On a wagon traveling down a road were four figures. One of which was looking out the window at the scenery she considered boring. Rocky hills and trees littered her view, a view that she had seen hundreds of times. She turned to the equally bored passenger beside her. "Joooooong how much looooonger?"
Jong let out a sigh before answering the same question he had been answering for the last few days. "We'll arrive in Baum in a few hours."
"Hours? Ugggggh."
Arc, who sat across from them, stared at the energetic girl in red who was currently rolling back and forth on the ground. HE looked up to the man in front of him. "You know, you have the patience of a saint."
"It comes with practice. Besides, you have quite the amazing patience too."
"Patience for what?"
"Well, my companion never stops talking. Meanwhile, yours never talks."
Arc looked over at the orange-haired girl. She was staring out the window with calm yellow eyes, not paying any attention to the shenanigans happening in the wagon. "Yeah, I guess, I still think what you do is pretty remarkable."
The girl who had been spending her time on the floor got up with a razed look. She leaped into his face, which was now only about an inch apart, before laying into him. "What's with this conversation, huh!? You're acting like I'm the most annoying person ever even though you always want to play cards with me. Not to mention all the extra training I do with you so you can look cool in front of Nike."
Arc immediately moved to shush her with his index finger. "S-shut up! You said you wouldn't bring it up in front of her. Also, when have I ever asked to play cards with… wait a second, this isn't all one big elaborate scheme to blackmail me into playing cards… is it?" Rosey's devilish smirk was all the confirmation he needed. "Fine, fine, I'll play cards. Just stop exposing me like this!" He glanced back at the girl next to him, hoping that she hadn't been paying attention.
She turned from the window and looked into his eyes. "It's okay Arc, I always think you look suuuuper~ cool." The words by themself may have been encouraging, but the lack of any emotion in them made it feel like more of a blow to his pride.
"Thank you, Nike."
"How sweet of her." Jong gave Arc a pitying grin.
"Enough of that! Hmmm…. Let me see…. Ah here!" Rosey, meanwhile, started digging through her pack before finding the cards for the game Arc promised. "I'll deal 'em out. Then we can play!"
Enthusiastically Rosey began dealing cards to Arc while he looked out the window. "What is that?" Peaking over the horizon was a tower that looked as if it were attempting to reach the heavens. The sheer size of it caused Arc's eyes to widen in awe.
Jong answered him. "That is the great tree that Baum is named after. It stands at two-thousand-seven-hundred feet tall and about three-hundred feet wide. That makes it the fourth tallest tree in the world, I think."
"That tree is sooooo~ tall." Even Nike expressed her awe looking at the monument to nature.
"Are you going to play or what?" Meanwhile, Rosey tapped her foot while rolling her eyes.
Arc could feel the danger in the air. "Of course, I'll play."
"Thanks." Her voice fell flat as they started up the game. After the first hand, Rosey couldn't hold back her thought any longer. "I don't really get what's so impressive about it. Even if it is ginormous, at the end of the day, it's still just a big tree." Her hands bent the cards in frustration as she placed them down.
Arc knew that he had done something wrong as Rosey's mood worsened by the second. He decided to stray away from the conversation about the tree and steer it in a different direction. "So why are we splitting up at Baum?" The plan was that he and Nike were going on ahead to Angleod while Rosey and Jong were doing something in Baum. Then afterward, they would pick up the commander and meet them in Angleod.
It quickly became apparent to him that he had royally messed up as Rosey's eyes sharpened. Then as if realizing that she was scaring Arc, Rosey's demeanor took a 180. She loosened up and sighed before answering. "I have some personal business to take care of in Baum, and I don't feel comfortable with you two being there. So, we thought you two should probably go on ahead. That way, you can get some information about our target before the commander gets there."
Arc seemed to be deep in thought. "Well, that mostly makes sense, but if we're going ahead, then why wouldn't we just pick up the commander on the way there?"
Rosey stared at him for a few moments with an incredulous look before replying. "Arc, do you know what the commander looks like?"
"… No."
"I didn't think so. And you know damn well he doesn't know what you look like."
"Fair point." Arc rubbed his head before smiling. "Well, whatever it is you're doing, I hope it goes well, and I hope you stay safe while we're gone."
Rosey began preparing a retort before being stunned by the genuine smile on his face. For a few seconds, her defense mechanisms failed her as she looked on at the face wishing for her wellbeing. Witnessing this heartwarming moment, Jong couldn't help but smirk. However, this moment didn't last for long. "Oh my! Are you trying to sweet-talk me right in front of your lover!? What a naughty man you are."
