I set the bottle of wine on the dining table, offering to take Lia's bag from her. She shook her head no, clutching the patchwork bag like her life depended on it. I backed down and led her to the second bedroom.

"This one's yours." I said, opening the door. She looked confused, hesitantly entering the room.

"I get to choose?" she asked, looking back at me. Now it was my turn to be confused.

"Choose what? The room is yours." Lia whirled on me, her emerald eyes going wide.

"Mine? All of it?" I nodded.

"Yeah, why wouldn't it be? Rosie doesn't use it and it's just me and her, well, now you too, I guess. But Rosie sleeps in my bed, so this one isn't being used." Lia walked to the middle and stood there quietly, looking at the room around her. She set the bag on the ground and walked past me, heading back towards the kitchen. As she passed, Lia reached out and touched my arm.

"Thank you." she hissed as her collar reacted, burning purple. Her face contorted into a snarl that fell away as the color returned to normal.

"I know I said we'd eat first, but this takes priority." I grabbed Lia's arm and turned her around to face me. The fire in her eyes burned a little brighter, turning her emerald eyes into shining jewels. I shook myself, not allowing me to get lost in them. I pulled the contract from my pouch and held it in front of her. "This," I said, shoving the document into her hands. "is null and void. As your Owner, I, Marshall Prescott, relieve you of all duties as my Vartin and free you from your bondage." I hope I did that right. Those words sound good, at least.

Lia stared at me, her small hands clutching the document. She gasped as it burst into flames, burning up in just over a second. The ashes didn't even reach the floor, dissipating into nothing before they could. The silver choker around her neck cracked and burst open, shattering into thousands of shiny pieces. The shards reflected the light, glowing a soft yellow and silver as they fell, also dissipating into nothing before reaching the floor. Lia stood there, dumbfounded. Smiling, I pulled the small woman into a hug, completely enveloping her in my arms. I held her gently, squeezing her only slightly for fear of crushing her like the cup last night. She inhaled sharply as I did so, body going stiff, until she realized there was no pain, no burning. Slowly, I felt her raise her arms and wrap them around me, squeezing me tighter and tighter. Her body began to shake and I felt something cool and wet soak through my shirt. I pulled back, looking down at her. She was crying quietly into my abdomen and I could see her lips moving slightly. I listened intently, trying to make out what she was saying.

"Thank you."

It was all she said as I held her. We stood there in the hallway for a solid half hour until my stomach started to growl. She clutched me tighter for a second then let go hesitantly, still holding on to three of my fingers like a child, but I didn't mind. Her small hand felt magnificent in mine and I squeezed it softly before I could stop myself. The smile she gave me, though, made me forget about everything but her. Silver rivers streamed from her burning emeralds, running down a caramel landscape that lead to the sun itself. A strand of burgundy floated in front of it and I swept it behind her ear, leaving my hand against the side of her head. Her hair was soft and silky and I could feel the warmth of her skin underneath my hand. Her genuine, truly happy smile brought one to my own face, and it fell away immediately. Lia's glowing countenance was replaced by Jen's the day I proposed to her. She looked exactly like Lia did now, like I was the only thing that mattered in the world. I saw her riding Harper and I stepped away from Lia, scowling. The sun went behind clouds of sadness as I backed away.

I took a deep breath and re-centered myself. This isn't Earth. Jen isn't here. That body died. I need to let go.

I punched a hole in the wall.

"Fuck!!" I growled under my breath, shaking the blood from my fist. Lia, emeralds full of terror, moved forward slowly, hand glowing gold. She wrapped mine in both of hers and held it gently.

"I'm sorry, Sir." she said. Her voice was soft and melodious and soothed my raw heart. "Whatever I did..." I smiled at her as kindly as I could manage.

"It's not your fault, Lia. I... It doesn't matter. I'm not angry at you." She let go of my hand and I shook it out, checking it over for damage. Nothing. Completely healed. "Is healing a Spark power? Or are you just that awesome?" I asked, forcefully lighthearted. Lia grasped at where the choker had been and took a deep breath. She had a pretty bad tan line from it, the skin much paler than the rest of her and leaving a clear outline of the choker.

