Sup! Next chapter here we go! So excited to write this! This may not be as joyful as the other chapter, but I'm going to attempt to have a balance of both! Anyways, let's get rolling!
I chuckle as I run through the grass. We had been fighting monsters left and right, and personally, I was enjoying myself! My martial arts classes always were amazing for venting, and this was heaven to the emotions!
Skit: Watch and Learn
Estelle: You look very good swinging a sword Yuri!
Yuri: You're not bad yourself Estelle.
Estelle: Really? My sword master used to scold me terribly…
Yuri: Well I have to admit I'd be surprised if you looked TOO natural.
Tina: Yeah, you seem too kind hearted to carry a weapon with absolute comfort.
Estelle: I really don't like fighting…. I don't like hurting people…
Yuri: How ladylike of you.
Tina: Yuri, you're definition of lady is probably very different from hers.
Estelle: But if I don't fight, I'll end up hurt myself right?
Tina: ...and I'm being ignored….
Yuri: Yeah, that's pretty much how it works.
Estelle: I wish I could enjoy fighting like Tina and you do Yuri...
Yuri: You think I enjoy this?
Tina: Yeah, I'll admit that I do enjoy our previous fights so far...
Estelle: Yuri don't you? I mean the way your eyes shine...that only happens when you're fighting.
Tina: *mumbles* that...didn't sound creepy at all….
Yuri: O-oh, really? …..Wow. You're pretty observant.
Tina: Awww Yuri's blushing!
Yuri: Tina!
Estelle: Also you Tina, you seem to have the time of your life when fighting!
Tina: It's been a stress reliever of mine since I was little, so this is definitely fun for me!
Yuri: Well, you seem to enjoy it more than myself.
Tina: Most likely, but it's just in my nature! Oh! Repede!
*walks away*
Yuri: *mumbles* A stress reliever huh…
End
Skit: Feminine?
Estelle: Hey Tina…
Tina: Yeah?
Estelle: Why do you dress like you do?
Tina: Why are you interested?
Estelle: Well, I've never seen a girl dress like how you do…it doesn't seem very...feminine.
Tina: It's mostly because of the environment I lived in.
Estelle: Really?
Tina: Yep, I lived in a really cold place, so I never bothered dressing in fancier clothing, because I was too cold to bother.
Estelle: I see...what about your hair?
Tina: Well, in my type of fighting style, my hair would just get in the way, and give my opponent something to grab, so I keep in short.
Estelle: I see, that makes sense!
Tina: ...It's mostly because my hair is a pain to brush though...
Estelle: Oh….I liked your first reason better.
End
I laugh as we enter Quoi Woods. I love the smell of a forest, and this one is just as refreshing!
"A forest in a place like this can only mean…..the Quoi Woods…?" Estelle questions. I stretch my recently healed legs leisurely.
"Bingo, you're just full of information aren't yeah?" Yuri drawls good-naturedly. I giggle, petting Repede while I scan the forest, examining the paths.
"I read in a book once, that a curse will fall upon anyone who enters the woods." Estelle's voice shakes in fear. I snort loudly.
"A curse? Seriously? They could've come up with something better than that…" I mumble, picking a small white flower and taking a small sniff. I love the smell of pollen. Especially since it gives Kris the sniffles, which are the most adorable thing ever. I giggle as I feel him sneeze through our connection.
"Ah, so that must be the 'surprise'." Yuri says. I proceed to let Repede sniff the flower, causing him to give a sharp sneeze. I laugh, throwing the flower into the bushes. Following Yuri as he walks into the forest, I glance back at Estelle, whom is waiting at the entrance, a scared look on her face.
"Hurry up Estelle! Flynn is waiting!" I call, obvious baiting I know, but we need to get moving!
"...I know. Okay, let's go!" Her voice wavers slightly, but I admire her determination.
Skit: New Hobby, Taunting Estellise
Estelle: Will this forest really get us to the other side of the hold?
Tina: Let's hope so, otherwise we might get eaten by the curse.
Estelle: Really?!
Tina: I don't know….what does this 'mysterious curse' do?
Estelle: Um….
