72 Chapter 72 Musings Of Fear (2/2)

Joseph continues to worry into his teacup while Stella stared at him, trying to follow along the double thought paths. She shook her head and stood up.

”What's wrong?” he asked.

”I need a moment. You're confusing me.”

”Sorry?” he obviously didn't know how he was confusing her.

She paced for a moment then sat back down.

”I'll take first watch, why don't you get some sleep?” he said.

When it was his turn to sleep, Stella had to wake him only two hours in, to recharge the heat rocks. He fell back to sleep almost immediately afterwards. When he woke again, Stella had breakfast ready for him to heat up. Two minutes later, they were enjoying their meal, so they were able to set out quickly.

”This is so weird for me,” Joseph said as they walked. ”I'm not used to not studying.”

”You're so weird,” Stella said, shaking her head.

”But I only need twenty more hours to finish FLAME JET. If I don't stop the evil, whatever it is, before the week is up, everyone will die. I can't risk the fog getting to the barbarian valley.”

”It's a good thing you have me to talk to, then, I guess.”

”I would go crazy! I'm so glad I'm not alone. I think that would be the worst thing ever!”

”Wait, you think that being here alone is worst than anything else you could think of?”

Joseph was silent for a moment.

”If I can talk to you, I don't have to remember things that have happened in my past lives. None of them were good, except when I met you.”

”Just stop thinking about your problems.”

”But they distract me from the big bad evil I have to get rid of. Honestly I'm really scared of all this. I remember dying and it was really shavist. I don't know how I'm going to kill this thing, unless I PURIFY FOOD it.”

”You do know some fire spells,” Stella tried to rea.s.sure him.

He nodded. ”I just hope it works. Seems like someone would have used that already though, and yet it's still here.”

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