"We... My family specialized in the healing arts. Some people can harness their Spark and channel it into another, increasing the body's natural recovery rate. It is extremely energy intensive without proper training and knowledge and, if done wrong, could kill the person you are trying to heal."

"Damn. Well, thank you for not killing me. Second question, now that you can speak freely." I said, moving out of the hall and into the kitchen, stomach rumbling again. "Can you teach me? I want to know more about these 'Monsters'."

Lia told me about the world I now found myself in as we ate. This world, Carminal, is one that contains even more biodiversity than Earth. Mankind, which didn't mean just human but also included species like Macawian, Lacoin, Nethin, and others, has struggled to carve itself a home in this dangerous world. It wasn't until the Hunter's Guild was established seven hundred years ago that they finally began to dominate the world. With the Guild's founding came a boom of technological advancement like the washing machine, the Light Scales, and air travel.

"Air travel?!" I cried, choking on my wine. "Like planes and helicopters and shit?" Lia nodded.

"Yes. The Guild has exclusive access to them, though. They are for Hunter use only, and Elite Hunters at that." Her eyes narrowed, emeralds gazing at me in suspicion. "How do you know about them?"

"Planes are pretty common where I come from. So much so that even civilians can fly in them, if they paid enough money."

"Really? You've flown before?" I nodded, taking a bite of steak. I'm getting a little tired of steak. Maybe I'll ask for a stew tomorrow.

"Many times. We flew out to California for a bowl game a few times." Lia was quiet, poking at her food and fidgeting in her chair. Clearly she wanted to ask me something. "Go on, ask your question. You're free now, remember?"

"Right. I'm sorry, Sir." I smiled. I'll break her of that habit later. Being called 'Sir' is weird and I'd much rather her call me by my name. "May I ask, where do you come from?"

"America." She pointed at me.

"I knew it! You are like the First Emperor. You aren't from Carminal, are you?" I grinned at her.

"Nope. Not quite sure how I wound up way out here, but I woke up in the jungle a few days ago and shit hasn't really calmed down since. I have way too many questions and not nearly enough answers, and I need to see some gash darn dinosaurs. Soon as that caravan arrives, you and I are gettin' the fuck of here and joinin' that Hunter's Guild you were talking about."

"Really?" Lia's voice was shot through with shock. "You want me to join with you?"

"Of course. I need someone to provide me with information about this world and the monsters, and you are the obvious choice. Not to mention you know my secret and can heal. Rosie's coming, too."

"But I'm no longer a Vartin. I could say no."

"Yep." I said, nodding.

"And you are alright with that? Without the contract, there's nothing to ensure that I will work."

"Yep. It's your life. Do what you want with it. I want to see some cool ass dinosaurs, and I want you to come with me." The girl was quiet for the rest of the night, lost in thought. I let her be, playing with Rosie in the backyard in the last few minutes of sunlight as she did the dishes. I'd offered to help but she essentially kicked me out, saying that she enjoyed the work and needed to think.

Kiltont had gifted me a length of rope in last night's basket and I was using it as a wolf toy. We were playing tug-of-war when it finally got a little too dark to see. The wolf flopped heavily on the bed as I undressed and stepped into the bathroom, turning on the shower. Afterwards, as I dried my hair and marveled at the golden scar around my neck, there was a soft knock at my bedroom door.

"One sec!" I hollered, tossing the towel into a corner and throwing on the tan pants. I need more clothes. I opened the door to find Lia standing there, eyes downcast. "Lia. What's up? Did you want to use the shower?" Her emerald eyes snapped up and onto mine, rooting me in place.

"I... I can?" she asked.

"Of course. You gotta keep yourself clean."

"But showers are precious and only for the rich. They aren't meant for people like me."

