Kaito stirs slowly in his sleep. The covers of the bed are messy and lie halfway on the mattress. Kaito starts to stir more violently, then jolts awake, gasping quickly out of his sleep. Kaito looks around frantically, unfamiliar at first with the room he is in. He studies the surrounding walls and floor, sighing as he slowly gets out of bed and onto his feet.
Kaito: If I'm still here, then I guess this whole thing wasn't some weird dream…
Kaito walks up to the bedroom door and opens it quietly, peeking into the sitting room. The bright morning sunlight shines through the windows and balcony door, lighting the room with rays of yellow and white. Outside his bedroom door, Kaito can see his belongings neatly placed on a small chair, the shoddy leather armor, his clothes from Japan, and the blade and bow he had taken from the creature he had fought the previous day. Kaito quietly tiptoes through the sitting area. He looks at Abi's bedroom door on the opposite side of the room. The door to her bedroom is shut, and snoring can be heard coming from it. Kaito laughs quietly to himself and walks with a light step over to the balcony door, so as not to wake the sleeping angel. Kaito opens the door to the balcony and steps outside. The young man is greeted by a wonderful view of the valley and snow-capped mountains he had seen at the cremation ceremony last night, only this time, it is lit by the morning sun instead of moonlight. Birds fly around the tall conifer trees near the inn, the rivers in the valley gleam with a warm blue and green hue. The large mountains in the distance tower over the landscape, like giants standing guard over the valley. Kaito studies the peaceful scene before taking a deep breath in and out. He then proceeds to remove his shirt and sets it on the outside railing. He starts to do his morning stretches and is further relaxed by the sound of nature around him. Once Kaito is done stretching, he grabs his shirt and walks back into the sitting room before closing the balcony door behind him. Kaito looks towards Abi's bedroom door, still closed with the sound of snoring bellowing from it. He walks back into his bedroom, grabbing his belongings from the small chair and setting them down on his bed along with his shirt. Kaito then looks around the room for something heavy. He finds a box of what looks to be broken and discarded metal doorstops. This is good, something odd and heavy. Kaito starts to do his morning workout, using the box of doorstops as weight while performing a front squat. After he has done a set of thirty squats with the box, he drops down to the floor and does forty pushups. Next, he eyes a rafter in the ceiling he can jump up and reach and proceeds to do twenty pull-ups. He continues his workout with handstand pushups, crunches, and calf raises. Kaito does all this non-stop, and once he is into it, he forgets about the amount of noise he is making. Around the third set of this routine, his bedroom door cracks open, causing Kaito to stop and look towards the sound. Standing in the doorway is Abi. The two look at each other in silence for a few moments, before Abi shakes her head and speaks to him in a groggy voice.
Abi: I'm not interrupting anything am I?
Kaito lets go of the beam he was using as a pull-up bar and lands on the floor, before shaking his head.
Kaito: No! No… I was just waking myself up is all. You know, getting the old blood pumping!
Kaito blushes a bit, feeling self-conscious in front of Abi. He was so used to doing his morning routine, he didn't think about the fact that it might seem odd to someone else. His parents and brother never paid much attention to it, as they were familiar with his morning regiment. The three of them shrugged it off as Kaito's way of waking up in the morning. In fact, he had even convinced his father to start doing it with him, at least on days he could get his father to wake up early enough to join him.
Abi: Well… good morning!
Kaito smiles and responds back.
Kaito: Good morning, how'd ya sleep?
Abi: Like a rock! The beds here are really comfy.
Kaito: Yeah, we both needed it because yesterday was pretty rough.
Abi: Speaking of which… I mean, I DID pick you for this and everything and you did really great yesterday, but I just wanted to ask, you feeling alright? Nothing you have bottled up inside that you want to talk about or anything?
Kaito thinks to himself for a moment. He doesn't really feel that bad right now, and he has dealt with serious stuff before on his own. Abi was already having to take care of him when he got injured, adding any anxiety he might have would only add mental stress on her.
Kaito: Oh uh, yeah! I'm fine, a little jarred still but like you said when you first met me, this is part of the job, and I said yes to it, right?
Abi: Yeah, I suppose you did, but if you're ever feeling overwhelmed by anything, just let me know, OK?
Kaito: Sure thing! I'll uh, I'll let ya know.
Kaito nervously scratches his head as he speaks.
Abi: Well, can you show me what you were doing?
Kaito: What I was doing? Just a second ago?
Abi nods her head.
Kaito: Oh uh, just some pull-ups and other workout stuff. I didn't know if we would have some more downtime, so I wanted to get my routine in.
Abi: Sounds weird, can you show me?
Kaito: Sure, I guess…
Kaito walks over to the beam he was pulling up on and jumps up, grabbing onto it before looking at Abi again.
Kaito: You grab onto the beam like this, then you simply pull up all the way until your chin passes the beam. Make sure to get a full stretch in your back, no half reps! As my teachers taught me, you must give anything your all.
Abi giggles and nods.
Abi: Alright then, let me try.
Abi looks at the beam and jumps up, grabbing onto it tightly. Once she has a good grip on the beam, she looks to Kaito for affirmation.
Abi: Like this?
Without a struggle, Abi pulls up on the beam until her chin passes, then she lets herself down with control. Once she finishes her rep, she turns her head and looks at Kaito, who is astounded by how easy it was for her.
Kaito: Damn… I mean, yeah! That looked great. I usually try to keep going until I can't do anymore, but if you can get at least twenty in you're—
Abi nods and continues her pull-ups, soon hitting twenty reps with ease. Once she is finished with her set, she hops down, giving Kaito a gentle smile.
Abi: This is fun!
Kaito: You may not look the part, but you've got some strength in ya.
Abi: I'm surprised I could do that many, and I got to train with my energy a bit too!
Kaito: Do what now?
Abi: Yeah! You can use your energy to amplify your strength. I didn't tell you that?
Kaito: No! That sounds awesome!
Kaito excitedly jumps up on the beam again and starts to do pull-ups, looking to Abi for an explanation as he exercises.
Kaito: OK, how do I do the super-strength thingy?
Abi: Well, if you remember that flowing river of energy, you just synchronize that with the muscles throughout your body and boom, amplified strength! Though it takes some getting used to, I've only learned how to amplify my strength up to three times. However, that is hard on my body, and on most days, I can only go up to two times.
Once Abi is done with her explanation, she looks to Kaito, whose face is now red. Kaito visibly and audibly strains as he tries to simultaneously pull himself up and activate the energy throughout his body. Kaito falls to the floor, breathing heavily, and collapses onto his hands and knees in exhaustion. Abi watches as he falls, then runs over to him in worry.
