Pᴀʀᴛ ᴏɴᴇ - Tʜᴇ Wɪsʜ ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇ Wᴏᴏᴅ

Subaru felt small rain droplets tickling against his skin. He blinked his eyes open, struggling to banish the sleep from his mind. Finally coming to, he carefully observed his surroundings.

It didn't take long for him to notice the beautiful blue skies had been replaced by a bleak, smoldering grey one. The sound of birds singing in the air, too, had vanished, replaced by the happy sounds of numerous toads excitedly frolicking in their newfound puddles. Eddies of rain poured from the trees from above; however, the large surrounding canopy provided ample shelter to keep them from the worst of the downpour.

Gathering his wits about him, Subaru sat up and shook Emilia gently. Her long dark lashes fluttered, and her eyes peeked open, revealing her gentle amethyst orbs.

Smiling softly at her—the first real genuine one he had in ages—Subaru shrugged. "Ah, look at this weather," he quipped nonchalantly, as if she hadn't realized they were being rained on. "Shouldn't we get to someplace warmer, Emilia?"

Returning his smile with one of her own, Emilia nodded politely in agreement. "Of course, Subaru," she replied, raising a delicate hand to him. "Will you help me up, please?"

Subaru nodded in return, then he gently took her hand and pulled her up. Brushing off her skirt, Emilia noticed her apparent condition; she wouldn't mind a shower and a change of clothes as well.

She pointed toward the west. "If we take this road a little further, we will come to the crossroads amidst the capital and Priestella. Maybe we should go to the latter?" It was just a thought.

"Priestella, huh?" Subaru turned his head slightly in a wondering manner. "Isn't that the port city between Kararagi, Gusteko, and the Vollachia Empire?" Maybe they could run away from Lugnica, far away from the troubles which plagued them?

"Yes, it is, Subaru," she affirmed nervously, unsure on what she was about to say. "I… I wish to get away from here. Without Roswaal, my sponsorship for the throne has ended. I don't have a reason to be here any longer, and to be honest with myself, if I was alone, I would just return to where I belong." She looked at the ground between her two feet and paused, then said, "Before I met Roswaal, I lived alone in Elior Forest to the north of here. But now that I have you, Subaru, we can go anywhere!"

Once more, the two made eye contact, exposing her spirited lavender eyes in all their splendor. One look at them, and Subaru was already struggling to keep his heart from bursting right then and there.

Slowly, Emilia reached her hand out to Subaru. "Will y-you take me away from here?" she asked, stuttering and revealing her unsurety.

Stunned, he looked at her with slight apprehension. Was this the real Emilia he was speaking to, or was it the one whose mind was made so fragile by Roswaal's machinations and deception? He couldn't tell for sure, but regardless, he would do her best to protect her in any way he could.

In an instant, he decided what he would do.

Emilia watched as he claimed her hand. "Subaru… You mean…?" She paused, and looked up at him with vibrant, emotional eyes. She then said, quietly, "You mean you will support me?"

He nodded and gave her an assured smile. "Of course, Emilia. I'll always be there for you. I made a promise, and I don't intend to break that promise."

It was the last one he had left—to save her. All the other promises he made had been broken—both to others and to himself. However, he could do nothing about it now. He had to pick up what he had and move on. This was the one promise the rest of them were built upon.

"Thank you, Subaru…" she whispered shyly, giving him her best bright smile he so adored.

Subaru nodded, returning her smile with his own. "Let's get out of this rain, Emilia."

In her bashfulness, her free hand rose to cover her mouth, and a warm, rosy color tinted her cheeks. "Thank you for being there for me," she said finally.

With her hand in his, Subaru decided to take her far away from here, away from all the troubles of the world. "And now we shall go to Priestella," he said resolutely, looking forward with his gaze reaching deep into the forest in front of them.

Emilia looked wondrously up at him, and he turned once more and met eyes with her. Her smile grew wider. It was a soft, womanly smile. Their fleeting gaze soon departed from one another, and they took the first steps into their journey.

There were many winding paths and intricate roads which led them to their destination, though not all were the safest. Some were infested with beasts of all kinds, and others with bandits ready to pilfer anything a passing traveler had. It was because of this Subaru and Emilia had to tread more than carefully.

With limited supplies, they needed a way to find food and shelter, fast. They would do well to avoid the road to the Mathers mansion, as Subaru knew what dangers awaited them there, regardless if Roswaal was dead or not. They would be wise to avoid the main road in general. So, Subaru chose to take the road less travelled, to escape unwanted attention the unusual pair would bring.

Nobody sung praises for halves in this area, and with her likeness to the Jealous Witch, Satella, Emilia would most likely spend the majority of her public appearances concealed under the safety net of her magical cloak. Subaru didn't mind at all; in fact, the last thing he wanted was to bring attention to themselves. He wanted to disappear with Emilia, never to be seen again. That was the only way they were going to live any sort of long and prosperous life together, as such a high number of evil agents clearly sought out Emilia for reasons he didn't fully understand.

It was by luck they made their way. Between the path leading toward Irlam Village and the Flugel Crossroads, the pair found a long-abandoned road, whose crooked path looped in and out like a snake.

What wasn't a byproduct of their luck was the unfortunate accumulation of rain clouds overhead. By now, the weather had long since deteriorated into a murky bog of a storm. It meant the pair met very few travelers on the roads, as all the sensible merchants and vagabonds were nestled comfily in warm shelters. The surrounding forests were shrouded in a misty fog as thick and blinding as the sheets of ice they traversed just the night before.

Subaru stretched his arms overhead. "Ah… if only we had a dragon carriage!" he exclaimed to no one in particular, causing Emilia to chuckle quietly to herself behind him.

He really missed Patrasche. Hopefully that loyal girl made it out of the massacre by the Hare. His memory briefly took him back to when he found the loyal beast trapped in the stables at the Mathers mansion. He had ridden her back to the Sanctuary before letting her go, as she could not traverse Roswaal's frozen hell.

He remembered the haunting memories of Petra and Frederica, the violence of their deaths, and the despair it brought. He shook his head to release them from his thoughts.

"Maybe we can negotiate a ride with someone?" Emilia added innocently, thankfully breaking him from his momentary return to grief. "There's always someone willing to pick up a gir"

"No, no, no!" he interrupted her in a gesture of disagreement. "We should avoid contact with anyone for now. I don't want anyone to know where or who we are. It's safest for us that way."

Emilia nodded quickly in agreement. "Certainly!" she replied. She wasn't dull by any means. Now that she thought about it, it would be extremely important to conceal her identity to everyone but Subaru. With caution, she adjusted the hood she wore back over her long pointy ears, concealing them from view.

Feeling his stomach growl profusely, Subaru grimaced. He hadn't eaten for what felt like days now. He was certain Emilia hadn't eaten either, as she had locked herself away for days at a time in the tomb, endlessly attempting the trial until she could do no more. He looked back at her, watching her keep pace quietly behind him. She seemed to be at ease, and she clearly wasn't in any more distress than he was.

He felt his lips curl to a smile as he watched her.

She truly was amazing. Her strength seemed to grow as his began to fade. It was like a natural balance they shared, an ability to pick each other up and hold one another through the most desperate of times. He was just worried about the fragility of her mind. He still remembered her confession of love to him in the tomb, real or unreal as it was. Her mind surely was in a delicate state during that time, in contrast to how she chose to portray her strength to him, so he'd respect that decision and avoid prodding into it too far, keeping it as a memory locked away in the back of his head rather than at the forefront of his thoughts. Instead, he would let her fragile state of mind heal in time, as he would let his own do the same.

Time healed all wounds, thankfully.

"Look!" Subaru was jolted from his deep thought by Emilia shouting excitedly. She was pointing in a peculiar direction. "Through the trees, there's smoke over there in a clearing—it could be Nicia."

"Nicia… Is that a village?" he questioned her, peering at the forest. He cupped his hands, mimicking staring into an eyeglass. Through the damp foliage and moderate trickle of rain, he could indeed see a light hazy smoke through the clearing. The fog was ending as well—no doubt there was something over there.

"Tis a small village betwixt Priestella and Ladrima," she simply explained to him. "We can find food and shelter there and wait for the storm to pass. Should we make a stop there?"

Subaru rubbed his ravenous belly. "I think so," he replied, an aching pain from hunger infusing into his voice. "It should be small enough to avoid a lot of attention from outsiders, but big enough to get lost in. Besides, we really need to get something to eat."

