Fantasy Wherever the Wind Takes You

[ShredKnives]

Although Reeve was hearing Laila loud and clear, he didn't say anything and instead lowered his head, looking at the ground somewhat saddened. Although he didn't say anything in particular to her, she could still hear his thoughts loud and clear. "Of course you can talk to me. That's just what I'd want to hear, isn't it?". Tormented by this curse, getting forced to watch the scenario play out before his eyes again, he now had this cruel image of Laila teasing him with actual back and forth dialogue like this. But she hadn't said anything new- maybe this whole cousin shtick sounded believable enough... "Keep watching."

Oh. Laila got the feeling she said something wrong.

...

Watching a scene play out like this was one of the most bizarre things she could experience. In a dream-like sequence where everything that happened was now something that could be spectated, almost replayed, she would've been convinced she was watching a play had it not been for the fact that he was the star of the show...Or rather, the tragic hero. Something burrowed into her something deep, uncomfortable and pressing down on her head like a pushing hand. It hurt. It hurt to watch.

Big words for sure, and... frankly, the result wasn't too pretty. Any time he tried to attack Zel, he got struck with weak magical bolts that burnt to the touch, leaving marks or even slight burns on his skin, thankfully not permanent scars. Whenever he tried to shift focus and catch them by surprise, the trickster threw all sorts of tools his way, including throwing knives, needles or even darts. Just when Reeve could have sworn he was getting a feel for how to move forwards, he heard something from behind him and giving a quick peek over his shoulder, he felt something slashing his back and wounding him, although not fatally.

There was a third Abyssal, lurking in the shadows up to now- one with a dagger in his hand, dressed more lightly and slithering around like he were swimming. "Take it or leave it, boy. I'm sure you'd rather take a sword than lose your life though, isn't that correct?"

She rooted for Reeve, she really did; despite know that this was just a past sequence, a chain of events that led Reeve to where he was now, she still grasped onto the variation of events that something would divert, where Reeve may get the happy ending.

But life is anarchic. Devoid of judgement.

Everything seemingly came to a halt once more, as Reeve turned to look at Laila. Squinting, he tried to hold himself from tearing up. "... This hurts. I could have been smarter about everything and not taken the job with Zel since I knew he wasn't good people, yet I did. I lost my sword, and then...", silence. He stopped talking, looking away and raising a hand to wipe his tears on his sleeve before he looked at the tragedy just waiting to happen. Reeve was frozen with a hand already reaching behind him to grab the sword's hilt, and that image... it hurt him. "I brought all of this upon myself that day. Urgh. I thought I could rise up to the occasion on my own, but I couldn't. They weren't even seriously trying to kill me. They were just toying with me to coerce me into cooperating. And it-"

He choked up, clenching his fist. "... It worked."

"I...I'm sorry this happened to you."

Laila wanted to do something. Help. But what was she to do against an Abyssal, let alone three? She held her hands up, as if grasping her heirloom once again. Despite its sentimental value, what was it more than just a better blade? Compared to the cursed sword, her heirloom...Well, she didn't want to see it cut in half, that's for sure.

She didn't know what to do. Pat his back? Tell him everything's gonna be alright? Wipe the scratch of reality, smear it away until it was nothing more than a distant memory?

No...No, he deserved more than that. Laila clenched her fists. She wanted her curiosity sated, at least a little.

"Do you know what they're doing now?"

 

[Gary Sue]

"... What they're doing?", he asked, somewhat taken off guard before he let out a grunt and turned back to the sorry sight before them. "... Zel'kath is... No, I'll show you. Just keep watching.", he said before crossing his arms, and everything came back to life almost immediately.



Reeve gripped onto the sword's hilt, holding it tight and pulling it out of its altar. All three of the Abyssals seemed satisfied with the result, and after what was a much too long second of nothing, what only looked like a purple miasma, slightly darker than the blade, shot upwards and onto Reeve, obscuring him temporarily before it got absorbed into the sword, giving it an eerie glow. As the conniving thief clapped his hands, he gestured with his head towards the knight. "He did it. Finish him off and make it look like a fight too."

The assassin seemingly melted into nothingness, supported by the mage's spell to disappear for a moment. As Reeve turned around, he glared into the both of them, although little seemed to have changed. The sword felt heavy, and almost... alive? But he didn't have time to investigate any of it, for he knew one of the three was out of his sight. He looked around, trying to focus on hearing where he were to intercept his attack and make it out of there alive, somehow...

"Do you know how many generations have passed since someone last picked up the sword? Probably dozens- centuries have passed since we last had an appointed leader in our tribe. And do you know what each passing generation did?", Zel'kath seemingly tried to distract Reeve, who was trying his best to pay him no mind, and by the looks of it, he was succeeding quite well. So the caster had to help, firing a bolt much stronger than before right his way. Reeve turned and slashed at it, seeing his sword cut it clean to his surprise rather than deflect it anyhow.

The shock was mirrored on his face as a faint glow glimmered from the gem in its guard. "They cursed it. Because 'through hardships, one can persevere'. Who knows whatever nasty things they had in mind for their next 'heir' of the blade? You really did save him a lot of trouble, taking the brunt of all of them. His coronation was tomorrow, that's why the tomb has been unsealed. There's a magic barrier outside, so they must have noticed us coming in. But what will they find? Just a greedy, dead human scoundrel trying to desecrate their one and only artifact from times now past."

While Zel'kath was going on with his all too theatric monologue, the assassin had made his way to behind Reeve and prepared to strike, only for him to start turning as soon as the Abyssal's disguise wore off. Everything blurred for a moment, and only the sound of someone getting wounded echoed. Laila and Reeve stood in what looked like a hazy cloud, as he sighed and turned his head away, pained. "He got cut in half before either of us could tell. It was like my sword warned him, and it was me or him... I didn't want this."



Everything seemingly returned back to normal, although now the mercenary who almost struck Reeve down was collapsed on the floor, with a pool of blood slowly expanding under him, staining the beautiful architecture of the room. Reeve had now turned towards Zel, who only looked more satisfied at the kill and taking out his weapon again, he charged. After a few more transitions from hazy to normal, a barrage of projectiles was shot Reeve's way and he managed to push Zel back, only to turn and slash their direction. This time though, a blinding light emitted from the blade, before what looked like a ripple was fired, cutting all of them to pieces and even wounding the caster's arm.

That didn't stop him though. With a clearly pressured look on his face, Reeve gave his sword a glance and focused as best as he could, with the same bright light covering it whole. When the next attack began heading the mage's way, his blade had fully transformed to what was the shape of the cursed sword Laila had seen Reeve wielding to this day. Just as the ray of light hit the other Abyssal, everything went hazy again. Presumably, another painful memory that he remembered too vividly, as more slashes sounded although nothing was in sight. "...", nothing but another grunt as everything returned.

Zel seemed worried for a moment, before more people sounded like they were descending from the entrance of the tomb. And there it was, Abyssals with the lighter colored blue scales armed to the teeth, glaring at the sight and ready to attack. The same hostility wasn't mirrored on Reeve though, who lowered his sword and opened his mouth, pointing at the thief and trying to explain the situation. Nothing came out. Raising a hand to his throat, he looked down at the blood-stained floor with wide eyes. That's when he made the connection, by the looks of it.

