When Rei became unable to cry anymore, she apologized for her behavior and quickly froze her expression.

The pain was too recent, yet she had a duty.

So, Avaln realized.

As they searched for the map, he noticed she would examine the bodies thoroughly, without touching them more than necessary but with her eyes fixed on them as if she was looking at a painting rather than a decaying corpse. Then, she would take one of their possessions, probably something that identified them, and saved it inside her satchel.

Almost ceremoniously, they inspected every corpse. Their number, around twenty. Rei had to pause a few times at first, overwhelmed by the sight and smell, but after a while, her senses began to get used to it.

And after half an incense stick would have burned, Avaln heard her calling out to him.

“This… this is Dan.” She said, simply.

In front of Rei was a corpse that belonged to someone as tall as Avaln. His face, much like the rest of his body, had been pecked and bitten off, revealing most of his skull, and as he inspected him with his seventh sense, he realized it was the same corpse he had taken the spear from.

He looked at it from a new perspective, and for the first time he wondered about the nature of the soul and the wishes of the spirit.

“Don’t worry.” Avaln said, while looking at the corpse as if Dan was still alive. “I’ll keep her safe.”

Of course, nothing happened. He didn't expect anything to happen either, and while deep in thought he completely missed the look Rei gave him, a light being born in her eyes, as the reaction quickly faded under the weight of their surroundings.

“He had this.” She handed him over a piece of folded leather, which he swiftly examined.

It was the map. It detailed the whole area inside the Demon Boar mountain range, and Dan had also skillfully traced the route they had followed up to the clearing they were at.

Avaln nodded, satisfied, then cast a glance towards Rei. “Ready?”

She answered with a gesture, and as they were about to leave the clearing, she turned around and bowed.

“Thanks… for everything.”

It took them about three days to reach Gale. Such was the distance the youths had managed to cover in the week they were out.

During the first, Avaln and Rei carefully walked southeast with the help of the map. They even discovered some markings Dan had left, creating a certain sense of being watched over by the wishes of the departed.

Dan had given his life to save Rei. It felt only fitting his map served to help them find their way back.

Also, they didn’t encounter any demon boars, yet not because of the lack of them. Albeit not numerous, there were moments where they had to hide or leave their route momentarily to avert them. Due to this, Avaln began to really appreciate the value of his seventh sense, for even if he could now fight, their priority was to reach Gale as soon as possible, and braving a battle while also protecting Rei, without any previous preparations like before, would be just inviting risk. They also caught sight of many tracks that seemed to lead deep into the mountains, and by the amount, they inferred a great number of demon boars had heard that same sort of call.

As to why and how, they were left clueless, yet the mystery carried an unexpected boon, as a certain sense of security filled Rei’s heart. Her smile soon returned, and her deference towards Avaln stopped feeling forced to him.

The second day was more of the same. Avaln only used the little time he had to sleep to keep comprehending inside his soul, for the rest he preferred to remain alert in case something unexpected happened.

Their food, however, ran out that night.

They discussed the possibility of setting a trap to catch something to eat, yet they soon realized through their shared experiences that the forest seemed devoid of any animals aside from some scavenger birds, and Avaln guessed the demon boars had devoured everything else to extinction. Before such circumstances, they quickly resigned themselves to resist their thirst and hunger a while longer.

The third day was a long one. Rei managed to find some mushrooms which somehow filled her enough to carry on. Avaln had a hard time convincing her of eating them herself, saying he was mostly fine, which was true, and she begrudgingly accepted.

Her exhaustion was evident due to the bags under her eyes, and her dry lips. She had also cried a lot at the clearing, depriving her body of her liquid reserves. As a two-person team, with almost no threat of demon boars in their way, Avaln was quite sure they could make it to Gale in just three days, otherwise, he would have reconsidered the plan.

It wasn’t until the next morning that they finally caught a glimpse of a small village through the trees. Rei’s face brightened at the sight, a sudden spring in her steps, and they quickly exited the forest and walked into Gale.

The village wasn’t big. In fact, Avaln could describe it as just one little crossroads with a few houses. A forge could be seen at the far left end, while the right one he guessed led to Greenleaf, albeit the city would still be far away.

“Rei?” A female voice called. “Rei, is that really you?”

Avaln slowed his pace, allowing the girl the privacy she needed.

“Yes, aunt. It’s me!” At the sight of a familiar face, her knees gave in, which Avaln caught sight of and quickly ran to support her. “I’m sorry… thanks.”

Of course, he was still shirtless. The woman Rei called aunt quickly examined him from head to toe, a gaze he didn’t miss, and seemed to be at a loss at what to make of him. They lived in a small village, after all, so it was quite easy for them to recognize him as an outsider.

