Using my legacy, I shot myself in the foot and increase my speed.
Then, as the norka come at me, I jump from tree to tree and dodge all of their attacks, but they are incredibly close dodges.
Unlike Atalanta, I can't shoot trick shots and bend arrows like she always does, but if there is one thing I am confident in, it is that I am more adaptable than she.
No matter what [position I am in, my arrows' accuracy will never decrease. With my bow, I shoot arrows directly at the norka. When they land, they don't do much damage, but the norka slows down.
I can impart the slow down and speed up effect to my spirit arrows, so now the Norka I hit are much easier to keep up with.
Now step 2. Using my bow, I shoot an arrow and speed it up. The faster my arrows go, the stronger they become, so when my arrow hits the norka head this time, it explodes.
"One down," I say with excitement.
"COME DOWN," I hear Buloke shout.
"No, I can do this by myself!"
With my legacy, I move around and shoot each of their head, one by one, but some start to swing away, so I chase after them, and I continue to fight.
I am amazing. Look at me; I am defeating the opponents who gave Orb so much trouble. Don't be embarrassed about me, don't worry about me, and accept me as your leader. I am strong, so watch me fight, watch me win!
As I shoot the last Norka down, I look around myself and see that I am not anywhere close to where I was. "I must have gotten pretty far away. Wait, doesn't that mean that people didn't get to see my fighting skills?"
I start to rush back in sadness, as I notice my awesomeness hasn't been seen. When I start to get close, I hear a scream, which causes me to speed up.
Landing I see that there are a group of dead norkas on the ground, and another group of people bleeding.
Moving closer, I ask, "What happened?"
Buloke moves closer to me, slaps me across the face, and says, "When you started running away, we broke formation to chase after you and a few norkas, attacked the weaker members and almost killed them."
"But I thought I hunted them all?"
"Some were hiding away, that's why I wanted us to be cautious. Please don't do something stupid like this again, princess."
Walking away, Buloke goes to treat the injured, and I just hang my head down in embarrassment and shame.
-Break-
A few hours later
Location: Niflheim
With my head low, I say, "What the hell is wrong with me?"
"You don't like animals enough!"
Turning around, I say, "Willow!"
"You're one and only."
Looking at his arms, I say, "What's that?"
"It is a baby Zterytavis, one that recently gave birth, so I am looking after it, isn't it cute?"
As Willow brings its gross face close to me, I backflip away and say, "Keep it away from me."
With fake tears, Willows says, "What a tragedy it is that you don't understand the love these companions can bring you."
"No, and I won't ever."
"You look like a dog girl, so I will get you a dog."
Huffing and puffing, I say, "Don't you dare!"
"Well, it looks like you are doing better now."
Realising what he has doesn't, I say, "Playing tricks isn't what men do."
"But you're smiling, so I won in the end, so what is bothering you, my darling?"
Turning my back on him, I say, "Nothing, now leave."
Suddenly, I feel a prick on my back, then I turn around and say, "Did you just attack your wife?"
"No, I did not, your butt was just begging me to pinch it, so I simply followed its instructions."
"It did no such thing."
"See now your mouth is saying, please, Willow, listen to all my problems."
"No, it isn't, go away, you bastard."
Willow falls to the floor and says, "My wife just told me to go away, my soul leaving my body."
"Stop lying, you bastard!"
Shaking on the floor, Willow says, "It is getting worse; only a hug from the village chief would save my life now."
I sigh and then move closer to give Willow a hug, and as I do he grabs me and pulls me down beside him, then says, "It truly hurts me to see you like this, so please tell me whatever is bothering you, even if I can't fix it I can bare it with you."
I feel saddened, then look away, turning my back, I put both my hands over my face, and say, "I shouldn't be the village chief."
"That isn't true, Maple."
"It is. I am not smart, I am not competent, I am not friendly, I am not organised, I am not reliable, I am not cooperative, I am only strong in body but not in mind, and I am no leader at all.
During our time since we left the village, Orb and everyone else have all been working their hardest to make sure everything goes smoothly, but here I am working less than the average person, yet I am still called chief.
I can't help anyone when they need it, and I am so angry with myself for being so pathetic. The greatest thing I have done as village chief is allowing Orb to come here; aside from that, I haven't done anything else of note.
I can't even be a good wife, you do everything for us two and are always loving me even though I am too embarrassed. I feel so ashamed that I just want to die."
Willow says, "I see, I won't lie to you all of that is true, but there is also another truth I want to show you."
Getting up, Willow grabs me and takes me somewhere.
-Break-
As we walk to a secluded area, I see a small hut in the distance.
"Willow, where are you taking me?"
"Shh, don't make too much noise or he might notice."
When we reach the small hut, Willow points me to look through one of the windows, and inside the hut, I see Orb with a series of papers in front of him.
"The day is almost over. Is he really still working?"
