Kayako of Aridon, Damein of Suteron (chptr seven: Return)
I sighed, my feet leading me up the path towards Yemitis Temple slowly. It had been three days now since Kayako and Damein had disapeared, and even with seven people searching we hadn't found hide nor hair of either of them. I had just been trekking through the long way from Gliter through the Escaton Ruin, having just recruited Phantom for the search. Duister had managed to get two of Damein's buddies to come search, and I only knew one of them. This should have been easy, but so far it wasn't turning out so well.
Eve had gone out to search around the Argilla Ruins in case they just had been transported to another room, but it seemed that they hadn't and so she resorted to searching around Aridon. So now she was off casting random spells on the newbies while searching. Saturn had gone off to search around Death Weaver, since she knew more about that area than most of us, and often purchased healing items from the merchants there. Duister was looking around Suteron as well as the local villages in that area, asking the newbies in that area if they'd seen a Vail with a Warrior. Not many had, since Vail rarely came to Suteron less frequently than Nordein came to Aridon. And none of them were what we were looking for, to boot. Phantom was checking around Vruion Forest and Herba Farm, since he knew a good deal about the terrain there.
One of Damein's buddies had gone off to check the Arteria Blood Lab, the Mines, and Gliter. Sombra, the guy Damein and I both knew, was checking out Keu for any signs of the two. I was searching everything inbetween Gliter, Argilla Ruins, Crow Swamp, and Panakeia Labs. A large area, but few people passed through it due to the strength of the creatures. Even the frogs there are a pain in the ass to kill.
Yemetis Temple peeked over a hill, and I smiled a bit. That temple started all of this with that stupid mission, but I couldn't bring myself to hate it or the Monks in it. It was like Aridon, the home away from home. I walked around the hill and over the steps to the temple, before plopping down on them, cradling my head in my hand.
"You idiots...Where are you?" I asked aloud, shaking my head.
"Who are these idiots you are talking about, Young Vail?" I jumped, startled that someone had snuck up on me, and turned my head to see an old Vail Monk standing behind me, smiling softly. It was the same Monk that had sent us to Argilla Ruins.
"Mmm...two people that I went to Argilla Ruins with. While we were fighting Knight he opened a portal and the two of them must have gone through it, I guess. Have't found them yet." I explained, a bit irked with the Monk. He frowned slightly, but still managed to look kind. Gah, if I could do that...
"That is indeed a sad problem. I take it you aren't the only one searching?" He asked, putting his hands together in the long sleeves of his Monk robe.
"No, there are six others beside me. Three Vail, three Nordein." I replied, poking a piece of grass with my claws in boredom. I really should get going, the sun was rising and I didn't want to seem lazy...
"My, that is a good amount of people. I suppose that they're still having a hard time still." I noded, staring off into the distance at Argilla Ruins. I heard bells ring, and the Monk sighed. "I am terribly sorry, but I must go help with the wards. I shall return shortly."
"Mmhmm..." Five minutes passed, and I though about all the better things I could be doing instead of waiting for an old Monk to return so I could angst. Suddenly there was a rush of air, and I turned to see a large, winged, and red-scaled creature fly overhead. My jaw dropped, and I stared in awe for a good thirty minutes, which was enough time for the Monk to return and see my condition, and walk off to find something to cure me.
"Damn, Kayako...Wish you could've been here to see that!" I exclaimed finally, feeling as if I'd just breathed for the first time in an hour. I heard a chuckle behind me, and was shocked to see Kayako right there, covered in the blue aura of Sprinter.
"What, that over-grown lizard? Please. I landed on that thing." She said, grinning like a madman. "Lemme tell you, those things are not soft."
"You...how...when...where...where's Damein?" I stuttered out, staring at her in disbelief. Kayako shurgged and plopped down next to me.
"Eh, I dunno. Probably still trying to catch up. Damn it, Nordein are slow." She replied nonchalantly, yawning. "Good Goddess, I'm tired."
"Where where you two?" I asked, not understanding why we couldn't find them for so long. Even now, it had been seventy-two hours and the sun was almost fully over the mountains. If Kayako had been travelling all night, I could understand why she was tired since I wanted to crash myself.
