Chapter 41: Company of a Friend

The desert on Epra is dark, and cold. With the stars, spreading throughout the whole sky as if they were glued to a black sheet. Near the horizon, lights of distant cities and towns are seen, with people of different species safely sheltered within their homes.

Leah, and Kase are the only few life forms within the dry desert. Both of them are seated across each other on two flat rocks. The blue flaming sphere hovering above them, continues to give them light inside the engulfing darkness.

Arms folded, and legs crossed at the base of the rock; Leah's body continues to shiver. Her gaze is drawn to the ground beneath her hanging feet.

"I never knew it would be so cold here," Leah said, tightening her arms around her own body. Slowly, she looks up at Kase.

"I-I don't think we'll last much longer," he said with a slight smile, almost trying to humour her. Turning his gaze to the darkness surrounding them, he looks at her once more.

"What do you suppose we do?"

Looking up at the flaming sphere, gives Leah an idea. Raising her hand, blue flames slither around her wrist, and flows into the sphere. Closing her hand, the sphere swells, and starts surging.

Letting out a chuckle, she lowers her hand, and looks at Kase.

"How's that?" she asked.

"Much warmer, isn't it."

Rasing his arms to the flaming sphere, Kase smiles.

"Wow," he said, rubbing his hands together, and looks at Leah.

"Good thinking, that was." He raises his hands near it once more.

The flaming sphere lowers, and hovers in front of them. Urging them both to stare at each other with a smile, and stay silent for a moment.

--

The flaming sphere has shrunk down, emitting less light than before. staring up at it with a frown, Kase looks at Leah.

"It is small again," he said with a slight sigh.

Leah inhales, and exhales. Lifting her hand, blue flames slither along her arm, and flows out into the sphere, causing it to swell once more.

"There," she said lowering her hand, and crosses her arms once more; now averting her eyes from him.

Keeping his gaze fixed on her, Kase frowns once more, only for him to look at the sand covered ground below his hanging feet.

"Is there something wrong?" he asked, looking up at her with an eyebrow raised, head slightly tilted.

Her eyes dart at him, noticing his curious face.

"No..." she said, averting her eyes once more, and back at him with a slight frown.

"Aren't you tired?" she asked.

"Tired, and cold," he answered with a chuckle.

"Even with this fire thing of yours."

"Then I'll just move it closer if you want," she said, only for the flaming sphere to hover closer to him.

"Better?"

Smiling, he raises his hands to the flame once more.

"Thank you," he said, and starts rubbing his hands together.

With a smile on her face, Leah lays herself on her side, strands of her hair now resting on her cheek, and the side of her neck. Letting out a sigh, she closes her eyes.

"You're going to sleep already?" Kase asked with an eyebrow raised.

"You sound suprised for someone who's tired as well," she said, and opens her eyes.

"Or is that you want to stay up, and talk nonsense?"

"Good point," he said, laying on his side as well.

"I suppose having a bit of a rest won't hurt." His gaze now meeting her own.

"We're safe here," she said, closing her eyes.

"The only real danger are those sand animals underneath. Their tunnels could cause the ground beneath us to collapse inward."

"What!" Kase said, sitting up with a wide-eyed look.

"Are you serious?"

Letting out a chuckle with her hand over her mouth.

"No, I was just messing with you," she said, her laughter beginning to cease.

"Not funny," he said, resting his arms on his bent knees.

"Now you made me paranoid."

"Awe, come on," Leah said, leaning her head on her raised hand.

"It is just a joke. The only thing those animals know how to do is cower, and sleep in the sand at night..." She continues looking at him with a slight smile. After a moment of waiting, he remains silent.

"It was an exaggerated joke, Kase," she said, leaning forward to get a view of his face.

"Aven told the same joke to me, last time. It kept me awake the whole night."

Letting out a chuckle as well with his eyes closed, Kase looks at her, still with a smile.

"All night hey?" he mimicked, and lets out another chuckle.

"So they really don't do that, huh?"

"I promise, they don't," she said, and lays on her side once more.

"You think I'd be this calm, if it was true?"

"You're right," he said, laying on his side once more with his gaze locked on Leah, only for her to move on her back, and stares at the night sky. He moves on his back as well.

Staring at the night sky for a moment, his eyes dart to the side where Leah is.

"I was meaning to ask..." he said, looking straight at the sky once more, urging Leah to turn her head to him.

"At what age did Aven start teaching you?"

"Hmmm..." She looked at the night sky once more.

"I think I was was about... nineteen," she said, still staring at the glittered sky.

"Wow," he said with a wide-eyed look, and turns to her.

"So it wasn't that long ago then."

Letting out a chuckle, Leah straightens her top, and wipes any remaining dust off, only to rest her hands on her abdomen once more.