"Th-This man..! I saw him looking for the royal tomb- someone must have leaked this information out, and he came to steal the heirloom! He's holding it right now, I tried to stop him with my friends, but he- he killed them all!", the Abyssal immediately shifted gears to what was unrecognizable for both Laila and Reeve, young or old. But this was bad. Sweating bullets, the knight took a step back and moved another hand onto his weapon's hilt. That ghastly look on his face spoke for itself. He was going to get killed, it really was his word against Zel's.

As the guards that had entered seemed to slowly move forwards, a stern voice sounded from the crowd. A larger, more well built Abyssal with teal scales stepped forward, slithering and stopping slightly before Zel. "... His will to fight seems to have diminished. The damage has already been done- to us, to the heirloom... and to the boy."



"Wh-What..?"

"This sword was meant to mold itself to the wielder's wants and desires. It's already changed to suit his, just look at it. The heirloom is as good as useless, now. We got careless and didn't guard the tomb at all times.", this leading figure seemed to have been much too merciful with Reeve, despite the clear glare in his eyes that wanted nothing but to kill him. Perhaps though, there was a hint of suspicion for whatever this was. Looking down at Zel, who was ready to protest, he pinned his eyes on Reeve's sword. "... You won't be able to speak again. Your sword will feed on your magic to become stronger, and it'll try to do the same to those around you. It thirsts for the blood of those it slays. It was a magic tool used to help settle wars way back then. It's a cruel tool, and this... too, is the hand you've dealt yourself."

Tension and unease was in the air, as noone seemed happy with this conclusion, least of all Reeve. "You're a mercenary, aren't you? As atonement for what you've done- desecrated the tomb of the Kal'zihr tribe, stolen their heirloom and painted it red with...", he momentarily looked at the two corpses sprawling on the floor, squinting his eyes before looking back at Reeve. "... its descendants blood. You'll receive a ledger from our Mercenary Association in Sesseth. And after this? You won't show your face for the next few years to come unprompted. You'll have to travel all alone, in a world where noone can understand you and you have nothing to prove, but your swordsmanship."

"Y-You can't possibly let him go after this, this man can't even use magic! This sword's wasted on him, he's cursed and can't-"

"If you were to pick it up, wouldn't you have been cursed too, Zel'kath? As would I. Last time we retaliated to bloodshed with bloodshed, we lost too many of our people. If this boy can't use magic either, this only becomes crueler on him.", he quickly cut off Zel without leaving much room for him to respond. "Do not forget what you did, and do not forgive yourself for it, unless we do first. What you did was get in the way of an entire tribe's legacy, and you interrupted my son's coronation.", the Abyssal raised a hand, only to receive a hesitant nod from a few of the guards who moved towards the two bodies.

"Come with me, and I'll see to it that your wounds are treated, and that you're safe until you get the ledger and get away from here."

Reeve seemed almost frozen, trying to process everything. And that's when the dream started to crumble down again, with their surroundings being replaced with what looked like the same, water brushed forest. Now just Laila and Reeve, he moved near the edge that looked over the coastal town of Sesseth and the ocean surrounding it. "Zel'kath was being looked into from what I can tell after I left, and... although I don't know too much about this situation, Kal'zihr has always had tribal feuds with another Abyssal tribe, but... I can't remember their name. Zel must have tried to sell the story that I was a spy sent from there to interrupt the coronation by taking their heirloom away. I think that their leader understood something was up, and that's the only reason I was spared."

Sitting down on the edge and letting his legs hang, he looked down the cliff and a tear fell on his lap. "He wanted to kill me, too. I could tell from how he looked at me. Everybody there did. I was scared for my life for the one day I stayed in Sesseth for after, because when I wasn't with Valk'ror or his right hand man, anyone looking at me clearly wanted the same. All because I got stupid and overconfident. And now, I'm mute, I can't even write anymore, and I have a magic tool I can barely use for myself. It's ironic."

 

[ShredKnives]

...

Horrible.

This was all pointless, wasn't it? Laila, what could she do? Reversing the curses brought from over generations? There was nothing! Nothing! A worthless shrine priestess in the face of Reeve's sword. What was her heirloom? What could Mother do with a sword like Reeve's? She truly had stepped into something she could never touch.

Them against a whole species.

The sword...There was nothing she could do. She hadn't seen it as anything more than an ordinary sword, and only until now did Tomoe see a lick of a curse on it, and now...Well, it had to be magic far beyond her capabilities.

...

"I'm sorry for giving you hope," She wistfully commented. "I thought maybe, maybe there's a way, maybe there's a way through, but...In the end, I couldn't really do anything...Again."

It's clear that she was taking an uncomfortably long time to think on her words. "I can't bless your sword. I...I assumed you knew that. I don't think Mom can...Or wants to either. I...I just...Maybe it's best you shouldn't help me with this cemetery thing, I shouldn't...Concern you with problems as small as mine. I can go at it alone." Fuck. She couldn't get much further than that without her voice cracking. She just wanted out. Out of his nightmare. She didn't want to see any more anguish from him.

What more could she do?

 

[Gary Sue]

In truth, watching all of these near-traumatic events unfold before his eyes again was putting a lot of strain on Reeve. Enough to make him sweat while rolling around in his sleep, going through a proper fever. He was suffering, mentally, just as he was physically, if not more. But... An apology..? Reeve looked over his shoulder at her and tapped next to him, at the edge of the cliff. "Hope..? You did nothing wrong, Laila. I... I was sad, earlier. Because you and Tomoe made me miss talking for the first time again. I had so much I want to tell you, I still do, so you can actually know what I went through, and your mother can too, but... I can't."

That's why all of this stung that much more, isn't it? "It's nice, seeing you here trying to comfort me... A part of me is happy I can't talk because I- it's stupid, but... I'm scared of the real Laila somewhat. I don't want to be punished for this. And I know you're not cruel enough to, but a part of me can't help but worry.", by his words, it probably had become clear he couldn't tell if Laila was just a part of his conscious trying to help him discuss his feelings or if it really was her, having somehow infiltrated his dreams.

"My sword can be blessed, even if it's to a much lesser extent... But that won't stop me from helping you. You saved my life earlier and I wouldn't be here if you hadn't."

A stubborn statement. She had more than enough reason to not 'drag him into this', but he didn't care. "Nobody has ever been interested in a mute bodyguard like me before... so I like it. I want to go with you, even if you really tell me not to. I will. Because I want to help you, and I owe you my help too after what you did today.", he said determined, as he stood up and turned to face her in full. "I mean it.", with a smile, his words trailed off as he lowered his head to look at the ground. "... I just need some time to sort through this. But... that's why you're here. I wish I could thank you."

 

[ShredKnives]

What a strange guy. Laila did so much for him by...Being herself. What was she to do with everything he said? Blessing the sword...Would it really help? All she really did was...Whatever she could do. How useful could she be for him?

She pursed her lips, before finally giving into him. No, no, if he wasn't sure about this, he would've relayed it to her appropriately. She's the pushy one, after all, and the one time she gave him the option to back out, he was still pushing forward. She placed her hand on Reeve's shoulder, not even sure if he would be able to feel it or if she'd phase right through.

