"Let's rest a little here," Vespera suggested, settling down beside Eric. The four of them took a moment to absorb the breathtaking view.
"Yeah, we should probably take our time to recover our stamina," Eric agreed, stretching his tired limbs.
"Rest a little? W-well, it might not be a bad idea, b-but if we stay too long, we might end up leaving too late," Velgrim stammered, perched atop a rock. His body, however, seemed to betray his words, visibly relaxed and soaking in the serene surroundings. Given what they had endured, a brief respite wasn't unreasonable, but everyone was itching to escape the strange ruins as quickly as possible—until they stumbled upon this heavenly garden.
Xerves glanced at Velgrim, who was enjoying the scene.
Damn three eyes, he is clearly enjoying the view, he thought, not out of dislike but out of frustration. Velgrim had leveraged a deal to get Xerves to join them, and that still irked him.
Yet, the scenery was mesmerizing. The bright atmosphere, bathed in sunlight, was filled with birds soaring high above. Xerves's eyes danced around, captivated by the sight. For a moment, even he couldn't deny the allure of this unexpected oasis.
Plenty meat but no fire source, if only I had the fire gem; heat-type, the problem of roasting the meat would have been solved, I wonder what the rabbits will taste like if I eat them raw.
The jungle born soliloquized.
As expected, cooked meat is the best, he concluded, shaking off the thought, knowing that if he kept thinking about food, he would only get hungrier.
"Let's move, so we can be out by evening," Velgrim said at last. He adjusted his glasses with a practiced flick, urging the team onward. The horrors they'd faced had shattered their will to explore; now, finding their way out was their only goal.
The four of them wound their way through the garden to the crumbling archway by the side of the huge wall of stalagmites. Vespera clung to her bunny, the archway loomed ahead, a foreboding gateway to the unknown.
They ascended the jagged stairs, each step a reminder of the dangers lurking in the dark. Twenty feet up, the stairs opened into a narrow corridor, a pitch-black tunnel stretching into oblivion.
"Tsk! Another dark passageway," Velgrim muttered, his eyes narrowing. "I wonder where it leads to."
"Eric, can I have the gem?" Vespera asked, her voice soft but steady as she stretched out her hand. Her other arm clutched the bunny tightly.
"Y-yeah," Eric stammered, his cheeks flushing as their fingers brushed during the exchange.
Xerves glanced sideways, a mischievous smirk playing on his lips. I knew it. The big guy has a thing for her. But why is she blushing too? Has she realized and reciprocated? Anyway, I'm glad it's not one-sided, but I should face what lies ahead, this isn't the time to be admiring some lovers.
"Good grief! Fluffy isn't okay with this," Vespera complained as the bunny twitched in her arms, letting out squeaks at some intervals.
"We don't have much choice," Velgrim replied, his tone firm. Eric clutched the adventure kit while Vespera held the broken gem. It glowed brighter than ever, casting a blue light that pierced the darkness.
"That should help navigate the way," Velgrim said.
"Does that mean the artifacts are near?" Eric asked.
"Dunno. It's been glowing since we entered these ruins. It just happened to glow brighter, that's all," Velgrim replied.
As they ventured down the narrow path, Xerves' mind raced with questions.
Why is the gem glowing brighter after getting broken? Are we nearing an artifact? And what is this strange aura emanating from the bunny? The more I look at it, the more affectionate I feel like it's reminding me of Kai, my pet. And why did the gem glow brighter when Vespera held it? It wasn't as bright as that on Eric's hand. Something is strange.
Suddenly, the bunny squeaked and jumped from Vespera's arms, scurrying away.
"I knew it, Fluffy is afraid of the darkness," Vespera said, her voice tinged with worry.
"What do you mean? The gem illuminates the corridor," Velgrim argued.
"You don't understand. This place is still dark," Vespera retorted, unsheathing her silver sword. "Fluffy! Fluffy!! Where are you?" Her voice echoed through the corridor as she searched with the gem's light.
"Give it a rest, Vespy. It's gone. We're not here for an excursion. Let's hurry and find our way out," Velgrim insisted.
Dark? What does she mean by that? The gem's light should be enough to illuminate the corridor. Why does it look dark to her? Xerves pondered. And what kind of energy aura is emanating from that gem? It's completely different from the one Eric held earlier, but it looks the same.
"Hey, Velgy," Xerves whispered, moving closer to Velgrim as he walked by his side.
"Not you too, calling me that?" Velgrim grumbled.
"Did you notice the aura change of that gem?" Xerves whispered urgently.
"Aura change? We can sense aura but no one here can tell the changes of aura, after all, we are not captain level, we are only adventurers, remember?" Velgrim replied, puzzled.
"What? But I—" Xerves began, but Velgrim cut him off.
"What is that?" Velgrim asked, his eyes narrowing.
"Nothing," Xerves replied sharply, multiple thoughts raced across his mind.
After some time, there was another squeak. Vespera found the bunny and hugged it tightly. "Oh, Fluffy, where have you been? Cute, cute Fluffy," she cooed.
The gem's energy aura changed again! What the hell is happening? And why am I the only one who can sense it? Damn these half-assed adventurers, S rank my ass, Xerves fumed silently.
"Didn't I tell you? It didn't run away because it was dark. You see?" Velgrim said, adjusting his glasses with a knowing look.
As they walked for a few more minutes, a faint light shone from an entrance about several meters from where they were, it seemed as though the path leads to another chamber. Vespera, still adoring the bunny, moved behind Xerves while Eric walked at their back.
"Cute, cute bunny," she sang softly, her voice a haunting melody.