Chapter 2 of Shield Vessel! The story is inspired by Thebobman6059's story Journey of the Shield Tanuki. Enjoy the story and feel free to leave a review!

Sorry about how late this chapter is! It had gone through many different rewrites and I was not happy with any of them. I wrote like 5 versions of this chapter each ranging from 2k words to 7k. I'll be making a scrapped chapters 'story' tomorrow, so if you're interested in that stick around.

Chapter Two – Awakening

At the brink of the void, I expected to face the raven. Instead, I found a little white dove peering at me, it requested me something. It asked me for hope, it asked me for salvation.


Darkness engulfed Naofumi, the void around him hung over him as he fell. The dark-haired man felt his body become light as if it had been ripped away from him. His heart was racing his eyes darted around the abyss erratically in the false hope of finding something he recognized. Naofumi screamed until his voice became hoarse until he couldn't scream anymore, 'Am I dreaming?' he thought, 'Yes that must be it, I must have passed out on the ground after finding that book!' he tried to calm his senses, he breathed in and out in an attempt to lower his heart rate.

'I'll wake up any minute now!' he reassured himself. Only he didn't wake from his 'dream' he stayed there ever falling, he didn't know how long he was falling for. It could have been minutes, hours, or even days, time seemed to blend together within this void. 'Shouldn't I be awake by now?' he wondered, Naofumi suddenly felt a wind whistle past his face. His eyes widened, 'Wind? No, this can't be wind I'm unconscious in the library, I'm sure of it!' he tried to reason with himself, his mind buzzed with thought.

Naofumi heard footsteps and groans coming from somewhere within the void, he heard heavy breathing close by, 'What the hell is happening, is this some kind of weird sleep paralysis?!' the dark-haired man felt his body halt. It felt like he stopped in mid-air, the sounds around him grew louder with every passing second.

'Stop, stop, stop, stop!' panic surged through him, he tried to move yet he couldn't. This ordeal was suddenly beginning to feel more and more real with every passing moment, he struggled within the void trying to more with all the might he had, yet it was all in vain.

Suddenly a flash of light shone through the endless darkness, Naofumi tried to shut his eyes in time but was dazed by the fantastic light. Though as soon as the light came it disappeared, and darkness ruled once more. 'This doesn't feel like a dream...That mean-' Naofumi was cut off from his train of thought when a green box appeared in his vision.

[Shield Hero summoning successful!]

This left Naofumi even more bewildered than before, 'Shield Hero?' he paused, 'Like the Shield Hero from that book?' Naofumi stared at the message processing the information. It couldn't be, could it? It was just a book, a story fabricated for the enjoyment of the reader, right? The message disappeared from his vision, he felt a sensation of ragged cloth on top of him. The ground was cold and hard as metal and the air was thick with the smell of death. 'What is this place? Do I smell blood?' at that thought he instinctively tried to move his hand.

This time he was successful, he advanced his hand upwards if only by a bit. Naofumi let out a sigh of relief however it was short-lived as his hand soon lost strength and went limp. 'Damn it. Why can't I move...?' he cogitated solemnly, he focused on the sounds around him. He could hear weak coughs coming from around him as well as different moans and groans. The atmosphere was wicked and vile as if everything within this... place was made for some cruel purpose. What made it worse was the unmoving and unchanging darkness around him, it taunted him, prevented him from understanding his surroundings.

He felt a vast hunger well up from within him, it felt as if his stomach was being held over a lit fire. His throat was coarse and dry, his lips were chapped and sore.

Naofumi heard footsteps coming from nearby, but they weren't that of a wild animal nor anything barefoot. The steps clacked against the ground, echoing through the vast area. Naofumi felt his heart beat faster like the footsteps were an omen for something to come. They soon came to a halt, they stopped right where he was positioned.

Tap Tap Tap

Naofumi discerned the sound of tapping metal, it reverberated through the air. He heard the sounds of shuffling nearby, the kind of sound someone would make upon being awoken from a deep sleep. "You should - up boy, your next - starts in three -. You need to get going if you want - for that - of yours." a deep voice stated. Naofumi couldn't make out all the words the man said, it seemed like the background noises blocked out some words he said. Though that didn't matter to Naofumi, what mattered was that it proved that he wasn't alone in this place.

