Chapter 21:
Spending the night in the Great Desert of the Dungeon was different from the Great Swamp. Night in the Dungeon was already different, but in the desert, all temperatures were extreme. The nights were freezing, filled with a chill. Everyone had to bundle up in their coats and place their cots right next to each other. Bell had been sandwiched between Welf and Ouka. There was a cocoon of muscley warmth that surrounded him.
Unfortunately, despite the warmth and comfort, he hadn't been able to get a wink of sleep. Understanding that there was nothing to be done in the tent, he decided to walk outside and maybe clear his head in the Dungeon. The only problem was, the moment he stepped out, his eyes found the guard. Sitting in the middle of the camp, trying to survey the entire landscape, was Ryuu Leon. The elf turned at the sound of him, a giant mass in her bundle of clothes. Bell knew, though, it was all for show. The second an attack happened, she would pounce. Her senses were always on to make sure that she protected everyone around her. It was one of the things he admired about her.
"How can I help you, Bell?"
Bell reached up to scratch the back of his head, "I couldn't sleep…so I thought I'd come and try to clear my head. I can head back in my tent if you'd prefer."
Ryuu shook her head, her hair swishing underneath the thick hood. Seeing all her clothing reminded Bell that he hadn't brought enough of his own. He was starting to feel the chill of the night. A shiver went up his spine, and his teeth began to chatter. Ryuu saw him shaking and sighed. She opened up the blanket she was holding.
"Come on, Bell. We can share it for now," replied the elf. In her hand was a corner of the thick wool blanket. Bell hesitated at first, but he then decided it was better to be embarrassed than to freeze.
The two of them sat next to each other in silence. Unfortunately, it was not a pleasant silence. They still had not taken the time to discuss Ryuu's little slip-up from earlier. Bell had not mustered up the courage to do so, and Ryuu was not in the mood to bring up her own mistakes.
Finally, Bell sat straight and decided to get on with it. He was the Captain of this Familia, which meant that he had a job to do.
"Ryuu, what happened yesterday?"
The elf didn't answer him at first. She looked at the ground, collected her thoughts….and then still kept quiet. How was she going to broach this topic? Jealousy wasn't pleasant, and she hated that she, of all people, felt it. Also, how was she supposed to talk about Alfia, something that traumatic and buried in her past?
"…Bell…I am…that is…." Ryuu felt her cheeks heat up. Was she really going to do this in the Dungeon of all places? Then she looked at Bell's face, curious and desperate in the Dungeon light. She realized at that moment, none of the other stuff mattered. She deserved to be honest. For better or worse, she needed to be honest and tell him the truth. Her heart fluttered, and her mouth moved beyond her will.
"Bell…I love you," said Ryuu.
What the elf expected was for the boy to go red in the face. She expected him to break down into a mess. She thought he would scream. This was Bell Cranel, after all. However, he did no such thing. Instead, Bell looked to the ground in silence. As Ryuu looked at him, though, she felt her lips burn. Her head tilted, and her sky-blue eyes focused on Bell's mouth. Suddenly, like a slap in the face, memories began to return, two separate nights, one after their reunion in Carien and one after their mini-expedition. She remembered how she had gone to sleep ecstatic, dreaming happy thoughts. Drunk Ryuu was bold indeed. She also started to get incredibly embarrassed. But then she realized something vital. The pieces began to click together.
"You knew this whole time…" began Ryuu.
"Knew what?" responded Bell. He sounded anxious and unsure.
"That I loved you," said Ryuu. She shook her head, "No, you didn't know that. But at the very least, you knew that I was interested in you. But you never said anything…you just…let me sit there. You acted like nothing happened," the elf narrowed her eyes, "Lili is right, Mr. Cranel, you are indecisive. And even worse, you're a liar."
Cold be damned, she couldn't sit there. Bell had known this whole time but had said nothing! She stood up and began pacing.
"You went out into Orario with me that day during the tournament. We went shopping, and before that, we travelled the world together. I even kissed you…twice! And still…you never said anything," her eyes started to get wet, "Don't you realize that this matters, Bell?"
