Himmel carried her for a while, like a child being tired after playing in the field too long, she slept peacefully on his back. Slowly her eyes slid open, her hand caressed what felt like boulders. She smelt something similar to grain, it was Himmel. She was awake already but didn't announce herself.
Maybe it was because she felt embarrassed, at least that would be her excuse if he found out she was awake. But really she wanted to savor the moment, knowing good well he can't be her man.
"Oh you're awake," he said as looked over his shoulder seeing her eyes wide open, "why did you say anything, we're really vulnerable with you on my back."
"I was embarrassed, someone younger than me treating me like a little princess," she quipped as she pushed herself off of his back.
"Gimme my gear now," crossing her arms, she pouted about not having her precious bow.
Himmel rolled his eye's as he used his key to open the subspace. Winter then commented, "I never really said this before but that thing is like really fucking useful."
"Well yeah, I have a few extra pairs of gear in here, all of that lumber and the food. Although it is almost full."
"Huh, but like have you tried putting someone in there, or something alive." She said with curiosity in her voice.
"No, not really, I might try it if I need to torture someone, I'm not sure how time works in there." He said as a few ideas popped in his head. "Oh by the way, Texan and the rest were lucky enough to find a dungeon with a whole bunch of vines in there and some other loot."
"Oh that's good, so what are we gonna make a raft or?" Winter asked as she felt he muscles being stronger.
"I personally want to make a roof over our heads so that we don't get drowsed. So we'll make that at the tip of the rock since its already over 100 ft tall." Himmel was pretty sure of himself, as it seemed unlikely for a flood to be that high.
Winter just nodded and began to jog, "Well let's make it there before those guys." She said as gestured him to follow. With a smirk he did, jogging right alongside her. The duo after a good run finally made it the rendezvous only to find Texan and the rest already there.
"Shit were we that slow," Winter said as she went over to Vanessa.
Texan replied, "yeah ya'll some slow asses bruh." He smirked heavily.
"Don't listen to the guy, the dungeon was close by and we made back barely half a day later." Vanessa said as she handed Winter some vines to tie, "Woah you're lookin nice girl, didn't expect you to level up."
Winter flexed her bicep to show her improvement, "Hehe thanks Vanessa, it was pretty scary." She said in her young high pitched voice.
"Oh yeah did you save good old leaders ass," Vanessa winked as her melancholy deep voice carried toward Himmel.
Himmel took out all of the logs and replied, "Yes she did, I truly am grateful, I owe her my life honestly."
Winter turned to hid her blushing face, Vanessa noticed and gave a mature smile, "Mhm, we'll see about that."
Himmel hissed as he shouted at Texan who was sorting through the logs, "Hey I need to go do something," Texan noticed his friends concerned face.
"Allright, just come back quick Tyler isn't good with axes." Texan then jabbed at Tyler as he waved at Himmel.
The girls noticed this as well. Vanessa brushed it off, thinking it was some secret training or he wanted to just take a bath. Winter on the other hand had a odd feeling, something was definitely wrong. She stood up to follow him but was stopped by Vanessa, "I know you like him, but if he wants to be alone you gotta let him be alone."
Winter let out a long breath, "Yeah you're probably right." But she kept watching him until he was far into the distance.
Himmel went about 3 miles north, "This should be far enough," Himmel then fully undressed himself and saw a single beast in the distance about 300 foot away, he whispered, "Lightning Enhancement Third Stage."
He took one single step and he coughed blood, "Damnit, is stage two really my limit?" Himmel wiped the blood off of himself and dressed himself. As he made his way back to the camp he began to contemplate, "I've been stuck at stage two for six months now I taught Kirra lightning enhancement and she already made it to four by the time I made it to two, fuccckk."
He smacked his face trying to calm down, I guess it didnt work since he began hearing voices in the medows, "Hey, young orc.""Listen, listen to me""Oh come on you know I'm real." Himmel shut his eyes and just listened to the voice. In the black expanse of his mind a figure appeared.
It waved, "Hi there," The feminine voice said. Himmel raised his brow before replying, "Hello, my name's Himmel can I ask who you are?" The figure began to laugh manically, Himmel became uncomfortable.
"Oh child, never reveal your name like that again, a fae would have the time of their life with you." She kept laughing even through that sentence. "What can they do with my name?!?" Himmel replied sharply as he approached the figure, "Ha you know faes exist but not what they do, well whatever."
"Look bud, I came here to warn you. You have quite the affinity to lightning thanks to your natural affinity being boosted by those flowers. The god of energy will have his eye's on you soon and when he does that, well just say bye to your freedom." The figure then raised their hand like a wand and began drawing in the blank slate of Himmel's mind.
