The night sky was always a pleasant sight to behold. Shirota and Shira definitely had some fun watching the night sky before the Dancer let out a yawn. A side effect that mostly came from her efforts of using her dance skills to assist with the exploration of the Sacred Mountain's labyrinths earlier today for a quest.
"I'm glad I'm able to spend some more time with you, mom. I wanted to make it up to you, so I hoped this was a start..." Shirota began, smiling as she placed her head on her mother's shoulder.
"Me too, my sweet sunshine," Shira replied, in a soothing tone, looking at her daughter's eyes, and smiled back at her. "I hope we can do more of this, soon..." She continued, hoping to spend more time with her daughter and catch up with what she's been up to the past few months.
"We will, don't you worry." Shirota hummed, starting to make her way over to the bed with her warm pair of clothes on her. She wasn't willing to get the cold over being through cold temperatures, so some warm clothes really helped her thrive in the cold region of the Sacred Mountains, and the often cold winds that arrived during her time in Tharsis.
"For now though, I'm gonna get some shut eye." Shirota sighed, falling onto the bed and placing the sheets over herself. The silver-clad Imperial knelt beside her bed.
"Very well. Good night, Shirota. I love you." Shira cooed, getting a little chuckle out of Shirota.
"I love you too, mom." Shirota responded, feeling her mother place a kiss on her cheek before getting up and make her way out of the room, closing the door behind her. It certainly felt like years since she spent time growing up alongside her daughter.
Whenever Imperial duties weren't weighing on her shoulders, she would teach her daughter the ways of dancing. It was always something to help pass the time, and to get close to each other as mother and daughter. Ever since her disappearance though, she was worried her lessons would be for naught.
A faint recalling of her memory reminded her that she talked to his husband about the possibility of her being unable to return. There was a village of dancers not far from the presumed location of civilization beyond the Cloudy Stronghold, and she had suggested that they live there should anything happen to her. She might not be aware of how happy her husband is, but the letter she received back from him a few days ago was reassuring , and that he was soon coming to Tharsis.
Needless to say, Shira and Shirota couldn't be anymore happier. Soon, they were going to be reunited as a family... Kurita and her sisters were still looking for their father, but the guild searched everywhere in search for him, and so far, turned up nothing.
Glaring up from the ground, she noticed that someone was on the balcony. A man with long brown hair and wore clothes from the Highlander tribe, staring at the night sky... Shira placed a hand on her hips, unable to help ponder to herself why he would be out at a time like this. She was usually strict about being able to sleep on time, so seeing their guild leader not get any sleep is a bit worrying, both as a friend, and as a mother.
Without regard to her movement, Shira walks up to him, hoping to question the man who refuses to sleep. "You know you should be asleep by this time. So why are you still up?"
Startled, Korey turns to see Shira approaching him, with a rather stern look on her face. It's only been a few weeks since Shira joined his guild, but her stern look reminded him of his mother whenever she was crossed... He took a few seconds to recompose himself.
"I just... couldn't sleep, Shira." Korey replied, taking a deep breath as he looks back at the sky. "I thought looking at the night sky would help tire me out, but every time I look at them, it reminds me of my time back home..."
The brown skinned woman soon relieved herself of the stern expression upon hearing his reason. The night sky was always such a wonderful thing to look at, no matter where they are in the world. "I remember watching the night sky as I slept in, waiting til the day I get to see my daughter again..." She commented, placing her hands on the railing as she stared at the millions of stars in the sky.
"And that you did. I just hope that would soon happen with me." Korey's repeated sigh soon turned Shira's attention from the sky to the person beside her.
"I've been praying ever since I started my journey that one day, I will reach her. And ever since I gained my sudden amnesia, I've been lost, with this ring as my only guide... I feel like I'm never going to find her, no matter what I do."
Shira places her hand on the Highlander's shoulder, his gaze turning to a concerned mother that Shira's aura resonated. "I'm sure you will, Korey. Perhaps there might have been a reason she could not have found you sooner, or even the other way around." She began.
"I know how much it feels to worry about loved ones, but you just need to trust your heart to not worry. That's how I managed to get through." Shira continued, hearing Korey scoff at himself. "If only I can keep that advise to heart."
He heard giggling from Shira. "Maybe you should get it memorized." She suggested, unable to hold back a few more giggles she tried to withstand.
