Lessons in Practice

The morning sun lit up Lerwood, its light blocked partially by grey clouds. They thickened the sky yet let some light through in patches, almost like spotlights from the sky.

Itsuki basked in one of them for a moment with Sayaka, mentally running through the events since he'd woken up: notices sent out he was awake, a quick breakfast, then a bath and some awkward small talk. It'd been slow but rather nice, especially considering the hecticness of the raid.

Now they were focusing on something else as they waited for a meeting with the others later in the day, though it was mostly each other and the town. He'd asked Sayaka to show him what'd happened and perhaps see if he could help somehow. And now that he had magic, he sort of could.

A gentle wind brushed his face as he took in his surroundings, conjuring another earth wall to brace a few structures being worked on by a bunch of beastkin. It wasn’t much, but he hoped it would help in lieu of something a little more permanent.

"Is that good?" he asked to the guy in charge as Sayaka used wind to move around some rubble into a pile. "Sorry I can't make it larger."

"Nono, that works great," the feathered foreman nodded his head. "Now we won't have to worry about the second floor falling down. That's a plus in my book. Ah, do you mind making one more over there though?"

"I think I can do that," Itsuki said, shooting back a thumbs up and a light smile. "Sayaka, could you help clear that area?"

"O-oh, of course." She stuttered, mustering up the air to move crumbled stone across the pavement. "Like that, Kisaragi?"

"Perfect, thanks!"

Lerwood had barely recovered since the first raid, yet guards and workers navigated around rebuilding structures in pace just like here. Magic hummed, lumber was cut, stone was shaped, and debris was swept to be disposed of. It was honestly rather amazing how much progress they could make just by themselves, and at this rate, he'd imagined things would be back to normal in just a week.

He let out a breath as the glow from his hands intensified again, locking onto where the guy had asked him to reinforce. In took a bit, but it eventually came, stone rising from the ground to prop it up.

That would do.

After finishing up with the last wall and seeing Sayaka wrap up clearing the area, he gave a quick bow and wave to them.

"Is that all?"

"Yep, thanks, you two!" They waved back with cheers.

"Alright." He looked to Sayaka. "You good to keep going?"

"Yeah, I think so," she responded, pink flushing her cheeks as she gestured down the street. "Let's go. There should be a few more places up ahead."

He obliged and followed her, though before they were completely out of earshot, he heard a few comments from the people they'd just helped.

"…to think the triumvirate's chosen walk among us…"

"…didn't expect heroes to help with this…"

"…perhaps things are looking up…"

He awkwardly smiled before letting out a sigh, trying to keep himself from going bashful. Those were similar to the other comments they'd been receiving from everyone they'd encountered so far—and he meant everyone.

Since word had come out about them being worldwalkers, people would constantly stop to gawk or pay their respects—even when they'd done nothing but walk past. Typically in the form of a wave, a bow, or a heartfelt sentence. It reminded him a bit of when they'd first arrived and rescued the prisoners, though even that paled to the attention they got now.

He really wasn’t used to getting so many looks.

"…Have things been like this since the raid?" Itsuki asked Sayaka, focusing on her as he steadied himself. "Just curious since we're getting all these stares."

"O-oh, just about," she replied as she turned her head away in a flash, staring off into the distance. "It's taken a little getting used to, but… I've found it helps to try think about something else."

He blinked at the display as her hair settled around her shoulders, still moving from the sudden movement.

"…" Had she been staring at him just now?

"Are you okay?" he asked cautiously as he leaned closer to her. "You uh, seemed a little flustered."

"Me? Flustered?" She shook her head, gaze still averted. "I-I'm fine. Why do you ask?"

Her hand clutched her wrist in front of her, held closely as she mumbled. And despite not being in contact with her, Itsuki could feel heat radiating from her body like a fire.

He sighed as he tried to put his reasoning into words.

"…It's just that you seem a little off, I guess. Not just now though, but since we've left the cathedral."

"Oh." She tensed up immediately, squeezing herself tight as if caught. "Um, don't worry. I've just been… feeling sick."

His expression dropped.

"If you were sick you should've told me. I would've never asked for you to guide me around if I'd known. And to think you were helping me to with my request—wait, crap. Was his because you stayed up to watch over me?" His stomach dropped in shame. "Damn it, I'm so sorry to put you through the trouble."

He started looked around for a place to rest, but Sayaka spoke up and poked him in a panic.

"N-no, not like that," she muttered. "Sorry, I should've phrased things better. It's less of a sickness and more of a struggle. And honestly, it's something I need to deal with better."

They both calmed down a bit as her shoulders drooped, passing by a couple that were walking arm-in-arm.

