Lingering Taste - Volume 2 Chapter 2.

By the time Stensa, the youngest Dwarph in their group, returned with a pair of clothing, the sky was ablaze with the deep reds of dusk. The two suns had set in opposite directions—one a massive orb of flame, the other dark and ringed with a faint halo of light.

The poor girl was so frightened when she handed Ellie the clothes. The first time she did, she had accidentally ripped another pair of clothes into shreds, earning herself a scolding from Periola, and had to make another trip back to the nearest town herself.

"Please take it quickly." Stensa said, her four hands shaking, fingers extending outward, not wanting to touch the fabric with her sharp claws.

"Just relax. Even if you mess up this time too, I'll still have enough fabric to use as a rag to cover myself with." Ellie said, taking the clothes from Stensa's hands. She went inside the tent set up by Periola, not knowing what she said had made Stensa sad.

The inside was humble to say the least, with only two sleeping bags lying on the floor before Ellie dropped the blanket into the mix. On the ceiling, there was a small lamp attached to a hook.

Ellie quickly put the clothes on, which fitted her perfectly—someone had been sizing her up while she was unconscious. She gave it a twirl before turning the clothes inside out to examine the labels, which displayed her height, weight, and a ratio indicating how well the clothes were aerodynamically designed.

In elven fashion culture, you had to strike a balance between allowing the air to pass through you seamlessly and not letting it blow you away in respect to both the Wind and Tree Divine Spirits. However, they were still those who chose one extreme over the other.

'Not bad. Not bad at all.' Ellie thought to herself upon seeing the number. She now stood a full head taller than her mother, when before she had only reached Alea's neck. She had lost a lot of weight, but that was easier to fix; bulking up on food wasn't that difficult for her.

She sat cross-legged, resting her head on her knuckle, contemplating.

'So we have Clan Thuderspine deciding to off one of their member to help me escape Windshire Fort as well as accompanying me back to their village. Then, someone who was so interested in my condition that they would size me up while I was unconscious. It could be mom or that woman, Periola, or both.'

If it were Alea then she could understand and not mind it. But Periola? There was only one explanation that fit in with the way Clan Thunderspine was treating her right now.

'They are planning to use me as a challenger for the throne. But why go so far as to anger House Gennan?'

Let's think for a second. Now that she knew about the existence of Moldrivore's contact, she could finally understand why competition for the throne was encouraged between the six royal houses by the Church. It was to ensure that the contact continued to be upheld by the most suitable person to keep whatever beyond the East Sea at bay.

Meaning that even if she managed to take the throne. Without the support of House Gemma and their nobilities, with only Clan Thunderspine as her backing, how long could she keep it before the other Houses reclaimed the throne with the combined support of the Church and their nobilities?

It wouldn't be long for sure. And Clan Thunderspine wouldn't be able to make up for their losses, let alone reap any benefit from putting Ellie on the throne. No. There was something else that they wanted.

Could it be 'Thief of the Divine Light? How did Mom even have one copy in the first place? And what is her relationship with Clan Thunderspine?

As her mind spiraled into thoughts, hungry for answers, her stomach interjected with a loud, thunderous growl, like a beast demanding to be fed. She was starving.

She rubbed her hand over her stomach.

'Let's just eat first,' Ellie thought, exiting the tent.

There was a faint, delightful aroma in the air. The beast growled once more, letting its presence be known.

'Oh, shut up, you. I'm getting to it. Stop embarrassing me!'

Then, came another growl. But this time it belonged to someone else—the young Dwarph standing in front of the tent, waiting for Ellie to come out. The two locked eyes. They stood in silence before giving each other a knowing nod.

'Let's pretend that didn't happen. And save the chit-chat later.'

They walked in silence; their pace quickened, footsteps hitting the ground harder the closer they got to the source of the tasty smell. Soon, the sound of crackling fire joined in with their rhythmic stride. The flame crackled, scattering embers into the night air, and a battered iron pot hung over it, swaying gently as the stew inside bubbled and hissed. Around it, three shadows huddled close.

Upon seeing the two of them approaching, Doread held out two bowls of stew, which they accepted as soon as they sat down. Stensa threw her head back, greedily drinking away the golden meal, staying true to her nature as a warrior race that lives deep in the mountain, where food is scarce and trade caravans only come every few years.

