I eyed the fire pit from behind a nearby house, watching a woman tending to it. She cautiously turned over one of the several metal skewers positioned over it while the Pidgeotto by her side fanned the flames with its wings. Heavenly smells both rich and sweet wafted about while halved apples and chunks of some unknown meat slowly cooked.

So Kari wasn't completely joking, I thought, looking at the impaled fruit. While I definitely had my eye on the food, the skewers themselves were what really held my interest. One of the ends on each of them had been roughly bent into a loop. Seeing this had given me the idea that if the unlooped end of a skewer was inserted into a loop, then with three of them a crude roasting spit and two stakes to hold it up could be made.

   "I don't like this..." Kari muttered from next to me, frowning.

   "Do you wanna sell your pendant so we could maybe buy this stuff legitimately?" I countered. Kari's lips pursed as he shook his head.

If she just went inside or at least looked away, then I'll be able to snatch one of them. But that doesn't account for that damn Pidgeotto. "If he really knew how to use Vine Whip, we could grab one or two from afar and get a head start," I muttered to myself. Kari looked up at me. "Or Spore could knock 'em out..." I continued.

"I'm sorry."

"Huh?" I looked at him, seeing that he had bowed his head. I cringed. "I was totally thinking out loud there! Sorry, I didn't mean to offend you or anythin'."

Kari shook his head. "Nah, you're fine. But what do you think we should do?"

The woman then paused. She stood still for a heartbeat before looking our way. I quickly ducked behind the house, shushing Kari and Dew with a finger pressed to my lips. Sound resumed after a minute, and I relaxed.

"I think I have an idea," I said. "What moves does Dew know again?"

"Thunder Shock, Parabolic Charge, Charm, and Nuzzle." Kari's eyes widened. "Don't attack them! They haven't done anything to us."

"I wasn't plannin' on it," I lied. Well, now I couldn't be lying because Dew likely wouldn't listen to me if Kari objected to the first idea I had. Good thing I had a second. "Could Dew Charm and then Nuzzle 'em?"

Kari's eyes lit up. "That's a great idea." He looked at the mouse perched on his shoulder. "You think you're up to it?"

"De," Dew squeaked with a nod. She leapt from Kari's shoulder and ran around the corner of the house. Both me and Kari peered around it as well, curious about how this would work out.

The Pidgeotto noticed Dew first, twittering to catch the woman's attention. She looked away from the fire pit, and she frowned when she saw Dew.

"Another one of you pests," she growled. "Petri, get rid of it."

Before the Pidgeotto could move, Dew started hopping about in the dirt. Her little arms were waving as her tail swished. Loud, sweet-sounding squeaks and what seemed like chirps spilled from her as she continued this little frenzy. The Pidgeotto's feathers flattened, its head tilting to the side. As for the woman, her reaction couldn't have been more priceless. The scowl on her face almost seemed to melt as she smiled.

"Aw, how cute!" she gushed.

I could clearly imagine the smirk forming on Dew's face as she then leapt for the Pidgeotto, whiskers pulsing with static. She latched onto the bird's chest feathers, burying her face in them as she fiercely nuzzled the bird. Static flew up the Pidgeotto's body as it slumped to the ground, twitching.

"What was that for?" the woman gasped, snapping out of her Dew-induced stupor. Dew jumped from the Pidgeotto to the woman, grabbing hold of her sleeve. The woman collapsed with a heavier thud than her Pokémon's, her face frozen in surprise and anger as she twitched.

"Praise later," I told Kari as I ran from behind the house. The woman's eyes followed me as I passed her, and I spared her a quick glance before looking away. It might've been scummy for me to not have any pity for her, but she wasn't the one living outside.

We made off with two of the meat skewers as well as one of apple-ladden ones stashed away in my satchel, returning to our campsite by the river to enjoy our spoils. About six chunks of meat were on each skewer, making for a portion a bit smaller than what we had last night. Miltank meat, a bit tough but still great. Kari was more than happy with the apples. There were four halves so we could've gotten one full apple apiece, but I decided to let Kari have my other half since he loved the things so much.

"We can rinse these off in the river," I said with a full mouth, pulling the last bit of meat from the skewer I held.

Kari nodded in agreement. "I was gonna suggest that. Great minds think alike, huh?" he joked.

