Chapter 6
Floran keeps running without looking back. There's no reason to do so, Floran doesn't even have the luxury to rest. Hunters are closer than before, Luliku was just a waste of time, and Floran still hurts. Yuki hasn't said anything, but that's okay. That means that Floran is going in the right direction.
"We're almost there," says Yuki, which is strange.
"You said it might take half a day," Floran says, not that it matters, the sooner the better.
"You're pretty fast, so it took less than expected."
"Then Floran hopes that you know how to use it, they'll catch us quick once we stop."
"Don't worry, I know how to fly the ship, and I'm taking you with me," Floran doesn't understand.
"What do you mean?"
"I'm taking you with me. I can't leave you here, they'll kill you." Floran can't see it, but Floran can feel that she's worried.
"Don't worry about Floran so much. Your safety is important." Floran feels something on Floran's head, and Floran is keeping eyes looking forward.
"So is yours." Floran has nothing else to say to that. Floran doesn't know what to say, and doesn't want to ruin it with words. Floran keeps running through the forest, and Floran can see a glade. "That's it! That's where the ship is! We're almost out of here!" Floran runs faster, Floran doesn't want to risk anything. The sooner she leaves, the better.
Floran gets into the glade, forest all around us, and a big open space, but there's nothing else. Floran doesn't know anything about spaceships, so Floran looks over shoulder to ask Yuki about it.
"Where's the–" Floran sees it in Yuki's face, and where there should be joy, there's nothing. It makes Floran worry. "Yuki?"
"…No," says Yuki and Floran walks to the middle of the glade.
"Yuki, what's wrong?"
"No, no no no," it's all Yuki keeps saying. Floran puts her down and grabs her shoulders.
"Yuki, what's wrong? We're here, where's the ship? Is it invisible?" Yuki doesn't say anything. She just covers her mouth, looks down, and starts to cry. "Yuki, calm down and tell me, where's the ship?" She closes her eyes, shakes her head once, and says something Floran wasn't ready to hear.
"It's gone."
"…What?"
"The ship…it's gone."
"Maybe we got the wrong place, you might have put it somewhere else." Yuki starts to sob, and shakes her head. This is bad, very bad, the worst that could be happening right now. The ship is gone, and a village of angry hunters are after us. As horrible as it is, we have no time to waste, we have to get out of here. Floran was about to pick Yuki up, but Floran hears noise in the forest. Leaves rustling, twigs snapping, Yuki doesn't hear them, but Floran does. Floran quickly pulls out sword and shield, and keeps Yuki close. Yuki gasps, Floran could hear it, but didn't want to take eyes off the forest around us.
"What is it? Are they here?" asks Yuki. Floran wants to answer, Floran wishes that it was some random prey of the forest, but this is different. Floran has been hunting in this forest for a long time, so Floran knows the difference. The noise stops, they're preparing something, Floran is ready to fight.
Floran hears the first one coming behind us. Yuki probably heard her, but it doesn't matter, Floran is already moving to fight. First, Floran pushes Yuki out of the way, and parries a short sword. Floran cuts the hunter in the chest twice and stab her in the chest. Floran hears another hunter coming from the side. He's carrying a hammer, ready to bring it down on either one of us, but Floran pulls sword out of the other hunter, quickly dashes towards the incoming hunter, and bash him in the face with the shield. Once he's down, Floran stabs him in the face, but two more are coming towards us. Floran keeps them at bay, but it's a bit difficult to kill them. Floran hears a scream behind her, and looks in time to see a hunter dragging Yuki on the ground. Floran shoves the two hunter away, and runs towards Yuki, but two more hunters appear to block the way. Floran tries to force her way through the hunters, but they stand their ground. The hunter dragging Yuki was about to stab her with a dagger, but someone yells an order.
"Stop!" says the familiar voice. Floran looks to the right, and sees him. Walking without a worry in the world, a hammer resting on his shoulder, and a glare on his face. The Floran who took leadership away from Idalla. "You disappoint Floran," says Adjoda, chief of the Floran tribe.