A/N: I am very sorry for how long it took to write this chapter. At least I managed to get it out this month...
My POV
After that, err, occurrence, we decided to take a break to catch our breath. Because seriously, there's no way that we can act like this didn't just happen.
So we went to shore and had lunch. We had a substantial amount of berries and nuts, but barely anything else. I was currently sitting near the edge of the lake, chewing on some leftover bread from yesterday.
"Damn it, stay still!"
"But that stuff hurts!"
We also took the time to patch ourselves up. While Rhea and I only had some bruises, and Kieri was fully cooperative about it again, Buwaro, well...didn't really like the dabbing alcohol. I know it stings, but suck it up already, come on. How it's this and not the actual injuries that affect him is beyond me.
At least I no longer feel tired.
And I've been chewing on the same stale piece of bread for the last 20 minutes. I spat it out and took another bite.
"There. Was that so hard?" Rhea said to Buwaro. He just pouted.
...
...
Okay, I've got to say something.
"Come on, you can't exactly complain." I said. "I mean, considering what just happened..."
"He does have a point there..." Rhea noted. "Our clothes are pretty much ruined."
For those of you who don't know, our clothing—well, more like mostly mine and Kieri's—is heavily bloodstained. We tried cleaning ourselves as best we could, but we weren't able to get that much of it out.
"Well, we're alive aren't we?" I said.
"I know she wanted to kill us, but did you really have to go that far?"
"It doesn't matter anymore; we survived, they didn't."
I'd be lying if I said I wasn't shaken up by this whole thing. First I get trapped here, and now this.
I took another bite, forgetting that I still hadn't swallowed the previous one.
Why-? Ugh.
Calm down, dude. It's over, it's over, it doesn't bother me, it doesn't bother me.
I swallowed, and took a deep breath.
"Well, we wouldn't have if it wasn't for her." Rhea gestured to Kieri. "Good thing she's stronger than she looks."
Kieri didn't seem to hear; she was sitting closer to the trees than the rest of us, absentmindedly eating her own share of food, even though it looked as if she had lost her appetite.
It's just as stressful for her as it is for me. We're going through similar situations...
No time to worry about that for now. At least for me. As for her...
I stood up. "Hey. You alright?"
She looked up. "U-uh, yes." she said quickly.
She doesn't sound all that alright.
"Why don't you come sit with us?" I suggested.
If I had a...unit of currency for all the times it's been said to me... I just find it kind of ironic. I've always been a bit of a loner.
"Come on, Snowy!" Buwaro said; he likely heard my suggestion.
Without waiting for an answer, he walked up to us and grabbed Kieri, and dragged her back where we were.
"You shouldn't drag people around like that." I told him.
"Sorry." he said, sitting down.
"So," Rhea started. "You looked like there was something eating you."
Buwaro let out a loud gasp. "Something wants to-!"
"It's an expression." Rhea interrupted him.
"It's..." Kieri sighed. "It's my fault you had to go through this. I'm sorry..."
"Don't be." Rhea said. "You were the one who took those demons out."
"And you were amazing out there." I said.
"Thank you, but I still owe you a great deal for taking care of me."
"Well, there's one thing I want you to do..." Rhea said.
"Really? What's that-?"
"Tell us who and what the hell you are!" Rhea cut her off.
"Ah yes." I said, giving Buwaro a look. "There was some debate over that..."
"What?" he asked. "What?"
Kieri sat down in front of us and spoke.
"My name is Kieri Suizahn. I am an angel from Heaven. I...was involuntarily sent here by...a portal..."
"A portal?" Rhea asked.
"In Heaven, we were having problems with several portals that would appear out of nowhere and drag people into them without warning. And one day, it happened with me."
I know this story. I already know this story. So why did it feel like it's the first time I've heard it...?
"I wasn't alone, however. My brother, his friend and a human were taken as well. We ended up in Farun's...uh, it's ce... uh..."
"Cemetery?" Rhea suggested.
"Yes, cemetery."
That was cute.
