Chapter 49 More than Hued skies

Chapter 49 More than Hued skies
The cabin was filled with an empty silence born by the lack of presence of anyone other than himself. Supply runs and scouting had exhausted every single hand on board including Peter who accompanied Sandra, they'd been getting close recently, most likely the boy was using her to fill the maternal sized hole in his life and she gladly assumed the role with a warm smile.

A smile curved his lips, he didn't particularly enjoy the quiet but he welcomed the peace that came along with it. Closing his eyes he once again focused on the Arkana flowing within him, with every try it was getting progressively easier to maintain control and assist the flow, just three days since he'd begun training and there was almost nothing left for Dravy to teach him. He lifted his palm then focused his senses on the energy that passed through it, the feeling was still a blur but he could discern it with enough focus and that was one thing he was thankful for, with no one to disturb he could completely focus, so he closed his eyes and did just that. The flow was steady, ever changing but never disturbed, Arkana flowed within him, his core the center of it all, circulating and absorbing in a loop that made him feel constantly energized, a twig snapped and his eyes shot open to the sound of the subtle disturbance. Meters away from him was what looked to be a deer but there was something off about it, it's body was a faded shade of black and even at the distance it stood it still looked to be bigger than ordinary, it's eyes non-existent and drool dripped out the corners of its mouth as it continued to walk forward, Its hooves clicked on the grass, creating an eerie sound that didn't belong to the forest. Rylan stood, his eyes fixed on it as it kept coming forward, counting every step till it eventually stopped and lifted its head.

\[Level 1 : Sheren Deer\]
Rylan read the title and alert immediately shot through him, a level one, he wouldn't need backup, he could handle this on his own without creating a fuss that would force the others to leave what they had been assigned and come back. He assumed a stance and took in a deep breath as he stared at the creature waiting for it to make the first move, but it didn't, all it did was munch on the weeds that outlined the path that led to the cabin as it came closer and closer to him, something was off, he'd just mentally referred to it as a creature, not beast, why? Was it because he couldn't sense any of the usual hostility that every single beast he'd come across had, to be honest, even as he took a stance, there was no fear, no caution brewing within him, he did not feel threatened by its presence.
He eased himself, lowered his guard and walked down the balcony steps. On even ground he could see how massive the Creature was. Six feet tall with what looked like wooden antlers ornamenting the top of its head with long sturdy branches, it took a step forward and as much as Rylan would have liked to tell himself that he was prepared for an attack, deep down he knew that he was completely disarmed. Inches away from him, it brought down its head and Rylan placed a palm on it, it made a sound similar to a soft groan that vibrated through his palm and warmed the deepest parts of Rylan's heart.

He could feel the flow of its Arkana, so calm that it bordered on stagnant. “You're not a beast are you?” Rylan asked with a soft voice, warmth suffocating every word as the creature tilted its head so his hands could go down its nape, its fur was soft and thick, fuzzy. He didn't want to let go, he didn't want to let go of this last piece of normalcy brought about by this blind creature but nevertheless he took a step back and let out a sigh.

“You're not a beast.” A confirmation to himself, as he remembered the first time he'd seen an actual deer. He couldn't quite remember what it was he’d been doing but remembered he’d been lost, maybe a camping trip when his parents were still alive or maybe not but he remembered wandering about, hungry and sad then he saw it, it was so graceful, so beautiful, so free and that was the end of the memory, he couldn't remember how it was he found his way home or what had happened after he saw the animal. He wondered if they'd still existed or if they'd been culled by the merger, the thought lingered but he couldn't allow himself to fixate.
After a few more seconds passed the beast eventually turned around and walked back into the forest from where it had come from and Rylan did nothing but watch as it slowly left his line of sight. He sat back down on the stairs and a soft chuckle escaped his lips, He never thought he'd have that kind of experience in this new world but this was most likely the part of his world Daragura had sacrificed them for, it wasn't just beast and hued skies, there was more to this new world, and Rylan wanted to see it all.

Breath in, breath out, Rylan murmured to himself for the…he'd lost count, he'd been at this since the departure of the creature and now the warmth of sunlight was slowly being replaced by the chilly evening breeze. One by one the players began to return, most of them ignoring him and walking into the cabin as they chattered amongst each other, Peter hugged him excitedly before running in with Sandra while Maerik, Yennifer and Dravy took seats on the stairs and watched him in a comfortable silence.

“How do you feel?” Maerik asked.

“As good as I possibly can be.” Rylan replied, eyes still closed, legs still crossed he abruptly said. “I saw a deer today.”