Sunlight filtered through the forest canopy, dappling the ground in afternoon gold. Outside a simple hut, a young girl cleaned wild fruits and mushrooms in her basket.
She wore a wide hat, long golden hair cascading down, but what caught the eye was the pronounced swell beneath her brown cloth dress. She hummed happily as she worked, clearly pleased with her ample figure.
"Gundaruf, left hand of the god. Brave shield of the god. Left hand greatsword, right hand spear, guarding the guided me. God's right hand, Windaruf. Flute of the compassionate god. Commands beasts, carries the guided me over land, sea, sky. Nidonilon, muse of the gods' mind. Divine tome of wisdom. Gathers all seen knowledge, offers counsel to the guided me. And the final one... not even recorded. Leading four servants, I descend to this vast land..."
*****A week ago, something shattered the daily routine of the girl living alone in the woods.
A brilliant light streaked her view — a falling meteor. With a boom, the impact knocked her flat, scattering her basket's wild greens.
Curiosity propelled her thousands of meters to the crash site.
"Who? Anyone? Come collect my partner's body!"
She found a talking longsword — the [Sword of Wisdom] her mother had mentioned. Delighted, the sword's guard clacked open and shut.
"Hey, little girl — kindly bury my partner for me."
Huh? She scanned — no other sword, no person.
"That... that. My partner fell from the ship, smashed into that lump."
"Ah!" The girl gaped at the red meatball.
First time seeing such a fall — unlike anything. She descended the crater's edge to the former Sora-mass.
Red flesh mingled crystal-clear water-blue and cyan glows, etched with tadpole-like ancient runes. Walking atop, it pulsed vigorously — vitality rivaling dragons. Left alone, it'd warp into mindless monster.
The girl clasped hands, silently praying for the dead.
"O ancestor of mankind, grant me power to purify this before me." White light bloomed from her palms, blanketing the flesh.
"That white light — isn't it...?" Dever gasped.
The mass quieted; glows flowed, yet something fled.
Eyes open, her gaze fell to the tree-green gem on her right-hand ring.
Mother's relic — but to save this stranger, forgive me, Mother.
She knelt, pressing the gem to the flesh, hands clasped in prayer anew.
"O ancestor of elves, grant strength; this forest, forgive sharing your life with this one?"
Tree-green life-light surged from the ring; surrounding woods rustled in unseen wind. Leaves rained into the pit, onto the mass.
"Great — thank you, Forest." Relief washed her.
"Elf magic — Life Sharing!!"
Green flowed ring-to-flesh, linking earth, woods, mass. Worldwide, tree-green motes streamed from forest, soil, sky to the lump.
Nearby trees withered, leaves yellowing and drifting; ground cracked; air hazed.
Conversely, inexplicable force reshaped the flesh humanward.
Finally, ring-light faded; magic ceased. Gem cracked gray, tumbling free. Hundreds-meter woods lost life; flesh reformed man-shaped, lying still. Water-blue, wind-blue, tree-green lights and runes interwove on his skin.
The girl exhaled long.
"Whew — feared the ring's mana would exhaust before human form."
"Oh? Not certain?" Dever marveled.
"What if mana ran mid-way?"
She tilted head.
"Human organs restored in that shape — alive, but deformed."
Perilous spell. Lucky, partner.
"Girl — thank you. That's elf [Five-star] mage-only [Life Sharing], right? Ring precious. Partner repays when able."
"Ah, no need — just Mother's last memento."
"Er... partner, repay her." Dever yelled at comatose Sora.
Sora's eyes fluttered open; hands pushed dry ground, sitting up.
"Where...? I... who?"
Clear gaze met girl and sword.
"Ah?!" Sword and girl yelped. *****
Life Sharing's side effect — or glitch — erased "Sora's" memory. Though Dever hammered Louise, Tabasa, Churuka — cute names sparked no recall of prior loves. Sora couldn't remember.
Somehow, Sora emanated familiar warmth. Forest vitality's echo?
Whatever — past two days, Sora hunted expertly: bears, boars. Girl foraged fruits.
He should return soon.
Girl finished fruits, mushrooms; looked up.
Brown linen-clad, yawning, tiger dragged inverted one hand, other bundling branch with seven-to-eight head-sized fish — Sora waved strolling back.
Girl smiled, waving welcome.
"Ahh, partner — Louise melts me if she learns, says you don't like her or whatever."
Dever moaned at Sora's waist.
"Louise-who? Even if told, no clue. Jealous shrew?" Sora cocked head.
"Ahh! Louise goes berserk hearing that!"
"Oh." Sora neared girl, dropping prey.
Louise — what? Thinking it always headached. Peach-blond fluff seemed to rage, bursting free.
"Welcome back, Sora." Girl beamed.
"Back, Tiffany." Sora shelved woes, smiling at his savior. Her aura soothed — resurrection bond?
"Ahh, can't take it. Sleeping." Dever griped, dogfood-stuffed.
"Your call, sword."
"Not sword — Deflamingo!" Dever snarled.
"Oh, sword." "Got it, sword." "Fight-time, sword." ...
Amnesiac partner dubbed him "sword." True, but irksome.
Glad partner's revived — but Louise et al. learn of new girl? No partner fault — they'd vent on me. Ahh, whatever — let go.