The Crack In Heaven [A LitRPG Progression Fantasy] Chapter 27: Chapter 27: The Girl Who Returned to Herself

Read chapter 27 of The Crack In Heaven [A LitRPG Progression Fantasy] by Adamus_Auguste on NovelPedia.

Chapter 27: The Girl Who Returned to Herself "AHHH!" Kael's nightmare fractured at the hair-bristling shriek that tore through the shack. He didn't even take a second to shake sleep from his eyelids as he leapt to his feet, arms raised, already searching for the threat. Els bundled against the wall, her eyes wide, pupils shrunken to pinpricks. Her trembling finger pointed at Tonio, who glared back at her as she screamed. "A giant rat! Kraghor offer me your blessing. May Kythra burn darkness away. Morvana, please don't weave fate more terrible than what you've already given me—" Kael's jaw dropped, and for a moment, he heard Els pray to every god she knew. Then, he fell back on his blankets and slapped his leg with a genuine laugh, the first in weeks. "You're still a few short if you want to pray to all eight bastards." "Kael!" Tracing the wall, Els rushed behind Kael. She rested her forehead against his back, fingers digging into his shoulders—as if he were the only light that could brighten this nightmare. "Kill the monster." Kael opened his mouth to explain that Tonio wasn't a monster, just... Tonio. But the rat-man himself beat him to it. "Tonio not monster. Tonio... Tonio!" Tonio's dark nails dug into the blankets, and his lips pursed over his squarish teeth. "Bad friend. Bad girl!" "It talks!" For three heartbeats, only Kael's laugh echoed in the room. Then, Els slapped his back. "What are you laughing at? Do something instead of blaspheming the gods!" "Let the bastards smite me if they're offended." The sting seared Kael's back, yet he laughed for a while longer before he patted her head. "Wouldn't a monster have killed us in our sleep? Relax Els. Tonio looks weird for reasons I'll tell you later, but he's a friend." "Ah?!" Els' answer was to cup his cheeks and press her forehead against his. "No fever. It cursed your mind." Before the misunderstanding grew beyond his control, Kael grabbed her hands. He gazed into her constricted green eyes, his smile fading. "I know you're terrified after what happened yesterday, and you have every right to be. But we can't discuss matters, matters of life, death, and your future, if you don't calm down." Els fixed Kael for a moment, then shifted to Tonio, who grumbled about having his sleep disturbed as he folded the blankets. She pulled back and took a deep breath that folded the corners of her eyes the way they always had when she tried to recall events. "Yesterday's... blurry. There were thugs who..." Her voice died in her throat. When she spoke again, she ignored that sentence with a grimace. "A hairy man came, then I saw you. You killed the thugs. You carried me back home... thank you. But—" "Tonio's the one who heard you when I searched for a place to spend the night." Kael interrupted her with a thumb pointed toward the rat-man. "I didn't expect to run into you, and honestly... I would have preferred not to if it meant you being safe. What did Garrick's men want from you? No, wait. We have much to discuss." He gently guided her to a rock around the table, took the one opposite her, and gestured for Tonio to sit beside him. From the burlap bag, he pulled out three canteens of fresh water and loaves of bread mottled with green patches. Once he noticed them, he scratched his head, but still pushed them in front of everyone. "Sewers," he shrugged. "Damp gets everywhere." "I've eaten worse." Els didn't hesitate. She sliced everyone's bread with her small kitchen knife and poured the water into junk mugs. But Tonio spread his palms. "Where rat meat?" Els' eyes widened. "You're a big rat, but you eat rats?" "Not rat. Human. Rat meat good. Dog meat better." The answer came so naturally that both Kael and Els frowned at him, rebuttals forming without ever leaving their tongues. "You're making it worse. Just stop talking, Tonio." Kael rubbed the mold off a slice of bread before munching it. Tonio flung his bread in front of Els. "Kael traitor. Wounded. Eat." He left the table to sit in a