338. Midnight Feast

Weaving cloth was a lot harder than Frost thought. Ber’s weaving tutorials over the course of the night were magical to her. It was as if cloth was being formed between her fingers, like the intricate web of a spider.

Damaged apparel was restored thanks to her, except for Corrupted Items of course. Frost tried to apply this dexterous feat with her metal strings, creating a relatively weak cloth of steel.

It was stronger than the feathers she gathered from the One Thousand Eyed Bird, to the point where if she had fitted Cara’s Dawn Team that tagged alongside them back in Divas Pass, then there would have been zero casualties. The object was chain mail, but with string, so…

“String mail.” Ber through of a clever name for the invention, however, this wasn’t a new thing at all.

There were people who rocked bikini armor made from high-quality cloth: arguably the most useless form of armor too. No. It was the most useless form of armor. What was the point of using high quality cloth for only certain areas of the body? The material was light enough to be worn normally.

Frost wondered if people that wore it just like the exposure or the feeling of the wind against their skin. Either way, it bothered her to know that Adventurers out there felt protected in those things.

“Haaaaaaaah.” Frost gripped a burning log from a giant bonfire, which sat in the center of their camp.

The flames licked high into the skies as endless stars expelled the darkness of space. The moon and the bonefire provided all the light they could ever need, though a lot of them were perfectly capable of seeing in the dark.

“Hmm? What’s wrong?” Jury inquired, half salivating at the butchered meat Ber was preparing on a wooden counter.

“I thought of something stupid again.”

“Bikini armor.” Nav announced from atop Snap, where all the Alter Frosts, and even the Star Child gathered. They were like baby scorpions on the back of their mother, except they all had their heads resting all over Nav.

“You guessed it. I still don’t get it. From what I’ve seen speed isn’t the be all and end all. Someone’s bound to get swatted down eventually. And before you say anything, Cer, I know. Some professions benefit from it. So please, let me rant in peace.”

Frost had developed a biological ‘Cer’ detector that sensed whenever she was going to add her few cents, which may as well be pebbles for all Frost cared. Cer was an expert at winding people up, but at the same time, she was good at bringing the best out of others.

She was the most vocal when they tried saving everyone from the crystals.

Ber also gave a demo for how to properly butcher meat. Early, a few hours after eating some grilled fish, Frost wanted to eat something hearty. But truth be told, this was because she could tell Jury wasn’t satisfied with just 3 whole salmons.

The reason why her appetite had grown so much was because of her tail and an innate desire to eat. Angels, according to Anna, did not need to eat as much but Jury on the other hand likely carried a vice derived from Elysia.

She was, after all, a glutenous Angel.

“Gluttony is a major vice in many fields. Judgement most prominently. Maybe Angels were supposed to represent the opposite of them?” Anna suggested, causing Nav to nod in agreement.

“It’s plausible. The Arbiter could confirm for us, since she is what I believe to be the first Angel. Myself? I do not know if I am an Angel, or a Faux Angel as artificial components make me up, rather than biological functions. As I say this, there is a weird sensation again in my chest when I look to the stars. I am drawn to them.”

Suddenly, the Star Child drew a cardioid heart for Nav again, its meaning still wrapped in mystery.

“That can be proof that you’re just like us. I couldn’t tell you the number of times I’ve also kept my gaze up there.” Frost assured; her sentiments warmly shared with the others.

“The stars are the only things you’ll see at night, aside from the moon. When you get so sick and tired of everything down, you’ll naturally want to look up.” Cer offered a piece of her mind as she rested along the grass. “Good thing it’s not raining anymore.”

“Stopping by to marvel something is part of living.” Res also assured. “Better than those who can’t.”

“Everyone in my city was drawn to them.” Ignis then spoke, staring up at the same night sky she always knew and loved. “Even the people who couldn’t see them were also drawn to the stars. Like Stella and the children of the Derma Layer.”

“They’re beautiful, right? It’s hard to get over how many there are. Both of us came from a world of nothing. I think that’s why we’re so drawn to them, Nav.” Jury hummed pleasantly, before shifting her eyes onto Frost.

She could guess what Jury was thinking.

That there was no better sight than Frost.

It made Frost flush a slight red, and it made Jury happy to know that she got it. Nav then looked down at the two of them, focusing on their eyes and their bright smiles.

“Stars were more of a reflection of me, so I looked down most of my life to see them. If it’s taught me anything, then anything can be a star. What’s the difference between a reflection and the night sky if you’re not going to be able to touch either of them?”

“Ber.” Nav suddenly spoke, causing the butchering Ber to twist her body around.

“Did ya want something to eat too!? Or maybe some more wisdom from this wise wolf!?” She proudly held out her chest, making Cer smile fondly at the liveliness of her sister before suddenly –

“… I just wanted to say that I adore that analogy. I think I understand somewhat. There are flaws in it, but I appreciate the image. You are 170% smarter than your counterparts.”

“Counterparts!?” Res spat, shocked to hear this leave Nav’s mouth.

“What the – If anything, they’re my counterparts!” Cer shot up from the ground, cracking her fists playfully before Res also shot a glare at her. “You heard me right, Res! I’m your superior!”

“Tch. I hate how quickly you can play off into people’s shenanigans. Idiot.” Res, in spite of her words, couldn’t help but break into a smile.

Nav quickly realized that ‘counterparts’ was a terribly way to describe them, and she apologized appropriately. To begin with, no one was upset since it was Nav. Although, had anyone else said this, then they’d be due for electric therapy.

Ber suddenly squealed uncharacteristically as she hacked away at the beefed boars, her tail wagging wildly like a branch stuck in a storm. Frost helped with the preparation and cooking, sharing culinary techniques of the past and future.

Ber, being the forager that she was, had already hand-picked certain plants and spices to add flavor to their meal. What was supposed to be a simple midnight snack became a feast as the duo put their skills to the test, learning greatly from one another.

For starters, Ber did not know that certain parts weren’t edible to humans. She hosted a small biology lesson as they cut, prepared, and finally cooked their meals. Ignis was roped in as well, who proved to be a keen listener. She’d be Frost’s student in due time given the nature of her powers.

And she could not wait to see what else Ignis was capable of.

Stews hung over an open fire. Skewers sat alongside them. Giant chunks were prepared as a spit-roast. The variation of meat meals was wide, and Frost’s appetite thanked her for the magnificent, savory scents that filled the air.

It was a little strange to not eat the beefed boar as it was.

But she was thankful that she could now enjoy food like a normal person again. The moment made Frost sentimental. She surived from rock bottom with Jury eating away the carcasses of their enemies, and she even went as far to consuming humans. It took a toll on her mind, and when she finally held that skewer in her hand and sunk her teeth into the roasted vegetables and meat –

– Her eyes watered.

“Sho… Gwood…” Frost mumbled, looking down at her skewer.

This time, the stick was left intact.