Everlasting dream (18+)

Chapter 83 — See the light

[Nivalis Silverfrost]

It felt like a sharp dagger had been plunged into her motherly heart when Aster suddenly jumped from her hands to face that clicking creature in a desperate attempt to protect them. It all happened so fast, mere seconds. Yet, it felt like an eternity as she watched helplessly, unable to intervene, as her youngest child bravely unleashed hell upon that plant beast, getting severely hurt in the process. Nivalis should have been protecting them, not the other way around. Never the other way around.

Before Nivalis could even blink, it was already over. Aster lay on the muddy ground next to the charred corpse of that abomination, motionless. The next moments were a blur — the rain, the thunder, the flashes of lightning, her panicked voice mixed with her daughter's... and Aster's silence, much more deafening than any other noise in her ears. He wasn't moving at all.

— "M-my b-boy..." Nivalis cried out, barely making sense through choked sobs as she dropped to her knees beside his still form, mud splashing around her, seeing the cloak torn around his neck, revealing raw, bleeding flesh underneath. "P-please... please..." she repeated in a low, shaking whisper, trying to hear his breathing over all the noise of this storm above, but it was way too hard to tell.

'Please don't leave us alone...' Nivalis thought desperately as she buried her face against Aster's tiny chest, trying to hear any sign of life through their soaked clothes. "D-don't y-you d-dare... l-leave me..." she muttered again, choking on the words.

"M-Mom... H-he... I-I didn't..." Silvia stuttered, her golden eyes wide in panic. "Is he...? He's not..." the girl tried to finish the words but couldn't.

Nivalis didn't answer; instead, she removed her cloak, revealing her relatively clean tunic underneath, and gently wrapped Aster's neck with it, leaving her chest bare. Her pale skin was covered in goosebumps as the rainwater drenched her, yet she cared little for that. With trembling fingers, she quickly wrapped the cloak back over her breasts before gathering the limp, small body of her son into her arms, cradling him against her chest. His head lolled limply against her shoulder, his beautiful silver hair stained with blood, dirt, and mud.

She stood on her shaky legs and hugged him tighter. At least he was warm, feverish, even. It was a good sign. A sign that he's still alive. "Don't panic. Everything will be alright, honey," Nivalis said, even though it sounded like she said it more to herself than anyone else. "I promise. Help me gather blankets into my backpack. We need to leave quickly before more of these creatures arrive," she whispered, glancing at the charred corpse beside them.

"O-okay, Mom..." Silvia nodded, her petite frame shivering in the rain. She quickly packed their soaked, dirty, mud-covered blankets into Nivalis's leather backpack and helped her mother put it on. "I'll carry his backpack..." she mumbled quietly, grunting as she shouldered the weighty bag her little brother carried and her own.

— "Hold onto me. Don't let go," Nivalis instructed, still cradling Aster's limp form protectively against her chest as they began to walk away from these cursed bushes. It was hard to see through the heavy downpour and darkness surrounding them. Silvia clung tightly onto her mother's arm for dear life as they stumbled blindly through the dense undergrowth of the forest, their bodies shivering from cold rainwater and fear.

They had no idea which direction they were going in; Nivalis wanted distance between them and that place more than anything else. So, they walked aimlessly through the ancient woodlands, climbing over giant roots and wading through deep puddles, with every step squishing loudly underfoot.

"Is he alright...?" Silvia spoke softly after ten silent minutes of walking, her golden eyes looking down at her little brother's limp form.

Nivalis wasn't sure. She needs a quiet, dry place to check his body and see if there is any other wound besides the neck. She was confident she saw blood on his hands when the lightning briefly flashed through the trees, but she couldn't tell for sure how bad it was.

"H-he will be. He's a strong boy," Nivalis said firmly, trying to reassure herself as much as Silvia. But she could hear how shaky her voice sounded; it was hard to stay calm and collected after seeing her child so hurt. "Try to look for a place where we could have some shelter against the rain, alright? Anything..."

"O-Okay," Silvia mumbled, her golden eyes searching their surroundings desperately as they continued walking through the forest. The rain seemed unending, making it hard to see where they were going. Nivalis stumbled several times over unseen roots, falling into the mud each time but rising back up as if nothing happened.

