Mio opened his eyes and sat up with a jolt, his eyes heavy and his breath rushed. He found himself in a big, comfy bed with a heavy blanket resting on him. He was surrounded by wooden walls, the afternoon sun seeping into the room from a large window. To his left was another bed, and to his right was a closet. In the center of the room was a large table, a hastily-stuffed backpack resting on top of it. He put a palm to his forehead, realizing that he wasn't feeling any pain. Looking down at his body, Mio found that all of his cuts and bruises from the encounter with Torcia were gone, no doubt the work of healing magic. "What… What happened? Last thing I remember…"
Just then, the door flew open. "Oh hey, you're up!" Torcia cheered, carrying a bag in one arm and Sempre's vase in the other. "You're a pretty heavy sleeper, though I guess I can't blame you…"
"Heh, can't blame him either. Not after that beating ya gave him last night!" Sempre cackled, quieting down after a melancholy look from Torcia.
"Sorry, ignore him. He hasn't had coffee in like, two months." Torcia apologized.
"Three!" Sempre corrected. Torcia just rolled his eyes as he set Sempre on the table and reached into the bag. Mio tensed up, his mind racing with what could possibly be inside... Only for Torcia to toss him a bright, juicy apple. Mio caught the apple with both hands, looking down at it with a gaze of genuine surprise. Torcia sat down on his bed and pulled out another, smaller apple. Mio wasn't sure if he should trust the apple, but a noisy grumble from his stomach made him realize just how hungry he was. He waited for Torcia to take a bit of his before biting into the apple, sweet juice flying into his mouth. The two ate in silence for several minutes before Mio broke the silence.
"Okay, what gives?" Mio asked, juice from the apple running down his lips.
Torcia looks up and tilts his head. A moment later, he nods furiously. "Ugh, I know right? I wanted granny smiths, but they were so expensive! Back in Prosperare, you could buy twenty of them for-"
"That's not what I meant!" Mio interrupted, causing Torcia to freeze. "I… I mean… Why did you save me?"
Torcia didn't give a big reaction, just shrugging a little. "Well, I wasn't just going to leave you to die!"
"I would have." Sempre piped up. Both Mio and Torcia glared at Sempre… Before Mio sighed.
"Yeah, I have to agree with it… Don't be mistaken, I am truly grateful… but I'm your enemy. What's stopping me from making off with that urn here and now?" He asked, his question causing Torcia to furrow his brows.
"I told you, he has a name." Torcia coldly corrected. "Anyway, if you do try to take Grandpa, I could just move his ashes back over to me!"
"You'll what?! I swear you're gonna give me a heart attack…" Sempre complained, the irony of his comment flying clear over his head.
"I… I see…" Mio sighed, leaning on the headboard and putting his hands together. Was he in danger? Would he have to fight? He got unlucky last time, but he was confident that if the two fought again, he would easily win.
"Anyway, I know you're still recovering, so I'll only ask a few questions." Torcia began. "Firstly, what is Vita's plan?"
"Well…" Mio sighed. He still felt loyal to Vita, but he wasn't in a good spot to refuse to answer. Besides, as much as he hated it, he was in debt to Torcia for sparing his life. "All I know is that he wants to use the ahes to become immortal, and then use that immortality to spread his influence. There's no doubt that he's already sent more minions to get the urn, and I'd wager a guess to say that they won't be as… merciful as me."
Torcia wanted to berate Mio for once again treating Sempre like an object, but he knew there were more important matters at hand. "Al-alright, how many more?"
"That, I do not know." Mio answered. Torcia gave him a questioning glare, but Mio remained unflinching. "I speak the truth. Vita works in secret, and his underlings rarely communicate. Either way, you are in grave danger."
Sempre sighed, clearly annoyed. "Well, that's just great. Alright, Torcia, it's over, let's go back to Prosperare. This is too dangerous, my scattering can wait!"
"No!" Mio suddenly shouted. This caused Torcia to tense up, taken aback by Mio's sudden outburst. "You… I cannot advise that. Vita has already sent underlings to Prosperare, strong ones at that."
"He did?!" Torcia asked, his eyes wide. "Wait, I thought you said he worked in secret? How would you know?"
"Well, I… I overheard him talking. As for why I told you that…" Mio replied. "Well, I can't say I know… Hm."
"You're strange, you know that?" Sempre said. "Last night you scared us half to death, but now you're… Kind of pathetic!"
