The setting sun streaked embers across the treetops as Martyn trudged back with the sticks he could find. Cloud threw the tent over the base he'd set up and began straightening it, while Sai looked over their supplies. Seeing Martyn approach, she sighed, packed their stuff away and produced a fireball in her hand. Martyn set down the sticks into a campfire pit as Sai flicked her fireball at the sticks, lighting them.

"This is getting monotonous," Sai said, resting her head in her hand.

"Well, we're getting better at setting up, for what it's worth." Cloud said, crawling out of the tent to sit by the fire.

As the three of them stared into the fire, Tomas walked into the clearing and dropped his pack.

"Fish. Creek just over there, threw down a net and got 5." Tomas said.

"I never liked fish," Martyn complained. "Cooked fish is too bland, and like, flaky and dry and whatever. Lots of reasons." He slumped backwards, staring up at the darkening sky.

"You're out here, you eat what you can get. You should know this."

"Yeah, I know, but like, fish is an absolute D tier meat."

"I suppose, but unless you see anything else around here, we're having fish."

Resigned, the four unpacked the fish and began cooking.

-

As the last of the daylight disappeared through the trees, they sat around the campfire. Having eaten, the only thing left was to pick up their nightly discussions.

"...so anyway, that's how to avoid getting scammed whenever you're buying rare stones." Tomas said.

"He must've been pretty mad when he realised he had the fake one."

"Yeah, I haven't showed my face around the mountains for a while."

The fire cracked, sending embers up into the air. The watched the fire dance, moving of its own accord, seeming somehow alive.

"What do you guys believe?"

"Now that's a question."

"I believe that magic rules over us all. Nature is filled with wondrous things that defy any logical explanation. You can find the strangest things all around, in the world around you. You only have to look."

"What do you think happens when you die?"

"When I die? I will return to the earth that has given me life, and I will become a spirit of our mother once more."

"Hm."

"'Hm' yourself."

"What about you guys?"

"I believe in Azmuth and Mystic, and the eternal battle and the eternal balance between good and evil. I believe that when I die, I will be taken by one of them and I will be held to my beliefs and my deeds."

"Same. What about you, Martyn? You've never told me what you believe in."

"I'm not sure."

"What do you mean, you're not sure?"

"