"Are you feeling better?" Asked Gale.
"Yeah..." Muttered Ashes.
After hugging each other for some time Ashes slowly started to calm down and slowly released her grip on Gale. The girl turned her head away from Gale attempting to hide her embarrassment after realizing her actions and began to rapid fire apologies.
"I'm sososososo sorry for slapping you! I just got so upset after everything was over and said whatever I wanted and then I tried to hold back everything but I couldn't and then I just hugged you and then..."
"You have nothing to apologize for."
Stopping her apologies Ashes looked back at Gale with a puzzled expression as Gale continued to speak.
"I shouldn't have said all that. I... have a lot of issues that I need to process, none of which has to do with you. When you called me your friend it triggered some bad memories from before and I took it out on you. You shouldn't have to suffer from my own problems.... I'm really sorry."
Ashes remained quiet during and after Gales apology that made the boy very nervous as to how she would respond. Eventually Ashes slowly wrapped her arms around Gales neck and pulled him into a hug. Gale caught off guard froze for a moment before reciprocating the hug. After a few minutes the two let each other go and stood up. Ashes then looked towards the body of the Wind Guzzler and its path of destruction.
"How could this happen? Where is everyone?" Asked Ashes.
"I'm not sure but I think I saw the moment they all disappeared."
Ashes whipped her heaf back to look at Gale as he explained the empty outpost and the footage he found of the guards disappearing. After his explanation was finished Ashes became distressed and was starting to show signs of panic until Gale placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder.
"Let's look around for some clues. I'm sure we can find something that'll tell us what happened."
Taking a deep breath and exhaling Gale could feel Ashes shoulder relax a little and the girl thanked Gale and agreed to look around.
"Ngh!"
Gale suddenly felt the pain his hands grow as the adrenaline in his body began to wear off. Seeing his hands Ashes told him to follow her and she brought him to the store they taken shelter near and the two entered the store. Gale looked around the shop that reminded him of a general store in the countryside as he waited near the entrance as Ashes went down a few aisles to find what she needed. She soon returned with , a towel, a small jar and bandages and told Gale to follow her.
She brought them to the back of the store and opened a door that led to the employees bathroom and opened the faucet and adjusted the temperature for Gale to run his hands under the cool water. Gale grit his teeth as he placed his hands under the running water, but let the water clean his wounds as Ashes then opened the box and took out what looked to be a pill and offered it to Gale.
Once he cleaned the burns he slowly dried his hands as Ashes opened the jar and that had a green ointment in it and began to place it on Gales hands.
"How did you learn to treat a burn?" Asked Gale.
"One day I was watching the new guards do a training session when one of them got a really bad burn on his leg from a stray attack and I watched his trainer give him first aid until a medic showed up." Replied Ashes.
"You were watching new guards in training?"
"I was just passing by...and I didn't really have a lot to do here." Said Ashes.
Gale decide not to pry any further as he saw Ashes reaction and let the girl contine with the treatment.
Once Ashes finished placing the ointment she went to wrap the bandages around the burns and Gale remembering the poorly wrapped bandages around his head guided Ashes on the best way to wrap them.
"How do you know the best way to wrap them?" Asked Ashes.
"I used to read a lot and saw it in a book once... I also have a bit of experience." Replied Gale.
Ashes paused for a moment at that last part but decided not to pry any further and continued to wrap the bandages.
"Anddd... there!"
Ashes finished wrapping the bandages with Gales guidance and Gale moved his hands open and closed and thanked Ashes.
"I wish I could've given you a potion." Said Ashes.
"Potions?" Asked Gale.
"Yeah Potions. It's really strong medicine that could heal your burns but they usually keep it locked away really well because of how expensive it is to buy and how hard it is to make a good one."
It was an interesting detail for Gale who made a mental note to learn more about potions and then spoke to Ashes again.
"Alright I think we should get started with our search in the castle."
"T-the castle?"
"Yeah is there a problem?"
"N-No! Its just... shouldn't we start on the streets?"
"I thought about it but it would take a lot of time and energy searching the whole town and I think we have a better chance at finding any evidence in there than out here."
"...I guess you have a point."
As they began to move out of the store Gale heard a growling noise and looked towards a blushing Ashes holding her stomach.
"Sorry! I haven't eaten anything for a while."
Gale stared at the blushing girl and looked at the aisles still filled with supplies and food that still hadn't been spoiled. Gale then called for Codec who had been giving the two a bit of privacy during their talk.
'Codec'
"Yes?"
'Can you help me translate some stuff I wanna make something.'
"It would be my pleasure!"
Gale then grabbed a slightly worn cookbook that Codec pointed out and after finding and translating a recipe Gale gathered the proper seasoning as well as oil, a packaged frozen meat labeled Tavros steak, a bottle of water, and some not so fresh but still good bread and placed them in his inventory and asked Ashes to help him find an open house. Excitedly Ashes agreed and together they found a house with the back door left open and entered the house.
Gale asked Ashes to find plates and grab some utensils and cups to fill with water while he went to the stove. As he found the stove the boy saw that it resembled the design of an electric stove but saw nothing connected. As he turned a dial he heard something in the stove activate and could feel the heat emanating from it and saw one of the burners begin to glow.
While he wanted to learn more about how the stove worked he left his curiosity for later and found a pan and got to work. Gale following the cookbook thanks to Codecs translations and quickly prepared the meat and causing a mouth watering smell to fill Gales nose that caused the boy to salivate and nearly cry at the first good smell he's experienced since coming to this world.
Gale cut the steak into two equal portions and placed them on the plates Ashes brought out and brought them to the table that Ashes patiently sat at. Gale then sat a the opposite end of the table and looked at Ashes who nearly began to salivate at the smell of the steak. He pulled the bread out of his inventory and split it between them and they began to eat.
Ashes grabbed her fork and knife and cut a piece of steak and nearly cried at the taste of the meat and spoke with a full mouth.
"This is delicious! You're an awesome cook!"
"Its nothing I just followed the instructions thanks to Codec."
"It was no problem! But it's times like this I wish I had a stomach.... or a nose for that matter."
Gale let out a small chuckle at the AI and bit into a piece of his steak. He felt as though he was renewed with a new vigor as he savored the taste of the meat that was the first decent food he's eaten in this world.
Gale then realized something as he thought of that. He looked at Ashes happily eating her steak and bread and gulping down her water and Codec showing a salivating (?) expression as he looked at Ashes food. This was the first time in a very, very long time that he shared a meal with others. He took a moment and afterwards smiled and continued to enjoy his first good meal in a long time.