"Then it's a damn good thing you're precious." I said, stepping aside and ushering her into the room. "The knob on the right is cold, the left is hot." I stepped out of the bedroom, closing the door and giving her privacy. I cursed myself, wondering why I said that, but damn, she's gorgeous. I was half tempted to sneak a peek but cast the thoughts aside with a shake of the head. No, she's still a person; it's not right to peep on her. When she was done with her shower, Lia once again stood in front of me, eyes downcast and twisting her towel in her hands. Her hair was dark and wet, shinning in the soft light.

"Um, Sir." she said. Her voice was soft and timid, caressing my ears with its sweetness. "I have a request."

"Sure. Whatcha need?" I tried to keep my nerves under control, but I really didn't like where this was headed.

"I..." she went silent again, shifting her weight from foot to foot. "I... Never mind. Good night, Sir." With that, the girl turned and fled my room in a flash, barely opening the door and slipping out without a sound. Huh. Wonder what that was all about. It sure as hell wasn't about a shower. I threw myself on the bed, petting Rosie's stomach. She exhaled heavily, and I closed my eyes.

My eyes shot open as I felt something move under the covers next to me. I was lying on my back and the room was dark, darker than it had been before. I cast my gaze around as the thing moved further into the bed. Clearly it wasn't a danger as Rosie would have alerted me if it was. Which meant it was Lia. I knew she didn't want a shower. I sat up and glared at the girl creeping her way into my bed.

"Lia." I said in my Big Man voice. It echoed around the room, full and firm. The shape in my bed stopped moving and Lia's tan face peeked out from under the covers. "What are you doing." She stared up at me, shaking slightly, and I sighed, falling on my back and looking over at her. Her adorable face was screwed up in fear, even as she scooted half an inch closer to me.

"I..." She spoke in a whisper and swallowed heavily. "I am free now. I... can choose. You said so. I can choose. I choose this one." She became more and more feverish as she spoke, her emerald eyes darting from mine to everywhere else and back again.

"You want my room?" Lia shook her head no.

"I want your bed." she whispered, moving closer. She was only an inch or two away now and I got a whiff of flowers that tickled the back of my brain. I rose from the bed, looking down at the girl.

"You can have it. I'll take the other one." I laughed awkwardly and turned, making for the door.

"No!" Lia called, the loudest I had ever heard her speak. I froze and turned around slowly, keeping my eyes on the window on the other side of the room. "No. I want your bed." she said, holding her hand out to me. I sighed, fighting the urge to look at her. I didn't know if she was naked and it was better not to take that chance. "Please, Sir." I lost the fight and my eyes latched onto the woman. Lia was topless, or at least her shoulders were bare, and her long, wine red hair hung down her back in a silky waterfall. Her emerald eyes shone in the darkness, the line of fire around the irises pulsing just like my scar. I groaned, running my hands over my face and loosing the fight by the second.

"Fine. Only if you call me by my name, not 'Sir'. And Rosie sleeps between us. That's non-negotiable." I said firmly.

"Thank you!" she cried, bouncing slightly. Lia's smile was the first ray of sunshine after a long, hard winter and drew a smile onto my own. I scoffed and shook my head, trying to keep the grin from my face and failing. I walked back to the bed as Rosie rose from her spot at the foot and fell in the middle of us I slid in next to the wolf, snuggling up close and pressing my face into soft fur.

"Good night, Lia. Rosie." I said, kissing the wolf on the top of her head.

"Good night, Si... Marshall. Rosie." I closed my eyes and let my hand run up and down Rosie's side, allowing my exhaustion to take hold and deliberately ignoring the beauty on the other side of the wolf. It took a while, but I eventually slipped back into sleep.

I woke the next morning with Lia in my arms and my face buried in her glorious hair. I sighed.

