Chapter 190: Determination (Part 2)
Something’s gone awry…
Ryan’s eyes widened as he stared at his father, who was rushing around with a serious expression that definitely didn’t look like he was joking. Ryan was puzzled—wasn’t he out with Uncle Jim looking for Grandma Claire? What could possibly go wrong in such a short time? Did they not find her?
Or was it something else…
Just as Ryan was about to ask, he noticed that Little Shay’s face had gone pale in an instant. She sprang up, knocking over a small stool with a crash, and looked at her father, her voice trembling, “Where…?”
The stunning girl’s pupils shook, her small fists clenched tight, and her body was tensed up as if preparing for a grand finale. She didn’t even dare to ask what was wrong. The sight tugged at Ryan’s heartstrings, and a slight sense of foreboding crept over him.
However, their father, the burly man, was taken aback by Shay’s exaggerated reaction. He paused for a moment, pointing towards the outside of the wooden shed, “It’s over there…”
Before he could finish, Shay dashed out like a whirlwind, a gust of fragrant wind following her, making a “thud-thud-thud” as she sprinted outside. A moment later, Ryan’s father snapped out of it, turned around, and followed her. Ryan quickly caught up, whispering, “Dad, what’s going on?”
“Just go, it’s none of your business.”
His father waved him off impatiently. After a few steps, he turned back, frowning at Ryan, hesitant at first, before finally asking, “What were you two talking about in there? It felt kinda weird. Did you at least try to comfort the girl?”
“Dad!”
Ryan muttered under his breath, “What are you thinking at a time like this?”
“You wouldn’t understand, you idiot.” His father smacked him on the back of the head. “Even though I don’t know what’s going on, that girl is crying. Do you get it? She needs a broad shoulder to lean on right now!”
The two of them strolled along the makeshift campsite by the creek, and nearby villagers spotted them, calling out, “Hey, Doug, Doug, Ryan!”
Doug glanced over, and upon seeing them, he pulled Ryan into a side hug, leaning in closer as he lowered his voice, “Girls that age are sensitive inside. No matter how strong or brilliant they are, when they’re sad, they just want a guy to talk to them, give them a little emotional support and a sense of security. And you, kiddo, are lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time…”
“Dad, Shay is really upset. Can we skip this lecture?” Ryan grumbled, rolling his eyes and pushing his father’s arm off his shoulder. “You still haven’t told me what happened!”
“It’s nothing! And even if it is, it doesn’t concern you!”
Seeing Ryan’s defiant look, Doug was understandably fuming. Unable to resist, he kicked Ryan in the rear. “You punk, if you don’t make a move to show Shay what a man you can be right now, don’t ever call me your father again. I can’t take that embarrassment!”
Ryan wanted to retort, but a few villagers were now close by, so he bit his tongue.
These villagers had been waiting outside the wooden shed, and since Shay had dashed off so quickly, they hadn’t had a chance to stop her. But now that they saw Ryan and his father coming out, they gathered around them, buzzing with questions: “Ryan, did you ask? What’s happening outside?”
“Is little Shay okay?”
“Doug, it’s been awfully quiet. What did little Shay say? Can we go back to the village?”
For the last couple of days, they’d been on edge.
That night, before the villagers had even settled down by the creek, they saw the sky over Stag Town lighting up with a crimson glow and heard a massive commotion echoing, which alarmed them deeply. Even from a distance, the chaos filled them with dread, making them feel as if they were reliving the end-of-the-world scenario from a year ago. They thought the nightmare was returning.
Once the noise finally stopped, they were still shaken, unable to sleep peacefully for two days; the slightest rustle made them anxious, their hearts in their throats. When little Shay suddenly returned, everyone was desperate to find out what had happened, if they were in danger, but seeing her distressed state made them hesitant to ask directly. Ryan was on decent terms with the girl, having spent some time with her in the shed, so villagers assumed he must know something.
“I don’t know, stop asking me.”
Ryan thought to himself, do you guys think I’m some kind of advisor to Shay? She wouldn’t even tell me! And my father knows nothing either, yet he keeps saying stuff like that and even kicked me! It’s not like I’m some coward! My mood was already in the dumps, and they just kept pestering me with questions. It was driving me nuts!
“You guys didn’t believe me before, and now you come to me for info? Little Shay is crying, and you didn’t even notice? Isn’t anyone worried about her?”
His tone was sharper than usual, and the villagers looked at him sheepishly.
Most of them were elders, and if this had been in the past, Ryan wouldn’t have dared to speak like that. He’d have been in for a good beating from his father. But after this whole fiasco, their impressions of Ryan had somewhat changed. Even if they hadn’t, they felt a sense of obligation, plus his words had some merit, so they didn’t want to retaliate.
The group made their way to the north end of the campsite, just about a hundred meters from the wooden shed. There was a creek where a hunter skilled in medicine had set up a tent. Outside the tent were a few handsome deer horses, which were definitely not the villagers’—nobody could afford those!
Seeing the deer horses made Ryan realize outsiders must have arrived.
He and his father headed into the tent first. Inside, it was chaotic, and the moment they stepped in, they were hit by a wave of the metallic tang of bl**d. Ryan frowned and quickly spotted several clerics in golden robes standing to one side. In the center of the tent, on a fur mat, lay a fellow clad in similar robes, but his attire was soaked in bl**d; he looked severely injured, trembling woefully. The knowledgeable hunter was busily pounding herbs in front of a candle, and to Ryan’s surprise, “Little Shay” was already there.
And so was Grandma Claire.
Grandma was kneeling on the ground, looking quite healthy, albeit a bit anxious. She was holding the injured cleric’s hand while muttering, “Don’t sleep, dear. My little girl is here, she’s here, so you’ll be fine. Don’t worry, the Mother Deity will protect you…”
Seeing that Grandma was unharmed, Ryan finally let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding.
“Dad.”
He shot his father a glare, “Next time something happens, just be clearer!”
“Huh?”
Doug, the burly man, looked utterly confused.
At that moment, Shay had squatted down in front of the injured cleric, giving Grandma a reassuring smile, radiating warmth. Then she turned her attention to the cleric’s wounds.
The injury was a severe burn on his abdomen, a large area of charred flesh left him looking like a gruesome work of art, internal organs almost visible. Ryan’s complexion turned pale, and he felt nauseous. But Shay, remarkably, kept a stoic expression as if this was just another day at the office, so he forced himself to look closely, wanting to prove that he wouldn’t be shaken by it. But, truth be told, no one was paying attention to his struggle.
“I ran into them by the creek. The clerics were looking for you, Little Shay. What are you doing back?” Grandma Claire beamed upon seeing Shay.
“Grandma, I’ll explain in a bit,” Shay replied, still smiling.
But Ryan noticed that as she turned to the clerics, her sweet smile was suddenly doused with cold water, extinguishing any warmth she had: “How do you know I’m here?”
