The smell of burning filled Morvian's nose.
A huge bonfire of bodies lit up the surroundings, and puffs of smoke and ash rose to the sky.
Long-dried tears left traces on the black-haired boy's blackened face as he stared blankly at one body from the burning pile.
His thoughts were empty and the blood in his temples hummed.
A crunching sound was heard.
Morvian came to his senses and focused back on the pyre.
The burning eyes in the empty charred skull stared back at him.
"N... no... mom!"
Shouted Morvian, choking back tears.
The burning skeleton stepped out of the flames and headed towards the little boy.
Sparks of flame were spreading out in all directions, but the fire skeleton kept walking.
Morvian wanted to run away, but his legs froze in place and he fell.
A burning hand reached for his face and the infernal heat could be felt on his skin.
"H...enough!"
Shouted Morvian and stretched his arm forward.
He saw the wooden ceiling in front of him with a lamp swaying on it.
His golden hair stuck to his skin due to the cold sweat, creating an unpleasant sensation.
Morvian sighed in relief, placing a thin hand on his face.
'It was a dream...'
A strange odor immediately hit his nose, causing him to wrinkle his nose.
Morvian looked around the room he was in and saw the same lavender-eyed knight.
"Thank the goddesses...you're awake."
The man's voice was pleasant and with a note of caring that immediately made him feel at ease.
"Where am I?"- the golden-haired girl asked.
A woman's voice was heard to her right. It was deep and not as gentle as the cloaked knight's.
"You are now in the main carriage of the caravan slave. Thank the goddesses that we were able to help you survive, as well as our great soul."
Morvian turned his head with difficulty and saw a beautiful maiden with black hair dressed in a purple robe.
Several vials of various liquids hung from her belt, and her snow-white hands held a wooden staff with a stone on the end.
The girl looked at Morvian with disdain and wrinkled her nose slightly.
'Yes, I can see what a huge soul you have.'-he thought as he looked at her chest.
A sharp pain stabbed through his leg and he cringed, cold sweat once again appearing on his skin.
Morvian lowered his gaze and was thrown into a shiver.
A dozen apple-sized jade bugs were crawling up his leg and spitting some kind of liquid over the shattered bone and flesh.
The bugs' liquid foamed, soaking into the wound, and the bone creaked, knitting together with savage pain, as if someone had driven red-hot needles under his skin.
Morvian gripped the blanket so tightly that his knuckles turned white from the strain.
The knight noticed this and looked at the sorceress.
She sighed irritably and walked over to the squirming girl. At the same time he took off one of the vials on his belt and brought it to the wounded girl's mouth.
A cold liquid with a pleasant taste filled Morvian's mouth and he swallowed it quickly.
After a few moments, the pain subsided and he exhaled in relief.
"S...thank you."
The knight smiled and leaned back in his chair, and Morvian marveled at the sturdiness of the furniture.
"More like thank you, since you helped me."
The golden-haired girl looked at the knight strangely, not understanding his words.
The cloaked man noticed this and decided to explain himself.
"Your courage is contagious, girl. Until today, I was terrified of these monsters and every time I sat back while people died for my cowardice."
He paused and took a deep breath before continuing.
"However, today everything changed when I saw your zeal for life and your courage in the face of death. You showed me that even in such a frail body there is such a spirit. When I with my own strength could do nothing. So... thank you for that."
Morvian was slightly confused by the knight's revelation, but he quickly brushed it aside as he assessed the surroundings of the closed wagon.
Wooden racks with shelves filled most of the space, as well as two bunks for sleeping, with Morvian lying on one and the enchantress sitting on the other.
The golden-haired slave girl examined one of her rescuers again.
The girl in the robe was looking at the knight as if he were insane.
"Dil... what are you even saying, so to a slave girl as well!"
The knight looked at the sorceress strangely, frowning slightly.
"What do you mean?"
The sorceress waved her hands.
"Why the hell are you being so respectful to her! She's just a slave... the trash underfoot is more valuable."
The knight stood up from his chair and ducked slightly, as the ceiling was too low for him.
His voice no longer carried the gentleness it used to and was filled with irritation.
"What's gotten into you, Leah! Since when did you start treating people like that!"
Morvian watched the conflict unfold and couldn't help but smile inwardly.
He looked at both sides of the conflict, but his gaze lingered more on the beautiful girl.
'She's... I'm one hundred percent sure. She's definitely one of the test subjects, and clearly a high class one at that. This attitude towards slaves... yes, I'm sure of it.'
Morvian decided not to confirm his theory with the Revenant Sign just yet.
'I can't be sure of her use yet. Her attitude will play to my advantage, but her true intelligence is not yet clear. Best to observe.'
Meanwhile, the argument was moving to a new level.
The enchantress grabbed her staff and pointed it at the knight.
Black lightning began to spark throughout the room, and an intimidating crackling sound foreshadowed trouble.
"What are you doing!!! Put the staff away and calm down, Lia Blaus!"- bellowed Dil.
The enchantress didn't listen to the knight and pointed the staff at Morvian.
Black lightning electrified his hair and it stood up, while the wounded girl's pupils narrowed to the size of a pin.
The knight made a dash toward the sorceress, and she pointed the weapon at him in surprise.
A deafening explosion rippled across the mountain like a telltale sound.
Morvian looked at the knight, who had managed to block the attack with his broadsword.
Small black flails danced on the dark metal of his sword, and his brown hair fluttered in the wind.
Lavender eyes stared dazedly at the sorceress, who glanced back nervously.
The staff in her hand trembled and then fell to the floor of the dilapidated wagon.
The enchantress looked down at her trembling hands and fell to her knees, crying.
Morvian almost laughed at the top of his lungs, but managed to calm himself at the last moment.
'Jackpot! Yes, she's just an idiot!'
However, they now had a new problem.
The huge snow avalanche caused by the rumbling explosion was rapidly approaching the shabby caravan.
And among the mass of snow were the black bodies of creatures ready to feast.