V5 Chapter 128 Used Gift

Golden sky, vanishing within sight, casting its last golden light upon the darkened ground, covered by shadows looming behind trees and branches. Shadows cast feel more like creatures of darkness, lurking, waiting for prey, as darkness pushes back this blessing of light back to its source for the night. Hidden in these shadows and trees, upon a hill, stood, an old decaying wooden cabin.

Rumors, rumors, how they spread, said to be the home of a merchant, now dead. Died in the arms of another, forest creature, a forest spirit, said hi to it and it decided to say hi back. Unfortunately, it's hi wasn't the kind any living soul would like. Spirit away from his body, the merchant now lived with his new buddy, in that decaying cabin. Once again reminding, never to say hi to the spirits of the night. A rumor that never reached those now approaching.

" Bingo! Cabin! Lucky! Looks like we won't have entered the town after all!"

Amon chimed as he pointed at the cabin on the hill, hidden by the trees around.

" There aren't any tracks heading up this road. From the looks of things, desolated cabin, with creepy vibes, and no one walking up to it recently. I guess that place is either haunted or a witch is living there. Let's just try out luck with the town. We do have Estrella's cure for the disease. We can sleep in comfortable beds at aren't haunted."

Philomel suggested as she pointed back to the town.

" That just sweetens the deal! If it's haunted then no one would come here! This means this might be the only disease-free area around the town. We could rely on the cure potion but you know how expensive potions are! You saw how desperate they are looking for a cure. What makes you think that they wouldn't find us suspicious? Decide to frisk us? Find the potion and never give it back, for the better good of replicating it."

Amon questions and by the end of it all manages to convince Philomel. Philomel took in a deep breath and let it out slowly as she followed Amon up the hill.

" Besides we are dark elves! We have better chances against the beings of the other side than an actual sickness."

Amon added on, not noticing that he had already won Philomel over and she was tracking up behind him.

" Ai! Ai!"

Little One suddenly yelled as he started trying to jump in Philomel's arms.

" What's wrong Little One?"

Philomel gently asked as she tries to get a better grip on the baby. Little One squirmed as he started trying to go in a certain direction.

" Looks like he wants that moss."

Amon pointed at an old stone well near the cabinet. Its bottom half was covered in moss that grew certain small little purple flowers.

" Great! A well! We can refill our water satchels."

Philomel chimed as she rushed toward the well.

" Here you watch Little One while I find the water satchels."

Philomel instructed as she passes the baby to Amon. Amon carries Little One over to the well and bends down, putting Little One on the ground, close to the base of the well.

" Which rock do you want to take this time?"

Amon questioned as he looks around the mossy area.

" I can't find any water satchel here. Is the other in your satchel?"

Philomel asked as she continued to dig through her satchel. Amon turned to glance at Philomel before pulling his satchel from his back and placing it on the ground.

" Let me check."

Amon answered as he searched in his satchel.

" Awoling... Nabi tabing."

Little One babbled with a mossy rock in hand, he crawled up to Amon, holding onto Amon's pants and pulling himself to his feet.

" Awoing... Awooo..."

Little One softly imitated the soft howling sound Darzirak made whenever the demon wanted to get Amon's attention.

" Darzirak, not now. I have my hands full with Little One and Philomel."

Amon informed as he dug around in his satchel, not bothering to look up. Little One pressed the rock against Amon's shoulder, only then did Amon turn to glance at Little One.

" Little One, pocket. Pocket, Little One, Pocket."

Amon instructed as he pointed at his right pocket with his head. Little One, doing as he has done twice before, crawled over to Amon's pocket and slip the rock into it. As his Little One slipped the rock in, he felt something familiar.

" Found it! Both were in my satchel!"

Amon laughed as he pulled both the water satchels out and passed them to Philomel.

" Geeze, I told you. Food, on your side, items on my side, and the water satchel count as items, not food."

Philomel reminded and she took the Water satchel from Amon.

" And baby bottle counts as food. Yeah, Yeah, I know."

Amon said as he waves Philomel off and straps his satchel back onto his back. Philomel rolled her eyes as she shook her head before standing up and strapping her satchel back onto her back.

" Come on, Little One, upsy Daisy."

Amon called as he picked up Little One and stood up. Holding Little One away from the well on his left said, Amon peered down the well. Seeing the movement of water a few feet below as he acknowledged that was quite a deep well. Little One suddenly squealed and something flew from his small hand, falling into the well causing the water below to splash and ripple. Little One laughed, extremely happy with the splash sound.

" Little One?! What did you throw in the well?!!"

Amon exclaimed as he held Little One's hand, trying to find some remains of the item he threw and deduct what was the item he threw.

" Was it moss?"

Philomel asked as she quickly rushed to Amon's side and looks down the well.

" I'm not sure. He was digging into my pocket earlier."

Amon said with a frown, unable to find any traces of anything, he lets go of Little One's hand.

" Could it be your golden coin? You did teach him how to throw those into water to make a wish."

Philomel guessed, Amon, gasped and switched holding positions. Holding Little One against his shoulder with one hand as his other hand frantically dug into his pockets. Feeling every thing within both pockets and finally pulling out a golden coin from his left pocket. Amon lets out a sigh of relief as he places the coin back into the same pocket.

" Thankfully no. He probably threw one of his rocks or something. "

Amon patted his chest as he calmed down from the shock.

" He looks happy now, but I doubt it would stay that way when he realized he can't find one of his rocks. What should we do? Climb down and try to get it?"

Philomel questioned with a huff as she mentally checked if such an action is possible.

" Climb down there and you might get stuck down there. The rope here looks extremely old. I doubt it could hold your weight for a long time. Could snap, after you climbed halfway down. Falling down that distance could result in a critical injury. Not to mention, we used up all your handmade rope on that whole kidnapping the miracle child plan."

Amon reminded.

" Don't remind me. I threw my third dagger back there. Now, I'm down to, two daggers and my hidden blades."

Philomel whined as she pulled the old rope, hanging above the well. A bucket surfaces from the water, causing splashes. Little One squealed as he clapped his hands, extremely happy with the sounds. Philomel pulled the bucket up, resting it on the ledge of the well as she scoops some water into her hand and tested it.

" This water is weirdly clean like river water. "

Philomel commented as she took a sip of the water.

" Maybe there's an underground river connected to the well? How does it taste?"

Amon wondered out loud as he peered into the creepy well, seeing that the water wasn't moving. Informing Amon that his guess was definitely wrong.

" It is fresh and a little sweet. Isn't that weird? Taste like spring water."

Philomel commented with a slightly confused expression.

" Maybe the well is connected to an underground water source?"

Amon guessed again.

" Either way this water is fine."

Philomel shrugged as she poured out the old water from both water satchels. Cleaned it a little bit by rinsing before refiling both satchels of water.

" Weirdly clean water, packed and ready to go. Next, the weirdly creepy cabin, you first."

Philomel bowed with a gesture like Amon was a royal. Amon rolled his eyes with a huff before tracking up the road toward the cabin.

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