Tales of Xalthia

Chapter 4: Healers' Path

Twelve hours had passed since Tsuki and Reia returned to the village with the Moonlight Flowers. With Tsukis' help, Elune was able to make the medicine needed to fight against the Virus and give it to Lynette. Over the last several hours, they all saw it take its effect on her body. Ever since she took it, she hasn't experienced any kind of discomfort and pain, her breathing was pretty much back to normal and the color in her face had slowly started to return. While she was in recovery, the Virus did have a serious affect on her body. As a result, she hasn't regained consciousness yet. Tsuki refused to leave the village until she woke up. They were confident that she should come to over the next few hours as the medicine finishes its effects on the Virus. By this point, the other villagers had caught wind of what was happening and a crowd had gathered just outside the clinc as everyone waited in anticipation. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Lynette would soon awaken.

Lynette groaned in her sleep as her body rolled around a bit. It wasn't long later when she opened her eyes. She had found herself staring up at a wood ceiling and was unaware of what was happening. "Huh...? Where am I?" she asked herself, her vision still a bit blurry. After a moment, she tried to sit up but found herself struggling a bit as it felt like all of her energy was sucked out of her. After what her body just went through, it's no wonder why she felt weak. She looked around around and saw that she was inside the clinic in one of the beds. "The clinic? What happened to me? Last thing I remember was heading to the gates to see Tsuki off and then felt very light-headed..." she said. She had no idea how long she had been out but based on how weak she was, she knew she had been out for some time.

One of the doors leading into one of the backrooms of the clinic opened up as Tsuki came out from the other side, carrying a cold, damp rag. He was going to put it on Lynettes' forehead but then saw that she was awake. "Ah, you're awake! How do you feel?" he asked. He then walked over to her with the rag in his hand.

Lynette looked over at Tsuki and tilted her head. She was understandably confused about what was going on. "Tsuki? Why are you here? Weren't you suppose to be leaving?" she asked. She continued to try and get up but her body just wouldn't let her.

Tsuki brought a chair over to the side of the bed she was resting in. He reached out to her and gently laid her back down, placing the rag on her forehead. "Easy there. You're still recovering. Try not to move too much" he said. He then went over to a nearby table and grabbed a bowl of what appeared to be hot, steamy porridge. Since she hadn't eaten in over 12 hours and assumed she wouldn't be able to stomach hard foods, he followed a recipe that was given to him and made some porridge for her to eat so she could regain her strength.

Lynette didn't understand what was going on. She can't recall anything. "Recovering? What happened to me?" she asked.

Almost on cue, Elune stepped out from the door Tsuki came out of. He was carrying a small cup filled with liquid in it. "You had contracted the Virus, my dear. It's thanks to Tsuki and Reia that you were able to recover from it. They had gone out to Celestial Hills to retrieve the Flowers needed for the medicine" he said. He walked up to Tsuki, handing him the small cup of liquid.

Lynettes' eyes widened a bit when he told her that she contracted the Virus. She knew that she hadn't been feeling well over the last couple of days but she always attributed it to her poor management of Mana. This made her feel uneasy. "The Virus? Oh no..." she said, feeling her heart beat faster.

Tsuki placed his hand on her arm. Her distraught was clearly visible. It was a natural reaction because of her history with the Virus. "Lyn, breathe. You're okay. The effects of the Virus are gone" he said. He needed her to stay calm. Freaking herself out would only make her recovery take longer.

Lynette took several deep breaths and after a few moments, the beating of her heart started to slow down back to normal. Once she had calmed herself down, she could relax a bit. "How long was I out?" she asked. She knows that some time had passed. Preparation for the medicine takes time and it takes longer to make a round trip to and from Celestial Hills.

Elune sat down on the edge of the bed nearby. "You've been out for about 19 hours, almost a full day" he said. Under normal circumstances, it would take a person much longer to regain consciousness after getting over the effects of the Virus. Because she was able to regain consciousness in just a little over 12 hours shows how much stronger her body and immune system had become.

Lynette didn't expect that so much time had passed since she blacked out. However, what really made it so surprising that Tsuki was still around. "W-what? It's been that long? But...Tsuki..." she said, turning her head over to look at him. She had the look as if she wanted to ask why.

