It was now a couple of minutes after they had parted ways with their new master Lyra. She had helped them find their way back to the cave, and also cut the beast's meat for them to eat after they were given their first instructions as her servants. She then left to go who knows where.
Now, the sun was setting as Dennis and Maya started preparing their food. On their way back, they had collected a lot of wood from around the trees of the forest, and were now trying to start the fire so they could begin cooking.
"So... do you know how to start a fire?" Dennis asked, his voice in a somber tone to match the somber expression on his face.
"Nope" Maya answered with the same tone and expression as Dennis.
They had been like this for about an hour now, ever since Lyra had given them orders to hunt for the different body parts of an Oculith, Rootrot, and a Chitinous Reaper, three monsters that sound like the main characters of a horror movie based off of their descriptions alone.
At first, they were shocked. They had thought of this task as a kind of joke, maybe she was just trying to scare them for fun or something. But Lyra didn't show any indication that she was joking, and over time, they were forced to accept their grim fates.
They barely talked on their way back, the only time they did was to announce when they had found wood for the fire. Now staring at the pile of wood, sticks and leaves on the ground, with no idea how to start their fire, Dennis decided to try something.
He bent down and picked up two sticks and a block of wood, then he brought them together and started rubbing them together, just like they did in movies. He rubbed them together as hard and as fast as he could, using all of his body's energy, but it didn't work.
"Let me try" Maya said as she also bent down to pick up the sticks and wood. She brought them to her hands and also started rubbing them together, but she failed as well. They tried a few more times but it was no use, they just wouldn't burn.
"You know what, forget this!" Dennis said with anger and frustration as he violently threw the sticks to the side. Maya also threw the stick she was holding away, but in a gentler manner than Dennis.
Dennis then reached for the pile of monster flesh next to him, took two pieces and handed one of them to Maya.
"Here"
"Thank you"
"So, we're really gonna eat this raw?" Maya asked while staring at the piece of flesh.
"It's not like we have a choice. Unless we can make a fire, it's either this or we go to sleep hungry again" Dennis stated.
He looked at the raw meat and then took a bite of it. It was chewy and moist, so he had to apply a bit of pressure into his teeth every time he took a bite or chewed on it, after which he would be met with a salty water like taste from its moisture. The meat had no discernible taste. Whether it was good or not, he couldn't tell, no matter how many bites he took.
Maya also tried to eat it, but with the slightly disgusted look on her face after her first bite, it's clear she didn't like it at all. But in the end, they both forced themselves to power through and finish the first piece. And after that, they decided they were either too full to continue, or simply lost their appetites.
***
The sun was now setting, so they decided to go back out to the entrance of the cave to watch the sunset. The sky was now enveloped in a dark orange, and the moon had already started taking over the sky. It looked like the sunset was now in its final stages.
"I'm sorry" Maya said a few seconds after they sat down again.
"What for?" Dennis asked back with a puzzled look, putting a pause to his brooding.
"For getting us stuck in this mess" She explained.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean... that the only reason we are where we are now is because of me. I forced us to go out into the forest, and, I was the one who went to check on the monster corpse and called you over. If I didn't do all that, we wouldn't have to... you know" She concluded, now facing the ground.
"Don't blame yourself. In fact, it's thanks to that that we now have hope for a way to survive and get back home." Dennis said while staring at the sky. Then he looked her in the eyes and said with a smile,
"So don't blame yourself for this, you gave us a lifeline. Plus... you were pretty cool back there.
"The way you just got up and approached that monster despite how big it was and how bad it smelled , not to mention how ready you were to fight off Lyra with just a stick...
"What I'm trying to say is... you might have just saved us. Thanks to you, we now have food, magic powers, someone to protect us, and a potential way back home. Thanks."
Maya stared at Dennis for a few seconds then smiled sincerely, "Thanks"
"But... we still need to get those items Lyra asked for" Maya continued.
"Yeah. From the descriptions of those monsters that we'll have to kill, it's just terrifying. Especially since I've already faced one of them"
"You mean that giant centipede?"
Dennis stared up at the sky, which was now turning dark as the moon was taking over.
"Yep"
"But who knows, maybe you'll win round two" Maya said, trying to encourage him.
Dennis chuckled softly with a sad smile on his face.
