Valkyrie Demons

Chapter 26

The little holes in the cave walls turned out to be very large homes. Unfortunately we have to share a hole. I'm sharing mine with Crystal, who wasn't very excited about it when she gained consciousness. We were showed around the cave, which wasn't very big, I might add. There were a few small waterfalls here and there, with green patches of grass or moss gathering around it. At the far end of the cave, there was another exit which led to fields. How they manage to sustain it, I have no idea. The exit must have been a portal because there's no way you can grow crops in this place.

At some point a bell rang somewhere, signaling the beginning of dinner. I didn't know how they knew what time it was because you can't see the sun. A bonfire was blazing in the middle of the cave by the time I got there, surrounded by a bunch of logs where people were sitting.

"The line starts there. If you were wondering," Martin points toward another hole in the cave where a line was forming.

"I know. I was just admiring the fire. How did you get it so big?" I asked, walking to the back of the line.

"We call them firelighters. " I look at him in suprise. "Not the ones they use in the human realm off course. That would be impossible," Martin laughs nervously.

"What is it then?" I ask, interested.

"Well, basically, it's a stone. If you throw the stone hard enough, it sparks. Once the spark ignites the wood, the rest of the stone melts away, leaving behind a long lasting, not to say big, fire."

I noticed he uses his hands when he talks. I'm so lost in the way he speaks that I forget to answer for a moment. The tips of his ears turn a faint pink colour and I realize he's embarrassed.

" I - It's dumb really. Just a trick of nature - " He shuffles his feet, looking ready to flee.

I grab his arm before he can take a step back. "It's not dumb. I find it interesting actually. I just forgot to answer for a moment because I like the way you speak." I put my hands over my mouth, not believing I just said that.

"I - I didn't... Did I say that out loud?" I groan while covering my face with my hands. "Oh my goodness."

He laughs silently, pulling my hands away from my face.

"At least now I know." He winks at me, walks to the hole and grabs two plates. Technically it's not so much a plate as a flattened rock with an edge, but beggars can't be choosers.

He hands one to me and suddenly I smell the delicious scent coming from the 'kitchen' . My stomach growls, loudly. Martin turns toward me in shock, laughing.

"When was the last time you ate?"

"Uhm this morning." I give a small smile, not wanting to talk about the day's events.

I don't know what expression he saw on my face, but he just nodded and moved forward in the line. The food turned out to be some sort of soup. It smelled wonderful, although the brown colouring was a bit off putting.

"Sit with me?" Martin asked when we both had our food.

"Sure."

We sat on the part of the log closest to the fire. The food was absolutely define and I ended up with a second and third helping. Afterwards, it felt like if I moved, my stomach would burst. So we stayed there by the fire for a long time, talking.

For some strange reason, I felt the urge to tell him everything that happened. He didn't say much afterwards, except that I would be safe here and that if I ever wanted to talk about it again, he'd be there to listen. We moved on to safer topics after that, thankfully.