Freezing Wings

Chapter 36

After making sure nothing was in here with us I walked over to what the Kymari had dropped.

It was a large box, the top bolted down with a simple press-release lock. I quickly got it open and looked inside, only to find three bowls the size of mattresses. Each of them were full with something different.

I picked up the first bowl. It was packed full of red clay, and I sniffed at it, but it just smelled like earth. I set that to the side to inspect later, digging through the gift box of things the Kymari chose to give to me as presents. The next bowl had a metal top on it, and when I shook it, a liquid sloshed inside.

I sniffed, and under the scent of copper there was a familiar smell, one that I smelled all the time. It was ice water. I pried the top off, bending it into a U shape and setting it aside to become a snack later. The bowl was filled to the brim with clear water, and when I smelled it, it smelled like the lake, pure spring water. Evidently, there were no drugs in it, so it was safe to drink. 

After setting that to the side I picked up the last one, the one that smelled of meat. The top was copper, like the last one, and it got bent out of shape and set to the side with the first, revealing a welcome sight. 

There were hunks of meat, venison, beef, veal, chicken, and even a bit from the slow aliens that still wandered the forest. Overall, it was a good hundred pounds of pure protein, and I salivated at the sight of it. My stomach growled, releasing a demonic cry to the sky, practically screaming for food. A hunger pang stabbed at me and I winced, my claws extending subconsciously.

 However, instead of digging in like my body practically begged me to, I  picked up the bowl of food, putting it down next to Lucas. He was still knocked out cold, his breathing steady and his face peaceful. 

I was healing up just fine, but he was not. That chunk of neck missing was a testimony to the fact that just sleep was not going to help with recovery. I could just eat copper and be fine, but the lackluster amount of nutrients in common metals would not be enough to propel his recovery. If I had about twenty hope diamonds I would be more confident, but I didn't. The nutrients and protein in raw meat would help even more than regular copper, it would be better for him to eat it than me. 

I nudged him softly, shaking him gently with one hand. At first there was no response, but after a few seconds of gentle coaxing he shifted, a large sigh coming from his figure. He curled up, like a cat, his tail lashing and his good wing covering his eyes. I bumped his snout, not letting him go back to sleep. 

I didn't move from my spot, the shakes increasing in force. Eventually, after ten minutes of not so gentle coaxing he finally roused, rubbing his eyes and groaning softly. I sat down on the ground, keeping eye level with him. 

He yawned widely, displaying a full set of sparkling white teeth and burbling like a baby, his words slurred from sleep. His eyes opened halfway, the grey colour darker than usual. He took a deep breath and sighed heavily, his head weaving through the air like a newborn. 

He looked at me, his eyes drooping for a moment before widening, startled at my appearance. He was directly in front of me, and our noses were only about five inches away from touching. I flinched  back, thrusting the bowl in the place my face had previously occupied. 

I turned away, the words falling out of my mouth like a waterfall as I tried to create a larger distance between us."The Kymari gave us this to eat. You were asleep so I woke you up before I had anything. You need some protein so you can heal faster."

Lucas sat up, wide awake now. He didn't say anything,  but I could feel his eyes burning into my back as he picked up the bowl. After a long silence, I finally glanced back to see why he was so quiet, only to find that he hadn't touched a single morsel.