Tim was struck by lightning directly, which ignited into an electrifying explosion, curved out like winds, blew the snow away from him on all sides, and then curled up into a heavy twister that brushed past Etuna.
Tim opened his eyes gradually when the wind died down and the snow began to fall. He was searing out a hot fire as a fox on fire was sitting on his shoulder.
He blinked in confusion and astonishment as he discovered that Etuna's powerful attack had left him unharmed, and he tried to make sense of what had happened in the split second since he had been struck.
He experienced a cozy fire warming him. He said, "A fox on fire?" as he saw its little form. He questioned as the fox on fire looked into his eyes, "Could it be...?" he learned that the fox was guarding him and that it had somehow boosted the effectiveness of his fire after noticing a small smile on its face.
From a distance, Kyora came racing, calling to him. "Tim! I found Flare!" She noticed that he had some of the least acceptable wounds and came racing beside him. She said, indicating that she was concerned for him, "You're hurt!"
"I'm alright. I'm happy you found Flare. Nice to see her." Flare resembled a typical fox, except it was smaller, and because she had lived all of her life in a snowy climate, her fur was naturally white. She possessed the power to ignite herself and utilize the flames to treat any illness or superficial wounds.
"Etuna!" Etuna's attention was soon drawn by Kyora's callout. "Hold the tainted soul inside of you back and let Flare take care of it. You need to restrain yourself for a little bit longer so that we can save you!" pleaded Kyora. But even though Etuna was anxious because she knew the corruption may jeopardize everyone around her, she still wanted to be free of it.
"You naive humans! I do not need you here. Just leave already, please!" but neither of them retreated, and Tim stayed back while Flare jumped alongside Kyora as she moved ahead. "Etuna, no! We're so close to liberating your spirit from corruption! We intend to restore your good soul to its previous state. Even though we are merely humans, you must have faith in us!"
While Kyora and Flare gradually drew nearer, Etuna gripped her forehead in an effort to stanch the headache and the outbreak of her tainted spirit. "Etuna. If you don't let us conduct this, your soul will fall to the corrupted one, and more harmless people will die. No need to be concerned about us. Focus on the things you can manage."
Tim persisted in keeping a respectful distance from his two friends by remaining still. "Etuna. Give us the one chance we need to set you free by making an effort to quell the corrupted soul's yearning for death." Etuna began deteriorating as the polluted soul rose to the top.
A cascade of electricity that was ignited by Etuna's softening right arm intensified over time. "Etuna, we're almost there. Simply continue breathing, and maintain control of your spirit." Etuna's pain persisted in seeping out from her innocuous thoughts, which started additional volts charging.
She was forced to aim her right arm at Kyora since she was unable to stop it from advancing on its own.
"S-Stay back!" her screaming in a high tone caused her to release a lightning bolt that walloped towards Kyora's direction. The lightning strike flew by Kyora's face by an inch, as though it intentionally missed. "Kyora!" Tim was worried that she would get harmed. But as soon as Kyora gestured to mute him with her palm, he was rendered silent.
But the opportunity finally arrived.
"Flare, go!" she ordered, swinging her left arm forward. Flare quickly bounced at Etuna, shocking her, and finally...
Etuna was freed of the illness, with Flare inserting her fire into her soul. That curing fire spread throughout Etuna's body and removed any unwanted viruses.
The soothingly warm flames did the all-wanted miracle. The corrupted goddess had been no more, and with that came the goddess everyone desired.
A caring, friendly, and lovable goddess whose job to protect had finally risen to the top.
When Etuna's eyes were fully open, she saw that Tim and Kyora were both standing in front of her. The goddess looked about, confused, "W-What?" she asked.
Flare sat on Kyora's shoulder, and the two appeared content, their smiles beaming. As Kyora seized the chance to move her arm close, Etuna took her hand off her forehead. Kyora wanted to assist Etuna in getting herself up.
"Etuna, is everything alright?" Etuna accepted it while looking at Kyora's arm and then gently stood up. Etuna had to blink a few more times before she really understood, but once she did, she felt rejuvenated, and nothing attempted to escape her control. Her body appeared to be in a state of complete control.
"How are you feeling?" Kyora inquired while displaying her genuine grin. "I'm feeling... f-fine," Etuna responded while examining her own hands. "That's awesome! If we're being completely honest, I didn't think Flare's fire could actually treat your wounds, but I trusted her anyway, and it ended up working out just fine! Etuna, welcome home!"
Etuna suddenly realized, however, that she wasn't at the summit of the mountain. She was in the center of Monmouth, surrounded by other people who all of a sudden began joyfully applauding her.
Tim and Kyora were able to carry her into town without her knowledge over that brief second that actually appeared to be a few hours.
That instantly made her speechless, and when she looked around she appeared startled, hearing people calling.
