After a short moment of hesitation and visible reluctance, Aerin clung to him, wrapping her arms around Theo's neck, and her slender legs comfortably around his huge waist.
As soon as she hopped on, Theo could feel two soft mounds pressing against his back. The wet fabric of their clothes heightened every sensation, making them more pronounced. He felt the chill from her damp skin and the occasional droplet from her hair falling down his neck. However, he chose to focus on the path ahead, pushing aside the distracting sensations caused by her closeness.
Lorian and Neria watched the pair, eyes wide, as Theo, now burdened with Aerin's weight, guided them away from the site of their recent confrontation. The rain poured heavily upon them, drenching their clothes and slowing their pace.
The forest continued to burn despite the heavy downpour, and their only visible escape route was the distant, looming mountains.
As they made their way in that direction, Aerin's voice broke through the rainfall. "Why are we heading that way? There's no way to climb the mountains," she questioned, her tone filled with confusion.
Theo, panting and gasping for breath, replied, “This is a forested area. There must be a cave or some shelter if we just walk alongside the mountain's edge…”
Aerin nodded in agreement and didn’t question further.
As they kept moving, no cave was in sight. Lorian and Neria gave him glances, as if questioning whether they would really find a cave. Even Theo began to doubt if there was really any cave, and he pondered if Aerin had been right. But just as he was contemplating his possibly poor decision, a small cave came into view.
Quickening their pace, they headed towards it. Seeing the cave brought a sense of relief to the group. Lorian and Neria were about to enter it when Aerin cautioned, “Wait… Don’t go in yet…”
Lorian halted and asked, “Why?” His tone was softer than before, likely remembering how Aerin had been injured saving his sister.
“It might be home to wild beasts. Let me check first…” Aerin suggested. She then directed her voice to Theo, “Could you please let me down?”
Ignoring her, Theo continued towards the cave's dark entrance. Over the sound of his own footsteps, he heard Aerin's protests, he countered, “How do you plan on escaping if there's actually a beast inside?”
Her lips sealed at his question, she didn’t object further.
As Theo ventured into the dark cave, visibility was an issue. However, occasional flashes of lightning illuminated the interior, revealing a small space about the size of an inn room. No signs of any beasts, only layers of dust. Satisfied, Theo carefully lowered Aerin to the ground and beckoned for Lorian and Neria to join them, who had been waiting outside, to come in.
Once inside, Aerin took out a towel from her bag and proceeded to dry her soaked hair and body. She then passed it to Neria, who also dried off.
"Brother, here," Neria extended the towel toward Lorian.
Watching from the side, Theo saw Aerin retrieve a comfy white blanket, sharing it only with Neria and leaving Lorian out in the cold.
As Lorian dried his hair, Theo took out another blanket. Lorian became slightly sad at being the only one without a blanket.
However, it soon vanished as Theo approached and draped the blanket around him. Lorian's eyes widened in surprise. It was somewhat amusing how Theo, the younger of the two, was taking care of him as if he were a child.
“Thank you Brother…” Lorian expressed his gratitude.
After handing the blanket to the boy, Theo murmured, “I will be back soon.”
Aerin tried to inquire, “Where are you going?” However, her voice was drowned out by the combined noise of the thunder and relentless rain.
After five minutes had passed, Theo reappeared at the cave's entrance, empty-handed. Yet, as he stepped inside, he began to withdraw damp pieces of wood from his golden vault. Not a leaf was in sight; the wood was drenched to the core.
Spreading the logs on the ground, he unsheathed his sword and began to peel away the wet outer layers of each piece. The dry inner layers were then collected and piled together. He picked up a stone and struck it against the blade of his sword, but despite his efforts, the spark it generated was weak.
As the trio watched his peculiar actions, Neria couldn't help but speak up. "Is that a toy, Big Brother?" she inquired, her voice filled with curiosity.
"No, I'm trying to ignite the wood," Theo replied, with a hint of frustration as it wasn’t giving good result.
"Wait, I have a flame caster," Aerin spoke. She retrieved a palm-sized, square-shaped box from her spatial ring. It functioned much like a lighter; she opened it and a flickering flame emerged. She placed it near the pile of dry wood. Slowly but surely, the wood began to catch fire.
Theo sheathed his sword with a sigh, making a mental note to acquire such a tool in the future to avoid embarrassing himself in front of kids. He realized that practical knowledge and theoretical education were two entirely different matters; starting a fire had proven far more challenging than he'd initially thought.
