Chapter 117: The First Step to the Sylvara Tribe
Cerus stared at Ikarus in disbelief. He couldn’t believe Ikarus was actually asking him to stay behind in the settlement. Just as he opened his mouth to protest, Ikarus spoke first. "I’ll be staying here too."
"What?" Cerus frowned in confusion.
Maeve was just as surprised. "What? Why? Shouldn’t you come with us?"
If Ikarus wanted to say he had to protect the settlement, it didn’t really make sense. The three of them had left together before when they escorted her to the Tomb of Heart.
Then again, after thinking about it, Maeve realized that had probably been different. The Tomb of Heart needed to recognize all three of their souls before it would allow her to enter.
"I can’t leave Lior alone," Ikarus finally explained. "If his mother is going away, then at least his father should stay with him. Besides, the wild beasts will keep coming, and I think Cerus is the best person to deal with them."
Cerus frowned even more. "Aren’t there plenty of other warriors?" he argued. "If we can’t trust them with something like this, then what’s the point of me training them day and night?"
"I know," Ikarus replied calmly. "But don’t forget that we have many pregnant females in the settlement. We have to protect them no matter what. That’s why we need our strongest fighter here to make sure everyone stays safe."
Cerus wanted to argue, but deep down, he knew Ikarus was right. The other warriors were capable enough to defend the settlement. But when people thought of the tribe’s strongest fighter, Cerus was always the first person who came to mind.
In the end, he let out a long sigh. "If you put it that way... I guess I can’t say no." After a brief pause, he looked back at Ikarus. "But I still think you should go with Maeve. As for Lior, aren’t I his father too? We all have the same face anyway."
Ikarus and Axan exchanged a glance before both turning to Maeve. She smiled and shook her head. "No. He can tell all of you apart without any trouble."
The triplets might have identical faces, but their hairstyles and hair colors were different. More importantly, each of them had a completely different personality.
"Hey! I’m not that different from Ikarus!" Cerus protested.
Before his voice could get any louder, he clicked his tongue and forced himself to calm down. "But whatever, that’s not the point!" He pointed at Ikarus. "If you really believe I can protect this settlement, then you should go with Maeve."
"Lior might not have both of his parents with him, but he’ll still have his uncle!" Cerus continued. "Isn’t that enough? His uncle is strong and reliable too!"
Sometimes, Maeve still wasn’t sure whether she should call them Lior’s fathers or his uncles. But in the end, it didn’t seem to matter. Either way felt just as natural.
Ikarus remained silent for a long moment. He had been struggling with this decision from the very beginning. Part of him wanted to stay behind for Lior, but another part couldn’t stop worrying about Maeve.
She was still suffering from the side effects of her awakening, and the thought of letting her travel to an unfamiliar place without him left him uneasy.
After a long silence, he finally let out a sigh. "Fine." Everyone turned to look at him. "I’ll go with Maeve."
A relieved smile immediately spread across Maeve’s face.
Cerus, on the other hand, crossed his arms and grinned. "See? That’s exactly what I wanted to hear."
But after thinking about it for a moment, Cerus suddenly realized something.
"Wait a second..." His eyes widened. "Doesn’t that mean I’m the only one staying behind? That’s so unfair!"
Axan finally spoke up. "Didn’t you just say Lior needs his uncle?"
Cerus immediately pointed at him. "You’re his uncle too! So why don’t you stay?"
Axan simply shrugged and replied in his usual calm tone. "Because the Sylvara Tribe has only met me before, so it’ll be safer if I go with them. Besides, I have distinctive hair, so Ikarus won’t be able to pretend to be me. That’s why, Brother, you should stay here by yourself."
Cerus stared at him with a look of disbelief. Even though Cerus wasn’t happy with that answer, he couldn’t think of anything to say in return.
He clicked his tongue in annoyance. "You bastard. Fine! I’ll stay!" Then he pointed a finger at both of them. "But if Maeve comes back and she’s still sick, I’ll drown the two of you!"