Korey's eyes soon gazed at something else that caught his attention. Something gleamed off of the silver armor, turning his head back to see... "Ah, a shooting star! Gotta make a wish!"
Korey clasps his hands together and closed his eyes. Before Shira questions what he's doing, she too spots the shooting star, and proceeds to mimic the pose Korey is in. Silence filled the air for a while, before the two of them opened their eyes to see that the shooting star is gone.
"Shooting stars are always the prettiest things the sky has given us." Shira commented, smiling almost as if she didn't have a care in the world. She gazed at Korey as she places her hands back on the railing. "So, what'd you wish for?"
What he wished for... It felt obvious to the Highlander, but Shira won't know unless he spoke it to her. "I wished to be back with my beloved Hilda, no matter how long it takes."
Shira could only chuckle in response. "Heh, maybe I shouldn't have asked..." She muttered to herself, hardly surprised by the wish she heard from Korey.
"Well, it's only fair to ask what you wished for after I told you mine. So tell me already." Korey urged, like a little child asking their parent to read them a story.
Shira couldn't help but giggle at his need to know her wish. "Alright, fine." She sighed, giving into the plea. "I wished for you to live the happiest life you can, as you make others happy."
She spots a smirk come onto Korey's face, chuckling a little bit as he scratched the back of his head. "That wish of yours feels like I might have spoken some words similar to what you said to a guild I was in back in High Lagaard. God, it felt like it was just yesterday..."
"How so?" The silver-clad Imperial inquired, personally intrigued. "We were facing a dangerous creature on a floor hardly anyone else knew about." The Highlander began, placing a finger on his chin as he began to recall the exact moment in time.
"In the spur of the moment, my mind thought back to a similar event where things were as desperate as it can be, but managed to make it through in the end. I ended up speaking about wanting to make people smile, and to live their lives like one happy family. And the rest was just a blur as we, alongside a certain guild I met in Lagaard, took down the destructive creature."
"I see..." Shira hummed to herself, more than satisfied with the answer she hear from Korey. Her eyes gaze at him again, seeing his eyes closed from the corner of her vision. Was he thinking about something? "Something wrong?"
Korey opened his eyes when he heard the question. "O-Oh, nothing. Just pondering to myself, is all." He assured, turning around and grabbing his bag, placing it on his shoulder, before turning to the silver Imperial.
"I'm gonna go get some shut eye. I'll see you in the morning, Shira." Shira nodded, silently motioning him to get going. She didn't need to reassure him any further regarding his sleep schedule.
Once he was out of sight, Shira turned to look at the stars above her. She couldn't help but ponder on his wish, despite showing little interest earlier. "Perhaps he might get his wish granted faster than we'd expect. Fate does work in mysterious ways, after all..."
...
The morning came and went, as the Refulgent Guild was taking the day off from exploring to do whatever they wanted until something was discussed. Soon enough, the afternoon started to arrive without much of a care. Though Korey didn't mind. After all, talking with Baldur, Logre, and Shirota was going rather smoothly.
They had visited some shops earlier, likely to stock up for medicine and whatnot, and nesting on the porch of their guild house was a way to relax after a typical shopping spree. They were just talking about whatever came to their mind, whether it was in the past or plans for the upcoming future. It was right around then that the noise of shifting armor caught Shirota's attention, gazing upon tons of Tharsis' soldiers.
"Is it just me, or is there a lot of guards today making their way to the Count's place?" She couldn't help but question, as the others turned to see what she was talking about. They also spotted some soldiers that weren't of Tharsis origin.
"That certainly is quite the number. I wonder why the need for that many guards..." Baldur pondered, as Logre's eyes soon spotted some figures of extreme importance.
"Perhaps those two likely explain the protecting formation the soldiers are in." He explained, pointing to a woman with orange hair, and rather unique golden armor, walking beside a man with black armor and white hair. They were walking alongside the soldiers to the Outland Count's place, likely to discuss something with the Count in particular.
"You certainly don't see people like them everyday." Shirota commented, rather amazed at the armor the woman wore. "Not really, though I wonder why they're here. They don't seem like bad people..."
As they see the two regal looking figures walk off in the distance, Shirota spots Anai from the corner of her eye, seeing the Medic approach them as the young girl smacks her hands on the table, startling the boys and turned their attention to her.