Nafoumi tried to call out to the man, "..." yet nothing let his mouth, not a sound. He didn't even have the strength to muster up a sentence. This frustrated Naofumi, 'Damn it! Why can't I speak? What did that book do?!' he despaired.

"sigh Very well." the person the man was speaking to was young, they couldn't have been older than twelve or fourteen. The jingling of keys rang out and the unlocking of a door could be heard. The door sounded metallic yet light, it screeched on its hinges as if it had never been taken care of. He heard light footsteps walk past him then pause, Naofumi could have sworn he felt someone's gaze on him but he couldn't see them, this confusing void mocked him, not letting him see past it.

The footsteps continued and the metallic door shut, he heard the retreating footsteps as they faded into the distance. He was left with his own thoughts once again, all alone once again, stuck in an unknown place by himself. Naofumi lay in darkness for what felt like hours, his mind raced 'What happened in the library?' it vexed him to no end. Each time he attempted to move his body would lose all strength in them and would start him back in his same laying position.

His frustration grew by the second. 'Did I di-' his thoughts were cut off by an excruciating pain. It felt like his bones and muscles were breaking down, Naofumi's body began shaking, 'This pain... It's unbearable!' he bared his teeth and gripped his fists to try and cope with the pain. 'What's happening to me!?' he despaired, minutes passed like eternities, though how could he be so sure that it was minutes passing by and not something longer. 'If there's a God out there...Please help...' he began to lose consciousness from the pain.

Sometimes he could hear nearby voices conversing with one another. One of which was from the gruff voice of the mysterious man earlier. Naofumi discerned some phrases from them, '-Sell this one-', 'Demi-human - 20 gold coins.' , '- crest.' and most terrifying of all 'Sell human for-'. Naofumi soon began to piece together where he was. A chill was sent down his spine, his burning body started shaking and eyes wide.

'A slave trade...' despite the pain coming from his body Naofumi tried to move in a vain attempt to escape or hide. But the conditions of the 'building?' made it impossible to see. His breathing became erratic and ever screeching and moaning voices around him became fuzzy and quiet. How long would he last like this? Would he even be alive in these next few minutes? His questions were answered a short-eternity later.

Step Step Step

Suddenly footsteps sounded throughout through the shade. They sounded fast and in a rush, "-! I'm coming! I've got medicine!" a young voice cried out, however it was muffled and barely audible. The steps continued to get closer, as they closed in on his location they quickened. The metal door to what Naofumi assumed to be a box or perhaps a cage of some kind opened. The pace slowed as someone entered, Naofumi felt a large array of emotions hope, and extreme fear.

Fear triumphed over the other emotion. It reigned over the atmosphere as the person got closer and closer. Anxiety filled his mind.

Naofumi listened intently as the person sat down near him and fiddled with a bag situated next to him. After a moment the boy spoke, "I've got medicine to help you." his voice was gentle and caring in tone. It wasn't at all like the frantic and worried tone it was before. Naofumi felt something made of glass press against his coarse mouth.

"Drink it, you'll feel better." the boy instructed. Naofumi hesitated to follow his instructions but the pain became too much and complied, he felt the honey-like substance flow down his throat. It soothed him as he drank it, soon afterward the pain slowly died down as the seconds passed. Naofoumi felt his muscles relax and bones stop throbbing from the pain, not only that but he felt stronger. "Stay still and relax." a hand stroked his head peacefully.

"Thank you..." his voice was hoarse and quiet, yet something was wrong with it. His voice sounded wrong, it sounded young and feminine. Akin to that of a little girl's, this made him pause. Was that his mind playing tricks on him? Was the mind-numbing pain he was experiencing earlier responsible for what he heard; or perhaps it was the dehydration or hunger getting to him, or maybe the fear of where he was, he didn't know.

Naofumi tried to talk again but couldn't. He began to feel groggy and tired, he had been using all his strength to talk and move and was suffering the consequences. 'No... Not yet... I-I need to...' His eyes become heavy and his brain slowed. Soon after Naofumi passed into the world of the sleeping.


Fohl watched as his sister fell unconscious before him. He smiled caringly at the sleeping form of Atla, she was free of pain again. 'But it won't last, it never does.' he thought solemnly. He turned to the corner of the cage. He reached for a tattered old bag, he reached into it to take its contents. He pulled out the last of the bandages he had along with some clear glass jars containing various aliments and herbs.