Tina: An evil demon stealing your soul? Falling asleep only to never wake up? The ghosts of the dead coming to steal you away?
Estelle: Eek!
Tina: Sorry Estelle, but I haven't done that in a loooooong time.
Yuri: You seemed to enjoy that.
Tina: Oh believe me, I did!
Estelle: Meanie…
End
I definitely climbed quite a few trees while in those woods, mostly because of those damn axebeaks! Despite being birds, their worst weakness happens to be going above them, since they have as much talent as chicken when it comes to flight. Their constant kicking when they do flap in the air is freaking annoying though! I still kicked their asses. Stupid birds... I seem to have come to a halt on new artes at the moment, but I don't really mind. I would rather discover them in a safer environment, in case they have other effects, like my 'Sprint of the Cheetah', not exactly the nicest experience…. Speaking of artes, I finally figured out where my blastia was! It's a simple small red gem in a clasp holding one of my belts onto my hoodie, I didn't see it before, the sneaky thing!
Eventually we enter a clearing, which I hope is the one that we rest for the night in. I giggle as Estelle starts to panic about the curse. Yuri gives me a look, telling me not to scare her again, so I hang in the back as they chat, slowly making my way to the broken blastia.
"A blastia? What's it doing in a place like this?" Yuri asks as he comes up beside me. I shrug.
"Perhaps this used to be the original way of getting to Halure before it broke." I suggest. It would make sense, because it would be safely out of the way of the lord of the plain's path.
"Let's take a break." Yuri says, turning to Estelle, who hangs in the background, mild fear in her eyes.
"I-I'm alright." Estelle tries to assure us, walking towards us. She turns, and I tense a bit. I feel guilty for letting her touch the core, but from what I remember, it's mildly important.
"Huh? What's this?" Estelle walks towards the core, and light, or aer from what I remember, erupts from the core. I crouch forwards, catching Estelle before she hits the ground, while squinting my eyes to not get blinded.
"Estelle!" Yuri shouts, crouching beside me.
"She's okay, just unconscious." I assure him. I carry her over to an area with softer grass, before laying her down gently, and sitting down beside her. Yuri sits down beside me silently, and I sigh. After a few minutes of silence, I grab some paper out of my bag, and start to fold a few origami.
"You fold origami?" I nod, folding the last fold of a simple paper crane. I hold it up before passing it to Yuri.
"Here!" He takes it, and I force the heat in my cheeks down as our fingers brush. His hands are rough but...gentle. He holds it delicately, and I can't help but notice how the grey paper matches his eyes...dammit Tina! Get a hold of yourself!
"You're good at that." He says as I carefully fold a flower, while desperately trying to fight down a blush as I can feel his gaze on me. I sigh in relief when I finish, looking down at the small pink origami flower.
"I'll give this to Estelle later." I announce, placing it carefully in my bag. My stomach growls, and this time I can't fight down a blush.
"Hungry?" Yuri asked, his voice teasing. I simply turn away, using my hands to try and rub the blush out of my cheeks. Stupid sexy voic- no! Bad Tina! I peek to my side to see Yuri's reaction, only to see him give me an amused smile.
Yuri walks over to a nearby tree, grabbing a few of those Apple-like fruits before sitting back down beside me. He passes me one, and I take a large bite. (After I finish blushing via another brush of the hands.)Damn! I don't do bitter! I frown, before taking another bite, and making what I would assume to be a comically grossed out face, if Yuri's snort is anything to go by. I throw the stinking apple thing away, taking mild satisfaction at it explodes against a tree trunk. Repede had taken my place as a pillow for Estelle, letting me stretch my legs out on the grass. I hum happily, letting the grass tickle my toes, which are barely dented from the past few days of traveling on difficult terrain.
"Damn that's bitter." Yuri scowls, and I hum my agreement. At this point, Estelle finally wakes up, causing me to smile.
"You alright?" Yuri asks. I watch as she glances around.
"Ooh...my head feels a little….I'll be fine." She says, her voice wavering slightly. I sigh, forcing her to sit down again. Standing never helps a headache.
"What happened to me?" Estelle asks, gazing at us. How would one forget about something like that?
