Amon couldn't help but frown as he realized, water was definitely something that wouldn't fill a baby's belly but that's the only liquid thing they have.
" I think we should pack up everything and make a run for the village. Hopefully, it'll a sprint away."
Amon suggested as a worried expression formed on his face. Without any suitable food for Little One and turning back wasn't an option, their only salvation from such a predicament was the village. Amon felt pushed into a corner with the only choice left being to sprint through and hope for the best.
" And if we don't make it? What then?"
Philomel asked, invoking Amon's current fear, his mind immediately, drawing huge blanks as he confirmed that he didn't have any other plan. Amon never had someone purely depend on him before which made him angry at himself.
" Little One depends on me for a brighter future! I promised him that he would never want nor need anything ever again. Yet here he is, needing a simple meal and I can't even provide that?! No! NO! This is unacceptable!"
Amon mentally screamed at himself as he glares at all the supplies they have, pushing his mind to come up with something to at least sate Little One's hunger until they reach the next village, just until then.
" Slice up that watermelon."
Amon ordered in such a calm tone. Philomel was about to protest against feeding a baby, such a thing but all words died at the tip of her tongue when she saw Amon's eyes. His maroon eyes lost their color and looked pinker than their normal red. He was desperate and Philomel could tell by his current pink eyes. Without a word, she pulled out her dagger and carved out a small palm size piece. With the tip of her dagger, Philomel scraps off the watermelon seeds and then passes the watermelon to Amon.
" Thanks."
He muttered as he place the baby on his knee and lower his head to face Little One.
" Little One, look, look here. Nom nom nom. "
Amon chimed as he nibbles on the tip of the watermelon and then places it close to the infant's mouth. A soft sweet cold taste spreads across Little One's lips and as soon as it did, Little One starts sucking hungrily at it. The watermelon was so fragile, that the instant Little One's lips pressed up against it, small chunks fell off into his mouth. Subconsciously Little One started to imitate Amon's biting down gesture and nibble away at the watermelon, bit by bit.
Amon's face immediately lit up as he saw Little One actually eating. Philomel silently watched Amon's mouth gap in shock before curving up with a gaping smile. His eyes sparkle like fresh red strawberries as Philomel swore Amon's eyes were smiling. It didn't take long for Little One to nibble through, all the red of that small piece of watermelon. When he hit the hard skin of the watermelon, Little One glanced up at an excited Amon, still smiling with his eyes and gaping with his mouth.
" Ah!"
Little One exclaimed, demanding more. Philomel started at the baby in shock.
" Babies can eat watermelon? That doesn't seem right and yet here we are..."
Philomel commented in awe as she sliced up another piece, taking out the seeds and passing it to Amon.
" They can't?"
" I don't think so... I mean think about it have you ever heard of babies eating watermelon?"
" Well... no but then again I don't really know much about babies. In fact, before last night, I have never seen a baby up close."
Amon admitted as he feds the second piece to Little One.
" Seriously? I thought you had experience or something from the way you were taking care of him."
Philomel commented. Amon chuckled, it was something she never heard before and it was light but at the same time deep. She couldn't really find the right words to describe it but she felt glad that he was finally enjoying her company.
" It's all stroke of luck or maybe instinct? I don't really know. "
" Maybe your inner demon, they have a past too. Maybe he had taken care of a baby before."
Philomel guessed as she slice up another piece of watermelon and took a bite out of it.
" I'm not really in sync with my inner demon yet, other than using his powers to a certain limit or listening to him, blabbering. There's not really much else I can do. He can see my memories but I can't see his. A little unfair but at least he is more than willing to answer any question I ask."
Amon's gaze was glued to the watermelon Philomel was holding. Wanting a piece of the tempting red fruit but both his hands were occupied, one holding Little One in a sitting up position on his lap, the other holding the watermelon feeding Little One.
" Isn't that the same for most of our generation? The Elders keep going on and on about how we are forgetting the ancient ways and wasting the potential of our inner demons."
Philomel noticed Amon's gaze, at first, she wondered why he was staring at her like that as she took another bite out of the watermelon. With each movement of her hand, she soon found his gaze following the piece of fruit. A huge grin appears on her face as she compares Amon to a greedy little puppy. A small black labrador, trying to keep its excitement contained at the mere sight of food. Doing its best to stay in a sit position instead of leaping up on her and plucking the food right out of her hands. Knowing that if it was a good boy then he would be rewarded with more food if it just sat waiting. Wagging its little tail, furiously like it was trying to make the floor shine.
