That night the clouds sat upon the forest as if they decided that they would roam around there instead of in heaven.
Lev could see two silhouettes running in a distance in front of him. Little by little, their silhouettes started to vanish, thanks to the fog.
If he continued running at his speed then the chances of him catching up to those two were very slim.
The problem was, Lev didn't want to exert more strength to increase his speed because if he did, then he could only run for a short moment before losing consciousness. At this rate, Lev would fail to meet the strange man's condition to become his squire.
Squire? Is he a Knight? Lev couldn't help but think when he heard the word squire. He sighed and asked inwardly to himself why he was concerned on such matters. The biggest problem he was facing right now was that he was losing sight of them!
It was now or never. Lev psyched himself, preparing to exhaust all his energy just to catch up with them, even if that means tearing his muscles and losing consciousness.
He mustered all the strength he could collect and started to widen his strides. He started to shout as he bolted at them, each step reducing the distance between them but that each step made him lightheaded.
8 meters...
5 meters...
3 meters...
Lev finally caught up with them!
The man with the worn-out cloak glanced at his back. The shouting that Lev did made him wonder what it was all about.
Pounding heart, rasping throat, leaden feet, heavy legs, burning muscles, the unseasonably cool air that passed through his face, Lev could no more feel any of it. His eyesight was getting blurry and he could feel his legs starting to slow down.
Lev only had one choice left. It was the huge wolf.
He lifted his hand and grabbed the wolf's tail, making the wolf yelp in surprise. It turned its head to the side, looking at Lev through its peripheral, and snarled at him.
"Sorry."
Lev had no choice left. The tail helped him to maintain his speed as he slowly advanced to the side of the wolf before jumping on its back.
After Lev jumped on its back, the wolf started barking atrociously while it was running. Its huge body tried to shake him off but Lev was tightly clutching his hands on the wolf's fur. Lev was lying down on the wolf's back. He could feel the lack of muscle on its body as the wolf's shoulder blade moved up and down.
After seeing everything, the man silently chuckled. He was amused by what the boy did: taking advantage of the surroundings.
With his fist tightly clutching and his legs wrapped on its body, Lev was more like in a lying and hugging position like a koala hugging his dear life on a branch.
Now that he was in this position, Lev started to doze off, his mind gave up on the fatigue that his body brought.
.....
Small, loose stones littered the floor causing Lev to wake up by the discomfort it brought to his face.
He felt a little lightheaded. The raspy throat made a painful and rough feeling whenever he swallowed saliva and he could feel that he could not budge his body.
After realizing that he was no more in the wolf's back, Lev quickly scanned his eyes on his surroundings. The place had a dim light that came on what looked like a campfire. It was barely enough for Lev to see the details of the rocks. It had a mixture of light green and a crystal black. It was rough and there were some sharp edges sticking out of the arching walls.
After swallowing a mouthful of saliva again, Lev groaned in pain when he unsuccessfully tried to roll his body.
"Rest. I have no use of a body that cannot be controlled by the mind."
A low and deep voice came from the campfire. The man who was sitting beside it was looking at the flames, his eyes reflecting the fire.
Behind the man, the huge wolf was peacefully sleeping with its huge head leaning on its front paws.
"Where are we?" Lev asked. His previous attempt to roll his body made him end the thought of exploring the place.
"In a cave."
The cold and rough rocks were proof enough for Lev to believe that they were indeed in a cave.
"I see," Lev's voice trailed off as he slowly went back to his nice slumber.
After several hours, Lev was awakened by the smell of cooking food. His body still ached but the pain was now bearable, he hardly sat down beside the fire to check what was being cooked.
There was a cauldron above the fire hooked on a metal bar on top of it and supporting the metal bar were other metal bars on both edges that were stuck on the ground.
The man reached out into his cloak and pulled out the same potion that he used on the wolf, and poured it in the cauldron. He stretched his hand beside him and grabbed a small wooden bowl. He scooped the bowl inside the cauldron and gave it to Lev, while Lev gladly accepted it.
He bowed his head and blew on the bowl to reduce the broiling heat of the food. The food had a soup like texture mixed with some small pieces of meat and some few vegetables that Lev couldn't recognize.
After blowing for half a minute, he placed the corner of the bowl on his lip and slowly sipped the soup. His tongue tried to diagnose the flavor of the food, it was creamy, mild, and lightly salted, but the meat that was in it was very tender and delicious.
"What are you called?" The man reached out on another bowl and did the same thing.
After drinking a mouthful of soup, he answered, "Lev."
He could feel his energy quickly recovering back. The sore muscles slowly energized and the pain gradually lessened. After finishing the food, his stomach was still not satisfied.
The boiling food on the cauldron attracted Lev's eyes.
"Have more."
The stranger knew that Lev would be very hungry so he cooked a lot to completely quench his hunger.
Now that Lev was permitted, he gladly scooped his bowl in the scorching cauldron and started to do the routine all over again.
He noticed that the wolf was nowhere to be seen. He asked the man while scanning the place, "Mister, where did that wolf go?"
"It is not a normal wolf, it's a Jäger. It's guarding the entrance of the cave."
"Jäger?"
The man looked at Lev and took off his cloak, revealing a black leather armor. He explained in a low voice, "Jäger is a type of wolf that hunts alone. Their jaw strength and dexterity are what makes them dangerous and superior among other wolves."
Lev was fascinated by what he heard. He recalled everything that happened, from waking up on a cocoon to riding on the Jäger's back.
"What is 'Peregrius?'"
The man patiently answered Lev's question, "It means 'stranger from this world'. Your accent and clothing are different from ours, so one could easily distinguish that you're an alien."
Lev was taken aback on what the man answered. If he wants to survive then he must adapt to this world's literature!
The man noticed the changes on Lev's face. He added, "Every now and then, a 'Peregrius' appears in this world. The first 'Peregrius' appeared 15 years ago, after the fall of the Kingdom, and he was thought to be the saviour of this world but later, he was killed on a mission.
Another 'Peregrius' appeared, and then one after another, they were asked how they were being transported here but they replied that they were just walking on a street when suddenly their environment changed. And just like that, they were teleported here by accident."
Lev thought about what the stranger said. "How come I cannot remember how I was teleported here?"
"That is what I wanted to seek. Other 'Peregrius' are randomly teleported in the New Kingdom without any outer shell but your case is different..."
"Am I in the Fallen Kingdom that you're talking about?" Lev probed.
"No. You're deep in the Forest of Hell."