Okay, here's the first OFFICIAL short story of Eine Kleine. The Juna short was way too important to the main narrative that I retconned it to be an intermission. This one may include Rean and Juna as the main focus, but short stories are meant for the more mundane points in their or anyone else's lives.
April 5, S.1200 - Crawford Residence
"Hey, Rean! Did you hear?"
The excitable young girl barged into the room with a glowing grin and his sister in tow. The sudden swing of the door caused him to jump up higher than he knew was possible from lying on the floor and yet the girl managed it anyway.
"Hear what…?" Rean grumbled, tearing his eyes away from a magazine his parents had given him before leaving with Juna's parents to go on a shopping spree through the city.
With it being the first day of Crossbell's anniversary festival, one would imagine that they would want to explore the city on their own the moment they arrived. However, neither Rean nor Elise had any qualms staying inside for a while to take care of Ken and Nana. Well, it was more like he stayed inside to take care of them. Juna practically dragged Elise outside the moment they arrived at the apartment.
Now she came back inside as chipper as ever with Elise sporting the most disheveled look that he had ever seen her with.
"So there's this rumor…" Juna shot her gaze back and forth as if she was trying to catch a spy in the process of spying on their super secretive conversation. "There's a mirage island in the middle of Lake Elm. Apparently, on every eleventh year of the Crossbell anniversary festival, it appears without warning. And on that island, there's a special tree that grows star-shaped fruit!"
"O...kay?" Rean did his best to not sound unimpressed. Based on his sister's glare, he was failing. "What makes it so different from regular starfruit?"
"See, that's the thing! It ties into another popular legend around here in Crossbell. There's a star-shaped fruit that's said to tie the destinies of anyone who shares it. It's exceedingly rare though."
"That's… unbelievable."
Elise narrowed her eyes. "Come on now, Rean. At least humor her a little."
He sighed in resignation. It was something he was getting used to as time went on. Juna would suggest something rather absurd and he and Elise would be forced to go along with it. Elise was usually more open to the ideas though, so he was normally the point of contention. "Okay, I guess. So, what do you want us to do, Juna? Go help you find this 'mirage island'?"
"Oh, no need to do that. Elise and I already found it."
"...Then it's not really much of a mirage now is it?"
Juna shrugged. "How else was I supposed to grab your attention? Mystery is the perfect source of intrigue, isn't it?"
…
Guess she got him there.
"Then I'm guessing you want to go there. Can't really do that when we're supposed to be stuck here taking care of your siblings."
"We could… always take them along?"
"...You're truly a shining beacon for older siblings everywhere, Juna."
Juna waved her hands frantically, doing her best to defend herself. "Okay, okay! We'll drop them off with Mr. and Mrs. Neues! They have the day off and I'm sure they won't mind. Mrs. Neues especially has told us that she's more than willing to look after them."
Rean's eyes darted between the two girls. Juna was desperately pleading with him, even putting her hands together in a begging position. Elise, on the other hand, possessed a deep-seated curiosity, something she had developed since their first outing in Crossbell.
"Let's be realistic, Rean. We came out all the way here to Crossbell. The last thing we'd want to do is stay inside the entire time."
He sighed again. That was true. With the Crossbell anniversary festival going on for its 66th year, their parents thought it'd be best to come again. They got along well with the Crawfords and they were looking forward to finally perusing the stalls this year. Last time they came, they mostly stayed at Mishelam the entire time. Rean couldn't tell the exact reason why, but he suspected that the massage did one hell of a job at lifting their spirits.
"Okay, okay. Fine. Let's do it. I admit, the idea of some mysterious island off the coast does interest me."
"Yay!" Juna jumped for joy as she raced off to another floor, presumably to speak to the Neues about taking care of Ken and Nana.
"...You sure this is a good idea, Elise?"
"Just run with it, brother."
It was still well into the afternoon, just past lunchtime. From where the Bellheim Apartments were located, the quickest route to get to the harbor would be to go through the residential and administrative districts. However, they opted to go a different route to stop by East Street. It was almost comical how much he enjoyed eastern food due to the influence of his master, but no one could deny how delicious it can be.
