Title: The Things You See…

Summary: They say that a lot of strange things happen in the labyrinth. But Flavio wasn't expecting anything like this…

AN: This was so much fun to write XD I won't give anything away, so I hope you'll enjoy reading~


The tenth floor of the labyrinth was a winding and hazardous one, but thankfully there were three different gathering spots for them to approach, and they had managed to find enough shortcuts to make their latest food hunting jaunt for the café quick and easy. Hopefully, if everything went well, they'd be back in time for dinner. Maybe even before sunset.

With the use of the shortcuts, they were able to avoid most of the nesting areas of this floor's FOEs, so they walked easily and confidentially through the natural formed pathways of red and gold leaves.

When he wasn't busy skittishly searching their surroundings for monsters, Flavio actually liked gazing at the golden hued scenery. The climate of this stratum was slightly different from the first. It was warm during the day, but cool at night. It wasn't too warm, nor too cold. It felt like…autumn, really.

Appropriate, actually.

As the five of them walked along a narrow path, Flavio told his guildmates (though mostly Fafnir as he was walking beside him) about what had transpired that morning, about that creepy guy who had been dining at their café and practically stalked Lynus through the streets as he walked back to the inn. How Flavio first noticed him and made the immediate decision to walk with the tangerine-haired medic to ensure his safety.

He also couldn't help but add how this didn't appear to be the first time it happened, and he wondered how Lynus had the confidence to walk the streets alone. He probably knew that if anyone should try anything, his guildmates would immediately step in. Heck, Flavio was pretty certain any of the locals and explorers that he knew would immediately step in to protect the adorable medic.

Rounding a corner that led to a take point, Fafnir took a step to the side to allow for Arianna, Chloe, and Bertrand to proceed toward the gathering spot and folded his arms across his chest as a frown appeared on his lips.

"You should have told me first," Fafnir said as he gave him a protective but still somewhat withering stare. "What if he did try something?"

"I didn't have time," Flavio insisted, finding Fafnir's stare more endearing than intimidating. "I was pretty confident that he wouldn't do something in broad daylight, out in the open. Besides, Axel was more than capable of taking care of it, so there was no need."

Fafnir still looked surprisingly bitter, though. Actually, no, he was sulking.

"How so?" he asked instead of chiding him further.

Flavio gave him a one shoulder shrug and smiled. "Something along the lines of punching the guy in the face, before he slammed his head against the wall, threw him out of the second story window, dragged him across the front lawn of the inn before driving him headfirst into a trash can."

He had to pause for a moment when he remembered the sight of the two legs sticking up straight into the air, as if he had been spear-headed into the trash can. Most notable, though, was that no one was even attempting to approach to see if he was alive. Either they didn't want to because of fear of Axel or because the creepy guy deserved it for no doubt frightening Lynus the way he did.

The latter seemed more plausible.

"He's probably still there," he added as an afterthought.

Instead of looking amused or even bemused, Fafnir lowered his gaze to the ground in front of him and held his chin in thought. "I have to remember that one…" he muttered under his breath.

Flavio arched an eyebrow at his friend but chose not to comment on his mumbling. Honestly, though, he hoped that Fafnir didn't sit down with Axel and have a drink with him while discussing ways to creatively 'dispose' of creeps who turned their unwanted attention toward their guildmates.

A soft rustling sound suddenly caught Flavio's attention and he perked up his ears. He turned in the direction of the path they had just trodden and focused his attention there. He could definitely hear something. Faint as it was, there was a rustling sound. Not the noise that wind made breezing through the branches or leaves of the trees around them. It was more deliberate, yet chaotic.

He couldn't quite make it out, though. The others were talking amongst themselves so he couldn't really concentrate.

"Shh," Flavio hushed quietly. "I think I can hear something."

The others fell silent for a moment, listening as well. But after a moment, Bertrand sighed and folded his arms over his chest. "I can't hear anything," he said.

"No, neither can I," Arianna added as she smiled absentmindedly as she carefully combed through the take point. "Perhaps, Sir Flavio, you are still on guard from that incident this morning?"

That...could be possible. Even so, better to be safe than sorry.

"I'm just going to scout ahead just in case," Flavio said with a frown on his lips as he could still hear a slight rustling in the distance.

Fafnir looked ready to protest, but became silent when Arianna tapped him on his arm to gain his attention. Fafnir glanced at Arianna for a second before turning his gaze at Flavio. "You've got five minutes," he said simply.

Flavio resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "Yes, I'll be quick."

Honestly, could he be any more protective? Endearing, sure, but seriously…

As he removed the bow from his back and trailed a fingertip over the quill of an arrow, Flavio turned away from his guildmates and silently jogged in the direction he heard the noise. He stayed close to the tree line, pausing momentarily at the base of trees he felt confident in climbing should he need to hastily.

He slowed his pace to a cautious walk when he encountered a slight clearing that had two other pathways branching off. He crouched near a tree and quietened his breathing.

There was another sound of a slight rustle and then...the sound of footsteps. Bipedal. Approaching him quickly.

Before Flavio could raise his bow and place a quiver in place, something burst through the red and orange foliage of his surroundings, sending twigs and leaves flying in all directions. Flavio had time to see a pink blur shoot past him, followed promptly by the sound of something…hooting with delight?

Wait…no, someone was cackling with excitement!

Startled greatly by the abnormal sound, Flavio felt his eyes widen when that pink blur suddenly paused in the middle of the chamber. It was a Giant Moa. Looking around skittishly. Fearfully. And it wasn't alone.

