Colors of the Wind [ Private | Rima ]

“Dang, I don’t really remember which way to go…” Rima would say in a discouraged-tone of voice. If she could at least find an opening in the thick forest top, it might become easier to navigate through it. She wasn’t even sure what time of the day it was, was it almost night or was it only mid-day? As she thought about this, she also happened to remember that she hadn’t eaten anything since she got sent into the forest.

She could feel her stomach now alerting her of this fact, and for just a second she thought the sound of it grumbling was yet another monster coming after her. If only those rabbits hadn’t eaten all the meat off of that beast, she could have most likely cooked it up using heat magic or something. However, it was far too late to complain about something like that. After making it out of here though, she should really think about investing in some sort of spell to supply her with food for occasions like this.

“I’m sure Diana will have whipped something up by the time I get back...those burnt fish she made earlier today actually sound really good right now.” Rima was practically drooling just thinking about a nice home-cooked meal. However, she knew this couldn’t be her main concern at the moment. She needed to figure out which way to go first, as Diana wanted her back before sunset.

As Rima pushed onward, the environment around her only seemed to worsen. Everything seemed like it was closing in on her, growing visibly darker along with it. While this didn’t alert her right away, after walking for about fifteen more minutes in it, she started to become aware.

When Rima first entered the forest, she felt as though something was watching her. After finding out that a giant beast was hunting her down, she assumed that’s what it was. So why, why did it still feel like something...or someone was watching her at this very moment? The feeling deeply disturbed her, but she also didn’t have the courage to become vocal about it. If she were to call out to this thing watching her, what would she do if something actually responded? She had a child hoisted over her shoulder, and no weapon at all. She was absolutely defenseless.

Instead of trying to draw this thing out, she decided that ignoring it would be her best bet for survival. Despite her decision to ignore it though, fear would linger in the back of her weakened mind. She couldn’t help but remember back to the events that happened not too long ago. She could only pray that nobody followed her from there...

---

Yamato watched Diana closely, his eyes would quickly scan her new strange-looking blade. He couldn’t help but let out a laugh upon seeing it.
“Sorry, I was just a bit surprised by that blade of yours. Where did you find such a thing?” Upon saying this, he fluidly shifted the blade in his hands to be shoulder-height. His expression would change yet again, however this time into something much more serious.


“You’re without a doubt much stronger and faster than me, it’s in your blood after all. However, don’t you dare hold back against me because of that fact. I want you to go all out, as I am going to. Use anything and everything that you have, don’t be afraid to break some bones.”  As those words left his lips, Yamato’s feet would ever-so-slightly lift up off the ground. The skilled magician had never intended on not using magic, even though his main purpose in this match was to prove his physique to this new rival of his.

Yamato would start his assault by charging towards Diana with A-Tier flight. As soon as he reached where she was standing, he would use his honed-blade to send a swift piercing attack towards the girl’s abdomen. If Diana is to dodge or block this attack with ease, he would attempt to quickly back away 5-meters using his A-Tier flight speed.

Diana lifted the sword up and held it downwards in a diagonal across her body. She twisted her body slightly as if she was going for a slash. However, she lingered in this stance as she waited for him to approach her. "I don't go easy," she said, slowing her breath. This allowed the magoi to flow evenly into her sword. As soon as he made a move, she had planned to strike. It was a simple waiting game and she was rather patient. There was no telling what his blade was capable of. She had only hoped her own would be on par.

As he was speaking prior, Diana couldn't help but notice him levitate slightly off of the ground. While it would be unfair for him to use flight to his advantage, he seemed to stay at a shallow height. Diana believed this was to allow him to move on par with her. 'Clever,' she thought. As the magoi in her hand began to merge with the blade, a black, starry shroud began to envelop the blade. As beautiful as it may have been, only Yamato would see the aura it emitted. Diana would simply see that same rippling aura as he had created prior.

In little time and to her surprise, he charged towards her at great speeds that rivaled her own. Out of her own natural reflex, she swept her sword in front of her with great force. While she did this, the magoi she had previously pooled into the sword pulsated a great and mysterious power, activating it's function. A five meter crescent blade of black, starry matter flung itself towards the incoming magician and it would travel at him for up to twenty meters. As it drew closer to him, unless countered, it would forcefully tug him towards the deadly blade.

An intense chill seemed to be gathering within Rima, causing her to shake with fear. What was wrong with her? She didn’t want to be scared, but for some reason this ominous feeling of someone watching her was really getting to her. It was most likely just another animal, so why did she keep thinking of that horrible incident?

Out of the corner of her eye, she could have sworn she had seen a white head bob out of the bushes. However, when she looked back at it, there was nothing there. Why was she so paranoid? Obviously the masked man was still out there somewhere, but there’s no possible way he was in some random forest in the mountains.

Letting out a sigh, Rima tried to collect her thoughts. She wasn’t being rational at all. It’s understandable for her to be thinking of what happened that night, considering what happened, but she only needed to ask herself one question. What would one of those creepy mask guys be doing out in the middle of this forest? Even if there was one, this forest harbored extremely dangerous animals such as that chameleon that had chased her from before. There’s no possible way the would risk following her into such a place, right?

Rima couldn’t help but let out a nervous chuckle, placing one of her hands on the baby chameleon that was still latched onto her side. “I’ve got you now, you’ll protect me won’t you?” She gazed down at her new pet, giving it a gentle pet on the neck with her free hand. Its response wasn’t really what she considering comforting, as it only made a strange “blep” sound and continued to stare at her.

“Why didn’t you save me? You didn’t even try…” Rima would pick up this strange voice immediately, quickly turning around to find the source. Despite hearing it clear as day, the magician saw nothing but nature behind her.

“N-no...this can’t be happening.” She would say nervously, trying her best to swallow back the fear. The voice that she had hear was clearly Biyu’s voice, the girl she was unable to stop from changing that night. Even though Rima had heard the voice clearly, she had no other choice but to dismiss it right away. Biyu had died that night alongside all those other villagers, she was dead, there’s no possible way she was here with her. Her mind must have been playing tricks on her...

---

“Clever? You haven’t seen the half of it girl!” Yamato had enough sense to realize that the girl was fueling her weapon with magoi. However, he couldn’t have possibly known the exact command that this tool was being given. As his strike neared Diana, he watched as a magnificent aura had completely veiled her blade.

“What in the world…” He would mutter, quickly retracting his attack in order to retreat with his high speed flight. Despite Yamato’s clear-headed reactions, he had been completely caught off guard by the girl’s incredible magic tool. He watched as the powerful blade of black mass shot towards him, drawing his body towards the center of the dangerous magic as well.

Yamato had been lucky that his reactions were good, because if they weren’t he could have been gravely wounded by the girl’s assault. Unable to dodge the oncoming crescent though, Yamato’s borg would activate in order to protect him from the the damage. As powerful as Diana’s tool was, Yamato’s borg was still stronger.

The magician's steel-hard borg was able to defend from the oncoming attack, but not without taking immense damage in the process. As strong as his borg might have been, it had been left a mere shell of itself. The entire borg now had large cracks all over the surface and wouldn’t be able to withstand another attack like that, in fact, a simple punch from her would be enough to finish it off. If Yamato wasn’t careful from here on, he might get seriously injured.

