29. Mazituz

TWENTY-NINE

"Guess I'm finally beating you at your own game," Camille chides, enrapturing me with her addictive laughter once more.

My legs throb, the round, spiky fruit resting against my ankles.

"You're only getting the upper hand because of your agility," I growl, kicking it gently back toward her. "It's an unfair advantage."

Behind me, within the walls of my lair, is an imaginary goalpost, which Camille has shot through my feet seventeen times.

"I'm sorry." She chuckles. "I couldn't hear you over the sound of your losing."

Her very tangible goalpost, a series of crystalline branches, stands erect and undisturbed. I think I've shot through it twice.

Having spent so long protecting her, I never noticed how nimble she can be. I wonder if, in the surface world, she could have used her tenacity and speed to turn a coin.

While I'm lost in thought, she kicks the fruit between her legs, juggling it along the narrow passageway. Before I can process what's happening, the ball is whisking over my head, colliding with the ceiling, where it splatters onto the floor behind me.

It's technically a goal, but it's also the end of our little game.

"Crap, I'm sorry," she mutters. "I guess we need to find another fruit."

"No need," I growl. "It's the start of a colder season and that was the last fruit. We'll have to wait to play again."

"What nonsense is that? Surely, caves don't have seasons? It doesn't feel even a little bit different."

I see the despair in her eyes and realize that all the physical exertion probably just made her hungry. These fruits have been a large part of our diet for some time.

"Well, as you were quick to point out, these caves don't thrive on sunlight."

She looks at me with a confused and disconcerted expression.

"I don't know how it works. Maybe, like you guessed, it's the magic working differently. All I know is that at some points, I eat the fruit off the crystalline trees, and at other points, I have to go deeper for crops that spring from the ground near lava sources."

"So we're not going to starve then," she says, watching the bits of fruit still dripping from the ceiling behind me.

"No," I say. "We'll be just fine."

Her stomach gurgles, and I can see an expression of embarrassment coming across her face.

"I'm sorry," she says.

Before she can reply, I grip her hand, bringing her along with me.

I'd love to cuddle with her in our moss bed, embracing her in the bright glow of the caverns. She's always had such a calming effect on me, driving me into the throes of slumber merely with her softness and warmth.

But her needs won't be neglected for even a moment. If she's hungry, she will eat.

"Wait! Where are you taking me?" She squeals as though not used to my surprises by now.

"To find food for you. And you're coming with me."

"If the food is near a lava source, won't I burn up?"

"Utter nonsense," I tell her. "Just keep your distance and follow me. If it gets too painful, walk away."

We move through the tunnels, following our usual path. Only once we reach the crystal forest do I lead her through a hidden passage.

"How did I not know this was here?" she asks.

I already feel the gradual change in temperature.

"I only use it during the times that I need," I reply. "I had no reason to show you before now."

The walls of the cavern have started to expand, the ceiling drooping slightly.

I look upon her form, and I have the urge to take her here in the middle of the cavern. The way the slight temperature has caused her chest to perspire and the way it shines in the slight orange glow, is utterly intoxicating.

The thought that she's mine, now and forever, still recurs in my mind.

"Be careful and stay close," I tell her, leading her forward through the cramped passage.

She nods. Even her subtle movement is enough to melt my soul as she hangs close to me, occasionally touching my back or pulling on my arm. In the distance, I hear the bubbling of lava.

"You need to let me know when it's getting too hot for you," I instruct. "My body is a bit different from yours, you understand?"

Without saying much, we reach a fork in the passage. By now, the brown rocks are starting to glow orange.

"Okay. It's definitely starting to heat up a bit," she says.

I turn back to her, lightly rubbing her shoulder. I feel the heat accumulating on her shoulder, the sweat pooling under the thin cloth. My eyes glimpse the bare flesh of her gently exposed cleavage, and I can feel the blood rushing downward.

"Should we turn back?" I ask her gently, lightly patting her on her arm.

Her eyes are conflicted. I can tell that she wants to continue, but she doesn't know if she can. She finds a wellspring of motivation within herself.

