The group stopped for a bit to gather some supplies to help them with their trip. Hero was trying his hardest to mask his tired face, but Zeke noticed something isn't right, "Hero, sit down, we don't want you doing so much work." Hero couldn't argue with him and gave the sticks he collected to Zeke, he sat on a log and took a nap. Iris curiously peeked over at Hero, she noticed how stress and tired he seemed these past few days, and she caught him reading in the middle of the night when he was supposed to be asleep, she wanted to reprimand him for such careless actions towards his health but never did. "Is he always this stubborn?" Iris asked to no one in particular though Alex heard her, "Hero, yeah, he always try to help even if it's not needed."
"The kid has a one-track mind." Zeke said,
"He's very stupid when it comes to having his way." Iris huffed thinking about how they started 'dating?'
"Every shut eye isn't sleep." Hero mumbled,
"You think we don't know that." Alex responded placing the pot on top of the stack of wood Zeke placed down.
"Time to set this on fire." Zeke announced aiming his arrow at the wood, "Flames of Life." he mumbled, the arrow caught on fire and Zeke shot it at the wood.
"Yes!" he celebrated as the wood caught fire. Alex then sat in front of the pot and put vegetables and different ingredients into it. She stood over it, stirring for a while.
"Is it almost done yet?" Hero asked,
"Not yet."
"Why is it taking so long, shouldn't it be done yet."
"You don't want to eat raw food right."
"Yeah, but when I cook it usually takes five seconds."
Alex was bewildered by his claim but didn't think much of it because she saw what Hero can do. From jumping higher than anyone or thing, to teleporting to places he's been to before.
"Actually, Hero, why don't you teleport to the spring."
"I tried, to much energy in this area, it disrupts my quick travel." He quickly answered.
"Why don't you absorb the energy in the air."
"I am absorbing it right now; it's just not the type I can feed off of."
Iris sat next to Hero while waiting on the food, Hero instinctively placed his head in Iris lap so that he can be more comfortable. "So, Zeke, are we almost there yet."
"Unfortunately, we're not."
"Really, we've been driving for three days now." She complained while petting the now sleeping Hero's head.
"Yeah, to be honest when me and Hero use to travel together the ride use to be filled with a lot of worry because hero was usually in a catatonic state. So, I feel like I should say thank you to you and Alex, not on Hero's behalf but on my own. I just can't think about having to deal with the silence as I worry about what will happen to my best friend."
"Don't mention it." Iris responded.
Soon the food finally finished, and Alex took it up, Iris gently woke up Hero and placed the food in his hands while eating her own.
"Woah this stew taste amazing Alex." Iris complemented, Zeke and Hero agreed.
"Thank you it's a family recipe."
'That's probably why it took so long.' Hero thought to himself, still not understanding the concept of normal cooking. As the group was enjoying their meals, they didn't notice the thing watching them from inside of the bushes hungrily licking its lips as it began to approach them. The being emerged from the shadows and growled at the group. Hero was the first to notice it and quickly jumped up getting ready to fight if necessary though he dropped his bowl by accident. The creature hissed at him and ran to the bowl quickly scarfing down the food. Hero was upset but the creature was even more upset that someone dares try to interrupt its meal,
"It's just a cat." Iris said annoyed by how ominously I'm describing the creature.
"It may be just a cat, but these 'things' leave fur everywhere and believe they own the place." Hero complained. Iris and Alex ignored him as they picked up the small tabby kitten and played with it.
"You know what's just as cute as a kitten Zeke?" Alex asked.
"What?"
"Children."
"Yeah, I guess so." Zeke blindly responded cleaning up the bowls and placing one bowl down for the cat.
"Have you ever thought of starting family Zeke."
"Yeah, I guess so." Zeke blindly responded again. Alex wept.
Hero glared at the cat, praying that they wont adopt it,
"Hero didn't you want a pet?"
"I wanted a turtle."
"This is close enough, the cats yours now."
Hero wept.
The went back on the cart and started riding.
"Guys we're going to pass through a town soon. We will stop to collect some supplies then we're going back on the road."
"Yes sir!" They all responded.