Boundless Evolution: The Summoning Beast

Chapter 98: Salken Awakes


The murmurs hushed completely as the child broke away from the cluster, his small feet pattering across the floor.

His cheeks were blotched red, his eyes still rimmed with tears that had left faint tracks down his face. He sniffled as he ran, the remnants of his crying plain in the way his lips trembled, though his steps carried a fragile determination.

He reached Ash and stopped just short of him, clutching at the hem of his tunic with trembling hands, his breath hitching in his chest as if he was holding back another sob.

"Thank you," the boy managed, his voice quivering, breaking midway but still strong enough to carry, "Thank you for saving my brother from the beast."

Ash's ears twitched, caught off guard by the raw sincerity in the boy's tone. Slowly, instead of hesitating, he stepped forward and lowered himself, pulling the boy gently into his embrace.

The child stiffened for only a heartbeat before his small frame collapsed against Ash's chest. All the trembling he had been holding back broke loose, and he sobbed openly, his tiny hands clutching fistfuls of Ash's fur as though he might vanish if let go.

The boy looked up at him with tear-streaked cheeks, blinking rapidly.

"You… you really saved him," he whispered. "I thought I'd never see him again."

Ash bent slightly, his voice softer than usual, "Your brother is strong. He held on long enough for me to reach him."

The boy sniffled and shook his head, clutching tighter at his fur, "No… it was you. If you weren't there, he would've…"

His words broke off into a shudder as he couldn't find the strength to speak the words into the world and could instead finish in his mind, 'disappeared like mama and papa.'

"So thank you," he spoke as he buried his face briefly against Ash's arm, beginning to compose him as he tried to force himself to stop crying with desperate adorable sniffles.

Ash studied the boy for a moment, unsure how to answer, the sincerity in the child's eyes weighing heavier than any words of praise he had ever received.

Before he could form a reply, more children began to shuffle forward, one by one, from behind the older Kin. Their small faces were pale, some blotched from crying, yet their eyes carried fragile determination. Their voices rose timidly at first, wavering with hesitation, but grew stronger as each child added their own thanks, as if courage was contagious among them.

"Thank you."

"Thank you."

"Thank you."

The words overlapped, filling the hall with a chorus of gratitude that echoed louder than the crackling fire.

Some bowed awkwardly, others clutched at Ash's hands or arms, and one even pressed a small carved trinket into his palm before retreating. Their eyes glimmered—not just with relief, but with the fragile spark of hope.

Yet beneath that spark lingered fear; their voices trembled, and some still glanced nervously toward the doors as if expecting more beasts to break through. It was gratitude spoken through quivering lips, courage rising against the weight of dread that had not yet left them.

A few of the older youths, trying to appear strong for the little ones, added their voices too, bowing their heads to Ash in silent acknowledgment. The sight left a hush over the adults in the room, many watching in silence as if reminded of what their own childhood gratitude once felt like.

Ash shifted uncomfortably under the weight of their voices. He had been praised before, but never like this—never by children who had so little and yet gave so much in their thanks.

For a moment, he could only nod, his chest tightening as he tried to accept their words without letting the memories of failure overwhelm him.

The children lingered around him longer than he expected, tugging lightly at his hands and sleeves, repeating their gratitude in whispers and timid smiles.

One girl, no more than five, pressed her forehead against his arm and murmured a muffled, "Please don't ever leave, protect my brother too."

Tholn stood nearby, watching the scene unfold and a warm smile filled his face.

In that moment, he felt even more certain that Ash was the prophesied one spoken of in the elders' tales.

And what had made him so sure now?

His mind flashed back to earlier when Salken and Druven had stumbled out of the treeline, bloodied and broken, it had been Ash who acted first.

He did not hesitate. Upon seeing the beast, he charged forward instantly to engage the enemy while shouting for Tholn to take the children inside the main hall.

There had been no time to plan, no time to weigh risks—Ash had acted, placing himself between the Kin and the threat without a second thought.

