Strange Culture

It had been two days since Fenrir had left the zerbarix nest and he was resting, although he didn't want to stay there any longer. He did not complain about having the knights of the sun taking care of him, not to mention that Captain Bruce himself promised to make a dignified funeral for the poor Lion's corpse so that at least that pending matter would be solved. Kalishar on his side would not leave Fenrir's side for some reason, following him from one side to the other and not leaving him to the point that he stayed in the same room with the man.

At first, that might have thrilled Fenrir, certainly, the girl who saved his life was his type, but when she wouldn't leave him even in the privacy of the bathroom.

"I need to figure this out." Fenrir thought as he bathed, he felt the girl's gaze and as he peeked his face out of the shower, he saw that she was watching him from the bottom. "Now I'm scared."

Fenrir after showering and dressing confronts the girl, who was still looking at him with that aura he couldn't decipher, she didn't seem malicious to him, but he couldn't feel he could trust him his savior either. And since there wasn't a bar nearby to at least hit it off and have a quiet night together, he didn't feel comfortable with having her around either.

"Very well, may I know why you follow me around like a dog following its owner everywhere? Not even my shadow is as stalkerish as your lady."

"What's wrong with that? I'm looking out for you because it's my priority to make sure you recover and then we can go."

"Ah?"

"I don't know why, despite your injuries and that you seem weaker than the zerbarix, you have something about you that really strikes me, you seem to be somehow more than you can imagine and just because of that I want to be by your side to protect you while you recover."

"I have what special?!" He makes a confused face.

"There is a bright fire inside you that I want to understand!"

The two stare into each other's faces for a while and Fenrir turns away to think about whether it was a good idea that a rare one had saved him. He even considered whether to plan a route and escape plan after the funeral to go far away without that weird girl who seemed like she was going to harass him with things he didn't understand.

"You are planning something, I can tell from your face and body language that you don't like my presence and that's why you want to do something that won't be good for me."

"That's not true, I am a man who has a strict code of honor. You saved my life and the least I can do is repay you for the favor."

"You lie, your lips are deceitful, but your body gives you away."

"My body gives me away? But I'm wearing my best poker face." Fenrir thought as he analyzed his posture, voice, and attitude. "Anyway, changing the subject, you still haven't fully answered what I asked you, who are you and why did you help me?"

"I already did, I am Kalishar and I am interested in seeing the fire of your being shine again."

"But you are from where? What's your home name, your parents, last name and are you wanted by any bounty hunters or sororities? And I need something more than just the fire of my heart or something, you are very ambiguous and I don't like that."

The girl looked at the man and tried to answer, but she still didn't quite understand certain words. Also, she kept practicing to give answers that didn't invite further dialogue about things she didn't want.

"Fenrir Captain Bruce says preparations are ready for your brother Lion. It's time for the funeral."

"We'll continue this, and believe me when I tell you, I don't leave unfinished business, so think carefully if you want to be honest or a liar with me, it's hard to trust between both parties if you don't start being honest, especially between criminals like me."

"I have a question I'd like answered!"

"Which one Miss?"

"What's the meaning of all this funeral stuff and honoring the com.... dead!"

"Really? There is no such custom in your home or what?" Note the look of the girl, who seemed not to understand the funeral rites. "The truth is a subject I would also like to ignore, it's complex, it's annoying and sad. You see someone you care about leave this world leaving you with a bitter pain that you don't know when it will heal and the worst part is that you must try to learn to live without that person pretending that somehow their death must be a good thing and not the horrible reality we all fear."

"That means a funeral." the girl replies gratefully.

"Well, maybe we'd better leave this topic for someone who has a better view than mine, my brother died and I'm not at my best to give clear and unbiased answers. For now I just want to say goodbye to Lion one last time and see what to do with my life next."

The man walks to join the other knights of the sun for the funeral. As it was about his younger brother and he was there, he had to negotiate with the captain of the group to reach a middle point in the funeral, he did not want to listen to the lies of the knights towards his younger brother. The captain understood Fenrir's perspective and feelings to a certain extent, but he would not let him alone dictate the rules, he did not accept Fenrir belittling his boys who gave their lives to protect the peace. He understood that the man suffered, but that did not give him the right to insult all those who also suffered for the loss of Lion.

