The Scavenger’s Sister

The morning sun filtered through the gaps in the trees, casting dappled light across the small clearing where they had set up camp. The embers from the previous night's fire still smoldered faintly, a thin trail of smoke rising lazily into the crisp air.

Raziel blinked awake, her eyes adjusting to the gentle glow. For a moment, she lay still, listening to the sounds of the forest—the rustling leaves, the distant calls of birds. It was... peaceful, something she wasn't used to. No flames, no chaos, no shouting. Just quiet.

She slowly sat up, glancing over at Leon, who was still asleep on the other side of the fire. His chest rose and fell with the steady rhythm of sleep, his face relaxed for once. No sarcastic remarks or that smug smirk she'd grown so used to. Just quiet.

Raziel stretched her arms, wincing slightly at the soreness in her muscles. Despite everything they'd been through, she felt... better. Stronger, even. Her flames hadn't flared up wildly since the incident, and she had to admit—reluctantly, of course—that maybe Leon's annoying insistence on pacing herself was working.

She stood, dusting off the dirt and leaves from her clothes, and looked around. Normally, Leon was the one to wake up first, always preparing for whatever scavenger nonsense he had planned for the day. But this time, she had a head start. And as much as she hated to admit it, maybe it was time she pulled her own weight for once.

With a glance at Leon, she muttered, "Can't let him have all the fun."

Raziel moved quietly through the camp, picking up his pack and rummaging through it with minimal noise. She knew Leon had stashed food in there somewhere. And after all the jabs he'd taken at her the night before, she figured it was only fair to one-up him by getting breakfast ready first.

She found the food supply tucked beneath a few scavenged parts and pulled out a couple of dried rations. "Better than nothing, I guess," she muttered, glancing back toward Leon. He was still out cold, which surprised her—he was usually on high alert. But after everything that had happened with the rogue scientist, maybe even he needed a break.

Raziel sat back down by the fire, stoking the embers carefully to bring it back to life. Her flames flared briefly on instinct, igniting the kindling with ease. She smirked to herself. "Guess I'm getting better at this after all."

As the fire crackled back to life, she tore open the rations, setting them out to cook. For the first time, she was taking charge. It felt... strange, but also kind of nice. Not that she'd ever admit that to Leon.

Raziel glanced at him again, narrowing her eyes playfully. "Wait 'til you see this, scavenger. I'm not as useless as you think."

Raziel stared at the rations cooking over the fire, her brows furrowing as the edges began to darken—too much. She frowned, pulling the food away quickly, but the damage had been done. The once somewhat-appetizing rations were now slightly charred and smoky, and Raziel grimaced.

"Damn it," she muttered, poking at the blackened edges with annoyance. Of course, when she tried something new, it went wrong. She sighed, glaring at the food. "Good enough, I guess."

Out of spite, she set Leon's rations on the fire, adjusting them with surprising care. As the minutes ticked by, her irritation only grew when his food came out perfectly golden, not a burnt spot in sight. "Oh, come on!"

Raziel glared at the two meals: her burnt rations and Leon's pristine breakfast. "This is some bullshit."

Not one to back down, she stomped over to where Leon was still sleeping, clutching her less-than-perfect breakfast in hand. His peaceful face made her scowl. How could he sleep so soundly after everything?

"Wake up," Raziel grumbled under her breath as she knelt down beside him. "C'mon, you lazy—"

She didn't even get to finish the sentence. The moment she got too close, Leon's eyes snapped open, and in a flash, he grabbed her wrist and flipped her over, slamming her into the ground with a forceful grip. It all happened so fast, she barely registered it. Her back hit the dirt, and Leon hovered over her, his grip tight on her arm as if he were about to strike.

For a moment, they both froze—Leon's eyes wide with a wild, distant look, and Raziel staring up at him in shock. His grip tightened, but there was no fire from her this time, no flaring flames. Instead, Raziel reacted differently.

With a swift motion, she slapped Leon across the face.

"Snap out of it, scavenger!"

