Welcome back to Lap Of The Gods, everyone. I'm glad everyone enjoyed the chapter. Please remember to COMMENT and VOTE; it means a lot to me. Plus, I like talking to you guys and hearing your opinions. Also, remember to listen to the video; it goes with the chapter. ~XOXO BUTTERBALL~

The song is  Harehare YA ver. Sou by Sou

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-Lila-

I flailed in the darkness, trying my best to keep afloat as the black sludge-like water tried its hardest to pull me under. It filled my mouth and blocked my nose, chilling my lungs as it stole my breath away. The warmth was stolen from my body, chilling me to my very core.

"Someone, please help!" I gasped out. "Varuun!"

As the darkness crawled into my vision, I saw a pale hand thrust forward, grabbing my own, yanking me up and out of black sludge. I fell on my hands and knees, coughing; the person sat down next to me panting. My eyes widened as I recognized white hair and purple eyes.

"Marta, thank you," I said in between my coughing. As I spat out the black water, warmth seemed to unfurl in my chest; however, my arms and legs still felt like ice.

"What are you doing here? Usually, only one of us occupies this space at a time." She didn't sound upset, just tired.

She turned around, her back facing me as she brought her knees to her chest.

"I just woke up here; I hate this place as much as you do," I rasped her softly.

She glanced at me, a slight smile appearing on her face. "I highly doubt that, but I understand your pain. Still, you should leave this place. Both of us aren't meant to inhabit it at the same time."

"I can't just leave you here. You just told me you hated it," I protested as I held out my hand.

However, she didn't look at me; instead, she adjusted her position, laying her head down on her knees. Her long white hair spilling over her legs and pooling at her feet. Marta let out a low hum as her eyes closed halfway.

"I...will be fine Lila, I just need some time to myself," she assured me softly. Her voice sounded tired and airy, as though it was a struggle finding the energy to speak.

I frowned as I reached out toward her, but she flinched away from me, her face twisting in pain as I froze. "Please, Lila, I would like to mourn in peace," she whispered.

"You're not the only person who misses Varuun; he was my best friend. He was the only person who never abandoned me," I reminded her. As I spoke, my vision blurred as warmth gathered in my eyes. "You've always been with me; you saw me suffering! How much I hated being alone, how I felt abandoned, thrown away! And yet, you just sat there in silence while Varuun tried his best to comfort me and keep me sane," I snapped.

Even though I was hurt and angry, a small part of me knew that Marta had been there with me for years, experiencing almost everything I had. We had different perspectives, but we shared one body.

Marta sighed as she glanced over her shoulder at me. I couldn't help but notice the puffy redness underneath her eyes. She gave me a small, sad smile. "You're right...I have always been with you, and because of that, so many unfortunate things have happened to you. You have been ostracized, attacked,  abandoned, and for that, I am sorry. I never meant to cause you any harm. After all, at the moment, we are the only family we have."

I frowned and shook my head. "No, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that I just...I hate this feeling so much," I whispered. 

Marta reached out as she leaned forward, her forehead gently touching mine as her hand cupped my cheek. Her thumb slowly rubbed across it as she smiled slightly. "For now, I suppose that you can think of me as your older sister," she suggested.

I crossed my arms as I pretended to pout. "Why do you get to be the older sibling," I huffed.

Marta laughed softly. "I am older than even Adonis itself; it was the only logical conclusion." She frowned, suddenly moving back as she stared down. "You should wake up, Lila; as I said, this place isn't exactly made to contain both of us at once."

"Come with me, then you don't have to-" I began; however, she cut me off.

"Please, Lila, a few hours alone is all I ask of you," she said softly.

I stared at her for a few moments before nodding as the world around me began to turn white. The white chased the darkness away and illuminated the area. I couldn't help but stare at Marta. She was still surrounded by the darkness, her shoulders shaking as the darkness wrapped around her.