“She needs water, and something to eat. Preferably something easy to digest but nutritive. We’ve been eating pretty much nothing but mushrooms for a week now.” He quickly instructed, as Rei’s body relaxed so much she seemed unable to stand on her own.

The aunt, in her thirties and with black hair tied in a bun, nodded with a serious look. “Here, follow me. Everyone! Rei has come back!”

Suddenly, the village came to life. Multiple people rushed out from their homes, some skeptical, others hopeful, and surrounded them, while two men of about the same age as the aunt from before, took over Avaln’s duty of carrying Rei. His path then was barred by another group of men who looked at him suspiciously. Having a shirt on probably wouldn’t have made a difference in their eyes.

“Don’t you make trouble for him, Old man Ji. Master Avaln saved my life!” Shouted Rei with a strength Avaln didn’t expect from her.

The old man Ji, which was the one with the greyest hair and the most hostile look, only turned more suspicious upon hearing this, yet didn’t seem to want to antagonize Avaln out of respect for her.

Rei soon disappeared, guided by the aunt inside a house at the far end of the road, closely followed by the men carrying her. After they went in, the men surrounding Avaln began asking him questions about the rest of the group, why he was inside the Demon Boar Mountain range, who he was, and what had he done to Rei.

Avaln didn’t know what to answer, and soon realized no matter what he said he’d still be viewed as an outsider who brought a weak Rei to them. They also seemed to had been poisoned by their anger for so long that Avaln became just the target they were looking for.

“Oh, for Apollo. You men wouldn’t see a chicken even if it was shitting on your pants!” shouted an old woman who made way between them without the need to touch them. She had a stoic semblance, grey hair tied into a bun, and wore the same fashion of simple, strapped clothes as Rei. “Come here, lad. I’ll give you something to eat. You don’t show it but I can tell you haven’t eaten in a while.”

Avaln quickly followed her, no longer barred by the men, which somehow didn’t surprise him. And as he probed her with his seventh sense, he quickly understood why.

Through comparing the density of her essence, he inferred the old woman had most likely reached the Tempered Essence realm. As to her stage, he lacked the knowledge to tell, but he was pretty sure the men were only at the Nascent Essence realm, some at the second stage, and the older ones at the third.

“You are probably wondering why so many strong men acted so meekly in front of me.” She commented.

“I’m not, actually. Venerable one could probably trash them in just a few slaps.” He replied, using a title he felt was fitting given the situation. She gave him an appraising look, then nodded.

Avaln didn’t have much information, but by the reaction everyone had, she probably held some high place in the village’s hierarchy, probably chief, or something like it.

“Oh, don’t call me Venerable. You saved little Ri, so it’s only proper for you to call me grandma Mira.” She cast a kind glance at him, then opened the door to a humble looking house. “Please, come in.”

Inside, the place matched quite well with the outside. What surprised Avaln, however, was the huge amount of herbs that laid inside a room, shelves full of little flasks with their own labels. The old woman called Mira gestured him to sit at a table, then approached the kitchen and brought back a teapot, a couple of cups, some cheese and some bread.

“I hope you are fine with this for now. I’ll prepare a wind rabbit stew later.” She said, as she sat opposite of him. She was an old woman, but her movements were anything but old, while her expression held wisdom, yet lacked the defeat of time.

Avaln nodded, slightly bowed, then took a portion of what she brought.

It wasn’t until he finished drinking his tea that grandma Mira spoke again. “Can I ask you a question?”

Avaln returned her gaze. “Of course. I’ll do my best to answer.”

She nodded, then with her fingers intertwined on the table, tried to suppress her trembling. “It’s my Dan… dead?”

Realization dawned on him. Kindness was really something that could be passed on.

Avaln answered by picking up something he had brought with him inside. “This is his spear. He saved Rei, then his weapon saved both my life and Rei’s again.”

Grandma Mira examined it, nodded, then wiped her eyes clean of what could have been just dust. “You should stay here for now. The men outside have all lost someone and don’t know where to vent their frustration. They blame Greenleaf’s negligence, but the truth is it was our own fault our younguns rushed into the forest. It was our responsibility to keep them safe… but they won’t see it that way until it hits them. You say the spear saved your life, and I’m grateful for your kind words… but I can see in its edge only someone with high skill could use it like that and not break it. My Dan had the will, but not the skill.”

She cupped Avaln’s hands with her own. “For bringing his spirit, and his wish, back home… I thank you.”

Then, she stood and walked inside her room, closing the door. Avaln was left speechless, and realized he never had an appetite to begin with.

In the village of Gale, no wind could be felt.