Villain's Second Heart: Trapped in A Fantasy Novel (BL)-Chapter 10: Returning the Favor

The conversation died down as they were eating, but a few things became abundantly clear to Ezra:

Decoy (Deek) had a clear favorite among the two of them - and it wasn't Ezra.

Oberyn was doing everything he could to not directly talk to Ezra, speaking through Deek when possible.

'Why is he so hesitant?' Ezra wondered. 'Is he ashamed or embarrassed about what happened earlier? Or is it something else...?'

He picked at his 'pea soup', but the gruel was doing nothing for him. He supposed he shouldn't be choosy - free food was free food. But he couldn't help but notice that Oberyn got the better end of the deal.

"I'll be right back!" Deek announced, disappearing off into another room of the farmhouse for a moment.

As soon as she left, Oberyn wordlessly scooped some of his food into Ezra's plate.

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"Eat it before she gets back."

Ezra's eyes widened. "But, this is for you," he argued. "I can't accept this!"

Oberyn smiled lightly to himself, looking back at his plate. "I don't have much of an appetite, being a Nephilim and all. It didn't seem like you were enjoying your lunch."

Ezra sighed. That was an understatement for sure.

"Thank you, Oberyn."

The fae Magician hesitated before answering.

"You're welcome, Ezra."

...

After the meal, the duo met Deek outside. She was standing on a tree stump, hoisting a large boomerang over her shoulder. She looked ready for a fight.

"What's all this?" Oberyn asked, looking around.

"I gave you a place to nap and a nice meal - now it's time for you to help me, my minions!"

Ezra and Oberyn exchanged a nervous look.

"Listen, Mr. Rav gave me some homework to do, and I'm juuuust about done with it. You both got some levels to ya, so this will be a piece of cake. We need to go kill a monster."

"Monster!?" Ezra interjected. "I don't know how to do anything like that!"

[Sure you do, Ezra.]

The voice hissed into his mind. He recognized it immediately - Alcor.

[Don't worry, little man. No games. It's my body you're flailing around in, that's all. With a spear in your hand, you'll be a natural.]

He believed Alcor this time, somehow. The thought of wielding a spear felt...natural, somehow. Like his muscles and body were trained and ready to do it.

"I don't have a weapon," Ezra said. "But if you get me a spear, or some other similar weapon, I might be able to make it work."

"You're a spear user?" Oberyn's curiosity was piqued.

"Yeah. I think so. Good with long poles, anyway." Ezra smirked slightly, watching for a reaction. Oberyn blinked, oblivious. "I mean, spears," Ezra sighed dramatically. "Obviously."

The joke went far over Oberyn's head.

"I think we got somethin'!" Deek said, emboldened by the challenge. Off and away she skittered, only to return in moments with a sharpened pole from the barn.

"How's this?" she asked, tossing it to him.

Ezra caught the spear deftly, giving it a few test swings. He was surprised at how good it felt to hold a weapon in his hands.

"This is great!"

"Well let's get movin', then! We're burnin' daylight here, folks!"

"How long is this going to take?" Oberyn said, crossing his arms. "I do need to get back to Asteria, you know."

"You're workin' off a meal, Mr. Nephilim! Just an hour or two - promise!"

And so they set off - Deek leading them out of the valley, over a rocky ridge to the west.

The three walked for about fifteen minutes - Ezra, Deek, and Oberyn.

Oberyn was trying hard to seem detached from the moment - except for the times Ezra wasn't looking. His gaze flickered toward him once, twice. Then away, fast enough to convince himself it never happened.

Not one of them had spoken a word since leaving the meadow. It was Deek, naturally, who broke the silence.

"Y'all are quiet as ghosts back there! Do you hate each other or somethin'?"

She said it so casually, pattering along, her twelve-year-old Ferin bluntness cutting through the quiet without hesitation.

"W-what!?" Oberyn said defensively. "No such thing! I'm just a little distracted, is all."

He rubbed the back of his neck - the spot where his curse mark had been placed. It was starting to sting just a little. He needed to get back to the king soon, or the pain would continue to get worse.

"Ezra and I just had a little disagreement, when we met, that's all."

Oberyn's words remained polite, there was a faint tension in his tone - a shadow of their earlier encounter.

Ezra bit his tongue for a moment. He had to say it - to be honest about how he was feeling. "We did, but I'm not upset with him. Honestly, I wish we were talking."

Oberyn let out an exasperated breath. Of course, he wanted the same thing - for the tension to somehow die down - but he didn't know how. The start of their relationship had been such a whirlwind that having a 'normal' moment felt impossible.

"We just need some conversation starters!" Deek giggled. She was a few paces ahead of them, moving quickly through the rocks as they descended lower and lower into the ridge.

"I...heard there's a famine, in the northern country. Seemed to be a big deal among the military. They're worried people might try to cross into Asteria."

"That's what you want to talk about - famine?" Ezra sighed.

"If they're having a bad famine, they must all be lousy farmers," Decoy mumbled, hopping over a large boulder in their path with stunning alacrity.

No terrain seemed to faze her; she leapt over obstacles with effortless grace. Not all Ferin were blessed with such natural athleticism, but those with fox traits, like her, had it in spades.

"And if they're lousy farmers, then of course nobody wants 'em. Ferin code, my minions! If you wanna eat, you better learn how to make or hunt your food."

"Food should be a universal right," Oberyn argued. "What's the point of society if it can't even ensure everyone gets to eat?"

To Oberyn, it was hard to understand human greed. His civilization on the moon was a different sort of place - a true community, where everyone came together, pooled their resources, and shared.

"It's not that easy," Ezra remarked. "Someone has to grow that food, and they expect to be rewarded for their efforts."

Ezra might not have been from their world, but he knew how capitalism worked.

"Why do they need a reward?" Oberyn challenged. "They already have food. They're just sharing the extra, aren't they?"

Ezra huffed. He wasn't about to defend some place he'd never even seen - even if he did understand the economics behind it all.

Deek leapt over a fallen tree, tail flicking as she grinned. "Those people in Asteria don't even own the land they live on! None of 'em! Government makes 'em pay 'taxes' just to have a place to sleep! Yeesh!"

Another period of lingering silence. Ezra looked over to Oberyn, watching him carefully.

'Did I say something to offend him?' Ezra wondered. He was only trying to add to the conversation. He hoped it didn't come across as rude.

"So, Deek, what kind of monster are we going to fight?"

"Oh, just a big old nasty Manticore," she chirped. "Judging by the nest, it's a huge one! Now you know why a cute little girl like me was nervous to go alone."

She said the words, but neither of them believed she was nervous. It seemed she was happy to have them along so she'd have an opportunity to show off.

"This is some homework assignment," Ezra chuckled as he started to get a little nervous. Manticore - he'd read tales of them in a few different novels. They were never an intro monster - more like something mid to high level. "How much longer did you say it'd be?"

"Oh, not too far!" she giggled. "In fact, we can see it right from here!"

As they reached the edge of the ravine, they peered into the basin below and saw it - the Manticore's Nest.