Aletha and Drimi dash through the forest, forcefully pushing stones out from their way and slaughtering a couple of monsters. Their breath grew still as each pace accumulated upon their gut. Footprints were scattered everywhere like a swirling mess of lines, and the mist gradually grew thicker.
As they approached a pond surrounded by trees, Aletha fell down to the ground and panted heavily. Even with her remarkable experiences with traveling and exercise, running long distances was too much for her.
Her long white hair was messed up, her face was drenched in heat and sweat, and her dress seemed to be slightly torn.
"D-Drimi. I can't…
She was panting.
"I can't g-go any faster. Please, slow down. I… I can't. P-Please…"
She heavily wheezed and planted her face to the ground. Drimi swiftly turned behind, gasped, and sighed. Though she knew what Aletha was going through, she couldn't allow her to give up on searching for her brother. She slid her knee on the ground and grasped Aletha's hand, impatiently waiting for her to get up.
"Come on, Aletha, we have to continue on! You're not just going to give up on your brother that easily, right?"
Aletha lifted her face to the ground. Dirt smothered up on all her skin, exhausted beyond her thoughts. Drimi shook her head and chuckled.
She wiped the dirt off Aletha's face and smiled. She now wanted Aletha to calm down and take a break because... it reminded Drimi of how she was like when she was young.
A young girl ran non-stop around obstacles, starting the loop of repeatedly crouching, ducking, sprinting, and lifting. After each abusive punishment was received when she stopped to take a breath, she was physically unable to move because of how much she was putting upon.
While the memory vanished from her mind, Drimi rubbed Aletha's head, giggled, and tilted her head to the treetops. With her deep, soothing voice, she whispered to Aletha.
"You know Aletha... when I saw you like that, it reminded me of the conditions that I went through when I was young. If you want, we can take a break, and I can tell you more about my past. Or else, there won't be a break for you."
Aletha breathed a sigh of relief. She never knew what Drimi meant, but if it meant a break from the constant running and fighting, Aletha would take it. She wiped the sweat off her skin and replied with a bright, genuine smile.
"O-Okay!"
Drimi dipped her toes through the crystal clear water of the pond, not knowing what was inside. Though they were at the center of the Dreamtoe forest, the mist seemed to have vanished when they approached this area. The sun's rays reached this place, forming beautiful scenery and allowing the flora to bloom. It was almost as if it was a heavenly place located at the center of hell.
Drimi offered Aletha to cool off. She accepted and slowly took off her cute dark shoes from her smooth snowy white feet and placed them behind her, furthest away from the water. Demi's face blushed when she saw Aletha's feet, almost jealous that there wasn't a single scratch on them.
She looked at her feet and saw the spontaneous amount of bruises, scratches on the bottom and the top of her skin. Her purple eyes lowered, her smile went down, remembering how she had to go barefoot when she was training.
While she stared at her face that glittered on the clear surface of the pond, Drimi vividly received painful memories of her uncle yelling at her.
"Go faster, Drimi! GO FASTER! Don't stop with your little feet! If you stop, you will get burned!"
The foggy face of young Drimi was filled with exhaustion and terror.
Tears fell down from her eyes, covered in bruises and scratches. She couldn't bear to go any longer, yet she continued to push on. While Aletha peacefully hummed, Drimi, in the present, whispered to her.
"The reason why I wore this attire is to cover the burn marks I received when I was little. There were burns on my back, legs, hips, stomach, arms; all of them slowly tore my sanity away. My mother left me when she found out my uncle killed her parents. She never wanted me; she thought I was a mistake. My uncle unleashed pain upon me and tried to make me stronger by force out of his anger. In my hometown, the king banished magic among all citizens."
Drimi slowly pulled some of her clothing away, revealing the rectangular-shaped bruises imprinted on all the places she mentioned.
Though they looked like they seemed to fade, her skin surrounding the marks was blistered in bright red. Aletha gasped and shrieked.
"I never knew you had these."
Drimi slowly smiled and gritted her teeth.
"Yeah, they were extremely painful when I first received one of them. I couldn't get any sleep. Every time I tried to touch the marks, my skin felt like it was constantly burning. Every time my uncle pressed that wretched thing on my skin, my hatred for him rapidly grew even more…
Drimi shuts her mouth and closes her eyes. She pushed her dark long silky hair to the side and peeled the mask off her face, revealing a faint smile to Aletha, who was intrigued and invested in learning more about Drimi.
"Oh, so not only did you come from Wraileza, your uncle abused you continuously. Where was your father?"
Drimi giggled, patted Aletha's back, and remarked.
"He abandoned my mother when he found out she was cheating with his brother. My father became a far superior adventurer than my mother could ever be when he abandoned her. He changed the world because of his unique ways, personality, and traditions. No one denied him, not even his opponents."