The slap seemed to break whatever trance Leon was in, and he blinked rapidly, his grip loosening as he realized what had just happened. His breath came out in short, ragged bursts, and he released her arm, stumbling back with a confused look on his face.

"Raziel...?" he muttered, rubbing his cheek where she had slapped him.

She glared up at him, her voice sharp as ever. "What the hell was that for?! I was just waking you up, idiot!"

Leon blinked again, finally coming back to his senses. "I... I didn't mean to—"

"You threw me on the ground!" Raziel snapped, pushing herself up to a sitting position. "Do you always attack people in your sleep?"

Leon looked away, guilt flashing across his face. "I didn't know... you were so close. Something just... I don't know. It's instinct."

Raziel's eyes narrowed. "Instinct? To grapple someone? What kind of messed-up instincts are those?"

Leon rubbed the back of his neck, clearly embarrassed. "I've... been through some stuff. You can't just sneak up on me like that."

Raziel rolled her eyes, her anger cooling off slightly. "You're paranoid."

Leon smirked weakly. "Maybe. But you do realize you're not exactly harmless yourself, right? Your... uh, bloodlust kind of hit me when you got close."

Raziel blinked in surprise. "Bloodlust?"

Leon nodded, still looking a bit dazed. "Yeah. You've got this... presence. It's intense."

She huffed, standing up and brushing the dirt off her clothes. "Well, if you weren't so touchy, maybe I wouldn't have to get so close."

Leon chuckled, shaking his head. "Touché. But next time, try a less... murderous wake-up call."

Raziel crossed her arms, still glaring at him. "No promises."

She stomped over to the fire, grabbing her now-slightly-burnt rations and sitting down with a huff. Leon followed her, rubbing his cheek again, and glanced down at the two meals. He raised an eyebrow, noticing the difference between his perfectly cooked breakfast and hers.

He grinned. "Looks like you had some trouble with the cooking, huh?"

Raziel shot him a death glare. "Don't. Even. Start."

Leon chuckled, shaking his head as he sat down beside her. "Well, I guess I should thank you for not burning the camp down while trying to make breakfast."

Raziel snorted. "Next time, maybe I'll let the flames burn you instead."

Leon grinned, taking a bite of his food. "Fair enough."

After finishing their slightly contentious breakfast, the air between Leon and Raziel was still thick with lingering tension, but the playful banter had settled some of it. Raziel wiped her hands on her pants, still scowling at her singed food but not saying much more about it.

Leon stood, stretching his limbs before glancing around the camp. "Alright, we should get moving," he said, picking up his pack and checking over his gear. "We've lingered long enough. Time to head out to that settlement."

Raziel groaned, rubbing the back of her neck. "More walking? I was hoping we'd get to the part where I could burn something."

Leon shot her an amused look. "No burning settlements, okay? We need supplies, not a town on fire."

Raziel rolled her eyes but couldn't help the faint smirk that tugged at her lips. "Fine, fine. Lead the way, scavenger."

They began to pack up camp, their movements quick and efficient. Leon stuffed his gear back into his pack, double-checking the straps and making sure everything was secure. Raziel, on the other hand, was less methodical, throwing her few belongings together with far less care.

"Are you always this messy?" Leon teased, watching as she hastily bundled up her things.

"Are you always this annoying?" Raziel shot back, tying her bag haphazardly and slinging it over her shoulder. "I don't need to be organized to be effective."

Leon chuckled. "Yeah, because that's worked out so well for you so far."

Raziel glared at him but didn't argue. "Let's just go. I'm ready."

They set off, making their way out of the clearing and back onto the rough path. The trees parted as they moved, the sunlight filtering through the dense foliage, casting dappled shadows across the ground. The forest was quiet, but Leon's senses were still on high alert. After what they'd been through with the scientist and those House Eternal agents, he wasn't taking any chances.

"Where exactly are we heading?" Raziel asked after a few minutes of walking, her tone more curious than irritated now.