Truthfully, he would prefer to make the trek straight to Priestella. The city was large enough for anyone looking to lay low to lose themselves in. They weren't criminals on the lam by any means, but they wanted to act like such. Avoiding unwanted attention was extremely important right now, especially when word of Roswaal L. Mathers' unnatural death would inadvertently get out. Some might even blame Emilia for the demise he created for himself. He wouldn't let her shoulder the blame for that bastard's evil machinations.

Pushing such thoughts to the side, Subaru took her hand and the two began to pace themselves a little faster than before now they were close to civilization.

He couldn't wait to get a warm cozy bed by the fire and a hot meal. If he could just sleep for more than a few hours at a time, his mood would improve dramatically—ditto with Emilia. She was probably even more stressed than he was—from the trial, the deaths of her friends, and the loss of Puck. He didn't even want to know what she was really feeling. All he knew is he would do his best to support her as she supported him.

The two crossed a small wooden bridge which hung over a shallow creek. Growing more and more anxious as they approached the village, Subaru felt himself starving and desperately thirsty, too. Their provisions were nonexistent, and they had been travelling for almost a day without anything to fuel their tired bodies. Finding himself unable to last any longer, Subaru raced down to the stream, and he fell almost headfirst into the water. Hungrily, he drank from the fresh water, cupping it in his hands and bringing it eagerly to his mouth.

Oh god, he thought. He didn't realize how thirsty he really was. Even if it wasn't the most sanitary way to drink, he scantily cared of such things. No time or way to boil water, he decided. Likewise, Emilia had knelt beside him, enjoying some of the pure stream herself.

It was a peaceful moment shared between the two. The sounds of the gentle raindrops coupled with the rhythmic flowing of the river was soothing indeed, even if Subaru found himself almost shivering from being damp for so long. He was just glad to be at peace with Emilia for now, and finally soon they would have some ample rest.

"Not bad, huh?" Subaru remarked cutely to her as he continued to drink from the river.

"It reeeally is good," Emilia replied happily, stretching out her words in pure pleasure. "I was sooo thirsty!"

They both shared a good laugh between themselves, and soon enough they continued on their way. The village was close, not even a half mile's way down the dirt road. After all the walking they had done, it was comparatively no time at all before they passed through the entrance of the settlement, quickly finding themselves at a broad wooden gate.

At their arrival, a rotten wooden panel slid open, revealing a cloaked figure who eyed them down with peculiar curiosity. "Who goes there?" he questioned the pair cautiously. "What brings you two to Nicia? We want no troubles' here."

"Our business is ours alone," Subaru said, his voice defiant. "We've just come to seek a little bit of warmth and shelter! We would be infinitely generous of your hospitality if you would allow us. We won't stay more than a days' time, and then we'll be on our way." He showcased his partner who appeared to be a normal girl.

The man nodded in understanding, and unlocked the gate. Cracking the door open, he eyed the pair carefully, said, "A boy and a girl all the ways' out here with no supplies? Oh, well, suit yourself then. I apologize for before, but you can't be too careful these days; there's been word of bandit and demon beast attacks all over Lugnica! Terrible times, these are."

Subaru nodded in understanding of the guard's worry, and they followed their safe passage into the village.

The village itself was rather impressive for its remoteness as it was. It wasn't on the direct road to Priestella, and quite a bit out of the way. It wasn't an ideal trade route per se, but clearly, the village was functioning at a high capacity, as the buildings all appeared in decent shape.

Due to the inclement weather, their supposedly-romantic sightseeing was cut short in the village. He counted a great deal of shops and stores to choose from, but he had his eye on the inn which resided across from the gateway into the village. Its nameplate read 'The Dancing Dragon'. The artwork on it showed a ground-dragon in a dance with a mug of mead in its hand. Aptly named, he thought.

As the pair entered the inn, they were met with a merry sight of men and demi-human alike, all sharing in drink and festivity. The inn was dark and dreary, hosting travelers from all walks of life in its halls. It was like something straight out of a fantasy book Subaru used to read when he was a kid. Staring in wide wonder, he shot Emilia a smirk, and she smiled softly back at him.

As they approached the bartender, he stared at them with one wide eye—the other had apparently long since been gouged out. "Well, would you look at what we have here!" he exclaimed, his voice both booming and bombastic. "What brings you youngins all the way out here to Nicia?"

"We're just staying for one night," Subaru claimed, placing three blessed gold coins on the table. "Would you mind if you gave us a warm room, and a hot meal?"

Taking the blessed gold pieces in his hand, the bartender smiled greedily to himself. "Well, we might have been completely booked before, but I think I can accommodate you!" He turned around and grabbed two wooden bowls for the pair… and two mugs.

Subaru watched him curiously as he scooped out two nice-sized bowls of soup for them. Emilia smiled brightly to him, clearly starving. The bartender also filled the two half-pint mugs full of mead. "Here you two are!" he said, revealing to them their dinner—spoons, mugs, bowls and all. "Last door down the hallway, on the right."

Taking the door key from the bartender's massive stubby hand, Subaru gave him his thanks, and the two made their way through the bustling inn all the way to their room.

Sliding the key in and turning it deftly, Subaru opened the door, revealing a little room complete with one bed, a desk, a lantern, a scenic view of the village through the window. The bathroom really wasn't all that impressive, though, but it would have to suffice.

He turned to Emilia, noticing her struggling to carry the two mugs of mead and the bowls of soup. A laugh escaped him, and judging by her expression, she did not enjoy it at all. "Here, let me get those for you," he said, taking his mug and bowl from her. A moment longer and she probably would have dropped it all. He then sat down, saying, "Okay! Let's eat!"

Emilia nodded happily to her partner, and the two dug into their meals with absolute gluttony. Forgoing table manners, Subaru slurped down the soup and chugged the mead with the gusto of a last meal.

Laughing politely at the sight before him, Emilia sipped some mead from her mug as well, enjoying the pungent burn of alcohol as it trickled down her throat. She hummed, letting out a pleasurable groan of contentment. While not an alcoholic by any means, she really did enjoy a good drink, especially after all the events which occurred. All her stresses and worries slowly washed away with every sip.

Subaru, however, had not savored his meal at all, devouring it all just as he had got it. The mead was surprisingly stronger than he had expected, because he began to feel a little lightheaded. Of course, back home in the human world, he would have never thought to drink alcohol copiously. But here, alone with Emilia and in another world, he could make exceptions.

"It's sooo good," she said, drawing out her words in pure pleasure. She tilted her head inquisitively, asked, "Subaru, are you well?"

He was wordless in his reply. His gazed past her absentmindedly, and the expression on his face unreadable.

Emilia grabbed his hand and squeezed him slightly to get his attention. "Hey, do you like to drink?" she asked, as she gazed into his ever-fading eyes. "You drank that sooo fast! I thought you didn't enjoy alcohol like that, Subaru." She looked at him funnily… as if something might have been wrong with his face. His cheeks had turned bright red like he was nervous for whatever reason, and his face was sort of… blank. Maybe he was allergic to alcohol? she thought.

It seemingly took him a few seconds to realize she was staring at him dead in the eye. He gave her his best wiry smile and a curious thumbs up. Wordlessly, he stood up and plopped unceremoniously on the bed, obviously unconscious.

Emilia chuckled quietly to herself, covering her mouth to stifle an even louder laughter. Subaru really was something special, she thought. Getting up, she picked up the used dishes and began to scrub them clean in the sink. After that was done, she removed her damp clothes and hung them near the window to dry.

Shivering slightly, she sighed in relief when her bare skin finally began to dry. Worryingly, she noticed Subaru had not taken his clothes off, which were still soaking wet from the rain outside. If he slept like that, surely, he would catch a cold, she figured. Sighing gently, she stepped quietly over to his motionless body and, very carefully, began to remove his shirt. Her cheeks immediately burned red as she did so when it revealed his naked body to her.

Her innocence might have been too much for her to handle sometimes. Luckily enough, he had not stirred one bit as she had done so.

After hanging his shirt on the wall as well, she too tucked herself into bed, savoring the warmth which overtook her body. It was a nice, warm feather bed which was actually very comfortable for the price they paid. Pulling the sheets back, she tucked Subaru in, who still lay unconscious on his stomach. His mouth hung open just slightly, and his breath was even and smooth.

She had never slept in such proximity to someone like this in the long years of her life. She could feel her heart pounding heavily in her chest, exhilarated to be this close to Subaru. She was so close, in fact, she could feel the warmth of his body roll off onto her own, encasing her in his presence.

It didn't take long for her to settle into comfort, though. Pulling the warm sheets over herself, she too began to feel the effects of exhaustion overtake her.

Not a few moments later, in the warm embrace of each other, Subaru and Emilia slept peacefully, lulled by the gentle rain still falling outside.

