ZEN RIFTANBARONVEIL ALPS - PHANTOMCRESENT The distressed, cold expression on my face must’ve been obvious, even to Dreyar. He sighed while eating, his usual fashionable swagger not enough to hide his concern. I kept my eyes fixed on the distance, thoughts choking the air in my lungs. My lips were tight, my brows locked in a grim line. Nothing pleased me."Chill out, Zen," he said with a teasing tone, dropping a steak on my plate. "You've been eating less these days. You used to ravage the kitchen when we were kids, only for a snack."I shot him a look. "Who invited you today?" I asked, not bothering to hide the cold edge in my voice. "I don’t recall an event.""I invited myself." He shrugged and took back the steak, sensing that I wasn’t in the mood. No matter how much he joked or tried to lighten the mood, it wasn’t going to help."And what about your pack?" I arched a brow. "I pity them for having such a careless Alpha.""Oh, come on." He dropped his utensils. "I didn’t come here
As promised, Vale took me to see the faunas today.At first, I thought he was kidding about the biting berries because he was smirking when he showed me the way, but when I saw it myself, my eyes widened so much that I forgot to blink for a minute. At this very moment, I found something rather strange about the biodiversity of these forests. The complexity of their evolvement baffled me!I mean, who wouldn't after seeing scrumptious, juicy-looking berries that would display their sharp fangs when you reach in to touch!I almost lost a finger today. Thank goodness Vale pulled me back before the berries munched on it!"Can we have these berries this evening? We only ate meat these days. Back in Riftan's base, we used to have desserts~" I pouted.Vale heaved a sigh and slashed the berries' stems. The berries squealed their death cry before wilting to the ground. Amber-like oil was secreted from its roots."Let's have a venomous dessert this evening, then. It's a once-in-a-lifetime experi
THE MEDICINE ARC, YEAR 202X, NORTHERN HIGHLANDS, CONTINENT OF HEZELRUBY VERMILLION"This is as far as the cart could go."The galloping of the horses ceased and the sound of frigid winds followed. The thick tall grasses were seasoned with snow whilst the mist grew from the sea of trees. Despite the harrowing fog, the huge formation of unusual rocks could be seen from a distance, like a spike ready to impale the unfortunate fallen."Ready your coat," Vale instructed me and took his bow. "Let's make camp."I quickly rush to get my weapons belt and make my way out of the carriage. I felt the aggressive breeze slice through my cheek in a sharp frost. I lowered my hood and investigated my surroundings."All clear." I murmured to Vale. Soon enough, we started to pile the logs we brought and made ourselves a little bit of shelter. As the navigator pulled the carriage away, Vale and I prepared our campfire and quickly discussed our course of actions.The Beta laid down a map of the Northern
The maids helped me with my suit as they clipped the belts around my waist and around my chest in a crossing style. I have complained to Satelnos about my clothes being too heavy, but he told me that the armor was much needed if I were to venture into the Northern Highlands. Beside me was Vale, who was being clothed well by Linda. The Beta gave me a look and raised his eyebrows. "What?""N-Nothing." I looked away and pretended to fix the flow of my crimson cloak.Linda leaned against Vale and whispered something that I could hear very clearly. "She's probably wondering where Lord Riftan is. Teehee!""N-No I wasn't!" I"We believe that you'll return momentarily after you're done with this. You don't have to say goodbye to him. Youll be together in no time-""T-That's not what I-" I protested, as the burning feeling pooled across my cheeks. Ugh. Why is this teasing getting into me?"What seems to be the commotion here?" a cold, familiar voice said from behind. I saw his shadow loom befo
RUBY VERMILLION"Very well, then. Count me in."I didn't know what I was getting myself into but that reward is brighter than my future. If I return to Hezel with it, I can finally feed a few of the children who are being forced to do labor on the farms.I could even get myself some shack and a few ores for new weapons. That money can bring me to higher elevations! And not to mention, that herbalist they're talking about.Nothing has made me more interested than the herbalist they mentioned. After that, I can finally regain my energy and cure my illness for a short bit of time, enough for me to escape!This is just the perfect thing I needed!"So, when am I starting?" I excitedly asked the alpha, who introduced himself as Alzack. "The sooner, the better. We might lose the bounty if we just sat here.""Are you sure you're going to agree with this, Ruby?" Stella asked me in a soft voice. "You might get hurt again.""What's the worst that can happen? I've been stabbed, poisoned, and had
RUBY VERMILLIONI cradled Stella in my arms as she started to cry. She felt terrible when she crossed words with Amara earlier, and honestly, I felt bad for her, and for Amara too. Both of them are strong Lunas for defending one's beliefs. I just don't think Amara is on the right path for what she believed in.I sighed. "I know that you are feeling a little bit bitter about it. But trust me when I say that people get retribution. There is a given punishment for every wrong deed."Somehow, my statement pricked me quite a bit.A punishment for every wrong deed.All of a sudden the whispering around us stopped and the sound of chair moving filled the air. We all spun our heads to look back, only to see Riftan and his group of Alphas approaching our table.I literally froze in fear. Stella wiped her eyes and composed herself, while Linda stood up to offer her chair as an extra for them to sit. She then stood beside Vale, who was reading a book with us.I stared at Riftan, who in return st