Chapter 6:

Two Peas in a Pod

The Guardian of Hope (Sigma Version)


“So, where are you from?” Enne asked, walking within arm’s reach of the fast-paced wanderer. They walked through the waist-high brushes with ease, approaching the rocky formation.

“Doesn’t matter where I’m from,” he mumbled tiredly.

“My, you sound so tired! You wanderers are certainly out of shape these days.”

“You’ve certainly recovered, haven’t you?” he looked over his shoulder to see her standing in place, hands on her hips.

“Why do I get the impression your conversation with my brother was more engaging?”

Little did he know how badly she wanted to punch him in the back of his head. She raised an eyebrow after his prolonged silence.

“Am I right?” she asked. “I am, aren’t I?”

He kept walking.

“Are you like this with everyone?” he questioned.

“Only with those that catch my eye,” she winked.

“Once I’m done here, I’ll be heading out.”

A woman with quips and far more knowledgeable than he presented itself with a mixture of excitement and dread. It didn’t help that she’d switch between a bombardment of questions and teasing. After finding no sign of activity in the surrounding area, he was more concerned about the silent fortress.

“Then why come at all?”

“En, I’m just a random nobody, like any other person passing through the city. There is no grand plot or destiny.”

You’re not a nobody. She furrowed her eyebrows.

“Who said anything about destiny?” she continued.

“I can hear it in your voice. Another old myth about us wanderers being harbingers of change for humanity. We’ve failed as experiments. We were supposed to build the bridge between the Ethoxians and mankind, but we became pariahs.”

“Is that so? Well… That’s not why I’m here at all. When I look at you, I don’t see some tool or a myth; I see a man with a story… A story he refuses to tell.”

Alejandro ground his teeth, turning toward her to find a smidgen of dissatisfaction with how he responded. Her silver locks rustled against her pointy ears. Had it not been for those, he would’ve forgotten he was dealing with a half-elf.

“When someone shows the slightest concern,” she maintained a calm tone. Her ears perked as the wanderer glanced away. “There’s no need to push them away.”

“This is just the way I am,” he replied.

“That doesn’t have to be the case, y’know.”

“People come and go, so why create bonds at all?”

Enne was surprised by his statement. Dispassionate and pragmatic, she couldn’t imagine being a heartless view of the world. Whether or not it was a facade, she had to dig deeper. They reached the clearing in front of the formation’s biggest wedge. A cynic would be best to describe his worldview. A wanderer witnesses the world as it changes or reverts helplessly, as the winds of change carry them through the unknown. Being imperfect byproducts of their Ethoxian creators, they never stood a chance in their respective worlds.

“I—I’m sorry you see the world that way,” she said, downplaying the dispassion in her voice.

“There’s no need,” he kept a short response.

“If the world was a kinder place….” Enne stopped in her tracks. Alejandro sighed, tilting his head to look at her again. “Would it change the way you see things?”

“Perhaps there’s a chance, but we live in reality. There are factors in place, even if—”

“I think I understand you better now, but you’re dead wrong!”

“Um, what?”

“We’re just two sides of the same coin.”

The sun shone brightly within the silent fortress. The breeze within the formation’s entrance carried a putrid stench. Enne looked down the passage, standing next to him with an inexplicable unease. She glanced at his silent acknowledgment before entering. There was a peculiar warmth within her expression, though they both understood what lay ahead. Again, the familial emotions swirled within his robotic heart.

“Hey—” he uttered, giving an ounce of regret for his behavior.

“I know the first impression of Derek wasn’t so great,” she interrupted. He stopped speaking to hear what she had to say. “Gardenia is still a work in progress; See for yourself… Eh, but you can’t say it wasn’t a warm welcome!”

“Wow, that was quite a pivot.”

“I don’t know what your experiences were like in the other settlements, but we aren’t like them. You can see for yourself! I’m still extending my offer for a place in my home. It’s the least I can do since you helped me take out the bear.”

“As I said before, I’m—”

“I have Ethoxian texts,” she sang.

He looked over, finding her grin. Enne extended her hand to seal the deal, and his sudden pause proved she could win him over. It was as simple as a book as he was, but a simple man.

“That’s quite an enticing offer.”

“Whad’ya say?”

