Chapter 103 Things To Bear (2)

Within the Veil Forest, through its more dark and twisted area was something hidden within it. It was an opening in the woods, a small crevice that you could barely find yourself fitting into.

A place where no light shone within it.

Theodore opened his eyes and coughed up loudly. He would have found himself surrounded in darkness, but with his Vampire vision accustomed to the darkness–all he found was something glowing in the walls.

Little moss-like plants decorated his surroundings and gave him a brief amount of light and he would have immediately jolted up, if not for the fact that he was in an unknown environment.

He didn't know that he'd be still alive.

The last thing that he remembered was the fact that he was constricted and passed out. Theodore assumed that he would have been killed but that was not the scenario at all. For now, he tried not to move and instead listened.

There was such a thing as being too hasty.

"He's…. awake." a voice hissed.

Theodore cursed himself and quietly ground his teeth together. If he had been more careful and wary, this would have never happened at all. Should he continue to pretend to be asleep?

If it were just him, he would have accepted the situation as it was. The fatality rates of Vampires on mission were increasing in an unprecedented manner, but it wasn't only him who's life was at stake.

There was–

"Fine, I'm awake." Theodore slowly sat up and raised his hands up. He locked gazes with two individuals in the cavern and knew that if they had intended him to die, then they would have done so already.

The first of them was a young man with pale white hair and red eyes, and yet there was something odd about him. He wasn't exactly looking properly at him–he had poor eyesight.

And the second one was a hulking figure, far bigger than most women and even men he'd ever seen. She was hairier too and with a rabid-like aura that seemed to say that she was willing to devour him whole if she wanted to.

It was just the two of them, but Theodore couldn't help but feel goosebumps appear in his skin. He had faced bigger enemies and dealt with more people, but just the two of them combined was already a threat that was intense.

Unfortunately for them, Theodore kept his expression calm and unmoved. The two had a feral like nature to them compared to the more civilized nature of the rest of the Forest Dwellers.

"What is it that you want with me?" Theodore asked.

The woman flinched at his voice as if struck by surprise, but then she made a sound in her throat. Almost as if she was not letting herself be intimidated by him.

"You're not… one of them." The woman growled at him and then turned to her companion. "Who exactly is this?"

"A visitor." the albino guy hissed. "Probably here to get rid of us."

Theodore watched the two interact and it didn't even take him a second to understand what was going on. Did that mean that he needed to interfere? Well, it was far better than waiting for them to make a conclusion.

"You people do not get along well with Cervus, I presume." Theodore said.

"Hate the guy. Want him dead."

"Bad guy."

"I'm guessing that you're not seen in a good light either." Theodore frowned and crossed his arms as he addressed the woman. Somehow, it was clear that the albino guy was rather subservient to her though he had more wits.

Which was why it was hard to suddenly run away, the opening was too small for him to get through and the albino guy could just drag him back–it was really no use.

Diplomacy was his only chance.

"Who cares?"

"Did you kill those people earlier too?" Theodore remembered the tusk guy. He was sure that the guy was dead–but fortunately for them, he didn't really care about the number of dead people in one's hands.

But it would help to know the level of hostility between each group.

"You kill?" the woman turned to the albino guy.

"Yes, three of them. They were in the way."

"Well, good." the woman nodded in satisfaction.

Theodore couldn't blame her–the situation was bloody on either side it seemed, and so he cleared his throat and pointed to himself. "My name is Theodore. Theodore. What's yours?"

She narrowed her eyes at him and then spat a reply. "Ursa. He's Nievu."

"A pleasure to meet you." Theodore said.

"Lies." Ursa glared at him.

Theodore paused slightly, but then nodded. Compared to Cervus who was more willing to twist his words and say what people wanted to hear, Ursa just wanted to hear the truth from him.

"Fine, I want to leave with friends. Go away, find medicine and then go home." Theodore said, almost a little afraid that it was too much for the woman to understand.

"Oh. Good. No bother." Ursa begrudgingly nodded her head. "No bother, no need to die."

There was still a level of reasonableness for the individual. And Theodore guessed that was why 'Nievu' was still around and helping her, but that didn't change his situation much.

Well, it was time to test his luck.

"Thank you." Theodore said. "Can I go back now? I want to leave with my friends."

"No leave." Ursa frowned. "You give away the location."

"I won't."

"Don't believe."

"Fine. What if Nievu here blindfolds me and brings me out to where I was last? That way, I wouldn't know where this place is. That should be alright, right?" Theodore offered.

Ursa fell silent and looked at Nievu. The albino guy was quiet, but then slowly nodded much to Ursa's own dissatisfaction. She grumbled underneath her breath and then glared at Theodore.

"Keep him safe."

Theodore knew that she was referring to Nievu and not him.

What a difficult situation.