Abi: Oh my goodness, are you OK?!
Kaito: Yeah… I… I'm fine… that's really hard to do.
Abi: Well ya gotta practice! It doesn't just happen instantly.
Kaito: Yeah… I guess I figured that… out for myself.
Kaito takes a moment to take in some deep breaths, before turning his head to look at Abi.
Kaito: Maybe when we find the time, you can teach me?
Abi: Yeah, that'd be good! But I'll have you know, I'm a terrible teacher.
Kaito: Nah, I'm sure you'll be great at it!
Kaito gets up off of the floor, then moves the wooden box of doorstops and places them back where he had found them. He then walks over to the wardrobe and finds a small cloth to wipe the sweat from his face and body.
Kaito: Well… what's our plans for today?
Kaito and Abi then hear a hard knock at the door of the sitting room. Abi stands up and smiles excitedly before walking out the bedroom and through the sitting room to open the door, simply saying, "Finally, she's here!" Abi opens the door to whoever is on the other side, and instructs them to enter. Kaito walks out into the sitting room as he finishes putting his shirt on. He then looks at the front door to see someone familiar standing in the doorway. It is one of the leaders, the black-armored archer from the group that was fighting the ogre. The archer steps further into the room, looking around, before her dark eyes land on Kaito. The archer then walks up to Kaito and speaks, her voice demanding his attention.
Archer Leader: I presume you are Kaito?
Kaito stays quiet and simply nods. The archer then sighs and pulls her hood down off her head, jet-black hair spilling out from beneath it. The archer is an elf, like the rest of the people in Foritia. Her hair is cut short on one side of her head, just above the ear, with the other half flowing down to her chest. Her pointy ear sticks out like an antenna on the naked side of her head while the other is obscured by the longer hair. Her eyes are black, just like her hair and have a stillness to them. A few scars mark her cheeks and forehead, which surprisingly is pretty attractive to Kaito, as the scars add a proudness to her face. Her skin is tan, like most of the elves he has seen in Arbor, but a slightly darker shade than the others. Her height is roughly the same as his, but her body is strong with visible curves of a female. "She definitely means business," Kaito thinks to himself.
Archer Leader: My name is Evis, nice to meet you… human.
Evis holds her hand out for a shake. Her voice stings with a hiss as she finishes her sentence. Kaito grabs the hand out in front of him and shakes it. Once he shakes her hand, Kaito steps back from the elf archer. Evis looks at her hand, then wipes it on her pants.
Kaito: Oh uh… nice to meet you too?
Evis: You ready?
Kaito: Ready for what?
Evis: For training, Klizalk…
Kaito: Training? Like… you train me kind of training?
Evis sighs, then walks up to Kaito's gear, looking it over with a focused gaze. Her face frowns at its shoddy design. She then shakes her head and throws Kaito's chest piece over to him, the young man catching it before it hits him in the face.
Evis: Get your gear on and let's go…
Kaito looks at the chest piece in his hands, then back to Evis. The young warrior gives her a nod before putting on his clothes and armor. Evis waits by the door, impatiently tapping her foot against the wood planks on the floor. Once Kaito is done dressing, he grabs his dagger and sheath, snapping the clamp shut that straps it to his body. Kaito then grabs his bow and quiver, putting the bow on his back with the string resting on his chest, then clips the quiver neatly onto the sheath's belt. Kaito looks over at the elf archer, then walks up to her.
Kaito: Alright, I'm good to go.
Evis: Took you long enough…
Evis quickly turns around and opens the door, wasting no time as she walks out of the room and down the hall. Kaito then looks towards Abi, who was observing them the entire time.
Abi: You be careful alright?
Kaito: You're not coming?
Abi: No, I've got angel stuff to take care of. You go on ahead. When I'm finished, I'll come find ya.
Kaito nods and hurries to catch up to Evis. The female archer is almost out of sight and down the stairs of the inn now. The young man sprints down the hall to catch up with his new teacher.
Kaito and Evis walk through the densely vegetated forest at a steady pace. Nothing but silence fills the air between them as they walk almost a mile out from the town. Kaito, who was walking behind Evis, picks up the pace a little so that he can be beside her. The young man then attempts to break the silence, now curious about where their destination is.
Kaito: Sooooo… where are we going?
Evis: The training grounds.
Kaito: Is it much farther?
Evis: No, it's not.
Kaito: Hmm. What are we doing today?
Evis: The Lady Angel requested that you receive training from me, why it should be me specifically I do not know.
Kaito: You specifically huh? Lucky me…
Evis: Look, there's the training grounds over there.
Evis stops and points to an opening in the woods. The surrounding land is dark, with the giant tree branches creating a heavy canopy over most of the area, except for this one patch of open ground. The open patch is brightly lit with the sun's warm rays. As thick as the trees are, the sun's rays shine through the branches like spotlights on a stage. The area is equipped with multiple archery targets. Three targets stand on the ground, leaving seven different targets suspended on branches around the cleared space. Evis looks around, then steps into the opening. On one side of the opening are the targets, on the other side is a wooden table with a quiver clamped to it. The quiver itself is filled with arrows and sways gently in the slow breeze. Evis walks over to the empty table and sets down a book and a sheet of paper. The elf archer then proceeds to study the piece of paper with complete focus. Kaito moves closer to her to get an eye on what the paper is, and from his view, it looks like a set of instructions. Kaito goes to move closer to the sheet of paper, when Evis speaks.
Evis: Are you done hanging the targets yet?!
Girl's Voice: No! Almost done!
Kaito looks towards the direction from where the voice had come from, but sees nothing. However, a new target had now been hung on a branch, with the target still swinging softly from whoever was adjusting it. Kaito then looks around the cleared space and surrounding trees, but he can't find the person that was speaking to Evis
Kaito: Is there someone else here with us?
Evis: Yes, it's my sister. She's here to assist us, mostly because if I didn't let her, I wouldn't hear the end of it.
Evis continues to study the sheet of paper and the book beside her. Kaito looks around again for whoever was speaking to Evis, but still cannot find the girl. Then, a pink and red cloud of smoke is formed behind Evis and a person steps out of the smoke. Kaito assumes that it must be the girl who was speaking to Evis. She's an elf, just like Evis, except she looks slightly different from the other elves in town. This elf girl has red skin instead of tan, her hair is jet black at the base, with snow white streaks throughout. Her hair is long and messy, falling down her shoulders and all the way to the middle of her back. The girl had those signature pointy ears just like Evis. She was quite short, only reaching around four foot eight inches by the looks of it. The girl has a similar face to Evis', but without the scars. After the red-colored smoke clears, the odd-looking elf girl stands beside Evis. She then tries her best to look over the table and see what Evis is studying. Evis looks at the odd-looking elf and uses one hand to gently push her away.
