It was about an hour or so later, that Alastor and Bastion returned.

Celeste opened his eyes, sitting up eagerly to see what they had brought, flapping his tail first one way, then the other.

‘Ah’ he said, when the two came closer. ‘A bit of variety.’

Alastor knelt beside the fire, putting down the two pheasants he had been carrying. Behind him, Bastian was carrying three rabbits.

‘We saw some mountain goats’ Bastian said. ‘They were a little high up though.’

‘Were they on the mountains?’ Celeste grinned.

Bastian just tilted his head, wearing a cynical expression.

‘That would have been a bit much’ Vincent said sitting up, ignoring Havi’s groan of disapproval at being disturbed. ‘We don’t want any waste.’

‘Nor shall we have any’ Bastion declared with a grin. ‘Our little friend is nearby.’

‘He was following you on your route?’ Vincent asked, pulling out a small knife from his belt and beginning to sharpen it.

‘No’ Bastion replied, as beside him Alastor laid the two pheasants out before him on their backs, kneeling before them. ‘He was just following us on our way back.’

Alastor began to cut into the pheasant, starting at the breastbone and peeling the skin back, revealing the fresh meat. He continued to work, Vincent taking the other pheasant, began.

Alastor used no tools to pull the organs out, only sheer force, holding everything together he raised his hand into the air, and almost immediately, everything was snatched from him.

Celeste looked around, watching as the dark vulture landed on a low branch a short distance away, swallowing his catch in a few large gulps, until there was nothing left.

‘Where do you think he goes?’ Havi asked, gazing at the bird.

The vulture, perhaps sensing he was being watched, or perhaps somehow knowing he was being spoken about, jerked his head around then, glaring down at them.

Vincent glanced up then, frowning.

‘I wish I knew’ he said. ‘I’m certain he’s not a wild bird. Perhaps he’s somebody’s pet.’

‘Do you think his master is nearby?’ Bastion asked.

‘No’ Havi spoke clearly. ‘I would have smelled them if that were the case.’

Havi’s strongest ability was his incredible sense of smell. His ability to detect specifics had been, on more than one occasion, a literal life-saver.

After a time, having finished with his pheasant, Vincent tossed the remains to the side, wishing not to be pecked by the great bird.

The vulture waited until Bastion was finished with the rabbits, before swooping down, collecting the discarded organs from the remaining animals in one go, and flying off again. This time he did not linger in the trees, but left completely, flying to only he knew where.

‘Goodbye strange friend’ Havi sighed. ‘I’m sure we will see you again very soon.’

‘He never eats the food’ Bastian spoke slowly to the others, ‘have you noticed? He always stores what he gathers in his crop.’

‘Maybe he has a family out there somewhere’ Celeste noted absentmindedly, chasing a stick back and forth with his finger.

‘Maybe it’s a she’ Bastion added.

‘Harder to tell with birds’ Havi mumbled thoughtfully. ‘Most of the time I mean.’

Celeste then handed the sharpened stick to Vincent, who skewered several pieces of the meat, placing it over the fire.

‘Aaah’ Celeste let out a deep breath, leaning close to the fire and closing his eyes. ‘Lovely.’

‘So’ Bastion smirked then, folding his arms and speaking to Havi, ‘do you feel satisfied now?’

The snake-man didn’t answer, only sneering back and whipping the end of his tail in excitement and pleasure.

‘Hey Celeste’ Vincent spoke then.

‘Hm?’ Celeste appeared to have been about to doze.

‘Do you remember when we first met.’

Celeste only stared blankly back at him.

 [END OF CHAP]