章節 18: Onward

I feel cold.

This is still my story, and I'm Kaff.

Currently I'm travelling with my aunt, and a person that forcibly tagged along. We're currently at a mountainous region of tundra. Trees were short, thin, and only a few of them had leaves intact. There were shrubs and various plants that I have no knowledge about, some had berries growing on them, and some had white flowers.

Snow scattered everywhere, covering the thin grass that tried to struggle in this harsh climate.

There was a trail that we were following a while earlier, but now that strong winds came accompanied by a heavy fall of snow, we relied on the map instead.

We didn't need a compass as the two suns can be seen even in this harsh weather. Telling our direction was only a matter of time. Even though we could see the two suns, they could barely penetrate the cold winds that blew in this place. Even our thick fur coats felt chilly underneath, and the way we kept heat on our bodies was to buy two of these Flame Orbs - a courtesy from Virol, with an included 'let me check your body again' agreement once we got back.

The other person in our party though, lacked a Flame Orb yet she had this necklace that emitted a white barrier around her, shielding even from the snow. I also erected a barrier for Aunt and me, but blocking the temperature was wishful thinking for now. The important thing was to reduce the winds after all.

The wind and snow kept piling on my barrier and almost made us a mobile igloo, but I cancelled the barrier each time the snow got thicker as we wouldn't have good visibility on the way.

"Are you sure this is the right direction?"

"Yeah, I live near this place!" A girl with a red set of clothes made of thick fur puffed her chest as she replied.

"Grrr... I still don't trust her but if Kaff insists... Hmph!"

***

---Three months earlier---

***

The travel to Phione going from Illa lasted more than we expected. There weren't any carriages enroute to Phione as the road was littered with beasts and various wild animals, and there was a long road barricade that was even covered by large masses of boulders. Just what kind of strength was required to lift those things?

I tried to climb on the rocks above and saw a man that turned around as soon as he heard my climbing.

His spear was instantly turned against my nose accurately with precise skill, and the surprise made me stop my ascending.

"There's no entry here. Go back from where you came," Then I noticed the feather that hung on his spear and realized that he was a Civil Corps guard. Knowing that, I took my own bestowed feather and showed it to him, his eyes narrowed and then he lowered his spear.

I climbed as he talked and I kept my feather in my body.

"I don't even know why is a child a member of the Civil Corps, but I still can't let you pass here. The area is filled with beasts and monsters alike. Warned everybody that came, but they took their own detours and just heard muffled screams from afar. Since the Beast God took you in, I don't recommend you dying going to Phione."

"Could you at least know of a way how to go to Phione? It's an important matter."

"What could be more important than your life?"

"Virol sent for me. I got drafted for war." His eyes narrowed as if in suspicion.

I could only let out a faint sigh and display him my powers to remove his doubt.

I charge a few wisps of Origin in my hand, then it encircled him as azure light glowed. He didn't seem to panic, so I continued.

After a few more seconds, the light became a barrier of four meters that surrounded him, and I told him to break it.

The feather on his spear glowed green, and the whole spear from the bladed tip soon followed. He turned around away from me with concern. His legs spread wide making a stance, and his spear flickered like a harpoon, shooting towards the barrier that I made.

*clang*

A sound of metal hitting a PVC pipe sounded, that was strange; but it still didn't break the barrier. He repeated that certain skill a few more times before I saw my barrier wobble and broke a hole like a glass, but it repaired. As long as there's Origin left, it won't fully break. Seeing that, he glanced back at me and resumed to break my barrier.

It took him about five minutes to fully break the barrier with his repeated skill strikes. He didn't break out a sweat though, as if he was only practicing on a dummy.

"A formidable barrier. You may proceed from here with that kind of strength, but I see you have a companion. Best of luck to you two."

"Thanks brother, this one's a favor."

"No! It was only proper. Your strength exceeds mine in a lot of ways, I can only hope to be as strong as you currently are."

This person really has a lot of respect, I kinda like his attitude, so I asked for his name.

"My name's Rampert. May the Beast God bless you."

"Thanks, and I hope this war ends soon."

After that, I called to Aunt Arc to climb and upon seeing her, the guard's eyes followed her for a moment with a strange gaze before returning to his post. Guys like him that aren't affected that much by Aunt are surely rare, or was it just her armor that held back her stunning enchantment?

Either way we continued and since Rampert warned us about the general situation of the area, I didn't dare try to become lenient and get caught in a sucker punch of death, so I erected a barrier that enveloped both of us. It didn't really block our sight or hearing so we can still hear and see whatever comes our way.

