Diantha gracefully led the two of them through the crowds of her camp. The further she walked the greater the scent of roasting meat, it was a fair aroma that nearly made her mouth water. Behind her trailed little Mikayla gripping to her hand the same way a duckling trailed their mother. It was both cute to watch the child get nervous in the crowd and saddening that she felt that way. No child should ever feel so uncomfortable in the presence of others, her life must have been harsh up to now. Soon the scent was almost overwhelming as they finally reached the food pavilion.

  Looking towards Mikayla, Diantha saw that the aroma was affecting her so much that she could see water coming out her mouth. Diantha quickly wiped away the drool from the child's lips which seemed to bring her back to her senses as she immediately seemed self conscious. The pavilion was a large open air tent to work as a makeshift mess hall for the camp with dozens of tables full of people and food. Grabbing a slice of pork from a table Diantha offered it to Mikayla who stared at it with hesitation before taking it from her. Taking a bite out of the meat the girl almost immediately threw it back up as tears began to flow.

  “It tastes like him…” Diantha realized her mistake almost instantly and began comforting the girl with a short hug before she could burst into tears again.

  “Let's try to find something you'll like alright?” She hoped that somewhere in the pavilion would be some vegetarian or even vegan food.

  Searching around and asking her men the best she could find was a handful of dubious berries and a few uncooked rotting vegetables. They hadn't anticipated the fact that some people might have limited diets, they expected to hunt for their food while on this expedition. As Diantha kept looking for any food that wouldn't cause Mikayla to throw up she failed to find more than the berries she already obtained. She handed the berries to the girl and looked at her with a disappointed expression.

  “I'm sorry sweetie but it doesn't seem like there's much food for you.” The expression that Mikayla made nearly broke Diantha's heart as she heard the girl's stomach rumble. “I have an idea. What if we go find some food for you in the nearby forest? I'm sure we'll find something nice to eat.”

  In response Mikayla gave an adorable nod and Diantha resisted the urge to dote on the child. Again the two of them strolled through the camp and out into the forest where they quickly began to get surrounded by trees. Diantha easily memorized the way back and scouted her surroundings while Mikayla looked confused just a few minutes into the trek.

  “Just follow me and you won't get lost alright?” Mikayla gave one of her signature nods at that and stayed close behind.

  The forest was thick and slightly damp, on sight Diantha saw many mushrooms and berries which were obviously poisonous. Finding edible food that wasn't a dead animal was just as hard as hunting one, at least for a novice. Diantha had been trekking through forests since she was a child, her father always favored Damian over her as his first and only son. Soon enough Diantha was able to find a patch of mushrooms fit for human consumption which she hoped Steilae or whatever Mikayla is wasn't allergic to. Harvesting the mushrooms she pocketed them and quickly found a berry bush containing the same berries as the ones from earlier. Mikayla for her part seemed focused on trying to learn the basics of foraging.

  “You can tell the difference between the edible mushrooms and the lethal ones by the spots and slight color shift. Lethal ones have spots and edible ones have a dark brown hue.” Diantha decided to give Mikayla some tips on how to survive which she seemingly took to heart.

  Returning to camp with enough mushrooms and herbs to last Mikayla a few days was a triumph, although Diantha was unsure what to cook for her. She had cooked vegetable stew before but that was bland and unappealing especially to a child from another world. There were rumors that wayfarer food was among the greatest cuisine in all of Ennath. As they reached the pavilion once again Diantha decided on the stew, although with some minor alterations.

  Diantha found a clean bowl and filled it with water from her constellation and began chopping up the ingredients. The mint leaves and mushrooms were gently placed into the stew where she began boiling the water with the red gem stowed in her pocket. Her mother had taught Damian and her a few basic recipes before she had passed and hoped to use that knowledge now. Thoughts of her mother made her realize that Mikayla had likely been wayfared alone and had nobody else to rely on. She hoped she could be that person.

  Shortly the stew began to emit a fair aroma although it didn't have nearly the effect that meat seemed to have on Mikayla. Still the girl ate it in its entirety and didn't spare a drop. It seems that her stomach was quite empty after how many times her bowels had been vacated. Diantha herself ate a plate of deer meat which was a little bland without any spices but it wasn't distasteful. Together they ate on a small bench side by side near the edge of the camp, only ever interrupted by Diantha's men every now and then for small talk.

  As the girl finished her food Diantha saw that her eyes contained a wistful stare as if peering through the tent and into the sky. Mikayla let out a soft sigh as she leaned into Diantha's side and closed her eyes. It surprised Diantha to no end that Mikayla felt comfortable enough to rest around her after she had shown her those corpses. Not wanting to ruin the moment she wrapped her arm around the girl in a protective and comforting manner. At least she hoped it felt that way to Mikayla.

  This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

  —

  Diantha's warm.

  Those were the only thoughts the girl had as she rested on Diantha's side, this stranger who had been nothing but kind to her. Her care for the girl was built on the belief that she was as she looked like, although Diantha would likely be at least a decade older than her original body it felt wrong. The arm that engulfed the girl and slowly kneaded through her hair felt like an angel's finger tip making sure she was safe. She knew she deserved none of the comfort from Diantha and that she should confess her true identity to her. But the thought of getting rid of these few fleeting moments and returning to the dangers of this new world terrified her. It would terrify anybody but most people didn't kill others, and they definitely didn't eat people.