“Give me time to think about it.”

The wanderer left her hand to hang when she offered a high-five; He continued ahead, feeling the cold, dark envelope. The further they went, the more reluctant he became, but his curiosity drove him. Enne rested her hand on his trembling shoulder as he guided the way. He looked over, furrowing his brow as he felt her warmth close to him.

“W—what?” she smirked.

“We aren’t that chummy yet,” he said.

“You’re so damn difficult! I’m just trying to provide support.”

“It wouldn’t be the first time I’ve heard that.”

A horrid stench overwhelmed them when they entered the hot fortress innards. It was as though the dark stone absorbed the beaning heat. Low buzzing took place in the silence of the subhuman den. They kept an eye out in their respective directions, staying side-by-side, continuing further. The buzzing intensified as thousands of flies populated the air. Several mangled subhumans lay dismembered and bloodied. Curdled blood painted their stony surroundings. The thick cloud of flies dispersed, revealing body parts. The blood drip indicated the recent slaughter.

“What could’ve done this?” Alejandro kneeled down, glimpsing puncture wounds on the nearly severed heads. They reached from the nape to the lower shoulder blades. Though he thought it to be consistent with a mountain lion’s bite marks, it was too large for anything he’d seen. Enne’s ears perked at the slightest movement. She immediately recognized the distorted vocals. A pair of glowing orange eyes gazed back from the dark enclave.

“K—Kitty is huge,” she stuttered, frantically tapping the wanderer’s shoulders.

A feline paw the size of a human torso emerged. As the creature exited into the light, it blocked out the sun. It’s menacing, blood-dripping overbite drew Alejandro’s careful scrutiny. Without a doubt, it was the culprit behind the savage killings. The 10-foot cat towered over them as its stout body reached only 20 feet. Pulsating veins covered its mangey body, but the necrobyte infection failed at fully transforming the beast into something more ferocious.

“Shit,” Alejandro gasped. Enne already summoned her bow with a grin. “Wait… Why are you smiling?”

“We took on a fucking bear,” she responded. “We got this!”

“Enne?”

“I trust you! Now, come on!”

The massive feline slammed its enormous paws in a downward strike that separated them. Enne sprung gracefully while the floor’s disturbance sent Alejandro tumbling. The mountain lion went after the sluggish wanderer, lunging at him with narrow escapes from the nimble sorcerer. Enne could hear him call her name repeatedly while perched at a safe height. Alejandro took cover behind a large boulder, providing momentary protection from its massive paws. Its heavy strike tore a chunk out of the tough exterior, missing his head by afoot.

Shit, that was close, he thought.

“Enne!” he shouted. “Any time now?”

Enne watched from a safe height, having noted his novice dodging. While not known for their fighting prowess, wanderers were crafty. A slam of her bow launched her into the air.

Alejandro glimpsed her arching over before a dive toward the massive feline. Her hair flowed freely as she took aim in her descent. The arrow gathered mana within seconds, providing a brilliant glow as she released. It struck the top of its skull before it could reach Alejandro. As it staggered to regain focus, she slammed her knees into its head with skull-crushing force. Though the attack was brutal, it quickly recovered, shaking her off before she could deliver a deathly jolt through the lodged arrow.

“Not part of the plan!she panicked as she rolled onto her feet. Alejandro helped her to her feet, watching it thrash against the interior, echoing its painful roar. “That wasn’t supposed to happen!”

“No shit,” he sighed. “Now what?”

“We finish what we started!”

“You mean what you started?”

“It’s—All a part of the plan.”

His stoic expression reduced to a chuckle with her snappy enthusiasm. Her ears lowered in embarrassment, realizing she was trying too hard to impress him. Her jovial approach to the matter made the wanderer feel at ease.

“You’ve got a lot of spirit in you,” he praised.

“More than you, old man,” she smirked.

“We’re probably about the same age!”

They redirected their attention toward the rampant beast, which finally refocused itself after its slow recovery. The wanderer looked at her, hoping she had a solution.

“So?” he asked.

“You’re holding back on me, aren’t you?” she responded.

“What? You’re thinking about that?”

“Yes. We were able to take down the necro-bear by infusing magic into my bow.”

“Seriously?”

“I’m expecting you to do more this time around.”