This was okay. Laila just wanted his safety first, that was all.

"You already thanked me. Rest well, Reeve," Laila said with a soft smile. "I...Have things I need to do tonight, though."

 

[Gary Sue]

All she managed to earn was a confused look as he thought to retaliate, but... he didn't. There wasn't any point in trying to argue against himself, after all. A frown seemed to take over once Laila mentioned that she had to be leaving. "... Right, dreams have to end at some point...", he grumbled and looked at her quietly, thinking about something before he managed to pull together another smile in return and tilted his head.

"... I know it's stupid, but...", clearing his throat, he raised one of his hands and placed it on the back of his head, letting out a soft chuckle and closing his eyes in what looked like glee, even if just for a few moments. "... can you visit again? It's nice... not being alone here. I understand you can't do it every day, but... once in a while. As long as I work for you, at least.", a request perhaps too innocent, on his end.

Just as he asked, his fever began to retreat again, with a good amount of time having passed in the real world while Laila was submerged in Reeve's mind and reliving his past experiences alongside the man. It had probably been an hour, if not two ever since she went in, and he'd managed to sweat the illness away, making for a swift recovery. If he knew, he'd say that it were because of the fatigue, but it typically shouldn't have gone away so quickly. Perhaps because Laila was there, he felt more comfortable, more at ease... Maybe now, he could at the very least, rest easy throughout the rest of the night.

 

[ShredKnives]

"... I know it's stupid, but...", clearing his throat, he raised one of his hands and placed it on the back of his head, letting out a soft chuckle and closing his eyes in what looked like glee, even if just for a few moments. "... can you visit again? It's nice... not being alone here. I understand you can't do it every day, but... once in a while. As long as I work for you, at least.",

She grinned. "At least there's something selfish about you. That's a good sign."

---

Flickering from dream to reality was always a smooth experience. Her mother had mentioned that it was only because Laila had spent so much time on trial and error that the dreamwalking technique was so much easier. Had Laila not been so pushy about it when she was young, and she'd probably be hurling if she did it more than three times a week. Laila knew the pains of dreamwalking; her mother had hurled so many times in her years that Laila was convinced Tomoe was afflicted with bulimia.

Slow is smooth. Smooth is fast. Something Laila and Tomoe weren't always in full agreement on.

About an hour had passed.

Her knees fell asleep...But she looked quite happy with herself.

---

"Mom! You're back!"

It's approaching the evening night. Tomoe had just barely returned with her dueling sash, a leather-like belt that wrapped around her waist with adornments like rings and ribbons, alongside a flashing emblem. The lowest of duelists, a Commoner, nothing more than tin and the depiction of a man defending his home from the common thief.

And with it, the blade.

"Ow, ow, ow, pins and needles, pins and needles," Laila muttered as she limped over to her mother. "How was the appraisal?"

Her mother scratched her cheek in expected disappointment. Laila already knew the answer, but she just wanted the confirmation.

"No hope for our special wielder, it seemed. Those deep-sea creatures had been passing down trials in this blade for generations. The only way to take it back would be to respond with generations of blessings back...Something he wouldn't live to see."

"Ah..."

"I can tell you already knew that. Dreamwalked again, didn't you?"

"Yeah...Mom?"

"Hm," Her mother hummed as she placed the blade neatly on the stump.

"Can you teach me your sword style?"

Her mother scoffed, "No. You know how long that would take? I would've had to start you off at the early age of 3!"

"Really?"

"No, but it would take quite the time for you to learn the ways of the family sword..."

Laila never looked so disappointed.

"I'd tell you to stick to your arrows...But you're worried you'll run out, won't you?"

Laila slowly nodded her head.

Tomoe sighed. "Fine! I'll teach you...Something. If the emergency arises...Use it well. And bless the heirloom just like you will the sword!"

Laila's eyes glimmered. "Okay!!! Thank you, Mom!!"

Jeez...Her eyes shined brighter than mine back then.

"Keep in mind. You'll need to practice this, over and over, and over again. Until your arms give out. Until then, don't use it unless you must. I'll bless your arrows for you, properly. I'm not planning on shedding more blood today."

"Okay!!!!"

The moon was rising.

 

[Gary Sue]

From there on out, just as Laila disappeared in the blink of an eye in his dream, he went back to stoically looking at the sea, trying to have an internal monologue. But it was so draining, all of what had transpired that day, that... his own dream quickly fell apart, and the next thing he knew, something bright was in his face. As he opened his eyes tiredly, with a groan, he realised it was morning already. He didn't feel all that much more rested, although that horrible migraine and fatigue had definitely gone away.



As he pulled himself up, he looked down at his person and- right... the chest. He put a palm up to his face, realising he'd taken out his gauntlets, just not the rest of his armor. Maybe that's part of the reason why he didn't sleep too comfortably, after all... Now was a bit late, but better late than never, right? That's what he thought as he took his chestplate off and placed it on top of the sheets calmly, getting on his feet and looking around.

Yesterday's dream was more vivid than most of those he'd had, and he wasn't sure if that were a good thing or not... but having Laila around while it played out was nice. Even though he wasn't in the brightest of moods, groggy and sleepy as he were, he could still pull together a small smile and that's what mattered. And even if she told him to not accompany her today, he'd still turn her request down and tag along regardless.

There was something more important right now though. Waking up properly. So he looked around, taking as quiet steps as he could around the shrine until he arrived to the courtyard Tomoe was performing the ritual in yesterday. Everything seemed to have been cleaned up, as there no longer was any blood, and there wasn't any trace of his... "Right... I'll have to ask Laila for it back when she wakes up.", he thought rather awkwardly as he scratched his head, looking down at his hip. No sword, no scabbard. It felt empty, but it was somewhat more comfortable to move around, at least...

No matter, the reason he was out here was in front of him. A small body of water by the side, probably some form of pond. After checking to make sure nothing alive was in it- fish, frogs, anything... he cupped some of it with his hands and splashed it on his face. As the cold water practically slapped him, he felt his mind start to kick into gear. "That should do it... Blegh. I should probably get some stretches done or so... Get ready for the action coming up."

And so he did. It was a funny sight though- if anybody were to stumble across him, all they'd see is Reeve's calisthenics routine in the early morning. Probably more jarring would be his clothes though- there really was less color with just his blue shirt and brown leather leggings now that he'd left the red cloak and plates behind.

 

[ShredKnives]

No matter, the reason he was out here was in front of him. A small body of water by the side, probably some form of pond. After checking to make sure nothing alive was in it- fish, frogs, anything... he cupped some of it with his hands and splashed it on his face. As the cold water practically slapped him, he felt his mind start to kick into gear. "That should do it... Blegh. I should probably get some stretches done or so... Get ready for the action coming up."

And so he did. It was a funny sight though- if anybody were to stumble across him, all they'd see is Reeve's calisthenics routine in the early morning. Probably more jarring would be his clothes though- there really was less color with just his blue shirt and brown leather leggings now that he'd left the red cloak and plates behind.

