The Search for Knowledge: New Beginnings

Chapter 39

Author's note:
Long time no see guys! As I said before, I have no idea when you'll get chapters, but you WILL get them lol. Between my entire life falling down around me, and joining the Army, I don't have much time to write anymore, but I try to get one done every now and then. For now, enjoy this 1400 word chapter, which is honestly kinda short for me lol^^. Also my apologies if parts seem inconsistent, I've written this over the course of a long time so It was a bit disconnected in my brain, and I no longer have an editor to help me with that.

Chapter 39

Kara was guarding the perimeter of the area as Feera had asked her to do, trying to ignore the screams of agony that she could clearly hear. She felt awful, but she knew something would have to be done to get him to give up the child. There was no way to get the chief's son from him other than for Chiron to give the boy up willingly. The cries had been going on for several minutes now, though. She was starting to reach her tolerance for it and her stomach was starting to churn. What she wouldn't give to have an aptitude in sound magic right now. She had no idea what Feera was doing, all she knew was that Chiron's fear was palpable even from where she was.

After nearly half an hour of listening to the blood-curdling cries of Chiron, it finally stayed silent. Shortly after, Feera came meandering towards the tree the Kara was keeping watch from with a small chromatic dragonborn child over her shoulder. Feera spotted Kara on one of the branches and waved cheerfully while calling up to her, "All done! Come on down and let's go catch up with Sheeron!"

Kara hopped down branch by branch with grace until she landed in front of her party member. "What happened to Chiron?" She questioned.

Feera's eyes gleamed for just a moment, "He only made it through half of his toes. Oh, I left him alone after he gave me what I wanted, though." She spoke about such dark things with her bright mood, it was quite off-putting.

Kara nodded slowly and dropped the subject, not wanting to hear the more detailed answer to her own question. After using healing magic on the now-free hostage, they decided to find Toley, who seemed very shaken up about all the screaming.

"What was going on? Was that Chiron?" Toley said, concerned.

"Yes, I was convincing him to give us the dragonoid boy. He didn't want to give him up right away because he's mean." Feera responded happily.

Toley looked the elf up and down before responding hesitantly, "It didn't sound like you were very nice when you were convincing him."

She put a hand on his head and patted him in response, "Oh Toley, he just had an issue with how I was convincing him, so he was screaming a lot. Nothing to worry about anymore, it's over now!"

He brightened up a little bit, but still seemed somewhat cautious, "Oh, good! I'm glad to hear he agreed."

Kara looked between them, if she was not sure before, she definitely thought that Toley was too pure for this world now. Though, remembering his application for joining up with them, it made some sense. Being raised on the outskirts of a village mostly alone, and away from true conflict, might mess with one's common sense. As her eyes glanced over Feera, she wondered just how someone who was so willing to do something as horrible as torture could turn around and smile with all the brightness of a star the next moment after. She wondered what sort of a life Feera had lived to be capable of flipping that mental switch at will.

Shaking the distracting thoughts from her head, Kara spoke up against Feera's suggestion, "I believe it would be better if we brought the child home to his family first." She paused and said in a softer voice, "If we go back now, I'm afraid I will want to take time to grieve before I can do anything else. Besides, Sheeron told us himself to finish Rox's last job." Her heart couldn't handle it. They had only met a short while ago, even she was surprised what an impact Rox had on her. He was like a typhoon, the way he came into her life and left.

Ferra nodded, "I... I understand. Then let's head there right away." She said in a sympathetic tone while putting her hand on Kara's shoulder. Toley, on the other side of Kara did the same.

The young half-elven girl shed a single tear before she raised her head, steeling her heart to follow through on her own decision. Wordless, she took confident steps in the direction of the forest that was the young chromatic Dragonoid's home. It was Rox's last goal and she would make sure it was seen through whether he was there, or not.

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When Sheeron had told the rest of the party that he would carry Rox's weight, he had meant it and took pride in that. However, now, after walking for nearly two hours he could not but help thinking that he wished he had allowed someone to help him. Rox's literal dead-weight was terrible. The man was six feet tall and well built in life, Sheeron severely underestimated the amount of work he had put onto himself.

"No, I said. I'll carry him myself, I said. Why do I always have to try to look cool in front of the young people at the worst times..." Sheeron berated himself on his stupid decision. Even with mana physically enhancing himself, carrying a dead body alone for such a long distance was obviously a mistake. "At least if I let Toley come along he could have transformed into something that would carry him easier. No, but then the Miss would be unguarded." He thought out loud. No one was around and he was exhausted, so talking to himself was the easiest way to organize his thoughts.

He trudged along with Rox on his back for several kilometers, trying several different ways he could think of to make his self-imposed task easier on himself. Using earth magic to create a make-shift earth sled; failed, it consumed mana too quickly which left him more exhausted than actually carrying the body. Different ways of carrying him yielded some minor results. It was obviously easier to carry him over his shoulder than wrapping Rox's arm around his neck as if he were assisting him to walk. Honestly, he wasn't sure why he started out doing that in the first place, though it was probably because it looked more noble in front of the others than how he was now. Sheeron cringed at himself for getting caught up in the moment.

His travels continued like this for several days, each day was more grueling than the last. At least supplies weren't an issue, the forests and plains he travelled through on his way back to Fira were quite lush with edible plants and animals that were simple enough to hunt even while carrying a dead body for a fighter of his level. Using Earth magic to sense the light tremors of fauna footsteps, then throwing a magic-propelled rock was all that was needed to dispatch his dinner for the day.

Two days from the town, when he stopped for the night, he propped Rox against a large rock at their campsite. "You know, Rox. I can't begin to explain the amount of surprises that kept popping up after we met." He spoke to Rox's cadaver, a habit he had developed in the course of his travels even though he knew the man wouldn't answer. It made him feel better about talking to himself to direct it at something. "Your surprising strength, Toley's insane growth, both of your origin's. I still don't fully understand that last bit." He sighed deeply and continued, "Something tells me the Miss won't take my advice and let a group of adventurers finish her research. After all, she met one of the members of the Aetherous herself and now probably even wants to avenge him." Sheeron clicked his tongue, "I don't get paid enough for this world-changing stuff."

Rox's limp body shifted slightly sideways due to a short gust of wind catching his cloak, making a small shuffling noise, "You're right, Rox. I'd probably still be going along with it anyway. I can't leave her alone after how long I've watched over her." Sheeron said, acting as if that slight coincidental movement were Rox responding to him, he even imagined some snark.

"Anyways," Sheeron said, pulling a blanket over himself and tossing some dirt on the campfire before creating an Earth dome with small air-holes over them for protection, "Sleep well. You certainly deserve it, oh-great-world-protector." He said with a sassy tone.

"You too, Mr.-Princess-Knight." He imagined Rox's sassy reply would have been in the dark, and fell asleep with a smirk.