It had been three days since we left the village. Our journey was smooth and carefree because we meticulously followed the road Chief Satur instructed us to take. Thankfully, no monstrous creatures had interrupted or attacked us.
During those three days, Fae managed to discover new herbs and plants along the way, adding more knowledge about medicine to her already impressive arsenal. We also took time to camp and rest at night. These past few days had been fun and full of small discoveries, and we felt our bond strengthening with every mile.
...
Two weeks passed. We were halfway to our destination when I saw a vast, crystal-clear lake spreading out in front of us. My eyes were immediately mesmerized by its beauty. I was captivated right away.
"Look! There's a huge lake in front of us!" I shouted in excitement, my tail flicking rapidly.
"You're right, Ms. Ina, it's so big and pretty!" Fae responded, looking awestruck.
"D-do you guys want to stop for a while? Maybe hunt for fish or just take a bath?" I suggested, my eyes begging for a yes.
"Do we!?!" Komraad and Fae responded in unison.
Just like me, the excitement on their faces could not be contained.
We had been traveling for weeks and desperately needed a moment like this to relax and clear our minds. It didn't take us long to reach the lake. Upon parking our carriage, Komraad immediately undressed and jumped into the water, creating a massive splash in the process.
"H-hey, at least be cautious! There might be unknown creatures lurking inside!" I warned, annoyed by his recklessness.
"You overthink too much, cat! Just jump in here already, you stink!" Komraad retorted, splashing water in my direction.
"You little!
"
Ugh, he's right. I haven't taken a proper bath since I woke up in the forest. I'm a cat, so it doesn't matter that much, but at the same time, I'm a woman, so…
"Let's go, Ms. Ina, let's take a bath together," Fae suggested sweetly, already holding a towel.
"I don't know. What if a monster is hiding inside this lake?" I asked in genuine worry. The thought gave me shivers.
"It's okay, I'm not worried at all! I mean, I got you and Mr. Komraad by my side," Fae responded with complete, unwavering trust.
S-she trusts me this much. I'm so happy, I think I'm gonna cry.
Fae took a dip in the lake after changing her clothes, I followed soon after. We bathed and played in the water while Komraad successfully hunted some fish for our lunch. After some time, Fae and I decided to finally get out. I was walking out of the water when my paw suddenly touched something gooey.
"Oh God, I just touched something weird! It's slimy, like a jellyfish," I relayed, wrinkling my nose.
"What's a jellyfish, Ms. Ina? Oh, by the way, the thing you just touched is called a slime," Fae informed me, pointing down.
I looked at the transparent blue blob I had touched. It was about the size of a bowling ball and had no facial features.
I see. Wait, slime? Do they exist here? Wait, weird, why do I know what a slime is? Ah, never mind.
"A-anyways, are they dangerous? They're not going to melt me, r-right?" I asked Fae, looking scared and clueless.
"Teehee, a single slime isn't a threat, but if there's a horde of them, they can melt even the biggest creature in the forest in mere minutes," she answered confidently.
"You really are fascinating, Fae. You're already so knowledgeable at a very young age," I complimented her.
"Teehee, it's because I read a lot of books. It's my hobby," she answered proudly. She then took out her leather pouch bag and produced a vial with shimmering yellow liquid inside.
"You can actually use them as a sleeping mask, Ms. Ina. It's very relaxing and rejuvenating. Just a scoop of their flesh and add a drop of moonflower oil extract then…"
"Ta-da! You're ready to go."
"A scoop of their flesh? You sound so diabolical, Fae."
"Tee-hee."
We stayed at the lake until noon, cooked the fish Komraad caught, ate them, and resumed our journey soon after.
...
"That was refreshing, we should do that again," Komraad said, stretching contentedly.
"Definitely," I responded.
Fae rested and fell asleep in the carriage for the entire afternoon journey.
Yawn
Maybe I should rest too.
Komraad noticed I was sleepy. "Go to sleep, cat, I can manage on my own," he assured me.
"Are you sure?" I asked, squinting at him.
"Are you kidding me? Of course, I can! Who do you think you're talking to?!" He confidently answered.
"Okay, just wake me up when you need something."
I was just about to settle down when suddenly, five ragged and grim figures emerged from the trees. It was bandits, waiting to ambush travelers like us.