Unbeknownst to Emilia, the emerald green crystal at the base of her chest pulsated, full of life.

XXXXXX

Something hammered his skull, pulling him violently from the grips of sleep.

Subaru looked around. The room had a low dim light to it, as the sun had not yet fully crept out of its own rest for the day, blanketing everything in a genial low shadow. Outside, the village was quiet, except for the atmospheric sounds of cicadas and the occasional morning bird's song.

With a groan, he rolled onto his side and rubbed his temple in a vain attempt to nurse his assailing headache. In doing so, he felt something both immeasurably soft and unbearably warm press against his body. Gently, slowly, and with great caution, he pulled the sheets back.

If his vision wasn't already swimming with haze and delirium before, it was now.

Snuggled comfily against his body was Emilia, her mouth slightly agape and her breath evenly paced, signifying she was still fast asleep. Subaru narrowed his eyes at his innocent sleeping partner who shared such intimacy with himself.

Wait, was she naked?! he thought. He could feel his face heating up from the mere notion of it. While recoiling away, he haphazardly covered her with the blanket and crawled backwards so fast he almost fell completely off the bed. Cut off from Emilia's heat, he felt a cold draft banish his own warmth, almost causing him to shiver… before he realized his shirt was missing too. His face became red from ear to ear.

By now, Emilia had awoken from the commotion, and she peeked out slowly from underneath the blankets, covering her bare chest from Subaru's view. Her amethyst eyes blinked sleepily at him, silently questioning his antics. Even though he couldn't see anything memorable in the darkness, his imagination did most of the work for him.

"Em-mi-mi-lia!" he sputtered hopelessly, struggling to find the words. "Why a-are you like that?" His mouth was almost agape as he stared shyly at her.

Emilia just continued to look at him inquisitively from beneath the haven of her sheets, with only her collarbone and above visible to him. She smiled mischievously to herself, realizing it was just enough to get his imagination running wild. She decided to have a little bit of fun with him, if only just to tease him a little bit.

As she looked up at him with her large, doll-like eyes, he almost felt himself melt from sheer terror, or panic, or hysteria… or whatever this deep pounding feeling which was shaking every ounce of his body to its core.

"Oh, this?" Emilia asked coyly, while pulling the sheets up a little further to cover her nudity. "You don't want to sleep with me, Subaru?"

Innocently, she slowly laid her head back down on the pillow, nestling herself deep within the warm confines of the blankets. She never broke eye contact with him, nor did he to her. She just laid there, silently taunting him with her otherworldly beauty and presence.

Her question was rhetorical, he realized. She knew he wanted her. She knew everything about him. He had confessed his love for her many times over, and even she once to him. But did she really understand love, and what it meant? Did she remember that time in the tomb, when in her fragility, she tried to give herself to him? He had denied her—abandoned her, even—although he found himself crawling back to her when the world came crumbling down, desperate for the warmth of her love. In the end, when everything was gone, he wanted to bury himself into its oblivion and hold on to it and never let go.

Gathering himself, he noticed his shirt hanging by the window. He stood, and in a swift action, threw his shirt on. Emilia eyed him carefully from the bed, wondering what his response would be. But he turned to her and said nothing, surprising her with his silence.

She felt confused, looking at the boy who stared so quietly at her. The Subaru before her was different than the one just moments ago—one who was nervous and unsure of himself. Now, he appeared to be hardened, determined, able, and full of charisma.

He then sat on the bed next to Emilia, wanting to speak but pausing momentarily, thinking carefully about what he was about to say. His expression softened, and he let a gentle smile through his façade. "Emilia…" he slowly uttered her name, hesitating briefly before continuing. "I have made my love for you very clear by now, haven't I?" It wasn't a question per se, just a reminder of his loyalty to her, in the impossible case she had forgotten.

The candle on the side of the bed had long since melted out, giving a heady, scented, drifting smoke which filled the air. For too long did the pair sit next to one another, before a voice broke the unwanted silence.

Emilia was suddenly filled with a terrible sadness, stifling her speech. "Subaru… I didn't mean for it to come across that way," she weakly and uncertainly said. She didn't expect to get a response like that, especially not here and now. Forgetting herself, she reached with great care and touched his hand, but still he remained motionless. "Please, I'm sorry… I didn't mean that, Subaru."

She still laid beneath the blankets as she fingered at his hand. He remained motionless as she lovingly touched him. It was a small thing—one little solitary touch—but it was meaningful.

Emilia didn't understand why she struggled so deeply in verbally expressing her feelings to him. She could feel them vibrate within her, the strong feelings pulsating in her chest. It made it difficult to breathe sometimes. It was a foreign feeling; to love him like he loved her. Maybe precisely because of that, it was so difficult to express in words. No simple 'I love you' would suffice—it wouldn't be nearly as meaningful. No, her love for him was more than that. He was more than that to her. She would never forget his love for her, decided she could certainly show him with action when her tongue failed her. Oh, the heat of it all, she mused. It was intoxicating. And still, he was still cold, so-utterly-cold.

Grasping his shirt, she pulled him down to her. It must have caught him off guard, because she was able drag him under the sheets with little resistance. Her hand snaked around the nape of his neck and to the back of his head, caressing him against her body. Putting up little resistance, he laid still like a possum playing dead in her arms. It probably had something to do with her bare body being pressed so suddenly against him. She didn't mind however, even if she was just a little on the prudish side. This was a moment which had to be shared between the two.

It was purely innocent, blissful love.

Nothing more, nothing less.

As he felt her hand draw loving circles on his back, he snapped back to reality. He could feel her hot breath tickle him, as she had buried her face in the nape of his neck. His immediate shock turned to understanding, and he returned the embrace, wrapping his arms around her in a reciprocal gesture. Her warmth was his obsession. As her soft supple chest was pressed against his own, he suddenly wished he hadn't put his shirt back on. He wanted to feel her against him, feel the softness and warmth of skin-on-skin contact. Not even a few seconds of their embrace had passed, and already he could feel nothing but the sensation of her enveloping heat.

It was, simply put, unmistakably heavenly.

So he pressed himself deeper into her, wanting more, and she in return held him tighter. She could feel his want. His emotional attachment to her was unbearably strong. Maybe she could take it one step further, for now. In the darkness, they couldn't see each other well, but they could certainly feel every inch of their bodies.

Removing her hand from the small of his back, she wound her way across his waist and to the hem of his shirt. In one smooth motion, she pulled it over his head, removing it. He didn't even have a second to object—not that he wanted to.

"Oh, god…" Subaru breathlessly whispered into her pointy ear as she pressed her hot body against him. He probably didn't mean to say that out loud, but he did anyway.

His unabashed reaction made Emilia smile haughtily to herself. It humored her at the fact she could send him into such excitement without much effort on her part. It gave her inner peace to make him feel pleasant.

And what a bliss it was. Subaru was there. Sweet bliss, bliss and serenity. She was heaven made flesh, he realized amorously. He knew it before, her angelic beauty seemed almost otherworldly. But now he was sure.

Maybe all half-elves were this enchanting, he thought. He remembered the first time he laid eyes on her—just one look, and he had fallen under her mystical spell. Her allure was so strong he found himself orbiting toward her without even realizing it, stepping closer to her without thinking about it. His feelings grew substantially for her without any real rhyme or reason. As much of a bad taste as it was, she had bewitched him, without him ever realizing it until now.

He felt Emilia squirm against him. She then craned her neck, and whispered unexpected something into his ear:

"Touch me everywhere, Subaru," she ordered.

Those sultry words processed slowly into one ear and out the other. Her velveteen seduction was too much for him to handle, and only one word found itself a suitable response to her plea. But he wouldn't dare utter it aloud.

Giving into her mesmerizing temptation, his hands toured her back, winding up, down and around, exploring new territories freely as if they had a mind of their own. Even if he couldn't see her, he was absorbing every soft contour of her body. He was tasting her without ever taking a bite, he was drinking her without ever sipping from that forbidden cup. Oh, god, how he wanted to do all those things. Her skin was softer than the smoothest silk, and her smell was something else entirely. She smelt faintly of a rich jasmine, which he enjoyed with each deep breath he took. He wished he could just lay there wrapped up with her for the rest of his life. He embedded his face lovingly into her rich, silver hair. What a beautiful majestic color it was, so unique and so amazingly brilliant. He could rest there for hours, if he so pleased.

And this Emilia, there was something different about her. She felt surer of herself, surer of her love for him. Previously, she hadn't quite understood her feelings for him. But now, it seemed she had given into the desire which clashed and dissipated like lightning between the two before.

