Chapter 20: New Allies?
Twelve hours later…
"Teus?"
"Teus, wake up!"
"You're not dead yet are ya?"
A warm yellow light bathed Teus' face as he slowly began to exit his slumber. His mind was in a haze.
"Where am I?"
He noticed that he was in a plush bed with soft sheets of cotton and pillows full of high quality wool. A duvet secured itself around his body as a fireplace in the background slowly crackled, enveloping the room with its feeling of coziness. The detailed and ornate hanging chandelier signified that he was in luxurious dwellings.
His eyes snapped open as he saw Mister Fluff and Puff standing before him, with his hand firmly placed on the top of the boy's head.
"Mister Fluff and Puff!"
Teus nearly jumped off of the mattress out of surprise. The wounds and wide gashes on the old man's body were now completely healed. Not only that, for the first time in a long time he saw him wearing clothes that were not torn or filled with mystery stains. He was in spectacular shape. The words fell out of Teus' mouth out of curiosity.
"How did all this happen? Where are we? This looks like nobility!"
The old man had a chuckle.
"Don't worry about that! Just know that while you were out like a light, I found us a place to stay. And that's not even the best part…"
A wafting scent made its way through the room as Teus smelt the familiar fragrance of toasting fish entering the room. The boy's eyes lit up with enthusiasm.
"We have fish!?"
The old man grinned. Then pulled from behind his back a perfectly cooked and seasoned salmon with a side of sliced lemon, perfectly plated on a round white dish. He handed it over to Teus.
"Yup, with all the fancy seasonings that you want too! You're gonna have to eat well, to get big and strong for the King's Crest!"
Teus had only ever seen this type of meal from the windows of other people's houses. He loved how the smell was extravagant yet familiar.
His mouth began to water as he grabbed the fish, moments away from his mouth as his mind began to race.
"Wow, I can't believe after all that hell, things ended up working out so well! The nightmare's finally over!"
As frantically as they could, Teus' eyes scoured over the room. The expensive chandelier, the perfectly crafted stone fireplace, the fish he had always desired having but never possessed. It all felt so surreal. He could not help but think.
"It's like I'm dreaming!.."
Then a pause hung in the air as he looked around the luxurious room before locking his gaze with Mister Fluff and Puff's smiling eyes.
"..."
"..."
"I'm totally dreaming aren't I?"
The old man began to fade away, almost as though he were dissolving into thin air. Teus looked back to the fireplace to find that it had disappeared, the room was now cold. The light within the chandelier went out before Teus could have a second thought, leaving the area dark and empty. Only proving that this was all a figment of Teus' imagination.
He quickly looked at the fish in his hands, he raced to open his mouth and bite down on the meat, but it was too late. The fish had disintegrated like smoke and flew past him. Leaving him cold and hungry.
"Damn it all…!"
Then a large thud jolted Teus awake and back into his senses.
****
Another thump resounded.
Then Teus felt his body hit the floor, hard.
His mind was still disoriented, he could only process bits and pieces of what was happening as he felt his body rolling across the dirt and grass, a feeling he knew all too well thanks to his upbringing.
At least something was familiar.
He heard birds from afar chipping as their wings flapped almost in unison across the sky. Then he felt the warm rays of the sunlight still touching his skin. At this point he was fairly certain where he was.
Then the rolling came to a stop as his body lost momentum.
Without a hint of fatigue Teus' eyes snapped wide open to see that they were still in the thick of the forest, and that his dreaming had come to an end. Not only that, the soft sound of wheezing from his right alerted him to have a sudden spike of adrenaline as he turned his head in the direction of the noise.
His eyes darted over to his side to find Mister Fluff and Puff, barely holding on for dear life, still covered in blood.
Teus could tell that he was still alive, but he had fallen almost completely unconscious, eyes closed tight, it was clear he was trying to survive with great difficulty. He continued to breathe deep breaths as the two of them laid on the ground of the forest floor. Teus panicked.
"Oh no!"
As fast as he could the boy pushed his body off the ground, pressing his palm against his right knee, propelling himself into a standing position. He rushed over to Mister Fluff and Puff before he crouched next to the old man. He gripped him by the wrists and proceeded to drag him along the dirt path leading south of Thorinhil.
Mister Fluff and Puff's unwavering grip on the sword did not make the journey any easier for Teus but he continued to push forward. Straining his body every step of the way. His grunts got visceral.
"Just hang in there…for a little bit…longer!"
****
As Teus trekked through the bushes his hands were still gripping the old man, though they were quickly losing strength. With due time it became hard to hold up his head as the numerous beads of sweat stung the surface of his eyes.
He had continued to hear the old man's breath, which served as motivation, but that did little to quell the anxiety of the boy.
"Damn it all! This is all my fault! If the old man hadn't put himself in harm's way for me then we wouldn't be dealing with this right now, I'm so worthless!"
