REALM OF WANDERING BLADES – EPISODE I
Chapter 3 — Meeting Rocky 🪨🌲🦌🔥
After a long conversation between Arden and Erik, a sudden knock echoed through the wooden door of Arden's house 🏡.
"Who's there?" Erik asked, still on guard.
Arden smiled calmly. "That's Rocky. Don't worry, he's kind."
The door opened, revealing a massive stone golem nearly four meters tall, carrying firewood in one hand and a deer in the other 🪵🦌. Erik froze, his eyes wide in shock.
"Is that… a monster?!" he shouted, instinctively reaching for his Gewehr 43.
Arden gently placed a hand on Erik's shoulder. "Relax. He's not a monster. His name is Rocky. He's been my guardian since I was a child, and… they say he carries a human soul inside him," Arden explained.
Erik slowly lowered his weapon, still in disbelief. "So… he can think and talk?"
Rocky nodded slightly. "I am here to help," his voice was deep yet gentle.
With their food supplies running low, Arden invited Erik to gather vegetables and fruits from the forest to season the deer Rocky had hunted 🥬🍄🌶️. As they walked toward the Astrales Mountains, Erik could not hide his amazement.
"Look at this sky… it's so different from the battlefield on Earth," Erik murmured, gazing at the clear blue heavens and the snow-capped peaks ❄️🌌.
Along the way, they found wild chili peppers 🌶️, red bell peppers 🍅, safe-to-eat mushrooms 🍄, and wild onions growing in abundance among the mountain paths 🧅.
Just as they were about to head back, a ferocious brown bear suddenly emerged from the trees 🐻! Erik glanced at Arden, calm yet tense.
"Arden… stay still," Erik whispered as he raised his Gewehr 43 and fired several shots into the air. The thunderous sound frightened the bear, sending it fleeing back into the forest.
Moments later, Rocky arrived, his heavy steps fast and powerful, as if he had sensed the danger before it happened 🪨💨.
Back at the house, Rocky had already prepared a campfire 🔥 and carefully began cutting the deer meat. Arden looked at Erik with admiration.
"Your weapon is incredibly powerful… almost like magic," Arden said, his eyes sparkling.
Inside the house, Erik noticed a glowing magical staff in the corner, radiating a soft blue light ✨.
"That… is my grandfather's magic staff," Arden explained. "He was a kind, powerful, and wise mage. But he died under mysterious circumstances… they say his soul became one with nature." 🌿💫
They cooked a rich mushroom and venison soup, the warm aroma filling the house 🍲🫕. Erik smiled as he enjoyed a proper meal after so long surviving on the battlefield.
Rocky, the stone golem, was given coal as a treat, his favorite food 🪨🔥. He nodded in satisfaction and rumbled warmly, "Thank you…"
That moment marked the beginning of an unbreakable friendship, where a human, a stone guardian, and a soldier from another world stood together in the heart of the Astrales Mountains 🪄🛡️🌲.