As the fire crackled and roared to life, its warmth enveloping the group, the shivering ceased. Aerin, Neria, and Lorian sat side-by-side, their faces glowing in the firelight.
Theo claimed a more spacious spot opposite them, needing more room due to his larger body. He took the discarded, damp pieces of wood and arranged them near the fire. Gradually, the moisture started to evaporate, rendering them additional fuel.
As they relished the heat emanating from the fire, Aerin turned toward Neria. "What happened when they kidnapped you? Did they tell you why they took you?"
With her childish tone, Neria began her story. "After they took me away, I cried a lot. I even bit one of the baddies with my strong teeth, and he shouted at me. But their bossy-man scolded him and said that I am a treasure. They put chains on me, but the bossy-man gave me sweets. He was really nice. He gave me toys and stuff, but said I can't see Brother or go home. He said he's gonna bring Brother there too, later-later."
In the midst of Neria's narrative, a faint gurgling sound reverberated through the cave. Theo glanced toward his little sister, but she quickly shook her head, exclaiming, "It's not me, Big Brother!"
His gaze then shifted to Aerin, whose cheeks flushed with a touch of embarrassment. Her stomach had spoken before she could; she was hungry.
Amused by the scene before him, Theo withdrew a handful of Duskbloom berries from his inventory and offered them to the trio. Their faces brightened at the sight of the berries.
Yet, Theo knew these would not satiate their gnawing hunger; something more substantial was needed for their depleted energies.
Considering the issue at hand, Theo accessed his golden vault once again. This time, he pulled out several cooking tools: a cooking pot, plates, a knife, and an array of ingredients that included shadowshade potatoes, nightshade tomatoes, onions, spices, a bottle of oil, and a bottle of water.
Carefully, Theo poured oil into the cooking pot, positioning it above the fire. His knife danced expertly over a plate, slicing onions into tiny pieces. The blade's soft, rhythmic sound against the plate resounded with each cut, revealing his practiced motions.
Having finished with the onions, he moved on to the tomatoes and potatoes, slicing them into equally tiny portions.
Carefully, he layered the onions into the cooking pot, followed by the spices, the potatoes, and then the tomatoes. At last, he added rice and began stirring the ensemble, allowing the blend to mix.
The trio watched intently, their eyes filled with curiosity. But Theo remained focused on his cooking. He poured water into the pot and stirred it, then closed the pot with a lid, allowing the mixture to soften and meld under the heat.
"Do you know how to cook?" Aerin questioned, unable to mask her curiosity any longer.
Theo glanced up, "A little bit." His mind wandered to his Earthly days where he had sharpened his cooking skills from the Internet and had later took guidance from renowned chefs. While he didn't consider himself an expert, he was good at making the most out of whatever was available.
As the fire flickered in the cave, moments passed until vapor began seeping from the edges of the pot's lid. Gently lifting it, Theo saw that it was ready.
The dish he made was known as potato-tomato rice pilau. He served equal portions onto four plates and stowed his cooking utensils back into the golden vault.
Pushing the plates toward each of them, he watched their nervous faces. No one began to eat; they seemed hesitant and afraid, as if waiting for someone to take the lead and try.
"What are you waiting for?" Theo finally asked.
Neria was the first to dig in, displaying her full trust in Theo. As her filled spoon dived into her little mouth, her face lit up, "Oh wow! Yum Yum… Big Brother, this is even better than those sweets you bought for me!"
Encouraged by her reaction, Lorian and Aerin hesitated no more. They dived into their meals, their spoons clanked against the plate.
Lorian spoke between mouthfuls, "I never thought Brother would be a high-class chef, just like he is a high-class swordsman."
Theo's eyes then landed on Aerin, and to his astonishment, she thrust her empty plate toward him. "I want more," she declared with a serious face.
Theo blinked, her plate was completely empty; she had devoured everything and the look in her eyes spoke clearly about her craving for more.
Theo looked at the remaining bowl of potato-tomato rice pilau. Though he'd cooked enough for all, he realized that at the rate Aerin was eating, the dish would be depleted sooner than expected. Instead of offering her more, he started serving more portion between Neria and Lorian.
Aerin shot him an annoyed look and withdrew her hand, noticing he hadn't offered any more for her plate.
Her eyes dropped to the ground, a glum expression overtaking her cute face. However, her expression shifted as she noticed her plate pushed aside, now replaced by a bowl half-filled with the delectable potato-tomato rice pilau. Her joyous gaze shifted to Theo, who was already engrossed in his own meal, deliberately avoiding eye contact to spare her embarrassment.
