Ch. 2 - Part 2

Oh wait. Turns out, I do not pass out.

I standstill in the middle of the forest. There's a slap mark smoking on my cheek. I hold that slapped meat of me.

Why did she slap me?

"Why did you slap me?"

"So that you don't scare away the birds!"

That's what you care about!?

She grinned as her hand was put on her waist pridefully. Oh, the sign of pride.

I look down to my feet. That trap starts to hurting again. You know what? I will just scream. I will let out my suffering to the whole world. I've decided. I open my mouth, preparing to let out a scream.

"Aaaaa-!"

The girl glance sideways and widened her eyes. She suddenly covers my mouth and hides me behind the branches.

"Mmh mMmH mmMHH!"

She whispers, "Ssshh, quiet!"

Let me scream! Let the world know how much anguish I have gone through her-

"There is a bear heading here. She will come if she hears your screaming."

I standstill.

We peek from behind the tree. Ow cr!p, there's really a bear approaching here. It is a grizzly bear. Brown, muscular body, almost like a wooden log. Her sad expression is equipped with horrific teeth, ready to tear apart anyone. She doesn't look that scary, but that's what my fear signal is telling anyway. The bear must have come after hearing our ruckus. Its nose sniffs the scent around us. She sniffs the net of the hanging bandit. The net has been lowered down to its position. Those bandits become its plaything. They're crying.

"Don't worry, grizzly bear is normally not aggressive," I said, reassuring. "They spend their time sleeping in the caves, taking care of their kids, and hunting in the riverside eating fruit and fishes."

"This one eats human."

"See, I told you they're nic- whaat!?"

My attempt to look smart fail. Well, I was trying to save them. I peek at them. The bear paw its paw at the net. The bandits are crying tears inside there. Cr@p, they're going to die at this rate…

The girl mischievously grins at them.

"Cmon, let's sneak out. This will surely give them trauma not to rob passerby again."

I'm not sure if that's even the reason. I let out a long sigh.

But even though it's like that, I still can't move.

"Aw."

The girl turns around. "What is it?"

I look at my feet. Sad, it's sweaty bucket there. Red drop dripping.

"Aaah! Oh my God, oh my God, I'm so sorry!"

She crouches to tend my wound. I look away in embarrassment. This is embarrassing. She releases the beartrap from my feet. Kaaching! Ergh, my feet. I look at it. It drips a bucket now. My bone must have been shattered there as well. Well, I do not have a plan to keep my feet for long anyway.

She takes out a leaf from her pouch. She chews it, then spits it on my feet. She smears that chewing across my wound. Oh my God, this wound is terrible. But my cheek goes on heat instead, realizing there's a girl's chew there…

The girl continues by covering the chew with another leaf. She covers the wound.

"What's your name, traveler?"

"Eh, me?"

I got caught off guard.

"Your name, what is it? You have a name right?" She was about to let out a joke there, but she probably worries I will not get it. She chews another leaf and then smears it this time around the holes of my wound.

"M-my name is Makoto.." I scratch my hair, shy.

"Makoto?"

She looks up at me for a moment. Oh no, she makes me blush even more now. The girl mumbles a certain sentence, and then a yellow circle manifests in front of her hand. My eyes widen up. Glowing circle..

Is that.. what is called magic?

Sorcery, magic, witchcraft when at its worst. The circle go around. The chew on my feet vaporizes into the sparkly wind. The healing is done. Suddenly, my feet is getting so much better.

I can't believe this, I can't believe this at all. This is similar to the highest-grade medical equipment we can afford in the future era. Well, those medical faculties are run by corrupt business owners. But still, how can this possible? I move my feet around. I feel 10 years younger!

"Well then, the problem's been settled." She slaps out her hand. "Hyaa~ I'm so happy this venturing duty is done now. I do not expect having to tend a passerby in the middle of the way, especially one that gets caught by my own trap. That's a really good trap really." She looks at me beaming, then realizes something. Her gaze is now down to the grass.

"I'm… sorry, M-Makoto."

She still hasn't get used to my name. She sounds really cute when she tries to say it, though. I really do not know how to act.

"It's okay. I'm sorry I as well."

I do not know what to sorry for, I mean she's the one who slapped me. But I feel guilty, so I should say sorry.

"Well then!" She beams up again. "As a token of my apology, I will become your friend and your tour guide from now on!" She offers her hand to me. "Nice to meet you, Makoto."

She grins to me. That grin is probably the most beautiful grin I ever see. I'm fidgeting as I was about to take that handshake. But as I reach it, the bear suddenly shows up to cheer up our party.

RooaaAAaaaRRGGHH!!!

It stands really tall menacing. The mother bear has already gotten bored playing with the bandits, so she turns to us now. They pass out.

The tree was already falling upon us as we barely dodge away. The bear actually topples the tree by swinging its claw at it!? I stare quietly, as the mighty mother bear stan tall above me. I can almost hear the roaring. But the hunter girl pulls my arm before that claw gets over me.

"Run!"

I get back to my conscience. I run following the lead, as we rush out of the location. I observe my hand getting pulled. My face reddens. The warmth that I feel, as my hand being hold by her..

She pulls me away, maneuvering among the flying trees that are being flung around by the bear's paw. Smash, smash, smash. The situation is chaotic, but I do not mind. In that madness, my attention was pointed at nothing, but-

"My name is Elysia, by the way." The girls say to me, panting. "Elysia Nightingale. You can call me Elis. Nice to meet you, Makoto!"

She is still running. She grins smiling. I look at that grin.

For a second, time stop. No reason, nothing in the world matter anymore. The leaves no longer move, the roar no longer heard. I was in awe. Like stepping in an empty room, all are bright and meaning loses its all. White, blue, glimmering endlessness. We run among the silent. I look around me. As the time stops here, there's no one. Nothing.

No one, except us.

I scratch my cheek, shyly.

"Nice to meet you… Elis."

Her smiles are beaming. Whatever just actually happen, I let it be just the way it is. I look at that smile. That smile shines brightly. Sunlight pierces to stop our time.

A counter redirect sound is heard. Time slowly runs again. The bear roar, but it is already far far away. We step away running, slipping into the nearest village. I run while unconsciously smiling...