The Hakuko soon began the process of replacing his sister's bandages with new ones. Nothing was out of the ordinary for the left leg, nor the right leg neither was anything different for the right arm. However when the boy began to take off the bandages of the left arm something with... off.

Fohl saw that under the bandages of the lower part of Atla's arm a bizarre object's outline could be seen sitting there. He cautiously lifted the bandages to get a better look at the entity, a small pentagonal, silver shield sat on Atla's arm. It had indented lines running through its middle what converged into a semi-circle below a vivid green gem, 'What is this? How did Atla get this thing on her arm?' Fohl wondered.

He tapped at the green gem. A wave of calmness washed over him, he pondered the object for several minutes. 'Where have I seen this before? Could this be?!' his mind ran back through different memories he had.

.

"Fohl." a gentle voice spoke. The young boy turned to see a beautiful woman with long blond hair and a porcelain doll-like face, however, she did not bare any animal features to speak of. A gentle smile hung on her face as she sat on a crimson red sofa near a roaring fireplace.

"Yes mommy." he replied in a childish manner. The woman giggled at her child, she motioned him to come sit with her. Fohl practically jumped into her arms and nestled himself on her lap. His mother stroked his head as she spoke.

"Have you heard of the Cardinal Heroes?" She questioned him. The boy nodded happily.

"Yeah! And the best Hero is the Shield Hero! He helped the demi-humans to build Siltvelt to escape the humans when they weren't being nice!" he answered.

"That's right. And he also protects us from harm when we are in times of conflict." she added.

Fohl turned to the empty spot on the sofa, before turning back to his mother, "Does that mean he'll protect daddy while he's away?". His mother stroked his hair as he asked his question.

"Yes, he will Fohl. He will protect daddy while he's away." she answered her smile faulted for a moment as she turned to the vacant spot next to her she placed a hand on the empty space and sighed. The young Hakuko looked up at his mother he frowned.

"Is mommy okay?" he queried in a confused tone, his mother turned back to him with a smile brighter than ever. She ruffled his hair playfully as he began to giggle at his mother's actions.

"Of course I'm okay. Mommy's just thinking about when daddy will come back." she reassured the child. Fohl nodded in response. There was a brief moment of silence.

"Why did you ask me to come and sit with you mommy?" Fohl asked.

"Oh right. While daddy's away on business... Mommy wanted to tell you a story, one about the Cardinal Heroes who help protect humanity against the nasty monsters that want to hurt us." she said.

"You mean like the stories you tell to Atla every night before bed?"

The blond-haired woman nodded "Exactly like that. Are you ready to listen?"

The Hakuko nodded, his tiger ears stood upright ready to listen attentively. "Once upon a time in this land four heroes from far off worlds were summoned to aid us in times of conflict. The Hero of The Spear, he had a heart of gold, so loyal and kind to anyone be it friend or foe. The Hero of The Bow, a man with a mind full of justice and honor, he would stop all evil acts committed by his enemies. The Hero of The Sword, ever caring and diligent, ready to strike down even the toughest of foes. Lastly is The Hero of The Shield, a man so kind and selfless that he would risk his life to save even a single life, his role was to defend those that couldn't defend themselves and be a shield to the brave souls fending off the waves of calamity..."

Throughout the whole story, the young Hakuko hung onto every word his mother said. He admired the noble acts the heroes accomplished and all the lives they saved, all the challenges that they had overcome. "More! More stories!" he yelled childishly.

The woman patted him on the head, "Perhaps another night. It's getting quite late now, I expect for you to be in bed in 10 minutes." Fohl pouted but complied with his mother's request. He practically flew up the stairs and burst into a large lavishly furnished room. There were two beds at the end of the room one housed the form of a little girl while the other was empty.

Fohl turned to the girl with a beaming smile and said goodnight to her. "Goodnight Atla!" he exclaimed.

The girl chuckled lightly, "Night night!" she replied with similar enthusiasm.

.

After reminiscing on his memory he had realized what the shield was, 'Could this be? It is!' he finally realized what it was, 'The Legendary Shield!' his eyes widened as he stared at its reflective face. Another memory began to surface but he pushed it down, 'This shield means that she'll have to- No! I can't let her fight for the sake of the world, she can't she'd die. Atla deserves to live a life-care free and happy!' he thought. He looked at his sister, his poor diseased sister. She doesn't deserve to have to fight for the fate of the world. To carry a burden that great would be a death sentence.