Shellshocked by Diana’s surprising attack, Yamato didn’t realize that he had been drawn closer to her in the process, due to the spell’s gravitational pull. As he began to pull himself together, he realized he would need to take a new approach if he wanted to fight her. He knew very well that she was going to be a tough match in a battle of strength, but he could have never imagined that she would have been capable of strength magic rivaling his own.

“Alright, so you’re capable of that sort of magic. Warrior-types like you are total bullshit, using magic like you’re a magician or something. Let me show you what real strength magic is capable of, Fanalis girl.” Yamato’s calm and collected demeanor had been shattered by Diana’s display. He now only withheld rage, not towards Diana in specific, but because he felt the need to show what he was truly capable of.

“Sahaq Aleasifa, let them know the fury of the rukh.” Yamato would say with pride, raising his sword towards the sky. A powerful black light would shine from the weapon, a light typically unable to be seen by the human eye. However, in this showcase of incredibly potent magic, this aura could be seen even by Diana. Was this because of the raw strength of the spell? Or was it simply because Yamato allowed her to see it. Not even Yamato knew the answer to this, as his judgement had been clouded by anger.

As if taken hold by a powerful force, Diana would begin to feel a strong pressure wrap around her body. While this spell wasn’t directly cast upon the woman, her and the environment near her would begin to feel the result of it being used. Yamato had essentially commanded the rukh to create a sheet of enhanced gravity in a 20-meter radius. The increased gravity would feel like a stack of weights had been put on top of Diana, or anyone in the vicinity. The force of this spell was strong enough to even cause the bending of nearby trees and plants.

“Let’s see you use that Fanalis speed of yours now. This is what real magic is capable of, Corvus.” Yamato’s unstabilized personality continued to shine as he watched everything around him begin to bend to his will.

As she watched the slice of magic emerge from her sword, her lips formed into a grin. To think the boy had a hold of such a formidible weapon was mind blowing. However, her moment of joy was quickly shattered as the impact was negated by his borg. Despite it's fragility being clear, this stirred a bit of excitement and fear in Diana. The sword slowly lost it's aura as her breathing picked up and she was no longer able to control the flow of magoi in her body.

In the sudden shock of the moment, neither of them made much of a move. However, she could feel an immense, raw rage coming from Yamato. She was afraid of what he might do but the suspense was killing her. Diana tossed her sword to the side, cracking each of her fingers before forming her hands into tight fists. "Shut up," she demanded, her eyes beginning to hold the same flame that had resided there previously. Instead of rage, the emotion held inside was made of blood lust and the primal urge to fight.

Her mind was now distracted from any sense of justice she had. The thought of feeling bones crushing within her hands, the warmth of blood upon her flesh, the sounds and smells of battle. It was all desired in this moment. For the first time in her life, she let her true nature consume her. Diana kept herself tucked in the back of her head in a dormant state. All she could see was Yamato. However, this was not a wild frenzy of any kind. Her mind remained calm and clear of thought. This would only allow her to think of their battle. Nothing more than that.


A sudden wave of pressure slammed down on top of her. Her eyes opened wide as she quickly fell to her hands and knees. It was clear she was being manipulated by some sort of magic. However, she was left in a state of confusion. Her instincts couldn't find a solution to this problem. She decided to use all of her strength to fight off the gravity. Despite this, she felt slower.

Frustrated with her situation, she spaced her arms out wide, digging her hands into the earth below. After creating a decent sized pocket, she would slam her fists down onto them, creating cracks throughout the terrain. Thankfully, due to Yamato's spell, the water did not flow into the area as Diana had begun to reshape the terrain in a twenty meter radius around them. As swiftly as she could, she forced her arms down into the earth, grabbing a hold of whatever she could. She proceeded to push up with her legs with all of her strength to bring up two massive chunks of earth which were both roughly ten meters in diameter. She would attempt to lift them up directly in order to startle or potentially damage Yamato.

“Aren’t you at least a little curious about it? There’s another half of you, Rima. You keep denying its existence, which in-turn is halting your progress to become stronger like you want.” The melodic voice wouldn’t take long to reach Rima’s ears, bringing her to a fear-induced standstill once again. She could feel her heart rate becoming unstable, a sudden ringing in her ears would break her balance completely.

“S-Stop...I don’t care about any of that. I just want to get back to Diana...she’ll know what I should do.” Starting to feel sick from the nausea, Rima couldn’t keep a hold on to the child any longer. She was forced to wobble towards a nearby tree in order to lay him at the trunk of it.

“You’ve already seen the power it grants, you’ve seen the pleasure one derives from becoming one with it. Your little friend was reborn that night, she had become something better than before.” The voice continued to go on about the events from that night, memories Rima would rather not think about. She just wanted it to all go away.

“Just leave me alone!” Rima cried out, falling to her bare knees. She felt as rocks and sticks on the ground cut into her flesh, inserting into the new wound. The pain was obvious to her right away, but she felt as though it didn’t matter. She just wanted the voices to go away, she didn’t want to feel this way anymore. Pain was the girl’s last concern.

As she opened up her eyes to wipe away the tears that had been forming, her vision would catch the blood leaking from her wounds. It wasn’t red like it should have been, it was completely black. Just like Biyu had, just like all those villagers.

Was this some sort of punishment? Was this because she had to kill those innocent people who had been transformed? That wasn’t her fault, her hand was forced that night. Maybe it was karma getting back at her. She had done plenty of wicked things in the past, maybe this is what she deserved. She had been getting better, she wasn’t like how she used to be. Meeting Diana and all the others along the way had really changed her. In the past, she might have taken an innocent life or two, but it was only because she was a misguided fool.

Unaware as she was forced to think of her past, the tainted rukh that followed her increased in number. It would only take about a minute or two for them to have completely surrounded her. They seemed to whisper things into her ear, along with a horrible fluttering sound that came with the massive swarm. These feelings of grief and anger had been locked away for some time now, yet here they were again.

“Why…?” Rima would ask, a thick stream of tears rolling down her face. Everything that was happening was far too much for her to take in, she felt like she was going to pass out from it. However, as if the sun itself had blasted through this darkness in an instant, Rima would see a bright figure ahead. The silhouette was golden in color and feminine in shape. Who was it? She wanted to chase after them, but her legs were far too weak to pick her up. The only name that came to mind as she watched it dance was; Diana.

“Because I want you to grow, I want you to harness the power that you’ve always deserved.”

---

“Aha, there it is! This is the strength I’ve been wanting to see, not that mockery of magic you were trying to use!” Yamato would yell out, his heart fueled with anticipation. His grip on-to his blade tightened, lifting it into a stance once again. What did this girl have in mind? Did she plan on throwing those rocks at him? If so, she did not have luck on her side.

“Just a small tip for next time, but don’t try scaring a black magician with a couple of rocks.” Yamato chuckled at the gesture, swiping his sword in the direction of Diana. Upon doing this, the aura from his gravitation spell seemed to split somewhat. A black mass of energy started to swirl around the rocks Diana had been lifting, pouring into the cracks on them.

As if Yamato hadn’t even been frightened by the scene, he would pretend to sheath his blade as his magic began to work. The two chunks of earth Diana had been lifting up started to give away, as if they somehow started to melt. Grains of sand poured upon the Fanalis’ head, sand that was coming from the rocks she held. Yamato had commanded the rukh to deconstruct them, to turn them back into the earth they were formed from.

“That’s why.” The adept magician would say with pride, his feet still hovering off the ground. Unsure of how fast Diana would react to this, Yamato would begin to prepare his next attack. With yet another swipe of his blade, a similar 10-meter chunk of earth would crack from the nearby river. He held it suspended in the air for a short time before throwing it, acting somewhat pompous about it.