The first was a hulking man with a bald head covered in faded tattoos. Iron rings pierced both eyebrows, and a heavy axe rested on his shoulder. His coat was torn, exposing a scarred, bare chest. Next came a lean woman with a long scar running from ear to chin. One eye was hidden beneath a black cloth, and her grin revealed teeth capped in gold. Her armor was mismatched: steel, leather, and bone. In her hand, she gripped a rusty scimitar. Behind her, a lanky youth twitched with nervous energy. His oversized coat hung loose, and he gripped a chipped dagger in both hands. Last was a squat man with a face smeared in soot. His rusted sword was strapped haphazardly to his back, and his beady eyes darted constantly, like a cornered rat.
Above them all, perched on a low branch, sat a wiry woman in a green hooded cloak. Her skin was weathered from sun and wind, and her fingers never left the bow resting across her knees. A quiver of black-fletched arrows leaned against her shoulder, and her sharp gray eyes watched everything. The bandits approached and surrounded our carriage slowly, cutting off any escape.
"Well, well, well... What do we have here? A carriage traveling without a guard," the hulking man, who appeared to be the leader, drawled.
"Looks like we hit the jackpot, boss. It's just a man and a little girl with her pet," the lanky youth added, gesturing toward me.
Tsk, did one of them just call me a pet?!? I thought, bristling with anger.
"Hey, hands off our belongings," I said, my voice sharp.
"W-wait, boss, did you hear that? Their pet just talked!" The squat man with the rusty sword stammered nervously.
All of them were shocked, but their boss just laughed it off with a deep, booming sound.
"Ha-ha! Are you serious? What can a puny talking pet even do?" The boss bandit sneered confidently.
"Y-you're right, boss!" The other bandits chorused, regaining their nerve.
Aah… Everyone just keeps on underestimating me, don't they?
Fae woke up from her sleep, rubbing her eyes. "Ms. Ina, what is happening here?" She asked, a little confused.
"It's nothing to worry about, Fae. Just some strangers looking for trouble," I answered calmly.
The boss of the bandits yelled, commanding them to attack. "Take everything they have, even the carriage. Also, take the little girl," he instructed.
"Okay, that's it! That's the last straw! We were going to let you off with a warning because we don't want to end up hurting you, but you've just said something unforgivable!" I spat, genuinely furious.
"Hey, cat, you don't mind if I break some bones in the process, do you?" Komraad asked, his eyes burning with eagerness.
"Oh no… do what you're best at," I responded, giving him permission.
"Hell yeah!"
We were about to retaliate when fate intervened. The archer perched on the low branch was aiming at us when the branch she was standing on suddenly snapped, sending her tumbling to the ground.
Oh, I forgot about the bad luck, I thought, momentarily stunned.
I actually didn't see them as a physical threat to me at all. I mean, I fought a giant snake, a giant lizard, and a giant demon. But I did see them as a threat to Fae, and it made me absolutely incandescent with rage that such people existed who were even worse than the monsters I had fought.
"You know what, Komraad, just sit and watch. We don't even have to lift a single pinky to defeat them. They'll do it on their own," I said with sudden confidence.
"Oh, y-yeah, right. I don't wanna get too close to them, or else I'll get caught in it too," Komraad assessed, quickly backing away.
Komraad already knew what I was talking about. We just sat back and watched the bandits get caught in something that even we couldn't explain.
The boss of the bandits got his axe stuck deep in a tree when he tried to swing it. The woman with the scar was suddenly attacked by a horde of angry, stinging insects. The man holding a rusty sword had his weapon snap in two in thin air. The lanky youth got his lower half stuck in a hidden hole underneath the ground. They were all panicking, completely clueless about what was happening to them.
"B-boss, what is happening? Help us!" The woman with the long scar, swatting at the insects, shrieked.
"Why, you! What did you two do?!?" The boss yelled at us, looking confused and irritated, still trying to wrench his axe free.
"Nothing. You guys just have terrible luck," I responded coolly.
"T-that doesn't make sense, ugh…"
After his axe finally came unstuck, he rushed toward us with full force. Komraad was about to retaliate when the boss suddenly tripped on a root and hit his head on the ground, knocking himself out. All the bandits were either down or unconscious. They were defeated without us even moving a muscle.
"That's it? I didn't even do anything fun," Komraad said in disappointment.
"I'm glad I'm not your enemy, though, 'cause it sucks to be them right now," he added, shuddering.
"Yeah, I'm kinda scared of my powers too," I answered honestly.
Before we left the scene, we tied the bandits securely to a tree to prevent them from robbing any travelers again.
It had only been hours since our encounter with the bandits, and we happened to stumble upon another problem.
Something huge was blocking our path. It was an enormous creature, and we could hear it breathing heavily from afar. It was obvious something was seriously wrong with it. I could actually feel its pain, much like the distress I felt when we found Fae unconscious in the woods.
