"Ohh my head..." Nika muttered as she woke up, "Are you okay?" Bucha asked, surprising Nika who didn't notice he was standing beside her, she yelped and exclaimed "How are you so big yet so silent!?". Bucha laughed and replied "I told, I'm a master when it comes to camouflage.",Nika sighed and looked at her hand, her fingers still had small claws, she looked at her reflection in the water and her eyes were still pitch black and dripping black goo.
This sight was kind of pitiful for Nika, with how every other monster she fought behaved, she most definitely didn't want to look like one, "Don't mind it too much, that's what the old guardian of the forest used to look like." Bucha revealed, "The... What? Before the old lady the guardian of the forest was this... Thing?" Nika asked, but Bucha asked back "What old lady? I never saw any."
Nika's eyes widened in surprise, "What?" Nika wondered, wasn't the old woman the guardian? Was she just the caretaker of that temple? Bucha shrugged off the confusion and explained "The guardian, or better said, protector of these woods is the Water Dragon Faron.", This made Nika think of something so she went and asked "Is this Faron defending the woods, or something hidden in the woods?", Bucha shook his head(?) and replied "I don't know, I haven't been around long enough to actually meet her."
This got Nika in a pickle, she has no idea on where to go, and if she met this dragon, it might attack her viewing her as a threat, "I have an idea though." Bucha spoke up, snapping Nika out of her train of thought, "You see this tree?" Bucha asked, referring to the giant tree in the middle of the woods, "It has been around for far longer than I have, if you manage to get inside, you could find some information, and even if not, you could have a better view of the woods, maybe find something you couldn't have otherwise." Bucha explained.
Looking at the top of the tree, Nika could only agree that it was tall, "Maybe... Is a path on the side?" She asked the Kikwi elder who nodded in response, "Alright, see you later!" Nika exclaimed before stretching her arms to the path she spotted and pulling herself up there, now the ony thing she had to do was look for *Snoooore* whatever was making this sound.
"What in Shiva Samba's name was that?" Nika asked the sword spirit, "I detect that the sound is coming from the creature identified as another member of the Kikwi race that's sleeping on that branch." The spirit explained, making Nika notice the Kikwi sleeping on the branch, "He's got a beard... Nevermind, WAKE UP!" Nika yelled causing the Kikwi to wake up, "I'm awake! I'm awak- Wait... How did you get up here? The only way you could have done that is if you had the Water Dragon Scale or if you had the power of the Mythical Hito Hito no Mi model: Nika" The Kikwi questioned.
Hearing the name again caused Nika to sigh, but replied nonetheless "I have both.", This made the Kikwi look at her in curiosity, "interesting... My name is Yerbal by the way." Yerbal informed, "I'm Nika." Nika responded, "Oh, I see why you frowned at the mention of the fruit's name, but if you have the same name... Could it be you're the hero chosen by the goddess?" Yerbal asked, "That is indeed correct." The sword spirit said as it came out of the blade, "My master is indeed the chosen one."
"If you have the messenger of the Goddess following you, then there's no doubt, I suspect you're looking for the Sacred Flame hidden in these woods?" Yerbal assumed, "Correct again." Nika replied, "If you want to find it, you'll have to arrive at the Lae of Floria, normally you'd have to solve a puzzle, but with the power of the fruit, it'll be easier to reach." The Kikwi hermit explained, hearing lake though, didn't reassure Nika, 'You know the fruit removes my ability to swim right?" Nika asked and Yerbal reassured "That's what the Water Dragon Scale is for, it removes that weaknes".
Nika nodded and looked around, spotting the lake in the distance, and instantly stretched her arms to grab two branches, then she pulled back and like a slingshot, went flying to the lake.
When she landed in the water, she was surprised to discover that she could indeed swim, maybe even better than before, but then she heard something "Ack! Another human! Ok, OK... I just have to avoid eye contact and back away slowly." It said to itself, but Nika heard and decieded to follow it.
After swimming for a while the jellyfish yellled at Nika "Quit following me, pest! If you don't move along, I'll be forced to tell her excellence the Water Dragon about your little incursion!", Nika smiled at that and replied "Just who I'm looking for!" the jellyfish seemed to yelp and started swimming faster, but it was not the only thing going faster, as Nika's heartbeat started going faster, almost rhythmically.
It took a moment for that to register, but by the time, Nika's hair already turned white, along with her clothes and her heart started sounding like a drum, "Heheh... Why does my heart sound like this? It sounds fun!" Nika exclaimed, causing the jellyfish to turn around and freakout at Nika's now white colored appearence, luckily for it, it reached a blockade made with wooden boards and squeezed in a hole in the planks, "Ha-HA! Didn't see that coming, did you? Yep, there's no way you're going to be able to follow me now!" It mocked Nika.
Hearing the jellyfish say that Nika couldn't follow it just made her smirk, "What do you mean I can't? I feel like I can do anything!" she exclaimed before stretching her hand towards the planks and somehow squeezing them through the hole the jellyfish went through, then she grabbe the walls and pulled while saying "Tight Fit!", when she hit the planks, she passed through the hole, but ended up looking like a tube in the process.
"How!?" The jellyfish yelled as Nika took a breath, somehow breathing in air and not water, and inflated herself back to her usual shape, "Wait... Those hair... You're the Emissary of the Goddess!" The jellyfish exclaimed.
Nika smirked at hearing this and said "My reputation precedes me.", "That means you can help her Exellence!" the jellyfish added, only causing Nika to ask "Help?"