Freedom.

We'd done it. We were outside.

The cold breeze was a surprise. I should have expected the wind, but after being so long in that sterile facility, I'd even missed small inconveniences like the cold. In there, I'd felt nothing. Stagnant. Right now, the cold air touching my skin was a delicious feeling, even if I shivered at the wind's touch.

The doors slammed to a close behind us, the sound momentarily drowning everything else out. I sucked my senses inwards, putting my full focus on everything my body could personally feel to bask in the moment as we flew through the air.

After that first wonderful moment, we landed.

The ground beneath me was soft and crumbly, a huge contrast to the hard, unmoving floor of the facility we were leaving behind. I pushed my bubble outwards with force, as if to throw open my eyes.

For a single, utterly soul-crushing second, I saw nothing but white. The fear of this entire escape being a horrific punishment burned, running rampant through my mind. I didn't think this body could have a heart attack, but if it could, it would have surely happened. For a moment, I thought my hope had died.

But I was wrong. I hadn't been so happy to have been wrong in my entire life.

We weren't in the facility anymore. I hadn't just imagined the chilling breeze. The world around us was painted white, but it was real. Not an absolute white that permeated every nook and cranny of my vision, but a natural one that took up the world around me. The substance around us was one I'd seen so infrequently in Lucan or Selvania that I was left momentarily stunned, unsure of what I was looking at.

All around me, the world was covered in snow.

The ground, the trees, the air. The influence of the snow touched every last corner I could see. Only the thick hedges poking over small hills and the brown of exposed bark hiding beneath the cover of branches proved to my sight that we weren't still in there.

The sight of the forest brought bad memories back. An unrealistic, irrational part of me had hoped to never have a negative thought again, after leaving the facility. That I'd live a happily ever after once I escaped. But of course, the world wasn't that kind. I'd been captured in a forest once, a long time ago, and I wasn't about to be caught in one again.

We had to move on.

I took in my surroundings, feeling my body shiver from the cold air. I tuned my senses to the space behind me, looking back at the facility, just to- no. I couldn't see it anymore. The building had vanished.

Instead, I saw the camouflage that covered it. In place of a colossal set of metallic double doors, I saw an enormous hill of snow. It stood out against its surroundings, if only by its sheer size. The door that had closed behind us had already been completely covered in white, blanketed in a snow that almost made it invisible among the natural hills around us. I found it hard to believe snow could fall that fast in such a short amount of time. It must have been some sort of illusory effect.

That, or I'd been standing out here embracing the cold air for far longer than I'd thought. No... definitely an illusory effect. There were other people around me anyway. They wouldn't have let me space out for that long. I hoped.

Around me, there wasn't much useful material I could see. Hedges that lacked berries, trees that bore no fruit, and an endless, frosty expanse of snow. The best I could manage was to peel bark off of the trees, scratching it free with a metal panel as I figured out what to do next.

My body was practically screaming out for warmth, and the idea of gathering firewood sat right with me. My body was being peppered by snowflakes, a feeling that my shivering body wouldn't let me forget. Would it use up too much energy to hold pieces of metal above me as a makeshift cover? I decided that it wasn't worth the effort. I was feeling exhausted, even without the extra work.

My mental 'eye' caught sight of a snowflake. It looked exactly like I'd been told, so much so that I was taken aback, marveling at the beauty of it. In books, snowflakes had always been drawn as something strangely intricate and wondrous, but I'd written it off as a more fantastical take on a natural phenomenon. With my [Sensory Zone], I could perfectly see a flake as it fell in all of its grand detail. I spent a while simply watching the snow as the blue, blobby Chimera peeled himself off of my leg. What the books had said about snowflakes was true. No two snowflakes were exactly the same. In a way, they were like Souls.

My mind snagged on a different thought as Streiphen roused himself, shakily getting to his feet atop the platform. His eyes had reminded me of the stars. Judging by the light around me, it had to be midday. Even with the trees in the way, I might still-

I felt a small piece of me die inside as I came to a realisation.

I felt my legs wobble, the front of my platform drooping. My [Sensory Zone] allowed me to 'see' and hear everything in a bubble around me. It was different to normal sight in that it didn't have the same range, trading it for an awareness in all directions and abnormal precision. That hadn't been a problem in the facility, where all I needed to see had always been close to me, but out here, it was different. Tears streamed down along my body.

I couldn't see the sky.

They'd taken even that from me.