Her demonstrating her love for him—it just made him want her even more. She was the sweetest of the forbidden fruit. Once he took one bite, it took every ounce of his will to stop… and perhaps even that wouldn't be enough in the end.

By this time, Emilia was flushed beyond recognition. Her normally pink-hued cheeks, which graced her alabaster skin, swelled to a deep blood-red color. She tried to keep her composure for Subaru, but it was becoming exceedingly difficult the more he explored her body with the lust and need he was demonstrating. His touch was gentle, but clearly, he wanted more. She could feel him knead her softly wherever his hands found rest. Her back, her naval, her sides… and even occasionally her soft, tantalizing legs. He seemed to love them especially, giving them a gentle, loving squeeze whenever his hands met their surface. She realized, somewhat mournfully, only her chest seemed to be off-limits to him.

She recognized the fealty of the unspoken limit he had set upon himself and their new budding relationship. His nobility and chivalry made her smile. He had made her feel loved and wanted, yet he didn't go as far as to violate their newly signed contract between them. It was a contract reflective of both their professional and personal relationship—one between lord and knight, and between a man and a woman. Much like he would never go against her favor, he would never force himself upon or allow himself to take advantage of her. She didn't know where this newfound love would take the two, but she was enjoying every second of it.

When had I fallen so hard for him? she thought. It was something she didn't quite understand fully. One moment, she was so unsure of his love for her, and the next, she understood so completely there was no doubt in her mind her feelings for him. He had tried so hard to prove himself, to prove his words were meaningful to her. He continuously sacrificed himself for her, and her plight they once shared together. Perhaps it was that solemn night in the tomb, when he came to rescue her? She had realized even though he had lost everything, he continued to exist for her sake. He continued to live, just for her. His love for her was so strong, so unshaken by devastation, that even at the end of the world, he still tried to salvage what he could, and to make her happy.

That was her Subaru. That was who he was to her. He was her savior, her rescuer, her beacon in the darkness, leading her through an ever-expanding shadow which haunted her at every turn… and he was her knight.

It was the truth. He held no malice toward her, only the will to defend her, to protect her, and to serve her. His love for her was only pure, she realized, and so her own love for him had unsurprisingly revealed itself. What was once locked away tight in the corners of her mind now shone itself brightly and with radiance.

It was a quiet thing, she mused—to fall in love. Until she was utterly overtaken by such feelings, she hadn't even realized it was happening.

The early morning had been growing long, with the sun just about ready to peek over the horizon, bringing light to the dark and dreary night.

Subaru and Emilia remained comfortably in their embrace, savoring the closeness of one another. They hadn't explored any further than necessary, unwilling to damage their newfound love for each other with unwelcomed and unbecoming advances. Instead, they shared their innocent love together throughout the early morning, silently comforting one another once again. Neither Subaru nor Emilia dared to fall asleep, because it would have surely been a waste of such an intimately personal moment between the two. So, they lay wide awake, keen to their heightened senses, absorbing one another almost entirely.

Subaru lay there on his side, his soft hazel brown eyes locked with her passionate, sparkling amethyst orbs. His hand rested lovingly on her cheek, stroking her ever so gently. His other hand had found its way down to her creamy long legs, scooping one of them up to rest it over his body. By now, his hangover resulting from the night before had long since dissipated. Instead, he felt nothing but peace and happiness.

Her hands had rest themselves plainly on his chest, feeling the slow up and down rhythm of his peaceful breathing. The rhythmic beating of his heart soothed her soul. It was there, against his chest, where she felt his life as the beating drum of his heart kept its steady dance forevermore. It made her feel completely at ease within their newfound world together. Love certainly was something else, she mused silently.

There had been no verbal conversation between them for some time, as they just enjoyed the peaceful quiet of their company. Subaru had made it clear on his part he was enjoying the moment. Their passionate foreplay had long since ceased, but it led to nothing more than that. Now, he just wished for nothing else but to bask in her presence before the start of the day.

As if on cue, small rays of golden light broke through the window of their room. It had to be just coincidence, but Emilia's pale snow-like skin, moon-silver hair and bright purple eyes reflected the sun rays so perfectly; it gave her such an angelic complexion Subaru just couldn't understand how such a person could exist. For the first time this morning, he had a clear view of the captivating half-elf who lay so passionately in his arms. She was even more beautiful than he could ever imagine in his mind.

She eyed him with her big vibrant orbs, which were lidded ever so slightly. Her expression had a playful shade to it, her mouth almost a smirk. She was quite simply, highly amused at his incessant gawking. "Why, is there something wrong, Subaru?" she openly teased him, leaving him dumbfounded at her playful advance. "I just noticed you don't look so well"

Subaru smiled, and playfully squeezed her cheek. Standing up off the bed, he covered her nude body respectfully with the blanket. He then turned and took her dried clothes off the wall, before handing them to her so she could dress herself. She nodded and received them without question. He didn't want her to feel uncomfortable in the nude.

"Thank you," she replied, her voice even and respectful.

Turning away from her, he let out a boorish yawn while acknowledging her gratitude, and he threw his shirt haphazardly over his head, pulling it over his shoulders in one quick motion. "I'm going to draw up a bath," he heard her say. She took her clothes, covered herself and tip-toed quietly over to the bathroom. "I won't be too long, I promise," she whispered.

He nodded away from her as she closed the bathroom door behind her. Surely enough, it had been some time since they had been able to wash themselves. She was no doubt craving a nice bath. He would take one later; for now, he had to figure out a few things.

One was the newfound relationship he had formed with the beautiful half-elf who bathed so innocently in the bathroom next to him. How on earth he managed to swing that, he would never know. All he knew was this week had been one of completely tumultuous emotion: of depression, sadness, happiness, and pure bliss. It was, quite simply put, insane.

He could hear said half-elf singing happily in the bathroom as she enjoyed herself. She no doubt was experiencing the same ill-begotten and wonderful emotions as he was, although she seemed to be taking it better than he was. He smiled at the beauty of her voice. While she wasn't necessarily the best singer, he could still listen to her sweet sound forever. He adored her that much.

Truthfully, he hadn't forgotten all those who were lost, and he still silently mourned them as he would until the end of his days. But if he didn't move on, he would no doubt lose his mind. So, because of this, he kept them tucked deeply within the confines of his heart, and Emilia at the front. It would be the only real way he could continue living like this, as selfish as that was.

Secondly, money. Real world problems came back to haunt him in this new world he found himself locked in.

From the pouch of his pants, he withdrew a small sack of coins. Dumping them on the table, he grimaced as he looked at them. "One… Three… Seven… Twelve," he uttered with mock enthusiasm, dropping each blessed gold coin unceremoniously back into the pouch. "Twelve blessed gold coins, not nearly enough for what we need to do." He was clearly disappointed at their reserves.

They needed a lot more gold than that if they were going to make it all the way to Priestella. Even more so, the amount to charter a ship away from Lugnica would no doubt cost them a small fortune. What could they do to make some more gold? It was a predicament, that's for sure. He didn't want to put himself in any more harm's way than he should, being he now had to treat life as one normally would… although there was good money in mercenary work. They had more skill and fighting power than the regular passerby, but still, he did not know where to look for such work.

He tossed the unpleasantly empty coin pouch on the table and turned to Emilia who was just exiting the bathroom, obviously finished with her short bath. Hot steam poured from the bathroom—he wouldn't pry on how she managed to heat the bath right now. She stood in front of him, drying her long silver hair with a towel. She wore her typical outfit, adorned with her signature small flower clip in her hair, and the dulled small green emerald, supposedly containing Puck—hung at the base of her collarbone.

"You look so beautiful, Emilia," Subaru complimented her simply. Sometimes her beauty captivated him so much, he couldn't really find the words to express it.

Emilia smiled at him, clearly happy with his reaction. "Thank you, Subaru," she replied shyly, the pink hue of her cheeks flaring slightly at his base compliment.

He walked over to her, took her hand in his. "Ready to continue our journey to Priestella?"

"Yes, let us go."

Emilia gave him her best bright smile once more, and after he took the coin pouch from the table, the two walked out the door to their room.

The tavern was still all but asleep, as only a few souls were out and about in the main hall—some already enjoying a nice drink, no less. The bartender was fast at work, cleaning mugs and dishes in preparation for the day. Subaru waved his thanks to him once again, and the bartender raised an empty mug to him in silent acknowledgement.

