Reika moved cautiously, ducking behind boulders to hide. She could hardly believe what she was seeing. A Lagiacrus along the shore, deep gashes in her chest bleeding profusely. The beast held its head low, wailing with sorrow. Another Lagiacrus laid lifelessly on the shore, covered in wounds. The gentle waves lapped at its body, washing away some of the bloodied sand. Hunters had killed the Leviathan, that much was clear. The injuries were sustained by weapons, not teeth or claws. Missing horns and scales were also a telltale sign.

"A mating pair," the Wyverian whispered to herself, observing from a safe distance.

She could hear the misery in every pitiful cry - see the utter despair in the beast's every move and expression. For a split second, it made them come to mind. Her family, her village, all of them. They had been ripped away from her in the same way. She had been left all alone until Tadori found her. Placing herself in the grieving monster's shoes, she remembered the incident well enough to empathize. She knew what it was like to have everything you love destroyed before your eyes.

Throwing caution to the wind, she climbed onto the boulder she'd been hiding behind. The Lagiacrus looked up at her, a low growl erupting from her throat. Reika showed no signs of fear, instead, taking her ocarina from her pouch. Bringing it to her lips, a soft, calming melody drifted along the breeze. All the rage, the pain, the sadness emanating from the beast began to quell. Reika's vibrant green eyes met the crimson gaze of the Lagiacrus, and for a moment, she could feel a connection of sorts. When she finished playing, she smiled sadly at the Leviathan.

"I know your pain, my friend. It hurts deep down in your soul…to lose those you care for." She hopped off the rock, putting away her instrument. "I hope you find peace. And I'm…sorry for your loss."

She gave a bow out of respect, and to her surprise, the beast bowed its head in turn. That simple gesture gave the woman a sense of gratitude, as if the Lagiacrus was thanking her. When she turned her back to the beach, she left thinking that was the last she'd see of the Lord of the Sea.

The hustle and bustle outside finally stirred Reika from her slumber. Voices of people and Felynes, and the occasional bark of a Canyne, met her pointed ears. Managing to peel her eyes open, it took several blinks for her blurred vision to clear. She found herself in a small room, similar in size and style to the rooms aboard the ships. But she wasn't on a ship, that much was certain. A soft bed cushioned her body. There were a few lamps putting off enough light to see. Reika sat up only to wince at the pain in her abdomen. The top half of her kimono had been pulled off her body, hanging loosely around her. Fortunately, the material she wore underneath, a simple white cloth of an undergarment, kept her chest covered. Her entire abdomen was wrapped in bandages, lightly stained red.

"H-hello?" the Wyverian softly called.

Her throat felt dry, and whoever had taken her in had left a kettle of warm tea by the fire pit. Its tantalizing scent forced the woman to carefully rise to her feet. That proved to be a mistake. She almost immediately collapsed on her knees, her injury stinging and her whole body feeling weak and fatigued. But her desire to quench her thirst was stronger. She slowly crawled to the fire pit, settling on a cushion and hastily taking one of the cups already set out for her. She poured herself some tea and gulped it down in an instant, her throat soothed by the warm liquid.

Looking around again, Reika sighed softly. "Guess I was brought back to Elgado…"

The memory of Lagi was still fresh in her mind, and she was quick to rub her eyes of whatever trace of tears were forming. She tried to bury the thoughts and emotions deep down, and focus instead on the present. Upon scanning the room a third time, she didn't know how she'd missed the obvious trunk full of assorted goods. Oboro. This was his room. Knowing he'd let her recover in his living space warmed her heart. A nearby desk held a mirror, and also an unmistakable pink ribbon. Reika brought her hand up to feel the back of her head, not realizing her hair was fully down. Her bun must've come loose, yet Oboro had saved her ribbon.

The door suddenly creaked open. Reika looked up to see the very merchant stepping inside. His eyes lit up when he saw her, though her lack of proper clothing made her turn her body away, crossing her arms over her chest. She expected him to say something - maybe scold her for getting out of bed or maybe offer to fetch her food or clean bandages. Instead, he rapidly closed the distance between them. With her turned away, Oboro dropped to his knees on the same cushion she was seated on. Reika gasped softly when his hands rubbed soothingly along her arms, and then the side of his face nestled against the back of her shoulder. He was almost right against her, the close proximity allowing the warmth of his body to reach her.