I wondered if this was an unintended punishment. One final stomp on the tail from a group of evil people that had already taken so, so much from me. One last act of spite in the face of my untimely rebellion.

I hated it. The thought that I couldn't see the sky, or the sun, or the moon, truly bothered me in a visceral way. My body convulsed, and I took a few unsteady steps forward, wanting nothing more than to collapse in the snow and never stand up again.

The wobbling caused my head to hammer with pain, and I forced my mind to sharpen and brace itself. The realisation had broken my concentration, and the floodgates holding back the worst of the headache were broken.

"That feels so fucking good."

Sigura's head was raised, her face pointed up towards the sky, eyes closed. The winter breeze knocked her hair back as she ran both hands through the unruly mane. The movement of it reminded me of Yrlack's brain. Of everything we'd lost to come this far.

"Is... is he going to be okay...?"

My focus returned to Streiphen. He was still on the platform, looking at the Fishfolk Chimera. The monster was panting heavily, eyes bulging.

"Dunno," Sigura responded, not opening her eyes to look. "Haven't been with the guy long. Probably just needs some rest."

Rest. Rest sounded really good right about now. Really, really good. My throbbing body bobbed in agreement.

"I need somewhere to lie down until my arms come back," the blue Chimera said, looking down at his stumps as he rose to his full height. "I can still fight if we need someone to cover for these three."

I cast my focus down at the blue Chimera, studying him in depth for the first time.

He was a young looking Humanoid without any fur, horns or a tail. If I were to guess, I'd assume he'd been a Human before the transformation. His 'hair' was a tightly cut black layer of jelly atop his blue skinned head. He seemed older than I'd been, if not by much. His arms were still chopped stumps, but he didn't bleed or leak anymore, not since losing a lot of his mass during the escape. His muscles looked less defined, looser and smoother than before. Smaller.

"Not a fucking chance," Sigura snapped back, stretching her arms as her eyes reopened. "If something comes for us, I'll be doing the fighting. No way I'm letting anyone else take my chance of really testing what this body can do away from me."

She sounded proud. Excited. The body she'd been given seemed more like a blessing than a curse. I felt simultaneously happy and jealous for her. Two emotions that didn't seem like they should be able to coexist together. Another confusing distraction my emotions decided to put in my way.

"[We have to get moving...]" I said. My voice sounded quieter, weaker than I would have liked.

Sigura nodded as she took the first step forward, her paws padding through the snow. I began to follow, as did the Fishfolk and the armless Chimera.

For the first few minutes, I worried that we'd be tracked down. That was what happened in the books, right? The adventurers would wander through the snow, leaving thick tracks in their wake. The powerful [Bounty Hunter] working for the villain or a stray intelligent monster looking for easy prey would catch on and hunt them down while they were tired, leading to a desperate fight that pushed the heroes to the brink. It seemed like the perfect scenario for something like that to happen.

My worries bore no fruit. Thankfully. The snowfall wasn't heavy, but by the time Sigura's footprints reached the edge of my bubble, they had faded into the snow. I imagined they would still leave a scent that animals or those with enhanced senses could track, but I didn't feel as worried as I probably should have. Three of us were unable to fight, and one was a scared child. Still, the fifth person was Sigura. If I could have trusted anyone to win a fight, it was her.

Through the bubble, I saw Sigura's ears perk up, the tips rising as her head shot to the right. She suddenly redirected her course, although she said nothing. The blue skinned man frowned, but was just as silent as she was, turning to follow as I did.

Soon, I saw why she'd turned.

The sound of rushing water crashed into my bubble. The source of it was a broad, fast flowing river. The sight of water brought the dual feelings of anxiety and hope, feelings I tried to brush aside.

As big as I was now, I doubted any monster would try to drag me into the water for a quick snack. Between my size and the platform, the energy needed to do that would've been too much. Still, I was worried for Streiphen. I was positive that he was safe on the platform, but I wasn't going to take any chances. I'd keep my distance from the water's edge.

The sight of the water was one I couldn't let go of. Something primal within me honed in on it. I couldn't eat or drink, to my knowledge, but the sight of it made me feel... not thirsty, exactly, but drained. Dry.

I tore my focus from the rapids, looking at my own body. Same pink skin, curved pulsing valleys, and the branded symbol of a blue bird with wings outstretched near the front of my form. I didn't seem any different, but the valleys looked bigger. Thicker and broader than they'd been before. Did I need water to survive? I wasn't sure, but my instincts screamed at me to focus on the water. While following my instincts had often led to trouble, I didn't have the energy to argue with them.

