Rhys: [Bad Wolf!
Come warn me about something before rushing in!]
He bonked Wolf on the head as she whimpered in sign of saying sorry.
Ms.
Hollow and the guards were watching him scold Wolf, wondering if this was too harsh for a glorified dog.
Rhys: [Oh, by the way, you guys can eat the deer meat over there if you want…]
Ms.
Hollow looked at the deer meat.
Ms.
Hollow: [It’s mostly rotten…]
Rhys: [Oh yeah…]
After a brief pause, Ms.
Hollow finally addressed the elephant in the room.
Ms.
Hollow: [What’s with all the marks on the tree behind you?]
He looked back at the tallies he had made around the magical circle throughout the time he had been here.
Rhys: [That’s the amount of days that I’ve been here for.
ot at least, I think…]
They all looked at the holy grail of dashes, the tree now had.
Ms.
Hollow: [How many are there?!]
Rhys: [Uhm…]
He tried recounting them in his head, but realized that would take way too long.
Rhys: [I think… 5300-5500… around that range…]
Ms.
Hollow: 15 years, huh…
The guards who were sitting on their legs were also surprised by the duration.
Rhys: [So… Can you tell me why you wanted to talk to me?]
Ms.
Hollow: [Well… It’s something urgent!
But!
It would make a lot more sense if I explained something to you…]
Rhys tilted his head.
Wolf also imitated the act.
Ms.
Hollow: [Do you have any idea what an “Angel” is?]
Rhys: [Yes…?]
Ms.
Hollow: [Angels, for us, are beings that were sent from the heavens by God for some purpose.
We still don’t know what purpose they serve.]
Rhys: [Go on…]
Ms.
Hollow: [Some say that they have their own absolute abilities that defy any laws in our world.
So most call them rules.]
Rhys: [Okay…]
Ms.
Hollow: [Their only downside is that they apparently can’t use any sort of magic.
It’s as if their brains were just not meant for the task.]
Rhys: [So what you’re saying is…]
Ms.
Hollow: [Yes, you are what is considered to be an angel.
And so is the thing I’m trying to kill…]
Rhys’s and Wolf’s heads tilted slightly further than expected.
Ms.
Hollow: [There was an angel that was ruthless to humans and other angels.
It killed anything that got in its way; it seemed.
That includes my home village and my family.]
Rhys’s eyes widened a little.
Giving Ms.
Hollow all the information she needed.
Ms.
Hollow: [As you could probably tell, my revenge plan is on something that’s pretty strong.
So when I heard that there was another scary angel, I knew this was my only opportunity.]
Rhys watched as she got up, walked over, and clasped his hands in hers.
Hollow: [I need your help… please… you’re the only one who can do it…]
Rhys: [U-um, ma’am.
I hate to break this to you… but I don’t think I could do something like that… I’m not capable of something like that…]
Ms.
Hollow: [Please don’t say that… you’re my only hope in this…]
Rhys could hear her voice crack on that last word.
Rhys: [Miss, I told you!
I don’t have it in me at the moment!
I just… can’t.
Please stop asking me…]
Wolf: [Woof!]
Wolf broke the stalemate flawlessly.
Rhys: [What’cha need Wolf?]
She then started glowing once more.
Giving Rhys the perfect message that she could’ve given.
Rhys: [What are you going to do with your magic?]
Ms.
Hollow’s face looked shocked.
Ms.
Hollow: [WOW!
Your wolf friend can control their mana really well!]
He turned back to her.
Rhys: [Mana?
Is that what it’s called?]
Ms.
Hollow: [Yes!
Mana is the flowing liquid that every being has in their body.
It’s where magic directly comes from.]
She then started glowing throughout her entire body.
Looking as if she were on fire, or about to transform.
Ms.
Hollow: [As you see… Mana should look like this when someone’s about to cast magic.
But apparently not for her…]
Rhys: [Then why do these leaves glow like her?]
Ms.
Hollow: [Most magical objects don’t have as much mana as anything living would.
Objects can only do so much magic-wise, but it seemed as if she was trying to imitate their mana flow…]
Rhys: [That’s cool… I guess… So what are you getting at Wolf?]
Wolf: [Woof!
Woof!]
She started biting the air and clawing at it as well.
Rhys: [What are you fighting in the air or something…?]
Tom: [I-I think she wants to h-help you guys…]
The entire group looked over at Tom, who was still shaking at the sight of Rhys.
Rhys: [Dude!
I’m not gonna hurt you!
Calm down already!]
He then shifts his focus back onto Wolf.
Rhys: [You really want to help her?
Wolf?]
She gives a single pant, meaning yes.
Rhys: [Really?!]
Wolf: [WOOF!!]
Rhys: [Okay, damn!
I get it!
But… Why—]
Then he remembered something, something that happened a while ago to others, but still burned into his mind.
Rhys: [What was the name of your village…?]
He asked quietly.
Ms.
Hollow: [Haethir… Do you remember now… Mogi?]
His eyes widened.
Rhys: [Haethir…?!]
Hollow: [There were some survivors, like me… but most of the village died that night.
I thought the strong monkey-human died too, but I guess not…]
Rhys: [Who… are you?
Ms.
Hollow…?]
Ms.
Hollow: [You don’t need to know right now… but if you help me… then maybe I’ll tell you my name…]
Rhys: Oh, goddammit!
He slapped his hands over his eyes, slowly streaking back down to his hips.
This bitch really just bribed him.
Rhys: [Alright!
Fine…]
Ms.
Hollow’s eyes lit up once she heard his acceptance.
Rhys: [But!
Wolf!]
He looked back at her.
Rhys: [You cannot help with this, trust me.]
He said with a level of sternness that Wolf had never seen before.
It took her a second to even process it, but when she did, she reluctantly accepted.
Wolf: [Woof…]
She sat down on her ass and sulked loudly.
Rhys wasn’t budging one bit, though.
Rhys: [So… what are we going to do…?]
Ms.
Hollow: [Well, first off, we have to make it back to Stjerna!]
Rhys: [Stjerna?
What is Stjerna?]
Ms.
Hollow: [The Stjerna Dynasty?
That’s where we all came from?
And it’s the place I plan to take you!]
Rhys: I swear I’ve heard that word from somewhere before…
Rhys: [How far away is it?]
Ms.
Hollow: [Um… About two days south.]
Rhys: [Two days?!]
Wolf: [Woof woof?!]
Ms.
Hollow: [Look!
I know it’s a long way away!
But if we get going, we’ll be there sooner rather than later.]
Rhys: [Well then lets go!]
Ms.
Hollow: [Wait just a second!]
He stopped in place, just about finally ready to leave this forest.
Wolf was right behind him, going through the same thing.
Ms.
Hollow: [We should shake on it.
I feel like that would set our bond in stone!]
Rhys: [Really…]
Ms.
Hollow: [Yes.]
Rhys: [Alright sure…]
He turned around and walked back, getting within a couple of inches of Ms.
Hollow.
He extended his hand slowly and gave her the nod of approval.
Ms.
Hollow: [Alirght!]
She grabbed his hand and shook it intensely; Rhys could feel her strength.
Catching him off guard, since no human had ever felt like that before.
Rhys: Wow…