"Reika," he breathed out, the relief in his voice clear. "Oh, how worried I was." In a somewhat affectionate gesture, he lightly nuzzled his cheek against her skin, his long bangs tickling her.

"O-Oboro…" His very touch seemed to make her feel at ease. Her heart was practically pounding. "I'm sorry I caused so much trouble for you - for everyone."

"Don't be. You're not at fault. There was no way of knowing what would happen. I'm just glad that…you're alright."

Reika hung her head, her tears returning and falling like rivers. "I thought maybe I was dreaming. But it was real, wasn't it? Lagi…she…" She started to quietly cry.

Oboro's reaction was instant. As soon as he heard the first little sob, he scooted closer until he was pressed against her back. His gentle hands continued their soothing motions up and down her arms. And without giving it a second thought, he planted a kiss to her shoulder that made her shudder.

"Lagi is gone. I'm sorry." His breath hit her ear just before his lips pressed against her neck. "She gave her life for you - for us. For that, she has my deepest gratitude. It's because of her that I still have you, Reika."

With wide, wet eyes, the woman could feel her face flushing. His words and gestures confirmed one thing, at least. She did, in fact, care for him in a more than friendly way, and she always had. And it seemed that he felt the same. She opened her mouth to respond, but before she could get a word out, the door swung open.

Tadori caught a glimpse of the two before Oboro abruptly stood, embarrassed that they'd been caught like that. "Pardon my intrusion. I was coming to check on Reika's injury." He gave her a warm smile. "But what a relief to see you up already."

Reika was quick to dry her tears, managing a weak smile. "Tadori."

Oboro bashfully looked away from the doctor when he caught his gaze, and Tadori could only chuckle at the two. "Mind if I have a look? Your bandages need to be changed anyway." Reika gave a nod, and the two men helped pick her up off the floor and sat her gently on the bed again. "Now, pay attention, Oboro. This could be very beneficial to your medical studies." The pair kneeled in front of Reika, and Tadori worked on carefully unwrapping the bloodied bandages from her abdomen. "When a person is infected with bloodblight, there are always clear indications. How does this wound look to you?"

Oboro leaned closer, examining the healing gash traveling vertically up to her ribs. His fingers delicately traced the edges of the cut, humming softly. "It appears to be healing naturally. A scab is beginning to form, and all bleeding has ceased."

"Yes, very good," Tadori replied with a nod. "This means that the cure worked. If she was still infected, the wound would still be raw and bleeding, and the coloration of her blood would be noticeably darker than normal."

"Could we…not discuss this right now?" The woman was turning her head away, a bit disgusted to imagine her blighted flesh. "It's going to make me sick to my stomach."

"Ah, forgive us." The doctor was quick to begin wrapping her stomach in clean bandages.

Oboro bowed his head apologetically. "I hope this won't upset your appetite. I was going to order you some tea and dango from the Tea Shop. You really should eat a little something. You've been resting since yesterday."

Upon hearing that, Reika could practically feel her stomach rumbling excitedly at the thought of food. "I could definitely eat. And I do love dango."

Tadori smiled, rising to his feet. "I'll leave you in Oboro's care then. Just don't push yourself. You still need time to heal, so no moving about for at least another day or two." Once she nodded in understanding, the doctor left the room.

Oboro smiled and lightly touched her shoulder. "And I'll go get your dango and tea. I'll be back in just a moment."

Reika watched him go, feeling at ease from how caring he was being. Of course, he was always quite considerate, but he was being even more so than usual. Recalling his gentle touch and his loving kiss to her skin, she instinctively reached back to touch the back of her shoulder where his lips had been mere moments before Tadori's arrival. The affection made her grin like a giddy little girl. With a dreamy sigh, she looked around his room once more, and that's when something caught her eye. The corner of a paper poked out from under his pillow. Lifting the pillow to take it, she gasped. It was a very old, amateur drawing of her and Oboro in their teens, or whatever qualified as teens for Wyverians, sitting under the beautiful sakura blossoms of Kamura.

Oboro walked in at that moment, carrying a plate of dango and a cup of tea. "I'm back. Oh…seems you've found one of my most treasured possessions. How embarrassing." His gaze shifted away even though he brought her meal to her bedside.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to pry." Reika was quick to tuck the drawing back under the pillow, gratefully accepting the meal. "I didn't think you held onto that old picture. It was so long ago." She took her first bite of the sweet, tasty dango, relishing the flavor and looking up at the man. "So, you really treasure that picture?"

