please don't misunderstand Red's compliance to everything she's just tired of dealing with shit and wants to get it over already (aka done with everyone else's bullshit)
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"Layton, what in the world are you doing here? Your mom's going to be upset if she finds out about this." I crossed my arms at the kid. I was pissed, of course.
"Don't worry! Mom knows." Layton just pushed himself off the haystack and sat beside me on the wagon, now back in his human form. "I told her."
"And she's just okay with you going with me?"
"She saw how I wanted to become stronger in using my powers, and she knows you can guide me to doing that. And I did say I want to help you."
What kind of mom is chill with letting her own son out into danger?
Whatever. Layton was a nice form of company for once. Unlike the two stooges who were still busy arguing with each other.
"Nathan, Rian, stop. You're making my ears bleed. If you guys fight so much, just get married already."
At once the two guys stared at me and started to complain, yet again. Well, minus Rian, because he's not some kind of asshole.
"That wasn't funny. And why's this kid here?" Nathan pointed at Layton, who stuck his tongue out at him.
"I'm coming with you guys. Can't talk me out of this one now!"
"Great. Two whiny brats. Just what we needed." Nathan put his hands up in the air. Already I could tell the other two didn't really appreciate his sarcasm.
"Why am I a brat?" Rian just gave him a dirty glare.
"Boys, please, not now."
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The trip soon ended not long after, and our group found themselves before a tall mass of trees. It had a weird vibe because at one point, I could literally hear tiny laughter and glitter being spread around.
"Enchantment Woods, huh... I can already tell I'm not gonna like it here." I muttered.
As soon as we all stepped into the forest we were immediately bombed with glitter. Like, no joke, a glitter shower came hurling towards us. Nathan had pulled me over to his side and covered me with his body, which I thought was pretty nice of him for once.
I still got covered in glitter though.
"It's just the fairies, don't worry." Rian explained, but I could tell he didn't really appreciate the neon colored dust all over himself. Layton promptly shook himself off the glitter.
"Bleh. Tastes like smoke." He spluttered.
I brushed off the remaining glitter while Nathan ruffled his hair, and I had to move away because of the mini glitter rain he was making.
"I'll fucking hack those fairies apart if I ever see them." He grumbled. I had to awkwardly pat him to calm him down. What a drama queen.
Hours had passed and the scenery was still trees, trees, and more trees. An occasional glitter shower had ambushed us now and then, but they have gotten predictable, honestly.
Nathan suddenly stopped walking, and I looked up at him with wonder. He was staring into something in front, but when I looked at where he was glaring at, there was nothing.
"You okay?" I asked.
"Something's there. I don't like it."
"I can sense it too. Dark energy's bursting through those rocks over there." Rian pointed at the huge mass of rocks near some parted trees. I squinted my eyes to look closely. There was a dark purple-ish aura I could make out literally seeping through the cracks.
Layton shifted into his cat form and climbed up my shoulder. "Scary! Is it a witch?"
"I don't think so. It doesn't have the scent of a witch. But I still don't like it." Nathan cracked his knuckles together. Doesn't that deteriorate your bones though?
Rian was also as tense; I could see his tail ruffled up with static. He was ready to face whatever was in that rock, but Nathan had to cockblock him.
Hehe. Cockblock.
"I'll handle this, fox kid. You should just stay put."
"Oh please, like you're so strong. I'll handle this." Rian bumped his shoulder against Nathan's, and he glared.
"Oh no you don't." He began to run to the rock and Rian had to chase after him. I just sighed. Why are boys so competitive?
"Break it up, you two. If you're not gonna do your jobs then I'll do it." I ran over to the rock and took my axe out. I aimed at where the evil aura was sticking out of.
And because I was stupid, I struck my blade at the rock, and I got a pretty bad shake in return.
"Whoooo daresss disturb me???" Some kind of disembodied voice boomed out of nowhere. While the two guys behind me backed up a little and Layton hid in my hair, I just stood there. All this stereotypical villain behavior was getting... meh.
"I dares." I raise my hand. "You're putting off an aura, man. No one likes it, so will you just leave please?"
"Foolish mortal! You'll regret ever coming here!!" The voice ignored my request and suddenly some shadow thing began to spread across the forest floor. Is everyone in this universe braindead or something???
Rian had grabbed me by the arm and all of a sudden he had me sitting on his back. Like, he was carrying me there.
"We gotta get away, Lady Red. Something tells me things aren't going to get pretty here."
"Great." I said, sarcasm in my tone. Layton peeked out from my hood and looked around frantically.
