Page 44 of A Love of Wrath and Rapture

I laugh, taking his arm and pulling him toward the small market area. The crowd hasn’t disbursed completely, with cautious and curious people eyeing us while keeping their distance.

Well, let them watch. They’ll soon want to kiss our feet in gratitude when the waira are taken care of.

We walk to the marketplace, and I can’t help but smile at the expression on Xeros’s face. It’s obvious he’s never seen a village like this before.

I stop at a table with fried taura wrapped in dark green leaves. Idel is busy preparing various cuts of meat and frying them on an open fire.

She doesn’t notice us, or at least, she pretends not to. I feel my heart ache a little bit. I miss how things were before all of this happened.

I turn to walk away but stop in my tracks when Idel wordlessly slides two pieces of the leaf-wrapped meat my way.

She doesn’t look at us and continues to keep busy with the fire.

With a lump in my throat, I take the food, handing one to Xeros.

“Try this. It’s even better than the meat we prepared on our way here.”

He takes the meat, his big claws making it look like a small snack. When he starts to remove the leaves, I stop him.

“You need to eat it with the leaves. Gives the meat an amazing flavor.” I bite into mine, closing my eyes as I savor the taste. Fuck, I missed this.

Xeros stuffs his mouth, a satisfied smile on his otherwise stoic face after he swallows. He nods. “It’s good.”

I know that’s as close to a compliment as I’ll get with him, and I nod in agreement, licking my fingers clean.

I whisper a quick ‘thank you’ to Idel before we move on.

As we walk through the small market, I point out things to explain to him. Occasionally, he asks me about food or animals for sale, and I enjoy teaching him more about how we do things in my village.

Xeros stops at a stall displaying swords and knives. These weapons are crudely made and not really appropriate for battle. Even I can see that, and I’m not a warrior like Xeros.

Why would he even be interested in weapons like that when he’s got those scary talons and claws?

He picks up a short sword with an engraved hilt. He flips the sword as if it’s nothing more than a knife. The disdain on his face is sure to offend the craftsman, but the man in question doesn’t even look in our direction.

He’s probably hoping if he ignores us we’ll go away. Poor guy.

“This is actually not bad. The design is primitive but it’s got potential.” He throws the sword back on the pile with the others.

Eventually, we reach a quieter area with a small fountain. I used to come here and wish for a more exciting life quite often.

A sudden scream pierces the air and I turn to see Sasha running towards us at full speed. She laughs and squeals, her hands in the air as if expecting to be picked up.

She stops in front of Xeros, her face filled with expectation.

My eyes go wide as he unceremoniously picks her up and puts her on his shoulder. The little girl gives a happy giggle, swinging her little feet back and forth.

Xeros gives me a ‘don’t even ask’ look and I quickly look away, pressing my lips together so I don’t smile.

We walk around for a bit, following Sasha’s directions on where to go. Bulging, unbelieving eyes and mouths open wide greet us on our walk.

Sasha’s joy doesn’t last long as her mother tracks her down, apologizing profusely for her child’s behavior before running off with the crying girl.

I say nothing, but notice the rock in Xeros’s hand, which he swiftly puts away.

As the sun sets, we reach my home, and I feel a strange emotion take seed in my heart. Unsure of whether I’m truly glad to be back, I open the door and step inside.

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