“Try to catch, girl.” Yamato would say with a smirk, using his magic to toss the chunk of rock in Diana’s direction.

As the chunks of earth fully lifted from the ground, it had created a smokescreen of dirt, dust, and sand. He was trying to taunt her with his magical prowess and she would have none of it. The chunks had stopped right before it had hit him and the dust began to clear. Diana got into position, ready to launch herself. Her muscles tingled with a seemingly limitless energy.

Grains of sand began to form from them at a growing pace. 'Perfect,' she thought. As they fell to the ground, it created a cover for her. A cascading wave of sand came pouring down in front of her, hiding her from his sight for just a moment. Diana had moved to the left side in a flash using all of the speed at her disposal. He was on her radar and she wouldn't stop until he was subdued. She took a short breath before jumping through the sand as Yamato was casting his next spell. Her words would sound right before she attempted to crash her body into his own in a devastating tackle.

Out of everything Yamato had planned for, debris was not on that list. He would have never expected Diana to use the earth as a smokescreen to get to him, unseen. The moment she had left his vision, he knew he had made a grave mistake.

Unable to dispose of the rocks quick enough though, he would simply remove his magical hold on them. The huge chunks of earth would clumsily drop back to the ground, creating even bigger cloud of dust in the process.

He had planned on commanding the rukh to create a large gale, one strong enough to blow away all the debris. However, it seemed that Diana was far too fast for him to properly react like this. Without enough time to even think about it, Yamato found himself under the Fanalis’ frontal assault.

She had used her immense speed to catch up to him, following with a tackle to bring him down to the ground. If Yamato was given even a second longer, he might have been able to create a reinforced shield to mitigate some of the damage taken, or something of the sort. However, the only thing between him and his beast-like enemy now was his damaged borg.

As Diana crashed into him, she would first shatter through what was left of his borg from her previous attack. This would not take much effort, as her raw strength was far superior to the remaining durability of the shield. As soon as it was gone, Yamato knew that the victor of this sparring match had been decided.

With Diana crashing directly into him, Yamato could feel quite a few things inside of him snap and break. Pain would quickly spread from the point of impact to the rest of his body. -- Despite Diana’s direct hit on him though, Yamato wasn’t going to accept a loss that easily. He knew that he was at a disadvantage by the way he was fighting her head-on, but he was too prideful to accept such a defeat. He had planned on getting at least one hit on her before stopping the duel.

However, Yamato’s plan to sneak in at least one hit on Diana started to fade fast; once a bleeding / bruised Rima had come into vision. The girl was carrying an unconscious child, and seemed to be bleeding from multiple wounds on her body. As she took a few steps towards Diana and Yamato, she would quickly fall to the ground, unconscious.

"Oh, shit." Yamato would say, using his remaining strength to try and push Diana off of his body. He couldn't stop himself from wincing in pain as he tried to move though, as he was now suffering from broken bones and muscle. Unable to push her off, he would simply point in the direction of Rima and the boy.

Diana had him pinned to the ground. Her dominance in the fight was returned to her. She readjusted herself, pressing her hands into his shoulders. The urge to fight and the flames of pride had not left his eyes despite the injury she had caused. 'If we continue this any further, he will die.' In her mind, there was a time where training went too far. The man's body couldn't handle her strength nor could she handle his magic. "That's enough." Her expression softened and her strength lifted off of his body.

The faint scent of blood passed her nose and she placed a hand on his stomach to check if he was the cause. Yet soon after, a loud thump sounded behind her. Yamato seemed panicked, attempting to push her off to no avail. Diana turned her head sharply to gaze behind her. Lying on the ground was Rima alongside Phobos, unconscious or worse. Part of her wanted to panic and rush over to them yet the other part wanted to tell the to get up and scold them.

While her mind argued, she turned slowly, crawling a few paces over to them before stopping. She felt deeply disturbed by the sight in front of her. The image flickered in front of her in and out of different memories. Diana felt the burning sensation of the chain blade ripping against the flesh on her forearm as it showed herself lying on the ground. Then, the burning sensation of rods piercing her flesh as she watched the boy endure the same. Her body quivered in a silent, phantom pain, sweat dripping from her brow.


The pain focused in her chest. It felt like the weight of the world pulling her heart to its limits. It wanted to break her yet she felt herself resist. Her hand stretched out to an image of her father, then back to reality. She didn't want to be left alone but she couldn't help them. Her body wouldn't move. There were walls closing in around her, suffocating her. A darkness like that of night or the inevitable hand of death. Diana curled into herself, holding her hands over her face. "Don't leave me alone..," she whispered, her voice straining back her tears.[/center]

A faint purple stream would wrap around Yamato’s waist, traveling up and down his body in a snake-like manner. He had just commanded the rukh to begin healing his wounds, giving him enough strength to at least pick himself up off the ground. His hand would continue to press up against the impact point, as it was still aching horribly.

Taking a couple of steps forward, Yamato would place a hand on Diana’s shoulder to comfort her. “I’m not sure who the kid is, but I can tell that he’s only worn himself out. He doesn’t seem to have any notable injuries on him from here.” He would calmly say, removing his hand from her shoulder in order to continue his stride towards the unconscious duo.

Kneeling down next to Rima, he would begin to inspect the wounds all over her body. They weren’t deep or infected, in-fact they were easily treatable. However, he would immediately notice that she was running quite a bad fever. Her face was red as could be, and her breathing seemed to be irregular. Seeing this worried Yamato somewhat, as he knew what she had been going through prior. Could this fever be linked to all of that? His mind would wander for a few seconds before saying anything to Diana.

Taking a deep breath, Yamato would finally say something. “Come, we need to get both of them some water. The girl seems to be running a fever, but the boy should be just fine. Their physical injuries are minimal, but the fever Rima has is quite worrisome. After we get some water down the both of them, I’ll try cleansing her using magic. I wouldn’t be surprised if the dimwit ate something poisonous or something.”

The darkness between herself and the tufts of grass below was comforting. All of the noise around her sounded like it was stuck behind a wave of water. It was faint yet it echoed in her ears. Her body felt weightless like she was suspended. Diana stayed curled into herself yet no longer suffering. She was silent. Her eyelids fluttered as they grew heavier.

During their sparring session, the sun had set and was now creeping swiftly below the horizon to allow the moon to emerge from hiding. The sky was still a mix of purples and reds. As the light was dim, the stars began to show themselves. A gentle breeze was still present and the river returned to it's natural flow, already having gotten used to it's warped shape.

The boy began to wake up, his body caked in dirt and blood. He was still naked and was very much confused by the look on his face. After a quick survey of his surroundings, the boy hopped over to Diana. He placed his hands on top of her back and looked up at Yamato, furrowing his brows.


He wasn't sure how to assess the man. He was confused as to whether he was dangerous or friendly to them. His eyes seemed to possess a glow to them and his hair stood up a bit straighter. For a young boy, the aura he was letting off was more hostile than one could ever imagine on a child. He needed to protect Diana. That was what his heart told him. For an adult, he felt she was surprisingly fragile despite the strength she showed when she had saved him.

Not a mere second later, sounded a low growl from the forest. What emerged was a monstrous canine that seemed a bit more man than dog past it's head. It's jaw was foaming with a saliva that ate through the ground as it dropped down. The eyes on the beast seemed to have a glow as well. The canine crept over towards Diana, hovering over both her and the boy, keeping eye contact with Yamato. It briefly gazed at Rima, the sight agitating it further.