I picked up the apple skewer and was able to fit its unlooped end into the loop on the one I had. It actually worked! For a moment, joy was all I felt. "We're in business!" I said, grinning without even realizing it.

"Seems like it," Kari said with a laugh.

"I'm actually kinda excited for tonight," I admitted sheepishly.

"I'd be, too. And I am!" He polished off his last apple half, still looking at me. "Oh, and that grin looks great on you, Loto."

Said grin faltered as I became confused. "Huh?"

"Yeah," Kari affirmed. "It fits you better than that gloominess you always seem to have. You should wear it more often."

"Oh, um, thanks?" I said. So my unhappiness was that obvious? At the same time, it wasn't exactly like I tried to hide it. "I don't know what's worth smilin' about though."

"Plenty of things," Kari said. "That's why you should always try to find something good in every situation, no matter what."

"Really? I find that hard to believe," I said dubiously.

Kari shrugged. "Well, yeah, it takes some practice, but it really helps with things," he said. "Can't find a place inside to sleep? Looks like you get to enjoy stargazing that night. Fail at stealing? Now you know what to do different next time. See? There's nothing you can't find positivity in."

Was there really, though? "... Getting assaulted and almost kidnapped by a pirate?" I said quietly, my heart sinking.

Kari's eyes widened at my words. I cast him a side-eyed look, my smile completely gone. His brow furrowed as he contemplated his next words. "Well... you should be happy you got away," he then said quietly.

"That's it?" I asked. "That's not positive at all."

"To some, it is. And I think it should be," Kari said. "There's always something positive to find, no matter what. Sometimes it's all you have to keep from giving up completely. That's something I had to teach myself after Aster was taken." He flinched at his slip-up before frowning and shaking his head. "B-before she passed," he corrected himself. He then tried to smile. "S-so for another example, I botched my theft at Erinne's marketplace, but I met you. That's the most positive thing to have happened to me in months."

"Thanks," I said. I couldn't have acted upbeat if I wanted to after hearing that. "I mean, meeting you and Dew has been the most positive thing that's happened to me that I can remember," I admitted. I couldn't lie about that.

Kari's smile became genuine. "That's it!" he said encouragingly.

"And I've got it stuck in my head that I'll be happier if I find out who I am, so that's why I'm so bent on looking for the purple-eyed man," I said. "It probably sounds dumb. But it's kept me goin', mostly at least. I also don't wanna die, so surviving's up there too."

"Hm. It's a bit one-track, but if it works for you, then great. You should take what happiness you can get. Every little bit helps," Kari said. "So how does it feel to say something positive?"

"Weird," I said. I could lie about that. I didn't want to say that I hadn't gotten much from Kari's suggestion. Meeting him and Dew had been great, but I still had a million other things on my mind.

Kari snickered, his usual happy demeanor having completely returned now. "That's not too negative at least. Give it a couple more tries. It'll work, really."

"Maybe I will," I said, more trying to appease him. I just didn't see how you could find something positive in every situation.

"Like even if we didn't find who you're looking for, we can mark off another place on the map," Kari said. "Speaking of, where the heck are we going now?"

I pulled out the encyclopedia, pointing out one of the chalk-marked towns. "I was thinkin' Nelthe. It's south of here."

Kari perked up. "A coastal town! See? If we don't find him and no one's seen him around, that means he's probably still on Tranquelum."

Or just at a different town, leaving. I didn't dare say this aloud, though. I also felt dread stirring in me at the thought of going to another coastal town. It made me feel sick.

"It's probably better that we get Nelthe out of the way," Kari then said. "It looks like it'll take a bit to get there, and just as much time from there to any places around it. We should stick to civilization when winter hits."

That was something else for me to worry about. "How long do you think we have? You clearly know the seasons better than me."

"Three weeks to a month at the most. Y'know how the grass has been getting frosty every morning? When that starts happening, winter is soon to follow."

"Shit," I cursed under my breath.

"I think we can do it," Kari said reassuringly. "Let's just get moving, okay?"

I looked him, seeing his hopeful expression. Damn that kid and his positivity. It almost made me want to smile again despite the residual fear I was choking back. Maybe I was getting more attached to him than I first thought. "All right."

