Burning Soul

“Will we really reach her or are we running on luck here?” Catherine got up from her place and made little movements of her head and looked at him suspiciously because she was able to see the same views again and again.

“Well,​​

Let’s hope for the best shall we.” He smiled awkwardly afterwards.

Hearing his unsatisfying answer chilled her soul and turned her knees to water, heat coursed in her veins, her every muscle got tensed and annoyance flared.

" Don't you know the exact route ?"

Her pulse slammed in her neck and she shook with fury. Seeing her anger, Milot could barely breathe, fear twisted his gut, and his blood ran cold. He made her sit down and calmly explained all the facts and situations they were going through to which she calmly listened and agreed quite cheerfully and was also embarrassed for her behaviour.

All this time they were talking Theodore was the only one not talking, he was still keeping quiet.

“Umm Theo! '' he called out, making his voice as cheerful as he could.

Don’t you have anything interesting to tell us? I heard you love adventure as well.” Milot tried to poke him and make him talk, “Yeah he’s been travelling ever since, I heard from my mother that he’s been travelling ever since he was a kid.

You must have a ton of stories to tell!” Catherine leaned forward with an excited face and asked Theodore.

He didn’t reply for a while, it seemed like he wouldn’t reply to anything.

“What better time can be to tell you, there might not be any more tales to come but I can tell you a few!” He turned his weak body around and spoke. His tone was still gloomy and showed no excitement in it, his face was still white as it was earlier but after leaving the palace grounds it was the first time he said something.

After grasping that Theo said something; firstly they looked at each other with amazement and mouth nearly open. Catherine closed her wide-opened mouth and nudged her eyes and face very hard, the thing going on really lifted her mood. They both got a warm, fuzzy feeling, happiness bloomed inside them, they felt fully alive. Happiness mixed with excitement was really very high between them. But then they brought their body and mind both to attention.

“See, he can’t resist adventure even though he’s hurt!” Catherine whispered to Milot

“Is he not hurt anymore?

Does his arm not hurt him?” Milot asked her to which she replied, “Jura cast some High magic on him.

His pain is suppressed but he’s still injured, we gotta take care of him. We must not let him use some weird skill or his wounds will open up!” She warned him about Theo’s condition.

“What are you talking about?” Theo asked them as they seemed to be saying something inaudible. With his narrowed weak eyes he was staring at Catherine and Milot's body gestures in the hope that he would understand the circumstances going on.

He tried to get up from his place but failed. There was still not enough energy in him. But all of a sudden he realised that the pain he was suffering earlier was reduced to a great extent. Earlier the pain ebbed and flowed like a tide through his body making him suffer more. He widened his eyes and touched his cuts and scars to confirm if it's really not painful.

After authenticating his wounds he looked up at them and gave a warm smile. His desire flickered to life, he glowed inside, warmth filled his chest, the hope of getting recovered soon fluttered inside him, some kind of fresh energy filled him and lifted his mood. He was slightly happy with his recovery. After a second he brought his mind to attention and looked at them,

" What were you conversing with a minute ago?" he asked them with a voice that was a little warm now.

“Ah, nothing, just some random stuff, c’mon tell us about an adventure! My ears are craving.” Catherine brushed him off right away.

.

Theo sat up straight and took a deep breath and began talking, “The adventure I’ll tell you was when I was 12.

The oracle was rather old by now and yet I was grounded, my outdoor adventures were practically cut short.

With the guards surrounding every known exit, it was a hassle getting out. By then I'd read almost all the books in the Library and my father had moved the travel logs to some other place so as to spot my curiosity.

Now that I look at it, he only wanted me to be safe from danger.” He hosted a bitter smile while lifting his hand to show the danger he talked about.

“Somehow, I managed to get hold of a particular book that interested me. It was a travel log of a person. The book was heavy and contained many pages in it. It seemed to be an old book because its pages were pulled apart and its colour was changed from white to light brownish orange. Also, it contained a typical smell that generally comes from an old book. The front cover of the book contained a huge black tree and a man who was holding something in his hand, but as it was an old book the drawing on the cover page was whipped out and therefore I wasn't able to figure out what the man on the cover page was holding in his hand. But I must say that book lit a new fire in me.

It was in one of my mother’s possessions. After digging through her belongings for a whole day, I was able to get hold of it. Father must have buried it quite well.

Though, I loved finding hidden stuff.” After a long time, his smile didn't look bitter for the first time.

“Who’s travel log was it?” Catherine asked curiously,

“Unfortunately, it didn’t mention the name of the author but the name was pretty and I remember it quite well, its title was ‘The Wandering Dandelion’. There were many adventurous spots mentioned in the book and it really intrigued me every single time.” He took a deep breath

“While looking through I found a small abandoned site of a Shrine. It was very close to the capital and no matter what I wanted to see it myself. But I knew I wouldn’t be given permission to leave the castle.

I’d just wander around the castle looking for a way to get out and all I found were some blocked exits. That time I wasn’t well versed in unsealing magic and my father took advantage of it to block off the secret exits.

I almost gave up on the fourth day when I came across a hollow plank under a floor mat in one of the chambers in the castle’s passage. After carefully looking at it, it was a door to one of the underground tunnels. I had found my exit then and without giving much thought to it, I jumped in with only the travel log as my guide.``

Hearing him Milot replied, “Damn you were quite a handy kid! I can imagine you running everywhere in the palace looking for an escape!”

“Well by the time I reached the Shrine it was quieter late at night and I was covered in the dirt. When I saw that place, I felt so good. I wasn’t so grand or anything, but I was able to reach that place and It was an achievement on its own for me.

On that fateful day, I didn’t come across any danger or anything. If you look at it wasn’t really an adventure, it was just an escape. But it meant a lot.

First, it meant I was able to do things that I really liked to do, even if everyone tried to stop me. Secondly, the book, the travel log were real and there was no harm in following them!

And most importantly, my adventure, my very own adventure began that day! Well of course I returned late and almost everyone was out looking for me and everyone scolded me for being carefree. Merida went a step ahead and locked me in my own room!” He chuckled at that last bit, on which Catherine replied with a laugh, “Talk about being protective if you huh!”

“Protective! Overprotective.

I wasn’t a kid by then, neither am I right now! She still thinks I need a lot of caretaking!” He smiled wholeheartedly with others.

“You should have seen Vivian’s face when she heard I went out on my own, she was like ‘How dare you to leave me behind. Those were some really good days.” He sighed and looked at the awkward faces staring in the distance, “Well, we’ll have those days again right girl!” Milot awkwardly tried to break the air.

“Oh, of course, we will.

By the way, is it me or we are back to the entrance of the forest! I mean we passed through this spot a while ago.” She pointed