By the seventh day, Maria had grown better at managing his guilty conscience. Whenever he started overthinking, he simply slept it off. Was that a healthy way to cope? Probably not. But what else was he supposed to do? Open up to Enanon? Not in a million years—and never again after the shameful slip the day before, when he accidentally admitted his fears to him. The memory still made him cringe.
So, naps it was. It beat marinating in the silence, which only fed his anxious thoughts. Trying to make conversation with Enanon was as useful as talking to a wall—scratch that, a wall was less judgmental. Enanon only ever opened his mouth to throw cutting remarks at Maria.
Maria sighed as he woke up from yet another nap. He dragged himself to the bathroom, his leg still aching a little, but healing well enough. After doing his business, he returned to bed and stared at the ceiling, contemplating whether to indulge in another nap.
The sheer inactivity was driving him mad. As a thief, Maria was used to staying busy. If he wasn't stealing, he was gambling. He always had something to do. But Enanon wasn't having any of that, sticking to Maria like a shadow, clearly not trusting him to stay out of trouble.
Maria hated to admit it, but Enanon's vigilance was effective. He couldn't sneak out even if he tried. His grand plan to sneak off to that horse race? Thwarted. His restless mind? Now, just as caged as his body. He glanced over at Enanon, who didn't seem the least bit affected by the monotonous routine. Typical.
He sighed for what felt like the hundredth time that day.
That evening, something broke the monotony. Enanon did something out of the ordinary. For the first time in seven days, he got up from his usual spot—and to Maria's surprise, transformed into his human form. And not just any human form, but a half-naked one.
Wearing only loose pants, his upper body was on full display, and Maria couldn't help but notice that Enanon's body looked like it had been sculpted by the gods. Well, that's probably because it was. Maria huffed a small chuckle, shaking his head at the irony.
Enanon began stretching, his movements fluid and graceful, as if warming up for something intense. His hair was tied up, with a few loose strands framing his face, and his toned biceps flexed with each movement. His torso bulged with muscles as he continued his routine, shifting effortlessly between different stretches before transitioning into push-ups.
Maria, with nothing better to do, watched the whole show. It was impressive, sure, but he'd never admit that out loud. Enanon barely broke a sweat after minutes of intense workout variations. The guy did five different types of push-ups before moving on to sit-ups. Then came more rigorous exercises—each one more demanding than the last, but still, Enanon barely looked fazed.
As if that wasn't enough, Enanon calmly stood up and walked over to the wooden closet. With little effort, he lifted the entire thing and moved it to the other side of the room. Maria couldn't help but raise an eyebrow—was that really necessary?
Enanon then returned to his spot and began practicing punches, kicks, and jumps as if he was testing the manoeuvrability of his human form. This time he covered more ground—Maria can see why he moved the closet now. He moved with such precision that Maria, as a thief, couldn't help but be impressed. Not a single floorboard creaked under Enanon's weight, and he flawlessly avoided any squeaky spots on the floor. Enanon would make a good thief.
By the time the sky turned orange, Enanon had finished. He let his hair down, his sweat-covered body glistening in the fading sunlight. His eyes briefly met Maria's, snapping him out of his trance. Maria realized, with embarrassment, that he had been staring the entire time. He flushed, quickly looking away, but thankfully, Enanon said nothing about it. He looked a little too smug, though.
Maria huffed in frustration. The boredom was really getting to him. He just realized how weird it was to just stare like he just did. How could he be impressed by his jerk of a companion? 'The hell is wrong with me? Get a grip, Maria!'
He needed entertainment. Desperately.
Another week passed, and Maria was nearly out of his mind from the lack of stimulation. Enanon, to Maria's dismay, seemed content with his rigorous training routine. Maria continues his attempts to engage Enanon in conversation—yep, he hasn't given up yet— but of course, all of that is in vain.
Maria had always enjoyed chatting with others, even if the connections were fleeting. It helped keep him energized. Sure, permanent connections would be nice, but he could live without them. That definitely didn't mean he felt lonely. No way. Maria was an independent thief—he didn't need anyone thank you very much.
But being cut off from the world would drive anyone a little crazy, wouldn't it?
Good news is, his leg had healed decently by now. But, as always, good news came with bad. They were running out of money. Staying in this city was out of the question, not with Baldy's crew still potentially out there, and the adventurers' guild definitely blacklisting him as a thief (hopefully not a murderer, Maria nervously added in his mind). Other jobs in the city were risky, too, for the same reasons.