It took a few days to get to Nelthe, ones filled with nonstop walking and stops only to rest or hunt. Karma must've actually been on my side for once, because I was able to enjoy a bit of Buneary meat for lunch one of those days, though only a bit since Kari insisted on slicing up the rest and attempting to dry it for the rest of the day. We walked all night because of that, but we got some dried meat out of that.

Arriving in Nelthe, I got a very cold vibe from the place, and not just because the weather had taken a chillier turn. Stone adorned this town, more so than the others, and its port was actually around the size of Erinne's in spite of this place being not even half the size of the northern city.

In spite of Kari's encouraging words, doubt still weighed heavily in my gut like a stone. Would we really find the man here? Because to me, this was feeling like a wild Ducklett chase.

"So where should we start?" Kari asked, looking to me.

I'd been thinking about this system for a while, and I might as well see if it would work. "The inns," I started. "Then we move on to the taverns and pubs. End it by askin' people out on the street. The first two have more travelers from out of town."

Kari nodded. "Makes sense. Do you wanna split up for this?"

"You think you'll be okay? This place doesn't look as rough as Erinne, but still..." If he couldn't handle that thief girl, then he wouldn't be able to handle anyone similar or more threatening. Even I'd had a hard time, and I could retaliate.

"Dew will make sure I'm okay," Kari said.

What was this incessant worry eating at me? "Fine," I huffed reluctantly. "Let's meet..." I glanced around me at the surrounding buildings. Mostly two or three-story places with stores making up the first floors were around. "Let's meet back here at the alleyway between the bakery and the spice store." Might have to change it, actually... Kinda wanna pay that bakery a 'visit,' I thought. What could I say? I always seemed to have a craving for breads. I subconsciously shook my head. I'd wait until we were done. Didn't want to get myself into any trouble. Yet.

"Sunset at the latest?" Kari asked.

"Sounds good to me," I answered. From there we split off, Kari taking the west side of town while I headed further east. This place wasn't too big, so it really wouldn't take that long to search around.

The inn on the east side of town drew my attention in first, but I knew I should check the next-door tavern first. Get the more unpleasant one out of the way.

I braced myself before I entered, fully prepared to have my gag reflex throttled. When I opened the door, I was awash in the stench of booze, though it wasn't entirely what I expected. I almost didn't feel nauseated. The place was pretty empty, with only a few customers sitting at the counter.

"I think you're too young to drink," the bartender said dully, looking me up and down.

"I'm not here for that," I said. "I'm lookin' for some information."

The guy's eyes narrowed in irritation. I took a step back, ready to leave, but then he said something I didn't expect. "You got two seconds."

I leapt at the chance immediately. "I'm lookin' for a tall man with dark hair and skin and narrow purple eyes. He might've been in here a day or two ago."

It really seemed like the bartender gave my inquisition a thought before he responded. Unfortunately, it was with a shake of his head. "Nope. Sorry, kid," he said.

"Guy who looked like that has the room next to me," a tired-looking woman sitting at the end of the counter drawled. "Haven't seen him today. Maybe he's gone? Who knows..." She looked at me. "Poke around next door."

"All right, thanks," I said, genuinely grateful. Was I stupid to let a spark of hope flicker in me? It probably was, but that still didn't stop me from walking straight up to the man tending the front desk at the inn. He gave me a mixed look of surprise and confusion. I would too if a thirteen-or-so-looking kid walked into a place with intent and an expression to match said intent.

"Can I... help you?" he asked. I repeated my question, followed by what the woman at the bar had told me. "We actually had someone like that staying with us recently," the innkeeper answered. "Odd, quiet guy. Now that I think about it, he'd mentioned his name," he said.

My heart leapt. "What was it?"

The guy arched a brow. "Don't get so excited, because I hardly remember. It was pretty Vere-like."

I tried to think of any Vere names I'd heard, but nothing came to me. Actually, what did a Vere name sound like? "Did he say anything about where he was going? I was supposed to meet him," I lied.

"No clue. But around here you can only really go northwest or west if you're looking for another town, so take that as you will."

"Thanks." I headed out, actually a little excited about what I'd learned. Since I'd gotten what I thought I needed, I headed back to the meet-up spot.

