Chapter 2. The Devouring Cave

They are getting deeper into the forest but the cannoyt-like, borruca-like, and other animals that look so threatening are not moving at all. Morning Dew still used to follow Twig behind grabbing his clothes and is about to scream.

‘This lad is unbelievable,’ he thought and scornfully said, "It's okay, they are safe. They are not moving, you see." He teased him and he chuckled. “You really are a coward Dew! Be like me! I want to be a Knight so I can be strong!”

 Well, being a squire is one thing but becoming a Knight is really impossible. An elusive dream for a serf who doesn’t have the golds to buy his liberty.

“Look!” Morning Dew enthusiastically said.

"Oh! I can see the entrance of the cave from here! Let's hurry Morning Dew! So we can give the hunted animals and feast on them later!" He told him haughtily. "Yes!" He replied quickly.

They raced until they were in the doorway of the cave, but the Dungeon of Monsters is such a silly way to scare children like them. What they can see is a mesmerizing cave that looks like a haven of crystals. They can see a variety of layers from the outside. How much more if they go further enough. Twig probably has the same idea as he stopped and looked at Morning Dew and pointed to the interior of the Crystal lumping together.

"No, Twig! We need to hurry and give these lifeless creatures! It's barely nighttime. People might remember that we've been away for so long, maybe they're going to start a search party! I'm going to get yet another punishment and ... and..." Disturbed and upset, he started counting how the residents are going to punish the misbehaviour of the child.

"Alright! Stop blabbering now, worrywart! You should start aiming high, Dew. We're almost young adults. Quit your whimpering! Are you perhaps a scared child? We need to be squires! We. Need. Be. Squires! Understood?"

‘If we don't do this, how can we leave our status as sons of serfs? We really need to dispel the uncertainty that there is nothing else we can do about it, that is.’ That’s how simple Twig views his lifelong dream. To set his eyes on one thing.

"Huh! We can't even pay for our independence. When we turn fifteen Luners, we'll basically be serfs, a gatherer of the blessings like our poor parents! No one can change that." Refuting, as if he could read his thoughts.

"I can." He claimed loftily. His resolve is indestructible. He just needs to keep going so he, or they can have their great goal accomplished.

"Oh, really? How?" he turned down all Twig’s responses. He would then look at him with discontentment every time he refutes, ‘Why does this man not have the same degree of resolution?’

"With these crystals! I'm going to get each of them and sell them to other merchants next season at the festival!" He responded, referring to the breathtaking crystals in front of them.

"Stop daydreaming, you idiot! Serfs are not allowed to sell anything in the market!" Ignoring the precious gems in front of him, he begins crouching on a rugged, shaggy bristle, dishevelled meadow grass.

"Says who? I can be a squire, I know! And I can ask Sir Lyol to sell these for me." Still not backing out. He arguably said it.

Morning Dew stopped talking for a while now while lying flat on the grass. He is certainly an easy guy to speak to. Well, they were born at the same time. That may be the reason why they share the same intentions periodically. He's an honest childhood companion for a reason. “Oh! I am slamming these crystals like a soft rock with my blade. I got seven colours from them. This should do it!”

He’s almost finished with the eighth when the land begins to tremble. Every quake also felt so strong that he fell on his knees. This is the very first time they felt such a strong tremor. One could realize how tough it is now to find precious metals beneath the surface. You're never going to know when this actually occurs. Morning Dew hurried to ready his stuff when the cave abruptly opened wide, radiating a dazzling light from the ground. It's like there's a few more rare gems inside.

Yet...

However!

“Huk! Why this is shaking endlessly!”

“Oh, my good lord! Somehow, it's like the cave's pulling me in.”

“My body is like ... My body is walking in the direction towards the light”.

"Twig! What are you doing! Let's go!" He said while looking daggers at him. This might be the first time he saw him so alarmed.

"Dew, help me!" He replied immediately.

"Twig! Stop with your pranks! Let's go!" He can see that he's very annoyed now but Twig really meant it. He is incapable of turning thus unable to stop.

"Dew! I can't change the direction of my body. It's walking on its own!" He said.

"Damn! Hold the rope tight!" Agitation can be heard from his hoarse voice.

This is starting to creep them out of here. He can't even keep the long-chain, so Dew wrapped it around his arm, but the intensity is now so incredibly strong for him that he couldn't get Twig out of his physical state. Sweating profusely, Morning Dew is even more afraid of what's going on with him. Morning Dew turned and looked at him and wrapped the rope around his brawny body, too. Wanted to make sure it could help both of them.