After a short moment of hesitation and visible reluctance, Aerin clung to him, wrapping her arms around Theo's neck, and her slender legs comfortably around his huge waist.
As soon as she hopped on, Theo could feel two soft mounds pressing against his back. The wet fabric of their clothes heightened every sensation, making them more pronounced. He felt the chill from her damp skin and the occasional droplet from her hair falling down his neck. However, he chose to focus on the path ahead, pushing aside the distracting sensations caused by her closeness.
Lorian and Neria watched the pair, eyes wide, as Theo, now burdened with Aerin's weight, guided them away from the site of their recent confrontation. The rain poured heavily upon them, drenching their clothes and slowing their pace.
The forest continued to burn despite the heavy downpour, and their only visible escape route was the distant, looming mountains.
As they made their way in that direction, Aerin's voice broke through the rainfall. "Why are we heading that way? There's no way to climb the mountains," she questioned, her tone filled with confusion.
Theo, panting and gasping for breath, replied, “This is a forested area. There must be a cave or some shelter if we just walk alongside the mountain's edge…”
Aerin nodded in agreement and didn’t question further.
As they kept moving, no cave was in sight. Lorian and Neria gave him glances, as if questioning whether they would really find a cave. Even Theo began to doubt if there was really any cave, and he pondered if Aerin had been right. But just as he was contemplating his possibly poor decision, a small cave came into view.
Quickening their pace, they headed towards it. Seeing the cave brought a sense of relief to the group. Lorian and Neria were about to enter it when Aerin cautioned, “Wait… Don’t go in yet…”
Lorian halted and asked, “Why?” His tone was softer than before, likely remembering how Aerin had been injured saving his sister.
“It might be home to wild beasts. Let me check first…” Aerin suggested. She then directed her voice to Theo, “Could you please let me down?”
Ignoring her, Theo continued towards the cave's dark entrance. Over the sound of his own footsteps, he heard Aerin's protests, he countered, “How do you plan on escaping if there's actually a beast inside?”
Her lips sealed at his question, she didn’t object further.
As Theo ventured into the dark cave, visibility was an issue. However, occasional flashes of lightning illuminated the interior, revealing a small space about the size of an inn room. No signs of any beasts, only layers of dust. Satisfied, Theo carefully lowered Aerin to the ground and beckoned for Lorian and Neria to join them, who had been waiting outside, to come in.
Once inside, Aerin took out a towel from her bag and proceeded to dry her soaked hair and body. She then passed it to Neria, who also dried off.
"Brother, here," Neria extended the towel toward Lorian.
Watching from the side, Theo saw Aerin retrieve a comfy white blanket, sharing it only with Neria and leaving Lorian out in the cold.
As Lorian dried his hair, Theo took out another blanket. Lorian became slightly sad at being the only one without a blanket.
However, it soon vanished as Theo approached and draped the blanket around him. Lorian's eyes widened in surprise. It was somewhat amusing how Theo, the younger of the two, was taking care of him as if he were a child.
“Thank you Brother…” Lorian expressed his gratitude.
After handing the blanket to the boy, Theo murmured, “I will be back soon.”
Aerin tried to inquire, “Where are you going?” However, her voice was drowned out by the combined noise of the thunder and relentless rain.
After five minutes had passed, Theo reappeared at the cave's entrance, empty-handed. Yet, as he stepped inside, he began to withdraw damp pieces of wood from his golden vault. Not a leaf was in sight; the wood was drenched to the core.
Spreading the logs on the ground, he unsheathed his sword and began to peel away the wet outer layers of each piece. The dry inner layers were then collected and piled together. He picked up a stone and struck it against the blade of his sword, but despite his efforts, the spark it generated was weak.
As the trio watched his peculiar actions, Neria couldn't help but speak up. "Is that a toy, Big Brother?" she inquired, her voice filled with curiosity.
"No, I'm trying to ignite the wood," Theo replied, with a hint of frustration as it wasn’t giving good result.
"Wait, I have a flame caster," Aerin spoke. She retrieved a palm-sized, square-shaped box from her spatial ring. It functioned much like a lighter; she opened it and a flickering flame emerged. She placed it near the pile of dry wood. Slowly but surely, the wood began to catch fire.
Theo sheathed his sword with a sigh, making a mental note to acquire such a tool in the future to avoid embarrassing himself in front of kids. He realized that practical knowledge and theoretical education were two entirely different matters; starting a fire had proven far more challenging than he'd initially thought.
