~ Chapter 6 ~

[ Blue ]

1st day of the 11th Month – HEC, 372

Rulid Village, in Eugeo's house

There's always a time for something to come to an end. That was the way life as a whole works; a cycle of beginnings and endings, of birth and death, of hello's and goodbyes.

…Whoa. That was pretty deep. Eugeo wondered where that came from, blinking himself awake as that thought permeated in his mind for a little long before he ultimately decided to put it aside—otherwise, he'd probably just spend the next few hours contemplating mortality and whatnot. Wouldn't be good for his sanity. Instead, he lets his mind wander to something else, and as a smile reaches his face, he couldn't help but be more excited than anything else.

It's finally time!

Eugeo didn't remember the last time he'd been this excited. Enough so that he'd had trouble sleeping last night after Ivenda, whom they had visited the day prior (it was a rest day, so it was pretty convenient)—after undergoing the typical routines and examinations, it was to his delight that Ivenda had finally given him the green light to take off his cast today, which he was absolutely down for.

Looking down at the makeshift cast holding his right arm up, he was genuinely amazed by how long he'd been wearing this. Experiencing that pain first-hand hadn't been fun. Where the claws had once pierced, he could still remember how much it stung, and there had been a dull ache in his skin afterwards, akin to pins and needles. Now, the most that he could feel was a kind of an itch underneath his skin. A tingling feeling after the wounds were sealed and his would-have-been murderer bisected.

And now, it was finally time to get it out of its shell. Figuratively… but also literally?

From beside him, Kirito regarded him with an amused look, chin resting on his hands. "Whoa, now. All this time, you'd slept in like a potato, and now you're buzzing like a bee. What's with that?"

"Ivenda said that I can finally take off my cast today," he replied, smiling widely as he raised his arm. That got Kirito to quirk his brows in surprise. "I've been wearing this for goddesses know how long. To finally get it off feels like a huge load off."

"Oh yeah? Guess that is good news," the other boy grinned. "Wanna' take it off now? Or over breakfast?"

"Breakfast. Sulinea didn't want me accidentally taking it off all wrong or something," he rolled his eyes at that. "She worries too much. But then again, if she doesn't—"

"She wouldn't be Sulinea to begin with."

"Fact."

Laughing together at that, they get on with their morning routines before joining the rest of his family downstairs for breakfast as always. Sulinea was still in the kitchen preparing breakfast, her hum clearly heard from the table. To their simultaneous surprise and lack thereof, there was a diverse preparation that both of them immediately picked up on.

"What's the occasion?"

"You'll be taking off your cast finally. Sulinea was thrilled, and thought to celebrate that."

"She'll find any occasion to celebrate," chuckled Kirito, getting the man to nod in agreement. "Well, I guess we can do just that. It's a good day, right? So might as well. Here's to good health from now. And less bad luck."

"To less bad luck," Eugeo laughed along.

"Does it hurt?" He turned to look at his brother. "I know you've already said it to Ivenda, but does it hurt anywhere?"

"Not at all. It's just numb nowadays, but I still have some amount of feeling. It's not too bad."

"That's kind of scary…"

"A little bit, but it's honestly not as bad as you think it is."

"Then that's good," their father spoke next. "It isn't pleasant to see you in this sort of condition. If you are well, then that is enough."

Before long, Sulinea finally gets out of the kitchen, a beaming smile on her face as she loaded the table with even more food and drinks that has all boys at the table gulping. Even his father seemed to grow nervous. "It really is! You've no idea how concerned all of us have been all these months. For everything to have turned out this well, and with no complications this far in… the goddesses really are looking out after you."

"I'll be sure to give them my thanks when I pray to them later on, then."

"Mmhm! So, without further ado, what say we take that off first?"

"Might as well. It's been hard to eat with it," his father nodded. "Alright then. Let's start slowly."

There was a nervous thrum in his chest. A sense of expectation for something that, just maybe, it could be a lot worse than he'd initially assumed it to be. It doesn't feel bad, but the looks don't often go hand-in-hand with the actual condition.

Well, whatever the case may be, Eugeo simply steeled himself for whatever his gaze would fall upon. Maybe they'd be horrifying. Disgusting, even. But there was no way he could ever avert his eyes from the truth.

The cost of protecting those girls that night… these are his scars. And he's prepared to witness them for himself.

"Whoa…"

"They sure look painful…"

Painful certainly seemed like the right thing to say. Eugeo winced a little at the sight of his arm. The claws had left behind some marks; five serrated and faded lines that extended from his elbow to his wrist. They certainly stood out on his pale skin, looking further whitened from the scar tissue.

There hadn't been any scars left behind on his back, which was one minor relief. But these ones are really plain and obvious for all to see; a reminder of a time in his life, though short as it may have been, that he'd struggled to fight against another living being. He could have died, but he hadn't. And these scars are living proof of that.

