"..."
Silence between the two.
"...Uuuumm…" Angie fought against the silence.
Sniffle.
Oh. So she must've have encountered some problem. That's okay.
"I'm sorry, Suna, are you alright? Did something happen?" Angie tilted forward inquisitively, trying her best to understand her friend's emotions.
"..."
Suna was going through a lot. But most of all… To be led forward, by the nose… To finally have a chance to escape this weakness…Why?
Her emotions were beginning to subside, a deep sense of confusion taking their place. And, well… a sense of emptiness, too. I guess… I guess I won't be able to learn Magic… I'm just too weak, aren't I…
Disappointment. At her failure. She failed to notice Angie's uncomfortable attempts at comforting her as she stewed and processed her emotions.
Hit! A really loud sound caused Angie to jump in shock, the other three party members looking out of their tents to identify its source. All of their eyes eventually settled on Suna, shaking, her arm bleeding after it was mercilessly launched at the fallen tree trunk she was sitting on.
Angie didn't know how to respond.
The bloody hand clenched.
"...a-a-a-a-An-Angie…" Suna was shivering, just as much her stuttering. Angie could make out tears falling from the face that was being hidden from her.
"...Y-Yes?"
"...Teach me… Teach me everything you know…"
Angie didn't know what was going on in Suna's head. She was obviously hurting in some way. Was she unable to execute the spell? She had never heard of someone unable to cast a spell – even the book explicitly stated that magic was a sacred right of every sentient being, that people have strengths and weaknesses, yet with enough time and practice everyone is able to learn the magic that is suited to them. Maybe Suna just wasn't used to failing?
A smile found its way onto Angie's face. A kind one. She delicately put her hand over Suna's bloodied mess of one, which was cut in many places being hit so hard against the rough wood. She grasped it. Suna didn't raise her head. She just shook, Angie could feel her uncontrollable shaking. She grasped harder.
"...yes. Of course I will."
Angie hesitated, before bringing Suna closer, into a hug. Suna cried, her voice unable to be kept down. Ugly, loud crying that rung through the forest, but which didn't disturb the other resting party members.
Angie did what she vaguely remembered someone would do for her. She gently caressed her back, and sung. She didn't know how to sing, but it didn't matter as this wasn't a performance. It was soothing. Suna's shaking and crying quickly lessened, until periodic chokes and gasps were all that was let out into Angie's shoulder.
"It's okay… It's okay…"
–
Suna roused from a long, heavy dream, beset by blurry, visceral, unsettling, nameless feelings. She couldn't remember any of it. She felt watched… Waking, she tried to grasp onto the shapeless semblances of meaning that were still floating around, but they could not be held by her hands. Instead, a good feeling was starting to replace her sense of disturbing foreboding. A nice feeling, that brought her pleasure. What is this sensation? What am I touching? It was soft, and smooth.
Suna peeled herself away from the dampening thoughts of her dream, and instead focused on what she was currently experiencing.
Wait, this is…!
Her eyes shot open, and she freed herself from the honey trap.
"...hmmm? Oh, you're already awake?"
The yawning and stretching Angie gracelessly lifted herself from the tent floor, oblivious to Suna's arms which were put up, ready to defend herself.
Suna just sat there, still, not ready for the situation at all. She watched Angie as she went through a basic routine, spraying something in her mouth, washing her face with a wet towel, changing into a different set of clothes, et cetera.
"What are you staring at, Suna, is there something on my body?"
Suna quickly averted her eyes and face, a visible redness on her cheeks. So, so that was the source of that softness…
"What are you waiting for? Come over here, I'll help you get ready. Look, this is…"
After going through the gauntlet of Angie's morning routine, learning about and using various gadgets and performing various actions, some magical and some not, Suna emerged out of the tent feeling a new sense of refreshment. She couldn't help but breathe in the fresh air, and just feel… satisfied.
Suna's inner voice that warned her of this group… It was all long gone. She was satisfied just remaining vigilant for any sudden changes and threats, but the chance she was being deceived by them, that they were lowering her guard to all at once pull the rug from under her when she least expected it, the chances of that? They were 0%. She trusted them. Well, she trusted one of them, with every part of her being.
Angie… Worry swept through her mind as she remembered how obnoxious she must have been. But she soon remembered, that sweet soothing. Mom… Suna choked up a little at just the thought, but moved on.
The morning went as usual. After a short meal, the group packed up, and they headed off to rejoin the road.
"...Hey."
It was James. He slowed his pace to reach the back of the group where Angie and Suna usually walked. Angie shared a look with him and departed, finding her pace alongside Krax.
"Hey, um, I dunno how to tell you this…"
Suna stared blankly at the man, who lingered on his words, hesitating, trying to find the right ones.
"Well, I guess first, I should say… sorry."
Suna tilted her head.
"Um… What for?"
James had an incredulous look.
"What, do you not remember? How we, you know, tied you up and threatened you? I, uh, I'm sorry. For that."
