Barbaric Spouse, Descry the Night's Lure-Chapter 254: Scene CCLIV

Supporting his back on the stoned ice, his body stood up with some tired difficulty. Untying the rope with the hands that had been imprinted by their thickness to admire how well the fellow savages had figured the length it would need for him to survive this start of his lonely journey.

The bag with the tools he had carried throughout these months was pat to reassure its presence, just as he did with the big axe on his back that stuck to its place without causing its owner trouble. The leather pouch that contained his water, one that those he departed above gathered from what they managed to melt from the boiled pieces of ice, was then opened for his throat to satiate the thirst his exhaustion had not allowed earlier, gasping as he forced himself to stop his craving, for nothing did he know about the place he was to crawl into and precaution he needed for the days to follow.

Wise, as his roots had taught him, was his decision... for from the streams of blood coming from the Mutants, drinkable water would not be earned and solely from those inhabiting these nooks, it was that the Archduke would be able to learn or gain a source of aliment... as well as a source to heal the many injuries he was to gain in his path.

Only the first day of walk until its night was peaceful to its end, for the new days that came only a bit of their start was he able to walk calmly in the vastness of the territory that was slowly allowing firs to surround him which no longer appeared as part of the white to his feet... which made with its depth his move more difficult along with the creatures inhabiting within.

“Gasp...hf... gasp... d- damn it... hff...” — Knowing that he was finally close to the river of mutant blood, after days of struggle, Aslak crawled on the disappearing depth of the snow that now vanished and fused with the white and dry grey ground that framed its thick stream. With hazard, for much of his own blood was covering his body from the wounds those descendants of mutants yet undeserving of inhabiting their fines had infringed on him. — “kh... I was careless...”

With almost fainting force, his back drew nearer to the dying fir tree, trying to support his back on its trunk that was becoming infected by the dark red it survived from a close river. Aslak’s senses, although hazy after so many attacks those that meshed cleverly with the nature had taken from his energy, attempted to open properly his eyes while holding his abdomen... which had earned a deep wound that as his blood flooded out, finally some warmth was granted when the cold had been freezing his being to its bones... some that had also suffered and had made his fights more deathly the more injured he became.

“ha....ah..... I..f-finally made it her-e... damned mutant...hf... I can’t die here...!” — Seeing how the stream was only a few meters before him, Aslak made his body straighten even though it was losing force to maintain itself settled against the trunk, to once again, with the rags his clothes had turned into this other wound could be quickly but barely treated, knowing that his leisure would not last as his weeks in these grounds had proven.

“Follow tha stream... greenest and redder... haa... huff, huff... HMFPH! FUHH... Cursed earth...! Gh... kh.. I’ve only ta follow this effing blood stream...”

Repeating to himself the instructions he needed to follow so the core could be found, Aslak tightened the wrapped cloth, watching his shaking hands that were soon to freeze in the red attained from his own vessels... licking it so at least something to taste could wake his consciousness.

“Kh... I’m... I’m too close to die now... hf.. can’t die here... Umph! kh... I won’t die here...” — Trying to open his eyes properly although his sight wanted to become blurry as his mouth felt dry, Aslak fell right after managing to stand, growling in frustration as he used his bloody axe as support to stand again. Taking a moment so his feet could grasp their footing properly... and waiting so the dizzying swirls his sight and head were giving could stabilize in his head... which eventually lifted to stare at the river hoping to see it again for his health could be playing games on his head.

“... haa..haa.... it’s there...”

Thirsty, he pondered about the flood being allowed as a drink, and once his feet felt stronger on the ground, he started to walk, ignoring the continuous pain he had become accustomed to endure so the stream could be watched from closer. Coming to its edge... and crouching cautiously so as to not fall again and dip his hand on it solely to learn of its texture... He brought the red water to his mouth, halting to its colourless scent and finding on the other side... the same amber of his eyes staring attentively to his frame’s motion.

*Splitter...* — At its intense gaze, his hand dropped the bloody water in a sign of respect and caution, not drinking a drop of it as the creature’s eyes were fixed on him. And the creature, smaller than others he had encountered in these nooks seated across the stream, tranquil while holding his stare... whilst the axe was brought up against the amazement the sight of the beast representing his house invoked, that meshed with the precaution he should have at one that could also attack him.

“...ah...ha... a Jazhara... hah...” — Amused, he whispered joyful and thrilled, believing this might be a jest his tired mind was playing and yet, it started to move forward to sniff the stream from the other side, looking at him again to then turn on it’s paws and look back at the savage... as if waiting for his wounded feet to follow it’s fur.

“....”

Aslak shook his head in a wish to confirm his sight was not lying to him, gulping down as the elegant black beast waited staring with the same intense amber. Eventually making his gaze fall and observe the wide stream separating them instinctly sensing the beast’s wishes that surpassed the reasonable.

“..... ya want me ta cross...?”

“...”

Nonetheless, time continued to pass in his hesitation, and the eyes of the Jazhara, elegantly closed once more... opening this time to stare behind the man who wouldn’t take the step it wanted. Showing it’s fangs to that one Aslak had escaped... and brought others with it.