"Man… They sure don't look fun," Kirito muttered guiltily, crossing his arms.

"Don't even think about blaming yourself for this," he frowned back. "You were trying to protect us at the same time right when Charlotte showed up, didn't you? If you didn't, it might have gotten so much worse. You saved me, Kirito."

"Urk… Don't put it that way. Seems a little too embarrassing for me."

"But no less true," he huffed back. No amount of convincing would ever change that for him. "But… what do you think about them? How do they look—Ah…"

When that question popped in his head, he'd allowed it to slip off his tongue without giving it further thought. Now that he's realized it, Eugeo begins to fret in his place, feeling a little self-conscious as he tried to avert his gaze from his friend.

The first sign that, perhaps, it wasn't that bad was when his best friend hummed slowly. The second was Sulinea's and his father's curious looks, as if awaiting his verdict. The third was the frustrated sound he made. It didn't sound bothered, just…

"I don't know… Kind of makes you look more hardcore."

"Eh?"

"I know, right?!" Euden shouted next, bouncing on the balls of his feet. "Big brother finally looks cool!"

"Hey, he's cool even before he had those scars, you know?" Gently chastised Sulinea before smiling at him. "Don't pay them any attention. They're just being silly."

"But think about! Scars are, like, a trophy from a fight. A mark of a true fighter," his friend's attempt to convince her didn't seem to work on her, but it did get Eugeo to think about it. "I mean, look at Reyes. Sure, his scars are pretty small, but they're numerous. All across his body. They're signs that he'd fought so many fights and won each and every one of them. Ain't that cool?"

"…Darn. When you put it like that, it does sound pretty cool…"

"See? And this one," he gestured to his arm. "Is telling me a story. A story about a kid in the middle of the woods who took a bite to the arm from this massive and terrifying wolf!" His exaggerated shout got his brothers to perk up in fear and awe. "All to protect the little girls! You're hardcore, man! A hero!"

"Calling me a hero is just pushing it a little too much," and yet, he couldn't keep a straight face for long, looking away and feeling hot under the collar. "Still… thanks."

Kirito just shrugged back, indifferent to his own words. Heh. That's always been how he is; never one to see the bad parts of something. Maybe it's silly to consider that part of him something remarkable, but Eugeo felt vindicated by it. Could let himself accept things without giving them too much thought. It never fails to feel wonderful.

"So, how does it feel?" Sulinea asked, gaining everyone's attention.

"Err. Well, a little numb and just slightly itchy," he had half a mind to scratch his arm, but he didn't doubt that it would probably feel worse afterwards, so he opted to just ignore it—although it's incredibly itchy. 'Urgh. This is the worst.'

"Maybe you can just rub it a little," his father hummed. "Just light strokes. Enough to alleviate the itch. It'd be too annoying to keep ignoring it, am I right?"

"Heh, that is true."

"But can you hold anything with it?" Kirito's question had him perking up. The boy looked concerned. "I mean, you couldn't use your arm the entire time, right? We don't know if you can actually hold anything in your right hand now. We should at least test it."

Quickly, Kirito grabbed a spoon from the table and held it before him. Eugeo blinked at the offered object before, slowly, reaching out towards it.

'Ah…' A light tremor. His hand is shaking, fingers extended but clearly shaky. 'Okay, this isn't… No, just do it slowly. Slowly.'

He decides to hold his hand out, prompting Kirito to gently lay it out on his palm. The weight should be negligible, yet it feels oddly challenging for him. Eventually, however, he manages to stabilize himself and balance it on his palm. He closes his grip over the cool metal, slowly tightening his grip before relaxing it. He repeats the process a few more moments before offering it to Kirito, who gently took it from him.

And then, he decides to go for the true test; actually holding it the way one holds a spoon.

He flexes his fingers before testing the waters, slowly adjusting its body upon his middle finger while keeping it in place using his index and thumb. Kirito kept hold over the head of the spoon to make sure, and when he was certain he was ready, motioned for Kirito to let go.

The moment he did—

It slipped right out of his grasp. Green eyes widened as he reached for it with his other hand, but his friend was much quicker on the trigger, seizing it with his hand in a fast motion.

"Damn. Guess that's something we'll have to work on," Kirito scratched the back of his head. "Sorry 'bout that, bud."

"Well… that is a shame," but not something he was too bothered by. "Honestly, the fact that I get to use my hand and arm at all is something I'm more happy about than anything else. I could have been debilitated all throughout here for all I know, but I'm not. That's one good thing."

The ravenette nodded. "Gotta' look on the bright side of things. That's true."

