Chapter 19 - 019: Ravenfall
"Ravenfall."
Kai repeated the name, looking at Anaria with mild curiosity. "That’s where we’re going?"
"Yes," Anaria replied. "We’ll leave once we’re ready."
Neither male questioned her decision. Rylan simply nodded and turned toward the small pile of belongings they had managed to gather inside the cave. There wasn’t much to sort through in the first place. They had come here with almost nothing, and the cave had never been meant to become a permanent home.
Anaria gathered the remaining food and wrapped it carefully before handing it to Kai. Rylan picked up the water container he had made from a section of tree and checked the opening before securing it.
Anaria glanced at the rough container. "You really did make something useful out of a tree."
Rylan looked at her. "You sound surprised."
"I am. I didn’t know you were this resourceful."
A faint curve appeared at the corner of Rylan’s mouth. "You have many things left to learn."
Anaria rolled her eyes but smiled as she picked up the primitive clothes she had made for them. They were simple compared to what she had once been used to, but they were still much better than the rough clothing they had worn before.
Once everything was gathered, Anaria stood near the entrance and looked back into the cave.
She had spent enough time here to know every corner of it. This was where she had first struggled to survive after arriving in a world she knew nothing about. It was where she had met Rylan, where Kai had later joined them, and where so many things had happened that she had never expected.
For a moment, she wondered if she would ever see the cave again.
Probably not.
Anaria took a quiet breath and turned away.
"Let’s go."
They left together.
The first part of the journey passed without much trouble. Rylan carried the water while Kai kept hold of the food, and Anaria stayed between them as they followed the path through the wilderness. They didn’t need to rush, but they also didn’t have any reason to linger.
As the hours passed, the surroundings gradually began to change.
The wilderness wasn’t as quiet as it had been around their cave.
There were more tracks in the dirt, some fresh enough that Anaria could tell they had been made recently. Every now and then, they heard voices somewhere farther along the path or caught movement between the trees.
The first beastman Anaria noticed was a rabbit beastwoman carrying a basket. She walked past them without giving their group more than a passing glance.
Anaria watched her disappear into the distance.
A little later, they passed two wolf beastmen carrying hunting spears. Further ahead, a bear beastman was hauling a bundle of wood over his shoulder while a deer beastwoman walked beside him.
Anaria couldn’t help looking around.
She had spent so much time in the wilderness that seeing other beastmen going about their ordinary lives felt strange.
Then she saw a fox beastman.
Then a tiger.
Then an eagle with broad wings folded neatly against his back.
Anaria slowed slightly when she noticed a snake beastman walking along the opposite side of the path.
"There are really a lot of different species here," she murmured.
Kai glanced at her. "You’ve never seen them before?"
"Not this many together."
Kai looked ahead. "You’ll probably see more in Ravenfall."
Anaria smiled. "That’s what I’m hoping for."
The farther they went, the more people they encountered. Some traveled alone, while others moved in groups. Hunters returned from the wilderness carrying their kills. Traders passed with bundles of goods strapped across their backs. Families traveled together, children running ahead while their parents called after them.
No one seemed bothered by Anaria walking between two males.
Nobody stared or whispered.
To everyone around them, they were simply another group traveling along the road.
Anaria found herself relaxing more as she watched the activity around them.
This was different from the life she had known since arriving in the Beast World.
It wasn’t just survival anymore. People were actually living around here, and Anaria couldn’t help noticing how different that felt from the life they’d left behind.
She glanced at their small bundle of belongings. "We really don’t have much."
"We’ll get more," Kai said simply.
Anaria looked at him. "You make everything sound easy."
"It will be."
Rylan glanced back at her. "You worry too much."
"I worry the appropriate amount," Anaria replied.
Kai chuckled.
Anaria narrowed her eyes at both of them. "Don’t laugh."
The moment passed easily, and Anaria found herself smiling as they continued.
As they traveled farther, the path widened and the wilderness slowly gave way to signs of civilization. More beastmen appeared, along with carts, hunters, traders, and different species traveling together.
Anaria watched curiously as tigers, foxes, bears, rabbits, and eagles passed by.
It was clear that Ravenfall truly was a mixed-beast village.
Then the trees finally opened, and Anaria stopped.
Ravenfall stretched ahead of them.
Anaria had expected a village, but what she saw was far larger and busier than anything she had imagined. Primitive buildings stood along wide paths, with stalls and shops scattered between them. Beastmen moved through the streets in every direction, their different ears, tails, horns, wings, scales and fur creating a sight Anaria had never witnessed before.
There were wolves, foxes, tigers and bears among the crowd. She spotted rabbits carrying baskets, deer walking with families, snakes speaking with merchants and eagle beastmen moving between the buildings.
For a few seconds, Anaria simply stared.
"This is Ravenfall?" she asked quietly.
Kai looked toward the village. "Looks like it."
Rylan’s gaze moved across the entrance before settling on Anaria. "Ready?"
Anaria blinked and looked at him.
Then she smiled.
"Yeah."
She adjusted the bundle in her arms and stepped forward.
Rylan and Kai followed beside her.
The moment they crossed through the entrance, the noise of Ravenfall surrounded them.
Voices overlapped from nearby stalls. Footsteps passed in every direction. Traders called out to customers while children hurried between their parents. Different species moved freely through the village, each occupied with their own lives.
Anaria took in the bustling village, hardly believing how far they had come from the cave.
She didn’t know what awaited them in Ravenfall, but for once, she wasn’t focused on simply surviving.
She looked at Rylan and Kai before stepping forward with them.
For the first time, Anaria found herself thinking about what kind of life she could build here.