Tsuki gave her a nod with a slight smile. He knew what she wanted to ask him. "If you're going to ask why I stuck around to help and thus delay my arrival to Basilwell even further, then don't. I may have a mission to complete but I am a knight, if you recall. I couldn't just walk away from this. Besides, we're friends, aren't we?" he said. That was always his excuse but the truth of the matter is, even though they had only known each other for three days now, he considered her a friend. Since he had the ability to make a difference, he was going to use it.

Lynette blushed slightly red as she had to look away from him for a moment, hiding part of her face under the covers. "T-thank you...for saving me" she said. She was at a loss of words. She felt a little embarrassed and happy when he called her his friend.

Elune watched the two of them go back and forth, scratching the back of his head. He felt that the atmosphere had gotten a little awkward for him so he decided to remove himself from it. He stood up and started to make his way to the front door. "I'll go inform the mayor that you're awake. Tsuki made that porridge for you to regain your strength so make sure you eat it all. Take that medicine I gave Tsuki afterwards. It's a supplement to help bring some life back into your muscles" he said. He then opened the door and left, shutting it behind him.

Tsuki scratched his head a bit before clearing his throat. "Let's get you sitting back up" he said. The porridge was still warm so it wouldn't be good for her to eat while she was laying on her back.

Lynette tried to sit up in the bed but her body was still feeling weak. With Tsukis' help, she was able to sit up. Since her body was still not back to its full strength, Tsuki would have to help her eat. He took the spoon that was with the porridge and lifted it up with some of it inside it. He gently blew on it to cool it down and held it out towards her.

Lynette knew that she had to eat because she heard her stomach growl. However, she didn't expect Tsuki to actually feed her. This only caused her to blush a brighter red. "H-hey, I can feed myself! You don't have to do it!" she said, her body squirming a bit.

Tsuki shook his head, his arm still reaching out towards her with the spoon in front of her. "No can do. You could barely sit up. Just relax and let yourself be spoiled for a little bit" he said. Honestly, this was a little embarrassing to him as well but it's nothing he hasn't done before. He used to do this all the time with Cheria and still does on occasion.

Lynette could feel her face getting more red as she blushed from embarrassment. This was a scenario she hadn't been in since she was a child where her parents would feed her. To have someone feed her like this at her age makes her want to die from the embarrassment. She was very reluctant at first but after hearing her stomach growl for several moments, she gave in and allowed Tsuki to feed her the porridge. The mood in the room was definitely palpable. In the eyes of an outsider, they had an intense lovers-type of vibe. Thankfully, there was no one around to see them indulge in this. After about thirty minutes, she had finished the porridge that Tsuki had made her and then took the supplemental medicine that Elune had given him. The warmth of the porridge definitely helped as she felt it warm her body back up. She could feel some of her strength start to come back after a while. Tsuki took the empty bowl and cup and placed it on the nearby table and opened one of the curtains covering one of the nearby windows, allowing the sunlight to light up the room. By this time, it was pretty early on in the morning. They could hear the morning birds chirping outisde.

The two of them remained in the clinic and talked for a little over an hour. Tsuki told her about their trip to Celestial Hills, about the sights they saw and even the fact that they had brought a Rhybgaro back to the village. She was almost jealous of them because while the circumstances that surrounded the trip were dire, it sounded like a lot of fun. She felt that she had regained most of her strength so she climbed out of bed. She felt a little unbalanced but Tsuki helped her stay on her feet. After taking a moment to find her center, she was able to move and walk around on her own but made sure to be careful. They soon opened the door to the clinic and stepped outside to get some fresh air. When they walked out, they had seen the crowd that had gathered around the clinic. Tsuki was already aware of the crowd but Lynette wasn't so this was a surprise to her. She stepped down the small set of steps as the people that had gathered approached her but didn't all crowd around her. They all expressed their relief at her recovery and the sight that she was going to be okay. Witnessing the scene wil her and the other villagers really showed Tsuki the strong family bond they have for each other. It really reminded him of his old hometown so he couldn't help but feel a little nostalgic.