They all nabbed a quick bite to eat and headed off to the harbor.
"Right over there." Juna pointed far into the lake. She handed Rean a handheld telescope, one that he was pretty sure she didn't have on hand before then.
He looked through the cylindrical glass in the direction the pink-haired girl pointed. It took a little bit of adjustment of the lens, but a mass of land came into view. He couldn't make out any features on it, but it was visible at the very least.
"Well, what do you know? It's actually there. Not as far back as Mishelam but dead center of the lake. You'd think it being in plain sight, it wouldn't be just a rumor."
"I'd imagine the whole 'appearing every eleven years' thing would do that," Juna explained. "So what are we waiting for? Let's go!"
Rean handed the telescope to Elise, who had wanted to get another look at the island. She went over to the railing, being careful not to lean too far out even though curiosity was nearly overtaking her sense of preservation.
"How do you propose we get there? In case you've forgotten, none of us are able to swim that far."
"Oh, come on. I'm not that dumb. I got a boat ready for us."
She pointed towards the pier that jutted out from the main boarding area for the Mishelam transport vessel. And lo and behold, there was a lone boat waiting for them on the surface of the water. However, it didn't seem like it contained an orbal engine but rather an outdated mechanical one.
"How did you even get one of those?"
"Lady at the antique store."
He attempted to examine the boat from their position. While they were standing rather far from its location, he could tell that there was a rustic look to it. "Well, it's certainly ancient, that's for sure. And she just let you borrow it?"
"She gave it to me on the condition that we get some seeds of the star-shaped fruit."
It almost impressed Rean how resourceful Juna could be.
However, there was just one glaring obstacle.
"...Do you know how to drive a boat?"
"It can't be that hard. You just sorta jiggle the stick around, right?"
Rean massaged his temples. "Oh dear Aidios, we're gonna die."
The girl howled in laughter. "I'm just kidding! Geez, if you stress out so much, you're gonna lose all your hair before you start high school."
"Thanks for the heads up…"
"Anyway, I went to the guild and asked for an escort. Apparently, they wanted to investigate the island anyway, so we made a deal. I get the boat, and they get us someone to bring us there."
Rean propped an eyebrow, his expression shifting from slight annoyance to confusion. "And they're okay with taking kids along? I'm pretty sure the guild could easily secure a boat without our help."
"Yeah, I thought so too." Juna crossed her arms, adopting the same confused look. "I guess things get too busy during the time of the festival."
"I suppose… Then do we just wait here then?"
"Just about…"
Juna pulled out a wristwatch, watching the time tick by with a hawk-eyed stare. Had Rean knew they'd be waiting, he would've passed on that snack from earlier. His favorite ramen stall was here in the harbor after-
"Now!"
"Hey! Sorry to keep you waiting!"
A man with combed-back blond hair approached them. His outfit consisted of a black button-up shirt that was held together with leather belts and straps. He sported light armor, opting for basic pauldrons and pads to protect his joints and a leather guard over his chest. On his side was a well-crafted broadsword that looked Erebonian in design.
"Hi, Mr. Wenzel! Thanks for helping us out!"
The man sighed. "More like you twisted my arm. I swear kids just get bolder these days… Why do you even want to come? There might be monsters there."
"Well, Elise and I might not be full-fledged fighters, but I do know who is~!"
Juna shot Rean a mischievous smirk with teasing eyes to match. Of course, she had this all planned.
The man, apparently named Wenzel, turned his attention towards him. He eyed him carefully, each passing second causing Rean to become even more acutely aware of the sweat pooling in the back of his neck.
However, that worry was proven unneeded as Wenzel lit up upon noticing Rean's own form of weaponry.
"Is that a tachi? I'm guessing that means you're a student of the Eight Leaves, just like Arios."