"I-I can hear footsteps!!"
I looked from the top of the rock as the footsteps Layton had heard grew closer, and closer, and some kind of... giant boar thing stomped on the rocks, steam blowing off it's nose.
What fun.
The boar had a very spiky looking back, and elongated tusks. It scraped it's hoof against the rock before starting to charge at us.
"SCATTER!!!" Layton screamed and Rian began to dash away. The boar rammed it's tusks against the bark of some random tree. I looked around, tryna see if Nathan was still around.
He was kneeling by the dirt, looking like he was about to charge at the boar thing. "Wait, Nathan—"
Nathan didn't even hear me and he promptly ran straight towards the thing. Claws out, he slashed through the boar's whole body so badly I had to cover Layton's eyes from seeing the all that nasty gore.
"Oh come on! Not in front of the kid!" I scolded. He just tsk'ed at me.
"At least we're not dead." Then his eyes widened at me for a moment, and he stomped towards Rian, who still had me on his back.
"I'll be taking this." Nathan just straight up picked me up by the waist with those bloody hands of his and took me off Rian.
"Your hands, Nathan, wash them first."
Rian glared at him. "Be gentle with her. Would it kill you to be a gentleman for once?"
"Tch, like you know anything about being a gentleman. You're just a kid."
"Why you—"
"Guys, can you be mature even for a few seconds and look at this?" I interrupted them for a moment, pointing at the carcass before us. The purple aura was slowly fading away, and when it did...
"I-It turned into dust!!" Layton said. It was true; the whole thing dissolved into dust the moment it's threatening aura disappeared.
"Must be the work of a witch." Rian bent down and took a handful of the dust, looking at it for a moment before letting it flow off his hand. "That explains the aura. It had been infused with some dark magic before being sent here."
"Then they must know about us." Nathan said, glaring. "Since killing that witch from before, the others must have been alerted and are trying to take our heads as bounty."
Layton squeaked and hid in my hair again. "A-are they gonna kill us?"
I sighed. "Hope not. But don't worry Layton, we just have to lay low and maybe they'll forget we even exist."
"No time for that. Witches are practically unavoidable right now that they know about us. This pisses me off..." Nathan growled and he suddenly picked me up again and put me on his back, just like what Rian did.
"What's your deal, huh?" I asked with my eyebrow raised.
"Nothing. This whole forest is making me angry just standing in it. Let's go."
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"And... send." I gave the envelope to a pigeon, who off afterwards. I forgot to mention that Granny had been sending letters to me since the start of my journey, and I did say I was gonna write to her.
We were holding camp next to Enchantment Woods, just the outskirts of the place. Layton had fallen asleep, Rian too. I bet they were tuckered out from all that excitement.
Nathan, however, was still awake. I know I'm guilty of not sleeping too, but I wanted to talk to the guy for a moment. Why not.
He was sitting across me from the fire, not really making any eye contact. I stared at him for a moment before trying to open my mouth. He beat me to it, though.
"You should be asleep."
"So should you."
"I'm on guard. Can't really sleep when my instincts don't really get along with this place."
Well, you kinda have a point there. I thought. "You've been more tense lately. Care to tell me what's wrong?"
"Nothing's wrong." He just said, coming to meet me in the eye. "Just go to sleep already."
"Well I can't if my friend isn't telling me his problems." He gave me a genuine look of surprise for once.
".Tch. I said it was nothing." I wanted to groan at his attitude. Like, seriously.
"Alright, don't talk. But really, I'm just concerned." I rested my chin on my knees, just turning my eyes to the fire. "I know you're my servant and stuff, but... I'm just... worried about you, you know."
He was quiet for a moment. Too quiet.
"...you don't have to." Nathan sounded a little quiet speaking, but I could still clearly hear him.
"Oh I have to. As much as I'm kinda scared for my life (not really), it's now my job to worry about you, whether you like it or not."
"And I said you don't have to. Besides, if you're that scared, you don't have to either. I'll protect you."
Eh? Eh? Why am I hearing piano music in the background?
I just sat there, not being able to speak for once. That smooth bastard...
Nathan sat up and took off his hoodie before putting it over me. "Sleep."
"But—"
"Did I fucking stutter?" He snapped. I pouted.
"Fine. You go to sleep later, though." I laid on the grass and forced my eyes close, listening to the gentle crackling of the fire and the crickets.
But I couldn't really hide that damn blush from my face at all.
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wow long time no update I was sick and busy but how do you do