"I think I can keep going," she says with enthusiasm.

I shake my head. "No, Camille," I say. "If you're starting to burn up, then you need to stay here."

Placing my head on her forehead and running my fingers along her cheeks, I feel how much this area is straining her.

"In fact, why don't you hang back a little bit? I know there's a patch where fruit grows quite plentifully. I will bring it back to you."

I see the defiance in her eyes, but I won't allow her to risk her health.

I've made a commitment to protect her. That duty even supersedes my own safety.

Her nose scrunches up in thought. "Okay," she remarks. "But be quick."

I lightly squeeze her hand. "I'll make sure to get us plenty," I say.

She turns back around, squeezing herself through the tight passages. I watch her leave me, admiring the rear of her physique before proceeding right through the fork.

Lately, she's become increasingly hungry and nauseous at the same time. She lets me know that it's just a seasonal thing, but my mind can't help but rush to consider the possibilities.

Ahead of me, the room opens up considerably, the bubbling of the lava becoming more urgent as my vision brightens. I see streams of lava, funneling gradually upward through small tunnels.

As I approach, I still don't feel the heat affecting me yet. I never realized our physiologies varied so significantly.

In my duties as Camille's protector, I'm learning more about our differences every day. Even as I was certain I'd discovered everything I needed to know.

Purple leaves sprout from the hard rock next to blue crystalline orbs. As I approach, the heat starts to become very tangible. My skin moistens to absurdity, becoming almost jellylike.

I put my claws on the top of the plant and start to pull.

As I do, I fall backward, feeling a piece of the leaf tear off.

"Crap," I mutter to myself, putting my hand on the rock to pull myself up. As I do, I feel my skin start to sizzle, the rock nearly searing me.

"I just need to pull closer to the stem."

It feels like every season is a learning curve. The first day is always the roughest, as I relearn the ways in which foraging works.

I shake my head, resolute on accomplishing this very simple task. Looking around, I see several more purple stalks and blue sheens around me, decorating the cavern floors.

Pulling my claws more carefully back toward the convergence point of the stem where the leaves meet the fruit, I pull not with force but with precision and forethought. For a moment, I think my grip isn't strong enough, but as I pull gently, feeling the soft rock and minerals start to collapse around the plant, I receive the encouragement I need.

I pull out one large, tubular plant before easily dispatching the two blue crystal plants.

Coupled with some of the herbs above ground, this should make for some wonderful meals.

I return to Camille with three crops, handing them off to her carefully.

"Don't burn yourself now," I tell her. "They're very hot."

"Where are you going?" she asks.

I give her a sly smile as I turn my back.

"Well, you didn't think that was all I was getting, did you? I've got to get a good harvest."

As I turn back into the tunnels, feeling the cool light of the forest above vanish and turn orange once more, I resolve to be quick.

I wonder if there might be some method to keep my body cool. Perhaps there's a way to enchant or otherwise modify clothing?

As I probe deeper into the cavern, trying to pull along the lava bank while never getting too close, I make sure to fill my arms with the searing fruits and vegetables, always juggling them around in my arms so as to never burn myself.

I return to Camille with a bounty of edibles I've foraged, and after gathering a small provision of herbs, spices, and minerals, we return to the lair.

The entire time we pound the minerals, mixing the ingredients together, I can't help but wonder.

Could she be pregnant? Is such a thing possible between a Narovu like me and a human like her?

Every day is a new journey, bringing new excitement and challenges. I'm finding that I love the mysteries her company brings as I evaluate new ways to protect her.

She takes a big mouthful of food into her mouth, and immediately, I feel a sense of pride.

"The flavors mix together so well," she says. "The purple things are savory, but then the blue things are sweet. I don't even know how to describe this."

I smile at her, genuinely unable to mask the glee from my face.

My mind turns to how I might more safely harvest for her, thinking about the cloth. There are some herbs that offer cooling properties. Perhaps if I applied that to my skin?

I might not know what the days hold, but I know that I need to be smarter, for her sake.

After all, soon it might not just be the two of us I have to consider.