From Embers

24 - Garden Party

The farther they travelled from Balfield, the better Kraneia felt. She could feel in her roots the pain and suffering that the surrounding nature felt as they were trampled and burned.

Mother Nature had sensed what was to come, the impending doom waiting in the near future. Kraneia's mother was preparing to die, and it was showing. Flowers weren't blooming, seedlings didn't grow, and Kraneia herself could feel the ever-present need to fall asleep and never wake up again. She was aging, and no tree lives forever.

Her wooden arms creaked as she rubbed her eyes. The fire was nearly out, the glowing embers fading.

"I'm up," said Kraneia, tapping Sen on the shoulder.

He shrugged her off. "Get some more rest, I'm fine."

Kraneia gave him a look. "When was the last time you ate?"

"Does it matter?"

"You may be the living dead, but you need rest if you aren't going to eat. May I remind you that the old tables of vampires aren't true. You don't have unlimited energy. Find food, or rest and preserve your energy."

"You sound like my mother."

"I'm definitely old enough. Give or take a couple of hundred years, but who's counting."

Quick to his feet, Sen sauntered away. He did not return until the early morning when a thick fog had blanketed the ground, grey clouds and thunder rolling in overhead.

Everyone had awoken, gathered around the small fire; Jai-Jai sat several feet from the others. Twig flew around Alanis, who had a sour look. The colour had not returned to her face, and dark circles drew deep under her eyes. She swatted away Rhistel's hand when dried meat was shoved in her face.

"Enough," Alanis screamed. "I love you both, but enough. I'm able to feed myself, thank you." She threw her hands up and stormed off.

Rhistel pouted and took a bite of the meat, chewing angrily as steam steadily came from her ears. Twig's wings drooped when she walked away, taking a seat beside Kraneia.

Leaning over, the old tree cooed, "How long have you been in love with her?"

"I have no clue what you're talking about." Twig's wings twitched.

"I've been alive long enough to know what love looks like. So, how long?"

Head dropping into her hands, Twig sighed. "Is it that obvious?"

"Very," said Jai-Jai.

"Known fer years." Rhistel wink.

Twig tangled her fingers into her hair, letting out a frustrated groan. "Does she know?"

"Me sister couldna guessed if it hit her in the face."

Twig's cheeks were a deep red when she lifted her head up. "Thank the Gods."

"Thank the Gods, what?" Alanis was walking towards the girls.

Jai-Jai coughed. "She was just saying how thankful she was that it didn't rain last night. We needed the sleep after our little excursion."

"Speaking of, did anyone find out where the heart is?" Twig asked. "Or did you all swim in the sewers for nothing?"

"I did." Raising her hand Alanis proceeded to relay the dead human's last conversation.

Paying little attention to the story, Kraneia watched Jai-Jai squirm on the rock she was sitting. She tugged on the bottom of her pants before tucking her legs under her bottom.