A World Beneath the Stars

It was quiet as they descended even further into the depths of the cavern. The hum of the background resonance had been tuned out by Val's brain, and her own steps felt muted and distant. The only other sounds were her and Cael's uneven breathing, and the crunching of gravel and lose stone beneath their feet.

It'd been nearly two hours since they'd begun their descent, and honestly, she felt like she could collapse at any moment. Were it not for the likely situation that the resting place would be coming soon, her exhaustion might have overwhelmed her. As it was, she couldn't wait to get to where the air would hopefully feel less oppressive.

Val glanced at Cael. He was leading the way, his expression weary and worn, his footsteps heavy, and his body sagging with every dragging step he took.

"How are you faring, Cael?" she asked quietly.

He turned and offered her a weak smile, but his voice sounded strained and tired. "Fine enough, all things considered." He paused, glancing behind them and then ahead again. "What about yourself? Your legs seem rather wobbly."

She chuckled softly, trying to hide her own weariness and fatigue. "I am admittedly quite exhausted, and my body feels as though it's made of stone, but I'm not at risk of collapsing anytime soon."

"That's good at least. I don't know if I'd have the strength left in me to carry you should that happen."

A nervous giggle escaped her as she held out her arms for balance. "O-oh, you wouldn't need to carry me! I'd… um, probably be okay on the ground." She looked away, embarrassed. "I-I've fallen asleep on much rougher surfaces before."

Cael's gaze shifted to the side. "Right, of course. I thought you said you've never gone camping though?"

"…" Drat, Cael had caught her fib. She bit her lip, cursing herself internally for forgetting what she'd previously told him. If things ever were to get bad enough to the point where she'd need to be carried again…

Her mind flashed back toward the karmaw attack, when she'd been too exhausted to walk. The way Cael had scooped her up so casually, the warmth of his arms around her, the feeling of his chest rising and falling with each breath. The closeness, the comfort, the feeling of being safe in his embrace—it had been wonderful.

But it had also been so embarrassing!!!

She didn't know what it was about being carried, but she felt absolutely mortified by it. It was like she was a child, or worse, an animal that needed to be held to be taken anywhere—like one of the chickens! So the idea of him picking her up and being more or less free to do as he pleased while her feet helplessly dangled off the ground was… heat inducing!

Val's face was already red. "W-well, I may have done some napping on the floor of my home or the grass in the clearing by the cottage. It's not that much different, right? It's not a proper bed, so technically it counts."

Cael laughed, the sound echoing through the cavern, and Val felt her cheeks burn even hotter.

"Do you really dislike being carried that much? From what I remembered last time, you were rather comfortable."

She sputtered. "W-what are you talking about? I believe I told you quite loudly to put me down!"

"Mm, I probably didn't understand you back then. You'd have to forgive me. My head was probably a little foggy from the fight too."

Her eyes narrowed, and her cheeks puffed up. She knew that he'd comprehended her perfectly back then. That smirk he'd made was one that she'd never forget.

"You are rather rude, Cael." She crossed her arms, turning her head. "To think, I was worried for your health just a moment ago."

He seemed ready to quip something back when suddenly he noticed a glow that wasn't coming from her crystal. He paused, staring into the distance. She followed his gaze to see a dim light emanating from further down into the abyss. It was faint, but it definitely was there.

"Is that our destination?" Cael asked.

Val squinted, verifying it one more time before excitedly nodding. "Y-yes it is! Ah, thank the gods! I do not have to subject myself to potential embarrassment any longer!"

"…I can't tell whether you're joking or not right now," he said dryly, shaking his head as they picked up their pace.

It didn't take too much longer until the tunnel began to shift. Tiny outcrops of gems and crystals grew sporadically at first, but their abundance only multiplied the closer to the light source they got. There were crystals in all colors of the rainbow—red and orange rubies and sapphires, yellow topaz, emerald and jade, blue turquoise and aquamarine.

However, none of it compared to the moment they stepped foot at the end of the descent.

The cavern in front of them was massive! It was several times the size of her fields back at the cottage, and the roof ascended far beyond even the tallest of the city's ruined towers. And most dazzingly, there were countless crystals everywhere! Each one emanated a soft glow that bathed the cavern in a multicolored light that dwarfed any spectacle of nature she had ever seen.

Val gasped in wonder, her mouth hanging open. She'd read of this place, but to see it in person was something else entirely.

Cael took a few steps forward and stopped, his eyes wide as saucers. "This… this is incredible…"

She could only nod, unable to speak. The beauty of the place left her utterly speechless. It was so much more than she'd imagined it to be. She wasn't even sure if there were enough words in her language to truly describe it.

She gazed up to the ceiling, and somehow, her breath was stolen again. There, far above them, were thousands if not millions of crystals jutting from the stone.

It was like a sea of stars.

"…It seems we won't be missing out on stargazing after all," Cael muttered beside her, his own eyes glued to the sight. "Not that I'd complain, but damn, I don't think any sky I've seen could compare to this."