After she had assured the villagers that she was going to be okay, the crowd soon started to slowly disperse. With the crowds gone, they made their way over to Reia's place. Before they got there though, they had been informed that she wasn't home and was visiting the friend she had mentioned that rehabilitated monsters. With Lynette acting as the guide, they headed off towards one of the more remote parts of the village. Because this person cared for injured animals and monsters, they had to live a bit of distance away from the village in case something had happened. After walking for several minutes, they reached what looked like a ranch of sorts. They had pens and cages, both big and small and even a big fenced in area for them to freely roam. As they walked up the dirt road towards the main house on the ranch, they saw Reia and someone else talking out on the front patio.

Tsuki waved his hand in the air as he approached the main house. "Hey, Reia! Here you are, we've been looking for you!" he said. Elune said he was going to inform her that Lynette was feeling better but it felt it would be better for her to see Lynette herself.

Reia had been just finished talking with her friend when the two of them walked up. Elune had gave her the good news of her recovery and was planning to visit the clinic but it seems they came to her. To her relief, Lynette seemed to be doing much better. "Hey, perfect timing. I was about to come stop by the clinic. How are you feeling, Lyn?" she asked.

Lynette grabbed onto her right shoulder and rolled her arm around. "Some of my muscles still feel a little stiff but I'm getting my strength back" she said. After walking around, she started to feel a lot better. Getting the blood flowing again through activity was better for her than laying in a bed all day long.

Reia nodded with a smile. She knew that Lynette would be okay although Tsuki looked a little tired himself. "I wish I could say the same about you. You look like you barely got any sleep, if at all" she said. He was clearly doing his best to hide it but she could easily tell that he was practically almost running on fumes.

Tsuki shook his head, tapping his hand against his chest. He wasn't surprised that she could see right through him. He managed to get a little rest but most of the time, he was watching over Lynette. "I'll be fine. I'm built pretty sturdy, you know" he said.

Reia sighed, dropping her head a bit and shaking it. She then walked up to him and pointed her finger up in front of his face. "You say that but I bet you're planning on leaving soon, aren't you?" she asked. She could easily tell what Tsuki was planning on doing. It would only make sense after all of the delays he's made.

Tsuki scratched his cheek a bit as he looked away a bit. He was feeling a bit worn out and figured that he would get rest on the road. "Well..." he said. He couldn't deny her. It was clear that was his plan.

Reia sighted, shaking her head. She wasn't about to just let him leave on a half-empty tank of energy. "You're not going to get far when you can keel over at any time from exhaustion. I may not be your superior but I highly insist you stay one more night. Got it? Taichi and Emma would be furious with me if something were to happen" she said. She said it like she was trying to get him to stay and rest but the way she really meant it was that he had no choice. She was almost like a strict teacher, telling him that he's not allowed to participate in something without getting the proper rest.

Tsuki chuckled nervously a bit as she had figured him out once again. He wanted to leave the village after paying Reia one more visit after Lynette had recovered the village but it seems that Reia wouldn't let him. "Alright, I get it" he said. He then looked over at her friend as she soon walked up next to Reia. "I take it this is the friend you were talking about. The monster expert" he said. As it turns out, her friend was an elderly man. Despite his age and appearance, he looked to be quite healthy and fit to work. With gray hair, a body that looked frail and brittle and a cane to help him walk, he definitely had the aura of a battle-bred wattior. He had visible scars on his face and arms.

The elderly man walked up to Tsuki and held his hand out towards him. "So, you're the royal knight that Reia had told me about. Tsuki Himura, right? You would be correct. My name is Temura Liger and my speciality is mosnter care" he said.

Tsuki reached out and grabbed onto his hand and shook it. He noticed that he had a rather strong grip despite how he looked. "You definitely look like the type that would handle monsters" he said.

Temura let out a hearty laugh. "I'll take that as a compliment, my boy. I've been doing this for well over 20 years! There's no monster of Cayhill I haven't dealt with" he said. He used to run a business that specialized in monster rehabilitation but eventually had it shut down due to budget problems. He couldn't provide the level of care he was once able to but he's managed to adapt to the change.