Evis: You know not to look at this kind of stuff without asking, Scarlett…
Scarlett: I was just trying to see what we were doing today. You never told me!
Evis: Well, it was just supposed to be me and the human over there, but you wouldn't stop bothering me about it. If I hadn't let you come, I would have to hear your whine for the next three days at least.
Scarlett: I do not whine! And I'm pretty sure I only asked you like, three times.
Evis: It was nineteen times, Scarlett. Like I said before, if I hadn't let you come today, it would have been hundreds of more times, maybe even thousands. You need to get yourself under control, you're like an ill-mannered brat sometimes. You're sixteen now, grow up.
Scarlett: You can be so mean, you know that?!
Scarlett crosses her arms and puts on a pouting face. She then turns her attention to Kaito, who stands there awkwardly, not sure what to do. Scarlett gives the young man a grin, then rushes over to Kaito and gets in his face.
Scarlett: You must be the human that helped save the town yesterday, right? What's your name?
Kaito steps back as she lunges forward at him. He then nervously stammers and takes a moment to catch his words.
Kaito: My name is Kaito…
Scarlett: Kaito huh?! My name's Scarlett, it's a pleasure to meet you! Thanks for helping us. What's it like being human? Does it feel weird not having pointed ears?
Kaito steps back as Scarlett advances even further towards him. A loud shout then comes from behind her as Evis raises her voice.
Evis: SCARLETT! Get away from that creature! You're making him nervous.
Evis walks over to Scarlett and grabs her by the arm, dragging her back to stand beside her at the table.
Evis: Stay put until you are told otherwise, got it?!
Scarlett: Ugghhh… fine! You're such a buzzkill.
Scarlett looks back at Kaito and smiles. She then speaks to him in a hushed tone and gives a thumbs-up as she speaks.
Scarlett: We'll talk later!
Evis takes the paper with the list of instructions and folds it back along the previously made creases. The folded list is placed between the book's pages with the edge sticking out, most likely to hold Evis' place within the book.
Evis: Alright, human, step in front of the table and ready your bow.
Kaito walks to the front of the table and removes the bow from his body. He gets into what he assumes is the proper stance when holding a bow. Evis studies the war angel's posture, then walks around the table and stands beside him.
Evis: Not bad, your foot stance is good, and you're holding the bow out in front of you correctly. Bonus points for having your quiver on your belt, faster draw from there… now draw an arrow from your quiver and fire it at the target.
Kaito nods at her instructions. He then reaches his hand into his quiver and grabs an arrow, loading it onto the left side of the bow. With his index finger and middle finger supporting the arrow, he draws back on the bow string, using the small piece of wood jutting out from the side of the bow as a sightline. Kaito aims the bow, then let's go of the string, a quiet whip of air is heard, then a pop as the arrow embeds itself into the target. The arrow lands just two rings out from the bullseye. Kaito smiles after hitting the target and turns to Evis, who unsurprisingly, looks unimpressed.
Evis: Alright, couple things wrong, but you know how to fire a bow and land a hit, fair enough. You did take your time aiming, however…
Kaito: Well yeah, I aimed so I could hit my target—
Evis: A target that was twelve feet away…
Kaito: OK…
Evis: You aren't feeling where to shoot.
Kaito: Feeling where to shoot? That sounds ridiculous…
Evis looks at Kaito with a stern expression, then turns her attention towards the target in front of them.
Evis: Observe then.
Evis takes her bow off her back and quickly draws an arrow from her quiver. With the bow still slanted in her hand, she pulls back and fires the arrow, simply looking at the target as she does, not even aiming down its sights. Sure enough, the arrow lands right on the bullseye.
Kaito: Oh…
Evis: You trust your instincts, and sense where the arrow needs to land. Use the thing between your pecs.
Evis walks up to Kaito and thumps him on the center of his chest.
Kaito: You're talking about my Soul Carn?
Evis nods.
Kaito: Well… I don't know how to use it like that.
Evis sighs and shakes her head.
Evis: How in Hades are you going to become a war angel?
Kaito: By learning…
Evis huffs out at Kaito's statement.
Evis: Alright, let me go over the basics with you. Sounds to me like Lady Abi isn't teaching you enough.
Evis then stands next to Kaito and gets into the same firing position.
Evis: Now, pull out an arrow and load it.
Kaito nods at Evis' command and does so.
Evis: Look at where you want to shoot, this being the target in front of us. Focus on it, and use your energy to feel out the target in front of you. When you do this, you should feel a pull on your well.
Kaito: My well?
Evis: Yeah, the feeling of where your energy comes from? The well.
Kaito: Are you talking about the river?
Evis: River? Whatever, sure, the river. Use it, and focus your energy on the target. Once you do, draw an arrow and fire it at the target you sense. The arrow will follow if you trust yourself.
Kaito nods, then draws an arrow back on the bow. Kaito focuses and pulls from the river as Evis had instructed. He then looks at the target, getting a feeling on where he should shoot it. He then fires the arrow, watching as it flies through the air to end in a loud pop against the target. Kaito smiles with excitement, but then notices that the shot was a ring out from where he initially landed his first arrow.
Evis: Good…
Kaito: But it was further out from the bullseye…
Evis: Doesn't matter, you still hit the target without aiming down the bow's sights. You'll get better as you practice… now.
Evis walks over to the quiver full of arrows and grabs a handful of them, then walks back over to Kaito and hands him the fistful of arrows.
Evis: Put these in your quiver. I want you to do what you just did five times. Then, drop down and give me twenty push-ups, then twenty sit-ups. After this I want you to run over to the target and, regardless if you hit it or not, pick up the five arrows, then run back to me. Repeat this five times, and you can take a break.
Kaito looks at Evis, then the target, then back to her.
Kaito: What is this, conditioning or something?
Evis: Move it!!
Kaito is startled by her shouting and quickly gets to shooting. He follows through with the routine given, with most of his shots landing on the target. None of the arrows hit the bullseye, but with each arrow he gets closer to it. The arrows that do miss still need to be retrieved, regardless of how far they fly from the training grounds. Kaito eventually gets done with the five sets of tasks Evis had given him. The young man breathes rapidly, sweat pouring from his body as he sits down on the ground and sets the bow and arrows beside him. Evis, who had been behind the table with Scarlett, walks over to Kaito and looks down at him.
