Reima was famished. She had known from the start that adjusting to life in the desert wouldn’t be easy, but it hadn’t occurred to her just how little the Felids actually ate. The majority of their diet consisted of the various wild plants that grew in the area such as legumes, cactus fruits, and whatever other weird shit they happened to find. They had also managed to cultivate a few hardy crops, namely onions, grapes, and berries, but with thirty-one mouths to feed they were consumed quicker than they were able to grow.

Meat was a rare find, as any game worth hunting down was also targeted by the ghouls. Small rodents and lizards would sometimes wander into town only for some lucky bastard to catch it and scarf down an extra meal that week.

Reima thought back to the previous evening, when she had witnessed Kyo snatch a bat out of thin air as it glided over his head. This didn’t go unnoticed by Omen, who was quick to advance on the younger guard. After a brief exchange of what Reima could only assume consisted of death threats and smartass remarks, Kyo found himself scrambling against Omen’s vice-like grip and trying to dodge his furious and snapping teeth. The sight reminded her of a pair of stray dogs ripping each other apart over a scrap of garbage, and part of her wondered what would have transpired had Falon not intervened.

Reima sighed as she leaned against the balcony rail of the saloon. Maybe if the gods were feeling merciful, the rotting wood would crumble under her weight and she would fall to her death, putting an end to the throbbing headache and desperate moans coming from her stomach. She never would have thought she’d miss the tasteless gray goop and cardboard flavored ration bars fed to the soldiers in the Vanguard, but oh, what she wouldn’t give for some of that delightful disgustingness now!

She stole a glance over at the roof of the building adjacent to the Red Saloon where Kyo was now basking happily in the afternoon sun’s blazing rays. Though she could see that his ribs protruded from his side with each breath, his expression was relaxed and more content looking than Reima had seen in the one week she had known him. No doubt, she knew, from the extra meal he’d caught for himself the previous night. Was this really all she had to look forward to now?

A loud clank startled Reima out of her thoughts and she turned to find that Shergar had joined her out on the balcony. At his feet was a large metal bucket filled with what Reima recognized to be the same weird spindly jerky things he’d offered to her during her first night in Felidae.

“What’s this?” she asked, not entirely sure if she meant the question literally or figuratively. She blamed the headache for that one.

“Ranchlas!” Shergar replied beaming while his one visible eye shone bright with enthusiasm. “Your tummy loud. I help!”

Reima still had no idea what a ‘ranchla’ was, but the boy was obviously proud of them and his eagerness to share his food warmed her heart. She imagined it must have taken him a while to gather such a large amount of them, and she certainly wasn’t in any position to refuse such a generous offer of precious nutrients, however sketchy the source looked.

“Thanks, Shergar. I owe you one.” She flashed him a grateful smile before picking out a handful of ranchlas and popping one into her mouth. The taste was quite bland with a crispy outer texture, though the center had a mushier feel to it. There was a strange sense of familiarity to it that Reima couldn’t quite place. Chicken, maybe? Right, since they obviously have plenty of those running around, the sarcastic voice in her head scoffed.

Focused entirely on the only food she’d had in days, Reima failed to notice Kyo sit up slightly, propping his upper body weight on his elbows as he turned to stare at her. “Is that what I think it is?” he called over the slight gap that separated their buildings.

“Fuck off, bat boy!” Reima snapped without even bothering to look at him. “You’re not getting any!”

“Cute. Real original,” Kyo commented with a roll of his eyes. “Trust me, I don’t want anything to do with your... snack. But please, humor me for a moment. Do you have any idea what it is you’re eating right now?”

At his question, Reima noticed Shergar, who had been glowing with enthusiasm just moments ago, now sat with his head down and was shifting uncomfortably in his seat while avoiding eye contact. Reima turned her head and glared at Kyo suspiciously.

“What the hell are you talking about?” she asked, tossing another ranchla into her mouth.

Kyo gave a sly smirk as a mischievous chuckle escaped his lips. “I can tell you,” he offered with a raised brow. “But once I do, I can’t un-tell you.”

“Quit screwing around and spit it out already!” Reima badgered, getting irritated.

“Interesting choice of words,” Kyo said. “Take another look at what you’re holding, then think long and hard about what Chef One-Eye here just told you.”