Laila was up! She's a bit of a light sleeper, but she hadn't quite woken up until nearly hours after Reeve had; she wasn't much of an early-to-rise person, and neither was her mother.

So, definitely noticeable where Laila got that trait from. But! She got lucky and managed to wake up a bit earlier than she expected.

Okay...Let's go see Reeve!

And so he did. It was a funny sight though- if anybody were to stumble across him, all they'd see is Reeve's calisthenics routine in the early morning. Probably more jarring would be his clothes though- there really was less color with just his blue shirt and brown leather leggings now that he'd left the red cloak and plates behind.

Laila appeared from a completely unexpected direction, the knees having dirtied with nothing but the stains of sand, dirt, and grass as her sandals clacked along the courtyard with a hum as she held Reeve's blade in her hand, the heirloom in the other, and a satchel tied from shoulder to hip, filled with plentiful amounts of paper, each one inked in slightly-different variations with symbols...They're far less complicated than the Abyssal runes Reeve was throwing up into the air, but it was probably a mystery as to what they translated to, anyway.

At least she wasn't in her usual complex attire; this looked more like a one-piece she slapped on, all loose and interestingly designed with ink doodles of flowers. Thinly layered white shirt tucked into a smaller and more flowy skirt, she looked like she was going to strap on her hiking boots and go for a trip to a farmer's market. Definitely a different style from the usual oriental vibrance this place gave off.

Laila's hair could definitely use some work. So could her eyes, actually. And her lips. she looked like she hadn't a drop of water or sleep in the past week.

"'Sup!" She said with literally no change in her bubbliness. "I got your sword! Make sure not to forget your stuff when we set out in a couple of hours. Mom's just packing me a lunch because she doesn't want me to eat dried warthog meat all day. She said you might like what she got for you, too. Oh! I've got a backpack nearby as well with some goodies we might find useful, and I just finished my fresh new quiver! Got enough arrows to hunt a small village, honestly. Careful warning about your sword though; it's a feisty thing, lotsa things were going wrong and I just couldn't get it blessed the way I wanted it to. But! I did manage to give it some touches."

If Reeve even decided to hold the sword, the most notable difference was the change in weight. Though it remained the same initially holding it, swinging the blade around would make it lighter; this wasn't an attribute on the sword, though, this was closer to the wind actively pushing his blade around. Whatever Laila did, the sword had a...Roughly passive effect of boosting its slicing power by literally distorting a facet of the environment to synergize with it; it equalized and stabilized according to Reeve's movement, making the blade much more comfortable to handle, almost disturbingly so; as if Laila had turned the blade into a third arm for Reeve.

Second was that it shimmered. It was only obvious because of the sunlight, but it absolutely was reflecting light with concentrated emphasis. Perhaps this was intended to ward off demons or act as a beacon? It was likely a layer of holy energy, perhaps separated just neatly apart from the toxicity of the cursed energy, like yin and yang...Maybe? The question would have to get asked about that.

Third, attacks emitted vibrations. Swinging it into a tree, for example, would wedge way further than normally expected, especially for a sword intended for cutting flesh. This was due to an inherent pulsating effect that jigged itself into hard-to-cut objects like trees...And bones, probably. Axes had a similar effect, but only because its wedging effect was attributed to the fact that it was all based in power, which required a strong steel, not a sharpened one. Reeve might've had an easy time with the blade when it came to slicing apart, but feeling the metal shake made the idea of cutting through boulders unscathed a legitimate possibility.

Laila smiled innocently. "If you want, I can change it. I still have the circle 15 minutes a ways from here, you'll just need to let me know what you're looking for."

 

[Gary Sue]

There she was! As she came into sight, the knight stopped his routine and quietly inspected her new choice of clothing and a satchel of all things with her instead of her bow. He had a few questions, but nowhere near as many as after she had given him the fastest summary of whatever transpired while he was asleep. And it's not like there was little to say, either!

"Wh-When did she manage to...", Reeve tried to wrap his head around the explosion of information as soon as Laila approached him, giving her a rather concerned look as he realised she was probably sleep deprived. A part of him was somewhat sad too that it really was just a dream yesterday and not her, but another told him not to be. It's not like he could talk to others to begin with, so it wouldn't make much of a difference now, if ever.

The expression he wore was clearly asking if everything was fine, but he quietly accepted the sword, surprised just as he took it into his hands by how much lighter it felt. Even lighter than he remembered it being before it had transformed- the hell was up with it? With the very same curiosity, he took it out of its scabbard and looked at it shimmering, looking at Laila with a raised brow before he turned back to the blade to keep admiring it.

A swing to cut vertically and horizontally, and it was... surprisingly smooth to use? "... It's more lightweight than I'm used to, so I expected it to feel off to use... but it's doing just fine? It's like it knows where I want it to go.", he tried to understand the powers at play here, although he wasn't sure for how long they'd stick around. Considering they were going to set off, even if it wasn't the wisest choice to do so in Laila's current condition, he'd better not exhaust them now. So he shook his head at her offer and sheathed it again, holding the blade by his hip as he put a hand on his chest and bowed forwards to show gratitude.

Reeve quietly looked at the shrine he'd come out of, huffing and giving Laila a grin before he made his way over to place his sword on top of his cloak and leaving it be there for a minute. As he returned, he looked at the maiden with crossed arms and gestured underneath his eyes before tilting his head. "Are we really going to be fighting in a graveyard with potentially undead while our caster's sleep deprived and poorly rested..?"

 

[ShredKnives]

Reeve quietly looked at the shrine he'd come out of, huffing and giving Laila a grin before he made his way over to place his sword on top of his cloak and leaving it be there for a minute. As he returned, he looked at the maiden with crossed arms and gestured underneath his eyes before tilting his head.

She shrugged. "Who said I was tired? Don't know if you know this, but I'm made for all-nighters," She bragged with a thumb jutted to her face. "But I will pass out if I'm not doing anything, trust me. It'll be a day's travel to the village, but once you get through the forest, the rest of the way's pretty obvious."

Laila was...Ehh...It could've been worse, it could've been better, but she didn't seem too worried about it, more or less so about Reeve in general. She honestly didn't really care about her own status at this rate; this much was nothing for her, at least in the comparison of Reeve. Little did he know.

She was still thinking about it, too, telling him that she jumped into his dream and gazed into his memories like a glorified spectator. All she really did was give a little bite of advice, nothing more...So she didn't really see a need to talk about it, at least, not yet. Laila was a bit concerned that Reeve might end up wanting to sleep more often just so they could chat, and while she really wanted that, she didn't exactly want him to want that. Reeve was fine the way he was now. Voice or no voice, they could communicate...Roughly.

"Wanna say goodbye to Mom? She's a light sleeper, but she'll play nice. She handed me a letter for the journey in case we decide we wanna go somewhere else, so that'll be quite a treat to read!"

 

[Gary Sue]

There was something rather contradictory about being made for all-nighters and being on the brink of passing out the moment there's a little rest, but... he didn't say much when she mentioned they'd have to travel. Especially with his sword blessed like this, it would be no biggie getting them all the way to Ruina perfectly safe. Hesitant and clearly doubtful about her condition, he wasn't going to argue back. He was adamant on getting her there safe, and if she wanted to set out now... he nodded, sighing.

