'Huff…' 'Ha..."
Pained voices and winded breathing echoed through the long tunnels of the cavern.
'THUNK'
Before he had left, Karlos picked up a few unlit torches and used them as walking sticks, the clunking of wood produced a steady rhythm across the stone floor as he and the gorgon walked.
Although the cavern was relatively short in length, the tunnels dotted throughout were complex and varied, posing a challenge to even experienced explorers.
Holding their wounds, the distracting sensation of adrenaline coursed through the blood of the duo, keeping them awake through the pain.
But for Karlos, it was dissipating.
The initial burst he received from the Cage Boar had passed during the time he was unconscious, and the 'strength' he had been bestowed through Asclepius wouldn't last for much longer. He was unlikely to make it through an entire cavern system, and in just a few moments, he would collapse.
Karlos felt the searing pain on his broken arm and ribs swell further and deeper into his flesh and his bones. His head was spinning, dizzy from the blood loss while his body grew colder each second.
"Human..." The lacerated silver snakes on the gorgon's head drooped with exhaustion. Although her wounds were less egregious than Karlos's, she also had a far lower tolerance for pain. She was tired from the fight, but time was not waiting for her to catch her breath.
"...There is an opening... In the tunnels up ahead..." She struggled with each word.
"...We can use it...To reach the entrance."
Karlos didn't have the strength to even grunt in acknowledgement, he simply nodded his head slightly, not caring if the monster saw it or not.
Monster... Mon...ster...? Karlos's mind was not better than the exhaustion in his body. He was confused about why he and this gorgon were helping each other, but he put it to the back of his mind for now.
His main priority was getting to safety.
For the next minute, they wordlessly trekked through a damp, dark tunnel, only illuminated by the blue glow of small mushrooms. Small insects buzzed into their ears as plants and foliage brushed their wounds, aggravating their nerves.
Secods felt like minutes, minutes felt like hours, Karlos could begin to feel his trembling legs give out as he decided to rest for a brief moment.
"...!"
He couldn't stop.
He had no more strength left to muster, no more resistance left in his muscles, his legs slipped on the soft mud as he collapsed into the ground.
"...H-Human!" The gorgon called out to him, but Karlos couldn't hear her anymore.
He couldn't hear anything.
The last thing he saw was the shuffling of dirt and mud.
...
Karlos opened his eyes.
He first found that his vision was stained with the deep glow of the cavern mushrooms.
His head was a mess, like he drank alcohol for an entire night. As disorganized as his thoughts were, he figured the only thing he could do was try to get up.
He tried to move, but the jolting pain of his broken ribs only allowed a slight tremble. He lifted his unhurt left arm and realized that he had been covered with bandages made of cave grass.
It… Doesn't hurt as much as before…
He took the deepest breath he could, and exhaled softly.
'Hoo...'
"Oh... Are you awake...?"
Karlos turned his head to the right and saw a blindfolded woman with a gentle demeanour through his blurry vision. Looking closer, he felt his mind clear as he took in her appearance.
Silver snakes as hair... Serpent tail...She must be...Who...?
Karlos struggled to remember why he recognized her, but his confusion was quickly replaced with deep fear and apprehension.
I-Isn't that a monster? Why is she wearing a blindfold? Ugh... Everything hurts.... By now, Karlos didn't even have enough energy to panic. With his bones broken and his muscles strained, the only thing he could do was start a conversation.
"...Hello..."
"...Hello."
"..."
"..."
Karlos felt an overwhelming sense of familiarity take control of his body as he naturally broke the silence. It was as if he experienced such situations with serpent-like creatures countless times before.
"...My name is Karlos Lippe... of the Lippe household."
The gorgon shifted her blindfold as she gently introduced herself. "I am Lysandra."
Lysandra? That doesn't sound like a Schilden name... Actually, do monsters even have names?
"Uh... Can you tell me where we are... Miss Lysandra?"
"We're in a hidden tunnel leading towards the cavern exit." She briefly explained. "You collapsed onto the floor, so I decided on resting here until you've recovered."
"Also..." She shook her head. "There is no need for formalities. Please, be at ease."
Her language was peculiar. It was clearly Schilden, but her accent and way of speaking made her seem like a foreigner from multiple years in the past. Despite that, Karlos found that he could understand her, which was a relief.
"...Alright." Looking at his surroundings, Karlos realized that a large wall made of soil had been constructed behind them, sealing off the rest of the cavern.
"Did you build that?" He pointed to the mass of dirt and mud.
"Yes, I shaped it with my Psyche."
Karlos widened his eyes in surprise. 'Psyche?' That sounds familiar...
"What does that mean?"
Lysandra tilted her head slightly. "You don't know Psyche?"
Karlos shook his head.
"Hm... We gorgons are taught from birth how to control our Psyche... As natural monsters with an affinity to the earth, we can manipulate any dirt that's rich in life, such as the mud and soil from the caverns.
I'm more surprised that you don't know of it, are humans born unable to control their Root Chakra?"
...Culture shock...
"No... We humans don't have powers like that..." His eyes unfocused for a moment before continuing. "...But besides that, why did you protect me?"
Lysandra tugged at her blindfold, gently caressing the hissing snakes on her head.
"I've... always remembered the stories my mother used to tell me about humans. My father told me how dangerous they were, but... I couldn't help but be entranced by the stories of knights and princesses, the village girl with the red hood, or even the tragedies of Kingdoms..."
...Her childhood doesn't seem that different from mine after all... Maybe I was wrong, perhaps... Monsters aren't that dangerous in reality? She's even wearing that blindfold for my sake... Karlos could feel the reminiscent warmth from the kind gorgon, clearly seeing how she valued her family connections and passions. He had a bad impression of monsters since the Rasselbock, but his encounter with Lysandra may very well be the turning point for his perspective.
