Walkwithwheels: Hey, everyone, walkwithwheels is back with some new people!
(Richelle and Ehlen pop up)
Richelle: Hey, walkswithwheels, we're happy to be included, but why did you pick us?
Ehlen: We're not from Coriander.
Walkswithwheels: Well, I couldn't find anyone from Coriander, so you too will have to do.
Ehlen: Alright
Richelle: Hey, shouldn't you tell everyone about the slight formatting change?
Walkswithwheels: Oh yeah. From now on, characters that are featured in the upcoming chapter will narrate the disclaimer and any notes before it.
Ehlen: Richelle, say the disclaimer.
Richelle: Any characters and settings are properties of their respective companies.
Ehlen: Except for OCs
Richelle: Please read and review!
2: Gravity
"What a lovely day it is!"
A Svelte murmured as she traveled by the riverbank. Now that she was off duty, she finally had the time to notice the splendor around her. And what a relief it was! A mercenary never knew which moment could be their last, so she felt it was important to savor all of life's gifts when given the faint chance. Of course, her male comrades in the profession begged to differ, but since when did males rejoice in anything other than beating things up? Of course, the exception could be made for civilians and families, but that was about how far it went.
"I'll be going home... at last. For the first time in months, I shall walk on Arkdian's soil."
The woman inhaled deeply, savoring the sweet scents of the air.
Suddenly, she seemed distracted by something, as she immediately tensed. Her eyes became observant, and she even found herself reaching for her sword's pommel.
"Mustn't be caught off guard..."The Svelte muttered.
"Coming home is an auspicious occasion, but the journey there will be difficult. I may as well get in some fencing practice." Without further ado, she withdrew her sword and wandered off into the deeper parts of the area.
Sometime later, she was sighing in frustration. Despite searching for what seemed like hours, there was nothing to practice on. The trees were few, and bushes were not exactly ideal targets. The woman finally shut her eyes and stopped walking.
"How hard is it to find a fencing area? This is starting to really annoy me..."
Letting out another deep sigh, she considered her options.
"I guess I can just keep following the river and hopefully I'll find something." The tone used in the statement reflected how dubious she was of her own words. Nevertheless, she had the heart of a warrior, and that told to keep looking. Warriors never turned their backs on a mission, for failure was a horrid experience. Sure, there were times when fleeing was necessary, but there was a difference between a wise one and a quitter. One may learn from mistakes, but not trying could hardly be considered a mistake.
Even if it took all night, she would not give up her search.
The battler's instincts were burned in her mind, and the Svelte would follow them to the end.
She was lucky she trusted those instincts.
As she edged closer to the end of the riverbank, a strange shape caught the Svelte's eye. It looked like a silhouette, but she couldn't be sure from where she was standing. Why would a person be out here in the middle of nowhere?
"What is that?" The Svelte asked herself, adjusting her position to try and get a better view.
Unfortunately, her efforts were in vain, and the shadow remained the same. Even changing angles didn't help. Still, this confirmed that there was indeed something there. However, this object was completely indistinguishable from the Svelte's current vantage point.
Despite her curiosity, she was reluctant to move closer. Overconfidence could be deadly. The shape could very well be an enemy soldier or monster. Running headlong into the area could be the equivalent of an ambush. If the Svelte did not proceed carefully, this could be her end.
Protectively, she held her sword out in front of her, and immediately adopted a battle stance. Her eyes were narrowed with alertness, and every muscle was tensed in readiness. At any moment, she would leap into the place for a preemptive strike. Her shield was raised, poised to protect her vulnerable areas. Her calm countenance had vanished, replaced by a mixture of a frown and a scowl. She was itching to yell a warcry, but knew better.
If what was there was indeed hostile, it would not find her easy prey.
"Show yourself! I am not afraid to fight!" The Svelte yelled with the tone of a warrior.
However, the entity showed no response, not even displaying a flicker of movement.
Curiosity overtaking her once more, the Svelte lowered her weapons and crept cautiously toward the figure. Her eyes grew wider by the second, as she grappled with the fear of the unknown. If something aggressive found her now, she would have to react within a minute's notice. It was in her best interest to remain wary.
The Svelte's pace suddenly quickened, fear replaced by nervousness.
Even off-duty, a warrior must still be soldierly. One must not rush into things too quickly, yet still act before missing an opportunity. At the same time, her fear was killing her. It was almost too much. The list of possibilities running through her mind was getting longer by the second. Considering the fact that whatever it was wasn't moving, this encounter was probably nothing.
She still wasn't taking any chances.
Best to get this over with before the fear devoured her.
The Svelte's speed increased rapidly as she lived up to her name. Her feet carried her like wings, yet miraculously she did not trip on them. By now, the possibility of fencing was long gone. Currently, her only desire was to solve the mystery which remained in her head.
Minutes later, the riverbank trailed off and the shadow became more distinct. Its location also became clear. Instinctively, the Svelte zoomed in on it.
While she was prepared for combat, she was not prepared for what she saw.
