Chương 124: Someone I Cared About

The merciless sun battered Teresa's skin, leaving it increasingly red and painful. Her cracked lips burned from thirst. Her clothes were filthy, soaked with dust and sweat. Chained, all she could do was watch. Screams. Groans. Muffled sobs. All around her, magical creatures reduced to shadows of their former selves suffered without respite. It seemed like an open-air hell. A godless land. Two goblins dragged Naomi in front of her and chained her up again.

The girl's hair was disheveled, her face marked by exhaustion, and one of her eyes was swollen and purple. Her clothes were torn in several places. Teresa looked at her, genuinely concerned.

"Naomi…what did they do to you?" she asked in a faint voice, broken by helplessness. Naomi barely raised her eyes. They were dull. She did not answer. But Teresa understood what had happened anyway. A short distance away, two other goblins approached the gnome. He backed away trembling, clutching his hands against his chest.

"What do we do with this one?" one of them asked.

"I don't want to kill him. He's funny", the other replied with a sneer.

"What if we kept him as a pet? Like a little dog?" The other laughed.

"Good idea". They untied him.

"Come on, gnome. On all fours".

"I have my dignity…you can't humiliate me like this…" One of the goblins violently kicked him in the chin, knocking him to the ground. Then he planted his boot on the gnome's head.

"Want me to crush your skull, you useless creature?" Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings. The gnome felt his bones creaking under the pressure. The goblin slowly increased the weight of his foot. The gnome squeezed his eyes shut. There was nothing he could do. In the end, he abandoned his pride and accepted the humiliation just to stay alive. The goblin removed his foot and tied a rope around his neck.

"Move". They began dragging him around like a dog, laughing and yanking on the rope as they showed him off to the other goblins as though he were some kind of spectacle. Teresa watched the scene in disgust. Her hands trembled. She wanted to intervene. She wanted to break those chains, take the gnome and Naomi, and get them out of there. But she couldn't. She was helpless. Slowly, she raised her eyes toward the sky. She had lost almost all hope. Almost. A small flame still burned inside her.

The hope of seeing the Green Dragon again. Felicity and the others galloped through the streets of Axi, one of the great cities of the Frozen Lands. The city had a particularly lively commercial district, fueled by the trade of fish, heavy fabrics, and valuable raw materials. But the cold seeped into everything. Leah pulled her cloak tighter around herself.

"Do we have enough crowns for a room at an inn?" Ethan shook his head.

"Prices are too high here. We're better off sleeping in tents".

"In tents?!" Agnes protested.

"It's freezing!"

"I'll give you my blanket", Ethan said without hesitation.

"I don't want it", Agnes replied curtly. Ethan stared at her for a few seconds.

"As you wish".

"Maybe we can find a small, cheaper inn", Leah suggested hopefully. They wandered around Axi for a long time, passing through crowded streets and increasingly poorer districts, until they ended up in front of a run-down tavern in a rather unsavory area. The air was thick with alcohol and sweat. They entered anyway. They sat down at a table and ordered something to drink. Ethan carefully observed his surroundings, studying the people present and the atmosphere of the place.

Xia, meanwhile, looked at Agnes and smiled sweetly.

"I don't think this place is for you. How about we go upstairs and take a look at the rooms?" Agnes immediately nodded.

"Yes…it reeks in here". The two of them walked toward the stairs. Ethan watched them go.

"If I had asked her that, she would've punched me while putting on that tough-girl act". Leah smiled.

"Xia can be very persuasive". A prostitute approached their table. She had long orange hair and violet eyes. She had the hardened gaze of a woman who had been forced to face poverty from a young age. Yet despite her hardships, she still possessed soft, attractive features that contrasted with the harshness in her eyes. She wore an old, worn-out dress, its fabric revealing traces of sweat. It was not particularly elegant, but she still took enough care of her appearance to attract the attention of customers.

She watched them for a few seconds, then placed a hand on Ethan's chest, accompanying the gesture with a seductive smile.

"Are you already in company, sir, or may I offer you some of mine?" Ethan stared at her. For a moment, the world seemed to stop. That hair. Those eyes. It was like seeing Renlin again for one brief, painful moment. His mind went back. He remembered her smile. Their conversations. The moments they had spent together. And finally… Her death. Ethan lowered his gaze. He pushed those memories away. Gently, he took the woman's hand and moved it away from his chest.

"No, thank you. I'm fine as I am".

"What a shame". She then turned toward Felicity and Leah.

"For two beautiful ladies like you, I could be a little more generous with the price". Felicity looked up at her.

"No, thank you. You'd be better off looking for richer customers. We're short on crowns". The woman gave her a faint smile and walked away. Leah waited until she was far enough away. Then she looked at Ethan.

"You hesitated". Ethan did not answer.

"If you wanted to have some fun, you could have. We wouldn't have judged you. Right, Feli?" Felicity looked at Ethan.

"That didn't look like hesitation". She paused briefly.

"What was it?" Ethan lowered his gaze. For a few seconds, he remained silent.

"Nothing…she just reminded me of someone I cared about".