Rean awkwardly nodded. "Y-Yeah. My name is Rean Schwarzer. My sister and I are from Erebonia and I'm a student of Master Yun Ka-fai, the Sword Hermit. It's nice to meet you, Mr. Wenzel."
Was a student, Rean nearly said.
"Oh, so you're Erebonian too? What a coincidence. So am I. I'm even a practitioner of the Hundred-form military combat style. ...Man, that's always a mouthful to say."
"Isn't that form usually reserved for military officers? I didn't think bracers would take up that practice."
"You sound like you know your stuff, kid." Wenzel let out an impressed huff and his expression softened. "Yeah, I used to be a military man once upon a time. But that life didn't really click with me so I became a bracer soon after. I stuck with the style though since I couldn't really decide if I preferred the Vander or Arseid schools. Might as well stick to one that incorporates both."
Rean's own eyes began to light up once the conversation veered towards swordsmanship. If one were to ask him directly, Rean would often say that the way of the sword wasn't something he thought about often. It was a part of his identity and that would never change. However, that didn't mean he wasn't fascinated by its core concept. Erebonia was a country that put so much value in its martial arts and variety of fighting styles that it became its own subculture. Even with their rocky relationship with Calvard, eastern fighting styles also made their name over to their side - his Eight Leaves school being one of many.
But that back and forth conversation didn't last long as they heard a young girl clear her throat.
"As… interesting as fighting with sharp and pointy sticks is," Juna said irritably, "shouldn't get a move on? We gotta go before the harbor gets too crowded."
"Whoops, looks like we lost track of time." Wenzel shrugged. "We should go before we make the little lady more upset."
"Agreed." Rean laughed, keenly noticing Juna's pout.
"So what do you know about the island, Mr. Wenzel?" Rean asked, needing to raise his voice over the sound of the loud engine.
"Not much, I'm afraid. Apparently, the guild had plans to investigate last time it appeared but the festival was especially busy last time and that was long before I became a bracer. Something about anniversaries that end with a multiple of five makes them especially bustling."
"You know, I never got that!" Juna added.
It was a strange facet of the human psyche to be drawn to some arbitrary categorization. Like, what makes the 56th anniversary any less important than the 55th? Nothing of substance, of course, yet the number just seems more visually appealing. There were some other cases like why was literature considered a "red" subject? He didn't know that either, but Rean will not budge on that fact.
The boat ride was fairly uneventful. With it being a clear day and Lake Elm being a fairly safe area, there was no need to keep a lookout for any potential danger. They arrived at the island without much trouble.
"It's… smaller than I expected," Elise commented. She observed the surroundings from the sandy coasts to the lush woodland farther inland. Most of the island was visible as they approached earlier, giving credence to her assertion. However, there was more than enough space to explore for the young adventurers.
Wenzel nodded. "People have spotted the island in times past, but paid it no mind considering the size. Something this small never really warranted investigation before. It wasn't until after the Orbal Revolution that some consistencies of its appearances became noteworthy."
"What would those be?" Rean asked.
"One, the island only appears every eleven years since Crossbell's founding as an independent state. Since the revolution was only fifty years ago, the landmass wasn't properly observed until 1156 of the Septian calendar."
"And as fast as orbal technology was advancing, they couldn't properly bring anyone to check it out until now, right?" Juna dug her feet into the white sand, enjoying the grains between her toes. Even when she's enjoying the most mundane things, Rean was impressed that she retained her knowledge of orbal history. An excitable girl like her would go far in his eyes.
"That's right."
"But then that still leaves two other opportunities to check the place out. If the anniversary in the 55th year was out, that still leaves years 1167 and 1178." Rean noted, doing the mental math.
"That leads to the second consistency. There's a strange magnetic field that interferes with specific orbal instruments, including radars and even our battle orbments. That made airships a no go. Non-orbal boats were the only way forward and even then, the study teams had to be small."
"Man… what a picky island." Juna picked up a rock and threw it inland. She knew it wouldn't have accomplished much, but it did make her feel a little better.