Yamato’s eyes were fixated on the boy, glaring directly at him as he started to fade back into consciousness. As he had already expected, the kid looked perfectly fine. He had a few cuts placed around his body here and there, but nothing major. If he had stayed knocked out for a few moments longer though, Yamato was most likely going to heal him just for the heck of it. However, since he was awake now, he’d just let him heal naturally.

To the magician’s surprise though, the boy’s state-of-mind shifted fast. Without being given a chance to even say ‘hello’ to him, his aura had changed for the worse. The young child was now emitting one of the angriest-feeling auras Yamato had felt in years. The once peaceful rukh around him had changed as well, swarming around his body like a pack of pissed off bees. If this boy wasn’t careful, his rage might send him into depravity one day.

The last thing Yamato expected to hear was Pluto’s growl. It had come from the forest Rima had just escaped from, an enormous white canine now walking directly towards Diana. Its maw seemed to leak a very dangerous liquid, an acid capable of melting even stone. Was this a Corvus-raised beast? He’s heard some rumors about them during his travels to Reim, but never actually come face-to-face with one. At first glance, it looked kind of feral. After inspecting it further though, it had obviously been groomed, and seemed to be responding to Diana’s emotions.

Being given all these nasty looks in such a short span of time, Yamato realized he must have been on some really thin ice. Realizing this, he would simply let out an exhausted sigh. -- “Diana, would you mind telling them that I mean no harm? It’d be bad enough to be ripped to shreds by that magnificent beast, but I’d rather not have my ass kicked further by this pissed off midget.” He would say, laughing at his own situation. Instead of worrying too much about his surroundings though, he would direct his focus back on to Rima.

“I know you’re going through a rough time right now, Diana. However, we seriously need to get some water for your friend here. Her fever seems to be getting worse.” Yamato would declare, gripping the sword in his hand. Without even moving it, the sword began to deconstruct, returning to its original wand-like shape.  


As Yamato was distracted by everything going on, he wouldn’t notice that an uncamouflaged baby chameleon had been attached to Rima this entire time. As the magician’s head was turned, the creature would silently unattatch itself from the girl and begin waltzing over towards her belongings. Once it had made it to the pile, it would swiftly tuck itself underneath all of her clothing.

Something else Yamato wouldn’t notice right away, was the influx of random rabbits hopping towards the scene. They had just excited the forest, and planned on returning to their new master’s side right away.

Rima would remain unconscious, her condition worsening by the second. Her breathing would continue to get heavier, while her temperature continued to skyrocket.

Phobos had understood his words, calming himself. Pluto would raise his voice everytime Yamato would move but thankfully for the magician, the canine wouldn't strike unless he gave him reason to. Diana had mustered the strength to raise up from her hunched position, wrapping her arms around Pluto's neck. Her eyes were empty and it still didn't seem she was responsive. The boy helped position her as Pluto began to lay down. She buried her head in his mane, succumbing to her mental exhaustion and passing out into a deep sleep. Pluto licked his lips, curling himself around her small frame. Out of all of the things he could do for her, he decided to provide her warmth.

With Diana in a better condition, the boy made his way over to Diana's bag, grabbing a small cracked clay cup. It had seen better days but it was still functional. He made his way over to the river, allowing some water to flow into it before bringing it over to Rima. Phobos set it down next to her head, unsure what to do next.


His voice was much softer and suited his appearance much better. The rabbits in the area stuck to the treeline, observing Phobos from a distance. However, one hopped towards him, clinging to the boy. It was hardly hostile to anything except a seemingly empty space. It let out a hiss, puffing up. There was a brief chittering sound but the source would be hard to find with the naked eye.

Even with Phobos leaving his side, Yamato continued to inspect Rima’s body. He would start off by commanding the rukh to cleanse her body. If by any chance she had ingested anything toxic, this spell would fix her right up.

However, he had started to seriously doubt that was the issue. Sure, she was a klutz at times, but Yamato knew that she was actually serious about Diana’s training. Afterall, she had been talking about it to him during their entire journey here. Despite Rima not knowing what Diana was going to even make her do, she was still incredibly adamant on impressing her. Since that was the case, Yamato felt he could rule her out for being careless.

If she wasn’t poisoned though, what could it be? This question echoed throughout Yamato’s mind. Worst case scenario, it was linked to those masked freaks again. Which in-turn, made a lot of sense with the timing. She had been wandering in a forest all alone, well, until she met up with the child of course. However, since there were obviously people after her, this would have been the perfect chance for them to act on it.

Yamato’s thought-process would be interrupted, however. Phobos had returned to his side, placing an ancient-looking cup of water down by Rima’s head. -- “Oh, right. Thanks a lot, kid.” He would say, giving the kid an assuring nod. He would then pick up the cup, moving it towards the unconscious girl’s lips. Gently moving it upwards, he would let some of the water drip down into her mouth.

“I’m not entirely sure what’s going on with her, to be honest with you. I’ve tried cleansing her body of any toxins, but her condition still seems to be getting worse. This might be something that’s out of our hands.” Yamato would say, taking a moment to clear his throat. He’d then pick himself up off the ground in order to dust off his clothing.

“Has she done this before? Like, during your travels with her? It’s possible that this could all be mental.” Yamato would turn his head to look back at Diana, unaware of the fact she had passed out into her monster of a dog. He couldn’t help but laugh at the sight.

“Well, alright then, guess it’s all up to me.” Yamato would say under his breath, turning his head back towards Rima and the boy. “Well, I guess it’s up to us-…is that a rabbit?” Yamato pointed towards the creature, which seemed to be hissing at something at the time. Yamato simply shaked his head in utter  confusion.

---

Rima's dreams were filled with nothing but disturbing imagery. It felt like a giant labyrinth of terror, in which she could not escape. However, she seemed to be guided by the strange golden figure from before. It would let off a powerful light, extinguishing the inky darkness placed ahead of them.

This figure was her only sense of comfort during these dreams. It gave off the same strong-willed vibes that Diana did. Not only that, but it sort of looked like her as well. That alone was enough to keep Rima content.

The only thing she could do was to blindly follow 'her'. If she were to linger behind, the darkness behind them would envelop her entire body. Even though it was only a dream, everything about it felt incredibly real.

Phobos stared at Rima for a few minutes before turning her head to the side. "Wakey wakey, eggs and bakey," he whispered, inching closer to her ear. The boy wanted to wake her up to ask her what was wrong with her. He was no doctor unlike the man beside them. His tiny, dirt caked fingers moved her hair from away her ear, pooling a bit of spit within his mouth. After a few seconds of gathering a good amount of saliva, he let it dribble out of his mouth into her ear. After it was all out of his mouth, he would stick his finger into her ear to finish the job. A malicious giggle passed the boys lips.

The rabbit on his shoulder hopped over to Rima's bag in a swift motion. It was being rather aggressive, rabid even. Upon reaching her bag, it slammed into the tree in front of it, looking up into the tree. A small chameleon skittered up the tree for safety. The creature briefly became visible as it clung to a low hanging branch. It took a few minutes to fully camoflague itself before turning invisible again.

As Rima’s nightmare progressed, the duo would eventually reach a riverbank. Oddly enough though, there was no bridge for them to cross over. While the water didn’t seem very deep, the coloration made it unfavorable to wade through. It was an inky black, which caused it to look like the night-sky if all the stars had been taken away.

