"I'm gonna reach it first!" Laura raced ahead of the group.
"We'll get there even faster, stupid!" Storm began to climb higher up, Spence holding onto his back.
"Don't tire yourselves out before we reach it!" Mary yelled, seemingly going unheard.
"They'll be fine, idiots like that have unlimited energy." Zara told her.
"Well, I don't know how true that is, but what if they get lost?"
"They'll find their way back. Probably."
Storm continued up the cliffs, before jumping into the air.
"Spotted one!" Spence pointed downwards. The fanged wyvern hit the ground and pounced forwards. The Uragaan spotted them and tried rolling forward.
The two dodged around its predictable attack, turning back around to strike at it. Spence was surprised to feel his glaive bounce off. The Uragaan slammed its chin into the ground a moment later, knocking him off balance.
Before it could follow up, a greatsword cut through its side, causing it to pull back.
"And the first proper hit goes to me!"
"I still found it first."
"That doesn't matter."
The Uragaan turned to her, slamming the ground once more. She was knocked off balance for the briefest of moments, before regaining her grip and swinging back.
The Uragaan started to roll forward. Laura blocked it, but refused to move aside. Even without much speed, its weight still proved a challenge to her. Yet, despite that obvious danger, she continued to push back.
"The hell are you doing!? It's gonna crush you!"
"Huh?" As Laura turned to listen, she ended up losing the battle and getting knocked down by the Uragaan. It rolled over her.
She got back up.
"The hell did you do that for?"
"It was to warn you. And look, I was right on the money about what'd happen."
"That was only cause you talking threw my focus."
"How are you not dead?"
They turned their heads, seeing someone standing above them. A woman of average height with a ponytail and a strange mark underneath her right eye stared distantly at them as she lent on a rock at a strange angle.
"Did you want her to die?" Spence asked back.
"...Nah, I don't think so. It's just surprising. It crushed her, after all."
"It's fine, it rolled off my armour."
"I don't think that's how it works."
"Are you sure?"
"...Maybe. Anyway, you're both going about this wrong. It hurts just to look at. So much that I forgot what I was doing here in the first place. So I'm going to tell you how to defeat that Uragaan."
Despite her words, her voice continued to sound unmotivated.
"Really?"
"...Yeah. So to start, you're going about this all wrong. Don't aim for the back. You wanna hit it where it's the most squishy, not where it's the most hard."
"That seems cowardly." Laura complained.
"Maybe. But it's also very effective, so I think it equals out. I'll demonstrate."
She jumped down from her perch, drawing the weapon from her back. A bow extended out, almost skimming along the bow. She drew three arrows back and fired them towards its underbelly. All three connected, causing it to stumble slightly.
"See? It works. Now just do what I did. But without the bow. Unless you want to."
"Guess I'll just have to try it." Spence replied as he and Storm got ready.
"Yeah. That's what I told you to do. Wait, what's up with that Tobi-Kadachi?"
"That's just Storm."
"Oh. Why?"
"I- don't know what you're asking here."
"Why?"
"Are you repeating yourself or asking why I don't know?"
"...Yeah." She nodded with a smile on her face.
"Which o-"
"I'm gonna get it first!" Laura sprinted forward.
"Ah, not so fast!" Spence and Storm ran behind her.
Once more, she swung for the Uragaan's head. Her blade barely cut through it. Spence appeared from the side, sinking his glaive into its stomach. The Uragaan roared in pain, causing Spence to freeze. It released a red gas from its stomach, burning both of them slightly and forcing a retreat.
"I didn't know it could do that!" Spence coughed as he backed off.
"Oh, I forgot to mention. When you get too close to that it can do that. I think it only burns you when it's mad. Usually it just tries putting you to sleep, I think."
"Then why didn't you say that?"
"...I just did, though? Just don't get hit and you'll be fine."
"That's not useful at all!"
As Spence yelled that, Storm dragged him out of the way of the Uragaan trying to crush him.
Those three continued to battle the monster under the bow girl's guidance, as she found another rock to weirdly lean on.
Zara and Mary continued to walk around.
"You think they're okay?" Mary asked.
"Yeah, probably."
"It'd be nice if we could find them, though."
"I guess."
"But where could they be?"
"I dunno." She thought for a moment "This'd be quicker if you and Kasa just fly up and check, wouldn't it?"
"Oh, yeah."
"Then why haven't you done that?"
"Because I'd have to leave you here."
Zara tilted her head.
"And?"
"That'd be kinda rude when we're talking."
"Oh. So you care about that stuff. Yeah, that makes sense."
"You're saying you don't?"
Zara shrugged.
"Well, if you're okay with it, then we'll be going now."
"Yeah, don't worry. Being forced to talk about things I don't care about while walking around was getting on my nerves. I'm not bothered."
"Okay."