Evis: Not bad, human, drink some water and rest. You have three minutes until the next drill.
Kaito nods and grabs a water pouch from the foot of the table, gulping it down quickly, the sunlight and humidity not helping with his current situation. Once Kaito is able to catch his breath, he speaks to the elf ranger.
Kaito: What's next?
Evis looks at Kaito, then looks up at the targets suspended from the manty tree branches around them.
Evis: Elevated firing drills.
Kaito: Huh?
Evis: Get up and I'll show you.
Kaito stumbles to his feet, eventually standing but leans against the table next to him for support while he catches his breath. Evis walks over to the group of trees where the targets are suspended, then points up.
Evis: First, you are going to move and fire your bow at the elevated targets using the same technique you just used while stationary. Once you fire five arrows, you are to climb the tree. From there, you are to take three arrows, hang upside down on a branch, then fire them at the remaining targets while using the same method from earlier.
Kaito: But if I climb up there with a quiver and hang upside down, won't the arrows just fall out?
Evis: Yes, they will. So, when you are about to climb the tree, take three arrows and put them into the hand that holds the bow. Put the arrows in between your fingers, this will allow you to not only carry the arrows while in an unusual firing position, but you will also be able to fire them faster. It's a shorter distance from the arrow to the drawstring.
Kaito: Alright then, I'll do my best.
Scarlett: Don't worry, Kaito, it'll be fun!
Kaito looks at Scarlett, the girl giving him another thumbs-up and a smile.
Kaito: I sure hope so… everything else up to this point has been… fun.
Kaito talks with a little bit of sarcasm in his speech while he looks at the many different targets suspended in the trees.
Scarlett: Well good, glad you're having a good time.
Kaito looks at Scarlett and shakes his head, his use of sarcasm going right over her.
Evis: Human! Let's get a move on!
Kaito: Right! Coming!
Kaito picks up his bow and quiver. As he hurries to grab his weapon and ammo, Scarlett speaks to him.
Scarlett: You know you have a really nice smell, Kaito. I don't know what it is, but you smell like you have some tasty energy in ya…
Kaito looks at her confused, not really sure what she is even talking about. He then hears Evis yell at him again and quickly turns around to hurry towards her, trying his best to get away from Scarlett's weird conversation.
Kaito: Gotta go, Evis is gonna kill me if I don't!
Kaito hurries towards Evis, who stands impatiently by the first tree, again tapping her foot while waiting for Kaito.
Evis: You aren't ever in a hurry, are you?
Kaito: Sorry! Your sister was talking to me while I was getting my things.
Evis: Oh, I know how it is. Anyways, start from the first tree on the left. Make your way to the furthest tree to the right. Then, once you are done moving and shooting your five arrows, climb up that tree and find a stable position to hang from. Once you do that, shoot while hanging upside down at the remaining targets. I want you to then climb down, and come back here to this spot. Repeat this again, five times. No need to retrieve the arrows on this drill.
Kaito looks at the targets and studies their position. He then takes the eight arrows that Evis holds out to him and puts them in his quiver. Kaito gets ready to move, then starts the drill. Moving from tree to tree, Kaito shoots his arrows. The young man moves slowly at first as he is not used to shooting a bow while on the move. Once he takes his five shots, with only three landing their mark, he takes the last three arrows out of his quiver and puts them in his bow hand. Kaito tries his best to set each arrow in between his fingers, but the feeling is uncomfortable to him. Once he sets them into his hand correctly, he runs up to the rightmost tree, studying each of its branches and bumps that can be used for climbing. Kaito then realizes that he only has one free hand. This causes him to turn to Evis and speak up.
Kaito: How am I supposed to climb like this?!
Evis: Figure it out, Klizalk!
Kaito huffs out and hisses curse words at Evis as he looks for a way to climb up the tree. He goes to grab one branch with his free hand, but the other branch is too far away for him to reach with his foot. He then climbs back down and looks at the tree again.
Evis: Tick-tock, human, the Scourge is coming to get ya! A few more seconds and you are dead!
Kaito: Aghhhh, screw it!
Kaito takes a running start up the tree, then grabs a branch higher than the one he initially grabbed. He then pulls himself up and starts to jump and climb to each branch, using the trunk of the tree for support as he scales its structure. Once Kaito reaches level footing with the targets, he wraps his legs around a branch. The surface of the rough tree bark scrapes his calves, but at this point he didn't care about the pain. Kaito hangs upside down from the tree and shoots one arrow at a time. To Evis' surprise, he did not drop any arrows onto the ground, and even hit two of the three suspended targets. Kaito then climbs back down and runs over to Evis, who gives him more arrows. As Kaito repeats the drill over and over again, Evis studies him ever so closely. She notices that even when he fails or struggles, he continues to keep going, a determined and pissed look resting on his face the entire time he runs the drill. After Kaito finishes his last run, he climbs down the tree, almost slipping off the branches as he descends onto the ground. Kaito then walks over to Evis, where he promptly falls down beside her. Evis looks down at Kaito, who lays still in the cold dirt, breathing rapidly as he catches his breath.
Evis: I'll give it to you, human, you give it your all.
Kaito: Thank… you…
Kaito holds a thumbs-up to Evis, who bends her knees to crouch down beside him.
Evis: But there is still a lot of work to do, you missed almost half of your shots.
Evis then stands up, watching as Kaito breathes heavily. She then turns her gaze to Scarlett, who appears and disappears back and forth behind the table. The red elf girl moves forward three feet, then back three feet with her weird smoke technique. It is obvious to Kaito that Scarlett is messing around instead of training. Evis watches her sister for a moment, then shouts her name to get her attention.
Evis: Scarlett!
Scarlett stops what she is doing almost immediately and turns her attention towards her big sister.
Scarlett: Yes ma'am?
Evis: Help the human sit up and give him some energy, he'll need it for the next part.
Scarlett: Sure thing!
Scarlett skips over to Kaito and picks him up into a sitting position, the red elf girl now sitting close behind him.
Scarlett: You good, Kaito? That was awesome! You really tried your best! It was really cool when you hung from the branches and focused your energy on the bow and targets, and when you climbed down and hurried over to my big sis to get more, and did all of it without a break! It was awesome!