"Fuck!" I swore quietly. I knew this was going to happen. There was no way in hell that girl was going to let Rosie stay between us all night, and lo and behold, I was right. She felt wonderful, though, small and tight and lithe, and her skin was incredibly soft when I accidentally brushed against her arm. I fought against the need to pull her closer, to press my lips to hers and taste her. Jen flashed in my mind, the first time we slept together. Her kind, loving smile as she caressed the side of my head, the morning sun shinning on her brown hair. My fiancé was replaced by Lia smiling up at me last night and my arms tightened around the girl a little. She stirred and stretched, rolling onto her back and opening her magnificent eyes. She let out a moan that sent a shiver down my spine as she finished stretching.

"Good morning, Sir." she said, looking at me. Her lips curled into a slow, lazy smile and she reached up, caressing my face exactly as Jen had. Her fingers barely touched my skin, sliding through my hair as she stroked the side of my head.

"Good morning, Lia." I responded, fighting to keep my voice neutral. "I'm uh, sorry about this." The girl turned on her side and faced me fully, penciled lips sticking out and moving a little closer. "Though you don't seem to mind." I added softly. She shook her head no, leaning it against my bare chest. She buried her face into it and my skin lit up where she touched me. Something soft and warm repeatedly pressed against my chest and my hold slipped a little, my hands dropping lower than I wanted and squeezing against my will. She gasped and looked up, the fire in her eyes burning brighter than I'd ever seen them before. Her lips drew me in, closer, closer, their thin line parted slightly and begging to be met. Lia ran her hand up my chest, trailing her fingers lightly against my skin and sending shivers up my spine, pushing me closer to the edge.

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

The war inside me raged as I stared at the girl in my arms. I rubbed her shoulder softly, feeling her warm skin under mine. Jen kept flashing in my mind; her smile, her laugh, her scent, her taste, the sounds she made as she rode Harper, the look of pure ecstasy as she lay against his legs. My blackened hand marring her flawless skin. Lia's skin replaced Jen's, emeralds overcoming the oceans of pain, the sun burning away the clouds of sadness. Lia moaned and moved against me, our lips continuing to press together and I pulled her closer, tighter. Dammit.

KIltont grinned when he opened his door.

"Good morning, Marshall. Var-" he stopped mid-sentence, his grin widening into a full blown smile. "I stand corrected. Good morning, Lady Ameilia. It is wonderful to make your acquaintance." Kiltont bowed to Lia and I frowned. Is it just customary to refer to females as 'Lady' in this land? Lia blinked, a blank look on her face.

"Good... good morning, Own... Chief Kiltont." she said, dropping into a perfect curtsy. "I am honored to make yours as well." My frown deepened. That whole interaction seemed weird, like they were putting on a performance for an audience that didn't exist.

"What the hell was that?" I asked. "That wasn't a normal greeting." Kiltont turned his smile on me, though it seemed a little more forced, like a teacher turning on a student who kept blurting out answers when they asked a question.

"Very observant, Marshall. You are correct, I did not use a normal greeting. I used the formal greeting one does when first meeting a noble."

"'Noble'? You're a noble?" I asked, turning a confused look on Lia. She shrunk under my gaze, trying to make herself as small as possible and nodding just slightly.

"yes." she whispered.

"Huh. Neat. Anywho, you got time today, Kiltont? I got somethin' I wanna ask you about."

"I suppose I have time this morning. What do you need?" I felt a slimy, self-serving grin cross my face.

"Training." The bird man's eyes went wide.

"Training?"

"Yessir. I've decided that we are going to be Hunters." Kiltont nodded, a proud smile on his face.

"It seems I made the right choice, entrusting you to him. I will train you both to the best of my ability. It will be difficult, but I have faith you can do it. Come, let us begin immediately."

We ran for the rest of the day, and let me tell you, it fuckin' sucked. Kiltont claimed that Hunters needed to be able to run; either to chase or to flee, I, being a former Offensive Lineman, hated every second of it. I was done forty-five minutes into the first run, falling onto my back when Kiltont called a break. Lia and Rosie were fresh as daisies, barely even breathing heavily while I heaved on the ground, suffering.