Despite that fact, something about it was drawing Rima in. It was almost as if the river itself was calling for her, pleading for her to walk through it. Of course this was something she would rather avoid, however it seemed like that might not have been an option now. The golden-bright figure she had been following this whole time had already floated across the river, and planned on leaving her behind.  

Tearing up at the thought of being left alone, Rima would attempt to scream out for the figure. However, her screams would prove to be useless, as they would come out as nothing but a silenced roar. Her body had been paralyzed entirely as it awaited the creeping darkness to finally catch up.

As the black mist started to cover her, a painful stinging sensation would run throughout her entire body. At first it would come as a shock, bringing only more tears and sorrow to the young magician girl. As the process went on though, things began to change drastically. Rima could feel the substance slowly entering inside of her, forcing itself through even the smallest orifices placed on her body. While this was extremely painful at first, after a few moments of getting used to it, she could actually feel as her troubles started to melt away. Oddly enough, the sensations were potent enough to bring a crooked smile on her face.

“Do not be afraid, child. Let the mist consume you and that troubled mind of yours. You’ve been alone for far too long.” This powerful and deep voice would ring throughout Rima’s mind, bringing another wave of pleasure throughout her body. She had felt nothing like it before, her body had even started to willingly let the mist inside of her. The struggle she had been putting up earlier was gone completely.

“Ah, but it seems that this will need to be postponed. That’s alright, you’ll be able to manage for a little bit longer, won’t you? Until then, child.”

A burst of light would quickly obliterate the dark mist. A familiar golden-figure was now floating directly above Rima. The strange sensations in the magician’s mind seemed to fade away, as did the pleasure in her body. Reality seemed to be fading back as the nightmare had finally ended.

---

With his attention still fixated on the hissing rabbit, Yamato had no idea of the cruel plan Phobos had been concocting. Lathering his dirt-covered finger with a glob of spit, the boy had decided to stick it in Rima’s ear. Yamato would have been able to stop the boy if it wasn’t for his lack of attention, but when he finally turned his head back to the unconscious girl, the boy had already completed the horrible deed.

Yamato simply stared at the boy, his mouth agape from disbelief. -- “Alright, so, that’s not helping at all. What if she gets an ear infection now? That’s on your hands, not mine. Diana’s going to kick your ass if she gets worse.”  Yamato would say, readying his fist to smack the boy on his head. However, before he was given the chance to carry out the action, Rima’s body slowly began to raise up.

Blinking a few times at nothing, Rima’s attention was slowly fading back into reality. Her tanned skin was better in coloration now, and her fever had seemed to disappear for the most part. She would simply scratch the top of her head in confusion, as her eyes danced back and forth to everyone in her vicinity.

“Oh hey, what’s up?”

Phobos gazed up on Yamato, sticking his tongue out at him in protest of his words. "Not mine!" The boy flinched when he raised his hand to him, running over to Diana for safety. "No hit! Bad!" Diana lifted her head up at his sudden shout, her drowsy, red eyes looking at Phobos and then slowly back at Yamato. "Hey, was he bothering you?" she asked, her voice slightly hoarse. Diana flicked the boy on the forehead before sitting up, rustling her fingers through her hair to fix it. "Be nice," she scolded, looking gently at the boy.

"Rima, you're awake? How did your training go?"

Diana slowly rose up from the warmth of her companions over to Rima. She was drenched in sweat. Most likely from the fever she had. "You're okay?" she asked, placing her hand on her forehead. No sign of a fever. "Good..." Diana removed her hand and wrapped her arms around Rima, bringing her close. There wasn't any outward emotion showing from Diana which was odd for her. But inside she felt warm, safe. She needed this despite how uncomfortable it would make her companion.

She released Rima after a few minutes, moving over to the river with the cup in hand, collecting some water from the river and bringing it back over to her. "Water?"

Yamato couldn’t stop himself from snickering at the child’s punishment. Tilting his head back, his gaze would temporarily meet Diana’s. “Not me, your magician friend here.” He would point his finger towards Rima. “It’s all good though, I think his punishment will suffice. Though, I guess that’s up for her to decide.” Yamato’s voice would hum, as he stuck his tongue out towards Phobos.

Just now noticing the saliva placed on her outer-ear, Rima’s face would begin to contort. “Eh..?” She mumbled under her breath in a disgusted tone, just before her attention was stolen by Diana’s appearance. Once the white-haired woman came into sight, Rima’s golden eyes started to glow with life once again. Diana would be the first to speak, asking how her training had went.

“A-Ah, I think it went alright...some of it is a bit fuzzy though.” She would say, scratching the scalp of her head again. Before she was given a chance to continue her story though, Diana had placed the back of her hand on her forehead in order to check for any signs of a fever. At first Rima was surprised by this, but then a wave of comfort hit her. Had it really been that long? How could have she forgotten how Diana actually was, how much she cared for her well-being.

Smiling at the gesture, Rima would accept Diana’s embrace without a second thought. It was warm and incredibly comforting, something she really missed as they were seperated. As per usual though, Diana would show no actual signs of emotion towards the scene. However, Rima knew deep-down  that Diana felt the same way she did. Their reunions were always like this, and always reminded Rima of how lucky she was to have a friend like Diana.

As the two finally released from their warm hug, Diana would scuttle off to go get something. Taking only a minute to obtain it, she would march on back with some water to offer Rima. The purple-haired magician would quickly nod her head, taking the cup from her friend. Without hesitation, she would down the entire thing in just a few of seconds.

“Thank you.” She would say, placing the empty cup down by her side. As a moment of silence went by, that’s when it would hit her. “Oh wait, where did that weird thing get off to?” Rima would say to herself, standing upright, unaware that she was still in the nude.

Her eyes would quickly scan around the area, looking for the chameleon she had brought back with her. Where did it go? It didn’t run off while she was passed out, did it? Worry started to take over, until her eyes laid upon a strange hissing rabbit. The creature seemed to be looking up a nearby tree, its fur puffed all out.

Diana was still knelt in front of Rima as she suddenly picked herself up off of the ground, searching for something. She felt her face flush a bright red and averted her eyes from the sight in front of her. If there was a moment that Diana felt the closest to Rima, it was now. But perhaps it was a bit too close. She stood up as well, stripping off her shirt, revealing bandaging over her chest and a beautiful display of mosaic tattoos. The bulk of the piece was on her back. It illustrated a variety of gentle pink lotus and characitures of black canines in a classic Reim style. The art wrapped over her shoulder and down her left arm slightly, the end blending into her fair skin.

She had felt apologetic that Rima's clothing had gotten dirtied in her battle with Yamato. But the tunic that Diana had been wearing was long enough to cover her to mid thigh. She felt her platnium locks brush against her thighs. Her hair had become longer than she had thought. When she had first met Rima, her hair was short, barely shoulder length. Diana ran her fingers through it, gazing at the moon gleam against the strands. She wasn't sure why she had let it grow. Her gaze flickered towards Yamato, her cheeks burning up as she realized he was still there. Being indecent was embarrassing but it was better than the situation Rima had been in.