"Woo-Hoo! The goddess is back!" one called, "We don't need to fear anymore!" the other few called, "We can finally have Etuna's true protection!" the last people yelled out.
While his pals stood next to him, Tim exuded confidence while keeping his arms at his sides. "Ah, right, I nearly forgot." Tim was given the pendant by Natan when he pulled it out of his pocket. "So! You had it!" A little bit irate, Tim called. "I only had it because I took it from that assassin," Natan said. Fuji turned to face away from him and grunted while crossing her arms. "Whatever..."
Fuji confused Tim, but he felt happy to have his treasure back at last. He wrapped it around his neck right away. " I might have responded too strongly." As she called out, Ayuka rubbed her hair behind her head, feeling foolish and humiliated. "Yes, and this time Tim can't be held responsible." Yumiko continued, also making an unimpressed face. "He's still responsible for running away like a moron!"
Between the two girls, Ralphie moved and grinned. "Now, now ladies. Don't be too harsh with one another. He was simply doing what was proper, our young skipper." Yumiko and Ayuka both gave him perplexed looks as they gradually realized what his true goals were. "I suppose you're correct," When they unexpectedly heard Ralphie, the two females let out a relief-filled breath. "Can we do that again, though? Ayuka-swan and I should stay up another night, please!" Who would have thought that both of the girls would suddenly ram their knees into his stomach? On the cobblestone path covered in snow, he discovered himself battered.
But pinks hearts were still pouring out around him.
Kou coughed into his hand and looked away. "I know this sounds stupid, but he didn't deserve that," Kou whispered, but decided to ignore it.
In front of Tim's pals, Alina made a courteous bow. "I'm very grateful that you made Etuna feel normal again. I'm sorry you had to go through all that." As she continued, Yumiko put her hand on her waist. "Come on, you fella. You shouldn't be saying "thank you." The hard labor was entirely done by Tim and Kyora. Mostly, we were just looking for Flare and our captain. Tim, though, ended up finding the ideal helper for him."
Alina laughed and bravely nodded. She called, bending before him, "Then I'd like to thank you, 'White-Haired Pirate, Tim!"
"Eh, I just follow moral standards. Now that it has been over, everything is back to normal." But Natan, who appeared agitated, caught everyone's attention. "Be prepared, buddy. Why in the world is that look so stupid?" Tim wondered.
Natan muttered and turned his head away. "I only want my bounty, but in the end, I never located Silvio." They laughed in response, despite his somewhat shady intents. Tim said, "He's fine!"
Even though it might have appeared otherwise, they knew Natan's heart was in the right place, but Alina had another query in mind. "Do you plan to stay here for another day then?" Neither of them, though, confirmed it. "I'm sorry, but we can't. To save Chiaki, we still need to travel to La Isleta Cortada. But the execution won't begin for another day and a half. We must move quickly or we won't make it in time." Everyone, including Ayuka, who was convinced Tim was angry, could see the fear and hatred on his face.
"Yes, it is correct. I regret having asked. I'm hoping you arrive on time." Alina spoke forward while others remained mute. Kyora and Etuna eventually came up to them nevertheless. "You want to visit La Isleta Cortada, do you? I can help you get there faster, but if you accept my offer, I would like to let you know that I can only utilize my abilities on one person at a time before having to build up my strength again."
They were taken aback when the goddess offered to help them. "Are you sure you can do that?" Yumiko asked in an optimistic manner. "I can. However, I can only get you close to La Isleta Cortada, so please be aware of that. I am not allowed to enter that place because of my position, but you should have enough time to reach the execution site in time. It is the minor offer I can do to express my gratitude for all that you have done for me and this island."
Ralphie gazed at her, trying to hold his feelings back, while Ayuka leaned her finger close to her chin. "That would really benefit us, but if one person goes... then that means the others would need to travel there by ship. So, is it smart to do that? That person who'll go could really become endangered, and if that happens, then..."
"No," their eyes locked on Tim in instant. "None of you will go. The person that needs to save Chiaki is me, and I'm the only person who can do this." His eyes were closed as he held his hood with his palm. "La Isleta Cortada is a dangerous place, and that's logical if you think about the powerful agents that work there." He was serious.
"You're right; traveling there by myself puts my life at stake and increases the likelihood that I'll be apprehended or possibly killed. But I'm the only one who has the skills to save her. Not because I don't believe in you, but because if we all go there, we'll all be in danger, and if that happens, who will come to our aid? Since there is no guarantee that any of you will be able to assist me if I get caught with you and even based on what I've heard, I still believe we are too weak to resist the agents, I decided to go."
His buddies didn't trust a word he said, but his justification was sound. "Even if I do get caught on my own, then the remainder of the agents would come and try to capture you as well. That's why we'll go our separate ways for two years and use that time to get stronger.
