It had taken them the remainder of the day to get from the stone forest to the outskirts of the forest where they were currently taking a break. There wasn't much distance left to get to the Bamboo Forest so they decided to let the horses rest for a short while.
They had stopped near a stream which the horses and themselves could use to quench their thirst. Once the the horses had recovered enough stamina they would make the final bout through the open plains and arrive by morning.
They had made a small campfire to eat and keep warm as the cold night breeze swept in. Craig and Maeli sat near the campfire, roasting two small animals that resembled rabbits.
Greymont was lying a short distance away, looking at them. He was still adjusting to the huge change that took place in his life and chose to remain silent.
"You've never eaten Manicou before?" Craig asked Maeli with a surprised gaze.
A Manicou was quite similar to a possum. They were black and white with long, thin bodies and long pink tails. They had a head of a rat and long whiskers. They were scavengers that mainly came out at night to feast on fruits and small creatures such as insects and rats.
"Why would I watch this rat-like abomination and feel that it's edible." She said with a look of disgust. "Do you take me for a wild savage like you?"
Craig gasped as he feigned feeling offended. He smiled as he turned the meat over, "Well then, prepare to become a wild savage along with me. I'm certain as long as you try it you'll be begging for more."
Maeli looked like at him from the corners of her eyes. "What makes you think I'm going to try anything." As soon as she said this, a low grumble sounded from her stomach. She looked away in embarrassment as she inwardly cursed this forest. The only edible thing that was available at the the moment were these disgusting rat-like abominations. The same abominations that had cleaned out all they fruits in the vicinity, leaving only seeds and nuts scattered all over.
Craig laughed mockingly. "Oh don't worry, just give it a few more minutes let the fire really bring out the flavor." He repeatedly turned the pieces of meat to let the flames evenly cook on both sides.
Greymont looked on with an amused look on his face. No matter how these two said they weren't a couple he felt otherwise. He truly wanted to see what was about to happen, as if they were putting on a play.
A few more minutes passed by with Craig tending to his supper. Sure enough, as the meat approached readiness, a delicious and tantalising aroma filled the atmosphere. It smelled like a delicious meal was being prepared at a banquet. How was that even possible when it was just plain roasted... rat.
Maeli couldn't help but look at the meat on the fire as the scent assailed her nostrils. She also noticed the teasing smirk on Craig's face as he looked at her. She turned her head away in denial.
"It should be ready now." Craig said as he grabbed a stick with a piece of meat and waved it a few times in the air to get it cooled down. When he thought it was cool enough he took a test bite to sample the flavour. "Mmmm, damn this tastes like heaven." He began praising the taste in order to taunt Maeli. "Delicious." He looked at Greymont and made an offer. "Want some?"
"Sure." He replied, unable to resist the temptation of how tantalising it smelled. As a Transcendent, his taste for raw meat was no longer as strong as before. He had eaten many unusual things during the time he spent with that mysterious elf woman. He had yet to try manicou roasted though, however he had eaten it raw before.
He caught a piece of meat in his mouth as Craig tossed it over to him, starting to chew right away. In the blink of an eye he had devoured it. "Hmmm, It really is quite tasty." He said as he stood up and walked over to the fire, grabbing another piece with his mouth and returning to his prior spot.
"Haha." Craig laughed in approval. "That's more like it. You and I will certainly get along quite well." He was looking at Greymont whilst saying this so he didn't notice Maeli picking something off the fire. Only when he turned back did he notice one of the two final pieces missing. His expression froze as he looked at Maeli, who had turned to face away from him. He closed his mouth and smiled, picking the last piece off the fire.
He got up and walked over to her side, extending his hand before her. "This is the last piece, do you--"
He didn't even finish the sentence when Maeli quickly snatched it out of his hand without looking at him. She turned to the face the other side, not saying a word. In each hand she held a stick pierced into a piece of meat. She took her time as she took small bites off of one.
It was a rare sight to see Maeli act this stubborn and cute at the same time. Craig didn't say anything and simply went back to his seat, smiling in satisfaction, knowing that he'd won against her. She couldn't resist the tempting aroma and flavor after all.
"Hahaha." It should have been over, but Greymont suddenly started to laugh. He laughed so hard it was even a bit creepy. "The two of you are killing me." He said as his laughter slowly died down. He was truly amused by the two of them. So much so that his entire downcast mood was uplifted.
"I never expected being killed by someone could cause one so much joy." An unexpected voice suddenly came from amongst the trees as Rakan walked into the open with a strange look in his eyes. He had already arrived for some time now, and was quietly observing the situation. Contrary to what he had speculated, Greymont wasn't dead and was in fact, laughing joyfully with the elf he had thought had betrayed him.
The atmosphere immediately plummeted into a haven of frost as Craig, Maeli and Greymont all stood up and cast cold apprehensive gazes at Rakan. They all sidestepped, drawing closer to each other bit by bit.