As the two exited The Dancing Dragon, they were graced with a hazy morning which still bore the glistening remnants of morning dew all across the village grass. It was a quiet morning, with very few travelers about. Some brave merchants were saddling up their ground-dragons, prepping to take advantage of the light travel and make a mornings trade run to the neighboring Ladrima. Other than that, the main road was relatively vacant and abandoned. The sun had just barely begun to shyly creep up over the large thistle trees, blanketing the village in a low orange hue.

Hand in hand, Emilia and Subaru kept to themselves as they made for the village exit, the former once again wearing her cloak over her head to hide her half-elven ears. Unfortunate as it was, it would be best if they avoid attention this morning.

After a few minutes of quiet marching, a small sign caught the attention of Subaru. Weapons and Wares, it read.

Indeed, they did need supplies, or at least Subaru required some sort of weapon so they could defend themselves on the perilous road to Priestella. It'd be unwise if they travelled there unarmed. He wouldn't mind purchasing a cloak for himself either, or maybe some sturdier clothes more suitable against the rigors of travel. It goes without saying, he pondered humorously, his current Earthling attire wasn't the best for avoiding unwanted attention.

Pointing his finger to the small shop, Subaru led Emilia inside of the humble abode.

What awaited them inside was a rather simple store, with basic armaments ranging from swords to axes, cloaks, travelling equipment, and other fine leathers hanging on the wall available for interested buying customers. Looking closer at the pieces, the items looked to be of rather high quality.

"Welcome, good sir!" the shop owner greeted, receiving the pair enthusiastically as they entered. "Would I be able to interest you young adventurers in some of my fine wares?" He pointed to the vast assortment of weapons on the wall.

Subaru paused momentarily in thought, before responding. "I'm looking for a simple sword—something low-key which doesn't bring a lot of attention to myself," he pointed to a medium-sized blade adorned with leather grip, plain pommel and simple cross guard. It looked perfect. "May I hold it, sir?"

"Most certainly," he agreed as he carefully removed the blade from the wall. He handed it to Subaru with one hand on the flat and the other on the handle.

Taking the blade from the man, he noticed it was devilishly light and balanced for such a well-sized blade. Running his finger over the edge of the blade, he accidentally cut himself as his finger glossed over edge of it. It was very sharp indeed.

"Careful now," the shopkeeper advised, and then he continued, "All of my blades here were forged in the Holy Kingdom of Guesteko, so they are of the highest quality." He was quite proud of his work.

"How much gold coins does a blade of this make run?"

"Around… let's say, thirty blessed gold pieces."

"Thirty gold pieces?" Subaru replied, shocked. He didn't have nearly enough to afford such a weapon.

Noticing his surprise, the man took the blade back from Subaru and hung it back on the wall. "I'm afraid so," he replied sorrowfully, though they knew that emotion was expressedly fake, correctly assuming the owner was scorning them for touching expensive merchandise without enough paying means.

Emilia watched Subaru drop his shoulders in resignation, as he recognized they were, in fact, very poor. From behind, she took his right hand in her left and gave it a gentle squeeze of reassurance. He flinched and briefly turned to meet her soft gaze. He then turned back toward the shopkeeper who was tending to his work again, already deciding he had lost yet another customer.

"I don't have enough…" he admitted, clearly disappointed with himself. He turned on his heel and led Emilia out the door, letting the door slam on the way out.

"Come back soon!" the shopkeeper called insincerely, continuing his work alone.

As the pair stepped out of the shop, Subaru cursed. "We can't live like this. We need money… but how?"

Before, Roswaal L. Mathers took care of their monetary needs, supplying them with all they needed, unsolicited or not. The Mathers mansion was an absolute treasure trove of gold, gear, and any provision one could imagine—almost literally, in fact.

Cut off from their primary source of income, they had to find alternative ways to make it in this cruel world. He peered a glancing look to Emilia, who stood quietly next to him. She clearly understood their need for money and his frustration, much like most of the struggling people of Lugnica. It was a normalcy they had been fortunately unexposed of until now.

Suddenly, his thought was cut short by a violent, piercing scream coming from the west, alerting nearly the entire village from its strength, as the common settlers opened up the wood flaps of their windows to see what the commotion was.

"Over by the river?" Emilia questioned, pointing in the direction from whence it came. She felt Subaru abruptly take her hand.

"Let's go!"

Even through all the pain and suffering they had endured, their instinctual drive to help others still drove them to come to the aid of others. In fact, they had already sprinting towards where the plea of help came before their verbal agreement was complete—more of a habit than a trained reflex.

The two hurried quickly across an isolated green meadow, itself separate from the main portion of the village and the docks. The village itself was completely encircled by a wall for protection, save for a portion which bordered the west riverbank. Therein lay a small dock used by fishing boats and transportation ships to ferry people to and from the opposite sides of the river.

By now, many different commoners had come outside to see what had occurred, and others were already running in the direction of the volatile scream. After a moment's time, Subaru and Emilia noticed a frenzied man running toward them with blood splattered violently over his torso.

"Oh, god! Oh, god! Oh, god!" he cried hysterically while holding out his bloodied hands. "Look at this; my daughter, she's all over me! The monster took her! It took her… to the riverbank. She's gone, she's gone, she's gone!" He repeated it further, undoubtedly losing his mind. He finally collapsed from sorrow in front of Subaru and Emilia, sobbing uncontrollably.

While Subaru stared dumbfoundedly at the inconsolable man, Emilia knelt next to him, placing her hand on the grieving man's back in an effort to calm him. "Please, sir…" she had asked him with the upmost grace and understanding. "Tell us what happened, so we may help." Even though it was a gesture common to her good character, it was otherwise ineffective.

The father looked up at her with red, swollen, tear laden eyes. "It's all my fault… All my fault We were going to go fishing in the early morning. As we prepared the boat, my daughter was there to help me. When she was taking our equipment to the boat, she turned to tell me something, and then, she…! It came, it came for her! It took her! I don't know what it was... but it took her!" The man choked back a sob and broke down, completely overtaken by grief, and unable to speak any longer.

Emilia just held him, and decided it was best not to pry any longer. She looked up at Subaru with worried, innocent eyes.

Subaru nodded in understanding. "I'll go take a look."

As he turned toward the docks, he heard someone call out:

"Wait, boy!"

Turning to face the crowd gathered around the father, he saw the shopkeeper from earlier.

With the blade he had chosen in his hand, the shop keeper approached and held it out by the spine, offering the pommel. "Here, take this," he said. "It would be unwise to face such a devilish creature unarmed, as brave as you may be."

Whether his neutral expression meant he changed his opinion about the couple or simply a sympathetically pragmatic choice given the circumstances… Subaru had neither time nor desire to find out. Taking it by the grip, he nodded in appreciation. "Thank you," he replied, hands firmly gripping the blade, testing its weight. It was perfect.

He was no veteran warrior by any means, but he had more than basic understanding of how to use a sword due to his ungainly training with Wilhelm van Astrea. Lowering the finely crafted, but humbly decorated weapon to his side, he turned back toward the docks, and took off running.

As he began to approach the docks, he felt a cold chill take his body. It was nervousness, he assumed—a normal thing to have in the face of death and danger. However, now it was different—he really had to be careful. He could no longer use Return by Death to cheat the normal fragility of life. He now was went back to being merely a mortal human… but that didn't mean he was as useless as his past self in times of danger.

The docks themselves were worn down by the murky river upon which they rest upon. Clearly, this settlement had been here far longer than the village itself. The wooden foundation had clearly rotten beyond recognition. He wondered how it even still stood there without collapsing.

Without a word, he approached carefully, paying close attention to the surrounding sound of the environment. Other than the slow, easy swaying of the river's water, he could hear nothing else. A freshly spilt blood trail led from the base of the docks all the way down to the edge, where a solemn boat danced up and down against the river's sway. No doubt that was the father's boat, and no doubt this blood trail belonged to his unfortunate daughter.

The beast had clearly escaped with her, and there would most likely be no rescue party sent for her. The amount of blood let here was obscene, and Subaru doubted sorrowfully a human could survive such a devastating wound. As he stepped carefully over the rotted dock, the trail ended in a larger-than-normal pool of blood next to the vacant boat itself. He knelt down next to it to get a closer look, noticing it had the characteristic bright red hue of arterial blood—meaning the victim would've long since succumbed to their injuries even if they managed to escape.

Grimacing, Subaru stood up and stepped over the gore to inspect the empty boat. It only had a few fishing tools in it and not much else. Nothing here was evidence enough of who or what conducted such a merciless attack. It was probably some ancient demon beast, he figured. Twisted spawns of witches were generally the causes for Lugnica's random disappearances.