"Well, as Kirito here said, we can always take time to help you work on that," his father then motioned to the table. "Now then, what say we get on with breakfast? I'm pretty sure you boys are just dying to get out there already."

The image of himself walking freely outside, able to swing both his arms wide in the air and feeling the wind against his skin sounds really amazing.

' And one other thing, I'll need you to make sure that you don't overexert yourself, okay? I won't hear you having injured yourself trying to do your calling and not taking time off to rest. Switch with Kirito if you have to, or don't work at all if possible.'

Well, that sure doesn't sound fun, but that's what he'll have to deal with, he supposed. Parents and older siblings will worry as always.

A lot of people outside were quick to greet him, some congratulating him upon noticing that his cast had been removed. Eugeo had taken all of that in stride and with smiles, quick to wave away the concerns of those who notice his scars. Darn, they sure do stand out, huh?

Not something he was honestly too bothered by, let alone embarrassed about. Sure, he would have never thought anyone would call them cool, but to hear that from his best friends and his little brothers sure does inject a good dose of confidence in him. But if the sight of these are gonna' rub some people the wrong way or make them fret over him, then maybe he'll look into some way he could hide them, for their sake and his (he doubts he'd have the energy to repeat to everyone how the wounds no longer hurt).

They arrived at their work place in no time. Breakfast was fun and all, but just as his father had said, he really was excited to be out and working again. Perhaps not to the extent that he had before the whole goblin ordeal, but at least being able to be productive at all sounded really great.

And maybe it was just him, but the whole world felt a lot more refreshing than it did before. Could it be just his imagination? Probably. Nothing else has changed, save for the fact that it's only growing colder with each passing day. But somehow, everything just feels great.

"Okay, you know how this goes. Even if your cast has been taken off, you haven't regained full use of your arm, right? So I'm gonna' pay a lot of attention towards you to make sure you don't do anything to push yourself. If it gets too much, just tap out. Don't need to feel bad about it too, okay?"

Well, it'd be hard not to feel guilty to make him keep working to make up for his lack of contribution, considering the months since he'd been out of commission, but he knew just how adamant his best friend. "Yes, yes, I hear you. Thank you."

The Dragon Bone Axe awaited them in the usual spot, the Blue Rose Sword still hidden underneath their feet. Kirito allowed him to at least take the axe first, though there was no mistaking the feeling that it's weight was significantly less compared to how it had been from before. Likely a result of his «Object Control Authority» rising (the memory of him stabbing that goblin came to mind, but he was quick to quash it).

They arrive at the Gigas Cedar soon enough, and Eugeo couldn't help but relish in the feeling of being here again. Sure, they'd had to go here all this time, but today's the first time he's actually returned here to actually work. To do something with his hands, rather than to sit back, do nothing and watch as his friend does the job for both of them.

"Excited?"

"You sure know it," he admitted with a light chuckle. "Probably won't go well, but I haven't done this in so long. So getting back to it is going to be fun."

"Heh, yeah. I can see that," he grinned back. "But again, I gotta' make a quick reminder; if you start feeling pain, stop immediately. No way in hell I'm gonna' let you hurt yourself. And I'm definitely not gonna' let you give Sulinea a heart attack or whatever. You know how she gets."

Just the mere thought of his sister finding out sounds really bothersome, which makes him sigh deeply. "Alright, alright… I'll be careful."

Eugeo stands in the same place he had stood many months ago, for many days of his life. It felt like ages ago since he'd had to do this job. With all the things that has transpired, this feels like the most mundane thing to go back to—and yet, he didn't hate it.

Sure, it wasn't the most 'fun' thing ever, but it was what he'd been told to do. And he'd gotten used to it since the first day he'd held this axe in both his hands, standing beneath this colossus of a tree as a little boy committed to an unending task alongside a boy he would grow close to. It had become a daily routine and a cherished memory.

Today is a true return to form after a long leave. It's just as always. And yet, as Eugeo gripped the axe in both hands, a minor thrum of pain danced across his right arm. He flinched a little, the feeling in his skin amplified to a certain extent that he wasn't comfortable with, which triggered a chain reaction by which his hold slackened just a miniscule amount.

'Goddesses… Okay. I can do this. I can do this.'

Even as he readied himself before the bark, however, there was no denying the phantom sensation in his arm. It came every now and then, all too often, especially if he held something far too heavy. As if the goblin that had done this to him was still gripping his claws into his arm. It doesn't hurt, but the feeling refused to leave.

Taking in a deep breath, he stared right at the mark. The more obvious sign was the thin line left deeper into the cut by the sword swings. The thought of perhaps wielding that once Fanatio leaves is one that refuses to leave him.

"You good, buddy?"