The captain's words rang through his mind.
"...Make no mistake, your injuries are severe and when this pill wears off, you'll crash hard. You'll likely be in a much worse state than you already are now. I advise you to prioritize finding a way to receive medical attention…"
Teus grit his teeth.
"We need… a hospital…!"
He continued to put one foot in front of the other, losing his friend was not an option. His feet grew heavier the further he tried but he still pursued.
Crack!
Then a sudden sound heard from afar made Teus immediately halt his movement.
There was a brief rustling of leaves that could be heard from afar before a figure appeared in front of them. A shiver went down Teus' spine as he witnessed the leaves parting ways on the hilltop ahead them.
When the being was made clear, his pupils shrunk in disbelief.
A gigantic, almost mythical looking, bird had emerged from the bushes. The creature stood taller than any man Teus had encountered in his life, it was at least half as tall as the trees surrounding it. Its glowing eyes pierced through the shadows with a soft yellow hue. It had two horns that protruded from the sides of its head and one large horn protruding from the center its chest, both possessing an ethereal glow. Massive scars stretched across the bird's body, making it evident that the beast had known battle. It roamed the forest floor like a natural born predator.
Teus' mouth was wide agape and gobsmacked, though it looked like a bird, it possessed none of the qualities of one.
The creature continued to move around the terrain as if it were looking for food. Teus nervously swallowed a lump down his throat and made sure not to breathe.
"Of all the times to run into a wild animal…Why now!? What even is that thing? It looks like a monster!"
Trying to remain calm Teus spun his head around the two of them. It seemed as though Mister Fluff and Puff had yet to notice the animal. His breathing was loud but he figured there was nothing he could do about that. Besides, if he saw the bird, it would only get worse. He analyzed the branches and loose leaves on the forest floor deciding to back track and hopefully steer clear of the animal all together.
"We can do this! If we just take really careful steps, we might be able to avoid the bird and get out of here! I'm sure we still have time before it recognizes us…"
Teus heard a faint growl from behind him.
Instinctually, In the blink of an eye, the boy turned around to find the large creature staring daggers through his very being, the animal had already noticed him. In a startled panic he tripped over the old man and fell on his back. The bird and Teus locked gazes on each other as though both were waiting for one to make a move. The creature growled again, this time more intense than before.
Thoughts raced through Teus' mind.
"Oh no! It's already here! What should I do!? Do I still try to leave? Don't be stupid it'll catch you in no time! Should I fight it right now? Can I even do that? Galmarion told me I'm still recovering… and my body still hurts like hell!..."
The bird crept closer to Teus before its beak was just inches away from his face. Teus watched the aggressive animal lean in with a menacing snarl as it hissed at him.
"Crap! I have to do something, and fast!"
The bird quickly got back into a lunge position, preparing itself to launch at Teus before a voice howled through the forest leaves.
"Scratchy! Hey Scratchy, where are you girl? Are you out there looking for food again?"
Responding to the call, the bird stopped the attack and looked up the hill in the direction of where the voice was coming from. The ethereal looking creature was quick to take flight and dash towards it.
A wave of relief washed over Teus.
He saw the leaves atop the hill, in the bush shake once again before a woman wearing a cloak with a bow and pack full of arrows slung across her back, arose from the large shrubs.
The enormous bird stopped right before her feet and bowed its head, almost as if it were kneeling. Teus' eyes widened in shock as the woman nonchalantly caressed the back of the bird's neck, casually whispering sweet nothings in its ear.
"Who's a good girl! You're a good girl~♥! What did you find over here?"
The woman looked up before a quick and sharp gasp left her mouth as she clasped her hands over her jaw. The sight of Teus and the old man had completely mortified her. Not long after that another voice rang through the bush.
"Synthia, quit playing around with the jaguar! We gotta get going soon!"
Another figure, this time large in stature, made its way past the leaves, a man carrying a large axe, five times the size of Teus' head. His face was partially covered with a thick, red beard. He immediately recoiled at the view of Teus and Mister Fluff and Puff.
He quickly turned his head back into the direction of where he came, his shouting was prompt.
"Hey Lewis! After you're done loading the product in the carriage, grab the bandages and some healing ointment, we got an injured over here!"
He quickly swung his head back as he locked eyes with a very befuddled Teus.
"What the hell happened to you guys? Are you okay?"
The woman smacked the back of the axe wielder's neck before yelping.
"What do you mean ''Are you okay' Just look at them! There's nothing okay about this!"
After wincing through the pain the man redirected his attention to Teus and asked sternly.
"We have healing ointment and bandages on the way, is there anything else you need for that injured man?"
Questions lingered in the boy's mind.
"Who the hell are these people…!?"
But he quickly got his priorities back in order. The words instinctively fell out of Teus' mouth, trying to take advantage of the situation.
"W-we need a hospital!"