Kaito, Yukki, and Nyla all rest around the campfire. The various creatures of the night howl and skulk around, Nyla's skin crawls. "Don't worry about it Ms, Nyla the weaker monsters, won't approach because of the fire." Yukki assures her.
Nyla shudders. "I feel like there's something crawling on my back." Nyla says worried. "Don't worry it's ok," Yukki takes a peak and almost jumps as a spider the size of her torso is crawling up her.
Kaito slaps it away. "No, there's nothing on you." Kaito gives her a thumbs up and Yukki gives him a nod.
Kaito pulls out the last of his jerky supply, and hands them out evenly. "So Kaito, what are you doing out here?" Yukki asks him. Nyla takes a bite of the salty Jerky. "I've been meaning to ask that, why are you coming along?" She asks.
Kaito thinks. "Well I didn't really have a reason not to, i'm just going where i feel like really." Kaito says. "Where are you from?" She asks.
Kaito wasn't sure how much of this he should share, he thought they were trustworthy... but not that trustworthy. "I'm from my village. It's over by that field where your camp was." Kaito explains. Yukki snaps his fingers. "Oh I know the one, that village that was being attacked by bandits, I heard the bandits had just randomly stopped attacking one day." Yukki explains.
Nyla nods. "How strange." She says. "Is that what moms spell did?" Kaito thinks.
Yukki has been wondering something since he first saw Kaito. "Kaito, do you think we could have a quick match?" Yukki asks. Kaito beams with joy he loves sparring. "Sure." Kaito says.
Nyla seems worried. "You two are about to fight?" She asks. Yukki passes Kaito a wooden stick. "Don't worry it's just a friendly match." He says.
From the moment Kaito first appeared Yukki has had an off feeling about him. "The way he handled that thug was too good, he must actually be an empire soldier." Yukki thinks. "And the way he hunts, he took out that goat instantly there wasn't even a drop of blood spilled." Yukki wonders about Kaito. "I've trained for years and his happy personality doesn't fit him I just have to figure this out." He says.
Kaito on the other hand. "I was hoping I'd get to spar with him!" Kaito happily thinks. "Wonder how good he is, or what kind of magic he uses." Kaito loves sparing, since he enjoyed getting stronger it was one of his favorite pass times.
Kaito and Yukki get ready for the fight. "Be careful!" Nyla warns.
Kaito starts off the fight swinging. "Just a side swipe?" Yukki says as he goes for the block. "I guess he isn't as trained as I thought." Yukki says.
POW Yukki is struck in the top of the head by Kaito's stick. "OW!" Yukki shouts. "How did you do that?" Yukki wonders how he was hit in the head, when Kaito was clearly going for a hit to the side. "Can't reveal the secrets." Kaito says smiling.
Yukki decides to start this time and goes for a stabbing strike. Kaito swipes his attack and then whacks Yukki in the side. Kaito then hits Yukki three times back to back. One to his side, one to his leg, one to his head. Yukki falls over.
Kaito holds his hand out to him. "That was a great match!" Kaito says while smiling. Yukki has confirmed his suspicions. While fighting Kaito he had no idea what he would go for next. It was like fighting a trained killer. But Kaito didn't have the instinct of a killer.
Yukki accepts his hand and gets up. "That was very impressive you two, Kaito you must've received formal training from a great master!" Nyla says. Kaito laughs. "No seriously, who trained you?" Yukki asks genuinely curious. The way Kaito moves is astounding.
Kaito smiles. "My dad used to train me and my siblings all the time." Kaito laughs. "I remember he even helped me awaken to magic, and the next day he.." Kaito mind wanders. "Then we..." Kaito wonders. "I can't remember." Now that he thinks about it. His dad just seemed to have disappeared. "What happened to him?" Kaito questions.
His thoughts are interrupted by Nyla. "Yukki what about your father?" Nyla asks. Yukki shudders. "He was nothing special." Yukki says coldly. "We should get some rest." Yukki says ending the conversation.
Nyla nods. "Yes you're right." She agrees and Yukki lays a blanket down, and Nyla enters her tent.
Yukki notices Kaito. "Are you not sleeping?" He asks him. Kaito sits at the campfire still. "I'm gonna keep watch, you can rest up." Kaito tells him. "I can take charge after a few hours, wake me up when you get tired." Yukki says. Kaito looks back smiling. "Got you." He says.
Yukki lays down out front of Nyla's tent.
