Chapter 2

An Encounter in the Woods

"It has been awhile since I have stood in Termina, makes me think of my younger years. Ho ho ho," Radius chuckled. He glanced over to Serge, who was holding the limp form of Kid in his arms.

"Now is not the time for rejoicing however. Come, we must find a bed for her to rest. Afterward, we will travel to Viper Manor to find out what we can about the Frozen Flame. Here Serge, this inn looks good," Radius pointed Serge toward a inn near the entrance of the city.

The two had departed Arni village early the next morning with Serge carrying Kid. Radius had explained the situation to Serge's mother late at night and he then continued to inform the other elders of his departure. Leena was still asleep when they left and had no idea of their plan to try to help the stranger who had appeared in their village. Marge volunteered to sooth her when she found out about the news.

The two had traveled north, passing through Fossil Valley as quickly as possible, though it was troublesome with the rocky terrain and the limp form of Kid burdening them. The day's journey had finally led them to the entrance of Termina just before nightfall and the two had agreed to set out again early in the mourning.

Radius made the arrangements at the inn and prepared to bed down. Serge placed Kid on the bed next to him and decided to go out for a short walk before going to sleep.

The cool night air off the ocean blew through Termina, rustling Serge's hair as he walked along the streets. His mind drowned him with thoughts. When he had first seen Kid lying in his bed, he had felt overwhelming joy, which was quickly overshadowed by his concern for her. Now he was traveling with her in search of a cure, a legend that Serge still had his doubts about if they found it. He also wondered how Leena was doing. How she had taken the news when she discovered he had left without telling her.

Serge passed down a familiar street, even though he had never set foot in Termina before. He still couldn't help but think of the irony that he himself created. He had already encountered most of the people in Termina, but if he was to ask, they wouldn't be able to identify him at all. He being in existence and by him uniting time had altered all of their lives in some way. Now he was just another stranger that walked through the streets…

His thoughts were stopped when he saw a familiar tent to his left. He didn't realize it, but he had walked to the bridge spanning over the river and now stood near the fortune telling tent that he had visited in the 'past'.

Figuring that it would not longer be of any harm, Serge approached the tent with the two eyes peering out at him. Before he reached it a cloud of smoke appeared and he saw a form materialize from within the smoke. Serge stopped and waited for the smoke to clear away.

"Aaaahhhhh…" came a sigh. "Would you like me to read your fortune for you?" the little woman asked.

Serge nodded his head, indicating what he was thinking.

"Excellent," the woman said, walking up to gaze at Serge. "Hmmm…Interesting. You have played a role of extreme importance, perhaps, even more than you know. But for some reason, that's all I can see. No, wait, your role in this puzzle is not over… Just maybe your own existence will be needed for something much more important. However, I cannot see what this is, but I do sense malice in it. Danger lies ahead of you, be careful."

As quick as she had appeared, the little figure of the woman disappeared, leaving Serge standing by himself in the empty street once again. The cold air blowing in the off the ocean snapped Serge back into the present since he had been lost in thought at what the fortune teller had told him.

Slowly, he headed back for the inn.

"Okay Serge, we need to get going early today so we can arrive at Viper Manor in good time," Radius told him. Serge began to gather his things for their trip. The brim of the sun could be seen from the window of their room and Serge was having difficulty finding his things in the low light.

They had placed Kid in the extra bed in the room. She continued to sleep, showing no signs of recovery or struggle. Her face had turned pale and wound was now a purplish red. Serge feared for Kid's safety more than anything at the moment.

Radius put a hand on Serge's shoulder, and it was only then that Serge realized that he had stopped what he was doing and was looking down at Kid.

"Serge, she will be okay. Once we get her to Viper Manor, everything will be alright," he comforted.

Serge turned silently to look at Radius, then nodded. The two then set off from Termina with their life burden, navigating the path to Viper Manor.

They made good time in the first hour of their journey, with Radius setting a fast pace for Serge to keep up with. The dirt path to the Manor lay open, carved by the thousands of feet of soldiers that had walked along it to defend the islands of El Nido.

The forest around them echoed with life, taking no heed of the two somber travelers progressing through it with their zombie burden.

