The Mother and the Father panicked when they saw Emrick shuffling down the path alone, shivering and struggling to move his feet. Their questions fell on deaf ears as they wrapped thick blankets over his shoulders and walked him into their cosy home. He curled up in front of the fire, but it was nothing like the warmth of Ishin's stone.
For a long while, he sat in the living room of the Mother and Father's home, staring at the crackling flames. The Mother supplied him with soup and hot tea, watching his face carefully, but he felt so cold that if he tried to move his mouth, it would fall off. He was chilled to the bone and it was as if nothing would make him warm again.
But as he slowly got moving, bringing his hands to his face to eat, warmth seeped into his muscles once again. Even though Rina had healed him hours ago with Belganine's stone, his body ached from the cold. He'd gotten far too used to Isiah and his powers, only a few hours without them had almost frozen him to death. But he'd lost all his supplies when he fought with Jonin. He had nothing to keep him warm, left on the other side of the chasm with Rina and Isiah.
"The Beast- Isiah," the Father said, a hint of panic in his voice. "Is he..."
"He's alive," Emrick said in a hoarse voice. Relief flowed through him when he said the words, even though he'd seen Isiah on the other side of the falls only a few hours ago. All three of them had come so close to dying; all he could think was that they were lucky.
The elderly siblings shared a look. "Your name, child, what was it?" the Mother asked. They hadn't bothered to ask him his name when he'd shown up with Isiah and Rina. He wasn't the Beast or the Crown Princess of Minisia, he wasn't as important as them.
"Emrick," he answered, too tired to acknowledge his irritation.
"Emrick, what happened up there?" she asked, her eyes narrowed in concern.
It took him a moment to speak, his throat sore from breathing in the freezing air and his mind racing. "We were ambushed," he said, holding up a hand when the Mother gasped and went to speak. He explained it all as best he could, Jonin finding them, the ensuing fight, Rina's impalement and Isiah getting his stone. The Mother and the Father gasped when he explained how he killed Jonin, but he felt no real sense of accomplishment. He'd won through underhand means. If he hadn't cut the bridge, he would have lost, but at least Jonin was dead and there was no more threat to Isiah from him.
"And the bridge?" the Father asked.
"It snapped completely, I'm sorry," he answered, guilt settling in his stomach. The Father had mentioned that he was the one who travelled up there. It was a sacred site to the followers of the Old Gods and he had cut them off from it. They wouldn't be able to rebuild with the war on. "It was the only thing I could do. I couldn't let Isiah die."
The Mother waved him away. "We will rebuild when the time comes. As long as the three of you are safe. But how did you survive if you were on the bridge?" she asked.
"Belganine's stone healed me," he explained. He still had no idea if it had been Rina or Isiah who had healed him, but if his possession of the stone was anything to go by, it was safe to assume that it was Rina. Saying it was Belganine was the easiest way to explain it until he caught up with Isiah and Rina.
He shuffled closer to the fire and pulled the blanket tighter around himself. Even though he hadn't known either of them long, not being with Isiah and Rina felt strange. All he could think of was Isiah's fear, losing the people he cared about, but at least they were all still alive even if they were separated. It would make things difficult, but he would get back to them, get back to Isiah as fast as possible. He'd promised to protect him and make him happy, he would fulfil that promise.
"On the other side of the falls, is there a way down?" he asked, drumming his fingers against his knee. He needed to keep moving lest he get frostbite.
The Father took a moment to think. "There used to be more of the Sanctum on the other side of the falls but as our population grew smaller, we migrated completely to this side," he explained. "There is a path leading down to it, but it hasn't been used in so long that it's dangerous to traverse. I'm sure the Beast will be fine though, as long as he and Her Highness travel slowly."
At least they weren't going to be trapped up by the door. If that was the case, then they would never make it to Teremtys' Sanctum. The path would be dangerous, but it was Rina, who was terrified of heights, they would be extremely careful. They had the map too, considering he'd left his bag on their side of the falls. It would be easier for them to reach it. He would need new supplies.
The Mother brewed him another tea and finally feeling warm enough to move, he stood and started pacing the room. The Mother gave him a weak smile. "You should stay the night here," she said. "You need to rest properly."
"I can't," he replied with a shake of his head. "Isiah and Rina need me, I have to catch up with them as fast as possible."
"You're a noble man, Emrick," the Father said and heat spread through Emrick's cheeks. There weren't many people who would say something like that to a halfling. "We will help you as much as possible."
"You needn't do that," he said against his better judgement. He'd already cut them off from their sacred site, he couldn't take anything else from them.
But the Father wouldn't have a word of it. "You are out of supplies and alone. If you will not stay the night then at least allow us to give you what you need."
He didn't need much. Food for a week or so, warm clothes, medical supplies and a map. He still had his sword and Askarune's stone on him, he'd made sure of it, but he had nothing else. Without a word of agreement, the Mother and Father got to work setting up a rucksack for him to take with him. The Mother handed him a map and with a quill, he made a note of the island they had pointed out to him the other day. There was a small town on the coast, blocking the way to Ziya from the south. That would be where he needed to go.