Fohl wouldn't allow it. He put too much effort into keeping her healthy and well, only to have to lose her because the world dictated she would have to fight for their survival. 'I thought that the Cardinal Heroes were summoned from other worlds... Was, was that a lie? Did the world do this to mock me?' he shook the thought out of his head. 'It doesn't matter, I can contemplate this later. I need to get her healed up and hide the shield from that bastard of a slaver.'

Fohl began to apply the rest of the medicine to the bandages at a faster speed as not to alert the slavers to this revelation. He worked swiftly and masterfully, in the span of 20 minutes the Hakuko had applied all the different medical supplies to the bandages to assure that Atla slept peacefully. After finishing his first aid he sat next to her. He knew that she would be fine sleeping by herself, but something within him compelled him to stay by his sister's side that night.

'I refuse to let history repeat itself...'


Naofumi opened his eyes slowly but the darkness around him prevailed, his fingertips met the familiar texture of the ragged blanket. His muscles and bones felt numb, he felt numb all over for that matter. He slowly moved himself into a sitting up position. 'I'm still here...' he thought to himself sadly. He felt a warm mass to the side of him as he stirred in his spot.

"It's rare to see you up so early little sister, please don't move too much the medicine needs time to work." the boy from yesterday advised, something was different about his voice, was he imagining it or did it have a bit of edge to it? Nonetheless, Naofumi heeded his warning and stopped moving.

'Sister?' the word befuddled Naofumi leaving him with even more questions than before. He attempted to move his arm again but felt an extreme pain surge through his body. He grit his teeth and his breathe became slow and deep.

The boy next to him noticed this immediately, "Sister, are you okay? Your breathing has become heavier... has your condition worsened?" he asked worriedly. Amongst his pain Naofumi hear what this mysterious boy had said.

'Condition?' did he hear that right, 'Condition...?' is that what the pain was? A condition, but he didn't have any conditions...Unless. It wasn't he who had them, the boy called him sister which means...

'No... No... No...'

That couldn't be right, could it? But the evidence was all there. His voice, the child with him calling Naofumi 'Sister' and the condition, a genetic condition most likely. Fear began to spread through his mind like a virus or deadly disease. 'And- and if this is all true. And if this disease affects the body then...'

'Then what's to say that my... my eyes.. weren't affected...'

His blood turned to ice as he realized what the abyss was.

How could he have been so naïve, so stupid to not have figured it out. It wasn't just the lack of light, nor the conditions of this location. How could he have not worked out that the abyss around him was different from the suffocating darkness, it was an all-consuming void.

He could feel tears streaming from his face, 'I won't be able to see the beauty of the world. Nor will I be able to see the smiling faces of my friends and family...' fear and sadness filled his mind, it began to spiral downwards into a pit of depression. All the things he would miss, all the moments in his life both happy and sad, he would miss every single one.

"Atla..." the boy spoke.

It took Naofumi a moment to process who he was talking to, "...Yes?" he finally said, there was his voice. No, it wasn't his it was someone else's.

"You're crying. I haven't seen you cry in a long time... Are you ok?" he asked. Naofumi looked in the direct on of the boy. Then he looked down at the ground.

"I... I-I-I"-" he was cut of by the feeling of a light hug.

"Don't worry Atla, whatever you go through. Just know that I'm here by your side." he told Naofumi. The boy released Naofumi from the hug, "I'll always be here for you." he reassured. Naofumi nodded his head but continued to look down at the ground. Footsteps echoed around them, the same ones Nafoumi heard yesterday but he didn't focus on that. He just continued to sit there in sadness.

"Hello boy."


Fohl turned his head towards the plump form of the slave trader. "I already know what you are going to say, don't bother. I'll come but give me a few moments will you." he turned back to his sister. "I'm going to have to go for a while, rest for me will you?"

Atla didn't respond, the Hakuko frowned at that but understood that she needed time to her thoughts. 'See you soon Atla.' the trader opened the latch door of the cage and Fohl stepped out into the isle of the slave tent. The fancily dressed man led the boy out the entrance to the tent, down a gravel path, and to a large wagon with a cage on its back.