"It's exactly what happened to-"
"You have a brother?" Buwaro interrupted Rhea. That little tidbit must've caught his eye. "Can he turn into a bunny as well? I wanna meet him!"
Uh...
"His name's Kazai, and he's still in Farun. We're twins, b-but we're not that alike..."
Ah, the wonders of having a sibling. They're your lord and saviour one moment, and the bane of your existence the next.
God knows I can relate to that. As can a few other people I know.
"He can't turn into a bunny like me." Kieri continued. "I was cursed. I-I'm the only one and he doesn't know I'm like this..."
"Cursed? By who?" I asked. Rhea shot me a glare. I think I took the words out of her mouth again.
"Toski."
That got Rhea's attention. Buwaro was just confused as to why.
"A few days after we arrived, I had decided to take a walk by myself around the town. But then I saw a thief running from a shopkeeper. Even though I didn't bring my sword, I tried to stop her, but...she just cursed me and ran."
"Geez, I knew Toski hated angels, but that's actually really harsh." Rhea commented.
"It's all my fault for meddling. I..."
"How is that your fault?" I asked. "You didn't have any way of knowing that it was going to happen. It was less a mistake and more just plain bad luck."
I knew she had self-esteem issues, but this is actually saddening to listen to, blaming herself for simply wanting to help and failing due to an unknown factor. Would those two have reacted the same way in that situation?
Assuming they'd decide to help, of course.
"Just who is this Toski person anyway?" Buwaro said in a surprisingly dangerous tone. "And why is she so mean?"
"She's one of the Twelve Guardians of Medius." Rhea explained. "There're three for each element, and she's one of the water guardians. She's a snow bunny, but as a guardian she can shapeshift into a Median to blend in with others."
"During the Great War, Toski sided with Hell." I continued the explanation. "And as a result, bunnies are considered bad luck. Taking all that into account, it doesn't take a genius to see why she attacked Kieri so readily."
"But then, what happened?" Rhea wondered. "How did you become separated from your brother?"
Kieri looked away.
"Oh, sorry! You don't have to tell us if you don't want to."
"It's okay." Kieri said. "You deserve to know." She took a breath and continued.
"A few days ago, Kazai, his friend Sanjulo and I were walking around Farun when suddenly, we encountered a fire demon. The three of us gave chase, but I fell behind and they didn't notice it at all..."
Those...those...
Her voice hitched.
"Before I could try to catch up, I was ambushed by those two demons. They overpowered me, and put those braces you found me with on me. They restrained my magic and left me unable to call for help."
"But then why would they be so easy to unlock?" Rhea wondered.
"I don't know." I shrugged. "Let's just be glad it was that easy." I gestured for Kieri to continue.
"Next thing I knew, I was at the forest. The two of them had apparently gotten lost, and with my curse, I managed to escape. But due to the braces as well as my injuries, I didn't last long...
"Then the three of you found me and, you know the rest."
...
"Wow..." Rhea muttered.
"They must be worried sick looking for you..." Buwaro said.
I turned away before anyone noticed my wince. I already knew! But seeing it in person...
Those idiots.
Did they really think Kieri was that unimportant, or did they just think she was so weak that she hadn't survived?
Why would they just leave her behind like that?
"Jamal!"
I jumped. Guess I zoned out for a bit there... "Yeah?"
"What are you doing?" Rhea asked.
"I'm waiting for you so we can go." I lied – actually it wasn't a lie. "I just want to get to Farun already."
"Alright." she said. "Let's not waste any more time."
She and Kieri picked up their belongings, and without further comments, we set off.
The journey to Farun was going to take hours. Hours of doing nothing but trudge through snow, following a rather faded path. And after about two of those hours:
"Okay, you know what?" Rhea said. "Since Ki- uh..."
"Kieri." Said the aforementioned angel, who had turned into a bunny a few minutes before.
"Right. Since you were so kind as to tell us your story, I might as well tell you ours."
And so she told her story. From the day she died and got sent to Hell, to how she met Buwaro and his family and finally, to their escape from Hell.
"...and then, we were at the cemetery, and Sakido...she hadn't made it."
