The tale of Appendix

The Clearing

The grass is green where we were walking. Everything is so fucking green and peaceful in the east side, but we have to travel to the west side to get to the Epimetheus pack, across Appendix with two idiots. Luck is really not in my favor. Asteroid is so easily distracted and HAS to touch everything on our way. "Where are we going, anyway?" Asteroid asked. I guess I forgot to tell him. "We are going to seek the Epimetheus pack and with their guidance I'll access the ability of healing others." I answered without letting him know about Gemini. I did that on purpose because I couldn't trust him still.

"Are you insane?" Asteroid asked, and stopped walking. Dawn and I stopped walking as well on the narrow path surrounded by plants and trees. "We don't have all day, let's go." Dawn commanded. Asteroid looked at us with a confused look. He raised an eyebrow and then said. "The west side is infected with that virus, right? The one that makes us go coo coo!" I totally forgot about that. "They can heal others, so they are probably healing each other from the illness." Dawn said, but it sounds too good to be true. "It is a mental illness, you idiot! It's not like they can change your thought process, virus or not!" Asteroid argued. He had a point, but I have to try, for Gemini.

"Look, we don't know what is out there, but we have to try. This is really important to me so you either come with us or you go home." Asteroid seemed to have gotten my point and nodded. Why is he risking so much for this? He doesn't get anything out of it. "How come you don't heal her?" Asteroid eventually said. I sighed and then rolled my eyes at him. "Did you even study the pack tree when you were younger?" He shook his head. "We can only heal ourselves, they heal others not themselves. We can only heal ourselves from bleeding damage on the body, open wounds. They can heal other people's wounds and heal them from sickness, got it?" Dawn said. "Yes, sir idiot!" Asteroid answered and did a military greeting thing.

It was clear that they despised each other, but they both care for me. We'd reached a clearing and decided to rest there. The grass was still green and there were still plants here, but it was an open area where we could eat. I sent Dawn out to hunt for a dear to eat as Asteroid and I were getting herbs to cook the meat and to make strengthening tea. It is believed to make us stronger, faster and bring luck to us. It's done by every great warrior before a battle or a quest. The ritual was shown first to the Enceladus pack by Grace a long time ago, which eventually became a thing everywhere. Enceladus pack are the ones that own the supernatural strength ability. It is believed that their strength remained as ours went extinct because of their daily consumption of the tea.

I was basically trained for this kind of stuff instead of the fighting lessons offered to warriors because of my father preventing me, but now I see how this could come in handy. If I wasn't here, there would be no way for Asteroid or Dawn to make a meal or the tea, and know what is poisonous and what's not.I decided to have Asteroid help me because I couldn't have Dawn and Asteroid work together. We all know how that would go, and because I don't trust him wandering off he isn't hunting the deer alone. He would get himself killed because of all the possible distractions out there.

We gathered all the herbs we'd found and now it was time for me to prepare them. Asteroid was just staring at me while I did so. It would make me uncomfortable if someone else did it, but with Asteroid being Asteroid, it was quite expected. "Why did you come with us anyway?" I finally asked after what felt like hours of silence. He bit his lips probably thinking to himself for a reason as well. "Well I wanted to be with you." He said and continued playing with the stick he'd picked up from the ground. "Oh, really? We'd just met and you'd risk your life for me? Come on, spit it out. Why did you join?" I said with a look of doubt. He put down the stick and changed his sitting position, like he was getting ready. We were sitting on two different big rocks, and the last one was Dawn's, but he wasn't here yet. There where three rocks surrounding a fireplace, like it was made for the three of us, weird, huh? "Well, I don't really like being at the Methone palace with my father. You see, my mother passed and it's been difficult between us. He sort of blames me for it. He hates me a lot for it, so you and Dawn aren't the only ones." He said, with a sad look on his face. I felt with him, but I couldn't relate because I had the best father I could ever imagine. "I'm sorry." I said like an idiot. I should've said something like "we don't hate you!" or "it's not your fault!" But I just froze. I was quite shocked actually. I didn't expect anything serious or meaningful coming out of his mouth.

"It's okay. I really don't like talking about it, but something about you feels so comforting. It's like I can always trust you and telling you stuff makes me feel better, actually." What he said made me smile. He's annoying, but in that moment I saw the real Asteroid, without the arrogance and stupid jokes. I liked what I saw in him, maybe he isn't so bad after all? Who am I kidding, he is still Asteroid.