Night Walk into the Dragon's Den

After putting Kasago in the school's nurse's office I headed back to my dorm. I tried resting, but I couldn't, thinking about the injuries, the cuts along his forearms, his head beaten open. He was stained with blood, the images couldn't escape my mind as I tried to rest.

"Hey Fubuki?" Henry cracked the dorm room door open.

I jumped, "Yeah?" I looked over at the door.

"I heard Kasago is awake again, let's go visit him." He had a big smile, but I knew that he was just trying to make me feel more comfortable.

"Sure, gimme a second here." I put my winter boots on before standing up.

"You're not wearing normal shoes?" Henry asked.

"Yeah, I haven't really gotten any regular shoes so these are my only pair," I said walking over to him.

"Oh, alright then." I walked out as he closed the door behind us.

We headed down the stairs and over to the central building, quiet. The sound of people walking by us didn't register to me, neither did the light shining in my eyes. We made it there, the nurse's facility. I slowly creaked the door open, making sure not to disturb anyone inside. Me and Henry entered only to see Kasago upright, covered in bandages.

"Oh hey, it's you two." He picked up an orange and began peeling it.

"We heard you were doing better." Henry sat on the chair beside Kasago.

"That's nice." Kasago was speaking to Henry, but he was staring at me.

Well, I was doing the same, just standing in the doorway looking at him. Henry realized the situation and excused himself after making sure Kasago felt right.

"Kasago-" I sat down and began speaking, but he cut me off.

"You're Fubuki right? From the Flower Grove," he smiled at me.

"Yeah, you remember what happened?" I sat down where Henry was previously.

"I," He paused, "I remember that it was those three again." He looked down at his hands.

"You knew those guys?" I asked.

"They've been beating me up for a while, they're from Uliston, the western Burrough. They're members of a gang that might have connections to the elites, and for someone from Kaliston like me, there's nothing I can do." He curled into a ball.

"Don't worry about them anymore, I took care of them." He peaked from his arms and I could see a bit of tears in his eyes as I said that.

"But why would you help me?" His voice was stuffy.

"Well, we're in the same dorm, we met at the Flower Grove, you remind me of an old friend in some ways. But even if I had no reasons, why wouldn't I save you?" He fell silent for a moment before tears silently poured down his face.

"Thank you, Fubuki." His voice had diminished to the same level as when I'd first talked to him, which made me realize he'd been talking in a normal tone this whole time.

"We are friends now, you don't need to thank me." I ended my sentence just as the door burst open.

"Guys!" Henry was exhausted as he threw the door aside, making a loud crashing sound echo throughout the silent room.

"What the hell?" I turned around.

"I can't find Freddy anywhere!" He was panicking.

"Who?" I looked at him confused.

"Freddy, the other guy in the dorm with us." He said it as if I should be recalling someone but nothing came to mind.

"Sure Freddy, and you're telling us why?" I asked.

"Because I need your help to find him!" He yelled.

"I mean, I guess I could for a bit?" I got up from the chair, "Hey get better soon alright?" I turned to Kasago, the tears had stopped but you could tell he had been crying, he silently nodded as I walked out.

I walked up the stairs and arrived at the school's library. Thousands of books were stored on quality wooden shelves in perfect condition, and the air had a slight smell of some incense. Together creating an atmosphere unlike any other for silently and calmly reading. I looked around for a bit in silence before finding Kusaha studying.

He was so focused he hadn't noticed me so I tapped him on the shoulder, "Hey Kusaha." I whispered.

He jumped a little, "Oh hey, you scared me a bit, what's up?" He asked.

"I'm supposed to be looking for this guy, but I don't really want to, can you take me around the city for a bit?" I asked.

"Right now?" He looked at the book, "I guess I could." He placed the book in his bookbag hesitantly before standing up.

We walked out and began heading towards the school's entrance. It had been getting late so we decided to just make it a quick trip down to the Uliston gate, where according to Kusaha the sunset is like no other.

We walked into Kaliston, the lights in the street minutes away from lighting. Down the street where Asaki lived, then we arrived in Flower Grove. We sat down to rest for a bit before continuing to Uliston.

"You know, me and my friend Kasago actually met at the flower grove," I said, sitting on the fountain's edge.

