The Future Will Be...

Unlike last time, my trip beyond Shum begins with a tearful farewell.
There are women with whom Feana has been a good friend.
There are the children Ms. Tsa had often played with.
Our driver to the border—Sera's father—promises to return within three days, his confidence paired with a boisterous laugh.

For my part, the situation's not as emotional. The owner of the Inn pushes a basket of bread upon me.

"You be safe out there, you hear?"
"Haha... Thanks for putting up with me for so long."
"Putting up with you? Deary, I'll miss having a helping hand!"

From afar, the village elder gives me a knowing look.
You know... The only reason I made it this far is because she decided to allow me to stay here. I could've been sent here as a spy or to kill the princess, but she still showed kindness. I hope I can repay that, one day.

But even before that, there was someone else. The only reason I made it out of that snowstorm and into the village is...

"You..." A girl with blue hair, bright eyes, wearing a bracelet that matches them both, holds back her tears with a sniffle. "You better come back, okay!?"
Arya.

"I'm no good at anything, so... I'll probably be here forever."

We didn't get along immediately, but it was she who pulled me from the snow. She was the first face I saw in this world, and the first person I spoke with.

"I don't know how long it'll take you to find a way back home, but..."

She believed in my identity, introduced me to the princess, and proved I wasn't a spy.

"Before you leave... You have to come and say goodbye..."

If I could only trust one person in this world, it would have to be her.

"Arya..."
"What? I'm not crying, okay?"
"Thank you."
"Stop, stop, if you get all sentimental now, I'll-! ...I'll..."

The dam bursts.

"I promise."
"Being nice right now... is so unfair..."
"You were the first person I saw in this world."
"Yeah..."
"When I leave, you'll be the last."
"...yeah..."
"Oh, oh, what about me!?"
"Are you done saying goodbye to your dad, Sera?"
"He'll be back soon, but you won't, will you?"
"Wait, is your family staying in Shum?"
"Until Yve and Lann make peace, yup."
"Oh. Well, I'll do what I can to make that happen fast."
"Wow, aren't you cool?"

As the two of us laugh, Arya continues to sob; hearing that Sera will eventually leave only makes it worse...

"If we're all in different places, it might be hard to meet up before I leave, but..."

In this village of snow, these two showed me warmth.

"Let's hang out again, someday."

Promises like that... will keep us going.
If we cast those wonderful moments into the future, then no matter what happens...
The future will be beautiful.

With a smile, I appreciate the friendships this world has given me.
And with love in my heart, I take a step towards tomorrow.

"Bye bye."

◇ ◇ ◇

Ofol and Ti had been collecting and cataloguing mountain plantlife for many of Soon's cycles. In their excitement to finally return to Xark and show off all they had learned, they hadn't once considered the possibility that, in the time they had spent atop the mountains, the society below might undergo a change for the worse.

"What do you mean, the border's closed!?" Ofol pestered the young guard whose supervisors had left to the worst of duties. "In what day and age would Yve close their borders!?"
"Ofol, calm down..." Ti placed a hand on the muscular man's shoulders. "I'm so sorry. We've been in nature for quite some time."
Ofol relents, giving the young guard some room to breathe.

"We can't let anyone from Lann get to Yve."
"From Lann? We're not from Lann!"
"Ofol, please... Can we contact the Xarkan embassy? We should be identified as educators."
"Sorry, this is a really bad day for this. Can you come back tomorrow?"
"But we're almost out of supplies!"
"We'll just have to head back. There should be a village north of here. We can stay there."

Those were the events that pushed Ofol and Ti towards their current predicament...

"Ti!"

The metal of his shield clashes with the boned horn of a Canter. Behind him, his fellow educator stands unflinching.
In perfect timing, the two rotate, Ti stepping forward with spear in hand. Swoosh, it makes contact!
The Canter winces in pain and falls back to rejudge the situation.

"Are you okay?"
"I'm fine, but... we don't have the weapons for this. This spear can barely hurt them."
"Why are Canter so far south? Did we disturb their habitat somehow?"
"The real question is, why are they so aggressive? This isn't their territory, we didn't scare them..."

A second Canter clumsily charges forward. Though they aren't known for their fighting prowess, a panicked Canter has the mass and speed to flatten a person, even through armor. Their warped horns only make encounters with them trickier.
Thankfully, they're a peaceful species, sticking together as herds in remote areas of the world where nothing will threaten them.

"Ugh, my arm!"
"What's wrong?"
"It's gone numb. Help me switch over, quick!"

Ti undoes the ties keeping Ofol's shield in place, hoping to move it from Ofol's right arm to his left, but it's hard to muster up the dexterity required while wearing thick gloves.
Ti throws off her gloves and pushes on through the sharp pain of touching cold metal.

"Get back! It's charging!"
"But your shield isn't on!"
"Just get behind me!"
"I-"

The panic and desperation disrupts their well-practised coordination. Rampaging Canter on either side rush in, seconds from flattening the two researchers, when a voice yells out...

"I wish I could show these Canter the life of a Huls!"

Before their very own eyes, the two beasts come to an abrupt halt.
Ofol and Ti frantically consider what to do next. Do they run? Won't that set off the Canter again? Why did their charge stop in the first place, and what was that voice?
But all of those questions quickly leave them when they see a certain someone approach.

"Excuse me. Do you require our help?"

The two are as stunned as the Canter. Of course they would be; they're in the snowy outskirts of Lann, and yet...
Why is the princess of Yve here?