Traveling Together

Tyrel POV

Faint grey light seeped through the artificial cave's opening, and water rushing sounded. Tyrel's eyelids opened as he yawned and stretched his limbs. He communicated his thoughts to Saphira.

'Saphira. I believe it's time for us to leave. I have decided to help their group until they reach the citadel. Then we can fly back into the crimson labyrinth.'

Saphira's thoughts transmitted into Tyrel's mind.

'Are you sure you want to stay in the Dream Realm instead of returning to Earth? Many things on Earth make life convenient for you.'

Tyrel thought.

'Yes I'm sure. I feel more at home in the Dream Realm than on Earth.'

Saphira's thoughts flowed into Tyrel's mind.

'Alright. I'll support your decision.'

Tyrel smiled and hugged Saphira's side.

Saphira chuckled, opened her jaws, and gently licked Tyrel's cheek.

Tyrel giggled before looking at Sunless, Nephis, and Cassia getting up.

"Before we leave, I've decided I'll help you all reach the citadel. However, I'll leave afterward and return to the crimson labyrinth."

Sunless turned toward Tyrel.

"I still don't understand why you want to stay in this cursed place. Won't you miss all the wonderful food? The many luxurious things?"

Tyrel grimaced.

"Yes. However, it's not worth it to me."

Sunless turned away.

Tyrel spoke.

"Oh, and I won't be helping you all with one or two enemies. Only if there are three or more."

Nephis turned towards Tyrel.

"Okay. I understand."

Tyrel asked.

"Where exactly is our next destination?"

Nephis turned toward Tyrel.

"We're heading west."

Tyrel smiled.

"Well, how do you know that's the way?"

Nephis turned toward Cassia.

"Cassia."

Cassia replied.

"I had a vision of it."

Tyrel nodded and asked.

"So you can learn things about the future in visions?"

Cassia turned in Tyrel's direction.

"And the past. I'm an oracle."

Tyrel smiled.

"Well, I guess I'll tell you all what I can do. I am an archer with poisonous blood. I can heal if I eat corpses, and I have an awakened devil as my Echo."

Sunless quickly asked.

"Can your fox carry all of us? We can save so much time if we all flew."

Tyrel shook his head.

"No. She can't. Only one person can sit on her back. And that person is me."

Sunless frowned and said.

"I saw your fox carry a carapace scavenger with its claws, too. That is way larger than us combined."

Tyrel placed his hands behind his head, smiled, and replied.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Sunless."

Sunless grimaced and continued.

"I saw you had a large pile of soul shards, too!"

Tyrel chuckled.

"What are you even saying, Sunless? I don't know what you mean. I remember no such thing."

Sunless turned to Cassia.

"Cassia. Was there a large glowing pile in your vision?"

Cassia nodded.

Sunless turned toward Tyrel and said.

"That could have been what the pile was."

Tyrel shook his head

"I don't know what you mean. I bet the other carapace scavengers got the soul shards. After all, they scavenge for food, right?"

Sunless sighed.

"Nevermind. Let's go."

The group left the cave and traveled through the crimson labyrinth. Sunless, Cassia and Nephis traveled on the ground while Tyrel sat on Saphira's back. Her tails wrapped around his body, keeping him from falling off. Saphira flew ten feet above the group.

"Nephis. I'm going to practice my aim on carapace scavengers. I need to get stronger, too. I'll have to go a little away from you, so it doesn't stop your traveling."

Nephis turned, looked at Saphira and Tyrel, and nodded. She continued moving.

Saphira flew to the left, and a minute later, she saw a lone carapace scavenger. It turned toward her and froze in place as fluid dripped from it.

Tyrel summoned his bow and Azure Arrow Memories. He drew back the arrow and aimed for the carapace scavenger's eyes. A deep breath sounded from him as he let go of the arrow.

The arrow hit the carapace scavenger's eye, and it face-planted.

[You have slain an awakened beast, Carapace Scavenger.]

[...Your Necrosis grows stronger.]

Tyrel checked his Necrotic Fragments.

[72/1000]

Tyrel transmitted his thoughts to Saphira.

'It seems I get two shards for killing it myself. But it doesn't feel right to kill an opponent that's afraid.'

Saphira communicated her thoughts.

'Well, all the carapace scavengers are afraid of me. I slaughtered them.'

Tyrel thought.

'Alright. If we find something that's not afraid, I would like to try shooting at it. And I have a request. Could you let me kill stuff unless it's too strong or there is a horde? I want to be useful myself, too.'

