XXII - Awakenings

Where… am I?

She tried to raise her hands before her face.

But there was nothing.

Only darkness.

Where is my body?

Panic began to spread through her.

Why am I here? And… who am I, anyway?

Just as despair over her missing identity threatened to overwhelm her, a melody rose from the depths of her mind.

A song.

When will you come?

Will you heed my plea?

For me...

Find me...

And will you set me free?

Again and again, the refrain echoed through her mind.

Why do I know this song? And where does it come from?

Although she couldn’t find answers to her questions, the melody soothed her.

And at last, the darkness began to recede.

A brilliant light enveloped her.

What’s happening?

Before she knew it, the light had swallowed her whole.

Until eventually, something pierced the warmth.

A prickling sensation.

A rustle. A flutter. A chirp.

The light grew dimmer, the prickling sharper.

She opened her eyes.

A blue, lightly clouded sky stretched above her.

The grass beneath her pricked at the exposed parts of her body.

Slowly, she sat up and looked around the clearing.

“A forest...” 

She felt along her body.

“Armor...?” 

Her hands moved over cold silver plates and soft white feathers until they reached her face.

Carefully, she removed her helmet and studied her reflection in the gleaming metal.

Unfamiliar.

And yet familiar.

Something stirred within her.

“Hakucho…” she breathed. “My name is... Hakucho.”

But how do I know that?

Suddenly, the undergrowth rustled.

Haku spun toward the edge of the clearing.

“What is...”

A hulking shape burst from the bushes.

Luminous green veins ran along its black body, while two dark horns rose from a bull-like skull, its glowing red eyes fixed on her.

It bared its teeth, a low growl rumbling in its throat.

“A monster?!”

It was already charging at her.

She reacted before she even understood what she was doing.

Her arm shot up.

CRASH.

The monster’s sword slammed into her shield.

Haku’s eyes widened.

Since when do I have a...

Her other hand was already moving, drawing a sword from its sheath.

A leap. A slash. A cut.

One moment later, the monster collapsed at her feet.

Haku stood motionless, her sword still raised.

Only now did she notice how naturally her fingers curled around the hilt.

“How...?”

The monster’s body began to disintegrate, black ash peeling away from it and scattering on the wind.

“You defeated it.”

Haku whirled around.

A man in black armor stood at the edge of the clearing. An enormous sword rose over his shoulder, one hand still wrapped around its hilt.

But he did not draw it.

Instead, he looked past Haku at the last traces of the creature’s ashes.

“A Level 100 Helborian. One of the strongest demons of its class.”

Slowly, he lowered his hand from his sword.

“And you killed it just like that.”

Haku blinked.

“Who are you?” she asked cautiously.

The man took a step closer.

“My name is Arevan.”

He stopped in front of her, green eyes gleaming.

“And I’m looking for allies to help me defeat the Demon King.”

“Demon King?” she repeated.

The words sent a chill through her, and her chest tightened.

A hot, bitter hatred rose inside her before she could understand why.

I don’t know this Demon King.

At least... I don’t think I do.

And yet it feels like he took something important from me...

“Your level is extraordinarily high. Higher than anyone I’ve met.” Arevan studied her for a moment. “Will you join me?”

Haku looked up at him.

“Join you?”

I don’t know where I came from.

I don’t even know where I am...

Her gaze dropped to the ashes at her feet before returning to Arevan.

But something inside me is telling me…

The song was still echoing somewhere deep inside her.

She nodded.

…that I should follow him.

***

Something warm and heavy pressed against Haku’s chest as she slowly woke.

A dream...?

The faint orange glow of the morning sun filtered through the canopy overhead.

Haku blinked and slowly lowered her gaze.

Pan was sprawled across her.

“Grrrrrnnn… mmph…”

One arm lay draped over Haku’s shoulder, Pan’s cheek nestled against her belly, while a furry leg rested across Haku’s thighs.

Pan’s own bedroll lay empty a few yards away.

Her mouth hung slightly open, a thin trail of drool trickling from the corner past her canines.

“Chrrrk…”

Haku’s expression softened as she silently watched her.

She really is different from the others.

“…Pan.”

Pan’s ears twitched, but she didn’t wake.

Haku studied them.

I wonder why they do that. They seem remarkably sensitive.

She reached out, only to stop just short of the round ears.

Would it be… improper to touch them?

For a moment, her hand hovered uncertainly in the air.

Among the catfolk in Valannia’s world, it was considered extremely rude…

She withdrew her hand.

Pan’s ears twitched again, and once more Haku found herself reaching for them.

