AN (03/16/15): Hello, everyone! GroundZeroFirework here! I'm sorry if this update took so damn long but as I was in the process of making this Finals week came in and it's just about to end by Saturday so just a few more days and it'll be "HELLO, SUMMER!" for me here in the Philippines. Well, here we are at Chapter XI of ToX: The Lilium Twin. Anyways, the voting for the you know what as everyone has seen in the previous chapter is still open and will be until the time that I have to write the chapter so please send in your votes via review or vote on the poll in my profile. This chapter might be a short one, though. And thanks to everyone who reviewed in the previous chapters. I hope everyone enjoyed it. Now, here we go.


CHAPTER XI:

FROM THE SEAHAVEN TO THE DEEPWOOD


The next morning, Chris emerged from their cabin, expecting everyone to be above deck. For a couple of hours since breakfast, she stayed in the cabin and read a book that was in the ship. But after a couple of hours of sitting, her ass was getting sore. Above deck, she saw her companions there. If she ain't mistaken, Elize and Teepo were marveling at the sea. With a small smile, she walked up to Alvin and Milla.

"Just what was that little girl doing in the village?" Alvin asked them with crossed arms.

"Wasn't she being held captive?" Was Milla's question.

"Maybe it was the other way around. Maybe she was being protected." Jude surmised as she approached them.

"Sounds plausible. She's clearly well-fed. The only thing she was missing is social contact and a stable environment. I mean, I wouldn't exactly call getting locked up in a village full of hostile villagers stable." Chris said as she put her jacket and gloves on when all of a sudden, they heard a childish shriek.

"Elize?" Jude called for her in a panic but Elize didn't seem to hear him, for she was laughing carefreely with Teepo about something they saw in the water.

"Haha…Teepo, look!"

"Wah-hey! Check out that water! You'd die if you fell in!" He said in a disturbing yet carefree way. Jude breathed out a sigh of relief upon seeing that there was no real danger.

"She's not a bad girl." He insisted as he turned to them.

"Doesn't seem that way." Alvin said as he crossed his arms and watched the little girl.

"I wonder if we can find someone who'll take her in." Jude mused out loud as he looked at Elize play with Teepo.

"That's your responsibility. You'll have to find someone on your own." Milla harshly reminded him before walking up to the railings.

"Right. I guess she really is mad." He said once she was out of earshot.

"Not just mad. She's "cold-hearted bitch" mad." Chris said as she rubbed her wrist.

"Hey, come on." Jude admonished her.

"What? It's true. I personally don't see what you see in her. Are you a sucker for punishment or something? 'Cause let me tell you; that is not how you'll want your first relationship to go, Jud-o boy." She said with a sly smirk.

"W-What? What are you talking about?" Jude asked with a powerful blush on his face.

"Come on, don't play dumb." She said with a knowing smile just as Alvin walked up to them; seemingly having left for a couple of minutes.

"Hey, hey, what are you two aspiring doctors discussing?" He asked them.

"Just how Milla is being a cold-hearted bitch." Was Chris' answer.

"Is that so? Well, isn't she always like that?" Alvin asked them as he crossed his arms and observed Elize walk up to Milla before continuing on. "To be honest, I thought for sure she was going to shoot down your idea to bring the girl along."

"Why?" The younger man asked as he looked up at Alvin.

"She's just so single-minded. I bet she'd kick a puppy if it got in the way of her mission." He answered them.

"Come on, Milla isn't that cold-blooded." Jude said.

"I wonder."

"I beg to differ." Chris said as she crossed her arms.

"Speaking of her mission, I hear the three of you had a rough time at that lab in Fennmont." Alvin said as he slung his arms around them.

"Did Milla tell you about it?" He asked him.

"She must've swiped something big from there, huh, kid? Some juicy national secret that got the army all riled up?" The mercenary continued on.

"I don't know. You'll have to ask her." Jude told him.

"Don't play coy, kid. I'll find out eventually." He said before looking at Chris.

"Don't look at me, Alvin. I don't spill the secrets of others." She said as she watched Elize and Milla converse.

"Aw…why don't you guys just tell me now?" Alvin suggested. "It'll be our little secret."

"I'm sorry but we really don't know." Jude told him. Finally, Alvin released them both and Chris walked towards the ship cafeteria.

"Wow, I guess she really doesn't trust us." He said in a pouting manner.

"No, that's not true. Wait here, I'll go ask her." The younger man offered.

"No, no. If you both really don't know about it, then forget I asked. I mean that; I'm not trying to give you or Chris a hard time." He told them. Jude looked down on the ground in silence.