Val nodded slowly, and by instinct, she began to draw nearer to Cael, wrapping her fingers around his hand. It wasn't that she was scared. It was just… a compulsion. She simply felt like she needed to share this moment with him, to experience the awe together.

"H-hey, what are you doing?"

"Shhh, quiet."

"I didn't ask to hold hands—"

"Shhhh. Be speechless with me."

Cael sighed and didn't say anything else, although the fluttering of his pulse told her all she needed to know. He was enjoying it too, even if his stubbornness would not let him say so aloud.

***

They had stood there for a while, simply taking in the view. However, eventually their exhaustion had caught up to them, and they began to set up camp.

The two of them had moved to a part of the chamber with a large flat patch of ground. There were several smooth, polished rocks arranged throughout it—perfect for sitting or lying down upon. Strangely enough though, some of them had been covered in crystals.

"I'm guessing this is the rest area proper?" Cael asked her as he rolled out their bedroll. "It seems way too convenient to be a natural formation."

She ran her hand over one of the stones. "I'd have to think so. It appears to be just the place that explorers, adventurers, and miners would've set up camp in. The air here is very different from the entrance too. It feels a little more alive."

He frowned and stiffened. "Alive? What do you mean?"

"Well, how do I explain… It's… lighter, and sort of, um, charged?"

"Charged?" He raised an eyebrow.

"The mana here is denser," she said after thinking for a few seconds. "But that's no big surprise considering the location."

His shoulders sagged in relief. "Thank goodness. For a minute, I thought that there might be monsters in here… Wait, um, there aren't any, right?"

Val giggled. "There aren't. I'm not sure if I told you before, but the reason why we should be safe down here is because of the naturally occurring warding crystals. They grow in abundance in these caves, and their magical properties are such that they repel monsters and beasts. I can't imagine there are many safer places to spend a night."

Cael nodded slowly and sat down on the bedding, stretching his arms and back. A soft groan escaped his lips. "That's good then. I don't think I could handle another encounter like that today."

He tried settling in a bit more, but winced as he did.

"Is everything alright, Cael?"

"Yeah, I'm just a bit sore from the tumble we took earlier. My entire body aches like it's been beaten." He sighed, rubbing his butt. "I really hope I didn't bruise anything."

Val's eyes gravitated towards his behind, and the image of it flashed through her mind: the shape and curvature of it, the firmness and tone of his muscles, how the fabric of his pants clung to him.

Her cheeks reddened slightly, and her mouth dried. She swallowed and, for a reason still relatively unknown to her, felt the urge to feel it.

"Y-you're hurt? Did you want me to check on you?"

Cael stiffened as he turned to her. "Huh? N-no, no. It's fine, really! I'll just sleep on my side!" He waved his hand dismissively.

She frowned and took a step towards him. She knew now that the buttocks were considered more of a 'sensitive' area when it came to social interactions. But injuries were injuries, weren't they?

And… well, they were romantic partners now, right?

"Are you certain, Cael? You seemed rather bothered."

"N-no, it's fine. I swear." He shuffled away from her a bit, and his expression looked almost… afraid? Confusingly though, there also seemed to be an undercurrent of excitement in his movements.

Was that normal for someone in pain?

She sighed and nodded reluctantly, putting a metaphorical cap on her budding curiosity. "If you are absolutely certain… But please tell me if the pain gets any worse. I would, um, gladly inspect it if you ever change your mind. It'd be best to rule out a more serious injury, right?"

He stuffed his face into his pillow and gave a shaky thumbs up with his arm as he laid on his side. Val's gaze narrowed, and she had the sneaking suspicion that he was hiding something from her. But if he didn't want help, she couldn't force him. She'd rather not repeat the same mistakes as her far more oblivious, younger self.

So instead, she settled on in beside him once it was clear that nothing else would come from the matter. She snuggled up against his back, careful to avoid the small of it. She wrapped her arms around his waist and pulled him closer, relishing in the warmth of his body against hers. 

"V-val?" He croaked, his voice cracking. "W-what are you doing?"

"Hugging you, of course." One of her hands trailed to his lower stomach. "T-this is normal for romantic partners, right?"

Cael tensed, and his heart beat harder and faster. "I-I mean, I suppose it is, but—"

Her chest deflated in relief. "Thank goodness. You had me worried for a second. I thought that our routine had changed."

"B-but that doesn't mean we should, um, do that here and now."

"O-oh?" Her eyes darted to the side, and she loosened her grip a little. "Um, if this is about your butt, I am doing my absolute best not to touch it. I promise."

"I, uh—"

"…Unless you want me to?"

"Wha?!?! NO! T-that's not it at all! I'm sorry, it's just…" He paused and took several brief but deep breaths. "Your hand started going lower and, uh. Crap. Never mind. Forget I said anything."

The machinery in Val's head started turning before suddenly everything clicked into place.

"!" She rolled away from him so her back was facing his, feeling heat rise up to her cheeks.

"…Val? You okay?" Cael's worried voice sounded behind her.

She didn't respond back to him; she just shook her head into her pillow as mortification rose in her chest, and she began coming to a very, very uncomfortable conclusion about herself.

Val whimpered.

"I'm… a pervert…"