Our journey was getting boring, there were still a lot of trees, even if I tried to focus on the horizon I couldn’t see the end nor the lessering of trees.
It’s like if we were walking this whole time through an infinite forest, but logically that is impossible, maybe the civilizations in this world are smaller than what we expect, and we don’t know how big is this world.
But...what if we don’t find anything? In old times you had to walk tons of kilometers to get to a city, I don’t want to walk for months we won’t survive much here and less if we don’t find food or more importantly, some kind of clothes.
We kept walking in the same direction the sun was sets so we could have a point of reference later, the calmness of the forest was reassuring, but the noises of it were scaring, thanks to my cat ears I knew where was the sound originating, but I didn’t knew who was doing that sound.
There were rustles of bushes, animal noises we couldn’t recognize and the crushing of leaves beneath our feets, I really feared some big monster would appear in front of us and kill us.
We’re defendless, we don’t have weapons nor clothes so it can be easy to kill us, I hope we can at least dress with anything, in the wilderness we could use fur from animals, but I don’t know how to sew nor how to flay an animal.
I used to go hunt with my father, but we just hunted lizards and birds, never deers or rabbits, would we be going to survive or would the goddess just want us to suffer?
We keep walking, the sun is on top of us meaning it has only been half a day, our mood isn’t good for anyone to start a conversation, suddenly we hear a lot of rustles going far away until they disappear in the horizon.
“That was lots of rustles, wasn’t it?” Yui says “Yeah they were, usually that happens when there’s a predator by the zone, should we turn around and run away?” I say in a scared tone, “No way, maybe it’s just something we can deal with, after all we can use magic and just burn up the creature, it will be as easy as that” Asao says confidently
A fearsome roar came out from the woods, it was thunderous. I hid behind my 2 friends, we heard steps and rustles, thanks to our animal ears we could know where it was, but not how it was.
We turned around and walked slowly so the creature wouldn’t hear us escape, but it was useless, the creature ended up blocking our path.
The creature was pretty tall, had tough skin, a fearsome look, a long snout as a wolf, with big and sharp claws, it had the form of a bear, but I think bears were less fearsome than this thing.
The creature approached us slowly and instinctively we walked back slowly, what was he waiting for, more importantly, what was Yui waiting for? just shoot a fireball or burn him up already!
I was scared, I didn’t want to die again and not in a pitiful way like this, I looked to my friends, Asao was the only one that looked calm and Yui was much more scared and shocked than me.
The creature was more menacing than before, if it were to attack any moment, it’s growl could paralyze anyone with fear, but Asao kept still and calm, as if he was analyzing the situation.
“We will do this, Shiina and me will distract him, while Yui will launch fireballs to him” Asao said pretty confidently, I don’t know how good is this plan, but is better than nothing.
“On the count of three we will perform the plan” Asao said in a firm tone, I was scared, but I just had to follow Asao, and everything would be okay “One” I took the hand of Asao “Two” Yui was still scared not knowing what to do “Three!!!” I squished his hand and ran around the monster so he would follow us.
I ran as fast as my legs let me, we kept our distance from the creature so he couldn’t hit us, and I was looking at the creature's eyes, they were looking straight at us, Asao’s plan worked!
The creature's body turned towards us and started following us, but...it was approaching too fast, and Yui wasn’t launching anything yet, what are you waiting for? burn him already!!
But she was still there in shock, not knowing what to do, I shouted to her, but there was no reaction. She was still there standing.
Asao noticed the same, so he managed to go straight to Yui, but she will continue doing nothing, approaching her won’t do anything useful, we will just scare her more.
But the creature was faster, this creature wasn’t gonna give up that easily, and he launched a blow of his powerful claws in Asao’s back, it started to get full of blood, I wasn’t scared of that instead about being killed like that ripped up pitifully after getting a second chance to live.
Yui was just right in front of us, still with her scared and shocked face, my eyes were almost facing death, I will really die like this? defenseless and without enjoying this new life?
Time passed slower, as if the goddess were enjoying our deads, Yui still had that expression on her face, Asao in the ground with his back with a big injury and I face to face with this fearsome and killing creature.
I closed my eyes as last time and accepted my fate of dying one more time, maybe my soul wasn’t made to be reincarnated in another world, maybe that is.
