Ava

19 - Her Friends

“Lady Boss!” Alvis called out as soon as he reached the cabin. He’s been calling her that since they started living in the north. At first, she didn’t like it but got used to it in the long run.

Confused, Ava looked up to see the human grinning from ear to ear. On his hand was a paper bag and in it is something that smells deliciously good.

“What is it?” She asked curiously as she took the bag and opened it. She saw a hot bun inside and her eyes widened as it trailed back to Alvis right away. “Did you go and steal at the town center again?”

She’s been reprimanding the human for stealing and taking things that isn’t his ever since she learned of his conning skills. Though she admits they can only rely on him and his skills sometimes, especially when powers shouldn’t be used, she still hopes that the human wouldn’t forever rely on stealing and conning people. In fact, Alvis even joins her archery classes with the centaur and is pretty good with his aims. He is also smarter than the ordinary which makes it easier for him to understand the circumstances they’re facing.

“Nope. Of course not!” Alvis automatically replied and continued his story with a sense of pride for himself. “I helped an old lady carry her basket of vegetables and walked her home. In exchange, her daughter gave me this hot bun.”

"Wow. Our little boy is surely growing up.” Ava teased and rumbled his head. Though the human is taller than her, he’s currently on the ground while she’s on the 3rd step of the cabin stairs.

“Hey. I’m not that young. And I’m not a little boy.” Alvis commented and frowned. “I maybe older than you.”

“Really? How old are you?” Ava dared as she raised her brows. 

“I’m 19.” He replied honestly and Ava chuckled. 

“See? Such a baby.” She continued. “I’m 25, silly.”

“Tsk.” Alvis scoffed as he regretted being honest with his age. Maybe it would have been better if he said that he was over twenty or something.

“Why are you giving me this, by the way?” Ava asked and raised the bun. “You earned it for helping the old lady.”

“Well, I just remembered how you loved the first buns that I brought the last time. We’ve been hunting and cooking our own food for a while now and thought that you would maybe like something a little different from the usual.” He replied and shyly scratched his head.

“So thoughtful.” Ava commented and smiled, she’s a little bit touched by the gesture. And so she took out the bun and carefully tore it in half. Then she gave the other half to Alvis. “Take it. I know you must have missed regular human foods like this too.”

Alvis happily took the other half and they sat on the stairs before they start eating.

“Whoa. This tastes better than the last one.” She complimented and Alvis was happy to hear it. “Thank you.”

“Anything for you, Lady Boss.” He said shyly.

“It smells stingy.” Black commented and suddenly appeared from the dark. He immediately pouted at the human upon hearing his inner thoughts. Right there and then, he wanted to sp*nk the little human and teach him some lessons.

“Tsk. It’s good.” Ava countered.

It’s true though. Both the centaur and Black didn’t like the buns Alvis brought home the last time and called it smelly and rotten. It was only Ava and the human who enjoyed it.

Maybe I am also human in a way. She reasoned.

She then stood up and tore a small piece with the filling inside. Gesturing her hand forward to Black, she commanded, “Taste it!”

Black stepped back a little due to the strong scent coming from the piece of food that the woman waved on his face. He was also surprised by her actions. Ava then took the chance and shoved the piece of food into his slightly open mouth and grinned devilishly.

“Eat it!” She demanded.

This woman is truly unpredictable. He thought. No one has ever tried to force him to eat something he disliked in the first place. Not even him, his supposed master.

“Eat it, Black!” She insisted before taking a big bite on the remaining bun in her hand.

Black started to chew on it after he recovered from his thoughts. He was actually delighted by the taste. He never thought about human food to be that appealing before. He’d rather hunt and eat it raw or cook it for the rest of his life. But this bun has proven his judgment wrong. It’s indeed smelly but surprisingly delicious.

Maybe human foods aren’t too bad after all. He concluded.

“See?” Ava grinned at him excitedly before swallowing the last piece of her buns. “You like it, right? It’s good, right?”

“Mediocre.” He replied coldly, not trying to show the bun had actually changed his mind.

Ava laughed out loud and it made his face crease thinking about what is funny. His face also fell on the human behind her who obviously wanted to chuckle too but is trying to control it. Alvis knew too well that he shouldn’t make fun of him, if it’s what this is.

“What’s funny?” He seriously asked, tilting his head and sternly looked at the woman.

“Mediocre.” Ava repeated and even tried to copy his tone of voice and the way he said it. “You sounded too old. That is.”

Then she flipped her hair and turned around, going inside.

This woman really knows how to piss me off. He thought as she’s been mentioning his age from time to time ever since he told her about it. It’s not like I’m really old.

“Be out in a minute. We must travel as fast as we can.” Black said quite loudly earning a ‘Hmmmm’ from the woman before she disappeared from his sight.

“Travel? You’re going somewhere?” Alvis asked curiously.

“Why you wanted to come?’ Black asked back with his brows raised.

“Well, if the Lady Boss is going, then I wanna join.” He replied right away.

“You don’t stand a chance, Alvis. It’s better to forget about your feelings for her as early as now.” Black commented which made the human blush profusely.

“I don’t know what you mean.” Alvis denied quickly, a little embarrassed. He almost forgot that this magical being can actually read thoughts. He knew about it but it somehow slipped his mind.

“I’m telling you before you hurt yourself. She will not like you. Not now. Not ever.” Black said straightforwardly.

“How would you know that?” Alvis asked pathetically.

“Yeah. How would you know that?” Another voice butted in and Casix walked towards them with the food he just hunted.

“I just know.” Black answered, meeting the centaur’s gaze. “You should too. Because she will also not like you.”

“Hah!” The centaur blurted out in annoyance and tossed the animals he just hunted aside. “You’re pretty proud to say that! You’re even colder than ice. How would you know about other person’s feelings?”

