Chapter 127: Home In Winter [I] Veyra collapsed onto the snow with a long exhale, her body sprawled out as though the icy ground itself was a welcome bed. Across the clearing lay multiple bowls brimming with neatly cut portions of wolf meat, each one stacked and ready. The sheer volume of them was staggering. They had spent the better part of an hour hacking, skinning, and separating the carcasses left behind by the battle. Despite her efforts, she knew the truth: Azel had done most of the work. His movements with the bone knife were clean and precise, almost unnervingly efficient for someone who had only recently joined them. He was already sucking the last of the meat and hides into his storage ring, the strange piece of magical equipment swallowing up their hard-earned spoils in a shimmer of light. She hated to admit it, but it was... convenient. More convenient than anything she or the other members of the Furious five had ever managed. Normally, this duty had fallen on her and Julius. Dante — back when he was alive would sometimes take over, using his speed to drag corpses together in piles and skin them while she froze them in place and then they always made do, but it was never this smooth. Not to mention, preservation had always been a nightmare. A very bloody nightmare. Out here on the Divide, their missions could stretch for days, even weeks. By the time they returned, even frozen meat lost its taste and texture. But Azel’s ring changed everything. His storage sealed things perfectly, halting the passage of time inside. No rot, no stale meat, no ruined hides. Just perfectly preserved resources ready to be sold or consumed later. For once, Veyra felt... relieved. "Done," Azel said, brushing snow off his trousers as he finished storing the last wolf carcass. His crimson eyes glowed faintly in the fading light, their sharpness softened by the hint of a smile. She pushed herself upright with a groan, her muscles protesting after hours of bending and slicing. Then, without warning, she caught his wrist and dragged him forward. "It’s not advisable to stay near the Divide," Veyra said as they climbed back up the slope of the hill they had descended earlier. Her boots crunched against the icy ground, her breath steaming into the frigid dusk. "Any kind of monsters can come out within these two days. Sometimes it’s just Frost Wolves... other times it’s phantoms." She tightened her grip on his wrist, almost as though speaking of phantoms alone made her wary. "So we need to be careful." Azel followed without resistance, though his eyes kept scanning the horizon. His instincts had sharpened quickly since arriving here and he noticed something... something massive up ahead. When they crested the hill, the view made him whistle. A building loomed at the top. Not just a hut or a shack hastily put together, but a massive stone structure, complete with roofing, walls smooth as carved granite, and a faint shimmer of magic across its surface. It was half-buried in snow, but its sheer size was impossible to miss now. "What the hell?" Azel muttered. Veyra smirked at his expression. "We had Elyon follow us here to make this months ago," she explained, tugging him closer. "A proper base. It’s made out of the rock here, reinforced with magic. Big enough to house all of us comfortably." Azel blinked. "So... basically a headquarters?" "Exactly. You didn’t notice it the first time because we cloaked it." Her smirk widened. "We don’t exactly want passing monsters — or worse, any hunter who could make it this far to see where we live." The evening sky was dimming, violet clouds smeared across the horizon. As they approached the entrance, a familiar figure was waiting for them — broad-shouldered, his arms were crossed but his face looked impatient. Drew. "Alright, my boy," Drew barked the moment he spotted them. "The tools." Azel exhaled heavily, already knowing what was coming. He reached into his storage ring and pulled out several boxes of ingredients, setting them down with a dull thud. Alongside them, he withdrew a bowl filled with freshly cut wolf meat, a pot, and a bundle of herbs he’d taken from the kitchen earlier. Drew’s face lit up with a grin. He clapped Azel on the back so hard the younger man nearly staggered forward, pain shooting through his shoulders. "Good lad!" Drew boomed, his laughter echoing across the snow. "Thank you, my boy. Get ready for my Winter Wolf Soup!" And with that, the burly man scooped up the supplies and barreled into the building with all the subtlety of an avalanche. Azel rubbed the sore spot on his back, muttering curses under his breath. Still, curiosity won out as he followed Veyra inside. The moment he stepped across the threshold, his eyes widened. The interior was nothing like the harsh landscape outside. The walls were smooth stone, polished and shaped with precision. The central chamber was spacious, almost like a great hall, with multiple doors branching off into separate rooms. Furniture had been brought in — sturdy tables, cushioned chairs, and even rugs that softened the icy floor. A faint warmth filled the air, courtesy of glowing runes etched along the walls. As much as the winter region tried to claim that they weren’t advanced... they very much were. It felt... like a home. "Drew’s the one who does the cooking," Veyra explained as she led him deeper inside. Her tone was casual, but Azel caught the note of pride in it — this was their sanctuary. "After we eat, we alternate for night watch. Then we get back to work tomorrow morning. It’s not easy living here, so we don’t expect you to fit in right away." She stopped at one of the side doors, pushing it open with a grin. "This’ll be your room." Inside, two familiar figures sat side by side, their faces tense and worried. Anya and Medusa. The moment the door opened, both of them shot to their feet. Veyra’s grip on Azel’s wrist loosened, and with a sly smile, she gave him a light shove toward them. "You can meet your girls," she said teasingly. Then, leaning closer, she whispered just loud enough for him to hear "But still, if you wanna do something fun later... knock on my door~" She punctuated the invitation with a playful spin of her hips as she walked away, her laughter echoing faintly in the hall. A chill ran down Azel’s spine. [Hmph. Too many homewreckers.] The melodic voice rang in his head at last, smooth and sharp like silver bells. ’Nyala?’ he thought, relief flooding him. ’I hadn’t heard your voice in a while. What’s going on?’ [I was sleeping. Even goddesses need rest.] Azel exhaled and pushed open the door fully. Whatever witty reply he might’ve made to Nyala was forgotten in an instant — because Medusa threw herself at him. Her arms wrapped tight around his torso, her body trembling faintly as she pressed her face into his chest. She inhaled deeply, almost desperately, as though needing to reassure herself that it was his scent She sniffed him once. Then again. "She didn’t do anything to you, did she?" Medusa’s voice was muffled, but the worry in it was unmistakable. Azel blinked, caught off guard by the intensity of her reaction. Then he smiled softly, his hand lifting to gently pat her head. She smiled softly and they both failed to notice the jealous look Anya gave Medusa.