Seraphine extended her transparent hand toward Noroi and asked calmly, determined to prove she was capable of the responsibility she'd promised them.
"Do you have a map?"
Noroi's eyes narrowed at her question, and he lingered for a few moments, thinking about whether or not he should give it to her. He let out a deep sigh, then pulled his right arm from his bag, which tilted to the other side so he could untie the ropes and open it slightly, pulling out a rolled piece of paper with an old appearance, but not worn out.
He lifted it toward Seraphine, his eyes still cautiously watching the woman in front of him.
Seraphine took the map from him before kneeling down and spreading it out on the sandy surface, making sure it was steady and perfectly clear. Then she raised her head and gestured for them to come closer.
Haruki was the first to move; as soon as he reached her sitting spot he bent his knee and sat beside her. Noroi followed and sat on the other side of the map.
Yamika remained standing in her place, watching what was happening from her position.
Seraphine pointed with her thin, white, almost-transparent finger that hovered over the map to a spot among the trees of Myriellel Forest, far to the west of the Zelkarth market where they had been moments before. She began to speak while looking specifically at Noroi's face.
"Here lies Ash Fort, where troll creatures live and train."
Noroi raised his left eyebrow before saying.
"The guards... level-three monsters."
"Exactly."
Seraphine replied to his clarification, then turned her gaze to Haruki and continued.
"The guards serve the level-one boss, so if you actually want to find him you must infiltrate Ash Fort to obtain the location."
At Seraphine's final word, her body began to grow more transparent. She pushed herself up to stand and said.
"It seems it's time to say goodbye."
Haruki looked up at her as she stood, a sad frown forming on his lips before he spoke in a complaining tone.
"Time's up?"
Seraphine smiled at him and reached out to ruffle his brown hair before vanishing completely, as if she had never been there at all.
Noroi rolled the paper back up and placed it in his bag where it had been before, then looked at both Haruki and Yamika as they stared at him, clearly waiting for him to tell them the plan.
He sighed tiredly at how completely they relied on him, as if he were a mother duck followed by her ducklings, then said.
"We'll head out tomorrow. Let's rest here tonight."
Haruki stretched out his limbs in every direction, then leaned back and lay down on the green grass behind him, adjusting his cloak over his body to shield himself from the night's chill.
He looked up at the pitch-black sky above him, where the stars shone far brighter than they ever did back in the city, and decided to count the stars instead of sheep for the night.
"One… two… thr-"
He didn't even finish the word "three" before his tongue went numb and he drifted into a deep, swift sleep, clearly exhausted from the day's events.
As for Noroi, he chose a spot beneath a thick, leafy tree to settle down, so that the sunlight wouldn't disturb his comfortable rest.
Yamika, on the other hand, preferred to spend the night on the large log she had been sitting on just moments earlier.
Eyes closed, and the world sank into a peaceful slumber, from our little trio to every creature across the land, from the purple deer to the ghoul mother tucking her children into their beds, everyone drifted off into the stillness of the night.
***
As the morning of a new day dawned, the sun began to slip out from behind the clouds, its golden rays dancing between the leaves of the trees to awaken the sleepers.
At that moment, a creature resembling a mouse,but with small wings,let out a loud, grating snort before flying off as if it had done nothing worth mentioning.
The trio was already awake, packing their belongings in preparation for the new mission they had discovered the night before.
Noroi slung his bag over his shoulder, while Mini hovered around him, making sure to stay close to his master.
On the other side, Yamika was teaching Haruki how to strap his new bow onto his back the same way she did with her massive axe, so he'd be ready at any moment.
Once she finished, she pushed him forward with both hands, a wide grin spreading across her face.
"Now, on the count of three, pull. Got it?"
Haruki nodded eagerly, picturing himself pulling it off perfectly, looking majestic with the wind sweeping his hair back like a hero from a story.
But the moment Yamika said "three," he reached behind him, grabbed the handle, and pulled with far too much force, tripping and falling face-first into the ground, letting out a muffled groan as he tried to lift his head.
Yamika burst out laughing at the sight of Haruki sprawled clumsily before her, the green grass decorating his face. When her laughter finally subsided, she wiped away a tear that had almost escaped the corner of her eye and said with a smile.
"Don't worry, you'll get used to it."
She extended her hand toward him, and he took it, pulling himself back up to his feet. He brushed the dust off his clothes before wiping his face with a frustrated expression.
Noroi watched them with an unreadable look, then grabbed Haruki by the shoulder and yanked him forward roughly, saying.
"I want to make sure your aim is accurate. I don't want to find an arrow in my back mid-battle because you can't shoot straight."
Haruki nodded firmly, determined to pass Noroi's test.
Noroi's eyes scanned the area, searching for a suitable target for practice ,until they landed on a pink bird perched on a tree branch, singing a sweet and gentle melody. It harmed no one and radiated a peaceful calm.
Noroi pointed sharply at the bird and said coldly.
"Shoot it."
___
Thank you for reading! If this moment touched you even a little , please consider adding it to your library.💐