"What are you doing here Rakan? " Greymont asked in a cold tone. His uplifted mood had instantly dampened upon his arrival. He had already prepared himself for a fight if need be.
Rakan snorted in disdain as he walked further into the open. "I'm certain that this time around you are the one who's in MY territory." He exclaimed, looking displeased. "It seems I have guessed wrong about the incident that took place in your territory. All that blood and the scent of death, a large burning fire." His sharp gaze locked onto Maeli. "I assumed she was the culprit... But, from the looks of things..." He stopped speaking, shifting his gaze onto Greymont. He didn't pay any attention to Craig.
Greymont narrowed his eyes, making it seem as if he were frowning. "What happened in my territory is no concern of yours. You can leave, there's nothing for you here."
"Not my concern? Whatever trouble comes your way also poses a threat to me, how could it not be my concern." He rebuked in a deep grudging tone. He wasn't wrong, at least. Whatever was life threatening for Greymont was life threatening for him as well. If he didn't keep his eyes and ears open he could very well die without even knowing how.
"Hah." Greymont found Rakan to be extremely funny. "Since when do you feel threatened. Don't bother with the lame excuses, it's pointless. I will tell you this however, if you're truly concerned for your life and well-being you should leave this forest as soon as possible." He warned indifferently.
"Why do you say that?" Rakan asked in curiosity, ignoring Greymont's prior comment.
Greymont didn't have any good feelings toward Rakan. He was holding back his anger as best as he could for the sake of avoiding conflict. He only decided to mention this to him to rub the idea of how weak he was in his face. "The culprit behind what took place in my territory is a terrifying beast, unlike anything you've ever seen. At my peak strength I was no match for it, unable to stop it form massacring my entire pack. I barely escaped with my life hanging by a thread. I hope you heed my words." He cast a condescending gaze at him. "If it were you you'd certainly be dead."
Greymont's words cut Rakan like a knife, damaging his ego. His expression darkened as he growled in anger, yet he didn't say anything to rebuke him. Instead he was much more curious about the culprit Greymont was referring to. "The culprit, what was it? Another Transcendent like us?"
Greymont shook his head with uncertainty. "I don't know what it's supposed to be. It stands tall, walking on two feet but it looks like a wolf. It's strong, it's claws are sharp and its reflexes are extremely quick. If you ever encounter it I'd advise you to run." He replied.
"Hmmm." Rakan hummed in thought. "I'll keep that mind. If it really is as you described, I might have a clue as to what it might be. If it's truly what I think it is then things are starting to get interesting." He grinned, exposing his rows of sharp pointy teeth.
"Tell us what you think it might be then." Craig couldn't help voicing a request. He was just as curious about the creature after personally witnessing it in Greymont's memories. He had never seen or read about anything like that before.
Rakan's gaze shifted over to Craig filled with murderous intent. "Food does not speak, much less having authority to ask questions." He stated coldly. The only reason he hadn't attacked them was because Greymont was present and the only person he thought was worth speaking to was also Greymont.
"It's just a simple question, do you have to be such an asshole about it?" Craig rebuked. This was the same way Greymont treated him when they first met but he was more offended by Rakan than he had been by Greymont. In fact he never felt offended by Greymont at all, seeing as he had just saved his life.
"Hmph." Rakan snorted in response to Craig's rhetorical question. He Instead looked at Maeli who had been standing there silently the entire time on high alert. "It's nice to see you again my darling little elf. You look just as appetising as before." He once again revealed his mouth full of teeth as he grinned.
Maeli's eyes narrowed as the sternness on her face deepened into a grave expression. She was deeply bothered by the look Rakan was giving her and felt disgusted by his malicious grinning. She recalled the last encounter with him and a chill ran up her spine remembering how close he had come to catching her.
Rakan, with his gaze focused on Maeli used his focused sight to gauge the unique intensity of her essence. Just seeing it made his blood boil in excitement. "Hm?" He suddenly caught a glimpse of something many times brighter glowing within Craig's chest. His gaze quickly shifted onto him as his eyes widened and his jaws split open in shock. At the same time, he felt the same thing as Greymont, a sacred sensation looming over his consciousness, bending his will into submission. He quickly disabled his focused sight and shook his head in fright.
'That same look again.' Craig thought as he cast a glance at Greymont. 'It seems he's also seen the Divine Lotus. This doesn't make any sense. Isn't it supposed to be untraceable?' Another puzzling question had popped up yet again.
"Y-you!" Rakan called out to Craig. Then He looked at Greymont. "You bastard!" He cursed at him. "They are mine! Mine!" He suddenly started transforming into his berserk state. The power within Craig's body was too much of a temptation. He immediately made up his mind to have it... at any and all costs.