Then she disappeared beneath its surface as it pulled her beneath the darkness.

~~~

I sat up slowly, my joints aching and creaking as I propped myself up and yawned. My skin felt slick and itchy, my sweat leaving behind a thin layer of film. As a soft breeze washed over me, I shivered, wrapping my arms around myself.

Ugh...I feel filthy.

"Oh, you're awake."

Blinking slowly, I looked up. Sorey was sitting by a fire, eating something as he watched me, his amber eyes glinting in the firelight.

My tail brushed against something cold and rough I jumped slightly, my skin turning grey briefly as my camouflage rolled over it.

Stone? Are we in a cave?

"Here, you should eat something; you've been out for four days," Sorey informed me as he held out a skewer; on the skewer was a collection of roasted mushrooms and meat. Almost immediately, my stomach growled, the crisp, hearty scent wafting into my nose. I let out a small huff taking it from him as I lick my lips.

I looked at him, frowning before I glanced around the cave. "Wait, did you carry me here?" I asked him.

He nodded, picking up another skewer. "Carrying you was easy. Thankfully you're a kindred, so you practically weigh nothing. Now fighting while holding you, that was a different story," he told me as he ate.

The gentle tapping of rain entered my ears as the deep smell of wet soil and grass wafted into the cave. The cool yet refreshing scent seemed to steal all of the tension from my body.

"You fought while holding me?" I asked, my eyes widening as I took a small careful bite of the skewer only to wince and let out a small hiss at the heat.

"Hot, hot, hot, hot," I hissed, sticking out my tongue.

Sorey let out a snort. "You're supposed to blow on it; first, kid, of course, it's hot. It was just by the fire," he reminded me little smile on his face.

I scowled at him. "I know that I'm not a fool. I was just hungry," I grumbled. "Also, stop calling me, kid; my name is Lila!"

Sorey just smiled even wider. "You act like a child; I'll treat you like one." He replied as he chewed.

Now that I think about it, has he ever smiled like that the entire time we've been traveling? It makes him look younger, more approachable even.

Sorey opened his wings, curling them around him so that they partially lay in his lap. "And to answer your question, I fought twice with you on my back both times were when some Egaros appeared, the rain covered their usual putrid scent. It also made my wings heavier, which made it near impossible to fly. The other times I fought, I placed your body in some nearby bushes."

He let out a little chuckle as he tapped the area below his clairvoyant eye. "This thing was incredibly useful. I've used it so much that I may have irritated the eye itself, though." He informed me as he carefully ran his fingers through his wings.

For a few moments, I was silent as I stared at the ground. "Why did you bring me with you when you could've just killed me after Varuun died? You could've even done it while I was unconscious this whole time; I know that you wanted to kill me. That you were going to the moment, I woke up in that village," I whispered. I looked up at him, my eyes meeting his as I bit my lip, "So...why, didn't you?" I asked softly.

Sorey sighed as he carded his fingers through his feathers. "If you knew that I had come to kill you in the first place, would you have still revived me despite Marta's protest?" He asked me.

I opened my mouth but closed it a moment before I slowly nodded. "Yes, I would've saved your life. But if I knew beforehand that you were there to kill me, I wouldn't have allowed you to stay on Via," I admitted.

"You disregarding Marta's protest and concerns is what saved your life because you saved mine. I'm thankful for that, so I decide to get answers instead of just taking your life without question. I'll admit that I wasn't expecting you to be the Maker herself. In fact, I thought well..." He trailed off, scowling.

I blinked slowly. "You thought what?"

"That you were some kind of strange crazed beast with unmatched strength and a taste for human blood. With the way that village idiot described you and seeing your incredible magic first hand, I thought my assumptions would be right," he sighed. Then a smile spread across his face as he looked at me with an odd kindness that I didn't know he was capable of. "I'm glad that I was wrong."

"So, you thought I'd be like you?" I said slowly as I curled my tail.

Sorey rolled his eyes. "I'm not crazed; I just enjoy a good battle. It keeps my mind sharp and busy compared to the kingdom politics of Marchen," he informed me. "Demon nobles sitting around a table trying their best to suck up to the Emperor like starved dogs begging for scraps. Absolutely disgraceful," he grumbled, his face twisting in disgust.