Serge was walking silently behind Radius with Kid in his arms when he began to hear a rustling in the bushes next to them. Reacting quickly, Serge gently placed Kid on the ground and started looking around. The forest around them had suddenly turned menacing, the shadows playing tricks on their eyes.

Radius was already searching the surroundings with his eyes, his old body looking alert. The staff clutched in his hand hovered in the air menacingly. He might be old, but his mind and spirit still had that of a fierce warrior and if an enemy had seen him in his present state, they would be reluctant to engage him.

Serge gazed around him, they were now standing in a grove of trees which towered over them like flowers to the ant. He realized that they must be near the manor. The air was silent now, and the rustling had stopped.

"We know you are there, please come out and show yourself, we mean you no harm," Radius said loudly, peering around him without moving.

Serge's swallow was clutched tightly in his hand when the bushes again began to move. Suddenly they burst apart and a human body came tumbling through and landed on the ground with a thud.

Serge and Radius both jumped back quickly, weapons raised for defense.

"Wait, wait! It's me!" the person cried loudly.

Radius moved in for inspection. "Leena?" he asked quietly.

Leena climbed to her feet, dusting herself off. Her clothes were dirty and torn. The usual smile on her face was nowhere to be seen. Instead, it was replaced by tears streaming down her face. Her breathing was coming in rasping gasps and her hair was strewn in all directions.

"What in the name of a dragoon happened?" Radius asked quickly, moving towards Leena to take her arm in his hand to stop it from shaking. Sweat beaded on Leena's forehead as she sobbed uncontrollably and struggled to compose herself.

"Leena," Radius started again, "take time to catch your breath. Here," he motioned toward a flat rock jutting from the ground, "have a seat."

Leena sat down to where he had indicated, her breathing starting to level out. Serge had meanwhile searched the area in which Leena had come from to make sure she wasn't being followed, then quickly turned back to her with a look of alarm on his face.

"It was horrible," Leena whispered, looking up at Radius with a look of despair in her eyes.

"What was?" he replied, more alarmed then ever by the way she had spoken.

"The village…" gasped Leena, starting to shake again.

"What? What about the village?" Radius asked quickly, his brow knitted in alarm. He sat down beside Leena, and placed his arm around her shoulder to comfort her.

She sobbed again, leaning against him for support as if she had no strength left in her body. "The village is destroyed!" she suddenly shouted.

Both Serge and Radius took a large intake of breath, minds trying to comprehend what she was saying. Surely she was mistaken.

"What? How?" pressed Radius, not wanting to believe what she had just told him.

"A monster…" came the reply. "I ran here as fast as I could…"

"How could this be…?" Radius mumbled in disbelief, looking at Serge with a deep concern in his eyes.

"You'll do something won't you?" Leena suddenly asked, grabbing Radius around the neck. Her eyes still wet with tears, she stared at him. "You'll do something won't you?" she repeated, becoming delirious.

"Hush Leena, you've had a long journey. Try to calm down," Radius soothed. "Serge," he ordered, "find a place for her to rest, she is exhausted."

Serge nodded and began to clear a spot on the ground for his friend.

"Tell me you'll do something!" screamed Leena, now clutching to Radius for support once again.

"We will. I promise we will," Radius took Leena by her shoulders and guided her to the spot Serge had created. "Rest now child, we will talk when you are more yourself."

Leena passed out almost as soon as she hit the ground, her body giving in to its last ounce of strength.

Serge and Radius exchanged worried looks as they began to set up camp.

Hours passed, with Serge and Radius standing guard over two unconscious bodies now. Kid showed no signs of recovery, as if a sleep as peaceful as death had overcome her. Leena was the exact opposite, tossing and turning in her sleep, even crying out on some occasions.

Serge felt helpless toward her, there was nothing he could do. He had meant to wake her up a few times, to tell her she was just having a nightmare, but Radius had stopped him, assuring him she would be better if she had her rest, no matter how painful it was.

"Serge," Radius now said, sitting opposite from him in the clearing they had created. "I do not know if the words that Leena spoke were true when she first came upon us. She seemed delirious, but there was something I sensed in her voice that made fear creep into my heart. If what she told us is true…" he paused, searching words. He then lowered his head putting a hand on it, and for a moment, he looked the like the frail old man that he really was, not the warrior Serge was used to.

