The Hunted and The Hunter

"We're never going to find him."

"Seraph, I swear, if you say that one more time..."

"Well, what else do you want me to do, Lubbock? I've even forgotten his face already. What's the guarantee he hasn't? I mean, he did leave all of a sudden. Maybe it dawned on him that I wasn't a guy worth having breakfast with. Better be left behind in the dark of night and-"

"Shut up!", Lubbock completely refused to listen, "If you knew what would happen, you wouldn't be saying this."

"If only! Why don't you just educate me on the subject, then?"

Lubbock stopped walking. We were in the middle of some really desert-like place and though we were covered from head to toe, standing idly made you feel like there was no such thing as wind there and the sun was coming down to melt you right down to the bone.

"Seraph", he turned around to face me, wearing a frown, "Do you remember I told you I saw Lady crying?"

Indeed, he had told me that. And I found it quite shocking. I nodded.

"That is my first memory of her. The first time I met her, she cried", he said.

I stared at his face, dumbfounded. Beads of sweat rolled down my face and I could feel the heat burning up my head. In contrast, Lubbock was blooming as always.

"But it wasn't me that she was crying for. Valhalla wasn't meant to be a stationary organization. She meant it to be a band of travelers, unbound by any region and class. But that day...the day I met her, she made up her mind. She decided to create a home for the Valkyries. But living there meant that we couldn't live anywhere else. Once you die, Seraph, you can't go back to the living. That's the rule. The most important rule that must be withheld at all costs."

He still carried an angry look.

"But, even if you say so, would Lady really want us to kill him?"

"We don't have time to make that judgement", saying, Lubbock continued moving ahead.

He didn't say anything for a long time. From the look on his face, I could tell he was thinking back on something. I wished Mer Claire hadn't ever come to the inn so we wouldn't be hauling ourselves through that desert to find him. In the first place, there was no guarantee we were heading in the right direction.

"I'm hungry."

"What?", Lubbock suddenly stopped midway and muttered something, his head hanging on his chest.

"I'm hungry!", he repeated.

Maybe he wasn't as deep in a thought as I had been imagining.

"Then just eat something, you metalhead! How come you have a stomach, anyway?"

"Well, the human part of me needs nutrition, so of course I can't have a metal stomach", he continued, "Anyways, I didn't pack much food. And its gone anyway..."

"What?! What do you mean, gone? Where? It hasn't even been a full day! How little did you pack? We'll die! You hear me?! We'll die out here!", food wasn't something we ever compromised on.

Thus, we walked on without eating anything, yelling at each other. That was the usual with us. I believe we didn't even know where we were headed anymore. The only saving grace was that the sun was halfway down so we were expecting some rest soon. Still, without food, there was no way we were going to go on much longer.

"Why were you in such a hurry? You had one thing to do!"

"We were losing him! I had to hurry!"

"Yeah?! Like we've found him now?"

"You aren't any use, so just shut up."

"You were supposed to bring my food too, you junk piece!"

We had some money on us. So if we were able to find a town or even a gypsy, we would be able to buy food. But chances were thin for either of those. In the end, it ended up being a gruesome day in the desert, followed by an even worse night. We'd left without a considerable breakfast. So it was a given we'd be groveling in the dirt, with our rumbling stomachs.

"We could catch a snake..."

"Gorgons are all you'll find in this part of the world. They taste like rocks."

"Sounds good to me."

"Seraph, you can't chew them."

"Oh..."

By the time the sky was chock full of distant galaxies and stars, we'd run out of the last bit of our energy and were just lying there, staring at the sky with our arms sprawled beside us, helplessly.

"If only you weren't born with that face...", Lubbock muttered.

"If only we hadn't gone to that inn...", I answered.

"If only I'd been sent alone on this mission...or with Deli", he sighed.

That reminded me that Deli had been unconscious when we'd left. Since I was the one who roughed her up in our duel, it was only right that I should feel a little concern. Was she awake and alright by now? How long had it been since we were gone, again?

"If only...he didn't know me...", I thought to myself, knowing how ridiculous all these wishes were.

"We'll die", Lubbock finally admitted.

Dying of hunger of all things seemed like the most pathetic way to keel over.

"Ah...I can hear it coming...death...", though it was probably a wild animal coming to eat us. We didn't even have enough energy to hunt it. Still, for a wild animal, I thought, it moved way too carefully.

"I don't think its death...its someone real", Lubbock said, as if death wasn't real.

If only we'd sat up and taken a clear look at the incoming mystery, we wouldn't have been left wondering for such a long time whether it really was death approaching, or something more real.

"Ah, sorry to interrupt but...", whatever it was that was moving so very cautiously, finally made it to us, "I've laid out some traps here to catch the snakes. But they wouldn't be successful with you relaxing here. I realize how inconvenient my intrusion is but...it isn't really safe here, good sirs."

"..."

I believe Lubbock and I shared the exact same thoughts in that moment. We dared not move an inch for the time, collecting ourselves to make the best possible reply.

"It's him!!!", Lubbock and I were communicating telepathically (not quite literally), "He found us! We were looking for him! But instead he found us! He's him! This absurdly eloquent fancy man! It is him!"

"Err...good sirs?", he stood leaning over us.

"Hun...."

"Pardon me?"

"Hungry!", Lubbock burst out.

"Lubbock, you bastard! How is that the first thing that comes to mind right now? Don't you feel ashamed, asking for help from your enemy?!", we were once again communicating telepathically.

"It is the stomach that said that. Tomorrow's enemy is today's friend, they say. You just need to learn to adapt, Seraph."

"You're rotten to you core, you junk!"

"Hungry?", Claire asked, "Are you hungry? Out of food, are you?"

"Hmmm", Lubbock replied briefly but with utter dignity.

"Well, would you like to share my rations? I can spare enough for the night. If the traps work, we'll be fine. So, if you won't mind, I'll..."

"We won't mind sharing your food. But do you know there are nothing but gorgons here?

"Ah yes, indeed, I am aware."

"They taste like rocks."

He chuckled, "They aren't a delicacy, for sure."

"No man. You can't chew them", Lubbock clarified.

"Why, of course you can. It's all about the right way to cook them. If we can catch some, I'd like to treat you. For now, would you like me to carry you to my camp?"

"Oh, you'll carry me? Well, if you insist", Lubbock wasn't holding back on taking advantage.

"Please don't bother with that. We'll walk with you, of course. Thank you for your offer, Mr. Claire", I finally intruded, sitting up.

I was sure Claire would be a bit surprised to see me here but equally happy too.

"Ah...", he looked at me, perplexed and shocked, "Don't mention it. But...how do you know my name, sir?"