There was a long silence that passed between them. Eventually the two of them wordlessly began making a simple camp fire and setting up their sleeping bags before returning to their sitting positions beside the flame. The two of them still on the flat ground before the temple. Akeno placed her hand on Mikky's back and rubbed small circles there, trying her best to offer her comfort.
Still, there was silence even as the moon began to rise above them. It was hours later when Mikky began to speak.
"I've never had someone I cared about before." She confessed. "Besides my brother. Honestly, I didn't think I'd ever be able to care about anyone ever again, let alone a Goddess. When I saved you from the King's men, I expected to possibly get a pet and companion out of it. I didn't expect a friend."
Akeno made no attempt at an answer. She just continued to rub the cat's back to make sure that she knew that Akeno was listening.
"I was scared. I am scared. I don't want... I can't be hurt again." Mikky answered, finally raising her head to look at Akeno with eyes filled with nothing but sadness. Her ears had tilted backwards and to the side as she watched the Fox's expression.
"You thought that if you hurt me first it would not feel so bad?"
"Every moment I've spent with you, is another moment you reveal yourself to be farther from this image I had of you. You are not some fickle diety looking to take advantage of my kindness. Or looking to abuse my skills for your own selfish gain. You help people because you have the power to, and for no other reason. You're... You're the exact opposite of what I feel you should be."
"You think that if you left me, that your new image of me would still hold?" Akeno asked. "I fear you would just spend the rest of eternity wondering if I had ever actually planned on leaving you."
"You don't know that."
"I do. That's the kind of person you are. You are sad and brooding, and you expect the worst. So let me do my best to put your mind at ease. I have no intention of abandoning you. I know you may not like my need to help everyone I come across but-"
"I love that about you." Mikky confessed.
"What? But you always tell me not to. That they don't always deserve it."
"Because they don't. I love that you can look past the evil in people's hearts and just help them because of the kindness in yours. I wish I had that power."
"It takes effort." Akeno confessed.
"You're actively trying?"
"We are all actively trying. We may not think that we are, but we are. I help people because it feels right. But it only feels right because that's the ideas I've set for myself. No one is just naturally one way or the other. It's how we're raised. How we're designed."
"I wish I had your mindset." Mikky sighed deeply before staring back into the flames. "I envy your ability to help people just because you can. I keep seeing all the hate that they've given me and wanting them to suffer the same fate."
"What would you like to do then?"
Mikky was silent for a few short moments as she thought about her answer. "I'm going to ride back to Augerheim. I'm going to see how Edon is doing and perhaps speak to Minerva. She may know more about this Descendent of Merlin, and may be able to help me come to a conclusion on what I should do."
"Would you be opposed to me joining you?" Akeno asked.
"You want to come with me?" Mikky raised her head, her ears standing at attention as shock blanketed her expression.
"I want to check up on Edon as well, and I believe that Augerhiem is of much more need of my attention than Krate."
Mikky looked back down into the flames. "If you want to come with me, I won't be opposed. I do like your company."
"But?"
"But I think you should stay here, if only for a few days. You should take the time to meet Camelia and decide if you really trust her enough to leave your home in her care."
"This is her home as much as it is mine. You told me of your visions, that Camelia was protecting the town."
"I'm not saying she isn't trustworthy. I'm just saying that she may not be as powerful as you hope."
"We will see." Akeno smiled softly before looking towards the temple. "There's a secret room inside you know."
"What?"
"There's a secret room inside the temple. Behind the statue." Akeno glanced back over at Mikky with a smirk. "The origional architects who built the temple in Juno's honor had it constructed as a place for her to hide inside to get some peace."
"You're shitting me."
Akeno chuckled. "No. Would you like to see it?"
Mikky looked towards the temple, her ears tilting backwards as she dreaded the idea of going into the temple. Akeno was about to retract her question when Mikky stood up and looked back at the fox. "Show it to me."
Akeno smiled happily and waved her hand over the fire as she walked past, willing it to die out before taking Mikky's arm and leading her into the temple. They made their way towards the large statue where Akeno simply released Mikky's arm and climbed up onto the large pedistal pressed up against the back wall that supported the large statue of her Goddess. She then offered a hand to help Mikky up, and led her behind the statue and towards the back wall.
She pressed in one of the bricks, and the wall itself lurched with a grinding sound. The wall slid opened slowly, a metalic chain grinding across the stone from somewhere behind it. She motioned for Mikky to go in first with a happy smile. The cat rolled her eyes and stepped through the doorway. As they stepped in, Akeno pulled on the chain directly to the left of them and the door slid closed behind them.
She walked down a very short corridor that led deeper into the mountain. The corridor opened up into what appeared to be a living area. To the right of the entrance was a square about eight-by-eight feet wide dug three feet down into the stone floor with a small staircase leading down. In the center of this square was a three-by-three foot square dug another foot down with a metal cage over it for a fire pit. Surrounding it were large pillows with tables set up in each corner. There was a metal vent carved into the stone ceiling above the fire place but Mikky could not see where it led to.