"Hey! Be nice!" Torcia snarled, slapping the urn on the head. "But… He does make a point. Despite attacking us, you don't seem like the 'evil' type… Why do you work for Vita?"
"It's quite alright, insults mean nothing to me." Mio smiled, taking the blanket off. He didn't intend for this to sound tough or rugged, instead simply stating his viewpoint. "I'm loyal to Vita because, quite simply, he saved my life."
"He did? How?" Torcia asked, leaning forward in his bed. Mio paused for a moment, soon opening his mouth to speak. Before he could, however, there was a knock on the door.
"Hello? There's someone here to see a Mr. Mestiere?" A voice called inside. Torcia looked over at Mio in surprise.
"Isn't that- Wait, did you come here with someone else?" Torcia asked. Mio simply got out of bed and walked to the door. Before he left, he looked back at Torcia, who was giving him a look of sudden distrust. Mio considered his options for a moment and shook his head.
"No. I came alone. Wait here, please." He stated, exiting the room. As he closed the door behind him, he turned around the see the innkeeper walking down the hall, a hurried stride in his step. He found himself in a long hallway, with several doors and desks on each side. The hallway led to the tavern section of the bar, and standing in front of the entryway was a woman.
She had long, black hair and a slender tan body. Her sharp eyes stared right at Mio, the edges of her mouth twisting up into a smile. She wore a purple dress with white frills on the arms and a pair of heels on her feet. "So, defeated by a kid, huh?"
"He got lucky." He simply replied, approaching her. The woman's name was Furba Raffica, and she had been paired up with Mio to retrieve the ashes. "At least I went out and hunted him down instead of spending the whole time shopping."
"Oh please, I only went to two stores." Furba rolled her eyes, her arms crossed. "Besides, why should I do any work when you clearly got it covered? The ashes are in that room you came out of, right? Just knock the kid out and take it."
"Hmph, of course…" Mio rolled his eyes. Why Vita thought pairing him up with Furba was beyond him. She never does any work around the base and complains every hour of the day. After a moment of contemplation, Mio speaks again. "Though I was wondering, maybe what we're doing is… wrong?"
"You're kidding!" Furba gasped, feigning shock. "You mean beating up a kid and stealing their grandaddy's remains is wrong? Of course it is! But that doesn't matter. We were given an order, and I expect you to do everything in your power to fulfill it!" She ranted, managing to keep her voice down. "... Unless you're planning on betraying Vita?"
"What? Of course not!" Mio snapped, walking up to Torcia's door. He rested his hand on the doorknob, feeling the wood beneath his palm. He knew he was in too deep, and he knew that betraying Vita meant death, but something about this just felt wrong. A sense of unease had plagued him ever since he was given the order to steal the ashes, one that he's never felt before. "... Hey. What's going to happen to the kid? Once we get the ashes, I mean."
"I know you're stalling. But… Well, Vita wouldn't want anyone who isn't in his inner circle to know the secret to immortality. So, he'll send someone to silence him. Knowing him, he'll take care of their family too." She replied with a sadistic shrug. Mio's eyes widened ever-so-slightly, which Furba immediately commented on. "Oh, don't be surprised. Vita doesn't want anyone ruining his plans. The fact he keeps you around at all is beyond me, always questioning what's right and wrong… Why do you think he sent me along? It wasn't to help you complete the mission. I'm only here to make sure you behave!"
Mio took these words in, closing his eyes. "So, even after all this time, Vita doesn't trust me? Well…" He sighed, taking his hand off of the doorknob and turning to face Furba. He wasn't sure if what he was about to do was the right choice, but he followed his gut. "I simply see no reason for him to start now."
Furba was furious. "Why you-! You're gonna betray him after all he's done for you?!"
Mio put a finger on his chin, leaning along the wall. "It's true that he saved me from a life on the streets, but it meant inserting me into a life of crime. I have robbed, fought, and lied for that man, but killing is something I will never do again. I'm simply above it." He defiantly decided, closing his eyes and standing proud. It was then that Mio felt something press his chest: Furba's hand.
"Oh, Mio… You idiot." She snarled. A blue magic circle appeared in front of her hand, and without warning Mio was send flying back, crashing into the wall at the end of the hallway. The impact rattled the walls, Mio slumping to the floor with both his back and chest in agony. He pushed through the pain and stood back up, adjusting his posture and staring down Furba. "You may be above killing, but I'm above letting traitors live!"
