The Path of Feathers — Jianyun

I followed the path of feathers.

The trail of feathers continued, but there was no sight of Avicula.

I wonder where she went…Hopefully, this is not a trap. Without the brains of Meilin and the alertness of Yulan, it wouldn’t be hard for me to be deceived.

Still, I choose to trust Avicula. Something about that girl made me have faith in her, almost like she’s an angel the deities sent down to guide me forward.

With a silhouette like a bird’s, her delicate steps and elegance made her absolutely ethereal.

Growl—

I heard the snarl of a monster ahead. That’s where the trail of feathers ends.

I genuinely hope it’s not a trap.

Unsheathing my sword, I leaped into action, ready to protect whoever was in there.

There was an enormous monster with large red eyes, the colour of the blood moon. Its face was cracked, with black blood spilling over the floor. It had numerous claws, resembling the look of a gigantic spider.

One of its eyes lay on me as I barged in. The other was fixated on its other opponent.

“Two humans? That’s unfair.” It hissed. The voice caused me to hyperventilate. My knees turned weak. It wasn’t the first time I had seen a talking monster, but somehow this one made me come to a halt.

“Jianyun, I leave this to you.” The person who was talking to me was the monster’s other enemy. She was on the other side of the passage, blocked from view by the beast.

Somehow, she knew my name. But I couldn’t recognise her voice. Doesn’t matter now. She relied on me, so I shall grant her protection.

I gripped my sword tightly and charged forward, slicing off the monster’s claws.

“That’s not going to work.” The monster hissed. Its limbs grew back, quick as lightning. It lunged at my feet.

I kicked my feet off the ground.

Huh?

Why does it feel so light? I soared like a bird, with a flutter of feathers surrounding my feet. Hmm, must be Avicula's doing.

The monster was stunned, its red eyes squinting in my direction.

Now’s my chance!

I plunged my sword right into the monster’s right eye. It flailed its arms and shrieked in pain. I took it out and stabbed the other eye. I stabbed it repeatedly until the monster shattered into rose petals. With a painful screech, it faded away into the thin air.

Before disappearing, the monster managed to land a gash on my shoulder. Despite the beast being gone, the unsettling feeling kept lingering. Is it just me, or were the rose petals oddly familiar?

“Phew, that ended quicker than I expected. You’re a strong guy, aren’t you?” A girl was lying flat on the ground. She was bleeding horribly, but still wore a bright and daring smile. Her right arm was detached from her body, and she was a terrible mess.

Behind her stood Himari. She was petrified. Luckily, not a scratch was laid on her. Seems like the girl had taken all the hits for Himari. “Yasmin…I’m sorry…” Himari wailed as she tended to Yasmin’s wounds.

So she’s the tour guide.

She even sacrificed her limb to save Himari.

“It’s alright…It’s my duty to protect you within Arcana!” I can’t imagine how painful the injuries must be, yet Yasmin’s brushing them off as if they’re nothing.

She was emitting a strange odour. A bag of herbs was scattered on the floor. “Is that…?”

“It’s one of Arkanashar Travel Agency’s most prized treasures! Super Bug Repellent!” Yasmin pounded her chest in pride. “It fends off monsters. Before you came, a few smaller monsters were scared off by this, but the big one wouldn’t budge. I suppose I need to refine the recipe a bit. Haha!”

So that's the bug repellent she showed us earlier. Never expected it to work on monsters...

“How can you be so happy when you just lost an arm?” Himari was fussing over Yasmin while wiping her own tears.

“Don’t worry! It’s not like I’m going to die!”

“But I wasn’t able to protect you…I can’t even defend myself…” She sobbed, “I end up being useless, and hurt others…”

I understand.

I understand completely.

Feeling useless. Being a burden.

“Jianyun…” Himari turned to me with tears in her eyes. She bent down, “I’m so sorry! Please forgive me!”

“Huh?”

“I’m sorry for lashing out and blaming you. I was being unreasonable back there. I hope you can forgive me for my rude behaviour. And please,” Himari met my gaze, then bowed down once more, “Teach me how to fight!”

I was dumbfounded. This was the girl who had told me she hated me just a short time before. And now she's asking me to teach her?

“We will have to conquer the dragon soon, so I’m hoping you can pass some skills to me. Then, I won’t be a burden to the party.” Her eyes were filled with hope and determination.

At that moment, I didn’t see a weak and hopeless girl. I saw a young soldier with a bright gaze and a flare of enthusiasm. The same enthusiasm I once had as a child. The same gaze I held when I first asked my father to help me train.

“Alright. I’ll teach you.”

“Really? Thank you so much!” She shook my hand with great force. I chuckled. With that willpower and strength, she’ll be a mighty warrior in no time.

“Hello? Not wanting to break your mentor and apprentice moment, but my wound reopened.” Yasmin said calmly.

“Why didn’t you say that earlier?”

After fixing up Yasmin’s wound, we decided to look for Meilin. Perhaps she could heal Yasmin with a spell.

With a swish, a birdlike maiden with fluttering wings appeared again. Her presence was eerie, yet calming.

“Eek! Who are you?” Himari waved the spear I had given her at Avicula’s face.

“Ooh, a ghost.” Yasmin wasn’t afraid at all. In fact, she had randomly fetched a bucket of popcorn and was observing in glee.

“Salutations, dear Himari and Miss Yasmin.” Avicula's halo illuminated faintly as she took the lead. We instinctively followed her as the glowing bird introduced herself, “I’m Avicula, a phantom of this labyrinth. And I’ve come to make a request.”

A request?

“I will find your friends for you. Both Meilin and Haruki." Avicula’s eyes gleamed amber, and she curled her lips up slyly. The look really didn’t suit her innocent style. "Though in return, you shall lead me out of this cave.”

“But we don’t know if the exit even exists.” Yasmin munched on her popcorn and kindly offered Avicula one.

She refused politely. “Ghosts don’t require food. And I’m quite aware that there may not be an exit. However, I’m sure you people would find a way to leave this place no matter what. So consider it as me tagging along.”

“Okay.” Yasmin agreed, even though it wasn’t supposed to be her decision to make. “So, how about we get this search party started? I’m eager to get healed up. I can’t walk properly with a broken leg.” She said, limping dramatically on one leg.

“Let’s go.” With a flutter of wings, Avicula disappeared, leaving a trail of shining feathers. The path ahead was flooded. The feathers lit up a path, reflecting on the waters, like stars on a starry night. It forged a majestic sight.

We continued on the path of feathers.

I hope we get to them in time.

Please wait for us, Meilin and Haruki.