It was pitch black in the forest, though it was no issue for Sunny. It did cause issues for Nephis; she didn't say anything, but he could hear her tripping over rogue branches and roots.
"Hey, let's take another path. It may be longer to get there and back, but it's better than risking injury."
He didn't bother to turn his head to see if she was looking at him, but it didn't really matter if she was anyway—after all, she couldn't see.
"Don't worry... if I do get injured it will heal instantly."
He sighed. To him, Nephis wasn't a friend or an ally; at the moment, they were simply working together until they didn't. That's why he was so confused—confused as to why he was so mad at her for being so stupid.
"Your mentality is the exact reason you'll never be able to achieve anything."
The words spilled from his mouth before he could think, though he hoped she brushed off his ranting. But she didn't. Stopping in her tracks, her breaths halted.
"And what exactly do you mean by that... Sunless?"
Her tone was the same as when they first met—no, rather, it was much colder. Yet he couldn't help himself; after all, he'd already stuck the shovel in the ground, he might as well dig the hole.
"It's exactly what you think it means... Changing Star."
He stopped, turning around to face her.
"Yes, you can get injured and heal, big deal. But I don't think you know what that mindset truly means... because one horror you think you can handle and can't will be your demise."
He started clenching his teeth, bad memories rushing throughout his head, but he couldn't stop now.
"I can tell just by being with you for these couple of days, just like many of us, you have a dream—though your dream is probably more vast than I can imagine... and that's the thing. How little does that dream truly mean to you for you to discard your very own body like it's a tool to be used?"
He didn't have to see Nephis walking up to him to feel her eyes piercing into his direction.
"Let me tell you this, you mongrel. You know nothing. Nothing about me, nothing about my dream, and nothing about how much it means to me."
They were wasting time—this argument would get them nowhere, mainly because neither would truly open up enough to tell their perspective. But he couldn't let it end here; he promised himself that he, someone who only lived for himself, would become a hero.
"You're right, I don't know a thing... so show me."
He didn't bother wasting his time on grabbing his wooden training knife provided to him; rather, the vast shadows around them came together, wrapping around his fists.
"I have no interest in wasting our time, you dirty cur. Cease your pettiness now."
Ah, so that was it—it wasn't that he was doing this because he promised himself he would be a hero, nor was it because he wanted to help her. No, rather it was because she really, REALLY pissed him off.
"No wonder you're the last of your clan... after all, if you're like this, I couldn't imagine how insufferable Broken Sword must have been."
It was in an instant—her fist was heading straight to his face. He narrowly dodged, but it still slightly hit him, cutting his cheek purely from the pressure it released. And that's when he knew—that punch wasn't made to just hit him. No, it was as if she wanted to kill him for saying that.
And then he saw the look in her eyes. His eyes widened—after all, he recognized them all too well. They were the same eyes as his.
---
Damnation... this wasn't good. His nose was bleeding profusely and his whole body hurt. What the hell happened with Broken Sword? Well, that was beside the point—Nephis was across from him, leaning on a tree, her injuries very similar to his.
Yet she couldn't heal—after all, her flames were bright, and their fight was sure to attract Caster if he was near. Then she stood up, walking to him, her eyes bearing down into his.
It was quite awkward before she put her hand out in front of her.
"Cassie will be worried soon. Let's go... Sunny."
He could feel his mouth drop open, though it did make some sense—just by the look in her eyes, he could tell she wasn't just a normal legacy. For her to be acting like this, he was sure she must have seen his eyes also and come to the same realization... well, with the slight difference of him being no ordinary outskirt rat.
Taking her hand, he got up from the ground, wiping his nose.
"So we're just going to brush past—"
"Yes."
"Ok."
---
Sunny took a step, feeling his foot slightly sink.
"We're finally here; now we just have to find where the mud trails to."
Nephis turned her head to look at him, confused. He supposed her eyes had adjusted a bit to the darkness.
"Why do you look like you're waiting for me?"
Huh? Wasn't it obvious?
"Well, you're a legacy mutt, and mutts can sniff things out, of course."
"Ah, I think you would be a much better fit. After all, when I first saw you, I assumed you were a frog—you should be able to locate the pond you were born in, correct?"
"Ah, it seems you also know about the fairytale! The prince turned into a frog—I'm quite flattered for the great Changing Star to call me a prince."
"Ah, my grandmother did teach me about how society used to think the supernatural were—it must have been true... you're the prince of the dwarves, I'm assuming then?"
"You must be—"
Before he could finish, he felt his foot sink into a cold liquid. Nephis stopped and summoned a tiny flame on the tip of her finger to see ahead of her—why didn't she do that before?
And there it was, a pond of dirty water. But that didn't matter—they could somehow filter it.
Though the water didn't come alone—after all, it's a sign that tomorrow morning is the day they face Caster and spend the final day in this wretched forest.
That came with another thing—after all, when Caster is defeated, there will be only three left, and only one can win.