"But…"

"I doubt she'll take kindly to me poking my nose into her business." Alvin cut him off. "So, don't tell her I asked, okay?"

"Alright. Got it." Jude answered with a nod. After a couple of more minutes, the ship's horn blared, signaling that they're nearing the Sapstrath Seahaven. Jude and Alvin approached Milla and Elize immediately.

"Hey, we better get our stuff." He informed them.

"You're right. Looks like we're almost there." Milla said in agreement.

"I wonder how tight Rashugal's security is." Alvin said before sharing a knowing look with Jude. Milla noticed this even as Teepo was circling her.

"Milla! Milla's our pal!" He declared. Milla let out an exasperated sigh as she shook her head before turning her back on them.

"Hahaha…looks like everyone's getting along at least." Jude nervously said in observance before he approached Elize with a small and comforting smile.

"Don't worry. Everything will work out." He assured her. Finally, Chris approached them once again with her weapons in hand.

"Hey, we're almost to the Seahaven. Go get your stuff." She told them. The other four left to collect their things and when Milla got hers, the moment she stepped foot on deck, a gruff, tall and young looking man approached her.

"Hey, beautiful, where you headed?" He asked her as he blocked her way towards Chris by leaning against the wall. Milla recalled what she's read about this phenomenon; it's called "flirting" if she's not mistaken. Something that people use to express romantic, sexual or a combination of both interests to another person.

"I don't see why you have to know. Now, if you'll excuse me." She rebuffed him. Before she can take another step though, he blocked her way yet again.

"Hey, come on, don't be like that." The man told her just as Jude arrived.

"Is there a problem, Milla?" He asked her. The man looked unhappy upon being interrupted.

"Who's this pipsqueak? Your boyfriend?" The man asked with an unimpressed and intimidating look. Milla read about the terms "boyfriend" and "girlfriend"; as she can recall, they're romantic partners of one person. But for Jude to be mistaken as her boyfriend was a bit amusing.

"N-No. You got it all wrong. We're just friends." Jude nervously said with a powerful blush on his cheeks.

"Well then, I'm sure you don't mind me stealing your lady friend away for a moment." The tall man said before grabbing Milla by the waist, which completely caught her off guard, much to her own surprise. Jude didn't know what came over him but when he saw the man grab her; something in his head clicked. In a fleeting moment of anger, Jude pushed the man away and pulled her back to his side.

"Oh, no. I'm in trouble." He thought to himself. The man recovered and looked angrily at him.

"Why you little punk!" The man angrily yelled out before raising his fist up. He may be tall and obviously strong but Jude's reflexes were faster and therefore, without thinking, as if on instinct, he clenched his fist and threw an uppercut, hitting him square in the jaw. The man chuckled and held his hands up in surrender.

"Fine, you can keep the skank." He said in an arrogant manner. Milla raised an eyebrow at the insult towards her. She wasn't bothered by it but Jude definitely was because he punched the taller man again. This time he fought back and punched Jude in the jaw before lifting him up and slamming him down. Jude kicked him the stomach to get him off.

"Jude, stop! That's enough!" Milla yelled at him just as Chris, Alvin and Elize came up. The two were rolling on the floor, hitting each other as Chris pried Jude off of the older man while Alvin pulled the other one away.

"Hey, hey, hey! What the hell is going on here?" Chris angrily asked them as she held a hand out in Jude's direction, signaling him to stop attacking.

"He insulted Milla!" Jude told her. Chris rolled her eyes at the reason.

"That pipsqueak threw the first punch!" The man said as he tried to charge at Jude.

"Wouldn't have happened if you just left her alone!" Jude yelled back.

"Okay, you! Cool off! I'll deal with you later." Chris ordered him as she forced Jude to turn around and pushed him to start walking. Elize followed after Jude and so did Milla. Chris turned to the other man afterwards.

"The next time a lady tells you to leave them alone, it'd be wise to do as they say, you got that?" She told him in an intimidating manner. The man conceded and nodded.

"Good. Now, scram." Alvin said before they walked up to Jude, Milla and Elize.

"I'm sorry, Milla. I don't know what came over me." He said as Chris healed his face. Once she was done, she slapped his face.

"Damn right you should be sorry." Chris angrily said through gritted teeth. "The plan is to not draw too much attention to us and you do the exact opposite. What the hell is wrong with you?"

"Hey, take it easy." Alvin told her.

"Please don't fight!" Teepo chimed in.

"I'm sorry but he insulted Milla." He tried to reason with her.

"Yeah, well, Milla can fight her own battles, kid." Chris said as she rubbed her forehead.

