After relishing the warm meal prepared by Adam, Luna extended her heartfelt gratitude to him. She appreciated his thoughtful gesture, knowing well that he had gone out of his way to provide her with nourishment. With a contented smile, Luna bid farewell to Adam and made her way back to where Dean lay sleeping, a considerable distance away from the two of them.
Approaching her master's side, Luna's gaze fell upon his desolate figure. His eyes, fixed on an unseen void, mirrored a profound sadness. Traces of dried tears etched faint lines on his cheeks, evidence of the sorrow that had overwhelmed him. Luna's heart ached as she observed his troubled state, a reminder of her own experiences.
A vivid memory resurfaced in Luna's mind, one that paralleled Dean's anguish. It was the recollection of her first encounter with taking a life, an act necessitated by her duty to protect her master's land from a marauding goblin. She had been aided by fellow slaves who stood by her side during that fateful confrontation.
That night, after the ordeal had ended, Luna wept inconsolably, consumed by a torrent of emotions. Her anguish echoed through the darkness, disturbing the slumber of other slaves. The consequence of her outpouring of grief was a harsh lashing from her master, a punishment intended to silence the disturbance she had caused.
In the depths of her despair, Luna yearned for solace, for someone to hold her and offer comfort. But fear had gripped the hearts of her fellow slaves, preventing them from approaching her and risking their own punishment. Luna remained alone in her sorrow, longing for the warmth of understanding.
Understanding Dean's anguish all too well, Luna acted swiftly, positioning herself in front of him. Tenderly, she cupped his face, her touch gentle and soothing. With a voice as delicate as a whispering breeze, she spoke to him, her words carrying empathy and compassion.
"I, too, shed tears when I took a life for the first time. Those who bring harm upon others deserve the consequences, just like that goblin I faced."
Dean, overwhelmed by haunting memories of lives lost, could not find his voice. Tears welled up in his eyes, streaming down his trembling hands. Luna, her unwavering gaze fixed upon him, enveloped him in a comforting embrace. Drawing him closer, she offered her chest as a soft pillow for his tears to find solace.
An unexpected witness to this poignant scene, Adam, who had held reservations about Dean's actions, observed the display of vulnerability between the two. A deep sigh escaped him as he felt a pang of sympathy for Dean's torment. With a heavy heart, he retreated to his own space, grappling with conflicting emotions that swirled within.
Instead of seeking rest, Adam retrieved a book from his personal stash. Immersed in the written words, he found solace within the pages, realizing that sleep would provide little respite, not with the imminent sunrise just a few hours away.
As Adam delved into his reading, an hour passed in quiet solitude. Suddenly, the sound of approaching footsteps sliced through the stillness of the night.
'Was it my imagination?' Alarmed, Adam extinguished the flickering flames before him and swiftly sought refuge in a nearby bush. Peering cautiously, he scanned his surroundings, trying to discern the source of the intruding presence.
Minutes ticked by, and doubt began to gnaw at Adam's certainty. Had his ears deceived him? Was it a mere figment of his imagination? Just as he contemplated emerging from his hiding place, the footfalls resurfaced, growing louder and closer. Adam remained rooted to his spot, anticipation mingling with caution, as the voices of three girls reached his ears, their whispered words carrying a mix of curiosity and concern.
"Are you sure you saw a light coming from here?"
"Yes, but as soon I looked at it, it disappeared immediately."
"We better be careful, these parts are famous for having a lot of bandits"
Adam crouched inside the dense bush, his heart pounding as he heard the faint whispers of three approaching girls. The darkness of the surroundings prevented him from discerning the exact color of their vibrant hair.
Straining his eyes, he managed to make out the figures of the three young girls, their weapons firmly gripped in their hands. They halted abruptly, their attention drawn to Jasem, who was fast asleep nearby.
"Could he be a bandit?" one of the girls whispered, her weapon pointed at Jasem.
"I'm not sure. He doesn't appear to be dressed like one, but you never know," another girl responded. They stood in silence, eyes fixed on Jasem, their whispers barely audible.
Samar, one of the girls, defied her friends' warnings and cautiously approached Jasem. "What are you doing, Samar?!" they hissed urgently.
Ignoring their pleas, Samar continued towards Jasem until she reached his side. With a gasp, she discovered him unconscious, his body impressively muscular. Her fingers grazed his bulging arm, awe evident in her expression.
"Incredible!" she exclaimed, unable to contain her excitement. She turned back to her friends, flashing them a triumphant thumbs-up. "We've struck gold!"
Her friends, however, remained skeptical, reprimanding her in hushed tones. "Stop poking him!"
"What if he wakes up and intends to harm us?"
Undeterred, Samar delved into Jasem's pockets, her frustration growing as she found nothing of value. Determined to investigate further, she reluctantly reached for his package, her eyes widening as she discovered its impressive size. A triumphant smile spread across her face as she hurried back to her friends.
"He may not have much, but he's packing quite a surprise! We should take him with us," she exclaimed, her excitement infectious. Her friends chastised her with gentle blows, whispering urgently.
"Stop these foolish antics!"
"What if he's dangerous? You'll be the one waking him up!"
Their scolding ceased when a sudden sound froze them in place. Panic washed over them as they whispered in alarm, "Did you hear that?"
Adam, barely able to contain his laughter at the absurdity of the situation, muttered to himself, "Shit." He emerged from the bush, his hands raised in surrender.
"Kyaaaa!"
"A tree monster!"
Unbeknownst to Adam, his hair had entangled with sticks as he stood, giving him an uncanny resemblance to a walking tree.
Two of the girls screamed in terror, while the third, unable to bear the sight, fainted instantly. "Kill it!" one of them shrieked at her companion, who trembled in fear. But before they could react, Jasem's booming voice resounded from behind them.
"Shut the fuck up!" Jasem shouted thinking that Dean was causing this comotion as he was getting annoyed and wanted to sleep.
Startled, the girls fell silent, their attention now drawn to Jasem. Adam, facing the lone standing girl, regarded her with an intense gaze before gently removing the sticks from his hair.
Misinterpreting his gesture, the girl took off running in the opposite direction, only to be confronted by Luna, a formidable half-Lioness warrior, brandishing her sword.
"Stop there!" Luna commanded, pointing her sword at the girl, who collapsed face-first in sheer fright.
Luna sighed, her gaze shifting between Adam and the unconscious girls. She turned one of the girls over, confirming her unconscious state. Resting beside the others, Luna asked Adam, "Who are they?"
Adam, rekindling the fire and settling down beside the girls, replied, "I have no idea. They appeared out of nowhere while I was engrossed in a book."
As the fire flickered, Adam observed the girls' appearances. One had blonde hair and wore a stylish black dress that barely covered her thighs. Another possessed silky, purple-white hair cascading halfway down her back, donning an elegant black dress. The shortest among them boasted short, white hair and a dress that grazed her knees.
Luna studied them momentarily before turning her attention back to Adam, who was engrossed in his book. Sensing that the girls would remain unconscious for some time after their ordeal, Adam reassured Luna, "You can go back to sleep. I'll handle this until the others wake up."
Nodding in agreement, Luna settled down, leaving Adam to ponder the mysterious story behind the three enigmatic girls as he resumed his reading.