The whole time Kaito is held by Scarlett, she excitedly talks his ears off. Scarlett wraps her arms around his stomach, her hands lighting up with a pink hue as she gives him her energy. Kaito can tell that the girl does not know what personal space is as she continues to hug him close to her. As she presses his body into hers, Kaito can feel what he assumes to be her bosom pressing against him. The young man can feel her get closer and closer to him, causing him to blush. Before she can squeeze him anymore, he yells out, trying his best to talk over her.
Kaito: OK! OK! I'm good, thank you!!
Scarlett lets go of her tight grip and smiles while looking at him. Kaito quickly stands up off of the forest floor, having to catch his breath yet again.
Kaito: Why… does everyone… have the ability… to crush me here? You've got some serious grip!
Scarlett: What do you mean?
Kaito: Ugh… don't worry about it.
Kaito stands up straight, then walks towards Evis' direction. The elf archer was out of sight, as she had just walked off into another clearing adjacent to the one they were in. Scarlett checks to make sure they did not leave anything important behind and follows Kaito to the next clearing. At the end of the clearing stands Evis, who looks over the cliff-side, a poorly made fence keeping her and the edge parted. Kaito walks up to Evis, who stands at the edge quietly, the elf ranger clearly lost in thought as she stares into the valley in front of her. Her hair and cloak flows in the gentle breeze of the valley air as she studies the landscape below. Her eyes shift from the valley of trees, to the large snowcapped mountains in the distance. A look of anger grows on her face as she looks towards the towering structures. Once she hears Kaito walk up next to her, she turns to him.
Kaito: Everything alright?
Evis: Uh… of course. I was just thinking of our next task, which is hand-to-hand combat…
Kaito: Hand-to-hand combat? Who am I training with?
Kaito looks around for any more participants that Evis might have brought along, but no one else is here other than Kaito, Evis, and Scarlett. The red elf girl takes a seat on a nearby moss-covered rock, leaving Kaito and Evis alone in the center of the clearing. The clearing itself is outlined with a painted circle, and this leads Kaito to believe that this is some sort of makeshift arena.
Evis: You'll be fighting me, human.
Kaito: Is that so?
Evis: Yes, it is, think you can handle that?
Kaito: Well, I can sure give it a try!
Evis then takes her gear off and sets it against a nearby tree, Kaito doing the same in preparation for the training. The two warriors stand at opposite ends of the arena, the valley and mountain behind them giving the open space a perfect backdrop. The young man looks at Evis, who takes her stance against him. Her feet are close together, with one fist raised up next to her head, leaving the remaining hand stuck out in front of her. Kaito studies this and responds with his stance. One foot is set behind his body and tilted, with his remaining foot in front of him, facing his opponent. His hands are open and reach out in front of him. Once his stance is set, Kaito waits patiently for Evis to make the first move.
Evis: Let's see what you got, human… I don't want to hurt you too badly. Otherwise, the angel girl might get worried.
Kaito looks at her with complete focus and gives her a simple reply.
Kaito: I'll be fine.
Once Kaito speaks, Evis yells, rushing in and swinging her fist at him. Before Evis could react, Kaito was behind her and had her in an arm-bar hold. He kicks the back of her leg which causes her to fall down. Kaito then tightens the arm-bar hold and bends her arm behind her back, pressing with ease as he holds her still. Evis yells out as she struggles, then quickly taps her leg with her hand, indicating to end the attack. The female ranger gets up quickly, then looks at Kaito in confusion.
Evis: What the hell was that?!
Scarlett, who had been watching with a joyful look on her face, speaks with excitement.
Scarlett: That was awesome!!
Kaito looks at Evis, now confused by her words.
Kaito: What?
Evis: How did you know how to do that to me?
Kaito: Uhhh… because I know how to?
Evis looks at Kaito with an annoyed look, gritting her teeth at him as she speaks.
Evis: Alright then, let's go again. We'll see if you really know what you're doing.
Evis stands on the opposite side of the arena to face Kaito. While Kaito keeps his focus on Evis' body, he notices that she had changed her stance a little, and waits for her attack, but the two just stand there looking at one another.
Evis: Come on, human, attack me!
Kaito: You first.
Evis huffs out at him angrily, then starts to walk along the edge of the arena, Kaito doing the same as to not lose track of her. Kaito then notices her body move forward and before she can even close in on him, he stops her. He lands one hit to her neck with a knife-hand, then grabs her jacket collar and throws her to the ground, holding her in place with his knee as he puts his weight onto her body. Evis yells out at him angrily as she tries her best to get free.
Evis: Get off me, creature!
Kaito: Tap out then.
Evis reluctantly taps and gets up. The elf ranger moves once again to the other side of the arena, wiping off her armor while taking her stance against him. Kaito watches her movements closely, and when she goes to move in, he adjusts for her direction of attack. Her body moves close to the ground and pounces upwards under him. Kaito simply follows her movement and kicks her in the chest so as not to hit her head. Once she falls to the ground, Kaito presses down onto her back with his foot, pinning her to the ground.
Evis: Agghhh, what are you doing?
Kaito: Just tap out and try again.
Evis: The hell I will!
Evis looks at the ground and goes for a press against it. An aura of purple light starts to cover her entire body. She presses off the ground and launches into the air, sending Kaito stumbling back and causing him to lose his balance. Once Evis is in the air, she flips around and kicks Kaito. Since his window of time was small, all Kaito could do was block his head as her foot came into contact with him. The young warrior is then sent flying into some bushes near the arena. Evis, who at this point is visibly angry, chases after him. Kaito gets up quickly to see an aura-covered fist from Evis swinging towards him. Kaito reacts with how he would a normal punch and lets the energy fly past him first. Since Evis' strength is multiplied, the speed at which she misses and passes him is greater than what Kaito expected. The weight and speed of her body stumbles past him, and almost crashes into a nearby tree. Kaito sets up for another attack, watching Evis closely. Evis goes for another punch and once it comes towards Kaito, he uses her movement to end up at her side. Kaito wraps his arm around her neck and sets her into a chokehold, pulling her to the ground while crouched onto one knee. Evis can be heard struggling to get out of the chokehold and tries using her strength amplifying power to assist, but to no avail as she cannot even breathe. Evis eventually taps out, then scoots away from Kaito as she holds her throat and coughs, her face now red from the lack of oxygen. Scarlett watches the entire scene closely and smiles.
Scarlett: Wow, sis, you finally found someone who can kick your butt.
Evis looks at her sister angrily and yells out at her.
Evis: Shut up!
Evis again goes into a coughing fit, before catching her breath and looking up at Kaito. The young man now stands on the other side of the arena, his calm green eyes watching her every move.
