Disclaimer: This is a work of fan fiction based on multiple existing anime/manga series. The characters and settings used in this story belong to their respective owners and creators, and no copyright infringement is intended. This story is purely for entertainment purposes and is not intended to infringe upon any existing intellectual property. I do not own any of the original works that inspired this fanfiction, and I fully support the original creators and their works.
-Story Start-
-Third Person POV-
A quartet of individuals, sitting around a fire in the Snowy Forest.
The four individuals are enjoying their recently cooked rabbit skewers, despite being burnt.
Currently, the group's redhead is glaring at the half-naked newcomer snowflake who's currently making himself comfortable within the group, even taking a skewer for himself.
Without asking for permission.
Just as she was about to attempt to pound the man to the ground, the group's blonde once again pleaded mercy in the name of the communication-isolated snowflake.
"Eris... Please, we can spare more food, and he might know where the Snow Dragon is! Maybe he's a native, isolated here all his life," Alistair pleaded, trying to find common ground in Gojo's language barrier.
Eris turned her attention from the interloper to Alistair, her glare sending figurative heat waves in his direction.
Alistair felt a nervous chill, and it wasn't just from the cold.
Meanwhile, Satoru relished his slightly burnt skewer, carefree and oblivious to the brewing tension.
Despite the language barrier, Satoru couldn't help but comment, "Yo, this skewer's burnt," deadpanning at Relna, who was also enjoying her skewer, while Eris and Alistair seemed locked in an argument.
His expression made it clear that he wasn't impressed, and Relna responded with a deadpan shrug, pointing a finger at him.
"Wha? Me?" Satoru pointed at himself in exaggerated shock.
Relna nodded in confirmation, and he reacted as though he'd been punched in the gut.
"Look, Eris! Don't you pity him? Listen to that barbaric language! He must have been hungry!" Alistair pleaded with the irritated redhead.
Eris hesitated for a moment, a faint trace of pity crossing her features. She sighed, relenting, "...Fine, ask him if he knows anything. I won't be the one communicating with..." She cast another exasperated glance at Satoru.
Satoru, now done with his skewer, turned to look at Eris as he sensed her gaze. Once again, he misunderstood her intent and, with a sly wink, lowered his shades before quickly replacing them.
"That thing... If he winks at me one more time, I'm castrating him." She completed her prior sentence in disgust and added with a threatening edge.
Alistair gulped, knowing that when it came to Eris, her threats were not to be taken lightly.
She'll definitely deliver on that promise.
"R-Right... I'll talk to him," Alistair replied with a nervous sweatdrop.
"Hey! Gojo!" Alistair called out to get Satoru's attention.
Satoru, lost in his own thoughts, only caught the word "Gojo" and turned his gaze toward Alistair, unfazed by the escalating situation.
Alistair struggled to find a way to inquire about the Snow Dragon without a shared language. Then, he had an idea. Rising from his seat, he attempted to convey his message through mime.
Pointing at his own eyes, Alistair captured Satoru's attention, prompting him to focus on the imitation.
"What about my eyes?" Satoru thought, slightly amused.
Alistair continued by lowering himself, opening his mouth wide, and leaning closer to the fire, waving his hand to mimic fire-breathing.
At Alistair's clever attempt at communication, Eris burst into laughter. Her amusement was infectious, and even Relna joined in, though with less enthusiasm.
"Gwad, you found it fonny..." Alistair remarked mid-impression.
Satoru usually would have also joined in, but he was curious at the message Alistair tried to convey.
'Fire... Breath?' Satoru tilted his head and stuck a finger below his chin in contemplation.
A moment passes and he comes up with a possible option.
'A Dragon.' Satoru concluded quickly
'Now for the message... Eyes... Dragon.' He thought, his eyes narrowed in concentration, and then...
'Did I see a dragon?' This is the question he most likely asked, Satoru thought.
Satoru locked eyes through his shades with Alistair still miming a Dragon, with Eris still laughing and Relna subsiding in her chuckle.
Satoru nodded in affirmation of Alistair's question.
Whether it was because he didn't expect Satoru to understand his message or because he didn't expect Satoru to have actually seen the Dragon, Alistair froze in his imitation, only to collect himself in surprise, "Really?" He asked.
Satoru seeing the surprised and disbelieving expression on Alistair's face, he nodded once again.
'Why is it such a surprise I saw the dragon?' Satoru wondered
Causing Both Eris and Relna to, in a creepy seriousness simultaneously freeze in their laughter.
An atmosphere of seriousness enveloped the small camp as Eris decided to take over the... Communication, "Where is it? Gojo." She demanded an answer, her eyes narrowed.
Eris, was excited at the prospect of this entire ordeal and useless patrol being completed.
"What a passionate gaze~! Kya~!" He exclaimed, wrapping his body with his arms to defend his chastity from the hungry lioness.
Misunderstanding the redhead once again, whether purposefully or not, Eris didn't care, she proceeded to ask a second and perhaps last time, "Where is it?" She demanded, grinding her teeth.
Alistair, the hero of the hour quickly moved in front of Satoru to grab his attention from the girl that would chop his head off any second now.
Satoru's head tilted in confusion as he released his protective wrapping of himself, glancing at the resident mime.
Once again, Alistair mimed a Dragon, and then quickly followed up with a "looking out" expression, his hand on his forehead as he turned his head left and right attempting to look for something.
