Chapter 61: Chapter 60: Of Starry Nights

Reuniting wood for tonight’s fire had been much easier without the skies pouring down. After a good few moments they had a healthy pile of sticks and even some actual, thicker pieces of lumber! All that was left was starting the pyre good and proper, and for that Gabrielle had her special trick. Lucrece made sure to observe this time, eye wide open to catch every little moment of the magic unfolding.

 

It was disappointingly simple: Gabi pulled out the strange fragment of quartz, stared at it for a good while, and then shoved it into the pile of lumber with a hand, keeping it there for a long moment before suddenly the flames burst from the newly born bonfire. She needed to feel the fire, the flames burning her skin, the pain searing and marking the rune in her soul once more.

 

“Your hand!” Lucrece reached out, but Gabrielle pulled the hand off the pyre on her own. “Ugh, do you have to burn yourself to make fire come out?”

 

“Yes.” The witch nodded. “I need to feel it for the heatstone to work.”

 

“Good thing you heal fast… is that magic too?”

 

“I am not sure.” Gabi shrugged. “But it is very useful, so best not to think much of it.”

 

But the lancer would think plenty about it. She didn’t know any creatures that healed fast, no monster nor demis could regenerate the way this witch could. So it was either a real mystery to Gabrielle herself, or she was lying. And considering that she had told Luci outright when she didn’t want to speak of a topic… this was probably just as confusing to the redhead as it was to the blonde girl, so she decided to leave it for now.

 

As night started to close upon them, and the giant crab claws were roasting on the open fire, Gabi dared to sit beside the lancer and let out a little sigh, simply waiting for the right moment to speak.

 

The right moment was right that instant.

 

“How do you know so much?” 

 

“Hmmm? Know so much about what?” Luci tilted her head. “Also, sit on my other side.”

 

“Why?”

 

“That’s the side with my eye.”

 

“Oh, sorry.” Gabrielle got back up, awkwardly shimmying to sit on Lucrece’s right. “Better?”

 

“Yes, thank you.” Lucrece nodded. “So. Know so much about what?”

 

“About fighting, and tracking, and stuff!”

 

Lucrece closed her eye for a moment, simply letting the old memories wash over. Right after all had gone to Hell and when life was at its most confusing, there was a figure offering a new path. A butch, tall and powerful figure, a real life amazon charging through the world and daring it to stop her.

 

Even after the passing of years and so many new experiences, Luci’s heart skipped a beat just by remembering her Captain.

 

“I used to be in a mercenary company, believe it or not.” The lancer’s chest puffed up with pride. “My Captain taught me all I know. Prepared me for the disasters to come.”

 

“Aren’t you a little young to be a mercenary?” Gabrielle narrowed her eyes, not fully buying it. “You must be like twelve or something.”

 

“First of all, fuck you. I am sixteen.”

 

“Language.”

 

“Sorry.” Lucrece apologized by mere instinct, cursing under her breath after it was too late. “And! Secondly? Yes I may be a bit young, but sometimes life is like that, you know?”

 

“Hard and unpredictable?”

 

“A bitch.” Luci grumbled and slowly checked on one of the cooking claws, sniffing it before opening the carapace with a knife. “Soldier life is something that happens. If you are unlucky, that’s it. Gotta survive somehow.”

 

The redhead could somehow relate to that sentiment, but at the same time something in her head didn’t feel satisfied, there was much more to that statement than what meets the eye. She imitated Lucrece and grabbed a claw for herself, breaking the carapace open and taking a mouthful of rich, nicely cooked white meat. If one closed their eyes and imagined hard enough, they could really think they were just eating a particularly big prawn.

 

Sadly, Gabrielle’s imagination wasn’t exactly her strong suit, or at least she didn’t think so.

 

“Blegh.”

 

“It’s not that bad, I’ve had to eat worse.” Luci shook her head. “Spoiled food is no joke, but sometimes you just need to put something in your mouth.”

 

“I miss potato soup.”

 

“Honestly? Same.” The blonde smiled a little bit. “Tell you what. When we get to Caen let’s get some, I bet they make good soup being so close to the sea.”

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“I… well.” 

 

Now that was an enticing offer. Gabrielle had come to learn that food tastes much better when in the company of nice people, and this woman didn’t seem as scary as she looked at first; besides, the redhead really missed the warm taste of salty, delicious potato soup. But then again, would she really have time for that when reaching Caen?

 

She quickly decided that, well, maybe she would! She did need to eat to function! What were the chances that the Demiurge escaped her if she stopped for lunch?

 

Rather high, really. But she decided to take the risk.

 

“Sounds good.”

 

“Good! You treat us both then.” The blonde girl smirked, cackling at her own joke.

 

“Sure.”

 

“...Wait, really?” Now that shook her. “I was joking, woman. Don’t just treat me to stuff.”

 

“Why not?”

 

“Because! What happened to not having money?”

 

“I lied.”

 

Lucrece’s jaw dropped. “You can do that!?”

 

“Of course.” Gabrielle tilted her head, munching on a bit of giant prawn. “Everyone can. You didn’t know that?”

 

“Of course I knew that! But I didn’t think you were the kind to lie. Sneaky bitch.” Luci felt a little more at ease with that knowledge: this woman was just as bad as everyone else, and that was a huge relief. “I guess I don’t know much about you… where do you come from, Witch?”

 

“Before I answer that, I have a question of my own.” The swordmaiden turned to face Lucrece, eye to eye. “Why do you keep calling me a witch?”

 

“That’s what you are, aren’t you? You heal fast, you make fire come out of nowhere, you have red hair… ah shite is that insulting?”

 

Gabi narrowed her eyes for a moment, was it insulting? A little bit. But it didn’t feel so when the lancer said so. All for a very simple reason.

 

“Language. And also, are you not afraid of me?”

 

“I mean…” Luci rolled her eye. “I wouldn’t fight you face to face, if that’s what you are asking.”

 

“It’s not.”

 

“Well then, uhm. You are a good witch, right? You said it yourself, and you stayed with me when stuff got ugly… we fight together. So nah, I ain’t scared of you.”

 

“Even with the red hair?”

 

“It’s kind of ace if you ask me, the hair. Do you clean it often?”

 

Gabrielle shook, gulping loudly. She didn’t understand why, but she felt like crying a little bit at that moment. She wasn’t going to just do it, of course, but the need was present in the back of her mind. 

 

“I do… and I come from Gwynedd.” Her answer came after a long, meditative silence. It almost made Lucrece spit her food.

 

“Gwynedd!? That’s like, on the other side of the Isles right!?”

 

“You know the place? That’s to the point of surprising…”

 

“I have seen a map, woman.” Lucrece was very quick to cover her education with an excuse, almost ashamed of it. “Bleeding saints, what are you even doing here in Normadia?”

 

Gabi took a slow, deep sigh, turning around for a second to look right behind her. Sometimes, when she was alone or simply in her downtime, she could still feel Their presence sitting close nearby, smiling and nodding, quietly pushing her forward.

 

“A favor. To my friend.”

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