The water's soothing back-and-forth roll contrasted heavily with the brutal and gruesome scene which had played out at this very location. Subaru sighed heavily to himself. The creature—whatever it was—was brazen enough to strike just after sunrise, confident of its capability to escape without unwanted attention, and its strike was swift enough to take a victim into the water with no resistance. Understandably, with no tracks, bite marks, or anything worthy to identify the creature, the investigative process would be almost impossible to push through.

This was some mess, Subaru thought shamefully. Now a father was without his daughter, and no justice or peace would be brought to him. He didn't have anything to bury, or any hope for justice enacted upon a completely unwarranted murder. It was a terrible predicament all around, and he could do nothing to help it.

Soft footsteps approached quietly from behind, as Subaru stood pensively on the bloodied dock. Turning to face the newcomer, Subaru came face to face with a worried Emilia. Her soft silver bangs blew gently in the morning breeze, and she stood silently just off the docks. She, too, eyed the blood worryingly.

"This is horrible," Emilia whispered, covering her mouth with her hand. The smell of death in the air was profuse, and she resisted the urge to take herself away from the area immediately—but still, she stayed.

"Yeah…" he replied. Nothing else really needed to be said.

He turned around with his sword still in his hand, useless now as it was. The creature was long gone, and with it, an innocent girl's life.

"What should we do now, Subaru?"

"I don't know."

"But we can't let the monster keep attacking. This isn't the first time. Another girl was even taken last week, the villagers told me."

Carefully, Subaru walked silently off the dock. Emilia continued looking at him with all the concern and worry she gave to everyone's plight. He knew she cared so deeply about everyone. She wished only for the betterment of all who lived in this land. She was self-sacrificing, a trait which was equally a virtue and a vice. He pondered this, and then suddenly, he came to an understanding: She truly was special, he thought.

The sun now shone brightly down from above as it began to make its pass over the sky and through the fluffy clouds. There was a soft breeze in the air, much out of the ordinary with their current situation.

"There's a bounty on the monster," she added to him, in hopes to regain his interest. It worked, because Subaru stopped immediately in his tracks. "Four-hundred blessed gold Lugnica marks is the reward, I heard from one of the villagers."

"Oh, is that so?" he questioned, turning slightly toward her. "This isn't the first time the monster had attacked… So, he's a repeat offender, eh?"

She nodded gingerly to him. "Yes. Just last week, another woman was taken from the shore of this riverbank, just a little way to the south from here. She too was taken without a trace, they told me. The villagers had suspected she had drowned in the water, but now their concerns are much graver than that."

"I see," he said, frowning and motioning for her to come. "That changes things a bit. Let's go and speak with the leader of the village about this bounty."

She smiled to him, unmistakably happy she had convinced him to help the villagers. The gold was selfishly important to them, she knew, but aiding those who were in grave danger took precedence over such things.

Subaru's frown curved to a small smile out of view of Emilia. Although it seemed they were pursuing down a dangerous path, given his apparent lack of Return by Death, he still found himself a little bit excited for some adventure. He would have to plan carefully from now on, instead of running headfirst into battles they clearly could not win. This was life or death now, as obvious of an ultimatum as that was. It had been some time since he legitimately feared death, and now, he felt the pangs of mortality nipping ever so diligently at his shoulder.

As the pair walked slowly back to the main village, he looked back at his half-elf companion. She followed silently behind him, but he motioned for her to come walk side-by-side with himself, extending an open palm for her to grasp. She happily nodded and picked up her pace, linking her hand to his, walking next to one another now.

She was his partner, and he needed her by his side. She gave him a loving smile, and he returned a nonchalant grin himself. He had to be strong for her, because she was so strong for him. She was so kindhearted, and it was her nature to help others in need, and she couldn't just sit idly by and let a beast instill such fear in this little village. No, Emilia hadn't really changed. Even though she had matured and come to grips with her emotions and self, more than she had before, she still was Emilia at heart. She was the good-natured, well-mannered and benevolent girl whose only drive was to bring happiness and prosperity to the world, even if people didn't want it from her.

She faced such animosity simply because she was a half-elf. It infuriated him. It was sad—and for that, he would support her in anything she wanted to do.

Soon, the two had approached a much grander building than most other establishments surrounding it, located at the very center of the village. It was odd to see such contrast—its exterior was well-decorated with luxurious designs similar to Lugnica royalty. The closer they neared, they noticed the grand entrance to the long hall was blocked off by two guards.

"Halt!" the guards who stood watch boomed, raising their armaments—signaling the pair to cease movement. "What business does a boy who carries an unsheathed sword, and a girl, donning a witch-like cloak, have with Neryemar, village head of Nicia?"

Stepping back slightly at the less-than-warm welcome, Subaru suddenly realized walking around with an unsheathed sword probably wasn't the best of ideas. Keeping his blade low, he extended out a hand in a gesture of peace. "We have come to speak about the bounty and the monster which plagues your village," he exclaimed, while gesturing them to lower their weapons. "We're not here to cause trouble. We mean your village no harm."

The guards, still curious about their strange guests, slowly lowered their weapons. One of them said, "You have a strange look about ye' for monster hunters. Don't take ye' for much."

"Looks can be deceiving," Subaru replied, as he held out his weapon for them to disarm him. The guard took his sword from him, and they let the two pass by without further incident.

XXXXXX

The pair found themselves in a longhall standing before a lordly man sitting upon a completely unofficial throne.

Other than appearances, Neryemar of Nicia wasn't a lord by any means. He wasn't bestowed any titles of nobility by any king or monarchy. Even still, he held himself to a higher regard than most others, as one of high taste and high respectability, even if it may not had been real or authentic.

He eyed the pair carefully who stood so brazenly in his halls. He hadn't called for any meeting with them, nor had he ever heard or seen the likes of them in his village before. He was, quite simply, irritated they had found themselves sharing his very company.

The guards who stood watch behind the unusual pair continued to gaze mindlessly ahead. No one had said a word since their arrival.

Neryemar decided he would break the ice.

"Why, pray tell, have you come before me?" he asked, scratching the scruff of his beard with one hand, and toying with a wine glass in the other. "What can I do for two younglings no older than my son or daughter? I have pressing matters to attend to, mind you both. Please do not waste my time with any foolishness or game."

The boy in question stepped forward at the lordly man's beckon. "We are here about the monster attacks which have plagued your village as of late. We would offer our services in return for the bounty, which is what we have come to discuss. We also wouldn't mind any other leads you might have based on the prior attacks."

"Ah, I see," Neryemar snorted, eyeing Subaru amusingly. "So, these are the warriors who I must send to deal with this menace? Not a Kingdom Knight, or a member of the Royal Guard, are you? No, I didn't think as much. What services can a boy and a girl such as yourself offer me?"

"See, that's where you're wrong," Subaru chided the pseudo-lord. "My partner here is a renowned spirit-arts user, who can use the surrounding spirits of this land to cast all manner of magic. And I… I am a knight, although I will not give you my companion's nor my name. We wish to keep our identities anonymous." He pointed at himself for triumphant effect.

Emilia stood by, withholding a devious smirk. She decided she would let Subaru do the bargaining, as he had become quite good at it.

The village head nodded in firm understanding, clearly easy to convince and perhaps more than a little desperate, despite appearances. Standing up from his gold-studded chair, he opened a small chest near the base of his desk and withdrew a small coin pouch from it. He plopped it down on the desk without much care or thought. "One-hundred blessed gold marks in advance pay," he stated, taking a long sip of wine from his jewel adorned cup. "And three-hundred more for a job well done. Bring me the head of the beast. I want it mounted on my wall as decoration for its misdeeds."

Taking the healthy gold pouch from the wood carved table, Subaru smiled as he gripped it in his hand. "I'll bring you its head," he claimed, pausing to take a seat in front of the man now that he had gotten his full and honorable attention. "Now, let's talk about the previous attacks. Do you have any information which could help us in our search for the creature?"

"Certainly, if you wish," Neryemar scowled, taking another long draw of wine from his cup, rendering it empty. He motioned for the servant adjacent to him to refill it, who did so promptly. "The first sighting was not but a fortnight ago. Down by the riverbank, a scouting patrol noticed something sneaking around mischievously on the opposite side of the river. They didn't think much of it then, but it seemed to be something out of the ordinary, so a notice was put out in the village to trod carefully after dark. However, the first attack came just before dawn the following week."

He retrieved a bloody ruby necklace from the desk drawer and tossed it on the table. "This belonged to the victim, a young woman no older than twenty years. It wasn't a calculated killing or robbery, as this medallion is quite valuable, so we suspected foul play. There wasn't a body ever found—just blood, gore and savagery. We kept it under hush to the rest of the village as to not cause panic. However, judging by today's attack, it seems our little beast has a penchant for young women, and it makes its attack just one week apart, at the break of dawn. Quite a simple thing to be understood, really."