I wonder what his family is like considering he doesn't like to return home that often.

As I finished eating, I slowly got to my feet, wandering to the mouth of the cave. Reaching out, I cupped my hands out, allowing the rain to gather in my hands. I let out a small hum as I poked my tail out into the rain also.

"Varuun loved the rain, especially a gentle downpour like this; thunder always startled him though. Every time there was a thunderstorm, he'd sit next to the biggest tree he could find, which was, of course, still too small," I said softly.

Drawing my hands back, I took a deep breath before running my wet hands across my face letting out a soft sigh. As I turned around, I saw Sorey rummaging through his bag; a moment later, he removed a small object bundled in a white cloth.

He held the object out to me, a frown on his face. Slowly I took it from him, untying the cloth, inside was a small brown horn as I turned it around in my hand I noticed a strange white crystal-like substance inside it.

"When the body of your beast-when the body of Varuun disappeared, he left that behind," he told me.

For a few moments, I stared at it silently then, I clutched it to my chest, tightly gripping it as warmth gathered in my eyes. "Varuun..." I whispered. "Thank you," I said softly as I let out a shuddering breath. My voice sounded as if two people were speaking at once.

Marta...

For a few moments, I just stood there, tears streaming down my face as I clutched Varuun's horn close to me. Sorey was silent as he carefully cleaned his wings, his claws running through his feathers. Every so often, he would shake his hands out, his lips pressed into a thin line.

Varuun, I miss you so much, big guy. I should've been more careful. If I'd never call out for you, this wouldn't have happened.

"It's not your fault, Lila. If you want someone to blame, then blame the people who tried to kill you for just existing. That goes for you too, Marta," Sorey told me. There was an odd edge to his voice as he spoke.

"Still, if I hadn't-"

"Listen, others will always try to blame you for existing. The more you stand apart from them and refuse what they want from you, the more persistent they get. That goes double for humans," he grumbled. "That's why you have to fight back and resist them at every turn. If you give in, then they win."

I sniffled a bit as I stared at Sorey. "You sound like you are speaking from experience," I said softly.

Sorey nodded slightly. "Creatures like me are not welcome anywhere."

"Why? I mean, sometimes you're mean and petty, and you won't stop calling me kid. But you don't look like you've done anything to cause everyone on Adonis to hate you," I pointed out.

Sorey looked at me as though I'd grown two heads as his hand stilled. "I brought you to the man who ordered your death, betrayed your trust, and you say that I'm not that bad? Four days ago, you nearly clawed my eye out in anger," he said, shock clear in his voice. "You truly are mad."

My gaze went to the horn in my grasps. "All I know is that a person who didn't care about me wouldn't have given me this. They wouldn't have even thought about picking it up. In fact, despite the contract you signed with Marta, you still could've left me behind in that forest by myself, but you didn't," I said; looking at him, I smiled slightly. "You carried me for days and kept me safe. I'm not saying that you're a completely good person, but you do have kindness buried in your heart."

Sorey scowled at me before he let out a small sigh but said nothing else.

As I wiped a hand over my face, I walked over to Sorey, kneeling behind him. Reaching out, I gently began tracing the area between his wings with one gentle finger.

If I remember right, the spell Marta used to dry Varuun's fur was...

"Lu, li, la, lu, li, la, zwe," I whispered under my breath. A flow of warmth ran through my body like warm water rushing through my veins as heat gathered at my fingertips.

"What are you doing?" He asked as he froze.

I chuckled. "I'm putting a curse on you," I snickered as I took a deep breath.

"What?" Sorey practically exclaimed, leaning slightly away from me.

I giggled at his reaction. "I'm just joking." I slowly exhaled as the white threads of ether appeared in my vision. I pinched the one connected to Sorey as I whispered the spell once again.

"Fucking kindred and your mischief," he grumbled as he leaned back once again. As the ether thread warmed up between my fingers, I released it and blinked, allowing the threads to disappear.

Sorey suddenly shuddered, his body trembling slightly as his wings ruffled. He looked over his shoulder at me with wide eyes. "What was that?"