Her feet froze so quickly the Svelte almost tripped over them. While she did not fall, her sword was not so lucky. It struck the ground with a deafening clatter, but the owner did not take heed. She was too astonished by the sight before her to even remotely notice her surroundings. The Svelte stared at the object, horrified by its true identity. She let out a gasp of shock, and her face betrayed her emotions. The intimidating countenance she had before was replaced by wide eyes and a pale face.
Her eyes bore witness to another person, lifeless and immobile. The other's body looked so rigid she appeared to be dead. The woman seemed to be not much older than the one who stared at her. There was a chance she was even younger.
The other person's eyes were shut tight, and her motionless body lay sprawled out on the ground. There was not even a twitch of movement or awareness. The collapsed one's face was a mixture of white and gray, the likes of which was clearly not natural.
Although she looked as like she was unarmed, the other woman's clothing was too formal for an average civilian. Perhaps this was a noble who had run afoul of heavy combat. This would explain why she was without a weapon, as enemies could just take it off her. Maybe she truly did not know how to fight, and was left helplessly to die in battle. Whatever the case, she had clearly lost everything.
There was absolutely no blood or external injury on the woman, but the Svelte did not let that fool her. Some mages possessed powerful forms of magic that could tear an opponent apart from inside, without leaving so much as a scratch. The woman could simply fallen prey to those attackers. If she was a royal, it would explain why. Royals constantly had to be on the lookout for those who would take the positions away from them. Assassinations were not uncommon, and many attempts were successful. With powerful nations bickering amongst themselves, they could have easily sent their magicians to destroy a rival ruler.
No matter what weapon, the end result was horrifying.
The Svelte immediately sprinted over to the fallen one and slid down onto her knees. She punched the ground with her fist and shut her eyes tightly.
"Oh no, I came too late! Why did I hesitate? I should have acted sooner... Now, help is obviously out of reach. And all because I didn't act..."
As the Svelte lamented, she threw herself over the body in despair.
She was oblivious for the first couple minutes, but then she felt it.
The warrior blinked.
Could it be?
She sat up, dumbfounded. Her eyes went wide in shock.
It seemed unbelievable, but there was no question.
The woman could have sworn the supposedly dead warrior had just taken a breath.
She tilted her head down, listening for the sound of life.
Sure enough, it came again.
It was slow, uneven, and faint, but at the same time unmistakable.
The fallen one was alive.
She was breathing.
There was hope.
But while not everything was lost, the Svelte still had a problem.
While she did use spells, many were for support, not healing. Come to think of it, she didn't the first thing about healing, besides the standard and crude first aid procedures. Unfortunately, the situation called for more than just the bare necessities. She wouldn't be of any help.
Thankfully, a friend of hers was staying in the nearby village. While healing was not his specialty, he knew much more than her. All she had to do was get the woman there.
Yet now, the predicament only intensified.
The village was quite a ways away, and the other woman could perish on the way there. Furthermore, the Svelte knew it would be difficult to fight and carry someone at the same time. If any monsters appeared now, they were both done for. The situation was beyond risky.
Still, it seemed like there was no other choice.
The other person was in dire need of rescue
Take the risk, or watch the woman die for real.
The Svelte nodded sharply, and shut her eyes in silent prayer.
"O' gods, please let our road be free of adversaries."
With her prayer ended, the Svelte picked up and sheathed her sword. Next, she proceeded to perform the task of carrying the other warrior.
Bending down about halfway, she situated her hands below the motionless body. Then, letting out a grunt, the Svelte lifted up the other warrior into her arms. With that, she carried the unconscious woman out of the place.
Or at least, she attempted to.
With the beginning of her mission came a bleak realization.
From far away, the Svelte had underestimated the size and weight of the one before her.
Lifting her up now, the Svelte understood just how grave her miscalculation was.
The woman was as tall as she, if not taller. She lacked meat on her bones, but made up for it with powerful muscles. Thanks to them, she weighed nearly as much as her rescuer. The Svelte wondered if she actually did possess weapons that were latent. After all, how could a person of this size weigh that much?
The Svelte grunted as she struggled to keep her hold on the other person. This was much more difficult than it looked! As if holding her wasn't an arduous task, the woman was also quite slippery. Currently, she flopped around more than a fish. The Svelte gathered this was because the other woman had managed to land right on the dirtier parts of river bank.
The rescuer cried out in a high-pitched yelp. She had almost dropped her precious cargo!
At this moment, she realized it was hopeless.
Rapidly, but also being extremely gentle, she set the lifeless one down on the ground in her original position.
The Svelte shook her head in frustration.
Could she hold the other woman?
Yes.
Could she carry her back to the village without hurting either of them?
Certainly not.
There was only one choice.
She must return to the village and report to her comrade.
He was far stronger than her, and picking up this injured woman should be no trouble for him.
Still, this idea did not seem all that appealing.
If the woman was attacked by monsters or insurgents, she would have no way to defend herself. It would be a violent, miserable, way to lose one's life.
Furthermore, the time it would take to get to the village and back might be too long. The lengthy trip could be for naught.
Despite this, intervening was better than doing nothing. If she died here, the two could at least give the woman a proper burial. However slim the chances were, this was the least she could do.
