A King's Legacy Chapter 8: Warm Spot
When Aster opened his eyes, he couldn't make out anything around himself in the pitch black, but he certainly was aware of the extreme heat that already had him sweating profusely. As the human sat up with an achy groan, he began looking around, trying to find something he could discern to better orient himself on his surroundings. After finding nothing visible a moment later, the boy had an idea, and raised his left arm.
The golden light of his shield shortly illuminated the rust colored walls of the cavern, allowing the human to finally get a look around. He was inside of a large, spacious cave. The ground had odd indents, and was smoothed over, implying something large had been nesting in the sweltering hot cavern. He found his staff laying near where he had landed, and went to retrieve it immediately, thankful it hadn't been lost. Just as he was standing back up, the human heard a strained voice speak to him from nearby.
"Good, you are still alive then." Aster turned towards the source, and found none other than Prince Tyfin himself sitting with his back against the wall, panting heavily. The lion continued in a not so steady voice. "Sorry, I gave you everything I had back there, so I can't really move much right now." As the human recalled the events that had led them to wherever exactly they were, his face took on a gloomy expression.
"Are they always that strong? The demons? We couldn't do anything to stop it..." The prince let out a small chuckle, despite the dire circumstances.
"If they were all like that, I don't think there would be an Alora left. I've never seen or heard of anything that... Unstoppable before. Not in this age anyways. Whatever kind of demon it was, it's certainly on a level we've never faced before. The way it overcame Brutus like that... Alice... I don't know that we can beat it, but I think we have more pressing worries before us for the time being. I don't know what has been living in a den this size, but I don't want to be here when it comes back."
Aster couldn't agree more, so with a bit of effort, the prince was soon upright, leaning heavily against the smaller human's shoulder as the pair began to walk towards the only exit in sight. They weren't making fast progress, and the arid climate made breathing difficult enough on it's own, but soon they had managed to leave the initial heart of the cavern behind as they made their advancement into the other parts of the tunnel. Every so often, the pair had to stop to let Aster and the prince rest for a moment. Finally, the duo came to a split in their path. Aster let the prince decide on the left one, and obeyed. It wasn't like he had any more idea than the cat had as to which path lead to where, after all.
A short ways ahead, a loud scream carried through the cave ahead of them. Prince Tyfin gave the human a nod and some direction, and braced his weight against the stony wall as the human hurried ahead to investigate. He was lucky he'd arrived when he did to cast a light on the situation, as the source of the scream was already surrounded by six, two feet long scorpion-like creatures. They had two sets of claws on either side that constantly made a clacking sound as they were endlessly opened and closed, with a terribly deadly looking tail that whipped around limberly in the air. As the cornered beast threw a rock in a feeble attempt at scaring his attackers away, a creature snapped a claw forward, catching and shattering the stone as easily as glass. The same scorpion raised it's deadly tail, and struck forward. Aster threw his shield just in time to stop the attack, and illuminate the cornered prey enough to discern. The boy felt his heart sink into despair when he realized it was none other than Rust Aschefell, the small timid fox, that was cornered. The cub turned his terrified face to the human now, his eyes filled with tears of relief as he called out to his sudden beacon of light.
"Aster! PLEASE HELP ME! I don't know what's happening." The human took a step forward and let out a sharp whistle. Two of the creatures turned from the cornered fox, and began snapping their claws towards the human. Aster obviously couldn't understand the meaning there, but he was able to comprehend the gist of it. "Our food." The human took another step forward, and the two that had been threatening the boy started his way. Aster raised his staff in his right arm, and sliced through the first to reach him with ease. The monsters were surprisingly quick, as the other was upon him immediately after. The boy cast a new shield up to knock the creature back, and pierced through it's exposed underbelly quickly. His shield flickered away, leaving the drained boy and the fox in the darkness again, trapped with enemies he couldn't see.
Aster heard something scurrying his way, and managed a brief flash of the golden barrier to confirm what he had hoped for. All four remaining scorpions were charging the human now, deeming him the top priority and ignoring the cub it would seem. Aster forced his shield back up just in time to see an incoming sting to his left boot and sidestepped the attack, stabbing downwards through the crunchy exoskeleton. He quickly swung in an arc, connecting with another arachnid and sending it crashing into a wall with a snap where it fell a short ways to the ground lifeless. As Aster turned back to face the final two, his shield blinked away completely, refusing to resurface with almost all of the human's strength depleted. He had survived the most terrifying demon his kingdom had ever crossed swords with only to be killed by exhaustion, and a couple of bugs he couldn't see. Rust let out a small shout, realizing that his hero was blinded without the soft glow.
"They're charging your left! Watch out!" Aster could only take a leap of faith and trust the fox, swinging as widely as he could ground level on his left side. He felt his staff connect with one of the creatures, Rust letting out an excited "Yes!" as the human sliced through the darkness and the arachnid at the same time. Aster heard the final one begin snapping it's claws angrily in the cavern, sending a frantic chittering sound carrying into the surrounding darkness.