The only option? Head somewhere far enough from this mess.
"Hey, Enanon," Maria ventured cautiously, "you should just let me steal one last time before we reach our destination. I mean, you're not exactly thrilled that we're tight on money, right? This would definitely help us out in the long run!"
Enanon's response was immediate and chilling. His eyes narrowed with utter disdain. "Have you forgotten your words, human? You vowed to stay out of trouble. Keep your word if you value your well-being. I am forbidden from ending your life, but do not think for a second that I cannot remove your limbs and still keep you alive."
That shut Maria up real fast. He silently thanked his lucky stars that he had voiced his plan before acting on it. He had just saved his own skin—and his limbs. But the question lingered: why had Enanon waited this long to drop that particular threat?
_______
Finally, they were departing. Destination, the Town of Ala.
Which is very far away.
By foot.
"Hah..Enanon.. do i have to carry all this by myself? Can't you carry at least half?" Maria asks as he tries to stretch out his sore muscles in vain.
The day before, they had gone out to gather supplies for their upcoming journey. They spent most of the money they have to procure a map and compass to assist their 8 days journey to Ala. The food and water they bought would last 3 days if rationed carefully. The last of their money left would be to pay for entry fees in Ala. Most towns do not require entry fees but highly developed towns like Ala would charge you just 40% short of city entrance fees to step foot into the town. Ala is sure to become a city in the near future.
The Kaanit region is vast, and traversing it to reach the Ala region takes more than a day. Barely a quarter into the day, Maria was already feeling exhausted. Fortunately, he had enough sense not to ask Enanon to carry him on his back like during their last trip. It wasn't that their supplies were too heavy; he had stolen treasures far heavier than this before. Stamina wasn't an issue either—after all, a thief as stealthy and slippery as Maria needed excellent endurance and agility. But walking nonstop for hours with a relatively heavy load strapped to your back would wear down anyone. His back ached, his clothes and his robe that were damp from his sweat sticking uncomfortably to his skin. His hood does not offer much relief from the sun's heat. Enanon was practically speedwalking the entire time, his relentless pace forcing Maria, who refuses to fall behind this time, to push himself harder and harder to keep up. Five hours into their journey, he was still trudging alongside Enanon, though he wasn't sure what point he was trying to prove.
To make matters worse, the only meal they had so far was breakfast. And that was hours ago at the asscrack of dawn. After two weeks of eating three full meals a day at the inn, his stomach had grown accustomed to constant sustenance, leaving him hungrier than ever. But what truly contributed to Maria's exhaustion was the unbearable boredom of traveling with someone who might as well have been a rock—silent, cold, and utterly uninterested in conversation. Actually, he takes that back; comparing Enanon to a rock would be an insult to the rock.
"If it were not for your foolish stunt, you would have been able to earn enough money to procure a horse and a cart with the money earned through doing jobs at the guild. Suffer the consequences of your own actions." Enanon berates. See what Maria means? A rock wouldn't berate him like this.
"But couldn't we have hitched a ride at least?" Maria wanted to scream. The reason they didn't is because Enanon said they needed to make a few stops that deviates from the main road which they have to go to by foot.
So far they were still on the goddamn main road. And it's been a 5 hours walk. And apparently they couldn't hitch a ride?? In those 5 hours Maria could have been sitting comfortably in a wagon!
"Don't you think this is bad for the baby??" Maria tries, desperate to save his aching back.
"Unless you perish, the boon is fine."
Maria shuts his eyes as he inhales and exhales, inhaling deeply before exhaling slowly. He then gazed up at the sky, silently pleading with the gods for mercy. As expected, none answered. Sighing and feeling his back give out a little more, his leg muscles burning a little more, he pressed on.
"Damn that asshole of a divine being, and damn that creepy boon," Maria cursed to himself, wary of provoking Enanon. He didn't want to risk Enanon hearing the insult and make good on his earlier threat. You know the one where he was going to dice Maria while still keeping him alive? A queasy feeling settling in his gut at both the reminder that and of how inhuman the thing he's carrying is.
Despite walking down this familiar road toward the town of Ala, Maria felt a deep sense of unfamiliarity gnawing at him. It was as if he'd become detached from the world, separated by the heavy burden he now carried. How could he not feel this way when treading beside a being so far removed from the normalcy of life? He, too, was now saddled with a responsibility of equal magnitude—one that left him feeling like a different man. A new man, but not in any of the good ways. He was stuck on a higher pedestal than the rest of humanity, with a red-haired jerk as his only companion.
As they passed by people on the road, the gap between them and him felt like a chasm. They were normal, and he wasn't. Their struggles, their responsibilities, were things Maria would trade for in a heartbeat, but he couldn't even begin to explain the cosmic mess he was entangled in. He wasn't just another face in the crowd; he was part of some grand prophecy. While others chatted freely, voiced their complaints, and lived their lives the way they wanted, Maria was stuck with Enanon—a being who wouldn't even throw him a bone of conversation.
It was... depressing.
Maybe it was the silence getting to him, feeding him these heavy, existential thoughts. Or maybe it was the lack of interaction altogether. He needed a distraction. Badly. He wanted to talk. But the only company he had was his antisocial, stone-faced companion. He sighed. Anything was better than letting his mind stew in this self-pitying soup.
So, for the nth time, Maria tried to break the silence.
"Hey, Enanon, why don't you tell me a bit about yourself?" He says cheerily slinking closer to Enanon who had kept a 3 foot distance from him the whole time they walked alongside eachother.
Enanon didn't even spare him a glance, moving away from Maria to regain their previous distance.
Maria felt his eye twitch. "You know, just to fill the silence?" He tried again.
Nothing. Of course. This would be a very interesting conversation if Enanon would just cooperate—Maria is quite curious about the lives of divine beings in the celestial plane. But, alas. No matter—Maria was nothing if not persistent. If Enanon wouldn't join in, then he will be the audience.
"You know what? I'll go first," Maria said, taking a deep breath before launching into a tirade, spinning tales of his life before all of this, before the prophecy, and before he found himself in this ridiculous predicament.
He started with a flourish and it only got better from there. "There was this one time—I swear, it was my best heist ever. You wouldn't believe it. I mean, I didn't even know what kind of jackpot I hit. I swipe this bag, right? Just a routine grab. But when I open it up later? Bam! An antique watch! And not just any antique—this thing was practically shimmering with worth. I pawned it off and earned myself 400 gold coins. Easiest score of my life."
His divine companion gave a long-suffering dull sigh, but Maria barely noticed, already rolling into the next story, animatedly gesturing as he spoke. "Oh, and then there was this one casino. I was down to my last bet, practically staring ruin in the face. But the universe? Nah, it wasn't gonna let me lose that day. The stars aligned—I'm telling you, it was like magic—and boom! I win the pot! Everyone's jaw dropped. You should've seen them—complete disbelief, like I'd just pulled a rabbit out of a hat. Felt like a god in that moment. Of course," he added with a laugh, "my luck tanked right after, and I lost it all. But hey, you know what they say—when one door closes, another opens! And this time, the door was attached to a guy wearing the shiniest brooch I'd ever laid eyes on."
He winked, flashing a devilish grin. "By the time we brushed shoulders, let's just say that brooch had found a new home."
Maria's stories were clearly over-the-top, his gestures exaggerated, and his tone dripping with pride. He wasn't just retelling his past—he was basking in the memory of it, even as his divine companion seethed in silence.
Living through the memories again brings him a sense of comfort and it was easy to lose himself in his tale, their water pouch a constant weight in his hand as he mindlessly takes a swig everytime his throat is parched from all the talking. He fails to notice the glare Enanon has been sending his way ever since he took their precious water supply for himself.
He was in the middle of retelling his epic escape from the mansion walls of the local baron when his divine companion couldn't take it anymore. "I tire of your incessant yapping, human. Save your breath and saliva. Keep this up and the water we have in stock will run out before we arrive anywhere."
Enanon glares as the human looks at his right hand as if just realizing what he has been doing. Then the human had the audacity to look sheepish.
"Oh oops. Sorry...."
Then a couple of seconds later— "So... what about you? Got any interesting stories?" The human asked as if silence burned his tongue if he didn't speak for more than a couple of seconds.
"No." Came Enanon's curt reply.
After that the thief tried to remain quiet. Enanon should've noted the keyword "tried". It was only an hour until the thief couldn't contain his mouth anymore and started yapping away again.
As soon as Enanon heard the human take out the water pouch again to soothe his self inflicted dehydration—this damn fool—Enanon swiftly snatched away the water pouch. He ignores the pout the human sends his way.