I gave him a small smile. "I used a heat spell. Marta used to use it to dry Varuun when he'd been in the rain for a while. His fur got an odd smell if we let it dry on its own." I told him.

Sorey let out a soft hum as he ran his hand over his wings. "They're instantly dry; it usually takes a day for them to get this dry. That's amazing; what other magic did you use on Varuun?"

"Marta was the one who usually used magic to clean him. I usually cleaned his mouth by hand, though," I told him as I crossed my legs. My own wings ached slightly from not using them in days, and it seemed like no matter which way I stretched them, the ache remained.

Sorey looked at me as though I was crazed. "You cleaned that creature's teeth?"

I nodded. "Yes, usually every five months. I would have him lay down by the lake with his tongue out, and then I would climb inside and clean his teeth using a combination of soap, water, mint, and salt. It usually took hours to gather enough ingredients; then, I would spend a few hours crushing it into a large amount of paste. The totaling cleaning itself typically took two days of scrubbing." I sighed.

"I can't even begin to imagine crawling into his mouth. I'm surprised that you weren't ground into dust." He muttered.

I shook my head. "Varuun would never do that; he was always so careful around me." I frowned as I brought my knees up to my chest, my tail wrapping around my ankles. "Varuun treated me with nothing but kindness, and now I've stolen him away from his family. His mother has to be out there somewhere wondering when he'll return home," I whispered.

Sorey said nothing as he unsheathed his sword and began cleaning it. As I watched him, I noticed something; his sword had a curved single-edged blade instead of the usual two that most swords have. "Isn't it harder to use a sword like that?" I asked instantly.

"No, Marchen and demon blacksmiths specialize in these types of swords. The ore and metal used are gathered in the mining village across the mountains by the Auju. The Auju have a good nose for ore quality. It is heated, and the metal is folded sixteen times as it is being tempered to remove impurities, after that the blade is complete it is submerged in water which gives it the curve it has," he explained as he held it up for me to see. "It also makes defending with your sword easier when you don't have to worry about wounding yourself too."

"You really know a lot about blacksmithing," I said as I ran my finger along the back of the blade. It had a beautiful, almost jewel-like gleam to it; not a single smudge was on the blade.

He must take incredible care of it.

Sorey let out a huff. "I have an acquaintance in Olakator who's an incredible blacksmith. You'll more than likely get to meet her when we reach the town."

"Did she make your sword for you too?" I asked as he sheathed the blade again. It sat on his left hip, the sheath glinting in the firelight.

"No, my sword was...specially forged years ago before either my family or I was born. You can no longer find the materials needed to replicate it. But that also means that I must take great care of it." He told me as he carefully polished it.

I turned my attention to the mouth of the cave as I watched the rain pour down. "How long has it been raining?" I asked Sorey.

"It started earlier today; it's probably because we're near the flooded valley. It'll only clear up once we exit the valley, so we should set out soon if we want to get to Medoh." Sorey said as he stood up.

"Medoh?" I asked as I watched him begin to pack everything up.

"If you're ready to move out, then we should get moving. Medoh is a small town right outside the flooded valley. We just have to head east," he explained.

As I grabbed my knapsack, Sorey put out the fire, "Are you sure your wings will be okay? I just dried them for you," I asked as we stood at the mouth of the cave.

Sorey chuckled as he stepped out into the rain, a small smile on his face. "If I allowed the rain to bother me, I'd never get any work done."

I followed him with a small smile on my face. As the cool rain thrummed against my skin, I let out a soft sigh of content as I tipped my head back, allowing the rain to wash away any grime and tiredness.

It felt refreshing on my skin, like relaxing in a cool lake on a hot day.

Sorey stopped walking for a moment and grabbed the limb of a nearby low hanging tree with incredibly large leaves. He pulled two vibrant, green leaves from the branch, handing one to me.

"Either use your cloak or this; I don't need you getting sick again." He told me.

"But the rain feels sooo good, especially on my tail and wings," I protested.

Sorey rolled his eyes. "It won't feel good when you catch a cold and start hacking up a lung later on." He mumbled, thrusting the leaf into my open hand.

