“Failed again, have you?”
A feminine, familiar voice entered Cygnus’ ears as they opened their eyes, their back laying flatly on the ground. Glancing downward, they saw a woman in a cloak stirring a pot over a small campfire. Then, Cygnus aimed their gaze back at the starry sky above, unblinking.
For minutes, the two remained silent, though neither appeared uncomfortable with it.
A long while later, Cygnus inhaled deeply, and their stomach growled.
“The stew is ready. Come, I shall serve you a bowl.” The woman gently tapped her wooden spoon on the edge of the pot before resting it on a wooden bowl.
Grunting, Cygnus sat up. Though they appeared well, they were moving in such a way that one would think they were severely injured. With great effort, they rose and stepped past the light visible only to them and settled on the dry, grassy ground beside the woman, facing the campfire.
“Where did you get the pot?” Cygnus murmured, their deep yet somewhat feminine voice echoed in the clear air.
“Boc retrieved one for me when I informed him I wished to prepare dinner for you.” The woman smiled, carefully ladling the stew into a wooden bowl. Then, she handed it to Cygnus.
Wordlessly, Cygnus removed their helmet, revealing a weary and scarred countenance with sharp, crystal-blue eyes. Their disheveled crimson hair rested upon their shoulders as they settled their helmet beside them. They inhaled deeply again, accepting the bowl.
“My apologies if the stew is not to your liking. My sense of taste was charred along with the rest of my body.” The woman returned to her seat. “Boc will return soon with some bread.”
“Bread?” Sniffing the stew, Cygnus raised their head, staring at the woman with a raised eyebrow. “In the middle of nowhere?”
“Though this land is in ruins, the inhabitants live still. You recall the Blackguard, yes?”
“Yeah, and his lobsters.” The warrior held their spoon outside of the bowl and gulped down the stew, drinking the liquid ravenously. Any meat or vegetables that entered their mouth were swallowed whole down their throat.
The woman watched with nary an emotion and continued, “There are others like him, preparing food for passing-by travelers to purchase. Of course, unlike the Blackguard, who can fend for himself, they did so in concealed locations.”
“What about the wandering merchants?” Gulping one last time, Cygnus settled the bowl on their thigh, their eyes fixed wearily on the woman. “They sell food sometimes.” A moment later, they handed the empty bowl back to the woman, beckoning the latter to refill it.
The woman did as she was asked. “They are… unique. Any creature or man with intelligence knows better than to upset them.”
“You don’t say.” A heavy huff exhaled from Cygnus’ nose. “The stew’s good, by the way.”
“I am glad to receive your compliment.” With a faint smile, the woman delivered a bowl full of stew back to her companion.
Cygnus accepted the bowl, but this time, they didn’t glug the stew down. Instead, they tapped their spoon on the edge of the bowl and stared intensely at the content within.
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“What is the matter?” wondered the woman, watching her companion.
“I’m still… unsure why I’m here,” Cygnus answered in their gravelly voice.
“Was my explanation insufficient?”
“No. It is not the facts I am concerned with. I simply… do not understand why I am dying repeatedly for a land I was not born in and have no ties to. My ancestors may have originated from here, but this is not my land, and the people are not of my clan. I would’ve preferred to rest eternally in the tomb my kin built than to live once more in another land.”
A silence followed. It enhanced the crackling of the campfire and the sound of Cygnus eating the stew with a spoon. They gazed into the campfire, not once glancing in the direction of the woman.
“When I was singed, I asked myself the same question.” The woman pulled back her hood, similarly peering into the fire. “My purpose was not born of me. It was entrusted to me, whether I had been willing to accept it or not. I, too, understand not why I must undertake this task. It was not me who broke this realm. It was not me who sowed chaos and suffering. This world brought me no warmth, so why should I do so for it? When no great reward lay at the end of my journey?”
Cygnus blinked, then, very slowly, shifted their sight toward the woman, peering at her with faint anticipation.
“After the war ended, I spent the following years wandering around this land in search of a worthy champion to bring me to my destination. In my journey, I see the horrors that the war left in its wake. Back then, this land was still grossly populated with people, and they did terrible things to one another. All for what? Power? Loyalty? A greater calling? Though they claim they know where they are heading, they are as blind as a bat.
“One day, I stumbled upon a small village, hidden beyond a dense forest. It was yet untouched by the war, so I sought respite there. It was a period I looked back fondly. There, I witnessed peace and happiness. It is unlike the capital, devoid of the shady dealings and desperation for power that littered the streets. For a time, I was relieved of my errand, and I… relished in it.”
“Let me guess, it was destroyed when the claws of war reached the settlement, and you left.” The empty bowl in Cygnus’ hand was placed down on the ground.
“No. No conflict ever arrived in the village, but it was ruined still.”
“What happened, then?”
“Though the war did not directly touch the village, it could not escape the unseen aftermath. The battles were fought at any cost, and they inflicted acute damage to the land. That reached the peaceful settlement, preventing the crops from growing as they should. Over time, the crop yield decreased, and the people were forced to leave, one by one, until there was no one left.” When the woman lifted her head, she noticed Cygnus staring straight at her with a question in their eyes. She blinked and lowered her gaze slightly. “My powers are limited. If there was something I could have done to prevent this tragedy, I did not find it.”
Cygnus nodded, though somewhat dismissively, and lifted the bowl back to the woman.
Gracefully, the woman refilled the bowl once more. “As I journeyed, I witnessed many similar circumstances. Even in the darkest times, people persevered as long as they could. They did not strive to survive because there is an inherent meaning in their existence, but because they have instilled a value worthy of their effort to live into their being. Though many terrible acts have been committed in this land, the people still deserve a chance to remain in this world and experience what beauty it still or will hold.”
“I understand your longing for your home. You owe nothing to the people here, and you deserve your eternal rest.” The woman rose, ambled toward Cygnus, and crouched down before them. Peering into Cygnus’ eyes, she rested the bowl on their palms. “However, you are one of the only hopes, or perhaps the only, for this land. The inhabitants of this realm have suffered the same way your kin suffered. However, unlike them, there are no champions left to rescue them except for foreign warriors such as yourself. I implore you, open your heart and see the good that still remains. I only wish you do not heed the words of the white mask or others like him, unable or unwilling to see the village at the edge of the forest. There is more to life than glory or power.”
Without delay, the woman stood and returned to her seat as Cygnus nudged their view from the campfire to the warm bowl in their hands. They blinked, then picked up the spoon.
“Perhaps, tomorrow, you can show me where the hidden eateries are.” The warrior sipped the stew. “I want to witness them for myself.”
The woman smiled. Suddenly, as though noticing something, she turned to her left. “Ah, Boc has returned alas. He will be delighted to learn the ingredients he gathered have made for a wonderful stew.”
She glanced at her companion once more. “A meal shared among friends is one that tastes better than alone, don’t you agree?”
Cygnus grinned and waved at the demi-human calling out their name, his hands holding a packaged loaf of bread.