Altair carried Lero in his arms, the weight of the child barely noticeable as his mind raced with a singular focus: find Verda and Alvis. He'd talk to Lero later, after the two children were found.
His heart pounded in his ears as he quickened his pace, desperate to make up for lost time. Lero's small hands clutched his shoulders, his little body shaking slightly against Altair's chest. The boy was likely terrified, but Altair couldn't afford to slow down.
He reached the camp again, but there was still no sign of the children. Frustration threatened to rise in his chest, but he pushed it back. There was no time for that. He couldn't lose hope now.
As Altair moved past one of the tents, his eyes caught a familiar sight: Verda and Alvis's parents. They were walking toward a large tent, their voices rising in heated arguments. The father's sharp words echoed in the open air, a mix of anger and desperation. "They've run off again. I swear, when I find those bastards, they're going to regret it."
Altair's eyes narrowed as he focused on the father's every word, hoping for any clue that could lead him to the missing children. He went near them, acting as if he was just passing by.
"Those kids are really causing trouble," the father muttered, frustration in his voice. "I don't care if they're scared; they need to understand this isn't a game."
The mother's voice was full of worry. "Whose fault is this? If you hadn't planned to sell that useless girl, none of this would've happened. Now, my son is gone. Why did he have to leave us?"
The father cursed quietly, still shifting the blame. "You're the one who's been taking care of them. If you hadn't been so distracted, we'd have made the deal by now. And your son—look what he did. He ran off with that girl and ruined everything!"
"I don't care what you say. You need to bring my son back!" The mother's voice was sharp. Altair frowned as he noticed she only cared about Alvis, showing no concern for Verda. How cruel.
"You're worried about that boy, but what about him?" the father scoffed. "He's going to cause trouble. You better hope they didn't say anything, or I'll deal with him."
As they argued, a middle-aged man walked in, his face tired and full of worry. The mother immediately turned to him, hope in her eyes. "Brother! Did you find them? Where are they?"
The man sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Amina saw them earlier. They were with Nolan. That bastard Nolan. He must've alerted them. Amina saw them heading that way." He pointed west, toward the large inn.
Altair's breath hitched. He followed the direction the man pointed. Past the Inn, was the wiltering forest.
That's right! Why didn't he think of that place? That's where he first met Verda. There's no other place they can go, but in that place.
He didn't wait another second. Without a word, he turned and sprinted toward the woods, his legs pumping furiously. He should get there immediately.
"Lero," Altair whispered, "We're going to find someone first okay? Hold tight!." The child's form pressed against his chest, his small fingers gripping his shoulder. He had been quiet all the way. Altair felt him nod, he adjusted his hold on the boy, trying to keep his pace steady.
The forest was ahead now, its shadows long as the trees stood like sentinels. The air shifted, cooler and heavy with the scent of earth and damp wood. Altair's pulse raced as he plunged deeper into the underbrush, tearing through the thick foliage.
And then—there they were.
Verda and Alvis. Altair's breath caught in his throat, and for a moment, he faltered, overcome by a rush of relief so intense it almost brought him to his knees. They were safe.
He made his way toward them, his voice breaking through the stillness of the woods. "Verda! Alvis!" His voice cracked with relief. "You're alright!"
The two children turned toward him, their wide eyes filled with a mixture of fear and confusion. When they saw Altair, their tense shoulders slowly relaxed, but the anxiety still clung to their expressions.
"Uncle!" Verda's voice broke through the air, her tone filled with excitement.
Altair's heart pounded in his chest, but he kept his calm. "Your parents are looking for you. We need to leave."
Altair turned to the boy who stood there, his face partially obscured by a jagged scar that ran down the side of his face. His features were hardened, and the other half of his face bore a deep, almost unsettling deformity. His ragged clothes clung to his thin body, as if he hadn't seen proper care in a long while. "Who's he?"
"This is Brother Nolan," Alvis said, his tone soft but firm. "He's the one who helped us. He's from our village as well. He is my friend"
Nolan, standing in silence, lowered his head slightly. He didn't meet Altair's gaze, and his shoulders seemed to tighten with a kind of discomfort, his unease palpable in the air. Altair placed a hand on his shoulder, offering a reassuring pat.