  There was this horrible thought within her that told her to cast away her old identity of Michael and to let herself become Mikayla and stay with Diantha. To become the child she appeared to be and lie. The idea was so appealing that she almost gave into it before coming back to her senses. She would need to leave and go somewhere far away so that she wouldn't be able to hurt anybody ever again. Leave so that Diantha doesn't get hurt because of her, or Kael, or Scarlet, or even Damian. If she could end it she would but she was terrified of what might happen to her. Someone else killing her was one thing but to do it herself was another beast in of itself.

  In reality there's only one option left.

  “Diantha?” The girl called out to Diantha with an anxious tone yet kept her eyes closed.

  “Yes?” She still had that comforting tone which would likely soon become something far worse.

  “Do you get any… urges?” As the girl uttered the final word she knew there was no going back.

  “Urges?” There was confusion in Diantha's tone which was good, it meant she’d hate what she's going to hear..

  “Whenever I kill something I get these urges to… eat it. It's like I become a completely different person. What's worse is that I like it when I become them, I like hurting people.” By the end her mouth was trembling and once again tears had arrived, a horrible quirk of this body.

  The girl expected Diantha to be repulsed by this revelation, that she would abandon her but all she received was another hug. Why did Diantha care so much about her that she's willing to hug a creature she knows is a monster? Her tears were wiped away by Diantha's sleeves until none were left, at least until more came pouring in which they were cleansed again. Over and over she was taken care of by this unfamiliar woman who didn't seem to care at all what the girl truly was inside.

  “Why?” It was a single question that the girl didn't expect an answer to, whatever reason Diantha couldn't be rational.

  “You're a child. That's all the reason I need.” Diantha's response was plain and simple as if it explained everything.

  “I'm a-” Before the girl could finish her sentence she was interrupted.

  “You're just a girl. I won't believe for a second that you're anything other than that.” Diantha didn't relent her point no matter what the girl told her.

  “I'm not a real girl.” Maybe telling Diantha the truth about her old body would make her change her mind.

  In response to the girl, Diantha clapped her hands together and formed two bright blue threads like Scarlet had done in the cave. Wrapping them in a strange pattern around four of her fingers a faint mist began forming around them before a small pane of ice appeared. She picked up the sheet of ice and on it reflected the girl with her green slit eyes now reddened and broken. Taking the frosty mirror from Diantha, the girl nearly dropped it as its coldness spread to her. Lukewarm frostbite nipped at her but she couldn't care less as she gazed further and further into her own reflection.

  “Do you see anything in this mirror other than yourself? All I see is a child in desperate need of help. Someone that needs to be protected.” Diantha spoke with a genuine lilt that the girl couldn't deny any longer.

  For whatever strange and esoteric reason there was somebody who genuinely cared for her in this horrible world. A person who despite having done nothing for them still treated her kindly. Even though she knows that the girl is a monster still denies that she is. To the girl she couldn't think of a single nicer person in the world than Diantha. Dropping the mirror it melted away into the dewy grass beneath her as the woman she leaned into released whatever spell held it together. It was almost like a dream finding someone as amazing as Diantha after what she'd done.

  For a while neither of them spoke as the sun began to dusk on the horizon. Diantha ran her hand through the girl's hair slowly and softly. The girl relented and finally let herself feel the comfort she so desperately tried to avoid and it felt amazing. She let herself feel the true warmth of her new caretaker. Despite the sun setting it felt like it was the dawn of a new day,

  I hoped this moment would never end.

  —

  Once again Diantha felt Mikayla resting upon her. She felt tiny breaths coming from the child's body and chest expanding and retracting. Watching the sunset with a child nearby felt so nostalgic for her time with Kael in their old home. It'd been so long since she felt this way, the last time would have been nearly a decade ago when she'd been properly married. Her and Kael had been so happy together, perhaps if things had gone differently they would still be together and she so desperately wished they had.

  Peering up at the stars above she searched for the constellations among numerous galaxies and astral nights. With ease she spotted the constellation of the salmon which she had used earlier to heal Mikayla. Next she found the reindeer which she had followed to create that pane of ice. Then the ox, the snake, and then the Great Wyrm. The Great Wyrm was not a constellation you used, it was an amalgamation of numerous constellations forming the world serpent. In its totality it held dozens of constellations within it and encircled the entirety of Ennath. No person could see it all at once and to chart it would mean journeying across the world.

  Diantha always fancied herself an adventurer although she wasn't one officially. To battle strong foes and chase her dreams of seeing the entire world serpent for herself but she couldn't just leave her duties behind. She has accountability as a noble of Rosurnan to protect its people. There was nothing stopping her but her own conscience and her guilt. Every night she dreams of journeying but she always relents in the end.

  With a sigh Diantha ceased her daydreaming and decided that the two of them should head back to their tent now. Looking down at Mikayla she felt as if she was looking at a little Damian again back when she had been forced to raise him because their father refused to. Picking up the napping child Diantha carried her back to their tent in the now quiet campgrounds. Only the crackling flames made noise as she entered her tent and gently placed the girl down onto the cot. It was then that Diantha realized she had spent the entire night on a stool.

  Watching the girl again Diantha pondered if Mikayla truly is what she suspects she is. There was only one creature she knew of that matched her description and last she heard nearly all of them had gone extinct. Every now and then rumors and sightings would pop up but those were always subject to scrutiny and dismissal. Diantha had no idea what to do with the girl besides take care of her until she was mature enough to care for herself. If malicious forces were to get their hands on Mikayla the consequences would be dire.

  The cot was just barely large enough for the two of them at the same time. Although Diantha had to cuddle with the girl so that they would fit. It was a wonder that she didn't wake up as Diantha huddled with the girl. Diantha felt as if tonight would be a very comfortable one indeed.