"It wasn't," she mimicked his words.

"I remember the time when I first saw it," she raises her hand. Just then, transparent blue flames begin to emit from it.

"It was truly magical to me." She twirls her index finger as it starts forming a ring of energy, and pushes it out with her palm, now watching it fade into fillinments.

"Sad to say, that I'm now use to it." Her smile fades.

Frowning when hearing her words, he sits up, and hangs his legs over the rock.

"I guess that makes sense then," he said, averting his eyes, and looks at her again.

"By the way..." She turns to him.

"I see how it's blue and all, but..." he continues, and rubs the back of his neck.

"Why choose that energy thing to be that color?"

Turning her gaze to the sky once more, she lets out a chuckle once more.

"That's a good question," she said, turning her gaze to the flaming sphere.

"I haven't thought about that in a while, but now that you asked that; it's a sad answer of... I can't." She turns her gaze to the sky once more.

"You can't?"

"You heard me," she said, and lets out a sigh.

"I have tried doing it before many times, but it's almost impossible."

"Oh..." Kase said, looking at the sphere, only for him to lay down on his back.

"So what color would you like, or try to change to?"

"Hmmm." Leah opens her eyes.

"I've always wanted it to be red," she said, smiling, and looks at the flaming sphere.

"When I first saw this, my first question to Aven was the same one you asked me, only for him to say that it can't be done, and then he goes on about everything, of how or what this energy is, blah, blah, blah." She lets out a huff, and turns her gaze to the sky once more.

"That's a shame," he said, staring at the sky as well.

"Blue is still nice I think."

"Yes it is," she said, chuckling.

"It grew on me."

Kase chuckles, and turns to her.

"No wonder," he said, training his eyes to her waist.

"Hmmm, what?" she said, turning to him as well.

"No wonder why you love wearing that thing around your waist," he said, only to turn away once more.

"Oh this," she said with a smile, and starts straightening the red sash along her legs.

"Aven gave this to me as a gift, it use to be his friend's."

"You mean his girlfriend?"

"What?" she said, looking at him with a raised eyebrow.

"She's his friend,"

Kase lets out a chuckle.

"That's not what you told me last night," he said, only to chuckle once more.

Looking ahead at the sky, she zones out for a moment, only to turn to him.

"I hardly remember anything from last night," she said, turning her gaze to him.

"Yeah, you were pretty out of it from all those drinks," Kase said, grinning at her.

Placing her hand on her face, she lets out a sigh.

"I should learn to take it easy," she said, only to run her hand down her face.

"What else did I say?" She asked, staring ahead, daring not to look at him.

"It's best I not tell you," Kase said, only for him to start laughing, causing her to cringe with her eyes shut.

"Who is this girlfriend, or friend of his?"

"Alecia," she said, opening her eyes.

"That's an interesting name," he said with a cheerful tone in his voice.

"So you've met her, I presume?"

"Yes," she simply said, and looks at him.

"She's a strange one."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I hardly know anything about her," she said, looking blankly at the sky.

"She's not a very open person, as far as I've seen. Yet my brother, and her seem to have a connection which only can be a symptom of them knowing each each for a long time."

"You seem a bit jealous there," he said, narrowing his eyes at her with a smile, causing her to huff.

"Tell me?"

"I'm not, okay," she said, rolling to the side with her back facing him, her gaze now drawn to the ground.

"Just... when Aven and I were on earth; when we found Alecia, I could see how happy he looked after finding her."

Kase remains silent for a moment, his gaze locked on her back, only for him to look ahead once more.

"I take it, you hardly saw him that happy?" He turns to look at her once more.

"No, not really," she said, slowly blinking her eyes.

"I've always tried to make him smile, but he only got annoyed, so I stopped. I only made him smirk, that's how far I went." She tightens her crossed her, and lets out a silent sigh.

"I'm sorry, Leah." Kase said after a moment.

"Don't be, Kase," Leah said, closing her eyes with a frown.

"That's just how it is. Now let's go to sleep, alright?"

"Alright, sounds good," Kase said, turning on his side as well.

"It's best we sleep this whole matter off." He closes his eyes, and breathes calmly.

--

It's now early morning, with the two of them laying down on their own rock. The morning sun has long since reached the horizon with its orange hue. The flaming sphere has disapeared.

Eyes fluttering open, Leah stretches her arms with a yawn, only for her to sit up, and turns her gaze to her friend who is fast asleep.

"Hey, Kase," she said, rubbing the sleep from her one eye.

"It's morning now, get up."

She sweeps her legs over the rock, and stares at Kase for a moment, urging her sigh.

"Kase, wake up!" she shouted out, causing him to sit up from his slumber.