"I'm fine. Just taking some time to calm down," he responded, slowly filling his lungs with air as he inhaled through his mouth, tightening his core and letting strength bleed into his muscles. 'Okay, okay… I can do this. I've done this all the time. I can do this,' he thought to himself. 'Okay. Time for the first swing.'

Nodding, he raised his axe behind him, squaring himself up for the blow… and swung!

The blade met its mark like a huntsman's shot.

And yet, the impact behind the single collision set off a rush of sensations up his entire arm. There was a simultaneous loss of feeling and a phantasmal bite that crept along his limb, and the duality of the sensation made him gasp, his grip lost almost immediately as if he'd touched hot metal and retracted his arm on reflex. The handle of the axe slipped through his fingers and it dropped onto the earth.

"Eugeo!" Hasty footballs stopped right beside him, a hand on his good shoulder and a concerned look staring right at him. "Are you alright?"

"A-Ah… No, it's nothing. I'm fine," despite what he said, there was no hiding the fact that his whole arm and hand was trembling, even if slightly. It didn't hurt, but the fact that he could almost feel nothing yet everything was unnerving. He gripped his wrist with his other hand to try and still his hand, yet it refused to cease. "Urgh… It doesn't even hurt anymore. I just can't grip it tightly as I used to."

"That so, eh? I suppose it makes sense since you're working right away after you healed. It'll take time for it to get better and feel normal again… Well, guess that's enough for you. Let's—"

"No. No, just… let me at least try a little bit more," he asked, coming close to begging. "Please."

Kirito looked like he was just going to ignore his request and pull him off to the side. But eventually, he caved, raising his hands. "Alright, alright. You said that it doesn't hurt, so I'm trusting you on that one. But again, if it gets too much, just stop and let me take over, alright? Take a break as much as you need to. Otherwise, I won't bother you again."

Even disabled as he was now and being so much of a bother to his best friend, to be trusted this much left Eugeo feeling gratitude towards the other boy. "Thank you."

He picked up the axe once more, though he felt the awkwardness in his grip was much more defined now. He calmed himself with a slow intake of air, staring once more at the cut mark, which showed no obvious difference from his earlier strike. He'd expected that, but the frustration came to him once more.

Fixing his stance, he prepares himself to strike once more.

It feels so strange. For years, he'd been doing this one thing; a constant in his life that Eugeo can fall back to on a daily basis to remind himself that, as different as things may turn out, some things never truly change. That Kirito was still here with him was something he'd appreciated all the more. Even with Alice's departure, this was something the two of them still return to.

And yet, with his arm debilitated after the incident, what he'd turned into a daily chore is now a herculean task. Every swing of his arm causes a spike in pain. A temporary flare that renders his grip weaker and weaker, as if insulting him for even trying. He wished he was strong enough to ignore that, but his body kept trying to convince him to give up.

He didn't manage to get far beyond twenty swings before he was forced to permanently tap out—that left Kirito to handle the remaining count of three thousand cuts and more. Kirito was quick to take over, fussing over him just a little before having him sit down to rest while he took over.

It feels weird. Years of doing this job, but to struggle with it now is just a strange thing. Never would he have thought that he wouldn't be doing this (and the thought that he might never do it ever again in the future was one that had him concerned about how things would turn out).

'I wonder if it'll ever heal when I'm older,' he looked down to his shaking hand. Frowning, he gently gripped it in his left, rubbing slow circles on his palm with his thumb. It wasn't an appropriate treatment, but it helped distract him from the dull throb in his arm. 'Some people never actually recover after sustaining a terrible wound, so…'

He hears Kirito's grunts as he begins his swings, and Eugeo can't help but watch from where he was sitting. With the axe in hand, he looks no less impressive than he does with the sword, and every swing radiates a kind of strength Eugeo is shocked to see his best friend capable of displaying.

Each swing is so fast, with greater impact dealt into the gash. It's hard to imagine these kinds of swings being useless on regular trees; in fact, he wondered if he'd be able to just down a tree in a single swing.

In fact, though his arms seem lanky, there's no denying the small amount of development to them now. At times when he would disrobe in his room, Eugeo was able to tell that his body was beginning to pack some amount of muscle. Not enough to make too much of a difference, but enough to give him a lean and healthy build.

Had Kirito been doing training behind his back? No, that couldn't possibly be it. They'd been together from day to night. Maybe his body had progressively developed this way all this time, and he'd only begun to notice since he'd started to stay over at his house?

Huh. Now that he thinks about it, he can't help but wonder how his friend would end up looking like when they become teenagers, let alone adults. That would be quite something to witness…

'If I get a treasure chest's worth of money, I'm certainly betting on Kirito getting four wives.'

That thought was so sudden and so random that Eugeo took a moment to actually process just what exactly he had thought of… and then shrug casually at that.

Seems about right.

