Finally, the day of departure from the North came. The military camp in the North that was destroyed by waves of monsters had already been rebuilt, and everything had returned to its previous state. Even the knights and soldiers who were heavily injured had started regaining their strength.
The military was bustling with energy, and everyone under the command of General Thorne was preparing to return. They were busy packing their luggage and organizing their belongings.
Isabel was no different from them. She had sorted all her belongings, and all the medicines and potions she had made were already delivered to the healer's camp. Now, she didn't have much work left.
However, an important task was still incomplete. Isabel looked at the horn of the horned wolf and the night-bloom divine flower. She had kept them hidden, but now that the time to leave had arrived, she had to hide them carefully to avoid revealing their existence.
If they were discovered, she would be in serious trouble. Isabel remembered the nobleman who had left the tent in anger and shivered slightly.
She opened her clothes bag, layered a set of clothes, and placed both items inside, even though they were bundled in pieces of cloth. Her forehead started sweating at the thought of what would happen if she was caught with these items.
As she contemplated, she felt a continuous pull on her hair, as if she would become bald if it continued.
Isabel found the culprit: Phex. He was almost dangling from her hair, pulling it hard with his tiny claws. Isabel couldn't help but frown. "What are you doing? Let it go. I have important things to do," she said softly, swatting at him with her hand.
But after some time, she still felt the pulling and looked at him in annoyance. Here she was, busy thinking about their survival, while he only wanted to stuff himself with more food.
It would be a lie if she pretended not to know what this troublemaker wanted. Isabel rolled her eyes in annoyance and poked his chubby tummy. "Have you seen your tummy? If you want to eat every hour, it will burst, and you won't even recognize yourself.
You'll become like a pig," she said with a serious expression, hiding her smile. Phex's round eyes widened in horror at the mention of a pig. Isabel quickly removed his iron-like grip from her hair while he was distracted.
Her tactic always worked. Whenever she mentioned a pig, Phex was most afraid because, as kids, he had been chased by their neighbor's pig for an entire hour. She always giggled at the memory. Who told him to wander into the pig's house and disturb its good sleep?
Isabel carefully wrapped the horn and the night-bloom divine flower in the cloth and buried them deeper within her clothes bag. She sighed in relief, hoping they would remain undiscovered. Meanwhile, Phex, now free from her hair, started climbing up her arm.
"Phex, come on," she said, gently shaking her arm to dislodge him. "You know I can't focus when you're doing this."
Phex, however, was relentless. He latched onto her sleeve and gave her his most pitiful look, his large eyes shimmering with faux tears. Isabel couldn't help but laugh.
"Alright, alright," she conceded, reaching into her bag and pulling out a small piece of dried meat. "But this is the last one until dinner, okay?"
Phex eagerly grabbed the meat, his tiny claws scraping against her skin as he did. He settled down on her shoulder, munching happily, and Isabel took the opportunity to finish packing. She double-checked that the horn and flower were securely hidden, then closed her bag.
Just as Isabel finished securing her bag, she heard the familiar sound of footsteps approaching. She looked up to see her friend Mirael.
Mirael plopped down beside her, her own belongings already neatly packed and ready for departure. "Are you all set, Isabel? Or do you need a hand?" she asked, glancing at Phex. "And this little glutton is still eating, I see. It's past breakfast time!"
Mirael reached out to pinch Phex's cheeks playfully, but Phex, ever the protective gourmand, took a quick step back, shielding his dried meat with both tiny hands. Mirael's hand hung in mid-air, and she looked at Isabel with a mix of amusement and mock offense.
"What does he think, that I'm going to steal his tiny piece of meat?" she asked, feigning hurt.
Isabel laughed, shaking her head. "Phex is very particular about his food. He's always been like this. Don't take it personally."
Mirael chuckled and lowered her hand. "Well, it's good to see some things never change. So, are you ready to leave this place?"
"Almost," Isabel replied, glancing around to ensure no one was watching too closely. "I just need to make sure everything is in order. I feel like I've forgotten something important."
"You and your constant worrying," Mirael said with a teasing smile. "But that's why you're such a good healer. Always double-checking, always caring."
They sat in comfortable silence for a moment, watching the bustling camp around them. The soldiers were in high spirits, eager to return home, and the healers were finishing up their last rounds.
"I'm really going to miss this place," Isabel said softly, surprising herself with the admission. "Despite everything, it's been a kind of good place for us."
Mirael nodded. "I know what you mean. We've all been through so much together. But it's time to move on. New challenges await us."
Phex finished his meat and curled up on Isabel's shoulder, finally content. Isabel stood up and stretched. "I suppose you're right. Let's get this done."
Just then, the sound of a bell echoed through the camp, summoning all the soldiers. Isabel and Mirael exchanged glances; the time had come to go. They lifted their bags and started walking towards their commander, Aric. As they approached, they saw the familiar faces of their group members.
Isabel smiled warmly at them. She hadn't seen many of them since arriving at the North border. As the only healer of their group, she had been busy in the healer camp, while the others, like Mirael, were soldiers fighting the monsters.
"Isabel! Mirael!" a voice called out. It was Aric, their commander, waving them over. "Good to see you both. Ready for the journey back?"
"Ready as we'll ever be," Isabel replied, sharing a knowing look with Mirael.