"We need to be prepared for what comes next, after all, I barely managed to hold my own against Niklas." They kept listening while unable to speak.
"If they find you and I'm hunted down, you'll also be found and we'll be massacred. They won't always be able to find us if we're on the opposite side of the ocean." He let his hood go while remaining composed and understanding. "So, listen to me. We'll leave the ship here and when *exactly* two years have passed from the time we departed this ship, we will reunite on Winterpeak Island. At the very least, you'll have a greater chance of moving on and returning home if I am caught. I'm certain that everyone here understands."
Others waited for him to complete as they stood next to him. "I'll stop Chiaki's execution and save her while the rest of you split up. I'll find someone to assist me to strengthen once I'm out of there. But until then, listen to my commands; if you don't, you're welcome to leave the crew any time. Because I *am not* changing my viewpoint under any circumstances."
No one objected, though, and they all nodded simultaneously. "Yeah. Only you have the ability to complete this. But, you had better be secure when you arrive." Ayuka exclaimed, and others grinned in response. "Kyora. You're a skilled fighter and navigator, and I have no doubt that you'll keep your word. But, you're now under my orders, and I am confident that you are aware of what that means. I expect you to fall into line."
Flare stayed perched on Kyora's shoulders as she grinned and put her palm on her hip. "I'm a woman of my word and I already said I'd come with you if we managed to cure Etuna's illness. Therefore, the only thing I can do is obey your orders. Now, back to that ship. It won't take too much more, in my opinion. As a result, I believe we should look for someone who can construct a new one when the two years pass, or at the very least, locate a different ship to go on."
Tim gave a solemn nod. "Tim, are you prepared to leave now? You should also fix your clothes, in my opinion. I suppose I should not have expected you to show here wearing those destroyed clothes." She handed a duffle bag to Tim after he nodded. "The clothing you should wear is in that bag, and they are made of special silk so you will not have to worry about them burning. They also fit both of your gender *types*. If you are curious about how I am aware of your talents, let us just say that someone special keeps an eye on everything you do." Each of them was confused by Etuna's explanation of her intended audience. "I am certain Ayuka would recognize her," Ayuka, though, blinked in perplexity.
"Many thanks, Etuna. I'm all set." Tim approached Etuna, and she nodded in agreement. "Guys, be careful. And keep in mind what I said." Others smiled and gave him a thumbs-up in response to what he said. Tim waved, "See ya!" followed by his companions, and the two of them both instantly disappeared from their line of sight.
The others turned to face one another while lowering their arms. "Well. Let's not let our captain down. Let's make sure we all get stronger!" While grinning with the others, Ayuka exclaimed. Everyone called, "You got it!" knowing they wouldn't see each other again for a while. Even so, their friendship would remain intact as Natan continued his search for Silvio.
"I assume your aim is to find Silvio. That is quite forceful of you!" Raoul chuckled, but Natan shrugged his shoulders. "It is irrelevant. I'm going to see my mission through." Raoul then grabbed Natan's shoulder just as he was about to depart. "I believe I could assist you there. Let me come along with you, partner." Natan was silent for a brief period of time, although he was unconcerned. "Do as you please."
Next to Alina, Fuji and Dave remained motionless. "Hah! It's a real pity that those two are after that assassin! Fuji, isn't that accurate?" Dave chuckled, grabbing her shoulder and musing.
She didn't respond and turned to go while crossing her arms. He pondered "Fuji," but he decided to stay back. "What's up with her?"
In a city on a different island, Tim and Etuna arrived. "Sennecroft Holm is the closest I could have brought you. You must keep moving north from this island if you want to reach La Isleta Cortada, which is the closest island." In front of her, Tim knelt down and started looking through his backpack. "Yeah, gotcha! How long should my journey there take, then?" He questioned as he started putting on his new clothes.
"You'll need 24 hours to go there from here. You should have just enough time to get there. However, proceed with caution as the ocean beyond is hazardous."
Tim got to his feet, donning a black hoodie with a white hood over it, a black pair of just-tight-enough-to-wear pants, and making sure to keep Chiaki's pendant around his neck.
He emitted orange flames and whirled around in the flames. His waist rounded in, his physique became skinnier, his eyes turned pink, his chest grew, and his hair lengthened, transforming him into a girl.
"Hey. You're right. These clothes work for both sides as well. And my body feels much more comfortable. Heh, say hello to Tiffany!" she laughed, her voice becoming softer and higher-pitched.
She made certain to turn herself back into a boy. He dragged his duffle bag behind his neck while draping the string over his torso. "Many thanks, Etuna. I have to stop wasting time. So I'm off now!" He quickly moved forward while turning to wave to others behind him. "See ya!"
Etuna watched him go away from her while remaining motionless and grinning. "You are going to be just fine..."
"Tim, good luck..."
To be continued...