When Laila brought up Tomoe, he looked like he'd remembered something and gave a nod, grinning and asking her to wait there for a moment. After all, he had to go around the shrine and pick up his gauntlets, his armor, his cloak, now his sword too... Scuttling about for a good minute or two, he was eventually back in his full knightly glory. Giving Laila a thumbs up, he gestured further in towards the shrine where he assumed her mother would be resting, letting her lead the way. While doing so, the man couldn't help but keep inspecting Laila.

Without all the fancy traditional (he assumed at least) clothes, her form was more visible, and... she wasn't that scrawny after all. He knew it took quite some muscle to pull a bow, but he was still rather surprised for how petite she seemed originally. The morning breeze felt fresh though, and it were just a new day, new opportunity. "After Tomoe, we're going to be setting out. I should have everything ready, although I gotta check on my flask and emergency provisions. Something's telling me I'll be travelling light though.", he chuckled quietly to himself as he looked down at the cloak draped over his shoulders, and then back at Laila. Underslept and not clothed nearly enough for the morning cold compared to before, she was definitely going to be needing this.

 

[ShredKnives]

Oh, yeah, she just realized her apparel. "Oh! These are my sleeping clothes. I'll be back in thirty minutes in something more fitting. If something happens, gotta make sure the clothes are all-purpose. That village is a chilly place, you know!

She dove into the shrine. There she goes. "There's Mom!" She whispered, pointing into one of the rooms promptly before diving into her own and sliding the door shut.

Tomoe was far more toned than Laila was, the only difference being that her sleeves were gone to show the forerms, riddled with scars new and old. Although half of the blanket covered her, her arms still hung out all over the place, only showing one fraction of the history they went through. Calluses still hardened from tight grips and even a visible indentation from where she held the handle of a blade. She may be a little eccentric, but her body showed a fragment of her skill: the years she had spent with a blade by her side.

Her breathing was very light. She almost seemed dead had it not been for the blanket still moving up and down against her chest.

As Laila mentioned, Tomoe responded appropriately right as Reeve would step into the room.

"Hmm...You're not Lilac...And you're not Marigold...You must be Reeve. Come to say goodbye?"

 

[Gary Sue]

"Typically you wear your sleeping clothes when you sleep, not... Ugh, never mind.", Reeve found himself commenting on her before shaking that train of thought of. Not only couldn't he argue, but there was no point in it- if anything, she was already escaping this 'discussion' the way she rushed right to her room. A bit abrupt, but... he could go along with it. There was something to be said about having the mute guy say goodbye on his own as he entered Tomoe's room, looking at her silently and admiring her figure. For how little the clothes she and Laila wore revealed, she really did look toned.

A smile was growing on his face before she suddenly spoke, catching him off guard. "M-Marigold..?", that name was fully unfamiliar, but... no matter. He coughed as if to confirm her educated guess and waited for a moment, before he put a hand on his chest, just like he had done with Laila, bowing forwards. There really wasn't much for him to say, but... he looked at his sword quietly, thinking back to all the digging the two had tried to do into him. It was nice of them, and they really did care more than anyone ever had for his story.

Just as he felt one of his eyes watering, he groaned and quickly wiped the tear away, bowing once more for the shrine's head priestess and waiting to see if she had anything she wanted to add. The last thing he wanted to do, after all they had done for him, was keep her awake longer than he 'had' to in order to thank her. Maybe, just as she'd given something to Laila, she'd have something for him too, but... it's not like he could read on his own, either.

"Come think of it, I never understood where Lilac comes from... I can always try to ask when we're back from the graveyard. But... For the first time, I have questions I want to ask. It's kind of nice."

 

[ShredKnives]

"Hmmm...Sorry, let me sit up..."

She rose out of bed into a seated position, her arms coming into full view. She was only really in a tanktop and loose pants, bandages wrapped tightly around her chest while her disheveled hair gave her bangs a wild-like look.

Still, she didn't look like she cared, stretching her arms up, lean muscle smoothly curving up and down from shoulder to wrist. Her waist, almost carved. Who knew what her legs looked like?

"I suppose you couldn't really answer properly unless I was looking at you," She said with half-open eyes. "I have some tea by the donation box. Packed in a little canteen and some cups just in case. I think you'll like it, it's ginger cinnamon. Good for fevers and helps a bad headache."

...

She rubbed her eyes. "Ah. You must be confused about something...Perhaps it's the flower naming? Lilac wouldn't understand, it was something between me and some good companions."

Tomoe chuckled with a nostalgic tone. "We had a skirmish 13 years ago. I was part of the 2nd Footsoldiers Division for a capital city up northwest, Saeko. When we traversed the mountain, you could see the forests from where we were, these forests as we looked over Veila like it was just a toy antique from a wood shop. Beautiful view. People called it the Battle of Greywood Fog, because up the mountain, it got colder, but the cold would mingle with the dead trees and turn their bark a silvery gray. A heat wave would come along, sweep the snow slopes and we had to take cover under a nearby cave when we got ambushed by a group of kobolds."

She scratched her cheek. "We lost...Perhaps, twenty good people in our squad of fifty, ten couldn't fight anymore. We talked about how we would see the buried, since no one of us wanted them here in the cave to become bones and ash."

"Several of us had to volunteer to finish them off. Marigold is a friend of mine, she used to be an executioner before she moved into the church to become a priestess and work her ways in holy magic to perform the complete opposite role. Haha, she was such an eccentric lady. Never ate meat because the job had scarred her from looking at meat the same. Great at card games, terrible at chess, okay at spars, but very good at teaching. Never backed down from an argument, either, always her way or no way at all, up until we saw that ambush. She ended up finishing off the majority of the injured when we ran out of medical supplies. Release them of their pain, they asked, and she knew best how to kill more than any of us."

"Long story short, we buried them in the Greywoods. Just along the side of the mountain, created some beautiful blossoms of flowers. Bleeding hearts, actually, from the bodies that rotted. But you can still see the glimmers of bones that remained due to some of the mudslides taking away the dirt we used to bury them."

"We must've spent an entire month coming up with names of flowers, guessing what flower would come out of the friend we just buried. Dandelion for Dandy. Rose for Rosalie. Orchid for Chidre. It was just something to make us feel better, help us...Disconnect the lives we lost from our world."

She smiled at Reeve. "But we've developed it as a bad habit. Sometimes, they still call us Flower Maidens...I've heard Gardeners, too, but that was back then. Now, I just go by Tomoe. Lilac was just...Well, she was born during the lilac blooming...There used to be lilacs here, believe it or not, back when Gran-mama was still around!"

Tomoe continued to think, almost as if pondering what she should do for him.

"That graveyard is important to both of us, more her than I, because it's where her father used to work. Bartender, carpenter, gravedigger, and whatnot. I also call him Lilac, his hair very much matches the color. Naturally, when Lilac was born, I gave the name Laila, but then her father wanted to keep calling her Lilac! I thought I should try breaking the habit once or twice, you know, but then he started doing it too-" She laughed to no end, how such a thing ended up twisted against her favor. "-So he started doing it too! But it makes me glad; flowers shouldn't just be for deaths, it should be for life, too. Life and death is the same cycle, same as the flower, so it's quite out of place to only pass flowers when people pass away."

