"Hmm? Why'd you stop?"
Aveline watched and waited as Lyla's ears began to twitch. She looked off into the trees before her eyes finally narrowed.
"Oh! Aveline, follow me!"
She dashed off, leaving Aveline with her jaw on the ground.
"This crazy brat... dammit."
Aveline sprinted off after her, bursting through a set of bushes and skidding to a halt. Behind the trees and bushes, a beautiful and sparkling spring gleamed under the sun. Her eyes fell onto Lyla, who was attempting to strip her tattered clothing.
"L-Lyla! What are you doing!?"
Her ears fell flat as she looked backwards.
"Eheh... well, you're a noble. You had the chance to bathe when you wanted. Those jerks wouldn't lemme bathe! It was a rare thing! Besides... it's been two months. Doncha wanna clean up?"
Aveline looked down at her feet. She had long discarded her sandals, leaving then coated with dirt and grime. Her dress was heavily damaged, mostly by herself. She looked back at Lyla, seeing the many uses if her dress adorning the fox girl's body as bandages.
"Today of all days. Seriously?"
Aveline gripped her dress as she trembled slightly.
'So much for being knowledge... Aveline and I are one in the same now.'
Wiping her tears, Aveline shrugged her damaged clothing off.
"There are no signs of beasts coming or going, and this spring isn't deep. Should there be any danger, Lyla, don't do anything besides run."
Lyla had a mischievous smile as she hugged onto Aveline.
"You're such a good girl! Hehe. I'm glad it was you that survived down here with me!"
Aveline turned away, her face turning scarlet. Before she could do anything more, she heard a splashing sound. Her eyes lifted to see a fox tail bobbing around in the water, while tattered clothes were beside her feet. After taking a second look, Aveline raised and eyebrow before dropping into the water and grabbing the tail.
"Gah! Aveline! M-my tail!"
Aveline's eyes were glued to the fox girl's middle back. Her fingers traced the strange, intricate design pasted there.
"Lyla, what is this? I never saw this before."
Lyla began to attempt to look at her back, swaying this way and that, only to trip and submerge herself in the water. Aveline blinked awkwardly before dipping under the water herself. Lyla was staring at her as she slipped under, the smile on her face extremely fox-like.
"Aveline? You found my spring?"
Hika's voice suddenly pierced Aveline's mind, drawing her into the Soul World. Her body had reaged, though she began to heave heavy breaths.
"Dammit Hika! I was under the water!"
A soft giggle chimed from behind Aveline.
"My bad. That spring you found, it is a special spring that holds a portion of Divine Power. In a sense, it is something like my own energy mixed with the Gods of other races. I have to say, I am a little surprised you found one of the twins."
Aveline raised one brow.
"Beastkin have a pair of Gods. They are twin foxes, much to their own desires, they also only bless twins as their champions. Or Hero, in this day and age. Speaking of..."
Before she could react, Aveline felt Hika's hands on her back.
"This will hurt, as I'm applying it directly to your soul. This should help you, but I should ask anyways. Would you like to take up the mantle as my Hero?"
Aveline didn't even try to move, almost moving towards Hika's hand instead.
"At this point, asking a question like that is stupid. Just tell me, why exactly is a God staying in my Soul World? This space isn't even supposed to exist anymore."
Hika seemed to float over Aveline's shoulder as she spoke.
"I am only a small fraction of the true Hika. If you saw me in my whole form, it would not only shock you, you would die."
Before Aveline could say anything, she felt a searing pain. Almost as if claws had begun to dig into her back. She nearly screamed, her eyes flashing open back under the water. She pushed off from the ground, launching herself from the water.
"Aveline?!"
Lyla stared wide eyed, diving out of the way as Aveline splashed back down. She reemerged, stumbling in the water as she attempted to get out.
"H-hey... what was that about? You okay?"
Aveline stood, rising from the water. She spluttered until her breathing stabilized. When she finally calmed down, she stamped her foot.
"I just wanted to stand up straight! Not fly out!"
Lyla's eyes stayed concerned as she stared at Aveline's chest.
"You point out something on my back, but what about that?!"
Aveline covered herself, but realized what Lyla had pointed out. Reaching from around her back, barely covering her shoulder, was a black claw. She began to pale and freeze stiff until she realized what the claw was. Staying as still as she could, she peeked at her back in the rippling water.
--
"Hmm. Maybe I should have told her more about myself. That etching... is more sinister looking than I was expecting. Hehe... shit."
Long white hair was swept back as Hika began to giggle to themself.
"Happy Birthday, my Champion."