Instead of trying to stop the elderly siblings from helping him, he sat by the fire and sipped at his tea, desperately trying to keep warm. Guilt flooded his veins as he watched them pack more and more food into the bag. There was a war on, they couldn't afford to give him so much, not when they wouldn't be getting anymore for some time. It was winter too, food was scarce, especially in Minisia, but he couldn't find it in himself to stop them.
"Thank you," he whispered when the Father handed him the rucksack.
She smiled at him. "It is the least we can do for someone who works with the Beast that was Promised," she replied and cupped his cheek the way a mother would. "I do not know him well, but I'm sure he is lucky to have someone like you."
"He is a kind soul," Emrick said before he could stop himself. He shifted slightly towards the Mother's cheek. It reminded him of when he was a child and his own mother had cared for him. Once he was big enough to run around properly, she didn't care what he did, even when he came home beaten and bruised. "He's peaceful. He won't hurt a soul as the Beast. He wishes only to help."
"Then he truly is one of us. The perfect Beast," the Father said as he walked into the room.
Emrick didn't dare tell them about the people Isiah had killed. Everything, including the laboratory, had been an accident. Isiah may have lost his innocence over the weeks they had travelled together but he was still a peaceful man who felt immense guilt at what he had done. He would make up for his mistakes and Emrick wouldn't allow him to kill again once he caught up to him. But no one else would ever know about the accidents unless Isiah explicitly said so.
"Is this everything you will need?" the Father asked, allowing him to sift through the rucksack. "You know where you need to go? You're uninjured?"
They sounded like the kind of parents he'd read about in stories or heard about from other people, concerned for the wellbeing of someone far younger than them. He couldn't help but smile. "I'm fine. You've packed everything, you needn't worry. I can look after myself."
"Of that, I'm sure," the Mother said but there was no malice in her voice. He would have thought that she would be against his use of violence, but maybe even she knew that it was a necessity in the world they lived in.
The Father helped him to his feet. "Are you warm enough? Let me get you another coat," he said and disappeared into another room before Emrick got a chance to open his mouth. The coat he gave him was thick and warm and he wrapped it tightly around himself. It wouldn't keep him safe in a blizzard, but it would be enough to get him to the Sanctum of Teremtys and Ziya.
That was if the island the Mother and Father had shown them actually was the Sanctum. They'd been lucky so far, using logic to find the Sanctums while Nerin was in Ishmar spilling secrets to his brother, but he wasn't sure if they would continue to be lucky, not with them separated. All he could do was catch up to them, have a look and find a new place if they needed to.
He doubted there was much time left to dawdle though. If they didn't find the Sanctum of Teremtys on the island off the eastern coast of Minisia then he had no idea where they could go. Harudan had somehow gotten his hands on Ishin. Isiah had said it was the crystal, but there was no way to be completely sure. Either way, it was nothing good and it only made it more important that they move as fast as possible. Behind separated was a hindrance, but he was faster on his own. He would get back to Isiah and Rina long before the situation turned dire.
"I had best be off," he said as he grabbed the rucksack and flung it over his shoulder. "Thank you so much for your hospitality." He wasn't sure whether to bow to them or not, but they didn't seem to mind what he did, giving him a polite smile.
The Mother walked him to the door, a hand on the small of his back. "You wish to cross the crystal river don't you?" she asked in a soft voice.
"That was the plan. It doesn't look that difficult to cross," he replied and shrugged.
"You would need rock climbing equipment, which we do not have," she said and he gulped. "Without it, you'll be stuck in the chasm."
Emrick sighed and ran a hand through his hair. Of course, it couldn't be that simple, not when he was so struck for time and desperate to catch up with Isiah and Rina. He needed to move as fast as possible, but the realm was working against him. "So where do you suggest I go?" he asked. He needed to get back to Isiah as fast as possible.
"There is a bridge to the north, two days walk from here if you don't rest much. I would be careful though, I have the feeling the army would have taken it long ago," she explained. There were tears in her eyes but she didn't sound choked and Emrick had no idea what he was supposed to do.
Heading north for two days was only going to prolong his reunion with Isiah, but he wasn't going to test out the river. "I was born in Brenmar, I can pose as one of them, even if I am not one," he said.
The Mother made a noise in the back of her throat. "My child, you are Ishini and you are Askari. Be proud of your lineage for there aren't many like you, a true joining of both our people, a symbol for what should have been," she said, cupping his face with both hands and leaning up to press a kiss to his forehead.
For a long moment, he didn't know what to say. No one had ever said anything like that to him. His entire life, his lineage had been something that defined him as different, useless, a criminal. His lack of powers was seen as a defect, but the Mother didn't see anything like that. She saw a person, so did Isiah, so did Rina, so did Nerin and Turian.
"Thank you," he whispered and stepped away from her. "When all of this is over, I will get Princess Rina to give you financial aid to fix the bridge. I do apologise for that."
She smiled at him, soft and sweet. "Don't worry about it, my child," she said. "Go and be safe. Meet with the Beast and save Vishera."
His mind immediately went back to the night they had arrived at the Sanctum. He bowed, even though it wasn't his custom, but it was still respectful. "I am pleased to have served you, Mother, Father," he said and turned to walk out of the Sanctum. His journey was just beginning, but there wasn't much time.
A.N: Sorry for the late update, I was streaming last night and forgot. Also, I have a discord server if any of you want to come and chat. I'll put it in the external link