Her eyelids part, her face looked up to the glittering sun, and she rested her head on her hands. Drimi took a long, relaxed breath.
"Aletha, lie down. The grass feels comfy."
She had no reason on why she could resist Drimi so, Aletha willingly rested her back on the soft bristles of grass. Her white hair acted like a soft cushion that gently warmed her back.
While they relaxed and stared at the towering treetops, Drimi continued.
"One day, my father told me he was conducting a plan to rescue me from my uncle. Many guards and defenses obliterated a quarter of his group. However, he had magic; and easily resurrected him with his dark magic. He finally found me hidden in a room, rescued me, and took me away from Wraileza with his ship. We began to travel continuously from one nation to the next, searching for resources and adventure. He was far more sympathetic than my mother could ever be."
Drimi touched Aletha's soft face and smiled.
"That's when I realized that this world wasn't like Wraileza. It was a nation far more welcoming and bright. I gathered more people to travel along with the world with me."
While the cold morning breeze blew on both Drimi's long dark hair and Aletha's white hair, Drimi made an offer with Aletha.
"My ship is located in the docking ports of Pladtioa, far at the right side of where The Great Fountain is. If you need to go to Linuxinia, situated on the other side of the world, I can get you and Asahi after retrieving our weapons.
There will be no price involved, too. All you have to do is get our weapons back, and soon we can get you closer to finding your sister's fragments. Hey, I never got the chance to ask you this… but-
Drimi closes her eyes. Her long dark eyelashes glitter under the rays of the warm light.
"Do you want to be called a nickname? I usually call my friends by their nicknames since my father did when he made allies. I'm just trying to follow in his footsteps. Be-Be is for Belial, Frekin is for Akwan, and Sweet is for my best friend... Sally. So, since we grew a friendship; despite fighting earlier, what name do you want to be called by me?"
Aletha took a long moment to decide on which nickname would fit her. She always adored the beautiful, radiant name of Aletha. Her mother gave it because even when she was young, she would always tell the truth.
Even if the truth would lead to problems, Aletha would always speak the truth because she had this one saying she had. "Both give pain, but in different ways. One has temporary pain, but eventually leads to forgiveness; while the other has temporary relief and leads to absolute suffering."
Aletha lied when they convinced Aiyana to leave the world, yet even one white lie eventually led to consequences. That was the first and last time she ever lied.
Aletha turns her head down to her chest and sees the four white buttons that stretch over her dark attire. Immediately, she made an answer with just one word.
"Buttons."
Drimi squinted at Aletha and raised her eyebrow.
"Really? Do you want to be called that name? I mean, it's kind of cute… but, I don't know. Do you think it fits you?"
Aletha silently nodded with a determined smile. Her crystal dark gray eyes peer through Drimi.
"Yes."
Drimi replied with a skeptical tone.
"Well, okay... Buttons. Whatever works for you. Now, let's get moving. We need to find Asahi, pronto. Hell, I feel like I'm probably lost."
Aletha cutely giggled. She pushed herself up and rejoined.
"Yes, I bet we are both lost. I hope my brother isn't in any danger."
Drimi pats Aletha's back and smiles.
"He's probably fine. However, we're not. Buttons, if we ever want to see the light of day again, we have to keep moving!"
Drimi hastily pulls Aletha up and drags her through the bushes. While they begin to dash through the logs, stones, and mist, Drimi lends Aletha her mask and gives her a thumbs up.
"Buttons, put that on! You need that mask more than I do!"
"But Drimi--"
She raises her voice.
"Just do what I say, now!"
Aletha replies while slowly putting it over her face.
"O...Okay…"
* * * * * * * *
They sprinted through many forest areas and advanced within the dense fog and trampled the dead flora of Dreamtoe.
Adrenaline coursed through Aletha's veins.
Both Drimi and her couldn't see even a few meters in front of them at this incredible speed. Poisonous, stingy air bites through Aletha's guts. Their feet fly over stones and leaves as wicked heat burns through the atmosphere.
While climbing up a cliff, they noticed that sweltering heat slowly engulfed their surroundings. The fire snapped and crackled; burnt like a spreading virus throughout the forest. A toxic black smoke kinged within this area. Drimi quickly covered her mouth. While they sprinted continuously, Aletha screamed at her.
"What's going on? Why is everything burning?"
Drimi shrugged her shoulders and grabbed Aletha's hand. She never wanted Aletha to flee her, especially after how much she impacted her. While the hot winds blew through their faces, Drimi shrieked out.
"I don't know, Buttons! We have to keep advancing!"