With that, the Svelte swallowed hard and sprinted out of clearing.
The village seemed like hours away, although the Svelte knew it was shorter. Each step felt like a separate effort, and the entire thing could be compared to a marathon. Even following the river bank, there was no trace of civilization. The only sound one could hear was the river's roar, growing more deafening with each passing minute. The woman's breathing grew labored and she was soon panting like a dog. She had taken this path a few times before, but never had it seemed so torturous. This Svelte this was because the only thing on her mind was the lifeless form back in the clearing. The sooner she got to her destination, the sooner the other would be safe.
After what seemed like forever, she finally spotted it.
There it was, the peaceful village of Coriander. It was fairly late, so almost everyone was in their homes. In fact, the only thing one could actually see amidst the dirt roads and wooden houses was a few chickens running rampant. The woman figured they got loose from a coop somewhere, but she really didn't care about that. She only cared about the building in the center. Right smack dab in the middle of the village was the inn, where she and her partner were staying for a while. It really didn't look much different from the other buildings, but she could tell it apart thanks to the sign hanging from the roof.
Allowing for a brief moment's respite, the woman took a deep breath and charged towards the inn. She would have slammed right into the door had her flabbergasted partner not opened it for her. She burst into the inn without even saying hello. The older man kept his composure, but one could see from how carefully he scrutinized the woman that he could tell something was amiss.
His partner was panting heavily, but attempted to speak through her rapid breathing.
"Ehlen… Ehlen… I... I..."Her flustered tone was halted by her compatriot.
"Easy, Richelle, easy. Take your time and calm down." Ehlen placed his hand gently on Richelle's shoulder. Richelle obeyed him by taking deep, even, breaths.
After several minutes, Ehlen nodded in satisfaction.
"Much better. Now, tell me what is happening. I thought you were just going out to take a walk."
Richelle sat down in a nearby chair while Ehlen did the same.
The former began to explain herself.
"I was going out for a walk, but then I discovered something awful."
"Care to tell me about it?" The latter answered nonchalantly.
"I need your help, fast!" Richelle cried, her distressed tone returning.
"Don't get yourself worked up again. What did you lay eyes upon?"
"I beheld a young girl, younger than me probably. She was in the middle of a clearing, dead..."
"You came all this way to tell me about a dead girl in the clearing! Richelle, you could have buried her yourself!"
"Well I thought she was dead but then her chest rose. To my knowledge she is still alive, but just barely. However, she's unarmed and unconscious. There have been reports of monster attacks nearby, and I fear for her safety. I also believe that she might already have been injured, although I can tell by who or what. I don't know if she can make it much longer! If something isn't done immediately, there really will be a burial!"
"That is troubling! Richelle, why didn't you just bring her here?"
"I tried. She's as heavy as me and about twice as tall. I can lift her, but that's about it. You're stronger than me, so I figured you wouldn't have problems."
"So you need a gallant hero take up the task. Well, I certainly can fulfill that role. I'm more than ready to. If that woman is as ill as you say, then we truly do not have much time. Let's hurry, Richelle!"
With that, Ehlen grabbed his own weapons and prepared to leave the inn. Richelle darted out, quicker than an arrow. She made no gesture, but her comrade immediately tailed her out the door and into the backwoods. Once again, Richelle was sprinting, her pace matching her racing heart. Ehlen followed suit, keeping up with her perfectly. Neither thought about the woman anymore, as they had to concentrate on where they were going. However, she remained in the back of their minds. That which was in the back soon became part of the front as the two reached their destination.
Thankfully, the woman was still there, unchanged from their previous encounter. By now, Richelle was used to the sight of the lifeless figure. However, Ehlen was not. Although the shock was far less than Richelle's, one could still notice distress.
"Oh wow, you weren't kidding." Ehlen commented as he bent down to examine the motionless body.
"What can we do? Is she hurt?" Richelle began bombarding him with a series of high-pitched questions.
Ehlen shook his head regretfully.
"I can't really tell from here, since there's nothing obvious. Let's get her back to the inn, where I can be more thorough."
Without further ado, he picked up the unknown warrior as if she were a feather. In another effortless motion, she was on his back.
Richelle adopted a look that screamed "You just made me look like a weakling!"
Ehlen shot her his own emotionless glance. As if he had read her thoughts, he stated.
"I know, but that's not important now."
Ehlen turned his back on his comrade as he prepared to leave the forest. Before beginning his journey, he spoke to her one last time from over his shoulder.
"Guard me, Richelle. It will make things easier if I've only one thing to focus on."
Richelle nodded politely.
"Yes sir!"
Immediately, Richelle unsheathed her sword and thrust out in front of her defensively. Ehlen was quick to take his position behind her. With his signal, the two made it their way out of the clearing. They were slightly slower this time, since they had to make sure they did not lose one another. Eventually, the two warriors (with the unconscious one) made it back to the village. Thankfully, it was late, so they were spared stares and interrogations by civilians.
The soldiers made a beeline for the inn. This time, it was Richelle that held the door open as Ehlen followed after her.
What happened next was nothing short of good fortune.
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