Serge could see that the old man was struggling, and he didn't blame him for it. Radius was the leader of their village, and its protector. When he and Radius had left, they left the village open and defenseless. The burden upon Radius to make the decision must have been difficult, and Serge could only imagine what was going through the old man's mind right now.

"It is true…the village is destroyed."

Serge whirled around, unaware that Leena had stopped her dreamy throws and was now standing behind him. Radius also looked up quickly, bringing his body back up to composure.

"Leena, thank goodness you are well," he began. "Although if what you say is for real, then I can take only little comfort in it."

Leena nodded slowly and moved to sit down beside Serge. Her hair was is even more disarray and the clothes she wore were now stained with dirt as well. Her face still carried a heavy sign of grief, but the tears had halted.

"Leena, I know it will be hard, but you must tell us what happened," Radius leaned forward, gazing into Leena's face, searching it for clues.

Leena nodded slowly, reaching down to take a hold of Serge's hand. "It was horrible…" she trailed off, taking a deep breath. "After you two had left the village, I wanted to be alone for a little while, so I went to Cape Howl. After staring out the ocean for a time, I realized it was getting to be late in the morning and I knew my mother had chores for me to do. When I neared the village, I started to hear screams. I became frightened and started to race back as fast as I could. But when I reached Arni…" Leena stopped, placing her free hand over her eyes as images came reeling back to her.

Radius and Serge had been listening intently and both waited for her pain to pass so she could continue her story.

Leena lowered her head, tears forming in her eyes anew. "…I saw monsters," she explained. "They were slaughtering everyone. Bodies were already lying in the center when I arrived. They set fire to the houses…" she paused again, the tears finding their way down her cheeks. "I saw them kill my mother on the steps of our house. She screamed…" she paused again. "One of them noticed me in the entrance and approached me. I was angry, it was the one who had killed my mother. I tried to fight with it, to stop it from massacring my home, but…" she broke down, crying into Serge's shoulder, squeezing his hand as hard as she could.

"Leena, you did everything you could…" Radius began, himself at a loss for words.

"No!" she yelled. "I did nothing! It was too strong! I ran, just to save myself! I left everyone behind!"

Radius and Serge exchanged glances, worry and fear in both faces. Serge didn't quite know how to feel, his home was destroyed, his mother probably dead. Sorrow was the only thing he could feel.

"Leena," Radius said slowly. "What did these monsters look like?" he was trying to maintain his composure after the story she had told them.

Leena's sudden anger to herself had caused her to sit back up. "I had never seen them before, they were like walking lizards. They were taller than humans and used heavy weapons. When I tried to hit one with an element, it dodged it and almost overtook me with a quick strike. I ran, and for some reason, it let me go. I…I was so scared."

"Don't be angry with yourself, there was nothing you could do," Radius soothed, trying to comfort her. His face had fallen, but he still maintained his presence.

"I just wanted to get away. After that, I thought of you two and tried to reach you as quickly as I could," Leena explained, starting to calm down a bit.

"I see…" Radius answered.

"I know you are in search of the Frozen Flame," Leena started suddenly. "That is supposed to grant people's hopes and dreams right?" she looked to Serge, then Radius.

Radius returned her gaze, his eyes trying not to show what he was thinking inside.

"I mean, couldn't we use that to bring Arni village back?" she asked, desperate.

"Legends speak of the Flame as a source of great power. I suppose it might just be possible…" Radius started.

"Well we have to try," Leena told him. "We have to at least try, for everyone in the village."

"Yes, of course we do," Radius answered. "Leena, are you well enough to walk?"

She looked herself over, nodding. "Yes. That rest was all I needed. Now that I found you, I'll be fine."

"Then we've no time to waste," explained Radius. "The situation has grown more serious than we thought. Now the fate of our very village hangs in the balance, and we must do everything we can to save it. So let us press on without delay." He arose from where he was sitting, not waiting for the other two to respond.

Serge and Leena both exchanged worried glances before moving to follow him. Serge went about preparing Kid's body for the trip, and Leena helped to pack up the quick encampment they had set up for her. Within minutes they continued on their journey to Viper Manor.