The former soldier sat in silence for a moment as she processed his words. Then after about five seconds it finally clicked and she began hurling and spitting the remnants of Shergar’s special delicacy over the side of the balcony. “Have I been eating tarantulas?!” she roared as Kyo exploded into a fit of laughter.

“I said that…” Shergar said quietly, looking hurt as he watched Reima begin frantically licking the rotting handrail in a state of pure panic.

“Dear gods, what the hell is going on up there?” a sharp female voice snapped from the ground below. Reima glanced over the railing to witness Falon plucking remnants of chewed up spider and saliva out of her long red hair. She held a lightweight bow handcrafted out of elm and strung with sinew in her hand and a suede quiver stocked with arrows was hanging from her right hip. The elegant black bird painted down her face with its wings spread across her striking sapphire eyes only seemed to intensify the annoyance radiating from her soul.

“Well if you must know…”

“Rhetorical question, Kyo. I don’t actually care.” Falon interrupted. “What I do care about is the wellbeing of this band, and as you know, our current food situation is looking rather dire.”

“So I’ve noticed,” Kyo scoffed. “But what are you coming to me for? What happened to your usual party?”

“We’re trying, Kyo, but there’s just nothing around!” Falon exclaimed. “The more people we have, the further we can expand our search. The twins have already gone ahead to scout around the base of the mountains. You and I will head north towards the canyons and see what we can find there. Vanguard!” She turned her attention toward the balcony, where Reima was tenderly pulling splinters out of her tongue while Shergar looked on anxiously.

“Bleh?” Reima glanced over while still holding her tongue between her fingers.

“You’ll help too,” said Falon.

“Ha-ugh??” Reima stared at the redhead, eyes wide with surprise.

“What’s wrong?” the blue-eyed Felid challenged. “Is the pampered little Gedarian feeling too woozy to lend a hand?”

Reima cleared her throat and spit out a few more wood fragments before shaking her head. “Of course not. Shergar and I will look further east,” she offered, casting the white-haired boy a playful smirk. “I have no idea where I’m going though, so I hope you don’t mind being in charge of directions,” she added.

“Um…” Shergar averted her gaze and began fidgeting nervously with a button on his shirt.

“Don’t waste your breath,” Kyo grunted as he slid off the roof and landed gracefully next to Falon. “The guy is useless. He hasn’t done shit for this band since Kaito and Gennaro dragged his half-dead ass into town two years ago.”

Reima felt her blood boil. “Are you fucking kidding me?” she snapped. “He’s done more for me in five days than you’ve probably ever done for anyone in your entire life!”

“What the hell could you possibly know about me?!” Kyo snapped back.

“Enough!” Falon’s voice rang out over their escalating tempers. “Nobody is going east, Vanguard. You’ll be joining the two of us,” she explained. “Kyo, your comment was uncalled for. It’d serve you well to learn how to think before you speak. Now then, both of you go and mark up. We’ll leave as soon as you’re ready.”

“Mark up?” Reima echoed quizzically.

“Yes,” Falon replied. “Though now that I think about it, you wouldn’t be familiar with that practice, would you?” She didn’t give Reima a chance to answer before continuing. “I hate to delay this longer than necessary, but I suppose it can’t be helped. Shergar, would you mind taking our newest addition to pay Saela a visit?”

Shergar gave a small nod and began gently tugging on the sleeve of Reima’s Vanguard jacket to follow him. The former soldier looked back and forth between him and Falon in a state of confusion.

“What does she mean by mark? Who is Saela? What does this have to do with food? Can someone please explain?” she pressed as Shergar led her downstairs and out the door past Falon.

“Relax,” the redhead told her. “A mark is simply an extra layer of protection from ghouls. You shouldn’t leave here without one.”

Though still suspicious regarding what was about to happen, Reima didn’t argue as Shergar continued to half guide half pull her down the street. She couldn’t help but notice how surprisingly strong the boy was despite having such a shy and timid personality. Suddenly remembering Kyo’s harsh words from before, her eyes subconsciously scanned Shergar’s figure curiously.

Beneath the slim fit navy blue vest and slightly baggy white button up shirt, she could tell he was a fairly well sculpted individual. Unlike just about everyone else in Felidae, he didn’t seem malnourished at all. In fact, he had a decent amount of muscle on him. Physically, he seemed more than capable of doing his fair share of helping out. All he really needed was a boost in confidence, she figured.

“I meant what I said back there, you know,” Reima spoke up, breaking the silence as they continued further up the street.

