As time went by, the ink-like night slowly faded away as if it had been diluted by water.
It was still early before sunrise, but the sky was starting to brighten.
However, in the Forest of the Dead, under the cover of the dense foliage, the light of the bonfire was still needed to bring peace of mind to the travelers, at least for the two children.
As for the four people sitting on the other side — three men and a young girl — they did not look like people who would feel uneasy when the bonfire was gone.
Perhaps there was also a hairless dog who did not need sleep but always acted sleepy.
Beside the bonfire, the four of them did not talk much, but the atmosphere was quite harmonious.
"Half the night has passed," Olga said.
"Midnight is over, and the sky is a little brighter," Padding continued, "but it's still far from dawn."
Tuis looked up at the sky.
The sky was blocked by the dense foliage, but it did not prevent him from seeing the sky. It was just that the sky was a little fragmented, divided by the foliage and branches.
"Indeed, there's still some time before sunrise. And from our position, we can only see the sun halfway up." The sky was no longer dark, and there was more light.
The brightness was not high, but it made people feel more at ease. For Tuis, it was easier to travel when the sun was up, but he did not like the fact that the sun would rise. He did not know why.
"When the sky changes a little, it makes people feel like the night is going to pass, but it's just an illusion.
The night is still long, "Lulunaka said with a smile.
Like the three people sitting beside the bonfire, she did not look tired at all. The smile on her face did not fade, and it looked even brighter under the light of the fire.
No one suggested that they take a rest. None of them looked sleepy, and under the light of the fire, they looked good.
However, the young boy and girl sitting on the other side did not have the same ability.
Julius kept dozing off and waking up with a start. His head drooped a few times, and then he jerked up, his whole body reacting.
"Go to sleep if you're tired," Romuona said.
Julius, who was shaking his head again, was frightened by Romuona's voice. He suddenly raised his head and forced himself to stay awake. "No, I'm not sleepy yet. I can still sit for a while … You look really sleepy," Julius said to Romuona.
As for Romuona, although she was also in low spirits, at least she looked better than Julius. She didn't have the same ugly appearance as Julius in the picture, where her head kept bobbing up and down as if she was fishing.
Just like Julius, Romuona's eyelids were getting heavier. However, she didn't try to hold on like Julius. Instead, she hugged her knees and rested her chin on her knees. Whenever she felt sleepy, she would close her eyes for a while. Although it wasn't very effective, it could at least restore some of her energy.
As for Julius, he was like a child in school who hadn't grown up yet. Because of the teacher's chanting, he became sleepy. His head swayed back and forth like a pendulum, and also like a blade of grass swaying in the wind.
Even if he fell asleep directly, no one would say anything about him. For a child like him, it was normal for him to need rest and sleep at night. However, he persisted.
One reason was that he was curious about Lulunaka's situation. Another reason was that Romuona didn't find a place to sleep.
If Romuona didn't rest, Julius felt that he couldn't lie down either.
Perhaps he felt that if he was the only one lying down, he would be a little lonely. Or was there some other reason?
Julius didn't know in his heart. He only knew that he absolutely didn't want to sleep earlier than Romuona.
He probably didn't realize it himself, but it looked like he was trying to compete with her.
The boys and girls on this side were sleepy and had all kinds of thoughts. They were hazily observing Lulunaka's side.
On Lulunaka's side, the four people around the campfire seemed to be in good spirits. They didn't look tired from staying up all night. Perhaps it was because it was still early, so none of them looked sleepy.
Olga and Padding had strong bodies. They were responsible for keeping watch at night, so they were naturally used to it.
Moreover, as skilled warriors, they naturally wouldn't feel tired just because they didn't rest in the middle of the night.
After all, they weren't young boys and girls like Julius and Romuona who had just left the age of a child.
As for Lulunaka, other than Tuis, no one would think that she was a child.
Appearances were very deceiving. Lulunaka, who looked like a young girl, always gave people the impression that she was a girl with a face full of smiles. However, those who knew her better wouldn't think so.
Although Tuis didn't know Lulunaka well, he was sure of one thing: Lulunaka was a strange and special girl.
She was friendly, but she also gave people a sense of mystery.
However, Tuis didn't have the chance to continue learning more about Lulunaka.
Although this rare encounter had provided him with important help and could be considered a pleasant conversation, it was time for him to leave.
"I'm afraid that I've stayed here a little too long," Tuis said.
Tuis said. He moved his left arm. Apart from some soreness and slight pain, his left arm was in a much better condition than before.
"Perhaps it's time to say goodbye."
Tuis wasn't someone who didn't know what was good for him. He didn't plan to stay for the night. If he continued to rest, it would take him more time to return to the Monarch Castle. Moreover, he would implicate Lulunaka and the others even more. Even though he didn't mean any harm, his current identity was a little sensitive.
If a fleeing soldier implicated these innocent travelers, he wouldn't feel at ease.
If there were really pursuers hunting down the fleeing soldiers, and they happened to see Lulunaka and the others helping their enemies, then Lulunaka and the others wouldn't have a good ending.
Tuis learned that Lulunaka and the others had set off from the Monarch Castle to the north and came to this area.
Although he was a little curious as to why they would leave the city at such an unstable time, Tuis did receive their help. He also learned about the recent situation in the city, which was a good thing for him.
Olga said, "The Monarch Castle is very peaceful now. There are no riots or wars. There are only the peaceful prayers of the residents and the punctual ringing of the prayer bell."
In the Monarch Castle, every citizen of the Double Eagle Empire was a devout believer under the banner of the Holy Ghost Church. Their faith in the God of Light had been maintained for thousands of years.
To the residents, every day when the prayer bell rang, they would pray to all kinds of crosses. It was a daily routine, no matter if it was a noble or a commoner.
As long as the prayers didn't stop, the Monarch Castle would be peaceful.
But if one day, the prayers were no longer peaceful or disappeared, then it meant that the Monarch Castle had experienced another disaster.
Maybe it was a riot of the commoners, maybe it was an invasion by outsiders.
Angry shouts and painful screams would replace the prayers and become the main melody of the Monarch Castle.
In the Monarch Castle, every time the prayer bell stopped, the Double Eagle Empire would decline. It was like an old man slowly walking towards death, never to recover his youth.
Tuis couldn't pay attention to such a huge matter. He only knew that he had to return to the Monarch Castle as soon as possible to protect his important people.
He was only a small captain in the army and didn't have any noble title. He was just a very ordinary commoner. He didn't have the vision of those big shots and couldn't see too many things.
Olga's words made Tuis feel a lot more at ease.
As long as the prayer bell in the Monarch Castle didn't stop ringing, then the Monarch Castle was temporarily safe.
And he hoped that this safety would continue until he returned to the Monarch Castle, until he died of old age, until his descendants could hear the bell ringing and live in peace without any disasters.