Axan looked at him without the slightest hint of fear. "With what?" he asked calmly. "The river isn’t even deep enough to drown me."
Cerus opened his mouth, ready to argue back, but before another word could leave his lips, they suddenly heard Maeve let out another painful groan.
Everyone’s attention instantly shifted to her and it seemed the pain hadn’t ended yet. The effects of the failed bond were still lingering.
[That’s right, Host!] Pinky said. [The bond failure was far too severe. Both you and the plants will continue to feel the pain for several more hours!]
Maeve clenched her teeth, her face turning pale as another wave of pain spread through her body. ’Then at least tell me how many hours,’ she complained inwardly.
[For your current condition, it can last for three to four hours.]
That was such a long time to endure the pain!
"Let’s get you out of here first." Axan finally stood up and carefully lifted her into his arms. He moved with great care because he didn’t want Maeve to accidentally touch any of the other plants.
Maeve was ordered to get complete rest for the remainder of the day.
Since even the slightest careless touch could trigger another wave of pain, Lior was temporarily left in the care of the other females in the settlement. Although Maeve wanted nothing more than to hold her son before leaving, she could only watch from a distance as one of the women gently carried him away.
"I’ll hold you soon," she whispered softly, even though Lior was far too young to understand her words.
Meanwhile, Ikarus and Axan began preparing for the journey.
They packed dried meat, smoked meat, apples, clean water, and several medicinal herbs Elder Vax had given them. Since the Sylvara Tribe lived high in a secluded mountain, they also brought thick animal-fur cloaks, extra clothes, blankets, flint for making fires, and a few simple tools that might be useful during the trip.
Cerus silently helped them tie the bags shut before handing them over. "I’ll keep an eye on the settlement," he said. "So don’t waste time worrying about us."
Ikarus gave a small nod. "I know."
The next morning arrived sooner than anyone expected.
As the first rays of sunlight spread across the settlement, Maeve took a deep breath before taking three silver bracelets from her storage space.
"I almost forgot," she said with a small smile. "These are for all of you."
One by one, she handed a bracelet to Ikarus, Axan, and Cerus.
Cerus tilted his head in confusion. "What is this?"
Maeve replied with a smile. "This is also a gift from the Sky Mother."
The three men looked down at the simple bracelets resting in their hands.
"They’re called Harmony Bracelets," Maeve explained. "As long as we stay together, they’ll strengthen our bond and make all of us stronger."
Just as the three of them finished putting on their bracelets, Pinky’s voice echoed inside Maeve’s mind.
[Host, I should remind you of something.]
’Hm?’
[Since Cerus won’t be traveling with you, the Harmony Bracelets won’t be able to reach their full potential.]
Maeve blinked. ’What do you mean?’
[The bracelets were created to strengthen the bond between all four of you. If one person is too far away, the connection becomes incomplete.] Pinky pointed at the three bracelets. [With Cerus staying behind, the bracelets will only be about 34 percent effective during your journey.]
Maeve nodded inwardly. ’That should still be enough.’
Even if they couldn’t use the bracelets to their full potential, a thirty-four percent increase in strength was still a powerful advantage for the dangerous journey that lay ahead.
She looked at the three men standing before her and smiled softly. "Let’s go."
Ikarus nodded, then adjusted the heavy pack on his back. Axan did the same before stepping to Maeve’s side, ready to support her if another wave of pain struck.
But luckily, Axan had made a pair of boots for Maeve, so she didn’t have to worry about accidentally stepping on the wild grass.
Cerus then walked them all the way to the entrance of the settlement.
The morning air was cool, and a thin layer of mist still covered the ground. Several tribe members had already gathered near the gate to see them off.
Lior was sleeping peacefully in Zini’s arms, completely unaware that his parents were about to leave for several days.
Cerus gently patted Maeve’s head. "Take care."
Maeve smiled. "I will."