CHAPTER 31: FEARLESS RION

Plop!

The sound of splashing water echoed off the red wooden walls as Rion wiped off the dried blood stuck to his sides and chest with a cloth that he had just soaked in a tub filled with cold water.

"What was that thing?" He mumbled in thought and continued rubbing the crimson off his trained body.

"Could it be the thing that we hunt?" He guessed as he remembered the nearly unkillable large spider that he had met an hour ago.

"I’ll find out once I become a squad member," he muttered and finished wiping off the dried blood.

He placed the cloth at the side and stepped inside the round redwood bathtub.

Sploosh!

Water spilt from the edges of the tub and fell onto the wooden floor as his not-so-small frame entered it.

The cold water hugged him as he sat down in the tub and put his legs out of it. He picked up the used cloth, folded it into a crude pillow and placed it at the edge of the tub before placing his head on it.

He stared at the ceiling of the bath hut, which was used by the young warriors of the Dhaevrak tribe to cleanse themselves after training all day to prepare for hunting the things they don’t even know of yet.

"It’s been four years. Yet, it still feels so strange..." he mumbled with a smile and closed his eyes.

The first time he had found out about the bath huts, he was pleasantly surprised... he hadn’t expected to see a dedicated bathroom, but again, he had never researched tribal life either.

Everything that he knew about the tribes was built upon the media that he had consumed while the medical devices pumped life into him.

After living the tribal life for fourteen years, he couldn’t help but laugh at how most people of his previous world had imagined tribes — like some mindless cavemen.

An exhausting sigh escaped him as the fatigue of the day began to weigh on him. He cupped his palms, filled them with the cold water and splashed his face.

A smile appeared on his drenched face as he mumbled, "It makes me remember when I had jumped into the spring of youth... that day was really full of surprises and wonders."

He let himself sink into the embrace of cold water, and soon, the door to the bath hut creaked open.

Creak!

His eyelids trembled slightly as he peeked at the person who had just entered the bath.

He knew the person well... he had dark green hair, obsidian black eyes that gleamed with youthful innocence and a broad, heavy frame that made him resemble a muscular bear.

He was Karhun — the chubby boy who had taken part in the ritual of youth with Rion.

The wooden floor creaked under his steps as he walked towards the wall that had more tubs lining it.

He placed his hand on a tub, turned his head toward Rion and asked with a frown, "Rion, you are still here?"

Rion opened his eyes and said with a frown, "What’s wrong with me being here?"

Karhun scratched the back of his head and asked in a low voice, "Shouldn’t you be at home?"

Rion’s frown deepened, and he replied, "What are you talking about, Karhun? I usually stay for even longer."

Karhun nodded, moved the tub near Rion’s and said, "Yeah, but isn’t it your birthday today?"

The bath hut descended into silence, Rion’s eyes widened comically with each passing moment, and he cursed, "Blasted hell!"

He quickly jumped out of the tub, wrapped the cloth around his lower body and turned toward the door.

He stopped in his steps, turned toward Karhun. "Thank you, Karhun," and sprinted out.

A faint smile appeared on Karhun’s face as he mumbled, "It’s all right..."

***

Rion quickly donned his animal hide tunic, warrior kilt, and sprinted towards his home with cold sweat running down his back. ’I’m fucked, I’m fucked, I’m fuck-’ he recited as he imagined the cold eyes of his usually warm mother.

A few minutes later, he reached his home, and his steps slowed down.

He stared at the hut as if it were the den of some mythical creature.

He gulped and resolved himself while walking towards it. "I’m just an hour late... nothing else, no pressure... yeah, it’s just some light work," he said.

He stopped before the wooden door, took a deep breath and thought, ’I am a Dhaevrak warrior and the one who has already awakened his aura, there’s no way I am scared of something this mere.’

His eyes burned with determination as he pulled the wooden door with all of his strengthened resolve.

Just as he opened the door, his eyes fell on Lara, who was standing a few steps from the door with a warm smile on her beautiful face.

A similar smile appeared on his face. Inwardly, he heaved a relieved sigh and thought, ’A false alarm!’

She stepped closer and raised her left arm. He opened his arms to hug her, but all he got was a — Thud! — as she grabbed the handle of the wooden door and shut it on his face.

He blinked a few times and called out in a pleading tone while knocking at the door, "M-mom!"

Crek!

The door creaked slightly as she peeked out and asked, "Hmm? Who might you be?"

"Huh?" He frowned.

Her eyes brightened in understanding. She covered her agape mouth with her palm and muttered in a surprised tone, "Don’t tell me... did your mother kick you out?"

His eyes widened and he asked in a trembling voice, "W-what are you talking about, mom?"

"You have the wrong house," she said with a warm smile. Her eyes, however, were cold.

Before he could say anything, she once again shut the door right in his face.

"Life sure is hard, huh?" Haden, who had reached the hut, said as he pulled the door and walked inside.

Rion followed behind but...

Thud!

All he could do was stare at the door.