The weather was cloudy, and with zero wind, the days passed by without issue. It had been only a few days since the blizzard had passed, and looking at the map, it should be a couple more days before I would reach the tundra. And it would be a week until I would reach the village.
GRRr… A stomach growled, but it was not mine, and my head turned back to the sound. It was Yu'ri's. It had been the second time it growled, and yet they still looked emotionless as ever. They have been following me since the day we met, keeping their distance far but never straying.
"Why won't you leave?" I said and continued walking. "I won't give you any of my rations, and I already told you that you can keep it."
"I can't, this isn't my cloak," Yu'ri answered, despite them wearing it. It was the same answer as the days before, and even with their hunger, they oddly remained indifferent. Though it would only be a matter of time before they break, and when they do, killing them swiftly would be for the best.
Poof.
My head turned back and found them fallen on the snow, my head quickly turned back as my legs continued. It was their seventh time they had fallen, and, like the days before, they should get back up after a minute or more. They were not a child; they were a mimic in a child's body. A young mimic and a dangerous creature that should not be trusted.
…
'Being kind is free.' That is what Reilya would probably say. 'Helping others also helps yourself.' Optimistic statements that were far too innocent for this world. 'Everything we work for is to hope for a better future…'
The conversation was at Georged, a small town ruled by a local lord and Sanctuary's Order. A few weeks along during our journey.
It was supposed to be a short stop, but a severe storm made us stay longer. Taking shelter in the stone cathedral along with a dozen travelers. Most of them sat in groups, scattered along the pews, and we sat in the back row while a priest conducted their sermon before blessing travelers.
"How ironic, you must really hate this," I whispered and glanced at her. Reilya kept her eyes closed and her head slightly bowed as she answered.
"No, not really." She whispered back.
"Why? Didn't the Order turn the world against you?" I paused, my eyes glanced to see if anyone was looking. There was not. "Aren't Scholars of vanity supposed to be against the Order?"
"We are," She answered, her eyes opening and glancing at me before turning to the priest. "But it isn't that simple, I despised the inquisition rather than the Order. There's a difference between the two, though not everyone could tell. The Order is as old as the Scholars; they guide people to safety and provide shelter. The inquisition, on the other hand, is something new. They're the complete opposite of what the order stands for, their merciless-"
"Come now," An old voice interrupted. "Travelers, and may Sanctuary bless you in your journeys." The frontmost group stood and went.
"It's a misunderstanding," Reilya continued. "Vanity would never betray us. They create creatures with purpose, not for sowing chaos and malice. They're a god like Sanctuary, there's no reason for them to change."
She stood, and so did I. A quick look around, and we were the last to be blessed.
"Nothing is born evil." She said before we went to the priest.
'Nothing is born evil.' Oddly enough, those were not her only words that stuck with me throughout our journey. She was beautiful, kind, sweet, terrifying… There would be a thousand words or maybe more of how I would describe her. And I wonder how she would describe me. Rash, callous, merciless…
Shaking off the thought, my eyes focused on the path ahead. Merciless. True, but only to those deserving it. Callous. Again true. The world was unjust in many aspects, and I did my part to help, but it would be impossible to help everyone. I was being selective about who to help; it is not like I would not help a child in need…
With a sigh, I looked back and saw no one behind, and after a few more sighs, my legs turned and reluctantly moved. It was stupid, but then again. Reilya would kill me if she knew I just let a child die. Of course, that child just had to be a mimic out of all things, and an odd one at that.
After a few minutes of backtracking, I found them. Lying face down on the snow like black lichen. Moving closer, a breath of relief left me to find them still breathing.
"Hey-"
Snap! The sound sent a jolt of lightning through my entire body, with the crashing branch to my side only adding more fuel.
Quickly grabbing Yu'ri off the ground, my legs lunged out with full force, barely managing to dodge the explosive crash. My eyes quickly took a glance, catching them while their body was briefly visible. Another white basilisk, and judging from its size, it was only an adolescent, massive but nowhere near as large as the adults.
My legs continued to sprint, though I knew it would be nearly impossible to escape it. Fighting was the only option, and unlike before, now my body was at its prime.
Yu'ri was even lighter than expected, and that made them easier to throw to safety. With the burden gone body sharply stopped, and for a second, I took a steadying breath.
Biting my gloves off before shoving them in my coat, my right hand grabbed my left wrist and pulled. 'Blade.' With a thought, they both fused with the squelching of meat and cracking of bone as I unsheathed my left arm into a red blade.
"Come and face me, you bastard!" I called out. And nothing responded but eerie silence. My body kept turning, and my eyes continued to scan the surroundings.
Was it targeting me, or Yu'ri? The question came late, and as I turned to look at where I tossed them. Their body was gone. My thoughts race, my eyes scattered, yet my body fails to move.
"Give them back!"