Dion and Valka slumbered, oblivious to the impending danger as they soared through the air, hurtling towards an inevitable collision with a massive tree.
During their flight, Valka's eyelids fluttered, gradually opening to reveal a glimpse of consciousness. Reacting swiftly, she twisted their bodies in mid-air, enveloping Dion in a protective embrace from behind, her tall body shielding him like a turtle shell.
BANG–!
They collided with the colossal tree, Valka's back absorbing the impact as they tumbled to the ground. This time, Valka succumbed to unconsciousness, her grip on Dion weakening.
Dion's eyes snapped open, and he sucked in a sharp breath. Slowly, he sat up, his head spinning and his ears ringing with a disorienting symphony. Shaking off the lingering dizziness, he peered at Valka with eyes filled with a mixture of complexity. Despite his brief lapse, he was aware of everything that had transpired. Being on the brink of fainting as a realm wanderer at his power level meant risking void shuttling, but he fought against it with every ounce of willpower, determined to remain conscious.
His gaze fixed on Valka's face as he gently wiped away the trail of blood trickling from the corner of her lips. "Congratulations. You've earned my respect," he murmured.
Grimacing from the pain radiating through his chest with each movement, Dion rose to his feet and examined his torso. Apart from the self-inflicted wound on his wrist, all his previous injuries had reopened upon colliding with the tree.
His head snapped around at the sound of approaching footsteps. Swiftly hoisting Valka onto his back once more, he hurled three cloak bombs in different directions. One landed in his current position, while the other two veered to the far left and right.
Without hesitation, he vanished into the dense forest, his footsteps blending with the shadows. He pushed his endurance to the limit, relentlessly propelling his tired body forward for nearly two hours. Finally, reaching his breaking point, he mustered every ounce of strength and climbed a towering tree with gasping breath and drooping eyes, disregarding his aching body and the weight of Valka.
Finally, he reached the top. Dion gasped for air, his breaths resembling a fish gasping for life outside of water. He shook his head, trying to dispel the dizziness that clouded his vision. Carefully, he settled Valka onto a broad branch nestled within the hidden canopy of the tree, positioning her safely. Taking a moment to catch his breath, he sat on the branch and leaned against the sturdy trunk nearby, finding a semblance of relaxation.
With a weary gaze, Dion examined his hands, revealing bruises marring his skin. Sweat drenched his face, evidence of the exertion and intensity of their ordeal. Determined to stay alert despite his fatigue, he resisted the temptation to succumb to the sleep that threatened to engulf him; void shuttling in his current predicament was a no-no.
This was one of the times the weakness of realm wanderers was glaring; he couldn't take a quick nap to relieve his exhausted body because it was night.
About a few hours later, the night was already shrouded in total darkness, and Valka finally woke up. She rubbed her eyes with the back of her palm and slowly sat up.
"Careful and don't make noise," Dion spoke up quickly before she fell off the tree.
The drowsiness soon vanished from her eyes and she stared at Dion, her eyes flashing with a complicated look. Dion didn't avoid a gaze, but the tiredness made his eyes half-closed, resembling a person on drugs.
Valka smiled awkwardly. "Hey, you look scary now."
Dion continued staring in silence.
She quieted for a moment before saying, "I never expected to see you here. Besides, you are the last person I expect to save me."
"And you are the last person I expect to see alive," Dion retorted calmly. "Enough with the 'expectations'. What are you doing here? Remember to keep your voice low."
Valka took a deep breath and scratched her twitching wolf's ear. "This is the way to my village," she said in a hushed tone.
Dion thought for a moment and his eyes widened in realization. "You know Arwen?"
"You mean Aunty Arwen? She is the guardian of my village. Wait… don't tell me…" she stared at Dion with round eyes.
Both of them stared at each other in silence.
Dion broke it first with angry rants. "I thought you were going away from the village? Why are you here? Why are you alive? Why is a corrupted dark sorcerer on your tail? Why is it that you… must meet me? Did anyone send you to kill me with your bad luck and stupidity? Why didn't you avoid my location?"
He still felt chill merely from remembering the blazing purple inferno.
"Enough with your rant," Valka chided before sighing weakly.
She went silent and arranged her thoughts. Dion didn't rush her to speak.
"Let's start from the beginning after you have left. Luke said he was going to check if you guys are alright," Valka said before mumbling, "What a good guy."
Dion growled, "If you praise that guy again, I will push you off this tree. Stick to your story."
Valka felt a chill under Dion's half-opened eyes. "So, when he left, I waited until the next day but he never returned. Then I went to find him. After a day of searching, I finally found Luke's corpse in the hands of a team; a team of corrupted individuals. I noticed them first and escaped, but they immediately chased after me. They have been on my tail since then. But they called their dark sorcerer and escaping one isn't easy; my current state can testify. I got encircled many times but managed to escape."
She continued, "When I couldn't shake them off, I decided to go towards my village and ask Aunty Arwen for help. That's how I'm here."
"You know the corrupted dark sorcerer?" Dion asked.
Valka nodded. "Yes. His name is Zaka, a notorious corrupted dark sorcerer involved in evil deeds. He is the owner of the cave we were imprisoned in and the one who collected our blood."
Valka waited but got no reaction from Dion.
"Dion?" She called out but still got no reply.
She drew closer and noticed his even breath even with his half-opened eyes.
"He slept with his eyes open?" She mumbled.
She cleared strands of Dion's long, black hair covering his face. "Sigh! He's a stubborn kid pretending to be tough."
Then she picked up his blade. "And what is with this blade?"
A distant, crunchy sound shattered the stillness, jolting Valka from her momentary respite. Her vigilance surged, every sense on high alert.
"Zaka hadn't gotten to our position since? I don't know how long I've been out but they should be chasing closely behind us," she muttered, her brow furrowing in confusion as her eyes squeezed shut. Then, in an instant, her eyes snapped open. "No... they're surrounding us!"
She strained her ears, listening intently, and it didn't take long before the distinct sound of footsteps reached her from all directions.
Meanwhile, Dion had already void shuttled.