The coldness, however, was a different beast altogether; the freezing water soaked through every part of their clothes and skin beneath. Nivalis' teeth chattered loudly, her fingers numb, and her arms and legs trembled uncontrollably. The only thing that helped was the warmth Aster kept emitting from his body, but was it from the use of magic or fever? She couldn't tell.

The night continued with them slowly walking through this never-ending forest. From time to time, Nivalis paused to let Silvia hug Aster and let his body warm her up a little. It wasn't much, but better than nothing. What made Nivalis worry even more was when the boy began moaning in pain weakly against her bosom. That sound pushed them to run, do anything to find a decent place to hide.

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"T-th-there! There!" Silvia exclaimed in relief, pointing at the massive fallen tree trunk leaning heavily against another one. Just underneath it, there was a nice space for them to hide in. Although it was still damp, at the very least, they wouldn't have to worry about rain falling on them.

— "Good job..." Nivalis whispered back, carefully getting down on her knees and sliding under the log with Aster in her shaking, tired hands that felt like they were made of stone. Silvia followed closely behind, dragging their backpacks with her. "Are you okay, sweetie? Gods, you are all trembling," Nivalis asked the moment the girl was underneath, cupping her soft cheek with a muddy hand, only to receive a silent nod as she snuggled up closer to Aster for warmth. "Later, my love. Let's check if he got any other injuries first, alright? Can you help me?"

"You're right... I'll check his legs," Silvia whispered back weakly, lowering herself down to Aster's lower body and slipping her trembling hands inside his pants, touching his cold skin underneath for any wounds.

Meanwhile, Nivalis checked his neck to see if he was still bleeding. It didn't feel like it. 'That's a good sign,' she thought hopefully before gently pushing up his tunic to check on his chest, stomach, and back. Their soft hands explored every part of their little boy. "Anything?" Nivalis asked after some silence.

Silvia sniffed briefly before answering. "Nothing... You?" she asked softly as her tiny hands explored deeper into Aster's pants. She even checked his boyhood just in case... nothing.

— "Yeah, it looks like he burned his hands, but it's hard to tell how badly without looking. It's too dark here," Nivalis replied quietly, her soft fingers touching the exposed flesh on his palms. "Find me something in our backpacks to wrap them up. And... we had some of that pine paste for treating wounds. Look for it, please. And blankets, too..."

"Mhm..." Silvia quickly moved away from Aster and rummaged through their bags frantically until she found the paste and a rag they used in the kitchen. Fortunately, it was clean and dry but smelled a bit funny. Nivalis took it all and carefully applied the white paste to his burned hands before gently wrapping them with the cloth. They didn't have much of that paste, so what little had left went to his neck.

While Nivalis worked, Silvia covered all three of them with their blankets. Soon, only their quiet breathing filled the air beneath this tree trunk; the sound of rain and thunder outside felt distant.

Once finished, Nivalis pressed her long, elven ear against his chest to listen to his distinct heartbeat, which she had failed to catch the first time. The steady rhythm was like the most beautiful melody she had ever heard. She kissed his forehead, tears falling freely down her face. "He will be alright..." the mother softly whispered.

"I'm so cold, Mom..." Silvia whimpered, her voice barely audible as she shivered uncontrollably.

— "I know. I know," Nivalis responded sadly before wrapping her arms tightly around her two children, trying desperately to warm them up, even though her body desperately needed warmth. "Remember the way we used to sleep together in the wilderness? Before the cave, when we were running from our old home?"

"Mhm. C-can we do t-that?" Silvia whispered back, her voice hoarse and weak.

Nivalis only hummed in response, causing Silvia to quickly undress herself, her pale, skinny, delicate frame trembling with each movement. Then, the girl climbed on top of her mother and slipped inside her cloak, wiggling herself up until she reached the warmth between her mother's breasts. Her legs, meanwhile, slipped inside Nivalis' pants until she was fully embraced in the warmth, sighing in contentment. Luckily, she was still small enough to fit.

