Aki could fly. Awesome. I would throw a party to celebrate his digimon evolution if the circumstances were different. For once I thought we were going to do the right thing: fly far far away and build an underground hideout. It was the most logical and smartest thing to do, yet we were doing the opposite.
"This isn't a very good idea."
It was very obvious that it wasn't but the two of them acted like we were going for a field trip. The sprout was overly bouncy and Aki was meowing to the tune of whatever nursery song Smoyashi was singing.
"Smoy smoy." It pointed at its precious bindle, signing that it had unfinished business with the village.
"Are we going to get some food takeaways? Is that why we're going back?"
I doubted Matka would want us to take food from them when we were technically their food.
"Smoy smoy." It patted my chest as if saying that we could do this.
Aki circled the village, avoiding the collision with trees and landing in front of the chieftess' house. My bones rattled. I didn't see the head of the village get taken down with the rest of the villagers earlier.
"She must still be there," I whispered. "We should avoid this hou—hey!"
Of all the houses the sprout had unfinished business with it had to be the place where a boss battle could emerge. I felt like we were being watched and there was 100% probability that we were. Smoyashi sauntered inside like a stout Yakuza with Aki being its left-hand man. I followed them as if I was the one being held hostage. Vines slithered on the floor like snakes that made me shudder like a long centipede climbed up my back.
I quickly jumped back when Aki was sucked into a void and became a crumpled cloak. He smoothly transitioned into a human and twirled in midair without revealing his face. He splashed water like a fountain. The vines thinned, sizzled, and wilted from the crackling heat while I was left soaked and pissed.
He landed on the floor, back into his cat form and walked away like nothing happened. It was as if he merely did a few jumping jacks and burpees and decided it was enough for today.
"So you are human! Sort of...maybe?"
I was ignored.
I'll deal with this issue later. There was no point interrogating him if we would end up dead by the end of the day.
Just about every piece of stem was destroyed except for the ones in the middle. They were draping over a circular bricked pool that stood at about half a ruler. We peered over; I helped Smoyashi remove the vines. It was too dark to see inside but considering what the villagers eat here, I doubt the water was drinkable. The more I stared at pitch-black depths of the well the more I felt like something could pluck us from where we stood, hauling us inside to drown.
"Smoy smoy."
"Yeah, we should definitely get out of here."
Aki whacked my head with his paw.
"What?!"
"Smoyfu!" Smoyashi scolded.
"Don't tell me we need something from there."
Smoyashi shyly bent the triangular flaps of its hands as if it was embarrassing to tell me that indeed, there was something essential inside the well.
How bad could it be? I mean nothing good actually happened ever since I woke up in that part of the forest. I should get used to running around like a headless chicken all the time.
Besides, I had to make myself useful. I couldn't let these two do all the hard labor. If I died doing so, at least I departed as a hero.
"So…I have to…"
I made diving motions and Smoyashi, woefully for me, nodded with enthusiasm and approval. It gave me a thumbs up. My shoulders drooped as if a net of bricks were pressed on my back.
I removed my shirt and my pants, keeping my underwear on. The breeze uncomfortably licked my skin. Ants keep crawling in my gut. I stepped on the rim of the well, moving my left leg forward.
I was milliseconds away from jumping in when Smoyashi yelled.
"What? Hurry before I change my mind!"
It handed me a ball of white light that emitted warmth and security. A red and long string shot out from its palm and tied around my ankle. It gave me another thumb up to signal that I was good to go.
I pinched my nose, hugging the ball of light tightly to my chest. Before I could prepare myself, I plummeted inside out of impulsivity. I knew that if I counted to three, I would chicken out.
'Let's get this over with' was what I thought.
The freezing water bit my skin like small carnivorous fishes. My teeth clattered. I revolved and looked around the well. The light aided me as I descended. Although the lustre from the ball provided courage, I still grew fearful of the possibility of finding nothing here. The breath I stored in my lungs neared a dangerous zone and I have yet to get to the bottom of this well.
Bubbles gushed out when a scream flared from me. The banshee appeared from the screen of tenebrosity, grabbing my wrist with her deathly cold hand. Her sharp and red stained teeth were bared. Her grasp on my wrist burned with her hatred. The quality of her agonized scream remained the same despite being underwater. I kept pulling my arm away but her strength was monstrous and driven by malevolence.
