Chapitre 23: CHAPTER 23- FAREWELL
Alaster rubbed the back of his head, he needed to say something. He didn't want to tell her he was a Death Mage, but it would not take long for her to realize the shelter was made out of bone. There weren't exactly a lot of Novice Classes who could manipulate bone like that. And eventually, she would see the Skeletons. That was just inevitable.
The Night Children were small, fast, and could climb just about anything, but they didn't have much in the way of actual stealth. And they would be constantly moving to keep up with them. If they were just passing over someone, odds are the people would not notice or think it was a bird, but they would be following Astrid. Eventually she would catch on that something was not normal.
Alaster took a deep breath and sighed, "I'm a Death Mage."
Astrid's eyes widened, "You're a Mage? But you have a sword?"
Her eyes finally noticed the fancier clothes Alaster wore.
"You're a noble! I am so sorry sir if I disrespected you!" Even as traumatized as she was, the fear of nobility clung to all commoners, even more so for those with no power or influence, such as Beggars or Orphans.
Alaster waved his hand, "I'm not a noble. I was under the employ of a noble, but circumstances forced us to part ways for a while. This Ring was given to me as a gift by the Noble's Wizard."
She calmed down, "What did you do for them?"
"I'd rather not get into it. It is a rather long story, and we have more pressing matters. As a Death Mage, I can summon skeletons to obey my orders. Right now, they are throwing all the Goblins into a pile to be burned. However, I do not know how you want your friends to be treated."
She hugged her knees tightly, resting her chin on them. Several moments passed in silence, only the cracking and popping of the fire disrupting it.
"I would like them to also be burned. I don't want monsters to get to them."
"I understand. You stay here while I go get this all done. When it's done, we can leave, if it's still light out."
She silently nodded, her eyes wet.
Alaster quickly left the Shelter, ducking under the thick hide curtain. Standing up straight, he shivered as the cold wind hit him.
'She still has my cloak.'
He was tempted to go back in and ask for it, but knew that it would not be right. As it was, the cloak was probably her strongest sense of safety at the moment. Steeling himself, Alaster walked towards the center of the Tribe, where the large pile of Goblins were all thrown together.
As Alaster walked towards the pile, he saw one of the Night Children drag another Goblin by the feet and throw it onto the pile. Blood poured from the corpse and spilled onto the snow. As the Child ran away to fetch another, the second Child walked around the corner of a Hut dragging another Goblin.
'Making good progress, I guess.'
Instead, Alaster turned to the large stone hut. The sight still burned brightly in his mind, but he knew he could not allow either the Night Children or Astrid to take care of them.
Alaster tore the curtain from the doorway, tossing it aside. One by one, the young man carefully carried out the women and laid them gently in the snow, laying the hide over their bodies and faces.
Two hours later, the Night Children had finished with the Goblins and instead crouched to either side of the Shelter while Alaster laid the last woman down. As strong as he was and light as they were, he was still breathing harder and hot.
He took a moment to quickly stretch and check to ensure his mana was full. Then he stood in front of the pile of Goblin corpses and raised his hand. Over the course of several minutes, the bones of the Goblins exited their bodies and fell into their own pile next to Alaster. When it was done, the pile was much smaller without the bones keeping the shape. He put the bones into the Ring, a process that took just as long as retrieving them.
Alaster entered the shelter and warmed his hands over the fire. It was beginning to burn down, but Alaster did not add more wood. He wanted to leave soon. Astrid had not moved from the corner, and it looked like she had been silently crying for a while.
The young man sat down and pulled out the largest hide and a few smaller pieces. He used [Death Touch] and prepared them. Astrid watched, completely fascinated. He wrapped the large piece around his shoulders, holding it in place with a sharp piece of bone he shoved through and molded flat. As for the smaller pieces, Alaster carefully wrapped Astrid's feet, once again using bone to hold them together.
"We're ready." Alaster informed her, holding out his hand. She hesitated, but grabbed it and allowed him to lift her to her feet.
"How are the wrappings?"
"They feel weird, but are much warmer. Thank you."
"Before we leave, I'll make you some snow shoes. That should make it much easier to walk through the snow."
"Aren't we leaving now?" Astrid asked, frowning.
