Sitting by himself, looking after Sei and Reith sleeping silently.
With that said, he grabbed their bedroll and spread it, blanketing the two.
Meanwhile, Sheila had just woken up to begin her night shift. She heard a rustling outside the tent. Alarmed, she peeks out to see Natalak handing blankets to her companions. Curious, she waits to see what Natalak does next.
"What a life." Natalak shrugs.
Moaning in silent. "Now what?" Natalak murmurs.
With nothing to do, he explores the dark grimoire, turning page by page. In the end, he still understands nothing.
"Is this really a grimoire or a trash book?" He mutters, and sleep visits slowly.
As Sheila, who silently observes Natalak's action, her anxiety diminishes.
"Should you be asleep?" Sheila said, picking herself from the bedroll.
"Well, someone needs to watch the night." Natalak respond.
Sheila shrugs in disbelief, watching her male companions sleeping during the night shifts.
"I swear these two…" She mutters.
"By the way, I was impressed by your healing magic. Do all mages learn healing magic?" Natalak initiates, adding more wood to the fire.
"Well, there's what we called simple healing magic that a novice mage could learn. But paladins, clerics, and priests are the ones with high-power healing, for they draw their powers and abilities through the gods themselves. I'm more into abjuration types of magic, the one that specialises in protection magic."
"You mean like erecting barriers and other shield magic?"
"Yep," Sheila replied with a smile.
"I was curious what kind of spell you used during that past fight."
Sheila smiled, "That's nothing, it's like quicksand but only works on weak creatures. And it's not my spell, it's just a scroll."
"A scroll?" Natalak's eyes lit up; his drowsiness was overwhelmed by curiosity.
"Yes," Sheila nods, "I'm surprised you didn't know about those void scrolls."
"I ahh, I was born in a secluded village. To be honest, I wasn't educated on the outside world."
"Well, that is quite a childhood. I'm curious, what drove you to decide to travel the outside world?"
Natalak paused; his mind debated whether to lie or tell them the truth.
"It was technically my father. He drops me off on an unknown road. It was also my decision to accept his offer, and here I am, wondering this place."
"That is quite a story you have, you know, you should try enlisting at the adventurers' guild. The guild could use someone like you. Don't worry, we'll be the ones to advocate your registration."
"It is possible, but we'll see to it after we're done with this place."
"Should I try re-enlisting? Bah, better not, I had my fill with the adventurers' guild." Natalak thought.
"It seems that your party very much cares for each other," Natalak said. A blunt word, but to further prove his assumption, he tries to steer the topic.
A grieving smile she hides. "Indeed, we're very grateful that we've come this far, thanks to one of our friends." Sheila paused; her eyes gave a dejected look.
Her voice cracked; she couldn't continue. Natalak wanted to comfort her, but he didn't know how.
"The heck is wrong with me! Why did I even ask that question in the first place?" Natalak ponders.
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have brought this up," Natalak said.
"It's okay, I'm fine, it's just that…" Sheila responds quickly, shifting her expression.
"I can tell you've all been through a lot. We've all been through a lot." Natalak subtly smiled, trying his best to soothe Sheila's emotions. Or perhaps he was trying to cope with her sentiments. "By the way, what type of assignment did you choose?"
"It's a scout mission, it's more like a novice scout quest. But we decided to test our skills." Sheila replied, poking the bonfire.
"I see, so how did you all become adventurers, if you don't mind me asking?" Natalak said
Sei and Reith were orphans who were either blackmailed for theft or manipulated into it. Ultimately, they were expelled from the orphanage. I first encountered them while they were living in the forest, and we became friends. One of our companions then suggested they join our group—" She followed but ultimately stopped.
"I understand," Natalak said, fixing the bonfire. "So that is how you all become adventurers." Natalak continues.
"Yes." Sheila slightly nods.
"About the void scroll, would you mind giving me some enlightenment about that specific kind of scroll?"
"It's a scroll that stores any spells. And there are many ways to release it, but it varies depending on the spell that was placed."