"He's almost there... Almost there... NOW!" Aster blindly swung his staff again, this time missing his mark. The boy felt something ding against the metal of his left leg's greave, and instinctively stabbed downward. The final creature died as it struck against the greave two more times in a final attempt at downing the human. Aster could only weakly try to catch his breath while he leaned on the staff, the slain arachnid still pinned beneath it. The fox started wailing as he cried in his relief.
"I- I thought you were gonna die! I thought I was gonna die. sniff I want my mom, Aster. I wanna go home. Where are we?" The human was still panting in a failing effort to get some relief to his dry lungs as he spoke in the most gentle tone he could muster at the time.
"It's ok buddy, it's ok. We are going to get you home, I promise. I need some help though, can you manage that for me? You helped me out a lot just now, so sorry to ask again, I just can't see in here." The fox nodded through his fear, his desire to help his friend outweighing it, and realized his silly error a moment later, speaking to the blinded human instead. His voice still was still hitching between sobs.
"Yes S-Sir, I can try." Aster just smiled softly, he really was a good cub.
"Prince Tyfin is behind me in that tunnel, can you go help him here while I wait for a moment? I didn't see anything scary over that way, so don't worry about anything like that." The fox sniffed again, and agreed to help, leaving Aster behind to stress over how exactly he could protect both of them as he was. They were far too important for entirely different reasons to the human, so he couldn't afford to mess this up, but he honestly wasn't even sure if he could stand again with the way his lungs and lips were burning in their struggle just to keep him breathing in the heat. A moment later, just as Aster had managed to get his labored breathing somewhat under control, he heard the sound of paws crunching against the dirt behind him as the pair stepped up next to him. The prince was the next to speak, laying a soft touch on Aster's neck, giving the human a small bit of energy.
"I had to borrow that from your friend here. It isn't much, but it will hopefully be enough to get us out of this cavern. I can at least walk by myself now, how are you faring? Can you stand?" The human recovered from his crouch, rejuvenated just enough by the small bit of power that had returned to him.
"I am fine, my prince. Do not worry for my sake. Save anymore energy left for you and Rust there, You two honestly may have to make a quick escape if we run into more trouble. If you can guide us in this darkness, I can make sure you get through one more obstacle at least. I can do that much. I- I don't think I can manage my shield right now." The prince listened to what the human had to say, but Aster got a first real taste of both the young lion's sharp tongue, and quick tempered wit as soon as he had finished.
"I pray I will never be the type of king that would let you do that. You foolishly undermine your own value, Aster Venatus, just as many beasts from your trial had attempted to. I did not wage a war for your life against half of my own court and even my father, the king himself, only for you to so readily think the same about yourself and cast that gift aside. More so, you do realize that an entire arena full of our citizens and some of our best warriors In the land just witnessed you, a `lowly human,' whom they had begged me to kill mere weeks before, indisputably saved the life of the next king of Alora, right? That this boy, deemed not worthy of their respect or even acknowledgement, was the only thing in our arsenal that could even slow our attacker down for a bit. Sparing you turned out to be the only thing that saved my own life in the end. You said you wished to fight for me, yet the dead cannot do that. Right now, we may very well be the only three that ended up here for all we know. How far do you believe me and the fox could make it alone? My skills lie in supporting my allies as well, but unlike you, I can do little without a knight to stand behind. Your ceremony may have been... Interrupted, but are you a knight? Or an expendable tool waiting to be discarded? I only have use for one in my service Aster." Aster felt absolutely cut through to the bone as the words pierced his heart with such harsh truth. It hurt more because the boy knew his prince was spot on. It was a short-sighted, negative, and selfish way of thinking that wouldn't help anyone in the long run. He had never had anyone argue on behalf his value with such sharpened claws, but it was something he needed to hear. Something he needed to realize. The human could only bow his head as his veil of foolishness was torn to shreds, thankful to his prince.
"Forgive me. I can see that I am still rather ignorant in my way of thinking. Thank you, my prince." The lion put a hand on the smaller boy's armor, and looked him square in the eyes.
"Only because you were never taught otherwise. Ignorance is no fault of the bearer, yet, remaining ignorant is. Do not worry, I will instruct you on valuing yourself in time." After the human's harsh dose of reality, they set back out into the cavern in search of an exit, the lion directing the impaired human as the group went on silently. Aster finally asked what he had been hesitant to after a long silence.
"How did you even get here Rust? I mean, I know that blast must have moved me and the prince here, but you weren't even close to us, were you? How were you drawn here too?" The cub, who had finally stifled his tears for the time being, answered the question.