"There is one last thing I have to do, and one last thing you have to do."
She looked at him strangely, but he had already held open the curtain and motioned her out.
Once she was outside, she saw the Night Children crouched to either side of the shelter, watching her. She yelped and jumped away from them.
"Calm down, they are mine. Besides, they aren't that scary." Alaster said, examining the Children now that they were in the light. "Never mind. That is pretty bad."
They were covered in Goblin Blood. Their hands up to their elbows were completely covered, and apparently, they had even bitten into a couple of Goblins. Alaster had sharpened their teeth for the looks. He did not actually expect them to use the teeth, but they certainly had. The majority of the front of their skulls are splattered with dark blood that seemed to dye the bone. Their bright green eyes shone through the slits, contrasting the dark blood.
"Those are yours?" Astrid asked, her voice shaking.
"Yes. They are the ones that killed all the Goblins. I'll have them wash at the next stream we come across, but they will just get covered again the next time they fight." Alaster explained as he began to disassemble the shelter.
Within a few minutes, the shelter was completely in his Ring.
"That Ring of Holding is really nice." Astrid muttered, more to herself than anything.
"Yes, it is, the Wizard who made it for me had just become an Expert Warp Mage. This was the first one he made. I suspect that by now, the entire Noble Family he serves has their own, much better Rings. This one is fairly small. If it was bigger, I would have made the shelter bigger. Unfortunately, that is as big as I can make it. So, we will be a bit cramped, sorry."
"As long as it's warm." She cracked a weak smile.
"Trust me, I despise the cold. It will be warm, or I will work on it until it is."
She smiled a genuine, if small, smile.
"Follow me." Alaster motioned the way to the pile. It was hidden behind the large hut.
They walked slowly, as Astrid's legs were still weak. The Night Children hopped from one spot to the next like rabbits. Alaster stayed right next to Astrid, ready to catch her if it was needed. As close as he was, he was able to hear her breathing speed up the closer they got to the Hut.
Alaster wrapped his arm around her to support her and keep her moving. They walked past the Hut and Astrid almost stopped at the sight of the Goblin pile, but Alaster kept her moving. Next to the pile of Goblins, in a tight but neat row, lay the woman with hides covering their bodies.
Astrid stopped and collapsed to the snow. Alaster crouched down next to her.
"Stand up." He commanded
"I-I can't." Her breathing was erratic. Her words faint whispers.
"Yes you can. You have to do this, Astrid."
She looked up at him, her face as pale as the snow. Her bright green eyes wide with terror and her split and cracked lips trembling.
He ordered one of the Night Children closer and grabbed the torch from it. He held it out to Astrid.
"You have to end this, or it will continue to haunt you."
"I can't!" She seemed to almost plead with him.
"Astrid! This isn't for you!" He shouted at her, causing her to recoil, "This is for them. You owe it to them as the only one to survive to make it right! You owe it to them to stand tall and strong."
She sat in the snow, with the Bugbear hide still wrapped around her, and hung her head.
"How?" She asked.
"By putting them to rest and living your life the best way you know how. Now stand up."
He helped her to her feet. When he let go, she stumbled but remained standing. He handed her the burning torch and took a step back.
Astrid took a deep breath to calm her breathing. As she took the first step, she remembered the memories she had shared with her friends in the Orphanage. She took a second step, and she remembered the day each of them had come to the Orphanage. As her foot crushed the snow beneath on the third step, she recalled all of their excitement at turning fifteen and showing off their new classes. And on the fourth step, she recalled that day. The day she had lost everything.
Tears fell freely, but she did not allow them to obscure her vision, not yet. She leaned down and touched the torch to the row of her friends. The dry and rotting hides quickly light and spread. Astrid stepped back and threw the torch into the pile of Goblins. Within moments, it was a bonfire.
Alaster supported Astrid as she walked backward, not taking her eyes off her friends. She watched as sparks flew off the pile and landed on the nearby huts, setting them ablaze.
Her strength left her, and she fell to the snow once more. Alaster slowed her fall, but did not stop it. She leaned into him as she closed her eyes, feeling the heat of the flames consume everything of the Goblins, and basked in the warmth as darkness consumed her.
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Silver_Realm
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État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
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Power Stone 
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