//Make sure to vote for another chappy. I'll be posting two more today just because I like the story.
Zetuo stood up from the bed a few moments after Lyn had fled the hut in embarrassment, the young adolescent no longer wishing to remain seated no matter how comfy the mattress was. There were many things that the youth was ignorant about, so many questions that had yet to be answered, questions that would never get answered if he didnt step up and keep moving forward. If he decided to sit around and let the girl take care of everything, his own rotten misfortune would make a choice for him and drag Lyn down with him.
The most crucial thing at the moment was putting himself somewhere on the map, no matter where that so happened to be. He didn't give a damn about finding a way back home. Zetuo merely wished to survive, nothing more and nothing less.
After stretching a bit, the young man set to work scouring the room, searching for anything that could point him in the right direction.
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From the other side of the door, Lyn let out a sigh as she slowly regained her previous composure. The wind rushed by her, blowing through her hair and whipping her dress about, an intense gust that greatly assisted the young green haired woman in calming herself down.
The young woman had never thought that a mere conversation with another could get so challenging, that it could make her tongue tied and unable to fully express her thoughts. Granted, it had been months since she had conversed with anyone and she was a bit rusty on the concept of small talk, but she truly hadn't been prepared for the level of difficulty that had been thrusted in front of her. Everything had seemed much easier when the youth had been unconscious, where she could tend to him without the need for chit chat. Now that Zetuo was awake though, she was at a loss on how to proceed and could barely look him in the eyes, especially after he had almost caught her messing with his hair.
Having had no true company for the past six months, Lyn wasn't in any hurry to kick the boy out either. After finding him sprawled out on the Sacae Plains, she had already made the decision to help the black haired youth as much as possible before parting ways with him. She would be lying if she claimed she wasnt even a little excited at the prospect of having someone to look after.
Setting the boy to the side, Lyn walked forward, pausing before the point where the land began to slope downward, leading towards a lush green field some distance below. Situated on a rather large hill, the young woman lived near a gorgeous view of the surrounding areas, a picture perfect landscape that she often came to whenever she didnt want to be alone with her own haunting memories. With a scattering of woodlands and an open field dotted with the occasional hill and pieces of shrubbery, the scenery was ever so breathtaking and Lyn was constantly drawn to it regardless of where she happened to be.
The green haired girl loved the outdoors, always had and probably always would. Ever since Lyn was but a little girl, she would always go outside and play with the other children from her own tribe, playing games and making up stories as they frolicked through the fields. The golden years of her youth had taken place in the vast outer regions of nature, splashing around in lakes and climbing trees, living and enjoying her life to the fullest. As she got older, Lyn's responsibilities grew and her time away from her village shrank, but even so, she never forgot about the experiences her childhood had granted her.
Clutching her sheathed sword, Lyn closed her eyes, allowing herself to be taken in by the cool breeze blowing against her and to enjoy the warmth of the sun as it kissed her skin. The smell of the trees, the sounds of nearby birds chirping, and the taste of the rich air as it swept on by, it was all just so intoxicating to the young green haired woman. If she was able to spend the entire day just soaking in her surroundings, Lyn would do so on a heartbeat.
"AAAAAAAAHHHHHGGGGG!!!"
A scream, one filled with fear and despair, shattered the peaceful atmosphere, demolishing Lyn's reminiscing as her eyes shot open. Bright green hues flicked around in worry, scouring the area before finally narrowing in on the nearby village, a small little settlement with a population of 50 or so inhabitants. Though the young woman failed to see the one who had initially screamed, Lyn was able to pinpoint a group of around a dozen men walking towards the village, weapons held to their sides. With ripped clothing, rugged and largely disheveled appearances, and menacing, raucous laughter that the young woman could discern even from the distance she was at, they could only be recognized them as bandits.
Bandits were as common as water in Sacae so Lyn wasn't inherently surprised to see them, especially since there was an unsuspecting village just waiting to be plundered. Of course, while the green eyed girl wasnt surprised by their arrival, she hadn't expected such a large number of them to suddenly appear, regular bandits only roaming groups of five or six.
Lyn could feel her blood begin to boil as her hand tightened on the hilt of her sheathed sword, teeth clenched together as she watched the bandits walk into the town. She wanted ever so badly to rush on in, to protect the people within the settlement and to end the vile pieces of trash that had just stepped foot inside.