"Guys, you'll never believe what I just saw! It was... oh my god, it was huuuuuge!" Anai blurted, almost about to go on a never ending talk about whatever she witnessed.
Shirota quickly urged the young Medic to calm down. "What is it that you saw?" Baldur questioned, which only made Anai squee with excitement.
"I-It's just better to show you guys! Come to the entrance!" Anai urged, rushing ahead of them.
Well, who were they to question Anai's sudden thrill of excitement? The group of four got up from their chairs, making their way to the entrance of Tharsis, spotting Anai wave her hand at them, meeting up with the Medic at the spot she stood.
"What might be so important to get our attention over?" The prince inquired, seeing the Medic swiftly turn and point at something. "Take a look at that!"
Everyone's gaze turns to where the purple haired girl was pointing, getting a few surprised gasps and looks from the group. There appeared to be a huge ship docked next to the city's entrance, putting the airships that Korey and the Empire's had to mere shocking levels of mediocrity. Baldur noticed that there were buildings on the ship, hardly able to witness a few figures over in the distance walking around as if they live on it.
"A floating city?" Baldur was only able to speak after having confirmed his thoughts on the matter. Logre smirked, rather impressed about the huge ship.
"Heh, rather impressive someone managed to make a combination of a flying ship and a city to live on for the people on it. That's an impressive feat that nobody's ever managed to accomplish." He commented, feeling like he could take up his regarded Whirlwind name and start a new life there...
"Ugh, silly me. I almost forgot something..." Anai groaned, reaching into her bag and grabs a letter, handing it to Korey as he reads over the letter's details.
"Somebody sent you a letter, Korey. From what I can tell, it's very important." Korey gazed at Anai, unable to help but wonder something.
"You didn't take a peek at it, did you?" He questioned, the young Medic quickly shaking her head to prove her innocence. "Just from the royal seal that I saw on the letter was what gave me the hint that it was important." She explained.
Baldur placed a finger on his chin once he heard word of a royal seal. "Did you catch a name of sorts?" The prince asked.
"No, just the symbol was all I saw, Baldur." The girl replied, leaving Korey to stare at the letter for a while. "So, guild leader, what's our next move?" Logre queried, wondering when Korey was gonna speak up or simply stare at the letter for a while.
Korey blinked for a few seconds, looking at the Imperial that had asked him a question. "Logre, Baldur, Anai, gather everyone in the guild. I suppose this letter is considered an important thing everyone should know." Korey issued without further delay.
"Why not just have me get everyone? I always seem to enjoy the easier tasks you give me." Logre jested, smirking as he did so.
"Just get going, Logre!" Korey urged, hearing him chuckle as he motions for Baldur and Anai to follow him. Shirota soon starts following them, before turning to the Highlander.
"I'll see if I can help in getting everyone. See you later!" Shirota chirped, turning to follow the trio she was following, not wanting to lose sight of them.
Korey looks at the letter once again, seeing a rather interesting topic that peaked his interest. "...Guess I made the right call to have a meeting with my guild." He uttered to himself, as he began to head back to the guild house.
...
After nearly an hour of waiting for everyone in his guild to come, every member of the Refulgent Guild was here at last, gathered in the lobby. Everybody was talking among themselves, waiting for Korey to come down and issue the meeting. A white haired Vessel huffed, not liking the crowded situation he found himself to be in.
"I don't see the point in us being here. Weren't we just fine doing our own thing until something was planned?" Silvius argued, staring rather coldly at everyone, despite his calm demeanor he typically has with them.
"This is the part where something just came to our guild leader's attention, Silvius." Wufan began, sighing upon hearing Silvius complain. "Despite being the White Vessel, you should know that if something is important, you hear it out."
"That's true," Kibagami chimed in. "I'm sure Korey has a great reason for calling us all here."
The blonde haired Medic with black clothes soon spotted Korey coming down the stairs. "Ah, here comes Korey." She exclaimed, getting everyone's attention as the Highlander made his way to the center of the room.
"Terribly sorry I'm late, I had to make sure I read the contents the letter contained." Korey apologized, immediately getting some of his guild members telling him that they understand the wait.
"No need to worry yourself about it, Korey." The white haired Nightseeker woman known as Elma spoke up, adjusting the red garb around her as she sat up. "Please, do speak about what this letter delightfully entails." The black haired Imperial known as Akhos urged, adjusting his glasses as he spoke.
