They hid deep within the forest around Virgion that night, set a fire to toast their frigid bodies, and Del'rod re clothed himself before catching a rabbit to eat. The way his nimble hands killed, cut, and skinned the animal sent Senayra a chilling reminder of exactly who this boy was and what he was trained to do. Now that they were out of that prison cage and slowly remembering their roles in the world, Senayra felt deeply disturbed in his presence. Her heartbeat quickened irregularly, and she grew wary of every twitch and nudge of his body, watching him like the earth watches the sun, expecting it to simply blow one day soon.
And she could tell he was as equally bothered as she was. Despite having his spear aimed right at an animal, Del'rod turned to the animan girl to ask if it were okay he killed it.
She responded with an irritated glare only the hungry could muster. "I'm straight starving! Of course it's okay that you kill it!" He would have stayed his hand if she had stated otherwise, and, though she had never killed another animal before, she has eaten plenty.
But watching the boy cut open dinner's innards and yank them out like a knotted lace helped her realize why a majority of Animans were vegetarians. She couldn't imagine cooking up a trout and having it remind her of her best friend from swim class.
Senayra’s gaze was unfaltering as she studied the warrior dismember the butchered rabbit, and her steady stare fed a pit of uneasiness in the boy’s gut. "Ya don't have to watch, ya know."
"Why would you say that?" she asked, her stare unwavering.
"Because it unnerves ya. I can see it."
Her slit yellow orbs finally tore from the carcass of the slaughtered creature to meet with his concerned gaze. "I've just never seen anyone kill an animal before. Not in front of me, at least..." her voice trailed as she gave a slight shrug.
"Ah right, right." He nodded his head as he cut away with his spear, as if he completely understood. Then he chuckled, almost unthinkingly. "Ya must have lived a pampered life for an animan."
That bold statement disturbed her more than his readying of their meal. "Again, why would you say that?"
"Please, don't take it the wrong way--"
"How could I not take it the wrong way?"
"But most animans have had their fair share of deaths by the time they're your age." He continued as if he hadn't heard her. Then he paused mid cut, his aura suddenly darkening as he stared down into an invisible void. "Some animans don't even make it to your age..."
Her lips sealed as she gulped audibly enough to break him from his trance.
"So how is it that ya," he continued chopping as if he hadn't said a morbid thing all day, "have never even seen the inside of a rabbit?" He turned to Senayra with a light smile, the fire dancing across his playful eyes and his flamed tattoo.
She let out a held breath, turning up toward the tall redwoods and the stars that stretched out of their reaches. When she escaped the clutched of the Leocion Empire, she had promised herself to never bring up the past again, for fear that she would relive the nightmares of her travels. Was she going to break her promise at the first friendly encounter she made? She would have liked to open up about her past, especially after Del'rod had spilt about his so hastily, yet she still felt like she should exercise caution around the boy. With or without his green coated armor, he was still a Scorupion warrior and could exploit her trust for his own duties.
"Well, never mind it. It must be too personal to speak of, I assume, bein’ animan and all." Senayra turned to him with a morbid curiosity of why he was so socially adept. He gave her an apologetic smile. "It must be so mysterious and enrichin, the script-free life ya live; no one to answer or to please."
"Mysterious? Enriching?" she scoffed as she shook her head, turning back toward the stars. "I've spent a good number of my days unwanted and uncared for. What is so enriching about that?"
"Ya have nothin’ to prove and no one to prove it to." He answered swiftly, as if it had been pressing on his mind his whole life.
She chewed on the inside of her lips, realizing that there was probably more to his past than what he had initially shared. Instead, she turned away as to not provoke an argument with him.
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