Author's Note

Hey! Just so you guys don't think I abandoned this project later on, I want to announce that I'll be taking a little break from "Vehemently Yours", as there's another project of mine that I need to work on. There's nothing more that I wanted to say, so enjoy chapter 6 and feel free to make a review of your own on the story.

I remember walking outside the city's gates, the sun shining down on me and Vivianna as we passed the numerous guardsmen posted right by it. They gave us stares as we did so, which was admittedly warranted; we were leaving a city that was practically isolated from anything and anyone else, situated at the very edge of the island's map.

That meant that there wouldn't be any settlements for us to rest in in a good while. In places like Rellonheim, there was order, laws- out there in the wild, anything and everything could happen. The only thing that came remotely close to law enforcement here were the people called Roadwardens.

They came in all shapes and sizes, patrolling the roads and path connecting different cities and ensuring everyone's safety. They were there to let the bigger settlements know when a disaster was coming, or when an enemy was about to attack. It was a dangerous job, and it apparently didn't pay well, but its the simple acts of kindness that were the utmost important reward.

Viv grabbed me by my shoulder, guiding me along the long and winding path that stretched out before the city's gates and into the unknown. "We've got a long way ahead of ourselves." She turned her head towards me as her eyes curved into a smile. "Hope you're ready for an adventure like you've never had before!"

Right... Nowhere to go but forward, I thought to myself. Though, even if I wanted to explore, to learn about myself and the world that surrounded me, I still felt... hesitant. It was as if fear had gripped my heart and just wouldn't let go. All of a sudden, I didn't feel like leaving the comforts of the city behind.

I stared ahead and swallowed hard, my eyes blankly scanning the desolate and distant trees and shrubs. The female knight seemed to catch on to my sudden fear and hesitance, as she tilted her head and pat me on the back reassuringly. It brought me back to life within a few moments, as I looked up at her.

"You think you're the only one scared, petit garçon (little guy)?" She laughed and continued walking forwards with a smile on her face and me under her arm. "Truth be told, I am absolutely terrified! But there's nothing else to do beside moving forward, non?"

She was right, and even if I tried to deny that, one could not simply deny that which is the truth. To progress, you have to leave your comfort zone and step out into the unknown. It's scary, and oftentimes dangerous, but that's the road you have to take to achieve anything in life. I nodded up at her and looked back ahead. "You're right."

So we kept walking, going further and further out into the wild. Nothing particularly interesting was around, besides the spaced out trees and a bush or two every once in a while. We were strolling through the plains, with the sun shining down on us intensely. There was and awkward silence between me and Viv. Nothing to talk about or comment, after all.

I looked back to try and spot Rellonheim, but we had already ventured far enough that not even the tallest watchtowers were visible. Turning my head back forward, there was still nothing to see. No river, no forest, no camp, and perhaps most importantly- no people. We were truly alone out there.

The sun had moved since we set out on our journey. When we were leaving, it was right above our heads, but now it was around halfway on its trip from the top of the sky to the very edge of visible land. My feet weren't sore just yet, but I could begin to feel the discomfort growing as we continued to walking through the grasslands.

Eventually, Vivianna would speak and break the silence between the two of us. Her head turned towards me as she asked: "So, I recon you're not a great fighter? What with your amnésie and that cut on your head." She gestured at her own head in the general area that the wound on my own head was in.

I agreed with a curt nod and a sheepish smile. "I never really fought before, so I don't think I would call myself a fighter at all." I said and laughed, scratching the back of my neck as I looked up at her. "Why are you asking?" Right as I said those words, she gave me a wicked smile and pointed to a distant clump of trees by the road.

"How about we go rest up over there?" She shrugged and picked up her pace, forcing me to do so as well. "I wanna show you something." I sighed and shook my head. She was an enigma alright. She could tell me what she wants to show me beforehand, but always decides against that.

As we got closer and closer to the bunch of trees, my heart began to beat a little faster than usual. Was I... scared? No, afraid. Or maybe I was just being paranoid? Something about this felt off, but not in a bad way. It was one of those things that aren't inherently bad, but they make you feel stressed out all the same.