"Well…I…"
"Do you ever think about what other people are thinking?"
"Of course!"
"Really?" Ryuu stopped to look at him, "Then, why didn't you ever tell me?" Her hands curled into fists, "You know how important something like this is to me."
Bell did know. He understood that elves did not do physical affection very well. He also knew Ryuu's past and history. The original people that Ryuu trusted, Alise and Syr, were both gone. Ryuu was doing better, but she was still recovering her sense of self. And in part of that, she reached her hand out to tell Bell that she still respected him. She left Orario to travel the world and help him. She bore her entire being to him and did the most terrifying thing possible; she allowed herself to be vulnerable. His response was to hide what he knew. That being said…
"You hurt me too, Ryuu…you almost told Ais," responded Bell, "You almost told people about Alfia."
"And maybe she deserves to know…" began Ryuu. She noticed that Bell was running away, again, but was too worked up to care. At Bell's tilted head, her eyes narrowed, "Alfia didn't just hurt me. She held all of Orario hostage. Her, and the mad God she was working with, almost brought the city to ruin!" Her voice began to rise, "It wasn't just Ardee that died. Lots of people from Loki Familia died too. Don't you think the Sword Princess deserves to know?"
"Why does it matter?" asked Bell.
"Excuse me?"
"Why does it matter that I'm Alfia's nephew? Why does everyone deserve to know that?" Bell started to ramp up, "Why does everyone keep thinking that they get to know everything about me?"
Ryuu frowned. Bell continued.
"Everyone keeps trying to butt in and ask me questions!" Bell threw his hands in the air, "I didn't ask for this; I didn't ask for people to obsess over me!"
"Bell…" began Ryuu. He did not hear her.
"I just wanted to be an adventurer! I just wanted to do my best for my Familia!" Bell continued his rant, a year of pent-up frustration leaking out. He always tried his best to keep his emotions in, but multiple days of fighting for his life had taken their toll.
"Why does that mean that everyone gets to know that my Aunt was a member of Hera Familia?" asked Bell. The question was to no one, but everyone heard. Bell turned to find a crowd watching him. His and Ryuu's discussion had gotten so loud that it woke up the rest of their party.
The rest of their friends gathered around their lead adventurers. At the mention of Hera Familia, everyone's mouths dropped. Some had been in the city during the days of Evilus, but some knew the name of Alfia: Ais and Aisha. The Amazon had narrowed eyes into serpent-like slits, while the Sword Princess just stared at Bell. Underneath the scrutiny of everyone present, the boy called Bell Cranel panicked. He did not want to have this conversation; he could not have it. The watching eyes were too much. So, he ran away into the Dungeon. He needed space if only a little bit. Immediately, Ais and Ryuu took after him.
Before anyone else could follow, there was a loud clanking sound. Everyone turned to find Urashima Taro bashing his arms together.
"Whatever happened to Bell, we are going to have to trust those three to figure it out. We are still in the Dungeon, correct?" said the young man.
Lili nodded, "Mister Urashima is correct. We must believe that those three will be fine. They are the best adventurers in our party, and they are not stupid; they will come back to us."
Lili only said those things because she had to. Inwardly, she hated that she was not there at the moment to comfort Bell. She was supposed to be his supporter! But he just kept running away!
Finally, it was Elwin who turned to Aisha, "You know what they were talking about, right?" asked the half-elf, "You know who this Alfia person is?"
Aisha nodded, "Who she was, anyway."
Lili nodded, "That confirms what Lili knows."
"You knew about this Lil Bit?" asked Welf.
Lili shook her head, "Only that he had learned about his family recently."
Otohime's eyes widened, her mind unusually perceptive, "So when Hermes went to talk to him…."
"He was showing Bell his past," said Welf.
Daphne turned back to Aisha, confused about the Hermes connection, "Why does your God know so much about Bell Cranel?"
Aisha shrugged, "I don't know, I don't ask. Why do you think I'm here instead of travelling with them?"
"To protect Lady Haruhime," replied Mikoto.
Aisha nodded, "That too. But also, because we don't trust each other. So, for now, I remain."
