The whole group sat around the fire. Necro was immersed in her thoughts about everything that just happened... The influence from Soleir's memories was becoming stronger. 

Yet she still felt like she was herself. It was weird to say the least.

'Maybe I should try and find out about Ace's relationship with Nelphy...'

 

While thinking about such things, the food was ready. As always, Hal helped Bid cut apart and serve the food. This time however, everyone but Necro was anxiously awaiting for their piece. It had something extremely expensive that completely changed the flavor! 

Yes, I'm talking about salt. 

 

"Fwaaaa! This tastes so good!" The first person to experience it was Mary. She ate it so heartedly that it was over before Bid even cut everyone a piece. Of course, she waited anxiously for the next piece. Staring at Ace and Necro like a pleading puppy.

 

'Wow... Mary looks so cute like this... Doesn't even resemble the normal her.' Necro thought. In her head, Mary's current behavior suited her appearance a lot more. Maybe, she thought, this was normal Mary when she wasn't walling herself from others.

 

After giving everyone a piece, and Mary another one, Bid sat down and bit into the meat. Tears started flowing from his eyes as he slowly bit into the cut from the ribs and tasted it slowly.

 

"Is he always like that?" Necro asked in a soft voice.

 

"Nah... Only when eating food with salt... He becomes very sentimental every time..."

 

------

 

"Get out of here you lil piece of shit!"

 

A fat man kicked a kid out from the building into the pouring rain.

 

"The fuck you think you doing soiling this place!"

 

The man kicked again, making the kid roll in the mud, holding his stomach...

 

"But I-- I paid---" The kid managed to mutter a couple words while shriveling in pain.

 

"I give no fucks! You piece of shit were soiling my place! I've lost customers!

 

"Ghaaa!"

 

The kid screamed as the man stomped his chest, his ribs cracking under the sudden pressure.

 

"Veld! The fuck are you doing! You're gonna kill the kid!"

 

"The fuck are you complainin! He's made me lose business! And nobody cares about these disgusting street-rats."

 

The man kicked the side of the kid's stomach, making him skip on the wet stone and fall face down on the soiled mud from the alley.

 

"Awrrr.. My... Money..." The kid barely managed to growl something while staring at the man. He went down into the alley and spat on him, before turning around into the house, closing the door behind.

The kid's tears mixed with the rain water that flowed from the alley into the main street behind. And his mind went blank as his vision turned dark...

 

------

 

Memories from his past filled his mind as he bit into the salted meat. Every single time he ate food like this, he remembered what happened before he became an adventurer.

With the help of a generous and honest stall-owner, whom he helped for months, He'd managed to save a significant sum of money, and decided to get real food for the first time in his life. He didn't spare a single copper, spending all of it on getting the best dish in the place... He indulged himself into the meal after paying. It was the first time in his life... That is... Until a fat man, accompanied by a large man, pulled him from the table into the back of the kitchen.

That day, he was almost beaten to death...

 

His luck was that the very merchant he helped was one of the restaurant suppliers, and rescued him in the morning... He was a very poor man, but a good hearted one... He lent him his own bed until he recovered. 

That was the day he decided to leave everything behind... This happened a long long time ago... More time than most of his party was alive... Yet it was still fresh in his memory.

 

This very memory made him cry every time he had a seasoned meal... He never re-encountered that man. He honestly hoped he never would... The man who stole all his hard work, and denied him of even his humanity. 

The man who made him realize: Although everyone deserves a chance to live, some deserved to die a painful death.

 

Anyhow, he delighted himself with the meal... His dark thoughts were quickly washed away by the joy and playfulness of the girls. Surrounding himself with young and cheerful people had been his best choice. He knew he was the old geezer of the group. Yet since he looked a lot younger, nobody would bat an eyelid at his presence. 

 

Dinner took quite a while, not only the animal was large, but most people, apart from Mary, ate pretty slowly to savor the food.

Especially Necro. She had missed salt so bad that she almost cried when eating. One would think she'd been years without it, not barely over a day. She was quite a moody girl despite the serious face. 

 

Today, they washed the whole thing down with Wine. Not Bid's seasoned wine, just plain wine, despite his protest, so long as they kept enough left for tomorrow morning, he couldn't complain. They'd buy more the day after tomorrow anyways.

 

"Hey, Ace."

 

"Yeah?"

 

"Sorry about earlier... I was strange..."

 

"Don't worry... You are my friend right? It's okay..."

 

Ace stood up from where she was, and moved closer to Necro. Mary's mind started going in circles as she watched it. She had totally believed they had broken up or something.

Yet, Ace sat right next to Necro, and pulled her into a kiss. It goes without saying Mary was flushed. The boys were... well... boys. I mean, who wouldn't be happy upon seeing two cuties kissing? If you know what I mean. 

But it was a long, tender kiss. Not the passionate one from last night. Something had changed. 

 

After parting the kiss, the girls hugged. 

It was confusing to the onlookers, but only natural for them. This was not a kiss for pleasuring, it was for comforting. And both knew it pretty well. 

 

"We're leaving now. Good night!" Necro said so, pulling Ace up with her and going towards their tent. Mary was left staring, her mouth almost dropping. 

 

"Night!" 

"See y'all tomorrow." The first to respond was Hal, followed by Bid.

 

"Ah! Good night!" The last one, when they were almost turning to leave, was Mary, snapping out of her shocked state.

 

Everyone looked at them, until they disappeared into their tent.