Draven slumped against the cold cave wall, his chest heaving. "That was… way too close," he rasped, wiping sweat from his forehead.
Virelia nodded, her hands still trembling as she stared at the fallen wolves. "What should we do with the remains? Should we throw them off the cliff?"
"No, that would be a waste," Draven said, shaking his head. "We don't know when we'll find food again. We need to keep the meat."
Virelia raised an eyebrow. "Oh? I suppose I could try to skin them and prepare a meal… if we can get a fire going."
"Leave that to me," Draven said with a smirk. He glanced at his floating status box. "It says I gained a Fire Ability for leveling up. Now… how do I even use this thing?"
He picked up a dry stick from the cave floor. His status box flickered, and he tapped the icon for 'Fire Ability.' A new notification appeared:
[TUTORIAL]: Users may use focused thought to manifest and control skills. Imagine the heat; become the spark.
Draven closed his eyes. He concentrated, picturing a roaring hearth, the smell of smoke, and the scorching heat of a summer sun. A strange tingling sensation coursed down his arm, gathering at his fingertips.
He snapped his eyes open. Expecting a massive fireball, he was surprised to see only a tiny, flickering flame no bigger than a candle dancing at the tip of his index finger.
"Well… it's a bit small," Draven muttered, disappointed.
"In fact, it's pathetic."
Virelia let out a light, melodic laugh that echoed through the cave. "It's actually quite cute," she teased.
Draven rolled his eyes but carefully touched the tiny flame to the dry branch. After a few seconds of blowing on it, the wood finally caught, and the branch began to burn steadily. He wedged the makeshift torch into a crack in the cave wall, finally illuminating their new shelter.
Together, they began gathering stones to build a proper fire pit, and the dark, intimidating cave slowly started to feel a little more like a sanctuary.
Draven focused, extending his finger toward the pile of wood. A small spark jumped from his fingertip, catching the dry tinder and blooming into a steady fire that filled the cave with a warm, flickering glow.
"Now, what are we going to do about the wolves?" Draven asked, looking at the two carcasses.
"We should roast the meat now," Virelia suggested. "Even if we don't finish it, cooking it will keep it from spoiling too quickly." She looked at the two large beasts. "One should be enough for us. We shouldn't stay here longer than necessary."
Draven nodded. He dragged the second wolf to the mouth of the cave. He looked down the steep, jagged cliffs, realizing just how high up they still were. With a heavy grunt, he tossed the carcass over the edge, watching it disappear into the darkness below.
When he returned to the fire, Virelia was already at work. She used a sharp, jagged piece of rock to expertly skin the remaining wolf. Once she was finished, Draven helped her skewer the meat onto a long, sturdy branch. They positioned it over the flames, the fat beginning to sizzle and drip into the fire.
"Wow… this actually smells really nice," Draven admitted, his stomach growling.
"It does," Virelia agreed, but her eyes remained on the dark entrance of the cave. "But we're still vulnerable. The cave is wide open. Anything could wander in while we sleep."
Draven looked at the entrance. "What can we do?"
"Leave that to me," Virelia said, her voice gaining a new layer of confidence. "Now that I'm back in my world and my memories have returned, I can use my own skills. I am capable of creating a Barrier."
"Really? That's amazing," Draven said, genuinely impressed.
Once the meat was roasted, they pulled it from the fire. Draven took a large bite. "The meat is good, but… it's completely tasteless," he noted, chewing the tough, unseasoned protein.
"It is," she sighed. "But it will give us strength. We have to eat what we have."
After they finished their meal, they wrapped the remaining meat to save for the morning. Virelia stood at the mouth of the cave, her hands glowing with a soft light as she whispered an incantation. A shimmering, translucent veil stretched across the opening, sealing them inside.