A week of peaceful travel had passed since Axis joined the girls, and their time together coaxed Axis away from the edge of no return. He rediscovered his forgotten passion for cooking, and found himself wanting to share it with the girls. He took joy in teaching them, not that it was clear in his temper that was as short as Flora was tall. He easily snapped for mistakes regardless of how small, but not once did he lose control of his flames in their presence beyond the flicker that would whisper over him with the emotions that screamed on his face, but for now, it was Allura who barked.

“FLORA!” Allura shouted in dismay, watching the young girl take off as Axis chuckled, “What are you laughing at?!” Allura snapped at him, “She could get hurt!”

“Ehnhhhhh,” Rune commented from Allura’s back, and her eyes hastily returned to the cave that Flora had rushed into.

“Every time,” Allura mumbled before taking a deep breath, and she made her way to the cave entrance with Axis lagging behind. “She just has to run into every dark place we come across,” she complained while hesitantly stepping into the shadows.

Allura placed her hand on the cold damp stone of the cave’s wall before she furthered her venture inside, following Flora’s carefree laughter. Barely moments had passed before the darkness had completely surrounded Allura, and old fears began to claw at the back of her mind.

“Ehnh,” Rune warned.

“Eep!” Allura yelped as she fell forward, but warmth caught her before the ground had the chance to, and a ball of fire floated above her, illuminating the cave as her widened gaze found Axis holding her.

“You should watch where you’re going,” he mumbled with faux indifference as her cheeks started to warm, and she quickly straightened herself out while taking a step away.

“Oh, yeah, just let me put on my night vision,” she huffed sarcastically.

Axis abruptly took her hand, and he began leading her through the cave with his fire lighting their way, and her brief irritation was forgotten as her grip tightened around his. Soon, a gentle draft carried the scent of water to greet the two along with the sight of the pink-haired girl.

“Isn’t it amazing?!” Flora exclaimed as she admired the pool of crystal clear water that rested before her.

“Oh wow...” Allura breathed with her eyes slowly drifting over the scene, and Flora grinned at her, but her smile vanished at the sight of Axis holding Allura’s hand. “This is beautiful,” Allura began to pull away from Axis.

Flora’s jealousy swallowed the flames without warning, and Allura shrieked in the abyssal darkness. Barely a breath later, flames flickered around Axis, and in the next his ball of fire reformed. Flora’s lost smile fell further away with Allura’s arms tightly wrapped around Axis’s chest, her face planted against him, and his cheeks burned with a blush while he held his arms up rather awkwardly.

“Y-you ok?” Axis questioned, making Allura flinch, and she peeked at him before embarrassment quickly filled her face.

Allura nearly jumped back from Axis before briskly walking to Flora, and she snatched the girl’s hand, reviving the lost smile before the girl poked her tongue out at Axis.

“Come on,” Allura grumbled while Axis looked at Flora in confusion. “I hate caves,” Allura muttered to herself, and she dragged them out of the cavern as quickly as possible.

Once they returned to the day’s light, they continued their way down their dirt path through the rolling forest with Flora periodically glaring at Axis until they finally stopped for the night. Axis set to work on his specialties - fire and food - while Flora attempted to help Allura in setting up their new tent that Allura had the good fortune to trade for along the way.

“There!” Flora chimed triumphantly after pegging the last stake into the ground.

“Good work,” Allura nodded, and Flora beamed at her.

“Food’s ready,” Axis called out, and the two girls breathed in the savory scent of the stew before happily joining him.

Every night since Axis took over the cooking consisted of a meal worth eating. His knowledge of herbs was greater than Allura could have guessed, and he was sure to pick what they could use during their travels. Silently, he made the extra effort to better his contribution in appreciation of their company, but he often masked it with moments that were anything but appreciated. Nevertheless, it failed to slow their growing bonds.

The stew steadily disappeared along with their hunger, and once darkness held the night, Allura tucked Flora in before spending her nightly moments at the fire beside Axis and Rune. It wasn’t long before they too turned in for the night, and the morning sun eventually ushered the darkness away.

Silently, Allura crept from the tent with her bow and quiver in hand while Rune hung from her neck against her chest. She carefully closed the tent behind her, managing not to disturb the still sleeping Flora before she fixed her quiver to her back.

“Going hunting?” Axis questioned quietly, and Allura spun with a jump.

“Wha- I thought you were still in there,” she huffed in a whisper.

“I’m obviously not,” he teased, and she rolled her eyes as she moved Rune to her back. “Mind if I come with?”

“As long as you can keep up and stay quiet.” Allura challenged a bit playfully, and he nodded with a smirk.

The two made their way through the woods with barely a sound until Allura spotted a deer grazing in the morning sun, and she signaled to Axis before he came to a stop as well. Silently she drew her bow, knocking an arrow, and she took aim. After a moment of focus and a calm breath, she loosed the arrow. It struck the ground beside the deer with a near miss, and the prey cocked its head to them before it started to flee.

“Shit,” Allura gruffed in disappointment while lowering her bow.

“I got it,” Axis snickered, and fire cut off the deer’s escape, trapping it in a ring while Axis grabbed an arrow from Allura’s quiver.