"It's alright, Chris. I have to admit it's really flattering to have someone fight for your honor." Milla said as she crossed her arms and smiled at him. Jude's blushed returned tenfold. Chris rolled her eyes as she threw her hands up.

"That's it. I'm done. You're completely missing the point. I'll be right over there." She said before she walked away. Elize followed after her while Alvin shrugged in response before going off on his own, leaving Jude and Milla on their own until they arrived at the Sapstrath Seaheaven.


After a few minutes, the group finally arrived at the Sapstrath Seahaven. The three older ones looked around for a bit, wondering where security is. Security seems so…lax…in the Seahaven. Is no one looking for wanted criminals in this part of Rashugal?

"Looks like security's not so tight after all." Alvin stated.

"Soldiers are still patrolling though; we have to be careful." Jude said as he observed the soldiers clad in green armor that were patrolling around the Seahaven.

"Strange. What changed? They were deploying soldiers across the border to find us before." Milla said in contemplation.

"Maybe they found something more important to do than chase after us." Alvin tried to guess with a shrug.

"I doubt that." Chris said as she put a hand on Elize's shoulder so she wouldn't wander off.

"I'm not complaining. Let's avoid the soldiers and head to Fennmont." Milla said. Alvin, Milla and Chris walked off while Jude stayed to talk with Elize. They heard Jude tell her of his intentions to find someone to take her in and they could obviously see the fear and disapproval from Elize and Teepo.

"That could've gone better." Alvin said as he crossed his arms and observed them. "He just told the little lady he's unloading her on a perfect stranger. That's news to her. No wonder she looks so surprised."

"And he thinks I'm inconsiderate."

"Don't comment. Don't comment. Don't comment." Chris chanted in her head from her perch by the steps.

"He's just a kid." Alvin muttered out, earning him a questioning look from Milla.

"Nothing." He added before she could ask anything else. Finally, Jude and Elize walked up to them; the latter of which looking downhearted.

"Ready to go?" Chris asked and they both nodded. They looked around the Seahaven and as they passed by the board near the ships, Chris noticed something. She immediately latched her hand onto Jude's shoulder as she kept staring.

"What?" He asked her but never received a response. Following her gaze, his face went pale when he saw what she was looking at. Finally, Elize, Milla and Alvin approached them upon seeing that they stopped following them.

"What's the hold up?" Alvin asked but when he saw what they were looking at, they could swear he wanted to laugh. On the board were hideous wanted posters of them.

"Those wanted posters…is that Jude, Milla and Chris?" Elize exclaimed in surprise.

"Wow, the three of you look so evil!" Teepo said.

"That's supposed to be the three of us?" Milla asked in disbelief as she crossed her arms.

"I'm not sure if I'm going to cry or laugh." Chris said as she stared at the pieces of paper with a hideous drawing of her and two of her companions.

"Well, this is lucky. If that's what they're looking for, there's no way they'll ever catch us." Alvin lightheartedly said.

"Oh, man…it's like a 5 year old drew it." Chris said.

"These are awful." Jude said as he looked down on the ground.

"Oh, I'm sure this can't be fun at your age. Kids can be so self-conscious." Alvin said with a shrug.

"Damn straight this ain't fun. What if my Aunt somehow recognizes me from this? How will I show my face to her then?" The younger woman asked in a panic.

"I doubt she'll even know it's you." The mercenary tried to comfort her.

"No, I don't care about me but Milla looks terrible!" Jude said.

"He's right; this is quite unfortunate." Milla spoke up. "The whole reason I assumed this form is because its appearance is effective against men. Half the human population."

"Did you have a master plan to seduce the male population of Rieze Maxia when you assumed that form?" Chris asked in curiosity. Unfortunately, it's like Milla didn't hear her because she continued her tirade.

"But if I'm as ugly as I appear in that poster, then I need to fundamentally reevaluate my strategy."

"Wow, that is diabolical. I had no idea." Alvin said.

"Oh, come on, you're not ugly." Chris tried to comfort her.

"Thank you, Chris. Your input is very much appreciated. But Jude, be honest with me; am I attractive from a male perspective?" Milla asked as she turned to the boy.

"Uh…well…you're beautiful in my opinion." He answered shyly as his face heated up. This confession and not to mention the fact that Chris was giving him a knowing smile, made Jude's blush ten times worse. While Jude was quite shocked that she would ask for his input, he wouldn't lie about this. She is quite beautiful after all. He'll admit it on the inside but if he was given the chance, he'd ask her out in a heartbeat.

"And sexy! Elly says she wants to look just like you!" Teepo weighed in.

