A/N: I do not own nor claim ownership of Ys 8 or the series.
Okay guys, so here's the second chapter, thank you guys for the feedback, I'm surprised to get as much as I did. I'll be sure to message y'all as well.
I know my writing isn't the best, and that it's still extremely immature. Thank you though for all your feedback. Be sure to leave more reviews about what I can work on too!
It wasn't like Dana to stay in bed for a long duration of time. She'd rather be lost in thought outdoors rather than in a cave, but today felt a bit different. Castaway village was covered by a perpetual rainfall, and Adol and his group stayed indoors, or rather in-caved.
A couple members stayed outdoors however; Silvia trained cliffside, while Reja took care of the pikkards. It was a slower day, with no exploration or crafting planned for the residents.
Adol sat on his side of the cave polishing his sword. Dogi sat at a table nearby while drinking a beer.
"I'll say one thing, Adol, there's never a dull moment with you around." He chuckled, taking another chug of his beer.
"I mean, if you were to tell me we'd be stranded on an island for five months, I would've actually believed it."
Adol let out a small laugh while keeping his focus on his blade. "You can admit I bring the excitement to your life." He teased.
Dogi laughed a bit harder this time, "A mix between excitement and stress, but definitely more of the first."
Laxia walked in along with Dana into Adol's room, both with small smiles on their faces. "Good morning Adol and Dogi." Dana clasped her hands together in front of her waist.
"Good morning." Adol replied, soon manifesting a sweat drop at realizing Dogi was consuming alcohol so early in the am.
The redhead soon finished refining his steel, then sheathed it. He was beginning to feel restless at being cooped up in the cave and peered through the opening of his room. Outside, he noticed the rain pouring harder and that the stream had evolved into a river.
Adol didn't mind the rain on his exploration, it never stopped him from reconnoitering undiscovered land.
"You just don't know when to sit still, do you?" Laxia shook her head, while the maiden simply let out a small laugh.
Adol smiled meekly and folded his arms. "I'm just not used to sitting still."
"He never has been as long as I've known him, adventuring is in his blood." Dogi stated while cracking his knuckles.
"I suppose being an 'adventurer' is more than just a title." Laxia said while sitting down, "Will you need the rest of the group?"
"I think I'll be okay alone." Adol noticed the quick glance the noble gave to Dana, motioning Adol to take her along with him. The swordsman took the hint and turned toward her.
"Having a companion wouldn't be so bad though." He said while looking at the maiden.
Dana still seemed a bit distracted, fidgeting with her fingertips as she was lost in thought. When the statement registered, she finally responded.
"Let's go on an adventure then." She said while moving her hands behind her back. Adol gave a quick nod and began walking out the room with Dana in tow.
They noticed Sahad talking with Ricotta underneath the canopy where the food and supplies were held. The makeshift father-daughter pair spotted them exiting the cave.
"Hey Adol! Dana! Where are you two heading?" The fisherman said walking up to them.
"Just want to look around a bit." Adol replied coolly, Sahad noticed the impatience emitting from the swordsman aura.
"You two be careful out there, okay?" Ricotta stated, peering up to Dana who nodded her head in reply. "Don't worry, we won't go out too far."
"You never know with Adol, his adventuring spirit may take you off this island. Hahahaha"
The redhead made a crooked smile while Dana laughed. "Ahaha, we'll be back soon."
"Bring some fish back if you get the chance!" The Greek shouted as they made their way off, Dana and Adol gave a nod as they headed to the entrance.
"So, where do you want to go?" The bluette inquired while looking at the swordsman.
Adol put his hand to his chin when remembering the lonely island that was near the southern shoreline. He mentioned it to Dana and she remembered something about that place.
"Oh, the Magna Carta is located there. There's something special about the tree."
The swordsman perked up at hearing those words, soon the castaways made their way to the shoreline. Dana had mentioned that they could've transitioned but he felt like enjoying the journey over instead.
The whole way over however, the Eternian's mind was elsewhere. Her gaze seemed void of any active awareness, only when he'd try to get her attention would she come back to reality.