"Damn, boy, you have no stamina." Kiltont said, his shadow falling over me as he blocked the sun. I raised a finger and let it fall, completely wiped. "Get up." He grabbed me by the arm and dragged me to my feet, despite my avid groaning. "Ah, shut up. Find your Spark, you big idiot. You didn't even use it once while you were running."

"I forgot." I said, closing my eyes and searching for the warmth of my Spark. "I fuckin' hate running."

"Well, you need to get over that. Running is one of a Hunter's core tools. When your quarry can fly, you must be able to run after it. When a town is being slaughtered, you must be able to continue, even when exhausted. You do not have the option to quit, to get tired, to walk. Most days, being a Hunter is the greatest job in the world, but there are days where you will wish you never Awoke, days when you wish you could take it all back. Those are the days you train for, the days you earn the right to be called a Hunter. You train for the days where you don't come home, when the plan goes so awry that you're lost in the jungle for a week. When your party is gone and you are all alone, you will have no one but yourself to rely on. Now, find your Spark, and fucking run."

By the time the sun was almost done setting, the clouds a dark black against the glorious fire, I was barely able to stand. My legs screamed, and me too, for that matter, when Kiltont pushed on my back, stretching my hips and hamstrings.

"Fuck, man!" I growled, shaking my legs out. "That hurt!"

"Good. You need to increase your flexibility. Your movements are too stiff." I grumbled, continuing to stretch and knowing that he was right. Stamina is important and a flexible body is necessary to fight properly. That makes sense.

We ate a wonderful supper of Steban Stew and bread tonight. Lia did a wonderful job cooking as I was far too tired. I'd taken a shower while she prepped the food and came out to an already set table. Rosie, true to form, was lying in front of the crackling fireplace and munching on her own portion of steak. Lia showered as I did the dishes, filled with a surprising sense of normalcy. We had adapted to living together pretty well, like we'd been doing it for a year, not a day. I got lost in my thoughts, Jen's laugh being chased by Lia's smile in my mind and torturing me.

That night, as my thoughts continued to buzz and made worse by the fact that Lia kept trying to give me hickeys, I held the small woman in my arms. I closed my eyes, exhaustion heavy in my mind. The thoughts finally started to slow, settling on Lia's wonderful smile and smell. I kissed her neck once and slipped into sleep.

The next week was nothing but running. We didn't even lift a weapon or a stick, just kept running. Some days Kiltont would join us, some days he would send the guards to train with us for a while, and on one day nobody came. It was God-fucking-awful, and, on the dawn of the first week of my time in Carminal, I'd finally had enough. When Lia, Rosie, and I met the Chief on his porch that morning, I put my foot down.

"Enough." I said, looking Kiltont in his jade, avian eyes. "I've been here for a week and I've yet to see a dinosaur. That's what I'm doing today. I'd like for y'all to come with me 'cause everything you've said about this place makes it sound like the jungle itself is ready to eat me, but I'm willing to go by myself. I also don't know where any of the creatures are."

"I don't know what these 'die no sawrs' you keep talking about are, but the herds of Steban are still relatively close, maybe an hour's walk. As long as you two agree to do exactly what I say, I'll take you out there." The smile on my face could have lit up a room, it was so big.

"Hell yeah!"

An hour later, the four of us crouched just behind the tree line, staring out into the grove where a family of seven stegosauruses roamed. Stegosauruses? Stegosauri? Regardless, they ranged in size, from the size of a normal dog to bigger than a school bus. Each one had plates on their back that red in color, and a tail with four nasty spikes on the end. Their skin was covered in light green and brown scales that helped the creatures to blend into the jungle around them. One of the creatures on the larger side snapped at two younglings who raced by and bumped into the larger one. The little ones made noises and scampered off, presumably to get into more trouble. The large ones also had a spike on the end of their chins that the little one's didn't. I wonder if that's for foraging.