Nivalis, meanwhile, took the girl's clothing and used it as an additional blanket, covering themselves with it. She wrapped her hand around her little boy and pushed his feverish body against her side while her other hand hugged trembling Silvia on her chest. Soon, the coldness grew weaker, if only a little. Everything was still wet.

...

The rain continued throughout the night until it finally stopped when the darkness outside slowly brightened, indicating morning had come. Nivalis couldn't sleep the whole night because of fear, coldness, and worry about her boy. Worry about whether or not they will survive this new day.

They were still soaked to the bone, dirty beyond words, and shivered constantly, but at least they survived the night. Her tired eyes looked at the soaked blanket they were covered with, which smelled like a swamp after being wet for such a long time. 'What our lives have come to... Be damned those goblins and forest, damn it all...' Nivalis thought bitterly, feeling like crying from what they had to endure.

She tenderly tangled her fingers in her daughter's damp, curly hair, feeling her soft breathing against her skin as she slept peacefully in the warmth of her bosom. And Aster... poor, sweet child kept whimpering and mumbling something incoherent under his breath, still unconscious. That was probably good, considering he would be in pain if awake.

Nivalis sighed quietly, pressing her palm against his warm forehead. His temperature seemed higher than before, but at least he breathed fine. 'Why we must suffer like this, I don't get it...' she sniffled quietly, her beautiful blue eyes welling with tears that threatened to spill over. But she didn't allow them; she had to stay strong for them. No matter how much she wanted to break down and cry... it wouldn't do any good. She knew it wouldn't bring back all they had lost or make their lives easier. Nivalis had to be strong even if she didn't feel like it, leading her children to a better, happier place where they could be safe and sound, wherever it was.

Wiping the unshed tears away from the corners of her eyes, Nivalis gently nudged Silvia awake. "Sweetheart... wake up," she whispered in a weak horse voice, causing the girl to stir under in between the softness of her mother's breasts. "Silvia... It's morning already, honey. We need to continue moving," Nivalis added, peeking under her cloak to look at the girl. Outside, only her little, pale butt was peeking out.

"Ugh... I'm so tired..." Silvia groaned, rubbing her eyes with one hand while the other rested on her mother's breast. Nivalis felt how her little fingers dug into the smooth flesh of her bosom. "I wanna sleep..."

— "Sorry, my sweet," Nivalis sighed, gently slapping the softness of the girl's little behind. As much as she wanted to let her daughter sleep some more, they had to press on. To continue fighting, even though the odds were against them. "But we have to get up now. Come on, chop chop," she added, the soft slaps of her palm making the girl whine.

"Alright..." Silvia groaned back before slowly wiggling her way down her mother's chest and soft stomach and eventually out of her cloak. "Gods... everything smells so bad," she complained, putting her wet clothes back on and shivering at the disgusting feeling. "Urgh..."

Nivalis carefully lifted the blankets to let in some light. Then, she unwrapped her tunic from around Aster's neck and inspected the cuts on his skin. Gently probing his pale skin—which was slightly covered in green mush from the previous day but mostly washed away by heavy sweating—she found that the wounds were a bit swollen around the claw marks, but it wasn't terrible. "Ew..." Silvia commented, peeking over her mother's shoulder.

— "We need to get out of this forest, honey. By any means," Nivalis mumbled worriedly, looking down at Aster's pale, unconscious face, brushing his silver hair away from the forehead. "We need fire to keep him dry, clean water, and more paste to treat his wounds... We need to get out."

"I-I... I can make some ice?" Silvia suggested nervously as she watched her mother carefully unwrap his hands, which were tied together with a single cloth. "A tiny bit to clean-" she couldn't finish as she looked at his palms, a gasp escaping her mouth.

Nivalis froze momentarily, her wide eyes focused on Aster's damaged hands. The raw flesh on his palms and fingers was covered in blisters; pus leaked everywhere, mixing with green paste. The burns were severe, and the smell was putrid, as if they were rotting. "Oh, dear gods..." she mumbled weakly, her hand covering her mouth.

Silvia, meanwhile, couldn't help but gag at the sight. It was horrible, making her feel dizzy and nauseous. "Mom..?" she cried, burying her face into her shoulder as she sobbed quietly. "Mom..." she repeated weakly.