"I was with Pops, Grandfather that is, and we were escaping through the back tunnel like Dad said to. Dad stayed behind to protect the king... I heard a loud ringing and got worried about everyone, so I ran back up the slope to make sure you were all still safe. When I made it to the top, something like a shadow hit me fast and hard, and I woke up here...Do you... Do you think my dad is here too? Do you think he's alright? What if he ran into some of those things back there." Aster answered with the same lie he had been telling himself so he wouldn't resort to guessing at the fate of his own missing loved ones.
"I'm sure everyone is fine, Rust. I bet they killed that demon right after we got cast into wherever we are, and I bet they are trying to find us even now. If your dad is here, those things, or anything else in this cave for that matter, couldn't ever stop him from finding you." The fox meekly replied with a "Really?" Aster forced a smile at the cub. "You bet." Nobody felt like hearing anymore lies, no matter how soothing or tender, so the small trio staggered on forward. After what felt like a few hours, Aster realized in his delirium he was starting to be able to make out faint traces of their environment. There was finally light somewhere nearby. The human let out an audible sigh of relief as they turned a corner, and saw the sweet rays of the sun penetrating the arid darkness from further up ahead. They had made it to the exit at last.
Stahl had awoken alone over two hours before the human had, feeling a bit sore from the fight, but nowhere near as drained since he hadn't been the one shielding against everything the demon threw their way. As the wolf's mind filled in his memory, a grip of fear encased his heart. He was with Aster and his prince, but they were nowhere to be found. Alarms sounded in his mind as he assumed the worst, his mind playing dark tricks on him as he imagined his human and his prince laying slain before the demon, bleeding out in the large arena. The thought provoked a harsh shudder from the beast, so he did his best to push his panic aside, and work on what he could do something about, his current predicament.
The warrior stood, having to crouch from how low the cavern ceiling was, while making his way to anywhere but where he had awoken. The walls were close together where he was, and the wolf feared he may even be trapped between some of the more narrow places, but he managed to squeeze through where was needed without even losing his armor. He noticed the stench of sulfur combined with the staunch heat, and felt the warmth emanate from the very walls of rock that seemed to close in around him. He wasn't able to move quickly because of how narrow and small the passage got for him at times, but he progressed steadily enough until he reached an open area. He had been moving for well over half an hour by his guess, but this area was the first real drastic change he had seen, a good sign that he was at least making progress and out of such tight quarters he couldn't even defend himself in. Something caught the wolf's eye as out of place in this new area, and his mind surged back to the endless possibilities of unknown, and cruel fates.
Hanging from the ceiling, or rather from partially inside of the ceiling, was the bat he had been fighting alongside of. The creature was submerged up to it's torso in rock, a single arm hanging down limply from the embedded body. The familiar glaze of death glossed over his eyes and his mouth hung agape, his tongue already drying up from the extreme heat. Perhaps it was only bad luck for the bat, but it seemed the teleportation had it's own risks, as the evidence hung down above him. It would appear you wouldn't necessarily be moved to somewhere you could survive. Stahl had a wicked thought strike his mind like hot iron in a forge then.
`What if you find Aster like that next?' The panic had returned, hammering a sense of dire urgency deep into the wolf. He needed to get out of here, or he would perish alongside that bat from the madness of assuming the worst. The wolf quickened his pace, and moved through the now wider tunnel with increased vigor. It wasn't long until he saw an opening ahead, allowing his first glimpse at possible escape. As the wolf ran to it, his hopes were quickly crushed. The small hole was barely big enough for his arm to reach through. Stahl considered trying to force it open wider, but knew the stone would likely only destroy the edge of his sword, if it didn't break the steel outright. Instead, he figured he could at least try something else before moving on. The noble wolf took a deep breath of the arid air in, and shouted as loud as he could muster.
"HEEEEEEEEEYYY! CAN ANYONE HEAR ME? ASTER! PRINCE TYFIN! ANYONE OUT THEEEERE?" The warrior heard no response. Worth a shot anyways...
"KSSSSSSS." There was a sharp hissing coming from behind the wolf now. As Stahl turned to meet the creature, he was shocked to see a scaly, winged serpent gliding across the dirt. It was large, nearly 12 foot long, and a sickly, vibrant green color with a jagged, orange stripe running down it's spine. The fangs on the creature were bared and sharp, as it's front half hovered and bobbed in the air on leathery wings. It secreted a venom that sizzled against the very earth when it fell from the agape maw in thick droplets. Stahl drew his swords immediately as the creature drew it's head back sharply with a gust of it's wings, and tucked them in as it dove at him with blinding speed. Stahl crouched and rolled forward in a somersault, going below the strike and dashing forward. He used his left handed sword to slice open a decent sized groove in the lower scales as he did so. The serpent drew back in pain before it could be gutted completely, and spit a mouthful of acid at the wolf. Stahl couldn't move fast enough to fully dodge, and soon heard the creaking and groaning of metal buckling from heat as his bracer began dissolving immediately after barely managing to swing it up in time to protect his eyes. Despite the rancid smell of a little fur melting alongside the armor, the battle experienced wolf kept his eyes mainly on the creature as he unbuckled and dropped the melting steel from his arm. He couldn't afford a direct hit of that stuff.