Tsuki was curious to know if he had learned anything about the Rhybgaro they had brought back to town. Seeing as how he was an expert on monsters, he would be the best person to ask. "How's the Rhybgaro doing?" he asked.

Temura turned and walked off towards what appeared to be stables, looking back at them briefly. "Let me show you" he said. He entered the stables for a few minutes and then came back out of it with the Rhybgaro walking along next to him, guided by a set of reins. He brought it over to them and stopped a few feet apart from them. "I must say, when Reia showed up at my front door in the middle of the night with this little guy, I was almost beside myself. She had informed me of what transpired over at the Hills" he said.

Lynette watched as Temura brought out the Rhybgaro and stopped a bit of distance away in front of them. She knows about them and when she tries to think that it was the cause for all the problems on the Hills, she had a hard time believing it. "It's still pretty young. To be separated from its own kind and put on a path of blind rampage by some crystal...I feel a little bad for it" she said.

Tsuki soon walked up to the Rhybgaro and examined it. The difference between how it was last night and now was, quite literally, night and day. "It's definitely looking a lot better though. It looked really exhausted" he said. He then held his hand out and rubbed his hand against the side of its face. To everyones' surprise, the Rhybgaro reacted to it by returning the gesture by stepping forward and rubbing its head up against the side of Tsukis' face the way a cat would do.

Temura was quite surprised out of them all when he saw its reaction. "Well now, this is something new. I've tended to Rhybgaro before and while they are rather docile, they don't take a liking to people so easily. Usually, it takes me a couple weeks before I can get a reaction like that out of one" he said.

Reia folded her arms in front of her and fell into thought at the unexpected display. "Maybe it's because it knew that Tsuki was trying to help it last night rather than hurt it and that he was gentle with it after he had released it from whatever it was that had a hold on him. As a result of that, they had formed a connection with each other. A special bond" she said.

Temura looked over at Reia and nodded. He had agreed with her hypothesis. "That sounds pretty accurate. With that being said, since he'll be staying here for a period of time, he's going to need a name and I think it would be more appropriate for you to name it, seeing as how much he likes you" he said. With the rest of the Rhybgaro still in hibernation for at least 5 more months and not knowing where they usually go to hibernate, this place would be its temporary home and so it'll need a name.

Tsuki looked at the Rhybgaro and fell into thought. He wasn't exactly good at coming up with names. Thinking back at the fight they had back on the Hills, even though it was influenced by the crystal, he recalled that he was pretty fast. After examining the Rhybgaro, with a bit of training and discipline, he could grow to be very fast. "How do you like the name, Saya?" he asked, looking at the Rhybgaro. After a moment, the Rhybgaro reacted by letting out a slight cry of what seemed to be of approval.

Temura nodded at his decision. "The swift arrow, huh? I think it suits him. Saya it is" he said. He then grabbed onto the reins once more and guided Saya back over to his side. "Well, it's getting close to feeding time. I'll take good care of him, don't you worry. Make sure you come back to visit every once in a while. Seeing as how much he seems to like you, it would probably do a bit of good for the both of you" he said

Tsuki nodded at him. "I'll make sure to stop by and visit whenever I'm in the area" he said. As a knight, it wouldn't be easy for him to visit often but he would make sure to visit whenever he could.

Temura nodded, waved at them and then started to guide Saya back towards the stables so that he could feed him. They all stood there in silence as he walked away until he disappeared into the stables. Once they were both gone, the three of them looked at each other and started to walk back towards the main part of the village. After a few minutes, they had arrived back in front of Reias' house.

Tsuki stretched a bit and rollled his head across his shoulders. "Well, since I'll be staying one more night, I suppose I'll go get some shut-eye for a few hours" he said. It was still pretty early in the morning so he had an entire day to rest.

Reia looked at him and nodded. "The inn should still have your room open to you" she said. She then walked over to Lynette and placed her hand on her shoulder. "As for you, I would like to do my own check-up on you to make sure that everything is normal. We can do it at my place" she said.

Lynette looked at her and nodded slightly. "Okay..." she said. She then briefly looked over at Tsuki. "I'll see you later then. Make sure you get some good rest" she said. She knew that he definitely needed it.