Kaito thinks. "Why can't I remember." He thinks and theirs blanks in his memory. His dad just didn't exist one day, and he can't think how he never questioned it before.
As Yukki falls asleep he wonders what Kaito's goal is.
The next day rolls around and Kaito is already at work.
Kaito is climbing a nearby spire, intent on reaching the top. He spotted a nest at the summit and is determined to see if he can score some eggs. He knows that the nest is home to a family of rare birds, and that the eggs are a delicacy. He is also aware that the birds are fiercely protective of their young. But he is determined to reach the nest and claim the eggs.
He reaches the top and is delighted to see the eggs are there! "Score!" He yells as he sits in the nest. "Breakfast is served!" Kaito says, as he slides down the side of the spire using the knife from Yukki.
Kaito smiles happily as he starts the campfire back up.
Kaito begins to cook the eggs. "I should use the rest of the goat meat, put some in the omelet and dry the rest." Kaito says to himself as he continues cooking.
Nyla peaks her head from the tent, she was woken up by the wonderful scent. Yukki and Nyla sit with Kaito as the campfire as he prepares the dish.
The way he moves as he cooks make him look like a master. He hands the two their plates.
This time around the two of them don't hesitate and dig right in. Nyla is overjoyed by the flavor. "This is exceptional!" She says as she continues eating. Yukki nods agreeing with her. "You really know what you're doing Kaito!" He says as he eats. Kaito takes their compliments in stride.
They all finish their food, and Kaito packs up. "Allow me." Nyla goes to help. Yukki stops her. "I got it, don't worry ms Nyla." Yukki helps Kaito instead. Nyla is a bit annoyed by this.
They finished packing and they're on their way. Hours pass by as they trek through the mountains, as they avoid various beasts and Kaito picks any vegetation he thinks would be good in a dish. He stops occasionally to marvel at all the sights around him.
After a while though the heat begins to get to them. "It's so hot!" Yukki groans. "I feel like i'm melting!" Nyla shouts as she fans herself. Kaito leans over onto Nyla. "Water." Is all he can muster. Yukki shoves Kaito off of Nyla. "I know, let's make conversation, that should be a wonderful way to take our mind off the heat." Nyla suggests.
She looks at Kaito curiously. "I don't know much about you, why don't you tell us why you're out here?" She asks.
Kaito pulls out his book. "I'm looking for this treasure called the unifates. They say it's something that can grant any wish" Kaito says. Yukki scratches his head. "What's that?" Yukki asks. Nyla looks as she's remembered something. "My father always is talking about something like that, the uni thing is something he always speaks of." Nyla says.
Kaito gets excited. "Really?!" Kaito happily asks as he grabs Nyla's hands. She's a bit taken a back. "Y-yes, i can ask my father about it once we return." She says, becoming a bit red. Yukki slaps Kaito's hands.
Kaito gets excited. "We've gotten hurry then!" He says as they travel with a renewed vigor.
Before they set off again the ground around them begins to rumble.
Yukki ducks and drags Kaito and Nyla down with him. "What is it?" Nyla asks. Yukki points and they see a hunting party.
Kaito smiles. "We can ask them for a ride!" He says happily and jumps up. Yukki pulls him back down. "We're not speaking to them, we got lucky trusting you, but we don't know these guys motives." Yukki warns.
Kaito looks confused. Yukki rubs his face. "Just stay down." He says.
One of the adventurers places his hand on the ground. He calls for another man.
The three of them can't hear what they're saying they're too far away.
Another adventurer jumps from the carriage with a large sword in his hand. He holds his sword in the air and then stabs it into the ground. The ground trembles violently. The entire mountain that Kaito and the other had previously climbed crumbles.
Kaito is shocked by this. "What the, He destroyed the entire mountain!" Kaito yells as the falling mountain causes the ground around them to shake. Nyla and Yukki almost fall but Kaito pulls them both towards him.
Yuki's eyes widen as he watches the man with the large sword. "Wait I know them! That man there is Reyes the leader of one of the hunting guilds, Shadowbane!" Yukki says to them.
He then looks scared. "If he's here that means they would have to be hunting a high tier monster, If that's the case we have to go, now!" Yukki hurries as he grabs Nyla.
Kaito agrees and they begin running. The ground rumbles even worse than before. The entire ground around them for miles explodes and sends them flying.
Kaito dusts the rubble from his eyes and what he sees shocks him, and terrifies Yukki and Nyla.
Yukki's lip shakes. "T-that's an Abyssal monster! A- a world serpent!" Yukki yells.