As the fire crackled and roared to life, its warmth enveloping the group, the shivering ceased. Aerin, Neria, and Lorian sat side-by-side, their faces glowing in the firelight.
Theo claimed a more spacious spot opposite them, needing more room due to his larger body. He took the discarded, damp pieces of wood and arranged them near the fire. Gradually, the moisture started to evaporate, rendering them additional fuel.
As they relished the heat emanating from the fire, Aerin turned toward Neria. "What happened when they kidnapped you? Did they tell you why they took you?"
With her childish tone, Neria began her story. "After they took me away, I cried a lot. I even bit one of the baddies with my strong teeth, and he shouted at me. But their bossy-man scolded him and said that I am a treasure. They put chains on me, but the bossy-man gave me sweets. He was really nice. He gave me toys and stuff, but said I can't see Brother or go home. He said he's gonna bring Brother there too, later-later."
In the midst of Neria's narrative, a faint gurgling sound reverberated through the cave. Theo glanced toward his little sister, but she quickly shook her head, exclaiming, "It's not me, Big Brother!"
His gaze then shifted to Aerin, whose cheeks flushed with a touch of embarrassment. Her stomach had spoken before she could; she was hungry.
Amused by the scene before him, Theo withdrew a handful of Duskbloom berries from his inventory and offered them to the trio. Their faces brightened at the sight of the berries.
Yet, Theo knew these would not satiate their gnawing hunger; something more substantial was needed for their depleted energies.
Considering the issue at hand, Theo accessed his golden vault once again. This time, he pulled out several cooking tools: a cooking pot, plates, a knife, and an array of ingredients that included shadowshade potatoes, nightshade tomatoes, onions, spices, a bottle of oil, and a bottle of water.
Carefully, Theo poured oil into the cooking pot, positioning it above the fire. His knife danced expertly over a plate, slicing onions into tiny pieces. The blade's soft, rhythmic sound against the plate resounded with each cut, revealing his practiced motions.
Having finished with the onions, he moved on to the tomatoes and potatoes, slicing them into equally tiny portions.
Carefully, he layered the onions into the cooking pot, followed by the spices, the potatoes, and then the tomatoes. At last, he added rice and began stirring the ensemble, allowing the blend to mix.
The trio watched intently, their eyes filled with curiosity. But Theo remained focused on his cooking. He poured water into the pot and stirred it, then closed the pot with a lid, allowing the mixture to soften and meld under the heat.
"Do you know how to cook?" Aerin questioned, unable to mask her curiosity any longer.
Theo glanced up, "A little bit." His mind wandered to his Earthly days where he had sharpened his cooking skills from the Internet and had later took guidance from renowned chefs. While he didn't consider himself an expert, he was good at making the most out of whatever was available.
As the fire flickered in the cave, moments passed until vapor began seeping from the edges of the pot's lid. Gently lifting it, Theo saw that it was ready.
The dish he made was known as potato-tomato rice pilau. He served equal portions onto four plates and stowed his cooking utensils back into the golden vault.
Pushing the plates toward each of them, he watched their nervous faces. No one began to eat; they seemed hesitant and afraid, as if waiting for someone to take the lead and try.
"What are you waiting for?" Theo finally asked.
Neria was the first to dig in, displaying her full trust in Theo. As her filled spoon dived into her little mouth, her face lit up, "Oh wow! Yum Yum… Big Brother, this is even better than those sweets you bought for me!"
Encouraged by her reaction, Lorian and Aerin hesitated no more. They dived into their meals, their spoons clanked against the plate.
Lorian spoke between mouthfuls, "I never thought Brother would be a high-class chef, just like he is a high-class swordsman."
Theo's eyes then landed on Aerin, and to his astonishment, she thrust her empty plate toward him. "I want more," she declared with a serious face.
Theo blinked, her plate was completely empty; she had devoured everything and the look in her eyes spoke clearly about her craving for more.
Theo looked at the remaining bowl of potato-tomato rice pilau. Though he'd cooked enough for all, he realized that at the rate Aerin was eating, the dish would be depleted sooner than expected. Instead of offering her more, he started serving more portion between Neria and Lorian.
Aerin shot him an annoyed look and withdrew her hand, noticing he hadn't offered any more for her plate.
Her eyes dropped to the ground, a glum expression overtaking her cute face. However, her expression shifted as she noticed her plate pushed aside, now replaced by a bowl half-filled with the delectable potato-tomato rice pilau. Her joyous gaze shifted to Theo, who was already engrossed in his own meal, deliberately avoiding eye contact to spare her embarrassment.