Four thousand swings were accomplished in a couple of hours, and once more, Eugeo is left awed at just how efficient his best friend is.

Despite his relatively small stature (well, they're both small, so there's that…), he certainly has the energy and strength to rival a typical worker. It's something that no doubt comes from their days of working on the tree, and perhaps every other routine involved; walking to and back from the Gigas Cedar on a daily basis, helping out around the village at times, and even that battle with the goblins.

And that was something he couldn't but pout over.

"Oh, don't be so grumpy," Kirito ruffled his hair. "What happened was unfortunate, but sometimes things happen. If I could have taken your place, you know I would have done it in a heartbeat."

"And if you were in that sort of situation, I would have tried to take the blow as well," he sighed. Honestly, he used to wonder how people could be so selfless for someone else. Now, he understood that. Sort of. "Do you think we're stupid for thinking like that?"

"Oh, a hundred percent. I never once doubted my own stupidity. I mean, you've known for me for, what? Two years-ish? You should know me by now."

That is a difficult thing to answer. Because, in all honesty, Eugeo simultaneously knows and doesn't know the kind of person he is, let alone what sort of things he'd get himself into (and also pull Eugeo into).

After all, how confident could he say that he expected to be fighting for his life against goblins to save some friends of theirs in the middle of the forest at night? The odds of that happening would be similar to finding a single piece of rock at the bottom of a lake floor.

And somehow, Kirito manages to not only find that rock, but also draw the attention of the guardian of said lake. Shouldn't be impossible, considering he tried to pick a fight with an Integrity Knight and won against goblins.

"I think… if there were a million answers given to me, all of them would be correct. But if I had to choose the single best answer, it would be yes."

" Yes?" Kirito pondered over it for a moment before humming in agreement. "Yeah, that makes sense, heh… So anyways, putting that aside, what should we do now? We've got lots of time to burn, and we're technically not allowed to hang outside for long. Wanna' head back already?"

Judging by his own tone, Kirito likely didn't see the appeal of heading back early either. Neither wanted to budge from this place, preferring to just stay out here to enjoy the cool atmosphere and the beautiful sights around them.

But of course, with everyone on edge with everything that's going on, there's no way that they'd be allowed to stay out, even if they'd been doing that long before everything else. Urgh… He knows that his father and sister are worried about their safety and all, and that isn't helped by the presence of an Integrity Knight and some unidentifiable monster, but do they really have to be so—

'… some..! Can anyone hear me..! I'm…North Cave..!'

The blades of grass danced around them as a breeze picked up. Clouds drifted across the sky, the light of Solus briefly dimming for the briefest of seconds. The world seemed to have stilled… only to become animated once more with the blink of an eye.

Frantic, quick and brief. "Huh?" Stunned, Eugeo looked around him to discern the source of the voice, standing up to get a better look of their surroundings. But there was no one there but him and Kirito in the middle of the forest. "What?"

Drinking from his water canteen, the other boy took a moment to finish gulping his drink before setting it down on the ground. "What's up? You heard something?"

"I…" He looked around a little longer before looking to Kirito. "I thought I heard a voice or something. Did you hear it too?"

"Me? No, I don't think so. In fact, I heard nothing around us for a while now. Well, there's the wind and the usual birds, plus the two of us, but a voice? Not at all."

"Really? But I think I…"

"You positive you actually heard someone just now?" When he nodded, Kirito hummed back. "What did it sound like?"

"Umm… It was feminine, I'm sure. And she sounded desperate, although there was this strange sense of grace in her tone that I can't shake off… As if I was listening to a noble's voice."

"Weird… If I did hear that kind of voice, I would certainly have noticed. Could it be possible that you heard that voice in your head?" Eugeo considered that thought for a moment before nodding. That earned him a worried look. "Well, isn't that suspicious..?"

Most certainly. Eugeo attributed the concept of hearing voices in one's head either that person's own monologuing or they're actually going insane. The idea of the latter happening to him succeeded in making him restless. And, judging by his expression, so too was Kirito.

"A voice calling out to you… What did she say?"

"She… It sounded like she was calling out for help. She wasn't specifically talking to me, but simply hoping someone heard her. She seems to be in the Northern Cave."

"The Northern Cave?" The mention of that name has him frowning. "Why? There isn't anything in there except all the treasure and the dragon bones. What reason would someone else go in there? A thief of some sort?"

That was a possibility, and yet… "I-I don't think so."

"Really? And why not?"

"Well, it's just… she sounded really troubled. She was calling for help and all. As if whatever's in there is a really big problem, and she needs help right away."

"A mistake for trespassing dangerous grounds all on her own. Or perhaps she went in others, and…" Kirito eventually went silent, and the message hung over their heads. He clicked his tongue, getting up from the ground. "Damn it… Guess we've no other choice."

