The scent of roasted meat drifted through the forest's clearing.

Fat dripped into the fire and hissed while smoke coiled lazily into the air.

Two more Horned Hares sizzled on wooden spits, their exposed skin crisping in the heat.

Akane was in front of the flames, seated on a large rock. Her eyes were fixed on the burning logs and branches. The orange glow reflected in her pupils as her mind wandered.

She still couldn't believe she had wielded fire. She had the memory of it happening, but it was still hard to believe.

Her parents and those who lived in her natal village could use magic.

Ice Magic.

They could freeze water, conjure ice, shape snow… Even some of the children could use such Magic, but Akane was unable to for the longest time.

Even now, she was unable to use Ice Magic.

Having been told as a child that she was strange because of her hair and pelt, it made a bit of sense now.

Red against white. Fire and Ice.

'Could that be it? The reason why I was different? Could it be that simple? But-'

But as soon as the thought bloomed, her father's face came to mind, along with the vision of his back standing dozens of steps away, and of the great pillar of fire descending upon him. Her chest tightened and,

"Eat." Amon said as he offered her a cooked hare's leg.

Akane blinked, and her tail flicked.

"Thanks." She nodded shyly and took it.

Akane grabbed the leg, tore into the meat, and chewed hungrily. Juices ran down her chin, but she didn't care. It was blissful.

Seeing her eat so energetically, Amon couldn't help but let a chuckle out. "Why didn't you say you were hungry? Plenty of food around here." He said, glancing at the woods surrounding them.

She swallowed hard, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. "I got used to it, I guess. To being hungry." Akane stared at the hares cooking for a bit. "Got used to not talking about being hungry. When I did, they still wouldn't give me anything, so..."

The words slipped out casually, but they carried a weight Amon didn't miss.

He looked away, scratching his chin. "Let's keep it that way, huh?"

"...?" Akane raised an eyebrow.

"Next time you're hungry, go catch us something."

She immediately pursed her lips and lowered her gaze, clearly embarrassed. "I will." Akane said with a nod after a moment. "I'll get food next time." She nodded again, and brought the hare leg to her mouth.

In moments, the bone was bare, and Akane was staring at him again, expectant.

"You should eat more," he said, offering her another piece of meat. "You're too skinny."

"Aha?" She narrowed her eyes, though her lips curved faintly. "Planning to fatten me up before eating me yourself?"

Amon snorted. "Nah. I like my meals with more muscle. And maybe a bit more fat."

Akane's brow arched. "Is that so? You like your women meaty, huh?"

"Yeah," he replied while scratching his chin. "Kind of like Syl."

Akane clicked her tongue and rolled her eyes. "Well, excuse me for having been starved."

"Not your fault." He shrugged with a chuckle.

Akane leaned back slightly.

"Syl… So that's your type, huh?"

"Well, I wouldn't say that I have a type, but…"

"But you do!" Akane laughed, pointing at him with her index finger. "You totally do!"

"I do not." Amon sighed. "You're not hard on the eyes yourself."

"Oh, not hard on the eyes, huh? Oh, gee, thanks. You know how to lift a woman's spirits after she's been through a lot."

"But that's the thing, isn't it? I don't know what you've been through."

"Hm…" Akane scratched her cheek. "I guess that's true."

When it came down to it, Amon only found Akane in a cage. Which, while horrible in and of itself, wasn't a lot of information. He did not know how long she had spent in that cage, how severely they had starved her, and… Plenty of other things.

"So, Syl, huh?" Akane muttered, opting to keep the mood light rather than delve into heavier things.

"Well…"

Before he could retort, the forest shifted. Leaves rustled violently and branches snapped in the distance.

"...?"

"...?"

They turned at once in the direction from which something was approaching.

Akane froze mid-chew, her ears swiveling.

The sound grew louder. Closer.

"Huh…"

Akane tilted her head. "You've got to be kidding me." She muttered.

The leaves and branches were split and,

CRASH!

A figure burst from the treeline before hitting the ground hard, causing dirt and leaves to scatter in every direction.

The figure groaned. Tangled hair fell over her face.

"You have nothing to do with this?" Akane asked.

"Nothing at all." Amon answered.

"You told me that you had nothing to do with the Hobgoblins."

"I did."

"Well? How do you explain this?"

Amon simply shrugged.

"You mentioned her, and she shows up out of nowhere?"

He stared for a moment, before shrugging again.

Syl's face lifted. Her chest rose and fell sharply, her amber eyes widening when they landed on the two sitting calmly on opposite sides of the fire.

Amon and Akane stared back at her.

Then, in perfect unison, they each took another bite of roasted hare.

Syl's mouth parted in shock. 'These two…?'

Akane's eyes narrowed as she studied Syl's body.

Her hands were bound tightly behind her back, and her green skin was streaked with blood, her muscular frame cut and bruised.

"How does it feel," Akane asked, her voice low and her tone edged with sadism, "Being the one held captive?"

'Fuck…' Syl cursed, her teeth grinding together and her gaze slowly falling to the ground.

'Wonder what happened there.' Amon thought to himself. His gaze darted from the fallen Syl to the seated Akane.

Finally, Akane cleaned the bone of all meat, tossed it aside, and stood up. "Looks like you're in trouble."

Syl did not raise her gaze.

"Should I help you," Akane asked, crouching right in front of the bound Hobgoblin. "Syl?"

'I'm staying out of it for now.' Amon thought to himself as he took another bite of roasted hare.

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