The Caged Emotions

While Orano was still hallucinating, Caitrin finally found him, cut the vines that captured him, and shook him strongly.

She then said loudly,

"Hey! Tatsumi! Get up!"

Orano had finally regained his consciousness. But even though he could feel his body, he couldn't move that much. So Caitrin finally held her from the arm and started to carry him.

Caitrin knew perfectly well that Orano had been hiding something inside him all this time. The fact that he hasn't reacted in a callous way all this time. Just focusing on his missions and trying to be stronger. All of them. She knew that he wanted to go back of course, but she knew that he had pain that he was hiding too.

So she said with a calm voice as she struggled to carry him,

"You didn't have to throw yourself into something like this. You don't always have to deal with such difficulties and suffer alone, you know that right? If you have a problem, you can tell me."

On the other hand, Orano was still trying the shake of the feeling that he felt seconds ago. Seeing his mother's face after all this time made him feel the emptiness in his heart again. And he remembered his pain once more.

But as they walked, he tried to talk and words slowly fell from his lips,

"T-Thank y-you."

Caitrin looked at him surprised for a couple of seconds since this was the first time she heard him saying that to her.

But then she smiled slightly and said,

"No problem. But we'll talk after we get out of here, okay? If you tire yourself, it might be hard for me to carry you."

After their small conversation, they started walking again and made their way out of the forest.

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And after walking for about ten minutes, and chasing the path they had come from, they finally reached where the others were, and quickly walked towards the exit. 

Then Yuma finally closed the spell and looked at them while he was gaping for air,

He then said,

"You guys made it just in time. I was having a hard time holding the barrier."

Then they saw Orano and that Caitrin was carrying and the expression they had, had changed.

Lydia said with a nervous expression while walking towards them,

"What happened to Mr. Tatsumi?"

"It looks like he has been attacked by a strong magical creature or something like that. But don't worry, he is alright." Yuma said, as he was looking at where he got attacked.

He then started to heal Orano and they rested him for a couple of minutes. 

Then he became much better and he explained everything to everyone.

As he finished talking, Caitrin said with a thoughtful expression,

"Same happened to me too. Just when I found you, a Rift appeared behind you. And when I looked at it and was waiting for the vision to appear, I saw our next route. It was Theorandia."

Yuma said,

"So we are going there at last? This is going to be difficult." 

"But if we don't know how to enter there what are we going to do if we travel there?" Lydia asked as she was still nervous about the situation.

The Black Swordsman then approached them and joined the conversation,

"I can tell you how to get there." He said with a serious expression on his face.

They all looked at him surprised, and Caitrin asked excitedly,

"Really?"

He then pulled out a necklace that had a red crystal in the middle and said while giving it to them,

"The Crystal that this necklace has, is a very special crystal. So that witch gave it to me earlier because she could recognize me easier if I used it. And since I can't get out of here, I am giving it to you. I'm sure if you use this, you'll be able to get in there comfortably."

Caitrin asked once more,

"Wait you knew that witch too? How?"

"She was also a member of our group. But she was exiled by her own people for doing business on her own, and she chose to live such a life herself. She was a close friend of ours, but she was a little crazy. So consider what I have said when you speak with her."

It was amazing for everyone there to know that The Guardian of The Black Forest and the most powerful witch were friends. But they still used this information for their needs and advantage and prepared to leave as soon as possible.

And after they gathered their stuff, Orano looked at him and said,

"I appreciate you once more, for what you have done for us, Mr. Black Swordsman."

"It is no problem. But I must say something to you, Boy."

He then looked at Orano deep in the eyes and added,

"I can tell by the look in your eyes, that you have an iron will, boy. And the labor and power you've accumulated all this time will carry you. But only for a while. Remember that, even if power is necessary, you must not neglect to use your intelligence. Because if, the owner of a power doesn't know how to use his intelligence to control the power, then the power he has no meaning at all."

Orano gave him one last look, then turned around and walked away. 

Then he said to others,

"Come on, we have to go."

They all followed Orano and made their way back to the carriage. 

The Black Swordsman looked at them along the way as they left. There was no doubt in his eyes, but his feelings, which he was not sure of, were evident in his face. 

And after they left, he returned what he has been doing all this time. 

He just sat there calmly and continued to wait there.

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When Orano and others arrived where the carriage was, they got on the carriage and started talking again,

Yuma said,

"Since we have learned where we are going to head, then let's-"

Orano interrupted him and said,

"We are not going directly there."

They all looked at him surprised. They didn't know what he was talking about or knew what he meant by that.

Caitrin then asked confused,

"What do you mean by that? Aren't we going to Theorandia?"

"We are going to Theorandia. We are just not going there together."

He then looked at them,

"We have to separate our ways since "that" incident is just a couple of days ahead of us, we can't just let him attack around, and Miko and Bachi have to get informed by the situation. That means we have to figure out a plan on how to avoid him. So if you guys have any better plans, you are free to tell me."

Yuma slightly smiled and said,

"Then let's get going, shall we?"

After their conversation, they got far away from the Black Forest and made their way to the port once more.