I suddenly felt pretty hot that almost burnt my skin, and the painful growl of a creature, was it Yui that did that?I open my eyes and see how the creature is on the floor dead, but it wasn’t too burned, was it because Yui shot to his head and not the whole body? Is Yui’s magic so powerful it can penetrate a sturdy animal skull and melt his brain?
Yui collapsed to the ground I ran to her to check if she was okay, but she just got unconscious then I checked the creature, I got close enough to see its fur I touched it and it was pretty tough, like the fur of bear, but ten times tougher his eyes were crimson red, his fangs were as sharp as knives but it was indeed completely dead.
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That thing didn’t move, and there was no pulse. I could see the void in his eyes they looked lifeless, I went to check up Asao, his wound wasn’t too deep but there was blood involved and it looked gross.
Didn’t I was some time of healer? I put my hands over Asao’s back and closed my eyes, what do I need to think to heal him? it’s just heal? or do I have to imagine his back as if there wasn’t any injury? should I pray since it’s holy? What do I pray?
I was completely lost in how to use my magic I didn’t had any idea of how to, after giving up I opened my eyes, now there wasn’t any injury just a big scar in his back, now he looks like a tough boy.
My happiness didn’t last much, my head got dizzy, I couldn’t think straight, I turned Asao upside and slapped him as strong as I could so he could be awake and wary of our surroundings.
He wakes up in a blink, his expression is of someone confused but relieved “Are you okay Shiina?” he asks me in a worried tone “Just a bit dizzy, nothing to worry about” I say without thinking.
Asao moved Yui to the shadow of a tree and laid her in the soft grass, I followed Asao and seated beside him, seems the rest of the animals have returned to the forest after knowing the monster has died.
“Asao, wake me up after a few minutes, I need to rest for a bit” I say pretty exhausted mentally, “Sure” he says as I slowly put my head on the fresh grass and sleep
Feeling the grass under my bare skin still felt itchy, I couldn’t get used to it, how much time has passed, 1, 2, 4, I don’t know but my head doesn’t hurt anymore.
I open my eyes and see how the sun is setting, did I slept too much or we walked for so many hours?
I don’t know, but I think I should get up, my comrades can’t survive by me, I’m the only one that has survival knowledge.
I standed up, my legs were numb and I almost fell to the floor but I was able to stabilize, being a cat has it’s advantages.
Yui and Asao was in the middle of the place we fought with a campfire, the air was feeling cold now that I standed up, I rushed towards the campfire I felt super cold, why didn’t they carried me to the campfire!?
I arrived to the warm campfire “Why didn’t you carried me to here? I could have got hypothermia!” I shout to them angrily but in a not serious way.
Asao shrugged as if he was just making fun of me, but I felt Yui different she was spacing out looking to the horizon, I shaked her a bit so she could come back to her senses but instead she just moved away from me.
I felt uncomfortable trying to shake her, I just wanted to cheer her up a bit so we wouldn’t worry a lot about the battle we had.
Asao answered to my question “Well, you just looked so comfortable in the grass I didn’t want to move it” I don’t know if he talks seriously since he says it with a serious face.
The crisp of the fire should be relaxing, but it’s just making me sad and melancholic.
I shouldn’t be like this, I’m the only one that can cheer up this group, so I
should joke and smile, I really hate this atmosphere.
“Asao Asao, why don’t you go and collect for me 2 rocks and a a stick?” I say in a cutely way to persuade him “Why do you want that?, why don’t you yourself?” She says in a bit of a annoyed way.
“Please, you will thank me later for it” I say again in my cutely and persuasive way, Asao sighs “Fine”, Asao stands up and disappears in the darkness, that it isn’t much darkness I see it clearer than normal, it’s because my cat eyes?
Some minutes passed and Asao returned from picking what I asked “Thank you so much~” I say cutely like a true girl from my age “It was difficult to see through the dark, so don’t ask me to do something like this again” Asao says ignoring completely my thanks, how desconsidere.
“Also, what will you do with this?” Asao asks curiously “Well, I’m gonna do a spear, since we don’t have weapons someone has to do it” I say as I while I hit the stones with each other in a form to sharpen the stone.
It takes some time until I can sharpen it sharp enough, after that I sharp the stick Asao gave me, I know was relaxed sharpening this stick is so good, I know forget for a second from my problems.
I finally got a spear, I put it above my head to show my creation, Yui was still spacing out, but Asao seemed happy, I gave to Asao the spear “Please take good care of my son” I say trying to pull out a joke.
