Levi and Garde talked and discussed matters until the dusk. After that, Levi goes to his home located in the residential area of Natura7NaturaThe country which was founded by the Elven-Dwarves alliance..
Levi didn’t waste time on his hands, so he decided to do what he needs to do, creating plans and blueprints!
Levi proposed plans in the meeting that he can only understand unless the actual thing is present. He started to draw to sheets upon sheets of paper until he finished them early in the morning.
Drafts piled unto his desk. With a yawn, his body hinted to him the sign of fatigue as if begging him to sleep and rest. Levi was so occupied that he didn’t know it was morning. He stretched and yawned again, and to his desk, he laid his arm and slept.
Time passed, and the sun is at its highest point when Levi woke up. This day is when he needs to go back to the cave as per his master’s advice.
He knew that it will be dangerous if he didn’t go back because of the curse. Nobody knows when his foot will disappear, even his master didn’t know it.
He did a little stretching, then he grabbed the drafts and goes out. As Levi walks towards the entrance of Natura, he saw Jadis, Garde, Jeff, and Maris waiting for him to send him off and bid goodbye.
“Valheimis9ValheimisIt is a form of greeting in the land of Ashenborn. It has multiple meanings depending on the context it was used. It can mean good morning, good afternoon, good evening, hi or hello. Levi!” Said Maris as she greeted the young man a good afternoon.
“Valheimis Ms. Maris, Mr. Jadis, Jeff and Garde.” Levi greeted back.
“How was your sleep? I assumed you did have a good rest, do you?” asked Jadis.
“Uhm… Yes, somehow, hehe,” replied Levi as he scratched the back of his head.
“Levi! Jangar5JangarThe place in the center most of Ashenborn. It is inhabited by dangerous monsters. Also called the Land of Monsters. is very dangerous! I will go with you!” said Jeff.
“No, you don’t have to. I can take care of myself,” said Levi.
Suddenly, Jeff felt a knuckle blow on his head. It was Garde’s.
“Are you blind? Did you see how he defeated Sirius? The Swordmaster! Surely he can beat those little monsters on that place!” said Garde, then he turned to look at Levi and added, “Can you?”
Levi felt somewhat awkward. Seeing Garde, a grown man acting like a worried child to him, was an unusual sight. Levi restrained his little laugh and answered, “I can!”
Levi’s answer somehow softened the dwarfs’ shoulder and eased their worries.
“Oh, I almost forgot,” said Levi all of a sudden. He handed over the pile of rolled papers containing his drafts to Garde. “These are the plans I promised. You will be busy than ever now.”
Garde accepted the papers, “Thank you very much.” he said.
“May the gods bless you. You’ve helped us more than we expected, thank you very much,” said Jadis.
“Levi! Here accept this.” Maris handed him a bag, when he opened it, it contains rations of food and some essential items for his travel.
“Thank you very much, everyone,” Levi said with a smile and a face full of bright gratitude.
After saying his farewell, he finally turned and left.
——
A few hours later,
Trees sway, and leaves fell from it as the wind blew. The fresh smell of plants comes with the wind and enters the nose. The sound of birds chirping from the branches of the trees gives away a hint of peace. All of this formed a harmonic and lovely atmosphere that captivated Levi’s troubled heart. This simple gesture of nature was terrific in all of its ways.
Levi stopped for a break. His feet are growing numb from the continuous walk as veins popped out of fatigue as if giving him a sign for a rest.
He found a log beside a tree, and he sat there. Hunger also attacked him at this moment, so he took the bag given by Maris and see what he can eat.
Fruits and vegetables such as apples, bananas, cucumber, carrots, honey, bread, and a cut of smoked meat. It may seem insufficient, yet these are all he needs and even beyond enough.
A rattling sound from a bite of a crunchy apple and a satisfying taste burst through his mouth. This apple is way better than the apples back on Earth.
Levi cherished the moment of silence and continued to eat the apple and, after that, the banana. He was planning to save the smoked meat for dinner, as the saying goes, “save the best for last.”
As he was eating, he heard a minimal sound of a somewhat child’s voice from behind. He slowly turned around his head out of curiosity and saw the enormous volume of leaves blocking the view.
He reached out his left mechanical hand to see what was hiding behind. The sound played again, but this time, the subtle voice seemed anxious.
Levi cleared the leaves and saw a small green-skinned child wearing nothing but little clothing for his waist. A child goblin! A goblet! Its skin is still delicate and not full of wrinkles, and also its eyes looked very innocent.
The goblet cowered in fear as he closed his eyes, waiting for his painful death, but after several moments, nothing happened! The child slowly opened his eyes to peep, only to see Levi’s back while he was eating again, sitting on the small log.
“Don’t be afraid. I have no intentions to hurt you or something like that,” said Levi without looking at the child but still taking a bite of his food.
The child eased up a little bit, and he looked at Levi curiously.
Levi was busy enjoying his every bite when he heard a wild growl. This alerted him so much that it made him stand up and took a defensive stance.
“What was that?” said Levi. His pupil has been enlarged double of what was expected.
Grrrrrrr!
The wild growl played again, but this time, Levi knew that it was so near, so he looked around while the sound was still playing, and this lead his eyes to the small green goblet.
“Oh no. I thought it was something else,” said Levi, and then he breathed a sigh of relief while he holds at his chest.
Levi gave him the cucumber. The goblet was still doubtful at first, but eventually, he got the cucumber and ate it in a flash.
This didn’t satisfy him, he gazed at Levi’s eyes, and then his stomach growled again.
Levi scratched his head off and gave the goblet the precious smoked meat that he saved for dinner.
When the goblet finished eating his fill, Levi asked him questions.
“Why are you here? Why do you look scared?” asked Levi.
Levi’s question made the goblet unmoving, like a man struck by ridiculously powerful lightning.
Beads of sweat started to pour out from the poor goblet’s head. Levi heard the goblet’s teeth-gnashing in fear. Clearly, the child was traumatized.
When Levi saw the child’s reaction, he couldn’t help but feel sorry.
“Oh, Uhm… Forget I asked that. Where do you live? I will bring you home.” said Levi. Although he knows that there are possible dangers if he helped the child, his conscience would bring him nightmares if he didn’t do so.
“Ma—mai… Pa—pai… gone. Mi—minotaurs…” the goblet said with a shaking voice.