"I'm overthinking things, I guess, or perhaps not thinking enough. It's just with everything going on… it's hard to keep track of my thoughts. All I know is that it's not something I should be thinking, especially not now."

"…Do you want to talk about it?" he offered on instinct, concern leeching in as he noticed her fidget. "I don't know what do you mean when you say you shouldn't be thinking about it, but I can try to help."

"Huh?" She swallowed dryly. "N-no. It's fine, really. I shouldn't burden you. Besides I don't think we can talk out here."

"Then why don't we find somewhere that we can?"

"!" Her eyes widened.

"B-but the town," she muttered, motioning around with her hands. "You wanted to see how things were before the meeting, right? Try to help out and all?"

He shook his head with a frown.

"I mean, yeah I do, but you're important. If something's bugging you I'd like to help. Plus, it's been about two hours since we left the cathedral. I think we can spare some time to take a break and have a… talk."

His expression dropped a bit as he suddenly remembered earlier that morning. The tenderness, the nostalgia, the guilt he felt muddled with something else, the feelings he hadn't experienced since Kaede.

"…" Right, they would have time to talk if they did that. Wouldn't they? Time to admit things he didn't know if he was ready to address yet.

"Um, actually, if you don't want to…" he started off, thinking of something to distract himself. "We can always just continue or—"

"No, um, you might be right." She interrupted. "There's been more on my mind these past few days—more than just whether or not you'd survive or what's up with the cult. There's something else a bit more… selfish, I suppose. As stupid as it is."

"It's been eating away at me for a while if I'm going to be honest, and it was made worse when you reached out to save me from the knight-earl. But I know I shouldn't run from it. I shouldn't make that mistake again—not after what we've been through."

She clenched her fists.

"And if I can't even confront this, how am I supposed to help you save this world?"

He blinked at her in awe as she finished.

"S-sorry." She shrunk slightly. "Was that too much?"

"N-no." He shook his head. "Not at all. Just a little unexpected, that's all."

His heart clenched as she kept her gaze into his eyes, trembling but solemn. There was a determination that wasn't present before, glistening as he stared back.

"…" Itsuki sighed, knowing she was right.

He couldn't run from his mind forever, and distracting himself could only work for so long. It was foolish to keep pushing it off, especially if it could affect things down the road.

That moment where he'd been struck by the chainstake echoed in his mind. He'd rather not have another one of those.

So instead he glanced around, looking for somewhere to talk, and his eye caught on a familiar area up ahead.

The training grounds.

It was basically right in front of them, the walled area adjacent to the matron's estate. It would be quiet enough to talk there, somewhere away from everything else.

"Are you okay, Kisaragi?" Sayaka asked slightly faltering, still looking up at him. "Did you… not want to talk?"

His chest tightened at the question—a final escape route—and he briefly closed his eyes in thought. They could still probably walk away at this point and postpone it until later, even if it'd be slightly awkward.

But Itsuki already knew what he had to do. In a sense, he'd already been told the answer before.

He gripped his hand as his mind settled.

"No, that's not it," he replied to her. "I was just thinking of something else. Psyching myself up I suppose."

He allowed himself to stand still a moment longer before slowly walking towards the entrance, retreat fading from his mind.

"Follow me."

She cautiously fell in behind him, wind tousling their hair as the weather picked up.

"Are we going there then? The training grounds?"

He nodded slowly as he motioned toward it, clouds thickening in the sky. "Yeah. I figured it's a decent enough place to talk… unless you'd prefer somewhere else."

"N-no, it's fine," she replied as she walked. "I mean, it's where I first tried to ask my question first. So it's fitting in a way."

He raised a brow at her curiously at the comment.

"Sorry, just talking to myself."

Their footsteps echoed off the cobblestone as the street eventually turned to brick, and the metal gates came into view. Nothing but quiet lay between them until they finally arrived at the entrance.

"…" Itsuki lay his hand on the bars as the last of his hesitation lingered, preventing him from entering the courtyard. Though he felt another hand rest upon it, right next to his.

Sayaka cleared her throat.

"Um, before we talk, could I ask what you were thinking about earlier—the thing you said psyched you up? You don't have to answer, of course, but… I was just curious."

A bit of the tension in him melted at the request, and a half-smirk popped up.

"A lesson, I suppose. One that I've learned about but have rarely put into practice until now."

A few phantoms clashed in his mind's eye on the training grounds, as if accompanying his answer.

"And what is that?" Sayaka asked, pushing open the gates with him.

He took a deep breath to brace himself as the entrance swung clear.

"Confrontation."