"If we follow this river, we'll find a settlement somewhere," Sigura mused aloud, walking along the water's edge. I wanted to warn her to be careful, but I knew better. The words were on the tip of my mind, but she strolled next to the rapids without a care in the world, her eyes locked on the liquid. She was waiting for something to attack her. Hoping for it.

I held my tongue, even if my emotions bubbled with worry at the sight. I didn't know where we were, or how we were going to get back to Addersbrook from here. The last thing I wanted was for Sigura to get injured. If that happened, the chances of us getting recaptured got significantly higher. We needed her to defend us.

"You sure that's what we need right now?" the blue skinned Chimera said. Sigura narrowed her eyes, whipping her head around to glare at him. For a single confused moment, I thought he'd been responding to my thoughts.

"Don't question me on this. If we find a settlement, we'll find shelter. We can rest."

The man returned the stare, glancing at the water.

"We can't. If any of us are seen, the townsfolk will hunt us down. If those Chimera folks don't get to us first, adventurers will."

I tensed even before I became aware of Sigura's fingers clenching into a fist.

"Stop complaining," Sigura said, her tone low. "If adventurers come, we'll explain the situation. If they try to fight me, I'll put them down. Simple."

The thought of Sigura defending us took a darker turn. I deflated at the idea of her 'putting down' adventurers. I suspected she didn't mean knocking them out, either, even if I hoped that was her intention.

"[If we find hostile adventurers, we should subdue them if we can. If we can talk to them, we can figure out where we are and how to get back home.]"

Sigura laughed at the comment, stretching her arms above her head with a contented smile.

The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

"Wherever we are, we're a long way from home now, Yur."

I shivered, and I suspected it wasn't from the cold.

"You two knew each other before the kidnappings?" the blue skinned man asked. I didn't think he'd want to make small talk after what Sigura had done, especially without any arms to defend himself if she got angry, but maybe I hadn't given him enough credit.

When Sigura didn't respond, I took it upon myself to keep the conversation afloat.

"[We lived in Addersbrook, near the southern border of Selvania.]"

"Selvania?" the man asked, raising a dark, gelatinous eyebrow. "I was taken from Bora, a town in Pagonia."

Streiphen curled up into a ball, lying against me for warmth. I recoiled at the touch, my body wriggling in protest against my will. It was the first time a person had come into contact with my body. The shock of it had my skin rolling, but... the warmth was reassuring, as alien as the contact felt. The last thing I wanted was to sap warmth from him, but he didn't seem to mind the contact like I did.

"Then we were all brought further north," Sigura said, nonchalant. I hadn't realised I'd paused for so long. She'd kept up the conversation for me. I nodded a silent thanks that she definitely missed, returning my focus to the talk.

"[Do you have any idea where we are now, Mr...]"

Leaving the statement hanging would serve as a good invitation. It only struck me now that I didn't know the man's name. What had I been thinking of him as until now?

"Toya's fine," he responded. "And I don't. Never seen a river as fast as this one. If you two are from that far south, my guess is we were all brought far from home."

"To stop us from getting back?" Sigura asked idly, linking her hands behind her head, tail swaying absentmindedly.

"Or to stop people from recognising us," Toya said.

Although she was facing away from me, I saw Sigura grimace within my bubble. She took a long, deep breath, squeezing her eyes shut. From the back, everything looked normal.

"[Are you alright, Sigura?]"

She shook her head, running both hands through her hair. She didn't respond.

"[Sigura?]"

Suddenly, she whipped around, her eyes wild, mouth contorted into a snarl. She saw me and blinked. The anger sapped from her face as her eyes darted between us, narrowing.

"What...? Were you saying something?"

The concern on Toya's face was palpable. Was he worried for Sigura's sake like I was?

"[No... not much.]"

Sigura let out a heavy puff of air, one that turned to a white mist, obscuring her face for a brief moment. Then she nodded, turning around to continue the march.

It wasn't long after that we found shelter. It wasn't a village or town, thankfully, but a cave. It looked manmade, with a smoother entrance than a more natural formation would have been. I didn't feel worried at the possibility that the cave was inhabited. The idea of being jumped by a Bear or Hidebehind felt almost trivial, now. We were far beyond something like that being a danger. Sigura sniffed at the air, her face tinged by disappointment.