Nivalis turned around and hugged the little girl tightly. "Shhh, it's alright. I-I know it looks bad, but it's okay. Let's try to clean it a bit with your ice..." Nivalis whispered, gently stroking the girl's back. "But try not to gather too much mana at once so those creatures won't sense us," she added, looking at Silvia with a worried look. "Please, be very, very careful..."

Silvia nodded quickly and pulled away from her mother's embrace to create a piece of ice for her little Aster. The process lasted several minutes, way longer than usual, since she tried to use minimum mana at once to make it. "Here," the girl mumbled, holding up a piece of ice the size of her fist.

— "Thank you, sweetheart," Nivalis smiled, taking the piece of ice into her hand before gently pressing it against the raw flesh of Aster's palms. He immediately whimpered at the touch, his eyes fluttering slightly as he groaned, his breathing quickening, but Nivalis didn't stop. It had to be done; she knew it.

Nivalis slowly melted the ice against his palm, cleaning away pus and dirt from the wound before doing the same to the other. The process was gruesome, and Nivalis felt like throwing up, but she stayed strong for him. It continued like this for some time until, finally, his palms were somewhat cleaned off. The ice completely melted away.

To be safe, the girls repeated the process for his neck, with Silvia making another piece of ice. It took them a good hour to finish it all, and both mother and daughter were shivering from the cold by the end. Nivalis used the opposite, cleaner side of the rag around his hands and her tunic around his neck to wrap them up again.

— "There... It should be a little better now," she mumbled, gently stroking her thumb over Aster's soft cheek, seeing how much his face twisted in pain. "I'm sorry, honey..." Nivalis whispered.

"Is he gonna be alright?" Silvia asked quietly, tears forming in her eyes as she looked at her little brother's feverish and weak face. "Right?"

— "He will, my love," Nivalis reassured her daughter, telling her what she wanted to hear. Right now, it was hard to tell how bad those wounds would heal... but there was no way she could tell that to Silvia. Then, she used what little strength remained in her tired body to lift Aster back into her arms. "He saved us from that thing. Now it is our turn to save him," Nivalis stated, crawling outside their hideout with Aster cradled tightly against her chest. "Could you-"

"On it," Silvia interrupted before she could finish, folding blankets and stuffing them into the backpack.

— "Thanks," Nivalis whispered, gently patting Silvia's wet, muddy silver hair as she worked. Once packed and ready, they began walking away from here, with no direction other than away from where they had come last night. Silvia led them this time to prevent her mother from slipping on the muddy ground.

The sky overhead was still mostly dark, making it nearly impossible to navigate properly, but at least the rain had finally stopped. Every step felt like a thousand; their bodies screamed for rest and warmth, yet the only thing they could do was keep moving forward. Nivalis worried they had likely wandered in circles or taken a wrong turn many days ago, but it's not like she could do anything about it. She simply kept putting one foot ahead of the other, praying silently for some miracle to help them escape this nightmare.

...

It was hard to tell how many hours had passed since they left their hideout. All Nivalis knew was that each minute felt worse than the last until finally, the miracle came... a tiny one, but still a miracle.

For the first time in... ever since they walked into this damn place, the sun finally broke through thick clouds and countless branches above, shining brighter than ever before Nivalis had seen in her life. The light rays scattered throughout the forest, causing water droplets to shine on bleak leaves, dull grass, and muddy ground below. It was an incredible sight that made Nivalis smile weakly despite her exhaustion.

Nivalis was tired beyond measure, dirty, wet, and covered in mud from head to toe. Her arms ached terribly from carrying her unconscious son for so long, yet she smiled from ear to ear now that she knew where the east was. This reminded her that somewhere there lays a normal pine forest where monsters like that creature that attacked them yesterday didn't roam, where she could make a fire and care for Aster's wounds. And it very well might be just over the next tree.

Feeling her daughter's grip on her forearm, she adjusted her son's weight in her arms and continued walking in a direction where the sun was shining. They were almost out. She could feel it in her bones; this nightmare would end soon... hopefully.