Chapter Sixteen
Crimson thought to himself, I need to get down there to see if they are okay. He looked around the ship and realized that the anchor Junkie had descended from had made a massive hole in the vessel. "Crap, this ship is useless now. I really miss the Great Wyvern," he sighed, "but now is not the time; I have friends to save."
Looking up, he smiled. "That will work," he exclaimed as he ascended the anchor sticking into the wrecked ship. He climbed onto the deck of the ship from which the twins had ambushed them. "Hmm, this isn't all that bad," he said to himself as he admired the ship. He pulled up the anchor that the twins had struck into the ship he'd just been on. Surprised that they didn't have any crewmates given all the loot they had been collecting, he thought, Hang in there, guys; I'm on my way. He flew the ship down to the forest below.
Miles was sleeping on the forest floor against a tree trunk when he was suddenly awakened by footsteps. It's dark, he thought, as his hand searched the ground for anything he could use to defend himself and Lilith. He found a thick branch and picked it up. Sighing, he glanced over at Lilith and said, "I will be right back," before placing his cloak over her for cover.
"Where the hell are they?" Crimson mutters to himself as he walks through the forest. "I don't want to go screaming or setting fire to anything and attracting danger to myself like some idiot."
Meanwhile, Miles hides behind the trees, moving cautiously from one trunk to another. He notices a ship in the distance, floating in the sky. Curiosity piqued, he heads toward it. Looking up, he comments, "This doesn't look like the ship we were on."
"Hmm, let me take a look around," he thinks as he spots the anchor that holds the ship steady in the air. "No, no, no!" Miles exclaims, his voice filled with concern.
I have been walking for what seems like hours, and there's still no sign of Lilith or Miles, he mutters. He takes a few steps forward and hears a clink as he moves. Raising his boot, he discovers one of Lilith's daggers. "No, this can't be possible," he says, his expression filled with concern. As he runs, his boot splashes into something cold and wet. He freezes, glancing down, only to be met with a grisly sight—Junk's lifeless body sprawled across the forest floor. His head is gruesomely crushed, and a dark pool of blood glistens beneath him. Crimson's stomach churns as he realizes he's stepped right into the macabre scene, the blood staining his boots. Junk Crimson looks around the forest ground and sees a trail of blood. He follows the trail and reaches a huge tree with an opening in its trunk.
As Miles runs back to the tree, he notices footsteps along the way. "This can't be happening," he says to himself. As he gets closer, he realizes there is an ominous figure standing in front of the tree's trunk. He lifts up the branch and rushes toward the figure, shouting, "Leave her alone!"
Crimson turned swiftly away from the noise he heard and delivered a punch to Miles. Miles stumbled back, wincing in pain while holding his bleeding nose. "Oww!" he exclaimed.
"What the hell, Miles?" Crimson said, realizing it was him. "I thought you were a threat!"
"Where is Lilith?" Crimson asked, Miles pointed toward the tree trunk. Crimson shot him an angry look. "I hope she is okay," he exclaimed.
"I don't know," Miles replied, his head hanging low and his fists clenched in concern.
They approached the tree trunk, where Crimson knelt beside Lilith, tears streaming down his cheeks. He quickly wiped them away and carefully picked her up, carrying her on his back. As he passed by Miles, Crimson said, "You're lucky she's not dead, and we're changing our course to Elven Von."
"Where is that?" Miles asked, filled with wonder.
"It's the elf tribe. They are the best at healing spells, so we have to take Lilith there. But right now, we have much more urgent matters to attend to."