"You have nothing to worry about, Milla." He assured her. Alvin tapped Chris' collarbone and he flashed a creepy grin towards her direction. She shook her head, knowing what he was planning. But as always, Alvin ignored her.

"So, what would you say are her finest features?" He asked the younger man.

"Oh, maybe how good she smells or those amazing curves…" Jude answered as if he was in a bit of a daze. Chris giggled because she knew that her friend and hopefully, soon to be colleague, is starting to have a crush on their beautiful companion.

"Oh man, don't start salivating now, you creepazoid. But then again, it's a sign that you've finally hit puberty." She teased him with a grin on her face. She had to admit; she never thought Jude would start liking someone. She always thought he was in a committed relationship with his studies. But here she learns that looks can be deceiving.

"Yes, I see. Thank you for your invaluable opinion." Milla told him.

"My, my, our little Jude is becoming a man." Alvin teased him as he bumped his fist with Chris'.

"I-I was just speaking objectively!" Jude said defensively.

"Yeah, sure. Objectively. Now, let's head for the inn and get some rest. It's getting dark." Chris said with crossed arms as she turned around and started walking.


SKIT: You dig? (Chris and Jude)

Chris: Psst…

Jude: *uncertain* Chris?

Chris: Who else?

Jude: *exasperated* You-You don't have to call me like a dog, you know. My name would be just fine.

Chris: Yeah, yeah, yeah, whatever. Listen, you dig?

Jude: *confused* W-What?

Chris: You dig? *slyly* You know, dig? You dig her?

Jude: I'm afraid I'm confused.

Chris: *exasperated* Do you dig Milla? You know? Do you like her? Are you having a crush on her?

Jude: *surprised* Wha-what? Wh-What makes you say that?

Chris: Come on, Jud-o boy, not all of us are as dense as you are sometimes. That display of chivalry in the ship and what you said like, literally, 5 minutes ago are telltale signs that you dig a chick.

Jude: *shyly* I…well…she is really beautiful…and her strength and determination is nothing to laugh at either. Any man would be a fool to not like her. I'd be lying if I said I don't like her.

Chris: *surprised* Holy crap, Jude Mathis is indeed becoming a man. *joyfully* Oh man, if ever we get to go back into Talim, I'm telling everyone about this and you'll go down in history as one of Talim's most notorious heartbreakers!

Jude: *surprised* Please don't do that!


They all heaed to the inn, deciding to rest for a bit before continuing on. Jude and Elize talked to Milla, Alvin kept himself close beside them while Chris decided to check out the rooms they had. As Alvin stood there, however, he noticed something.

"Please, I'm in a hurry!" A woman yelled at the innkeeper.

"Hm?"

"What is it?" Jude asked as Chris approached them.

"That woman…" was Alvin's sole response.

"Not even 10 minutes and you're already skirt-chasing. What are you? Some sort of Drugstore Cowboy?" She rhetorically asked him. Alvin gave her a sly smirk for a second.

"Maybe. She's quite a looker, eh? What do you think?" He asked Jude.

"Ugh, this again." Jude whined.

"Give it up, Alvin. He only has eyes for-"

Before Chris could say anything else, Jude covered her mouth and dragged her away. Alvin observed the young woman and saw 2 men approach her.

"Found you, Katte…" The shorter man said.

"Now come with us or else." The other man threatened her.

"N-Never mind. Just cancel my reservation." The woman, Katte, said before the two men escorted her out.

"Now, this seems fishy." Alvin thought before following them out. Jude turned around and saw him leaving. He tapped Chris on the shoulder immediately.

"Alvin's gone." He informed her.

"Probably chasing after some dame." She said as she crossed her arms.

"I don't know. I don't like this." He said as he looked at the door, as if expecting Alvin to walk in any moment now.

"He knows his onions, kid. Don't worry." She told him but still Jude didn't budge. Chris sighed and dug into her pocket.

"Here, if you guys want to go to the room. Jude and I are just going to check something out." She said as she handed Milla the key to their room. With a tilt of her head, Chris and Jude went out of the inn. They saw Alvin approaching someone. Then they heard the yelling.

"I can't believe we fell for your pathetic lies!"

"Please, I beg you! Let me go! Please! You don't understand!" They heard a woman yell in fear.

"Where is that coming from?" Chris asked as she rubbed the back of her neck and she looked around.

"Who are you working for? Tell us!" Someone demanded of the woman they heard. When she didn't answer, they heard a series of punches and kicks and the pained grunts of the victim. Finally, they heard Alvin's voice.

"I think the lady's had enough." He said as he stepped in between the men and Katte.