That memory burned alongside what he now witnessed, convincing Tholn that destiny itself had already begun to move through Ash.

The moment stretched, the crackle of the fire filled the silence as the children seemed to be lost in the comfort that they found in Ash's embrace.

Just them, a low groan broke through the hush like a stone dropped into still water, and every head turned sharply toward the mats near the hearth.

Salken stirred, his body shifting faintly against the woven mats as another faint groan escaped his lips.

The young hunter's eyelids fluttered, heavy and uncertain, like someone struggling to wake from a nightmare. He blinked slowly, his gaze hazy, unfocused at first.

The children, who had been whispering moments ago, fell completely silent. Every eye turned toward Salken as though drawn by a single thread. They backed toward the benches in small hesitant steps, many clinging to one another's hands or sleeves, unwilling to look away. One boy pressed his face against his sister's shoulder but peeked over anyway, watching with wide, anxious eyes.

Then Salken mumbled hoarsely, "Where… am I?"

"BIIIIIIGGGGGGGG BROTHERRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!"

At that moment, his younger brother broke down completely, crying out his name as he rushed forward. He dropped to his knees beside Salken, seizing his hand in both of his small ones, and burst into tears. His sobs echoed through the hall as he clutched his brother's limp fingers, refusing to let go.

Salken blinked sluggishly and turned his head toward the sound of his brother's voice. "Hey Kaelen… don't cry," he rasped weakly, squeezing his brother's fingers with what little strength he had, "I'm still here."

The boy shook his head violently, tears spilling down his cheeks, "I thought you were gone! I thought I'd never see you again! I was so scared!"

Salken managed a faint, pained smile, "You won't get rid of me that easy. I promised I'd come back."

His brother buried his face against Salken's arm, words breaking through sobs, "Please don't leave me again."

"I'm sorry Kaelen, I won't again," Salken whispered, voice rough but steadying, "Not if I can help it. You're safe no- ack!"

As he was speaking, he began to raise a hand, with effort, to pat his brother's head, but as he lifted it only partway, a sharp pain flared through his side.

He winced, the movement faltering, though his fingers still brushed lightly against his brother's hair in a trembling gesture of comfort.

At that, Rhavri's voice chimed in.

"Easy…" she said gently, pressing a steadying hand to Salken's chest as he shifted weakly, "Don't strain yourself. You are safe now."

She brushed damp hair from his forehead and kept her hand firm, guiding his breath into steadier rhythm.

Salken's eyes flickered across the room, confusion flashing before recognition began to settle.

He swallowed hard, voice hoarse, "Druven…? Where's Druven?"

His tone cracked halfway, the fear in it startling given how steady the hall had become.

"He's here," Tholn's voice answered him, stepping forward as Salken turned to the source of Tholn's voice to see Druven's face, "He's alive. Breathe. You can rest easy."

Relief softened Salken's tense features as his gaze landed on Druven lying close beside him, safe under Rhavri's care.

Tholn stepped closer, his eyes heavy with concern but his voice steady. "Salken… what happened out there? What caused Druven's wounds to be so severe?"

Salken's expression shifted as his eyes grew distant, narrowing as though trying to piece together fragments scattered in his mind. He exhaled shakily, some of the fear draining from his frame, and let the back of his hand rest against his forehead. For a long moment he simply breathed, trying to calm the pounding in his chest.

Rhavri glanced sharply at him, worrying flickering across her features. She knew that pressing Salken now risked overstraining him, yet the urgency of their situation demanded answers.

Her hands hesitated for only a moment before remaining poised at Druven's side, her silence granting space for the question to linger.

After a few seconds, Salken's mouth opened slowly and his lips quivered silently at first before words came, raw and uneven, "We… we were out by the ridge. It was a hunting patrol and everything was normal up to the swamp's edge…"

His chest then began to rise faster, and his hands twitched weakly as his hand began to subconsciously shake, "But as we got to the edge, we sensed movement… Too much movement."

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