Saphira chuckled.

'Of course I can. I'll make sure nothing gets close to you.'

Tyrel turned toward the direction and saw the cohort fighting two carapace scavengers. Behind them was a dozen.

"We need to head back."

Saphira flew back quickly as her tails covered Tyrel completely. Tyrel could no longer see outside, and he felt like softness hugged his body.

Terrified shrieks and squeals of agony emanated around him. A thud sounded every thirty seconds alongside a whisper from the nightmare spell. Seven minutes later, Saphira's tails unwrapped from his head, chest, and arms.

The carapace scavengers' bodies littered the ground—their corpses in many different states. Azure blood coated the ground.

Saphira drank a liter of blood from the dead bodies and swallowed it. She created a chamber within her body to hold it separate from the soul shards.

"Tyrel."

Sunless's voice sounded.

Tyrel turned and saw Nephis, Cassia, and Sunless staring at him. Cassia was riding a Carapace Scavenger.

Nephis stepped forward.

"You've done well."

Tyrel nodded and looked at Cassia.

"Cassia. Is that your Echo?"

Cassia shook her head.

"It's Sunless's Echo."

Tyrel chuckled.

"It seems you have good luck, Sunless."

Tyrel thought.

'I'll collect more Echoes. Hopefully, I can trade them with the people of Bright Castle. Wait, I can trade Echoes with Nephis and Cassia for them to owe me. Then again, I can offer Sunny and Nephis to ride on the Echoes but not keep them. That'll make this trip faster, and I could return to the crimson labyrinth quicker.'

Tyrel smiled and said.

"Nephis, Sunny. I have an offer for you both. For the duration of our travels, you can ride on some Echoes I have. I won't require anything in return."

Sunless's eyes narrowed.

"Why are you offering this to us?"

Tyrel shrugged.

"The sooner we reach our destination. The sooner I can go back to living alone."

Nephis closed her eyes for a moment before opening them and nodding.

Tyrel smiled.

"I'm glad. Now here."

Tyrel summoned two of his carapace scavenger Echoes and ordered them to be Nephis's and Sunless's mounts. The Echoes walked to them and waited.

Sunless and Nephis got on their respective Carapace Scavengers.

Tyrel spoke.

"Go ahead to the next destination. I'll be there in a bit."

The cohort left, and Saphira dug out each soul shard and swallowed them.

Tyrel looked at the amount of cores Saphira absorbed.

[Cores Saphira absorbed]

[Dormant: 0]

[Awakened: 787.]

'She has so much essence! That must mean we got the same amount of soul shards. My plan for the soul shards is hopefully going to work.'

Tyrel hugged Saphira's back and continued.

'Since she has so much essence, we can possibly go anywhere in the crimson labyrinth. Oh, I'm going to be happy when she becomes an awakened titan.'

Tyrel whispered.

"Saphira. Let's grab some meat and return."

Saphira grabbed a corpse and sliced a large amount of meat into cubes. She swallowed each one and flew toward the cohort.

***

Over the rest of the day, Saphira killed off multiple groups of carapace scavengers. The cohort killed the ones they faced with the help of Tyrels Echoes. Between large battles, Saphira flew a bit away from the cohort. Tyrel killed multiple carapace scavengers with his bow and Azure Arrow Memories.

The wind picked up a bit, and Tyrel frowned.

'The storm is coming.'

Tyrel saw the cohort stop, and he waited for what they'd do next. Drops of water fell onto Tyrel, and he looked into the sky.

Dark stormy clouds gathered above with unnatural speed. Soon, the sky would probably be covered completely, including the sun.

The cohort sped forward on the Echoes, and Tyrel whispered.

"Let's follow them."

Saphira followed the Cohort.

A large cliff towered above.

Saphira thought.

'Tyrel, their lives are in danger. I want to use my telekinesis to save them."

Tyrel transmitted his thoughts to her.

'Don't. I don't want them to know about your powers. My agreement with them did not include anything other than multiple nightmare creatures. I'm not a nice person, I know that.'

Tyrel closed his eyes and continued.

'I already gave them plenty of help. Revealing more secrets will be horrible for me. I would be killed in my sleep because I'd be seen as too great a threat.'

Saphira sighed.

'Tyrel. I understand.'

Tyrel dismissed the Echoes after Nephis and Sunless got off. Saphira flew to the top of the cliff and waited.

A few minutes later, Cassia, Nephis, and Sunless climbed up the cliff on a yellow rope. They all were drained.

Everyone survived.