Loved by the Liar

“So, Agmon, this is your first time leaving your kingdom, and you’re really a prince all by himself?”

“I visited Zevesh a few times, but the Hallowed Forest is the only destination which required me to cross the border with my own legs.”

“Answer with a yes or no please, you’re fully alone on this journey of yours?”

He straightened and took a step back. “Yes, I got here completely by myself. Though it’s not the first time I reached the forest, I never got this deep.”

Hmm, there’s a safety guarantee in that for me. Though I wonder what’s the chance of him being manipulatable enough to pacify his own private guards to not see me as a threat.

Rumble.

Even princess Zayobi deep in thought could feel it.

Oh it’s another of those…

“Hey are you feeling this?” Agmon looked around.

He wasn’t quick enough to turn in all directions when a white and black, round creature dug out of the earth in front of them.

Taller than their heights combined, the beast was covered with spikes in every visible part other than its face, which had small, dot-like eyes so dark they reflected no color.

It began a dash and leaped toward the two.

“Quick, to the trees!”

Zayobi hugged one of Agmon’s arms and pulled him with her as she rose to a tree.

“Spinies have bad vision during daylight, we should be safe here.”

“Are those common around here-”

Agmon would’ve shouted his question had Zayobi not muted him with her hand.

“Their hearing however is spectacular. And yes.” She whispered as she leaned closer.

He’s so fortunate for being this slim and light, I also got our baskets...

“We just need to wait. Even if they can eat fruits, they won’t be running from creatures they see as smaller just because their belly is full.”

Zayobi was about to let out a sigh, when...

Rattle-rattle.

Only then was she able to sigh.

“Oh no…”

The tree trunk split in half, the side the two were at falling backward.

I don’t remember spinies climbing often.

“I won’t admit saving the strawberries was a mistake, not at all!” Zayobi exclaimed as they hit the ground.

Docked behind the half-log resting on the earth, Agmon asked: “So we’ll just run while it eats them?!”

“Just how pathetic do you want to be? Running away from a successful venture into an uncharted forest, and losing your treasure at the same time?”

Are the parents of this boy really who mine are cautions of?

He gave her a shocked stare as if she was a beast as well.

“You know, being a Flame Soul and meeting someone from another race, I had a slight hope that I would actually be feared and garner expectations.”

She sighed, this time facing in the opposite direction, toward the spiny.

“This is a horrible tip, but many times your opponent might share the exact inner weakness you have, prince Agmon.”

“Huh…?”

She stretched out her hand. The tips of her fingers emitted a red glow, before a round metal object materialized.

She stood up and took a step back.

Zayobi twisted her upper body, inhaled, before flinging her arm in a semi-circle directly at the creature’s back.

The chakram flew in a circular slash, cutting at least twenty percent of the black and white spikes.

The throw wasn’t what stole Agmon’s breath, however.

“Where did she go!?”

His eyes followed the blade without realizing Zayobi had disappeared at the moment of the throw.

“Yo!”

A voice came from a tree further ahead. Agmon could see that same round metal stuck in the truck.

He moved his sight a step higher to find Zayobi standing on a branch.

She waved at him before carefully crouching to pick up the chakram, the two baskets in her other hand.

Ice began to build up over Agmon yet again, and yet again something was there to break it.

“Where did it go?!”

Zayobi had already jumped down when Agmon flailed his eyes in every direction.

“If an animal a third of your size would give you a haircut by throwing a spinning blade at you, you’d probably flee too, right?”

At that, Agmon fell to his knees.

Eyes facing the ground, he said: “I feel like fruits are not enough to repay you.” He raised his head. “I must have a name to etch this gratitude to. Just who are you?”

“By all definitions, just a normal Flame Soul who happens to not have a Divine Creation.”

She stepped near the wolf-eared boy still on the ground, and reached out her hand.

“You can call me Zayobi.”

“Zayobi!” He cheered as he grabbed on.

“Yup, say it as much as you want. Though I do need to know if you’re also interested in my status, as that could heavily impact the direction this conversation will go in.”

“I’m not going to pry into something I’ve no right to, I must pay you back somehow to earn that privilege.”

“Well, do know that contrary to my outfit I’m not a soldier nor a warrior. I will reveal everything about me if you were to just ask, as I believe if you had an ambush planned here it should’ve appeared already.” She grinned.

“Ehm, well Zayobi, I don’t think I could take you on myself. Knowing you don’t have a Divine Creation and all doesn’t really change-”

“Oh, let me prove it too.”

She pulled down her attire from the neck opening to show the higher end of her chest. A transparent crystal was attached to her skin.

To which Agmon took a step back as she spoke: “My core was empty since birth. Flame Souls gaining their Creations post-birth is possible, however, a case of permanently not having one is very rare.”

“Wait, does that mean you’re…”

She nodded her head.

“Lacking the safeguard of returning to life using my core in case my body gets annihilated.”

“And you went alone to the Hallowed Forest?” Now he stepped closer.

He continued: “Please correct me if I’m wrong, but Divine Creations are the abilities Flame Souls are so feared for. You’re born with a concept, can be emotional or philosophical or something else, which grants powers beyond what can be weaved using Spiritual Arts.”

“Exactly. I can study Arts, transform my shape as all Flame Souls can, transform and take matter into my body, yet that’s all.”

She held her palm to her chest before containing.

“Spiritual Arts can be ranked in five tiers, one being the weakest obviously. What’s different about Creations other than being innate abilities, is that the lowest rank a Creation can be is three. Meaning Flame Souls are born with deadly weapons carved into their very being.”

“So… How are you brave enough to step foot inside an uncharted, ungoverned, border zone?” Agmon asked.

To which Zayobi smiled again: “Unlike in your case, which I also need to ask about, I can do this.”

She crouched to put the baskets down, and just disappeared.

“Huh!?”

Agmon however didn’t have the time to look around, as what startled him next was a slimy sensation going through his lower legs. It stunned him even if it lasted mere moments.

Yet nothing was there when he looked down.

“I’m here.”

The voice came from behind him.

Zayobi, with the exact red blazer reminiscent of a military uniform, stood and simply waved.

“That’s why I’m brave.” She put her hands on her hips.

Agmon was probably too dumbfounded to speak, so she continued: “Maybe souls are not the most descriptive word to use about my race. The flame is clear, being red and all, but soul isn’t the best image for people who can liquefy themselves as fast as winking.”

She reached out her hand to Agmon.

Either he was free from the shock already or her charming offer relived him, he moved to grab it.

“Uh…” He muttered as he touched it.

Her grin was a smirk sweeter than the strawberries they were after, which almost stole Agmon’s attention from the fact that his hand passed through Zayobi’s palm.

“It takes a considerable amount to fully become a puddle and move, though I’m an expert trained from birth so my Energy capacity is well above most Flame Souls.”

Finally, she restored her hand to a solid form and gripped Agmon’s hand which was left hanging.

“Hey, I don’t want to kill you from stress, but the reason I’m not as confounded about your situation as you’re with mine, is because I’m a princess myself.”