Kaya, Veer, and Cutie thought for quite so ti, but in the end, none of them could co up with a better idea.
Veer even offered to stay awake all night to keep watch, claiming that no beast would dare approach. Kaya didn’t believe him for a second. This was Veer — the sa troublemaker who sohow managed to start chaos wherever he went. If there was ever a fight nearby, chances were, he was the cause.
There was absolutely no way she was going to let him fly up into the night sky and "patrol." Knowing him, if no beast appeared, he’d probably pick a fight with one just out of boredom. She could already imagine the disaster that would follow — not just beasts, but maybe even beastn attacking them just to shut him up.
So, in the end, they had no choice but to use Cutie’s disgusting idea — the mushroom liquid.
The mont he opened the bottle again, the air turned unbearable. Kaya’s whole face twisted in disgust. The sll was even worse this ti, thick and rotten, like the desert itself had started to decay.
There was no way she was touching that thing. If even a drop got on her hand, she was sure she wouldn’t be able to eat or sleep for days. She’d probably have to scrape her skin off to get rid of the stench.
So, Cutie did it. Poor guy. He sprinkled the liquid carefully around their sleeping pit, wincing with every drop that fell. The sll spread instantly, heavy and suffocating. Even the wind seed to carry it with pride, just to torture them further.
Kaya pressed her sleeve against her nose and tried to breathe through it, but it didn’t help much. The air was thick with the stench of death and rot. Veer wasn’t saying anything, but his expression said it all — he was suffering just as much.
Still, despite the unbearable sll, one thing was certain — no beast in its right mind would dare co close to them now.
Now that there were no beasts in sight, there was finally a small wave of relief — thank God. The silence felt safe for once.
But the mont Kaya opened her mouth to say sothing, the stench hit her full force. Her stomach twisted. She instantly clamped a hand over her mouth, eyes widening. A second later, she turned sharply, walked a few steps away, and bent down.
"Blegh—ugh—ugh," she gagged helplessly, vomiting into the sand.
She’d been holding her breath for as long as she could, trying to ignore the sll, but now that she’d finally let her guard down, it was unbearable. The air was so foul it felt like it was burning her throat from the inside out.
Kaya coughed, spat, and wiped her mouth, feeling her stomach still rolling in protest. Just the thought of lying down anywhere near that awful sll made her want to vomit again.
The worst part? That disgusting, stinking pit was the only safe place to sleep right now.
She stared at it from a distance, her expression blank but full of silent despair. Out of all the problems she’d faced so far, this one truly felt like a new kind of torture.
Veer hurridly brought her a bit of water. Kaya took it and gulped down a mouthful — only to spit it out the very next second.
She looked at Veer.
He was standing there calmly, as if nothing had happened.
Kaya couldn’t believe it. She was a soldier — she had seen battlefields soaked in blood, bodies piled up, the stench of death clinging to the air for days. She’d eaten worse things in the field, seen worse things too. But still, she couldn’t handle this sll.
Yet this man... this bastard... didn’t even flinch. Not even a twitch of disgust. His face stayed the sa, calm and composed, as if the foul odor didn’t even exist for him.
Kaya’s gaze shifted toward Cutie. His expression was a little worse — nose slightly scrunched, eyes tight — but still, nowhere near hers.
Then she turned back to Veer, her breath heavy, eyes red and glistening with unshed tears.
"You— you don’t feel anything? Not even disgust?" she asked, her voice rough from the stench and disbelief.
Veer smiled faintly, stepped closer, and wiped the corner of her eyes with his thumb.
"Why would I, sweetheart?" he said softly. "Maybe you forgot... but I’m a vulture."
And just like that, it clicked in Kaya’s mind — vultures.
They live off things like this. Corpses. Rotting flesh. Things long gone bad, things she’d never even imagine touching.
Right. That’s why they’re called scavengers.
Kaya still felt like throwing up. Her stomach twisted every now and then, but more than that, she was just tired. Her body ached, her head felt heavy, and all she wanted right now was sleep — proper, deep sleep.
Who knew when she’d get another chance in a place like this?
Now that the hyenas—oh, sorry, geethers—were gone, they probably wouldn’t co back anyti soon. That at least was a relief. Kaya rubbed her eyes and looked at the pit nearby, biting her lip. She needed to rest, even if it ant lying close to that place.
Before she could take a step, Cutie ca forward and handed her sothing.
"Here, try this," he said, offering what looked like an orange — or sothing close to it. It was already peeled, the slices glowing faintly under the dull light.
Kaya took one petal and popped it into her mouth.
It was slightly sour but sweet enough to make her eyes close for a second. The taste sohow settled her stomach. She took a small breath and noticed sothing — a strong citrus scent coming from Cutie.
It was... surprisingly pleasant.
Maybe it was because she had just vomited, or maybe because her senses were desperate for sothing clean, but the sll around him was comforting. Fresh. Warm.
Without thinking much, Kaya leaned a little closer, breathing in that scent. It helped mask the rotting stench nearby, wrapping her in a kind of strange calm. And then, as if a spark went off in her head, she smiled.
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