"Lightie territory. They have crappy monsters." I stared at her, wondering if she was joking of not. But then again, it would explain why we couldn't find them.
"You're serious?"
"Why wouldn't I be?"
"Bastard."
"Bitch."
"You shouldn't talk about yourself like that."
"Yeah. I know you have self-esteem issues, dude, but seriously." I glared at Kayako while she just smirked slightly, the blue aura now completely gone. I sighed, crossing my legs.
"How was Teos?" I asked, and Kayako shrugged nonchalantly again.
"To be frank, it sucked." I laughed and waited for Kayako to continue. "The birds kept squawking, even at night, it was bright, there was only snow on the mountains, it was hot, they have wussie monsters, and Lighties are still hypocritic bastards." Kayako said, taking a big breath at the end. My eyes wided, my mouth dropping again for the second time in less than two hours.
"You fought Lighties?" I asked, shock probably written all over my face."
"Yeah. They're weird and they suck. We kicked their asses."
"We? As in you fought with Damein? As a team?" I asked. This day could shock me no more.
"More like I kept him from getting stabbed a few times. Oh, and Elves looked retarded with any weapon they use."
"Saved me from getting stabbed my ass." I turned to see Damein standing behind me, axe behind his head as he held it there, galring at Kayako. "All you did was kick them in the head and scratch the two that attacked me." Kayako rolled her eyes before she corrected him.
"It was three, and I saved your ass. How'd you get here so fast?" She asked, looking annoyed and bored at the same time.
"If you're too stupid to remember, then I'm not telling you." Damein replied, and I chuckled.
"Not enough bonding time, huh?" I asked, and had to dodge two half-assed kicks from Damein and Kayako. "Oi, you two need it!" Kayako just swiped at me with her claws, and Damein rolled his eyes.
"Young Vail, I am back." The old Monk announced, before noticing Kayako and Damein. "You two look familiar. Have I met you two before?" Kayako rolled her eyes, not believing this Monk's idiocy and/or forgetfulness.
"Kayako of Aridon, remember? You hired me to kill Kargos and Knight, and I wounded up getting sent to Lightie territory." Kayako said bitterly, and the Monk's eyes widened as he gasped.
"You were sent to Teos?" He asked, gasping slightly. "And you are...uninjured?"
"Define 'uninjured', will you? There is no way I'm going back there. There might be a few million dead birdies and a Sun God if I do."
"Have to agree with her on that one. Those birds are annoying." Damein agreed, and the Monk turned his attention to you.
"Who might you be? I take it you travelled with Miss Kayako to Teos?" He asked, and Damein shrugged nonchalantly.
"Damein of Suteron. Was sent by you to kill Kargos and Knight as well. Wasn't really expecting to get sent to Teos, obviously. Did you know about his ability to create portals?"
"No, I am sorry but I did not. So you two are the ones this young Vail here has been looking for?"
"Mitsuku. And I guess we are, since we were the only ones that were sent through the portal." I heard an almost silent hiss of pain from Damein, and out of the corner of my eye I saw he had been moving his left arm. Up on the left side of his neck there was a wound, one that looked like it had been made recently...
"All in all, it is good to see you out of enemy lands and unharmed." I started to say something, but he continued. "Did you happen to see that red Dragon pass overhead? The legends say that when that happens that the lovers of Lailah will be blessed with good fortune." Kayako snickered, and the Monk raised an eyebrow.
"I landed on that over-grown salamander when sliding down the cliff near the Labs. I think it'd rather eat me." The Monk made an interesting face that I couldn't even begin to describe, and I decided to mention Damein's wound.
"I'm not too sure about the uninjured part, but it's good to see that you're alive." The Monk snapped out of his little state and turned his attention on me, while Damein looked as if he was either going to kill me or pass out.
"What do you mean, young Vail?"
"Mitsuku. And Damein has a wound on his shoulder-ish place. Looks...fresh." The Monk's eyes widened for the hundredth time, and he went to go fetch an Oracle while Kayako had somehow managed to get a rope around his neck to prevent him from running and was now smirking evilly.
"I hate you both..."