"Let's go inside," she said, looking back at us. "Coast is clear."

Without hesitation, I made my way to the cave.

While I was able to fit inside, it was a tight squeeze. By the looks of it, the cave was crafted with smaller people than myself in mind. Judging by the unnatural smoothness of the walls, I figured the cave had been created by a [Geomancer] molding the earth with magic for shelter. If that was the case, they must have taken their tools or firewood with them. Finding none of their equipment or anything within I could use was a little disappointing. Even if they'd been stingy with supplies, I'd kept some firewood of my own.

While Sigura and Toya spoke by the entrance, I began to set up a makeshift campfire. I didn't know how to make fire by spinning a stick over logs like a [Hunter] could, but [Ignite] did much the same. Soon, my campfire was in place, burning softly. It was a magically formed flame, but it would suit for now.

At the sight of the calm flame, I allowed myself to rest, sprawling my legs out as I retracted my [Telekinesis] and [Sensory Zone]. The feeling brought with it a strong sense of relief. I hadn't realised how tired I had been until I lay down. I felt Streiphen lean off me, even if I couldn't see him now. The patch of skin he'd been touching felt cold in his absence, wriggling lightly from the change in temperature. He jumped off the platform, leaving me with the Fishfolk Chim- erm... Fareel.

Not having to focus on anything or worry about what I was doing felt somewhat liberating. An angry, rebellious part of me cried out with indignation. I needed to catch up on my inventing. If I didn't make weapons or tools for the others, what use was I to them? My magic was focused on creating tools and solving problems. If I couldn't do that, I was worthless.

I wearily pushed the thoughts away. If I tried to work on my tools, the Soulburn could get worse. I'd learned from experience that when Soulburn was pushed, it could get bad. Bad enough to render me unable to move. In this situation, where we might need to make an emergency escape at any time, that wasn't an option. The thought brought a relief with it. The knowledge that rest was the only smart move right now helped to ease my anxious mind.

I wanted to sleep. There were others that could keep watch for danger. People I believed in, people I could trust with the job. They didn't have the omnidirectional awareness that I did, though. If I were to be purely logical about it, the only person who should be keeping watch was me. I could do it from within the cave, too. I wouldn't even need to move around to-

Someone sat down next to me, leaning against the side of the platform. Too big to be Streiphen.

"You haven't passed out or died on me, have you?" Sigura asked, leaning her head back against the steel. The words sounded like a half-hearted joke, but her voice sounded tired.

"[Not yet...]"

I could hear her voice through what little my [Sensory Zone] could pick up while confined to my body. The sensation was strange. It made her sound farther away, even though she was right next to me. Almost... dream-like.

"Something on your mind, then? You're harder to read like this. Your body language is completely different now, Yur. It's a pain."

I didn't move my body to shake it or provide any inclination I was listening beyond speech. I felt drained, and the last thing I wanted to do now was risk aggravating the Soulburn. If I did, I'd be forced to rest longer.

"[Just a headache. I need to rest for a while.]"

Her head lifted off the metal. Was she turning to look towards me?

"Yeah, you do. You look all shriveled up, like a rotten apple or something. The other two left to get water for you and Fareel."

"[Will they be alright...?]"

Sigura shrugged, leaning her head back against the platform with a sigh.

"Probably. They're Chimeras too, Yur. They can handle themselves. Besides," she said, crossing her hands together behind her head. "if they don't have the common sense to handle themselves against monsters, we might be better off without them."

I bristled at the thought. That was... harsh. I almost felt offended at the idea that they couldn't handle themselves, after all they'd done to help us escape. Without them, we wouldn't be here right now. But... maybe I was putting too much trust in them. We hadn't known each other for long. I didn't have a good grasp of them or their capabilities yet.

"[Don't you care if they come back alive? We all escaped together.]"

"Yeah," Sigura sighed. "I'd be glad if they came back alive, but if we got stuck leading dead-weights around, we could get caught. If they did something stupid and got badly hurt, or led to those bastards from Chimera tracking us down, we'd have to leave them. If they did something like that and cost us our second chances, I'd kill them myself."

She reached up with both hands, rubbing her face.

"I want to escape, Yur," she spoke, her voice muffled. "I want to get the fuck out, and we're not in the the clear yet. Not until we're far, far away from this place."

She wasn't wrong. I didn't think any of our allies were foolish enough to leave tracks or make a mistake like that out here, especially when the situation was as tenuous as it was. I trusted them to be careful. I didn't know what else to say to that, but I did have something else I wanted to get off my chest. Something that had been eating away at me ever since escaping.

