They descended the steep rocky mountains, which almost formed a 120-degree incline. The steep height forced them to be extra cautious. Wet and mossy rocks presented a challenge for Aria and Sir Cedric.
Aria looked upward, where Fang the bird was still perched. The bird's red eyes watched Aria and Sir Cedric from above the cave's mouth. It seemed to be escorting them only up to this point.
"It will be dark soon. We need to hurry down so we can rest," Sir Cedric said, extending his hand to Aria, who was struggling to reach a protruding rock for support.
They struggled for a while, and finally, they safely landed. Just below the rocky mountain, there was a swift river stream. It wasn't very wide but could be used for cleaning themselves. The clear water revealed a few fish swimming against the current.
Both of them were very hungry. Sir Cedric took the initiative to catch fish, while Aria chose to clean herself behind a relatively large river rock.
"Don't even think about peeking, okay!" Aria said, taking a step back.
Sir Cedric grinned mischievously. "You're such a little girl."
"What did you say?"
"No. I didn't say anything," Sir Cedric chuckled awkwardly. He chose to focus on his catch, though he occasionally glanced at the large rock where Aria was soaking her body. Only her white legs were visible, stretching beyond the boulder.
Now the sky had turned orange. The air felt even colder, and the wind started rustling the dry leaves around them. "It seems like it's going to rain later tonight," Aria said, sitting beside Sir Cedric. In an instant, her attention shifted from the fish roasting over the fire.
For some reason, the longer Sir Cedric gazed at Aria, he felt a strange emotion within him. His heart raced uncontrollably, as if there were new feelings he wanted to express. He had never experienced this with any woman before, especially not with a young girl like Aria, whom Sir Cedric considered to be just growing into adulthood. Silently, Sir Cedric smiled, shook his head slightly, and averted his gaze when Aria caught him looking.
"You should focus on the fish being cooked. Look at it now; it's turning half black." Sir Cedric suddenly realized his foolishness. He was shocked to find his fish had become half burnt.
Aria grinned mischievously, revealing a faint dimple on her right cheek.
Before they could finish their dinner, a drizzle began. The orange sky turned gray, and the wind blew fiercely, as if signaling heavy rain approaching. They quickly left the spot and headed to the makeshift tent Sir Cedric had set up.
"It seems this tent isn't safe enough to shield us from the heavy rain," Aria said, inspecting the flimsy shelter. This made Sir Cedric feel guilty.
As soon as Aria finished speaking, the wind started blowing even stronger. The drizzle carried by the wind managed to seep in. Sir Cedric felt the droplets too. "You're right. We can't stay here. We might end up soaking wet," Sir Cedric said, attempting to use some banana leaves as a makeshift roof. He had initially thought that tonight's sky would be as clear as usual.
They ran in search of shelter, with Sir Cedric leading the way. "Over there!" Sir Cedric shouted, squinting his eyes when he saw a cave covered by branches.
Their bodies were drenched. They raced against the incoming rain.
"It was pointless for you to bathe. Now you're wet again," Sir Cedric said, briefly examining Aria's soaked clothes.
Aria just smiled faintly and busily shook off the remaining water from her body.
Aria observed the cave surroundings, while Sir Cedric seemed busy searching for something on the rocky floor. After a short while, Sir Cedric picked up some pieces of wood, then lit a fire using the flint-and-stone method.
"It seems this place is relatively safe. But... I'm not sure. It might be a habitat for creeping creatures," Sir Cedric said when he noticed the worried expression on Aria's face. He knew she was afraid of legless creatures. He enjoyed teasing Aria.
"I'm not afraid of anything," Aria said, slightly proud, not wanting to appear weak to Sir Cedric, although her heart was beating rapidly. Damp, dark, and cold places were usually favored by creepy creatures. But she quickly pushed aside those negative thoughts.
Aria and Sir Cedric sat facing each other in front of the campfire. They discussed many things, especially about the village of Minerva.
"Never speak about that magical village to anyone else. otherwise, you will be unlucky for the rest of your life." Aria concluded her story.
This reminded Sir Cedric of the item entrusted to him by Mayada. Before opening the white cloth, the brown-eyed man briefly observed the square shape in his hand. "What could be in this box?" Sir Cedric asked.
"Just open it," Aria replied.