These four green and lush berry trees were not only high up but also boasted a large crown of leaves, thick and plentiful enough to easily hide something. Maybe that's what was causing my apprehension? The thought of something jumping down at us and attacking... Now I know that it was a result of my overthinking, but back then?- I've had no idea.

We eventually reached our destination, and Vivianna took off her giant backpack, setting it down against one of the trees and turning around and away from me. "You know, I feel like fighting will be a key element for your survival." She said as she rummaged through the pack, taking something out before turning to face me again.

In her hands was now a large, metal canteen, resembling an oval, with a smaller and similar in shape glass on its side, letting anyone peek inside. The small window was, despite its size, quite thick, scratched and visibly worn due to excessive use over the past. It certainly looked like it could take a hard hit and be left with a simple dent in its metal, or a scratch on the glass.

She took a small drink and sighed in joy, before handing it to me with a smile. "So how do you feel about a little friendly sparring?" She got up by supporting herself on her knees, standing upright not long after. "First though, bottom up. You look like you could use a bit of hydration." She said and gestured at her flask.

Another moment of silence befell on us, just like back on the road, though this time she recovered fairly quickly. Viv's eyes looked up at me and flickered intensely, right before curving into a generous smile. "Go on, it's not gonna bite you or anything." She encouraged me as I put the jug above my mouth and tipped it just enough for a little water to begin trickling out of it.

What I deemed to be enough, she didn't, surprising me when she grabbed the metal bottle and turned it further upwards, with the water inside now rapidly flowing down and into my mouth, with most of it running down my face and falling to the ground. I could hear her laughing as she practically begin to drown me.

I quickly looked away and swallowed whatever water was left in my mouth, shaking my head to at least try and get the water out of my eyes. It worked, and I was met with a smug grin right after being able to see again. I scoffed and wiped my eyes with the back of my hand. "Very mature." I muttered.

"Come on! You gotta stay hydraté, and you drink like you're afraid of water!" She smiled and began poking fun at me, while simultaneously literally poking me. "You ready now? Just thinking about having a spar is enough to rile me up!" Viv's tone was playful, and certainly more joyful than ever before.

I nodded with a sigh and looked up at her, right as she began to move back to get into a stance of hers. Her front foot was turned towards me, while the other was turned outwards. She was visibly light on her feet, lightly bouncing up and down even while stationary. I assumed this was to stay agile and be ready for a surprise attack. I still think so to this day.

Her hands were balled into fists, being held almost together right up against her chin, her scarlet eyes peeking over them and staring at me with a joyous glint. Speaking of her head, it was mobile just like any other part of her body, rhythmically bobbing along with the steady bouncing she was upkeeping.

She was leaning slightly forward, her shoulder evidently loose and ready to roll punches. From the very beginning, even before our fight had started, it was clear what mind of fighter she was. Vivianna wasn't the type to wait until her opponent tired themselves out, she'd much rather end the fight a devastatingly powerful and fast punch to the gut.

Her guard's down, which would mean she's relying on her agility alone. She thinks that she can dodge most of the punches thrown at her without the need to block any. I knew that if I wanted to have any chance of winning, it would be to abuse the weak spots that Viv had left unattended.

I somewhat copied her stance, keeping myself light on the balls of my feet with a light bounce, my arms forming a sort of shell that would help me block her attacks. My lead arm rested low, near the area of my abdomen, while the other remained high up and against my cheek; one for guarding low, the other for guarding high.

Unlike Vivianna, I leaned slightly backwards, to try and help myself with keeping her at range. Her style looked powerful, but from the looks of it, there was one thing that ruined it all and made it a horrible match up when paired against someone more defensive- range. She was restricted to close combat and would have to expend most of her energy chasing a defensive enemy.