"[I... I can't see the sky...]"

Sigura turned around to face me again, her face warped in concern.

"What're you talking about? We're in a cave, Yur...?"

She sounded unsure. I wasn't sure what to make of that. Did she think I was hallucinating from the lack of sleep?

"[I mean... I can't see it at all, Sigura. I don't have eyes anymore. I... I can only see in a bubble around me. I can't look straight up.]"

Her face tensed up, but she faced forward once again, curling her knees up to her chest.

"Right... Yeah. I knew you were looking forward to that, too... Fuck, alright."

She ran a hand through her hair, closing her eyes in thought.

"When we get to a city or a market, I'll find an artefact or a person that can focus your vision. We'll figure something out, okay?"

My body nodded, a small, fractional movement that didn't put me at risk of letting my headache get any worse.

"[Okay...]"

She didn't say anything after that. Had I caused the conversation to die out after such a somber topic? I knew that I could have a hard time reading the room, and now I worried that I'd turned Sigura off of speaking to me. I extended my bubble again, wanting to see her.

She flooded into my awareness. Her arms were crossed over her knees and the bottom half of her face. She wasn't looking at me. Her expression was forlorn, her eyes lost in thought as she stared into the flickering fire.

I... I didn't feel like talking anymore, either. I just... wanted to rest.

____________________________________________________________________

I was jolted awake some time later as I felt a furred hand rub against my side. My bubble flared up, taking in the entirety of the cavern. I saw Sigura walk away from my body, swinging her lower arm at the wall in the hopes of getting whatever sweat or mucus my body excreted off of her. I felt embarrassed at the sight.

Toya and Streiphen had returned.

Streiphen had the scrap nail bound to his back with a strip of white cloth taken from the sleeves of his shirt. The shirt was torn around the shoulders, the only indication he'd used his own clothes to make the strip. It gave him an almost punk-like look, one that didn't fit at all. Still, the thought of Streiphen wearing face paint and spiked wristbands brought a smile to my mind.

Toya's arms had regenerated. To say they'd simply 'regenerated' might have been an understatement. They looked enormous now, bulging and bulky. Inflated.

He walked over to Fareel, who was laying on his side at the far end of the cave, away from the fire. I might have thought he was asleep if I couldn't see his eyes wide open, staring at the wall. He held one arm over the Fishfolk, his muscles beginning to strain and contract. I watched as holes opened on his underarm, causing a torrent of water to splash out of the inflated limb, all over Fareel.

The Chimera leapt into the air as soon as the water touched his body, his mouth open wider than I thought it could. Water flowed into his open jaws, and his eyes seemed to fill with delight. Once Toya's arm had returned to its normal size, Fareel began to lap at the water on the ground before rolling in the remains, rubbing the liquid into his skin. I could see Streiphen smiling at the sight.

Then, Toya began to walk towards me, the other arm outstretched.

"Are you awake, Yuri?"

"[Erm... yes, I am.]"

I had to remember that it was impossible to tell without facial features. I didn't have eyes that people could see opening, or limbs to stretch after waking. He was forced to just... guess.

I saw Sigura at the other side of the cavern, wearing a wide grin as she leaned against the wall. I idly wondered if she was able to tell.

"You think you'll splash around like this fish, Yur? How thirsty are you?"

Fareel didn't seem offended by the comparison in the slightest, but I was.

"[My body is dehydrated, I think, but I'm not desperate for water.]"

Sigura cocked her head to the side, still grinning like a Cheshire Cat.

Toya nodded, jumping onto a metallic leg before stepping up onto the platform. A hole appeared in the center of his palm, and he walked along the metal surface, spraying my body with water.

As much as I'd told Sigura I wouldn't 'splash around like a fish', I couldn't stop myself from shaking violently from the contact. The feeling of water on my skin was... heavenly. I hadn't realised how much I'd needed it until now. The water was cool to the touch, my skin soaking it in and expanding as soon as it made contact. The valleys along my surface didn't feel as deep and empty as I puffed outwards. I felt fuller, more aware and much more healthy than before.

Great. I wasn't splashing like a fish, but my body expanded and puffed out when it came into contact with water. Even before she said it, I knew exactly what Sigura was thinking.

Across the cave, the Half-Nekari boomed with laughter, a sound that caused Streiphen to jump with surprise.

