Chapter 119: In the arms of Argradan
It was pointless to mention how chaotic and stressful the night was. Only Rufon could have slept, but even he was not completely peaceful and woke up a few times to check if his plan to secure the place was still working out and if his horse was still there.
The poor animals were so tense that they didn't dare to lay to sleep and only took casual naps still standing on their four legs. The night was almost over when it stopped raining, and eventually, the sun rose. This was the moment Gabron realized he was holding his breath for most of the night as he took a big inspiration when he saw the first sun rays in the mountain.
The eight riders took a deep breath at the same time when it was finally over. Mikel was the first to speak while trying to stand up carefully, hesitating, "Is everyone alive?"
"I feel dead," Rahir was the only one to answer with a slight growl while the others responded positively.
"Good, let's go and leave this place."
They quickly packed the little material they had taken out for the night and came back to walking. As expected, there was not a lot of road left before leaving the pass but it was the hardest part, especially with the floor still wet from the night. It was a miracle that no one died on the way and that they didn't at least lose a horse. The mud was making everything harder and each step was a true challenge.
When they reached the flat land, Gabron ran in front of him, overtaking everyone, and threw himself on his knees, kissing the floor a few times. The last meters were made quickly by the other riders as they all wanted to leave the pass as fast as possible and bury this experience far in their memory.
Only Jäwell kept his rhythm and took the time to look around, taking in the pleasure of seeing a green plain by daylight. Since he arrived in the world to start his adventure as a human, he had been seeing the landscape of the desert and the path of Dentra was so dangerous that he didn't truly enjoy what was in front of him, but now, things were different.
Jäwell took a deep breath and a smile formed on his lips. He could feel the grass under his feet as he was walking. The sun was shining on the morning dew. The life in Ombrae was much different and he was living there for so long that he didn't remember the little pleasure the sun had to offer. Jäwell chuckled, he removed his shoes and hung them on the saddle of his horse. Moving his toes on the fresh, wet, grass.
He looked at the horizon and he could see the figure of a city far from them. As he was lost in his thoughts, the riders had mounted their horses and they had started to walk to the town without waiting for him.
It was Sarin who took him out of his daydreaming by placing a kind hand over his shoulder. The massive man didn't say a word, he only squeezed it nicely, Jäwell shook his head slightly and looked at Sarin before realizing the others were already pretty far. He immediately took his horse by the reins and the two men walked together in the direction of the town like the rest of the group.
Sarin was curious but he was trying to look away to respect Jäwell's privacy and didn't ask his questions. They exchanged no words, but there was something on Jäwell's face that Sarin was looking for the first time. It was the look of nostalgia. Jäwell was feeling the wind on him, brushing delicately his hair in his back, and he remembered the things that truly mattered to him before. He was not only human again by the force of his magic, it was deeper than that.
Sarin and Jäwell joined the others without exchanging one word at the main tavern of the town, Argradan was not a big city but it was proposing everything needed for every traveler passing by its doors. There also was a large market to supply anything. Rahir, Urak, and Mikel decided to go first to buy what was needed for their journey while the others went straight to the tavern to reserve rooms and a table to eat and drink. At the end of the day, they all had the same priorities, a warm moment of peace, a bedroom with a bed, and a bath.
It had been an easy day compared to the others, they walked to discover the town, made purchases at the market, or simply sat at the tavern to repair a few things damaged by the heavy rain like Jäwell and Sarin had decided to do. The eight men met to eat, sitting together at the table for the evening dinner after this peaceful day.
An intense relief could be seen on their faces. When the waitress brought them the large plates of meat, they suddenly burst out laughing. Mikel was flustered by her kind smile and her beautiful blond curls. He was about to say something nice and was searching for how to formulate it when Rahir spoke loudly, "That's so much better than the lizards! Right, guys?!"
"But technically, it is less healthy than the lizards," Answered Falin.
The lady made a strange face when she heard them and left quickly before Mikel had time to thank her as he wanted to, "You had to mention the lizards?" He sighed desperately.
"You still can go and talk to her to tell her exactly what you want to say to her without artifice. Honesty always pays more than hidden messages," Urak advised.
And Rufon raised his head after he had already started to eat, "Which girl?"
"The one Mikel is in love with," Gabron stated simply.
The poor Mikel was red in embarrassment while his comrades were laughing at him for a moment, he eventually chuckled with them. There was no mean intention in their words, they were only speaking, without pretension of anything. After the chaos they had been through together, the riders sipped their beer with a smile on their faces.
"I can't believe we survived, we made it alive," Gabron breathed, raising his beer to cheer with the others.
Rufon scoffed, "Of course we made it, we would not die in the mountain."
"Still, keep the map away from Jäwell in the future," Gabron continued chuckling.
Jäwell was amused, looking at Urak advising Mikel on how to seduce a lady with honesty and respect, but in the corner, Sarin was observing with attention.
He didn't say a word for the whole day, troubled by something that he had seen. He had understood Jäwell's truth in his eyes, the miss, the loss, and the deep sadness hidden behind a permanent smile.
Jäwell was slowly remembering what being human meant, taking in what was taken from him and what he truly lost.
During his years of existence, Jäwell had forgotten what it was to feel the breeze in his hair, and the struggle for the simple joy of hoping for a fresh beer, not knowing if he could make it alive to a tavern. The feeling of cold grass in the morning under his feet, walking and experiencing the pain of the cramps from a bad night.
Everything that could be unexpected and that was ruling his life before he became a dark creature. He tried so hard to maintain it as it was, trying to be spontaneous and to be truly free, but he was facing his failure. Jäwell loved being human, he always loved it and he never wanted to change it. Being eternal was supposed to let him be able to explore more things and have more fun, but as he was now with comrades around a beer simply talking about how they almost died last night, he was now understanding that when he lost his life, he lost everything he cared for.
Jäwell didn't stop to smile, the smile of a man who threw himself recklessly into battles. A man who didn't care about his safety or the one of the ones near him. Sarin ordered another beer and stayed here in silence.
The other riders went to their room to relax while Jäwell stayed a bit longer in the main room of the tavern. Listening to people around discussing meaningful things. He sipped his beer and took a deep breath, looking at the foam fading in his glass.
"Aren't you tired too?" Jäwell asked Sarin directly.
The man leaned in his chair with a chuckle, "I think you need company tonight."
Jäwell looked at him and he was not smiling anymore, his expression was much more sincere. He sighed and nodded before leaning on his turn in his chair and sipping his beer. Both men enjoy the silence and the company of the other while listening to the futile conversation of the people around them.
Fate has been a cycle that repeated itself again and again, and no matter what Jäwell could do, he was always experiencing the same thing, boredom and loneliness. Jäwell was powerful, he was at the top of the mountain, but when he arrived there a few hundred years ago, there was nothing around. No one to challenge him anymore, no one to wait for him, and no one to encourage him to continue. There was simply nothing after.
He had won the peace for his people, he had won their safety, and he had won the cage he was in. The responsibility to save the ones that can't save themselves.
The condemnation to not battle anymore.
Jäwell could have started another war, he could have pursued things in the Golden City. He could have easily found conflicts. If he had been no one he would have done it for sure, but Jäwell didn't have the heart to plunge the Ombrae into an eternal war for his own pleasure and this time as a human was finally letting him the opportunity to find himself once again after so long, but, looking at his beer, he realized that the melancholy of a lost past was too strong. Maybe he had made a mistake, maybe finding himself once again was way too painful for him to handle.
Sarin could see the intense despair in the eyes of his comrade in this silent moment of truth. The rider understood a terrifying fact. Jäwell was not searching for a victory, he was searching for a glorious end to his story.
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone