Weight of the World

Chapter Fifty-Two

—The Crooked Forest—

"So, tell me, big guy always like that?" Lulu asked around the mouthful of porridge. With Mervin dedicated to healing Whittle, the others had drawn straws in order to decide who would cook that night's meal. Varel had won that contest. Lulu wrinkled her nose, recoiling sharply as her mouth opened to drop the porridge back into the bowl. "Oh, gods below, that was...what the fuck was that, Varel?"

"Porridge," Varel shrugged nonchalantly, though he too looked warily down at the bowl in his hands.

"This is...inedible," Ren made eye contact with Varel before dumping the contents of his bowl onto the ground.

"Let's be one hundred percent clear: I warned you. I warned all of you that it was not a good idea to let the Lycaon cook!"

Lulu set her bowl down, arms wrapped around her stomach as it growled loudly. "What does that have to do with anything? Don't Lycaons have to eat too?"

"Yeah, and when we do, we hunt."

"You...oh, that's disgusting. You could at least cook what you kill. What are you, a heathen?"

"What do we have left?" Ren sighed, glancing over at their supplies. "Some fish...a few vegetables...Eh, I could make it work." Standing, he made his way over to the supplies and began to prepare another dish.

Lulu's stomach growled again in anticipation. "Thanks a-bunch, Ren Ben."

"No."

"Happening. That's your name now. Ren Ben. Now, back to my question."

Silence.

"Seriously, I want to know. Was the big guy always like that?"

More silence as Ren worked diligently.

Lulu rolled her eyes. "Fine. Oh, noblest of lords, Lord Ren, please tell me, was the big guy always like that?"

"I'm not a lord," Ren finally spoke gruffly, not looking at her as he began to prepare the meal. "I'm a knight, or at least, I was in my world. Ser Oburen of Ashwyn, Dragon Knight."

"Good. I hate lords. Sers are much better. Now, the big guy..."

"I assume you mean Adix?"

"Yep. The big guy. Dude's like seven feet tall."

"Was he always like what?"

"Mean? Evil? Taciturn? Scary as fuck? Tell me something about him. My experience with him amounted to a few minutes before everything went to hell. Not much room for conversation after that. I...Honestly, I have a hard time understanding why Ori would want to marry him."

Ren hummed quietly, continuing to work without answering. Lulu waited, watching the older man going about his task, wondering if he would bother answering her at all, but once the fish was laid out upon the pan and he had set it over the fire, Ren finally let out a long sigh and raised his gaze to hers.

"Scary? Absolutely. Kid's the youngest Nightwarden in Nameran history," Ren told them.

"And that means...what exactly?" Lulu shrugged.

"The post of Nightwarden is reserved for the strongest, most capable, smartest warrior in all of Namera. Soldiers train their whole lives just for the test to become Nightwarden. To actually receive the post, the candidate has to traverse to a place beyond the sea, the city of the ancients, Khae Falairas."