Why does he always have to be right?

Scowling, I held the leaf over my head using the thin stem as a handle as I followed after Sorey, who did the same.

As we walked along the path, I saw a few human travelers jog past us every once in a while, lugging large backpacks as they rushed along. Most travelers wore cloaks or held large leaves over their heads as they tried their best to stay dry. Looking up at the trees now and then, I would see an Icralous perched on a thick branch with an irritated look on their faces. They used the leaves above them to avoid the rain as much as possible, but many of them were still soaking wet.

They have many more feathers than Sorey, and trying to dry them must be a large hassle.

As we were walking, I heard some bushes nearby rustled, and two shadows suddenly darted out of them, causing me to jump slightly. I saw Sorey grip the hilt of his sword briefly, his body tensing up for a moment.

"A fairy! A fairy! We found a fairy!" The two children sang as they ran around me in circles.

The children were creatures with an almost human form. As they raised their arms high into the air, I noticed the glittering, thin, light blue fins attached there. Along their ribs on each side were six cut like slits which twitched and expanded as they ran.

The children stood on thick frog-like feet, a thin membrane visible between their toes as the fin on the back of their ankles dragged on the ground. They had no hair on their smooth bluish-white fish-like skin but on their chest were clusters of light blue scales. On each hand were seven fingers, four larger ones at the front of the hand, and three smaller ones near the top of what I assumed were their wrist.

Their thick tails brushed against my legs each time they passed in front of me. Their light blue eyes looked at me, the luminous iris taking up most of their eyes. As they gave me wide grins, I saw rows of sharp jagged teeth.

"Phenric children," Sorey muttered as he crossed his arms. "They seem to have taken a liking to you."

"We're not children, mister!" protested the shorter child.

"Yeah, old man, we've been outside of our eggs for years!" The other child exclaimed.

Sorey frowned as he cocked his head to the side. "O-old man?"

I think they hit a nerve. Now that I think about it, how old is Sorey?

"Muzu, Fina! Oh, there you kids are," a female voice said.

A larger fish like creature stepped out of the bushes. On her head was a small golden circlet that curled downward on each side of her neck. Other than that, she wore no clothing similar to the children but had a medium-sized leather knapsack strung around her hip. The rain rolled off her skin like a roof as she walked forward, her bare feet barely sinking into the mud.

If she hadn't spoken, I wouldn't have known it was a woman...

"Mom, look, we found a fairy!" The shorter child explained.

"Muzu, don't be rude," she reprimanded as she turned to look at me with a small smile on her face. "I'm sorry that my children ambushed you, I looked away for a moment, and they had left."

"I was wondering why we hadn't seen any Phenrics; usually, many of them use the flooded valley to travel," Sorey said more to himself than anyone else.

The woman opened her mouth to say something but took one look at Sorey and let out a small shake laugh. "Oh yes, we're going to Medoh to see the beautiful peach blossoms on the trees." She rubbed the back of her neck as she spoke, her eyes looking upward.

"Mommy, can we bring the fairy home? She's really pretty?" Fina asked, pointing at my wings, which were stretched out behind me.

"Fina, don't speak like that; it's rude. She's someone else's," The woman chuckled again. "I'm sorry for their behavior. I am Verpa. Are you also going to Medoh?"

"Yes, I didn't know that it attracted many people, though. If you like, we can go together," I suggested as the children clung to my tail. It made it slightly harder to move, but it didn't hurt. In fact, they were just rubbing their hands over it as though they were petting me.

Glancing at Sorey, I saw him roll his eyes briefly before he began turned around and walking again. Verpa and I walked a little bit behind him as the children darted around, frequently running circles around me.

"I've traveled this path many times, but I don't believe I've ever seen any kindred like you, especially not with your wing patterns and coloring. Your master must've paid a lot to obtain you," she said cheerfully.

My eyes went wide, "M-master?" I asked slowly.

"Yes, isn't that red-headed demon your master? Although I will admit, I've rarely seen half breeds like him, especially with such an odd hair color. Is he a noble?" She asked, pointing at Sorey.

