Morning rose quickly. The humming had almost vanished. Kota opened his eyes. Faint light shown through the opening on the structure. He glanced around scanning for any dangers present. A habit he had grown accustomed to over the past weeks.
His eyes still adjusting. Dusky light, small plants growing on the walls, and Aisha. His eyes landed on her. Her hair seemed to glow in his eyes. Gorgeous, his first thoughts. Blond was a nice color.
Her eyes fluttered open. "Huh". She murmered as she tried to gasp why he was staring at her. "Oh goodmorning Aisha." Blushing and rubbing the back of his head. He glanced away quickly. He let her wake up before having a thought out conversation with her.
Stepping outside, the sky was bright. Streaks of purple and it was clear. It took a while before his eyes adjusted to the brightness. He had always enjoyed the atmosphere here. The tempayure was never too hot nor cold, and the air seemed more fresh than anywhere on his home planet.
"You ready?" Aisha slipped through the slit in the entrance. Kota glanced back. "More ready than you." He chuckled. Aisha ignored that comment as she stepped past him. She slightly wobbled but kept her balance. Her injury had not completely healed, but progress was progress.
Looking beyond the inted path, it almost seemed like nothing. No trees hovered in the land before them. No water could be seen. Just a orange hue that stuck to the ground. "This is going to be hell. But I'll be damned if I don't get her home". He muttered under his breath. "Did you say something?" Aisha asked as she was already ten steps ahead of him. "Nothing nothing. I'm coming." He snorted strolling up to her.
As they reached the nothingness, he inspected the area. It was like all life form had ceased to exist. The flowery and verdure land they had stayed in had vanished. It was like a barrier itself had protected the environment. One side was lush and the other side was a desert.
"Is this what you were expecting?" He glanced at Aisha. She stood there baffled. "I don't sense anything, so I don't know why the vegetation ends. It's almost too perfect of a line to say it's a coincidence." She studied the land. "We need to go, we can't stay here and study this forever." He took a step into the desolate land.
Trecherous mind : barrier passed. No complications. Barrier type - lvl 6 - preservation.
Kota's face went blank trying to understand the knowledge. Aisha started to step through. "Aisha no wait…" her foot landed on the desolate land, as a chirp sounded from her shoulders. Dumpling expressing himself. "What were you trying to say?" She asked curiously.
Maybe I was overthinking it too much. But it doesn't hurt to be cautious. "Nothing, we just passed through a barrier. I think it was called preservation." He glanced to the side.
She stared at him. "Your skill?" He looked back at her. "Yea as soon as I stepped through I noticed it." She smiled at him slightly before stepping ahead of him once again.
Following behind her they didn't have a destination in mind, at least not on this planet. The only goal was to arrive home, in one piece.
"It's been ages since we started walking." Aisha complained. She had started hobbling again about two hours ago. "Alright let's take a small break. We have been heading in the same direction for hours now."
Kota pulled out the flask for water. He took a small sip trying to preserve the rest. "Have a drink while I check your wound." He handed the flask to Aisha. She had sweat beading down her body. He clothes almost drenched in sweat. He crouched down as Aisha fell on the ground. She was exhausted, and rightfully so.
Kota pulled the bandage back, as it slightly stuck to her skin. She whimpered. "I'm sorry it's going to hurt a little." He pulled more back as she cried out. "Be gentle please!" He chuckled once. Once he removed the bandage, or so what they called a bandage, he pulled another one out of makeshift pack.
"Water please." Kota stuck his hand out waiting for her to hand it to him. She reluctantly handed it over. Pouring the water over her wound she yelped. The dried blood rushed off her leg. She jerked away from him on instinct. He bandaged her leg back up quickly.
"Five more minutes please." Aisha begged. He noticed she was in bad condition, but he also knew that when night fell, there was no telling what kind of nightmares lay awaiting them. Looking up he could tell they didn't have much time left. The three suns were closing in on setting and they hadn't seen a single thing out here. "We got to go now." He looked back at her. She had seen that determination in his eyes before.
Aisha stood up and brushed the sand like dirt off her ruined and raggedy skirt. Her skirt was damn near torn apart now. Kota had to look away, her black underwear was clearly visible.
Stepping deeper into this desolate lands, the last sun had nearly set. A brim light shown over the horizon. "We need to find shelter quickly." But the only thing they had passed were bones from beasts long ago, and some dead bushes here and there. "Yea as if we are going to find much out here." Aisha retorted. She was in the verge of collapsing.
He spotted a slight hill in the distance. "We will camp out there." He pointed. She clearly didn't understand as she squinted in the direction he pointed. She didn't have the energy or stamina to think much at this point.
He stepped to the hill that was no taller than waist high. The heat barred down on them both. Unlike in the barrier around the ancient city ruins, out here in this desolate land, the heat was almost unbearable. Glancing back he noticed Aisha's blond hair drenched in sweat. She had collapsed in the ground breathing hard.
"Nightfall is close. We gotta be careful." Kota reminded her. She slightly nodded, saving her energy for any emergency.
