The Last Primal

Chapter 219 - 219 - The Crackling Campfire

Sitting on the ground, leaning against the dark grey, clean trunk of a nearby tree, Aiden was lost in his thoughts as he watched the crackling campfire. Looking at the dance of the flames as they danced in the setting sun was a calming, soothing experience. 

Crackling in the corner of their makeshift, hastily set up camp, he watched the long shadows that the light cast on the ground as they twisted and curled in odd, obscure shapes and provided a small radius of light. He was lost watching this strange ritualistic tribal performance. The fire itself was pulsating as it continued to crackle, the glowing embers seemed to move in rhythm with the flames, matching every dip and sweep. It was mesmerizing to watch, colors of orange and red gave way to the core donning a mixture of white and yellow, where the emanating heat was the greatest.

Aiden found himself lost at this strangely soothing, calming sight. His thoughts went back to the day's happenings, focusing on the words of the old orc shaman mostly. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't think of any other plan, a different plan to infiltrate the enemy camp without revealing himself and endangering the two women accompanying him.

'It would be much simpler if I would be alone…' He sighed at the thought. Ever since he met up with his family, which he cared for deeply, he found it increasingly harder to be alone, to set his own true self free. All these 'skins', these forms... Human, goblin, even his draconic traits, were just a layer on top of his true self, the Primal one. After all the years of his childhood through their training in the Pocket World, he never found an answer to the very basic, very first question of his… 

'Just who or what am I?' He lamented as another long-winded sigh escaped his lips. Looking up towards the sky, he looked through a small opening in the otherwise thick canopy of the tall trees that surrounded them. Amidst the dark grey that dominated the 'heavens above', the setting sun let out a fiery orange roar the saturated the despairing darkness. It was the battle cry to the gathering night, a last attempt to stand against the starlit clear night sky.

Lost in thought, Aiden was only brought back to reality when a hand gently reached for his right shoulder and gave it a light squeeze. Turning his gaze away from the sky above towards his right, he gave a heartwarming, welcoming smile at the purple-haired companion of his, Sarah who came out from her tent.

"Hey." Although it was clear that there were a million things she wanted to say, the only word that managed to escape her pouty, cute lips was a simplistic greeting. Even a smile proved to be too difficult to manage currently. She looked at the boy with a hazy, difficult gaze, impossible to read her true thoughts.

"Hey there. Can't sleep?" Aiden kept up his friendly smile as he nodded at the newcomer. However, as he looked at her difficult, unreadable expression, the smile soon receded. His facial muscles morphing, an apologetic look, soon revealed itself as he looked at the girl.

"Listen, I am really sorry for not-" Thinking that she was still mad at him, Aiden wanted to repeat his apology that he already attempted to convey several times by now. However, he was silenced as Sarah, with a small, barely perceptible smile curving the edges of her lips, lifted her right index finger and placed it on Aiden's lips, silencing and stunning him in the process.

"Ssshhh! No need for that, Aiden." She spoke with a whispering tone, as the curvature of her smile continued to caress her facial muscles, stretching ever-wider, twitching, and turning her entire face into a beautiful, picturesque outlook. Small watery droplets begin to blur and cloud her vision. Moving her finger away, he gently touched, fondled the boy's right cheek with the back of her palm. "Don't worry, I'm not mad anymore… I was just… surprised, by your revelation, is all…"

Aiden was stunned, shocked to a silent stare as she looked at the emotional woman next to him. Unsure of how to act, or react to the situation, he smiled as he grabbed the woman's caressing palm and lightly peeled it off his face, pulling it away ever so slightly. 

"We still need to figure out a way into the camp…" He spoke with a pensive tone. "We haven't made any plans, you all just agreed to 'being' my human slaves. I don't like that at all… I don't want either of you to be degraded like that… Do you have any other ideas?" 

When they arrived at this place and set up camp to rest till midnight, Aiden recounted the full story of what the old orc shaman had told him. Contrary to his expectations, both girls instantly agreed to play the role of his slaves and went forward with the plan. However, he didn't like this approach at all. Although it would give him the opportunity to work alone and utilize his skills to the fullest, he would, at the same time, leave the girls on their own. They would be exposed to increased dangers, and he would be unable to jump in to save them.

Shaking her head, the smile never left Sarah's face. 

"No, this is the only way forward. Naybeah and I are stronger than you give us credit for, we can handle a couple of guards no problem. This plan would also give us the chance to free the captured slaves while you are playing the role of an emissary inside the camp."

Looking at the dancing flames ahead of them, Sarah continued after letting out a cute yawn.

"To be perfectly honest, the plan is good. It gives us the best chances. Every other option I can think of carries the risk of exposing all of us. My… stare, can be broken, I'm not as strong as the Mistress… We can't rely on it too much. You're shapeshifting skill, however, is real. That is our best chance to complete our mission and get back in one piece."

A sudden idea surging in her mind, Sarah almost jumped up, as she hurriedly reached for the pouch resting at her side. Opening it up, she grabbed the two black crystals, the Monster Cores she extracted from the two orcs the blonde amazon defeated earlier. 

Pulling them out, she presented them to Aiden, as the smile on her face continued to dominate her expression, giving her a loving, kind look.

"Here. Take them, they may prove useful to you, on your way inside!"

Looking at the woman with a troubled expression, Aiden was hesitant to take the crystals. 

"I can't… These are yours, you got them. I can't take them from you just like that…."

"No, take them. The mission is much more important than the coins I would get. Don't forget, I don't need the credit nor the money that much. However, for you, these crystals could prove critical!" As she answered, Aiden saw a glint flashing through her eyes for a moment. Although he couldn't be sure, it was as if the girl wanted to tell her that she knew more than what he actually told them…

Giving it some more thought, Aiden eventually acquiesced and took the crystals from the girl's hands. 

"Thanks. I will remember your kindness."

Upon the boy's words, a faint tinge of light red hue began to saturate the girl's puffy cheeks turning her smiling expression even fuller. Aiden found her embarrassed state incredibly cute, and felt a strange, never-before-felt urge bubbling inside his heart to nudge and tease the defenseless girl.

Still, he refused to act on it and just kept smiling at the girl. Pulling his hand back, he put it behind himself as the crystals vanished from his hand, only to appear inside his system's inventory in the next moment. When his palm was visible again, the crystals were already gone from sight.

Unable to respond, Sarah continued to look and be lost in Aiden's exotic eyes. Although being the wiser, she knew she should say something, but as she looked at the boy's incredible, golden irises, she found herself lost in her own world, unable to move.

Then, as if being possessed, her heart sent a jolt through her nerves all the way to her limbs. Reacting to the sudden request, her body jolted to action and nudged closer to the boy. Grabbing the boy's shoulders, she leaned slightly closer and looked deeply into Aiden's eyes.

Shocked and stunned, Aiden once again found himself in a situation that he didn't know how to handle. Not wanting to offend the girl, but also unsure of how to 'escape', he remained still, giving his ever-present, friendly, kind smile to the girl who was only inches away from him at this point. He could feel the girl's breathing as she exhaled small puffs of air through her small nose on her face. He felt the slowly rising heat emanating from her body, as she continued to focus on his eyes.

Opening his mouth, he could only whisper as he tried to match her gaze.

"Sarah… are you… alright?"