"I… I see…" Mio muttered, clutching his chest with one hand. He knew Furba's ability was a wind spell named Gale Blast, and it allowed her to send anything she touches flying back with a blast of highly concentrated air. It was a powerful ability, one he has seen used in full effect only a few times before. In terms of raw destruction, Gale Blast outclassed Copy Foam in every right… But Mio stood strong. "Well then, I invite you to do your worst." He nodded, assuming a calm fighting stance.
"Ugh, there's that holier-than-thou calmness again! You know what? I'm glad you betrayed us! With you gone, maybe we can get someone actually competent to replace you!" She cackled, only grimacing as Mio's face remained unchanged.
Just then, the door next to Mio opened, and Torcia leaned out. "Hey Mio? What's going on? Did you lie to me-" He asked, only to be interrupted by Mio slamming the door in his face. Mio sprayed a line of foam across the door, the foam turning into wood and acting as a blockade.
"Just stay in there!" Mio demanded. Torcia shook the door, but it wouldn't budge. Furba grit her teeth before snatching a flower vase from a nearby desk. She bundled up the flowers in one hand, softly cackling at the sharp stems before a magic circle appeared behind the petals. With a shout, the flowers shot forward at Mio in a cone. At the speed they were going, they would no doubt skewer him.
Thinking quickly, Mio sprayed a big glob of foam onto the roof before jumping up and sticking both his hands inside. The foam hardened into wood around his hands, letting him hang from the ceiling. Mio pulled his body up as much as possible, the flowers whizzing around his legs before sticking into the wall behind him. One rose glanced his thigh, cutting the flesh and causing blood to spritz out. Mio winced in pain, trying his best to contain himself as he looked down at Furba. "How predict-" He began only to let out a cry of pain as the flower vase SMASHED into his stomach!
"Hah! Dead on!" Furba whooped. She had launched the vase while Mio was distracted with the flowers, meaning that he couldn't have seen it coming. Mio was ripped from the roof, landing on his hurt leg and grimacing. "Gale Blast is stronger than your pathetic Copy Foam will ever be! Speed and power, working hand in hand…" Furba smirked, brandishing a set of daggers from her sleeve. Two magic circles appeared on her palms, a double gust of wind sending the knives flying towards Mio.
"That may be true." Mio stated, pushing through the pain in his leg. Before the knives could hit him, he sprayed a short wall of foam at his feet and ducked behind it. The foam turned into more wood, a few thunks ringing out as some knives struck it whilst others flew overhead. Mio jumped out from his cover and shot four precise globs of foam at Furba, aiming to cover her limbs. "But all I have to do is bind you with Copy Foam, and then you'll become stuck to anything you touch!"
Furba attempted to dodge, but Mio was spot on. The foam splatted her arms and legs, causing Furba to stop moving. "Damn, not bad…" She admitted, sighing to herself. If the foam so much as touches the walls or floor, it'll become wood and make her stuck. After a moment of silence, Furba simply smiled wickedly. "But you assumed that I can only use Gale Blast with my hands!" Furba snickered, small magic circles appearing around her arms and legs. Wind blasted in all directions, causing the foam to splatter along the walls.
Mio had no idea Furba could do such a thing, and was rightfully shocked. "You-" He began, only to be interrupted yet again by Furba striking him in the gut with a punch. Gale Blast activated once again, and he was sent hurling back into the wall.
"Go ahead, accuse me of something!" Furba smirked, placing both hands on Mio's arms before using her spell from both hands. His arms were smacked into the wall, causing Mio to stifle a shout of pain. "Power is all that matters, and I'm leagues more powerful than you'll ever be!" She yelled triumphantly, grabbing Mio's head with one hand. Mio's head was blasted into the wall, his body going limp.
"Disappointing as always!" Furba grinned, turning to Torcia's door. She placed both hands on the frame before activating her spell, causing the door to fly off the hinges and crash into the wall. With a confident stride, she entered the room and looked around. Torcia was nowhere in sight, and the window was closed. Furba knew this could only mean one thing: Torcia was hiding somewhere. "Come on kid, make this easy for the both of us!" She requested, checking under the beds only to find nothing. "Still expecting your new friend to save you? Well guess what? He's dead!"
Upon saying this, Furba heard what sounded like a gasp come from the closet. A smile spread across her face, approaching the closet before placing a hand on the door. "Found ya~ It's nothing personal, but I'll be taking those ashes. Your life too, just to be saf-" She started, letting out a sudden "Oof!" as a chunk of wood struck her in the back of the head! She whipped around with a scowl, unable to believe who stood in the doorway: Mio.
