I know Christmas is already over but nevertheless: Merry Christmas!
“Ouch! Stop it!" Despite the fact that you try to slide away with all your strength, your arm does not move an inch.
“If you don’t get your arm treated, it will become infected again."
“I know. But does it have to burn so extremely?", you whine.
"Yes."
Although the procedure is very painful, you can't help but watch Dainsleif. His hands move quickly and precisely – as if he had years of experience in wound care. If you think about it, he certainly does. It's impressive nevertheless.
How many of the people he treated have already died? You don't even want to imagine it.
Quarter of an hour of torture later, he's finally finished. You let out a sigh of relief. “Thank you again.” You get up and walk to the edge of the cliff. “Unfortunately, it won’t help us very far. Without an exit, this place is nothing more than a rat trap and we're the miserable rats.”
“How well do you know this place anyway?”
“I’ve never been here myself, but I have decent local knowledge. It should be enough to act as your travel guide.” Dain looks at you with a look you can't put into place. “Only as long as you agree, of course.”
“I have no problem with that.”
With a nod you get up and offer your hand to your cursed savior to help him get up. “That’s nice because I’m a little too used to being a guide.” Ignoring your hand, Dainsleif stands up independently, leaving you in an awkward position. "Ouch."
Out of sympathy, Rosa, who seems to have woken up by now, sits on your shoulder and pats you with its ears.
“You were also a guide in the past?” He's packing up the last things lying around.
“Well, just for my little group. Originally, I’m traveling with someone else, but somehow we got separated. Again.”
“Again?”
You smile hesitantly. “When you combine my personal misfortune with the fact that my friend for some reason has to deal with every Nation's problem, there comes up one or another... questionable... situation.”
Instead of answering you, he just looks into your eyes with an intensity that is slightly unpleasant. His eyes are very beautiful, but you'd prefer it if they didn't try to pierce your soul. Just when you're about to say something, Dain turns away. “Your partner is probably very worried about you, isn’t he?”
“That would be an understatement. I think he doesn’t really want to travel anymore because he’s worried that something even more dangerous will happen in the next nation. Another thing: Do you happen to have a wind glider so we can glide from one island to another? Maybe we’ll find something useful there.”
“Yes, I do. Do you want to leave right away?”
"If possible."
“Then come here.” He offers you his hand. Although you'd like to ignore it out of spite, you still take it, otherwise you wouldn't get any further. With the same emotionless face he took your hand, he pulls you in front of him so that your back faces him and wraps his arms around your torso. “Ready?”
Slightly startled by the action you stutter. "Y-yes."
Without saying another word, Dainsleif pushes you both off the cliff. Even if it's not the first time you've traveled this way, your heart still stops for a brief moment – an understandable reaction when you consider that there's really nothing underneath you but what feels like endless nothingness. Looking up you see the calm man with his eyes completely fixed on what lays before him. Just like his blond hair, his glider flutters in the wind. Speaking of wind gliders – such an abyss-themed glider would have been great to equip on your characters in the game. Too bad you never got that far.
Not too much later, you have solid ground underneath your feet again. You want to take a few steps forward to create a comfortable distance between you and Dain, but Dainsleif's firm grip on you remains. “Eh... Dain? Could you please let me go?”
He follows your request right away. “Sorry. I was a little lost in thoughts.”, he says without looking you in the eye.
“You don't have to apologize. I was just a little surprised.” After Dainsleif shows no signs of moving, you open your mouth again. “How about we continue walking in this direction?”
The man nods and follows you without a word.
It's not like you have anything against Dainsleif, but right now you wish you'd rather travel through Enkanomiya with Aether. The silence that has broken out between the two of you is really unpleasant. There would be so many things you'd love to ask him, but unfortunately all of them would make you suspicious.
An eternity later, salvation comes after all. “Returning to the conversation we had earlier: If your partner doesn’t want to travel, why are you doing it anyway?”
“Because we’re hoping to find his sister again. Well, even if the search isn't successful, getting a better impression of this world shouldn't hurt.”, you explain.
"Tsk." There's something about your answer he doesn't seem to like, because you see a hint of irritation on his face.
“(Y/N), you have finally met a character who could tell you so much lore you didn't know before and what do you do? Annoy the shít out of him. What is his problem with my answers though? Or why is he constantly so... tense?”
I hope you enjoyed reading and stay healthy!