Rosie growled, drool dripping from her jaws. She pulled her lips back into a snarl and stalked forward a little, almost leaving the safety of the trees. I pet her softly, whispering comforting words into her ear. Slowly, she calmed down and stopped growling. Nodding, I turned back to watch the Steban's go about their lives. They appeared to be your typical herd herbivores, never ranging too far from the others and constantly foraging. We watched them for an hour or so when the largest Steban raised its head and let out a massive HONK! that sounded more like a huge goose than a legendary dinosaur. The herd gathered around the leader who lead them out of the clearing and into the jungle, moving on. We waited for a minute or two as the Steban's departed when I felt Kiltont tense next to me.

"Do not move." he whispered, sinking further into the undergrowth. Rosie crouched down, laying flat against the earth and eyes darting around. Something's wrong. I crouched with Kiltont, dragging Lia down with me. We knelt there for a moment and I began to wonder if we were over-reacting when the King himself appeared from the other side of the clearing, and my breath caught in my throat. A huge, square head emerged from the trees, sniffing at the air, large nostrils flaring. Shinning, golden eyes set a yard or two behind the snout scanned the clearing with surprising intelligence and as its gaze passed over us, I knew it saw us. I felt its bloodlust as it turned its attention our way. Rosie growled softly and I stroked her back, my eyes locked on the monster. The heavily muscled jaw opened slightly as the beast lowered its head, bearing serrated teeth as long as my forearm. Drool dripped from between the fangs as a low growl reached our ears. It resonated in my bones and drove a spike of fear into my heart, kicking my adrenaline into production. My nerves fired a little faster and an excited smile crept onto my face.

The beast stepped from the jungle, tri toed feet leaving distinct prints in the disturbed earth, and stood to its full height, a towering thirty feet. The head was attached to a thick neck that was feathered on the top and scaled underneath. The scales and feathers, both of which covered the theropod, were differing variations of green. The scales tended to be on the lighter side and on the under/inner parts of the beast, while the feathers were darker and covered the outer parts, resembling the skin from sharks back home. They covered a large body that ended in a long, heavy tail meant to help balance the massive thing. The small, bi clawed arms grasped at the air as the creature sniffed the upturned earth. Its nose was working overtime, taking in everything, when the honk from the Steban sounded again, further away this time. The Tyrannosaur took one last look at us, its golden eyes staring right into mine, and it turned, disappearing back into the jungle in the direction of the roar. The ground didn't thunder as the beast left as I had expected. The King left without a sound, continuing his hunt. Guess we were a little too small for it to consider. I let out the breath I had been holding and turned to Lia.

"That was awesome!" I hiss-shouted, keeping my voice low. I didn't want to attract the attention of the monster. "If Hunter's get to see creatures like that everyday, sign me up." She smiled at me, laughing gently.

"You're a crazy person." she said and I laughed quietly as well. "We just survived laying eyes on the Devilk, and you want to see more?"

"I'm pretty sure, yeah. I want to study that creature. All of these creatures. I want to learn it all." I said, a massive grin on my face. "Will you help me?" Rosie arf!'ed her assent, panting happily. I smiled down at the wolf, grateful to have her. She was adorable and a good friend. Lia nodded, setting her face in determination.

"I will."

"That thing was called a Devilk?" I asked a little while later as we walked back to the village. Kiltont nodded.

"Yes." He sounded shaken, his voice a little weaker than normal and lacked its usual boisterousness. "We were very, very lucky."

"Really?" I remembered the feeling of its gaze on me, how it seemed to know I was watching it and the bloodlust that sent a shiver down my spine. "Yeah, that makes sense. It knew we were there."

"Yes, it did. It... I do not know why it did not attack. It did so before."

"Is it the King around these parts?" Kiltont frowned at me. "The top dog. The Apex predator."

"Ah, I see. Yes, the Devilk is the Apex in Andesis. It and its sister species, the Alosix, which can harness the power of the winds, are the masters of this land." My brain swelled, absorbing all the new information.

