As the first light of dawn filtered through the cracks in the shelter's roof, Barun was still fast asleep by the heated pool, his thunderous snores shaking the very ground. Eliz and I traded a look; he was utterly spent, but we had a surprise waiting for him. I reached down and shook his massive shoulder to wake him.
Barun jolted awake, disoriented for a moment, until his eyes landed on the new stone structure standing outside.
"Barun," I said with a smile. "Every stone you threw, every drop of sweat you shed—this is the result. This house is yours. Your first real home."
A look of pure shock washed over Barun's rugged, bearded face, and then his lips began to tremble. To our surprise, the giant of a man began to sob like a child. "Mine? Is it really mine?" he blurted out, tears streaming into his beard. He was weeping and wiping his nose on his sleeve all at once. It was a sight both comical and deeply moving; even Eliz couldn't help but let a small, rare smirk escape her lips.
"But... how did you seal these stones?" Barun asked, running his thick fingers over the joints. "I just piled them up, but now they feel like a single piece of mountain!"
I explained the miraculous, sticky essence of Essence (the Green Slime). Barun looked at the slime in awe and let out a booming laugh. "Well, you little green devil, so that's your trick!"
We were starving. Eliz and Barun decided, "Today, we feast," and headed deep into the forest to hunt. I stayed behind to manage the camp, and hours later, they returned. Eliz walked in like a proud predator, holding two plump rabbits. But behind her came Barun, carrying a massive stag across his shoulders! The giant dropped the carcass in front of the shelter with a heavy THUD.
"Do you really think rabbits are enough to fill a stomach?" Barun grinned, baring his teeth.
We got to work immediately. Using the axe, we dressed the deer and carved the meat into thick portions. We filled one of the iron buckets Barun had brought with fresh water. We used the fierce heat of the Red Slime to bring the bucket to a boil. Into it, we threw the meat, some wild roots we had gathered, and fresh water. We made a steaming, rich, meat-heavy stew. After days of eating those tasteless roots, this stew felt like it had been sent from the heavens.
After the meal, Barun stood up, stretched his back, and gripped his pickaxe. "You two worked too hard today," he said, his voice turning serious. "You sleep. I'll break some more stone and keep watch. Tonight, the forest listens to me."
Trusting in Barun's protective presence, Eliz and I fell into a deep, dreamless sleep. The rhythmic sound of the pickaxe hitting stone continued to echo from outside.
However, when the sun rose over the forest the next morning, Eliz and I woke at the exact same time. The moment we stepped outside, we both froze. Our jaws dropped in unison at the sight before us. We couldn't find a single word to describe what Barun had done throughout the night or what he had turned the clearing into.
We just stared at each other; what we were seeing simply couldn't be real.
ESSENCE HAVEN
KINGDOM POPULATION: 3