The journey back to the shelter behind the waterfall was much heavier than the trip out, and not just because of the giant boar leg slung over Kaelen's shoulder. An invisible weight had settled on Aidan's mind. The forest was no longer just a place of natural danger; it had become a complex chessboard with players he could not fully comprehend. Every shadow, every sound now carried a double meaning.
When they finally slipped through the curtain of water and entered the relative safety of the cave, they both let out a sigh of relief. Kaelen dropped the slab of meat to the ground with a heavy thud. The thick scent of fresh blood filled the small space.
"Quickly now," Kaelen commanded, allowing no moment of rest. "We can't leave the meat fresh like this for long. It will spoil, or its smell will lead uninvited guests right to our door."
And so Aidan's third lesson began, not one of combat or evasion, but of the art of preservation, one of the most important skills for long-term survival. Under Kaelen's guidance, Aidan learned how to butcher the giant slab of meat into smaller pieces, trimming the fat and sinew. Kaelen worked with an incredible precision and efficiency, every cut of his knife deliberate. He showed Aidan how to slice the meat into thin strips for jerky and larger chunks for smoking.
"We have no salt, that's a luxury," Kaelen explained while his hands kept working. "So the best way is to use smoke. Smoke from Azure Pine can keep meat from spoiling for weeks, even months if done right."
They started a small fire, but this time Kaelen used damp Azure Pine branches, creating a thick, aromatic smoke with a distinctively sharp scent. He quickly built a simple rack from fresh branches and began to hang the chunks of meat. In the cramped space of the cave, the thick smoke billowed up, carrying the smell of meat and wood, creating a scene both primitive and cozy.
While they worked, the silence was broken by the question Aidan had been stewing on the whole way back. "The Cerberus Clan... are there many clans like them, Kaelen?"
Kaelen paused for a moment, his gaze thoughtful as he stared into the smoke. "Yes. Many. This Whispering Labyrinth, and perhaps this whole world, is a fractured land. Survivors band together to exist. Some, like Cerberus, are strong and organized enough to claim a territory. They set the rules, collect taxes, protect their lands from others and from the most fearsome monsters. They are petty kings in their own kingdoms. They may be cruel, but they have rules."
He tossed a piece of fat into the fire, making it sizzle and flare. "Then there are the others. The Roamers. They have no land, no law beyond the law of the strongest. They are packs of predatory beasts in human form, robbing and killing anyone weaker than them. Running into Cerberus is unfortunate. Running into a pack of Roamers is a death sentence."
Aidan shivered. This world was even more brutal than he had imagined. "What about the others? Those who don't belong to a clan, and aren't Roamers?"
"The Freeholders," Kaelen replied. "Like us. Individuals or small groups trying to survive on their own. We are prey to everyone—to the Clans looking to expand their territory, to the Roamers looking to plunder, and to the monsters of the forest. That's why we must always be on the move, always vigilant."
The conversation paused as Kaelen cut two of the best pieces of fresh meat, skewered them on wooden sticks, and began to roast them over the open flame. The delicious smell of roasting meat quickly overpowered the smell of smoke, making Aidan's stomach rumble with hunger.
"There's one more thing," Aidan said, as they waited for the meat to cook. "That leader... Borin. He mentioned 'The Echoes'."
As soon as Aidan mentioned the word, the air in the cave seemed to sag. Kaelen's face grew dark, and in his eyes, Aidan saw a deep fear, something he hadn't shown even when facing the Stonehide or the Cerberus Clan.
"Never speak that word lightly," Kaelen said, his voice low and grave. "The Echoes... are a curse upon this land."
He stared into the fire, as if seeing images Aidan could not. "I don't fully understand what they are. No one does. But they are inexplicable phenomena. Sometimes, an area of the forest will suddenly change. The air grows heavy, the colors distort, and the sounds become strange. And then, it happens."
"What is 'it'?" Aidan asked, holding his breath.
"A memory," Kaelen said. "A memory of the land itself, coming alive. I witnessed one once, from a great distance. An entire hillside suddenly transformed into a fiery battlefield. Phantoms of warriors in strange armor, fighting creatures made of shadow and light. The clash of weapons, the screams... they weren't real, but not entirely an illusion either. A companion of mine got too close once, and he went mad. Kept babbling about silver cities and fallen gods. Then he ran into the forest and never came back."
A chill ran down Aidan's spine. Mysterious memory zones. The era of gods. The fragments of information the user had given him seemed to be starting to make sense.
"Rumor has it," Kaelen continued, his voice almost a whisper, "that the world we're standing on isn't the core reality. That it's just a dream, or a memory of something greater that is dead or sleeping. And the Echoes are fragments of that nightmare, leaking into our reality. Borin was right. They are becoming more frequent."
The meat was cooked. Kaelen handed a skewer to Aidan. They ate in silence. The roasted Stonehide meat was fragrant, rich, and melted in his mouth. It was the most delicious meal Aidan had ever had, even though he couldn't remember anything he had eaten before. Amidst a world fraught with danger and terrifying mysteries, this simple, quiet moment, sharing a hot meal by the fire, became incredibly precious. It didn't just fill an empty stomach; it warmed a trembling soul. Their bond, formed out of necessity, was now fortified by a silent respect and trust.
After they finished eating, Kaelen stood up and looked out at the falling curtain of water.
"This place is no longer safe," he declared. "The Cerberus Clan knows we're in this area. They are possessive folk. Sooner or later, their curiosity or greed will lead them back here."
He pointed to the racks of meat being smoked. "We'll wait until the meat is dry enough. One day. Then, we leave."
"Where to?" Aidan asked.
"North," Kaelen replied, his gaze distant. "To the foot of the Silent Mountains. There's an ancient ruin I know. Hard to reach, but extremely defensible. A place we can truly call home, at least for a while."
A plan. A destination. For the first time since waking up in the cold cave, Aidan felt he had a clear direction. He was no longer just reacting to the world around him; he was beginning to act.
He looked at the hanging racks of meat, the fruits of a tumultuous day. He had food, a weapon, a teacher, and a destination. But Borin's warning still echoed in his mind.
He involuntarily looked to the east, the direction Borin had warned of. And for a brief moment, he felt a strange urge, a faint sense of familiarity coming from the deepest part of his lost memories. As if a part of him was calling out from that direction.
The journey to the northern ruins was the immediate goal. But Aidan knew, somehow, that his true destiny, the answer to who he was, lay in the mysterious and perilous east, where the Echoes were waiting.