"You just fell over all of a sudden, don't you remember?" Yuri asks. I give Repede a scratch behind the ears in thanks for his pillow duties, he gives me a lick on the hand in return.
"Perhaps it was the aer that made me dizzy." Estelle says, and I hum my agreement.
"Aer. That's sort of like the fuel that powers the blastia right?"
"Well you could put it like that…" I say, scratching my head as I try to think of the exact definition.
"I heard that even though we can't see it, it's scattered throughout the atmosphere." Yuri states. Yeah! Isn't it essentially the same thing as mana? Hmm…..
"I read once that dense aer can have negative effects on people." Estelle brings her finger to her chin as she thinks.
"Hmm. Maybe that's what started the rumor of the curse." Yuri mused, his finger playing with the rope holding his sword.
"Most likely, and if it caused anything worse than this, then it's no surprise why this place was labeled 'cursed'" I say. The monsters, while I wasn't used to fighting them, were easy enough. Anyone of mediocre skill and basic survival instincts could manage, so this was the best, if not only, explanation….other than the bad ass monster behind the thick undergrowth in the back of the forest….but that's for another day! I frown as Estelle attempts to stand, wobbling slightly.
"Hey you only just woke up, you should rest a bit more." Yuri says, and reluctantly, she sits back down. She really shouldn't be moving around in her state, her eyes aren't completely focused, and I can tell she still has that headache of hers. I giggle slightly as the two argue...well Yuri convincing Estelle, and I walk away from the two to grab some firewood, already knowing the result of the conversation. Soon enough, we're sitting at the fire, the others chatting about Flynn, while I draw quietly. One of the first things I bought in Deidon Hold was a notebook, pencil, and an eraser. Sketching is a hobby of mine, and while the two chat, I draw them quietly. I let a grin play on my face as I finally draw their hands correctly. CURSE YOU HANDS! Finally, Yuri finishes making us a simple dinner. I hum in delight as I stare at the sandwiches.
"Thanks!" I say, giving him a smile and taking the egg sandwich offered.
"It's nothing special." Yuri waves it off. I smile as Yuri shows Estelle the basic of cooking. Truthfully, I've never felt this happy when apart from my brother...I just feel...welcome I guess. Something that's really new in my life. I look down at my finished sketch, petting Repede distractedly as my eyes scan the drawing for flaws. I finish my sandwich quickly and can't help but grin at the delicious taste!
"Tina?" I look up at the sound of Estelle calling my name.
"I don't mean to be rude, but why are you traveling with us?" I frown, staring at the fire.
"I'm looking for my brother…" I say.
"Oh? Why?" She asks. I smile at her naivety.
"He went missing, and he's all I have left, so it's pretty much my job to find him!" I say somewhat cheerfully. Truthfully he was all I ever had. While I heard a story or two about my parents, as apparently they helped out at the orphanage, I barely remember them at all. Only blurred images. After all, they died when we were around three or four, from what we were told.
"Oh….sorry..." She apologizes, her face growing gloomy. I shake my head, she doesn't need to apologize.
"Don't worry about it, it's good to speak about him sometimes, brings up some good memories." I reassure her, what I said was true though. While I was deeply concerned, I know for a fact that Kris can care for himself if need be. While I was definitely more independent, he was no little prince. More like an extremely sassy, bad ass princess. I close my notebook, placing it back in my bag, and letting out a loud yawn.
"We should sleep." Yuri announces, glancing up at the evening sky. I grin, and nod in agreement, laying my head down on my bag as Yuri quickly puts out the fire. I send Kris a signal of contentment, as my eyes slowly slide shut.
A voice sighs, the sound slowly spreading through the cold room.
"Finally asleep huh?" A soft voice murmurs, pulling their knees to their chin.
"I know you'll find me...just...please don't die on me..." The voice chokes out, gazing at the ceiling. The figure shivers, the cold dampness of the air sinking into their skin. The figure looks up at me, eyes filled with unshed tears. Golden eyes.
"...Tina..."
"Ah!" I gasp, sitting up quickly. I pant heavily, shaking off that damp coldness clinging to me. I look around at the others, who are still sleeping, to the morning sky.
"Kris…" I whisper. I look around quickly, relaxing slightly when I realize I'm back in Quoi Woods.