Korey took a few seconds to clear his throat before beginning. "The letter seems to have been written by somebody from the flying ship me, Logre, Baldur, Anai, and Shirota witnessed earlier this afternoon, as it was hand delivered from Anai to me. It says that the leaders of the airship are talking with the Outland Count to speak about getting explorers to join them on the Maginia for a new journey."
Kurita's older sister and landsknecht, Jayla, tilted her head, a bit puzzled. "Maginia? Is that the name of that ship thing?" "I would assume so, Jayla." The purple haired landsknecht sitting right beside Jayla, named Eliza, guessed her answer on the subject.
"A new journey sounds rather exciting. But why the discussion with the Count?" Sakuma wondered, before the sound of an open door can interrupt anyone who was going to express their opinion.
"I believe I can answer that myself, lass." A familiar voice chimed in, as the Count allowed himself into the guild house. "Hello, Mr. Count!" Kurita greeted, waving a hand in his general direction.
"Hello to you too, Kurita." He greeted back. "I hope I wasn't interrupting anything."
Korey shook his head. "No, you weren't. I'm honestly at a loss as to what the letter I got earlier could mean." Korey stated, explaining the situation he and his guildmates have found themselves in.
"Oh don't trouble yourself with the details. I'll explain everything I know." The Count hummed, closing the door behind him so no one else could interrupt him.
"You see, I've had a meeting with the founders of the floating city, the Maginia. They spoke with me about having explorers from all of Tharsis to come and assist them search for some treasure in a far off island." He explained.
"Island? Like, lonely continent, island?" The red haired Sentinel named Hiraku inquired, getting a sigh from the brown skinned Vessel next to him.
"I'm sure that's what he means..." Seti argued, feeling a small bit of movement from the blue-haired female Runemaster next to him as she peeked her head to see the Count. "It's still strange as it is, considering that's exactly what the letter entailed as well- minus the treasure part..." Haruka exclaimed, causing the Count to pace back and forth for a few seconds.
"If I had to conjure a guess, I surmise that the most likely possibility is that the Refulgent Guild has been selected to board the Maginia to travel to this new place." The Count concluded, getting several gasps from the people in the room. "Isn't the thought of searching through a new land exciting? It's just like how you explored new lands with your airship when you finished your first labyrinth..." He reminisced, feeling like it was only yesterday when he had met the Highlander and his guild.
While some liked the idea of traveling to a new land... Some, like Kurita, had some thoughts of her own. "I've grown to like Tharsis, though... It would feel weird to leave it and potentially leave it in danger." The blonde Runemaster spoke up.
"That certainly is a lot of pressure, especially for me..." Lysandra groaned, still unsure about her decision. It was a fifty-fifty situation, and it was hard to know whether they would want to go or not.
"How long would the Maginia stay here, if I may ask?" Korey inquired, wanting to know at least that before making a formal decision. "For a few days, from what the orange haired woman told me. She wanted to be sure that she wanted to give explorers a fair chance to make up their minds, and not pressure anyone."
A few days... That was more than enough time. At least for Korey. The others will likely have their answers sooner than his.
"Then what of the guild house? Will it remain intact for us, or not?" Logre inquired, wondering about the possibility of them all saying yes to going on the Maginia.
"That's something I would like to discuss when you are ready to travel on the Maginia. Please take your time, and come visit me if you all have decided." The Count gave a reassuring smile, before bidding them a good day, leaving the building to head back to his place.
Silence filled the room again. Everybody exchanged looks at each other, almost worried to express their thoughts on the subject they were left with. Even Frederica Irving and Yukina were rather silent about the whole ordeal.
Before long, Shira got up from her seat and cleared her throat. "I must admit, although the Empire has been me and Shirota's home for some time, I feel like we should take the time to see if we're truly ready to move on from Tharsis, judging from everyone's reaction. Sounds good to everyone?"
Her objective for everyone was rather clear, yet it felt like a mission discussion towards everyone in the room. But if they had to be honest, the pressure was sort of huge. They needed some time to at least come to terms with what they plan to do. Everyone ends up nodding, as some of them mutter a positive reaction to having to spend some time to think about this situation.
Soon, the room was suddenly filled with discussion, as if the embargo had just been lifted. Although it was a little complex to have Korey gather his thoughts alone in peace, turning around and making his way back upstairs.