"You know the drill by now, don't cha?." the trader remarked. After a couple of minutes of readying the large ostrich-like animal at the front of the wagon, they set off towards a familiar stadium. Some streets they passed were filled with lavishly decorated shops and restaurants with fancily dressed merchants who entered and exited, flashing their wealth in other's faces. The other streets were different... the other streets were empty and dead with a depressing atmosphere. Malnourished people with purple marks on their chests occasionally passed by. It pained the boy to watch them do their 'jobs'.

When they arrived the trader ushered Fohl into a room full of different weapons. "I suggest you pick one for this next match-up. I heard from the grapevine that the next combatant is a real bruiser." the trader advised. Fohl took his advice and picked up a knuckle duster.

"I suppose I'll get going. Good luck boy, you'll need it." with that he left the room leaving Fohl to his own thoughts.

'A bruiser? Like a muscle man?' his train of thought ended when a door in front of him began to open. It revealed a sandy plain of an arena, in the middle was a man in a weird lizard mask.

"In this corner is a familiar face, many of you know him for his determination and dedication to treating his ill sister, it's Fohl!" the crowd cheered and shouted in excitement. "Now then, for the next combatant..." the crowd settled down to listen. "A man who build his reputation for his bare-knuckle fighting style and ruthless personality, I introduce to you The Adjudicator." a tall and muscular man entered the arena.

He wore a black ragged cloak that covered his body and a red shabby hat. "Fight!" the announcer shouted, suddenly the man launched himself towards Fohl with his fist cocked back. He slammed his fist down on the Hakuko only to meet thin air. Fohl smashed his hand into The Adjudicator's stomach, yet he barely moved.

"Not bad."

Fohl felt a knee hit him in the stomach, saliva flew out of his mouth. The Adjudicator kicked the boy in the side sending him a few feet away, "But not good enough." Fohl landed on his feet and eyed down his opponent, he was strong but not as fast as him. Fohl rushed at the man and threw a barrage of punches towards the man's face, yet he tanked every single one and when for a counter. The Adjudicator grabbed Fohl's fist and twisted his arm.

"Aargh!"

"Rethink your plan next time, boy!" he kicked Fohl in the back making him collide with the ground. Fohl quickly grabbed a hand full of sand and tossed it at the man, "That won't work." he shielded his eyes with his cloak. This gave Fohl time to get up and kick at his opponent's ankles, The Adjudicator's leg buckled but he didn't fall down, Fohl swung at his face.

Thump

The Adjudicator's "downed" leg made contact with Fohl's jaw,"Aaah!". 'It was a fake-out? He lulled into a false sense of security. Damn it!' the Hakuko flipped into a crouched position. The muscular man brought his fist down towards the demi-human, Fohl responded by kicking at his hand. But the Adjudicator grabbed it, 'Perfect!' Fohl twisted his body around and slammed his foot into the side of the mans head.

The Adjudicator let go of his foot and stumbled back. "You'll pay for that!" he began to throw his fists at the Hakuko. Fohl responded with his own barrage of punches, Fohl jumped into the air and cocked his knuckle duster fist back. The other man mimicked his move, their fists collided.

Crack

The Adjudicator's fingers bend in on themselves and broke. He let out a bloodcurdling scream, "Aaaaagh!" he held his wrist as he winced in pain. The Adjudicator steadied himself and narrowed his eyes at Fohl. He was about to stand up to go for another attack but something in the crowd caught his eye, he looked back at Fohl and relaxed his stance. He sighed, "I surrender."

"Um, What?" the announcer asked in bewilderment.

"I said, I surrender!" he yelled in fury, "Or did you not hear me?" he asked in an intimidating voice. The announcer jumped in fear.

"Yes sir!" he took a deep breath then turned to the crowd and cleared his throat, "Well um, it seems that Fohl is our winner ladies and gentlemen."

Fohl looked at the retreating figure of his opponent in confusion, he looked into the crowd to see what he was looking at only to see a sea of confused and happy faces. 'He gave up out of nowhere, he was getting ready for another attack. What was it what caught his eye?'


"Master why did you stop him from continuing to fight the Hakuko?" a girl with long white hair and similarly colored angel wings asked a blond-haired man in a gold mask. He chuckled at her question and patted her on the head.

"Because Ashil, I've seen all I need to see. He'll make a fine addition." he explained. The girl looked at him and narrowed her eyes.

"And you're sure he'll help us?" she asked.

The man thought for a moment, "I doesn't t matter if he wants to or not. He'll have to. I've made an arrangement to pick him up in a few days." he stood up from his seat in the crowd and began his way out of the arena grounds. The girl got up and ran after her master.