"No other—Kirito?" He watched as the other boy quickly pulled the axe out of the gash in the tree, taking a moment to inspect its blade before lugging it onto his shoulder. Eugeo shot him a confused look. "What are you doing with that?"

"No guarantees that we'll be completely safe if we go in there without a weapon to use, so having something on hand would be better than going in empty-handed," he replied. Eugeo gawked at that. "I'd take the sword, but that's risky, so we'll just have to make do. And the voice told you to go to the Northern Cave, right? Then I'm coming along. I sure as hell ain't letting you charge in on your own. Who knows what's in there. I can fight… sort of, so it'd be better for me to tag along."

"W-Wait a minute, isn't this a little dangerous? What if it's a trap or an ambush? This might not be such a good idea after all."

"Then we can choose to ignore that voice and just return home. Nothing's stopping us from doing that right now," he turned his body to properly face him, a serious look on his face. "We have to decide, Eugeo. Either we do something now and deal with the consequences, or walk away and regret it later. Well, we'll probably regret either choices," he shook his head. "Still, we need to decide what our next plan of action is. Eugeo, what should we do?"

What should they—What was he saying? All of this is happening just a little too fast for him to process!

One does not simply hear voices in their head. And they certainly don't just follow the voice's directions; especially if it involved going to some secluded place that could very well lead to their deaths. Eugeo had been a fool enough to discard the possibility of that happening, and the paranoid part of him was yelling at him to just block it out.

His gaze wanders towards the mountainous edge. Where he, Kirito and Alice had gone to, seeing the other side for themselves, witnessing the death of its resident and accidentally getting Alice arrested. They returned there sometime later to retrieve the Blue Rose Sword in order to cut down the Gigas Cedar. Could he bring himself to go back in there again?

And yet… Perhaps he's a poor judge of intent and character, but the plea in her voice was too pure to be mistaken. Eugeo couldn't sense any malicious intent in the voice's tone, and that alone was enough for him. He can't bring himself to ignore her call for help.

Should they really be doing this..?

As he continued to think further and further on the logistics behind this moment, Eugeo eventually succumbed to irritation, scratching the back of his head with his good hand. "Ah maaan… I don't know what to do. But I know I'd probably be too curious I'd just go there at another time either way," he sighed. "I guess… we go and take a look. I don't exactly like this, but I'd feel worse doing nothing now. What if something bad happens if we don't go?"

His words felt like a shot right back at himself, recalling how he'd simply stood in place and watched Alice be taken away. That memory continues to hurt to this day, for he'd done nothing while Kirito had risked himself to try and save their friend.

One might say that it would have been futile even then, but sometimes, the thought counts. And in that moment, Eugeo had done nothing.

He can't repeat that same mistake again. Not anymore.

"You got that right. It's do or not do, and we've already got a plan of action," suddenly, he clapped Eugeo on the back, almost making him stumble. "And don't worry too much, okay? I'll be sure to watch both our backs," he grinned back, oozing confidence. "I may not be strong, but I'll protect the both of us no matter what comes at us. You can count on that!"

Coming from someone who had gone through such dangerous lengths to protect him and the girls during that fateful night? He simply smiled back. "I know you will."

And so, they set their sights on the Northern Cave, taking with them the Dragon Bone Axe—it would be a bad idea if they'd been caught leaving the mountain range with the Blue Rose Sword by the Integrity Knight. It would cause a lot of questions to spring up, and Eugeo knew neither of them would be adequately prepared enough to deal with them.

Still, even without the sword, they'd probably be interrogated as to why they'd been snooping around in the mountain range. After what had happened last time, getting caught now would certainly mean they wouldn't be allowed to leave the village without supervision. And that sounded like the worst thing ever.

The two hurried to the cave, Kirito taking the lead of the charge. Eugeo did his best to keep up with him, a part of him fearing for the worst when the voice hadn't spoken to him since the first time.

What was going on here? Who could possibly be in the cave right about now? Could they even be trusted?

"Have you heard anything else?" His friend's voice piped up from the front, prompting him to shake his head.

"No, nothing. I only heard it once."

"That so, eh? Damn… This is bad. We can't waste too much time, then."

"About that… are you really not concerned about this?" His question got him to raise a brow. "I mean, this is a really bad idea… Like, we shouldn't have any reason to come here. Sure, the voice I heard doesn't seem bad, but that could also be some sort of trap. You can never know. So…"

"It's because I trust you," with how quickly and confidently he'd said that, Eugeo was caught off-guard, blinking wide-eyed at his friend. Kirito continued on, completely fine. "I mean, even if you're trying to be suspicious of them, I could tell that you're really worried about this person. And you seem to trust them, so I'll trust you too."

"Wha… Seriously? That's it?"