The prince couldn't help but follow the Highlander. Despite the rather tough crowd of people in the lobby, it wasn't hard to get to his destination without further issue. He climbed the stairs, feeling others follow behind him, likely wanting to converse in their rooms.
Reaching the balcony, Baldur spots the brown haired Highlander looking through the busy streets of Tharsis. "Mind if I join you up here?" Baldur inquired, getting a short gaze from Korey as he approaches him.
"I just need some time to myself..." He groaned, looking away from the prince, almost acting like the first time he had met the Prince. Baldur wasn't going to take it at face value this time around. "Can't I be concerned for someone who is going to be my future guild leader?"
Huh? Future guild leader? The Highlander turned to face the prince, seeing his eyes rather determined, much like the time they were trying to give chase to him in the Cloudy Stronghold.
"I've debated on it for a while, ever since the Yggdrasil Curse had been removed from me," Baldur continued. "I saw how hard and dedicated one must be to exploring. After much discussion with everyone else for the past few days, I decided I want to become an explorer, starting with wherever this Maginia will take us too."
This... Was this even a dream? Cause it freaking felt like one to Korey, alright! The fact that Baldur is going to be giving exploring a chance, is honestly rather surprising.
"That's what I've decided, Korey. I'm sure Logre would agree with me one-hundred percent on this." He concluded, starting to feel the wind blow through his hair.
Well, who was a leader if he wasn't willing to give someone a chance?
"I can tell that it'll be a good start for you, Baldur. I'm all in on letting you explore with us." Korey grinned, seeing the prince smile for the first time in his life.
"Thanks for understanding, Korey." Baldur thanked, letting the wind be their source of sound, along with the people down below them. Time flew by for a bit, before he heard Korey sigh, getting up from the position he was standing in.
"I might be taking a little longer to debate on my current position. Cause every place I've been to feels like home." Korey recalled the open thrill of Etria, the great comfort in High Lagaard, the amazing view of the ocean in Armoroad, and the land of Tharsis was quite beautiful. Each place truly felt more unique than the last.
"But I know my hometown is out there somewhere, and with the thought that I might one day return and leave everyone I know behind to return home is just... worrying." The Highlander groaned, looking down at his ring that he still wore throughout every travel and journey he had this far.
Baldur couldn't help but feel like he had a point. When he was recovering with the Refulgent Guild, it felt rather worrying that it felt like he was leaving the people of his empire to suffer. But with each Imperial visiting Tharsis, things felt more better, despite the curse that was placed on him in the aftermath of summoning the titan.
"To straight up leave and search for my old guild, and my wife... It's a painful thought that never left my head." Korey's voice brought Baldur back to the conversation, placing his hand on the Highlander's shoulder.
"You have us to help you with that search, you know? Doing it alone won't get you anywhere, as far as I'm aware." Baldur insisted, reminding Korey that he had another option the whole time.
"You're right, Baldur. I'm sorry, I just feel like I don't want anyone else to help in my search, due to how much trouble it will be." The brown haired man apologized. "I'll see if I can change my mind about that... is that alright?"
"Fine by me." The prince chuckled, removing his hand from Korey's shoulder. "I'm going to see if the others made up their minds yet. I'll see you later."
"See ya." Korey replied, seeing the prince head down the stairs, waiting until he was out of sight to ponder something to himself. "Would it really be worth leaving, knowing I may not find her there in our next destination?"
After all, his previous searches held nothing. All the hints he may have had an inclination to, were wrong by a million miles more than the last. It felt like he was following a dead trail, hoping it still went onward.
Finding his old guild felt like finding a group of friends lost in a huge public area... And that was the worst kind of situation he could ever find himself in. "Perhaps a walk can ease my nerves. I can't think about getting on the Maginia without having some more time to myself." He concluded, making his way downstairs.
He heard the conversations had died down a little, likely guessing some of them made their decision on the matter. The lobby was also less cluttered with people walking about, making his path to the door a lot more simple. Before he could leave, he felt Shirota's eyes catch him as he touched the door handle.
"Where're you heading, Korey?" Shirota queried, seeing Korey turn his head a little to face her. "Just gonna go for a walk, Shirota. I shouldn't be long."
