The Song of the End of Time (V)

Days go by and I can barely stand up. I have been relying on Maria's help to get food and water.

I feel like I have some kind of curse that makes my body constantly exhausted. Should I consider myself lucky that I am no worse off?

Anyway, eventually I was able to get out of the cave using a wooden stick like her much-loved one to support me so I wouldn't lose my balance.

"Wow, it's really gorgeous"

The view that awaited me was wonderful. We were on top of a mountain, where only a few birds could be seen in the blue sky, a couple of white clouds, and the sun hiding on the horizon. The coldness of the atmosphere was equally noticeable.

"Didn't I tell you? It's a bit tricky to walk around here, but the breeze feels great~"

"Certainly. Still, it's nice to get some fresh air after such a long time"

"It's an important part of your recovery"

I closed my eyes to take a deep breath and enjoy the moment. When I opened them, I resumed my inspection of the surroundings.

From what I can observe and what she told me, we are southeast of the valley where we had the battle against Dimitri. In the distance I think I can glimpse what looks like ruins and recent destruction, not even close to the beautiful utopian landscape we had visited.

If we keep moving eastward, we will reach the neighboring country. Will it be worthwhile to go on? We have traveled far enough to turn back, perhaps it is an indicator that we are on the right track. Besides, it's closer than turning back.

Our intuition helped us to get this far, with no clear sign where to go I guess it's the best we have.

After re-entering the cave we both talked about it, and we both agreed that this would be our new destination.

We spent a week walking through the mountains, descending slowly to avoid falling down the ravines. The route through which we passed is very similar to the one we initially took going up the mountain range.

There wasn't much that stood out to mention, so our attention was inevitably drawn to a spot in the distance that clashed with the gray where we were. We decided to go there to confirm our doubts.

As soon as we arrived, we were pleasantly surprised.

"Look Asriel! It's grass! Green grass!"

It's great to see some nature again after almost 1 month surrounded by rocks.

"I feel like I should make a joke about it... however, it really felt like an eternity since the last time we've seen this kind of vegetation"

Now we've really moved away from the starting point. I wonder if we will ever have any power to fly or teleport, it would definitely be the most useful thing at this time where we are literally wandering to our own devices.

I never took so much into account the length of our journey. At this rate, it's quite possible that we'll travel the whole world, which would fascinate me. Although I wish we could return one day, or at least find a safe place to call home.

"Are you all right Asriel?" she said looking at me and turning her head slightly to the side.

"Yes, thanks to you I recovered completely"

"But... you had a sad face just now"

Did she learn how to read minds or something?

"It's just that I was thinking about how far from home we've come. I was wondering how long it'll take us to get back home when this is over"

"Asriel..." she came over and hugged my arm. "If we're both together, I don't care where we end up. You are my home"

After saying that she averted her gaze, her cheeks were red. Even though her speech could be labeled as corny, I think it was adorable.

"Thank you Maria, your words really brighten up my life. You're right, as long as it's just the two of us nothing else matters" I replied stroking her hair.

We continued walking through the meadow and the remnants of flora until we came across a path.

"Ohhh, I think I see a few footsteps"

"They don't look recent, however, it's a clear sign that people are nearby. Let's follow them"

"Ok~"

We walked for several minutes until we reached a village full of wooden cabins. All intact and apparently uninhabited. The invaders definitely prefer to stay near more populated settlements.

"I feel a sort of deja vu. This time I'll leave the honors to you"

"Eh...? Ah, I get it! Ahem, is anyone here!? We're just a couple of travelers looking for shelter for a few days, and a cup of tea wouldn't be bad~!"

Only silence responded to that peculiar request. Unlike the other time, I can affirm that we are the only people here.

I took the opportunity to check one of them, and noticed that it was indeed unoccupied. When I tried to knock on the door, it opened without any problem.

"It really is uninhabited. Come Maria"

"What's going on Asriel?"

"We will take over this house for a while"

In this way we entered and checked inside. It had 2 rooms, a living room, bathroom and kitchen. Everything intact and without traces of damage, so we decided to leave our things here.

We took the opportunity to see other cabins, which were similar, and some of them even had food. Perhaps they were inhabited recently? And if so, what happened to the occupants? Well, at this point we have nothing to worry about. If no one uses them, we'll occupy it so we can get a good rest until we decide where to go next.