the way, they came across a field of plants bearing round, red-colored berries. "Food.", the farmer's immediate thought, approaching the plants in caution.

"Careful. I don't know what those are but I think most of the plants here in the forest are poisonous." The brunet tried to warn Kesk but the latter didn't listen. He kneeled down to get a berry, somehow picking the ripe one. It was only as big as his fingernail. He faced Ashven, smiling, "Would you mind trying this for me?"

The tall male held his hands up, "No. Never. I'm on a human-only diet. Unless you want me to die."

Kesk arched an eyebrow. "Is that so? Alright. Good luck to me." He wiped the berry clean on his sleeve then tossed it to his open mouth. Ashven was worried. "Hmm, it's sweet.", the farmer described. He swallowed it, and then waited for any signs of being poisoned. Later, he choked, his hands gripped on the neck. Coughing until he laid on the soil. "Kesk?!" Ashven ran to his master and shook him. "Wake up! Don't die! I need you! " The blond did not respond. To the Blackheart member, Kesk was something important. When he reached for the wrist, he felt a pulse. "Ah, thank goodness, he's still alive.", sighing in relief.

"You think I'd be dead with just one berry?", the albino uttered as he opened his eyes. He sat upright. "I was just testing if you'd eat me when I'm dead. But you didn't. I need you! Haha! Where did that came from? A heart so cold yet so soft now, are we? " At the moment, it was the farmer's turn to mock the brunet. Ashven was caught off-guard on that remark, irked. He bit his lower lip. "Damn you. I could have killed you. But you're my only friend." Accepting his defeat, he laughed with the blond. "It looks like you aren't really Snow White. You didn't die of eating a fruit.", the brunet smirked.

"Not that Snow White again. Anyway, this berries also grow on our field so I know they aren't poisonous and look at the soil, it's the fertile type like in San Tima. It's not so reddish unlike in the deeper parts of the forest which means we are near San Tima."

"Oh. Not bad for a farmer. I will never underestimate farmers ever again." Ashven allowed his companion to eat for a while. Almost eating all the berries in the field.

Both of them continued the journey. It was getting dark by the hour. Suddenly, the blond felt his head was being crushed by a very powerful premonition which he had never experienced before. He never saw visions while he was awake but recently...

In his mind, a man in shadowy figure appears, then a blinding light burns the two alive. It was only a short while as he snaps back to reality.

"Are you alright?" The brunet supported the albino who fell on his knees.

"Ugh.. My head aches.. I saw something..", Kesk held on to his temples, massaging them.

"An illusion?", the Blackheart member asked.

"No. More like a premonition. But I'm not sleeping. How..?" If the blond was confused, what more to Ashven who knew nothing about it. "So what did you see? Sometimes the forest inserts imaginary things to people's head.", the brunet added.

"I told you it's different. Someone is coming to kill us both. He has the power to cast upon a very bright light to burn us." At that moment, Ashven was shocked.

"No. It's him. Let's go. Let's go! Where's the way to San Tima? Climb on my back! Hurry!" Kesk was surprised to see Ashven in a state of panic. What did he just saw that made a powerful being like Ashven be afraid? Nonetheless, the albino cooperates. He climbed on Ashven's back, carrying the crutch with him. He points the way to San Tima. "There... " He would have asked what was he scared of but he knew that they must act fast before his visions come true.