“Ooh! Is it time? I would've preferred a more… public setting. It's like a meal, you know. Can't have a salad without its toppings and dressings. Just testing your power here alone, darling, oh it's just dull.” Drentack's voice echoed in Enyah’s head.

  “Calling it dull.” Enyah rolled her eyes, speaking aloud with an annoyed grumble, “It's safer. Sorry it doesn't entertain you, oh God.”

  “Little hero.” The voice mocked her, a smug whisper that wandered in the wind. “You can't protect the lambs forever. They will all become my sustenance eventually, engulfed in beautiful hellfire.”

  “Told you, not a hero. Just don't want to become a criminal.” Enyah continued before swapping her attention to her hand.

  She searched inside herself, finding the energy that seemed to sizzle at the slightest movement, and guided it with a careful touch. The energy didn't resist, but seemed to burst in excitement at her push, bursting around her body in an indescribable warmth. It felt angry and chaotic, hungering to be used, and Enyah obliged. The energy reached the palm of her hand before erupting through her skin, bursting into a sickly, darkish flame. It coated her hand in a blackish flare, rising up and into the air above her.

  Her eyes felt attracted to the flame, and she stared, enamored. A power that seemed to desire nothing more than destruction at the tips of her fingers. A power that hungered for more, reaching higher to devour the flames around her.

  “Look at it! Isn’t it precious, darling? It suits you. A hunter’s flame. A flame that seeks death. Yet it’s only a small spark. It could become more.” Drentack’s voice echoed.

  Spurred on by the God, She pushed more of the energy outwards and the flame grew, its warped light devouring the lantern below, seeming to consume the light itself. Even the moon above seemed to dim.

  “How exciting! Thrilling! Such a beautiful allure, mm… So precious, darling.” Drentack uttered, his invisible gaze transfixed upon the flame.

  She moved her hand close, letting the dark, haunting flames reflect through her eyes. Flexing her fingers around, the flames followed her every movement, leaving a trail of something in its wake. Whatever the dark substance that was left behind was, it faded into the air in a fizzle.

  Flexing her fist, the flame continued to follow, mimicking her curl before exploding outwards, increasing in both size and intensity.

  “Impressive.” Enyah remarked with only an utter. She tore her gaze away and let the flame simmer down until it rested just above the surface of her hand.

  “You can go further, can't you, darling. What you have now, it's only a flicker! A spark of greatness! Free yourself, my little priestess. You only have to imagine the full force of my boon. The destruction you could cause. How will you choose to use my power? I can't wait to find out.” Drentack let out a sigh of awe. At his own power?

  “Narcissist.” Enyah thought with a roll of her eyes, before she spoke out, “I won't throw my life away for your entertainment. Until our deal concludes, I’m free. Do you understand me?”

  “My cute, naive little priestess, you're never free. Oh no. Fate chases you from behind, while Destiny calls from ahead. All the while, the Gods watch from above, staking their claim upon the mortal world. Do you truly believe we're out for the best interests of mortals? I'm sorry to tell you this, darling, but it's all entertainment for us.” Drentack lowered his voice, as if telling a secret, yet his tone was still so… carefree. Enyah felt revulsion rise up from his tone. Forget treating him like a kid, he's a parasite.

  “Drentack…” Enyah began, lowering her hand, the power fading back into her body. The lantern burned anew, bathing her in a warm orange glow. She paused her words, the rough voice she used turning into a soft sigh of resignation. “Nevermind. Fate, free will. What's it matter? Did fate need them dead too?”

  “They were always meant to die. They only needed an executioner. Does that relieve your worries, darling?” Drentack chuckled with a clearly displayed mockery. She knew his words were meant to rile her up, to act out.

  “It does. Thank you, Drentack.” She spoke with as much calm as she could muster, letting her eyes close. Better to sleep than continue to hear this God ramble on.

  “You wound me, but it's alright, darling. You'll understand eventually.” The voice echoed within her mind with an unexpected seriousness before falling silent.

  With the crackling warmth before her and the slumbering rise and fall of Zarts behind, she felt exhaustion envelop her as her thoughts blurred.

  Her sleep was peaceful and dreamless. A welcome reprieve compared to last night's sleep.

  Drowsy eyes opened to the sun glinting over the horizon before focusing in an instant. Her eyes scanned their camp before moving further, scanning the grassy fields around them. The same empty view from yesterday was returned to her. She let a smile appear at the familiar sight. Peace was good, after all.

  Her movements seemed to stir Zarts from next to her, as he let out a low grumble and raised his head, staring at her with curious eyes.

  “Hey buddy.” She whispered gently, brushing him with her hand. The purr he gave in response only made her grin grow.

  The lizard moved his head towards her, laying on her lap and giving a whining chirp. He wanted to be pet, the spoiled beast.

  “Alright, big guy. I'll oblige.” She moved her hand indulgently, scratching the face in front of her. Zarts purred even louder, curling around her with his massive body, covering her in scaled skin.