Out of nowhere, a woman suddenly approached us, waving her hand and shouting at a distance, clearly trying to warn us.
"Hey, there, travelers! We're sorry about the trouble, but if you wanna get to your destination as soon as possible, then you'll have to go around. Again, sorry about this!" She informed us urgently.
We were curious about what was happening, so we approached her. Up close, we got a better look at the woman. She was lean and sun-kissed, with short, unruly dark brown hair streaked with lighter tips, as if cut with a dagger and left to grow wild. Her amber eyes were sharp and restless beneath thick brows, and a faint scar curved under one cheek. She wore worn leather armor over a sleeveless tunic, the studs dulled and scuffed from travel. Her gloves were fingerless, her boots laced to the knee and caked with dried mud. A simple curved dagger hung at her side, its handle wrapped in dark cord, clearly well-used and always within reach.
"Uhm… Can we ask what happened here?" I asked, curiosity overriding caution.
Her eyes started to sparkle the moment she heard me talk. "A talking cat?!? So cute... E-ehem... I'm sorry, I got sidetracked."
Gosh, are talking animals rare here? I thought to myself, frustrated by the reaction.
"About your question, our friend here is sick and couldn't move. We're trying to figure out what caused it at the moment," she responded, referring to the enormous creature blocking our path.
I was shocked upon seeing the creature up close. It was the biggest creature we'd ever encountered. The creature was a colossus tortoise, its shell rising like a small hill above the forest floor. Moss and vines clung to the rough, uneven ridges of its carapace, which was the color of weathered stone with deep cracks and grooves like ancient bark. Its legs were thick as tree trunks, covered in wrinkled, earth-toned skin. Its eyes were calm and wise, like it had been walking the world for centuries.
Resting atop its broad shell was a cozy tavern-like house, built into the natural curves of the shell as if it had always belonged there. The structure was made of dark wood and stone, with a crooked chimney puffing out lazy coils of smoke. Warm lanterns hung from the eaves, swaying gently, and a wooden sign shaped like a tankard dangled at the front, creaking softly. The roof was slanted and covered in patches of moss, blending seamlessly with the living foundation beneath it. A narrow staircase curled around the edge of the shell, leading up to a small porch with a worn bench and flower pots swaying in the breeze.
"W-wait, is that a giant turtle? And is that a house on top of it?" I shouted in sheer shock.
"Yeah, we're called a traveling guild. Our friend here is our ride. We accept different requests from people that we encounter along the way in exchange for silver coins, but apparently, Nessie here is sick and won't move at all," the woman revealed, her voice cracking. "She's been blocking this road for days now, and if we don't do something soon, we won't be able to resume our job, and the worst part is that our friend here will die."
She was clearly worried sick. Her bond with the giant tortoise was genuine.
"She's my best friend. She's been on our side for a long time now. I don't want her gone," she admitted, tears starting to fall from her eyes.
"I'm sorry I got a little emotional. Anyway, some of our guild members are looking for a doctor as we speak. I'm really sorry for the inconvenience we've caused you," she added, wiping her face.
I wish we could help her, but this is out of our hands now. I was about to suggest we travel around the creature when Fae suddenly approached the giant tortoise.
"H-hey Fae, it's dangerous! You don't know what kind of sickness it has. It might be infectious!" I shouted worriedly.
"It's okay, Ms. Ina, I think I know what's happening to her," she answered confidently, ignoring my warning.
Yeah, it got out of my head, but Fae is working hard to be a doctor.
"Little girl, did you just say you know what's happening to Nessie?" The woman asked, her eyes widening with a sliver of desperate hope.
"Yes, all the signs are here," Fae stated calmly. "Her color has faded, her skin is dry, and the reason why she can't move is that parasites are targeting her nerves. If she doesn't get proper medical attention as soon as possible, she'll die."
"H-how are you knowledgeable about this stuff? H-how can I trust what you're saying? You're just a little girl!" the woman challenged, worriedly and distrustfully.
"I read it in a book, and my grandma once treated something like this," Fae informed her, sounding incredibly professional.
"A-are you sure?" The woman was still confused and afraid of getting her hopes up.
"Just trust her, will ya?!? She knows what she's saying!" Komraad burst out irritably.
She didn't believe Fae. I know it's understandable, especially when hope like this shows up out of nowhere when you're already at your wit's end.
"T-then please, please save Nessie," the woman begged, collapsing into tears of hope that her best friend might be saved.
"I will save her no matter what, but I'm going to need everyone's help," Fae answered with an unwavering determination.
I was mesmerized by Fae's determination. She was so confident in herself, and that made me immensely proud.