"Mind your own business! You don't know what she's done!" One of the men said. Before anything else can happen, Chris and Jude ran up to them.

"Alvin, what's going on?" Jude asked in wonder.

"Damn it! He's got friends. Let's get out of here."

And the two men ran with their tails between their legs.

"Katte, was it? That's an unusual name." Alvin said as he turned to her. Chris helped Katte up almost immediately.

"Why did you people help me? You don't know what they'll do to you!" She said in a frightened manner.

"Well, how do I put this…?"

"He's a skirt chaser." Chris said like it was no big deal.

"He can't help it. Alvin's always had a weakness for pretty faces." Jude added to her input.

"Hahahaha…that's my Jude! Always kidding around! Now, how about you and Lady Chris here take her back to the inn and heal her wounds." Alvin suggested with a smile.

"As you command, sir." Jude said as Chris mockingly curtsied before him. Afterwards, they escorted Katte back to the inn, leaving Alvin behind.

"She couldn't be one of them, could she?"


The events of the evening was rather uneventful; Katte accompanied them for the night just so they can make sure that those men won't come back for her. When it was time to turn in for the night, Jude and Alvin went into their shared bedroom, same with Chris, Milla and Elize while Katte went into her own room. When morning came, Jude woke up a few minutes after Chris did.

"Have you seen Alvin?" He asked her.

"Good morning to you, too. And no, I haven't." She answered as she put her jacket on and tied her hair. "Maybe he's outside. Let's check it out."

They both walked out of the inn and they saw Alvin sitting by the entrance.

"Morning." Chris greeted him.

"Good morning." He responded.

"Good morning. Have you seen Katte today?" Jude asked him.

"She left before dawn." Was Alvin's answer. Now that just seems a bit dodgy. Was she trying to get herself killed? All of a sudden, they heard one of the people yell out.

"Hey, over here!"

The three of them ran towards where the people were gathering. It was one of the stairs of the port where sailors kept their cargo. There, at the foot of the stairs, was the lifeless body of Katte.

"This was no accident. Who would do such a thing?" The sailor who was examining the body said.

"Katte!" Jude exclaimed in surprise as they approached the body.

"Did you know her? I'm sorry, but she's already gone." He said in an apologetic tone as Chris kneeled beside the body. She made a move to touch the body but…

"Please don't touch the body until the investigators come." The sailor requested.

"Trust me. I'm a doctor." Chris said without a hint of a lie in her voice. The sailor reluctantly nodded and she started examining Katte.

"Body's cold, indicating she's been dead for hours and with the onset of Rigor mortis, I'd say time of death is about…six to eight hours ago. Just before dawn." She informed them before returning to her examinations, noticing a few peculiarities with the body as she further rolled Katte's sleeves down.

"Huh, bruising here suggests there was a struggle. My guess is she held her hands out to defend herself. Whatever the killer used to attack her hit her there." Chris announced. "Bruising on the knuckles. Suggests she fought back. Maybe managed to get a good blow or two to the attacker. Broken fingernails with blood underneath says she scratched the attacker somewhere."

Chris turned Katte's head on the side, noticing some marks in it before examining the palms.

"Ligature marks." Jude said.

"Yeah. Strangled by something. Rope or cloth. Dust in hand says she tried to stand up during it but I doubt she was able to. She's obviously been like this for a while now before she died."

"How can you tell?" The sailor asked. Chris stood and approached him.

"Fairly simple, really. Get on the ground." She ordered him. The sailor did so immediately and Chris sat on top of him.

"Now, see, she's probably been like this before she got strangled, judging from the amount of dirt from her hand and how it's pressed up in her palms. Now as the killer strangled her..." Chris said as she demonstrated by pretending to strangle him. "...she probably tried to stand. But couldn't. Only possible explanation is the killer was either sitting or standing on her. That attempt was moot because the more she lifted her head, the more the killer strangled her because she couldn't stand up. She also can't keep trying because it would've hurt her back. Hence, the cause of death is strangulation for the young Miss Katte. Sadly."

"But what happened? Was it those two men from yesterday?" Jude asked, confused as to how this could just suddenly happen. Chris got off the sailor immediately.

"No, it wasn't them." Alvin said with a grave tone in his voice.

"Do you know who did this?" The younger man followed up. Alvin didn't answer and instead, turned to the sailor.

"Hey, could you give us a moment here? It won't take long." He requested of the sailor. The sailor nodded and left but stayed at the top of the stairs to stop people from coming too close to the scene.

"She never came out and said so but I suspect Katte was a member of the Rats."

Chris' eyebrows scrunched up as she found the name familiar.

"The Rats?" Jude asked in curiosity.