What was that? Was that….no, our connection has never done that before! So why?….Okay Tina….calm down, if that was real, that means that Kris is here, if the old fashioned cell is anything to go by, so you can still find him and save him! I run a hand through my hair, frowning as it gets caught. I rarely get knots, and if I do, it usually means it's been a few too many days since I last required a shower. I turn to Repede, noticing that he's awake, due to his other eye still being open. He must do that a lot...
"I'm gonna go wash up okay?" I say, working up a small smile. He gives a nod, watching me as I grab my bag. The undergrowth feels soft on my feet, and I take the time to calm down, letting a smile form on my face. I should enjoy myself, because I know that if I sink too far into my own darkness, I won't make it back out.
I swiftly take off my clothes, looking at my pale skin, which, due to being so damn delicate, was littered with small bruises. I rub the area right under my breasts, where I know a dark red scar is, as well as on my back. I hesitantly step into the water, noting it's not nearly as cold or dirty as I thought it would be. I wash out the grime from my hair and body, purring as I do so. What?! I can't help it! It feels pretty damn nice! Slowly, as the sun rises, so do my spirits, and soon enough I'm humming cheerfully as I clean out the last of the knots in my hair. I gaze down at the water, and pause, shocked.
"What?" I exclaim quietly, crouching down to stare closer. My eyes….they're gold! A sharp yellow, bordering on gold! My eyes are supposed to be a golden brown! I brush away my bright orange locks to get a better look.
"Wait…" I think back to my...dream? Vision?
"Does that mean that Kris also…." Maybe. If my eyes have changed, then there's a high chance that his have too. We both had the same eye color after all, one of the few facial features we share.
After another few minutes of making sure all is normal, and no other weird changes have happened, I dry myself off in the warm morning sun, before pulling my clothes back on and frowning at the thick fabric.
"Damn, I need different clothes! These are too warm, and I'm just asking to be grabbed by the sleeve and thrown into a wall." I mumble, grabbing my bag and heading back to the clearing, where Estelle and Yuri are packing up.
"Hey! Sorry, I was washing up!" I cheer, skipping up to them. I adjust the bag on my back.
"Let's get moving." Yuri says, and I pause. Are his cheeks pink? Nah...Must just be my imagination...
I groan as I punch one of those red flower guys, narrowly avoiding the red pollen cloud. I axe kick it into the ground, and sigh in relief as it dies. I may be trained in fighting, but I've never had to fight constantly for long periods of time, making this harder than it should be. I pull up my sleeves for the billionth time. Yeah, I'm gonna need some better clothes, these are more suited for the arctic! Finally, as we're walking, Repede starts to growl. Thank god! This means two things. One, Karol and two, we're near the end! Yes! This forest is huge, and I love it, but my hate for axebeaks and those flower guys are unrivaled.
"Hmm?" Yuri questions, and we turn to the rustling bushes.
"P-prepare to die Eggbear!" A voice stutters, and I have to hold in my laughter. Through most of the game I found Karol annoying, but eventually I started to find him pretty adorable!
"Whoa!" He yells in a panic, as the momentum of his large sword prevents him from stopping the, obviously nauseating spinning. We watch, myself trying to hold in my laughter, as I watch him continuing to swing around. It was hilarious okay?! Finally, Yuri uses his sword to stop the spinning, and he falls over, coming face-to-face with Repede. He screams, and I seriously want to bust a gut laughing!
"Oh my gosh, s-s-somebody h-h-help me-! Aaaah!"
"Is this kid for real?" Yuri asks, holding back an amused snort. I chuckle slightly.
"It appears so, he's got more strength than most people around his age….though seems pretty cowardly..." Yuri sighs, but his a grin is still creeping up on his face.
"It's alright now." Estelle tries to soothe Karol, who looks at her with a stunned look.
"Huh? The monster turned into a girl?" I finally burst out laughing! Finally, I rub the tears out of my eyes, Yuri is giving me an amused look, while both Karol and Estelle stare at me, their eyes wide.
"S-sorry! It was-" I gasp lightly, letting out another giggle.