"...I was simply curious what they were like. But when I saw you being attacked by the κύνας with silver hair…"
Ah?
"…I thought it would have been cruel to watch you die, so I tried to help."
Karlos couldn't believe his ears. "Wait a moment… what did you just say?"
"Hm? I said that I didn't want to see you die so I saved your-"
"No, not that… what did you just call Kassel- I mean, the silver haired girl?"
"Oh, my apologies, in Schilden, that should translate to... wîblîh hunt."
"..."
Did... Did she just call Kassel a Bitch?
The tunnels were overcome with a silence so loud it could fill an opera, and tension so thick you would need a hacksaw to cut. Although Lysandra was wearing a blindfold, she could still feel the disbelieving gaze Karlos was giving her, his face dumbfound.
"Is there something wrong? You seem disoriented."
"Uh... Never mind... Thank you for saving my life..."
"There's no need to thank me, you've saved me too, after all." Lysandra picked up a half-finished basket made of cave grass and continued weaving.
I did...? Oh, right... I threw that boar tusk at Kassel...
"You just need rest. I'll mostly be fine, but you've broken several bones."
Karlos looked to his broken arm once more and contemplated deeply.
I went so much pain, so much sacrifice, and yet...
There was nothing he could do. Nothing he can do.
Kassel was always there for him, whether positive or not.
She was there when he was being bullied by village children for being from the city. She was there beside him when he was scolded by the shopkeeper for scratching a necklace. She was even there beside him during his darkest moments, always ready to support him during his most vulnerable times.
He thought she was his best friend, he even dreamt they would share a future together, no matter how childish that aspiration seemed.
But now, it was over.
Everything that happened in those 5 years... they were reduced to nothing but tears.
He tried to cover his face, but he couldn't control his voice. Lysandra quietly weaved her basket as the sounds of soft weeping filled the room made of dirt.
...
'CRACK'
A dirtied hand pulled an exquisite dagger from the tangled vines and earth. Her fingers caressed the edge of the blade, gently feeling the sharpness on her skin. The smell of iron and fruit pulp soaked into the metal.
After a moment, she raised her head and entered the tunnel.
...
When Karlos woke up, he couldn't tell what time it was. He was still inside the dark tunnels with Lysandra, though now laying on a bed of soft grass. Lifting his head slightly, he could see her in the corner, blindfold still on and the snakes on her head drooping down, making her 'hair' seem much longer than it actually was. One of the snakes was still awake, though, intently staring at the half-asleep young man.
"...Can you speak?"
" 'Hiss' "
"…Yeah, me too."
Shuffling in place, Karlos felt the pain in his body appear much milder than before. He could prop himself up with his arm and finally sit up straight, though his broken arm was still excruciatingly tense. feeling around his chest, he finally took the time to assess his wounds.
Well... my arm is obviously broken, but it looks like around two or three of my ribs were hit by the boar too... Karlos had never been taught any comprehensive knowledge regarding biology, since if he was ever injured, he would simply call for Gisthûs, his pseudo-physician.
Gisthûs himself was a middle aged man that always dreamed of becoming an actual physician, but due to financial troubles regarding his family, he instead worked as a servant in his family manor. This didn't stop his aspirations though, since he could always be seen beside Alphonse studying herbs and concocting "
I'm sure everything will be fine if I just see Gisthûs... He always knows a solution...
Checking his legs, he saw only minimal injuries to his left thigh, but they were both incredibly sore, likely from the long stretches of time he had walked.
I'll need another
This was probably wrong. He was by no means a medical expert, but he felt comfortable resting for an entire month if it emant he avoid the soreness in his muscles.
Lying down once more, Karlos settled on simply sleeping, since there wasn't much else to do. Not only was his right arm broken, which meant he couldn't even crawl properly, but the constant aching from breathing on account of his broken rib cage encouraged him to sleep and ignore the pain altogether.
Closing his eyes, Karlos slowly felt his body relax and drift into unconsciousness.
That is... until a familiar aroma drifts past his nose.
"...?"
Karlos lifted his head and saw a small gap in-between the mud wall, a soft blue light shining from between the cracks. Looking towards Lysandra, Karlos saw she was still sleeping.
"Lysandra...! Hey, wake up...!"
Lysandra didn't respond, he still heard her soft snoring as she leaned on a pile of foliage.
Karlos was about to raise his voice, but saw that the small snake on her head, which had been readily watching Karlos the entire time was intently watching him. With no other ideas, he whispered to it.
"Hey... Can you tell your... uh, Can you tell her to wake up?"
The eyes of the snake blankly stared at Karlos, intently watching his face for a brief moment before lowering itself towards Lysandra's nose.
'FLICK' 'FLICK'
...Huh?
"Ah.. 'ACHOO!' " Lysandra woke up with a harsh sneeze, every other snake on her head instantly coming alive and hissing wildly from the disturbance. Now, it was almost impossible to tell which snake had woken her, the thing expertly blended in with the other snakes and feigned ignorance.
Do those things... even like her? Karlos couldn't help but be dazzled at the audacity at the small snake, as if blaming him for waking the gorgon in such a way.
Looking around, Lysandra almost took off her blindfold before remembering where she was.
"Karlos, is something the matter...?" She drowsily asked between yawns.
Snapping out of his reverie, Karlos quickly focused his attention and hurriedly whispered. "There's a hole in one of the walls, and a strange scent is leaking through."
Adjusting her blindfold, she stood up and 'walked' over the cracked mud wall.
Concentrating her mind, Lysandra placed her hand on the solid dirt and shifted it ever so slightly.
Instantly, a large waft of a sweet scent covered every corner of the room. Karlos sat up and deeply inhaled the fragrance, quickly realizing why he had recognized it.
It was the smell of... Pomegranates!