"You got us here, Fae. Just tell us what to do," I said, offering my full support.
"Stop crying, woman! If you wanna save this turtle, then you better start listening!" Komraad shouted, excited to have a new job.
The woman nodded, wiping her eyes. Just like Fae, she was determined to save Nessie.
"Fae, my name is Stephany. I got a lot of men here who can help you. We'll follow your orders, so please, tell us what to do."
"Yeah! Let's do this!" Komraad shouted, pounding a fist into his palm.
"I'm going to be needing ingredients for the medicine I'm about to make."
Fae quickly wrote the ingredients on a piece of paper and handed it over to Stephany's men.
"Here's the list. You can find all of it in the woods," Fae explained.
Stephany's men quickly proceeded to find the ingredients Fae needed.
"Ms. Ina, Mr. Komraad, I'm going to need you to do something else," Fae instructed, turning to us. "I need you to capture a florisite, a very big one."
"Florisite? What is that?" I asked, the name sending a vague shiver down my spine.
"It's a type of parasitic flower that overtakes other creatures' bodies by inserting its roots into its victim's nerves," Fae explained patiently.
W-wait, that sounds familiar. Just hearing it gives me shivers. It's the toad incident last time! It was scary, but thanks to that, I was able to discover my powers with it. I'm kind of traumatized but thankful at the same time.
...
"Wait? Did you say a big one, Fae? There's a big one? I only encountered a small one before, and it was seriously scary," I asked, looking worried.
"Yes, Ms. Ina. I need a big one for this to work," Fae insisted firmly.
"Hey, cat, let's go already!" Komraad said excitedly, already moving toward the trees.
"Ehhhhh?? Do you even know where to find one?" I asked, trailing behind him.
"Of course, I do! Follow me!" Komraad rushed into the woods to find a florisite.
"W-wait for me…"
"Ms. Ina, be careful."
"Don't worry, Fae, we got this."
"Take care. I'll be staying here to help Fae," Stephany said, nodding her thanks as I followed Komraad deep into the woods.
Each of us focused on our part to make sure Fae had everything she needed to save Nessie. Komraad and I went deep into the woods to find the biggest florisite we could. It had been hours, but we still hadn't found one.
"Komraad, are you sure you know where to find one?" I asked, growing impatient.
"Yeah, I've smelled those creatures before. I know when I smell one," Komraad said with his usual confidence.
Komraad suddenly stopped moving and smirked.
"Why did you stop all of a sudden?"
"Found it!"
"Found what?"
"Their nest."
"Eeehhhh?"
I looked in the direction Komraad pointed and saw a horde of florisites.
"Whoa! There are a lot of them, and most of them are attached to a creature, but none of them are what we're looking for! All of them are small," I noticed.
"That's fine. When a horde of florisites gather, it means they're protecting their territory, and territory means a leader, and a leader is bound to be big!" Komraad said, his eyes gleaming with excitement.
I was genuinely shocked by the amount of knowledge Komraad had. I guess he's not just all brawn after all.
"Wow, Komraad, I didn't expect you to be this knowledgeable," I complimented him, careful not to boost his ego too much.
"Hah! I lived in a forest for many years. This is nothing new to me!" He answered with a brimming, smug look on his face.
Never mind, shouldn't have complimented him.
"Let's go already!" Komraad insisted, ready to charge.
"Wait, are we just going to barge in? Isn't it useless to attack the small ones?" I asked in confusion.
"Of course not! How is their boss supposed to show up if we don't cause a riot?" Komraad said, impatient with my caution.
This dog!
"Fine, let's do it your way," I answered, sighing.
"That's more like it!"
Komraad and I attacked the small florisites, hoping that the final boss would show up. It was actually easy to defeat those parasites once you knew how they operated. All we had to do was separate the florisite from its prey by cutting its roots off. It was a lot of fighting, but we managed to defeat all of them, and that was the moment the big boss finally showed up.
"It's finally here," Komraad noticed, looking excited.
"This is gonna be fun," he added.
The florisite that appeared was as big as a human, but the thing that bothered me the most was that it was controlling not only one but three creatures at the same time. Each of the creatures was monstrous in size and looked very ominous.
"Hey Komraad, remember. We have to take this one alive," I reminded him seriously.
"I know. That's what makes it fun and challenging!" Komraad responded, grinning.
"Then let's do this!"
Without further ado, we attacked with all of our might. We thought it would be easy, but the florisite was quite smart. We wanted to attack the florisite itself, but it kept hiding behind the creatures it was controlling.
"Komraad, new plan. If I attack the florisite, I might end up disintegrating it anyway, so I'm going to focus on the creatures it's controlling. You focus on separating them from the florisite," I instructed over the din of battle.