When I arrived at the alleyway, I saw that Kari and Dew hadn't come back yet. Waiting around was going to suck, but at least I had something to show for it. I took a seat along one of the walls, caring less for the dirt and grime on the ground and more for being able to rest my legs. I was exhausted from all the walking.

While I waited, I gave the new information some thought. Nothing came, and I instantly took this as a bad sign. Though if the name fragment didn't register with me, then why had the Gracidea pendant? Unless... My hope died. Unless this man is somebody different altogether. I gritted my teeth in frustration. But the features match! So why don't they? I sighed. I should just wait and discuss it with Kari. Then maybe I'd feel less like my head was imploding.

Even with the noise provided by the occasional passerby, it still seemed incredibly quiet. Kari or Dew, mostly the former, usually filled the silence. Guess I was just so used to his continuous chatter that I found myself missing it.

An hour or two passed, during which neither Kari or Dew returned. The nagging worry that had been bothering me before became present again. I let it stew for a while, watching both the street and sky. Once it was sunset, then I'd really start getting worried.

Yellow and orange started to paint the sky, and the worry became a deep dread. Where was he? I waited a bit longer before standing up and leaving the alley, fighting the urge to call his and Dew's names as I walked. I couldn't draw any unnecessary attention to myself.

Then I spotted a familiar mop of curly ash-blonde hair, turned away as he walked towards the north edge of town. My worry somehow grew even more when I saw that he was with someone else, being a black-haired boy.

"Dammit, Kari!" I growled to myself, rushing over to them. When I got close I called Kari's name, and he looked at me over his shoulder, stiffening when he saw me. Dew frowned from atop his shoulder.

"O-oh, hey Loto," he said, stopping and turning around. The boy—who looked around fourteen, maybe fifteen—he was with turned as well, and it was then that I saw the shivering Stufful in his arms, a trio of slash marks adorning their left hind leg.

"What're you doing?" I asked cautiously. "We're supposed to have met back up by now."

Instantly, Kari burst into apologetics. "I-I'm sorry! I was on my way back when I ran into Eran here. He was training with his Stufful outside of town when they were attacked, and Stufful got hurt. I-I offered to help, and I was gonna do it when you got here. I'm sorry!"

I softened when met with his words. He really didn't have to apologize so much... "I'm not mad. You... you had me worried, all right?" I admitted. "I thought something had happened to you."

"Again, I'm sorry!" Kari's head bowed. "I just wanna heal Stufful, and then we can go."

I tensed up. "Wait, you told him..." I intentionally trailed off, turning my gaze to the other boy. He looked petrified when we made eye contact.

"H-he's a magician? Yes. I-if you're worried, I'm fine with magicians," Eran stuttered in a quiet voice. "Are... you a magician, too?"

I fixed him with a glare. "What if I say yes?" I hissed just as quietly. "You gonna call in the guards to kill us? Flay us alive, drawn and quartered, all that good stuff?"

"N-no, I just said I was fine with magicians. I was only curious."

I stared at him a moment longer before looking back at Kari. "Please, it'll only take a minute or two!" he pleaded, the corners of his mouth tugged up into a nervous but hopeful smile. As much as I wanted to drag his ass out of here, I found myself relenting. That damn smile...

"Fine. Just be quick." I glanced at Eran. "And yeah, I'm one too. Because of that, the moment you try anything, you'll be payin' for it, all right?"

He nodded. "I understand."

I trailed behind Kari and Eran as the latter led us closer to the town edge, where the streets grew quieter and more deserted. I appreciated that Eran wasn't enough of an idiot to ask that the healing be done in the middle of town.

After we found a relatively secluded spot, I let Kari know he could go ahead. Flora bloomed from his body, enveloping him and filling the air with the scent of Razz flowers. Kari carefully placed his hand on the Stufful's bloodied leg, muttering under his breath. Roots burrowed into the ground and began absorbing energy, transferring it to the injured limb. Soon enough, the wound closed.

Eran lightly nudged his Pokémon. "How is it, Stuffy?" The Stufful climbed to their feet, carefully testing their leg. A goofy smile spread across their face when they could stand upright just fine. "It actually worked!" Eran said in amazement. He lunged forwards, grabbing both of Kari's hands in his own.