That was the only memory of a dog Philomel remembers seeing in her whole life but that didn't stop her from wanting one. She would beg her father almost every day after seeing one in the beast-tamer stables. Anubis knowing that his daughter would be understanding, once more explain that he was a tailor a rank 28 job scope, and his wife was a weaver a rank 30 job scope. They would never be able to get meat from the organization, unlike the beast tamer who had a rank 2 job scope. They simply couldn't take care of it even if they managed to convince the beast tamer to give them one. Unfortunately for Anubis, this was the only time Philomel acted selfishly. Which made Anubis appalled at the fact that she was selfish for the first time and at something he could never get.
Anubis was extremely disheartened by this, the only time his daughter ever beg him for something and it was impossible for him to get it. All he could do was tell her to wait and promise her that he would do his best to make armor get a better job rank. Anubis tried his best with the blacksmiths unfortunately Anubis didn't have the muscles and the need for his work to be appealing to the eye. Wasted much time and material for an amour that was superficial.
Philomel seeing Amon silently wanting something but not daring to tell because he was feeding Little One. Made her question if she had ever stopped her father from pursuing his dream because of her. He was willing to give up something he was great at for the sake of trying to get her a puppy but what exactly was her father's dream? Surely he didn't dream of making clothes when he was a young man. Philomel was slightly shocked that she was even wondering this, right now when it was impossible to go home.
"Guess knowing that I can't go home, makes my heart more fond."
Philomel pouted at the realization.
" I've been wondering for a while now but what exactly does your inner demon do? Mine has the ability to temporarily enhance a certain area of my body. You have seen me use it last night. So what does yours do?"
Amon questioned finally breaking 3 minutes of silence.
" Your guess is as good as mine. I never successfully call forth my inner demon."
Philomel shrugged as she reaches out to Amon with a half-eaten watermelon in hand. Amon without wasting a second, takes a huge bite out of it, whatever was left of the watermelon disappeared, just like that.
" Don't you hear your inner demon? Whispering to you in the darkest moments of the night. Don't you dream its dreams? When you're at your lowest point. Don't you feel it wanting to break free, sometimes?"
Amon questioned listing out most of his experience through the questions. Philomel shook her head to each and every question.
" Nothing. I'm starting to doubt that I even have one."
" Impossible!"
Amon immediately reassures.
" Your father Anubis, is the most sync with his demon. My father used to come home and tell me bone-chilling tales of your father when they used to be part of the Knight division. It was utterly insane. I heard your father's demon took down the current Chief's demon, way back when they were still in training."
Amon excitedly blurted out with such energy as if he was there and witness the fight. Philomel laughed at Amon.
" My dad? No way! He wouldn't hurt a fly."
Philomel waves him off as she takes another slice of watermelon and held it up to him. Amon took a bite as his gaze watched Philomel, wondering why she didn't know.
" You sure about that? Have you never had your soul break down, shivers run down your spine so hard it turns your whole body numb, and your heart twists in agony in the presence of your father's demon? Have you ever been in the presence of your father's demon?"
Amon asked as he looked at her right in the eyes. Philomel fell silent as she recalled last afternoon when her father came to her rescue and pulled the repulsive man, Asclepius off of her. She knew that her father uncaged his inner demon during that moment but all she could truly remember was Asclepius's inner demon. Breathing down her neck as his shadow licks the tip of her ear, she could feel his shadow seeping out of the wall behind her, pulling her body in as it fondle the curves of her body. The moment was so intense that her mind could barely keep up with each input and could only scream disgust as her body just wanted out of there.
For the first time, Philomel was horribly reminded that she was a woman in a man's presence and the implications that came along with that fact. Reminded how much inferior she was in terms of strength and even demon powers. How easily Asclepius could have had his way with her, right then and there if it wasn't for her father. The fear of knowing the consequences if Asclepius or his demon had their way.
Philomel never knew which demon Asclepius had received and to be honest, she was curious about it. But never has she ever wanted to find out like that. Finding out Asclepius's demon was a descendant of Asmodeus devil of lust, like that. Just remembering gave her goosebumps, even with clothes on when she was in the presence of that demon, she felt bare and that his eyes could see every curve of her luscious soft virgin body. That shivered and squirmed from just his stare.
Philomel's gaze immediately snaps back to Amon. Amon's attention was on Little One, cleaning up the sticky baby covered in watermelon juice with a damp cloth. Philomel realized that she didn't know what devil, Amon's inner demon had descended from, even if it wasn't a descendant of Asmodeus. It didn't change the fact that he was a man, and from the looks of it, a much broader man with arms, that could pin her down with ease if they caught her. A man she barely know and worst of all, unsure if she could trust.
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