“I don’t know what you’re asking of me—”

Its gigantic paw slammed by them, blasting rubble flying about. Enne tripped against Alejandro, being dealt with the brunt of the debris. A flash of memories entered her mind: sorrow, pain, and joy wrapped in mere seconds. She saw unfamiliar places, along with people she never knew; A red-haired woman stood out. When she came to her senses, they were lost in the others’ eyes. She felt his gentle hands on her waist, and his flushed face turned away slightly from how close hers was.

Her pursed lips reached his ear, whispering: “I don’t bite now,”

Enne laughed before springing to her feet. She looked at the towering beast approaching them. It swung at her, but the steeled placement of her forearm stopped its vicious momentum. Alejandro watched her throw it off balance after collecting himself. Her form, style, and bravado inspired much within him. Confliction arose, begging the question of how he’d respond to her plea. His self-imposed isolation contrasted with her desire to bring him out from his shell. Enne looked upon him smugly as she helped him up.

“A small little mishap has you all hot under the collar?” she teased. “Cute. Let’s finish this, shall we?”

“You seem like you have this in the bag,” he tried to focus his attention on the present moment.

“It’d be a shame not to see what we could accomplish.”

She held his hand while watching the recovering beast. He tried to pull away when it looked into them, but her powerful grip held him in place. Her smile widened in the face of danger.

“Enne?” he uttered. “What are you doing now?”

“Trust me,” she replied calmly.

The big cat’s swing met another well-timed block. Enne nudged it gently, knocking it slightly off course as she spun around, taking the wanderer with her. She seized the opportunity to grab the arrow while holding the wanderer’s hand. He conjoined their mana once her fingers trembled toward the arrow. A ferocious fire engulfed its head in blistering blue flames as it quickly succumbed to its fiery death within moments as they watched. The wanderer’s hand shook, realizing how little mana he used.

“This was an experiment?” he asked as she took a deep satisfied breath. Their eyes met though she was the only one who smiled. “En?”

“You have to take risks sometimes,” she said. “Last time, I used too much mana, but with your guiding hand, I used a slither.”

“Wouldn’t that harm… one of us?” His question evoked an inherent confusion about how she went about using her mana. The flames danced in the subtle winds carried over from the formation’s narrow crevices.

“We both understand what mana can do to us. For a wanderer, its full implications are yet to be determined, but to a half-elf such as myself, well…. There are consequences.”

“You aren’t just saying all this to impress me, are you?”

Her tone was more severe than the wanderer was used to. All his time with her, she was deliberate in how she communicated. Little did he know how she had to learn much of her expression. Enne, as the woman he knew now, differed vastly from the younger half-elf. Enne’s lips sealed, choosing her words wisely with another misdirection.

“O—Of course not!” she shrugged her shoulder. “Why would I be so reckless?”

“All those witty one-liners,” he said. “The cool acrobatics, the shameless courage—”

“A—Alright, that’s enough! True, when you showed up, I realized I had to up my game, but I assure you that’s me at my natural.”

Somehow, I don’t believe that, he thought.

Alejandro hid his smile as she was left to wonder if her answer sufficed. Why she insisted on keeping him around was a mystery. Enne walked over to the charred remains of the shriveling feline, taking pity on the mountain lion when it crumbled to dust.

Enne turned to him with her hand clasped over her chest. Her gray eyes stood out against the mundane environment. He stopped a few feet from her, waiting curiously for what she had to say. But she stood in anticipation of his response to her request. Was it enough to win him over?

Mixed messages much? He thought.

“Hey,” he spoke.

“What is it?” she responded.

“You think I’m some cheap date? I’m hungry.”

“Oh, right? Does combat experience not count? I’m sure you’re, uh—ravenous for combat!”

“You’re kidding me, right?”

Enne chuckled at his deadpan expression.

“I’ll make it up to you. Promise.”

Even with their synergy, part of him remained reluctant.


Like the chapter before we see how these two work together.
Their interaction is a bit goofy, but Enne is a bit of a goofy character.
She does everything to disarm the wanderer's fortress around his heart.
The real question is: What's the motivation?
Time will tell!
Thanks for reading!
And feel free to leave a like! Let me know what you think about them!

TSpasov
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