Ellie gazed into her bowl; she looked so different, her blonde hair was now as white as snow, red irises staring back at her, scanning her jawline, which was sharper than before. Her facial features saw little changes, but they weren't the same: If she tried hard enough, she could see the outline of *that man's* face hidden somewhere on hers.

"I thank the wind for bringing rain to nurture our harvest, for giving the farmer whose back burnt under the sun your encouraging touch, for helping crops pollinate."

Ellie said a short prayer which surprised Alea.

She wasn't one to pray before a meal. But after living in that white hell, she had come to appreciate how lucky she was to live in this age.

She swallowed, pushing down the saliva that had built up in her mouth. Lifting the spoon, she guided it inside. The hot steam danced inside her mouth, but she didn't mind.

As the soup settled on her tongue, Ellie opened her eyes, tears trailing down her cheeks.

"Honey? Is everything alright?" Alea asked, her voice full of concern.

Doread and Stensa froze mid-meal, staring at Ellie with soup still smeared over their mouths and chins. Only Periola kept eating, her spoon scooping with careful precision, not letting a single drop spill over.

Ellie wiped her tears with the cuffs of her shirt.

"No, no. It's nothing. I don't know what've gotten into me. Please just continue eating. Don't let me interrupt everyone's meal."

"Is there anything I can do?" Alea continued. "Just tell me. Maybe I can help. Is the food not to your taste? I can fix it if you want."

"NO! THERE IS NOTHING WRONG!" Ellie yelled out. She took her dish and walked away from the group, heading into the forest. "JUST LET ME BE!"

"What's gotten into her?" Alea said. Looking at Ellie's shrinking back, she shouted. "Don't go off too far!"

"Shouldn't someone follow her?" Stensa asked.

"You will." Periola said. "Hurry up and down with your food.

***

Ellie didn't get too far away from the campfire, sitting somewhere dark and distant enough for no one to hear her bawling her eyes out, but not too much that would make her vulnerable to beasts and bandits' attack.

A semitransparent screen hovered in front of her with texts displayed on it. It said.

[Avatar] : Aspect of Change, Reincarnation, and Nightmare.

[Core Character] : Corpse Eater [Promise of Strength]

[Legacy] : Thrall [Tier] : Lesser

[Origin] : Undead

[Virtues] : Bloodless Tenacity; Unyielding Bite.

[Sins] : Echo of Starvation

[Promise of Strength] : Beings you eat will be revived in their strongest state inside your Promise.

[Bloodless Tenacity] : You can sustain fatal injuries as long as you have enough mana.

[Unyielding Bite] : Amplified your bite using mana, allowing to bite through hard bones with ease.

[Echo of Starvation] : The taste of the foulest meat you have consumed lingers on your tongue. You need to eat all of a being for it to be revived in your Promise.

Each spoonful of soup brought her tears, reminding her of what she did, but she couldn't stop; she needed to eat, she needed strength, her situation wasn't as grim as the trial, but she couldn't afford to relax either. She was still at the mercy of Clan Thunderspine.

At the moment, they might treat Ellie and her mother well, but what's to say it wouldn't be the case in the future? In the worst possible case, she would have to face three Dwarphs alone and protect her mother.

Ellie continued eating the meal. Each bite reminded her of her weakness, her helplessness, her inability to do anything against *him*—of how she was forced to commit the most horrendous sin. But it didn't faze her; rather, the more she ate, the more her heart became calm.

Knowing how weak she was filled her with a great desire to become stronger. To have the strength to protect herself against the will of others. To have the power to save the lives of people she cares about.

Soon, she stopped crying; her red irises no longer shimmered under the pale moonlight, tears no longer fogged her vision. Ellie grabbed the bowl, her lips sticking to the edge of the bowl; she threw her head back and persevered against the tide of nauseous tang, swallowing mouthful after mouthful of soup.

'Do not puke. Do not puke. You need to eat. You won't be able to do anything if you are starved.' She kept telling herself over and over again.

It felt like an eternity had passed by the time she finished with the meal. Ellie put the bowl in front of her. She gagged, holding her hands over her mouth, pushing the acidic taste back down.

She took in long, deep breaths.

'Who could have thought that one day I won't enjoy eating?'

Then suddenly, a voice rang out from behind Ellie.