I scowled at her as I shook my head. "I'm not a slave," I told her slowly as I looked up at Verpa.

At my words, she let out a small laugh. "Oh my, you're funny too; it's amazing that you can say that with such a straight face. You even have a golden collar on you; people always did tell me that Kindred were hilarious."

Instantly my hand went to my neck, my fingers meeting cold metal and rock hard crystal, my fingers brushing over the almost sharp edges.

My blue one is missing. Did Sorey take it off while I was unconscious? Why didn't he tell me what the collar actually was?

I scowled, turning my gaze to the ground as I remembered something.

Back in Aurora, while we were inside the clothing shop, the merchant was about to say that he noticed I wasn't wearing one. He even called it a collar.

Looking up at Sorey, I saw that he was calmly walking ahead eyes facing forward. I couldn't help but notice the slight twitch of his curved ears beneath his hair.

I'll ask him when we're alone. Marta, are you there?

However, she didn't answer me. Either she had cried herself to sleep, or she still needed time to herself.

"If you don't mind me asking, doesn't the rain bother you?" I asked hesitantly.

At my question, Verpa began laughing again. "Us phenrics live in water, mostly freshwater. Although some live in saltwater, due to that, they look quite different from how I look. But for those of us more accustomed to freshwater staying in saltwater too long can wear on our gills."

I let out a small laugh. "I've actually never met a phenric before. I lived a...sheltered life in a small village of mostly humans," I admitted softly.

"Oh, you poor thing, is that why you and your master are traveling?" She asked.

"S-something like that. He promised to help me see the world," I said as I drew my wings close to my back, looking anywhere but Verpa.

"If you're traveling to see the world, then Medoh is definitely the place to begin. I also plan on taking Muzu and Fina to see the statue of the Maker in Kimlasca. But I hope that we also get to see the Mem Aleph performing his daily prayers," she said cheerfully as her eyes gleamed with excitement.

'I wonder when they erected a statue of me?' Marta muttered, her voice echoing in my head.

So you were awake, Marta.

'I was always awake, although normal people would actually call it being half asleep, I suppose. I was wide awake, but my mind went dormant for a few moments.' She sighed.

Isn't that called passing out? Anyhow if you're still tired, I'll let you get back to sleep.

Marta let out a soft chuckle. 'I don't become tired; drained would be more appropriate. Even if I appear to be sleeping or unconscious, I can still sense things through the ether currents. But still thank you, it is nice to relax every once in a while.'

"Aria, come here," Sorey called out, snapping me out of my conversation with Marta.

It took me a moment or two to realize he meant me.

Why can't he just call me by my name whenever someone else is around?

I rushed up toward him, practically having to jog to keep up with his pace.

"What is it, Sorey? Why can't you just call me by my actual name?" I asked, making sure to keep my voice low.

"Considering our current predicament, you can't exactly afford to be found out. So don't tell them your name or show what you can do," he informed me.

I nodded slowly, and he smirked. "Also, you're a horrible liar," he added.

I crossed my arms and stuck my tongue out at him, letting my tail gently smack his leg. Sorey reached out quickly, catching my tongue between his thumb and pointer finger.

"I see that your childish instinct is still in full effect. You must be incredibly happy to be around others your own age." He chuckled.

My eyes widened slightly, then narrowed. "Let go!" I said, my voice coming out muffled.

"Sure thing, kid," he said, releasing me with a grin covering his face.

"I'm not a child," I protested.

"Act like a child, and I'll treat you like one." He replied.

'Lila, you can't allow him to bully you like that. You walked right into that one.' Marta sighed.

I didn't expect him to grab my tongue. Who grabs another person's tongue?

"Your other collar is in my bag. I put that one on you because it'll be easier to keep you safe," he informed me suddenly.

"You still could've told me what this meant, Sorey. I don't like not being told about things like this even if it is for my own good," I told him softly.

Muzu stopped in front of me and grinned as he pointed at my neck. "Are you and the old man married?"

Next to me, I saw Sorey grit his teeth as his eyes narrowed. "Listen here, you brat, I'm only twenty-five. So stop calling me an old man," he grumbled.

That definitely hit a nerve, so I'm younger than him.

