Hellbents
Chapter 24: Outbreak

Finally after a week of waiting, Ava was able to separate from her stalker, Ezra. He had forbidden River to tell anyone their purpose in order to be safer. Existing tickets are still limited because of the capacity of the ship is still small, so someone must book a ticket at least three days before departure because the rest will be sold out.

It was only a few more hours before he and River crossed the ocean to reach the Feretrum Sanctus continent. After boarding a local steward ship, he will arrive at Crimsonwood Island, where one of the parts that can take him home to his original dimension, Eve's lab.

River checked again the list of needs he wrote, probably already eleven times. "Food, check. Drink, check. Guns, check. Cookware, check. Cutlery, check. Camping equipment, check. Umbrella, check. A dozen books, a check. Cards, checks. ...."

The more he listened the more useless the tools he brought.

"I wanted to ask her from earlier, umbrella I can still understand, but books and cards?" As Ava recalls, River had only ever accompanied her to the library, ever he tried to read but half an hour later he gave up, in card games also he was not too good, he was not too good, so Ava thought she wouldn't enjoy it too much.

There was a speck of red hue on the cheek that radiated to River's ear. "Because you like to read books, to the extent that every day to the library, and look happy when playing cards yesterday-yesterday."

Hm.

Ava should have expected it first.

This guy is too attentive.

"If you want to bring entertainment, you should bring something that will entertain you."

For a moment River looked dejected, his eyebrows slowly descending along with his gaze that led to the floor. "I like animals, but I don't think anyone will like the animals I carry."

Oh, River who has the skill to tame monsters is still considered bad by the people around, Ava has heard it directly. But not being able to do what you wanted to do was claustrophobic, Ava who saw it was almost upset.

But things like this cannot be directly forced, especially with the soft nature of River, the consequences can actually worsen his mental health.

So for now Ava is working on an acceptance that starts with her.

"You can invite your wolf and cat to play in our combined room. Oh, I think maybe your cat, because I still don't know how big the economy room here is, Lig might not fit, '" Ava said after weighing.

"You ... don't push yourself, do you? Aren't you scared? Basically they were monsters," River's hand stuck out, seemingly intending to grab Ava's shoulder, but he snuffed, his movements withering as his sentence went on.

So Ava decided to grab it, clasping the man's trembling hand.

"From the looks of it they're tame. Well, as long as you don't ask me to clean up their hair that's falling out."

A small laugh immediately came out from his relieved chest. River looked at the girl in front of him deeply, feeling grateful. For a long time he didn't feel that he could be this free. It has been more than two weeks he was with "Rina", his free talk partner, travel partner, and a replacement for the younger brother whom he missed so much. "I'll clean up the hair that falls out, then you clean their shit and piss."

"Rina" looked at him in shock, feeling cheated. "Wait on! I'll pull my offer again!"

River ruffled the girl's dark hair, her green eyes smiling along with the tip of her lips rising, her friendly face practically glittering.

Around them more and more crowded as departure time approached. The sea breeze that even Ava can soy sauce its saltiness on the tongue, blows silently carrying moist water that makes the hordes in the harbor stuffy.

"Passenger please ride!" the ship's staff's voice boomed shortly afterwards.

A ramps-down board, lowered,

fortunately there were no big problems, people were going up one by one without any riots that left the weak side squeezed and tumbling, only minor issues like two or three kids overtaking the ranks, he said, but everything seems to understand if the culprit is children.

Yet when only a few people were left in front of him, his footing suddenly wavered, exclamations heard everywhere.

Quakes.

"Outbreaks!" the voice of women screamed.

"There!" This time a man howled while pointing at a direction in the ocean.

There, a thread of red light emerged from the water, soaring to piercing the sky.

The situation immediately turned around.

Passengers who had boarded the ship rushed down, pushed, overtook each other, not caring about others. Some people even fell into the water because the actual board is not designed for 4 people at once, the wood even looks more curved, not strong to accommodate the load of everything, almost broken.

The river behind him immediately pulled Ava away from the water. If the ruptured gate was above the level he could handle, the entire city of Englerock would be in danger. Large bells clang over one of the towers in the port, signaling an emergency situation.

The gate is still considered a random phenomenon, meaning that no one can estimate the number and position of the new gate formed if no one sees it directly. Therefore, the seabed or in uninhabited forests are very prone to break.

In her escape, Ava can see Ezra, Al, and Roy directing the residents to evacuate to another nearby town. Selena is not far they have been sweating, working hard to treat victims who accidentally fell and stepped on.

As expected, River invites Ava to approach them, intending to help. He was actually hard-hearted to meet again with the prince and his servants, but such a chaotic situation would be easier to handle if there was someone organizing the masses.

"I'll help!" Ezra replied to River with just a nod. It does not take long for them to manage the traffic that was hampered due to panic.

A mature woman then approached them with tears that soaked her "Please! I lost my son! Please, Master! Please!"

Despite being vigilant, Al is still flat-faced in the middle of this emergency situation. "Alright, Mistress. Calm yourself first, then can explain the characteristics of your child?"

The woman desperately mentioned the stature of her seven-year-old son in the middle of her stuffing, "P-woman, ram-hair brown, she was wearing a yellow shirt. Please help me find my son!" Ava who saw it almost heartbroken to see the sadness of the mother.

Al who from his movements wants to send Roy to look for a missing child, interrupted by River who ventured to advance first. "Sorry, if you may know, is there any luggage belonging to Your child that You are carrying?"

"Ah, ada! There are!" The mother immediately rushed out the doll that was narrowed in her big bag.

After receiving the teddy bear-shaped patchwork, River used his skill.

"[Summon: Lig]."

A wolf as big as a horse with gray fur appeared suddenly before them. Many stopped their steps, either because they were shocked or too afraid to think the monsters from the outbreak had come this far.

River stroked the snarling Lig happy to be finally let out, "Endus, track."

Wolves do have a superior sense of smell than humans, which is why many police train dogs, a more docile version of wolves, to be sniffer dogs.

"Alright, I'll find Mom's son." No one replied.

River rode Lig, then split the crowd doing his job.

After all, Ava defied the glare of the still-riveted spy, threatening with only her eyes anyone who dared to speak ill of River or Lig.

"It was only the first time I saw a tamer directly," Ezra finally broke the ice that froze the atmosphere. His fingers stroked his chin with a smile that made Ava want to punch her in the face.