To the left of the door were two bookshelves pressed into the corner and two chairs set up to face the book shelves. In the back right corner of the room was a kitchen area with a large counter separating that part of the room. The area looked like it had plenty of room for cooking, and seemed to be well stocked with utensils, but there was nothing hanging down from the herb drying area. There was a door against the far wall, placed more towards the left side of the back wall, and another door to the right about in the middle, between the sitting space and the kitchen counter. Separating the two of them by about three or so feet. On the opposite side was another door with an orange fox face painted onto the wood.
Akeno stepped into the room with a grin, turning to face Mikky as she walked backwards. She waved her hand above her head and a large chandelier ignited above them, illuminating the entire room. The fire in the sitting area sparked to life, as did the stove and one of the lamps by the reading area. With the entire area bathed in light, Mikky could see how much effort went into this room. There were tapestries against the walls showing off Juno in both her human form and her dragon form. But every visible part of the stone walls was covered in orange and red paintings of a fox bounding across painted landscapes like it was playing around each tapestry.
It also came to Mikky's attention, that this room seemed like it hadn't been lived in for a while. There was a very thin layer of dust across most surfaces. A little too much for just the week or so she had been away from Krate.
Akeno pointed to the room to the right. "That is a spring, carved into the top of the mountain. I know not how my Lady managed to create such a thing, but she did so we have a wonderful place to bathe." She then pointed towards the door against the far wall. "And that is Juno's bedroom." And to the one on the left. "And that was my bedroom."
"You didn't use Juno's room after she was sealed?"
"I did." Akeno looked back towards Mikky. "My room is mostly storage at this point. When I chose to stay here I slept in Juno's bed. I don't think she ever actually used this place."
"She has a temple here but never used it?"
"She wanted it built in case she ever needed it. But she prefered to travel on her own and see the people. She didn't want to hide if she didn't have to."
"Then you used it?"
"I did. I used this as my home even before she was sealed. I loved the simplicity of this place, but also its beauty." Akeno smiled gently before walking towards the master bedroom. She pushed opened the door then turned to face Mikky as she followed her.
The cat found herself standing in the doorway of a small sized room that's sole piece of furnature was a huge bed covered in bright red sheets. The frame of the bed allowed orange and yellow courtains to hang down leaving an air of mystery and beauty in the room. There was a perfect circle carved into the ceiling above it that glowed with a faint yellow light. The edges of the room were all carved with this same yellow glow, giving off a soft crackle like a low burning camp fire.
Mikky turned to Akeno in shock. "This is beautiful." She said before stepping into the room to look around the room in awe. The walls were covered in those same orange and red paintings. The fox was playing and hopping around forests and rivers. It attacked bandits and protected a village, as well as hunted for small game throughout the underbrush.
It didn't take long for Mikky to realize who exactly painted these.
"You were keeping track of your memories here, on the walls." Mikky noted.
Akeno pointed towards a few feet of blank space in the right corner of the room by the door. "I'm running out of space." She confessed with a soft smile.
"Will you paint of getting captured by the King and saved by a thief?" Mikky smirked.
"I don't know. Perhaps we shall soon see." Akeno answered with a playful grin. "For now, why don't you rest in a real bed." Akeno motioned towards the large bed.
"I just woke up, I'm fine."
"You woke up from being knocked out by your visions. I think it's best you get some rest. At least until morning." The fox explained. "You may get more answers to your vision in your sleep."
"You have no furnature to place my things on." Mikky noted.
"Yet there is plenty of room on the floor for you to leave everything out." Akeno rolled her eyes.
Mikky answered by pulling her armor off and laying everything out on the floor beside the bed. It took a short while for her to unbuckle the straps and remove the armor. But she was finally rid of the heavy clothing, and she sat on the large bed wearing a tank top and her trousers. She bounced on the bed a bit and ran her fingers across the soft silk of the blankets. She couldn't help but let out a gentle purr, realizing that her bed for the night was going to be this artisitic masterpiece.
Akeno practically rolled into the bed, laying on her back with her limbs spread out, yet there was still plenty of room on the bed for Mikky to lay beside her. "Is this not bliss? Sleeping on this magestic bed?"
"I suppose I'll find out." Mikky chuckled, laying beside her and pulling the blankets up to her chin. The covers were soft, but they were also heavy, and Mikky thought she would overheat quickly. However rather than becoming unbearably hot, she felt perfectly content. Like her covers would always keep her at the perfect temperature.
She smiled happily before turning to face Akeno who was also under the covers and facing her with a soft smile. "This is nice."
"Did I not tell you this already?" Akeno laughed. "Get some rest. I will wake you early so you can decide what you want to do."
"Thank you." Mikky returned the smile before closing her eyes. It did not take very long for sleep to embrace her, as the pleasantness from Akeno's magical bed as well as her warm company left little stress inside her.