My heart staggered in brief panic. "Hey!" I stopped, relaxing a little when Eran began vigorously shaking Kari's hands.

"Thank you so much!" he said. "I don't know how long it would've taken if it healed normally, so thank you!" The gratitude was practically radiating off of him. Kari actually looked embarrassed, which looked pretty funny on him.

"Y-you're welcome," Kari said.

"It's just sad such amazing abilities like this have gone to waste," Eran said mournfully.

Both me and Kari went silent.

"Huh?" Kari asked quietly, nervously.

"You heard me," Eran said, his smile becoming disappointed. "They're a waste on jinx-flingers like you. Stuffy, use Brutal Swing!"

The cute Pokémon turned vicious, its paws enveloped in dark energy as it leapt at me. There was no reaction from me, not even a chance to anticipate it. I was thrown back with a force and slammed onto the ground on my back. A slight gasp escaped me along with the breath that had been crushed from my lungs. Sharp stabs pierced my chest when I tried to breathe, so one could only imagine how bad it felt when I tried to sit up.

It never ceased to amaze me at how horrible a situation could become in an instant.

"Y-you son of a..." I choked out, forcing myself to sit up. I was cut off when Dew came flying at me. I had to dive to catch her so she wouldn't splatter against a nearby wall. I just managed to snag her before we both hit the ground. Agony fractured through my side when I landed, and I curled into a ball, instinctively clutching my chest.

"Dew! Loto!" I heard Kari gasp.

I braced myself before I dared to move again. Hissing in pain, I carefully cradled Dew in the crook of one arm while the other was wrapped around my chest as I staggered to my feet. Eran had meanwhile twisted Kari's arm at a dangerous angle, one that would break it if he tried to move. Anger flared hot and vicious in me, overcoming the chill of the ice that had begun to solidify in my core. "You'd better—"

"Magicians!" Eran screamed at the top of his voice. The haltingly loud sound bounced about the walls of the surrounding buildings, surely reaching the ears of someone.

I froze, my heart plummeting in dread. "Y-you just..."

Eran sneered at me. "Do you think I would've passed up having my Pokémon healed, even if you were filthy magicians?" he said. "Somebody help!" he continued to scream.

There was no time for me to transform. I had to do something right there and then. I blindly lunged for the two boys, only for the Stufful to leap into my path with another Brutal Swing at the ready. I backpedaled to avoid the wild swipes, shoving myself backwards with one heel and kicking out with the other. My boot smashed into the Stufful's face, a crunch sounding beneath my foot as the Pokémon collapsed at Eran's feet.

"You monster!" he cried before a loud snap rang out, sending a queasy flutter through my stomach as Kari let out a blood-curdling scream. Unlike Eran's, Kari's were very real and rife with agony. I looked up, my eyes widening in horror when I saw Eran still clutching Kari's arm... except that his forearm was twisted unnaturally.

Disgust and outrage churned in my gut, tangling into a black, sickening knot of hatred. I couldn't feel the transformation occurring, I only knew it had taken place when I next lifted my hand to Eran and Ice Shards were at my fingertips. It was then that his mock look of fear became genuine.

"Stuf—"

"Shut up." I took a step closer, deliberately stepping on the Stufful's back leg. The Pokémon let out a squeak of pain, but I pressed down harder. "Now let him go."

Eran let go of Kari, and the boy sank to the ground, holding his broken arm to his chest. I only took a quick glance at his face, but that glance both twisted my heart and made me sick. Tears streamed down his cheeks as stifled sobs leaked out from his clenched teeth. I glared at Eran.

I can kill him... I can kill him so easily..!

Why shouldn't I have? There was good reason for it, too. He took advantage of us, he double-crossed us, he attacked me and Dew, he broke Kari's arm! The knot in me tightened as the thoughts crossed my mind, like it was agreeing with me to sink the jagged shards into his neck. I leveled both handfuls of shards at him.

But... I couldn't do it. My hands lowered a little, my heart sinking. I just couldn't kill him. For wanting to give in, I couldn't stand to have someone else's blood on my hands if there was a less-fatal way of getting out of this situation.

"Stop right there, you damned magician!"

