"I can take it" Said Aurora.

She looked at his skin that had scars on almost every inch.

"People have tried to kill me. Most were knives and brands. Your sister is the person who kills those people. She is good at her job but even she has her limits. When they do find us they don't hold back. But she is stronger than I could ever be. They managed to catch me for a single hour before and during that time they branded me and cut me up like a pig. Your sister found me and killed them for what they did. I can tell you what they did to make every single scar on me. They hate me because I am a different. I don't judge them and I don't hate them for what they did to me. I hate them because Athena and my family can't have a normal life" He finished with the expression of someone who felt nothing.

Aurora wished she could understand the situation and his mind. She would want to kill anyone who had done something like that to her. How could he just be angry for what they did to others and not for what they had done to him?

If he can't learn to love himself, then I'll do it for him.

"My sister never told me she was a mercenary" Said Aurora.

"That's because she's not. She protects people like me and my sister. But only kill if absolutely necessary. Well she didn't have to kill the people who caught me but it was better that way" He replied.

"So how long will it be dark for?" Said Aurora.

She had forgotten and felt like the entire day had been a dream.

"Two days and two hours. We can't risk walking because I don't know what is waiting out there" Lucius looked out over the dark landscape like he was scanning it.

She felt those words shatter her hope. He did not know what was waiting out their.

"Nothing will come close to us as long as the fire is up" Said Lucius.

"Let's just sit a bit closer to the fire" Said Aurora.

She pulled him by his hand still shaking for nervousness. She could hear her heart pounding and her breath quicken. She was with him all alone. They sat down and felt the heat of the flame.

"This is the only fire on this planet. The only way fire start here is if it is made by someone" Said Lucius.

Aurora found that odd. The only fire on the planet was right in front of them. A vital spark keeping darkness away from them. She felt sleepy just being next to him but knew she would be unable to fall asleep.

"So what do you think we should do?" Said Aurora.

"Nothing really but I will be finishing making a few weapons in the meanwhile. And here take my phone play games on it or watch a few videos I have downloaded. Or if you like to read look at my library and reread some books or manga" Said Lucius.

He walked over to where he had set up a work table and continued to hammer away.

She looked at his phone and unlocked it. It had a picture of what she assumed to be his family as the background. The two older woman in the pictures looked like goddesses. She looked through the phone and found the internet browser.

She wanted to see his history just for fun. It was empty with only one search from four months ago. "Potato recipes".

Good thing to know he like potatoes.

She looked at what books he had read and found herself looking at ten's of thousands of book. She began with the first book on the list. She spent hours reading and lost track of time. She fell asleep and woke again an untold amount of time later.

"Hey, by the way I also have music" Said Lucius.

She looked at what looked like a large cooking pot and said "What is that?"

"Food" Said Lucius.

It smelled like soup but she felt like she could eat all of it. She watched him poured a bowl of the food. It had cut up chunks of fruits and smelled like paradise when the steam reached her nose. It was gone before she knew it. She ate until she could eat no more. She watched him eat a single piece of bread. She was more curious as to where he had gotten the bread from.

This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

"Where are you keeping the bread?" Said Aurora.

He reached into a large pocket in his pants and pulled out a medium sized box.

"I keep it in here" Said Lucius.

It was a similar size box to the one that he kept his pills in.

"Why do you take the pills" Said Aurora.

He wilt as the words reached his ears.

"My body is deteriorating and the pills keep me alive" He replied with a shadow of a voice.

"Why are you deteriorating?" Said Aurora.

"My body is weak as hell and my cells die faster than they grow. The pill forces them to stay alive long enough to keep me in one piece. It also causes my body to reject almost any new growth including muscle." Said Lucius.

You have more than enough muscle if you ask me. There is nobody even slightly more perfect than you.

He knew they did more but that was more than enough information.

"Should we sleep in the same bed to conserve heat?" Said Aurora without thinking.

"That is a very good idea I hadn't thought of that".

They were both blushing, but one far more than the other.

"Should we sleep?" Said Lucius.

"This is just to stay warm" Said Aurora.

"Yeah" Replied Lucius.

Well, that was easy.

He lied down and closed his eyes. She sat down and took a moment to calm herself. It was absolutely useless her heart was still pounding and her face was still blushing. She lay beside him and wondered if he had fallen asleep.

He rolled over "I don't bite, you came come a little closer" he said

"Oh okay"

She got closer but was still a fair distance away.

"I'm sorry I lied, I do bite but not to hard" Said Lucius.

She knew she was blushing more than before but had nothing to say. She did the only logical thing and pulled him in and hugged him. His body seemed to emanate heat like a fire.

"Sorry I was really cold" Said Aurora.

She had been cold but it was nothing that really bothered her. She had her face pressed up against his shoulder and one arm around his waist. She fell asleep faster than she had thought possible and when she woke the sun had returned.

"We're moving" Said Lucius.

He had everything they needed packed or so she hoped.

"How do you know where to go?" Said Aurora.

"I don't" He replied.

She didn't want to hear that coming from her guide but at least he was honest. They day was far hotter the the last one. Lucius had gotten water from a tree and stored it in a few containers.

"Can I get some water?" Said Aurora.

"You don't have to ask. It's our water not mine" He replied.

"Oh thanks" Said Aurora.

She grabbed a container and took a sip. She had never had a more refreshing drink. Every drop felt like she was having the first drink of water in weeks. Before she knew it she had emptied the container.

She walked right beside him "Might as well get to knew you. What sports do you like?" He looked over at her.

Aurora was caught off guard "What?"

"What sports do you like" He repeated.

"Well I like gymnastics" Said Aurora.

She took notice of just how massive some of the trees were. Some seemed to go on forever. They had trunks bigger than houses. She could see trees in the distances that looked like a world on their own. With a shadow reaching hundreds of miles.

"Those are Willow trees, my mom liked them so she placed them across all space and time. It's kinda cool, they think together like a mind. They are the only truly immortal organism that she ever created" Said Lucius.

"Who is your mother?" Said Aurora.

"You won't remember once this is all over so might as well tell you" Said Lucius.

"Wait why?" Said Aurora with a hint of anger.

"Because I can't let you, but if you really wanted to remember all I would have to do is erase anything you know about my mom" Said Lucius.

"I mean...I guess"

She watched him draw a symbol on a piece of paper and place it on her head. She had a nice of paper on her head and wondered why.

"So how long will it take to walk there?" Said Aurora.

"A few weeks if we are lucky".

She liked the idea of spending a few weeks with him.

Wow, it's hot right now.

The trees shaded them but the sun was like a heat lamp.

"Can I have more water?"

"How many times must I tell you just take some if you want it" Said Lucius.

She got more water and they continued to walk. They reached a river and stopped. The river was not very large. Aurora watched Lucius drop everything and dive into the water.

"Much better" Said Lucius.

Aurora was burning up as well. She thought of taking off anything she didn't want getting wet. She still had all her clothing on and wondered whether to dive in with it on. She didn't have any extra clothes and felt she would make Lucius uncomfortable. She decided she would take a bath after he was done. She looked at the river and found a isolated area. She being the neat freak she was always had soap and some other cleaning utensils in her pockets. She placed her clothing on a branch and sunk into the water. She had missed feeling clean. She washed away any fifth and rested in the warm water. She saw a small tan hand grab her clothing and dash off.

"Wait stop! Come back!" Yelled Aurora.