บท 28: A Promise
Phillip grumbled as he cut a big piece of meat from the carcass of the huge reptile. A day has passed since it died, but there were still no signs of rotting.
"What is that guy planning to use its meat for? He's not thinking of eating it, right?" Phillip was disgusted just thinking about it.
After cutting a piece of the meat, he took it with him and brought it to Kent. "Here. Can you tell me now?" He asked while looking at Kent.
"Follow me." Kent brought him to Celine who was in the middle of boiling a pot of water.
Phillip stared at them in confusion.
"Is he really going to eat it?" Celine asked as soon as she saw them.
"Mn. We can't change his mind so let's just do it. Besides, the evolved creatures would be a good source of food if we can identify which one of them is edible. Let's boil the meat first to eliminate the harmful bacteria." Kent said as he bent over to open the lid of the pot. He then tossed the meat inside the boiling water and covered it with the lid.
"Hey! Am I hearing things or did you guys just say that you're planning to eat that thing?" Phillip stared at them in disbelief.
Kent turned his head and nodded at him. "That's right. Rendell suggested this and he also volunteered to test it out if it's edible. If this meat is safe to eat, I'll get the others to cut all the meat we can use and preserve them."
Phillip was disgusted at first, but he knew that they didn't have an unlimited supply. "He is still injured. Why does it have to be him?" He frowned.
Kent pushed up his glasses. "That's true, but he said it himself. I believe that he knows what he is doing. Perhaps, his Gift makes him immune to food poisoning. If you're worried about him, why don't you try it instead?"
Phillip snorted fearlessly and crossed his arms as he said. "Let me do it."
Kent was taken aback by his response. Phillip was a selfish man who put himself above all else.
Celine also stared at him in surprise.
"Then you'll have to convince him," Kent muttered.
"You think I won't do it?" Phillip glared at him before leaving with heavy strides.
Looking at him leave, Celine asked. "What if it's poisonous? We don't have any medicine that can cure food poisoning." She was worried that something might happen.
Kent didn't answer. He also wasn't sure if it was safe to consume.
***
Ericka and Aurora helped Rendell change into a new set of clothes. After the battle against the huge reptile, his shirt was torn to shreds, and his pants were also ripped apart.
The girls blushed the whole time.
Rendell gritted his teeth while holding back the pain. He even didn't let out a groan.
Looking at the thick beads of sweat on his face, Aurora immediately wiped it off using a clean towel. "You are sweating too much." She muttered.
"They will be here soon once the meat is cooked. It might take some time since they are still boiling the meat." Ericka didn't like him at first, but she later found out that he was not as bad as he seemed.
"Alright…" Rendell replied through gritted teeth. His body was still in pain and it felt like a colony of ants was gnawing on his flesh. It was terrible!
At this moment, they heard someone's footsteps. They all turned their heads and saw Phillip walking towards them with a hesitant look.
"Do you need anything?" Ericka asked with a puzzled look. She wasn't close with Phillip so she felt awkward conversing with him.
Phillip scratched his head upon noticing their gazes. He cleared his throat and pointed at Rendell. "I have something to discuss with him."
The girls were surprised to hear this.
Rendell looked at him in confusion.
Ericka stood up and gave him a warning. "Alright, but don't let him move around too much."
"Yeah, sure." Phillip waved his hand impatiently.
Ericka grabbed Aurora's hand and left.
Phillip didn't speak right away. He looked back to make sure that the girls had left.
"I heard from Kent that you are planning to taste that lizard's meat. I want to do it. You shouldn't be doing things like this while you are still injured." Phillip sat on the floor.
"No." Rendell shook his head. "If the meat is poisonous, you might be sick or even worse than that." He muttered. "The group doesn't have a lot of fighters. If you also fall ill, they will be vulnerable to the evolved creatures. We can't let that happen."
Phillip stared at him and asked. "Then what about you? Aren't you worried about yourself?" His first impression of Rendell was that he was a reckless and arrogant man. His perception of Rendell changed after they found Ralph's family. He was a fearless man who was unafraid of death. That was how he viewed him now.
Rendell looked down and muttered. "I have nothing to lose anymore." His voice carried a trace of loneliness.
Phillip sighed upon hearing this. He knew nothing about Rendell so he didn't say anything lest he might touch a sensitive subject.
"Take this." Rendell tossed something to him.
"Hm?" Phillip was surprised when he caught it. "Isn't this the dagger you got a few days ago?" It was the dagger that Rendell got from the Hairy Caterpillar.
"I already have a sword and with my current state, I can only wield one weapon. You can use that as your spare weapon or you can train yourself in wielding two daggers. I have no use for it so you can have it."
Phillip stared at the empty sleeve on his shoulder after hearing his words. He then looked at the dagger in his hand.
After a long moment of silence, Phillip said. "If you want to share your story one day, I'll be there to listen." He then stood up and left.
No words of gratitude were spoken, but his promise made Rendell smile.
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