"Ah, I see, so how do you place the spell on that scroll. And did you use normal paper?"
"It's not paper, it's the skin of Na' Rawet that was used. And only expert enchanters are the ones to produce those scrolls."
"Ah, I see."
Natalak wanted to ask more details regarding the scroll and the so-called Na' Rawet. But he was more concerned about being an uncanny person towards Sheila. Hours pass, and sleepiness quickly overcomes Sheila.
"Good grief, though I would be the one to sleep." Natalak massages his forehead, trying to douse his drowsiness.
Placing her in her bedroll, Natalak returns to feed the bonfire while trying to stay awake.
Staying awake—watching the clear night sky full of stars—was enough to give him serenity for a while. But with fatigue and his past battles, sleep soon devours him. Awakened by his instinct, as if a dark presence were bulging through his soul. He clears his eyes to see that the fire is dying.
Not wanting to disturb the others, Natalak went hunting. Luckily, the forest was teeming with wild animals, offering enough food for everyone. It was still early dawn, so he quickly collected his prey and headed back to the campsite.
"A bit of spice and a good ol' rub will give this meat a tasty meal." Natalak chuckles.
Butchering the rabbits that he'd forage.
"If memory serves, they must have put it somewhere near that pot." Natalak continues looking for spices.
"The F! What is this?" Natalak spits the ingredient; its shape was stone-like, grey in colour. And the taste was a mix of oil and fermented milk. Shifting his eyes, he looks for another element to taste. "Hot." It was a dash of pepper, and a strong one.
Dividing the meat, Natalak boils half while he grills the rest. It was now morning, and alas, the breakfast was ready to be served. Natalak, however, didn't bother to wake them. He let nature do the rousing.
Sheila was the first to open her eyes, and when she saw Natalak preparing the food. She stood up, apologising for her dullness. From her voice, her other friends quickly arise from their sleep.
"There is no need." Natalak gestures with his hand.
Sei and Reith follow, but Natalak noticed their hesitation to eat their meal. They were still strangers to him. Feeling wary and concerned, Natalak was the first to take a bite. Despite this, they remained distrustful of the traveler as they continued to tend to their camp. Natalak could see they were inspecting their equipment. As time went on, Sheila's party member finally accepts Natalak's food.
"So, where is this place you want to investigate?" Natalak ask, trying to shatter their awkward silence.
"It is through the east. We were tasked to scout an ancient building near this forest." Sei reply.
"Ancient building? West? That's the place I'm going." Natalak contemplates.
After their meals were done, Natalak stood up and said to them.
"I want to know more about your quest and the building you are going to?" He blurts.
Before dawn breaks, in the dead of night, a mysterious figure is on the move, clad in a green fur cloak. When the moonlight shines, it unveils his identity—a man in his forties, a druid, with a face covered in black scales. He runs smoothly like a panther, darting through trees and bushes as agile as a cat.
Following closely was a woman clad in tight leather armor, her silver hair shining under the moonlight. Like the man fleeing, she kept up with his pace, but was more agile and flexible. She was relentless; to gain an edge, the man transformed into a panther, allowing him to dash even quicker.
As she moved past the large tree, her form transformed into a white wolf. She faced the panther, and they circled each other, mouths open and fangs bared. Their size reflected their strength, with the panther swatting with its paws as a warning. Just as the wolf prepares to attack, two massive wolves emerge from the darkness, seemingly under the panther's control.
As the two wolves gradually approach the white wolf, the panther seizes the opportunity to escape. Soon after, the three wolves charge in for a fight. Despite their larger size, they are outmatched by the white wolf in agility, strength, and intelligence. She swiftly dodges their paws and jaws, then targets their throats and easily rends them. She quickly dispatches one, and once they are dead on the ground, she transforms back into her human form. Instead of chasing the panther immediately, she kneels beside the fallen bodies.
Her mouth was stained with blood, yet her eyes reflected compassion for the two wolves she had slain.
"Forgive me." She whispers, caressing their body, and slowly a vine flourishes on the ground, completely covering the corpses.