Also in the desert, watching the expedition party, was the banshee Xenos. Her name, for now, was Nysa. She watched over the desert party, waiting for them to slip up. She saw the little elf that smiled in her dreams, but she wasn't supposed to focus on that right now. Nysa was supposed to watch and see if any party members split and went off on their own. That was the order she was given by her King. That was the plan created by their top strategist, Scipio the Swamp Warden.
When she saw the three adventurers run off into the night, she frowned. She was hoping that the little elf was the one who would run away. Instead, she got two blondes and the boy with white hair. The blonde with the long hair…was this jealousy Nysa was feeling? Nysa frowned, but then she smiled. She knew the one with the long blonde hair; Nysa could capture and interrogate her. The banshee would remember, even if she had to tear those memories out from everyone around her.
Behind Nysa was a group of anubites. These walking jackal monsters wielded stone weapons in the shapes of axes and clubs. They had padded feet and paw-like hands. Their snout faces led back to beady eyes, and they were covered in black fur. They were a larger, more agile variant of the kobolds found on the upper floors in many ways. They each had high damage potential, known to swing weapons and bite at their opponents.
This specific group of monsters was doubly particular because of the ethereal collars around their necks. They glowed purple, just like the more substantive collar Nysa had. A magical creation, a gift from their benefactor, Nysa's collar was made from actual metal and siren essence. It allowed her to extend her will to other monsters around her. A unique item, it only worked with the Xenos because only the Xenos could understand the mindset of a monster.
Nysa's current state only lets her control a maximum of twenty monsters at a time. She was at her limit with the anubites, and if her focus wavered for a moment, they would turn on her. This limited her own combat capabilities, but the rewards were boundless instead. Apparently, the collar was an enhancement of the same collars used by monster tamers. They were reclaiming themselves and freeing the Xenos from the shackles of tyranny. At least, that's what they told the Xenos, who hadn't picked a side yet.
Nysa didn't care about propaganda, though. The only thing she cared about was the little elf of her dreams. The same one that was waiting for her just over those dunes. But first, she had a rabbit to take care of.
"Let's go," whispered Nysa. All twenty-one monsters took off at a sprint.
Bell shouldn't have run. Why did he always do this? Why was he such a coward? How was he supposed to get stronger if all he did was run from his problems? He was supposed to be better than this! He was supposed to have grown this year! And here he was…running away like a fool.
The first one to catch him in the desert cold was Ais. The Sword Princess forcefully tackled him to the ground. In Ais's mind, she was doing this to make sure Bell didn't freeze. It was still an hour or two till the sun came up, and the temperature was dangerously low. She also wanted to make sure that Bell didn't run off to anywhere else. This was the Dungeon, and no matter his emotions, he had to keep himself in control. So Ais held him to the ground until he settled. Bell tried thrashing in her grip, but he was no match for her level six strength even with all his enhanced stats.
In the tumult of Bell's mind, it was her voice that cut through.
"Bell, you need to calm down," said Ais, head bent close to his.
Slowly, Bell came back to them. He felt the tears stream down his face.
'Why am I like this?' asked Bell to himself, 'Why am I so weak? I need to stop letting people save me!'
"Bell, is there anything I can do?" asked Ais.
Ryuu stood a couple feet away, unsure of what to do. She had followed Bell on instinct, but her deep thoughts said that she was just acting jealous. The elf was only looking to spend more time with the boy she loved. She was being terribly greedy, and she hated herself for it.
"Leave me alone!" cried Bell, "Why did you chase me? I thought you would hate me!"
"Hate you?" Ais tilted her head.
Bell wanted to bury his head, "My aunt killed your Familia members."
Ais frowned, "She did. But you didn't. I said it wasn't any of my business; remember Bell? I'll wait until you want to talk."
Ais stood up and carried Bell with her to make sure her bunny didn't keep running. She held him close, frowning. Then Ais began to squeeze tight. She knew that hugs were a way to comfort someone. This went on for ten seconds before Ais noticed that Bell didn't appear to be breathing.