Evis: Don't look down on me, human! Just because you have some tricks up your sleeve doesn't make you the better fighter.
Evis stumbles as she stands, once again wiping the dirt from her clothes.
Evis: Scarlett, it's your turn. Fight him using whatever you want, I don't care anymore.
Scarlett: Yes ma'am!
Scarlett jumps off the rock she was sitting on. Evis walks past her and sits on the same rock, an irritated and upset look on her face as she rests. Scarlett moves to the other side of the arena from Kaito and studies him. The red elf girl keeps one hand on her knife, which rests still in its sheath. The other hand rests firmly on her hip. Once she is done studying the young warrior, she raises her voice to speak to Kaito.
Scarlett: Alright, Kaito, I won't go easy on ya!
Kaito: Same here.
Scarlett: Great! And since you won't attack first…
Kaito watches Scarlett as she talks to him. Then suddenly, she disappears; only leaving a thin cloud of red smoke behind where she once stood. Kaito looks around for her, trying to track where she went. He then feels something cold and sharp press against his neck, then hears a familiar voice speak into his ear.
Scarlett: Got ya…
Kaito yells out and tries to pull away, but stops as the blade against his neck starts to prod into his skin.
Scarlett: Un uh, gotta tap out first!
Scarlett tightens her grip of the knife around his neck. To Kaito's sudden surprise, she even bites down on his left earlobe. Kaito yells out from the weird feeling of his ear being bitten, his face now red. He then taps his hand against his leg quickly, having no other choice left.
Kaito: OK, OK!
As Kaito taps his leg, he feels Scarlett's grip loosen. The young man then throws himself out of Scarlett's arms and puts a good distance between the two of them. He holds his ear and rubs it, now looking at Scarlett with a confused expression.
Kaito: What the hell was that for?!
Scarlett giggles at his embarrassed look.
Scarlett: Scarlett one, Kaito zero. You better beat me at least once today.
Kaito: How nice, you get to appear out of thin air, and I gotta find a way to stop you.
Scarlett and Kaito face each other for a second time in the makeshift arena. The two warriors watch each other's movements closely, the only difference this time being that of Scarlett's playful smile and Kaito's focused expression. Scarlett once again disappears from Kaito's sight, causing the war angel to scan his surroundings. He turns around quickly to check behind himself, but Scarlett is nowhere to be found. He then feels two arms grab him from behind and put him into a headlock. Kaito grabs at Scarlett's arms frantically, then taps.
Kaito: Ugh, dammit… I've got to get this!
Scarlett: Come on, I know you can do it! Let's try again.
Kaito simply nods and gets up, the two of them once again standing at opposite sides of the arena. Kaito focuses on Scarlett, who looks Kaito up and down, then smiles. Kaito ignores this, assuming that she is probably scanning for an opening. Once again, Scarlett disappears. This time, Kaito simply listens, waiting to hear any sound that might give away her position. He then hears the grass shift to his right and looks down to see a hand going for his leg. Kaito grabs the hand and keeps it waist level. He then pulls his leg and body to the side, causing Scarlett to fall and tumble to the ground on her knees. Kaito takes the arm he had grabbed, then pulls it out and towards the ground, forcing Scarlett to lay down and follow that direction. Once Scarlett is on the ground, Kaito sets one knee on top of her and one in the dirt beside her, keeping the red elf girl held down in place. Scarlett yells out at the pressure of his knee on her back and shifts her eyes to look up at him.
Scarlett: Good job, Kaito! I was close to getting ya, but you did it. Also, you're really good at holding people down against the ground.
Kaito once again looks at Scarlett in confusion, then shakes his head and gets off her quickly, his face now red with embarrassment at her words.
Kaito: Quit it!
Kaito's shouting is then cut short as he hears someone clapping from outside the arena. He looks over to see Abi standing next to Evis, clapping her hands together and smiling.
Abi: Good job, Kaito!
Kaito: Abi! I didn't know you were here.
Abi: Well, I didn't want to disturb your training. How's everything going?
Evis then speaks to Abi in a cold tone of voice.
Evis: It's going fine.
Abi: Ah, well that's good. Oh, and I brought you guys lunch!
Kaito looks at the basket of food Abi points to, then hears a rumble in his stomach. The young warrior looks down at the source of the noise and places a hand on it.
Kaito: Yeah, I guess I could use some food.
Abi: Well great! Is this a good place to take a break, Lady Evis?
Evis: Yeah, training is over for today…
Evis then gets up from the rock she was sitting on and gathers her belongings. Once she has everything she needs, she turns to face the first clearing's location and starts to walk towards it.
Kaito: Wait! Will it be the same time tomorrow?
Evis: Unfortunately, yes.
Evis continues to walk off into the forest.
Kaito: Oh, well thank you!
Evis doesn't respond to Kaito, and simply walks off until she can no longer be seen or heard. Kaito watches her as she leaves, his face showing a bit of unease at her response. Abi then walks up next to him and watches as Evis disappears into the forest.
Abi: Is everything OK?
Kaito looks at her and smiles.
Kaito: Yeah, everything's fine.
Scarlett then breaks Kaito and Abi's stagnant feeling by speaking up to Abi.
Scarlett: It was awesome, Lady Angel. Kaito was all stone-like, unmoving, and right when you thought you had him, BAM! He takes you down!
Abi giggles and smiles.
Abi: Is that so?
Abi then turns her gaze to Kaito.
Abi: I assume your training for today went well then?
Kaito: It was… it was OK. There's definitely room for improvement, for a lot of things.
Kaito looks off into the forest where the first clearing was located. The dark and cramped group of trees block most of his line of sight.
Abi: As there should be, no one ever masters something in a day, right?
Kaito is caught off guard by what the angel says. In his experience, he has always been taught that nothing is ever perfected, only polished to be better. This causes Kaito to chuckle to himself as he thinks of something one of the monks used to tell him when he would mess up in training.
Abi: What's wrong? Did I say something weird?
Kaito: Huh? No, you're good. Let's eat before the food gets cold.
Abi nods and picks up the basket of food, setting it down near the cliff-side edge. She then sits down on a soft patch of grass near the crudely made fence and grabs some food from the basket. Kaito follows her lead and digs in, along with Scarlett, who chows down almost as much as Abi does. As he eats his meal, Kaito looks towards the cliff-side view, watching the birds fly in and out of the trees below. The whole forest moves from the gentle breeze of the valley air, causing the tree tops to dance back and forth. After a few seconds of silence, Kaito looks at Scarlett and speaks.
