Alpha Instinct

A few hours later, Xavier returned from his scouting mission, a satisfied smile on his face.

"Found a spot," he announced. "I think you'll like it."

"Where?" Mikaela asked, immediately interested.

"A small cave, high up on a slope," Xavier replied. "The entrance is narrow, which makes it easy to defend."

"What about attacks from above? We're in a volcanic area; we can't afford to be caught off guard," Silverin questioned, concerned.

Xavier nodded. "Thought of that. The cave is hidden behind a rock formation that protects it from the wind and ash. And the volcanic rock above it is very thick. There's no risk of collapse or overheating."

"Overheating?" Mikaela asked, frowning.

"That's where the good part comes in," Xavier said, with a grin. "The cave is naturally warm because of the volcanic activity, but the temperature doesn't go over the normal warmth due to its large opening. And there's more: there's a hot spring nearby. Running hot water."

Mikaela and Silverin exchanged a look. "Hot water?" Silverin repeated, a glimmer of hope in her voice.

"Exactly. A luxury in these lands," Xavier confirmed.

"Sounds promising," Mikaela said, impressed. "You thought of everything, Xavier."

Silverin agreed. "A high location, with good visibility of the surroundings, easy to defend, and with hot water, it is indeed ideal... Excellent work, Xavier."

Leonard, who was listening to the conversation from the side, nodded. The priority now was to rest and recover his energy. "Let's go then," he said, responding to Mikaela's earlier suggestion. "The sooner we get there, the better."

The two groups organized themselves for the march, forming a single-file line. The melee fighters, Leonard, Evelyn, Raviel, and Ragnar, positioned themselves at the ends, protecting the vanguard and rearguard. The support and ranged, like Kaleb, Silverin, Mikaela, and Xavier, stayed in the middle, more protected.

The journey to the campsite was tense but uneventful. At one point, from the top of a small rocky elevation, Leonard stopped, needing to take a deep breath. He looked around and admired the landscape before his eyes.

The sun was setting. Ahead, the Skull Volcanoes. From above, he saw the dark smoke rising towards the orange sky. The view was brutally beautiful. "There's beauty even in a place like this..." he thought.

Black rocks, rivers of dried lava, little sign of life, except for sparse Leirions among a few twisted shrubs here and there. The smell of sulfur, previously a nuisance, was now almost suffocating.

He swallowed hard as he looked at several skeletons ahead, unable to identify whether they were Leirions or humans. "I'm really in the Skull Volcanoes," he whispered.

After some more walking, Leonard spotted some Leirions, but they were far away and did not pose an immediate threat. The group chose to avoid them, prioritizing reaching the camp before nightfall.

After about two hours of walking, they finally reached the cave Xavier had described. It was exactly as he had said: a reliable opening, hidden behind a rock outcropping, which led to a surprisingly spacious and warm interior. The hot spring, a small bubbling pool, emitted a comforting vapor.

Quickly, they set up camp. The priority was to organize a security perimeter, prepare a place to sleep, and, of course, make a fire.

"We'll stay here for ten, maybe twelve hours," Mikaela said, as she helped Silverin spread some blankets on the rocky floor. "We need to rest and recover our energy."

Silverin agreed. "And organize the watch shifts. Four hours for each pair, one person from each group. It's the fairest and safest."

"The coachman here will take care of the horses," Kaleb announced, with an exaggerated bow and a crooked smile. "See if you can save some food for me, you hungry lot. And, who knows, a strong drink..."

Xavier, who was dealing with the horses of the other group, approached. "Kaleb, wait. I'm going with you. I need to make sure my horses are well-fed too. Give me some tips."

"Look at that! Someone finally noticed me!" Kaleb exclaimed, feigning surprise. At least someone recognizes my worth, he thought, with a poorly disguised satisfaction. "Not that I need help, of course. I'm perfectly capable of handling... all these horses..." he said.

Meanwhile, Leonard began to undress, removing the heavier pieces of his armor, leaving only his pants. He was about to enter the hot spring when Evelyn stopped him.

"Wait a bit," she said. With a quick movement, she cut a piece of apple from her rations and dipped it into the water for a few seconds. Observing carefully, she removed the fruit, which looked intact. "You can go in," she announced.

Leonard looked at her, confused. "What was that?"

"Just checking if the water isn't too acidic," Evelyn explained. "It's common in volcanic areas. Better safe than sorry." Read exclusive adventures at My Virtual Library Empire

Leonard nodded, impressed with the precaution, and entered the hot spring. The hot water enveloped his body like a hug, instantly relaxing his tense and sore muscles. A sigh of relief escaped his lips.

Evelyn, watching Leonard relax, felt a twinge of hesitation, a rare contrast to her usually bold personality. "Leonard..." she began, her voice a little lower than normal, "...can I join you?"

Leonard, already half asleep, replied without thinking, his voice slurred with fatigue: "Sure. Take off your clothes and come on in."

Evelyn blushed violently, a bright red taking over her face. "Watch your words!" she retorted, crossing her arms in front of her body.

Leonard, waking up abruptly with her reaction, realized the misunderstanding. "No! I mean... Don't go in with armor," he corrected, desperately. "You could... overheat. That's what I meant."

"Of course, of course that's what you meant," Evelyn said, with an ironic smile, but the blush on her face diminishing slightly. She entered the water, removing the armor, but wearing a light, close-fitting outfit underneath, which, wet, subtly but undeniably outlined her curves.

Mikaela, who was watching the interaction from afar, felt a twinge of... something undefined. She decided to approach, interrupting the moment. "I'm going to bless the water," she announced, with a tone of voice slightly louder than necessary. "So that everyone feels better and heals from any injury or abnormality." She then cast her healing ability, and the water of the hot spring glowed with a soft golden light.

"Everyone!" Mikaela called out in a loud voice. "Enjoy the hot spring! I've blessed it to regenerate us!"

A wave of exclamations of approval and gratitude went through the group, and, one by one, everyone began to enter the hot spring, seeking the promised relief.

"I'm going to patrol the area. I'll be back soon," Raviel said.

"Take care!" Silverin replied.

High on the hillside, far above the cave, a pair of red eyes gleamed in the darkness, watching.