Tsuki gave her a slight smile with a nod. "I'll do my best. Hopefully, everything checks out for you as well. I'll talk to you both later then" he said. He then turned and started to walk down in the direction of the inn.

Before he got too far away, Reia had one last thing to say. "One last thing, stop by my place later. I have something I need to tell you" she said. She had tried to tell him something before when Elune had interrupted them.

Tsuki stopped and turned his head back at them. "Will do. I'll drop by once I've gotten some rest" he said. He then continued to walk down the path until he had disappeared around one of the corners.

Lynette and Reia watched him walk off a bit before turning to walk and enter Reia's house. Inside, Reia conducted a series of different examinations on Lynette. After several minutes, she was able to conclude that she was healthy. The examinations were pretty taxing on Reia as she had methods to further evaluate her health that Elune wouldn't be able to to. Afterwards, she had Lynette sit down on the couch in her living room.

Reia wiped the sweat from her forehead as she was slightly out of breath. She hadn't felt this drained in quite some time. "Well, I can say with full confidence that you'll make a full recovery. By this time tomorrow, you'll be back to your old self" she said. She was as healthy as she was before and her Mana was slowly recovering. She then went over to her kitchen and poured some tea for them into cups and carried them over to the living room and handed one of the cups to her.

Lynette took the cup from her and held it in her hands as she made circles with it, the tea sloshing around gently inside the cup. "Thanks..." she said. She had been staring down at the table, seemingly lost in thought about something.

Reia sat down in one of the chairs across from the couch, taking a sip of her tea and felt its rejuvenating effects through her body. "Is something wrong? If anything hurts, tell me" she said.

Lynette shook her head, taking a sip of her tea as she stared down at the table. "No...it's nothing. Nothing at all" she said.

Reia knew that she had something to say. Her body language clearly shows it. She finished her tea and set the cup down on the table. "Sure doesn't sound like nothing. Tell me what's on your mind and maybe I can help you" she said.

Lynette was unsure of herself. She didn't know if she should say what she wanted to say. After falling silent for a few moments, she finished the rest of her tea and set the cup down on the table. She took a few deep breaths and looked up at Reia with a determined look on her face. "Well, the thing is..." she said.

Lynette proceeded to tell Reia what was on her mind. Meanwhile, Tsuki had arrived at the inn and went straight for his room. Once inside, he took his armor and sword off and rested them against the wall. He approached the bed and crashed down on top of it like he had no more energy left. Like a power switch flipping to the off position, he felt his body start to shut down. It didn't take long for Tsuki to fall asleep.

Tsuki had only slept for roughly four hours. He didn't want to sleep any more than that because he wouldn't be able to sleep later on. Upon waking up, he knew what he needed. He grabbed his stuff, left the inn and headed towards the hot springs. There, he would spend two hours there relaxing in the hot, steamy baths. It was like almost instant muscle relief. He didn't want to leave. Unfortunately, he couldn't stay there forever. After a while, he left the hot springs feeling completely refreshed and energized. The hot waters worked wonders for aching muscles and bones. By the time he left, it was getting close to sundown. With nothing left to do, he headed towards Reia's house. Once he arrived, he saw that Lynette was doing stuff in the kitchen as Reia came down from the upstairs area of her house. They soon gathered in the living room with Tsuki and Lynette sitting on the couch and Reia in her usual chair.

Since he heard that Reia was going to do a check-up on Lynette, Tsuki was curious about the results. Although, he already knew what they would be. "So, how did the check up go? Hopefully, everything is okay" he said.

Reia nodded. "Yep. She's got a clean bill of health. She'll be back to her full strength by tomorrow morning. She's a tough girl, after all" she said. She had no doubts that she would be okay but she had to be sure, just in case.

Tsuki knew that she would be fine. He could see the strength within her. She managed to hold on strong against a virus that could easily kill anyone, "Well, that's good to hear" he said. He looked over at Lynette briefly who gave him a slight smile before looking over at Reia. "So, you said you wanted to tell me something" he said.

Reia nodded at him once more. "Yes. There was something I needed to give you before you left as it relates to your mission apparently" she said. She then took out an envelope and placed it on the table in front of her before leaning back in her chair. "During the prisoner transfer, one of the knights had given me this to give to you. They said it was of the utmost importance" she said.