My body reacted before my mind could. On instinct I drove a handful of shards as deep as I could into Eran's leg, flinging the rest behind me at the figure in silver and green that I could barely glimpse in my peripheries. Eran's real screams brought no satisfaction, only a scowl. As he collapsed, I grabbed Kari's uninjured arm and pulled him away from Eran and to his feet.

"Galvantula, Electro Web!"

I yanked Kari to the side, just as a web sparking with electricity splattered the ground where he'd been. My heart thudded against my ribcage, adding to the pain that stabbed into me like daggers. That had been way too close. We had to get away.

"Caligo!"

Everything became choked with mist, and I didn't hesitate in fleeing. Kari didn't say a word, running with me and turning the nearest corner when I pulled him around it.

We ran blindly through the streets and alleys, heading in what I hoped was west. I didn't know why I thought this, but the idea that once we were out of town we'd be safe stuck in my mind. We just had to get out, we just had to run. Outcry grew behind us as guards tried to pursue us despite our head start.

I could tell that Kari was flagging from the beginning, chokes and gags intermingling with his strained breaths. Each one drove a sharp pang into my heart. Still, he continued to run, as did I, my teeth gritted against the pain of my surely-fractured ribs. But I couldn't stand hearing those horrible noises coming from him, and I pulled him down behind a row of barrels in an alleyway, shoving a semi-conscious Dew into his lap. The jostling stirred her, and she fully awoke, immediately letting out a squeak of confusion.

"Keep quiet!" I hissed to her. She scowled, but I ignored her and looked at Kari. "H-heal yourself. Now," I demanded, trembling as I regained my magician form. There was definitely more than one person after us, and they were only getting closer. "Now!" I reiterated.

"But... w-we'll get caught if we wait. And I need to heal you," Kari said.

"I don't care! I'll make sure they don't touch you." I gave him a desperate look. "Just do it, please. I don't want you to be in pain because of something I did."

Kari's gaze lingered on me, growing more fearful. "But I-I don't know what to do!"

"You don't..?" I asked numbly. Kari shook his head. His words took a moment to process, twisting my insides when they did. "Y-you really don't?" I felt myself crack a nervous smile, raking a hand through my hair as I wracked my mind for something. Panic and fear rose in me. What now..? What the hell do I—No, I couldn't break down, I had to think of something! But what?

"We need to set it first. Give me your hand, and I'll realign the bone."

I stiffened at the words that had leaked into my thoughts. What was that? The words themselves were brief, but the voice was familiar. As much as I wanted to, I couldn't focus on it. "W-wait, I think I know," I said. "We, uh, we need to set it by realigning the bone. Y-yeah. Set it and then..." I trailed off.

"Then what?"

I gritted my teeth, struggling to try and recall something else. But I couldn't. "I can't remember! I-I think you can just heal it after that? As long as the bone's in place then it should be fine. But I know it's gonna hurt. You should..." I couldn't help but hesitate, my own thoughts sickening me. "You should try to gag yourself so you won't scream too loudly."

Kari's face paled to a ghost-white, wrenching my heart.

"I'm sorry, I... I don't know what else to do, either."

His jaw trembled as he tried to speak. I thought he was going to refuse, but his words proved otherwise. "Okay. I-I trust you," he stuttered. Dew looked unsure, glancing from me to Kari with both worry and anger. "I-it's gonna be okay, Dew," Kari said. "Loto knows what he's doing." Those words made nausea rise in my throat.

"Let's do it quick," I muttered.

Kari balled up part of his tunic's neckline and stuffed it in his mouth as I gingerly rolled up his sleeve. His forearm was twisted around the wrong way, the skin around the crook of his arm already swollen and red. I took hold of his hand with one of mine, holding his upper arm with the other.

"You ready?" I asked, and I received a meek nod in return. I took a deep breath to compose myself. Just do it quick. With a slight snap that was barely heard over Kari's muffled screams, his forearm was back into position. "Do it now," I said, looking away as I was on the verge of retching.

Leaves almost seemed to explode from Kari's body, thankfully covering the mangled arm. "Radix Salutem," he gagged out. Roots dove into the ground with ferocity. The energy they sapped didn't rise quickly enough compared to the fervor with which they were spoken. Kari slumped over once the roots retracted, and I caught him before he hit the ground. I thought he'd passed out, and he looked like he was on the brink of it. But his eyes were still open.