'Dragon. Where. Ah, they want to know where the dragon is... Okay~! I'll show them where the dragon is~! Hehe,' Satoru thought, giggling internally at the opportunity to mess with them.
Is that a way to create a lasting impression?
Yes.
Is it a good impression?
No.
Satoru smirked as he got up from his sitting position, gesturing for them to follow him with his hand.
He stood still, as he patiently awaited for their response and packing of equipment.
Eris seemed keen on following along, as she stood up and began packing her necessities quickly and expertly.
"W-Wha already?" Relna exclaimed in surprise and disappointment, having just set up camp.
"Gojo!" Alistair called out to the statuelike Satoru.
"Hmm~?" Satoru hummed at Alistair in question.
Alistair, meanwhile has found a roadblock.
"Girls! How do we ask him how far away did he see it? It might be very far from here! In that case, we might as well stay the night and continue fresh in the morning." Alistair kept Satoru hanging as he turned his head towards Eris and Relna.
"Yeah, Nya!" Relna quickly agreed, only to be glared at weakly by Eris whilst she packed. Eris seems to go softly on Relna for some odd reason.
"You could draw, on the ground. That's what Rudeus did every time before we fought a tough monster." Eris grumbled offhandedly while packing
"Eris, I could kiss you!" Alistair exclaimed excitedly
"I could kill you." Her glare turned subzero at the mere insinuation.
He promptly ignored her murderous intentions in his excitement and called for Satoru, "Gojo!" He gestured for Satoru to come look.
Satoru complied, expression curious.
Alistair knelt down on the snowy ground and chanted the Elementary Fire Magic, "Heat Island" melting the snowy ground, revealing a flat rocky surface.
As that occurred, Satoru's eyes widened and he immediately removed his shades to analyze what was going on.
'First usage of this energy other than some kind of reinforcement or a Dragon's breath... Is this like an Innate Technique? Is this the only utilization of this energy? Is this exclusive to him? So many questions! How interesting!' He analyzed in rapid motion, providing him with more questions than answers.
'I need to learn their language. Fast.' He concluded as he pulled his shades back up.
The language barrier was interesting and funny at first, but now it's begun to irritate Satoru.
Satoru watched in contemplative silence as Alistair sketched for a few minutes.
Eris, in lack of patience, stood slightly beside Alistair, looming above him threateningly so he hurries up. She, having completed packing up.
This didn't do Alistair's nerves too good of a favor, but his artistic pursuits had yielded a fine bounty...
On the ground were two sketches:
The first is a sketch of the four of them sleeping, and an arrow pointed at a badly sketched Dragon, the Sun drawn above them.
The second, is a sketch of the four of them walking toward the Dragon, however the Moon is drawn above them.
At that, Alistair looked expectedly at Satoru, letting him decide as he knew the distance and this was the best idea he could come up with.
He pointed in question at one and then the other.
Satoru froze momentarily in contemplation.
'Go to sleep and then go find the Dragon.' He analyzed the first sketch.
'Or go now to find the Dragon.' He analyzed the second sketch.
Satoru proceeded to point at the first sketch. Causing Alistair to sigh in relief and nod gratefully at Satoru, prompting him to get up and move towards his makeshift bed.
"Thank goodness Nya!" Relna expressed pure happiness at getting to rest today and not having set up camp for nothing.
Also, fighting a Dragon in the middle of the night isn't a good idea.
Eris on the other hand... In a show of maturing, took a slight walk to the side and drew her sword... Chopping a tree into a million pieces. Not a word came out of her.
Satoru whistled, "Fiesty!" He exclaimed in amusement
No one dared say a word to Eris, and luckily for Satoru, she didn't understand what he said.
'Well, if I'm going to stay with them for a few days, I could use this to my advantage.' Satoru thought, and an idea popped into his head.
"Alistair!" He waved at the blonde who was about to enter his makeshift bed.
Satoru pointed at the moon and said, "Moon" In Japanese.
Alistair gave Satoru a look of uncertainty and looked up at the moon.
Prompting Satoru to repeat himself, "Moon." He said in his own language.
He then pointed at Alistair, whose eyes widened in understanding, "Moon" He said in Human Tongue.
'Good, memorized, that's a start. Next.' Satoru thought pleased
He then proceeded to point at a tree, "Tree." Satoru said in Japanese
Alistair having caught on to Satoru's attempt to learn, helped without hesitation, "Tree" he said in the Human Tongue.
That night... Alistair and Satoru did not get even a wink of sleep as Satoru was being taught the Human Tongue slowly.
Why would Alistair resort to losing sleep before a Dragon fight to assist Satoru?
That's for Satoru to find out!
Why did Satoru resort to losing sleep before a Dragon fight?
Well... Because the Dragon's dead!
To Be Continued!
-Author Note Start-
Hello people! To my readers of the Ten Shadows fic, Don't worry! The chapter is nearly complete and should come out tomorrow or in 2 days at most. Earlier than usual! Don't complain!
Ahem, anyways! In this chapter, Gojo decided to do a little bit of trolling and such.
As always, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I hope Gojo's portrayal as well as the other characters (Eris specifically) was good and acceptable! Gojo's portrayal is especially important for me so do send feedback if Teen Gojo seems a bit... Off character ya get me?
Reviews, Comments, Feedback, and anything really is much appreciated! I respond to everything! (When I feel like it, which is most of the time)
Do send in the comments and opinions! I'm curious!
Have a nice day!
-Author Note End-