The man stood up and sat down next to Aria, so make it her nervous. She felt some kind of a vibration within her every time she was close to him. Perhaps it was ever since their first encounter. Although at the time, Aria was very young, she had already admired the young prince who led the place she lived.
It was a black gemstone pendant with a carving of a half-winged bird. "What is this object?" When he held the pendant close to the fire, its color automatically shifted to a translucent grayish hue.
Aria was surprised to see the object. She was left speechless. "What's wrong with you?" Sir Cedric asked, seeing Aria clutching her chest.
"I... I'm fine. It's just that I can't believe she gave you that."
"Is this a good sign for me?" Aria nodded gently, still gazing at the black gemstone pendant held by Sir Cedric.
"In that case, tell me, what's the power of this pendant?" Sir Cedric was still unaware of Aria's awkward change in expression.
"As far as I know, it's an ancient artifact that can neutralize even the strongest powers." Aria paused. Her chest felt a tremendous surge. It felt like a heavy stone was pressing down on her. 'What is this feeling?' Aria wondered in her heart.
"To be honest, I was very surprised to find out that Mayada gave you this because it's the most powerful ability she possesses."
"You mean Mayada's power is inside this pendant?" Sir Cedric was getting more confused.
"That's right. As far as I know, she placed some of her powers into objects she deemed important. One of them is that twin pendant."
"Twin pendant, you say?"
"Yes. And there's one more secret about that pendant," Aria said while adjusting her breath.
"What secret?" Sir Cedric gazed deeply into Aria's now-blushing face. The girl was embarrassed. She didn't dare to express her great hope for the pendant, other than helping Sir Cedric resolve his issues with the warwolf clone. She couldn't even return Sir Cedric's gaze now. She quickly stood up and moved to the other side of the campfire.
"I... I'm very tired. I'll rest first." Aria left Sir Cedric, who was still waiting for an explanation. But she left him like that, making the sturdy man suspicious.
Before Aria's eyes fully closed, she managed to say, "Remember, once your business is finished, return the object to its original owner."
The night breeze began to warm up. The sun's light timidly peeked through the branches covering the cave's entrance.
Aria began to stretch her stiff body. However, in the middle of her body, she felt a heavy object pressing down. Slowly, she reached for it.
Much to her surprise, she found Sir Cedric's hand on her stomach. Quickly, she diverted her gaze around her body. Even more astonishingly, she was now wearing only a piece of silk fabric as her undergarment. With emotion, Aria sat up and smacked Sir Cedric's head with one of her leather shoes.
Sir Cedric was instantly awakened from a pleasant dream. He was similarly dressed in only his underwear. "Hey. Hey. Stop!" Sir Cedric covered his head with his hands, avoiding Aria's blind attacks.
"What have you done to me?" Aria burst into tears. Her face looked panicked, and she covered her blushing face with both hands.
"What did I do wrong? I was just trying to help you," Sir Cedric said, while examining the clothes drying in front of the cave entrance.
Seeing Aria's swollen face, Sir Cedric couldn't help but laugh. "I know what you're thinking. But I'm not that bad." Sir Cedric said as he tossed her clothes closer to Aria.
Sir Cedric left Aria alone in the cave. He needed to find some food for their breakfast. He felt embarrassed when he realized what Aria had been thinking earlier. Along the way, Sir Cedric was busy arguing with himself. "Could it be that she thinks I'm a pervert?"
Inside the cave, Aria seemed like a little girl. She felt angry with herself for not knowing anything when another man was with her. "What if he had touched me, seen my entire body?" Aria observed her body's shape in the reflection of the river's flowing water not far from the cave entrance. Feeling embarrassed, she immediately covered her upper body with her hands. "It feels really weird." Aria shuddered at the thought that had just crossed her impure mind.
It's understandable; this was the first time she had been close to a man other than her own father.
Sir Cedric returned with a bunch of bananas and two fairly large fish. He searched for Aria inside the cave. Soon, Aria returned as well. This time, her face appeared more refreshed, but a blend of embarrassment and anger was still evident on her beautiful face.
"Where have you been?" Sir Cedric asked without turning to look at Aria, who had just sat on a rock in front of the fire where the fish were being roasted.
There was no response from Aria. Instead, she pursed her lips, trying to conceal the irregular beats of her heart.
Without asking too many questions, Sir Cedric turned around to face Aria. "Wh-what do you want to do?"