The evening was tranquil, there were no Feral Runes, no emergencies or threats. The air was cool and the sunset painted the sky with beautiful colours, casting a nice glow unto the earth. But the tranquil of the environment was the opposite of the chaos that brewed in Berry's mind.
That girl…Natalie, had told him some really unsettling things, leaving him anxious and uneasy. He curled up on the bed, he had come back to Caelum's apartment, Sepehr said he would be okay and he just needed rest, the tests would start soon but they had to get everything ready in the lab.
The tests should make him happy, he learn how to control his powers, he could save the Runes, he could do something useful.
But the words of the girl rang through his mind over and over and over, so much that every time he thought about the test, her voice will come up and leave him with a sinking feeling in his stomach.
The weight of the secret she had told him, was too much to bear and if it was true what was he going to do? Go against the dragons? How would he do that? For all he knew Caelum and Sepehr had been good to him, even Asher, as grumpy and rude as he was had never tried to physically hurt him.
Then there was this strange girl who he had never met before coming in with all these accusations and theories.
I don't know what to think, he buried his head in his hands, feeling distraught. He tried to reel himself in, tried to stand for the truth he knew, Caelum literally saved him from bombs, Runes, that man and many other things, some he might not even know about. Natalie must have just been there to scare him, she might even be from the ARS.
He was still contemplating everything when the door opened, Caelum stepped in, still stoic and cold as usual. He was holding a black shopping bag in his hand, which piqued Berry's interest but he brushed it off.
Berry had been noticing how distant he had been since the incident, I thought he was warming up to me, I guess I was wrong.
He looked down at the bed, not sure what to say, just fiddling with his fingers quietly.
Before he could think of anything, Caelum spoke up, "Do you want to eat out?".
The question caught Berry by surprise, he widened his eyes and stared at the dragon like he had grown an extra set of horns. "I-"
"You don't have to if you don't want to"
"N…no I want to, thank you" he said softly.
Caelum sighed and spoke, "okay then,I got this for you" He handed the black bag to Berry.
The Rune was shocked and hesitant but he took it anyway, he curiously looked inside seeing some neatly folded clothes.
"I just thought you might want to wear something new so…I got them for you" Caelum said, scratching the back of his head nervously, "hope you like them". In that moment his gaze had softened up and he wasn't as uptight as before.
Berry looked up at him and smiled widely, "I love them thank you so much Caelum!".
Caelum felt his heartbeat quicken, seeing Berry smile made him feel a certain way he could not explain but he quickly composed himself and cleared his throat before speaking up again, "Um…you're welcome, it was nothing".
Berry turned the bag upside down on the bed and began looking at all the clothes in excitement and awe, "wow so cute".
Caelum watched him, a small smile creeping up to his lips as he saw the child-like excitement on Berry's face, yeah…so cute, he thought before turning away, the smile still lingering on his face.
"I'll go shower and get ready"
.
.
.
Berry looked around the place in awe and excitement, it was dark but the streets were lit up with different colour lamps, the place was bustling with people, humans and dragons, but no Runes…
It was a street filled with different food stalls, lined up on either side with a enough space in the middle for people to walk through.
Everyone was selling something unique, from human food to dragon cuisines, they had it all. The different aromas all blended together made Berry's stomach rumble loudly.
Caelum heard the sound and chuckled lightly, "someone's hungry", he teased. Berry's face turned red in embarrassment, "it's not my fault, everything here looks so good".
"I know, this is the best place to find street food, any dish can be found here"
"Wow, oh! Candy!"
Caelum frowned, "no sweets! Remember what happened last time!" he said sternly. Berry pouted but nodded eventually and the two went off to find something nice to eat.
Walking with Caelum definitely gained Berry some attention. The fact that he was a Rune was already enough to make him stand out, but then a Rune walking with the king of dragons, that was a higher level of absurdity.
They glanced at him warily, often bowing at the dragon or trying to avoid them all together.
Berry felt self-conscious and scared, not wanting to be insulted or attacked, but then he looked at Caelum by his side, and he felt a sense of relief, he knew no harm would come to him. I trust him, he thought, reassuring himself.
Berry eased up and found himself having a nice time, he had tried some different foods, even dragon foods and it was all well prepared and delicious, he felt satisfied but he could always eat more. Caelum stayed by his side, suggesting more things to try and often teasing him for having a big appetite.
They went to their third stall, which had lots of meats, different types of meat, some Berry had not seen before. He was busy drooling over the meat, he did not notice the tense atmosphere growing around the stall.
"Caelum! Long time no see"