Tsuki reached down and picked up the envelope. The letter was addressed to him but what really caught his attention was the seal on the back of the envelope. It was the royal seal of Eresseas which is only used for official documents. "I would hope so. You don't use these seals on just any ordinary letter. Whatever it is must be important" he said.

He then started to open the envelope and pulled out a letter. It was written with elegant handwriting, fit for royalty. The letter was rather long in length. According to the letter, the following was written:

Tsuki,

If you are reading this, then that means we managed to reach out to you just in time. First off, me and Emma would like to express our gratitude for dealing with those thugs and will be punished. You do the knights proud. Because of the prisoner transfer, we knew that would be forced to stay put for a few days. Don't you worry about the commander; we've already informed him that your arrival would be delayed for a few days. The commander was more than accepting of this because there has been a concerning development.

Not long after you had left Eresseas, one of our most trusted informants had informed us that the president of Saiyaka went missing as he was returning from a convention over in Basilwell. As you know, Saiyaka is the magical research facility located in Briswater and is the largest contributor in the fields of Magical Artes. Just the other day, Basilwell authorities located the bodies of not only the guards that were responsible for escorting the president but the president himself in the Cavern of Solace.

Because of this, Briswater has assumed authoritative control over the investigation and have blocked off access into and out of Basilwell, including the Cavern itself. I'm afraid you will have to reach out to General Maxwell in Briswater to gain access. We have already informed him of your arrival and awaits you in Briswater. He would also like me to express his sincere apologies that you have to go so far out of your way. He would of met up with you halfway but things are too chaotic in Briswater right now that he can't afford to leave the city.

Be careful out there. Something is going on in the shadows. I can feel it in my bones. Some of the Royal Eight have sent in reports where they have stated that they've made obvservations of strange sights. They were unable to say anything concrete, just things that didn't seem normal. I pray that you do not come into contact with these strange sights that they've encountered. If anything happens, anything at all, be sure to let us know at once.

-King of Eresseas, Taichi Tsubasa

Tsuki had set the letter down on the table and sat back in the couch, looking quite troubled by this. More people have turned up dead, one of whom was a very prominent figure. While he had no relation to Saiyaka or has any interactions with them, this was still rather shocking news. It had hit Reia and Lynette particularly hard seeing as how deeply they are invested in the magical side of things though Reia was the most disturbed by it.

Reia was leaning forward, her elbows pressed down against her legs as she held onto her head. "What is going on here? Taking down an escort is one thing but managing to kill one of Cayhills' most powerful magic users? Just who are we dealing with here?" she said. She didn't know what to think of this but she did know one thing; there was definitely something going on.

Tsuki had folded his arms and held his hand up to his chin. The scope of this mission just got a lot bigger and it makes him second guess himself on whether or not he should call in for back-up. "This wasn't the work of some bandit or thug. Whoever did this is clearly not your average fighter. Magic users may not have the greatest defensive capabilities but this was someone who was a bonafide master in Magical Artes. From what I understand, he was the one who taught Her Majesty how to wield magic when she was still a princess and was still widely regarded for his skills even today" he said. Thinking about these sudden developments made him scratch his head in contemplation. The death of the other high-ranking officials were concerning enough already but this just kicked things up to a whole different level. "Maybe I should reach out for some back-up. But, if I do that though, I'll have to wait even longer and there's no telling who might wind up dead next" he said. Not only that, he wasn't even sure who to even call for back-up. The Royal Eight still seem preoccupied and there was no mention of Georg returning from his excavation. With the death of one of the best magic users, he was no longer confident that he can do this on his own anymore.

Lynette was fidgeting around a bit. The news definitely came as a shock to her because she had been dreaming about wanting to meet the president of Saiyaka one day. As she squirmed, she glanced up at Reia who returned the glance back at her and gave her a nod. She then took a deep breath and calmed herself down. She stood up from the couch and faced Tsuki. "Umm...Tsuki?" she said.

Tsuki looked up at her as she stood up and faced down at him. "What is it?" he asked, tilting his head at her.