Now, we just need to sleep, but I slept already so…, I clap my hands, okay guys we will do this, we will take night shifts, we will sleep moreless 5 hours each, so each night shift will last moreless 2 hours and a half, sadly we can’t count time, but just make an estimate.
I will take the first shift, then you Yui and the last one will be Asao, no one argued against my idea, I will proof everyone that someone like me can be a good leader.
Asao and Yui lied down in the ground and slept, surely Asao is tired but I’m worried about Yui, she spaced out for so long and that’s not normal about her, I will try to cheer her up when day comes and everything gets more relaxed.
Time passed and I didn’t say anything, I think making this night shifts are useless and I just didn’t want to sleep, sure little kids have a lot of energy, grasshoppers where doing their sounds, and everytime the fire was getting out of wood I just added more, though I had to drag it, they’re too heavy for me.
I think I should do something during my night shift, I can surprise those 2 and carry me in the morning, it would be so wonderful, I could rest and not walk.
I think for something, maybe…, the wind stroke my back and got me a pretty big chill down my spine, sure it’s cold…Oh I know, I will do something with the fur of this bear-like animal!
I grab the sharpened stone and cut the limbs of the animal slowly, I don’t know why I don’t see this gruesome, but despite being a good idea, I don’t know how to flay an animal.
My dream were cut off, the fur of the animal is tougher of what I thought it will be impossible for me to get its fur, surely Asao can, but it will be in the morning when I can tell him and he will refuse surely, he wouldn’t be able to see that scene of an animal being cutted and seeing blood.
Yeah, better to wait until morning, now what else could I do?
I sit in the ground thinking of what to do to surprise them but I can’t think in anything I could do, I stand up and walk in circles to wake my mind a bit.
yawn yawn
I may just be bored and not sleepy, I slept a lot I will just try to go more around and...my eyes feel heavy.
I get near Yui and use her soft belly as pillow, good night Asao, Yui.
I close my eyes and instantly get asleep.
Waking up being shaken is really annoying, I was just sleeping, they could have woken up me nicer.
I instinctively say “Nya nya” in response of the shaken, I open my eyes and see Asao shaking my torso and Yui blank at his back.
I grab his wrist and apart it angrily “Next time try waking up a kid nicer, I will do that next time I have the opportunity” I say frowing at him “Then don’t fall asleep when you had to wake up Yui” Asao says annoyed.
I stand up and shaking off the dirt out of my butt, I look up to Asao waiting for him to say something, but he just turned around and walked and behind him Yui followed.
He didn’t even apologized to me, how rude from him for not apologizing for making a little girl angry.
I just followed him leaving behind the corpse of the bear-like animal intact, I feel bad for not using the fur for this deadly temperature.
It feels like we’re passing the same trees over and over, did I already said this? I’m not sure, but I feel we aren’t progressing in our walking it’s like we are trapped in here, couldn’t the goddess put us in a place near a city, or at least with clothes?
I should stop questioning this things if I won’t tell it to anyone or if I will just get more depressed trying to soft a bit my dead, my imminent dead.
Suddenly Asao shouted “Finally!!” he then runned to something immediately after Yui runned as well therefore I run with the curiosity about why Asao shouted out of nowhere.
But I could see why he shouted, he shouted because we were save, it was river flowing with a peaceful speed, I ran towards the riverbank and putted my hands in the river, it was freezing cold.
I drank as much as I could and saw how my friends where doing the same as me, this has to be luck, even Yui looked a little less empty, she surely got motivated for finding water.
My mouth wasn’t dry anymore and we could resume our journey, but before they could give a single step I said “Wait a minutes…”
As I was realizing, if we continued our journey following the river upstream we could find civilization, what group wouldn’t settle near a river, it wouldn’t make sense.
“Let’s follow the river upstream” I said “If we do so we can find civilization faster” my words were the most intelligent at the moment after I saw their faces of excitement of knowing they would be able to rest in a bed and eat good food.
I led the path and after me a clear motivation of resting in a comfy bed was getting into my mind.
How would the human civilization in here will look like?
It will be like in animes like in medieval times, or it will be different?
Can we gain fame as saviours of humanity…? oh right...I lose my humanity...but I still can save the world from the demon lord!
As my words were filled of motivation we kept walking with our bellies full of water.