They finally reached the boat they crafted in their initial escape plan, using it to sail over to the small island. Adol would steal a few glances at Dana's face while rowing, until he realized she was back in the abyss of her thoughts. He hit land rather abruptly, causing the maiden to jump.
"Ahh!" She looked up to see the swordsman awkwardly scratch his head. "Are you okay, Adol?" She queried.
"I should be the one asking you that." He replied, softly smiling at her as he climbed out the dinghy. He stuck his hand out to her which she graciously took.
"I'm sorry, I know you wanted to explore and I feel I'm holding you back."
"Tell me what's on your mind."
The maiden bit her lip involuntarily, then shifted her gaze from her feet to Adol's eyes. She scanned them over, searching for the strength to tell him what was on her mind.
"Aha, it's nothing really…" Adol maintained his gaze however; he knew her well-enough through his dreams.
They both walked into the knot of the tree, finding a small opening within the base. The redhead remembered exploring this area when they found Sir Carlan.
The bluette began running her fingers along the wall, muttering 'where is it' a few times before saying 'aha!'. She infused energy into a certain emblem that then radiated throughout the small infrastructure.
A part of the wall began to crumble, revealing a hidden staircase. The swordsman stood quietly, his adventuring spirit raging; Dana noticed the eccentricity emanating off his form, causing her to smile.
"Something told me you would enjoy this." She said with a cheerful tone, Adol began to walk down the staircase while Dana trailed.
"What do you remember from your era, Dana?" The question came as a bit of a surprise to the maiden, but she answered with no hesitation.
"A lot of it is still missing, but I remember trying to help you reach the capital by planting prayer trees."
The swordsman continued down the stairs, he realized this was taking them relatively deep.
"I remember seeing the capital in ruins during this era, and wanted to see what I could do to prevent that." She added after a brief pause. Adol noticed she must've thought about sharing that.
The redhead had a pretty good idea of the maiden's character, he watched nearly her whole life story after all. It was evident that he couldn't tell what she was thinking, but she was more predictable when it came to fully divulging those thoughts.
The pair made it to another wall with another emblem.
"It needs Energy to open." Dana stated while walking up to it. "I actually forgot this was here." She said while moving her hand up to the door panel. Just like before, the wall began to collapse, revealing a site that made them both a bit surprised.
Laid before them was a natural hot spring, imbued with a certain aura that could only be Energy. Dana closed her eyes, "This spring is a water source for the Great Tree of Beginnings." She sensed while opening her eyes again.
"Isn't the Great Tree on the other side of the island?" Adol asked with a stunned expression.
"Yes, but I can feel one of the roots stemming over to this side."
"That's amazing." He said blankly. It really was to him, he didn't grasp just how integral the tree was on this island. He refocused his gaze back on the hot spring before kneeling next to it to put his hand in.
The water felt mystical, feeling a surge of warmth radiate through his body. Dana watched his action, clasping her hands behind her back.
"Ahaha… you're not thinking of actually getting in, are you?"
Adol began to take off his equipment, along with his shirt and pants, Dana began to shift nervously, realizing her attire wasn't something she could take off.
"Aha, hold on just a moment!" Was all she said before transitioning back to Castaway Village. She came back briefly, sporting a red two-piece that she had borrowed from Laxia.
"I guess it's lucky Laxia and I are the same size. Shall we?" She said as she slowly eased herself into the water. Adol repeated the action, but immediately stepped in.
They sat in a relaxed silence, Adol had been reminiscing on all his adventures with Dogi through Celceta, Felghana, and Esteria. He thought about his next destination before Dana spoke.
"I'm happy to have met you, Adol."
He broke his thought process and returned the gaze Dana was giving him.
"A part of the reason I was able to keep moving forward was because of you. Seeing all your adventures, it really inspired me to do my best too. So… thank you."
Adol nodded, "You're strong too, Dana."
She smiled, moving towards the redhead to embrace him softly. The swordsman froze, he looked at the eternian's expression before wrapping his arms around her as well.