Episode 25: Hard to sleep outside

The day was warming up, and the team was advancing. tired, sore from sleeping wrong on their hammocks, already feeling their feet getting tired, and the soup pot had to be carried with mana hands because they didn’t know how to cool it off. Branches falling and random noises would startle them, and Nagye’s bird would lose power mid-flight because of her dozing off

Nagye: s-sorry, having my eyes closed and seeing what my bird sees feels like I’m dreaming, it’s hard not to fall asleep

Ari: nothing around here resembles anything in the map, did we really get lost?

Shizuka: we’re so finished

Sidra: do not falter, you are a genius, do not forget it

Shizuka: ah! right!, but still, what are we gonna do?

Taro: we uhh mark trees, so, not get lost? (I never thought I’d have to use that old cliche technique)

Ari: this map is old, so it is to be expected that things won't be the exact same. As long as we’re not walking in circles, I think pushing forward is our best bet

Sidra: shouldn’t we take a small rest first?, our first night outside was not blessed

Shizuka, and expose ourselves to monsters?

Ari: there’s no monsters around

Shizuka: how do you know?

Taro: n-not! not fight, we, go save sister Sunny. we fight, sister Sunny die, and, we die too

Shizuka: you’re right, sorry, that night was not great for my mood

Ari: for me neither, Sidra’s right, let's take a small rest and then we’ll continue

Sidra: I shall stay on guard; we need you three to rest because you’re the ones to guide us

Taro: I stay up too

The girls unpacked their blankets and laid them over the leaf covered ground to rest. Despite how hard it was to sleep yesterday, the girls were so tired, they fell asleep easily. Sidra taught Taro some new words in order to stay awake and ready to wake the others up when the hourglass reached a certain mark.

Nagye: I feel much better now

Shizuka: me too!, my beauty has returned, and Ari’s cuteness as well

Ari: h-huh?, ish it time already?, wha—cuteness?!

Taro: (I must admit, the sight of the girls waking up, their sleepy morning voices. It's awakening something in me. I have been converted, I believe in “girls waking up” supremacy)

Sidra: blessed be the sight, right Taro?

Taro: huh?

Sidra: I see you can’t take your eyes off them hehe …and neither can I

Taro: ah! (I see you’re a woman of culture as well)

Sidra: How embarrassing, what has gotten into me? I was not meant to say that part out loud

Ari: now it’s your turn to rest, we’ll wake you up when the relic fills the mark

Sidra: do not worry about me, time is of essence right now

Taro: I not rest too, we go

The team assembled and, now refreshed, resumed their journey. the bird was now working properly, and they eventually found a point marked in the map, they were back on track. They ate some more soup when it was lunch time, and marched without problems, until an unfamiliar noise alerted them

Nagye: d-did you hear that?

Ari: yeah, it was like wood grinding and cracking

Shizuka: monsters? haaaa! we were doing so well until now

Sidra: but it’s not an orso, at least I don’t see anything of the sort

Nagye: I don’t see anything from the air either, I don’t w-wanna be wrong

Ari: we can't wait for it to jump towards us, we must reach the next checkpoint before the sun sets. I’ll lead the front, Shizuka covers the back, Taro covers the flank, Sidra cares for Nagye, and Nagye scans for enemies

the team advanced cautiously through the area, watching their surroundings for anything suspicious, but could not see anything

Taro: no enemies, but, weird, feel weird

Sidra: Indeed there is something weird, I can’t say what exactly it is, perhaps we’re too tired?

Shizuka, no, I also think something’s wro—-ahh!!

Shizuka was yanked off the ground by what looked like a combination of root and vine, then more of them dragged Taro and Sidra, Nagye and Ari were the only ones to dodge them and identify the culprit: a moving tree monster

Shizuka: What is this? a tree?!

Ari: Shizuka! don’t use explosive mana! remember the forest!

Shizuka: Then how am I supposed to—ahh!!

Nagye’s twin birds were quick to spin and slice the vines, freeing both Taro and Sidra

Ari: are you guys alright?

Sidra: do not worry about me, what is this thing?, I have never seen anything like it

Ari: it wasn’t on the notes or anywhere either

Nagye: I can’t free Shizuka, she’s too high up!, I think it plans to slam her!