"I need a journal." I said, musing aloud. "Preferably one that I can use for a good long while to stash all these monster facts in. A pen, too." I paused and waited, expecting my Spark to react, but it didn't. Not at first, at least. As I let out a sigh of disappointment and continued to walk, a heat grew in the center of body. I smiled and closed my eyes, nurturing the warmth and encouraging it along. It raced from my core up my arm and into my hand where it pooled, collecting more and more. It felt like there was a barrier in the way, preventing the power from exiting and I followed it, looking for a hole to ease the power through. I wasn't able to find one and my hand got uncomfortably hot, like I had just run my hand under a really warm sink. The heat grew to a burning level, almost as bad as it was when I broke my neck. I panicked, the pain doing my focus no favors, and started to beat on the barrier blocking the power. I felt something give and beat it harder, throwing myself against it. The barrier bent and warped around me and I pushed harder, letting out a grunt. The barrier gave and the power rushed free, leaving me drained and panting, kneeling on the jungle floor. I shook my head, trying to clear the spinning. It didn't work very well and I fell to my back, looking up at the sky. Damn, that sucked. Why'd that one suck so much more than the gauze and steak?

"Sir?" I became aware of someone speaking to me and Lia's caramel face came into view, silhouetted by the jungle canopy. I smiled up at her and Rosie licked my face.

"I'm good." I said, getting to my feet and looking around. "Ah, there we are." I walked over and picked up the thin black notebook on the ground and the black pen that came along with it. I clicked the pen a few times, making sure it worked, then opened the notebook. It was lined and had probably sixty total pages. The inside of the front cover said

Property of Marshall Prescott.

"Nice." I slid the notebook and pen into my pocket where they disappeared and looked over at Lia and Kiltont who were staring at me with wide expressions. "What? Never seen a man summon a notebook before?" Lia laughed softly, covering her mouth with a hand and shoulders shaking.

"Gods, you're weird. Normal people can't summon things, Sir." she said. "Only you Wayfinders can."

"Really? What are Wayfinders? Folks from other worlds?"

"Yes, sir. The First Emperor was one, as well. Like you, he was from America."

"Yeah, you said that the other day. I assume this is something we should keep secret?"

"Very much so, yes." I nodded, turning to Kiltont and dropping my smile.

"Let's keep it that way." Rosie growled softly, emphasizing my words.

"No need to threaten me, boy." Kiltont said. "Your secret is safe with me. I figured you were a Wayfinder from the moment we met."

"Really?"

"Yes. Who else would be able to tame a Cave Wolf and survive a broken neck after having just Awoken?"

"Huh." The walls of the village came into view a little while later and, when we entered the gate, Kiltont turned to us and said:

"A good outing, the both of you. You did well not to loose your composure when the Devilk appeared. Now," his mouth curled into a sadistic smile and he glanced up at the sky. "it seems there is still time in the day." I groaned, shoulders drooping.

"Really?" He shrugged.

"The sooner you get going the sooner you can finish. Twenty laps."

"Man, fuck." I said, starting to run along the inside of the wall. Rosie bounded along next to me, her tongue flopping wildly and a smile on her face. She's such a pretty girl. Lia caught up quickly, her breathing as steady as if she were walking.

"Use your Spark, Sir." she said. "Imbue it into the muscles in your legs, first." I did, finding the warmth of my Spark. I guided the warmth down into my legs where it sat, doing nothing. Imbue it into your muscles, she'd said. I focused, pushing the warmth into my muscles. It sank in with ease, like it was something I had been doing for years. A grin split my face as I felt everything click into place.

"Oh, so that's what y'all were talking about." I said. My breathing was still heavy, but nowhere near as heavy as it was just yesterday.

"Well done, Sir. I didn't expect you to learn so quickly." I laughed, leaning into the run.

"It feels like I've been doing it for years. And if it works for the legs..." I took some of the power from my Spark and gathered it near my burning lungs. I focused and eased the power into them, not wanting to cause any damage to the important organs. I felt my lungs warm and soothe, my Spark slowing my breathing to a manageable rate. I grinned, ready to go full bore, and then I collapsed, the world going dark.

