Don't Fall, part 18

FIC START

Sakinah didn't want to go into the tent on her own. Instead she just watched Kain strip the meat of all the monster fur and huge pieces of fat. He retrieved spices that were in his pack and rubbed it into the muscle, before setting it over the campfire. She laid down, though she didn't find it uncomfortable. Perhaps it was because she had been blessed by the Earth Crystal, or perhaps it was because she wasn't focused on how hard the ground was. It didn't matter. As the meat was spun over the fire to cook it evenly, she stared at it. It squeaked over and over again every time it rotated. It was something she'd never seen before.

"You could go get comfortable. I would bring it to you."

"I'm not even uncomfortable," she said, looking up at him. "I'm just happy to be with you." Sakinah smiled before laying on her back to look straight up at the sky instead. "I don't care where we are, or how tired I am."

Kain stopped for a moment. No one had ever said that about him before, at least, not in his earshot. He was taken aback by her confession, but he didn't want to potentially ruin that. He went back to rotating the meat, trying to hide the fact that he was blushing.

Plip. Plip-plop.

Sakinah felt the raindrops first. The monsters were kept out by an invisible barrier, but not the rain. As the drizzle landed on her face, she smiled. She didn't spend much time in the rain growing up. This journey she decided to share with Kain made her reflect on so many things she never quite took the time to consider while cooped up in her tower. Sakinah knew what rain was, she knew what mountains were, she knew what monsters were… but she never really laid out to feel the droplets, she never climbed a mountain, and she certainly never fought anything. It made her laugh an actual, genuine laugh that moved her belly and signaled a peaceful mind.

"What's so funny, Skyreader?"

"Nothing, Holy Dragoon."

"You foresaw the rain."

"I did."

"When I met you in Troia, I honestly thought it was not possible for you to smile so widely," Kain said, still turning that meat even through the soft rain. He had cooked in much harder downpours than this, and it was nothing like some of the deluge rains he had seen while out in the Mysidian countryside.

"No, I just… I think I found one of my answers all ready," Sakinah replied, still looking straight up at the sky.

"Is that so?"

"It is."

"...I'm happy for you, my lady."

"For the first time, I think… I'm happy, too," she said, sitting back up. "I don't know why that is, but I don't want it to go away."

"Then we should do all we can to keep it close," Kain suggested, using a dagger to cut off a large piece of the meat and hand it to her. "I know you Troians aren't big meat eaters, but…"

"I don't care what food is handed to me," Sakinah said, taking the dagger with the meat still on it. Her stomach rumbled loud enough for them both to hear it, and she felt embarrassed for a little bit. "I'll eat anything that isn't rotten." She noticed how it still had steam coming from it, and it dripped juices. She sniffed it once and was so hungry that she didn't really care anymore, she chomped on it.

Kain used another dagger to cut a piece off for himself. "It isn't bad… the meat of these mountain creatures doesn't tend to be as good as the meat from the forest creatures, but it's enough to keep us going when we have nothing else."

Sakinah, with her mouth full, reached into her knapsack and pulled out a few wrapped cookies, putting one on Kain's lap. When she finished her bite, she said, "I bought these before we left Damcyan. Thought maybe you'd like one?"

"That's thoughtful of you. I appreciate it." Kain said, taking a bite of his chunk of meat. "We'll be at the base of the mountain on the Fabulian side by nightfall tomorrow. It will be much easier going downhill as opposed to hiking up."

"Mm…" Sakinah finished her meat piece, then her cookie. Then she let out a sigh, as everything seemed to be absolutely perfect.

Until, suddenly, there was a blood curdling scream from somewhere out in the darkness. Kain's left hand immediately latched onto the handle of his spear. He looked directly into Sakinah's eyes for a split second before whispering, "Do not leave this space."

"Kain," she said, "I… I can help!"

"No, my lady. I will not risk you."

The scream came again, and Kain stood up onto his feet, turning to run out of the safety the magic glyph carved into the rock provided. He jumped beyond where Sakinah could see. She stood up, too, but she had no idea what was going on out there. Who was screaming, and, perhaps more importantly, why were they screaming? She did not wish to go against Kain's simple order, but Sakinah felt as if she had to do something.

She put her hands over her heart, closing her eyes. The night sky was full of clouds, which meant the light of the moon could not help in this case. Her feet firmly on the ground, the power of the Earth Crystal slowly started to swirl about her feet. All she wanted to do was help.

"Skies above," she whispered, "Lend me your assistance! Grant me light!"

The clouds parted, allowing the moon to illuminate that side of the mountain. A group of bomb monsters had surrounded a woman. With the light provided, Kain was able to make a landing on one of the bombs, giving the woman time to run away from the bombs. Sakinah reached for her, helping her into the circle of protection.

"...this circle will protect you," Sakinah said. "I have to help my friend take 'em out."

"It's a Mom Bomb," the woman said, panicked. "All of them will merge if you aren't quick enough!"

"...we'll discuss what you're doing on the mountainside on a rainy night like this later," Sakinah said. "Stay here."

"Yes, of course."

Sakinah ran out of the circle, brandishing her boomerang and ready to take on some bombs. She'd never felt this confident before. It was unlike anything else she'd experienced before.