"There's a settlement not far from here," Leon explained, keeping his eyes ahead as they trudged through the underbrush. "It's a small place, but they've got supplies. Food, clothes, maybe even some intel on what's going on with the other Houses."

Raziel nodded, her expression darkening slightly. "Good. I'll need to know more about the Houses. Especially Infinite."

Leon raised an eyebrow, catching her tone. "You're really set on this revenge thing, huh?"

Raziel's fists clenched briefly, a flicker of her flames reflecting in her eyes. "More than you know."

Leon didn't press her further, simply nodding. "Well, the settlement's our best bet to start getting answers."

The two continued walking, the path growing narrower as they ventured deeper into the forest. Despite the light conversation, Leon couldn't shake the feeling that something was still off. The threat of being tracked by House Eternal or the scientist lingered in the back of his mind, and he knew they had to be cautious.

As they moved, Leon's sharp eyes caught movement in the distance—a flicker of activity near the edge of the forest where the settlement began. He raised a hand, signaling for Raziel to slow down.

"Stay alert," he muttered, his voice low.

Raziel's flames flickered faintly as she tensed. "What is it?"

Leon narrowed his eyes, scanning the area. "Could be nothing... but let's be careful. We don't know who's watching."

They approached the settlement cautiously, the familiar sounds of people going about their daily routines reaching their ears. It seemed peaceful enough from a distance, but Leon wasn't one to let his guard down easily. He glanced at Raziel, who seemed unusually quiet for once, her eyes sharp and focused.

"Remember," Leon said as they neared the settlement, "keep a low profile. We're just here for supplies."

Raziel crossed her arms, giving him an exasperated look. "Low profile? I'm not exactly the 'blending in' type."

Leon smirked. "Yeah, I've noticed. Just... try not to set anything on fire, alright?"

Raziel sighed dramatically but nodded. "Fine. But only because I like the way you panic when things go wrong."

Leon shot her a sideways glance. "Great. My own personal arsonist."

The settlement was more bustling than either of them expected, with people from all walks of life weaving through the streets, their eyes focused on their own business. Raziel looked uncomfortable in the crowd, her gaze sharp and wary as they made their way to the clothing store. The closer they got, the more Leon could feel her tension rising.

When they finally reached the shop, Leon nudged her toward the door. "Go look around. I'll handle the negotiations."

Raziel shot him a skeptical look, but didn't argue. She walked into the shop, glancing around at the rows of clothing. It didn't take long for her face to twist into a frown. The racks were filled with clothes that were, to her, entirely impractical or just plain gaudy. Elaborate jackets with too many buckles, flowing dresses she'd never be caught dead in, and boots that looked more decorative than functional.

She tugged at a particularly frilly blouse, her nose wrinkling. "Who wears this stuff?" she muttered, moving on to the next section where the clothes were equally bewildering. Everything here looked... heavy. Constricting. And, as far as she could tell, incredibly uncomfortable. She was used to freedom of movement—even if her skimpy outfit wasn't exactly ideal in most people's eyes, it was what she knew.

She picked up a pair of pants and glanced over at Leon, who was busy haggling with the shopkeeper. He was using that easy-going charm of his to get a better deal, but Raziel knew this was all a waste of time. She was fine with what she already had.

Still, her curiosity got the better of her, and she found herself wandering toward a section with simpler, sturdier clothes. "At least these look like they won't make me sweat to death," she muttered.

Leon glanced over at her mid-negotiation and smirked. "Finding anything that doesn't make you look like you're about to start a fight with a zipper?" he called out, his voice teasing.

Raziel scowled. "It all looks ridiculous. Why would anyone wear this much... fabric?"

Leon grinned, leaning back on the counter. "It's called looking presentable. Trust me, you'll thank me when people don't assume you're about to rob them."

She shot him a withering glare. "I'm not the one who looks like I live in a junkyard."

Leon shrugged. "At least I blend in."

Raziel huffed and went back to browsing, muttering to herself about the absurdity of it all. "I don't need new clothes... these people don't know what they're doing anyway."