In the end, Fenrir granted a speech from the captain because he felt that he could be the one he disliked the least, that he could be the spokesman for everyone, while Fenrir was allowed to give his last words to the grave. Kalishar approaches still unable to fully understand everyone's rites and scenes of pain, no one fought or seemed to have a visible wound to justify, he saw everyone's auras and though they looked weak, they didn't seem to indicate anything like a mortal hurt that would affect with everyone's will to live.

"I'm beginning to wonder if this plan is worth it," thought the girl watching as everyone said goodbye to a lifeless piece of flesh that only served as food or building material.

"Lion, sorry, if even at your own funeral I can't stop being a scumbag to your classmates and friends. I really try, but I just can't bring myself to be nice to those I hate so much, still, I want you to know that I will try my best to change and help others, just as you always wanted me to. I will be that good person you hoped to see in me, but I ask you to be a little patient with me because I will most likely make many mistakes before I achieve my first step as a good person. I love you and someday, I know we will meet again."

From the roof, Kalishar watched the scene, a habit incomprehensible to her. Crying over a dead body, from her perspective, was like crying over having food nearby and not wanting to eat it. When she thought of food, she would touch her stomach feeling that horrible sensation and discomfort that the stomach caused her to beg for food.

"It would have been more positive for them to use that meat to eat.", the girl said quietly as she let out a long tongue that didn't look human.

To her luck, a never before known aroma had invaded her nose, it was like the smell of freshly killed meat, but enhanced, it highlighted its taste combined with other smells, and that hypnotized the girl who took the opportunity to explore and learn for herself some extra things.

The girl, following the seductive aroma, entered the dining room where the cooks were already preparing the post-funeral banquet so that the living could rejoice a little with their stomachs full of the best meals they had prepared with effort and passion.

"Ah! You're that unknown girl who left the nest. Can we help you with anything?" one of the cooks asked.

"Yes, I would like to know. What did they do to make the meat richer than before?" she asked as she approached the table and saw all the delicious food.

"That, heh, heh, heh, heh, let's just say it's a family secret. Despite being here risking our lives, I never fail to excel in this field. For me, creating delicious and unique dishes is an unparalleled art." The man notices how the girl is about to eat, the cook runs to stop Kalishar. "You can't eat if everyone isn't at the table here with you!"

When that man pushes Kalishar away, she gets angry, she reacts by squeezing his shoulders with her hands, he feels great pain because he doesn't feel like two hands grabbed him, it seems more like two blades squeezing with brutal force his body causing them to bleed. Looking at the girl's eyes, he could notice that there was no life in them, they were threatening and empty which reminded him of the zerbarix when he almost lost his life in the jaws of one.

"Why don't you let me eat?" she asked as she squeezed the man tighter.

The cook could feel that his bones if he continued on that course would burst killing him, he was surprised by the girl's enormous strength despite her slightly thin and docile appearance.

"You can't eat until the funeral is over..." the poor man replied trying to resist.

"There's that funeral thing again, I suppose if I want to gain Fenrir's trust more, it would be more appropriate to wait for him."

"I think that would show that you respect his pain and you would be closer because people like that Fenrir, he only responds to people who show him respect."

"Sure?!"

"Yes, snooty people like him only respond when someone other than him makes the first move."

"Respect." Thought the girl before releasing the man. "I'm very hungry, but I won't let this one divert me from my desires. So I hope it's worth the wait because your food smells tasty and I want the best for myself."

"As you say cutie." that man replied as he settled the bones in his shoulders. "Who knew a pretty face would make you think of a zerbarix."

Kalishar paced irritably, but she was willing to endure, hunger was the first thing she had learned to master. However, she already felt she was reaching her limit, if she didn't eat soon, terrible things were going to happen and she had to prevent it at all costs. If only she could have tasted a little of it, maybe she could forget a little of that terrible hunger.

"Here you are, where did you go?" asked Fenrir with a smile.

"For a little walk."

"You must be hungry, so am I."

"And your brother's funeral?"

"It's already ending, but the closing is being done by the idiot knights. I wanted to see if you'd like something to eat."

"We can even though the funeral isn't over?"

Fenrir walks and thinks a bit about things, sighs because there was a right answer and a wrong one. The man looks and answers the girl that he already said goodbye to his brother, he honored his memory and even though technically it wasn't over, that man could already settle his affairs, and the others were left over for him. Fenrir went to the kitchen to eat and finish his conversation with Kalishar, he had decided to give a little kindness and be the one to take the first step by being friendly with her.