'Actually, Lila...you are at least one hundred years old, even if you don't remember most of it,' Marta informed me in a slightly hesitant tone.

At her words, I froze in my tracks, my eyes going wide as my tail went stiff, standing straight up.

Sorey looked at me. "What's wrong? Did your tail get tangled? Did the kids pull on your tail?"

"No, I'm fine," I squeaked out.

Sorey looked at me for a second or two a skeptical on his face but said nothing. Verpa smiled at me as I dropped back beside her once again.

"You and your master are so adorable. If I didn't need to live in the water, I'd buy an adorable kindred just like you. Maker knows Muzu and Fina want one," she said in a cheerful tone.

She'd buy a kindred like me? Are Kindred slaves normal? She talks about me like I'm a pet or something.

"I hope you don't mind me being forward, but how much did your master pay for you, or were you specifically bred just for him? If so, he takes amazing care of you; you even speak the human language incredibly well," Verpa said as she eyed me up and down.

I let out a shaky laugh as I yanked my tail away from one of the children. "I-I wouldn't know. He just kind of should up one day and took me with him," I told her softly as I forced a smile.

A strange heaviness sat in my chest like a stone as ice seemed to curl around my lungs, stealing my breath away.

Marta? Is being a kindred really that bad? She isn't even talking about me like I'm a person.

'During the war, I remember the kindred siding with the demons as a way to guarantee the protection of their home and queen. They were afraid of the non-magic wielding humans as those humans were turning to things such as alchemy. At that time, the Fae served demons willingly in exchange for protection, but that was years ago; I have no clue what the relationship between the different races is now.' Marta answered back in a matter of fact tone.

She let out a sigh that seemed to vibrate inside my skull; it wasn't a bad feeling, just strange.

I jolted a bit as Verpa grabbed my free hand and placed a small dried fish in my palm. I turned the fish over in my hands, feeling the coarse sand-like salt on the fish's skin. The fish was small,l about the size of a gald fitting perfectly in my hand, its brown roasted skin flaking off in my hand.

"It's a baby armored carp. Their skin is tough, so they can't be skinned fresh out of the water. However, if you gut them through the mouth and roast it in a pot with salt and some lemongrass, it becomes soft enough to eat and incredibly tasty," Verpa explained as she smiled, handed a few pieces to Muzu and Fina.

I hesitated a moment before taking a bite, and I could've sworn that I briefly felt Sorey's eyes on me. Flavor burst into my mouth, the savory salt and tangy lemongrass mixing to give the crisp meat of the fish a sweet and sour taste.

I let out a soft hum as I licked the salt off of my palm and fingers. "This is delicious Verpa, what was the recipe again?"

She chuckled. "I'm glad that you like it. First, you catch an armored carp if you can use your teeth as I can then do it. Then you take a hook; you can make it out of anything, but I use a fishhook or a small sickle. You want to dig inside of its mouth and take out everything except for the stomach. Then you stuff it with lemongrass and salt, and roast it in a pot."

I let out another soft hum as I nodded; the wheels were already turning in my head. "I bet with some rice, roc celery, crushed walnuts, and vinegar, it could really be a delicious meal," I said more to myself than to her.

'Oh my, that tasted delicious, perhaps eating isn't so bad...' Marta said to herself.

"Your master even taught you how to cook? Maybe I should get a Kindred that's less susceptible to water, a nymph type; perhaps, after all, it's not like Yarrin is completely underwater. I know I saw one like that for sale in Noravahlis," She said as she scratched her head. Then she clapped her hands together and grinned at me. "I hope it'll be as well behaved as you are; what training school were you sent to?"

"Uh...umm..."

"I sent her to the ones in Marchen, Sazalic, and one in Noravahlis," Sorey told Verpa as he looked over his shoulder at us.

I opened my mouth to ask him what he meant because I had no clue where those places were but thought better of it.

Sorey's more knowledgeable about this than I am. I should just let him answer.

"Walaxza!" Verpa exclaimed. "Amazing, those are the top three Kindred training school. If you don't mind me asking, what pedigree is she, and how much did you pay for her?"

Walaxza?

'It's the Phenric word for thank you,' Marta sighed. 'I wish I had a book to read; while this is now the norm, she seems to pry a lot.'