They created tree's, grass, elk, the beautiful scenery of a perfect forest, "I am Jaeger the god of the hunt and I can protect you from that god, you'll just have to pass my trial."
Himmel stepped back, "What's in it for you."
The figure created a smile on it's face, one that was looked like it was a caught in the act of a crime, "Smart, I like a mortal with some brains. My goals go far above you so I'll be honest. You made yourself quite the ultimate ability, not many think like you. And unfortunately for me you are very very useful to that god. He is not a "good" god, I don't like what he's been doing with you mortals."
"Yeah that's great but why do I matter enough for a god to approach me?"
"Your determination," The god then portrayed every close encounter he's had, from almost dying to orc children all the way to him almost dying to a sneak attack. "You almost died so many times in your journey and that was all thanks to you being a orc and your best gimmick being taken away from you very early on."
Himmel kept quiet, he now fully understands the situation he's in. "He will use you like a pawn because he will see that every grace of death doesn't matter to you anymore. You'll kill and overcome anything in your way, no matter the cost. So just do my trials, join my patron and let me protect you."
"I don't trust you," Himmel stated.
"Awee, but you always trust people first, like Abbot and Recon, why not little ol me." Jaeger became a rabbit puffing out their cheeks.
"You are far too good to be true, you'll make me a pawn as well if you need it." He had a disgusted face, some memories arose after hearing their names.
"Oh man, I love you so much. Look I'll always be watching you alright if you want to do my trials and be apart of my patron just say it." They then transformed into a doe and skipped away taking the entire scenery with it.
Himmel then awoke next to Winter who put a warm towel on his head, "What happened." He said with a cold tone.
"You just walked into the camp with your eyes closed and fell to the ground, I noticed your high temperature so I began treating you with some medicine Tyler made."
"How long was I asleep." Another cold voice.
"Hey, I dont care how cool or edgy you feel right now, but you need to change that tone!"
"Wha-" Himmel was cut off.
"I took care of you for three hours carefully changing out the towels to keep your temperture in check, the least you could fucking do is say thank you instead of just saying your questions." Winter picked up the bucket of medicine and splashed it on his face.
Himmel wiped it off, "I apologize Winter, thank you for taking such good care of me."
Winter turned around to hide her blushing, she then felt his embrace from behind, "Thank you," Himmel then got up to start working on the shed.
Vanessa then walked over to check on Winter who sat still, "Well that was cute." she then looked at Winter closer, "Oh and I thought he was the wet one."
Winter's eye's slowly traced to Vanessa, "Hey I got a question."
Vanessa shrugged, "Yeah what's up?"
"Would it be wrong if I killed his girlfriend so he would be mine." She slowly slid her fingers down her face.
Vanessa began to laugh manically, "Are you serious? You can't be crushing on him that badly."
Tyler walked by, watching this go on, "You women are weird." He said as he scurried toward Himmel who was already climbing the stone.
"Hey Texan, how is it." Himmel asked as he made it to the peak of the of the stone.
"Well while you were making your scandal, I basically finished the whole thing with Tyler and Vanessa." Texan smirked at Himmel, who didn't have his armor on.
"Look, I'm loyal to Kirra." Himmel said as he noticed the thought's pouring into Texan's brain.
From behind was Tyler's voice, "Yeah but what's wrong with two wives?"
"What the fuck?" Himmel said as he turned to Tyler.
Tyler raised his hands up dropping lumber on the floor, "Look I don't know which part of the savannah you come from but it's normal for most chiefs to have multiple wives."
Texan added in, "He's not wrong you know, It honestly is normal, I mean shit your dad probably had a few concubines too."
Himmel got stern, "No he didn't."
"Ok but from what I've heard you don't like your dad so why do you care that he was loyal to his one wife." Tyler added as he helped Texan fix the last post.
"Tyler isn't wrong about this you know, also think about Winter too. She really loves you man, she didn't leave your side for a second when you were unconscious." Texan laid his hand on Himmel's shoulder.
"But, my Kirra." Himmel muttered.
"Look if you want me to be honest, I personally didn't see much between you two. But I understand you love her. So how about this, when everything is done let's bring Winter to Kirra and talk this out." Texan said as the drizzle of the rain came down.
"What if Winter doesn't like the thought of it. Y'know having to share." Himmel stuck in a middle place.
"I don't mind in the slightest, I'll wait until I meet that Kirra and I'll beat her until she accepts." Winter walked up to him with his weapons and armor in hand. "But we need to move past that for now, the flood is almost here."
Himmel smiled gently and moved into action, he equipped everything. His armor, his potions, his sword and his axe.