I woke in darkness, a pale beam of moonlight shinning in through the window. My chest ached and my legs felt like jelly, sending pain into my brain with every breath. The world was quiet, the only sounds being the people breathing in the room. Rosie snored softly at the foot of the bed and Lia lay with her head on my shoulder and hand over my heart. I could feel one of her legs thrown over mine and sighed, sinking back into the rough mattress. Damn, this things sucks. Note to self: Get a good mattress. I rolled onto my side, throwing an arm over Lia and pulling her into me, closing my eyes and slipping back into sleep.

The morning broke, sending a ray of sunlight directly into my eye. I groaned, stretching my arms above my head and shaking with effort. My body was sore from all the running I've been doing and my legs shook as they took my weight. The bed was empty, neither Lia or Rosie in the room with me. I picked up my clothes and frowned, getting a whiff of something terrible. I smelled the shirt in my hand and damn near gagged. Damn, that shit stinks. I put on my pants as they were the only pair I had and walked out of the room, dropping the shirt in the wash as I passed.

"Hey, Lia." I called. "Wanna go shopping today? I need some more clothes, and I'm sure you do too." I came around the corner and froze. Lia was standing in front of the stove, a beam of sunlight directly on her. Her wine dark hair hung down her back in a glossy curtain, glittering in the early morning light and the smile she gave me when she looked over her shoulder shot me in the heart. She was wearing a torn, patched up dress whose original color I couldn't tell. There were just too many different fabrics sewed onto it. I did look magnificent on her, though. It had spaghetti straps, I think they're called, the small ones that go over the shoulders and crossed in the back. It cinched just under her breasts and left the rest of the fabric to flow as it pleased, coming down to just above her mid thigh.

"Yes, Sir, I do. I only have the two outfits; this one and my maid uniform. How do you feel?" I didn't hear her at first, completely distracted by her beauty.

"Huh? What? Oh, yeah. We'll get some more today. And I'm alright. A little sore, but not too bad. Tired." My brain was struggling to operate and slow to start without my morning coffee. I yawned large and loud, blinking the stars from my eyes.

"Own... the Chief stopped by about twenty minutes ago." Lia said, directing me to sit at the table. Unwilling to fight her, I obliged and sank into a chair.

"Yeah? What'd he want?"

"We hadn't shown up at our usual meeting time and he got concerned, so he came to check on us. He gave us today off and instructed me to tell you that you are to REST and not to do anything stupid." I laughed.

"Like that'll stop me." Lia placed a plate of food in front of me and one in front of the seat on my right. She put a third on the ground and called for Rosie, who came in from the backyard. Again, I was slammed by a sense of normalcy. Today felt like a normal ass Saturday with nothing to do. I took a bite of the food and moaned, my eyes rolling into the back of my head. I devoured the four bites of egg and toast, and then it was gone. I looked at Lia.

"Where's the rest?" I asked.

"The rest of what?"

"The food."

"That's all there was. There's a food shortage, remember? I've been stretching the food for as long as I could, but three mouths is a lot."

"We're out of food?!" I cried. Lia nodded.

"Yes." Fuck. Guess today isn't a day off.

"Well, that ain't gonna fly. You think those Steban are still around?" Lia considered, tilting her head to the right.

"They should be. It's still late spring, so they should be here for another two months or so. Then the herds will head North for the winter." I gave her a confused look.

"North? Ain't it supposed to be the further South you go, the warmer?" She shook her head no.

"Not here. We are on the Southern tip of the Empire, about as far South as you can go. It gets warmer the further North you go."

"I see. Good to know. That being said, Rosie, can you find us some Steban?" The wolf barked her agreement, a malicious look in her canid eyes. "Got some payback to give, huh?" She growled her assent and I nodded. "Excellent. Next, I need a weapon."

"Why do you need a weapon?" Lia asked, though her voice sounded like she already knew the answer. I grinned, my inner child rearing his head once again as I completed one of his dreams.

"We're gonna hunt some dinosaurs."