Do you want me to buy you one in Medoh? Something you can read while you're in control?

'Yes, perhaps a cookbook, something with recipes of traditional demon foods. Although after I made food for him on Via, I'd doubt that Sorey would even look at any food I tried to give him,' Marta sighed, sounding completely dejected.

"She's a shelix fairy bred with a forest dweller fae to produce the vibrant color on her wings and give her tail those beautiful scales and sheen. I paid twelve million gald for her," Sorey lied in a bored sounding tone.

Verpa let out a small shaky laugh as she scratched her neck with her talon-like claws. "Yep, as I suspected, a kindred like her is completely out of my price range."

A sharp jolt of pain suddenly jolted through my tail and up my back, causing me to yelp. Spinning around, I saw Fina and Muzu grinning at me as they held my tail in their hands.

"Muzu, Fina, let her go this instance!" Verpa reprimanded loudly.

"Why, mommy?" Fina asked.

"Yeah, he can buy another Kindred; besides, we didn't pull on her tail that hard. We just wanted one of her scales to make a wish," Muzu protested as I tried my best to yank my tail out of their tight grasp.

"She may be a pet, but if you break her, I don't want to have to reimburse him. He paid a lot of gald for her," Verpa grumbled.

Both of the children stuck their tongue out at Verpa and pulled my tail again as I whimpered. I saw Sorey coming back to us.

He glared at the children with a deep scowl on his face. "Release my Kindred."

"And what if we don't, Mister? What are you going to do?" Muzu snapped.

"Yeah, what are you going to do, huh?" Fina echoed.

Sorey sneered, his hand going to the hilt of his sword. "If you don't release her, I'll skewer you both and cook your innards over an open fire," He hissed.

Verpa gasped in alarm as she grabbed Muzu and Fina by their arms. Tears were welling up in the children's eyes as they were pulled into Verpa's arms. "You're a monster; they're just children!"

"And you're just a cunt," he growled.

"I should've known traveling with a half breed beast was trouble! Noble or not, you're disgusting!" Verpa snapped.

I lifted my tail into my arms, cradling it there as I examined it. Some of the scales were pushing up slightly, the pink skin underneath throbbing.

Sorey let out a snort. "You call me disgusting, but you are an invasive bitch who I wish would shut her mouth, but we can't always get what we want." He growled.

Verpa's eyes went wide. A second later, she turned around and began storming away through the bushes, grumbling curses under her breath as she dragged Muzu and Fina away with her.

"Are you okay?" Sorey asked gently as he grabbed my tail. He held it in a gentle yet loose grip in his hands as he examined it. "Little bastards bruised it and bent the scales."

Reaching into one of the pouches on his hip, he removed a small yet wide vial with an odd purple paste. "This may sting a bit," he informed me as he applied the substance to my tail. A slight sting replaced the constant throbbing, eventually turning numb.

"Sorey? Do people really treat Kindreds like their disposable, like they're not even people?" I whispered as I stared at the ground, my eyes growing warm.

"Yes, sadly, it is a common thing. There are many Kindred owners out there who love and respect their slaves. But you're more likely to find someone who doesn't care what happens to them and merely purchased the Kindred out of convenience or for social status," he told me, his tone abnormally soft and gentle.

Slowly I looked up at Sorey. "Is that what you think of me? Is that why you didn't tell me what the collar meant at first," I asked, my voice trembling as warm tears ran down my face contrasting with the chill from the rain.

"Absolutely not; like I said before, Lila, that gold collar is a type of symbol that keeps you safe. Remember how that Phenric woman saw it and instantly knew I was a high ranking demon?" He reminded me.

Slowly I nodded, sniffling. "Yeah. She was acting really nice but seemed kind of scared of you."

"That's the point when I was younger; one thing I promised myself is that I would never own a Kindred. If anything, you're my master, my mistress, remember?" He said as he reached out and gently patted my head.

He held out a piece of candy to me, wrapped in familiar colorful foil. "Here, now eat this and stop crying. I don't like dealing with crying women," he told me as he watched me open the wrapper and place the beritama in my mouth.

'Lila, are you okay?' Marta asked hesitantly.

No, I'm not. I feel like an utter fool. I should know things as simple as this; it is something so common that I shouldn't care. But I do, and I know that I can't stop myself from caring.