  “It's nice, the two of us.” Enyah mused, deep in thought. The past few days felt like years went by with nothing but action. Relaxing with Zarts like this she wouldn't trade for anything.

  He chirped in agreement, moving his head to rub it against her body, letting out small whines all the while.

  Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  “Hungry?” Enyah asked, giving a small chuckle and grunting to her feet. From one of the sacks removed from his back, she grabbed the carcass of a lixsis, and threw it to the lizard’s face. With an excited thump of his tail, Zarts lunged his snout forwards, biting down on the corpse and swallowing with one gulp.

  With Zarts fed, she lay back against the lizard. It wouldn't be peaceful for much longer. Peace was only found in minute portions, yet laying here with Zarts and staring at the sun as it greeted her with warmth let her at least pretend her life wasn't swirling around her in a storm of uncertainty and anger.

  She watched the sun drift above her with a lazy sway as she gave Zarts the attention he craved until Rinne woke up. She noticed movement within the tent before the kid stumbled through the opening, drowsily wiping an eye with a fist.

  “Murnin’” Rinne mumbled, ambling towards the other side of the burnt out lantern and plopping to his knees.

  “Hey, kid. You're up early.” Enyah greeted him with a casual nod.

  “Miss Enyah, that's because I slept early.” Rinne grinned back, slowly losing his drowsiness with a stretch of his arms. “What’s for breakfast?”

  “Whatever we can scrounge from the packs, I suppose.” Enyah smirked, gesturing towards the supplies, which lay sprawled on the ground.

  “What about a victory feast? A banquet for our courageous combat! We won!” Rinne's disappointment was shadowed by rising excitement from his words as he exaggerated the tales of children.

  Zarts chimed in behind her, letting out a snort that seemed to hold nothing but unsatisfied disdain.

  “You already ate, you lump. You don't have a say.” Enyah patted the lizard with fondness before turning back to Rinne. “I'm sure you had quite the feast when I was asleep after the fight. Using my money, I might add.”

  “Well…” He looked away in embarrassment. At least he had some shame.

  “I agree with the boy, darling! Life should be spent living lavishly with only the finest of feasts! Not digging through leftovers! A bit of faith, some despair on the side, add a tad pinch of carnage and you have your perfect meal!” Drentack, previously silent, finally piped up within her mind.

  “First of all, I can't consume any of those.” Enyah thought with monotonous irritation. “Second, we're nowhere. We don't have the luxury for feasts. Third, you have no faith, you have no followers.”

  “Mortals cant..? Why would these Gods ever want to become a mortal? Truly, they’d miss the finer life of the abyss the moment they touched down upon the land.” Drentack responded with shock. “And I do, mind you, make faith. I trade others for entertainment, the only true currency among Gods.”

  “Why do I even entertain your thoughts?” Enyah sighed internally before turning to Rinne with a leisured stretch. “How about this, kid. If you find anything edible in these grasslands, I'll cook it for you. Deal?”

  “Hmm…” He pondered to himself with a tilt of his head. “Deal! But it better taste good!” He called as he got up and ran off, bursting with energy.

  “Youths. Nothing but energy.” Enyah grumbled to herself, moving into a comfortable position next to Zarts and watching Rinne scurry through the grass wearing an excited grin. Every so often he'd burrow his head deep, scouring the ground for any sort of edible plant, but the repeated disappointments never seemed to dim his enthusiasm.

  As time passed and clouds drifted to and fro, Rinne finally stood up from his search, holding an object he dragged out of the ground.

  “I found one!” He ran up to her holding some sort of fungi with long, thick roots that looked like rope.

  “A deeproot. Impressive find. Didn't know they grew here.” Enyah whistled in appreciation at the sight. She grunted to her feet, speaking to Rinne with restrained lethargy, “Deal's a deal. I should have some seasonings somewhere… just gotta find it.”

  She dug through the packs with a bear-like grace, digging for some time until she found a pack containing what she needed. A rock, heated by a red stone infused with mist, along with various toppings were planted on the ground. She took the mushroom from Rinne and cut off the mycelium underneath. Their thick, rope-like tendrils were impressive, yet inedible.

  The rock, heated in an instant from the stone within, was placed on the ground and after lightly seasoning the mushroom, the fungi was placed upon the rock.

  “And now we wait.” Enyah stated, dropping into a crouch beside the stone.

  “And now, we wait!” Rinne echoed, mimicking her movements and dropping beside her. A few moments later, his expression fell. “How long are we waiting?”

  “About a quarter of an hour. Should be done around then.” Enyah responded, turning her gaze to the kid beside her.

  “Do you cook like this often? You had the supplies ready and everything.” Rinne asked with a tilt of his head.

  “Used to, all the time. Not as much recently. The… people I was with couldn't cook without causing a fire no matter where they tried. Had to learn to do it myself.” Enyah mused, her vision drifting back to earlier days.