"I'm so sorry... I-I didn't know..." Kieri apologized. "I've been so insensitive..."
"It's okay, Snowy." Buwaro tried comforting her. "It wasn't your fault. And besides, I have you three now."
"We buried her in my grave, and left. We found you in the forest not long after."
It was surreal, actually, the whole storytelling thing. Like Kieri's story, I already knew what transpired, but this time, I admittedly tried tuning it out. At least until the end...
However, as a result of the story, the rest of the journey was going to end up being spent in silence. Even Buwaro had gone quiet.
God, I wish every day was this relaxing.
Too bad I'm still stuck here. Damn it.
"Wait." Kieri realized. "But what about Jamal? He wasn't a part of your story."
Rhea and Buwaro stopped and looked at me.
"There's not much to tell." I said. "I woke up at the cemetery, with no recollection of how I got there, or even where I came from, and the first thing I see, is them." I point at Rhea and Buwaro. "I had no other options, so I asked them for help; they'd already found you by then."
"You could've phrased that better, you know." Rhea said.
"The only other people for miles around were the Jakkai in the village, and that's a big no."
"That's not much better."
"There's nothing else to say." I said. "Other than I might be sticking around for a while. At least until I either regain my memories, or possibly find my family."
And that's the sad part. Unless I find out how I got sent here, neither of those things will happen.
They stayed mercifully quiet. That's good.
I need to find out. But I don't know how.
We finally arrived at the outskirts of Farun. It was a surprisingly small and quaint town, the kind that barely has even a thousand inhabitants. As a guy who grew up in a large port city, I can proudly say that this is my favourite kind of town. It reminds me of this other town I used to go to during the holidays...
Only this place had snow instead of dust. And it had a larger amount of trees.
"Okay we're here." Rhea said, stopping at the forest's exit.
Kieri, having transformed into a bunny midway through the walk, jumped out of Buwaro's hands and transformed again.
"So, are you gonna go see your brother?"
"Yes. I will check the inn where we were staying at." she said.
"Don't forget your sharp thing!" Buwaro said, handing Kieri the sword.
"We'll go with you then." Rhea said. "Buwaro, stay here and watch our stuff."
"Huh, why?"
"You can't go around looking like that! I'll get you some clothes to cover you up."
"Oh...I see..."
It's amazing how someone this cheerful is this emotionally fragile.
"Oh, no offense!" Rhea stuttered. "It's just, uh-"
"There's no point dancing around the bush, Rhea." I grunted, rolling my eyes. I turned to Buwaro. "We can't have anyone freaking out at the sight of you, both because of inconvenience and possible danger."
He looks so dejected. I'm actually starting to feel really bad for him.
"You know what, you two go ahead. I'm going to keep him company for now."
"Suit yourself." Rhea shrugged, and left along with Kieri to get some clothing for Buwaro.
Wait, clothing-!
"Rhea! Wait!" I called out. She turned around and came back.
"What?"
"Make sure you get him something that...won't get us some very awkward questions."
"Why exactly are you worried about that? I'm not gonna get him something ridiculous."
"I just want us to be clear on that."
She just gave me a look, then turned around and left.
Seriously, the pimp outfit did its job, but it was more annoying than helpful...I did not want to have to deal with it.
Buwaro's POV
I sighed as the two of them went through the gate into the town.
"I don't get it." I muttered.
"Hmm?"
"What is it about demons that everyone keeps getting worked up about?"
"Well..." Jamal sighed. "Demons don't exactly have the best reputation." He leaned against a tree. "They're known throughout Medius as sadistic torturers that punish those bad enough to go to Hell. And if those two back at the lake were any indication, they aren't wrong."
"But I'm not like that!" I insisted.
"I know." he said. "But you're an exception. Not the rule. Anyone who sees you will just immediately assume you're like the others; they'll be terrified. Most would probably just run, but some may try to defend themselves. That's what the clothing is for, to stop people from getting scared."
"It just doesn't feel right..." I sighed.
