Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoy this chapter! From now on I will only be using the '—START—' after an announcement and '—END—' before another!

—START—

"So, do you want to come along with me into the town?"

"Sure." says Aalet, "But what are we going to do there?"

"We're gonna buy the ingredients for tonight's dinner!" Etta replies.

Aalet pauses as he thinks to himself for a moment before speaking.

"What colour?" he asks.

"Huh?" Etta responds confused, "What?" what does he mean by 'what colour?', Etta would think to herself but wouldn't press forward with that question.

Aalet would pick up on the confused look she gave off and try to steer the conversation away from where it would have went.

"Nevermind that question, what do you think we should make?"

Etta immediately picks her head up off the floor and shoots a positive stare into the eyes of Aalet.

"I think we should make chicken curry!" Etta smiles and takes his hand and they both run through deeper into the forest, "Let's go to the base first!" Etta says with more excitement than before as she looks at Aalet nodding in approval, putting a smile on her face again.

The duo run into the heart of the forest in a hurry and like an owl would, Etta snaps her head in every direction. The destination was not too far but the two couldn't help but feel uneasy the closer they got, as if something was nearby.

"Aalet."

"Yes, Etta?" Aalet turns his attention to Etta, questioning her sudden change in mood.

"Can you not feel that bloodlust?" Etta does not give Aalet time to respond, she just covers Aalet's mouth in an instance, "Surely it's a group of Monstra..." her nose scrunches to the scent of what she believes to be, "Blood."

A small sound of laughter from behind a bush occupied the silence the duo were trying to hold.

"But it sounds like a kid." Aalet claims.

Etta loads a firearm, preparing for an incoming ambush, Aalet just picks up a stick; they walk up to the bush and before them they see a little girl with black scruffy hair, black eyes, and a solid short sleeved dress connecting to a tulle with blood stained all over her and eating a human.

"Still hungry..." her stomach growls as she turns around to the two, "Food!" she gets up and flies towards Etta.

Etta's pistol is kicked out of her hand, the little girl bites onto the stick and Aalet gives a slight smile.

"I told you it was just a kid." states Aalet.

Etta's pistol falls from the air right onto her face.

"Ow-"

The little girl starts gnawing away at the stick in her mouth.

"So, what are we gonna do about the woman she just ate?" Etta questions.

"Eh, she probably got exiled from the town." Aalet responds as he walks up to the child.

The child, with stick in mouth, stares at Aalet confused but lets him get close, before her a hand reaches out with an apple that seemed freshly picked.

"Here, enjoy it." he smiles.

"Colour!" the little girl laughs, before biting into the apple and Aalet's hand.

"Oh-" The boy's hand shudders from the sudden action but he remains calm as no blood escapes.

"Bleh~" the child falls back in disgust in reaction to biting into the hand of Aalet, "No more food?" the girl asks, tilting her head and dropping it slowly.

Etta pinches Aalet, grabbing his attention.

Rumble~

"I know we made an agreement to spare all Monstra, but for some reason, this girl just seems incredibly dangerous, what if she's secretly a weapon of mass destruction?" she takes a deep breath in, "And not to mention, she's a humanoid one at that, she's definitely strong!"

Rumble~

"Then I guess we'll take care of her." he runs through his pockets just to find one more apple.

"Food!" she pounces onto the apple but not biting the hand remembering the same texture and blandness of it.

"How exactly are we going to take care of a monster?"

"She looks like a human and that should deceive others for some time."

"That doesn't answer my question, and we know nothing about this monster!" she yells.

"Don't call Rummy a monster!" he says.

"You've already given her a name?" she says slightly surprised but annoyed.

"Yeah, how does it sound?" he asks curious to Etta's response.

"If you're going to name her at least give a proper formal name!" she scolds, "Rummy can be her nickname, Rumire should be her actual name!"

Rummy laughs, she seemed to like the name.

"Hmm, you're right." he puts his hand under his chin, "Even she likes it."

"And then Rummy can grow up to be a wonderful girl, good education, good friends, and a normal life!" Etta smiles.

"You're annoyed at me for trying to take in Rummy but here you are daydreaming about a future with her?" Aalet stares at her, deadpan.

"H-hey, if you're going to take in a child I think I should have a say as the leader of this faction."

The silence deafens the two as Aalet turns his head left and right.

Rumble~

"What faction?"

Rumble~

"Screw it, let's just take Rummy into the base and clean her."

Rumble~

The two turn their attention to Rummy, the blood she was covered in has disappeared.

"Well, doesn't seem like she needs her clothes to be washed at least." Aalet states, "Hey, kid."

"Hmm?" Rummy looks up to Aalet.

"Want to come home with us?"

The girl stares at Aalet with confusion as her stomach continues to growl, she seemed to be thinking of what to say.

"We have food at home!"

"Food!" the girl pounces onto Aalet's chest taking him down to the floor, not to attack, but for an embrace.

Aalet slowly gets up and to his surprise sees the girl glowing red, maybe this was a sign that Rummy felt comfortable with him.

"Let's go then." he says slightly smiling, with Rummy in his arms.

Etta stares at Aalet but quickly turns her head away when he turns towards her.

"You're jealous aren't you?" Aalet states.

"N-no..." Etta replied, "Let's just go already, it's that time of the year too."

Aalet stands up and walks over to Etta as Rummy follows his steps.

"This event, what's it about again?"

Etta shudders slightly by the question as if it reminded her of something very important, or at least was.

"It's Nirain, the celebration held at the city of Niryiak where everybody celebrates."

"Hmm." Aalet thinks to himself and looks at Rummy, she seemed to have gone back to normal as she was no longer glowing, "How about we bring Rummy along?"

Etta shows slight hesitation towards the request Aalet forwards.

"It is dangerous don't you think?" Etta sighs, "However, we can't let her out of our sights."

"Alright then." Aalet takes his glove off and extends his hand for Rummy to hold, "Come on, we're going."

Rummy holds onto Aalet's hand and the three head back to the base.