"I... I did it," he wheezed, smiling weakly. Seeing that smile was so relieving. "It still hurts, a-and I can't really move it, but I did it." Now the relief was gone.

"What do you mean..?" A scratching above us made me stop and look up. I was met with the six-eyed stare of a Galvantula that had started climbing down the wall stretching up above us. Its front legs glowed with a sickly green hue, preparing an attack. Kari gasped, but I moved first, jumping to my feet and shielding him and Dew.

"No you don't! Glacies Testa!"

The Galvantula leapt from the wall at me as I attacked. It landed on me, front legs slashing, driving me to the ground. Icicles splintered and shattered beneath me from the impact, tearing new pain into me. Black spots erupted into my vision, but I was torn back to consciousness when a horrible slash of white-hot agony ripped across the left side of my face. I couldn't help but scream, though I ultimately had the last laugh as the spider had impaled its abdomen on the Ice Shards I had at the ready. The spider let out a screech as it writhed. Still, it dug its claws into my arms, pinning me down.

"Loto!" Kari cried. Fortunately, the Galvantula's attention remained on me. It hissed triumphantly as I struggled, baring its fangs. Even if my vision was wavering in and out of darkness, I still tried to futilely squirm.

"Caught one, eh? Good job, Galvantula."

I stiffened, and my gaze rose. My heart nearly stopped when I saw the faces of two men leaning over me, staring down.

"You thought you were bein' smart, eh?" one of them said. "And you were so close to getting away too."

My mouth opened, but no words left me. It was like fear had stuck them fast in my throat.

"Galvantula, Poison Jab." The spider raised one of its legs, glowing a sickly purple, preparing to plunge it into my chest.

"Don't you dare hurt him any more! Vinea Flagello!"

Something thin then wrapped around the Gavantula's neck. It yanked back, snapping the spider's head upwards and shifting its hold on me.

"Glacies Testa!" I tore my arms free and shoved both my hands up towards the Galvantula's exposed neck, sinking the shards in deep. Warm liquid practically sprayed from the wounds, spattering my face and streaming pale blue down my hands. The Galvantula was released, and it fell onto me, lifeless. Over the corpse I saw Kari collapsing as well, falling into view of the guards and hitting the ground in a puff of wilting petals.

"There's another one!" one guard shouted. "Grab it!"

No! "Kari!" I shoved the spider off me, only to have hands seize my own. A bolt of terror and revulsion struck me. "No, no, let me go!" I cried. "No, don't touch me! Don't you touch me!" The hands held my fingers together so I couldn't move them. I wrenched and contorted my arms, trying to stab one of my icicles into whichever guard held me, but to no avail. He planted his boot firmly on my stomach and stretched my arms out, awkwardly pinning me in place.

"Little Rattata," the other guard spat. He had grabbed hold of Dew, squeezing to the point where he was practically crushing her. He then lifted Kari up by the hair, the boy not protesting as he'd fallen unconscious.

"De!" Sparks flew from Dew's whiskers, coursing through her and electrocuting the guard. He collapsed, paralyzed. Shaking, she threw herself at the guard holding me, nuzzling him and paralyzing him as well.

I couldn't bring myself to move after I was released, the pain I felt was so great, but the arrival of new voices farther behind us pushed me to stand. I stumbled over to Kari, carefully grabbing him as Dew leapt onto my shoulder. It was a good thing he was so small and light, because otherwise I probably wouldn't have been able to drag him.

"C-Caligo," I muttered, and the mist swallowed us.

—~*~—

I fell to my knees outside of Nelthe, Kari slipping from my hold and falling limply beside me. We still weren't far enough away, but I couldn't take another step. Everything hurt, both inside and out. My legs, lungs, and chest felt like they were being stabbed with glass. Fire burned in a line across my face. Dizziness pounded in my skull, nausea holding my insides in a death grip. I couldn't take it any longer. My stomach rolled, and I doubled over, just managing to turn to the side before I vomited.

"Ne?" Dew cautiously tapped my bleeding arm, trying not to smear blood on her paw. To my surprise, she looked concerned for me. I chuckled weakly.

"Y-you're actually worried about me?" While the nausea had already faded, the pain and exhaustion hadn't, though the latter wasn't anything to worry about in my eyes. "I 'preciate it, but I can't care less about myself right now." I looked at Kari. "He's safe, and that's all that matters."

