Topaz 6

Five days had passed since he’d taken in the uninvited guests. The sound of their voices outside his door had become almost familiar.

Topaz tied back his hair and stepped out of his room. Karjen, who had tried to sneak into his room again last night only to be banished to the living room, sat at the table, his chin resting on his hand.

“Good morning, Topaz.”

“What are you doing?” Topaz asked Haran, who was chopping something in the cramped space that barely qualified as a kitchen.

“He’s going to cook the venison you hunted yesterday. Despite appearances, he’s a picky eater and a surprisingly good cook. Don’t worry.”

“What do you mean, ‘despite appearances’?”

Haran grumbled, but his large frame moved efficiently in the small space.

Despite Karjen’s teasing tone, Haran wasn’t rough-looking. He had a composed demeanor and the disciplined air of a well-trained knight. Karjen, on the other hand, looked like he’d never lifted a finger in his life.

“I’m tired of eating jerky. Oh, I found some ingredients here and there, so I took the liberty of using them.”

“Help yourself.”

Topaz had no intention of stopping him. His own culinary skills extended to grilling or throwing everything into a pot and boiling it. He didn’t understand the point of wasting time and effort when all that mattered was filling one’s stomach.

“You’re up,” Merdina said, entering with a basket in hand. He set the basket, overflowing with mushrooms, on the table and asked Topaz, “I only picked the ones that looked safe, but could you check them?”

He seemed to have chosen the most innocuous-looking mushrooms, avoiding brightly colored ones. Unfortunately, the forest didn’t operate on such simple principles. Topaz clicked his tongue.

“The white ones over there, and the ones with yellow on their caps, are all poisonous. Fifty percent chance of death within eight hours if you eat them.”

“So, the other half survive?” Karjen asked, poking a mushroom with a long twig.

“No. The other half die within three hours.”

“…..”

Despite being told to discard more than half of his carefully gathered mushrooms, Merdina complied without complaint.

“What have you been doing all this time?” Topaz asked Karjen, who was knitting with a needle and thread that had seemingly appeared out of thin air. Or rather, the needle was moving on its own, diligently weaving the thread. At Topaz’s question, Karjen smiled gently.

“I thought a tablecloth would be nice. Do you like green? I also have red and yellow thread. Which do you prefer?”

A tablecloth?

“Are you planning to move in?”

“Is that allowed?”

“…..”

At Topaz’s incredulous look, Karjen smiled sweetly.

“Wouldn’t it be nice to dine in style, even for a day? It’ll be finished soon, so please wait a moment.”

What a waste of mana. A patient who should be resting, knitting a tablecloth.

“You seem to have fully recovered.”

“…Not at all. Cough, cough. Not yet.”

Karjen, who didn’t sound like he had a cold, suddenly erupted in a coughing fit and pressed a hand to his forehead. The needle’s movement slowed.

“But I think I’m getting the hang of it. Don’t worry too much.”

He’d coughed up blood yesterday, so he clearly wasn’t fully recovered, yet he acted as if this level of magic was easier than blowing his nose. It seemed to require a fair amount of control. Just what was this guy? He looked normal enough, but he was clearly missing a few screws. Maybe he was a mage from the Tower. Or perhaps…

Topaz stopped that train of thought. It didn’t matter.

“Here, dig in.”

Topaz took a bite of the roasted venison Haran had placed on the table and paused. He chewed again, slowly swallowing.

“…What did you do to this?”

“Pardon?”

“Is something wrong with the meat?”

Karjen sat up, eyeing the piece of meat in Topaz’s hand with concern. Topaz instinctively shielded the meat.

“How did you make it taste like this?”

This wasn’t the venison he knew. The usual gamey smell was completely absent, and the meat was tender and juicy. It had a savory, fragrant crust, and it practically melted in his mouth. It paired perfectly with the grilled mushrooms. Karjen, looking relieved, sat back down.

“I’m glad you like it.”

“Haran’s cooking skills rival those of a professional chef.”

Topaz nodded in agreement with Merdina’s assessment. With skills like this, wouldn’t he be better off as a chef than a knight?

“Haha, what an honor.”

Haran grinned, a genuine smile that Topaz hadn’t seen before. Topaz straightened up and focused on his meal.

Haran kept bringing dishes from the small stove, and Karjen, with elegant movements, cut them into tiny pieces and ate them. Beside him, Merdina was feeding pieces of raw meat to the white fox, which had been drawn in by the smell of food.

“…..”

Topaz suddenly found the scene strangely unfamiliar – the steaming food, the bouquet of flowers and the light green tablecloth on the table, the shadows of other people.

 

***

 

Later that night, Topaz opened the wooden shutters halfway, letting in the rustling sounds of the forest. A knock came at his door. Topaz turned. The door opened, and Karjen’s smooth face peeked through the gap.

“Topaz, Haran and Merdina sense something out there.”

“I haven’t invited you in yet.”

Karjen’s eyes widened. He took a step back, feigning innocence.

“Should I knock again?”

“Forget it. I’m coming out.”

This wasn’t the time for silly jokes. Karjen opened the door wider, extending a hand in a gesture of invitation. It was a very gentlemanly gesture, but entirely inappropriate for the situation. Topaz spoke.

“We’re surrounded by beasts.”

Haran and Merdina, gathered in the living room, stiffened.

“I expected as much, but it’s not good news.”

“At least thirty, I’d say. Where did so many beasts suddenly come from? No, ‘suddenly’ isn’t quite right.”

“They were hiding. The reason we’ve been able to sleep soundly is that they usually avoid the area around the cabin.”

“Because of you?” Haran asked, and Topaz shrugged, confirming his suspicion.

“Curious about the new scents, I imagine. They’ve been watching us for days, and now they’ve decided you’re weak.”

“That’s rather insulting.”

“I’ll check it out. You three stay inside.”

“I’ll come with you, Topaz.”

Despite Topaz’s objection, Karjen trailed after him. And not just Karjen. Haran and Merdina followed as well. Topaz was about to say something when…

A rustle. The sound of something moving through the undergrowth. Almost simultaneously, Topaz’s sword was drawn. He stepped in front of Karjen and plunged his blade into the neck of the beast charging towards them at an incredible speed. It resembled a boar, but its thick, alligator-like hide made its neck the only vulnerable spot.

Thud. The beast collapsed. Topaz withdrew his sword, flicking his wrist to shake off the blood. Crimson droplets splattered onto the grass.

“Are you alright?”

He turned, and his eyes met wide, sky-blue irises. Had he seen eyes like these somewhere before?

“Ah…”

Karjen seemed stunned, his mouth slightly open.

“I told you to stay inside.”

“I couldn’t just let you go out there alone, no matter how strong you are.”

Karjen’s voice was still gentle, but firm. Haran shrugged and drew his sword.

“Being treated as a liability is a novel experience. Don’t worry, we won’t be a burden. Keep your eyes forward.”

At Haran’s words, Topaz swung his sword again without looking. A spray of dark blood splattered across the ground as another beast fell silently.

“I’m starting to understand why you think we’re liabilities, and it’s a little annoying…”

Haran clicked his tongue, impaling a small, winged beast that had been diving towards them from behind. Merdina was already further ahead, his sword a blur of motion.

Topaz sighed softly and plunged his sword deep into the ground. Karjen stared at the orange creature that had collapsed at his feet without a sound. Its long body resembled a snake, but it was thicker than a man’s arm and covered in orange markings. Karjen tilted his head.

“Is that a beast, too?”

“No, that’s just a snake. It’ll kill you just as dead as a beast, though.”