A Song for The Ages

The group remained silent for a long moment, their breaths heavy, their limbs aching with exhaustion. The scent of blood and venom still hung thick in the air, and the dim light barely illuminated the still form of the Venomfang.

Feiyin exhaled, rolling his shoulders as he tried to steady his trembling arms. His body was still humming from the adrenaline, but he forced himself to stay composed. They had survived, but just barely.

A quiet voice broke the silence.

"That was… impressive."

Feiyin turned to see a boy stepping forward, cautious but composed. He looked to be around ten years old, slightly older than Feiyin, with neatly cropped hair and sharp, analytical eyes. His clothes, though dirtied from their captivity, had the faint remnants of finer stitching, hinting at a more structured background.

"My name is Shen Mu," the boy introduced himself. "We spoke earlier about mushrooms."

Feiyin nodded slightly. "Feiyin."

Shen Mu's gaze flicked toward the wounded, his expression tightening. "The venom is potent, but it's not necessarily fatal if treated correctly."

Ren, still clutching his burned shoulder, snorted. "You got a magic cure for it?"

"Not magic," Shen Mu said calmly. "Medicine. The gallbladder of the Venomfang contains enzymes that counteract its own venom. If we can retrieve it, I can grind it into a paste and apply it to the wounds. It won't completely heal them, but it will slow the spread of the venom and help them recover."

The injured children stirred at his words, some clutching their burns, their eyes hopeful despite the pain.

"The problem," Shen Mu continued, glancing at the Venomfang, "is that cutting into the beast will be… difficult."

Feiyin understood immediately. The Venomfang's scales were incredibly tough, he had felt it firsthand when attacking it. Without weapons, it would be almost impossible to cut through the hide and retrieve the gallbladder.

A murmur of uncertainty rippled through the group.

Feiyin closed his eyes for a moment, focusing. He didn't have a blade. He didn't have any tools. But he did have his gift.

His eyes snapped open.

"Stand back," he said.

He approached the beast's carcass, his hands tracing the hardened scales as he extended his oscillation sense. Vibrations pulsed through his fingertips, mapping the density of the creature's flesh. Every scale, every muscle, every tendon, he could feel the weak points.

"There," he murmured, pinpointing a softer area near its underbelly.

He needed something sharp. His gaze landed on the Venomfang's own fangs.

Without hesitation, he pried one loose, gripping the venom-coated tooth like a crude dagger.

Shen Mu's eyebrows rose slightly, but he said nothing.

Feiyin inhaled deeply, steeling himself.

With controlled precision, he stabbed the fang into the beast's stomach. The first strike barely pierced the surface. Gritting his teeth, he struck again, this time, twisting the fang at the weakest point.

Bit by bit, the flesh gave way.

He continued, methodically cutting through the hide, using his oscillation sense to guide each strike. He targeted the connective tissue, the softer layers beneath the scales, making calculated incisions rather than blindly hacking away.

Minutes passed, sweat beading on his forehead, his arms burning from exertion. The smell of blood and acid filled the air.

Finally,

"There it is."

A sickly green sac, swollen with liquid, nestled between the beast's organs. The gallbladder.

Feiyin carefully extracted it, making sure not to rupture it.

He turned and handed it to Shen Mu. "Will this work?"

Shen Mu inspected it briefly before nodding. "It's enough."

The apothecary's son moved quickly, finding a flat stone to grind the gallbladder's contents into a thick paste. He mixed it with some damp soil and the water they had collected, creating a rough but usable ointment.

With Yue assisting him, they carefully applied the paste to the wounds. The children winced at the initial sting, but the relief was almost immediate.

A collective exhale swept through the group.

The worst had passed.

As the tension eased, the weight of hunger settled over them.

They had been running on empty for far too long.

Feiyin looked at the carcass of the Venomfang and made a decision.

"We're eating it."

The others blinked.

Yue's ears perked up. "We can eat it?"

"The flesh isn't poisonous," Shen Mu confirmed. "Only the venom itself is dangerous. If we avoid the glands and cook the meat properly, it'll be safe."

Ren cracked his knuckles. "Then what are we waiting for?"

They worked together, cutting away the best portions of meat. Feiyin and Ren handled the tougher cutting, while Yue helped gather materials to start a fire, dry moss, small bones, anything that could sustain a flame.

With some effort, they managed to create a small cooking pit using heated rocks, roasting strips of Venomfang meat over the embers. The aroma was far from appetizing, but to the starving group, it smelled like salvation.

As they ate, a quiet but noticeable shift occurred among them.

For the first time since their captivity, they weren't just surviving.

They were living.

Laughter, though faint, echoed through the cavern as they shared their meal. Small conversations sparked between the children, breaking the heavy silence that had loomed over them since their capture.

And then,

A girl hesitantly approached Ren.

She was one of the children who had been hit by the venom, though her injuries were minor compared to the others. She had soft brown hair, wide eyes, and a cautious demeanor.

Ren, who had been focused on chewing his meat, looked up in confusion.

She fidgeted for a moment before speaking.

"…Thank you."

Ren blinked. "Huh?"

"For saving me," she clarified. "If you hadn't pushed me out of the way, I would've…"

She trailed off, her hands clenching slightly.

Ren shifted uncomfortably, glancing away. "…It's nothing."

The girl shook her head. "It's not nothing."

She hesitated, then reached out, tentatively dabbing at his injured shoulder with a damp cloth.

Ren froze.

"…What are you doing?" he asked, voice oddly stiff.

"You got hurt because of me," she said simply. "I should help."

Ren was silent, his usual nonchalant demeanor cracking just slightly.

Feiyin and Yue exchanged glances.

Yue smirked. "Aww, Ren, you're blushing."

"I'm not," Ren said immediately, looking anywhere but at the girl.

Feiyin snickered but said nothing, merely enjoying the rare sight of Ren looking flustered.

The girl didn't press the issue. She continued dabbing at his wound before offering him a piece of the cooked Venomfang meat.

"…Thanks," Ren muttered, accepting it.

For a brief moment, the cave felt less like a prison, and more like a home.

As the embers dimmed and exhaustion began to settle in, Feiyin exhaled deeply, his mind calmer than it had been since their capture.