After snapping out of her thoughts, she looked over to a small chameleon that was sneaking it's way over to Rima. Diana was proud of her for completing her task. No matter how small the beast, it would suffice for her. The rabbits that Phobos coveted had gathered around the area as well. He ran over to the smaller mammal and lifted it up in his arms. "Mama," he said, walking over to her with it. "Here." He wanted to hand her the animal and she took it up in her arms. It stayed there for a moment before hopping gently back into Phobos' own. "It's fine," she said. Diana wanted more for him but this was clearly his destiny.

Phobos seemed pleased with her response, running off towards Diana's belongings. He found an outfit for himself, slipping it onto his tiny body. The boy walked over to Pluto with his companion, laying against the canine. It seemed he was more tired than he let off, swiftly falling into a slumber.

Diana walked over to Yamato, placing a hand on his arm. Her demeanor had changed from before. It felt empty yet calm like still water. She did not make eye contact with him. Instead, she gazed into her reflection in the river. "Thank you," she said, letting her hand slip off of his arm. He had shown her so much in one day that made her question many things about herself. She was grateful. There were things only he could do for Rima that she could not. She realized that.


The water seemed to call for her. It was clear and had a gentle flow. The moon had made it shine like a mirror. Diana took a step into the chilled water, then another. The depth reached just above her hips. The current pulling away the bandages covering her lower body. Her hair reflected the moonlight and spread across the water. Diana lifted her arms and head, gazing at the moon. Her hands open and cupped slightly, dripping with water. She closed her eyes, whispering a prayer in a dialect only spoken within her clan.


Her arms lowered down to her sides and she knelt down into the water. The current pulled away the strips of cloth from her chest. Diana leaned backwards, submerging herself in the water. She stayed there for a moment before lifting herself up. Her body rose up out of the water, the only thing covering her being her long, white hair. She lifted her hands underneath her hair with a sharp rock in hand. With a swift motion, a large chunk of her hair gently dropped into the water. She then brought it to her hand, cutting a slit into her palm, letting her blood be carried away in the current.

Diana brought her hands up in prayer for a moment before turning to leave the river. Something within her had changed for better or for worse. But she had felt a heavy weight lift off of her shoulders and she felt clean. She would walk over to Yamato, gently removing the robe that sat on top of his other clothes, wrapping it around her bare body.

"We should sleep. There is much to do in the following weeks," she said, making her way over to Pluto. She rummaged through one of the pouches on his belt and took out a bit of dried fruit, quickly consuming it. She rested her back against his shoulder, closing her eyes. "You may accompany us, Yamato. We are no longer strangers." With a few breaths, she drifted back off into a sleep.

Watching as Diana removed her shirt, Rima couldn’t stop from herself from blushing. Diana was more beautiful than she had even remembered, honing a body that many would kill for. It was a mix of both brawn and beauty, covered in many artistic tattoos.

“The tattoos on your body are like a book, I feel like each one contains a story of its own.” Rima would gently say, her eyes unable to stray away from Diana’s body. Her originally blank expression had shifted into a friendly smile, as a bright-red blush had started to consume her face.

“I don’t have any markings of my own really, unless you count the burns on my back. They too have a story, though. A story I wish I could just forget.” She would say, pointing to her backside. Her expression suddenly shifted into a frown, her eyes would attempt to stray away from her friend’s naked body. Remembering her past was a hard task, as there were too many things she wished she could just forget. The nightmare she had earlier didn’t help this fact.

“Hey, but maybe you could give me one later down the line.” She would jokingly say, her expression once again shifting back into a smile. She didn’t want to worry any of her friends, so she would do her best to keep a fake smile for the time being. It wasn’t the right thing to really do, but was required if she wanted to keep worry on the down-low.

As Diana confronted Yamato, he would simply nod his head. “Of course.” He would say under his breath, his eyes directed past Diana’s somewhat indecent body. He might have been a magician of great power, but he wasn’t going to act like a block-head because of it. Even though he wanted to say something witty about her state, he knew the time wasn’t right to do so.

Both Yamato and Rima were surprised to see Diana’s next course of actions, as she removed most of her beautiful hair in a single move. Even though it was unexpected, both of them would understand somewhat. Yamato understood from a warrior’s point of view, while Rima was more comforted by memories of her first encounter with Diana. When they first met each other, Diana always wore her hair in a similar fashion. If anything, it must have been annoying for her to take care of it.

Rima has thought of going back to a shortened hairstyle as well, but decided to keep it long for the time being. As someone who doesn’t fight like a warrior, it’s much easier for her to deal with long hair. That and as she grew up, she was never really allowed to keep long hair. Not when she traveled with the band of monks, at least. They were strict on that sort of thing.

After Diana’s ritual, Diana would confront Yamato once again. However, this time she was actually as indecent as she could possibly get. Both Yamato and Rima were able to see everything Diana possessed. Both faces would becomes incredibly flustered at the sight, especially Rima’s. In-fact, she was in the middle of getting a drink of water when she saw Diana. To simply put it, all the water in her mouth was either spit out or exited through her nostrils.

Being too stunned to say something, Yamato wasn’t able to do anything about Diana stealing the robe placed on his figure. He would simply accept what fate had in store for him. Luckily, he had clothes on underneath though.

“Right, that’d be a good idea for you guys.” He would say, still flustered from everything that had happened. He would try to laugh it off, just before leaning up against the large rock behind him. “Thanks though, it means a lot to finally be trusted by you.” His voice would be normal at first, trailing into almost a whisper. By the time he had finished saying it, Diana was already fast asleep.

Grabbing her blanket from earlier, Rima would snuggle up with her new lizard companion. Today would have been a good day if it wasn’t for the whole crazy cult thing that happened in the forest earlier. She still wasn’t sure of what was real, and what wasn’t. Maybe it was all a dream? Whatever the case, she would not be able to sleep at all that night. Her mind would be too occupied by all these thoughts, especially the last bit of her fever-induced dream. When it seemed like she was becoming okay with what was happening.  

[Time Skip: The Next Day]

While unable to get any sleep that night, Rima would still get up bright and early in the morning to officially start her beast-tamer training. She had given it some thought up to this point, but would finally come to the decision of naming her first beast ‘Basit’. It was simple and seemed to fit the little guy.

As she was getting ready, both Diana and Yamato decided to head off somewhere together. While Rima would have preferred if she had an audience for her first day of training, this would be for the best in the long-run. It would give her some nice alone time with Basit, and would allow for them to get to know each other better.

“Alright, buddy. How do you wanna start this?” Rima would ask her companion, looking down at the squirming lizard latched to her leg. She would give Basit a quick scratch on the head as she walked towards the battle-torn riverbed. What happened here exactly? She didn’t really notice it much last night, but the geography was definitely different from when she first arrived. The only thing that came to mind was that Diana and Yamato must of had a fight. Though, they seemed to be hitting it off pretty well since she returned. Pushing the thought aside, she would rip Basit off her leg to place him on the ground in front of her.

“Alright, now, go invisible!” She would yell, pointing at the confused creature. Basit would simply stare at her, his head tilting at her gesture. The effort might have been half-assed, but Rima sincerely thought it would work. If that wasn’t how you teach a beast do something for you, then she had absolutely no idea of what to do.

[Time Skip: 4 Hours]

“Why won’t you do anything?” Rima would whine out, looking at the beast from an upside-down angle. She had laid on her back and tilted her head backwards, completely bored from failing non-stop to command her companion.

Picking herself up from the ground, she would dust off the clothes she had been given. Taking a deep breath, she would start to talk again. “We haven’t really gotten anywhere yet, but I’m getting really hungry. Let’s go get something to eat!” She would yell, picking Basit up right before heading towards the kindles of their bonfire.