Just like her, I got slightly lower on my legs and peered over at her from behind my fist. She looked over hers and nodded at me. "Alright! Let's do it, gros chat (big cat)!"She said and laughed, lunging at me like a tiger. I reacted immediately, responding to her rapid advancements with a hasty side step to the left

Her head swiveled to me almost instantly, going after me once again after she had found me. Her eyes were locked onto my body. More specifically- my chest. A quick step later, and I was already in range of her attacks. She drew her right fist back and struck my lower body, being unlucky enough to have hit the arm guarding it.

She tried doing the same again, but instead of fighting back or blocking once more, I swayed backward and back out of her fists' range. Her hand cut through the air with a loud whiz, and I looked up and out of my "shell" to peer at her next movement. My mind not acting fast enough to stop my body, I went back in and lightly jabbed her side.

As soon as she was back in her stance again, she took on an aggressive approach and began getting closer and closer through subtle sways and weaves, probably in the hopes that I would go in and punch her. I didn't, and rather kept my range as she grew increasingly more frustrated. She was beginning to sweat, while I stayed perfectly the same.

I tried predicting her movements, my rear guarding arm striking to the left of her. And just like I had predicted, she moved left, probably thinking I was going to strike someplace else. She was too fast for her own good, and now it was time for that to backfire.

She was hit with a light and disorienting punch to the shoulder, making her slightly pivot her right side to me and subsequently revealing it to me. Jackpot, I thought to myself, when she suddenly drew her fist back and threw a mean and fast hook with her left arm, aimed right at my temple.

I ducked under it, keeping myself as fluid as water and waiting for an opportunity to strike back. The momentum from her strike carried her too far forward, giving me an opening to throw an uppercut that would drive her to her knees. And I did just that, Viv's head snapping backwards as she got countered like it was nothing.

Though, that wasn't nearly enough to take care of her. She continued to press forward, throwing increasingly more sluggish punches. She was growing weary, and I was growing more confident. Maybe to confident. At one point, she moved her right arm backwards and baited me into a slip, feinting the strike with her right hand and releasing a devastating left hook right to my ribs.

I winced in pain and gasped for breath as my air got punched right out of my lungs. Nonetheless, I recovered quickly, though by the time I had done so, she was already pressing me further. "Got you now, you weasel." I could hear her growl under her breath as she rolled forward for another hit on my ribs.

I tried my best to somehow counter, throwing a desperate jab aimed at her head, but it was no use- she ducked below it just like I had before. And just like I did before, she hit my with an uppercut that snapped my head upward. I staggered. I could feel the blood that was beginning to trickle down from my nose to my lips. Its warmth so familiar and yet so scary all at once...

Her punches, despite being heavy and wild, were inaccurate. And as another uppercut came to my chin, I leaned back just enough to dodge it, feeling it graze my nose as I did so. Using this moment to my advantage, I threw an impossibly quick straight jab at her face, hitting her where her nose should be and making her fall backwards.

She lost her balance, but didn't fall to the ground just yet. It was my chance to end this! I swooped in like a hawk, mimicking her stance and getting up close and personal, using both my arms to hit her from both sides simultaneously. One punch to the liver, and one to the stomach. I could hear her barely hold back a vomit as her back hit the grass.

I got down to my knees and pinned held her down by her wrist, my fist drawn back to hit her one final time... And then sudden darkness, devoid of anything and everything. It was deafeningly quiet, and I could feel as the nothingness inside of the white void suffocated me. Was I unconscious?

It sure felt like it, and after waking up a whole two hours later, the purple and blue rings around my abdomen were enough to tell me what happened- I was kicked in the stomach. Really hard. I took it too far and got lost in the thrill of the fight. Both I and Vivianna were surprised at just how well I've fared.

She told me that she had never lost a fight before, and that this was a new feeling she would have to grow accustomed to if she's travelling with me. It's a good way to develop an iron will and an iron body, I suppose. At least she wasn't a sore loser and knew how to take a loss pretty well.

Though, amidst all these things that happened after, my mind still ventures back into the before. When I was lying in the void, thinking I was alone... I wasn't. The blue person had returned, and this time he had a tale to tell.

Vehemently Yours,

XYZ.