Nana, Lance, and Kidd came over when Ewan called them, while Stefan drowned in tears. He had the three sit around and prepared a campfire in the center, taking out some fresh kills and roasting them on the dancing flames. And he took out the bottles left forgotten in the corner of his claw-ring space.
“I’m watching you,” Ewan said, glaring at Nana, and poured the amber liquor for everyone. They clinked the glasses together by the flames, the fat sizzling on the meat, and Stefan chugged it down as he sniffed.
“Easy, at least savor it properly,” Ewan said.
“It tastes expensive,” Nana said under her breath, shivering after a sip with a relieved and comforted exhale. She had gone dry for ages and finally sated her thirst.
“You should know better than me,” Ewan said. “It’s yours.”
She wrinkled her nose at him.
“Boss, what about the children?” Kidd asked, his face crinkling with a mouthful slurp. “It burns!” He yowled, scratching his throat.
Ewan chuckled, Lance guffawed, and his antics even pulled a cackle from Stefan. “They’re not going anywhere,” Ewan said. “Let’s take it easy and enjoy our time. Our past makes us what we are today, but we don’t have to be shackled by it. If we can't bear the burden alone, then let us all shoulder it together and move forward.” He lifted his glass, the mellowed rays of sun scattering through the fine amber whiskey. “One for all,” he said.
“All for one!” They hollered.
….
“What?” Kidd slurred his words. “So, your wife left you because of that? Pfft, what a bisch…bisch…bitch,” He swayed with his glass, his face red as an apple, and his eyes almost swirling around.
“Did you not decide it together?” Lance asked, holding his sobered state even after his fifth glass, rivaling Ewan.
“We did, but she couldn’t live with me anymore. I always reminded her of it. I can't blame her,” Stefan said with droopy eyes. “Last I checked, she was living with her parents. I hope she was able to forget it all and is happy now.”
….
“I found a family on Stormfalcon, I was given my own surname here…Lance Silvester.” Lance tittered when he called his name out—finally the eighth glass hammered him. “And I found a place I could call home,” he said, and hiccuped. “I’m satisfied with my life, and I’ll give my life to protect my home and family.”
Ewan laughed and ripped the spicy and juicy meat from the skewer, throwing the stick at Lance—the greasy spike pricked his forehead, leaving a stain. “Piss off, who wants your life. You’re still my guinea pig. Change your path if you don’t trust it, we’ll find something else, and I’ll only get more data out of it. Stop getting all shmaltzy ass.”
….
Kidd bawled. “Willy! I miss you!” he yelled, tears streaming down his cheeks. “Cork!! I miss you!!”
“Willy’s still alive, you fuck!” Stefan hurled a pebble at him and smacked his nose, then turned his head towards Lance and Ewan. “Can we call him ‘alive’?”
“I am alive!” Walyn popped out of Kidd and protested.
“Ghost!” Lance shrieked.
….
“Do you miss uncle and aunt too?” Ewan asked Nana as she rested her head on his shoulder, feeding her the ripped meat after blowing on it—she licked the seasoning left on his fingers.
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“Not when I’m with you,” she said.
And the rest retched at their overt display. “Kill me now!” Kidd screamed.
“I’m so glad I don’t have eyes…,” Stefan uttered.
“Make me blind too!” Lance hollered.
….
Stefan sighed on his eleventh glass. “I feel guilty getting all happy with you guys,” he said, then blew bubbles into the liquor.
“Shut the fuck up, you blind bat! Stuff your face with meat!” Kidd jumped on him while Lance held him down, and they shoved several skewers worth of meat in his mouth, almost choking him.
“Boss, take out another bottle, drown him!”
Ewan grabbed Kidd’s hair, pulled him back, and shoved a bottle in his mouth, laughing maniacally. “Chug, you bitch! Chug!”
“Not me…Bos--” Kidd gurgled, the rum spilling everywhere.
“Men…,” Nana commented from the side, munching on the meat. “That was expensive too…”
…
…
…
The thundering squall sobered them all up, the wintry rain chilled their nerves, and they woke up with synched groans to the soothing smell of petrichor, the drenched campfire gone cold for long.
“There was definitely something in that bottle,” Ewan said, rubbing his throbbing head, grunting, the trees wobbling before him, while Nana tried to go back to sleep on his chest.
“I’m never drinking again, Boss,” Kidd said in a hoarse voice.
“Me neither.” Stefan echoed the sentiment.
“You guys are weak,” Lance said, a stream of drool dripping down his chin.
A crack of thunder rumbled in the ashen-gray clouds, and they groaned again, the ring lingering in Ewan’s ears.
“Someone, make it stop…ugh,” Lance said, curling on the floor. “I want to vomit.”
“You’re the weak….” Kidd barely finished his words when the retch came, and he puked his guts out on the campfire. His trigger broke the dam, and Stefan and Lance followed soon, adding to the stench. Ewan held it in, resisted the urge, looked away, but the reek still got him, and he vomited on Nana’s head…
….
“Yesterday and today never happened,” Ewan said with a grave face. “You guys understand? Nothing happened, we’ll never talk about it ever again.”
“Yes, Boss,” Kidd saluted. “You never puked on Sae’sa.” A stifled titter came from Lance, and Ewan looked daggers at him.
“Never happened,” Ewan repeated, running his fuming eyes over the three, daring them to utter another word or a chuckle. “Let’s deal with the children quickly and move on, we need to get back to Fallsard soon,” he said, then looked Stefan. “Stefan, give me the spell circuit, I’ll do it.” Though the soul-based spells weren’t his forte like the Whispered path, his stronger spirit could balance the gap, hopefully.
“No.” Stefan took a deep breath. “I’ll do it.”
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