"That's what they call the female spy organization that works for the Aktau clan. They're one of the shadier tribes in Auj Oule." Alvin answered him. Chris took a deep breath as she closed her eyes.

"Of course. It just had to be them." She muttered to herself. Thankfully, neither of her companions appears to have heard her.

"The Rats use women to gather intelligence. As their name implies, they sneak in anywhere. Like rodents. They're pretty well known in Auj Oule. " He continued on.

"I can't believe it." Jude said in disbelief.

"I don't think those thugs from yesterday had caught on to her real identity." Alvin surmised. "They must have been from the group she was spying on. They wouldn't have gone this far."

"Then who?" Jude pressed on.

"Other Rats. With her cover blown, she became a liability." The mercenary answered.

"In the game of espionage, you can't let yourself be discovered or you'll get killed." Chris told Jude.

"I had a hunch that she might have been a spy, but this might be my fault." Alvin said in a downhearted manner.

"No. This isn't your fault." Jude insisted.

"I wonder if she had any family. Someone she's doing this for aside from herself." Chris said in contemplation, catching Jude and Alvin's attention.

"You guys done?" The sailor asked them.

"Yeah. Thanks for that." Alvin said. Chris and Jude stood up and Jude turned to Alvin.

"You okay?" He asked him.

"Yeah. These things happen. You just have to put it out of your mind. You can't save everyone, kid." Alvin answered with a shrug. His last words brought a pang to Chris' heart.

'You can't save everyone.'

Oh, how she's heard that sentence so many times in her life. As a daughter, as a sister and as a doctor, she hears that sentence all the time.

"If only I could do the opposite." Chris thought to herself. Without another word, they all left the body alone. Once they were near the inn, Jude spoke up.

"Chris, isn't the Aktau tribe your rival tribe?" Jude asked her.

"Yeah. I know you're going to ask how I'm doing but I'm fine, to be honest. I'd go after them but the trail's gone cold." She answered, rubbing her face in frustration. Jude looked a bit shock at how Chris accurately predicted what he was going to say. But he guesses she's heard it so many times already when she sees something like this. Without another word, they entered the inn to pick up Milla and Elize. Both were awake and were eating sandwiches that they bought.

"Good morning." Elize greeted them as she finished her sandwich.

"Good morning." Jude greeted her with a smile.

"You guys ready to go?" Alvin asked. They both nodded and they left the seahaven. As they walked along the Sapstrath Highroad, Chris and Elize walked ahead of Jude, Milla and Alvin, who were talking about Ivar and that wanted poster Milla tore down. Personally, Chris thinks she should have the common sense to know they're just going to make a new one to put up.

"Hey, Elize?" Chris called for her. Elize stopped in her tracks and turned to her, holding Teepo in her arms.

"Yes?" She meekly responded.

"I hope you don't mind my asking but…where are your parents? You don't have to answer if you don't want to." Chris said. Elize looked down and thought about it for a bit before answering.

"I-I don't know where they are." She answered as she patted Teepo's head.

"H-Hey, it's okay. Don't worry. Maybe we'll find them along the way." She comforted the younger girl.

"W-Well, what about y-you?" Elize shyly asked her.

"Huh?"

"Where's your mommy and daddy, Chris?" Teepo asked. Chris took a deep breath before answering.

"Well, my daddy's off somewhere and my mommy died when I was 5."

"W-We're sorry." Elize said as she hid her face behind Teepo.

"It's okay. You didn't know any better. Come on, let's get a move on." Chris said as she put an arm on Elize's shoulder and they continued walking with Jude, Alvin and Milla still behind them. As they kept walking, however, they eventually noticed some soldiers examining the caravans. Chris grabbed Elize's shoulder so she wouldn't walk up to them. It would draw unwanted attention.

"Crap." Chris muttered out.

"A military checkpoint." Milla noted.

"I knew things were too easy." Alvin said, putting a hand on his hip.

"What'll we do?" Jude wondered.

"Wah-hey, what's over yonder?" Teepo asked as he and Elize looked over to the side. They all looked to the side to see what they were looking at. They saw a cliff with some vines to climb on, leading to the woods.

"That's the Deepwood." Jude informed them.

"If we can hike our way through there, we'll come out right near Sharilton." The mercenary said in realization.

"Then our path is clear." Milla said as she walked towards the cliff.

"It won't be easy going. What about Elize?" Jude asked her.

"You knew she'd face risks on this journey." She reminded him with a stern voice. Elize looked down, feeling guilty for making them fight.

"I'm fine. Really. I can go with you." She voiced out.