However, she wasn't an idiot. She was vastly aware of her own ability, of what she could and couldnt handle. A dozen bandits was just too much for her to deal with at her current level and it was this very thing that prevented her from just charging in and forcing the bandits to retreat. If she wanted to help, she would have to remain patient and think of another way to approach everything.
(("Calm yourself Lyndis,")) Lyn chastised herself as she took a deep breath, releasing her grip on her sword. (("Keep a cool head and think rationally. You can't help anyone if you're dead."))
Glancing briefly at the bandits one last time, Lyn turned around and hurried back towards her home, no longer concerned about anything else accept the pending situation. She needed to prepare herself and some equipment as well as inform the fluffy, black haired boy about the bandits. If possible, she wanted the individual to hunker down in the house and remain there, fleeing the area should she not return.
Lyn hadn't roamed too far from the small hut so it didnt take her very long to reach it. Without so much as pausing, she pushed open the door and rushed inside.
She barely got halfway in before she tripped, having tried to move too fast and hit the back of her own leg. She didn't land on the ground though as an arm shot out and caught her, wrapping around her waist and pulling her back up onto her feet. Her earlier panicked demeanor was washed aside, quickly replaced by surprise as she reflexively grabbed the hilt of her sword.
"Woah there," Zetuo said, releasing her and backing away, his hands raised. "I was only helping. No need to get defensive."
Lyn was still slightly perplexed but she removed her hand from her weapon, green eyes taking in the youth as he walked backwards.
She had already noticed it back when she had picked the youth up, but the boy certainly had a charm to him, abundance of scars included. Pitch black hair, eyes darker then darkness itself, and bright white teeth. Standing at around 5'5, a bit shorter then her 5'7, the youth looked rather cute even when considering the rather odd pieces of clothing he had on. If Lyn had to make a guess, based on his clothes, she would assume he was a traveler of sorts, or a mercenary considering the amount of scars that were visible on his arms, legs, and pretty any visible skin excluding parts of his face.
(("He's younger then me,")) Lyn noted as she regained her composure. (("He probably wont be of any help in a fight if he's a simple traveller. It would probably be best to keep him out of danger and not take any chances, regardless of his true profession."))
She had a strange desire to keep the young man safe and it was because of this sudden feeling that she immediately went towards one of her chest and pulled out one of her bows, along with a quiver of arrows.
"There's something happening outside that I need to deal with," Lyn explained, tossing the objects towards Zetuo without even looking. "I need you to stay here and wait until I get back. I'll knock five times, pause, then knock three times. If you dont hear that, assume I'm dead and flee as far away as you can."
Zetuo didn't look as confused as Lyn had expected, instead looking thoughtful as his black hues flicked from the bow to the green haired young woman. Lyn wasnt sure if she was imagining it or not, but she could somehow sense that the young man was analyzing everything she had just said and drawing his own conclusions. She didnt know anything about the boy other than his name and yet she felt as if he was far more intelligent then she had initially gave him credit for.
"So, you want to go off and fight while I stand and wait right?" Zetuo asked rhetorically as he slipped the quiver's strap over his head, sliding it into position on his back. "Are you sure you dont require my help? Its probably my fault anyways. Additionally, I owe you for helping me."
Lyn immediately shook her head. "This is MY fight. I refuse to drag someone down with me due to my own selfishness. I can handle myself and, should the going get tough, I know when to retreat."
"True, BUT it's not up to you where I go now is it?" Zetuo rebuttaled as he plucked at the bows flexible string, testing its resistance. "Even if you had begged me to stay, I have my own reasons for tagging along. So, I'm going with you whether you like it or not."
Lyn let out a sigh as she pulled out her sword, moving it until she held it against the boys throat. It was a mere bluff but she made sure to cover all her bases so it looked as real as possible. "You will stay. Guard my house. That's how you can repay me."
Zetuo frowned as he pushed the blade away from his neck with the back of his hand, disregarding the small cut that he received from doing so. "Fine. I'll wait here. I expect you to return soon."
Lyn nodded as she sheathed her sword. Without giving put any promises of making it back alive, he spun on her heels and walked out the door.
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