Igniting the bonfire with her heat magic, she would take a few now-skewered fish that she had caught and put them over the burning hot flames. She wasn’t sure if Basit would have preferred it uncooked, but he couldn’t afford to be picky now. If they were going to bond together, then he would need to speak up if he wanted it cooked (or not cooked) a certain way.

After the two had finished eating, Rima thought it was a good idea for them to go on a walk together. She let Basit latch on-top of her left shoulder, allowing him to get a good view as they strolled along the path. Their walk would be long and enjoyable, just a simple thing for them to bond over. Rima would confess a lot of her past to Basit, even though the creature obviously had no idea what she was saying. It was nice to get some stuff off her chest though, things that she didn’t want to bother Diana with.

By the time they got back to camp it was already sundown. Even though it might have seemed like a waste of time, it in-fact was not. The two had grew closer because of today, and would have rapidly improved their training together from here on then.

[Time Skip: 2 Weeks]

About two weeks total have now passed since Rima’s trial of survival. She is still bothered by what happened to her in the forest, and the strange fever dream she had. However, she had been doing her best to forget about it. She was with friends now afterall, she couldn’t have been safer, right? That still didn’t change the fact she was sleep deprived because of it, unable to get a peaceful night’s rest in fear of having another nightmare.

Basit, that was the name she had decided to give the strange lizard that had taken a liking to her. The creature was still quite small, but had obviously grown since their first encounter. It wasn’t really a priority in her mind at the time, but she couldn’t help but wonder to herself, was Basit going to get really big like the creature that had chased her in the forest? If so, she might have actually caught something really powerful. The thought of being praised by Diana any further made Rima blush.


Her training with Basit had been going great so far, despite her lack of sleep. While they weren’t working in perfect unison just yet, the beast would follow most of her commands without hesitation. Its ability to camouflage itself was going to be a fantastic tool to utilize, especially once it was honed to perfection. It was still quite clumsy and some of the colors were wonky, but it was without a doubt improving as time went by.

Its natural camouflage wasn’t the only thing it was capable of, though. It also had a strong ballistic-like tongue, which would be a great tool for it to hunt with. Despite it not being mature just yet, the tongue was already capable of shattering the bark on a tree. The speed at which the tongue shot out of its mouth was incredibly fast, giving it enough momentum to become a very dangerous weapon if used right.

Last but not least, Basit has incredibly precise vision. Due to how the beast’s eyes are, it allows it to keep track of a target in a 360-degree angle. Not only that, but it can also follow up to two targets at the same time. It would be impressive to actually escape Basit’s line-of-sight, requiring something more than just speed or a diversion to accomplish.

Their training together had been a total success, allowing them to now work as an actual team together. Of course Rima wasn’t perfect at it yet, but she had picked up on it faster than most expected she would.

Visions of the sun flashed before her eyes. A hand reached out to her and she took it into her own. The feeling of soft sand. Warmth. A brightness slowly fading into darkness. It was still warm. Her eyes struggled to open. She felt the pressure of everything around her for just a moment. Family. Her lips formed into a smile as she curled her limbs tigher against her body. The robe surrounding her flesh was comforting. She brought the fabric up to her nose, taking in a bit of the scent. Peace. It was a morning where she did not feel the need to worry. Everything was in place.

All of her companions had been surrounding her since the night. They were still sleeping. The sun was still dormant but the skies were beginning to lighten. She closed her eyes to snooze, still drowsy. Diana reached her hand forward to gently grab whomever she was nestled against in front of her. Assuming it was Rima, she clung to them, resting her head on their shoulder and her body halfway on top of them. It was when she stretched her hand out across their chest, she realized it wasn't her. 'Where are the... oh no...' She jerked her hand back in shock, peering her eyes open slowly to see if Yamato was awake. Her heart felt like it was forcing it's way out of her body and it was beating fast. 'Please don't be awake...'

A smug grin plastered on his face, Yamato’s crimson eyes would meet with Diana’s gaze. His bare chest would pulse as she fondled it, synchronizing with his breathing. What she did was obviously not intentional, but it was far too big of a mistake for him to just pass up.

“You’re going to make me blush, aren’t we taking this a bit too fast though?” Yamato chuckled, baring his fangs as his smile widened. Swiveling his body away from the fanalis, he would force himself to stand upright, tightening his robe to conceal any exposed flesh.

“Hah...well, okay, don’t break my bones again because I said that. -- Would you like some breakfast? Ah...how about you, Rima?” He would ask in his typical tone of voice, twisting his head back to catch a glimpse of the aspiring magician.

Unfortunately, Rima still seemed to be bothered by everything from yesterday, and simply did not respond to his offer. Neither Yamato, nor Rima got any sleep that night. Yamato’s staying-up was intentional though, as truthfully he didn’t need much sleep to go into the next day. If his energy levels started to go down any, he could always cast a life magic spell for himself to boost it. This is something he did from time to time, especially when there was potential danger in the area.

Rima on the other hand wasn’t able to get any sleep because of her recurring nightmares. She was still scared out of her wits because of her last dream, and she really didn’t want to have a continuation of it. While it might have been just a dream, it felt like oh so much more to her. Yamato understood what was wrong with her, for the most part. So he would simply let her be for the time being.

Clearing his throat, he would direct his attention back to Diana. “I’m sure there’s some mighty tasty creatures lurking in this here forest. Maybe we should go try to hunt one down, while Rima practices with her new little companion for a while.”

Diana covered her face with her hands, blushing furiously when he teased her. "I-It's not like that!" Her mind couldn't come to the right words and surely could have made it worse but the magician decided to change the subject. A sigh released from her lips as she released her face and turned around to face Rima who seemed quite out of it. Diana pushed a bit of hair of her face and planted a kiss on top of her forehead. She didn't quite know what had been bothering her but she wanted to offer Rima a bit of comfort. "You'll be okay. Go back to sleep," she said. Her suggestion was based off of the premise that Rima had slept, which was not the case.

She moved away from Rima, wrapping the outer robe she had stolen from Yamato tightly around her body as she got up to her feet. Diana felt a bit dizzy but she was in a good mood. However, she hardly wanted to face Yamato after the incident that occurred only a few minutes ago. He suggested that they could go hunt while Rima spent time with her companion. Diana couldn't agree more. It was important for them to establish a bond without interference. "That sounds good. We'll be back soon, Rima, okay? Pluto, stay."

Pluto raised his head to acknowledge her command and yawned briefly before curving his head around Rima. While she didn't plan to hunt like he had suggested, there was a bit of foraging that needed to be done. "Let's go," she said, partially gazing towards Yamato. Diana would proceed down the riverbank, staying ahead of the magician by a few steps.

As they got further down, she would stop by some shrubs with a beautiful array of white flowers on it. A faint, sweet scent would radiate off of them as they lingered in the area. Diana seemed memorized by them as she plucked a few bunches off. "I'm unsure what these are called but they remind me of home." She smiled and turned to Yamato, feeling less embarrassed about before. Holding her robes closed she would stand on her tip toes and place a few twigs in his hair. "There," she said, placing a single branch in her own.

She would turn to continue walking but allow Yamato to walk alongside her if he chose to. Diana was mainly on the lookout for berries and other foragable items. "We'll eat a light meal. Rima doesn't seem to be feeling well."