Well, as long as he had something in mind, he was all set to go. "Alright. Stay safe, Korey." She hummed, seeing him leave the building before focusing her attention back to the conversation at hand.
...
He found himself sitting down on a bench near the water fountain. Despite the roads being somewhat busy with adventurers, they were more focused on getting preparations, or just chatting about by their front doors, helping citizens one last time before they likely headed out to explore, or to go to the Maginia. While Korey didn't get a great glimpse of the Maginia in full, he had to trust the Count's word that it was a floating city. It was the only thing that can keep his mind on track with what he was currently thinking.
"This Maginia seems like a great place to live for the time we'll likely be spending our days in our next destination. But who knows if I'll ever see some friends from my hometown, or from Lagaard. I already miss seeing Lynus, and god knows how long it's been since I've seen Drayce..." Korey pondered, soon clutching his head upon remembering Drayce.
He was the guy who got him and his previous guild into treasure hunting. The guy who came down from a descendant of treasure hunters, and the first guild he ever met that was all filled with boys. His mind felt like it was starting to remember more and more, but even when it fit one piece of the puzzle, another piece just wasn't adding up.
"Ugh, this damn amnesia is driving me crazy!" He growled to himself, rubbing his head in an attempt to calm himself of the headache he felt. Korey desperately wished there was a much more better solution to fixing amnesia instead of waiting it out, cause each second he wasted felt like it was just more trial and error for his mind to fix the puzzle.
He was unsure how much time passed as he attempted to calm himself, while trying to speak out certain connections that his memories might eventually come back. "Excuse me, sir..." A voice called out to him, tugging on his pants alongside speaking out to him.
"Huh?" Korey turned his head and sees a child who was about a few inches taller than Korey's legs in his current sitting position. He couldn't help recognize the white hair the child had, noticing his eyes are the same color as his own. And while he was unsure if the landsknecht armor was just for show or not, it seemed as if he was wearing the clothes Tharsis landsknecht males typically wore.
The child tilted his head, trying to get a grasp on the details of Korey's face, eyes, and hair color. "You look a bit like my father. You almost sound like him, too." He commented, feeling like he's heard the voice somewhere before.
"Your father?" Korey felt rather confused as to where this was going, but decided to ask anyways. "Yeah, he's been missing for two years, and mommy really misses him."
Two years? Had it really felt like it was two years? He felt like it was just countless days, but if what he said about his mommy missing him... Korey felt placed his hand on his chest, almost recalling the exact moment he felt the missing link when he once woke up to find himself in some unknown place.
Hilda... He felt her miss him, almost as if their link was somehow re-established somehow. He wasn't sure how, but upon gazing at the kid before him, he feels like he's seen him somewhere before.
"You look familiar, but I can't seem to place a finger on your name... Mind telling me your name?" Korey inquired, wanting to confirm something that was nagging on his mind.
"My name's Karim." He introduced himself. Korey felt like his heart was pounding, yet he wasn't sure why. Was it because he was aware of the name and just hadn't remember, or...
His mind was telling him that he was close to the answer, but if he had to be sure of himself, there had to be something he can do to confirm his identity to Karim... He looked back at the white haired child, who quickly stares back at him, almost as if he was like a child with his hand caught in the cookie jar. "Any chance you happen to know your father's name? And was he wearing anything that would be the key to finding him?"
Two questions was all that it took for Karim to ponder to himself. "Well, my daddy's named Korey... From what mom told me, he always wore a ring that had her name and dad's name on it, as it was the ring she bought for him."
If Korey could express his shock right now, he would. He got off the bench and knelt down to Karim's height, removing the ring on his hand and held it up for the kid to see it clearly. "Would this be the ring in question?" He asked, as Karim squinted his eyes to try and read the font indented on the ring.
The kid let out a gasp as soon as he saw his mother's name, alongside Korey's own name. He looked up at Korey, who quickly looks at him, before feeling the child wrap his arms around him. "I finally found you, papa! I've missed you sooooo much!" Karim beamed, rubbing his head against Korey's chest.
He... found his son. Korey forgotten his son due to the amnesia... To think he was so focused on finding his wife, that he had forgotten the child that they were raising together. He felt nothing but a rush of happiness and sadness taking over him, soon wrapping his arms around Karim.
"My son... I thought I'd never see you again..." Korey cried, feeling water come down his cheeks and into Karim's hair. "I was afraid my efforts of trying to return to you and Hilda were for naught... But I'm glad they weren't!"