"So, the beast truly is a repeat offender, and it even has a methodology to his work, huh," Subaru thought out loud, rubbing his temple. "Thank you for the information, sir." He made sure to accentuate the politeness of his address at the end.

"It goes without question the beast has some capability." The noble man swished the wine in his cup back and forth rhythmically, before continuing with a darker, more somber tone, saying, "I sent a scouting patrol across the riverbank to search for the missing woman, but they never returned. Since then, I have sent envoys to the capital to request help from the Kingdom Knights but, yet none have returned as well. I fear the worst for them, and it renders us all but cut off from aid."

"So, it's that bad, then," Subaru replied. This situation was worse than he had previously thought. It was no simple beast they were dealing with, no. This was clearly something more—a demon beast for sure.

The lordly man scoffed darkly. "Oh yes, these kinds of beasts are unfortunately all too common in these remote areas. The undisturbed nature of the surrounding area gives them ample grounds for breeding and nesting without problem."

Subaru sighed heavily to himself; this was indeed a mess.

Surprisingly, Emilia stepped up, her soft, gentle voice breaking the thoughts of the two engaged men. "Sir, if I may question you so," she asked evenly. "Why hasn't Priestella sent for aid? You are under Priestella's umbrella of protection, are you not?" Her penchant for concern was clearly laden in her worried voice. She stared at the man with vibrant amethyst eyes—not that he could see them through her magic cloak.

Neryemar frowned gravely at this question. "No, unfortunately. Due to unfortunate taxation and trade disputes recently, Priestella has removed Nicia from their realm. Even though we are well within their boundaries, we are indeed now a lone village without a banner. Although I pride myself on our independence, we simply do not have the personnel needed for hunting dangerous monsters such as these."

"That is most unfortunate," she replied.

Unfortunate such petty quarrels existed in such a civilized land as Lugnica was. With such dangerous creatures prowling around, all settlements required adequate protection to keep peace for its people.

"Indeed, it is," he replied evenly, drinking from his cup pensively. "But that is of no matter. We still can request aid from the capital, but I fear the beast is snatching our envoys from the road. It's intelligent, that much is sure."

"We understand," Subaru nodded, adding his thanks. "We deeply appreciate the information. We'll do our best to take care of it." Sticking the fat money pouch into his pocket, he stood to take his leave.

"Just one more thing," Neryemar added, his expression growing dark and serious. "Be careful if you go beyond the wood across from the riverbank. There are things much worse than these beasts out there. Do not trust anyone and keep your wits about you."

Subaru nodded. "Thanks for the warning. We will try to keep our heads alert."

Neryemar raised his jeweled cup to the pair in a toast of good-will. "To your success and good health, I bid you farewell."

Nodding his thanks one final time, Subaru collected his weapon from the guard, and together he and Emilia walked toward the exit of the village head's quarters.

The lordly man watched them carefully… and with a curious suspicion, he took one final sip from his cup.

XXXXXX

Subaru gazed comfortably out into the dimly-lit horizon, the distant lights of Nicia twinkling in the far-off distance. Dusk was falling now, blanketing them in shadow. In front of him rest a roaring fire, crackling with life, whose flames provided a much-needed warmth to offset the cool air of the night. On the opposite side of the fire sat Emilia, who drew her small, pale hands closer to the flame to help stifle the chilly environment.

They rested just across the river, having ferried over it quite some time ago, on the edge of the old, dark forest which they had been so warned about. What surrounded them was nothing but wilderness, with a few ruins and craggy, long-forgotten remnants of castles which were abandoned some time ago. However, the night was nothing but peaceful, as they hadn't had any sighting of the so-called monster which they were hunting.

As a frosty gust of wind blew between the two, the fire roared just as fiercely in response, each element feeding on each other. Emilia shivered and drew her hands closer to the empowered fire. She now wore more accommodating attire—indeed fit for travel and adventure. She was covered from head-to-toe in high quality leather: a pair of brown leather jackboots, with a cotton white long sleeve undershirt, and a simple leather jerkin over the top of it. Likewise, Subaru also wore a similar studded leather jerkin and undershirt, with a newly-acquired scabbard to house his blade, hanging from his brown belt. A matched pair of warm, bountiful green cloaks covered them to keep the elements at bay.

They'd procured a number of useful supplies using their advance pay. Likewise, the shopkeeper from earlier also allowed Subaru to keep the blade he had given him, in hopes he would indeed slay the monster plaguing the village, reasoning it had ruined his business, and he wanted nothing short of it being rid of. Let the sword's price be his investment into this quest, he decided.

The two sat quietly, wondering how they would fell the monster they had set out to kill. Truthfully enough, he had wondered about Emilia and her elusive spirit, Puck. He had been meaning to ask her about it, but he truly did not want to pry any more than he had to.

Just earlier, he struggled to light the fire in front of them with a flint and tinder. She giggled as his attempt met failure time after time, and then what followed amazed him. He had seen her snap her fingers together, whisper something—and from the tip of her finger conjured a small flame to light the wood—giving him the idea how she warmed the bath from earlier.

So, she could cast magic without Puck, Subaru thought. "Hey, Emilia, I have a question," he then began, breaking the comfortable silence. He fingered the pommel of his blade as he continued. "How is it that you can cast magic without Puck now?" It was brief but straightforward.

Emilia looked down slightly as she heard him, uncharacteristically nervous to respond. After a moment, she met eyes with him. "Well, I don't really know myself," she admitted, as Subaru looked at her, slightly confused. "For some reason, I've recalled some things over the past few days. One being I can use magic on my own. I'm not sure why, or how, but something happened the night we escaped the Sanctuary. I'm sorry if that's not a good answer."

"No, that was a fine one."

She nervously toyed with the lifeless, dull crystal which rested at the base of her chest, and continued, "I haven't been able to contact Puck for a long time now. I hope he did not break his contract with me…" Her weakened voice trailed off as she finished.

Noticing her worry over Puck, Subaru stood and walked over to her, before taking a seat right next to by her side.

Reassuringly, he reached an arm around her in a small but meaningful gesture. "Don't worry, Emilia," he comforted her, as she retreated into his embrace, enjoying his much-needed company. "I'm sure Puck is okay, wherever he is, and I'm sure he has his reasons."

"May it be so," she whispered, snuggling into his safe, warm confines.

She missed Puck, but what she had lost in their father-daughter relationship, she had more than gained in her newfound love with Subaru. That didn't keep her from worrying about him, however. He was all she knew for the many young years of her long life, and she just wanted to make sure he was okay. If indeed he broke his contract with her, then at the very least she wanted to understand why he had done so. Puck had made a promise to her—she knew he would keep it.

Subaru didn't quite know what Emilia was going through internally, but he held her tight anyway. She had been there so many times for him in his dark moments; this was the least he could offer her. And so, he just held her even tighter, protecting her in his own special way.

"Hey, Emilia?" he whispered to her, gently brushing her bangs from her eyes. She looked up to him, with vibrant purple orbs. "I'm happy to be with you," he continued. It was simple, but true.

Emilia flinched; his plain, raw words filling her with emotion. "Me too," she replied shortly.

It was barely above a whisper, but he understood it perfectly anyway. She had buried her face in his arms, and the two sat cozily by the fire for quite some time, enjoying the clear night sky. During their embrace, Subaru spent his time counting the everlasting sea of stars above, watching the full moon shine ever watchful over them like a beacon in the dark.

It was easy to enjoy time like this in the presence of Emilia. He didn't mind the small, meaningful moments like this he would remember forever. In fact, it was these small moments he cherished more above all else. Even though he still craved adventure to some degree, he wouldn't have any issue with settling down somewhere quiet, undisturbed by the passages of time, with her by his side. If only it were possible, he mused.

Emilia's breath was evenly paced, but ne'er did she sleep. Tonight wasn't the night for that—no, unfortunately they had business to attend to—but for now, she would just enjoy the tranquility of this sweet moment. The two shared an innocent embrace by a warm, toasty fire, undisturbed by the happenings of the world.

Sheer chance did not bring them together like this, nor was it happenstance she was growing to love her shared time with Subaru. Although the pain and suffering the two had endured was insurmountable, and all of those they had lost still pained them, she still felt blessed to be held by him.