Willow puts his fingers on my lips, then says, "Keep watching."
In the room with no one else in it, Orb starts to talk, "Capti, what do you mean, I am really trying my best. If you keep talking to me like that, I am going to tell Draga on you."
Turning his head to his left, Orb says, "You see, Draga, your husband is bullying me. Protect me, didn't you say you love me like a son?"
Looking throughout the room, I ask, "Willow, is there supposed to be someone else in the room?"
"No, it is just Orb."
With a face of fear, I say, "Then who is he talking to?"
"When Orb is alone, he starts to simulate conversations with Captivant and his wife, Draga."
Orb then start to hold up something in his arms, and says, "Look how big my sister is, isn't she so cute?"
"The lore of his delusions has also gotten deeper, now he is simulating a third child, Capti and Draga had, whom they named after him, Orbina. Of course, they only had two children in real life."
"My god!"
"How adorable this heavenly qpeep is."
"What is a qpeep?"
"It is a queen, you see, due to Orb learning a lot of languages through a book. His pronunciation for a few words is awful, I and others like Anto and Avram, who have realised this, have been skilfully helping him hide these words."
"Wouldn't you just tell him?"
"Isn't this funnier, though?"
"You're right, but this is all just awful."
"Don't worry, we have just started."
Suddenly, it looks like something clicked in Orb mine, and he says, "This reminds me."
He then runs over to a side of the room and pulls something out. It is a frozen human limb, and then an incredibly creepy smile appears on his face. I wouldn't even think this man is Orb.
"Willow, Willow!" I say quietly.
"Don't worry, that is one of the limbs of the bandits he ripped off."
Looking at it, Orb says, "Ahh, how marvellous humans truly are wonderful, I love them so much. I really wish I could see these arms inside, though. But to do such a thing would be morally bankrupt."
I shake my head up and down while saying, "Yes, yes, yes, yes."
"But still it is already ripped off and it is not like it is going to get much use either way, so maybe just cutting it open a little bit wouldn't hurt."
Shaking my head from left to right, I say, "No, no, no, no!" What's most concerning about all of this is that his hair is turning pink, and he is in love with this idea.
"Then again, I did this solely for punishment; if I fiddle with them, my motivation becomes impure, and I did this for some level of personal pleasure."
Putting it down, Orb puts both of his hands together with his elbow on the table and just stares at it with silver hair.
From the background, I start to cheer, "Do your best Orb, do your best Orb, do your best Orb, defeat the evil inside!"
Orb then suddenly starts to burst out in laughter and rolls on the floor back and forth.
"Willow, is he okay? Did a demon possess him?"
"No, he just thought of a funny joke while thinking, and just distracted himself."
"But Willow, look, he is struggling to breathe."
"Oh, it must be really funny then. I will ask him later."
Seeing this rumbling mess of a human being on the floor, I say, "Is this Orb?"
-Break-
As Willow and I walk away from Orb's secluded hut, he says, "During your time in Basileia, Atalanta caught him acting like that pretty often, so she decided to shower him in love to try and circumvent it, but it seems it didn't work."
Turning to face me, Willow says, "Why do you look so down?"
"I guess I feel sort of disillusioned seeing Orb like this. It is like seeing your father cry; it is a horrible feeling."
Willow, fake crying, says, "So you're picking on me for having a dead dad. Really, how insensitive."
Grabbing him, I say, "I have a dead dad as well, so you can't play that card."
As we fall to the ground, Willow looks at me and says, "Regardless of how you feel, that is the truth of the matter, that is Orb."
"Still, regardless of all of that, he is still better at me at too many things."
"Orb was raised strangely, and so he grew up strangely. he is great at things others aren't, but he lacks basic things everyone has. It is just the way life made this out for him.
It doesn't make him better, just different, and you're the same. You're active, you're honest, you're passionate, and you know the power of others. But more than that, you care for everyone just as much as Orb, and as long as you have that, I am sure you will grow into a wonderful leader."
Feeling tears fall from my eyes, I say, "But hear you are helping me again, and I am doing nothing for you, even though you're my husband."
Jolting up, Willow says, "I have a whole list of things I want to try with you, especially when we finally build a home for ourselves."
Turning bright red, I say, "Ok then, but only once we leave Orb's house."
"YES! I NEED TO GO HELP WITH THE BUILDING RIGHT NOW!" Willow says as he jumps up and starts to run away.
Seeing him run, I say, "Idiot." Getting up, I say, "Now I have something to do."
Running back to Orb's hut, I burst through the door.
Orb instantly hide all of the limbs on the table, then, with blue hair, says, "Maple, what are you doing here!?"
I simply run and hug him, then say, "Orb, if you are ever feeling sad or lonely, just come to me, I am your little sister. I love you!"
"Please let go of me, you're being strange. You're acting like Atalanta!"
"I won't until you feel my love!"