Chapter Fourteen: The Unwanted Advice

Penny had made her way back to the camp and had began eating. She was starving and had been craving the Jerky she had prepared several days ago. As she sat down to eat, she began thinking about her father and all of the Lingering left in her Father's Prison.

She couldn't be sure but going by him, They were all beyond any form of help. They existed in a world in which they no longer belonged. And time within the Prison, had warped their minds though their minds had been warped long before that.

A love so toxic that could destroy not only two people, but an entire world was something that Penny was glad she was not a part of. It all sounded far too complicated and far too emotional for her taste despite being an emotional person herself.

But she had undergone changes in a very short time. Changes that made her act less on emotion and more on logic, or so she felt. She knew that she was still flawed but she would do her best to avoid the mistakes of the past.

And part of avoiding these mistakes was by not trusting those who had betrayed her trust in some way. Even her father, Who had technically not betrayed her trust, Still needed to be kept at a distance. Because he too had made mistakes and his guidance could lead to another. Penny needed to do this on her own, at least with how she handled things. This was something that most of her allies did not seem to approve of. Control, it was always about control to them.

Keera wanted to control a narrative. Her father wanted to avoid his responsibilities and leave them in a controlled environment. Everyone wanted it, and Penny felt she was the only one who deserved it. At least, in the sense that she could have control over her life and could organize the chaos a little better.

But sometimes, chaos was needed and she understood that. Though, it always worked against her more than it did for her.

" At least, I have you.." Penny stared down at the salty slab of meat. " And you actually make me happy without costing me any more pain" Penny took a large bite down on the Jerky and suddenly, felt her stomach begin to rumble. Her tongue began to feel heavy, and she quickly jumped up and rushed to the bushes. As she released the filth from her mouth, Keera approached the camp.

" I am not trying to be a bother, I'm just here to get some food" Keera announced as Penny continued vomiting in the bushes. " Stay..stay away from the Jerky " Penny coughed, her throat was on fire.

" Okay then.." Keera looked at the bushes and then over at the rack of Jerky that Penny had prepared. She could tell that the meat had gone bad and chose to say nothing, instead she decided to eat some berries that she had collected on the way back to camp. These berries were orange in color, round in structure and packed tons of nutrients. They grew wild in the area they had set up camp, and Keera knew all the best places to pick them.

The main reason Keera had returned to camp was not for food however, she wanted to check on Penny. She wanted to see how Penny was handling everything and needed the excuse to come see her though, Penny was obviously fine outside of eating rancid meat.

" I am going to leave you some berries behind if you'd like. They are safe to eat and will fill you up pretty quick" Keera called over to Penny. " Make sure you drink some water though..you are going to need to rehydrate after you finish...in the bushes" Keera tried to hold back a small laugh.

" I know that I'm gonna have to hydrate" Penny hissed as she coughed again.

" Okay, I'm just making sure because not everybody knows that you have to do that. But don't drink the water too fast because that can also make you sick. And actually, don't drink too much of it because that can make you sick. Ya know, you'd think that something which is supoose to be good for you..wouldn't make you so damn sick " Keera at this point, was mocking Penny who wanted to yell but couldn't bring herself to do it considering her predicament.

" I'm just trying to make sure that you stay safe. Regardless of whether you want me to watch over you or not, I'm gonna do it anyway. And you can get mad at me for it but i'm just here to help" Keera added.

" I also noticed that you sent your father away, So I was going to suggest that if you needed another sparring partner, I'm available" Keera refused to stop talking which only made Penny's head ache even more.

" I am done with my training for the time being" Penny managed to utter out between coughs.

" Oh? " Keera Was surprised. " Well if that is the case, them you obviously don't need a sparing partner" Keera snacked on a few more berries before deciding to walk away. " Just remember, water, lots of water. But not too much water"