"You… You said power is all that matters, right?" He asked, leaning along the side of the frame. Blood was gushing from his leg and dripping from the corner of his lip. "That's incorrect. Power means nothing if it can be outsmarted!"
"What?! You should be dead!" Furba roared, her fists clenched in rage. "How? How are you still alive?!"
"Remember when you so arrogantly gloated about being able to use Gale Blast from any part of your body? You aren't the only one." Mio explained, standing up as straight as possible as his blood stained the floor. "Right before you blasted my head in, I sprayed some foam from behind my head. Before it hardened wood, it acted as a cushion to soften the blow!" He revealed, a smirk riding up his lips. "And while I was playing dead, I figured out how to beat you."
"Why you… You bastard!" Furba screamed, charging headlong at Mio. "How dare you feign my victory! This time, I'll blast you into nothingness!" She declared, readying two magic circles on her hands. Mio stuck a hand out and summoned a circle, spraying a stream of foam at Furba. She simply smirked, not bothering to slow down. "Go ahead, spray me with your foam! I'll just blow it off!" She challenged.
"If you insist." Mio replied, reaching into his jacket whipping out a small chip of wood he had peeled off from the wall. He jammed it into the foamy stream, causing it to turn into wood. Before Furba could react, a pillar of wood SLAMMED into her face, causing blood to spatter out from her nose. With a scream, she was sent flying back, breaking through the window!
Upon hearing all of this, Torcia slowly opened the closet and snuck his head out. "M-Mio! What happened to you?! She said you were dead!"
"People say a lot of things… Hey, Torcia." Mio started, turning his head to look over to the closet. He was limping and still bleeding, but gave a tiny smile. "I've decided to join you. In your quest to scatter those ashes, I mean."
"Really? Well… That's great!" Torcia beamed, throwing the closet door open. He was holding Sempre in his arms, bouncing on his heels. "Though… Why? I thought you worked for Vita?"
"He's going to betray us!" Sempre piped up, getting a doubtful look from Torcia. "What? It's obvious!" He argued. Mio just shook his head and looking to the shattered window.
"After this? I think I'm gonna be fired. Hunted down, probably." He explained, wiping his lip. "You got lucky when you fought me, and Vita will send even stronger underlings to eliminate you. So whether those ashes like it or not, I've made up my mind."
"Mio, I-" Torcia started, unsure how to feel about Mio's decision. Before he could give an answer, though, the two heard a cough.
"Mio… You jerk!" Furba roared, standing on the other side of the window. She had cuts all over her body from the glass, her dress tattered and her nose dripping blood. She was fuming with anger, her hands balled up into tight fists. "That's not fair! You cheated!"
"Oh, you're still concious?" Mio asked, turning to face her. "Go ahead, accuse me of something." He mocked, reveling in the irony. Furba went silent before thrusting both hands onto the side of the building.
"My family… They worked as a moving company. The men used wind magic to move the heavy objects with ease while the woman entertained the clients. But I wanted to be different, I wanted to do the heavy lifting alongside the boys. Oh, oh they laughed so hard when I declared that, but I was determined. I learned Gale Blast, and quickly outclassed all of them in power! When I first used my spell on the job, though… I accidentally blew the house down." She spoke, summoning two magic circles around her hands. The room- no, the building itself began to rumble. The innkeeper fled out the door, being the only other occupant besides the trio inside. "So imagine the devastation if I bring this place down on purpose! YOU'LL BE CRUSHED INTO A MANGLED RED PASTE!"
"W-wait! But what about Grandpa?!" Torcia piped up, holding up Sempre's vase. "Don't you need him?!" He asked, desperation in his voice as debris sprinkled form the roof.
"I just need the ashes! After this, I'll sweep up whatever's left of them! Oh, Vita's going to shower me with praise!" Furba replied, a beserk look in her eyes. "NOW, BEAR WITNESS TO MY AWESOME POWER!" Furba demanded, cackling wickedly as a powerful BURST of wind shot forward, causing the wall to collapse. With the structure unbalanced, the roof caved in with a resounding CRASH!
It was all over so fast. Once the dust cleared, Furba found herself standing over a mountainous pile of rubble. A crowd has gathered around the wreckage, whispering to eachother. The innkeeper stoop in front of the door, his mouth agape in shock. Furba was panting, a smirk spread along her face. "Yes… That's what you get! Hah, I'm the strongest- Wha?"