"SOMEONE DOWN THERE?" Stahl about jumped out of his pelt when he heard the booming call from somewhere behind him. He couldn't afford to avert his eyes from the battle before him, but still, he shouted back his answer, happy to know he wasn't alone.
"Yes! Busy not dying though." The serpent struck again, this time the wolf accurately gauged it's movement, and sidestepped the strike while bringing his longer sword down, slicing the head from the creature as it's body spasmed below. The wolf gave a smirk towards his handiwork, and turned back to the opening in the ceiling. He couldn't see much through the small hole, but he could discern a massive black hoof that connected to a light brown, furry leg. Stahl knew who he was talking to. The bull was in the formation around the prince in the earlier battle, and a mentor to the wolf of sorts in the King's Army days.
"Captain Rix, that you up there?" A loud, deep yell resounded soon enough.
"IT IS ME! WHY ARE YOU DOWN THERE?" The wolf let out a sigh. Leave it to the captain to somehow overlook what had happened, insinuating that he wanted to be down here.
"Oh, you know, training. Thinking of having a nice picnic in such a romantic setting..." All traces of the sarcasm were lost upon the thick-headed bull.
"NO TIME FOR THAT! GET UP HERE!" Stahl felt his eye twitch, recalling from his two years of prior service how impervious to his snarkiness the bull was from sheer density.
"...Yeah, working on it... HEY! Can you break that wall? It would help me get there faster." The wolf heard no response, but when he saw the bull's hooves move back from view through his window, he too moved away. A moment later, and the broadside of an impossibly heavy axe shattered a good portion of the stone, allowing more rays of golden sunlight to shine through. As the dust settled, Stahl looked up to see the great hulking mass of the brown bull that was Captain Carcer Rixator looking down at him with a smirk.
"ASH PELT WOLF! GOOD! ANOTHER STRONG FIGHTER!" The wolf groaned to himself at the bovine getting his name wrong once again, but was relieved to hear there were apparently other strong fighters already gathered up there. Maybe even Aster.
"Aschefell... But good to see you too, Captain... Any idea where we are by chance?" Stahl wasn't expecting much, but was pleasantly surprised when the large beast nodded, and offered a hand down to assist the warrior up and out of the sweltering, stale cavern air.
As Aster's group neared the exit, Rust's anxiety got the better of him, and the young fox rushed ahead towards the light, leaving the prince and the stumbling human behind to yell out cautionary measures that the cub just wasn't hearing. Rust stopped dead in his tracks as he came up from within the mouth of the cave. Aster tensed, fearing he may face another opponent in his condition right before they were finally clear of the godsforsaken natural oven, but soon heard the fox yell out words that made his heavy limbs feel lighter than air as the fox darted forward to embrace another figure instead.
"UNCLE STAHL!"
The wolf's attention was jerked from his conversation about scouting for survivors with the other beasts presently gathered near the main cavern entrance by the call. By the time the wolf had turned around to see the fox, Rust had already latched on around his bare chest in a trembling embrace.
"RUST? HOW- ARE YOU ALRIGHT? ARE YOU HURT?" Of all the people Stahl had been silently praying would make it safely through the tunnel, he never even considered his nephew should be counted among them. The fox was sobbing in relief again, but managed to get out his answer between stammering breaths.
"I-I'm ok. I was scared, but- but Aster saved me..." The wolf's heart filled and drained of blood all at the same time. Aster was here, he was alive, but was he alright?
"Saved you? Does that mean... Where is he? Is he alright? Did something happen to Aster, RUST? IS-" The small fox flinched back and released his grip on the wolf from the tone his uncle was using. He sounded angry or worried, but the fox managed to point towards the entrance with a shaky hand. Stahl was running off in that direction immediately, his heart pulsing faster than he felt it should be able to as he closed the distance and disappeared into the mouth of the sweltering cave. He immediately saw his human and Prince Tyfin himself nearly to the exit, but the wolf was already running to them.
Aster felt like taking a page from Rust's book, and letting out sobs of relief when the noble wolf appeared in his view, but he was far too tired for even that. The light streaming in from outside of the cave framed the sprinting silhouette from behind with dazzling imagery and symbolism that just felt right to the boy. Stahl was alive. He had made it. He was here for him, and for a second, that was all that seemed to matter to the depleted human. The wolf was nearly to Aster when the boy felt his body finally give way to his exhaustion, his knees buckling beneath both his own weight, and the subconscious acceptance that his duties had been fulfilled. Both of his charges were safe now. The larger wolf caught him before his knees ever reached the ground. Aster's body involuntarily slumped forward into the embrace, dropping his staff as his consciousness faded off once again. The last thing he registered before drifting away completely was the safe and warm feeling of the wolf's furry chest pressing against his cheek, gently cradling his head against his beating heart. He could finally rest now, his knight was here.