“Huh?” Shergar turned his head to see her out of his uncovered eye.

“You’re not useless,” Reima elaborated. “Aside from Kaito, you’ve been the only person to show me any real support and help me adjust to being out here. Sharing your food, your living space… it really means a lot to me, and I don’t think I ever thanked you for that. I couldn’t have asked for a better friend.” She offered a warm smile and Shergar just blinked as he stared at her in stunned confusion.

“I… friend?” he asked, tilting his head slightly as if unfamiliar with the concept.

“Well, yeah!” Reima laughed at his bewildered reaction. “I’d like to think we’re friends at this point, right?” she asked.

She could almost see the gears turning in his head as he made a genuine effort to process her words, but eventually she saw his eye sparkle and he returned her smile. “Friend,” he finally agreed.

The pair continued through the main street before veering off behind some trees and up a slight hill. There, hidden amongst the shoddy run down remnants of the larger buildings, was a tiny log cabin that someone had clearly put a lot of effort into cleaning up. It had a warm golden glow to it, signifying the fresher and stronger wood from which it was made, and although clearly an expert hadn’t built it, it appeared sturdier and better shielded from the elements than the rest. It had a single intact window and there was no evidence of broken glass or rusty nails lying around.

“Ms. Saela?” Shergar gave a light knock on the door as he called out.

“Shergar? Come on in, dear,” came the reply.

He pushed open the door and Reima stepped in after him. The room was softly lit and cozy, with light streaming in through the single window while a few burning candles placed upon a wooden hutch illuminated the back. The cabin was small enough that the hutch took up an entire wall, and it was lined with various knickknacks, paintbrushes, and bowls. Next to it was a bed with a soft faded quilt. The frame was intricate in detail and hand carved, and a woman in her mid to late thirties sat on the edge. Her shoulder-length blond hair draped around a smiling oval face and she wore a casual silk gray dress with a floral pattern that draped over a round and very clearly pregnant belly. The bags under her soft hazel eyes indicated a certain level of fatigue, but her rosy cheeks lit up as she cast her visitors a welcoming smile.

Standing at the bedside and holding a tray with water and what appeared to be some kind of medicine was a teenage girl with long light brown hair tied with a pink ribbon. She wore a dark brown leather vest over a light brown tunic and had a tan skirt that reached down to her ankles. A long scar ran across her throat and her light grey eyes were wide with curiosity as her gaze fell upon Reima, but she quickly refocused her attention to the woman sitting on the bed, holding the tray out to her expectantly.

“It’s alright, Talia. I’m feeling much better now. Thank you,” the pregnant woman said softly.

Talia turned and placed the tray down on a small table near the door, gave her a stern look, then pointed at it before brushing past Reima and exiting the cabin without uttering a word.

“She’s a stubborn one, that girl,” the woman chuckled before turning to face her guests. “It’s good to see you, Shergar. What brings you here today?”

Shergar turned and pointed to Reima, who was standing behind him. “This is friend,” he said.

“Um, yes…” Reima added awkwardly as she stepped to stand further in front of him. “Sorry for the intrusion. My name is Reima. Are you Saela?” she asked.

“I am,” the woman confirmed. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Reima. Gennaro mentioned we had a new addition to the band. How have you been adjusting?”

Before Reima could answer, there was a loud clatter from behind and she whipped around to find that Shergar had bumped into the table and knocked over the try, spilling the cup of water and various herbs all over the floor. He looked up with a panicked expression. “S-sorry… I go now.” He quickly scampered out the door, leaving Reima flabbergasted.

“H-hey!” she shouted after him. “You can’t just trash the place and run off!”

“It’s quite all right, dear,” Saela laughed. She stood up off the bed and went to pick up the tray, but Reima moved faster.

“Here, let me get it,” she offered, setting it back on the table and scooping up the mess as best she could.

“Thank you, you’re very kind.” Reima could hear the relief in Saela’s voice as she sat back down. “Well, I can’t imagine you came here just to clean my floor. Is there something I can do for you?” she asked.

“I’m not really sure, actually,” Reima admitted. “I’m supposed to go on a hunting trip with Falon, but she said I needed to come see you about a mark first?”

“I see,” Saela murmured. She stood up and waddled over to the hutch across the room where she proceeded to take a bowl, brush, some berries, and a strange black powder. “Then you’ve come to the right place, dear. Just leave it to me.”