"Ais! Squeezing too tight!" said Bell.
The Sword Princess slackened her grip, "Sorry."
"It's ok," Bell looked to the ground, "Ummm, can you put me down, Ais?"
Ais frowned, "And you won't run away again?"
Bell turned a deep shade of red, "I promise."
Ais seemed to study him for another minute before she finally put him down. Finally, she looked between Ryuu and Bell. She turned around and walked a little bit away. When she had moved a couple feet, she turned around. Ais was going to pretend not to hear what happened next.
Ryuu looked at the ground. She was unsure of what to say next. Saying an apology now would feel hollow and meaningless. Also, she was still angry at Bell for hiding what he knew. These were Ryuu's emotions, and they were important to her. She didn't want to just go crawling back. Alise had once told her that she was better than that.
"Ryuu…I don't know what to say," began Bell.
Ryuu sighed, "Then don't. I don't know what to say either, Bell. So, for now, we keep moving. I need some time to think."
Bell didn't seem happy with that answer, but Ryuu didn't care for once. She was tired…so unbelievably tired right now.
The elf turned and started to walk back to camp. She had gone all of ten feet before her pointy ears twitched. Ais drew her blade. Something was approaching. Then, the anubites crested the hill. They moved like shadows across dunes. Within seconds, they were upon them.
They came with a storm of howls and snarls. Their weapons traced arcs and crashed into the ground. Dust and debris scattered as they missed their adversaries. These monsters were no match for their opponents. Now that they weren't busy fighting to protect their allies, these first-class adventurers were going all out. Ais had already cut six of the monsters in half. She hadn't been touched once. Ryuu and Bell had downed four more, but they kept getting in each other's way. Ryuu had stomped on Bell's foot at one second, and Bell had elbowed her in the stomach another.
They took a precious moment to forcefully not look each other in the eye, which almost caused their deaths. They both took a hit to the side that sent them flying. It was their status that turned a killing blow into a bruise. After that, there was a quick blur. The two picked themselves up off the ground to find the rest of the monsters turned into dust. Ais glared at the piles of ash.
"Ais, what's wrong?"
"They hurt you. I'm not letting people do that anymore."
Meanwhile, Ryuu stared off into the night. She pointed a finger out.
"Over there! I see something stand at the top of the hill!" cried out the elf. There was a shadow watching them. When Ais and Bell turned to pursue, Ryuu shook her head, "We need to get back to the others!"
"What about the monster?" asked Ais.
"We'll deal with it later!" Ryuu took off back towards camp. Bell was on her heels immediately. Ais stared at the shadow monster for a second longer, something nagging at her brain. Then, she turned to follow Bell. She did promise to protect him after all.
When they got back to camp, they didn't find anything wrong. The others had just been sitting around, apparently listening to Aisha. When three of their adventurers ran back, low on breath, they jumped to their feet and assumed their battle positions.
"Are we under attack?" asked Mikoto, who was standing in front of Haruhime.
"Wait…no monsters have shown up?" asked Ryuu, surveying the campsite.
Daphne shook her head, "Were we supposed to be attacked?"
"We were," replied Ais.
Lili snorted, "You were in the Dungeon, Miss Ais. It's normal to be attacked when you're on your own."
Bell shook his head, "There was something else, though. Those monsters were acting like they were taking orders. And there was another one standing a bit farther away."
"Did you catch a look at it?" asked Elwin.
"No, but something was familiar about it," responded Ais.
Lefiya tilted her head, "Familiar?"
Ais nodded, "Something about the monster's aura…the way it held itself."
"Do you think it's a Xenos?" continued Cassandra.
Urashima sighed, "It's possible. We were sent here to investigate."
Ouka crossed his arms and grunted in agreement. Then he let a breath of air out his nose, "For now, though, we should try and get back to bed. I'm still tired."
The big man said goodnight, nodded to Chigusa and went back inside his tent. Welf yawned and followed. Ura and Elwin both made sure to say goodnight to Oto and Lefiya before they left as well. The two women made to go into their tent, but the little elf paused at the flap. She took a moment to look behind her and out at the desert. Was something watching her?
