An Interlude

Alright I am sorry for not updating for so long, life was trying to choke me out so I had do something about that. Anyways I'm back, and if you guys ever feel like I'm taking too long, leave a comment. Knowing there are people who want more makes me work faster. Also, if you see something, say something. I'll correct any mistakes immediately.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The empty stone cold halls echoed with the clatter of a chitin and the low groan of swinging metal. The wavering orange glow of the lantern resting upon Scola's claw casting deep, streaking shadows upon my face. These shadows became like drawn lines, granting me a weary, aged appearance.

It was a familiar sight. An arduous march through the empty, lifeless tunnels. Not a single word was spoken by either myself, or the gloom within the necklace. I honestly had no idea what to even say even if I did want to talk.

However I held no wish to speak. I simply wanted to make some food, and then sleep.

…

I pushed open the silver door while Scola then promptly turned around with the bag of excess tools in hand and left, crawling up the wall and onto the ceiling as she passed over herself.

"Scola?"

I turned to follow her, however an empty, apathetic voice stopped me.

[She's returning the remainder to the hoard. Ignore her.]

I pursed my lips as I was about to say something, before sighing and letting it go. I instead walked over to the small outcroppings beside my bed, carefully removing the necklace and placing it on the crystal before turning heading off to the bathroom.

…

Wiping my wet hands on pants due to a lack of a better option, I returned to the main space picking up the locket, only to be greeted by the blindfolded visage of Tyvelia. She was standing perfectly still with her hands behind her back as she blindly peered at the locket from the doorway.

She smiled upon noticing me, her face visibly brightening.

"Deus, glad to see you well. I assume you've learnt your lesson?"

I shuddered slightly, remembering the pain I experienced, almost taking a step back.

"Y-yeah I did."

Tyvelia's smile widened slightly before she pulled out a translucent, milky white stone from behind her back.

"Good. I would like you to also understand, I am not all cruel. Here."

Her soft, frail sounding voice was like a blade being held against my neck. A single sudden move is all it would take to kill me. And so I moved slowly but carefully towards her, with every hesitant step being carefully considered and calculated.

Her features displayed nothing but a deceptive kindness while her aura of fragility made me feel like I need to take extra care when interacting with her. However after witnessing and partaking in her wrath, such care was more for myself than any part of her.

As I placed my hand on the white stone and prepared to thank her, she rested her other hand upon mine, before leaning in close. I completely froze as her soft breath tickled my ear.

"Don't take my forgiveness for granted. I will not be so merciful a second time."

Her tone sounded gentle, yet there was venom laced between the lines. I shivered slightly before lighting up my eyes with a ghostly green glow that fed upon the fear I felt.

"I understand."

My sudden change in attitude caused surprise to ripple across her features for a less than a second before it was erased.

"Good, now then, I would like to taste your food. I have tried human food before, but Isekaijin have inherently different styles from the people here."

She then let go, allowing me to take a step back, before then reaching out a hand and miming a pulling motion towards the shadows under the bed.

With a wave of her hand she dragged the shadows from beneath the bed, forming the polygonal skeleton of a lounge with the strands that stretched out at her beck and call.

She then laid herself down lazily, with a gaze that had anything but a lax feeling to it.

However I had already decided that I wasn't going to be fearful of her. It wasn't productive or helpful, and while insubordination in her presence was likely impossible, I would like to retain at least a modicum of dignity during our conversations.

At the very least.

Not that I really expect much from myself. I had every right to fear the eldritch monstrosity lazing about behind me.

But I wasn't going to show it anymore.

In the kitchenette, I looked down at the necklace resting against my chest while placing the salt stone in my pocket.

"Pull out everything, I'm going to organize myself."

As the runes on the locket glowed a bright sky blue I braced myself for the pain that was going to be brought with the release of all its contents.

However it never came.

Instead, the lid of the locket went and click open, while a thick black fog billowed out behind me. I turned around and held the locket in my hand as I curiously peered into the empty opening. The smog then coalesced into a small small mound about a meter high before finally stopping.

Then, with a violent burst of speed, was called back into the locket, smacking into my chest with surprising force.

The locket, now full, then shut with a small *Click!*.

Strangely, throughout the whole process the gloom did not speak a word. I wanted to ask what had happened the first time, but remembered what it had said before about what Tyvelia had ordered. On top of that, I wasn't really sure it would answer anyways.

'Perhaps it's because Tyvelia's here?'

In any case, I had what I needed now.

It was all there, the forks, knives, spoons, ladles, pans, pots and everything else I chose, all on the floor in the exact spot where the smog had collected.

"Thanks for that."

And though I received no response, I didn't exactly feel like I was being ignored. Instead of dwelling on it though, I began stocking the small cramped cupboards for all they were worth. As I did that, I memorized everything placement while also getting accustomed to moving in such a small space.

"You are surprisingly organized, if only the majority of your race was the same."

As I finished putting away the glinting silver tableware, I looked back over my shoulder to see that Tyvelia had become rather comfortable sitting on the lounge she had created.

"I don't really know much about the humans here, however I know most people prefer to know where everything is and I, a cook, find an organized space extraordinarily helpful."

She raised an eyebrow at the word cook, however once again she reverted to her original leisurely expression.

"I see, did you have a favorite dish?"

My hand slowly settled into the rythym as things fell into place, the kitchenette slowly becoming a shadow of the vision I had for it.

"I did, it was a food called a hamburger."

My eyes flicked over to the stove as I began to consider how use the fat of the meat to make the oil I would use.

It was certainly strange, using knowledge I learned at three A.M. at night for something. I then reopened the cupboard and took out a pot, before also grabbing a large cleaver from within a drawer to the side of the counter.

I then went to work, cutting and cleaving away at the meat with expert precision. My mind desperate to escape reality as I fell into the familiar flow of my work.