Kaito: You'll have to teach me that weird disappearing thingy.
Scarlett looks at him, her face lighting up with excitement at his words.
Scarlett: Really?! You wanna learn it?!
Kaito: Yeah, it could be really useful in combat.
Scarlett: Wow, no one's ever asked me to teach them before! Sure thing, I'll show ya when you aren't busy training with my sis.
Kaito: Speaking of that, is she gonna be OK?
Scarlett: Evis? She'll be fine, she's just pissed off that you beat her at something.
Kaito: Really? Oh, I didn't mean to—
Scarlett: Come on, I said don't worry about it! She's just like that sometimes. After a little time alone, she usually calms down.
Kaito: Ever wonder why she does that?
Scarlett: I always assumed it was because she was training to be a ranger, and once she was made head ranger, she proved to herself that she was the best. Although I still don't know what she did to become head ranger…
Kaito: Ahh, gotcha. So, when someone comes along, especially someone she doesn't like, and beats her at something, it's a kick in the face?
Scarlett: Probably! You did almost kick her in the face you know.
Kaito: I wasn't trying to hurt her!
Scarlett laughs at Kaito's attempt to defend himself.
Scarlett: I know, I know; I'm just messing with ya.
Kaito puts a sour expression on his face, causing Abi to laugh at the situation in front of her.
Abi: Glad to see you're having fun at least, Kaito. Like I said this morning, this can all be pretty overwhelming.
Kaito thinks to himself about what she said, and looks out into the valley.
Kaito: It's not too bad. I had fun today, and I learned a lot.
Abi: Well, good!
Scarlett waits for the two of them to finish their conversation, then speaks.
Scarlett: Yeah, you did well, Lady Abi. You picked quite the cutie!
Kaito looks at Scarlett angrily, his face once again turning a shade of red.
Kaito: Quit it, weirdo!
Abi: Thank you, Scarlett, but do take note that he is MY war angel. So just because I let you and your sister train him does not make him all yours.
Scarlett: Hey, you're the one who left him with us unsupervised.
Abi: No, your sister Evis was with you. I trust her to keep you restrained…
Scarlett: Hey! What is that supposed mean?!
Kaito waits for an opening in their conversation, then looks at Scarlett before prodding her with a question.
Kaito: Speaking of you and your sister, Scarlett, why do you two look so different? I mean you have red skin and patches of white in your hair. You're also a lot shorter than her. Aren't you two only a few years apart?
Scarlett: Yeah, but we aren't really related by blood. As you can tell, my skin is different from the darker, more tanned wood elves of Arbor. Also, my hair isn't all black, these traits are different from wood elves. I was actually adopted into her family at a very young age.
Kaito: Huh, I see… Well, why do you look different from the other elves? Just rare genetics?
Scarlett: Well, my mother was an elf, but my father was an imp. That's where I get my skin color and patches of white hair from.
Kaito: You're half imp? Sounds neat.
Scarlett looks down at the ground, picking at the grass with a sad expression on her face.
Scarlett: Well, not everyone thinks so…
Kaito: What do you mean?
Scarlett breathes in and out slowly, studying the blade of grass she had just plucked from the ground.
Scarlett: Well, imps are demons, and with the elves of Foritia being on the "lighter" side of the spectrum, people here treat me differently…
Kaito: It seems like that kind of thing runs deep everywhere… even in the afterlife.
Scarlett: Yep… everyone thinks that since I have imp blood, I will "Side with the Devil" Or something stupid like that. It's a mix of good and evil inside me, and that turns most of the people I meet away from me.
Kaito: Well, it's not like you can help it. You were born that way.
Scarlett: Exactly!
Scarlett gets closer to Kaito, completely disregarding his personal space once again.
Scarlett: You're the first person I've met to get that! All I ever get is hatred towards my imp side.
Kaito backs away from Scarlett as she closes in, his sense of personal safety starting to flee.
Kaito: Heh, well where I come from, there's stuff like that happening all the time. In fact, I was also adopted into a family—
Scarlett: Wait, REALLY?! Then you get what I mean!!
Scarlett scoots over to Kaito, then jumps on him, giving him a tight hug.
Scarlett: This is great! I'll for sure teach you my techniques now! And we'll get to hang out and train together! It'll be great. We'll be the best of friends!
Kaito can be heard struggling to breathe while he is assaulted by the elf girl's hug.
Kaito: Scar… stop… squeezing me!
Abi walks over to the two warriors and pulls Scarlett off Kaito.
Abi: You two can continue your training together IF you promise not to do that! Understand?
Abi looks at Scarlett angrily, then sits down between Kaito and the red elf girl. Scarlett looks at Abi with an annoyed and angered expression, then lets out a sigh before speaking.
Scarlett: Yes ma'am…
Kaito soon catches his breath, and once he does, he laughs at the situation. The young warrior smiles as he watches the guardian angel and half-elf bicker back and forth. He then looks towards the valley again and notices something different about the landscape. Around a mile out from where they sit is a tall tree, which wouldn't be cause for alarm as there are many tall trees in the forest, but this one was darker and bluer in color than the rest of the trees. At first, he thought maybe he was just hearing the wind coming out of the valley, but it did sound as if the tree was whispering to him. Kaito shakes it off, thinking he is just exhausted from the training today, but then he hears it again, like someone is trying to speak to him. He stares down into the valley at the tall dark tree and then it is as if time has stopped. Kaito hears the whisper again, and this time, he can make out the words, "Come to us". Kaito focuses on the tall tree, and feels a cold chill run up his spine, causing goosebumps to appear on his arms. He is then knocked out of his trance by Abi, who shouts his name while shaking him.
Abi: Kaito! Kaito!!
Kaito: Huh?! What?
Abi looks at him, now concerned.
Abi: Kaito, are you alright? You've turned pale. You wouldn't even respond to my question.
Kaito: Huh? Oh yeah, I'm fine.
Abi looks at Kaito with worry, wanting to ask him again if he is alright, but she knows he would just give her the same answer.
Abi: OK, well, let's head back to town. We've got to do some shopping and get the inn room cleaned up.
Kaito nods and stands up, then helps the two girls pack the few things they had with them. As they walked back to town, Kaito thought about the words he heard on the cliff-side. He wonders if he was just hearing things, but the voice was so vivid to him. If it happens to him again, he would have to let Abi know about it. Once Kaito and Abi reach a certain point, they say their goodbyes to Scarlett. The red elf girl refuses to go into Arbor, telling Kaito and Abi that, "It would cause more trouble than it's worth, but I'll see you two tomorrow!" Later that day, Kaito and Abi are in their inn room. Abi folds some clothes and sorts the many things that they had bought at the market. Kaito washes off his gear and counts the remaining arrows in his quiver. After a few moments of silence between the two angels, Kaito looks at Abi and speaks.