The rest made their way back into the tents. Mikoto volunteered to take Ryuu's place on guard duty, and Haruhime volunteered to join her. Ryuu tossed a look at Bell, who tried to give her a nod, then she continued on inside. Ais did smile at him, though, which made him feel a bit happier. Everyone gave him a bit of a funny look, but that was tomorrow's problem. For now, he was tired. He went inside to try and get back to sleep.
The monster known as Nysa ducked back behind the rock she was currently hiding behind. When her anubite minions had been totally decimated, she had cursed for a long while. Finding enough monsters that were easily controllable was always going to be difficult. And it was going to be more difficult to find a way to replace them. Scipio, who she was currently partnered with, was not going to be happy with her. He had probably told her at one point which adventurers were strong and which were weak, but she didn't care about that. The only one that truly mattered was the elf girl with long orange hair and enchanting blue eyes. She was the only one that mattered.
Nysa was so caught up in her thought that she didn't see the massive imperator scorpion sneaking up on her. Five meders across and two high, these beasts were near the top of the food chain down in desert floors. There were only a couple monsters in the area that could take this beast in a one-on-one duel. It was genuinely lethal.
As the beast brought back its tail for a lightning-quick attack, Nysa swept a clawed hand up. The tail came off at its stem. It fell to the ground with a dull thud. Before the beast could howl in pain, the banshee had opened her mouth to unnatural proportions. Then, she bit down and swallowed the creature's head. From there, it was a simple procedure to reach down and rip out its magic stone. As the monster's carapace disintegrated to ash, Nysa studied the rock in front of her.
She looked between the campsite and the stone. Then, she grew a wicked grin. She held the magic stone in her closed fist. The only thing that mattered was the little elf, but there was another obstacle in Nysa's way. There was a half-elf with jade green hair that had to be dealt with first.
The following day, the party began to make its way through the twenty-ninth floor. They marched alongside the river, careful to maintain a distance of at least ten feet from the shore. Occasionally, more anubites would attack, along with some scorpion-men (bottom-half scorpion, top-half man) and wadjets. Wadjets were flying cobra monsters that spat acidic venom and could use a hypnotic gaze. They were incredibly dangerous to the party. For the most part, though, they were handled. Mikoto slowly became more accustomed to the monsters around her, and her 'Black Crow' skill became more viable.
By mid-morning, they had made their way halfway along the floor, by Lili's estimation. The ease of movement was helped by how straightforward it was. All one had to do was keep moving downstream. There was only one incident worth talking about.
When they had made their way three-quarters of the march across the floor, something extraordinary happened. While they had made a quick stop for lunch, a monster came into their vision. A great bird of flames began to soar across the sky. Behind it trailed a tail of surreal light. The creature's feathers seemed to burn. The fire started as a bright orange near the center and shifted colours as it went. It passed through red, yellow, green, purple, and finally blue at the tips of its wings.
"I don't believe it," murmured Ais. The potato puff she had been eating fell half-finished from her mouth.
Around her, Aisha, Lefiya, and Ryuu took to their feet. All four women, who were tried and true adventurers, stared in awe and wonder at the great bird. The image of beauty before them left them astounded. Even the other adventurers, who didn't fully comprehend what was going on, felt a sense of splendour wash over them.
"What is it?" asked Otohime, finally coming back to her senses.
"It's a phoenix," replied Ryuu, "The rarest monster in the Dungeon…it is…beautiful."
Indeed, there were more tales of the mythical phoenix than any other monster in the Dungeon. Its legends were immeasurable but confirmed sightings of the beast could be counted on one hand. Often, if it was seen, it was too far away to hunt. This was an incredibly lucky moment to see it so close.
Lili smiled, "Incredible. A shame we have to kill it."
Everyone turned to stare at the little prum, looks of shock on their face. No one felt right about killing such a beautiful creature. However, before they could voice their protest, Urashima nodded along.
"Even in the Far East, we have heard of the miracle properties of the Phoenix Feather. The most valuable item in the world, sitting in front of us," explained the bodyguard.