"I don't need any more reason beyond that," he then snickered back as he ran, with that confident smile that only Kirito could ever muster. "I mean, I'm not really good at looking too far into the future. I'm always focused on the here and now, and right now, I'm choosing to trust you. If something bad happens, we'll cross that bridge then."

That's an awfully large amount of trust that he's putting on him…

And that makes him want to prove well on his part.

Perhaps the rational choice was just to give up, but they've come this far. And if it really is a person in need of help and he'd chosen to turn his back on them, then what kind of person would he be? When Kirito had risked his own safety to protect him once?

He nodded. "Got it. But we need to be really careful. We don't have Charlotte with us, so if something goes wrong, we'd probably be better to run away. It's in an enclosed space, after all, so there's no way a fight is the best idea. Plus, we might risk bringing down the cave on ourselves."

"True that. The ice area is relatively spacious, but the tunnels themselves are pretty cramped. Best we remember the route we take so we don't make wrong turns."

"Oh, trust me. I've committed the paths to memory. There's no chance that we'll ever go the wrong way."

Kirito's snicker had him grinning back. "Now that's what I like to hear! Now, let's! Into the Northern Cave!"

Yet again, they stand before the daunting entrance into the northern caves. It fills Eugeo with dread, gulping upon taking in the darkness that crept along the walls like moss. But remembering that he'd gone in here twice before fills him with confidence.

Channelling that confidence, he extends his fingers and chants an incantation to bring about a small orb of light. Rather than attaching it to a cattail, he lets it sit on his palm as he pushes into the cave with his friend right beside him, both of them side-to-side and jogging into the blackness.

This would be the first time they'll come in here without anyone else. The first time, Alice had been with them. The second, Charlotte. This time, however, it's just the two of them.

That brings a fresh wave of anxiety, but Eugeo wills it away with a shake of the head, trusting in his best friend's courage and strength. Plus, he'd already remembered the paths, so they could always make the run back if anything ever turns south—

' Anyone..! Please…'

"…It's not sounding good. Sounds like she's in big trouble, but I don't know where she is!"

"There's no other significant places we can look for. It'd take forever trying to check these tunnels," Kirito clicked his tongue. "We might need to head for the cave with the dragon bones… Damn. Always to the same place. Then again, there isn't really much else in this place to go to. This place feels big, but it's not a whole sprawling system, is it?"

"You're not wrong there. Makes me wonder how we actually mixed up the paths the first time we came here…"

"That's completely my fault," he groaned. "Seriously, I might be directionally challenged. Better not trust me with the map once we're on the road to Centoria. I might just take us somewhere completely off the radar."

The image of them somehow finding themselves in a desert when they're supposed to just head south towards the so-obvious central city has him stifling a laughter. "That would be so you."

Kirito pouted at first, but even he didn't last long enough, chuckling as well. "It sure would be…"

Huh. How strange. Even if it's just the two of them, a pair of kids running through a dark and creepy tunnel to go save someone, he doesn't feel as scared as he recalled himself feeling long ago. Maybe it really is nothing to worry about? Or perhaps they've drawn courage from having been here? Or it's just the relief in having each other's presence that helps keep the fear at bay.

Whatever it is, he sure is glad that Kirito tagged along. Under any other circumstances, he might just be too scared to even step foot into the tunnels. And goddesses forbid him coming in here alone; that would just be inviting trouble.

As they continued to keep up the pace, they eventually come across formations of ice. They didn't stop there, moving in deeper and deeper.

Crystal blue. All around them, nothing but the colour of crystal ice covered every inch of the ground, wall and ceiling. Dragon bones sat atop piles of its own riches, amassed over countless centuries from… well, it protected the people, so there was no way it pillaged the villages. Maybe they offered them to the dragon as thanks? Dragons do enjoy hoarding treasure. Guess it was just a mutualistic relationship between the dragons and the humans.

' Be…ful…'

"Oh shiz," Kirito suddenly perked up, looking around him. He seemed high on alert now."Okay, I'm definitely hearing someone now. Eugeo?"

"Y-Yeah, I heard that too," guess she finally decided to reveal themselves to Kirito too? Well, at least it doesn't mean he's insane. Or that he's not the only one who's insane. He preferred the former. "Hello? Are you here? We came here, just as you asked. We don't see you anywhere…"

Not a single person in sight. All that surrounded them was ice and more ice. The dragon bones and treasure sat untouched. And even based on gut feeling alone, he could be sure to an extent that it was just him and Kirito in here.

' Be…ful..!'

" Be full? Lady, if you want our help, I'd prefer if you actually tell us useful information like where you are, or—"

' Be careful! '

As if that shout had been the key trigger, the world around them began to distort—Kirito and Eugeo were stunned in their places as the earth began to suffer a kind of tremor, the air slowly growing thicker and heavy as the frost showed signs of cracking. The gold was tossed everywhere in the process, clattering on the ground in chiming clinks.