"Wait for me!"


Fohl arrived back at 'his' cage, he began to open the latch door, but a hand gently touched the back of the boy's shoulder. "What do you want? I need to get this medicine to Atla." he spat.

The trader looked at him with a serious look, "How long will you keep doing this?" he asked.

"Doing what?"

"Treating and healing your sister, I mean do you want her to go through what is basically torture day in and day out?" he questioned

"What do you care, you sell people off to the highest bidder. Not bothering to find out where they go, what their fate is. Why would you of all people care?" he retorted. 'Especially now that she's in a worse position than before.'

The trader frowned, "It isn't that I particularly care for what happens next, nor should you. However, you treat your sister with the utmost importance, disregarding your personal safety for her. What makes me wonder is if you have even thought about how you could die during anyone of the fights you take part in. Then what would happen, she'd be left all alone, left to die."

Fohl turned to face the trader, his face red with fury, "She the only family I have left! She's the only thing left that keeps me motivated to keep living! To keep fighting so she can just maybe one day experience bliss- total happiness, free of life's problems!"

The trader chuckled to himself. 'You won't have long left to worry about it all this anyway.'

"Piss off..." he shrugged the man's hand of his shoulder, "Why have you started looking into the morality of what I'm doing, she deserves a happy future and I'm going to give her just that... What would you know about family, what would you know about my family." he spoke despondently.

The trader didn't respond, instead, he spun around and left the boy to his sister. He entered the cage to see that she was still asleep.

After healing and aiding his sister Fohl just sat there looking into the blank wall outside of his cage. He was distracted by what the trader had said to him, 'Am I doing the right thing? I'm helping her, aren't I? Of course I-' his thoughts were cut off when a voice spoke.

"Is- is someone here?"

'Atla?'

"H-hello?" she asked again.

'She's scared. Why is she scared...?' Fohl took a moment to think before responding, "Yeah, Big Brother Fohl is here." he finally answered. He saw Atla's face soften slightly as he spoke.

Atla opened her mouth for a moment figuring out what to say, "Fohl."

"Yes?"

"This condition, it-it hurts so much, it hurts all over and... it feels as if my soul if being ripped from my body... is- is there a cure?" she sounded desperate.

"Yes, yes there is. You'll be free of the pain soon... I promise." Fohl looked down in guilt as he spoke, his body shook. Tears of frustration appeared in his eyes, why, why does he always reply with the same lousy excuse. One of false hope. These conversations were not infrequent either, each time Atla asked his response was the same. It broke his heart, to have to lie to her. To let her know that soon everything will be fine.

Silence soon reigned over them once more. Fohl looked back up to see Atla sitting there with a more relaxed expression upon her face. That made the Hakuko feel worse for lying to her. "Atla I-" he stopped. Fohl stared at her with widened eyes, his gaze shifted to her arm. Atla's hand was placed gently over the outline of the Legendary Shield.

"What are you doing?" Fohl asked.

"I.. I don't really know." she responded, "But for some reason it makes me feel safe." she grasped at the center of the bandaged shield. "What is on my arm? It feels metallic..."

Fohl opened and closed his mouth as he attempted to get his words out, "What is it... um its- its a piece of medical equipment. That I got recently." he lied through his teeth as he spoke. Though she couldn't see him Atla looked into his eyes.

The girl tried to smile at him, "Thank you... From the deepest place- in my heart, thank you for treating me wi-with medicine." she weakly spoke.

It made the Hakuko smile at his sister though it was a small and sad one at that. But it made him feel better knowing that he was doing the 'right thing'.


Days passed by as Naofumi lay in the dark. Most of the time he was either asleep or sitting in darkness in agony, it frustrated and depressed him as he time ticked on. Apart from... apart from when a boy called Fohl comes to give medicine to him. When Naofumi is awake they would often have small conversations with one another. Talking about how they were doing or what they wanted to do in the future, though the answer from the boy never changed it was always to "Assure that you will have a happy future."

Though Naofumi knew he wasn't referring to him with that statement. He was talking about his sister Atla, Naofumi didn't know what happened to him in the library but he knew that wherever he was right now wasn't a dream. He felt and hurt all, had times of anxiety and upset, even happiness to a certain extent. He also knew that the body he was in wasn't his own and that was what scared him the most, he was scared by its genetic disease and how weak and hungry his, no Atla's body is.