After only a few meters we already encountered a group of tall white sticks that were walking around in circles. They were about as tall as trees and had no visible organs. It's the first time I've seen these kind of beasts. Are they even called beasts?

"Aunt Arc, what are those?"

"Even I'm not sure. But what I'm sure of is that we should avoid them."

We both looked at those white things that seemed like they danced together as we walked near them; Slowly walked and made to their side then I noticed something.

On the center of these weird looking things, is that a person there?

I looked carefully within their rotation and through the gaps, there really is a person there.

"...elp... mh..."

Not sure if I should save that someone whose eye was the only thing that I saw within, but looks like Aunt Arc heard the person inside and instantly dashed and cleaved her sword amidst those weird sticks.

The sticks avoided Aunt's swing, and instead formed a wider circle and marched around them two.

"They're closing in! Make sure not to touch them and get out of there!" Upon realizing what the group of sticks were doing, I warned Aunt and charged Origin on both my hands.

Aunt nodded and checked up on the person, and nodded towards me. Looks like we're clear.

Aunt Arc dashed away from her spot but the sticks just followed her within a certain radius, and their formation wasn't really disturbed in the least.

Not really seeing how they could be gravely dangerous, I dash in towards them and formed a barrier on us instead.

"You could've just made a barrier for us from the outside!"

"...Good idea."

Even though she said that, I saw her becoming more relieved that we're all together in this barrier.

"Use this."

I hear the voice again and saw the person that Aunt was carrying hand over a small vial to me. It had this green liquid on it, and it sparkled inside like glitters.

"How do I use this?"

"Pour wide... on ground, ecape... on opening."

After that did she only fainted and drooped. She's alive right?

"Quick, Kaff. They're closing in!"

"Alright!"

With a pop, I pulled the cork that covered the vial's snout and poured some a few steps in front of us.

We waited for a few breaths of time for the sticks to reach the place where I poured the liquid.

Magically, they were disappearing as they hovered once they were above the green liquid, and reappeared later after they pass through. If these things were walls, then we now had a window of time to escape.

Aunt Arc dashed through and I followed behind her. After we got out of their enclosure, I saw the group of sticks slowly stop, and once again revolved while moving towards us so we ran for a long time following a trail that connected to the next town.

But we stopped as soon as we saw that we weren't chased anymore and heaved sighs of relief.

"Whew. Just what was that? It wasn't on the Book of Beasts Grandfather had lend me."

"I feel like I know what they're called, but I still can't remember. Sorry Kaff. Oof."

Aunt carefully laid the girl on the ground and examined her. I didn't really notice how people look like on first glance, and now that I had a closer look, her face was remarkable. It was as clear and on the spectrum of lighter brown, with slightly pale lips. She had long eyelashes and her every hair was colored blue, even her eyebrows. She had a smaller body frame than Aunt, but she didn't seem to be too young as she has a good abundance at the chest area.

Her clothes were all red that seemed to be made of fur, but I tried to touch the strands of her clothes and they were as hard as nylon. Seeing no harm in taking her with us at the moment, Aunt decided to take her with us.

But before that we had to first set up camp as the night is nearing.

***

The next morning the girl was still unconscious. Curious, I tried to gather Origin and tried to inject some of it into her, but strangely, a spark appeared on the surface of her skin when the strand I sent went contact.

"Wow. She doesn't like you."

"Aunt, it's not like I like this girl either you know..."

With an uninterested face I once again tried to inject her a strand of Origin, but it only reacted exactly the same. How about if I had a few more strands or maybe a thick line of Origin?

I compressed about ten strands of Origin into a ball and then made contact with her, it still didn't work. Her body is like a steel case that resisted every force then?

If that's the case then were those white sticks strong enough for her to be weakened to this point?

Last idea, I'll just hold her hand and transfer it skin to skin. That might just work.

I firstly charge it from my arms, then to my hands, to my fingers and finally made contact. I could feel my Origin seeping in from her palms, then her face twitched in reaction. I continued to put more of my energy inside her, and she finally opened her eyes.

Why did I even do this, I didn't expect Origin to be some kind of healing energy but seeing as it increased my body's toughness, I just decided to give it a try. Those sparks of rejection weren't really expected though.

Upon her eyes opening and glancing at each other with a few blinks, she realized that we were still holding hands and immediately pulled back and quickly stood.

"What did you do to me!? I'm---"

She looked at both her hands, checked her whole body and even flashed out a red aura with a few flickers, like starting an engine. Her long hair even dropped and covered her other eye without noticing it before she appeared to come to a conclusion.

"I can't sense any other people around. You, did you really heal me?"

She was pointing at Aunt Arc though, but she shook her head and pushed me gently, making me step forward.

"This kid did."