Atlas lifted his chin haughtily as he stretched out his hand, "Give it to me."
Sebastian arched one eyebrow as he asked with slight uncertainty, "What? You want me to hand you the fish?"
Atlas inclined his head with a scowl, "If not, what did you think I wanted? Of course, I know how to gut a fish. I've done it before."
Sebastian gazed at his stretched fingers, waiting expectantly. Sebastian sighed and told himself internally, that he hoped he wouldn't regret this.
He thrust the lifeless fish in his hand. Atlas wrapped his fingers around the cold, lifeless fish to place it on the ground closest to the blazing firewood.
Sebastian twitched his brow as he asked with confusion. "What's the point of giving you the fish if you are going to place it back on the ground? Just after I picked it up."
Atlas regarded him with a shrug, but the cocky gleam in his eyes revealed he was enjoying this, getting under his skin. He replied with a smug smile, "I need to find something."
He rose to his feet as he wiped the residual moisture from the dead fish against his damp pants, leaving them dark-smeared.
Sebastian's nose grimaces in distaste. He whispered to himself, "I need to get him some new clothes soon. He's not wearing that anymore."
Sebastian watches him saunter around as if he is looking for something. The grim determination in his dark eyes is vivid and clear. He wipes the sweat off his forehead with his elbow, avoiding the hand that touched the fish.
His eyes narrowed as his gaze scanned the ground, from one direction to the next. He crouched down as his face contorted in pain, and then his hand began to rummage through various leaves and dirt.
Sebastian tilted his head curiously, "What are you looking for?"
Atlas said casually, "I need to find something sharp to cut the fish."
Sebastian noticed beads of sweat forming on the side of his face. He recalled he had a knife in his pocket.
His hand delved into his damp pocket, not expecting to find it. He had been really busy for the past couple of months, and it's possible he had lost it.
His hand brushed against the cold surface of a sharp edge. He withdrew it and saw that it was the hunting knife in his palm.
It was the knife he took from Atlas in the beginning.
Sebastian called out with something that couldn't be detected in his tone. "Hey. Come over here."
Atlas shakes his head and his hand continues to feel around on the ground. "Wait. I'm quite sure there are sharp rocks around here."
Sebastian was amused by his obstinacy. He rose to his feet and ambled toward Atlas with the hunting knife in his hand lazily.
Atlas turned around with a questioning gaze. "What is it? I was busy."
At his obstinate tone, he was somewhat feeling exaggerated and frustrated when he wouldn't listen to him. He thrust his hand forward and his fingers splayed out toward his chest.
Atlas's face dropped down in bewilderment and his eyes grew wide with astonishment. There was a trace of stuttering in his next words. "I–Is that my mother's knife? Are you returning it to me?"
Sebastian noted he didn't respond to anything or made any moves to seize it. He placed the knife in his hand. Both of them stared into each other's eyes without exchanging words.
He strolled back toward the firewood and reclined back on the ground with a weary sigh. "Come and prepare the fish. I don't want your injuries to open again. Use that knife instead of looking for a worthless rock."
He could hear his footsteps as he sat back down next to him. He inquired with uncertainty, "Does that mean I can keep it? You're not taking it back? Are you?"
Sebastian waves his hand lazily in clear dismissal. "It was never mine. It's yours."
Sebastian lies on his side and observes Atlas working. Atlas held the blade tightly in a familiar grip as the fish was gradually sliced from its neck to its belly.
A quality of dark blood flowed from its belly where intestines were visible. The air was thick with the scent of blood, stirring a growl of hunger from Sebastian.
Sebastian hadn't eaten in several days. He needed to consume something before he gave into his predatory instincts.
He'd planned to find something to eat after Atlas drifted off to sleep, find an unfortunate prey to feast on, and hopefully quench his cravings.
The nearby sounds of scraping captured his attention. His hand tucked under his chin as he saw Atlas scraping the fins, and scales, and removing all the fish innards from its belly.
He set the innards on the side and tossed the unnecessary parts into the flames. The flames had surged in size and the order was producing an unpleasant scent. Sebastian asks casually, "Do you want me to wash the fish to remove the blood, scales, and everything else?"
Atlas's face bobs in approval and told him, "Yeah. I would appreciate it."
Sebastian took the fish from him and kneeled across from the pond. His hand sprayed cold water over the fish as the blood sinks into the murky water. He rinsed the fish and got rid of the fins and scales that weren't edible for eating.
He rinsed the blood off his hand with the cold water before heading back. He handed the fish to Atlas who took it and used the knife to cut it into smaller parts.
Sebastian watches him with interest as he picks up a small piece of branch and inserts it with the meat. Atlas looked at it with a fixed gaze.
Sebastian asked curiously, "What is it?"
Atlas said with a hard swallow, "I don't have any seasonings. I need to find some."
Sebastian reclined with the branch in his grasps while Atlas walked toward the trees to collect various leaves.
Altas returned and sat back down as he chopped them into little sizes. His hand spread the diced leaves over the raw fish, and placed it in the fire.
Sebastian watches the fire sizzle the fish, making a crispy sound as the smell of the fish produces an awful, repugnant scent that causes Sebastian to lean farther away from the flames.
Sebastian asked casually, "Who taught you to gut a fish?"
Atlas wore an unreadable look on his face as he focused on the cracking flames. His eyes were empty for a brief moment before he responded, "My mother. She started teaching me to hunt when I was a little boy."
Sebastian tilted his head, clearly confused. What was that? Why was his tone so flat? By the way, where's his mother?
Sebastian softly inquires. "What happened to her?"
Atlas narrowed his gaze, which appeared darker than the night. His legs sprawled out in front of him lazily and his fingers tapped rhythmically against his knee. He whispered in a haunted voice. "My father killed her. I saw it happen when he ripped out her heart."
A stunned silence filled the night at the shocking information, interrupted only by the crackling and popping noise from the flames.