After they caught they're breath, the last peak of light had fallen. It was surprisingly bright out. They both looked towards the night sky. It felt different. It felt as if they had left the ancient ruins and entered a new world. The stars shown brightly, illuminating the world around them.
Aisha's shoulders rolled back, relaxing as the aura from the night sky soothed them. "It's nice." She spoke two simple words, but the words landed softly in Kota's ears. Something that he needed to hear. It was something that soothed him.
Chirp. Dumpling chimed in. They all looked at each other. Aisha chuckled. "Do you think we have a chance Kota?" She looked at him with those puppy dog eyes. The same way she looked at him when he ran for scraps back in inkto. He wanted to make sure she had closure. But the truth slipped out in its place. "It's very slim. I'm not sure." He stated almost coldly. He didn't mean for it to come out as such. Aisha looked down for a short while. She raised her head slightly. "I think we do." She said quietly.
Kota ignored her plea, and reached into his sack. "Dried meat for you." He reached out a few slices, rationing the rest. She leaned over, her sweat pulling her shirt down revealing her cleavage. He noticed they had seemed larger than he could last remember in inkto. "Maybe a B."
Aisha's face flushed. She froze realizing what he said. Kota looked up at her face beat red. "I'm sorry I didn't. I meant." He stuttered not finding his words. She leaned back, as Kota prepared for a slap. "Huh." He looked back at her. She was glancing to the side with an expression he hadn't seen before. "They are B. My bra is really too tight recently, and it's been harder for me to breath with it on." What is that about. I figured she be more pissed.
Teacherous mind : Female - 16 - hormones state - aroused. A female at this age.. "get out of my head." Kota grabbed his head. Aisha looked at him surprisingly. She had slightly flenched from his sudden outburst, raising her hands up. He looked back at her flustered. "Sorry my skill was just…" he stopped himself. I can't let her know what it said. "It was just being a pain the ass." Aisha looked back confused.
She had dropped the topic. Kota was grateful, he couldn't keep his mind clear afterwards though. He stole glances at her tattered clothing revealing the scenery underneath whenever he got the chance.
A large dead bush lay near the camp they had set up for themselves. "I'm going to grab some wood." Kota said as he pulled himself to his feet. Walking over he grabbed four branches. He planned to make a small fire when he got back.
Setting them down he started to work. Cutting each piece into small led layers so the fire would start quickly. He reached the last branch and it took a peculiar shape. And idea crossed his mind. Aisha looked up at him as he stared at the stick.
He built a small hut out of the branches he broke off. A flashback reminded him of Marcus and himself. Marcus taught him how to camp outdoors. How to start a fire and find fresh water. Coming back to his senses he smiled slightly.
"First time I've seen you smile in a while." Aisha chimed in. Fading back to his usual self he didn't need to look at her to see her grin. "Yea it's been a hard week. You know how work as been and such." They both chuckled. "That sounded just like my dad." She laughed. "Help me get this fire started and stop lazing around." He snickered. "Yes daddy." She chirped. His face went flush, glancing the other way.
She held the bottom sticks steady, as Kota rubbed the other one against it at a fast pace. He had chips around it to start the fire when they had some heat. Eventually starting the fire.
"Why even start a fire?" Aisha asked curiously. "Have you not noticed the temperature has dropped a lot since the sun fell." He looked up at the night sky once again. She had just noticed the temperature falling.
He pulled the other branch he had kept away and sat down. Aisha eyed him curiously again. "I'm making you a weapon." He stated before she had the chance to ask the question. "Oh.. thank you." She said quietly.
He carved out the sharp tip to start. He needed to make sure she had a way to defend herself. Inspecting the sharp tip with his finger he poke himself slightly. Drops of blood slid down his finger. Now onto the shaft. He felt the air shift. A slight tremor ran down his spine. He perked his head up and seen Aisha's cold gaze. "And why would you hurt yourself." It was not a question but rather a statement telling him, he can't hurt himself like that.
Slipping his blade back into his hand to continue he spoke. "It won't happen again maam." She huffed, satisfied with his response. A warm smile filled his face. The shaft he had imagined was intricate. Slender and narrow, but not so much to make it weak and break. He didn't put much detail into it. It was crude and made for killing, but he had a creative side. Engraving a mark on it.
The handle is the last part. Looking up, he notice Aisha fast asleep. She was leaned on the hillside, with her arms wrapped around herself. It was cold now, and her tattered clothes were not helping the issue. Kota stood up and threw a few more branches into the fire bringing it more to life. He had not noticed a single beast here. He felt nothing was around, or too far to be noticed. Picking up his crude sword again he got to work on the handle.
It was late at night by the time he'd finished. "Finally completed." He muttered. Holding up the spear he carved, nodding in approval. "It's nice." A soft voice spoke before him.
"Your awake." He replied. "Yea nightmares keep coming back." He looked at her with grief. Knowing he could've made a different decision and ended up not playing cat and mouse with beasts from another world. Not having to track through a desolate waist land with limited food and water.