"It's what we'll have to deal with. You can think of it as...people seeing you for who you are instead of what you are." he said. He sat down on the snow.
...
"So..." Jamal started.
"What?"
"What was it like? In Hell?"
"Well, I lived close to the River Styx, and there were a lot of rocks everywhere, and some mountains..."
"Sounds boring."
I lowered my head. "It was." I looked up again. "But I had Thadius to keep me company, so it wasn't bad at all! And I had Death, and Sakido..."
I sighed.
"I miss Hell. I miss her."
What Jamal did next caught me off-guard a little.
He went over and hugged me.
"Aw, hugs are nice!"
I hugged him back.
"Thank you!"
"You looked like you needed one." he patted me on the back.
And then he sat down and went silent.
Eventually, Rhea came back, carrying some kind of box over her head.
"I'm back."
"Hey."
"I missed you, Rhea!"
I jumped at her and hugged her.
"I hope he wasn't too much trouble." she said.
Nah, he was actually really goo-
"No, actually-" Jamal cut himself off.
Huh?
Wait, did Rhea mean me or him...?
"Anyway, here are your clothes. Turns out an old friend of mine was working at the store I went to for them. I'm surprised he got a job after what happened last time..."
"Do we want to know?" Jamal asked.
Rhea carefully opened the box. "You'll need to put everything on." I took the clothes out from inside the box.
I put on a large dark red coat over my own coat, covering my wings and tail, and an equally large dark red hat to go with it on my head, poking through it with my horns. I also had to put on a pair of white gloves and some really large leather shoes that went up to my knees. Those were pretty hard to put on and kind of uncomfortable to wear.
"So, how do I look?" I asked.
"Wow, that's...not nearly as bad as I thought it would be." Rhea said, looking pleasantly surprised. "I mean, uh..."
"Hey, it works. A little unusual, but not too out of the ordinary." Jamal noted. Was he smirking?
"I feel classy!" I stated cheerfully.
"Also," Jamal said. "You'll probably need this."
He handed me that weird-looking handkerchief we got at the lake.
"Your disguise is great, but it doesn't cover your face. You'll have to put that on."
"Okay." I said. I grabbed it by the edges and...
"How do I do that?"
"Here, let me help." Jamal sighed, still smirking.
After putting the handkerchief over my mouth, we stepped foot into Farun.
And it was awesome. Something and the sky was changing color!
"Well, looks good so far." Rhea muttered. She was probably taking about my disguise.
"Wow, this place is so different from Hell!" I said in awe. "I wanna explore!"
"Maybe tomorrow." Rhea said. "It's late, and we're all exhausted."
But there was so much to see! There were so many houses, so many people!
"But can we do it tomorrow for sure? Can you promi-?
"Yes." Jamal said. "For now, let's just get to the i-"
"Oh, what's that?" I noticed one of the houses was different from the others. It had a large window in the front with some of the symbols I saw on Rhea's book on it. And there were several things visible inside.
I ran over to the building and tried to get a better look.
"You see what I have to deal with?" I hear Rhea mutter.
Why is she still being mean?
"It's adorable, he's like a little kid."
See, Jamal gets it- wait, what?
"Uh, come on, we still have to go meet Kieri and Kazai." he said, pulling me away from the window. He's right!
"Okay, how are you so good with names?" Rhea glared.
"Come on! What are you waiting for?" I said, running ahead. "Let's go meet Snowy!"
Maybe running ahead was a bad idea. Turns out the inn was in the other direction.
A/N: And there we go. Small changes have taken place. Although the most noticeable one is Buwaro's costume, by virtue of telling Rhea to be a bit more specific about her choice. Bonus points if anyone can tell me who Buwaro's dressed up as.
Also, I'm going on a week-long trip next week, and I'm not sure if I'll be able to write during that time, so the next chapter may probably be just as delayed as this one.
Guest: Once again, he can't really learn anything outside of Median elemental magic, if any magic at all.
Timeless Dreamer Neo: That's still pretty far away... We'll just have to see...
InvictusValeyard: Thank you for your kind words, good sir.