Bound and Broken: An Isekai Adventure Dark Fantasy (Melas Book 1) V.A. Lewis (feel good books to read .TXT) 📖

face he was looking for. He wandered around a bit, searching, before he finally found him.

Paul was riding in the back of a wagon. The older man was struggling to get off, when Feri approached him and put out a hand.

"Thank you—" Pauled looked up and blinked. "Feri?"

Feri gestured at his outstretched hand, and the older man took it.

"I should be the one thanking you," Feri said, his gaze unwavering.

"Oh, for yesterday? It wasn't a problem," Paul said as he dusted himself off. "I just thought you needed some of this old man’s help. That’s all."

"No. Not that." Feri shook his head. "Thank you for everything. All you’ve done for me. You and John. And I’m sorry for the way I treated you for the last few weeks. But I have to say it: thank you."

"You’re… welcome?." The older man blinked. Confused. Not sure what was going on.

The former slaves stood there, together. In silence for a moment. Feri enjoying it. Relishing in it. Trying to prolong it. But the moment had to end. So Feri spoke again.

"Thank you for everything. But you’re free now. You can find your own happiness. Your own joy. And not live for the sake of others anymore. You don’t have to live for my sake anymore."

The meaning of what the young man said slowly sunk in. And Paul sputtered. He cried and clasped at the young man’s hands. But the young man still continued.

"I’m free too. And I’m going to find my own calling. Going to do what I want. And so should you. After all you’ve been through— you deserve it. And John too… if he was here."

The old man met Feri’s gaze. His face pleading. And both their eyes were wet with tears.

"Will I ever see you again?"

Feri hesitated. He looked at Paul. At the sad old man, and he wanted to lie to him. But he did not.

"I— maybe." The former slave shook his head. "But not anytime soon. If we ever do meet, it will be years from now."

"I see." Paul’s voice shook. It spoke of grief. And he looked tired and weary.

But there was something in Paul’s look that spoke to the young man. It almost looked like… light. As if a spark had been lit inside of him, and a new fire burned within him. But light most new flames, it was still small. It’s light weak. Yet, it could grow.

"May the Goddess illuminate our lives."

Paul let go of the young man. The boy he raised. And the slave he protected. Then he walked away from Feri, as the younger man watched.

Later that evening, four people left the large encampment set outside of Besha. There were three Beastkin, one human. Three men, one woman. Four Hunters, and zero slaves.

They bade their farewells, and said their goodbyes, leaving behind the hundreds of gold coins-worth corpse of the Horned Panther with Em, then set out on their own journey. A dangerous trek to safety. But it was a path a Hunter was used to.

And more than that, it was a path full of arguments.

"I’m bored! I’m sleepy! I’m hungry! Are we there yet?"

"Shut up, Rin."

"Both of you, shut up! You’ve been at it for an hour!"

Feri watched his companions as they argued, and he smiled.

Part Three: Reality Reality

Chapter 24: Begging and Stealing

A brown hare sat on a rock, its ears pointed up, and it’s small bushy tail pressed against the stone. It was an innocent creature; a herbivore that never harmed another conscious living thing in its life. But that did not matter to me— not at this moment, at least.

I raised one hand up, and pointed a finger at the animal. A yellow circle of light briefly shone on my fingertips, and a bolt of fire came flying out at the hare. It looked up, saw the firebolt coming at it, and nimbly hopped out of the way.

The magical flames splashed on the surface of the rock, falling onto and lighting up the grass around it. I tried to follow the small brown animal, my fingers trailing after it, but it was too fast; it ran around a tree, through some tall grass, and into a bush. Then it was gone.

I stared at the undergrowth the hare fled into, then back to the rock surrounded by a small fire. I lowered my hand slowly, and heaved a sigh; I stomped over to the growing flames, and stamped it out.

I was annoyed. Hares were annoyingly fast— in fact, most animals were annoyingly fast. Turns out, when you’re evolutionarily conditioned to be a prey, you become very good at running away. I sighed.

I remembered back on Earth, whenever my dad brought me hunting (I might be a girl, but I was an only child, so he had to make do with me) and I just got bored. I should’ve paid more attention!

I loved my dad back in my world, I really did; but I did not enjoy hunting. I much preferred spending our quality time together doing something else he liked— like fishing, which was much more relaxing— but he wanted some variety. So he taught me how to hunt, but I didn’t really listen. And now...

I’m so hungry, I thought.

I had been traveling for over a week now, and hadn’t eaten in days. And it was not like my diet prior to all this had been particularly nutritious; so I was pretty sure I was dying. Or at least, close to death.

Either ways, I was annoyed. So once I was done putting out the small fire I caused (I didn’t want to burn down the whole forest) I kicked a small pebble, and trudged my way back to the road.

I had taken a small detour to