Furba saw something strange amongst the rubble: A wooden dome where Torcia and Mio's room once stood. The dome was beaten and scratched from the collapse, and after a few moments… It began to melt. It dripped into a yellow liquid, and in the middle of the mattress was Mio, Torcia, and Sempre. "WHAT?! HOW?!" Furba screamed, rage overtaking her.
"Are you two okay?" Mio asked, getting a nod from Torcia and a grumbled gratitude from Sempre. He stepped onto the uneven wreckage and stared Furba down. "It was simple, really. While you were basking in your impending victory, I used Copy Foam to spray a dome of wood around us!"
"No… No that's… That's not fair!" Furba wailed, charging blindly at Mio. "I'LL BLAST YOU INTO OBLIVION!" She cried, leaping forward with both hands out, magic circles at the ready. In one movement, Mio calmly reached out and grabbed the arms, bending the elbows so Furba's hands were placed on her stomach. Furba looked down at Mio, her face flushed with fear.
"You know, I wonder… What happens when you use Gale Blast on yourself? Let's find out!" He smirked. Furba's eyes went wide before she was blasted backwards, soaring through the air at a blinding speed before crashing into a nearby wall. Furba let out a cry of pain as she smashed into the wall, sliding down onto the floor.
"You… Traitor…" Furba stuttered, a breath of defeat escaping her lips as she passed out.
Torcia held Sempre close, looking up to Mio. He was beyond confused, his mind still trying to process what happened. "Is… Is it over?"
Mio just nodded. "Yeah. Come on, we need to move." He smiled, walking out of the rubble and avoiding looks of shock and confusion from the villagers. Torcia blinked before catching up to him, clearly a little worried.
"W-what about your injures? Shouldn't we get you to a healer?" Torcia asked, his mind still trying to process what happened. Mio pressed on, shaking his head.
"Nah, we caused this town enough problems. Besides, we need to distance ourselves from Furba as far as possible. Vita likes to… visit his coworkers."
"Torcia, are we really trusting this guy? If I were you-" Sempre started, only to be pat by Torcia.
"We'll talk about it later. I mean, he saved out lives! Or uh, my life anyway."
Sempre just sighed. He didn't trust Mio one bit! "Ngh, fine! But if he does anything suspicious, we're ditching him!"
Mio heard the two talk and grinned to himself. "Heh, this is an interesting turn of events… I just hope I made the right choice…"
Hours later, Fubra opened her eyes. She was still against the wall, the stary night sky glimmering above her. "Oogh… Damn it… When I get that bastard-" She started, only to see someone suddenly standing over her.
He was tall and slim, with albino hair and piercing green eyes. He wore a red robe that hung just above the floor, and his face showed little emotion. He had a long scar that wrapped around his neck with little barbs along it. Furba was frozen with fear, her whole body quivering. "L-lord Vita!"
Vita looked down at her, not making any motions. "I've told you, Furba, don't refer to me as 'lord'. Until I achieve immortality, I'm unfit to be the lord of anything." He spoke, a hint of remorse in his eyes. "Moreover, what happened to you? And… Where is Mio?"
Furba sat up along the wall, her legs shivering with fear. "Mio… He betrayed me- I-I mean, us! He's with the kid…" She answered, gulping. Vita simply blinked at this, his emotion unchanging.
"... Did he, now?" Vita asked. Furba gave a nervous nod, and Vita let out a long exhale before ramming his fist into the wall. "DAMN IT!" He screamed, his fist meters away from Furba's head. He took a few moments to collect himself before shaking his head. "Ahem. Forgive me for that… So, what did you do about it?"
"I-I did that.." Furba pointed over to the wreckage of the inn. "B-but he survived! That brat too… I-if you just give me a second chance I can-"
"Furba, why are you so scared?" Vita asked, looking over to the inn. "Causing such destruction in a public space was very foolish, but I'm not going to kill you about it." He explained. Upon hearing this, Furba looked relieved.
"Y-you're not? O-oh… Oh thank goodness…" She sighed, slowly standing up. She felt a surge of pain wash over her, causing her to stagger. Vita caught her and held her upright, slinging an arm over his shoulder.
"I'm not some storybook villain, Furba. I don't kill people just because they fail me, that's a waste of precious resources and time." He started, glaring over at the wreckage. He was furious about what Mio had done, though he didn't show it. "No… Failure isn't deserving of death… But betrayal? That's the gravest sin someone can commit." He stated. A pink glow surrounded Vita, and the two were suddenly gone.