"Is it really that incredible?" asked Welf, skeptical. He didn't like the idea of trying to bring that bird down. It would be challenging, and it almost seemed like a crime to destroy something so beautiful.
"The stories say that the last one used," answered Bell, "was involved in the philosopher's stone."
That brought silence to the group. They all knew who Fels was, and more importantly, they knew what the skeleton was capable of. They also knew why he was a walking talking skeleton.
"We're going to bring down that bird," finished Ouka. He looked down and smiled at the woman next to him, "You can do it, Chigusa."
The little woman felt her heart race. She had to bring the bird down.
Bows were grabbed and handed out. While that happened, Mikoto took flight. Before she left, Haruhime made sure to tie her scarf nice and tight around Mikoto's waist. The Black Crow's black wings carried her into the air. Her job was not to engage directly but to shepherd the monster closer to everyone else. Lefiya and Aisha readied their magic, which both had distance and power behind them. Urashima and Otohime both strung traditional Far East bows and readied special long-distance arrows. Anyone not getting their ranged attacks ready was preparing a defensive circle.
Haruhime watched the skies as black met with an iridescent rainbow of colour. Her eyes narrowed as she tried to keep track. The only problem was that Mikoto disappeared in a fountain of lights. The only sign of her success was that the monster seemed to be coming closer.
"Is everyone ready?" cried Lili.
"Yes!" was the reply.
After what seemed like an hour of waiting, the phoenix was in range. The arrows started to fly, and magic blasted away. Nothing hit though, the bird just banked away to the right. As it passed overhead, it flapped its wings and flames came raining down. Bits of fire fell in the shape of teardrops. Wherever they touched and turned to glass.
The party had to try dodging instead of fighting for the second, and no one could get a clear shot. Mikoto was trying to keep the damn thing in one area, but she was already getting burned from being in the phoenix's mere proximity.
That was when Ryuu had enough. She brought out her wooden sword, no longer caring if it burned, and swung in short arcs.
"Wind Blade!"
At Ryuu's call, a green slash blasted forth. It cut through the air and clipped the phoenix. Where it had hit, feathers got cut away. This was Ryuu's new quick cast magic. Much like firebolt, it wasn't the most powerful but perfectly suited for Ryuu's combat style. She started cutting through the air with her Wind Blades. Each one worked to pen in the phoenix. At this point, it was only a matter of time.
The next thing to hit it was Chigusa's arrows. She stood still, took the bird's flames, and aimed true. While her hair and clothing got singed, she could nail the bird on its other wing. The phoenix lost altitude and began to slow down. All that was needed was the final push.
"Arcs Ray!"
Lefiya's magical shot raced out and slammed into the bird's chest. Her aim was true, and the archers of Wishe were with her. The magic went into the phoenix's chest and burst out from the other side. The giant, majestic beast let out a great caw as it fell. It slammed into the sand; its wings were curled around itself. Its flames began to flicker out until it turned white and dead.
As Lili and Haruhime began to take the great beast apart, they dug and dug until they found its sizeable magic stone. That wasn't what they really wanted, though. The drop-item was worth considerably more than the beast. After it disappeared, everyone in the party prayed. They searched through the sand until Bell found a single phoenix feather, still shifting and glimmering in the light. Lili was ready to burst from her joy. She waved the all-powerful feather in the air.
"Master Bell! Look at it! Isn't it beautiful?" asked the prum.
Bell's eyes widened. He thought that Lili would have wanted nothing to do with him. Now that people were learning about his family, he was ready for lots of anger and hate. Lili didn't care, though. Lili herself did not have a beautiful history. All that mattered to her was the here and now. That said, she would still need to talk to Bell later. Something was pissing her off. Her thoughts were interrupted by the sounds of approaching desert lizards.
The party then realized that their battle may have attracted more monsters. Lili stuffed the feather into her pack, and they resumed their march through the Dungeon. They cleared the twenty-ninth floor and began moving through the thirtieth.
As they marched, Otohime came to a startling realization, "Hey! Aren't we supposed to meet some of those Xenos creatures down here?"
