Malakai turned toward the direction his finger was pointing and narrowed his eyes. It was the opposite direction from where they had gone earlier.
'Deeper into the forest.'
If the entire forest was the Gor'Mekhai's territory, then following Grunde meant entering deeper into enemy ground.
'It's too dangerous.' The adjudicator had said they had Blooms. If the city was wary of them, then Nyx might not be able to protect him.
Malakai's gaze stayed on the trail. 'I don't want to miss this,' he thought. 'I'll only follow him so far. I'll stop if he goes too deep.'
He told himself that and began sprinting through the forest.
Despite the eeriness of the place, Malakai would've still preferred being in the forest rather than out.
The vita density here was so high he could feel it clinging to his skin. And the deeper he went, the more it seemed to increase. It was insane, addictive.
And with each passing second, Malakai could hear the faint call of the life essence within him.
'What is this feeling?' His gaze sharpened. He couldn't explain it, but it felt like the life essence was trying to tell him something.
It was as though it begged him to keep going, to keep moving deeper into the forest. That something precious, something of great significance, awaited him. Malakai could feel its hunger.
Just as he began pondering its meaning, he felt his finger point down, and he came to an abrupt stop. That was their sign to halt.
He cleared his thoughts and focused his gaze ahead. 'A lake?'
He was just a distance away from a small lake. Grunde was seated on one of the large rocks, waiting patiently for something or someone.
'I need a higher vantage point.' Malakai turned toward the nearest tree. With quick strides, he reached it and scaled up, settling onto one of the large branches high above.
'It's really large.' Malakai had been to Renlo's treehouse once, but he still remembered it clearly. This branch was just as wide.
He approached its edge and peered down toward the distant lake, making sure to keep his presence faint.
'Who's he waiting for?' Malakai had a good idea, but the silence gave him time to consider the questions spinning in his head.
Still, he chose to wait and see instead of making assumptions.
Some long minutes passed. Malakai began growing impatient. He checked the time.
Just when he was starting to wonder if anyone, or anything, was coming, the sound of footsteps in the quiet night broke his thoughts.
Malakai froze and focused.
A figure stepped out from the foliage of trees to the lake, the moonlight bathing her form. Malakai's eyes sharpened the moment he saw her.
The figure looked just like the savages from earlier, only her beast parts were different.
She had mismatched skin tones, flowing black hair, and legs bent at an awkward angle. Malakai could guess they weren't her real legs. Beasts'
Her face, though… was normal. Human. Malakai could even admit she was beautiful.
'A Gor'Mekhai.' Malakai's mind began spinning.
Grunde rose to his feet as the woman, no, the Gor'Mekhai, came into view.
Malakai cleared his mind and focused on what would happen next. This moment would confirm everything.
The two of them walked slowly toward each other. Then, Malakai's eyes widened as Grunde pulled her into a tight hug.
"Grunde has missed Luna so much!" his voice thundered through the quiet night.
Malakai was struggling to understand the current scene. 'What is this?' he wondered.
Grunde had pulled the Gor'Mekhai into a hug, the same kind that had ripped out an adjudicator's arm earlier today.
Still, he kept observing.
They pulled apart after what felt like a full minute. The big guy was a hugger, Malakai knew that much.
Even so, he watched as they clung to each other, the Gor'Mekhai cupping his large cheeks gently.
"I missed Grunde too."
Her voice was softer than Malakai had expected, feminine, even. Especially after hearing how savagely her kind spoke earlier.
"Oh Luna!" Grunde said. "Grunde doesn't want to ever leave you again!"
Malakai froze as they leaned in and kissed. It lasted longer than he would've liked, but he didn't take his eyes away. He couldn't afford to miss anything important. Yes, that was the reason.
"Grunde is sorry about your friends. I didn't hurt them too much."
The Gor'Mekhai, Luna, smiled. "You didn't. And I thank you for that, Grunde."
"Baa. Luna's friends are Grunde's friends." He waved, then paused. "Grunde will grow stronger in the future so that our friends wouldn't have to fight each other again!"
"You're so simple and pure hearted, Grunde," Luna said, cupping his cheeks once more. "It's one of the things I love about you."
They kissed again, and Malakai held back the urge to vomit.
Afterwards, they settled on a large rock, Luna seated on Grunde's lap as they cuddled.
"I'm sorry you had to fight my people today. I hope you weren't hurt," Luna said, her gaze warm.
Grunde grinned. "Grunde is very strong. Not a scratch." He flexed his arms proudly, and Luna giggled.
"Of course. Don't mind me."
Her expression shifted after a few seconds, turning somber. "The aggression between our groups is getting worse. I fear what will happen if things continue ."
"Don't worry, Luna," Grunde said, surprisingly serious. "Grunde will stop the fight between our people!"
Luna only smiled and hugged him tightly.
Malakai watched everything unfold with a difficult expression.
'They're lovers.' He had realized it since the hug, definitely after the kiss, but it was still hard to fully believe. Does it even make any sense!?
'How do I proceed?' From their conversation, it was clear. The spy theory he had been running with all day was completely wrong. They were simply lovers, on two hostile sides.
Malakai didn't know how to move forward.
Suddenly, a shiver ran through his body.
He had just felt a slight vibration travel through his veins.
It was a warning, a sharp signal from Nyx.
Malakai's instincts acted before thought could form. He reached out to the vita, and in an instant, the space twenty meters behind him lit up like a glowing canvas.
He saw it. A gleaming dagger screamed toward his back.
Vita roared through his body, he moved.