Burning Soul

…

After taking many turns, Theo still couldn’t grasp the vastness of the forest,

he was totally lost in it!

‘Damn, I can’t even tell where to begin,

What I hear, I smell, I see, I can’t make anything out of it!

How am I supposed to find a way!’ He was thinking to himself while keeping a check on the animals he was to hunt.

The traps he set up were gone and he couldn’t see any animal in his field of view.

The nightfall was coming faster, and he was getting more and more restless!

If he couldn’t make it out, he’d be lost and even if he did, they'd stay hungry as he needed to hunt at least something!

‘I don’t have to rely on my senses!

What does that mean?

Wait, He said, feel the flow of Mana around! Can I really rely on Mana Sense alone?’

Theo then sat on the ground and joined his hands while closing his eyes. He then slowed down his breaths and began focusing.

‘I need to shut my ears, my nose, my eyes.’ He sat there for a few moments, without doing any movement!

Still!

After a while, he opened up his eyes, a cold breeze of wind passed by him,

‘There!’

He took his arrow and shot it in the woods!

Here Lumiere and Aeneas were waiting for him as they heard a low howling and a death roar of an animal unknown.

“Did he do it?” Aeneas anxiously asked Lumiere but it seemed like even he was confused,

“In just one go!

How’s that even possible!” Lumiere was looking at the scene with his eyes wide open.

Hearing him say so Aeneas felt a bit Proud of Theo,

“But he needs to come back too, alive!

Now that they’ve acknowledged him as a potential threat, he’ll be hunted.” Lumiere coldly stated to which Aeneas twitched and grabbed him by his collar yelling at him,

“Screw you shitbag!

Why didn’t you tell him that?

Don’t you know he’s a pampered kid, a prince goddamn it!

He’s not a warrior to adapt to such extremes in such a tiny amount of time!”

Hearing him Lumiere didn’t reply right away but waited a bit for Aeneas to calm,

“He’s not that easy to be killed so rest assured, as for why I didn’t tell him that, well, then it wouldn’t have been a tough training if I kept spoon-feeding you all.”

Hearing him Aeneas tightened his fists ready to pounce on him.

“Let’s see if he can make it out!” Lumiere then turned to look at the woods.

‘Crap, from where did all these creatures come! Holy crap, maybe I triggered them!’

Theo somehow managed to grab the kill, the creature he caught wasn’t much familiar but was a little bit bigger than a boar but a lot faster, surely it wasn’t like any wild rabbit as he had predicted!

When he sensed the danger, they were a lot farther than they were now.

Time was running out not to mention his stamina.

The nightfall was just around the corner and he was about to get caught by a swarm of creatures chasing him.

‘Damn it I have no idea where I’m going!

Where's the damn exit?’ Theo was now getting tired; his vision was getting dizzy and he was just a few hands away from being caught up.

…

Just as when he was about to pass out, he heard a voice,

“Turn a bit left and head straight,

don’t stop dear,

you’re almost there!”

Hearing this voice, he remembered he had heard the same voice a while ago, but right now he had no time to think about it.

He followed what she said and headed in a bit left to his,

“Duck!

Close your eyes and do a roll!”

Hearing her, he quickly bent down and rolled on the ground while keeping his eyes shut,

‘Damn what the hell is going on!’

After completing the roll, he opened his eyes only to see Aeneas on his knees right next to him with shocked expressions.

“That was some dramatic entry!”

Hearing Aeneas say this Theo took a deep breath and let out a sigh,

“Oh, damn it! I thought I was done for!”

“So, how was your stroll?” Lumiere walked in and asked him,

“And how did you find your way home?” Lumiere was a bit confused about what was happening as he didn’t expect him to come out in one go.

“I’m not sure, I think I heard some voice who guided me!” Hearing him got Lumiere even more confused.

“Oh wow, you got us food, Damn I was getting hungry!” Aeneas grabbed Theo’s hand as he saw the creature he had caught, he was drooling with dreamy eyes.

Seeing him like this Theo giggled a bit and got up while walking to the hut. Aeneas began to follow him but was stopped by Lumiere,

“Who was he talking about?” Hearing him Aeneas replied,

“What do you mean?”

“He said he heard someone, how’s that possible!

This world is Skadi’s creation and no one can communicate with anyone to or from here, then who talked to him, and a way out?

Was that you by any chance?” Hearing him Aeneas laughed and replied,

“How can I do it! But he hears some random voices every now and then.

Let’s head home, we can talk about it later, I’m hungry!”

…

Saying this he walked ahead leaving him behind. Lumiere stood there a moment,

“Was it you?”

“No! It wasn’t me!

But it’s someone who knows about this place, is careful whoever contacted him is not to be taken lightly” A voice replied to him making him even worried about what he was getting involved with. Looking at both Aeneas and Theo walking to the hut merrily,

‘Hmph, we can deal with that later, right now we need to make him able to deal with what’s at his hands!’ He scratched his head and let out a sigh while walking to the hut,

“Wait for me, do you even know how to cook it?”

…

“Do you think he’ll get better?

I can hardly believe it!” The arch-demon asked Diablo as he saw Theo walking in the painting.

“Isn’t it a better time for us to use ‘that’ as well!

Get it to me we are going to her plane.” Hearing him the arch-demon replied,

“Hmm okay, let’s go then but will Skadi let you in?

And what about Defallages?

He’s getting too cocky!”

Hearing him complain about Defallages, Diablo laughed out loud and stood up from his throne,

“Let him enjoy his meaningless victory, right now we have some important work to do!

It’s time we help him a bit!

Grab that painting, let’s head there and about Skadi, let’s say we know each other!”

This was new to the Arch-Demon, yet he nodded and went to grab the painting,

“Oh, and if possible, bring that container of Divine Blood! He might need it.”

Hearing Diablo say this he stalled right there and looked back at him with a shocked expression,

“Do you plan to do it?

Are you nuts!

If he’s not ready, he might die.”

“Just do it, I’m sure its the time!”

Saying this Diablo took his seat again while taking a sip of Divine Blood from his wine glass.