Dew nodded and scampered over to the boy, nuzzling his arm. She then glanced up at me, smiling appreciatively. What a weird look it was on her.

We sat there for a while, watching Kari sleep while I tended to the wounds I could and waited for more guards to find us. We had to keep going, even if it was just a bit farther out.

   I wrapped Kari's uninjured arm around my neck and pulled him up as I stood, since there was no way I could drag him again. I then began walking.

After a little while I stopped, figuring that the dark of night would be enough to hide us. Kari was still out, and it made plenty of sense. If the pain hadn't been enough, tiredness added to it. Even with his cloak wrapped around him, he was still shivering. After laying him down, I took off my own cloak and draped it over him.

Maybe a small fire won't hurt? I thought, instantly beginning to shiver myself. I had to resist the urge to hunch over because of my fractured ribs. Soon enough we had a crappy excuse for a fire going, more smoke than anything. But it wasn't all bad since embers gave off some heat.

Be happy he couldn't hear you think that, I thought, glancing at Kari. Then he wouldn't let you hear the end of it. I smiled a little when I thought that, only for it to die as a heaviness weighed in my chest. Was he really gonna be okay? I mean, I could've tried something else. But no, I was too rash and Kari suffered for it. I wasn't even mad at him anymore for trying to help Eran in the first place, that was just the type of person he was. After all, he'd been so quick to offer me help.

"I get it now," I muttered. Without a doubt, I couldn't deny that I liked having Kari around. And it wasn't just because of his cooking, though it definitely made it better. It was his attitude, his nature. Even if I didn't agree with how he saw things, he made everything seem less bleak.

"Deden?" Dew squeaked curiously. I looked at her.

"I'm sorry, Dew," I apologized, burying my face in my palm. "Kari got hurt, and it was my fault."

Dew shook her head. "De!" she squeaked before rubbing her cheek against my hand. She then gave me a small static shock, smiling when I jerked my hand away. But I knew she wasn't being malicious.

   "You're a brat, you know that, right?" I said with a small smirk. She smirked back and returned to Kari, burying herself in my cloak and curling up next to his face.

I added a handful of grass to the embers before carefully laying down, wincing as I did. I had no intentions of sleeping, but the sky was clear and the stars were out. They really were beautiful.

"Loto..?"

I jolted in surprise, groaning when the abrupt movement made my injuries flare. Kari was finally awake and sitting up, though he was slumped a bit. "Kari, you're awake," I gasped.

His eyes went to my face almost instantly. "Your cheek..." he muttered.

I put a hand to the gash, which had been crudely wiped of blood and washed off afterwards. It stung when I touched it. "Don't worry, it doesn't hurt anymore," I lied. "But what matters is how you feel."

"Tired... And my arm still hurts." He looked around blearily. "Where are we?"

"A bit west of Nelthe. After you stopped that Galvantula, I got us out of there."

Kari's eyes widened as he became fully awake. "I saw that thing about to kill you, a-and I just couldn't let it do that! I-I'm sorry, Loto. I'm so sorry!"

"You don't need to apologize," I said.

Kari shook his head. "I have to!" His words started to grow choked. "I was stupid and told that guy that I was a magician! After with what happened with Aster, I knew I shouldn't have done what she did." He roughly rubbed his eyes with his sleeve, trying to hide the tears I knew were welling. "B-but I did, a-and I almost ended up like her, we almost d-did! I'm so, so, sorry! I-it's my fault!"

"No, I should be apologizin'," I said, my gaze falling to the ground out of shame. "I was the reason why he broke your arm. It's my fault. Now it might be screwed up forever because I acted without thinking."

Kari's lips pursed as he again wiped away tears. "Th-then it's both our faults," he said firmly. "So let's both apologize and try not to be so dumb next time."

"Of course you'd say somethin' like that," I said with a small sigh. "But... all right. I'm sorry, Kari."

"And I'm sorry." He wiped his eyes one last time, smiling. "I'm so happy you're okay."

I found myself smiling as well, which just broadened Kari's. "Me too. And from now on I'll make sure you'll stay okay." I had to. After today, I had to make sure this kid was okay.