Shizuka: eek!! let me go!

she grabbed the vine and broke it herself, falling in consequence, but she was quick to think and manifested a shield beneath her, and then a few more like stair steps to safely make her way to the floor

Ari: nice Shizuka!, now it’s our turn Taro!

Taro: yez!

Ari threw her mace and Taro a rock, both attacks bounced off the monster’s tough bark

Ari: no way, no damage at all?!

Taro: (you know things are bad when even Ari is surprised)

Sidra: do not falter!. no one is invincible, there is always a way!

Ari: right! but how do we deal with something so hard?

Taro: soft, uhh, spot, weak point!

Shizuka: It looks tough all over, where could his weak spot be?

the creature sent more vines to grab them, but they dodged and cut them, causing the thing to emit a screech before fleeing with its root legs

Shizuka: we, we did it!, it ran away!

Sidra: seems like its weak spots were its little vines

Nagye: th-that was so scary, I’ve never ever read about anything like it in my books

Ari: we’ll have to report this to the guild, it may be a monster never before seen, until now

Taro: (can’t say I haven’t seen a tree monster before, I have seen them in games, but they don't really portray just how terrifying and hard they are) scary scary

The team picked up their scattered things and resumed their journey. Taro took one of the chopped root vines with him, as a sort of victory trophy. They succeeded in finding the second checkpoint, a huge white rock, and prepared everything for their second night in the forest

Ari: Last night was quite cold, do you think we should make a bonfire like in the morning and keep it lit all night?

Shizuka: most wonderful idea ohoho, may it be done promptly ohoh hehehe

Sidra: you are a little imp Shizuka

Ari: Also, what if we all slept together in the same blanket?, don’t think anything weird!, it's just that the cold wind blows from under the blanket, perhaps we could stay warmer if we all slept together, like how little pocs sleep… I realize how weird this sounds, forget what I said

Sidra: it is a— most wonderful idea, “ohoho”

Taro: (I can’t chime in and say it’s a good strategy, at least from what I’ve seen on videos, because if I do, I would be looking rather suspicious)

the blanket hammock and bonfire were prepared for the night, all that was left was to decide who would keep guard first

Ari: I think Sidra and Taro should sleep first, they didn’t get to rest earlier, so it’s only fair. as for the third person who will sleep— Taro? what are you doing?

Taro: I prepare my blanket, for rest

Ari: but the blanket is ready

Taro: but I uhh, I boy, I no sleep with girl (are these girls serious?! they shouldn’t trust so easily!)

Sidra: I’ve known you for quite some time Taro, I know you’re a gentleman, besides, if you were to try something, it wouldn’t go unpunished

Taro: (as expected, they don't see me as a man, but oh well, I’ll just stick to being a gentleman my friends can trust.)

Ari: we can’t be picky right now you brute, we’re on a serious adventure, we must be in top shape

Sidra: oh but if you’re worried that we might do something to you, it also applies to us, we would not go unpunished

Taro: o-ok then

Shizuka: I’ll sleep too then!, who will be in the middle, Taro?, the faraway prince, with a girl on each side. or me, so I keep the most warmth hehehe

Sidra: I’ll go in the middle; I have a hunch I can’t trust you to behave

Shizuka: huh? what do you mean?, you’re like siblings to me, we grew up on the same church together

Sidra: little imps who like to run naked are not to be trusted so easily

Shizuka: th-that was a long time ago!

Sidra took the middle spot, Taro and Shizuka to the sides, each one covered with their own blanket. Despite Taro’s initial weariness, he fell fast asleep. When the hourglass marked the time to shift turns and Ari woke Taro up, he was not only wrapped inside his blanket, but also with Sidra’s arm and leg, and Sidra by Shizuka’s arm and leg

Taro: (keep it together! you’re a gentleman, she’s just sleeping!) h-help?

Nagye: wh-who punishes the punisher?

Taro and Shizuka were the ones to keep guard next, Sidra was too tired, so she slept for another round, surrounded by Ari and Nagye, who fell fast asleep

Shizuka: I’m glad I took the first nap to be awake now, finally, no one can interrupt

Taro: huh?, what, you mean?

Shizuka: There's something I've been meaning to tell you for a while now, but someone always blocks my way. I should hurry up and say it already, what if a monster appears and interrupts me again? hehe