Horror took Allura as the deer cried in a panic. It skittered in the enclosing ring, its hooves fearfully tearing into the ground.

“What are you doing?!” Allura snapped as Axis passed through the flames.

He cornered the prey before grabbing the fear-consumed animal, and he haphazardly plunged the arrow into its throat. Allura rushed over as the fire dissipated with the sound of the deer choking on its life deafening her. She ran to its side, dropping to her knees, and she drew a dagger from her belt with a breath to spare before she thrust it into the deer’s heart, bringing it a faster end.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered with her voice threatening to break as her shoulders slumped.

“I don’t mind!” Axis mistakenly replied with a cocky confidence.

“May Viserus reclaim you,” she prayed for the prey before she moved to her feet, abruptly shoving Axis backward.

“What the fuck?!” he barked before pausing at the tear-filled anger of her glare.

“WHY?!” she shouted, shoving him again, “WHY?! WHY LIKE THAT?!”

“What are you talking about?!” he scowled with confusion filling him as her tears fell.

“It was terrified!” she berated him, “You didn’t have to kill him like that! His last moments could have been peaceful!” she scolded him before shoving her finger against his chest, pinning his amulet there. “That is a symbol of Viserus! HOW CAN YOU WEAR IT, AND DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT?!”

Axis’s eyes widened as he held her glare, and Rune peeked over her shoulder with a nervous look before Axis’s face fell into a scowl.

“IT WAS MY MOTHER’S!” he snapped back as his flames flickered, and he smacked away her hand before storming off.

“Idiot,” Allura spat under her breath with a sniffle, and she wiped the anger from her eyes before returning to the deer. Solemnly she sat on her knees, resting the point of the blade in one hand and the hilt in the other before lowering her head with a desolate grace. “I am sorry Viserus… Your child deserved a better end.”

“Time and time again,” a voice sung as a symphony of songbirds through the trees. “You have respected my ways,” the singing words continued, and Allura slowly raised her gaze. “Myndvivus believes mortals can be our champions.” he continued while Allura gazed upon him.

“Viserus...”

He was as tall as the surrounding trees with long pointed ears that swiveled in the direction of any sound while his arms hung heavily from his shoulders, allowing for his pointed digits to grace the ground. His eyes were like cut emeralds, and his skin was as green as the dark leaves that formed the canopies of his forests, with dark moss growing upon it in patches along with tufts of grass on his shoulders. His body was long and lean, but as strong as the mountains that his forests would claim.

“You make me question myself,” his cacophony of voices sounded from an unseen source. “Tell me, do you believe a god should give power to a mortal?” he questioned, and Allura lowered her head in thought.

“I don’t know,” Allura whispered before meeting the god’s gaze once more. “But the cycle will continue, and we will always want more.”

“A wiser answer could not have been chosen,” the cacophony replied as the god slowly reached towards her. “Raise your bow,” he commanded, and she complied before he gently graced it with his touch.

A green light sparked from his finger, and it moved along the grain of the bow, burning gentle curves into it. After a few moments, a sweet breeze blew through the woods, and the god slowly fell apart into leaves that were guided away by the breathing wind.

“A tool to aid you in the treacherous path you walk. Light and darkness encircles you while more take interest. Be careful.” the final whisper from the god bid her farewell as he left without a trace.

Allura looked down to her bow while Rune peeked over her shoulder. The new curved lines glowed a gentle green that seemed to reflect light more than produce it. She gently ran her fingers over them, feeling a dull power coursing through them.

“Allura!” Axis’s voice called out with worry. “Allura!” he continued as she looked over her shoulder in time for him to find her, and he sprinted to her with concern filling his eyes. “What the hell was that? It sounded almost like people screaming,” he panted as she stared up at him in silent thought.

‘The song of Viserus… I guess the legend is true,’ Allura’s mind wondered for a moment before she enlightened Axis, “For those who do not follow his teachings will hear screaming that shakes them to their core, however, for those who do, they will hear a cacophony of birds signing his word.”

“What?” Axis pressed.

“The Legend of Viserus,” she whispered while looking at Axis's pendant.

“I don’t trust gods.”

“Then why wear one’s symbol?” she questioned quietly, and he sighed, jamming his hands into his pockets while she laid down her bow.

“It was my mother’s,” he grumbled. “It’s all I have left of her,” he admitted more softly in a whisper as Allura placed a hand on the deceased deer.

“Then respect it,” Allura stated without remorse. “If your mother was one of Viserus’s she would want you to respect life, not terrorize it.” she added harshly as she set to work on their bounty.

Uncomfortable silence sat between them with Axis hiding his gaze that continuously drifted to her, and eventually she finished her work, taking all that she could use while leaving the rest for the scavengers. Allura headed back to camp with Axis lagging behind her, and by the time she finished packing the meat for travel, Flora joined them with her normal cheery demeanor to greet the day with.

“Good morning!” Flora chimed, and Allura smiled softly at her.

“Morning Flora,” Allura greeted her kindly, and Axis sat against a nearby tree where he would quietly and stoically remain in the aftermath of the truths Allura would not allow him to ignore.