But what really stood out, what his brain was more affixed on, were the very shadows in the cave being pulled from every direction up into the air, swirling around a fixed point like thread being rolled into a ball of yarn. What shouldn't even be physical was manifesting into an ugly conglomeration. And the sheer aura it was exuding was intense.

Malice. Despair. Anger.

The sheer denseness of its aura was suffocating, leaving him feel light-headed. Eugeo stared into the darkness, and all he could wonder if it was staring back.

"What the hell is that?!"

"I-I don't know!"

Before their very eyes, something non-physical pooled into a massive crystal, taking actual physical form. Like a real jewel with bevels and corners, but seemingly reflecting no light whatsoever; as if all light was just being sucked into it rather than bouncing off of it.

And then, it exploded.

"Shit!" Kirito was the first to react, grabbing him by his arm and pulling him back. Both of them raised their arms in front of themselves to shield their faces from any projectiles, but the wisps of darkness that was shot outwards simply fazed through them like mist. "Agh..! What just ha—"

He didn't even finish his sentence before he suddenly pushed Eugeo out of the way, the latter yelping out in shock as he tripped on the ground and fell onto his back. Kirito promptly jumped in the opposite direction.

And out of the stream of black wind.

It ceased just as quickly as it came, leaving a thin sheet of black ice across the ground. That gust of wind had easily frozen the ground, and if it had hit them..!

"Eugeo, you okay?!" He heard his friend yell.

"Y-Yeah, I'm okay!" He called back, slowly getting onto his feet.

The beating of wings. The outburst of air. The high-pitched scream that shot across the room, forcing him to shut his ears to save himself the pain. When it ceased, only then did Eugeo finally lay witness upon their attacker—and he was left breathless.

A dragon. An honest-to-goodness dragon, hovering in the air with the flaps of its mighty wings. Its body a stark black with small hints of silvery-grey and white colours across its scales that seemed so out of place. Stormy grey eyes were zeroed in on them, hissing through rows of sharp fangs as the spikes on its back seemed to move with its breathing.

But what Eugeo could not mistake, for a single second, was the sheer rottenness of its vessel; a putrid stench wafted off of its flesh, which looked too loose from its own bones. In fact, some parts of it were hollow and revealed the ugly mess beneath the skin, with parts of white showing for all to see.

'I… cannot die here… ' This voice..! I-It's the one from earlier. But it sounds so ruined. So utterly warped to the point that the living being that once spoke with that voice couldn't possibly be anything but dead. ' I… must claim their heads..! I will kill… all of them..! '

Another horrible cry, causing another tremor across the ice cave. It was a ripple across the entire space, throwing everything into disarray as ice crystals fell and shattered against the ground. Eugeo tensed, watching in horror as it prepared itself for a rampage.

"Shit..! Get ready, Eugeo! Things are about to go to hell real fast!"

'I will kill them all..! No one will survive my wrath!''

"Ah."

The needles slipped through her fingers, clattering on the floor of Selka's room. It was enough to draw the girl's gaze towards her. "Are you okay? Did you accidentally poke yourself or something?"

"No, no. It's nothing like that," Charlotte shook her head, picking up her needles once more. "I… simply lost focus."

"Ohh, okay. Be careful, alright? You don't want to accidentally hurt yourself or damage those scarves… N-Not like I think the scarves are more important than your safety, Charlotte-san! I care more about you than those—" Her tirade was cut short when Charlotte patted her on the head, a smile on her face.

"Fret not, Selka. I understand your intentions. There is no misunderstanding on my part, I assure you."

"O-Okay."

As Selka returned to her knitwork, Charlotte finally allowed her smile to drop, gaze averted towards the window. It was still bright outside, the sky a perfect blue and the forests in the distance looking green as ever. Overall, it was such a normal day like any other. Nothing extraordinary should be happening.

So why does she have such a dreadful feeling in her chest..?

Author's Notes:

A pretty short chapter here, yes, but I think it's okay to cut off here for the time being. Because it's all gonna' pick up from here on out—to answer a recent comment; you're pretty right. There's nothing but build-up without any significant happenings thus far, so the story's pretty slow.

Not anymore it ain't. Things are shaking up in this single day, and in the very centre of it all, our two boys. Everything'll pick up from here on out.

Also, in case you're wondering how this dragon looks like, I'm referring to the IceWings from the book series Wings of Fire, although just imagine a zombie version of it. Honestly, it was a fun read back when I was still in high school, and it was sort of a reason why I'd started picking up writing fanfiction as a hobby. Damn, does that feel like forever ago…