Kaito: Hey, Abi?
Abi looks over towards Kaito.
Abi: What's up?
Kaito: Think you could teach me how to heal someone? Might come in handy later…
Abi smiles and stands up, then walks over to Kaito and sits down next to him.
Abi: Sure thing. I'll show the basics right now so you can practice later. Now hold out your hand.
Kaito sets his gear down and holds out his left hand, watching Abi closely with absolute focus.
Abi: The method is relatively the same as energy transfer, only with a bit more precision.
Kaito: Do I have to be injured for it to work?
Abi: Well, for it to have any effect on you, yes, but you can still feel the pull and the push of the healing technique even if you aren't injured.
Kaito: Alright, show me.
Abi nods and starts to emanate the familiar yellow and white energy from her hands.
Abi: Now, like how energy transfer works, start pouring energy into the exact spot you want to heal. Once you do that, use your energy like a needle and string, layering it over the wounded spot until it is healed. It looks odd from the outside, but that's because the effect visually heals from the outer parts of the wound, towards the innermost part of the puncture or burn.
Abi takes a second to breathe, then focuses her energy into a certain point. Kaito can feel the healing effect on his skin. It's a calm sensation that almost feels dreamlike. Kaito watches Abi's technique closely, now in awe at its design.
Kaito: Can anyone do this technique?
Abi: Most beings can learn it, but creatures given the power of God's blessing can use it a lot more effectively. These are beings like angels, elves, and even humans. Although your race has a harder time with it.
Kaito: How come?
Abi: Your people are… tainted… in a sense.
Kaito: Tainted? How?
Abi frowns, then responds to Kaito's question.
Abi: If I'm being honest, I'm not exactly sure. That's what I've heard the scribes from my home realm say. We were supposed to learn the history of humans next, but then I left before we got to that part at the academy.
Kaito: Hmm… Why'd ya leave?
Abi: Well… it's complicated. Let's just say I wanted to be a guardian angel, and the academy had other plans. So, I left to pursue my goal, learned the summoning technique, and now we're here.
Kaito: Funny, that kind of thing happens to even angels huh? It reminds me of where I'm from. It happens a lot on Earth, especially with families. A kid wants to grow up to be an astronaut or a famous singer. But you have people around them, even their own parents, who never support them. They are told they must do what EVERYBODY else does, to get a good office job and work every day, doing the same thing until they die.
Abi listens to Kaito's mini-rant and laughs.
Abi: Would I be wrong to assume that you might have been in the same situation?
Kaito: You wouldn't. But to a lesser degree…
Abi: A lesser degree?
Kaito: Yeah, I wasn't sure what I wanted to do, but I know I didn't want to work some boring job until I died.
Abi: Makes sense, I wouldn't want too either. But now I kind of feel bad.
Kaito: Why do you feel bad?
Abi: Because I kind of forced you into this, and maybe you didn't want to do it… but you felt like you needed to?
Kaito looks at Abi with a serious expression, his green eyes gleaming from the healing energy within her hands.
Kaito: Abi… you gave me a choice, and I made that decision not based on your attempts to convince me, but on my own terms.
Abi is at first taken aback by his serious look and tone, but simply smiles and nods in return.
Abi: Of course, though you could have lied just a tiny bit and said that I had some part in your decision.
Abi laughs while gesturing her hand with her thumb and index finger, indicating a small amount, or something of small size. As the two angels laugh, the light from Abi's hand fades slowly into vibrant pieces of energy dust.
Kaito: Oh, you've got some convincing skills, but I'm not that easy.
A moment of silence falls between the two of them before Kaito turns to Abi and speaks. He had just remembered to ask her a question that had been building up inside of him all day.
Kaito: Can I ask you something?
Abi: Sure, you can ask me anything!
Kaito: It seems to me like you've already been through here, and the people here seem to recognize you. You already knew about the leaders, and about Pricil and Javan. You even knew about someone who could teach me. Have you known about this place and its people for a while?
Abi puts her hand up to her chin while she thinks on what to say to Kaito.
Abi: In a manner of speaking, yes. I crossed through here while traveling to the Soul Stream, where I summoned you. In fact, I helped them with the aftermath of one of their attacks by healing their wounded. That's where I met Elder Keizan and the others. I told them my plans and vowed to come back with someone to help them. Everybody else was skeptical about my plan, except Elder Keizan, who insisted that it was a good idea. Everyone else felt uneasy about the unknown factor.
Kaito: That unknown factor being me?
Abi: Yep, and when I told them I was going to resurrect a human, they all got a sour expression on their face, except The Elder of course.
Kaito: Great…
Kaito gets up off the floor, then stretches while yawning.
Kaito: Ah well, it doesn't matter. I'll just have to get them to like me.
Abi smiles as she watches him stretch.
Abi: How are you going to do that?
Kaito: All I can do is try my best.
Kaito thinks to himself for a moment, then gets a serious look on his face before speaking up.
Kaito: We're going to help these people, and everyone else in the afterlife. I've already seen enough suffering in my old life and in this one. I want us to help in any way we can.
Abi listens to Kaito's speech, then stands up to face him.
Abi: Sounds like a plan to me. We'll have to stay strong, and as you said, do our best.
Kaito: Exactly.
Kaito yawns again, then stretches some more.
Kaito: Though the one thing I'm gonna help right now, is myself to a bed. I feel drained.
Abi giggles, putting a hand up to her mouth as she laughs at his comment.
Abi: Then get some rest, you deserve it.
Kaito: I'll see you in the morning?
Abi: Yep!
Kaito: Alright, goodnight Abi!
The young man then walks towards his bedroom and opens the door.
Abi: Goodnight Kaito, sleep well.
Kaito: Yeah, you too!
Kaito then walks into his bedroom and shuts the door. Abi hears him walk towards his bed, where she assumes he falls into it, judging from the sound of his body hitting the mattress, and an audible "Ahhhhhhhhhh" of relief coming from his bedroom. Abi walks over to Kaito's belongings and sets them up neatly in the chair he had put them on. She then walks over to the fireplace and puts it out, along with the crystals that are still lighting the room. She picks up the stack of clothes she had washed and brings them with her to her bedroom, then closes the door. The living space now falls to silence as the two angels retreat to their beds for the night, ready for whatever else comes their way.