No, there wasn't another monster with it or anything. It was worse than that. There was…something sitting on its back…t-two people…riding it…

Yeah…

Pushing away from the tree he had been hiding against, Flavio found himself taking a step forward as he stared at the monster-riding duo in complete and utter amazement. Giant Moas were dangerous! They could slice open an explorer's stomach with one kick! Who the hell were these two and how were they able to ride on the back of a moa without a care in the world?!

He…wasn't seeing things, was he?

Flavio felt himself tense out of unease when the two, a male and a female, abruptly turned their attentions toward him. The man with the blue hair, the one that seemed to be, ah, guiding the Giant Moa with his hands around its throat looked at him with a curious if oblivious look on his face. And the hexer, gosh she looked like she was thirteen or something, was perched delicately, but completely unafraid behind him on the moa's back.

"Hello!" the blue-haired man cheerfully greeted him. If Flavio hadn't been able to see that large, goofy smile on the man's face, he most certainly heard it in his voice.

"Greetings," the hexer who was perched behind the man simply stated, her gaze as vacant as her voice.

"…Hi?" Flavio murmured in return, his eyes unblinking as he stared at the pair.

The man, who appeared to be a landsknecht, suddenly, but childishly, tilted his head to the side. "Do you want a lift?" he unexpectedly asked as he pointed to the frantic and frightened monster he was fearlessly riding like some kind of a horse.

"N-no, that's ok," Flavio immediately replied, lapsing into his habituated politeness. "T-thanks for the offer?"

He had heard that hexers had the ability to instill fear in monsters, controlling them in such a way that they would either attack themselves or other monsters. But…this was completely different.

"Are you alone?" the landsknecht continued to ask him questions, completely oblivious to the ridiculousness of the situation.

"I'm part of a guild," Flavio answered as he continued to openly stare at the two.

"You shouldn't wander alone," the hexer stated. "Those who are pretty can find themselves in trouble."

"O-oh, ok," Flavio muttered.

Wait…did she just call him pretty? W-what kind of trouble was she referring to?

"You should go back to your guild then!" the blue-haired man said, wearing that same goofy smile. "They'll be getting worried."

"I-I will."

If at all possible, the man's smile widened further before he tightened his grip on the moa's neck and dug his heels in, causing the monster to lurch forward slightly, facing the direction of a pathway leading away from the chamber.

"Bye then!" he said simply before the bird-like monster sprinted forward, legs flailing and wings bristling, all but utterly terrified.

And Flavio stared in their direction, completely dumbfounded.

…What in the world-?

"Simmons, I'm going to murder your ass!"

Out of the small clearing in the forest wall, the one that the man riding the Giant Moa had created, two more figures appeared. A male and a female. And they were dressed in the garbs of gunners. They stumbled into the clearing, pausing in the middle to rest their hands on their knees and to wheeze and pant loudly.

W-were they t-teammates?

The male gunner in the brown trench coat appeared to be wheezing slightly, holding a hand against his side as if he had a stitch. The female gunner in the blue clothes was slumped forward, her blonde hair falling over her shoulders that rose and fell as she breathed and gasped loudly. It appeared as if the two had just been in a marathon.

As he drew in a sharp and loud breath through his nose, the male gunner abruptly straightened his posture and his gaze inexplicably locked onto Flavio's.

"Did you see two dumbasses riding a fucking bird?" he gruffly and abruptly asked him, his voice hoarse from running.

Wordlessly, Flavio lifted his hand and pointed in the direction the Giant Moa with two riders had disappeared in.

The male gunner's nostrils flared as he drew in another breath before he lurched forward, immediately heading in the direction Flavio had pointed in. "Move yer ass, Tiff!"

The girl, Tiff, bristled wildly as she threw her hands up into the air in a sign of exasperation. "Why does this keep happening?!" she shrilled at the top of her lungs before uttering another sound of sheer annoyance and charged forward after the male gunner.

And then there was silence.

And all Flavio could do was stare at where the two gunners disappeared in with a look of sheer bewilderment on his face.

Did…did that just happen?

Flavio didn't know how long he stood there in a daze, but it wasn't until he heard Fafnir calling his name did he manage to shake himself out of his stupor. He turned to look as his guildmates made their way over to them, Fafnir at the lead as per usual.

Fafnir opened his mouth, no doubt ready to chide him for taking longer than five minutes when he paused and furrowed his brow in concern. "What happened?" he asked.

Flavio wasn't entirely sure how to answer, so he just blurted it all out. After he was finished telling them what had happened, he fell silent and waited for a response.

Instead of looking puzzled or sceptical, Fafnir looked surprisingly concerned. "We didn't hear a thing," he unexpectedly said slowly. "Maybe you've stayed up late one too many nights."

Flavio's mouth dropped out in shock before he snapped it shut with indignation and bristled. "I didn't imagine it!"

"It's ok, kid," Bertrand suddenly said as he placed a hand on his shoulder. "The labyrinth does that to people."

"B-but it really happened!"

"Sir Flavio, you have quite the imagination!" Arianna all but beamed dreamily at him.

"I didn't imagine it!"

"…Maybe he needs to get some sleep?" Chloe added with a slight frown.

"I'm fine!" Flavio adamantly insisted as Fafnir wrapped an arm around his waist and dug around in his pocket for the Ariadne Thread."Gah, why won't you believe me?!"