The explanation didn't have an effect on the girl's confusion, her head tilting to the other side.
"But, but I invaded your camp at night, you guys thought I was a threat. You guys did what you should have done."
"...I mean, when you put it that way… No, no, I mean. Look. You. You're just a kid." He paused, looking at just how small the girl in front of him was. "I… I was too harsh. I'm sorry."
"..." Suna didn't really feel like she deserved an apology, but arguing to such lengths when the man insisted like this was a bit much, she felt, so after a slight pause, she nodded at the man, and kept walking.
James, not finding anything he needed to add to his apology, kept walking. The two walked, step by step, in silence.
"Hey. Um. You know…" James once again broke the silence. "I… When I was a kid. Um…"
To see such a usually confident and capable-looking man stumble over his words, it was a sight to see. Suna didn't know what to expect.
"When I was a kid… you know, the whole village made fun of me."
Suna just kept walking, her gaze shifting back and forth from her surroundings to James, as she took in his words. James looked up and ahead, reminiscing.
"I was the only one. The only one out of all those kids that wasn't able to perform a single basic spell." He paused, recalling memories that seemed so far away to him.
"Haha, and you know what? I'm stronger now than each and every one of them. Serves them right, huh?" James looked at the girl, who returned an attentive stare.
"I guess what I'm trying to say is… Well, magic's a weird thing. It seems to pick and choose who it gives its blessings. Angie… She's a real prodigy. I've never seen anything like it, I don't know how she can learn spells from some old book like that, she makes it look too easy! Hahaha, so don't compare yourself to her, alright? She's not normal, I'm telling you!" James gave Suna a pat on the back. "I dunno if she told you already, but it's true. That everyone can learn magic. It's just a matter of time, practice, and patience. Not everything comes quickly. Yeah?"
Suna soon gave a smile and a nod to James. She already knew. That she couldn't use Magic. James' words didn't really apply much to Suna, who was more prepared than anyone to go to any obscene length necessary to strengthen herself. Who would be more than happy to spend the rest of her life delving into such a wonderful and mystical power, uncovering its every little secret. If only she could. She had accepted this twisted fate of hers. Suna didn't mind James' ignorance. Rather, she really appreciated him for trying to pick her up when she was down. It made her feel… more like a part of the group.
"Thanks, James."
"It's no sweat. Look, we're coming up on a small town, Arythia, which we'll probably hit by midday. There, hopefully we can get our hands on a spare carriage, or hire one to carry us. We'll see. Well."
James gave Suna a gesture before leaving to rejoin the others. Angie wasted no time sneaking her way back and rejoining Suna. She had a face, as if she wanted to ask what they talked about, but ultimately decided not to. Instead, she just smiled, and catching her off guard, took Suna's hands in hers, bopping up and down as she half-skipped. Suna blushed, looking down and away in embarrassment, but didn't let go of her hand. She gripped it, letting a bit of that infectious energy infect her, too. Soon, the two were skipping down the path – well, doing their best to, thanks to the luggage they both carried – all while singing, with Suna trying her best to learn and match the words of a song she never heard before.
They'd idly talk, and at times, Angie would teach her a magic word, and what she knew about it.
"Here. Try saying it."
"Karshek."
"Hmmm… that one too, huh?"
Suna absorbed every bit of knowledge she could, with sometimes no end to the questions she'd ask that clarified every detail, rabbit holes which would inevitably lead to a helpless Angie, with no answer. But Angie also loved to theorize and speculate on the things she didn't know, she loved the way Suna brought a vastly different perspective on the things she had grown accustomed to. Like this, the two passed the time, until signs of civilization had finally shown up. A few signs. Branching roads and paths.
"I don't think I'll ever get used to the outer edges. I mean look, we haven't seen anyone in ages!"
Krax looked around, gesturing to the lack of human presence.
"There's seriously a town, just ahead of here?"
James and Cyra didn't have a retort to his question with the obvious answer. They too were puzzled. By the lack of carriages and people they had encountered during their travels. Yes, this was a much less populated place relatively, but this… was just uncanny.
"It is strange, isn't it? As soon as we meet Suna, not a single carriage…"
Suna was uncomfortable.
"I'm sure it's just a weird coincidence, right, Suna?"
Angie tried to reassure the group and Suna, but she, like the rest, was not so oblivious during her time with Suna to not note these strange occurrences. The closer they got to the town, they should have inevitably encountered at least one person, at the very least.
Suna… Suna wasn't really bothered by the lack of people until they explicitly pointed it out. But an unstoppable sense of uncertainty and unease pooled at the bottom of her heart. They haven't seen… what I've seen.
As they approached the town, several buildings would pop into view, by the road. Shacks that lived on their own little offshooting paths. But when they'd get a closer look, they all exhibited no signs of life. So they went to the next one. And the next one. No people.
Soon, the town, with a makeshift wooden wall, or glorified fence, guarding its perimeter, entered their view.
The lack of guardsmen was the last straw, the group's suspicions amplified. Carefully, they entered the town.