"You're not a fish, after all! Thank the Gods for small mercies, right Yur? Instead of a fish, you ended up as a mutant sponge!"

As much as I wanted to get annoyed at the comparison I'd seen coming a mile away, I couldn't. The feeling of the water soaking into my body washed all of the embarrassment away.

"[Maybe you should take a bath too, Sigura. It'll be good for you.]"

Sigura's shoulders shivered, and I saw her tail straighten up, erect. She crossed her arms, giving me a strained look.

"Brrrrr... Don't even joke about that, Yur... If I got splashed like you were, I'd have hit Toya as hard as I could by now."

"How reassuring," the man added dryly, climbing down off the platform. I felt a pang of disappointment. I'd hoped he had carried more water back with him.

Fareel looked far healthier. About as good as I felt. The headache still loomed in the corners of my mind, everpresent, but the pain from it paled in comparison to the ecstasy of the water's touch.

"You still need rest?" Sigura asked, looking towards me.

"[Yes. My Soul is still strained from the escape. If I don't rest now, I may not be able to cast properly later.]"

Sigura nodded, cricking her neck as she walked towards the cave entrance.

"Works for me. I'm going out to hunt. If any of you know what's edible and what isn't around here, come with me."

Fareel scurried to the entrance of the cave, moving to follow Sigura. I saw Toya do the same. Not... not scurry, like Fareel did, but he walked to follow her.

"Will you two be alright?" he asked, looking towards me and Streiphen, who was standing by my side.

"Yes," Streiphen nodded. "Miss Yuri and I will be okay."

Toya didn't seem sure of that, but he walked out of the cave alongside Fareel and Sigura, who was throwing a wave my way as she disappeared from sight.

Streiphen stepped over to the campfire, sitting down next to it after taking a deep breath.

"[Are you alright?]" I asked him. Toya seeming unsure had made me worried, too.

Streiphen nodded. "I am now. I didn't think you would be okay when I left with Mr. Toya. It was really hard to tell. I'm sorry I couldn't carry any water back..."

"[It's alright,]" I responded. What else could I say to something like that? I was glad the kid was worried on my behalf, but I hadn't done much to earn it. It didn't feel like an equal relationship to me.

"[Streiphen?]"

He turned towards me, his star-filled eyes locked on my pink, fleshy form.

"Yes?"

"[Why did you want me to make you that... weapon? Did you need something like it to use your magic?]"

I knew magic could have all sorts of Conditions attached. I could understand why he'd been so scared, wandering that dark facility filled to the brim with monsters without any way to defend himself. He shook his head.

"No... I just... needed it," he answered finally, his voice barely a murmur. I was glad my [Sensory Zone] could pick such sounds up.

"[Needed it?]"

"To feel better. I... um... I had something like this... before. Before the Chimera people changed me."

"[Oh...]"

Was it a comfort thing? Like a child needing a toy modeled after a Patron God or heroic figure to make them feel safer at night and keep Spooks away? Needing a sword or nail hadn't fit into that mental image I had of him.

"I don't remember why... Everything is fuzzy when I try to think back to the time before... But I felt... wrong, not having it."

Memory loss? It was a scary thought. I'd been lucky enough to have my memories intact. My mind seemed to work differently to how I remembered, but it hadn't changed me too much, had it? Knowledge I hadn't had before, the ability to measure and process information differently...

No. I hadn't drastically changed. Sigura had said so. I was still 'me', where it counted. Even if I didn't know what that meant anymore, seeing what I had become on the outside. I couldn't even be sure my memories were right. What if they'd been fabricated to give me a different way of thinking to what I had before? What if I...

The thought threw me off. It was horrifying, a sudden fear that caused my now inflated body to tense up. Some of the precious water I'd collected leaked out of my pores. I'd talk things over with Sigura later, just to be sure.

"[I... I'm going to rest for a little while longer,]" I told him.

His head drooped, and he turned away, looking into the fire.

"Oh... okay..." he muttered back.

I hated that I'd once again left the conversation on a sour note. I should be keeping this sort of stuff under wraps. I needed logic, not emotion. Whenever emotion showed, it affected others. This had to be my problem. I couldn't keep making it everyone else's.

Even if my own mind was warped by irrational feelings, I couldn't let that discord seep out into the people I was relying on to survive. I had to keep myself contained and controlled.

I had to...

Saving me from my own thoughts, I felt my mind drift into the welcoming embrace of a deep sleep.