Korey continued to bawl for a few minutes, feeling his son comfort him the best he can. He soon felt the tears slowly come to a halt, rubbing a finger against his eyes to remove anymore that dared to escape at the last second.
"Feeling better, daddy?" Karim asked, separating from the hug he initiated. "Yeah... I'm feeling better, my child."
Korey grew a smile on his face, as he picks up Karim and sits on the bench, placing Karim on his leg. Whatever thoughts about the Maginia were tossed aside, as all Korey wanted was to reconnect with the son he had forgotten.
"Tell me, what have you, Hilda and the others been up to while I was away?" He asked, his voice acting much more fatherly than it previously was seconds ago.
"Oh, you know, school and homework..." Karim began, his voice filled with enthusiasm. "Aunt Misaki has been helping me with some of the schoolwork as well." He added.
Korey let out a sigh of relief, glad to hear that his biological sister was still around. "Glad to know sis is doing just fine. I'm sure she must've been worried about me, much like Hilda." Korey pondered, considering not seeing her big brother was likely shocking for her.
"She certainly was, though only for a month." Karim noted, causing Korey to blink in surprise. "Only a month? Here I thought it would be more than that..." The brown haired Highlander commented, amused by the answer his son gave him.
"Aunt Misaki's really grown up! She said she wanted to find you as much as all of us back in Iorys did!" Karim explained, causing Korey to chuckle in amazement.
"I see. I might just have to speak with her myself when I see her again..." He imagined she might have grown a few inches taller since they last saw each other, if two years of missing her birthday only now smacked him hard in the face.
"By the way," Korey continued, looking over Karim's clothes. "Where'd you get the small armor set for Tharsis' Landsknecht clothes?"
Karim tilted his head for a moment, lost in a thought of his. "Oh, mommy allowed me and Ms. Brown Haired Lady to go get me some clothes from here." He responded, catching Korey off guard with the nickname he said out loud. "You mean-"
"Karim, there you- agh?!" A familiar voice called out, before somehow tripping and hitting the solid ground before them. Korey gasps, recognizing the girl before him. Her ears were rabbit-like, and her brown skin and brown hair easily could look like it would mix together any second. She also appeared to be wearing a necklace of sorts- and that necklace was familiar to him as well!
Korey places Karim down on the bench as he placed down his bag and sat Keiko up. "K-Keiko! Are you okay?!" He exclaimed, looking quickly over the injuries she had. Unlike the first time she ran into him, the ground definitely wasn't something to mess with in regards to getting hurt.
"I-I'm f-fine..." Keiko groaned, before blinking several times after registering the voice in her head. She looked towards the man tending to her injuries... His hair color was familiar, his eye color was the same, even his voice was the darn same!
"K-Korey?! Is that you?!" Keiko yelped after speaking, feeling her arm sting a bit in pain. "H-Hold still, Keiko, I can't tend to your wounds if you move around!" Korey grunted, looking where the bits of her skin bled.
"Not moving." Keiko silenced herself afterward, letting Korey do his thing. Seemed like she got a few abrasions on her skin. If the advise he learned from Lynus was correct, he needed to scrub and clean the wounds off before they get infected.
Korey turned his head to turn to Karim. "Hey, Karim, there's a bottle in my bag that contains purified water. Can you get it for me?" Karim nodded, getting up from the bench and walked over to his bag, opening it and started searching through it.
"O-Oh, I see you found Karim, Korey..." Keiko hummed, trying not to speak a lot due to her injuries. "Moreso he found me. I'm so glad to see him again." Korey chuckled in response, soon grabbing the bottle of water Karim found.
"Now, this may sting a bit, but I gotta apply water to the places that your skin scraped against. Just try and endure it, okay?" Korey warned, seeing Keiko nod in response. He opened the water bottle, and dripped water on her arm, letting the water drip to the side where the wound was visible.
Keiko winced in pain, but tries her best not to express her pain. "Karim, there should be some gauze that I can use. Do you see it in my bag anywhere?"
Karim looks further in the bag, seeing a box with a label written 'gauze' on it. "I believe this is the one, papa." He hands it over to Korey, as the Highlander places the water bottle beside him, and opens the box, grabbing one of the translucent fabrics and placed it over the wound, moving it over the surface of the skin to pick up some of the light debris that made it onto her skin.