It was dusk when Aster woke up yet again in an unfamiliar surrounding, the last few rays of the desert sun were just fading from view in the final moment of their descent beyond the horizon, bathing the barren, cracked earth below it in swirls of orange and golden hues. His head was pounding, his throat was impossibly hoarse, and his lips felt badly blistered, but more than anything, he was still just tired beyond all belief. His armor was neatly piled on his left side with his boots and staff, and he was only in his shirt and pants with the red headband now lowered to hang around his neck. It was still pretty warm where he was, but nothing like the unbearably stale, draining heat he had awoken to and endured earlier. It seemed he was now leaned up against a stone, and a voice nearby caught his attention.
"ASTER! YOU'RE ALRIGHT!" It was Rust who had spoken. Aster wasn't certain `Alright,' was the word he would use to describe how he was feeling at that time, but he was alive anyways. The human craned his neck to look towards the young fox, his voice was hoarse and very raspy.
"All thanks to your help. Where is Stahl? What did I miss?" So the young fox went about filling in the human to the best of his knowledge. It would seem the wolf was among other parties making a final check through the cave for possible survivors, as well as any supplies that could be helpful. Apparently, there were roughly 20 soldiers present, with a handful of citizens that had also been sucked into this mess by the stray beams from the dark attack. Aster looked around a bit and spotted a few scattered beasts resting nearby. Many were already hard at work, tending away at various tasks to keep their minds and hands busy. Some of the soldiers among them still bore scowls of distrust in the boy's direction, seeming he wasn't out of the woods yet, but still, some seemed friendly enough. One such beast was making it's way over to the now conscious human.
The slender, shirtless rabbit had a light brown coat of fur, with speckles of an off-white creamy color dotted over his cheeks and his waist area. The hare had two long, springy ears pointing far above his head that lightly bobbed with his stubby tail as the soft natured beast made silent steps towards the recovering boy. This beast was pretty short by most beastmen standards, at barely 6'2 if you didn't count the ears. The rabbit came to a halt right in front of the human, and began quietly chanting a short incantation, holding his palm face up as a small orb of water began gathering there. When the rabbit finished, he knelt down, still holding the suspended liquid in an invisible grasp where it hovered just above his hand. The hare moved his hand before the boy and spoke in a bit of a squeaky voice.
"Drink." Aster didn't have to be told twice, and greedily pressed his chapped lips to the chilly orb, drinking it all away in seconds as his dry throat was finally relieved some of the fiery, cracking feeling that burned within. The human got a bit ahead of himself in his thirst, and lightly began choking on some of the fluid. The hare just chuckled softly, and began chanting again, manifesting another good bit of water for the human. Aster swallowed this one with a little more restraint. When he had finished, he attempted to speak, but had to stop to clear his relieved throat before he could speak to the hare through his raspy voice, bowing his head lightly as he did.
"Thank you." That was all he could really say. The rabbit gave the boy a reassuring, compassionate smile.
"Anytime, cutie." Aster's blush at the unexpected compliment was thankfully hidden beneath his already red skin. The hare turned to the young fox next. "How are you holding up? Do you need more yet?" The shy fox only shook his head as reply, the gentle hare nodded at him then, and stood, moving on to tend to others nearby. Aster watched the hare go before he turned back to the fox, speaking with much less difficulty now.
"How are you holding up, buddy?" The disheartened fox looked to the earth below before responding.
"I'm ok. Uncle Stahl talked me through a lot of the big feelings earlier... My dad isn't here... But I'm glad I have my uncles at least." The meek beast let out a small squeak of surprise, realizing he had referred to the human in that manner out loud. Aster was certainly taken aback by the title, considering he had only known the fox for a few weeks, but it felt accurate. Rust really was like part of his family now. The thought warmed the human's heart more than he had expected it to.
"Well, I'm glad Stahl is here too. He's good at calming things down. I know I'm not your real family, but I'll help however I can Rust." The little fox let out an innocent laugh.
"He wasn't always like that, but he's changed a lot since you showed up. He's really started opening up. He used to be pretty grumpy all the time, but he seems a lot happier now. I'm glad he found you. I'm glad to have another awesome uncle watching out for me! You are part of my real family now, Aster." The fox was only speaking from observation, not realizing exactly how much those words meant to the human. Aster was glad the wolf had found him too, although, the boy was clearly missing what the young beast was really implying. Rust just figured the two were together now, going off of the conversations his dad and his mom had in their quarters, not realizing it wasn't so much official yet. Aster found he had plenty of questions for clarification, but none seemed to matter when he heard a beast exclaim that the search parties had returned. The human finally stood up, only possible now by the rejuvenating water gifting life throughout his body, and began making his way to the mouth of the cave with the fox in tow. The ashen wolf quickly sprinted up to meet his human, relieved to see he was awake. After a bit of catching up and reporting on the situation, all present were called to gather around Prince Tyfin as he began to address their course of action going forward. It was then that Aster first noticed that the orange tinted white tiger, Oust Candori, was among those present, scowling towards the boy as usual.
