04-15-2019, 11:24 PM
Welcome again. This time, the narrative is a kind of a "chill down" situation, also in the past.
I'm sorry for any spelling errors you may encounter.
The Fair Words
The feeling of warmth did spread out from the flames nearby.
Laughter. Joy. Small talk.
The team was celebrating its victory over the last enemy: a winged creature roughly ten feet tall, with a fiendish and sinister aspect. The brave heroes barely escaped alive, but at least they could find some peace now.
So, to say, the party did party - with each member either chatting or eating or drinking or playing music - all around a medium-sized bonfire. Above it, a huge piece of meat on a stick was rotating slightly, oozing its oily juices into the fire. Its movement was supervised by the team's alchemist: an ever-lonely white-haired slender man with a bucket hat, who was the only human being that could possibly be a cook in the whole group - at least, the only one with the skill to turn almost anything into something... Well, palatable.
"T'was a good hunt today, don't you think?"
The alchemist looked up to see the archer, a tanned brunette with a beaming smile, and a confidence well above the average. "It would seem so, judging by this meat's scent", replied the white-haired man.
"Three rabbits and now this veal... And the brat said he didn't think our people would be famished. Ha! Nobody says no to food, that's what I always say", boasted the girl, glaring across the crowd at the swordsman - who was looking at the moon - and sat herself next to the 'cook'. This one, amused, looked to her with a smile between closed lips, and after two or three seconds, replied: "Well, don't you ever get frightened? Even to me, this opponent was scarier than a lot of the little devils we're already accostumed to".
She returned his gaze and answered: "Well, I'm just a human. For a moment, I really thought we were damned, and t'was when I launched forward a barrage of arrows, and the big boy didn't even flinch." (This made the alchemist think swiftly to himself that 'big boy' was a way too cute name to that thing). "Your rain of bombs was more effective, I know, but I made a nice score flingin' that last poisoned arrow up his arse!" - the last part of the speech was almost a shout, and was also accompanied by a frantic wavering of the girl's arms.
The white-haired man did suppress his laughter almost successfuly, but after a inquiring gaze from the brunette, started to talk again: "Oh, sorry, it's just that I find your expansive behavior to be amusing. Please don't take offense... But, since the topic arose, have you always been like that?".
"I used to be a little more quiet when I was a little girl", said the archer, starting to oversee the meat. "However, I was always an imaginative person. So, for every time I did suppress my fantasies, I suffered a lot afterwards. And t'was all 'cause of the fear. Fear of other people's rejection." She played with the ashes around the bonfire, then started again: "Then, as I grew up, I started to notice this pattern, and after a 'helluva' effort, now I'm able to say whatev'r I want", she finished with an ear-to-ear smile.
The alchemist was taken aback by this sudden confession, and couldn't help but express his admiration: "Well, I got to say you've done a really good job. It seems really easy to talk to you now", he said, looking at her face. "On the other hand, I ain't sure if I could ever do something like that. I was ever a lonely man, you know, always by myself. I don't see myself having your flippancy, as to say, but you surely amaze me with your easiness and security, and your self-esteem".
"Be careful, man, don't drool on the fire", she said, snickering and standing up. "And the meat's already charrin', look out", she said as she walked away, leaving behind a very much worried alchemist. Indeed, a smell of burnt meat was now slowly discernible.
The alchemist turned over the veal and looked to the departing archer, his eyes unnecessarily but uncontrolably lingering a bit on her hips and buttocks, before bowing his head and saying to himself:
"To each its own, I guess".
Thank you for reading, and feel free to comment or post any positive criticism, if you wish!