"Don't argue, you guys! You're pals, remember?" Teepo added.

"The girl has agreed, so this matter is no longer open to debate." Milla said as if they were discussing politics before she walked away. She climbed the vines first and gradually climbed up. Chris sighed, wondering how Elize was going to climb that up. Suddenly, she thought about something.

"Okay, kiddo, welcome to Wall Climbing 101, I'll be your Professor in this class so make sure you pay close attention, alright?" Chris told her with a wink and a smile on her face. Elize smiled at her and nodded. When Milla has climbed up on the wall, Elize grabbed the vines next with Teepo secured to her like a backpack.

"Now don't forget to keep a tight grip and secure your foot on the vines alright. They're sturdy so you don't have to worry about them falling off." Chris told her as she kept a close eye on Elize.

"Okay." Elize responded. She kept climbing until she was almost to the top. Just as she was nearing the top, her grip weakened. She would've fallen if only Milla didn't grab her hand.

"It's okay. I got you." Milla assured her as she pulled Elize up.

"Th-Thank you." Elize shyly said. Chris followed after Elize and pulled herself up before lying down on the ground.

"It's been a while since I've done that." She said as she sat up. Finally, Jude and Alvin managed to climb up and they all continued on into the Deepwood.

"You seem to know a lot about this area." Elize noted as she looked up at Alvin.

"Never actually been into the Deepwood before. But, there's a first time for everything." He answered her as they walked. They walked into the Deepwood, taking in their surroundings.

"Look at all these big ass trees." Chris said as she looked around.

"Quite a dense forest." Milla noted as they walked.

"Let's try to stick together, okay?" Jude suggested. Elize immediately took Chris' hand so she won't get separated from them. They stopped at the clearing to look around for a bit and they heard a loud rustling. Jude was alarmed immediately and looked up with Chris following his gaze. Above them was a wolf, standing on the massive root of a tree.

"Oh, no, you are not ripping my face off again." Chris said as she put a hand to one of her daggers. Elize gasped in fright as she clutched Chris' jacket.

"It'll be okay, kid." She tried to assure her. Curiously though, instead of attacking them, the wolf just stared them down and ran away.

"What was that?" Alvin asked in curiosity.

"Was it warning us, maybe?" Jude wondered out loud as Milla walked away and Elize following after.

"Well, Milla doesn't seem fazed." The mercenary said. Elize turned to them and Teepo spoke up.

"I see away through! Hurry up, you guys!" He said.

"Great. Even the spud is getting gutsy. Let's go." Alvin said with a shrug. They approached the tunnel that Milla was looking at.

"Anyone want to take point?" Chris asked. She hates a lot of things and tunnels in the deep, dark woods are one of them. It brings the possibility of spiders to a higher level. Just thinking about it makes her skin crawl. None of them answered her, however. Chris sighed and went in.

"Yeah…tunnels in the deep, dark woods…definitely not creepy…" She muttered to herself as she crawled ahead with Milla following her. Finally, they got to the other side of the tunnel. They saw a wall with vines that they can climb on and approached it. Before any of them can grab onto it, however, they heard lumbering footsteps behind them. They turned around and saw a Sylvan Treant before them.

"Oh no." Chris muttered out as she pulled her sword out. They moved to attack but before any of them can get close to it, the Treant wildly waved its long arms, hitting all of them at once.

"Ow!" Chris yelled out in pain.

"That thing's got a reach. It can hit all of us with ease." Alvin said in observation as he felt the stinging pain in his body fade.

"This could pose a problem." Milla noted as they heard Elize come closer. Chris turned and held her hand out to her, signaling for her to stay there.

"Elize, keep your distance." Jude warned her.

"We can't watch over you and fight at the same time. Stay back." Milla ordered her. Alvin turned his head and noticed that the Treant was preparing to attack them again.

"Jude!" Alvin yelled for him upon realizing that he was the most likely target. Jude was too late to hear him and he was hit by the Treant's arms, sending him spinning to the ground. Chris and Milla ran towards the boy and noticed his new injuries.

"Damn it." Milla cursed. Elize approached them and kneeled beside them.

"I-I can help." She insisted as she held her hands out and all of a sudden a large healing glyph showed on the ground and all of their wounds were suddenly gone as was the pain that came from them.

"Y-You healed us." Jude said in amazement. Needless to say, they were all shocked at how a 12 year old could summon a healing arte of that caliber that would take even experienced doctors years to master.

"Heh, glad you brought us along now, huh?" Teepo arrogantly asked them with what seems to be a smile on his face.