  “Whatcha’ doin there, dragon?” Drantei asked, crouching next to the girl who tinkered with the earth.

  “I'm cooking! I heard about it from the hunter! You pack the earth to keep the heat within and use the red stones to warm the food!” Enyah explained with glee, showing her pit she dug with barely restrained pride.

  “Bwahahahaha! Gaius’ cooking isn't good enough for your tastes? He'd be heartbroken to hear. Thought he could be a chef after retirement.” Drentei grinned good-naturedly, leaning over to pat her head. “Well, let’s hear it. What sort of masterpiece is our little chef making?”

  “Mushrooms!” Enyah grinned, holding out the shining white fungi she found in the nearby forest, “I found the ingredients myself! Like a true dragon!”

  “Atta girl.” He pet her head with a gentle touch before swiping the mushroom from her hand.

  “Hey!” Enyah pouted, trying and failing to reach for the stolen ingredient.

  “Let's find you a new mushroom, dragon. This one's poisonous.” Drentei threw the mushroom behind him and picked up Enyah, placing her on his shoulders. “If we work together, we'll find a better one twice as fast.”

  “Right!” Enyah chirped in agreement, a determined glare shining from her eyes.

  The vision ended with a twist of her vision, leaving the bright, open fields and Rinne beside her.

  “Did your family teach you?” He asked in curiosity.

  “They were more than family.” She smiled fondly in response, ignoring the hatred that attempted to seize control of her emotions.

  “Are they gone?” He asked, lowering his voice into a whisper.

  “...” Enyah kept quiet, turning her attention to the mushroom and prodded it around with a stick, adjusting the uncooked bits against the stone below.

  Rinne frowned and moved closer, gently leaning his body against hers. He offered no words, simply leaning his body against hers.

  She let out a muffled grunt at the touch, but made no effort to move the boy from her side. She simply watched the mushroom darken, prodding every so often with a stick until each side was cooked to perfection. She took the mushroom and added extra seasoning, letting the earthy scent waft through the air.

  “Pretty good.” Enyah nodded in approval, satisfied by the scent that drifted around them.

  Rinne grimaced from beside her, taking a deep sniff towards the food, “Smells weird.”

  “It'll taste better than it smells. Don't worry.” Enyah replied, slicing the mushroom into thin pieces with her cutlass. Using her blade, she lifted one to Rinne as he stared at it with suspicious eyes. He reached forwards and took a hesitant bite, his grimace loosening into a pleased expression upon tasting the meal.

  “Ooh! It's chewy! And grassy!” Rinne remarked in amazement.

  “Told you. Now eat up.” Enyah smirked at his reaction and finished slicing up the rest of the meal.

  The two ate in silence which was only broken by the occasional chirps from Zarts and the whispering of the wind. The warmth of the red stone seeped outwards, giving a peaceful warmth to their meal. It didn’t take long for the duo to finish their meal. After eating his full, Rinne laid back against Enyah, his eyes fluttering with a hint of drowsiness. From her side Enyah heard a small whisper, “Do you miss them?”

  She closed her eyes, repressed memories surging forward in less than a blink. She let out a sigh, ruffling the boy's hair. “I miss them every day.”

  The boy didn't continue further, but dug into her side, watching nature sway around them. The clouds, trees, air and grass all swaying in an unseen harmony.

  Enyah let the silence linger for many moments before finally collecting herself and rising to her feet. “If we're lucky, we'll be able to reach the next town tomorrow.”

  “Another day of traveling? Aww” Rinne mumbled, but prepared to leave without hesitation.

  Enyah brushed her hands against her trousers and began gathering the supplies. With a drop of water, the mist within the stone extinguished the heat and while she let it sizzle out, she packed the seasonings and lantern.

  “I’ll help!” Noticing her cleaning, Rinne rushed to the tent, keen on using his newly learned skills to take down the tent. With a nod of approval from Enyah, the child set to work. and soon enough, their supplies were all packed and latched onto Zarts who, recognizing they were about to leave, pushed himself to his feet and stretched his legs, leaning down to the dirt in the process.

  “Not bad, kid. Think you can handle the camping life for a few months?” Enyah smirked at the kid, who was preparing to climb to the saddle.

  “No way!” Rinne grinned in response. “I’d rather sleep in an inn. The dirt isn't very comfortable at all.”

  “Don’t we all. Sometimes we don’t have a choice. We’ll be camping again tonight.” Enyah boarded Zarts, and with a flex of her muscles, the beast was off, leaving the camp behind.

  “Okay!” Rinne chirped in agreement and Enyah couldn't feel too much disappointment from the child. He must’ve enjoyed the experience somewhat. She felt some sort of satisfaction towards that. A more positive reaction compared to her first time camping.

  “Though…” Enyah frowned internally, furrowing her brows. “Drentack’s been awfully quiet. It’s worrisome.”