Lili looked back at the Dragon Princess and raised an eyebrow, "You're just remembering this now?"
Otohime frowned, "Well, I've been busy! And sweaty! It's hard to remember anything in all this heat!"
This was true. Everyone had marks of perspiration on them. Even with the cooling cloth they wore, the heat was still practically unbearable. It was the worst for Lefiya and Urashima. The little elf refused to wear anything besides her traditional elvish clothing, and the stuffy outfit did not help keep the heat out. Meanwhile, the bodyguard had to constantly apply unique cooling stones to his metal arms. If he weren't careful, he'd feel the metallic surface start to burn at his flesh.
The only ones who seemed relaxed were Aisha and Welf. Aisha's combination of skimpy clothing and amazon blood helped her stave off the humidity. Meanwhile, Welf was a smith. He worked in the forge day in and day out. While not technically the same, there were still enough similarities that he had built a kind of tolerance to heat like this.
Haruhime's tail hung limply next to her as she panted, "Lady Lili, where will we be meeting with the Xenos? Is it somewhere close?"
"At a nearby oasis," replied Lili. She studied a map of the thirtieth floor. After glancing at her surroundings, she nodded, "Lili is going to need space and some quiet."
Her Familia immediately understood what was happening. They took a step back and motioned for everyone else to do the same.
"Surrounding map, be known to me. Show me the world how the bird sees it. Reveal my enemies and my allies. Topocartoa!"
An ethereal orange image spread out around the prum. An uncountable number of magical lights took shape and moved. Eventually, they settled into a set of rising slopes and valleys. A bit farther away, some of them dipped into a circular pool with trees. Lili walked between her position at the center and the pool.
"Lili believes this is the oasis that we should be looking for," continued the prum. She then measured out a distance and direction, "If the party continues along this path, heading straight, we should arrive at the rendezvous point in an hour."
Daphne held up a hand, "Excuse me, what is this?"
Lili looked confused for a second before looking back down at the glowing map she was standing in. She made a sound of comprehension.
"This is Lili's new magic that she acquired. It allows Lili to generate a map of the surrounding area up to a certain distance. It is a topographic generator," explained the prum.
Ais blinked twice and then said, "Not even Finn can do that."
Lili blushed from the unexpected praise. The Sword Princess was making it incredibly difficult to be angry! Lili was supposed to hate her, not be embarrassed!
"Quiet, everyone! Let's get moving! The Xenos will be waiting for us!"
They continued their march, now moving into the heart of the desert. The river retreated out of sight, and Bell felt his anxiety grow. They were in dangerous territory now, and if Lili's magic was off, or if they got taken from their path, then there was a high chance that they would die down here. Bell maintained his position in the rearguard, Otohime walking beside him. The Princess glanced over at his worried face. He was not going to make this easy.
"So, you've made a couple mistakes recently," began Otohime, "Nothing too bad, by the looks of it, but still, mistakes have been made. And now, someone is hurting because of you," she smiled, "What do you do next?"
Bell frowned, "I wasn't the only one who messed up, though. Ryuu's the one who slipped up first."
Otohime rolled her eyes, "That's a child's answer. You're better than that Bell," she placed a hand on his shoulder, "You're a good person; you just need to stop hiding so much."
Bell looked away, "I don't know what you mean."
"Oh no, of course not. It's not like you've been hiding the fact that your aunt was a dangerous criminal. Or that Ryuu kissed you, twice, in a drunken stupor."
The boy flinched, "You all heard that too?"
"I did," Otohime shrugged, "I don't know if anyone else heard, though. No one else looked awake."
"You can't tell anyone," said Bell.
Otohime snorted, "I won't shout it out loud, but I'm not keeping secrets, Bell. Especially not from Ura. If I think that he needs to know, he's going to learn."
Bell pouted but began to consider his position. He replied, "That's fair…I just…wanted something for myself, for once."
"Bell, take it from me, having something unique and entirely yours isn't all it's cracked up to be," she looked up to the Dungeon ceiling, "Neither is knowing about your family history."
"What do you mean?"