"Damn right we are." Chris said with a wide grin as they stood up. Ready and fit for battle, they all attacked the Treant at once. The Treant swung it arms and Chris rolled away from it, having seen it coming. Thankfully, she landed near the Treant.

"Fireball!"

Chris threw a fireball up in the air and swung her sword, propelling the fireball towards the Treant. The attack landed as Milla took the time to bind the Treant, leaving Jude open to attack the creature with his punches and kicks, eventually ending his onslaught with an arte.

"Aqua sweep!"

As Jude's attack landed, as did the Treant's arms. It practically bitch slapped him in the face. Jude was sent flying, yet he quickly recovered in midair and he landed on his knees and Elize approached him.

"Pixie Circle!"

It wasn't long after that did Milla start attacking the Treant immediately. She summoned a glyph under the Treant and after a while, it did its job for her.

"Arrivederci!"

A strong gust of wind surrounded the Treant and the petals knocked it upward. They all saw that the Treant was getting weaker as each moment passes. Chris delivered slashes to the Treant's body until it slapped her, sending her flying straight to a tree and knocking her out when she hit her head.

"Pulse shot!"

AAlvin's arte hit the Treant dead on, finally killing it. When they were done, Jude and Elize approached Chris, who was just starting to wake up. She groaned and groggily opened her eyes.

"Uh…what happened?" She weakly rasped out.

"Doesn't matter. How you feeling?" Jude asked her. Chris tapped her head with her palm.

"Uh, my ears are ringing. And I think I'm gonna hurl." Chris said before stopping for a second. "Yep."

And she did start vomiting. Jude held up two fingers in front of her immediately. Chris stared it down for a second before answering.

"Four."

"I'm holding up two fingers, Chris." Jude told her as he put his hand to the back of her head to heal her. "You have a Concussion. It's a good thing it wasn't bad enough to cause you a seizure."

"The lady already nearly got her face ripped off, got a concussion and she's doing quite alright." Alvin said as he helped Chris up.

"Are you well enough to go on?" Milla asked her and Chris hummed and nodded in response.

"Elize, how did you do that arte?" She asked the little girl.

"Yeah. Imagine; a little girl wielding artes like that." Alvin said as he twisted his wrist.

"Elize, you saved us." Milla praised her. But the only response they got was her cries. Jude approached her immediately.

"It's okay, Elize. You don't have to be scared anymore." Jude assured her.

"That's not it." She said.

"You two need to make up. Pals need to stick together." Teepo finished for her. Finally, Elize looked up to them.

"I promise I won't get in your way again. Honest!" She said with a small smile on her face.

"You heard the little lady. Now make nice with Jude here for Elize's sake." Alvin told Milla.

"Make nice? It's not like I'm angry or anything." Milla said as she crossed her arms.

"Oh, I beg to differ." Chris said as she had a hard time keeping her eyes open.

"That's not how it looks to me. You were getting along better before!" Teepo said as he floated in between Jude and Milla.

"I'll do my best, okay?" Elize vowed.

"Why do I suddenly feel like the villain here? Heh. Fine. All is forgiven." Milla lightheartedly said. Alvin walked up to them and wrapped his arms in their shoulders while Chris walked up and patted the little girl on the head.

"And hey, don't you have something to say to Elize?" Alvin asked them. Jude turned to Elize with a small smile on his face.

"Sorry for making you worry. And thank you." He told her.

"This is some serious friendship stuff right here! Level 99 on the friendship meter!" Teepo jovially said.

"Elize's healing artes could really help us in a pinch, don't you think so?" Jude said.

"Agreed. Thank you, Elize. We're counting on you." Milla told the girl with a smile on her face. Elize was not expecting the praise from Milla and looked down with a shy blush on her face.

"Sally forth, pals!" The doll said.

And sally forth they did, unaware that Alvin stayed behind for a second.

"Heh…what luck. Never expected a channeler like her to be along for the ride."


AN (03/24/15): WHAT TIME IS IT? SUMMER TIME! IT'S OUR VACATION! Okay, I'll cut that out. Hey, everybody, what's up? As you guys can see it is now summer time and our vacation here in the Philippines. I'm sorry for the long wait I put you guys through but I just finished finals in school which is why it's already our vacation. And also, I may have gone into a Final Fantasy Type-0 cutscene marathon. Any Final Fantasy fans out there? Tell me this; do you guys think Square Enix is becoming crueler with each passing game? They killed a chocobo and had a guy skewer his girlfriend like she was barbecue for Christ's sake. Even if it was completely by accident. Anyways, enough ramblings. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. I made it especially long for you guys to compensate for the wait. Please leave your reviews and your votes. The poll is still open. Until next time guys! Ciao!