"What's wrong," he said, rubbing his own sleep from his eyes.

"Nothing's wrong!" she said, stepping off the rock.

"We should get going now." She steps towards him, and places her hand on his back, urging him to step off the rock as well.

Kase looks around himself, taking a few steps as he does, only for him to yawn. Turning to her, he steps close.

"Which way?" he asked, turning his gaze from her, before looking at her again.

"There's no map, no stars."

"Oh yes, true," she said, looking over his shoulder, and behind herself.

"I honestly don't see a way." She turns to him with her gaze drawn to the ground.

"There must be something we could do," he said staring down at her, waiting for an answer.

"Leah?"

"Hang on," she said, still staring down at the ground.

"I sense..." She turns her gaze to the left, and stares in that direction for a moment.

"Huh? Sense?" He said, slowly moving in to her view.

"I swear I sense something familiar over there in the distance," she said, still staring ahead.

"Yet, it feels different too."

"I'm sorry, I'm lost," Kase said, gesturing his arms out slightly.

"Aven taught me how to sense familiar energy signatures that's nearby," she said, looking at home, only to look ahead.

"But with this one, it's far out, it's not meters away."

"Are you presuming, that's where we'll find Anya's thief?" he asked.

"Maybe," she said, narrowing her eyes for a moment.

"That doesn't make sense," he said, crossing his arms.

"You said, you can only sense someone if they're a few meters from you."

"That's right," she said turning to him.

"The thing about this one, is that it's huge. That's maybe why I can sense it from so far."

"What?" Kase said, raising his chin slightly with a raised eyebrow.

"What kind of person has that?" He stares at her, watching as she stares calmly at him with a friend.

"Guess..." she simply said, now glaring at him.

"So you're saying..." he lowers his chin, and tilts his head slightly.

"This thief is like you, and Aven?"

Letting out a slight chuckle, Leah shakes her head slightly with a blank stare.

"That's my theory," she said, looking at him.

"Whoever this thief is, she will be more dangerous than we thought." She turns away, and steps towards the direction she's sensing, staring ahead with thoughtful look in her eyes. She can't put her finger on who it might be, it could be anyone.

"Well, I'm up for a good challenge, if you're in for it too." Kase said, urging her to turn to him.

"It will be very dangerous, Kase," she said, with gentle look in her eyes.

"I'm not even sure you, or will make it out alive if we encounter this thief."

"If we work together, we can do it," he said with a cheerful smile.

"We'll get that artifact back for Anya one way or another. We could even reason with the thief if you prefer that instead."

Chuckling, Leah kooks at the ground for a moment, and back at him.

"We can try that then," she said, resting her hand on her hip.

"We'll just lie to Anya, and say that the thief is dead."

"If things go smoothly, however."

"Yeah, that too," Leah said, looking down for a moment, and up at him.

"Then let's hope our plan works."

"Yeah."

"Want to see something cool?" She said, smiling.

"Well, after seeing what you could do," he said with a shrug.

"I doubt you could impress further."

"Watch." And with that, Leah gestures her arms out slightly, begins to levitate, leaving her feet to hang down as the ground beneath gets further away, leaving a cloud of dust to follow from under her.

Looking up, wide-eyed, and mouth open, Kase steps back with his stiff hands raised.

"How are you even doing that?" he said, his mouth still open.

Chuckling, Leah looks down at him, with her hair gently flowing from the wind.

"A lot of lessons from Aven, and a lot of practice," she said, descending herself to his level.

"I think it will be a lot faster like this." She reaches her hand out to him, and waits.

"We're going to fly there?" He said with a puzzled look on his face.

"With me on your back?" His question receives a nod from her.

"Don't worry," she said, moving her hand slightly forward.

"I won't let you fall."

Raising his hand to hers, he hesitates.

"Alright," he grabs her hand gently.

"I trust you."

--

With the wind blowing her hair back, Leah averts her eyes with a slight smile, only for her to look ahead.

"Are you okay over there?" she asked out loud, and taps Kase's arm under her throat.

"Oh I don't know," he said, looking over at her.

"Holding onto someone for dear life while being high above ground; yeah I'm completely fine with this."

Letting out a small laugh, Leah places her hand over his arm.

"Just remain calm, and you should be fine," she said, looking down at the ground below, watching as small towns pass by.

"We'll arrive there sooner than you think."

Letting out a sigh with his eyes closed, he opens them.

"Alright, I'll try," he said, with a calm tone in his voice.

"I trust you."

With that, Leah smiles slightly, now looking ahead. Her mind stirring with thoughts. She is happy to have brought Kase with, it's rather nice to have a friend to keep her company during her time on Epra. With her smile fading, she only hopes that nothing dangerous happens that might threaten her, and Kase.