Arc's face burned with embarrassment. "W-we are not lovers! What about you and Jong huh? You're always hanging around each other."
With a sly smile, Rosey sat next to Jong and wrapped her arms around his. "It looks like you figured it out. Jong and I are lovers!"
Jong tried to hide the color of his face by playing along. "How come I didn't know about this!?"
With a facepalm, Arc sat back down in defeat. "Ugh… whatever."
Nike finally turned from her window and looked at the downtrodden Arc. "Why are you so sad Arc?"
"No reason."
"Is it because you want to be lovers with me?" Even Rosey's eyes widened at the sudden question that made Arc's brain going into overdrive to answer.
"W-well you see… it's not… I don't…"
"I super~ care about both your physical and mental health. If becoming your lover will help, then I will gladly do it."
Arc released a heavy sigh. "When you say it like that it just sounds like a duty you have to perform." With dead eyes, Arc looked on at the tower in the distance as they drew closer to Baum.
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After seeing them off Rosey and Jong continued into the town of Baum. Wooden lodges littered each side of the road as they continued forward. Jong broke the ice with a snarky comment. "I thought it was super cute how you didn't know how to respond to general concern for your wellbeing."
Rosey walked forward with a sunshine grin. The words that dripped like venom didn't match the tone of pure cuteness that emanated from her mouth. "Oh? I think you're getting way too friendly with me Jongy~. I know I said we were lovers, but I didn't think you would take it so seriously!"
Jong attempted to pretend like the words she said didn't hurt his feelings while they made their way to the giant arboreal specimen in front of them. "If I didn't feel sympathy for you I would have definitely slugged you for that one."
She closed her eyes before using them to look up at the clear sky above. "Yeah well, you can slug me later if you want." Jong walked on in silence, the one thing Rosey hated more than anything. 'Is he really that upset about my joke?' Her face twisted as she agonized over whether or not she should apologize before settling on just changing the subject. "This place is still as crappy as I remember being."
Jong gazed knowingly at the incredibly awkward girl beside him. He knew that even though she would always act cute and airheaded around strangers that the real her was as socially inept as they come. "Yep, this town is without a doubt the most average town I have ever visited. Nothing stands out besides the tree and their obsession with making everything out of wood."
Rosey snorted. "Yeah, and the tree isn't even the town's property. Their town just happens to be next to it."
Jong stopped talking as they approached a gate that would match your imagination of what a gate to the Wayne manor might look like. The giant metal gate was connected to a low brick wall that continued out into the horizon in both directions. He stared at the gate before asking. "Do you want to be alone while I wait out here?"
Rosey peered up at the tree. From this close up, she could no longer look at the top, which grazed the heavens. "You can come."
Jong scratched his head before crossing his arms and staring directly at her. "Do you want me to come or not?"
Her hand gently grasped his crossed arm. Rosey's whisper shocked him into silence. "Can you please…" The grip on his arm tightened before her frightened eyes turned up toward him. "Can you please come with me!?" Her forced voice shouted a plea before falling back down into a murmur. "I don't want to go alone."
He pried her grip from his arm. Rosey's face flushed, and she pulled back immediately, but Jong's hand didn't let go of hers. He entwined his fingers with hers before giving his heartfelt answer. "How could I ever say no to my lifelong friend? Especially when she asks so nicely."
"Jong…" His kind face gave her immeasurable comfort as they stepped through the gate together. Alone she might have run away instead of facing what was at the base of Baum's great tree. A place she needed to see. A past she needed to confront.
"You know, seeing this tree up close makes you really wonder where your ancestors got the sapling for this damn thing." Jong wondered how many houses could be made out of the arboreal monument.
"The Rapp family apparently just planted a normal oak tree. Then one day, the primal god of nature came by and blessed it."
"It's a shame the god of nature is gone then. We could have all the wood we would ever need from just a few of these things."
They got closer and closer to the backside of the tree where her past awaited her. "…Yeah." She tightened her grip on Jong's hand as they inched forward. Then she stopped. "I can't do this after all. I'm sorry for wasting your time, Jong."
His concern could be felt by Rosey through their connection. His thumb affectionately rubbed the back of her hand. "Rose, if you don't do this now, then when are you? Traveling with the commander isn't going to be safe, and there isn't a set roadmap. There's a whole heap of reasons we may never come near Baum again. Do you want to live the rest of your life running away from this?"