"Sure, but can you handle three at once?" Komraad doubted, dodging a massive claw.
"I'll try. You know, Komraad, you've always been the bait during our last battles. This time, I'll be the bait," I declared.
I flew directly toward the creatures to lure them away from the florisite while Komraad looked for a way to cleanly separate the parasite.
It took a while, but I was successful in luring them.
"Komraad, now!" I shouted, putting all my trust in him.
"Cat, I don't know what you're thinking, giving me all the glory," Komraad muttered, his focus absolute. "I was fine being your support as long as I had fun, but this time, I don't mind it."
Komraad smirked as he slingshotted himself toward the florisite.
He was so fast that the ground he was standing on cracked. I didn't even see him move. All I saw in the end was that Komraad was already holding our target. He was able to cleanly separate the florisite from the creatures without killing it.
"Gah! Hey, stop wiggling, you bastard plant!" Komraad complained, struggling with the large parasite.
Sigh… This guy.
I smiled.
"Let's go back, Komraad."
"Yeah, let's not make Fae wait any longer."
...
We came back hours after the battle. Stephany's men were already back, and Fae had already finished making the medicine.
"We're back, Fae," I announced.
Fae heard me and rushed over, hugging me tightly. "Welcome back."
"Here's the florisite. It was super loud, so I knocked it off," Komraad said, handing the unconscious florisite over.
"Just in time, Mr. Komraad. Please put it on the ground facing upwards," Fae instructed, taking charge.
"What are you going to do with it anyway? I mean, isn't the medicine you made the cure for Nessie?" I asked, confused.
"No, Ms. Ina. The medicine I made is for the florisite," Fae answered, eyes twinkling.
Eeeehhhhhh???? Did I hear things right? Or did I miss something here? I thought, bewildered.
"H-how does that help Nessie?" Stephany asked, equally confused.
"With this medicine, I can command the florisite to attack the parasites infecting Nessie instead of attacking Nessie's nerves and controlling her," Fae explained, her voice clear and precise.
I was still confused, even after Fae explained it.
"Just watch, everyone."
Fae poured the medicine into the florisite's mouth. After a short while, the florisite woke up, and its scary, untamed face changed into a calm and kind expression.
"Mr. Florisite, can I ask you to help our friend here?" Fae asked the parasite softly. "She's sick and infected with bad parasites. Can you help us get rid of them?"
The florisite seemed to smile in response and slowly approached Nessie. It positioned itself on top of Nessie's head, and its roots spread deep inside her shell.
"Now we just have to wait until all the bad parasites inside Nessie are gone," Fae informed us.
"Is the effect on the florisite permanent?" I asked, fascinated.
"No, it will only last until it finishes the command," she answered.
"I see, then let's wait here until everything's okay," I suggested.
We stayed with them until Nessie got better.
After three days, she was showing clear signs of recovery. Little by little, she was able to move her body, and she started gaining back her vibrant color. A week later, Nessie had completely recovered.
Everyone was so happy, especially Stephany. They cried tears of pure joy because Nessie was better, and they would be able to resume their job as a traveling guild once again.
"Fae, this is the first step in achieving your dream. I'm so proud of you," I said, beaming.
"Yeah, me too," Komraad added, giving her a rare, sincere nod.
I looked at Fae and saw her crying again.
Sniff Sniff
"Ms. Ina, Mr. Komraad, I did it. I was able to help someone using the knowledge Grandma taught me," she said, but her tears were mixed with a look of fierce pride.
"Yeah, you'll still be able to help more people, and we'll always be here to support you," I assured her.
Stephany approached us, smiling with tears still in her eyes.
"Fae, Everyone, thank you so much. Thank you for saving someone very important to me. I know I could never repay you, but here's a little something to help you out with your travels," she said, holding out two items.
"No worries, Ms. Stephany. Always happy to help," Fae responded with a smile.
Stephany handed us a pouch of silver coins and a rainbow-colored orb the size of a tennis ball.
I was curious, so I immediately asked her about the orb.
"H-hey Stephany, what is that thing?"
"It's an artifact. You can contact us anywhere, anytime with it. Call us whenever you guys are in trouble. We'll be there to help," Stephany explained.
Komraad immediately grabbed the orb and started playing with it.
"Hey, you! Stop playing with it!" I shouted at Komraad, trying to take the orb back from him.
Everyone laughed together and said our farewells as we started going our separate ways. We resumed our travels. We got delayed because of our encounters, but after a month, we finally arrived at our destination, the Witch's Isle.