"I'm just going off the little information that has been found in the two investigations that were carried out in the past thirty-three years. There will be more researchers coming in a bit, so I'm only here for an initial survey and eventual bodyguard duty."
"So what's the plan?" Rean asked. "Just wander aimlessly until we find something?"
"That's the gist of it for now. I'll collect a few samples of the plants and anything else I can get my hands on without disturbing the wildlife - provided if there are any." Wenzel's brows furrowed. "Come to think of it, I never asked why you kids wanted to come here in the first place. I'd feel more comfortable if I could keep my eye on you all."
Juna eagerly raised her hand and gave out a wide grin. "We're looking for the star-shaped fruit tree!"
"The… what now?"
Elise massaged the temple of her head. "There's an apparent rumor that links a rare fruit to the island. A rare fruit that would no doubt be popular among the populace if the proper cultivation method were to ever be discovered."
Wenzel held his chin with his hand, adopting a thinking position. "That's interesting. Perhaps I should add it to the list of things to investigate."
Rean shrugged. "I wouldn't get my hopes up. If this place was only surveyed twice since it was discovered and yet a rumor still spread, it seems highly unlikely."
"Oh, don't be such a buzzkill, Rean." Juna pouted. She ran over to him to tug on his arm. "Come on, let's get going!"
"H-Hang on, Juna! Wait!"
She didn't listen (Of course she didn't) and dragged him into the entrance of the woods with Elise and Wenzel following suit.
The climate felt warm, even for spring's standards. Perhaps it was the inherent heat that comes with forests or the bright sun being intensified by that strange magnetic field. Rean couldn't say for sure why it was the case, but it did at least make an island trek all the more authentic.
He couldn't recall the last time he visited a tropical region like this. In fact, it may not have ever happened since the only known island in Erebonia was Bryonia. As a result, he didn't have a point of comparison to the wildlife on this mirage island outside of books. The overgrown plants sure made the journey through the area a lot more difficult than it had to be though. He and Wenzel had to spend most of the time cutting down the large leaves, branches, and vines that stood in their way.
Nothing else looked particularly interesting to Rean, but that came with the territory of only being thirteen without much knowledge of environmental science or biology. At least Elise and Juna were right about one thing: it was better than sitting at home all day.
Wenzel held out his hand, stopping the group in their tracks. "Can you hear that?"
The three children looked at him quizzically before cupping their ears to focus. It was a soft sound, but rhythmically frantic. Calming, but always in motion. A noticeable plop and dip followed, momentarily interrupting the flow the sound once had before shifting back to equilibrium.
"Is that… running water?" Elise noticed. "It sounds like a river."
"Sure seems like it. And maybe that splashing means there's fish too."
"Heel, Mr. Fisherman." Juna playfully jabbed. "Don't get too excited now."
Rean rolled his eyes. "I don't want to hear that from you."
As they made their way through the rustling leaves and foliage, a strange scent of honey filled the air. The sweet aroma paved their path to an eventual gorgeous sight.
"Wow…"
A beautiful flower meadow surrounded on all sides with all sorts of vegetation - snowdrops, primroses, saffrons, and dandelions - and acacia, maple, and chestnut trees that were attractive to the honeybees in the area. It felt like an impossibility for such a variety of plants to be flourishing in the same environment, but the proof was right in front of their eyes. The sound of the river from earlier was also no lie as flowing water ran down from a small bank on top of a short cliff. Birdsong complimented the flowing water, singing a tune that hummed a chorus of nature that was far removed from the hustle and bustle of the city. It reminded him of Armorica.
"Well, I didn't expect this…" Wenzel put his hands on his hips, taking in the sight. "I'll collect a few samples, so you three wait here in the meantime. We can go looking for that fruit tree of yours after, 'kay?"
The bracer left them to their devices once they all agreed to the terms. Without wasting any time, Juna pulled out a blanket out of her backpack while Elise began unpacking the basket she had brought.
"...What are you two doing?" Rean raised a brow. "Didn't we already have lunch?"
