Chapter 8 (J) - Reacquisition

  “A little to the left… You’ve almost got it… No, that’s too far. A bit more to the right! Aaand… Almost there… There!”

  Finally, Calypso’s vague instructions guide me to the last piece of my missing equipment. I pick it up from the woods’ leaf-strewn floor and fasten it to my collar.

  “There. Can you see now?”

  “Hang on, still reconnecting… Uhh… There! Ugh, finally! Do you have any idea how much it sucks being functionally blind for hours?!”

  “Yes.”

  “O- Oh… Right…” Calypso clams up, realizing her mistake. I make use of this reprieve to give the ground a quick once-over to see if I missed anything vital.

  “Ah!” With a start, I notice something, blending in with the soil. Were it not for the familiar emblem carved into the side, I may have missed it entirely. I bend down and pick up the old whistle. It’s still attached to its cord, which is unbroken. It must have fallen off when I fell, rather than having been damaged in some way. I brush some soil off it and hang it back around my neck, like always.

  A light breeze blows past, rustling the trees above us. I glance upwards to ensure it truly was the breeze moving the treetops, and not something else. The cliff is imposingly high, but not as much as I’d presumed when leaping off it. Past its edge is the sight of the canopy which appears to be devoid of anything noteworthy . The leaves block out most of the sky, but what little I can see appears to be stained red.

  “...The sun’s setting soon. We should find shelter.”

  “Huh? Why? This place is practically tropical, isn’t it? It’s not like you’ll be cold at night. Just camp outside.”

  “Not this time. Between our attack and the fire beast that set fire to the town, they’ll likely be on watch. We should try and find some sort of shelter to hide in, if at all possible.”

  “Oh, right. But, um… What if that guy with the wyvern shows up again?”

  “...I don’t know. But at least if we found a cave, he might not be able to bring his wyvern into the fight. But our chances are slim to none against him no matter where we stay.”

  “...Yeah, I guess you’re right…”

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  “Do you have any caves or similar safe spaces registered?”

  “Do I? Umm… Hang on, gimmie a sec…” Calypso mutters to herself as she searches. “Uh, I think there should be a cave a bit west of here?”

  “Good.” Without another word, I set off in the direction of the sun peeking through the treetops.

  “So, who the hell was that wyvern guy?!”

  “How should I know?”

  “I- I dunno! You’re always way better at finding important info in the files we find. I figured you might’ve noticed something?”

  I sigh. “Well, I’m afraid I haven’t. I’m as in the dark as you are.”

  “I’m pretty sure I’m way more in the dark, with how long I couldn’t see.” Ignoring her feeble attempt at humor, I continue walking.

  “Hey, Jay? You okay?”

  “No. The regeneration only does so much.”

  “I- I know that. But that’s not what I mean. You’re being quiet. Like, even more than usual. Is there something you’re thinking about?”

  ...She’s right. Of course she’s right. She knows me too well to miss it. “...There is.”

  “What, then?”

  “That girl who found us last night.”

  “Her? What, do you have a crush or something~?”

  “...I don’t know what that is.”

  “Wh- You don’t know what having a crush is?!”

  “No.”

  “What rock did you live under?!”

  “Quite a lot of them.”

  “I- Oh come on, stop taking everything so literally! It’s, like… You like her, wanna spend lots of time with her, stuff like that. But, like, taken to the next level.”

  “...I still have no idea what you’re talking about.”

  “Ugh. Forget it, you’re hopeless. Anyway, since that’s clearly not it, what ARE you thinking about?”

  “It’s just… a gut feeling of sorts. Obviously we’ve never met her before. Yet despite that… I can’t help but feel as though I recognize her.”

  “You recognize her? ...Huh. Wish I could’ve seen her. Maybe I’d remember something you don’t. But- oh, wait! Guess what! I couldn’t freaking see!” It’s at this point I decide to tune Calypso out as she continues on her tirade of complaints for the remainder of our trek.