"My soldiers and my people, I will not lie to you, we find ourselves in a less than ideal situation, and know even less about the fate of our kin. All we can do is propel forward in spite of that uncertainty, and work together to get all of us back home with our loved ones. I've been speaking with many of you already, pooling what knowledge we have of our situation. I'll try to summarize it as best as I can. Mollis, if you would?" The same friendly brown hare that brought water to Aster earlier took a step forward, and muttered a quick spell, as a large outline of their continent was displayed above the gathered beasts. The prince pointed towards the center of the continent, and spoke clearly.
"As most of you know, this is where the Capitol of Alora is, where we all were just a few hours ago." The lion moved his claw from the location, and shifted his arm to the right, and upwards, going to nearly the far right corner of the magical map before he stopped. "And this is the Crimson Sands, a desolate wasteland perched upon the ends of our world, far outside of our borders and into the domain of ferals and fiends where we believe ourselves to be now." Many in the crowd muttered hushed worries to each other. Had they really been sent so far from home, to such a dangerous place? The prince continued in spite of them, moving his hand as he outlined their planned path home, listing places and obstacles they would have to overcome as they went. Aster was familiar with the layout of the continent, but obviously had no personal accounts of any of it. Even still, the boy realized this was no leisurely stroll they had before them, this would be a long, and demanding journey. The prince lowered his arm when he finally made it back to the capitol, pausing just a moment before turning back to the crowd.
"I know it is far, but we find ourselves with little choice. We have a warrior with a long-distance communication bloodskill among us, but even that has limited range, as such, we have no knowledge of the current state of our home. We will be moving behind enemy territory with many threats around us. We have no way to know our exact location, and can only get a general idea of which direction to move... Worst case, it could take nearly two weeks to even escape this desert on foot. We have gathered what food we could manage from the ferals within the cave, and our two mages present can handle our thirst. We unfortunately have nobody capable of healing magic here with us, but we have many strong warriors among us, ones that will fight to ensure all the citizens here make it back to their families. My people, and my soldiers, I ask you to remain strong in this uncertainty, and to help each other however we can... For that is now our only hope of survival. Please, put your faith in your prince, and each other. Trust that we will overcome this, as the mighty beastmen of Alora have always risen above any obstacle that was placed before us. Thank you." A large bull standing near the king huffed, and stomped a hoof. Aster was a bit surprised as the soldiers around him, Stahl included, sounded out in perfect unison. "Yes Sir!" The group disbanded shortly after, breaking off into smaller groups in the now silent and dark land in their vicinity.
A while later, while the wolf, the fox, and the human were idly talking in attempt to lighten the small canine's spirits, the smaller group was approached by the bull, the hare, and the prince himself. The two sitting warriors kneeled to greet their prince, which was quickly dismissed with a wave. The rabbit spoke to the human first, giving a little bow.
"Evening. I realize I failed to introduce myself earlier, so let me start with that. I am Mollis Macula, a mage who has been working with Captain Carcer Rixator here for quite some time. I am sorry it is under such circumstances, but I look forward to working with you." The hare turned to Stahl then. "Good to fight alongside you again, Aschefell." The wolf smiled at the hare and nodded in return. It was then that Prince Tyfin cut in, gesturing towards the bull.
"Stahl, Aster, I've charged Captain Rixator here with the task of keeping our soldiers in shape, as well as further instructing and improving with them. I expect you two to join him tomorrow night when he begins training. I know the timing seems off considering our circumstances, but he made a valid point, we need to improve all we can to face a demon capable of such brutality." The two warriors simply replied with a hearty, "My prince," before the bull spoke next in his gruff, booming voice.
"ASH PELT WOLF IS GOOD FIGHTER, WILL HELP ME TEACH!" Stahl nodded in spite of the wrong name again, already assuming as much. Still, the wolf was a bit worried when the massive beast turned to the smaller human next. Captain Rix had a reputation among the military for his overbearing and extreme training methods.
"BOY! YOU ARE ONE I WILL TEACH! YOU ARE NOT STRONG ENOUGH! YOUR WEAKNESS IS OUR WEAKNESS. I DO NOT LIKE WEAKNESS. YOUR SHIELD NEEDS TO BE STRONGER. YOU NEED TO BE STRONGER. I WILL MAKE YOU STRONGER!" Aster just gulped as the heavy bull just bellowed down at him. It seemed Captain Rixator wasn't capable of speaking in anything short of a yell. It was then that the last name clicked into place for the boy, and he stared up at the bovine with a new feeling, remorse. Aster took to a kneel again, addressing the beast with somber respect.
"Captain Rixator... Your father was one of the only beasts that believed I should be allowed to fight during my trial. Without him, I wouldn't even be here. He gave me his approval when few others would... I am sorry for what happened to him back there. I will do my best to make you see me in the same light of worth. I am honored to have the opportunity to learn under the Rixator clan." The bull huffed proudly, crossing his arms as he answered the human.