So when Fohl talked to him and asked him how he was Naofumi pretended to be someone he wasn't. It wasn't right but it was better than the other option.

Naofumi didn't want to accidentally hurt the only person that talked and helped him by telling him his sister's body was taken over by a stranger.

He never pressed the boy for information on why they were here in a slave tent as he was afraid of bringing up tragic memories. For most of the day he was gone off doing 'jobs' to get more medicine, he never got the chance to ask where he went as he was usually he was gone by the time he awoke. But today it was different, Fohl was still here with him.

"Where the hell is he!?" the boy angrily asked himself. Naofumi could make out the sounds of nail-biting coming from his direction. Was he anxious?

Bang Bang Bang

Naofumi winced as he heard the boy hit against what sounded like iron bars, "Fat bastard! Where are you!? Let me out!" he yelled in fury. His voice was practically shaking. Yet no one answered his calls, he was only met with the ambient and disturbing sounds of the slave tent. The boy soon stopped banging against the iron bar as he realized it was all in vain. Fohl breathed in and out and slumped down against a wall.

"...Are you o-ok...?" Naofumi questioned.

"If I'm being perfectly honest no, no I'm not." he sounded almost despondent.

"Is there anything I-I can do to help?"

"No!" he yelled, Naofumi cringed at the sudden outburst. Minutes passed by in eerie silence, he listened to the sound of Fohl's heavy breathing. Naofumi opened his mouth to speak but closed it in hesitance. What was he supposed to say, the boy was in distress. Whenever his friends were in distress he could always find words to comfort them, but this was different and Fohl's problems weren't going to be solved with the usual things he'd say. He was usually gone by this time to do jobs to go and collect jobs for his sister and-

Oh.

Naofumi's heart suddenly began to pump faster and faster, 'He can't get medicine for his sister which means the condition will... worsen.'

"Atla, I'm sorry for the outburst, I'm just getting frustrated is all." Fohl said trying to sugar-coat the situation. Naofumi didn't respond he was in too deep a thought to respond. Just then he heard familiar footsteps accompanied by whistling in the immediate area.

Fohl sighed in relief, "Took you long enough..." hope surged through Naofumi as the footsteps approached them.


Fohl turned his head towards the figure of the fat man. The light reflected off his monocle and his grin was gone, he slowly opened the latch door. Fohl bolted out the cage and was about to make his way down the isle when he felt a searing pain in his chest. "And where on earth do you think you're going?" he asked.

"To get... medicine you... bastard."

The trader clicked his tongue, "Ah, ah, ah not this time." the Hakuko looked back at the man with wrathful intent.

"Let me go! She'll die without it!" he shouted.

The trader ignored him, "What I'm doing is for your own good Fohl. Do comply." the boy struggled to move under the effects of the slave crest. The trader grabbed the boy by the scruff of the neck, "At this rate, you'll perish." Fohl's soon muscles lost strength immobilizing him. The crest ceased shocking him and silence returned to the tent.

"What are you doing I need to go!"

"Boy, if you keep fighting you'll die. People have begun to want you out of the picture, what I'm doing is saving you from death. I'm selling you to a very important owner, with nothing but your best interests in mind."

"But what about Atla!?" he questioned, the trader dropped him on the floor.

He frowned, "I'm sorry. But there is no potion powerful enough to save her."

"But... I can't give up on her... She wouldn't last a week without me." Fohl whispered. The trader didn't respond to him, instead, he looked down the isle.

Tap... Tap... Tap... Tap... Tap...

Fohl shifted his gaze to the direction the trader was facing. He narrowed his eyes into the dimly lit isles of the tent.

Tap... Tap... Tap

He made out the silhouettes of two figures, one was that of a fairly muscular man in a rough ebony jacket and blue jeans. The other was of a girl with angel wings and long hair in what looked like a white ball gown.

...Tap

The mysterious individuals stopped in front of Fohl. The Hakuko got a better look at the man, his hair was long blonde and his eyes were blue, he wore a red bandana atop his head. The trader smirked at him, "Finally taken off that ridiculous mask have you?"

The blond man smirked. He looked down at Fohl with interest.

"Hello there, Fohl."

The boy's eyes widened. 'No...'


Chapter 2, done. That took forever to write sorry about that, as always let me know how to improve this chapter, and feel free to leave a review.