"Ethan~ Ethan! Where are you?" Damian's anxious voice called out from the distance.
"Your husband is looking for you," the Mountain God's voice sounded beside his ear.
"..." Ethan blinked, then looked towards the direction of Damian's voice. But after just a glance, he turned back. He didn't want to go back yet; he still had too many questions for the Mountain God.
"Mountain..."
"I heard you tied the knot a few days ago. As a parting gift, I'll give you a wedding present. In the future, try not to come up the mountain unless necessary." Still giving Ethan no chance to speak, the Mountain God finished talking and a brilliant ball of light materialized less than a meter away from Ethan. Before he could react, the light shot towards him and disappeared into his head. And just like that, Ethan's vision went black, and he fainted.
"Oops~ Forgot you just hit your head. This gift's energy might be a bit strong..." The unconscious Ethan didn't hear that the Mountain God's voice, though still deep, had lost some of its authority and gained a touch of boyishness. "But this is your fourth marriage, and I'm only giving one gift this time. If I don't make it a good one, it doesn't seem right." He paused, then muttered again, "It's just... this kid, it's his fourth marriage, why doesn't he ever pick a different groom?"
Just as the Mountain God was complaining, a pleasant voice suddenly appeared beside him, "I think you did that on purpose! Keep messing around! If you cause his death, the two of us will be trapped on this Blackstone Ridge forever."
"You wrong me~ When did I mess around? I've saved him several times! Besides, I didn't even ask him to repay me with his body, unlike that Damian fellow who had the gall to ask." He then added resentfully, "If it weren't for you, would those two boys still be alive?"
"Oh, thank you so much~ As repayment, how about I have someone bring a few more beautiful sacrifices up for Lord Mountain God? They can replace me while they're at it." The young man's voice was calm, but his displeasure was palpable.
"No need, no need, we're family, no need to be polite. By the way! I recently had an epiphany and need to enter seclusion for a while. Let's seal off Blackstone Ridge for now, stop the villagers from coming up." The Mountain God's voice faded into the distance, sounding suspiciously like a hasty retreat. The young man didn't speak again, apparently having left with the Mountain God.
When Damian found the unconscious Ethan, the surroundings were utterly silent. Seeing Ethan lying motionless on the thick bed of fallen leaves, Damian's heart skipped a beat. He ran over nervously. Thankfully, Ethan's clothes weren't badly torn, and there were no obvious bloodstains around. He had been lucky enough not to encounter any large wild animals.
Damian knelt, carefully lifted Ethan, and called softly, "Ethan! Ethan, wake up~ Wake up~" But no matter how he called, the unconscious Ethan didn't respond.
Now Damian truly panicked. He expertly lifted Ethan onto his back, stretched his long legs, and ran down the mountain as fast as he could...
Just as Damian reached the mountainside, a shout came from afar, "Caleb, look! There's someone over there! See if it's Damian?" A group of a dozen or so people, some carrying sticks, others sickles, were shouting and looking towards him. This group was Caleb and the friends he had gathered to help search.
Caleb pushed through the crowd to the front, his eyes fixed on the figure coming down the mountain. He finally nodded, "Yeah, judging by the build and the way he walks, that should be Damian. But... looks like he's carrying something on his back."
"Carrying something? Could it be your brother, Ethan?" This scene was all too familiar. Every time Ethan went up the mountain, Damian ended up carrying him down like this.
"Let's go check first," Caleb said urgently. He was incredibly frustrated by his younger brother's habit of running off into the woods.
"Hey~ Damian, it really is you!" Soon, the two groups met. Caleb's gaze immediately focused on the person on Damian's back. His heart leaped into his throat, and he asked nervously, "How's my brother?"
"He's alright, just passed out," Damian adjusted Ethan on his back to keep him from slipping. "I'll take him home first, then find a doctor to check on him."
"Okay, okay, let's hurry down the mountain." Hearing his brother was okay, Caleb sighed with relief. He reached out to steady Ethan on Damian's back and walked down the mountain with him.
Once they reached the bottom, since Ethan had been found, everyone else dispersed. Caleb and Damian went their separate ways – one to fetch the doctor, the other carrying Ethan home...
"Dad! You found Papa?"
"Dad, is Papa okay?"
As soon as Damian entered the yard with Ethan on his back, the twins crowded around.
"He's fine. Finn, Maeve, you two go wait by the gate. See when Grandpa White arrives and bring him in."
"Okay."
"Okay."
The twins nodded in unison and ran towards the gate together. Grandpa White was the only doctor in their three villages. He usually lived with his daughter in their village, not far from their house...
Meanwhile, an anxious Caleb practically burst into the White residence, hoisting the old doctor, who was organizing herbs, onto his back and running.
"Ouch, ouch~ Slow down, slow down! You'll shake my old bones apart!" Apparently used to this kind of emergency, Dr. White was remarkably calm, even finding time to call back to his grandson, "Leo, bring my medicine kit!"
The group arrived at Damian's house and were led into the room by Finn and Maeve. Damian was currently wiping Ethan's hands and feet while he lay unconscious.
"Dad, Grandpa White is here!"
"Dad, Grandpa White is here!"
The twins always shouted in perfect unison.
Hearing the children, Damian stopped what he was doing. "Uncle White, please, come take a look. What's wrong with Ethan? Why hasn't he woken up?" Damian stood up and pulled the old doctor over to the bed.
What a troublesome child! Dr. White sighed inwardly, looking at Ethan on the bed. First, the head injury, now unconscious again. He'd never seen someone cause so much trouble. He sat down shakily, placed his withered hand on Ethan's wrist, and his usually kind face instantly became serious.
A few minutes later, Dr. White frowned, looking displeasedly at Damian and Caleb. Both men's hearts jumped. They quickly asked:
"Uncle White, is Ethan alright?"
"Uncle White, is my brother okay?"