Opavia

59.

"This island seems pretty empty." Vitani hummed, moving a leaf from her path before allowing it to smack Kendrick.

"I can't even sense any form of life, besides the plants. It's like it was deserted."

"Maybe we should rest." Kendrick suggested. "Just take a moment and sit down."

"We need to get out of here as soon as possible though." Vitani responded, looking around as they made it into a clearing.

"Doesn't this clearing look familiar to you, Tan?" Kendrick murmured as she scoffed and moved forward.

"No." she responded, looking up at the sky. "Let's keep moving and then we'll find somewhere to sit down for a minute."

"Alright..." Kendrick murmured. He followed Vitani as she broke out from the bushes and into a clearing once again. Kendrick looked around as Vitani's eyes narrowed.

"I think we're lost." Kendrick muttered as Vitani's ears pinned.

"We can't be. There's no way we've been walking in circles, I've walked straight the entire time."

"Relax." Kendrick chuckled. He pushed himself from the ground with a gust of wind, floating up and landing on a tree branch. He looked around, pointing.

"That's weird..." He murmured.

"What is?" Vitani called. Kendrick stepped up onto a cloud, attempting to fly higher but he suddenly slammed into a force field which shocked and threw him back.

"Kendrick!" Vitani fretted as he landed on the tree trunk. He groaned and looked up, narrowing his eyes.

"What the hell..."

"Kendrick what is it?!"

He leapt down as Vitani stepped back.

"It's people on this island, there's a town straight ahead. There must be some type of spell or user who keeps having us loop around to this damn clearing." he drew his scythe, slicing the trees with a single motion.

"Kendrick, don't be so-" He lifted his hand, shooting a blast of wind. the sliced trees split in half, revealing a path that led directly to the village.

"Reckless." Vitani finished dryly. As he walked forward, Vitani suddenly grabbed his collar and pulled him back, the ground below where he previously stood crumbling.

Kendrick gritted his teeth, turning as the bushes shuffled. Vitani turned as well, balling her fist.

"Knock it off!" she roared as Kendrick blew a gust of wind towards them. A woman rolled forward, wearing villager clothes with her long blonde hair in a ponytail.

"So you're the one who's been messing with us, huh?" Vitani walked forward as she drew a gun, aiming it for Vitani.

"Hey!-" Kendrick roared as the woman looked away and fired. She froze, slowly looking to see Vitani unharmed.

"Why are you doing this?" Vitani demanded as she shook her head.

"I'm supposed to stop people from coming into the village!" she yelled, backing up more. "Get out of here!"

"You don't even know why we're here." Kendrick scoffed. "We didn't come to go to your stupid village, we came looking for our brother."

"Brother?" She whispered, Vitani pulling out the Wanted poster.

the woman's eyes widened, flashing between the pair.

"O-Oboiye?" She stammered, Vitani stepping towards her.

"You know him?" She demanded.

"Who doensnt?!" the woman screamed out of pressure.

"Have you seen him?" Kendrick asked, the woman slowly nodding.

"Y-yes." She whispered.

"Where is he?!" Vitani yelled as the woman backed up in fear.

"I don't know! he went on the trials!"

"The trials?" vitani questioned.

"The trials!" the woman repeated. "it's the only way off this island."

"What?" Kendrick snapped. "What are you talking about?"

"The trials are an underground ... challenge where you go through trials of fighting and stuff to get off the island."

"Why can't someone just leave?" Vitani asked as she shrugged unsurely.

"It isn't that simple. Whoever comes to the island is supposed to stay unless fate says otherwise."

"Well fate says otherwise for us." Vitani snapped impatiently. She turned to Kendrick the the woman.

"We need to get to the trials as quickly as possible so we can leave."

The woman's eyes flickered between the two before giving a single nod. She swallowed and turned to face the village , guiding them forward.

"Follow me." She whispered anxiously. Vitani stepped first, strapping her bow over her shoulder gingerly as Kendrick trailed behind.

The woman guided them into the village, Vitani's eyes narrowing at the sense of panic it brought. People swiftly moved inside of homes, watching the Opavians behind the safety of their windows. Kendrick hummed, stepping close to Vitani.

"Te fwan de ke? (What's up with them)?" He whispered as she numbly shrugged. Her gaze ran over the building, pausing to stare into a window. She narrowed her eyes, Kendrick turning in slight confusion.

"Tan?" He followed her gaze as the woman also turned.

"Is everything alright?" She fretted. Vitani turned and continued forward, Kendrick staring after in confusion.

The woman glanced up at the window before speeding infront of Vitani.

she only stopped once they had reached the edge of the village. she turned to the pair and bowed respectfully.

"your journey continues here. if you succeed, you may leave the island with no consequence. although if you fail, you will accept death or eternity here."

"Yeah yeah." Kendrick yawned, taking her aback with his carefree attitude. "So what is there like a start button?"

the girl's eyes narrowed as she stepped back. the palm of her hand emitted a faint green light , the tree's bark peeling. She pressed her hand along the bare tree, the ground before Vitani and Kendrick shifting back until a staircase was revealed.

"Thanks." Kendrick beamed, clearly impressed by the entrance. He walked first, Vitani holding an intense glare with the woman for a second. The woman flinched as Vitani stepped onto the staircase, trailing Kendrick.