To be honest, Korey was glad he taken some interest in healing without having the direct skills of having a Medic nearby. Situations like this usually saved some rather regrettable injuries, like back in Armoroad, where Yukina taught him some of the ways to treat open wounds. Alongside the advise from Anai that he learned, he was making sure that he recalled the exact steps needed to heal the wounded areas.
Time felt like an eternity, as he had to make sure to apply the right amount of pressure. He had Karim assist him with grabbing some items, as he did not want to keep his eyes off the injuries for more than a few split seconds. Certain spots took longer than most, but it was better to cover all open wounds and prevent them from getting worse.
Part of Keiko's arms, hands and leg were wrapped in bandages, with some spots having some wet drips of purified water on it to help hasten the recovery time. He took his time with the few injuries on her face, wanting to make sure that the wounds were covered and well moist before moving on to the next. "This should be the last one. Just wait a little longer, Keiko..." Korey huffed, hearing Keiko gulp, still wincing from the last open wound on her body.
"Woooow, father's so good at healing Ms. Brown Haired Lady!" Karim couldn't help but utter to himself in excitement. "For the last time, Karim, her name is Keiko." Korey overheard him, correcting him on the name of the Therian before him.
"H-Hey, I-I don't mind the name." Keiko stuttered, wincing a bit more from the gauze that touched her cheek. "But you and Demetria basically share the same skin, eye, and hair color, Keiko! That naming scheme Karim has is gonna be confusing to me as it is!" The Highlander argued, before shutting himself up so he can focus on treating the last wound.
After waiting for a few minutes, Korey dipped his finger in the water bottle, quickly touching where the bandage was located, hoping to keep it moist for a while. Korey took a huge breath in relief, thankful he didn't mess up anything. "That ought to do it. Now, for the love of all that is the Heavenbringer, do not trip from this point on, Keiko!"
The brown haired Therian tilted her head in confusion. "What's the Heavenbringer?" Korey brought his hand up to his face and shook his head in disappointment.
"Never mind, forget I said anything..." He sighed, placing the lid on his bottle and placed everything that Karim had placed inside his bag. Korey help assisted Keiko stand up, as she took a couple of seconds to get her balance.
"Now, make sure that the covered wounds remain moist if they start to become dry, and make sure you get plenty of rest." Korey began, moving away from the Therian after she was able to stand on her own. Though Korey couldn't send her back without doing something to get Hilda or the other old members of his guild to come to him...
"In fact, why don't you go head back to the Maginia, and get some guild members of mine to come visit me?" Korey inquired, seeing Keiko nod in response to his request. "S-Sure thing, Korey. Just gotta- ooooh, get back without causing more injury to myself." Keiko yelped in pain a little bit, but stood her ground to still stand tall.
"Make sure you yell mommy I found daddy, Ms. Brown Haired Lady!" Karim added, giving the Therian a rather cheery smile. Keiko couldn't help but smile back at Karim.
"Don't worry, Karim, I will." Keiko giggled, before she begins to make her way back to Tharsis' entrance, at a reasonable walking speed. After seeing her off, Karim turned to face his father, who picked up the bag and placed it on his back.
"So papa, what have you been doing in the two years you were gone?" He asked, seeing Korey look at him with a satisfied smile on his face. "I hope you love loooong stories, son. Cause my tales of adventuring will likely last us all the way to our destination on the Maginia." Korey responded, lowering his hand to Karim.
"In the meantime, why don't I give you a head start on meeting my current guild? I'm sure you'll love them." Korey asked, feeling his sons hand grab his own hand.
"Sure! Let's go, go, gooo!" Karim chirped, jumping up and down with excitement. Korey couldn't help but chuckle to himself.
"Alright, little one, patience... Let's just take the opportunity to walk together. After all, it has been years, hasn't it?" Korey hummed, seeing his son stop jumping the moment he heard patience come out of his father's mouth.
"Oookaaay..." The white haired child sighed, feeling his arm move due to Korey trying to cheer him up a little. "Come now, Karim- allow me to give you a tour of my recent adventuring guild in my resident guild house!" Korey declared, hyping up his child to wonder what sort of people Korey has met with.
Today was gonna be quite the busy afternoon, but it was gonna be worth the wish he hoped for the night before today.