Lynette gripped the bottom of her shirt tightly for a moment as she worked up her courage. "If you'll accept me...I would like to go with you" she said.

Tsuki was surprised at her request. "Go with me? You mean, on my mission?" he asked. He wanted to make sure that this what she was asking him for clarification and to make sure he heard her correctly.

Lynette nodded at him. "Yes. I would like to travel with you...if that's okay with you" she said. She was a bit nervous asking this of him, knowing what his potential answer would be.

While he appreciated her offer, Tsuki didn't want to put her in danger. However, it was clear to him that although she seemed restless, she was also determined and seeing as how he doesn't think he will be able to handle this mission by himself anymore, it was a good opportunity. Still, he needed to make sure. "Tell me your reasons" he said.

Lynette took a deep breath and closed her eyes to gather her thoughts. "I...I want to improve my skills. I don't want to remain how I am. What I need is real experience, like Reia. Experience that I won't be able to get by staying here. I want to help people and be there whenever someone needs a healer" she said. She's always wanted to be a doctor but to get where she wanted to be, she needed more than what Crescentia had to offer. That wasn't her only reason for wanting to travel with Tsuki, however. "This is the second time someone saved my life from the Virus. I couldn't do anything in return the first time because I was too young but now I can do something. I may be inexperienced but I won't slow you down. I want to help you just like you've helped me over the last few days" she said. She then bowed her head at him. "I'm fully aware of the dangers that lie ahead and I'm prepared to face them" she said.

Reia looked at Lynette with a warm smile before turning her gaze on Tsuki. "Consider it a request from me as well. Take her with you. As I said, there's nothing more I can teach her in the ways of Healing Artes. She's still a novice but with her level of skill, her abilities would be of great use to you and would make things easier" she said. Lynette had conveyed to her earlier that she wanted to travel with Tsuki and gain some new experience in the outside world. She was never the selfish type and rarely asked of things for herself so when she said that Lynette told her that she wanted to travel with him, she was actually pretty happy deep down.

Tsuki looked at the two of them briefly. He could tell that they were both serious in their request. Plus, it would be nice for him to have a healer by his side. Basic first aid can only go so far and if he got himself in a bind, he wouldn't have many options and he definitely couldn't delay his departure any longer. After considering things, he arrived at an answer. He then stood up and faced Lynette, who was still bowing at him. "It's going to be a dangerous road...but if you are prepared to face it, then you're more than welcome to come along" he said.

Lynettes' eyes widened a bit as she quickly looked up at him. She was positive that he would deny her request. The fact that he accepted it made her very happy and thrilled. "R-really!?" she asked.

Reia sighed with relief that Tsuki had accepted their request. She knew that there were risks involved with such a request. "It was that easy, huh? Honestly, I had expected you to push back a little bit" she said.

Tsuki looked over at Reia, folding his arms in front of him. She did have a point which he had kept in his consideration. "You mean, the involvement of civilians, right? I wouldn't worry about it too much. Something tells me that the king and queen wouldn't mind. Besides, I can't afford to stay here any longer" he said.

Reia scratched the back of her head. She wasn't sure where he was getting this confidence from but so long as Lynette was able to pull her own weight, it should be too bad. "Going off a gut instinct, huh?" she asked. She then stood up and walked over to one of the nearby cabinets. She opened it up and pulled out a sheet of paper that was rolled up. She walked back to them and handed it to him. "Take this with you. It's a map of Cayhill. You may not need it but every traveler should have something to go by to tell you where you're going" she said.

Tsuki reached out and took the rolled up sheet of paper. He opened it up and saw a detailed map of Cayhill and was made pretty recently. It even had the excavation site that was discovered recently on it. "Wow, this is a pretty detailed map. I'm sure this will come in handy. I appreciate it" he said.

Reia nodded and walked towards her kitchen. "You guys are headed out in the morning, right? Let me treat you guys to dinner. I'll even make enough to give you for something on the road" she said. It was the least she could do for them. They would be embarking on a quest that would surely test them to their limits and they wouldn't be accomplish that on empty stomachs.