She knew he was right. She knew that a lifetime of self-deprecation was the only thing waiting for her if she gave up now. But even with knowing that. 'I'm too scared!' Her mind wasn't being rational with her. A common symptom when it comes to grief. "Jong… I-"
An explosion cut their heart to heart short. On the other side of the tree, a smoke cloud rose, and the faint whispers of voices could be heard on the wind. Jong turned back with a look that told her all she needed to know. That she didn't have a choice or not anymore. They had to go and see what was going on.
The path blurred as they rushed to the scene. The smoke still hung thick in the air as they made it around the bend before entering the expansive Rapp family cemetery. In the center of the commotion were two men.
One lay on the ground with cuts that she deemed life-threatening. His look reminded her of what somebody might call a wolf child, although you would definitely not classify this old-man as a child. His clothes were barely registerable as rags. The hair on his head and face were long and knotted.
The other man stood in fancy leather armor. His one-handed sword was drawn and pointed directly at the cowering man's neck. Unlike the other one, he was quite clean and kept. Even his beard looked professional. She also had to admit that his features were beautiful, the absolute definition of manly.
The men paid no mind to the two new members as they continued their discussion. "Wait! Wait. I know you're a little upset, yes? But we swear yes, we swear that we won't go near your home ever again. Ever!" The dirty old-man pleaded for his life.
The royal looking one didn't seem very moved by the proposal. The sword dug deeper into his neck, and drops of blood began to trickle down. "I do not care whether or not you ever set foot near my home again. And that is because I plan on striking you down right here." His voice sounded empty, but the threat he made seemed very much there.
"Please! We beg we beg. You must know that we can't help it! We just wanted to see what it was like there, that's all. We weren't planning on any mischief. We swear!"
The man scoffed. "I do not doubt that you weren't planning on causing any problems. That in there lies the problem. You never plan on doing anything bad it is just in your nature. Once you grow bored with that life, you will self-destruct and take out those near you. That is why I have chased you over countless lands."
"You must realize, yes? Realize that if you kill us, your very soul will fall apart! Do you understand, do you truly? You will cease to exist with us!"
"Did you think this information was lost upon me? I knew about that stipulation from the second I decided to rid the world of you. Also, can you stop using that tense? It made a little more sense before, but you are the last of your kind. All your other bodies are nothing but dust now."
The fear in his eyes quickly dissipated. "Fine then. Let your soul wither away for all we care!" The look was quickly replaced with that of pure insanity. "This too! This too is an experience we haven��t had before. Something to whet our appetite!" His hand pulled the sword even closer to his throat. "True death!"
The executioner showed no sign of caring that his target had accepted and even welcomed his own demise. "I shall now smite you so that the entire world may sleep easier for a time. No one will mourn you Adephagia the gluttonous sinner!"
Adephagia's smile grew even wider. "Then I guess our deaths will receive much the same response as yours." With his final sentence out of the way, the sword aimed at his throat drove through before being yanked to the side, decapitating him.
With his deed done, the man closed his eyes and waited for his punishment. But none came. "This… how?" He pinched himself as if to make sure he was still alive. "If this is the case… then I can rid the world of all those wretches or at the very least a few more."
"You there! Why did you kill that old man?" Rosey stood behind the murderer among the rows of graves. Jong stood beside her in a stance readied for combat. Rosey herself quickly took the box hanging on her back and pressed the button. With a few clicks and some precise movements from herself, the box transformed into a sizable scythe that now rested in her hands.
"If you were so concerned about his life, then why didn't you come to save him." The man sheathed his sword before walking forward to stay out of the pool beside him.
"Well, based on how he was talking, he didn't exactly seem like the kinda guy I would go out of my way to save. Although I would appreciate it if in the future you refrain from making more corpses in my family's gravesite." Her words sounded playful, but she completely on edge. The name of that old-man and the title the one who killed him said kept running through her mind. She was sure that Jong felt much the same way.
"That is truly a blunder on my part. I wanted to trap him somewhere else, but for some reason, he decided to make this place his last stop. Now, if you would kindly put away your weapon and stand aside, I would greatly appreciate it."
"That sounds just wonderful sir, but first, I need to know who you are. If that truly was Adephagia then, you would have to be an adventurer. Or at the very least have a skill card, correct? Just let us see it then you can be on your way."
"Are you sure you want that?" He started slowly making his way towards them. "If I tell you who I am, then some of us are going to end up dead."
"Just tell us your name!" Rosey prepared her speed-enhancing skill and focused her mind. Jong seemed ready to strike at any moment.
The man stopped. He sighed as he slowly drew his blade. "You asked for it." His empty tone gained emotion for the first time. "I am Tantalus, the avaricious sinner!"