"MY FATHER FELL TO A DEATH WORTHY OF GREATNESS. HE BATTLES WITH THE GODS NOW. BUT, I AM NOT AS EASILY PLEASED, BOY. YOU'LL LEARN SOON ENOUGH." The bull stepped off to the side a bit, the human followed his movement, and was alarmed when the bovine reached down and grabbed his staff. The great bull turned back to the boy with a smirk.
"I WILL TAKE THIS. YOU MUST EARN THE RIGHT TO WIELD IT BACK FROM ME." Aster was simply stunned, many people he cared for put effort into that gift, and now he's told it will be taken from him by someone he had just met? The human was feeling an anger welling up from within himself, but being as he wasn't one to ever run away from a challenge, the boy only closed his eyes to hide the rage that was surely transparent behind them, and answered his superior.
"Then earn it back is exactly what I will do. I will show you my worth." The boy looked to his prince for a moment, recalling his words to him earlier in the cavern before he continued. " I will show, no, PROVE to each of you my value, my resolve, and so much more than you ever could have imagined from a single human. I will prove it to myself." The bull let out a snort of nonbelief, he wasn't much for big talk. The prince and the rabbit, however, were happy to hear such an answer. A short while later, and the three were leaving to speak to the next group over. Aster watched with an uneasy feeling as the bull strutted away with his staff casually thrown over his shoulder. Stahl had noticed this, and felt he should try to ease Aster's worries.
"Yeah... Captain Rix can seem a little extreme at times, but he really is amazing at pushing his soldiers far beyond their limits. It won't be easy to make him acknowledge you, Aster, but not impossible. Just... Remember to keep your cool, he can be pretty ruthless when it comes to attacking your weakest points and insecurities." The boy looked to the wolf with a serious look, and only nodded in acknowledgement. Despite everything, Stahl loved to see his human fired up like that. When his determination to fight showed this strongly, the wolf always found himself completely encaptivated by his small friend.
A few hours later, after Rust, Stahl, And Aster had fallen sound asleep, Aster found himself waking up with an entirely new problem. He was freezing. When the desert sun faded away, it took with it the scorching heat that burned down upon the Crimson Sands, leaving the temperature to rapidly fall in it's absence. Most of the beastmen were fine, their fur kept them plenty warm enough, and the cool night air was a much needed reprieve for them from such extreme heat. Even Aster was at first grateful for the soothing, chilly touch on his burned skin, which finally allowed him to drift off to sleep earlier. Though now, the boy was miserable and shivering violently with only his thin trousers and shirt to cover his vulnerable skin. The human sat up, drawing in his frozen limbs into a tight ball in a vain attempt to bring warmth back to them. He remained that way for over twenty minutes, losing in his struggle.
It was the chattering sound of Aster's teeth that had caused the light sleeping wolf to stir from his dreams. He glanced over with groggy vision, and was immediately pulled from his semiconscious state when his eyes focused of the boy. Aster was huddled up into a ball, his face was tucked down towards his chest, desperately trying to use the warmth of his own visible breath to bring some sort of relief to the bitter, stinging cold that stole away any warmth he could generate. Stahl felt his heart sink into his stomach at the sight, cursing himself for not realizing such an obvious oversight sooner. The human didn't have fur to keep him warm, and not a single beast there had even considered it. Why would they? This wasn't something they had to worry about.
The wolf stood, causing Aster to turn his head to the sound of the crunching dirt. The human just looked at his friend apologetically, speaking between the clacking from his jaw.
"S-sorry, I ha-ave been trying t-to stop them, b-but I can't b-bite down h-ha-ard enough t-to do it. S-sorry to wake y-you." Stahl didn't answer, instead the ashen wolf only walked the few steps over to his armor, pulled his blue cape from the pile, and then strutted back over to his friend, crouching down behind him. Aster audibly exhaled in surprise when Stahl sat down, extended his legs around the boy, and pulled him in close, pressing the warm fur of his bare chest into the boy's back. The wolf spoke softly then.
"You know, you're too damn stubborn for your own good. You're over here freezing, yet you apologize for your discomfort possibly affecting others. I can't believe I didn't realize this sooner, so I am the one that gets to apologize here, Aster. Lay next to me, let my warmth be your warmth... But, honestly, I can keep you a lot warmer without that shirt on..." Aster tensed up despite his shudders. If having to borrow body heat from another wasn't pathetic enough, he'd also have to bear the shame of his exposed body in front of so many strange, gawking beasts? The boy only managed to shake his head stubbornly. The wolf sighed audibly.
