Other World Woes - Part 3

After an hour of travel, the silence between Kiru and I becomes unbearably uncomfortable. During all of our previous ventures, Kiru and I would talk, joke and reminisce about all manner of things as we travel. However, ever since Hikaru came along, Kiru has been somewhat distant and quiet, 'I need to get past this.'

"So, do you want to talk about what's going on with Hikaru?" Giving her my full attention, I keep an eye out for any signs I might learn from her.

"Yes, no, maybe. I don't know, I'm still trying to figure out what's going on with you. I don't know how or why you've become so invested in this girl from nowhere." 'Yeah, if I were in her position, I'd be confused too.' Its likely Kiru has been trying to figure out a way of broaching the situation, but hasn't come up with a way to talk about it.

"Well, just ask and I'll answer to the best of my ability, we are partners after all." 'I hope that gives her the opening she needs to talk to me.' Fortunately, Kiru takes in an unusually long breath of air in preparation for my interrogation, 'Uh oh.'

"OK. Who is that girl? Why are you so invested in her? Whats this about protecting her? Why are you so protective over her? How the hell did you two meet? When did you meet? Why did you bring her back here? What's with that aura she has? Why does it feel similar to yours? Since when have you been taking an interest in other girls? Why were you gone for so long? What happened over there? What were you doing? Are you even listening to me right now?"

All I can do is chuckle nervously as Kiru assaults me with her questions, 'Kiru's been holding herself back for a while now, and this has been really bothering her.' Kiru appears to be getting angrier the more questions she asks but I listen to them intently, although I still missed a couple of them due to the increasing speed of which Kiru asked them. 

"Okay, okay. Let me begin with where it all started." Over the next few hours, I go over the details of what happened the morning of my return to Earth, Vestra's behavior that morning, the lead up to Hikaru's trip and fall, my catching her and unintentionally bringing her to Other World.

As I continue on my way to the bandits' location, Kiru pestered me with questions centred around my explanations. I go over the three days I was gone from Other World, describing the dullness and boredom of it, the discovery of Vestra's spell and its effects and how it connects Hikaru and I, finishing with my promise to Hikaru and the lead-up to here and now.

"That damn witch. I told you we should have just ended her, but nooooo. You had to pull her over to your world, all because you didn't have it in you to kill her, stupid soft-hearted idiot of a wielder." Kiru tears into me for my past decisions and I can't really blame her, after all, things have turned out this way because I spared Vestra. "Is there anyway to undo or remove the spell?"

"Not that I know of, it's pretty powerful and intricate. So I'll need to find someone or something stronger here in Other World, all while making sure to keep Hikaru safe." Kiru lets out a disappointed sigh and appears relaxed and calm compared to how she did earlier.

"She must be pretty special for you to make a promise. After all, you did say you would never make another one unless you knew could keep it, especially after all those foolish broken ones."

"Don't remind me, I was still very young, reckless and much dumber back then." Despite our progressing conversation, our situation changes drastically as we realise we've walked right up to the bandits who, along with their Slytzars, have surrounded us.

Kiru and I exclaim "Whoops" in perfect sync. Observing the less than ideal situation we find ourselves in, I scan the area. I'm currently standing near the centre of a glade. The surrounding land consists of vibrant foliage, with a pair of grassy outcroppings. Numerous gatherings of strong, thick trees and various large rocks and a boulder litter the area, providing a variety of objects to hide behind and provide cover. 

Counting the six bandits armed with large rifles pointed at me, and 'only five?' Slytzars are hissing, growling and pacing in place, waiting for an opportunity to charge and tear me apart. As I admire healthy, grey-scaled body structures of the Slytzars, I observe that they are all roughly nine metres in total length, their heads and tails being around three metres each, their bodies appear to vary about two metres in width, while their legs look about as long as I am tall. 

As I adjust my stance slightly, Kiru moves over to my right shoulder, ready to drop down to my hand, shifting to her sword form so that I can act when I need to. Despite their advantage, the bandits haven't done anything yet, leaving an opportunity for me to open negotiations.

"Can I assume you guys are the ones responsible for causing trouble in my town?" My query is loud and clear, and the bandits snickering is a clear indication that they are. I see an older, brown-haired foxell woman takes a step towards me, resting her gun against her shoulder.

"That's a pretty bold assumption, why ever would you think we would be responsible?" Her question earns a laugh from her fellow bandits, a harsh glance from me scares her into backing away. 'Hey, I can still be intimidating, even if I do look like a teenager. Either that, or the fox girl is easily frightened.'

"Judging from your tamed Slytzars, I can assume you've been sending them to attack Alameria, a cowardly act perpetrated by scum if you ask me. Do you lot have guts, or are you just naturally useless?" 'Oh crap, my mouth is moving on it own.' 

"Why are you antagonising these guys!?" Kiru whispers at me, and I can understand why. Even I don't know why I'm picking a fight. One of the other bandits, who appears to be male, is positioned at the top of an outcropping steps forward to address my taunt.

"If you have the nerve to call us cowards, I guess that makes you a special kind of idiot, considering the fact that you just casually wandered by our campsite, unarmed." His companions laugh at me, but he himself doesn't, if anything, he's incredibly wary of me. And he has reason to be.

Kiru drops off my shoulder, transforming into her sword form, I catch Kiru by her handle and, in a quick but showy fashion, take a defensive stance. The other bandits are taken aback by Kiru's change from being an unknown doll perched on my shoulder to a large, sharp sword firmly held in my hand.

"What was that about being unarmed? You know, a smarter man would know better than to pick a fight with a legendary wielder." The man whom I assume is the bandit leader doesn't react to my statement, however, the rest of his buddies appear shaken and disturbed.

Snapping them back to their senses, the bandit leader gives a nod to one of his guys who is armed with numerous blades begins making weird hand gestures, to which one of the Slytzars react, approaching me with hostile intent. I eye the beast approaching me, carefully alternating my focus between its coiling neck and its long sharp claws.

"Kill him." The beast's snake-like head lunges at me, dodging to the right, I hear the loud snap of its jaws, getting a clear view of its fangs. 'Claws next,' its head turns to me and I see its neck coiling in the air as its body closes the distance, I leap high up towards the body, avoiding its claw swipe. Its head lunges at me in the air, but a slash from me sends it away, crying in pain as blood spews from is slashed face.

I land on its back near the base of its tail, with it still reeling in pain I lift up Kiru high and with full force, plunge my sword deep into the Slytzar's back, resulting in a blood-curdling scream from it. Needing to end this quickly I reposition around the blade and with a charge forward, I pull Kiru's blade across the Slytzar's body, slashing opening its insides.

Within moments, the beast collapses to the ground and is completely silent, I pull Kiru out if the dead beast and with a strong flick of her blade, throw off the layer of accumulated blood, splattering it onto the ground. I stare at the bandit leader as I do, which drives him to grind his teeth and grunt in anger.

As I move to hop off the beast, I spot something I missed earlier. A red decorated handle of a small blade is embedded into the beast, a strange symbol connecting the blade to its hilt. 'What kind of blade is that? Is that how they tamed it? Is that how they tamed the others?'

With the first of the Slytzars now dead, that leaves the other four, still hissing and pacing in place, completely ignorant and unresponsive to the fact that one of their fellow beasts has been killed.

"What are you doing? Use the others a kill him you idiot!" The bandit leader screams his order at the beast controller, who is still shocked at how I took down the first Slytzar.

"But, what if he kills..."

"I said send the others, use them all to kill him, NOW!"