"That was adorable!" I grin widely, finally getting a hold of myself. I love laughing, and I haven't laughed that hard in too long!
"Oh brother….this should be interesting." Yuri offhandedly remarks. I grin in agreement. Karol stands up, a light blush on his face.
"I'm Karol Capel!" He says. "I'm a member of the Hunting Blades guild. We travel the globe in search of the toughest monsters." I grin widely, pinching his cheeks lightly.
"You are adorable." I state, turning to Yuri.
"Can we keep him?" Estelle looks at me, comical horror on her face.
"We can't just kidnap him Tina!" Estelle protests. Karol lets out a panicked yelp, taking a step back as I release him.
"I'm just joking around, he's already with a guild anyways!" I wave off their panic, snickering quietly, when Kris disappeared, my mood went from mischievous and happy, to calm and quiet. Yet somehow...I've recovered a bit.
"I'm Yuri, this is Estelle, you've already met Repede, and the one who attacked you is Tina." I snort, crossing my arms and looking away. I did not attack him! That was a sign of love!
"Anyways, nice to meet you." Yuri turns, and proceeds to leave. I follow without much hesitation, before turning back to Karol, who seems to be hesitating in tagging along, like before.
"You can come with us if you're heading back to Halure you know. That's where we're heading!" I give him a smile, which he returns nervously.
"W-well, I'm searching for a monster called an Eggbear. Have you guys seen any?" I shake my head, Estelle and Yuri responding the same.
"Man….I wonder if I should head back to town…" I sigh, giving him a pat on the head.
"Don't worry about it, as I said, you can come with us. After all, having a member of the Hunting Blades helping us out could come with some benefits no?" I direct the last part towards Yuri, who sighs, and nods.
"Yeah! I can help a lot! See that, I even got my own blastia!" He presents his blastia on his bag proudly. I smirk inwardly as I see his eyes skim over us, widening as he notices all three of us also bear blastia.
"O-oh? You three have your own blastia too? W-well, take a look at this!" He holds a red book proudly in the air, and I take it out of his hands, causing him to yelp. Both Yuri and Estelle peek over my shoulders.
"It has information about monsters. Hm? After a certain point, all the pages are blank." Estelle points out. I scan over what he has so far. His descriptions despite being childish, are pretty good at explaining the basic strengths and weaknesses.
"It's well written though." I point out, tapping at the area where most of the mildly impressive descriptions are. Yuri hums in agreement as he scans them. I frown as my eyes read each word slowly. While both Kris and I are fluent speakers of Japanese, Kris is more advanced in the literature, while I'm more advanced verbally. Meaning, most of the words I can barely understand. I'm at a low-moderate level, meaning that Karol's vocabulary is actually pretty impressive for his age. Hmm….he's more impressive than what it showed in the game play.
"I'm gonna fill the rest up with lots of monsters later!" Karol announces, his voice filled with pride. I give him a mildly sympathetic look. I react the same way, as I'm also not used to compliments, though Kris doesn't really count! I grab a pencil from my bag, and start to write in a very….colorful description for the axebeaks….
"Hey! Who said you could just write in there?" Inwardly thanking Karol for distracting the others, I quickly write down the last few details, annoyed at my severely limited grammar.
"I could help you with drawing the monsters in here that we encounter!" I say cheerfully, before glancing down at the broken sword.
"For being a star member, your sword really needs some repairs." Yuri states flatly. Karol blushes.
"W-well I needed to give myself some sort of handicap, or it wouldn't be fair!" As Karol goes to pick up said weapon, I tuck the book in my bag, for later.
"Hey, that's actually not bad…" Karol says to himself. I sigh, walking behind Yuri as we walk past the distracted kid.
"Yo! Do you guys even know where you're going? Halure's to the north one you get out of the woods." Karol calls after us.
"Come on guys! Wait for me!" I chuckle as Karol runs up beside us.
This adventure was getting better and better!
Sup! I gave a hint about her brother OMG! Heh, but I'm not going to reveal him for a while yet. I'm planning on introducing him before Judith though, so you won't have to wait very long! Hope you enjoyed this chapter! Review, favourite or whatever you want!
Just please, no flaming, that's just mean!
From: S.W.K.