"Of course I do. It means everything to me because you gifted it to me, Reika." Oboro found himself by the desk, picking up her pretty pink ribbon. "I will never forget those days." The woman watched him, listening attentively. "I always cared for you, even back then. And I often found myself captivated by that image and thinking of the day we'd meet again."

Reika paused with her cup to her lips, eyes wide. "Oboro…are you saying what I think you're saying? Because I…" She looked down at the faint ripples in her tea as she gripped her cup. "I've always admired you. I simply thought it best for both of us to…keep our distance. We don't walk the same path, and we probably never will."

A chuckle escaped Oboro and he carefully made his way onto the bed behind her. "Why do you think I've been studying so hard to become a doctor?" He combed his fingers through her hair, gathering up the top layer. "Yes, I want to be like Doctor Tadori and help countless people. But the freedom to go where I'm needed, to search the wilderness for ingredients - I could travel the world with you." He fixed the top layer of her hair into a bun and tied it together with the ribbon. "We could be together."

Reika nearly dropped her tea, and had to set her meal aside so she wouldn't spill anything. "Oboro…" She grew misty eyed when the memories of her village and Lagi came to mind. "We can't. It's too dangerous. The world is full of monsters. You could end up…"

Immediately, the merchant knew what she was doing. She was purposely pushing him away. Being gentle with her injury, he wrapped his arms around her body, nestling into her hair where he could breathe in her scent. She smelled of wild plants, and of the sea, no doubt from Lagi.

"You don't have to be alone anymore." His words made her gasp, not only from the meaning behind them, but also from how his breath hit her ear. "You've spent so much time putting distance between yourself and others. You think you'll lose them, don't you?"

Stray tears started slipping from Reika's eyes, and she grasped at his arms in desperation. "Stop. Please. I can't do this. Not again."

Instead of releasing her, Oboro only moved closer to lean his head over her shoulder to see the fear in her teary eyes. "Reika. Listen to me. I almost lost you yesterday, and the thought tore me to shreds. You've lost so much, but that shouldn't keep you from gaining anything. The day I watched you go was torture. I feared every single day that you wouldn't come back. And still, I let you go because that's how much I love you." Reika froze, turning her head slowly until she locked eyes with him. Oboro let go of her at last, moving beside her, not once breaking eye contact. "I feared losing you, but I never once thought about stopping you. It was your decision. I respected that. So now I'm asking you to respect my choice. All I want is to travel with you - to go where you go."

Reika sat there in silence, unable to tear her eyes away from his. She didn't know what to say - how to respond. Ever so gently, Oboro brought his hands up to her face, his fingertips catching her tears. He gazed at her affectionately, and his fingers then tucked her bangs behind her ears. Without a word, the man leaned in, closing the distance to steal a light kiss from her lips. The gesture, despite being brief, took her breath away.

"Please, don't leave me again, Reika." His eyes were pleading and his voice gave off a sense of distress. "My heart can't bear it."

Reika's cheeks felt warm to the touch, and she found her heart melting. "Oboro…" She took his face in her hands, almost cradling his head and earning a look of content from him. "I love you as well, I always have. I just…I can't help when the fear and doubt overwhelm me."

"Then confide in me when it does. Or at least lean on me when you need to. I want to be a part of your journey and your life. I want to experience what you do."

Biting her lower lip, the woman couldn't deny him when he was talking like that. He was so compassionate. "Okay. I can't stop you. I'll admit, I grew accustomed to the company after I met Lagi. So perhaps…this'll be alright."

Oboro's expression brightened and a big smile stretched across his face. "You have no idea how happy that makes me!" He pressed his forehead to hers as a sign of affection. "I can hardly wait to set out with you. But first, you need to rest and recover."

He moved away to hand her meal to her again, urging her to eat and get her strength back. Reika couldn't keep from smiling at just how happy her answer had made him. She was still very apprehensive about the whole thing, not to mention her heart felt as though it had an empty chasm where Lagi once resided, but she wanted to take the chance. Oboro was important to her, and she didn't want to part ways with only the hope of finding each other again years later. She wanted to mend the hole in her heart, and it seemed Oboro was the man that could help with that.