"I swear by the gods, Aster... You would swim across a river just to roll in pig shit! Remember that thing we talked about? Letting people help you? This is a prime example of when I want to help you, yet you wont let me..." The wolf spoke softer then, as he pulled the reluctant boy tighter into his grip, embarrassingly confessing something to his human then. "Aster... Your body is a true marvel to me... You don't need fur. You don't need to be ashamed of how you were born... You don't need to be ashamed for me to see you like that... Your body is beautiful. Please, will you trust me? Will you let me handle this? Will you let me take care of you? Aster... Please, I can't leave you like this."
The human buried his face further into his own arms, wanting to scream from everything he was feeling. Here he was, still some pathetic, useless boy that had to let the wolf protect him from even the weather. Stahl had said his body was beautiful... Aster wanted to believe that so badly, but that had to just be the pity talking. His body? A marvel? When he couldn't even keep the damned, furless thing warm without some help? It was laughable, and that bitterness and self-loathing combined with his lack of rest made him lash out.
"Worry about yourself. I don't need anymore charity... I won't be helpless even here. I will adjust, in time... You don't need to save me again, Stahl... I've already made a habit of letting you do that enough. I don't need to borrow your warmth! I'll survive without it." The human hadn't realized he had stopped shivering so badly in such a short time of being next to the beast, but when he jerked his shoulder forward, the cool air immediately reminded him as it stole away the heat Stahl had shared with him. The wolf was getting irritated, and his tone reflected that frustration.
"You may shoulder the cold without it... But struggling from sheer pride is still foolish! Bearing struggles you don't have to is foolish! Sorry, Aster, but I'm not letting you push me away this time... You haven't realized it yet, but I do have to save you... I will always try to save you, Aster, I will do anything to protect you, and maybe that scares me as much as it worries you, but it is not because you are helpless, but because you are worth protecting. If anyone has anything to say about that, they can come say it me! And if any beast here has a problem with your body, then I will shut them up myself!" The soldier grabbed the shocked boy again, pulling him back into his embrace even tighter this time, nuzzling into the human's exposed neck, speaking the last bit in a quiet, loving tone that truly exposed the powerful emotion behind his words. "Aster... I... I want to protect you, always. I will be whatever you need me to be, even if that's only just a simple warm spot when you can't fight off the cold world around you... I will perform that duty gladly. I will wage war on the entire world if I have to, If that's what it takes to keep you safe... To keep you next to me. Aster... I care about you... More than I've ever cared about anything or anyone else. If my life has a purpose, it is to be a purpose dedicated to you." The wolf thought carefully about his next words, knowing he risked revealing what he couldn't to the boy snugly held within his arms, but knowing it was true, he said it anyways. "I see you as a king, one that I would unfailingly place my swords, my body, or my very life on the line if it meant keeping you safe and with me. You are something so much greater than you know... A kind of greatness that leaves me in awe of you daily... Aster... I feel like a little love stricken puppy when I am with you, and yet, it's the most amazing feeling I've ever craved... I can't just watch you suffer in the cold like this after bringing such warmth into my life... So please, I will beg you if I must, let me be your warm spot in return, even if only for tonight... Lay with me, Aster."
The silence that built between the two made the wolf fear he had said too much. He second guessed his decision, afraid he had only driven his boy even further away... And then Aster leaned forward, pulling free from his grip once more. Stahl just let his arms fall weakly to his sides in his defeat. The noble wolf felt so foolish, alone, and exposed. Feelings of rejection and vulnerability overcame him as his heart was laid bare. Perhaps that was how the human always felt...
And then Aster yielded, moving trembling hands down to the bottom of his shirt before finally lifting it up and away from his exposed torso beneath. His flesh was assaulted by fresh waves of the piercing cold when he removed the only thin barrier he had left to fend it off. He was quickly met with something far more comforting, as he let himself lean back into the warming embrace of his knight. Stahl pulled the boy close, resting his head back against his larger chest, and wrapping his legs around the human's own. He grabbed his cape, and caringly draped it over the shivering, half-naked body. His strong arms tenderly embraced Aster once more, covering the bulk of his upper body with the same warmth. Stahl began nuzzling his snout into the boy's hair, breathing in both a heavy sigh of relief, and filling his senses with the maddening scent of his infatuation as he leaned back against the stone behind him. The wolf placed a gentle kiss on the boy's head as the human finally submitted to the warm spot he had so desperately longed to find, yet never expected to have. If Stahl truly wanted him... Then Aster would surrender both his heart, and his body to the wolf in time... That was about the only thing the human could think about as he silently cried tears of sweet relief that his friend had wanted him in the same way he had wanted the wolf. The human spoke for the final time that night in barely a whisper, right before fading off from exhaustion to sleep in the comforting, warming embrace of his wolf. Of his knight.
"I love you too, Stahl Aschefell."
For the first night in many, Aster Venatus had no dark dreams.
Long one, I know. Had a lot of rewrites here yet again, so took me a bit to get this one where I was happy with it. As always, hearing from you guys is the best thanks I could get. Appreciate you reading this far, and hope you enjoy what is to come.