As Kasa took off, Mary thought to herself.
"Is she that mean on purpose, or does she do it without thinking?"
The battle continued. Storm landed another successful attack, but was clubbed by the brute wyvern's tail. Spence vaulted over it, but ended up landing in its path as it swung back around.
"No, that's not it. You have to dodge that."
"I'm trying."
"Try more good."
Spence went back to hitting it.
As he drew in close, it released sleeping gas. He managed to pull back in time, but Storm wasn't as quick. A few moments later, he collapsed onto the ground and passed out. Spence tried to shake him back awake.
The Uragaan closed in on them, prepared to try crushing Storm.
"I'm tired of this."
Spence turned to see Laura charging forward. The Uragaan also turned, trying to crush her once more.
She swung around with all her might.
"You're just gonna get run over again." The bow girl told her.
"Shut up, I'm not listening! Not getting distracted this time. I'm gonna do it!"
Her sword crashed into the beast. With all her might, she struggled against it. The others could do nothing but watch. She seemed to get pushed away, but continued standing her ground.
A roar. Laura used an inexplicable strength to push. She regained some ground, before decisively shoving it with everything she had.
Both onlookers gasped with shock. But the one even more surprised than them was the one being launched. For the first time in its life, the Uragaan flew through the air. A moment later it crashed back into the ground, the sound of the impact waking Storm up.
The Uragaan got back up and stared at her for a few moments, before limping away.
The bow girl walked toward Laura, who was busy catching her breath.
"I have no clue how you did that. That's scary. But I also have nothing left to teach you." She smiled, ignoring how she hadn't taught them anything.
"You're very stupid, but you're also very strong. Just keep hitting things until they die."
"Thank you for your kind words."
She then walked over to Spence.
"You're also stupid. But fast instead. Never forget that."
"I'll try."
She took a few more steps away and turned to give a thumbs up.
"Farewell, my students."
They watched her walk away and disappear from their sight. A moment later Kasa landed.
"What even happened here?"
"Well, we fought it." Spence explained "Also some girl showed up and started telling us how to fight it. She had a bow."
"Okay. More importantly, why did I see an Uragaan in mid-air?"
"I launched it." Laura told her.
"...I see." Mary paused "Well, I doubt it'll be starting any more fights around here after that, so it should be fine to say we repelled it. Anyway, what happened to the bow girl?"
"Oh, she left."
"Did you ask what her name was?"
"Nope, completely forgot!" Laura exclaimed with a beaming face.
"Why do you sound so enthusiastic? Whatever, let's just go back."
The three started to follow her to Valrag.
"Feels like we're forgetting something, though."
"Does it?"
Zara relaxed, lying on Arachne's back once more. She had no idea where they were and no idea where to go, so she had decided to give up.
"Ah, another day's hard work."
The other team finally returned.
"I suppose we should use the parts for something." Judah looked around for any blacksmiths.
"I'm good," Isa replied "I'd rather not be reminded of that thing."
"Me too." Luke added, "My gear's still fine."
"I want a new hunting horn!" Jean excitedly told the rest "Like, one where the horn part looks like its mouth!"
Isa looked at her in disgust. "Why would you? That's so creepy."
"Because it's creepy."
"That's stupid."
"You wouldn't get it."
They wandered for a while longer, before reaching what appeared to be a smithy.
"Huh? No one's here." Jean commented.
"We can see that, you don't have to point it out."
Luke noticed a sign.
"I have departed on a journey to master my craft. I will return when I have become one with the blade itself."
"When's that supposed to be?" Isa asked.
"I dunno, I didn't write it. But if they're the only one here, why doesn't anyone else around here seem to be having a problem with it?"
"Oh, don't you know?" Jean asked "It's normal for expeditions to have a blacksmith with them. So they can upgrade while travelling and stuff."
"Huh, it is?"
"Yeah. I figured you'd be aware."
"We only started this week." Judah informed her.
"Heh… looks like you've still got a way to go."
"Don't look down on us when all you do is play music." Isa complained.
"I'm even more useless, though." Luke murmured.
"Stop that." Isa and Judah replied in unison.
"I couldn't help but overhear that you're in need of someone to build some gear."
"Who the hell are you?"
A man with an eyepatch over his right eye walked forward.
"Just a traveller. I can't hope to compare my skills to those of the crazy old man that usually works here, but I can at least make something simple for you."
"That's nice of you to offer," Judah said "But I think she was asking for your name."
"It's proper manners to introduce yourself first, isn't it? Though it's not like I care for those much anyway. Fenris Eis. I don't mind if you call me Fen, though."
The bow girl continued her walk.
"Ah. Guess I should've asked them if they've seen a guy with an eyepatch. Well, it's probably fine. They don't seem like the type he'll be a problem for. Probably. I think."
TO BE CONTINUED