Chapter 204: A Good Night’s Rest
Lukas thanked Melody under his breath, stumbling onto his feet. And in that moment, he felt a tiredness that was physical as much as it was mental.
His Constitution was high enough that a twenty four hours straight walk wasn’t really that debilitating, but this was his first time.
He barely made it into the tent and onto the mat before his eyes closed and his body drifted off in sleep.
Outside, Melody found a place to sit as she began the first watch, placing her sword across her lap, her head on a slow swivel, watching the desert in every direction.
Karrakas ducked into his own tent without ceremony. Akira lifted the flap of Lukas’s tent and slipped inside, lying down beside him.
He didn’t stir, and a few minutes later, she was asleep too.
A few hours passed in relative quiet. It was as if the universe wanted them to be well rested. Not a single beast even disturbed their rest.
Melody soon leaned into the tent. "Akira," she said quietly. "Your turn."
Akira was awake before Melody finished saying her name. She was already used to sleeping lightly, and she hadn’t changed the habit.
She sat up, looked at Lukas who was still sleeping deeply beside her, and climbed out without a word.
Melody took her place, curling onto the mat beside Lukas. Night was fast approaching, so she set up their night equipment around the tent before curling against Lukas.
Before long, she was asleep too.
The sun sank below the horizon, and the moon rose in its place, illuminating the otherwise dark night.
Akira sat outside with the desert around her, her thick jacket around her as the night breeze sent the cold spreading around them.
She activated the headband at intervals, checking the surrounding sand for movement. Nothing came.
When the watch was done, she woke Karrakas with a flurry of taps on his tent.
"Final watch," she said.
There was a grunt from inside, then the sound of movement. Karrakas emerged looking composed despite the hour, took one look at the sky to orient himself, and nodded.
"Get some rest," he said.
Akira ducked back into the tent and lay down on Lukas’s other side. Within minutes, she too was asleep.
Soon, Lukas stirred, his eyes blinking open.
The tent was warm, lit by what looked like a small stove in the corner, its surface glowing without producing any smoke. The warmth it pushed out was trapped by the tent, pushing away the cold completely.
He laid there for a moment, taking stock of himself. Then he sat up, looking at his feet.
The redness had faded from the vivid, raw shade it had reached by afternoon, softening into something duller and more permanent looking.
He pressed two fingers gently against the sole of his right foot and pain radiated from it immediately.
He had first degree burns. Persistent ones, spread across both soles from heel to toe. He could tell it was not the kind that would cause lasting damage if treated properly, but it was not something he could ignore either.
"I’ll need a [Medic] when we get back," he murmured to himself.
He reached into his spatial ring and pulled out his socks, pulling them on carefully over the tender skin. Then his boots, lacing them slowly. He pushed himself to his feet.
The pain was still there, rising from both soles with each small shift of his weight, but it was manageable. Significantly more manageable than walking barefoot on burning sand.
He moved to the tent flap and lifted it. The cold hit him like a wall.
He dropped the flap immediately and took a step back, shoulders pulling up around his ears.
He looked down at his day clothes. He still had his cooling underwear on. If he walked outside like this, he was simply begging for trouble.
"Right," he said quietly.
He reached into his spatial ring and swapped to the night set. The thick layers appeared over his body, the heating underlayer feeling warm against his skin.
He stood there for a moment, soaking in the heat of the tent before smiling.
Then he reached for the flap again, and stepped out into the night.
He straightened up, rolling his shoulders back and tilting his head side to side until something cracked. Then he looked up.
All he could see was a vast expanse of twinkling stars, looking like he was inside a fairytale.
They stretched from one edge of the horizon to the other, the half moon sitting among them like the centerpiece of a decoration.
He hadn’t had a chance to admire it before as he’d been more occupied with his quest, but now, he could enjoy its beauty.
He stood with his hands in his pockets and stared at it for almost a minute.
"Couldn’t sleep?"
He turned to see Karrakas sitting a few meters from the tent entrance on a small folding chair, his silver bow resting across his left knee.
He glanced at Lukas as he approached.
"I actually slept well," Lukas said, stopping beside him.
Karrakas nodded. "You look better."
"I feel it." Lukas looked out at the dark sand around them. "Karrakas."
"Hmm?"
"Thank you." He said it plainly. "For trusting us out here and for guiding us through it. This wouldn’t have gone the way it did without you."
Karrakas was quiet for a moment, then he shrugged one shoulder. "I was doing my job."
"Either way, thank you."
Karrakas said nothing to that, but there was a small smile on his lips.
Silence filled the air between them.
After a minute, Lukas spoke again. "Go and sleep."
Karrakas looked at him. "I’m fine."
"You’ve been on watch for hours after guiding us across a desert for more than twenty four hours." Lukas met his eyes. "Go and sleep. I’ll take the rest of the watch."
Karrakas opened his mouth.
"I won’t be sleeping again tonight anyway," Lukas said. "You’re not taking anything from me."
Karrakas held his gaze for a moment longer, then exhaled and stood, handing the folding chair over.
"Thank you," he said quietly.
"Get some rest."
Karrakas disappeared into his tent.
Lukas lowered himself onto the chair, looked out at the desert, and exhaled slowly.
The class change quest was done and his [Void Walker] class was active.
It was time to go dungeon hunting.