"Rean, only you can call a pork bun and nothing else a meal." Elise deadpanned. She put her hands on her hips and stared him down with disappointed eyes. "It's a nice day, so eat something nice with it."
Rean scratched the back of his head as he muttered. "...I thought the bun was pretty nice." He turned to the pink-haired girl. "You okay with this? You were more excited about this whole excursion than the rest of us."
"I don't see anything wrong with taking a break." Juna said. "Unless you're saying that you want our little impromptu adventure to end so soon? Why, Rean, it's almost like you don't enjoy spending your time with us! How cruel! How heartless you can be!" Juna dramatically held out one hand in his direction and the other over her chest to mimic heartbreak. "And here I thought we were important to you…"
"...Why am I always the bad guy in these situations?"
"Perhaps it's a sign that you just need to relax, Rean." Elise giggled at her friend's theatrics, something she was still playing at with fake tears and whimpers. She even fell onto her knees for the added effect. "There's nothing wrong with taking things one step at a time."
Rean huffed, but ultimately gave into the request. It wasn't like taking a break was going to kill him or anything. The island was devoid of monsters anyway, so he might as well while the bracer was busy doing his assigned work.
He sat down on the picnic blanket and accepted a lunch box from the girls. The moment the chest of food entered his grasp, he could feel the rumbling of his stomach. He opened it up, revealing a surprising cornucopia within the small confines of the container. Rice balls, fried chicken, rolled-up omelets, and a variety of fruit all tucked away in their own little sections. There was even a separate box holding a sandwich platter that they could share.
"When did you two have the time to make all this? We just got here yesterday."
"Don't you remember, Rean? After dinner, you basically passed out." Juna reminded him, stuffing a sandwich down her throat with the elegance of a vacuum cleaner. "You were so tired that I was sure you were gonna use your stir fry as a pillow halfway through dinner."
Elise nodded in agreement. "You also woke late this morning. Juna and I made preparations last night and we, Mother, and Aunt Lina all pitched in to make everything before breakfast."
Rean thought back to yesterday. Since he and his family wanted to arrive at Crossbell a day before the festival began, they made sure to catch the earliest train. They couldn't exactly afford taking an airship at the moment, so they had to settle for a ten hour long train ride from Heimdallr. There was only so much he could read to keep himself entertained for that long. By the time they arrived at the Crawford's, he had been too drowsy to even greet them properly. And as a result, he also missed breakfast. It was no wonder he had been so hungry.
...Why was he satisfied with just a pork bun again?
It was a nice and quiet lunch. Well, for him anyway. He watched the girls converse, catching up on events from the past year. He chimed in from time to time, but he was just glad that Elise and Juna were having a joyous time. Good friends and good food? The moment couldn't have been any better.
"Ta-dah!"
Rean felt a slight, almost unnoticeable, weight over his head. Juna stepped away from him, with the proudest grin he had ever laid eyes on.
"Oh wow, Juna! That looks great on him!"
"See? I told ya!"
Whatever was over his head, he couldn't see. He gently removed the article and examined it. "Is this… a flower crown?"
"Yup! The other kids from Armorica taught me how during Sunday School. What do you think?"
"It's… nice."
"Would it kill you to be a little more enthusiastic?"
"Don't mind him, Juna. Flower crowns aren't something we craft back in Ymir. Any floral arrangements we could attempt would be too frail for the structure."
"Still… I was expecting a better reaction than whatever that was."
"Cut me a break, jeez!"
Watching the three kids go back and forth was an amusing sight for Wenzel. The bickering and the sly comments hit the mark rather closely to how he and his fellow bracers would act during their off time. Too nostalgic for words, really.
"Oh, Mr. Wenzel!" The pink-haired Crossbellan waved at him. "Come and join us if you're done! We got plenty of food to go around!"
The man chuckled to himself. What the hell? He could use a bite. "Coming!"
"So a star-shaped fruit that is able to entwine the destinies of those who share it. Is that right?" Wenzel mused as he cut through a few more vines. "Now that you mention it, I believe I have heard similar rumors cropping up around East Street. I thought it was just some marketing drivel."