Despite these challenges, they are easily dragged inside, even though they desperately tried their hardest fight to push in the opposite direction.

"Steady now! Dew! Let's get out of here!" He thought he might somehow hear him, but he's still working hard really steadily not to be devoured by the cave or the warm light, or whatever it is that!

‘Evil…’

“Demons?”

‘Yes, indeed. It's the demon work! I heard my mother say demons want the blood to satisfy their need to consume. Would they want the blood of something like these creatures, too? The Cannoyt and Ferral in particular? I don't know…’

But! Unsure of what could it be. He shifted his eyes to look for something.

Yet, this...

"Dew! Hand me the basket!" Still caught up with the force pulling them in. Morning Dew still can't hear him begging for the basket that the animals he is carrying. Luckily, they are tied with the same rope. So tugged it so hard that eventually, Morning Dew’s watery eyes caught a glimpse of the rope while he was tugging it.

"Give me the basket full of Ferals! Hurry!" He shouted to ascertain that it reached Morning Dew’s ear who is now looking so desperate.

Slowly, they are being dragged inward. Inch by inch until they reached a couple of meters inside this godforsaken place, as he witnessed something more intricate than that of the gems I obtained earlier. Golds. This place is indeed impressive, yet so dangerous!

‘Wait! Where's my blade? Damn! How can I get the blood of these guys now? I haven't noticed the blade since the cave opened. How careless of me not to keep the only thing that can keep us from possibly dying.’

In addition to that desperation, they are still struggling to go outside but the cave is not letting them out for some reason. How unfortunate. If only one of them was stronger. No, if only they didn't go nearer.

“If only I…”

Twig opened his eyes but what he can only recognize is a completely stark, spacious, and creepy windowless chamber of whiteness. It's not overwhelming but calming. Although it may look bizarre, it's neat and striking. He didn't think this is the cave they were towed inside. There is no one here except him and a flower.

“Huh? A flower? Why does it have to be a flower for all of the things that I can see here?”

… And where is Morning Dew?

“Dew! Where are you, Dew! Morning Dew!”

He tried walking inside the room and he thinks that he feels like he is walking on a soft and fluffy pavement. It's like indeed the floor is covered in unprocessed kinds of cotton. Especially the flower. The lavishly elegant and multicoloured flower. “Wait. That's suspiciously the same number of colours of the gems I have.”

Indeed, there are a lot of colours in the petals, where you can see red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet.

“Perhaps this is because it grew in the middle of an unnatural cave? Or is this because it is in a strange place? However, how is it possible that it's warm here? I don't know anymore! One thing I know, I am stuck in the middle of nowhere, with nothing but a flower! A flower! I suppose I can eat that or what?”

‘Now, let's just stay calm and check for any possible exits. Damn! Is there even a way out?’ He continued looking at the place thinking that there is no way out.

“Is this a room... of clouds? Huh.”

This mishap is like a nightmare yet a likeable dream. One could mistake it as haven since no one is here. It's not dangerous as well but one wouldn't consider this as a dream. Although he is worried about Morning Dew, he can't find him here. After a moment of realization, he stopped and rested for a while. “Where can I even find that person where I see nothing but a small flower?” 

“Alright, think. So, this location should be the cave. If this is the centre of the cave, and everything is neutral, I should look for a small hole or anything that can help me escape and slowly hike our way outside, but what if there's plenty of dangerous creatures outside this room? How can I fight them with a fist?” 

This is truly a deplorable turn of events. It makes no difference if he stays here to die or fight his way back if there are a lot of beasts waiting for him to be devoured. It's been a couple of hours since he poked around every nook and cranny of this room searching for a hidden switch to something that can open anything. Yet he failed.

“What in God's bone is happening here? Is this the paradise that my mother told me about? The afterlife?” What a cliche.

He can still feel my warm hand and he can still hold the gems. If a person has already passed his lifetime, he should not be able to hold out things so easily. Right? Though he can see his breath coming out of his mouth. “Wait, not again!”

“Is it cold? Is it winter here? But I don't feel like there is any hint of coldness here. I am still fine. My body still sweats like it's spring but my puff of breath signifies otherwise like it's somehow very cold.”

‘Am I... nervous?’

‘Hey. shit. This isn't funny. ...and these clouds.’

What twig felt isn't really physically draining or real and tangible, but more weird and absurd and utterly illogical and could only be described as nonsense.