The feast concluded with a sense of deep, communal satisfaction. Ignis lay on her back, rubbing her scaled belly with a contented sigh. «That was the first time food ever tasted... good. Alice, you should store some for later!»
Alice, meticulously cleaning a paw, shot her a withering look. «Why should my Void Locker become your personal larder? If we are hungry, we hunt. That is the way of things.»
«But what if we can't find food that tastes this good?!» Ignis pleaded, rolling onto her stomach.
«Then you will eat what we find, as always,» Alice retorted, though her tone lacked its usual sharpness. The meal had put her in a marginally better mood.
Lilith, observing Adam's pensive silence as he gazed at the now-calm lake, skittered closer. «You seem nervous. Something's wrong?»
Adam blinked, refocusing his galactic eyes. "No. Just thinking. The guardian is gone. Its treasure is unclaimed. I'm going down to retrieve it."