"It still kinda sounds like it, to be honest." The young swordsman muttered.
"Yeah, yeah. We heard you the first time, killjoy." Juna playfully punched the boy's arm. "Even if it's not real, at least we got to visit the famous mirage island!"
"And that meadow was beautiful on its own merit," Elise said dreamily. "I'd say that alone made the trip worth it."
That was one way to look at it. Festival food was nice and all, but it was hard to compete with a home-cooked meal. And with the scenery to enjoy alongside it? He found very little reason to complain about coming out to an uninhabited island in the middle of the lake.
"Look at that!"
Juna pointed at the direction on the other side of the woodland, a view of the coast not too unlike the one they had arrived at a few hours earlier. The pure white sand complemented the clear blue water beautifully. To his right, there was a small inlet - possibly leading to a back entrance to a cave - decorated with sturdy rock formations. He stared in awe at the natural wonder as the waves crescendoed against the shore.
"Did we already make it to the other side?" The bracer asked rhetorically. "Must've been smaller than we initially estimated."
"Or maybe we just went through a short path?" Elise wondered aloud. She turned her head to the left, seeing what she could glean from that direction. In the moments following, her eyes widened. "Everyone, over there!"
They turned their attention to where the young girl was pointing: an opening to a small cove. It didn't look connected to the inlet on the other side, but it looked like it invited the explorers to investigate even more.
The inside felt like a dream for a kid. A nice little hideaway to call your own personal fortress. Large leaves of various tropical trees made for enjoyable shade, cooling the area sufficiently in comparison to the rest of the beach outside. The natural stone walls fortified the area, making it perfect for a hideout if one were to ignore the fact that it was an island that only appeared once every eleven years.
But what really caught their eyes was an odd-looking tree that grew sideways. Its horizontal trunk appeared to be some naturally formed bench that urged the weary travelers to relax on it and take a break. The branches on the top still raised themselves skyward, as if to catch as much of the filtered sunlight as it could. However… There was something peculiar near the top.
"That's it, isn't it? The star-shaped fruit?" Wenzel examined the tree. Thanks to its horizontal growth, climbing atop the tree and reaching out to the fruit wasn't too much of a challenge for the man. He picked out two of them, one small and the other medium-sized, and jumped down from the small height.
He handed the kids the medium-sized one. "Here. Don't think I'll need much more of a sample than what I got, so you guys do whatever you want with this one."
Juna snatched right up. "Thank you, Mr. Wenzel! We couldn't have done it without you!"
The man chuckled. "Don't worry about it." He put his smaller fruit away. "Well, I'm going to explore a bit more before the researchers get here. You three should get back to the other coast and wait by the boat. Seeing as how the island is devoid of monsters, you should make it back safely. I'll meet you there soon."
The trio nodded in agreement as the man left to survey more of the area. It had never occurred to Rean, but it intrigued him how many skills a bracer could accrue beyond basic combat ability. He briefly wondered if he could ever become that versatile, but quickly brushed it off.
"So this is it, huh? Kinda looks funny."
The yellow fruit was comically shaped like a star. Multiple pointed ends and a childish shape that made it look more like a throw pillow than something you could eat. To add on to its silly elements, it was almost hilarious how easy it was to find the damn thing.
"I think it's cute!" Juna cooed. "Well, as cute as a fruit can get."
"I'm surprised that we managed to find it at all," Elise added. "Do you think we'd be able to grow them back at home?"
"Only one way to find out. Let's head back before it gets too dark."
The sun glowed a warm orange, signaling the end of the day. Elise was the first to go, with Juna and Rean following her lead. They could feel the soft sand beneath their feet as the calming rush of the waves made way to a comfortable silence. Rean made sure to keep his distance from the two girls to ensure they stayed within his sight. But what he really focused on was the young girl who eagerly held onto the new discovery.
A slight smile graced his lips.