"Hahh...Lilac. She's definitely grown a liking to you. I've taught her a few things last night, so hopefully you won't be too burdened when things get tough. That graveyard has seen enough time in the night and I'm growing tired of hearing the rumors too. However, if people heard that a Flower Maiden was sitting in the deep ends of a forest, it would be a little alarming. I'm surprised, too, since you can't talk. Perhaps you just have a magic touch? I think you two will be more than enough. Ruina has been asking for some people to give them a good whack on their heads...Oh! But if you see a blonde haired girl with fangs in her teeth, and that very irritated-looking personality, you know, resting bitch face? Wears a tavern waitress outfit, talks a lot of crap about everything? Make sure to get that heirloom unsheathed and tell Laila to put it between her fingers." Tomoe pointed at her knuckle, between the ring and the middle finger. "Like that."

"Thank you for making Lilac happy. I'm glad she's finally finding a direction she wants to go in," She concluded. "Will that be all, Reeve?"

 

[Gary Sue]

Hearing that she had tea ready, a part of him feared for the taste he'd have to endure, although another was pleasant. He was never quite fond of it, but he'd drink it if it meant recovering faster from any potential ailments. It would have been nice yesterday, really, but better late than never. Tomoe then proceeded to start the tale of why Laila earned her nickname of 'Lilac', and it felt... odd. Not the story, it was sweet and a bit sad. But knowing that Tomoe was sharing all of this with Reeve, who couldn't tell Laila even if he wanted.

It was nice, like she was venting to him, knowing fully well he wouldn't 'leak' anything she said further out. The priestess' laughter got smiles and even some chuckles out of Reeve too, who had a more relaxed posture once again as he moved a hand to the back of his head, scratching it quietly.

"Flowers shouldn't just be for deaths, it should be for life, too."

There was definitely some merit to this, and from all the words they'd exchanged, despite the cultural gap, he could get behind her way of thinking in full. He managed to get lost in thought deep enough to be surprised when the conversation abruptly changed, although it was still pleasant. "... Laila likes me, huh.", he lowered his gaze and looked down at the wooden flooring as he thought about last night's dream, and how her presence had calmed him down and helped him endure, too. The comment on having a magic touch was funny, but even so, he shook his head with a bitter smile. "Hah. If only."

On the topic of 'resting bitch faces', only one person came to mind. Who else could he possibly picture more if not Airoon- she just didn't have the blond hair, fangs or irritated look on her face. Or the outfit, or the shit talking... No, she actually did that much rather competently. Reeve paid close attention to the gesture though and mirrored it, as though to remember it so he could show it to Laila in times of need. From Tomoe's brief description, she sounded to be human, so what was so special about this random tavernkeep..?

There wasn't any point in dwelling on it too much when he'd be finding out soon though, so he just nodded away and lowered his hand again, looking at Tomoe with an upward curve on his lips when she thanked him. And as she did, he bowed forwards, as if denying her thanks and returning it. "No, that's not right. Thank you for caring for me and my past. You've done more than I could have ever thought of asking for."

With the two having exchanged grateful words... or silence, with one another, it looked like there was nothing else left to discuss. Her question was met with more of nothing, only for him to close his eyes, inhale and exhale deeply. He took the moment to clear his head, and when he did, he opened his eyes more determined than before. They were coming out of this unscathed, be it because of Laila's new skills or his own already honed swordsmanship. Reeve nodded one final time, saluting her with a cheeky grin on his face. There was a fire in his eyes even Laila hadn't seen yet, and so he left the room more determined than ever. Hopefully, Tomoe was going back to getting some proper rest.

The next few minutes until Laila would come out, he would be spending out on the shrine's main room closest to the corridor, looking around at the antiques, decorations and surroundings. The structure of it all, its aesthetic, the history left and right all around the room... "Doesn't really compare to having a normal house now, does it... Benefits of having a long running tradition, I guess."

 

[ShredKnives]

With the two having exchanged grateful words... or silence, with one another, it looked like there was nothing else left to discuss. Her question was met with more of nothing, only for him to close his eyes, inhale and exhale deeply. He took the moment to clear his head, and when he did, he opened his eyes more determined than before. They were coming out of this unscathed, be it because of Laila's new skills or his own already honed swordsmanship. Reeve nodded one final time, saluting her with a cheeky grin on his face.

Tomoe rolled her eyes as he saluted her. "Save that for real knights, mm-kay?"

The next few minutes until Laila would come out, he would be spending out on the shrine's main room closest to the corridor, looking around at the antiques, decorations and surroundings. The structure of it all, its aesthetic, the history left and right all around the room... "Doesn't really compare to having a normal house now, does it... Benefits of having a long running tradition, I guess."

Laila suddenly popped out! Classic robe attire, but it's definitely more suited to combat; more silk-laced metal plates that adorned the chest, the shoulders, and even the legs; though there were many openings that displayed into her robes, but it was almost the look of a half-baked samurai...Or a war archer.

"Hi! Taking a look at the relics?"

She suddenly spun around in front of Reeve, suddenly yoinking out one of the katanas. "This one was one of the first display swords we used. We didn't use the heirloom for a while because it was so special and my Great-greats just wanted to take it around during the honeymoon."

Unsheathing the blade, which she did, revealed a nicely-blue hued katana. It looked like it hadn't cut anything in years, edge dulled to a near-flat surface.

Placing it back, she immediately retrieved a leather-looking piece of skin. "Scale of an iron-tooth wyrm. Grandpa killed it in the attack of the Seared Highlands when their skirmish got cut off by this funny thing."

She put that one back and glanced at a rock held on a stand. Black and with webs of silver lining it. "Oh, Grandma had this one. Said each of these rocks were found at trade routes all around the world when she and Grandpa had finally managed to fulfill their goal of going from one corner of the continent to the other, and they welded it together when they got back home."

"And this is a Whale's Hair! It's actually just a replica, but they say that this blade was once held by Arioon's great-grandma during the summer seasons., and they started reproducing it when they found out that whales don't actually have hair at all."

Skip a couple of minutes of Laila treating her home like it was some kind of tourist attraction, and they were fixing to get going pretty soon! Sun was bright, so it was the perfect opportunity to get any last minute errands done...She packed the tea her mother had gotten them, and their weapons were pretty much at optimal status, so...What was left for Reeve?

 

[Gary Sue]

Of course Laila would have something to say about quite literally, quite everything. He watched her almost skip and hop from one relic on to the next one, giving him a glorified tour as he nodded along, clapping his hands for some of the admittedly impressive feats she described. This was just word of mouth and potentially more fable than truth, but there was at the very least something pretty to look at, be it a sword, an artifact or some personal souvenir they'd found or collected along the way.

When all of this was over and done though, Reeve silently watched the archer get ready to get moving with a grin on his face. "Ever since we met Tomoe yesterday, she was really sad and gloomy, but... She seems in her element now. It fits her more this way anyways.", he let out a content huff as she finally finished prepping up. It was around then that he also realised, she had taken everything herself. A-Ah, why of course...