“Pretty simple. I asked her. She said you’re just a friend in all honesty.” Black answered nonchalantly.

The centaur knew he wasn’t lying when he said that and felt a bit hurt knowing that his chances for the lady is really low. But still, he is pissed about this man who cares less about other people’s feelings.

“So what? Why do you even have to bother about our feelings?” Casix dared, irritation is evident in his voice. He truly finds this ‘Black” annoying in every possible way. If only he wasn’t that helpful. He then glared at the man’s pale face and smirked, “And who do you think will she like? You?”

That question was immediately marked on Black’s mind. And it annoyed him further to think about what could be the possible answer. His pout deepened further when he thought about that friend of hers. Elis? Elo? Eri? He couldn’t care less about that human’s name. However, he knew that she likes that man.

“No. She likes someone else.” He replied with a deep frown, his voice somehow conflicted and he didn’t understand why he was bothered by that truth. He didn’t like it but he couldn’t lie.

She likes someone else? Casix thought.

The centaur was a bit stunned by Black’s answer. He can feel how protective this creature is for the lady and most of the times he thinks of him as a rival. He expected him to be proud and boastful and declare that the lady will eventually like him. But he was wrong. Instead, he just told him the truth according to what he knew.

Does he not like the lady as I thought? Casix asked himself.

It may be hard to admit but this ‘Black’, though he’s annoying most of the time, he has slowly earned his respect. He was about to reply to him when he saw the lady coming out of the cabin with her small sling bag and her bow and arrows.

“Where are you going, my lady?” He asked, completely changing the topic.

“Black and I would need to try something that only the two of us should do, without anyone. I have been wanting to try it with Black for a few days now. However, we can’t risk doing it near this place. So we’ll find a suitable place and do that thing there instead.” She answered vaguely.

A million thought suddenly raised through the centaur’s mind.

Her and Black will do something she’s been wanting to do with Black?

They find a suitable place and do it?

That thing? 

Could it be? 

Casix eyes widened and gasped with a hinge of jealousy.

“Ahah! Dirty minded centaur!” Black immediately blurted out upon hearing the centaur’s thought and what he thought was ‘that thing’ that he’s about to do with the lady. “Sc*mbag!!!”

“Huh?” Ava blurted out with confusion in her face. “Why? What was he thinking about?”

“He thought that-“ Black started only to be stopped by the centaur’s dirty hands on his mouth. 

Pissed, he grabbed Casix right away and threw him to the ground.

How dare he touch my face! He thought.

“Black!” Ava reprimanded in shock.

But the centaur automatically stood up. “I’m fine. He he. It’s how men joke around.”

Then he glared at Black who also did the same.

"Lady Boss, can’t we really go with you?” Alvis asked quite sadly, easing the tension as their attention shifted to him.

“It’s too dangerous.” Ava answered and the centaur sighed in relief knowing that what he thought they were up to is absolutely not happening. 

“But-“ Alvis started.

“My lady, I swore to protect you.” Casix interrupted and bowed seriously. “Please let me come and do my duty. Or else, I wouldn’t have the right to face my father in my next life if I fail to do so.” 

“But-“ Ava started with second thoughts. What she was planning to do is completely dangerous and she didn’t want to bring them in danger. Even Black was conflicted but she truly trusts him to save her if it comes to worst.

“I also want to come, Lady Boss.” The human also butted in. “I know I wouldn’t be that much of help but ever since you all came to my town, I felt like I was reborn to live a different kind of life. Meeting you and seeing all these magic and such is an honor. And I would like to keep living my life this way. I never wanted to go back to my old life where I steal for food and con people for money. You said I was doing great with my archery skills, somehow that would make me less of a burden. So please, take me with you.”

Black of course is against the idea because but he was pleased with how their minds work.

Is this what they call loyalty? A kind of devotion? He asked himself. But he knew that the woman has gained the human and the centaur’s respect. And now their loyalty? He found it pretty odd to commit oneself to another person but at the same time, he also finds it interesting.

His dark eyes then went to the woman and felt intrigue with the conflicting emotions swirling in the woman’s red eye. Black then lingered on the eye patch she was wearing on her right eye. He wondered what could she be hiding inside the patch. He wondered if her other eye is missing, or blind or whatnot. He also wondered if it’s that eyepatch that is blocking his ability to read and listen to her thoughts.

If only I can see both of her eyes. He thought deeply.

“Fine. But we have to be very careful.” Ava finally decided and sighed. Then she glared at Black. “Did anyone tell you that it rude to stare at someone’s disability?”

Black was bit caught off guard. He didn’t think she was paying attention when he was staring at her covered eye.

“Anyway. How about the cabin? If we all go then who would look after the place?” Ava asked.

“I can.” A voice said and Juno raised her paw. They all looked up at the rooftop where the feline fowl was lazily lying.

“You're back!” Ava exclaimed happily and the little creature nodded. “Have you been lurking for some time now?”

“Quite.” Juno answered.

“Don’t you wanna come too?” Ava asked right away. The creature maybe little but it sure is powerful. They can use some help.

“I sent some message for that someone in the south and would wait here in case he decides to come. I’m sure you don’t want to miss the opportunity.” The feline fowl answered.

“That’s awesome! We’d definitely be back as soon as we can.” Ava replied with excitement. The hope of finding the fountain surged within her once again.

“Then you all take care on your journey.” Juno said.

With a nod, Ava looked at her companions, more like her friends now. She had mixed feelings. More like elated knowing that these people got her back and wanted to accompany her all the way. When Eli and her friends died that night, she thought that it will be the end of her. She wasn’t expecting to meet new people whom she’d consider friends in just a short period of time. Nevertheless, she was grateful.

Her friends.

“We will.” Ava said and smiled.

***