He thought back to the festival a year back. When he and Elise first met Juna by mere coincidence. They ended up meeting their family and exploring Crossbell the next day. And even when she came to witness his… "power"... she still accepted him. She made him feel wanted. It was all small gestures of kindness. But to him, they meant the world.
"Oh yeah, Rean?"
He halted upon hearing the girl's voice. She stopped in her tracks and turned to face him.
"What's up?"
"This might sound weird but… can you close your eyes? And open your mouth a bit?"
"...You're right. It does sound weird. Are you gonna shove something weird in there?"
"Just… do it, all right?" Juna said, her foot tapping the sand in impatience.
A brief silence, but he complied. He closed his eyes and left his mouth slightly ajar, only leaving room for something small.
Within seconds, he tasted something sweet. A juicy sensation washed down his throat as he was being forced to chew down the foreign substance into his system. It caught him by surprise, but he quickly deduced what Juna fed him.
"So, how was it?"
"...About as sweet as I imagined. Not too much so either. I like it." Rean looked at her quizzically with a raised eyebrow. "But why though?"
She giggled. "Well, how else was I supposed to get to the seeds? The antique lady wanted some and I didn't want to waste the rest of it."
"Why do I feel like that wasn't the only reason?" Rean smirked.
"Because it's our one-year anniversary, silly!"
That caught him off guard.
"Huh? Well, yeah, I guess you're right." He scratched the back of his head. "But that doesn't mean you had to waste the fruit on me, you know. We could've done something when we got back."
"That's because I wanted to-" Juna trailed off, her words soon becoming imperceptible.
"'Wanted to'... what?"
She shook her head. "It's nothing."
"Oh, come on! I know you said something."
"I'll leave that to your imagination." She turned away with her head held high and her chest up with pride, leaving Rean utterly and completely confused.
If he paid closer attention, he would've noticed her sneaking a bite from the fruit herself.
"-ke up, Rean."
"Mmm…"
"This isn't working…"
"Here, lemme handle this, Altina."
Sara took out Rean's ARCUS and called it with her own. She held his ARCUS over his ear and hers over her own.
"WAKE UP, SLEEPYHEAD!"
The boy violently shook awake, nearly toppling on the cold floor. Thankfully, the seat belt around his waist prevented him from jerking around too much.
"W-What's going on?! Are we under attack?!"
"Finally up, eh Rean?" Sara said with a sly smile. "Must've been quite the trip to dreamland if you managed to sleep through this bumpy ride."
"W-Wait… where are we?" He adjusted his coat, which messed up when he was rattled awake. "Where are we going?"
The bracer shrugged. "Man, you must've been conked out big time. I'm pretty sure I didn't slip you a drink or two before bed."
Altina glared at her. "I hope you didn't. That'd be illegal." The young girl sighed. "We're on our way to Dnieper Gate, in case you've forgotten. Our deployment is soon approaching."
"O-Oh… right." Rean straightened himself out, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes and checking his equipment. Everything seemed to be in order.
"Though, Sara is right on one front. You were quite distant, Rean. Should I jot you down as a heavy sleeper in my notes?" Altina asked.
"No… It's just… I had a bit of a nostalgic dream, that's all."
"'Nostalgic', you say? I'm afraid I don't quite understand."
Rean leaned his arm over the windowsill and rested his chin atop his hand. He wistfully watched the mountains go by as they entered a realm full of snow.
"I'll… tell you some other time."
Ahem...
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO EINE KLEINE. It's been officially one entire year since I published chapter 1 and an entire day older than the English release of Cold Steel IV. Man, I really didn't think I'd still be obsessed with writing this little project when I first started, but I think the moment I realized that the first chapter hit over five figures in words, I was in it for the long haul. Forgive if the quality of this chapter feels a bit compromised because I only spent eight days on this since the release of the previous chapter to make the date.
Okay, I promise that this is the last chapter before the Northern War. I've kept you guys waiting for far too long. Thank you all for sticking with me for this long and I hope you all stay for much longer! We're not done yet!