Coughing to get her attention, he fixed the cloak around his shoulders and looked around, trying to collect his bearings before he decided- the path for Ruina was probably somewhere that-a-way. He gestured her to come on over, starting to make his way out of the shrine. All of this sureness about going to the right path though left him, as he saw the edge of the forest that was almost wrapped around the shrine's grounds. "I-I... Forests look the same all over after all, h-huh...", he huffed and crossed his arms, tapping his fingers quietly.

He tried and tried, starting to tap his foot on the ground in an attempt to remember before he stopped and snapped- or at least tried- his fingers. "Looks like we have no other choice.". He had decided fully well. And with all of this decisiveness, he turned around and looked at Laila somewhat expectantly, tilting his head with a sheepish smile as he rubbed the back of his neck. "B-Better lead the way, cause I'm lost..."

 

[ShredKnives]

Coughing to get her attention, he fixed the cloak around his shoulders and looked around, trying to collect his bearings before he decided- the path for Ruina was probably somewhere that-a-way. He gestured her to come on over, starting to make his way out of the shrine. All of this sureness about going to the right path though left him, as he saw the edge of the forest that was almost wrapped around the shrine's grounds. "I-I... Forests look the same all over after all, h-huh...", he huffed and crossed his arms, tapping his fingers quietly.

He tried and tried, starting to tap his foot on the ground in an attempt to remember before he stopped and snapped- or at least tried- his fingers. "Looks like we have no other choice.". He had decided fully well. And with all of this decisiveness, he turned around and looked at Laila somewhat expectantly, tilting his head with a sheepish smile as he rubbed the back of his neck. "B-Better lead the way, cause I'm lost..."

Eh. Naturally.

Forest time! With a grin, Laila yanked Reeve to her side. "No worries. Let's get the hell out of here. We've got some dead to take care of."



Navigation through the forests was as confusing to Reeve as it was clear to Laila; every step from Laila with absolute purpose as they traverse through trees and followed down a path with no clear hints of how much of it was really a path or how much of it was Laila's intuition. With how much confidence Laila had put into her own presence, however, it was hard to argue about which way was the right way to begin with.

Trees left and right, history that had been written into their barks far before they were ever born...Birds flew all across them, the sun rose with a fierce shine as the clouds cast over the hills and mountains beyond. Their footsteps paved them a journey; a journey beyond the trails of normalcy, beyond the oddball jobs of the towns...Now it was their time.

And Laila was here to see her job through.

Going through the flat forestlands and passing by flora and fauna, she eventually turned her head back to Reeve; their hands and such were still clasped together, so there was very little chance of Reeve suddenly branching off. Considering his lacking ability to do any speaking, Laila was willing to even put cuffs on Reeve as long as she could ensure he and she minimize the chance of losing each other.

Hopefully, he was a good whistler.

"Fun fact about these forests. I heard, once upon a time, there used to be an indigenous race of dryads that lived here before they fled from us humans; living off the lay of the land and inspiring some of the current druids you see from the borders of Saeko. Beautiful ladies of a crazy-smooth complexion, like feeling the skin of a baby, which was said to have come from their natural absorption of the sunlight. Now, I don't know if they're real or exist today, but those druids are making an absolute killing selling their little herbal lotion. Sometimes, you might see traveling merchants come around here and harvest the plants because they say before dryads were dryads, the poison ivy and the lacquer tree were once the carriers of their hearts before the moonlight shined on them and shared its energy to put life into their hearts...And they would be born during the dryness of the summer season early morning."

She shrugged. "Not really any of my business, but guys out there lament all day and night because they want a woman with that kind of complexion. I don't blame them, I want a guy with that kind of complexion, hehe. Are you much for superstition and myths?"

 

[Gary Sue]

And there she was again, the peppy, touchy-feely Laila that he knew oh so well by now. With a sigh, he made sure to follow along and keep up with her pace while she guided through the forest. Rays of light made their way through the rather dense foliage at parts, making for quite the nice walk. There didn't seem to be any nearby animals, at least hostile ones like Warhogs, so all was well on that front too. "For someone so sleep deprived, she's clearly not all that out of it. Seems pretty in character with who I know her to be, though."

She started to explain the history of the area too, and Reeve just quietly listened. He looked at her, admiring her encyclopedic knowledge of nearby folklore, myths and fairy tales as much as the information that she seemed to be dumping onto him just because she could. As for her wants and desires... "Hey, fair's fair. If only most nobles weren't into other nobles, you'd have a pretty easy match.", he commented to himself and shrugged, although he was surprised at the question directed at him.

As a kid, the knight remembers having always been fascinated with myths. Not so much because he was a naive and gullible child, as much because he wanted to fight all these legendary creatures with immense power and agility to rival the most talented swordsmen. Kid Reeve was a storm, and anybody dealing with him should have been ready for just as much, too. His confidence was up there with the gods' palaces and he was definite that he, too, was the stuff of myths. But now? It depended on the myth. If it's part of a culture, it's probably more true than not.

Shortly after getting cursed, he found out the Abyssal heirloom he held by his hip as they walked was nothing more than the stuff of legends. Whoever would really believe in a weapon passed down across generations, with a curse being laid on it with every new one getting a hold of it anyway? But if it's for something silly and childish, like deities and otherworldly beings coming to claim towns for themselves... no. As for superstition... it was always based on something, wasn't it?

Even when Laila turned to look at him, he seemed to be considering his response a bit. Some people loved worrying about everything, but it hurt to be outright rejecting of something- anything, just because it sounded 'ridiculous'. So somewhat skeptically, he bounced his head left and right as if to say 'so so'. The unsure look on his face probably helped translate the rather odd movement, at least. And then, he raised an eyebrow as if to throw the question right back to the archer, replacing the half-frown with a smirk.

 

[ShredKnives]

Even when Laila turned to look at him, he seemed to be considering his response a bit. Some people loved worrying about everything, but it hurt to be outright rejecting of something- anything, just because it sounded 'ridiculous'. So somewhat skeptically, he bounced his head left and right as if to say 'so so'. The unsure look on his face probably helped translate the rather odd movement, at least. And then, he raised an eyebrow as if to throw the question right back to the archer, replacing the half-frown with a smirk.

Laila grinned.

"I love myths. We heard of someone who climbed the highest peak of the mountain, but instead of bringing food along, they slowed down all of their organs with magic so it required less energy to move up the peak. The first man to climb a mountain without eating anything, the first man to climb a mountain without using the bathroom, and the first man to climb a mountain without taking a bath. That third part isn't that important, but isn't it crazy how we can come up with some of the most impossible things that we can somehow surpass?"

"Why worship legends when you can join them?"

It seems Laila and Reeve...Shared the same sentiments, even if they were a bit out of their reach on certain sections.

"Then you have people who fight off grizzly bears. And people who fend off wyverns alone. People you'd never imagine, single-handedly beating out creatures that would've required entire groups. Someone who can do what everyone else finds impossible in the right place in the right time...A maker of opportunities in impossible scenarios. Those are legends, right?"