"Here." Handing Aisha the water flask. She took it with no hesitation. The long journey today had taken it out of her. "I really hope you don't have to use it, but this is yours as well." Kota handed her the spear. He had written his signature on the handle KV. "Thank you. I will treasure it forever." She spoke gently with no malice behind her words. "At least until we find you something more suitable. We have a long walk ahead of us. Let's get some rest." He threw some more branches in the fire to keep them warm.
Aisha patted the rough ground next to her looking in his direction. Kota tilted his head slightly. "Am I dog now?" He scoffed. "Only if you want to be." She remarked smiling slightly. He scooted over to her. "Nah. I think I'll pass." He smirked. "It would make things easier if you agreed." Aisha puffed her cheeks out as they both laughed.
Hmmmmmmm. Kota sat up sweating. Cold sweats dripped around him. The hum of resonance deepened, almost engulfing his mind. Words scattered around his brain. Links of runes floated around. Vibrant colors marked them. Some with deep red and others a vibrant yellow and blue. A name rang in his head the loudest. Kota. Kota. "Kota!"
He snapped awake. Aisha was shaking him uncontrollably. He was drenched in sweat. The suns peaking over the horizon. Fresh air filled his nose as he took a deep breath in. He wiped his mouth to find blood stained his hand.
"You were shaking and blood started dripping from your mouth. You went cold and I didn't know… I didn't know what to do." Aisha panicked. Water was filling her eyes as she fought them back. "I'm fine now. I don't know what that was either." He calmed her nerves. He was freaked out himself. What the hell were those runes.
Standing uo he looked around. Aisha was still pouting on the ground. The fire had gone out and his stuff lie next to him. Aisha clutched the spear he'd made her tightly. "Are we ready to go? It will still be cool out until the suns reach overhead." He looked around noticing slight sign of movement here and there.
"Are you okay Kota?" She retorted quickly. Visavly worried about him. He smiled at her and reached his hand out to pull her up.
Not before long they were tracking through the desolate lands again. He could see tracks of where beasts or other creatures had moved. Not far from where they had settled down. He considered themselves lucky.
"Your walking well." He chirped up, diminishing the silence that hung in the air. "Oh. Yea, it hurts like hell still but I'll manage for a while longer." She said. Clearly having somthing on her mind.
Two more steps. Four more steps. Eight. Ten. Nineteen. Boredom. Neither of the two felt like speaking much. "It's been like twenty hours." Aisha said. "More like five." Step step step. "Nothings changed and we haven't seen anything." Aisha looked at him. She was hobbling slightly now.
Kota stuck his hand out, insinuating to halt. Movement ahead of them. The ground ahead was shifting unnaturally. It was about a yard away. He focused in on the movement, waiting for his treacherous mind to explain the danger that awaited the two. Nothing appeared in his mind. Maybe cause there isn't a clear vision. Do I have to get closer or actually see the creature? He thought to himself. Aisha peaked her head over his arm to see what he saw.
The movement shifted again. The ground broke above it. It's line was heading straight for the two of them. "Run. Now!" He demanded and he pushed Aisha in the direction left of them. They bolted, as Aisha struggled to keeep his pace. Kota noticed it, but he had no option.
It took several minutes before the creature had turned around. It clearly was not fond of chasing its prey down. Aisha staggered falling to her knees. She gasped for breath as Kota pulled the flask handing it to her. "What was it?" She gasped for the words to come out. "You can go ask it if you want." Kota replied also reaching for air. He was in far better shape than she was.
Influence. Rankings. Layers. Words flooded his mind. Few that he could reach. His body went limp and fell to the floor. His head was splitting as if he had glimpsed into the eyes of a horrid beast. He reached for his head.
"Kota? Kota!" Aisha yelled. She crawled over to his body. Holding him upright, his eyes came back. The headache had diminished. His strength returning to himself. "I don't know." He said before she had anything to say.
Picking himself off the ground he felt something familiar. As if he had been here before. Somthing was pulling him. A direction. Somewhere to go. As he told Aisha what he felt.
"No no no. No way. Somthing that has out you into a state like that. And you trust heading in that direction." She demanded not to go anywhere near his direction. "We have no other leads. Maybe it's worth it?" He pushed back. "Hmmm. Okay but only on one condition." Aisha looked up at him with an upset glance. "And what might that be." He had a shiver run down his spine. "If I agree and we survive…" she paused. "One wish." Those words quieter than the rest. "One wish?" He repeated. "Yes one wish. Grant me anything I want." She puffed her cheeks.
"So your saying if we survive I have to grant you anything you desire?" He replayed that cute face she made in the back of his mind. "Yes." She smiled. "Okay okay. Let's go." He took a sip from the flask. The iron in his mouth from the blood that had started to form had washed down with the water.
He pointed and they started walking. The feeling of needing to go in that direction was pulling ever so more the closer he managed to get to whatever lay ahead of the two.