# Chapter 13
Fortunately, the hot-tempered fire spirits were completely distracted by their brawl.
Kaian followed the earth spirits back across the Ash-Covered Land.
As he walked where they guided him...
The heat rising from the ground suddenly became much weaker.
Hope immediately filled Kaian's eyes.
It's not that hot!
I can handle this!
He scooped out the last of his Cobalt Poultice and spread it across his forehead and the skin beneath his nose.
The cool scent of mint stung his nose.
Tears gathered in his eyes.
Maybe that was because he finally had hope that he could make it back safely.
But his excitement did not last long.
Kaian's vision blurred.
His body swayed.
Dizzy...!
He had forced himself through the entire journey without sleeping.
Now all that exhaustion hit him at once.
Idiot...
I relaxed too early.
Kaian barely managed to regain his balance.
But now that the tension had loosened, all the accumulated pain in his body became much clearer.
Burning skin.
Legs that felt like stone.
An aching waist.
Lungs that felt ready to burst.
A throat so dry that swallowing was difficult.
Even his eyes had become too dry to keep open.
"Haah... haah..."
Kaian repeatedly went over his situation in his head so he would not lose consciousness.
I can't fall asleep.
I'm not confident I can wake back up.
And I don't even know how much time I have left.
No... if I fall onto this ground, the burn pain alone will probably knock me out.
Then it'll really be eternal sleep.
But his vision continued to blur.
The earth spirits gently touched Kaian's cheeks, worried.
Peep! Peep!
They seemed to be trying to restore his energy.
But the earth spirits living in the volcanic region were too weak.
Kaian's thoughts became increasingly confused.
What did my second brother always say at times like this...?
Ah... right.
Damn it.
Damn.
Hell.
This sucks.
I only have to get back now...
He needed to return quickly and ask Eldarin to heal the Obsidian Boar.
The rice was almost ready to harvest.
He still needed to thank Amber for the astragalus tea.
Ah, the sweet potatoes.
There are so many sweet potatoes I haven't eaten yet...
The earth spirits of the Golden Plains were surely waiting for him too.
There were still so many things he wanted to do.
But...
I can't go any farther.
At last, Kaian's body tilted.
He did not even have enough energy left to wave his arms.
His eyes slowly closed.
Ah...
Is this as far as I go?
He waited for the burning ash to slam into his face.
But instead...
Something rough caught him.
Thump. Scratch.
Huh?
Scratchy?
With his eyes still closed, Kaian moved one hand around.
Coarse, rough fur.
And that familiar heat.
In a cracked voice, he asked,
"Are you... Piggy?"
"Snort!"
Even with his eyes closed, Kaian could perfectly imagine the Obsidian Boar shaking its snout.
Relief flooded through him.
Kaian laughed.
"Did you come to get your big brother?"
"Squeal! Squeal!"
The Obsidian Boar cried as though scolding him for collapsing in a place like this.
Kaian gently stroked its fur.
"Yeah, yeah."
"Big Brother messed up."
He had once believed the fate of a child who survived by living on the lives of his family could only be cruel.
He had thought warmth and kindness would be things he could never experience again.
Now that I think about it... that might've been the most useless thought of all.
Kaian gathered the last of his strength and climbed onto the Obsidian Boar's back.
The earth spirits also sighed in relief and settled beside him.
Kaian spoke in a cracked voice.
"Let's all go home."
"When we get back, I'll make you lots of Cobalt Poultice."
"Please, Piggy."
"Snort!"
The Obsidian Boar shook its snout proudly.
Then, carrying Kaian on its back, it ran across the gray desert.
***
Amber, the spirit of the tree house, found the silent morning kitchen strangely unfamiliar.
It was only a few days... and somehow I got used to that noisy child.
She had prepared breakfast for two, just in case.
But Kaian had not returned.
He really was hard to believe as an eight-year-old.
Amber had heard many stories about the outside world from the trees that shared roots with her.
The human children she knew were selfish, noisy, cried easily, had no useful skills, were full of pride, and usually learned cunning tricks before they learned wisdom.
But that child was different.
First...
Kaian loved books.
Hmph. I've probably read every children's book in the Empire.
He had boasted about it confidently.
And after the second-floor library was prepared for him, he spent time there every day.
He was not lazy about learning wisdom.
He had already learned proper etiquette too.
He knew how to place down a teacup quietly.
He knew exactly how to use different spoons and knives.
Well, he's from a noble family.
Of course he would've been educated early.
What Amber could not understand was his personality.
Kaian knew how to give up his stubbornness.
He could throw away pointless pride.
And when he realized he had made a mistake, he apologized as if it were the obvious thing to do.
He was never stingy with gratitude either.
During the week Amber taught him cooking, the thing she heard most often from him was:
Thank you.
That was completely opposite from what Amber knew about nobles.