"Yeah...I love a good myth. A good ghost story, a good legend, a good tall tale," She said, glancing back at Reeve with quite the mischievous smile, "Because there's nothing more exciting than finding an idea you'd love to make your own. How do you think Mom figured out the ritual technique?"

Again with that smile as she held the heirloom tight between her chest and Reeve's hand in the other. "And plus, there's nothing wrong with extending a hand outside of reality. People like to get put into a different body from time to time, so they love a good story about something completely out of this realm. We all get a little tired of walking on the same green earth at some point, right?"

 

[Gary Sue]

When Laila mentioned her mother's way of discovering the ritual she tried to use to bless Reeve's sword, he put a hand on his chin and rubbed it in thought as he looked down at his blade, its shimmering shine peeking out just slightly from within its scabbard. "I suppose that is a myth based on something actually real... Although to my knowledge, magic tools all are somehow connected to blood usually. Then again, maybe that's why the ritual works that way. Blesses the weapon using blood itself to convert it into magic..? Hell if I know, th-this isn't my field of expertise."

Admittedly, it really wasn't, and now was no good time to start thinking about it either. He wouldn't manage to get to anything on the way to the graveyard. She did bring up another interesting point though. "Tired of the same ol', same ol' huh..? I suppose, most of us maybe. But there's a lot of people that don't. Same as there's 'courageous' blacksmiths that travel out to get their ingredients themselves, there's others that prefer forging weapons day in and day out for years at a time, and they feel perfectly content with what they do. It probably depends on the person, but... I doubt the myths and legends are what's keeping them going."

There was no sure answer he could give her, so instead he offered his best- a shrug. Following it, there was a bit of silence, but Reeve took the time and (despite dropping his guard) looked at his companion. "I was really worried about the graveyard yesterday, and I was also worried a few minutes ago because of how little she has rested, but... she somehow 'talked me out of it'. I can't describe it, but there's no more tension anymore."

Whatever this was, it was pleasant. To be able to carelessly stroll throughout a forest to their destination- well. He snapped out of it and coughed, straightening his posture and setting his eyes on the road. "Right, carelessly. That's not part of my job.", he wanted to bonk himself in the head, feeling glad that nothing had happened while his guard was down. Otherwise, he'd be beating himself up over it, and rightfully so. What sort of bodyguard lets things happen to their client because they're absent-minded, either way?

Reeve found himself glancing at Laila at some point, snapping his fingers to get her attention before he rubbed his hands together, breathing into them. Clearly he couldn't be cold, seeing as he had his cloak on just fine, but he wasn't sure if he could say the same for her. So he raised an eyebrow, tilting his head somewhat before he turned back to the path they were following with a watchful eye.

 

[ShredKnives]

Laila only got her attention recaptured when Reeve snapped his fingers. Hand rubbing...Glance back...

She put her fist to her hand. "Oh! Worried about me getting cold?"

She had a smug grin on her face. "Well, I'm immune to weather! Perks of being endowed with the Black Mamba! Bearer of the mighty Mambarasu!" She proudly held her blade, still contained within her scalberd.

That was her name for the blade? Half of it was in English, the other a bit more unorthodox...

"And the armor plates help block out the chilling winds so I feel right as rain! Though, once it gets colder, it'll definitely start to wear on my little fingers; I put nicks in my arrows so they'll be easier to grab onto just in case."

She chuckled. "Don't worry, I'll let you know when I get cold!" She assured Reeve with a thumbs-up.

 

[Gary Sue]

From there on out, the rest of the trip was fairly quiet and easy. Thankfully, not too much happened, and when nighttime came, Reeve had made sure to keep watch over night. He took short naps every now and then, but made sure to keep awake enough so he could react to any mishaps that occurred- thankfully, nothing did. At some point when he felt it got chilly and he saw Laila shuddering, he even got up and taking the cloak off, he draped it over her, smiling and then going back to his self-assigned post by a tree that was comfortable enough to lean against.

Once the next morning came, he woke up as soon as he heard Laila moving too. The two took a good moment or so to get into the groove of things, and then back to walking down the main path they did. It didn't take them more than an hour or two before they finally arrived to the outskirts of the village, and the closer they got, the more it felt like something ominous was up.



With his hairs raised, Reeve half-glared towards the entrance. No sentries, no guards... As expected of a village. By now, his companion could easily tell that he was tense just by how he was holding the butt of his sword's pommel rather tightly, ready to draw his sword at a moment's notice. "... It's not a Laila thing. Nothing feels good about this.", he narrowed his eyes, looking over his shoulder to make sure the archer was still by his side and gesturing with his head to keep on moving.

And just as they entered the village, the suspicious stares already started from the residents. Along with them, came a sleuth of sarcastic comments that he didn't appreciate. "Well then, if it isn't that hunter again. And looks like she brought prince charming with, this time.", one of them went, while another one who hadn't caught the shrine maiden's previous visit scoffed and spat on the side of Ruina's path. "What a pleasure, having adventurers by here and trying to meddle with our own affairs again. They better be gone by the time my work's done tonight."

This vitriol had Reeve growling, although he did his best to not make too much of a scene, if any at all. The same way Laila had been leading him along and holding his hand every other time, he gently held onto her wrist and pulled her slightly closer, making sure that if something happened, he could tell immediately and act accordingly. "This whole place feels like a graveyard. Everybody has that look on their face, and... Gods, is there noone sane here?"

 

[ShredKnives]

It was nice, in the peace and quiet. Forests tended to not have much to fear, the animals were more afraid of them than they were of the animals, so it naturally came down to the ability to survive, something that would only amplify thanks to their jointed experience.

Laila might've talked a big game about temperature resistance, but she sure liked a good cloak here and there. Thanks, Reeve.

Naturally, this village was pretty much like the last visit. Laila last time was near booted out due to the lack of a "trail", so she was happy enough they were even in the premises.

Laila had her bow on her back; long range wouldn't do them much favors, it would've been much easier to use the heirloom in this case...Plus a parrying dagger. Meanwhile, the graveyard oozes with an ominous magic, colonizing the village like a poisonous hornet's nest, with them the queasy bees that were about to crawl right up into the larva.

Of course, a group walks up to them. A bunch of thug-looking people, some dressed in broken attire that looked like they had been tailored by a 200 year old man who was given a description but never a picture of a business suit; some had borderline robes, and others clothed like wandering bums.

Naturally, Laila was inclined to push Reeve back, but he  was the bodyguard, even if it seemed like the roles intended to be switched.

"You there, girl. What's that blade you're carrying," the leading man, a gruff hunk of a rock, asked with a lazy eye. Laila even had trouble keeping up with where to look.

Still, she kept her chest high...Which wasn't very effective, since she still had to look up at him. "None of your business."

"Secrets, huh? Did you also know there's a little price you gotta pay for entering our little village?"

Laila replied with a forced smile. "No, sir."

To the both of them, it's probably easy to see what's happening. They're slowly getting encircled.

"How about we give you a little leeway. Pay us a little piece, send you off your way, we don't go hungry, and you stick to your business, yeah?"

Some of the other guys are looking pretty intensely at them, waiting for a move.

And as far as Laila's concerned, she didn't want to cough up a single coin.