Some time had passed before the last few dying embers of the flame began to burn out, leaving just the hazy charcoaled ash which blew out with one hefty gust of wind. It was by then the two decided they would set out into the dark unknowns of the wood which awaited them. Preparing their equipment and gathering their wits about them, the two took a route off the beaten path, which clearly had long since been abandoned.

Soon, they were absorbed into the mass of trees.

The immense, sprawling redwoods, clearly older than any living mortal, hung over them, ready to claim its dying prey. Long, thick, grey moss cascaded from their winding branches, and their massive roots jutted up out of the ground, giving the impressions of giant soldiers standing above ground.

Subaru kept his hand prepared and ready on the pommel of his sword as the two moved carefully throughout the unknowns of the ancient wood. It was eerily quiet… too quiet—lifeless, almost, as if all the residents of the forest fled from it long ago. Emilia kept pace quietly behind him, alert and ready if anything dangerous would come to pass. However, despite the two moving deeper and deeper into the mystical wood, nothing came.

By now, they were quite a ways into the woodland, without seeing a single solitary sign of life. It was peculiar… No, more than peculiar—it was just utterly strange. The atmosphere was thick and heavy, as if gravity was heavier here than all other places. The air was hot and humid, and the persistent breeze from earlier was nowhere to be found. It was an odd sensation to say the least, as if they had stepped into another world entirely.

Taking a seat on one of the twisted sprawling roots, Subaru sighed to himself. "I don't understand what's going on here," he said, scratching his chin in thought. "There's nothing here."

It was worse than that, really. There was less than nothing.

Nests nestling deeply in the jagged holes of the oaks had long since been abandoned. The intricate roots looping in and out and around, which should be ripe for shelter of all kinds, lay devoid of all life. There weren't even any insects crawling around in this forest, nor were they buzzing obnoxiously in Subaru's ear as they always did. The forest was just completely devoid of life. Everything was gone.

Emilia looked down at Subaru worryingly, meeting his eyes with hers. She was clearly uneasy in both her movements and expression. Something was bothering her, but he didn't quite know what.

"I don't think we should be here any longer," she advised to him quietly, taking his hand. "We should go back to the edge of the forest."

"What's wrong, Emilia?"

"I couldn't quite feel it before, but I think this place is cursed," she said, gently squeezing his hand before continuing. "By who or what, I don't know. But we need to leave, now, before we become cursed as well."

"A curse?" Subaru asked, remembering the black magic which was cast upon him, causing the deaths of his friend and himself. He stood immediately at the remembrance of such an aberration.

Now that he was made aware of it, he could feel its odd presence too. That was the weight which he felt pushing down upon him, difficult to explain with words. Nevertheless, they needed to get away from here, fast.

Hand in hand, the two began quickly toward the exit of the cursed forest.

As they ran, they could feel the woods on either side of them quickly becoming thicker and denser than it had been before. The trees were larger, growing in response to their fear—one dangerously hovered over Subaru's shoulder, waiting to strike. The faster they ran, the further it felt the exit was growing away from them, as if they were running backwards.

Something was warping their senses.

It was foul magic, that's for sure, Subaru thought. Even so, it couldn't be real—it was all just in their heads—and so he kept up the pace. He had felt such magics before, ones which warped his senses like so. Any minute now, they should be through the clearing and out into the grey meadow before the river. He could feel Emilia gripping his hand so tightly, the whites of her knuckles were showing now.

She was scared, more scared than he was.

"Dammit!" he cursed as panic started to rise up in his voice. "Where is it… Where is the exit?" It had to be close.

They had been running for what felt like an eternity, covering a distance far longer than the one they had traversed during their careful walk through the forest. Either time or space was being manipulated, or their senses were being distorted. It could be one or the other, but it didn't matter.

Suddenly, without warning, he crashed through what felt like a pane of thick solid glass. Shattering the spell, they broke through and fell near the base of the forest.

Crashing to the dirt unexpectedly, Subaru felt like he was being suffocated, as if something was grasping his throat, choking the life from his body slowly. He scrambled in terror, holding his pounding chest.

Emilia crawled over to him. With panic painted on her face, she leaned over him to see what was wrong. Placing her palm on his chest, she whispered some incantation frantically to herself. There was a small, humming sound, and a faint warm light emanated from the palm of her hand. The soothing warmth spread over his body, and she could see the excited rise and fall of his chest slowly return to normal.

Subaru lay there, and with Emilia still on top of him, he felt around his throat to gauge if he was still struggling to breathe. Now that it was gone, he realized what he was doing, and he relaxed himself. Feeling the cool air pass through his lungs yet again, he breathed a deep sigh of relief.

What the hell was that? he thought. Then, he noticed Emilia leaning over him, her face painted with a worry he'd never seen. Her eyes were glistening with small tears, and she held him with such care and devotion it surprised even him.

She was scared to lose him. He was the last person she had in this world, as sad as that may sound. He cursed himself silently for terrifying her like he did. He would do his best to be more careful next time, he decided. Yet again, he went into a situation he couldn't yet handle by himself, and almost got himself killed. It was a bad habit he had to be sure.

"Somebody placed a curse over the entire woods," Emilia explained, hugging him in desperation. She was emotional as her voice fluctuated rapidly. "I'm… I'm so sorry I didn't notice soon enough. I'm so sorry, Subaru!" She repeated her sorrow over and over to him.

"Figures it was a curse…" he sighed, wrapping his arms around the panicked half-elf. "Hey, Emilia, you didn't do anything wrong. Come on, it's okay." He tried to calm her down, to reassure her he was okay, but it was difficult.

In essence, she really didn't do anything wrong, but it was Emilia's natural behavior to blame herself for things happening to Subaru. It was more his fault than her own. She didn't know any better, and it was wrong to let her shoulder the blame for it.

"No…" she replied, tightening her grip on Subaru. "As a magic user, I should be able to detect something like that. We should never have made it that far inside without me noticing. It was almost too late—any longer, and we would have become cursed as well."

He figured it was something sort of like that. Once they had busted out of the confines of the curse, something akin to a safeguard activated, probably to keep people from escaping. However, for some reason, it didn't have the devastating effect whoever casted it would have liked. Or maybe it did, and Emilia just prevented it from spreading in time. He guessed he had taken the brunt of the spell because he was in front of Emilia when they broke out so spontaneously.

"What a weird experience that was," he admitted, as he held his chest—his hectic breathing quickly returning to normal. "Who would be powerful enough to place a curse on an entire forest?"

Emilia shook her head. "I don't know… but maybe it could be the one responsible for murdering the townspeople?"

"Possibly," Subaru agreed. "There's no doubt these past events are connected to one another."

It was certainly suspect. A curse on an entire forest, envoys going missing, and people being snatched away from their homes, never to be seen again. This sounded like something to do with the Witch Cult. They were a devious and most disgusting band of freaks, that's for sure. However, there was a possibility this had nothing to do with them at all.

Whatever the case may be, someone was going through great lengths to keep people out of that forest, and for what reason Subaru didn't even want to guess. No doubt something sinister was happening, and it was happening right under the noses of the Kingdom Knights of Lugnica and Priestella.

"At any rate," he said, running his hand through his hair. "We should return back to the village and share with Neryemar the knowledge we have gained from this." Standing up, he gathered himself, shaking off the haunt of death which threatened him yet again. He then uttered, "This may be bigger than just a mere monster taking people from the river."

Emilia nodded in agreement, gathering herself as well.

With such a powerful curse like that over a wood stretching for miles, it's unlikely a simple demon beast was responsible. The more likely culprit would be someone more of Roswaal L. Mathers' caliber—a powerful mage or sorcerer who had both the skill and power to perform such an incantation.

To be able to manipulate time and space like that and to such a degree… Emilia had never seen such power before, let alone witnessed it firsthand and even nearly become a victim of it. It was an experience she would not like to take part in again.

It was still relatively early into the morning, probably a few hours past midnight. They had to return to the village and warn them of what happened. After a moment's time, they began to cross over the hill and down into the clearing by the riverbank.

Far off into the distance, they could see a heavy smoke blanketing the horizon.

"No way," Subaru uttered quietly. He couldn't believe what he was seeing.

Where the once bustling and prosperous village of Nicia used to be, was in its place a blazing, seething fire, which consumed the entire village in devastation. Its inferno was so bright it pierced the darkened night sky for miles upon miles of land.

"Oh, no," Emilia whispered, her face contorted heavily in disbelief. She held onto Subaru as they witnessed the destruction of the village they had left just moments ago.

The two stared in sheer silent horror at the sight before them. Above the carnage and destruction, the moon still hung brilliantly over the fire blazing below it—all of it reflecting calmly onto the peacefully flowing river.