"Have you ever heard of a Black Swan?" Orion asked with a wide grin, pointing towards a shipwreck lying amidst the field of dead flowers.
Kyle and Na-Ri followed the line of his hand. The wreck was a striking sight, with a tree of lifeless leaves rising from its centre.
'How in the world did that end up here…?' Kyle wondered as they advanced towards it.
He cast another glance at the girl resting on his back, wishing she would soon rouse and free him of the burden.
Na-Ri observed them with a faint smile, then summoned her blade, ready for whatever creature might emerge as they drew nearer.
The carcass of the vessel lay half-sunken into the earth, the hull split apart and gaping. From the centre rose a lifeless tree, its roots twisting through the ruptured timbers as though it had claimed the wreck for its own, though no breath of vitality remained within it.
The withered branches stirred faintly in the breeze, scattering flakes of brittle leaves.
"That is called a Black Swan," Orion remarked with a smile.
Kyle and Na-Ri exchanged a glance, both uncertain of the meaning. Kyle had no knowledge of the term and little inclination to care.
Na-Ri, on the other hand, recognised it as the name of a bird, once rare and now rarer still, for most had either mutated or vanished into extinction.
By what logic could such a title belong here?
"What do you mean by a Black Swan? Are you about to wander into poetry again?" she asked.
Orion's expression dimmed as he replied with quiet solemnity:
"No one expects to find such a thing in this place. Beauty born of ruin, the impossible rising from a grave. A rare phenomenon that cannot be foretold or explained, and once witnessed, never forgotten."
At his words they stood motionless, transfixed by the spectacle: the wreck crowned with its withered tree, suspended between decay and splendour, an omen veiled as wonder.
'Oh, beauty born from ruin? So that is a Black Swan… This man must be drunk on art,' Kyle reflected with a scowl.
When they reached the wreck, Na-Ri surveyed the surroundings. The area appeared empty of creatures, yet she kept her blade poised as they advanced.
It was only reasonable to remain here for the day rather than continue. Their Vitality and Stamina would soon diminish without rest and food.
"Are we staying here?" Orion asked, walking behind Na-Ri, with Kyle and Adela bringing up the rear.
The four of them entered together, cautious in their step.
Almost at once, a Feral-ranked Spinnar lunged at them, a crawling creature with five legs that ended in edges sharp enough to pierce iron.
It sprang at Na-Ri, but she met it without a flicker of alarm, cutting down with her blade in a swift motion. Two more burst forward in its wake, and Orion moved in at once, swinging the rib bone Kyle had handed him.
He struck both at once and hurled them aside, giving Na-Ri the opening to finish them with decisive slashes.
'Good teamwork…'
Kyle nodded to himself as he followed behind.
With Adela still on his back he could not move freely, and so he relied entirely upon the others, hoping no creature would strike from behind.
In time, they slew nine of the beasts, and after a thorough search they confirmed that the wreck was theirs alone.
The four reached a cabin within the vessel, where Orion swiftly kindled a fire. He piled the hearth with dry wood and struck flint against steel until sparks caught the tinder.
Within moments, the flames spread along the logs, casting a wavering glow across the cabin.
'At last…'
Kyle lowered Adela carefully onto the floor, then lay down beside her with an exasperated expression before closing his eyes to snatch the rest he had long been denied.
Orion settled beside him.
With rest, their strength and stamina would return to their former levels, though the process was slow compared to the consumption of restorative items.
Na-Ri alone remained wakeful. She stepped outside to collect the essence cores from the Spinnars she had slain, absorbing them to heighten her spiritual energy. Two of the carcasses she carried back into the cabin for later use.
With cold precision, she snapped the legs free one after another, then slid her blade into the softened plates of the thorax, prising open the shell until strands of pale flesh were revealed beneath.
Piece by piece, she cut away the thicker portions of meat, and laid them on a flat iron sheet propped above the flames. The smell rose acrid at first, but soon mellowed into something almost sweet, as the fire burned away the taint.
She turned each strip until the edges blackened, and the flesh firmed enough to chew.
From the heap she had prepared, fifteen coarse portions in total, she ate only four. The remainder she allowed to cool, packing them with care into a small wooden box, and stacking them neatly for the others to find upon waking.
When the work was finished, she settled into the chair by the fire, resting her back against it with a composed expression.
One hand maintained a steady hold on her blade, its surface catching the light.
For a while, she let the silence stretch, breathing slowly, then lowering her eyelids halfway.
Without lifting her gaze, she murmured into the stillness:
"...Hello, stranger."
From the depths of her mind, a genderless voice answered with elegance:
"Do I finally have the spotlight to explore a conversation with you?"
"Of course. You once drove me to an outrageous act, but it saved me, and I appreciate that," Na-Ri replied curtly, opening her eyes fully and fixing her gaze on the fire.
After a long moment, she added:
"Do you remember what happened two weeks ago, before all this? Care to tell me a story about it, Stranger?"
"Sure…"