"Are you scared?" Maya asked, this time sincerely.
Dennis nodded while looking up into the moon, while still smiling.
"Me too" Maya answered, also smiling and looking at the moon.
"So.... when are we starting?" Dennis asked this time.
"Lyra said tomorrow but... I'm not sure if I want to go so soon"
"I know" Dennis replied, "on one hand... i hope that we can get this done as quickly as possible.
"But on the other hand, I'm afraid that
""Tomorrow might be our last"" They both finished in unison.
"So, if you don't mind me asking... what was your life like back at home?" Maya asked, trying to change the subject.
"Me?" Dennis paused for a while, then answered, "my life was... fine. What about yours?"
Maya also paused for a while, the smile disappearing from her face, "It was... okay I guess"
"Do you miss home?" Dennis asked.
"Not as much as I thought I would"
"Why's that?"
"Because... my life here and back at home isn't all that different"
"What kind of life did you live?"
Maya paused for a few seconds before placing her index finger with her mouth and slaying with a playful smile, "That's a secret"
Dennis just smirked at her reply.
"What about you? What kind of life did you live?"
"That's also a secret" Dennis replied with a grin, which made Maya pout a little.
"Well then, what kind of stuff were you into?" She asked.
"Gaming, music,HD"
"Wow, you're a real HD fan boy huh?"
"Shut up. That guy's like, super cool you know"
"Oh, I know" Maya replied with a chuckle.
"Well, what about you? You said you were a fan too so, are you an HD fangirl? And be honest"
"Me? Yes, I am."
"You didn't answer me the first time, so I'm gonna ask again. Why are you such a big fan of HD?"
"I'll only answer if you answer first"
"Fine... I just think his videos are cool. And... I've watched all his videos since he was still a small streamer." Dennis lied to her.
"Now it's your turn" Dennis said with a look full of anticipation.
She sighed, then smiled gently and said, "The reason I'm a big fan of HD is..."
'She's probably just gonna say the same thing as me'
"Because he saved my life"
Dennis continued to stare at her, completely shocked by what she had just said."What do you mean, he... saved your life?"Maya paused for a moment, then stared up into the sky and replied, "That's a story for another day"
"You're really not gonna let me know anything about you, huh?" Dennis asked with a sigh.
"You may not be able to handle all of that information"
"Try me"
Maya paused again, then answered, "Okay how about this... whoever lands the killing blow on each of the monsters gets to ask one question to the other person. And they have to answer"
"That's fine with me" Dennis accepted before continuing,"Although, you sure are pretty laid back about this whole monster hunt"
"Well, my mom would always say to me when I was younger, 'Even in the darkest of times, there's always a reason to smile'" Maya shared with a sad smile on her face. 'And yet...'
"Well, we're basically about to die, so what reason is there for smiling this time?"
"Well, I don't know about you, but for me... even though my life took a complete turn...
And even though it looks like only three days after that, I might die... I guess my reason for smiling... is because I've finally made my first friend"
Maya replied as she looked at Dennis, changing her sad smile into a cheerful and sincere one, which made him blush a little bit.
"Well... you're also one of the few real friends I've had as well" Dennis said with a hint of embarrassment.
"Really? I thought you would have had plenty of friends"
"What makes you say that?"
"Well, you are quite talkative, even to complete strangers. When we first met, I didn't say a single word to you, yet you still kept on yapping like you were a natural at it"
"Well... I wasn't always as good at talking as you say I am now" Dennis replied while reminiscing,
'The only reason that I can even talk so much is because of HD. Otherwise... I'd still be the way I was before...'
"By the way... thanks for that. Without you, I definitely wouldn't have survived here this long." Maya said full of sincerity.
"No problem" Dennis responded.
"Well, we should probably go to sleep. We have a long and painful day tomorrow, and it's getting kind of cold" Maya suggested after yawning.
"You can go ahead. I'm gonna stay here a little bit longer" Dennis said, looking up at the sky while taking in the cool breeze from all around him.
'It feels strangely peaceful right now. So this is what they call the calm before the storm huh?' He thought after feeling the soft, cool wind brush past his face.
He stayed there for a while, quietly thinking about many things before deciding to call it a night.
Because tomorrow, was the start of a long and painful journey.