Chapter 34: Campfire of Dreams

Ruby was sitting on a rock under a tree with Crescent Rose, now repaired, as she look at the nightsky in thought. Ruby then heard somebody walking toward her and turn her head to the right, seeing that it was Cask, walking up to her, with a bag in her hands, before she ask her. "Why aren't you resting? This isn't good for you."

"My whole body has been aching a lot, i'd rather be out in this nice breeze." Ruby said. Cask was silent before she unwrap the bag. Ruby then notice that she is unwrapping her bandage on her right arm, which Ruby is suprised by that, before Cask told her.

"Hey! Don't move." Cask said before she put a tiny speck of fairy dust on her right arm, which surprised Ruby again.

'The pain is going away...' Ruby thought before she ask Cask. "What is this stuff?"

"Edward gave it to me. He said it's a magic medicine." Cask explain as she put a few more speck of fairy dust on Ruby's wounds. "Now turn around."

Cask was silent as she finished with the last of Ruby's wounds before Ruby spoke to her. "You don't have to thank me like this."

"Eh?"

"I just didn't do it for you. I just like to face my enemies rather than run away from them and protect those I care as I can from them." Ruby said.

"Just because you like to protect them. You kille more than like possibly 500 grimms or less in just a single fight." Cask said. Ruby and Cask look at each other before Ruby just sighed as she spoke.

"Yeah... you know, I think I've regain my memories after we fall from that cliff, but to be honest, at that I realized..." Ruby said before she stop and take a breath before she continue to speak to Cask. "I can't compare to you. Sure, I killed 500 grimms, but..."
Cask was silent as Ruby continue to speak to her. "And not only you, but Stultus too. You both hold on to something, gambling with your lives. It's amazed me. I can't compare to you guys, I kill grimms just for the sake of protecting people... everyday, hundreds, thousand, etc..."

"Ruby..."

"Nice views, huh?"

"Eh?"

"Fido, he's my second in command. He says he never regret joining the Steels, but if this fight against the grimms ever stop for now, he'll use his saving to open a small store in Esmeralda City, but he doesn't have a face of a merchant." Ruby explain to Cask, who was confused of why Ruby is explaining it to her. "Nikol proposed to a girl, but was refused because he's just a mercenary. He tried so hard now, hoping to become a officer so he proposed again, but the battlefield is a dangerous place... Looking from up here, it's as if each small flame were a small dream for each person. A Bonfire of dreams... don't they?"

"You talk so pretty... like a princess." Cask said.

"Heh, sorry." Ruby said.

"But it's true. It's a gathering of each person's small flame." Cask said. "A small flame is easily put out, but... if you joined a bigger flame."

"That flame is Stultus." Ruby finished. Cask was silent before Ruby spoke. "But... there's no flame for me here. I... i'm just... a temporary vistor... taking comfort from the flame."

Ruby then put out Crescent Rose and she transformed her weapon into Scythe mode before she spoke as a shooting star was seen. "Before joining the Steels... no matter how seriously bad the battle was... I was able to survive. Just like this time. I'm... confident that with Crescent Rose, my sweetheart... i'll survive any battle. It's been true so far. But... that doesn't mean anything. I never taught myself anything but the hunter and hunting grimms to protect grimms. I realized it most that clearly when i'm in battle... I only have my sweetheart. I didn't want to die... because I wasn't really to die yet and I still have the ability to swing and shoot my sweetheart. I can survived any battle."

"Ruby... you..."

"Sorry for boring you. I did all the talking..." Ruby said as she got up and look at the campfires before she look at Cask. "... Why am I telling you these things? I feel like a idiot."

"Same here." Cask said. Both Ruby and Cask were silent to each other... before they laughs to each other. They laugh until they calm down. When she and Cask calm down, Ruby turn and walk back, only for Cask to ask her when she realized something. "Ruby... are you thinking of leaving the Steels?"

Ruby was silent before she told her. "I told you. I'll stay till the grimm are mostly gone from Vytal Island."
"But what about after it?" Cask asked.

"... Honestly, i'm still thinking about that." Ruby said.

"CASK! RUBY!" Hákon shouted as he ran toward them with Steve following before he told the two girls something. "Stultus' back! He heard that you two got back safely... so he's back a day early!"

Cask was surprised by that news and look at Ruby, who just look at Cask and smile at her.

Meanwhile... back at the Steels' camp...

As Stultus walk through the camp, the soldiers came to him and talk to him as they cheer for their leader's return before Ruby and Cask were walking toward Stultus, which he notice and smile at them as they walk toward him as Ruby spoke one word. "Yo."

Ruby notice Cask sweating before she spoke to Stultus, which he notice, as she talk to him about it. "I'm sorry, Stultus. Everyone has to deal with a mess because of me. Pushing myself when I wasn't well and going to the front was my mistake. Doing so exposed my soldier of my squadron to dangerous. Not just them, either. Ruby and her raiders, too. I'm not quadified to be a commander! Whatever punishment you-"

Ruby just blankly look at Cask and silently exasperated at this... before she spank right on Cask's ass and done the deed for Stultus, which cause Cask to yelp in surprise and jump into Stultus' arms, which made him surprised. Cask then turn to yelled at Ruby.

"Wha-what was that for, jerk?!" Cask yelled in an anger tone of voice at Ruby for doing that to her before she quickly noticed she was in Stultus' arms.

"Welcome back." Stultus said. Cask look at him before she blush intensely and jump off of Stultus' arms as he blankly look while the others laugh at this. Ruby smiled at this before she turn around and walked with her raiding squad.

"Come on, let's toss one in the back." Ruby told her squad.

"Uh... are you sure you're really up to it, captain?" Fido asked.

"The cherry wine will disinfect me. But hey, who cares? Let just celebrate the 500 grimms kill, huh?" Ruby said. Cask watch them as they walk away.

"What's wrong?" Stultus ask, noticing that Cask was staring.

"Eh? Oh, it's nothing." Cask said before she look back at Ruby as she think back of what she told her. 'Was she... serious?'

Cask look at Ruby as she talk and walk with her raiding squad as they were going to get drunk tonight to celebrated her achievement.