In the Kitchen

Light spills across Osric’s face, streaming through the slit in the curtains. He lies shirtless on his giant, canopied bed. How many days has it been? I lie in bed all morning, sneak downstairs to munch on dried meat, then come back up and do nothing.

It’s kind of nice… except it won’t last. If I don’t start collecting those books, that bastard angel is gonna kill me again. He rolls over, shielding himself from the light. I don’t wanna collect those stupid books. I don’t wanna do anything.

His stomach growls. He begrudgingly gets up, limping to his door, down the hall, and then peering over the stairs. Damn stairs. I better not fall again.

With his left foot dragging, he hops down the first step, then the next. His heel misses the third, and he tumbles down the stairs. I hate this.

He picks himself up and heads to the kitchen. His hand rummages through the burlap sack of dried meat. Damn — empty. He turns to the next one, full of vegetables, and pulls out a zucchini. He chomps down on it, grimacing. I hate vegetables. I hate zucchini. I hate everything.

While he munches, his eyes aimlessly wander across the counters, then to the cabinets underneath. For no particular reason — maybe boredom — he starts opening them. Most are empty, but one holds a kitchen knife.

He picks it up, The blade catching the morning sun gleaming through the window. If that angel’s gonna kill me anyway, why don’t I speed up the process? He grasps it with both hands, and points it at his chest.

The scar on his chest makes him hesitate. The angel healed the hole but left the scar — the scar he got saving Elayne… Elayne.

He tightens his grip on the knife, about to force it into his chest — when a knock at the front door stops him.

"Osric?" It's Helen's voice.

He doesn't respond.

"Hello? Osric?" She tries the door handle. It doesn't budge of course — he locked it.

“Is this your way of telling me I’m no longer welcome here? Well, before I leave, I have some messages for you. Anne wants to send her thanks — they’ve just exposed the Prime Minister as a demon to the whole kingdom. Actually, the Queen was a demon as well. But the craziest part? The King had a custom-made slave collar under his crown. He was under the Prime Minister’s will the whole time.”

I’ll be… my guess was correct. Osric still stares at the knife pointed at him.

“Elayne has found some adventurer friends. She’s doing well, and she asks about you from time to time.”

That’s good — I’m happy for her. Osric sets the knife back in the cabinet and shuts the door.

He picks up his half-eaten zucchini and trudges back to the stairs. Gripping the railing, he pulls himself up.

“Apparently, people saw you in the village when it was burned,” Helen continued, shouting through the door. “And there are rumors about a black-haired devil — they believe you were the one who destroyed the village. I’d suggest you lay low for a while.”

Huh, don’t worry. I was planning to do that anyway. He makes his way up the stairs.

“And one more thing…” Helen’s voice slowly fades as he drags himself down the hall.

***

Elayne, Mira, Margery, and Melina venture through the thick forest outside the town of Velloran. The evening sun filters through the trees, softly illuminating their path.

“Are we there yet?” Elayne snaps.

“You could say it nicer,” Mira squeaks from behind. “you always speak so harshly.”

"She's young," Margery chimes in, trudging alongside Elayne, using her long staff as a cane. "You were feisty too."

“Girls,” Melina quiets them. “The Thicketbear was seen hiding in a cave just up ahead.”

The four push through thick shrubs to reveal a cliffside cave leading deep into the rock. In front of the cave stands the Thicketbear, its back to them, munching on a dead deer.

"Now, the plan is—" Melina’s explanation is cut short by Elayne’s battle cry.

She charges the bear, unsheathing her sword. She leaps and slices open its behind.

"Idiot!" Melina shouts, barreling in after her. "Margery, cover us!"

Elayne lands, skidding sideways, coming into the thicketbear's vision. It snarls at her and swipes its paw. Elayne dives out of the way — but the tip of its claws slice her calf. She rolls across the dirt as the bear shoots vines toward her.

Melina shouts as she rushes in, slicing the bear’s side. The bear redirects its vines toward her. Just as they’re about to wrap her up, a ball of wind from Margery flies into the bear, sending it crashing into the cliffside.

Melina lunges at it, plunging her sword just above its front legs. The thicketbear twitches before going limp and rolling off the cliffside.

"Elayne! Follow my orders!" Melina barks.

Elayne ignores her, poking at the gash on her leg.

"Let me heal that." Mira rushes over.

She points her staff at the wound, says her incantation, the lantern tip glows. But the wound doesn't close.

"That's weird."

She tries it again. Same result.

“I have bandages.” She reaches into her jacket pocket. “I’ll wrap it up.”

>>>

The forest has grown dark. The four sit around the campfire, chewing on thicketbear steaks.

"Not bad. This is a quality pelt." Melina slaps the rolled fur next to her. "Follow my orders next time, Elayne."

Elayne ignores her, munching away at a steak juices running down her arms.

"I'm sorry my healing magic didn't work," Mira says.

"It doesn't hurt," she grumbles between bites.

"Why do you always wear that handkerchief? It clashes with your beautiful red hair." Mira keeps pestering her.

Elayne turns away from her.

“Why are you always so grumpy? Is it a boy?” Mira blurts.

The question makes Elayne stiffen and stop chewing, a mouthful of meat stuck on her tongue.

"Oh, so it is. Then you really will fit right in." Margery adds.

"We've all had trouble with men. That's why we're a girl-only group," Melina explains. "Do tell us what happened with this guy."

Elayne spins completely around and continues munching on her steak, facing the darkness. The others sigh behind her.