Her form dispersed into fizzes. She was replaced by the giant bear's resentful face. The well's size expanded to accommodate him. I froze. The water felt even more freezing. His lips quivered with grudge as I was glared from above, ready to be mauled into imperfect pieces.
The water became a tad bit warm because I accidentally peed. His clouded eyes locked with mine. My lingering thought was: 'What did I do to piss him off so much?'
I took the courage to swim closer. The bear stopped me with a sharp point of his black and chipped claw. If he had wanted to eat me, he would have swallowed me like a shark in one swoop.
It was either I die from drowning or I die trying. I'll choose the latter to preserve my dignity.
I grabbed the single claw extended to my direction. As soon as we were connected, the ball of light died out.
The scenery became different. The sky was set ablaze, smoke swelled up in the heavens. Bergelmir was on the ground, defeated and defiled. The origin of their devastation wasn't revealed, but whoever did this must have had monstrous strength to be able to take him down. A silver arrow was pierced through his back. Its length was long and stained with his blood.
Bergelmir's breathing was squeaky, hastened, and shallow. He was drenched in a puddle of blood while gazing at someone whose eyes I was using. Fireflies flew inside his eyes, bringing them a lively golden glow.
'Go…you have to... Duvessa and the Hunter will kill you if they see you...' He was bleeding from his mouth but wasn't speaking through it. He seemed to be speaking his thoughts out.
'I can't leave you here. You're going to die. I don't want you to die!' her voice was thickened with grief. Her hands held the same claw offered to me in the well.
The bear's eyes glistened. 'As long as my bijoux is returned I will live again. You will help me, won't you?'
The woman nodded through all her sobbing.
'I will. I will come back to save our world. I promise.'
'Long live our Almighty Metis, long live to you, Princess. We will take our home back one day.'
The light in his eyes grew dim as one by one the fireflies lost their glow. The princess gasped from the arrows that were sent to the skies that detonated. She erected from her despair, collecting her wits and her broken heart to hide. She had seen Duvessa's underlings come forth. He slid out his hunting knife, lifting the guardian's upper jaw to start cutting off his tongue. The princess escaped, not brave enough to witness how he mutilated him.
The hunter left with his tongue. Flies began to hover over the guardian's corpse. He regained movement. He sluggishly stood and glanced over the forest he was born in, the place he had sworn to protect. The creatures thought he had survived, that he was prepared to swing his infamous strength to shield them from Duvessa's terror, but their smiles crumbled when Bergelmir crushed them beneath his feet.
A loud growl reigned in the forest. The guardian of the forest haunted and hunted without rest.
My consciousness was forcefully returned to me. I panicked in the midst of reality. There was a huge lump of muscle at the bottom of the well. It was pale and was too far gone to be sewn back. Without hesitation, I snatched the tongue from the ground and embraced it against my chest. I curled and tugged the strong thrice. The lack of air made me agitated. The surface was too far to swim by myself.
Why wasn't Smoyashi hauling me back?
I tried to swim back on my own but I was merely making motions as if climbing an unseen ladder. I began to hyperventilate. The water was going down my windpipe. Numbness took over me.
The water was shaken by another weight plunging below. Aki showed up in an expeditious dive. My eyes shut close as I was gathered into his hold. That was the last thing I remembered before
one heavy thump to my chest yanked me back to life. Smoyashi used my chest for bungee jumping. I think it broke my chest-bone. I jolted into a sitting position, puking water and desperately gasped for air.
"Smoy!" The sprout welcomed and hugged me by my neck.
Harsh coughs racked my body, embracing Smoyashi back.
"I thought I was going to die."
Aki released a purr of a lion and rubbed his head against us to join. He stole Smoyashi, leaving the tongue he was pawing earlier on my lap in exchange.
"I have the urge to scream with how vile this is but it's too late."
"Smoy smoy." The sprout petted the evolved cat.
"So, what's next? Are we going to put that back in the mouth?"
Smoyashi nodded.
"How do we do that?"
It pointed at me and then made diving motions that heaved an indignant protestation from me.
"I will certainly not!"