"Thank you for helping them," Altair said sincerely. "But we need to move quickly. Their parents are looking for them. We have to leave now."
Nolan flinched slightly but nodded in acknowledgment. "It's okay," he mumbled, his voice barely above a whisper.
As Altair began to turn, he felt a tug on his sleeve. Alvis was looking up at him, his eyes filled with worry.
"Uncle… can we… can we take Brother Nolan with us?" Alvis asked, his voice small and filled with a pleading desperation. "The villagers, they probably already know he helped us. He's going to be beaten if he goes back." His voice cracked with the weight of the request. "Please, Uncle."
Altair paused, his mind turning over the request. He glanced at Nolan, who was still keeping his head down. "Doesn't he have a family of his own?" Altair asked gently.
Alvis' expression grew more urgent. "He does, but his parents are very cruel people. They always beat him, Uncle. They don't care about him." His voice trembled. "Please, we can't just leave him. He helped us before. He was the one who helped us escape from our parents."
Altair's gaze shifted to Nolan once again. The boy's body was frail, his face marked by scars and bruises. There was an undeniable vulnerability in his posture, the way he kept his head lowered, avoiding eye contact. The sadness in his eyes was too much for Altair to ignore.
"Nolan," Altair said softly, his voice warm, "do you want to come with us?" He waited for the boy's response, his gaze never leaving him.
Nolan hesitated, his shoulders tense. He looked up at Altair, his eyes wide with uncertainty. "It's okay," he muttered, his voice barely audible. "I'll just be a burden to you… Don't worry about me." He shyly looked down again, his words laced with self-doubt.
"But… Brother..." Alvis argued.
"You should go already," Nolan said quickly, his voice strained. "I'll be fine, really. Just… go with your uncle. I'm already glad you're both safe." He offered them a small, sad smile.
Altair could feel his heart tug as he watched the scene unfold.
Altair placed a firm hand on Nolan's shoulder. "If you want to come with us, you're welcome to. I won't have it any other way. Don't worry about anything, alright?" His voice was kind but insistent. "Alvis and Verda will be worried if you don't come with us. I won't take no for an answer." His tone carried a mix of authority and warmth, giving no room for refusal.
Nolan hesitated, his face flushing with a mix of embarrassment and gratitude. "Is it really alright?" he asked in a small voice. "But... then... okay. Thank you."
Alvis's face lit up with relief and happiness. "Great! Let's go quickly, then!"
Seeing his brother's happy expression, Verda clapped her hands loudly. "Yah!". Altair immediately stopped her. He turned back, for fear that someone would hear her.
He picked Verda up gently, his grip firm but comforting. Lero, who was still in his arms, looked at Verda shyly and his grip tightened.
He signaled Verda to be quiet and she obediently put her palm in her mouth. He motioned Alvis and Nolan to follow him.
"Uncle, where are we going?" Alvis asked, his voice filled with confusion as he looked around, the shadows of the trees growing longer as they ventured deeper into the forest. "Are we leaving the town?"
Altair smiled at him, though there was a quiet resolve in his eyes. "It's alright. Just trust me."
They moved deeper into the dense, tangled underbrush. He managed to find a hidden spot full of tangled branches and leaves. He paused and gathered the children close to him.
"System. Open the portal now."
The air around them seemed to hum as a faint glow began to materialize in front of Altair, coalescing into a shimmering gateway. The edges of the portal rippled like a pool of water disturbed by a breeze, the colors shifting and swirling with an ethereal light.
The children's eyes widened in shock, their mouths falling open at the sight of it.
Altair nodded, his gaze steady as he reassured them. "I'll explain things later. Let's go inside first. Don't worry, it's safe."
The portal flickered momentarily before stabilizing, awaiting their entry.
Nolan and Alvis exchanged wide-eyed looks. They hesitated for a moment, their gazes darting nervously between Altair and the shimmering doorway. But with a small, uncertain nod, they stepped inside.
The moment they crossed through, Altair could feel the air shift, the familiar sensation of space warping around them. He followed them inside, with Verda and Lero safely cradled in his arms.
As the last of them entered, the portal closed behind them. Altair found himself back in Cintra, the familiar surroundings offering a sense of relief.
Minutes later, people arrived at the area, but found nothing. The forest stood silent, empty. Not a trace of them remained.