But they look so fluffy.

Her fingertips had already brushed the tips of the fur when she finally thought better of it.

She shook her head vigorously.

What am I doing? I’m not myself…

Carefully, she eased Pan off her, the Panwanian rolling onto her side with a contented purr.

“Mmmhh…”

Once Haku had risen to her feet, she cast one last glance at her companion.

“I did it again…” she whispered, barely audible.

The cool morning air greeted her, the grass beneath her bare feet still damp with dew.

A little farther away lay Elda’s bedroll, though the man himself was nowhere to be seen.

Lost in thought, Haku wandered away from camp, following the gentle murmur of the nearby river.

When she reached the bank, she stopped and let her gaze drift across the glittering water.

She sighed.

I promised myself I wouldn’t grow too attached again after Frinna.

And yet…

Suddenly, a familiar voice reached her.

“Well, look who’s here.”

Startled, she spun toward it.

“Elda…”

He was crouched by the river a few yards away, a makeshift fishing rod in his hands, the line trailing into the water.

“The little furball’s probably still asleep, huh?” he asked.

Haku nodded.

“As usual.”

“It seems she’s back to her old self, then,” Elda remarked.

“What do you mean?”

“Well, after what happened, I figured she might reconsider the whole hero business.”

He tilted his head.

“But whatever you did, it seems you did the right thing. Helped her make up her mind.”

Haku gazed thoughtfully at the spot where the fishing line disappeared beneath the water.

I did the right thing?

She remembered how she had let her guard down back at the inn.

How she had hugged Pan, and tried to comfort her.

Was that... really the right thing to do?

Suddenly, the fishing rod jerked violently.

“Oh!”

Elda sprang to his feet, the rod bending almost in half.

“Finally! Come here, you slippery bastard!”

Haku stared in fascination as he wrestled with the line.

A large silver fish burst from the water. It sailed through the air, flapping wildly, and struck the ground.

“Ha! Seems like I’ve got us a decent breakfast now!”

Haku smiled.

“Well done, Elda.”

Elda looked at her in surprise, almost embarrassed.

He hastily turned his attention back to the fish.

“Whatever. Let’s bring this back…”

Together, they headed back through the trees.

They hadn’t gone far when Haku suddenly stopped.

A distant shout echoed through the forest.

“HA!!!”

Haku’s smile vanished.

“Pan!” she gasped, and both of them broke into a run.

Branches whipped past them as they raced through the undergrowth.

Another shout.

“HA!”

An attack?! I shouldn’t have left her alone!

They burst into the campsite.

“Pan! Is everything…?!”

Pan stood alone in front of a tree, her fists raised.

“HA!”

She stepped forward and drove her palm into the trunk.

THUMP!

Then she twisted, pivoted on one foot, and followed with a kick.

THUD!

“Pan...?” Haku called as they approached her.

“Wah!”

Pan spun around so quickly that she lost her balance and fell on her rear.

“W-where are you two coming from?!” she demanded, her ears flattened against her head.

“We heard screaming,” Elda remarked dryly.

Pan scrambled back to her feet and brushed the grass from her clothes.

“You were… training?” Haku asked.

Pan’s ears twitched.

“M-maybe.”

Elda set his catch down beside the campfire without saying another word.

As Haku stepped closer, eyeing the damaged bark, Pan rubbed one arm awkwardly.

“I… I just thought I’d try to remember some of the movements my body seemed to know before. I thought... maybe I could learn to control them consciously, mm.”

Her voice grew quieter as she cast Haku a quick glance.

“Because I don’t want my lack of strength to be the reason we fail to save someone again…”

Haku stared at her, and for a moment, she remembered another clearing.

Another forest.

A sword moving in her hand before she had even understood why.

Her abilities are already there.

She simply hasn’t learned how to call on them at will.

“You know…” she said slowly. “I can’t train you in martial arts. But if you want to learn how to use your strength consciously, I could help you.”

“Help me?” Pan exclaimed.

Haku took several steps backward into the clearing.

“I happen to know a little about fighting. So why don’t you spar with me?”

Pan stared at her.

“S-sparring with you?”

Elda was already starting the campfire again.

“I’ll get breakfast started. Try not to kill each other before it’s ready.”

Pan was still staring at Haku.

She swallowed.

Her feet slid apart, fists raising.

And finally, she gave a hesitant nod.

“A-all right, mm. But we’ll pause when breakfast is ready!”

Haku’s smile widened as she reached for her sword lying beside her bedroll.

She really is different from the others.