Aletha tightly gripped Drimi's hands and trusted Drimi that she would keep her safe. Both of them thought it was strange seeing the forest quickly get engulfed in flames. The thought alone felt unnatural.
While they leaped over an ancient burning wall covered in moss, they were surrounded by molten structures coated in a dark brown. They looked everywhere and saw that the walls looked like they were made of obsidian, stone, and scorched vegetation. While a tree swiftly collapsed in front of them, Drimi shrieked at Aletha.
"Buttons, grab your blade!"
"Huh?"
Suddenly, a loud, distorted feminine voice sounded out from the crackling wall of flames.
"You dare trespass upon my territory? Haven't you and your tribe learned your lesson for the millionth time?! Stop trying to challenge me, it will only lead to more suffering."
Aletha perked her head up and saw a silhouette swiftly encircling the perimeter of the smoldering structures. The outline was shaped like a massive fox with thirty-five tails that swerved left and right.
Flames spun toward them before they could notice.
Drimi swiftly cast her shield ability using her magic.
A transparent purple shield deflected the fire and drove the flames back to the forest. While she was outside the wall of flames, she pierced her arms through the fire and grabbed Aletha's hand. She tried to pull Aletha out of the circle of fire; however, the silhouette broke the connection and drove Aletha back to the area.
"You can't flee a challenge once it has begun. You are the one who destroyed and cursed Dreamtoe!"
Suddenly, three glowing brown marks formed in the air. Drimi blocked the attack and got knocked into the air, then she formed four dark orbs and unleashed it toward the beast. Explosions stung the air, rocks got blasted from one direction to the next.
As the Kitsune charged toward Aletha, it yelled.
"Finally, after all this time; we can finally have our vengeance!"
While Aletha sprinted away from the Kitsune, she screamed at Drimi.
"What is it saying?!"
"I... don't know. I never heard it say that before. Be careful, Buttons! Get out of there as soon as you can! I will find some assistance!"
Aletha understood Drimi. Deep inside her is a burning confidence that can't be replaced. She hurriedly unsheathed her Walker's blade out from her hip and pointed it toward the creature. While the metal surface of it gleamed with the red glow of the flames, the sound of laughter echoed around Aletha.
The beast taunted Aletha.
"Are you challenging me? Indeed if you had the power to curse Dreamtoe, you must have some plan to defeat me? No matter, after thousands of years, I can finally get my vengeance! Face the Wrath of The Envious Kitsune, you monster who calls themself a god!"
A massive beast leaped through the wall of flames and revealed its long brown fur, its impenetrable face, its glowing yellow eyes, and all of her thirty-five tails. At just the brink of a moment, Aletha dodged the attack and leaped off the ground.
She had no idea what this beast meant, but she knew that this Kitsune posed a threat. The kitsune's menacing yellow eyes peered straight through Aletha's soul. It summoned eight cyclones filled with flames and they were ordered to dart toward Aletha.
While Aletha dodged one cyclone after another, the beast shouted at her.
"These poor children... they don't deserve to be held here! They need to be free! They need to see the heavens and feel happiness! It was the fault of YOU for this tragedy to happen!"
Aletha slid her feet on the ground then backflipped away from another of the flames. Her moves were agile, swift, and confident. The atmosphere was filled with the scent of flames, charcoal, and ash. Aletha responded while she banished four cyclones with her blade.
"No, it wasn't! I don't know what you're saying!"
At the heat of the moment, Aletha jolted toward the Kitsune and pivoted the blade toward the leg of it. Immediately, the leg clanged with the blade. Her gray eyes widened. The sword got tossed into the air and spun toward the ground.
Aletha squinted her eyes and jumped to the blade. She grasped it, then swung it in four swift slashes; a speed swift enough to counter the attack. The kitsune countered it by using one of her tails, then tossed her into the air. Aletha fell to the floor, stunned, and paralyzed for seconds.
"Why? What did I ever do to you?"
The beast replied while it striked her hands.
"Absolutely pitiful. Just like your past actions."
She circled around Aletha, clawed on all fours then struck her right on her face toward the beast. Only a speck of the beast's hair was torn away.
The thirty-five tails quickly tossed Aletha like a ball, injuring her and almost breaking her bones from one side to the next. She screamed in agony; Aletha didn't understand what the kitsune was saying.
As her face got smothered in charcoal, flames, and bruises, suddenly, a massive orange beam of light pierced through the fire and knocked the massive Kitsune into the air.
The burning forest quickly dissolved to the sight of a calm, tranquil environment.
While Aletha lifted her head, covered in scratches and charcoal, the sight of a handsome man with long dark brown hair, dark skin, who wore a long black scarf slowly approached the beast.
When she saw the orange eyes of that man, Aletha knew who he was.
Phthonus.