With her head hung low, Rima’s attention would suddenly be snatched by Diana’s embrace. A single gentle kiss had been placed on her forehead, leaving the smallest mark of warmth upon her skin. Rima couldn’t help but smile as this happened, giving Diana a quick understanding nod. The warmth seemed to spread from the point throughout her entire body, not only giving her a sudden burst of energy, but also managed to raise her spirits. If she wasn’t still terrified of going back to sleep, she would have listened to Diana on that part. However, she now had the motivation to actually carry out on the training she had promised to do. Today might not be a horrible day afterall.

After being given the robe Diana had borrowed, she would send a farewell gesture to both of her friends in the form of a simple wave goodbye. While they were going to hunt down breakfast, she was going to attempt training that little lizard bastard.

“You guys be safe, alright? There’s some scary stuff in these woods.” She would say, watching as the two faded into the thick forestation together.

---

“Right on.” Yamato would say, displaying a quick slight-of-hand to reveal the wand hidden away up his sleeve. With a quick twirl, the rukh around him  would begin to gather at the base of it, physically changing it to become more staff-like than before. He planned on using it for a simple walking stick, to help out as they hiked along the riverbank.  

As they trailed down the path, the two of them would keep to themselves for the most part. It was obvious that Diana wasn’t really the talkative type, and truthfully, Yamato wasn’t very good in most social situations either. However, for some strange reason, Diana was actually harder for him to talk to than most. Was it because of their opposing personalities? Or was their a reason that dug deeper than that? The feeling was strange and new to him, a feeling that he had long forgotten.

After a bit of time passed during their walk together, Diana would suddenly come to a standstill. Yamato was unsure of what was up at first, but soon realized that she seemed to be intrigued in some nearby flowers. They were white and gave off a sweet and comforting scent. Yamato couldn’t have been more surprised when she would suddenly pick a few in order to place them in his own hair.

“Home, you don’t say…” -- “Reim, I haven’t been there for quite some time. Maybe I should visit again one of these days.” He would chuckle, unable to control his hands as he touched one of the flowers she had planted into his hair. The scent seemed to become stronger after it had been plucked, wrapping a nice aroma around the duo as they walked.  

Was this really Diana? The vibe she was currently giving off was completely different from before. While she normally emitted a foul and beast-like aura, one that would make any magician such as himself shutter in fear, this time it was gentle...and somewhat soothing to the soul. Maybe becoming acquaintances with her wasn’t actually all that bad, in-fact it seemed like something that could blossom into an actual friendship. While this might have been going through Yamato’s mind now, he knew he was nothing more than a simple fool for thinking this way. Life seemed to bring him nothing but trouble, so why would it suddenly change now?

Unable to push these fuzzy thoughts aside though, Diana had finally allowed him to walk at her own pace. He wasn’t entirely sure why, but the heavy feeling between the two seemed to actually disappear as this happened. It felt like she had suddenly accepted that he was walking with her on this trip, allowing the two to walk at an equal pace. Though, maybe he was just thinking too far into it.

“She was looking a bit better before we took off, so maybe that’s a good sign. I’m curious though, I wonder what happened to her in that forest.” Yamato would say, his voice somewhat uneasy as the words came out of his mouth. He in-fact was actually lying about not knowing. Yesterday, as he was tending to the unconscious Rima, he couldn’t stop himself from taking a quick sneak peak into her dreams. The smarter half of him wanted to conceal this information from Diana, but the strange feeling in his chest was far too much for him to handle.

“Actually, no, I can’t lie to you about this.” He would say, taking a quick moment to clear his throat. “Before I shoot these crazy theories your way though, would you mind hearing me out here? I actually have been hiding something from the both of you. It doesn’t really affect you as much as it does Rima, but you have the right to know it. I’m...not entirely sure if it’s information that she should find out through me. Instead, it might be better for her to figure it out herself.” Yamato’s pace would stop instantly as he planted both feet into the dirt beneath him.

Diana twirled one of the flowers she plucked in between her fingers as they walked. He was quiet but she didn't mind. She touched the ends of her hair. It was odd to have it this short after such a long time. She wondered if he liked it. In her mind, it suited her. It had been a while since she had seen Jahan as well. Her mind fluttered in between thoughts for a while before she was drawn out by the sound of Yamato's voice. Diana had no idea what happened in the forest but she knew it was not good. Phobos had been brought into his 'state'. He didn't do that unless there was a reason.

Yamato stopped in his tracks and she turned back to face him. "What is it?" she asked, curious as to what he had been talking about. He mentioned he lied to her but she didn't know what for. He would clear his throat and continue. His words concerned her but she was warmed that he trusted her with the truth. Her rage would not surface this time. "You can tell me, Yamato. Between us," she said, pulling the robe on her body tight against her body. It was cold. Part of her had a bit of regret not bringing a change of clothes. However, she didn't plan on traveling as long as she did.

Yamato’s gaze would meet Diana once again. Taking a deep breath, he would begin talking once more. “When we fought, I had told you that I specialize in two magics in particular. My greatest offensive magic is known as strength magic, a form of magic that grants the free manipulation of raw energy and gravity. In my senior class in magnostadt, there was not a soul in that country that could best me at it. I had been gifted with a natural affinity for ‘black’ magic. This is a magic that you yourself are quite familiar with.” Clearing his throat again, Yamato would take a short pause in his speech. He had no intention of showing Diana strength magic again, there would have been no point. Instead, the reason he brought it up again was only to talk about his second most compatible magic type; clairvoyance.

Raising his staff high above, a cluster of orange rukh would begin to swarm about it, taking a seat on the elongated wand. As solomon’s rukh had listened to Yamato’s command, they would temporarily reveal themself to Diana, bearing a magical orange glow to them rather than the usual white. Yamato had commanded them to begin creating a bright ‘screen’ in mid-air, which happened to angle in the direction of the duo. This was his way of preparing for what he had to show Diana.

With a sharp snap from his fingers, the screen would change to reveal a clearly-defined image. This image was of a pair of two heliohaptin kids; one bearing short brown hair, while the other’s hair was long and purple. They both had seemed to be standing their ground as an unknown yet familiar figure stood before them. A man concealed by both hood and mask, two arms folded properly behind his back.

“Now, I’ve told you about this second magic type before. This screen you see here, it was created out of light magic. However, I have combined it with one of the most peculiar magics ever created; the magic of clairvoyance.” Yamato would say, his cheeky grin returning somewhat. Despite the news he was ready to present, he couldn’t help but feel giddy as he showed off his talent in magic. Did this make him a bad person? Probably. He didn’t care, though.

“The two kids on the screen, I’m assuming you can recognize one of them?” Yamato would take a short pause for Diana to respond, if she was able. Whatever her response might have been though, he would simply nod his head and say. -- “Right, the young girl is Rima. The boy next to her is the brother that she claims to have lost back then.”

His gaze would meet back with Diana again, his smile fading into a much more serious tone. -- “Exactly. This boy next to her is Setekh Fahim, the fallen brother of Rima Fahim. Or...so she was convinced. When I first met her, I curious to why she had given up the ways of Solomon. Her rukh had become pitch black rather than the normal white it usually is. After searching through these memories of her, and then doing a little snooping of my own, I have come to the conclusion...that this young man is in-fact not dead at all.” The way Yamato conveyed these words were absolutely chilling, capable of bringing goosebumps to anyone around him. What he had just said was the absolute truth, the truth that Rima’s brother was not actually dead.