Monster King

Chapter 21 - Learning curves

-Casey's perspective-

I kneeled down and held out my hand to Nova. But his pretty golden eyes stared at my hand like it was a foreign object. 

"Quit it, I'm not weak." He said and smacked my hand away.

Which only prompted Fred to hiss at him. 

"I'm not trying to say-"

"Please, I don't want to be anymore of a burden to you." He mumbled and turned away. 

'Im sorry, i've been nothing but a burden on the family.'

My Padres' words echoed in the back of my mind. That was the night, the night I saw my father cry for the first time. I knew his face looked familiar, it was just like my Padres. 

"Hey, why do you think that?" I asked.

"What?" 

"Why do you think you're a burden to me?"

He pushed himself up to his feet and his eyes finally laid on the creatures around us. 

"Isn't it obvious? You did what you did because you didn't want to see me get hurt. However, that action took you from your friends, made you take up a job, and take pity on me." He sighed and walked over to his tent. "You don't have to teach me. I'll appreciate the lesson and unbroken foot I gained. And if you want, I can make you food as well. As a thank you."

I stood up straight and walked over to him. 

"Well, yeah you're not wrong, but that's not just everything though! You're really interesting, don't forget, I even tried to offer lessons to you before the fight. So that blows a holey wholly in your theory."

He jolted to a stop and turned back toward me. He had a skeptical look on his face. 

"Guessing Nick told you about my condition then."

"Condition?" 

"You seriously don't know?"

I shook my head.

"Nuh uh. Is it about your dreamy golden eyes?" I teased.

He rolled his eyes.

"I'm a Lycanthrope that cannot shift."

"Lycanthrope...Lycanthrope...Nyx said something about that earlier. That got you all Grr." And as if on cue, I could hear him make a suppressed growl. So cute. "What is a Lycanthrope exactly?"

He took a breath.

"Give me a sec, I'll get dinner going. Then I'll explain so you can tell that stupid Guardian the difference." He grumbled.

Man, he really doesn't like Nyx...guess that's not unusual though. He went into his tent and grabbed a bunch of sticks and twine. 

"What do you prefer, pasta or fish and vegetables?"

"Ooh! Pasta with red sauce! Pasta with red sauce! And spicy please!"

He nodded and started to set something up. It was a weird pinwheel thing made of sticks, vine, and clams. He set it near the river and the water pushed the clams to rotate, which made the machine stir like a little dough mixer. Then he got his ingredients and a rock bowl ready. 

"Woah, are you making the noodles from scratch?"

"It's cheaper this way." He replied.

"That's so cool! Can you teach me!?"