"...it feels really good."
Veronica closed her eyes and tasted the air—the cool fragrance of plants, the heat and humidity of wild animals, and the coldness of sea water.
Everything that was alive went straight to her soul, eclipsing everything else.
Suoshiyang, who was standing next to her, noticed something. He glanced around and was surprised to find that whether it was grass or other plants, they began to grow rapidly, and the scope continued to expand, as if all life was infinitely nourished.
"This is........"
Suddenly, Veronica opened her eyes and everything stopped again.
Her green eyes turned from the endless sky to the forest below the mountain. The trees were so dense that only tiny shadows could be seen between the tree trunks.
There, a strong, unknown herbivore with horns and fur was grazing on the edge of the tree line. The auburn fur shone golden in the sunset, and the horns on its hands branched upward like bone flames.
Veronica looked at it, holding her breath, afraid that the slightest movement would break the picture.
Suddenly the animal raised its head, its nostrils twitching.
Then, she met its gaze and saw a soul struggling to survive from self-destruction and surviving through hardships.
The sky was filled with fire rain and deadly poisonous gas filled the air. All creatures turned into corpses and all plants withered and died, but hope still existed. When the death dissipated, the little animals hiding in the caves popped up and hid in the ground. The seeds deep down begin to sprout——
The haze has gone away, and the cycle of life has restarted again.
Tears pricked Veronica's eyes, aching for what the spirit of this world had been through.
Suddenly, a roar echoed from the depths of the forest. It was the cry of a predator.
The animal turned at once and fled, its powerful limbs carrying it up the mountain, over rocks, and along dangerous paths.
Seeing Veronica burst into tears, Soshyan was confused for a moment. He looked at the animal going away, thinking that Veronica was because of that thing, so he said:
"Do you like that creature? I can catch it—"
"Why is robbing the first thing you think of?"
"Well--"
"You will continue to destroy the world with machines and fire in the future, right?"
Soshyan sighed, there were some things he could compromise on, but some things he couldn't.
"I don't know if your words come from the heart or just out of the arrogance of your race, but this is the way we have survived to this day. Without those, humans will turn into dust... Do you think this is Looting, but plundering itself is part of the galactic order, just like the forest in front of you. If you see its beauty, I think you will also be able to see its cruelty."
Veronica didn't answer, but just looked at the forest in the distance, with tears still in her eyes.
Soshyan shook his head.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to ruin your good mood."
As he spoke, he walked aside and sat on an ancient rock.
"You can wander around. I have six hours and then I'll be back."
Veronica didn't speak, just turned and walked away silently.
Soshiyang looked at the other party's back, with mixed feelings in his heart for a moment - during this period, Talos had been reminding him intentionally or unintentionally to keep a distance from Veronica. After all, their words and deeds, in the eyes of outsiders, even if they were Even by Chaos Space Marine standards, this was a serious transgression.
Sometimes Soshyan couldn't help but ask himself, had he really crossed the line?
He couldn't answer.
Does Veronica have any other meaning in his heart besides a vow?
Soshiyang didn't want to think about it any more, shook his head, lay back, put his hands behind his head, closed his eyes and rested in the spring breeze and sunshine. This time he regarded it as a personal vacation.
However, not long after he lay down, he summoned an intelligent angel from the shuttle and asked it to follow Veronica and report the situation in time.
After all, there may be some dangerous animals on the planet. Although Veronica is also a war witch herself, Soshyan is always a little worried.
While enjoying the rare sunshine, he was imagining the battle group's plan for the next few decades in his mind. Time passed unknowingly. When Soshiyang opened his eyes, it was already four hours later and it was approaching dusk.
After looking around and not seeing Veronica, Soshyan picked up the data tablet beside him.
"What is she doing here?"
After taking a look at the coordinates sent back by the Intelligent Angel, Soshiyang found that the other party was already in the forest, but not very deep, but logically it should be a lake.
So he clicked on the visual image of the intelligent angel——
I saw the dim sunlight turning the lake into amber. A slim figure was standing in the lake, with long wet hair hanging on her shoulders. Her white skin looked so hazy and psychedelic in the dim light, like a statue. Immaculate sculpture.
"The picture of what Dietrian made is quite clear..."
Soshyan blinked, then suddenly turned off the data pad, threw it aside on the grass, and then rubbed his head vigorously.
"Soshyan, Soshyan, what are you doing! How can you degenerate so much! Have you forgotten the duties and honors of the Astartes? You can't go on like this!"
After criticizing himself for a while, Soshyan looked at the darkening sky and began to recite the Codex Astartes to relieve his inner guilt.
After carrying it for a few minutes, he felt a little upset again and could only close his eyes and meditate.
I don't know how long it took, but when the wind gradually became a little colder, Soshyan felt something approaching him.
Then, he smelled a natural fragrance with a little moisture.
Soshyan wanted to open his eyes, but suddenly he felt something cold touching his face and forehead gently. He immediately thought of Veronica's long shawl hair, and for a moment he didn't dare to open his eyes.
There is a high probability that the other party is looking down at him right now.
"Thank you, Soshyan."
Veronica's voice was soft but close.
Soshiyang's throat squirmed for a while, thinking about whether to open his eyes now. He didn't even know what he was afraid of.
Suddenly, something touched his cheek, with a moist touch——
"you!"
Soshiyang opened his eyes suddenly, only to see Veronica looking at him with a smile, with a red fruit in each hand - Soshiyang immediately realized that this thing had just touched his Face.
"Here you go, as a thank you gift this time!"
With an awkward expression, he took the fruit from the other party and took a bite.
Sweet and sour and juicy.
At this time, the sky has completely darkened, and the brilliant stars have appeared in the sky.
Veronica sat next to Soshyan, eating fruit and looking at the galaxy.
Suddenly, she turned her head and said:
"Soshyan, if... if one day, someone tells you that I am an alien and you must kill me, will you do it?"
Soshyan took a bite of fruit silently and did not answer.
He couldn't answer either.
"Forget it, don't ask me, you stupid guy. I will hide it myself. It's not that easy for you humans to find me."
Soshiyang chewed the core with the last bite, then looked at the time and said:
"It's time to go back."
"Well, let's go."
The two got off the stone and walked towards the shuttle.
When she was about to reach it, Veronica suddenly stopped and whispered:
"Can we come together again in the future?"
Soshyan paused, then stepped onto the ramp.
"If I have time, I will."
Looking at the other person's back disappearing into the shuttle cabin, a touch of sadness appeared on Veronica's face, and her right index finger gently brushed her lips.
"...Yeah, if there's still time."
