Conversation by the Campfire

Lila didn't respond at first, giving all her attention to cooking the meat. Her beautiful blue eyes didn't move from them as if they could attack at any moment.

The red and orange flames of the fire licked at the edges of the stone, trying to burn the sides of the tender slices of flesh, but were unsuccessful due to the gap separating the meet from the inferno.

As the silence dragged on, however, she relented.

"I'm from Hepolis, near the straight."

Roger tilted his head and chuckled sheepishly.

"I, uh, don't know where that is."

Her blue eyes pierced him and she scoffed.

"I can already tell this will be a habit of yours. For your information, Hepolis is the capital of Europa Majoris. It is one of the five great tech cities of the world and was the city where the first spaceport was created and launched. Before Vulcan was made, Hepolis had the best forges and minds in the galaxy."

Roger could tell she was proud of her home, even to the point of arrogance.

'What is it with highborns and their overconfidence?"

Of course, Roger had only met two in his life, but the other inmates often talked about how cruel and evil they all were. They liked to keep the little man low and build themselves up at the same time.

Realizing Lila was expecting a response, Roger suddenly coughed.

"It sounds like a nice place. I think it'd be nice to visit one day."

That seemed to please her, and she settled down near the fire too.

Still, there was a large distance between the two of them. Roger was unsure if that would ever change.

"What about yourself? You said you worked in the factories right? Which ones?"

Inwardly panicking at her seemingly innocent question, Rogers's mind worked overtime to try and come up with a believable answer.

'What continents are there again? If I remember correctly, its Europa Majoris, Europa Minoris, Asia, Africa, Elysium, and South Elysium. Inmates used to say Elysium was the most mysterious, so she probably doesn't know anything about that one!'

"Well, uh, you see I am from the continent Elysium. I couldn't exactly tell you where, I just worked and tried to survive from one day to the next. Not a whole lot of value was put on school there."

Lila nodded knowingly. 

"I have heard strange things about Elysium. It was the most recent continent discovered, you know. Before the fifteen hundreds, no one on Earth knew they existed until some explorer found them. My parents told me that things over there were very strange. Elysians could simultaneously be the most brilliant and stupid people you'd ever meet."

She crossed her arms and she leaned into the fire.

"I wonder if my parents are worried about me yet. They knew I would be called over eventually, but we had thought it would be another few years at least."

That drew Rogers's undivided attention.

"You knew you were coming to Avar? The Administrator said it was random."

Lila laughed at that, the sound warm but tinged with sadness.

"If my parents knew I told you this they would punish me severely. For the vast majority, it is random, but a decade ago a mage appeared that had the ability to bless people with the ability to travel to Avar once they come of age. What age that is varies from person to person, but it's the only way to guarantee it."

Roger thought about that for a moment.

'An ability that lets people go to Avar? Isn't that a little too specific and situational?'

Lila seemed to recognize the doubt on his face, and she rushed to defend the mage for some reason.

"It was just one of his many great abilities, I assure you! He is related to the space element, so he has tons of abilities for mobility and crossing between worlds! This was just a very niche one he unlocked later on!"

Roger didn't know why she so fervently wanted to defend the mage, nor why it seemed to make him a little angry.

'I wonder if he was close to her before she came here? Wait, that doesn't make sense! If it was a decade ago she would've been a child! Come on Roger, stop overthinking!'

Being flustered by her outburst, Lila quickly tried to change the focus to Roger.

"So, what about your parents? Do you think they are worried?"

The mention of his parents caused Roger to ball his fists, the wounds still fresh even after five years.

He responded through gritted teeth.

"I never knew them. They abandoned me the moment I was born, so I was raised by adoptive parents."

Realizing he needed to lie to continue the story, he quickly thought up something that sounded believable.

"I ran away when I was ten because I didn't like them, and began working in the factories. I doubt they even remember me. They took in tons of kids, I was just the most recent on the rotation."

Lila looked saddened by her words, and she crossed her arms around her body tightly.

"I couldn't imagine anything like that. My parents care about me, almost too much sometimes. They just want the best for me in everything, and due to that, they want me to be the best at everything. Especially because my brother…"

She pettered off after she mentioned her brother and turned pensive.

Realizing she had an audience, she put on a fake smile and flipped the meat, looking around dramatically.

"Well, that doesn't matter right now. The meat is almost ready, do you want some?"

'What's up with her? Does she not want to talk about her siblings?'

Although Roger didn't know why she cut off after thinking about them, he understood.

His adoptive parents gave him tons of siblings, and he hated all of them. They all thought they were special and better than him, trying to put him down to raise themselves up. 

One of the best parts of going to prison was never having to see those brats again.

'I bet her brother is like that so she doesn't want to think about him. Well good riddance, I hope she forgets him. For her sake, of course.'

Noticing he had not responded to Lila's question, he piped up.

"Yes, please. I would love some."

The teenage girl stood up and put some of the meat on another small piece of flat wood, placing it down near Roger but not quite handing it to him.

Taking the offered meal, Roger picked up the strip of meat with his fingers and bit off the end of it.

Despite having no seasoning, it was still one of the best things Roger had eaten in a long time. Since entering prison, at least.

He practically moaned as the succulent flesh melted in his mouth, each bite bringing out more and more flavor from the roasted tiger.

He couldn't help himself but gorge himself on it, eating the entire slab within minutes, before greedily licking the juices off his fingers.

'Oh gods, if I knew that coming to Avar would let me eat food like this I would've asked the Administrator to take me sooner!'

Each bite was like a small slice of heaven, cooked just for him. It was life-changing.

Looking up, he noticed Lila had barely taken a bite of hers, and was instead staring at Roger with wide eyes.

Glancing behind himself, he saw nothing was out of the ordinary. 

So why was she staring?

"What's wrong? Is there something on my face?"

His words shook her out of whatever trance she was in, and she looked away.

"It's nothing. I have just never seen someone with an appetite so… strong. In the future, I will have to make more."

Although he didn't really understand the first part of what she said, he did know what the words "make" and "more" meant, and he smiled from ear to ear.

'I would happily chop wood every day if it meant I got more of her delicious cooking!'

As she slowly ate her meal, Roger found himself at a loss for what to do except stare at her. 

After a few minutes of doing just that, he grew increasingly self-conscious until he couldn't take it anymore. Standing up, he looked around the clearing and realized they didn't have anywhere to sleep.

"While you finish up, I'll dig some small holes for us to sleep in. That's the best I can do for now."

Taking her silence as affirmation, Roger grabbed the shovel and began to dig two shallow ditches near the fire to serve as their beds. They were only a few inches deep but should break some of the harsh winds from hitting them during the night.

By the time he was done, Lila had finished, and the sun was almost hidden behind the far-off hills.

It was about time to go to bed for the night.