Bane of the Elements

27

Adara shoved her sleeping pack back into her bag. The fire had gone out overnight and the morning dew made the cave colder than they had felt it before. Adara was thankful to be leaving it this morning. They had only been there for a day but Adara was already ready to be back to sleeping in an actual building.

Rio on the other hand had seemed to be used to it. She woke up refreshed, as if she had slept on a cave ground every day of her life. Having been in the army, Adara wasn't sure she hadn't.

"Come on, let's get going!" Rio rushed them.

Adara made eye contact with Nasima who was equally as annoyed to have been woken up after a rough night on the cave ground. That was definitely one thing they had in common.

She slung the pack over her shoulder and followed Rio out of the cave. The other goddesses followed behind. They finally started their journey. The sun had just begun to rise, casting a light pink hue across the sky. It was beautiful but not worth the chill of the morning air that came with it.

Rio carried the map in hand, leading them across the terrain of broken buildings. As they walked they came across a small family home, the window much like the one Adara had in her home. The building styles were the same. She was so close to home. If Adara closed her eyes she could picture she was in her garden once again, picking fresh strawberries from the vine.

Strawberries.

A fever dream came back to her. She hadn't remembered it long after she woke up but for some reason it came back to her now. The cake, the sand, the blood. So much blood.

Her home didn't offer her the memories it once did. Now the dream she had, had tainted it. Leaving nothing but a trail of blood in the wake of her childhood memories.

"Everything ok?" Keithia asked, seeming to notice Adara's silence.

She nodded, slightly surprised she was speaking to her. After what Adara had said she didn't expect Keithia to be so forgiving. It worried her slightly, what had happened that she cared so little?

Still, Adara was thankful to be forgiven. She hadn't had many girlfriends after she moved away to get married and when she came back many of her friends had children and had moved on. She was alone for a while, with nobody but her parents. It was nice to be with another group for once. She had finally expanded her family. Keithia was a big part of that, she had been first to take Adara in.

"I'm here if you need to talk," She reminded her.

"I know," Adara replied.

Keithia took this as the end of the conversation and moved up to walk beside Rio. She seemed happier than before, as if something had happened to cheer her up. There was a newfound pep in her step.

Adara wondered if it had anything to do with Rio.

They had gone off on their own adventure, leaving Nasima and Adara worried. Mostly just Adara, but still. Then they had come back hours later, both smiling like fools. Not to mention they had put their sleeping cots beside each other. Closer than any friends would.

It wasn't possible though. They had spent most of the time hating each other, perhaps they were just becoming friends?
Adara shook off her thoughts as Rio stopped, shushing them all behind her. The goddesses went quiet, listening for whatever it was Rio had heard. She signaled them behind a wall. They crept quietly, though they didn't hear a thing, they trusted Rio enough.

Surely, moments later a few of the creatures snuck by. It seemed as though they were playing with each other, wrestling as they screeched at each other. Adara's heart was beating fast from anticipation and fear.