Otohime arched an eyebrow, "My family name has been longer than the Age of the Gods, Bell. Our history is soaked in blood," she shivered in the heat, "It terrifies me to think that I almost stayed there. That I almost became like my family…that I still could."
"No, you won't! No one here cares about your family!" responded Bell, "And no one would ever think badly about you because of them!"
As soon as the sentence left his mouth, Bell realized he had been tricked. It was always easy to forget that Otohime had survived a court of intrigue growing up. When it came to studying and books, she failed miserably. She giggled into her hand as his own words played against them. After a moment of this, the Dragon Princess smiled.
"Bell, we don't hold your family against you," she frowned, "That said, I think you might have offended some people."
Bell tilted his head, "Offended them?"
Otohime nodded. "For thinking that they would care about who Alfia is."
"How do you know?" asked Bell.
"Because you offended me."
Otohime didn't see a need to carry on the conversation then. The two walked in contemplative silence. They scanned behind for monsters and worked to get rid of anything that threatened their friends.
Eventually, Bell said, "I'm sorry."
It took a second, but then Otohime's smile lit up like the sun. "Thank you, Bell!"
Near the front of the party, a smith moved out of position. He went to walk beside an elf. Ryuu was pointedly not looking backwards; instead, she focused on what lay ahead.
Welf walked next to her, careful to match her stride. Before he could articulate a thought, Ryuu said, "You think I should apologize. Well, maybe I should, but he needs to apologize too. He's the one who messed up."
When Welf opened his mouth, she continued, "Maybe I'm being immature about this, but I don't care. I think I deserve that, just this once. While the rest of you get to act like fools all the time, I want to be a woman. Is that too much to ask?"
Welf shook his head, only slightly comprehending what he heard. Not that Ryuu noticed.
"For once in my life, can I at least pretend to be a girl in love?" Her eyes would've watered if the heat hadn't dried them up already.
"I know it'll never work out. For one, I am much older than him. Second, he loves the Sword Princess, even if he refuses to admit it. I get it; I don't get Bell. But can't I at least pretend to have a shot? Or act like a girl who just got her heart broken. Can't I act that way? Just this once…."
Welf took her free hand in his own, "You don't have to act that way, Ryuu. You can just be that girl."
Ryuu's throat closed up. Why did she have to lose every time?
Even though she knew that the others would see, she leaned into Welf's body. There was no romance here, just a need for something. Some intangible feeling that would tell her that she was enough. She longed for the comfort of someone else, even someone who was taken. She just wanted to be held and be told that she was loved. Why was that always too much to ask?
Her moment of pity was broken when a familiar high-pitched voice began shouting from above.
"Bell! Haruhime! You're here!"
With that, a little vouivre girl descended.
Character Profile:
Ryuu Leon:
Status:
Strength: F 465 Defense: F 430 Dexterity: E 538 Agility: E 546 Magic: F 478
Hunter: F
Abnormal Resistance: F
Magic Resistance: G
Swordsman: H
Magic:
Luminous Wind: Wide area attack magic. Wind and light element
Noah Heal: Healing magic. The effect depends on environment. Effect rises in forested areas.
Wind Blade: No chant magic that can be used quickly.
Skill:
Fairy Serenade: Increases the effects of magic and the effect rises at night.
Mind Load: Increases user's strength stat when attacking by using mind. It has an active trigger.
Aero Mana: Increases user's attack power the faster they're running.
Wooohhhhh boy, here we are now. This was some fun stuff to do. These were also some serious conversations that had to be had and they were hard to write. But hey! Look, its a phoenix! I wonder if that will be important? I hope you all enjoyed the story, let me know what you think down below! Every comment, even the mean ones, mean a lot because they mean that people are reading. You know what I mean? Next Wandering Wednesday: Xenos stuff! Woohoo!
To Guest and Noon12345: Glad you were able to settle your differences!
pix25: I will say that some of it is sexual tension, but other parts of it are very intense emotions. More incoming!
lou2003us: It's all going to lead to something very dangerous down the line.
Again, thanks to all for the kind words! Let me know what you think!
