Savage Rising: Eternal Forest Saga - Book 1

Chapter 15

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The cave at the top of the mountain that Zehlyr, Azalea, and Heeska called home didn't seem like much, but for a trio of fugitives trying to survive in the Wilds, it was like a blessing from the Lady herself. It was up near the peak, surrounded by rocky terrain that let very few trees grow. With the area mostly clear, they had a great vantage point of the forest below.

Azalea had created her Grove in the valley just below the cave. From the edge of the cliff, they could easily see down into it. It was a barren waste when they found it, with only briar bushes and weeds. With her strange magic, Azalea cleared the brush away and created a garden more beautiful than any artist could paint or poet describe. It was simply a means of feeding them, and now it seemed to be feeding the world.

The cave went a long way down into the side of the mountain. A fresh, cool stream flowed deep within the catacombs, offering plenty of water within the shelter. It was an easily defendable position, further fortified with a woven door of briars to keep predators at bay. It had taken them days of wandering in the Wilds to find this place, but they thanked the Lady every day for it.

"This is where you live?" Cherin asked. The older brother sat on a large rock just outside the entrance to the cave.

Zehlyr nodded, fighting back his desire to strike Cherin for being so disrespectful. "It is. Praise be to the Lady of the Forest for providing it to us."

"It's a hole in a rock," Cherin replied.

"Big talk from a street rat," Azalea said as she passed the rock where Cherin sat.

"But...I...How did you...?" Cherin said clumsily.

"How did we know?" Zehlyr asked, finishing his older brother's question. "Just look at yourself. I've seen diseased goblins in better shape."

Cherin clenched his fists and lowered his head. His pride had already taken a sufficient blow just from the sight of his little brother thriving in these conditions. Not only was he alive, but he was strong and resourceful. There was a beautiful woman by his side too, making Cherin feel even more inadequate.

Zehlyr walked on towards the northern cliff. "Don't mother and father take care of you anymore? You were always their favorite."

The tipping point had finally been reached. Cherin sprang up from the rock in an explosion of anger. He rushed towards Zehlyr like a charging bull. Zehlyr had only time to turn around before he was tackled to the ground. A cloud of dust rose into the air as the two siblings wrestled with each other on the dry earth. "How dare you!" Cherin shouted. He lifted his fist above his head and brought it down hard towards Zehlyr's face.

Zehlyr crossed his arms above his head, blocking the blow and the series of repeats that came after it. Gaining a sense of Cherin's rhythm, he quickly reached out and snatched his left arm. Giving a quick tug, he rolled Cherin onto his back and positioned himself on top.

"It's true!" Zehlyr bellowed. "They always let you get away with everything. You're their precious firstborn." Zehlyr landed a punch on Cherin's cheek.

Cherin pushed Zehlyr hard in the chest, sending him back on his rear. No longer pinned, Cherin scrambled to his feet. "Mother and father are dead!" he shouted. His words echoed off the stones and resonated in Zehlyr's heart. Lifting himself onto his elbows, Zehlyr's eyes went wide and his jaw dropped.

"Dead?" he asked in a whisper. "When?"

Cherin turned his head to the side, spitting out a mouthful of blood into the dust. "Not long after you ran away, like a coward. I had to watch the fever take them. I held mother's hand as the life left her eyes."