Dune awoke with a jolt, his body sore and head aching faintly. His eyes met a pair of wide green ones staring intently at him. For a moment, he wasn't sure if he was still dreaming.
"Ah, you're awake!" Mindya chirped, crouched above him with a crooked grin.
Startled, Dune pushed her back gently and sat up. His senses came back slowly. The place was dim, earthy. "Where… is this?"
"Uh…" Mindya hesitated, then jumped to her feet and gestured proudly around. "My house!"
Dune blinked, taking in the oddly shaped walls, the slight sway in the floor beneath him. No, this wasn't a house. They were inside a tree.
"You live here?" he asked, rubbing his temple.
"Yep!" she said with a nod, her sharp teeth flashing in a genuine smile. "This here's the window I made! And that over there is my bed, your bed for now, I guess! That's the table… and that's where I sleep!"
Dune stood and walked slowly around the cramped space. Despite its strangeness, the place had a strange warmth to it. "It's… cool," he said with a smirk.
Mindya's eyes sparkled. "Right?! I love sitting here, watching through the window. And hunting! I love hunting and eating meat… though…"
Her voice trailed off. Her grin faded. Her hand trembled slightly as she brought it to her chest. Her body, previously full of energy, seemed to shrink into itself.
Dune watched her in silence. He didn't need to ask. He already knew what shadow her thoughts had stumbled into.
"He's dead," Dune said firmly.
Mindya's eyes widened.
"You don't have to be afraid anymore. Live however you want."
She stared at him for a long second, still processing, still uncertain. But then she nodded slowly. For the first time, there was peace in her expression.
"…Is the whole village like that?" Dune asked.
Mindya blinked. "Like what?"
"Like Rudy."
She quickly shook her head. "No, no! Rudy was really evil! But the villagers… they helped me lots of times."
Dune frowned.
"They gave me food! Remember? You were there too, Human Person! They threw food for me to eat!"
She laughed proudly, but Dune's stomach churned.
She actually believed they were being kind. She truly thought the scraps they tossed at her like a dog were gifts.
He sighed. No one had ever shown her what real kindness looked like.
"We have to do something," Dune said, stepping toward the exit. "Or we might be in trouble later."
A few hours later, Dune and Mindya stood in front of the towering figure of Arech, with Cadogan at his side.
"You what?" Arech said sharply, leaning forward.
"I joined Rudy and his group for the hunt you shared," Dune said evenly. "I landed the killing blow on the golden bull. But we were ambushed by black bulls. Only the two of us survived."
Mindya glanced sideways at him, her eyes wide. She remembered how they found Rudy's body, still fresh, with Dune standing above it. She remembered how he burned the wounds, hiding the sword marks beneath charred Neba scars.
"Black bulls?" Arech growled. He slammed his hand against the table. "Damn it! That's a huge loss."
Cadogan studied Dune carefully. There was a flicker of suspicion in his eyes, but he said nothing.
"At least you two made it out alive," Arech muttered, sitting back. "Good job. You're dismissed."
But Dune didn't move. He reached into his cloak and tossed the glowing core onto the table.
"Three hundred," he said calmly.
Arech's eyes flicked to the orb, then to Cadogan.
Arech's thoughts swirled. Cadogan… Who the hell did you bring into my city…?
Arech reached for a satchel and pulled out the coins, counting silently before passing them over. Dune took the pouch and turned away, but not before reaching into it and pulling out a third of the haul.
"Here."
He handed the hundred Neba coins to Mindya.
She froze. "For… me?"
"For saving me," Dune said plainly. "You know what these are, right? Buy all the meat you want."
Mindya stared at the coins, speechless. Then her face lit up.
"No! No, this is for the giant Turtle!" she squealed, holding the coins tight to her chest.
"When the giant turtle comes back, they'll bring all the yummies, and I'll buy everything! Everything!"
She spun on her heel and bolted out of the room, laughing wildly.
Dune blinked. "Giant turtle…?"
He shook his head and walked out of the chamber.
The house was quiet when he returned. Ned and Atlas sat near the wooden wall, talking softly with Cadogan.
"Is it time?" Dune asked.
Cadogan looked at him, and something shifted behind the older man's calm gaze.
"Yes," he said. "We leave at dawn. Get some rest, all of you."
Dune nodded. He glanced once more out the open window carved into the tree wall.
The wind was gentle. The scent of the forest still clung to his cloak. Somewhere in the branches above, Mindya's laughter still echoed faintly.
Tomorrow, the road to Rendely would continue.
Dune sat on the rough bedding, exhausted. The aches in his muscles were dull reminders of the past few hours, but they were drowned beneath the heavier weight in his chest. His eyes were half-closed when Atlas finally broke the silence.
"How did it go? And… what the hell happened to you?"
Dune glanced up. Atlas stood with crossed arms, brow furrowed. Ned leaned on the wall with a look that was somewhere between amusement and irritation.
"This guy can't go a day without trouble," Ned muttered. "What happened this time?"
Even Cadogan, who usually kept his distance from personal matters, looked at Dune with a raised eyebrow. "Tell the real story."
Dune exhaled slowly. Then, without dramatics or exaggeration, he recounted everything. From the cocky hunters and the golden bull, to Mindya's trembling body, Rudy's twisted smile, and the lie that saved them both.
When he finished, silence followed.
Cadogan let out a heavy sigh and rubbed his temple. "How do you find trouble everywhere you go?" he muttered. "But… you did well. Better than expected."
He leaned back against the wooden wall, glancing toward the window's dim light. "Arech spoke with me. He asked me to take Mindya outside with us. Said it might be better for her to leave this place."
Dune looked at him, confused. "I think we should take her with us. But we're going to the capital and she doesn't know anything about the outside world. she's… stupid."
Atlas chuckled under his breath. Ned raised an eyebrow. "Since when did you become so caring?"
"I'm not," Dune said, shaking his head. "I'm just being realistic. If we leave her alone, she'll die. She's fast. Strong. She's got potential. She can come with us to Rendely… maybe even join an academy."
Cadogan narrowed his eyes. "You think anyone can just join bloodrose academy? That girl acts like an animal. Her manners will get her killed even faster in the capital. And she hasn't trained in Neba at all."
Dune leaned forward. "She doesn't need training to survive. She's already survived here. I saw her fight. She's quick, and her body is—" He coughed mid-sentence and looked away. "—she's in good shape. With some guidance, she could do well. Come on, Cadogan. Take one more student."
Cadogan crossed his arms. His gaze drifted toward the corner of the room. Thoughtful. He didn't answer right away.
Ned laughed. "You've got a soft spot now. Is it for strays or just wild girls?"
"Shut up," Dune said without much force.
Atlas added, "To be fair, she helped you. She deserves a chance. If she wants to come, I don't see a reason to stop her."
Seconds passed. Cadogan remained quiet, his eyes closed as if already preparing for the headache to come. Finally, he exhaled slowly.
"Fine," he muttered. "But she will be your responsibility Dune."
Dune nodded, calmly.
Outside, the first hues of dawn crept over the horizon, brushing the treetops with gold. The quiet forest hummed faintly with life waking to a new day.
And deep within the wooden shelter of the tree, their little group prepared for the next step in their journey, now with one more soul walking beside them.