Warsong | Celeste Academy Series Book #4

Chapter Twenty-Five ⚜ Rian

"Eres." Arsene stopped short. She ducked under the trees and balanced herself on a thick branch before jumping to another. It was a long way down as the trees turned out to be quite gigantic.

Valeriana cried in surprise, grabbing onto the sides of the saddle, avoiding a branch whipping past her face.

Eventually, they landed on a clearing.

"What is it, Arsene?"

"Something is wrong with the package thou hast brought." The beast leaned to look at the sack tied to her side discerningly and true to her concerns, it was squirming.

"What in the name of . . ." Keelan pushed himself to the edge of the saddle, staring at the squirming sack. He exchanged looks with Eres and Brindon before he jumped over and untied it. It fell on the tough dirt that a voice exclaimed in pain.

"What is it?" Eres asked as he untied the top, letting some fruits roll out as well as a head to pop out. His brows shot up in surprise before he frowned. "You boy. What are you doing?"

"Aren't you that kid from yesterday?" Keelan pulled on the sack to help him out, gathering the spilled fruits. "Why are you in there?"

He crawled out of the sack with his defiant frown and dusted himself before he met the eyes of the two brothers.

"You're lords, right?" he queued in. "Make me a Celeste!"

Eres scoffed and Keelan chuckled. The eleventh-ranker continued with his task while Eres motioned for the two other members of their group sitting on Arsene's back to come down. Arsene, seeing this, sank on the ground for the ease of the other two.

"Valeriana, Brindon, come. We'll have lunch for the time being. Arsene needs to rest as well."

"It's not funny!" The boy followed. "I'm serious!"

"And becoming a Celeste is a grave path and the matter itself is grave. Being serious will not do," Eres told him as he unloaded the other packs which contained some fresh meat. "Brindon, do you mind if you get the fire going?"

Brindon shook his head, alighting to gather some wood.

"Valeriana, you can cook, right?"

"Yeah," Valeriana replied, sliding down Arsene's side. "Come on, Tiger, we'll be having lunch," she told the cat, looking at the boy who was staring up at Eres with clenched fist. The fire in his eyes reminded her so much of the time she first entered the academy—her first duel. It was a trial by fire where she needed to be hotter than flame to survive. "Why don't you stay and eat with us?" she suggested to the boy.

Eres and Keelan looked at Valeriana.

"We picked up a stray, we don't need another," Eres said sternly.

"It's fine. I'll share my food with him. It's just lunch. We can't leave the boy out here by himself. It's too dangerous." She set Tiger down and he circled her leg possessively. "You can't be thinking of sending him away, right? At least until we get to the next city or something . . ."

"Rian," he said.

"What?"

"The name's Rian, lady!"

Eres sighed. "Until the next city." He looked at his brother. "Livouda, gather some herbs if you can find any. Mushrooms. You can do that much, right?"

"Of course." He nodded. "Off I go, then."

"Any chance you know where to get some fresh water here?" Valeriana asked, tapping on the empty lightweight glass bottle she was carrying.