The fruit tasted sweet and every bite made a crunching sound in his mouth. He was savoring the food when he noticed a movement on the corner of his eyes. A dirty cat was staring at him.
Lev turned his head and stared back at it. The cat took a quick glance at the fruit and looked back at him again as if telling him that he wanted to take a bite too.
"Do you want some?" Lev asked. "But cats don't eat fruits though."
The cat was still staring.
"Why am I talking to a cat?" Lev turned around and walked away while finishing his small meal. He planned on exploring the village, the lake, and the forest.
I'm still hungry... I wish I could have a proper meal... Lev rubbed his stomach and fixed the hood to properly hide his head.
"It's definitely starting to get cold here," Lev said as he hid his bare hands in his pockets while looking around at the people that were walking past him. He observed that most of them were wearing gloves that were either hand-knitted or factory-made, but all of them had something in common: it was made of cotton.
After touring the village, he planned on visiting the lake. The lake could be easily located, he just needed to go the direction of the mountain range.
Lev was still conscious of his surroundings, he constantly held his hood or fixed the hat that was underneath it.
In the next following minutes, he arrived at the lake. It was wide. It clearly reflected the sky and the alps, it was a sight to behold. On the lakeside was an old man that was sitting and looking at him. He was holding a fishing rod, beside him was a campfire that was burning, sticks were stabbed on the ground beside the fire and cooked fish were thrust on the opposite end. There were three sticks with three cooked fish.
"Hey boy! With the grey eyes and oversized jacket," The old man called. His voice was mellow and it was full of authority. "Do you want a piece of fish? I have a lot to spare."
Lev looked around to see if there were other people in that area. After seeing that there was none, he pointed a finger at himself and asked, "Me?"
"Yes, you. Is there someone else that has grey eyes and an oversized jacket around?" The old man chuckled. "Bring your cat here too, he looks hungry."
Lev turned around and looked down, and there he saw the same cat, but the difference now was that it was ferociously staring at him.
"That's not my cat," Lev remarked.
"Well the cat followed you around didn't he? And based on the look that he's giving you, he's definitely angry," the old man said and placed the fishing rod on the ground. "Come, eat," He gestured his hand, inviting them.
The cat quickly ran and sat beside the fire, where it was warm and cozy. Lev followed. He sat on the ground and placed his hand towards the fire, palms facing it.
The old man took a stick and placed it on the ground near the cat. He took another and offered it to Lev.
"Thank you," He shyly said and in a low voice. He extended his arm and accepted the old man's offer.
Lev took a bite and his eyes went wide. "Delicious."
He never had tasted a fish that tasty when he was in the mansion. It had a mix of saltiness and had a touch of sweetness on it. The meat was soft and flavors gushed out every time he chewed.
"Hahahaha. I'm glad you enjoy it. What's your name, boy?" The old man asked.
"Lev," He replied while his mouth chew the food. For some reason, he felt comfortable talking to the old man.
"What a nice name," He complimented.
The cat was enjoying his meal. His tiny paws held both ends of the fish while his face was digging the body of the fish.
The old man caressed the cat's body and said, "You should take care of this cat."
"Wait— what?" Lev yapped.
The old man chuckled. He grabbed a bite on the fish and said, "You should take him in. Who knows, this cat might play a huge role in your life."
"I don't know..." Lev shrugged. He looked at the cat that was heartily eating his meal and he felt sympathy towards him. "I'll think about it," he added.
After all, Lev was not a cruel person. He may not seem like it but he was the type that put others first before himself, but that 'others' only imply to the people that are close to him: Kaz.
After finishing the meal, he threw the stick on a kindling fire that slowly burned it. The cat also finished the food and was just sitting there.
Lev stood and thanked the old man.
"Thank you for the food. It was delicious," Lev looked at the dense forest that was afar and continued, "It's my first day here and I still have to go around and explore the valley. Mind if I take my leave, mister...?"
The old man stood and Lev noticed that the old man's eyes were golden colored.
"Just call me S'datel," The old man introduced himself.
"What an... odd name," Lev honestly said.
S'datel chuckled and responded, "We have distinct names back in our place, but you can call me Soz."
"I see. I'll see you around Mister Soz," Lev slightly bowed his head. He took his leave and walked to the direction where the dense forest line was situated.
The cat looked up to S'datel. He radiates a comforting and a unique aura... He thought while enjoying the relaxing comfort his aura brought.
S'datel looked down at the cat and chuckled, "I think you should follow the boy."
The cat looked at Lev and hesitated for a moment. He wasn't sure if it was a good idea to go with him. But at least it was better to have someone rather than being alone. The cat walked and followed Lev.
Near the dense forest, Lev turned around and saw the cat following him in a distance. He shook his head and sighed. He went closer to the cat and crouched down
"What do you want? You've already eaten," He slightly raised his voice.
The cat jumped at his shoulder which made Lev flinched back and land on the ground in his rear. He was frightened at the cat's action and thought that he was attacking him. He looked on his shoulder and saw that the cat was looking back at him.
"Hey, what's wrong with you?" Lev growled.
The cat swept his gaze at the forest and didn't say anything. Lev let out a heavy sigh and slowly stood up. The cat tried to balance itself with all the motion that was happening, leaning left and right, front and back. Lev continued to venture down towards the forest.
Upon reaching the edge of the forest, Lev took a quick scan around to see whether there were people around. There were some. They were either collecting firewood or searching the ground for mushrooms, herbs, or whatever it was they were looking for.
"The forest is really dense, huh?" Lev commented. He entered the forest and started to explore the area.
"Don't go too deep. There are some wild animals living in there," The man that was collecting firewood warned him.
Lev nodded. He continued walking and looking around. The trees that were on the edge of the forest were thin and sunlight passed through its leaves. The ground was full of dry leaves and every footstep made a loud noise, crushing the dry leaves' exoskeleton structure. There were also some green plants and mushrooms that were standing upright from the ground.
The cat on his shoulder was warily looking around too. Its eyes were sharp verticals, ready to lunge at someone or something that would cause a threat to him.
"Wow, it goes on and on. The deeper it is, the thicker the trees are, and they grow close to each other too, making it harder for sunlight to pass through," Lev whispered as he carefully observed everything.
"I guess I'll leave the exploration for another day," He said with pursed lips. "How about we explore the village more?" He suggested.
The cat ignored him. He was busy looking around here and there.
Lev shook his shoulder and said, "Hey, at least you should say something. Meow?"
Nothing. He was still minding his own business. Lev sighed. He turned around and walked away.