The three of them spent the next couple of hours preparing and eating dinner as well as more talking amongst themselves. This was most likely going to be their only chance to really relax and kick back for a while so they wanted to take advantage of it. Once it got pretty late, Tsuki and Lynette bid goodnight to Reia and headed off to their own places. Lynette went back to her home to prepare and get her things in order while Tsuki returned to to the inn where he would spend his last night. Despite the circumstances behind it all, both of them were pretty excited to leave. Tsuki wouldn't have to travel alone anymore and could feel more at ease sine he would have some back-up and Lynette could see things and places she was never able to see before as she has never been far outside the village.

The next morning, Tsuki and Lynette had gathered at the front gates. Tsuki was all armored up with his weapons strapped to his waist while Lynette was sporting a different outfit. She had been wearing normal village clothing but thanks to the villages' blacksmith and tailor, they were able to outfit her with better clothes more fit for travel. They were lightweight and easy to move around in and also had special properties to them which would give her Mana and abilities a bit of a boost. She had a staff on her back that was given to her by Reia for her to use. The two of them stood at the front gates of the village as Elune, Reia, Temura and the rest of the village came out to see them off. They all wished them a safe journey and to be safe.

Elune walked up to Lynette and handed her a pouch for her to strap onto her waist. "Take this with you. I loaded it with several different medicinal herbs for you to use and experiment with on your journey" he said.

Lynette took the pouch and attached it to her waist. She then looked at him, feeling a bit sorry for having to leave him. "Thank you...and I'm sorry. I know my Healing Artes help you greatly" she said.

Elune shook his head. "Don't worry about it. I may not be a healer like you but I've worked in the field of medicine for all my life. We'll be just fine here. Besides, if it comes down to it, the Mayor is here to offer some of her healing" he said, glancing over at Reia. Her healing was a boon to the village but they've survived before she had those capabilities and they can survive after.

Temura gave Tsuki a thumbs up with a confident look on his face. "Don't you worry about Saya, either! By the time you come around next time, he'll be back in tip-top shape" he said. He wasn't sure how well a Rhybgaro would adapt to living in a village rather than with its own pack but he's confident he could make something out of this.

Reia approached the two of them, placing her hand on both his and her shoulder. She was worried about this whole situation but she had to place her confidence and trust in them. "You two be careful out there, you hear? You will need to look out for each other" she said. She then glanced over at Tsuki, stepping back and pointing at him with a stern look. "You better take care of her, Tsuki. If I find out that you're not, I'm going to come after you" she said. She almost felt like mother sending her two children out on their own for the very first time.

Tsuki felt a little awkward about how Reia was acting. He knew that she was just joking to help them feel better but a part of him had a feeling that she woulld actually come after him if something had happened to Lynette. It made have a nervous chuckle. "We'll be fine. I'll make sure to keep her safe. I am a knight, you know" he said. He then looked over at Lynette. "You ready to go?" he asked.

Lynette looked up at him and nodded. She had been holding onto the map of Cayhill that Reia had given them. "More than ready. We'll have to go northeast from here to reach Briswater. According to the map, it looks like it will take us about three days to get there from here" she said. It was a fair distance away and she's never walked such a distance but she was excited for it.

Tsuki nodded and pointed to the bag that he had with him. "Sounds like a trip then. Good thing I packed some supplies" he said. They needed to travel light so he didn't want to stock up on too many things that would weigh them down. He packed enough for two people so they should be fine.

Lynette nodded, placing the map in her bag and then faced the villagers. "I guess this is going to be goodbye for a while. Thank you all for everything you guys have done for me" she said.

Lynette waved goodbye to the villagers as everyone finished their farewells. Afterwards, Tsuki and Lynette turned and started walking along the long dirt road that led to the northeast. There was nothing by grassy fields and forests that stretched out in front of them with mountains that lined the horizon. After four days, Tsuki was finally off to continue his mission. Only this time, he wasn't alone. Their spirits were high and there was excitement in the air. There were a lot of unknowns currently in play but there was nothing that they can do with what little information they have. For the time being, Tsuki and Lynette decided that it would be best to focus on the present. They hope that by the time they reach Briswater and meet up with General Maxwell, they will be able to answer some of their questions and learn anything new.

To be continued...