"The flower grove?" He paused, "Oh the Flowers Intertwined." He said.

"Flowers Intertwined? That's what this place is called?" I looked around.

"Yeah, it's said that anyone who meets here was fated to meet here, and it means that they would be unnaturally close in whatever." He talked about it so casually, but to me, it sounds like the universe is forcing Kasago to be my friend.

"That kinda creeps me out a bit," I admitted.

"So you wanna go now?" He looked at me as the lights came on.

"Yeah, let's go see the sunset quickly." I hopped up.

The Flowers Intertwined huh? If it's true then there must be hundreds of people fated to be friends. Maybe it's not a coincidence though? I have heard of spirits known as, 'special.' that can do more than just influence the physical world around them. Well if they do exist, they must be good at hiding, deep within the shadows.

We had finally made it to Uliston, the poorest borough of Yuki'oro, and while poor, most people looked friendly and welcoming. The homes, while being a bit run down sounded lively, with music and laughter, kind of reminds me of home.

"And then, we can bring that scum to the boss, and the bounty on Fubuki's head will be all mine!" Someone started laughing maniacally.

"Did you hear that?" I turned to Kusaha before continuing down a dark alleyway, only lit by a single floor-bound lantern on the ground towards the end of it.

"Maybe it's best not to go in." Kusaha backed up slightly.

 "For you maybe, go ahead and see the sunset, I'm going to go pay someone a visit." I turned back around and started walking towards the lone lantern.

"And then maybe we could all get a cut too Freddy. Maybe?" Someone said in a deep, irritating voice.

"If I take out Fubuki, you worthless peons would be lucky to even be graced in my presence, let alone take a 'cut'." He stood up, his back illuminated by the lantern.

"So, I heard we're taking out Fubuki, how you figure?" I asked.

"It's him!" Freddy yelled as he ran towards me.

I punched him back towards the lantern, he got plunged deep into a building, crashing through into a family home. The air filled with dust and the noise crashed through the neighborhood. I walked towards him and leaped over the wall.

"What? Not so strong anymore right?" I stared at him.

He had a look of fury across his face, he ripped off the long jacket he had been wearing, "Nature Dragon's Roar!" He yelled, vines protruded from the ground around us all over, as if we'd been transported to a thick jungle.

The vines immediately began firing thorns at me. I blocked some, but most pierced me until I was able to step on one of the roots and freeze the entire vine. I walked over to Freddy as he panicked and began backing up. I picked him up by his shirt collar, holding him as I stared into his eyes for just a moment before throwing him through another wall.

He landed back onto the street, and another crashing noise pierced the existing noises of the music and partying. I walked through the hole created by his body and saw him still bouncing back as he finally hit the neighbor across the way and stopped.

"The forest protectors home, World Tree!" He yelled through his gasping for air.

A massive tree trunk began growing beneath me, and as I tried avoiding it, it became faster. I punched it away but in just a moment it caught up to me grabbed my leg and began dragging me.

Freddy stood up and ran over to me before gasping for air once more, "I knew you were just weak scum anyway." He had a smug look about him as the roots continued dragging me to the tree trunk.

"Second frost." I created an aura of frost around me, allowing me to exist in my natural element which amplified my speed.

I now easily broke off the tree that had grabbed me and ran around him for a bit, allowing his tree to chase me. Eventually, I created a self-contained sphere out of the trunks, so intertwined in itself it couldn't chase me any longer, or else it would damage a root feeding it with energy.

Now that we are in a closed, strong, and most importantly inescapable area, I can finally finish him off.

I smashed him in the stomach, and an ear-piercing noise erupted as he was shot back and rebounded by his own tree. I then punched his neck and before he could grasp the pain I sucker punched him in the stomach. He kneeled over to recover when I kicked him into the air. He fell down which is when I finally grabbed him by the throat and threw him so hard he rebounded off the tree's top so hard he planted himself directly into the ground.

I disabled my second frost before freezing the original roots of his world tree, disconnecting it from the flow of energy, and as it fell to the ground it dissipated into nothingness. I pulled him from the ground and looked out towards the gate, the sunset I had been meaning to watch had just happened and I looked on for a while, before turning and heading for Etchtome.