The same night, of Johnas being beaten by Sal, 1 hour before Johnas arrived.
Guinea was with Elfy at the party, intended to commemorate there coming graduation. "Elfy do you see Nelly?" Guinea looked up at his friend who stood to his side, Elfy shook his head in disappointment, Guinea sighed. "Ugh, maybe she didn't come, she never liked being in crowded places, especially parties." Guinea looked at the ground in disappointment, before looking back to Elfy, with a large grin on his face. "Let's go home Elfy, thanks for coming with me to look for Nelly, i know you hate social situations, haha." Elfy looked back at Guinea and gave a soft smile, and a gentle nod, in agreement.
as they were headed down the forested hill towards town. "Guinea." Elfy spoke shakily, Guinea looked over to Elfy, who was looking elsewhere, he followed his gaze to a tree, in the dim light it was difficult to see but it didn't take long for Guinea to make it out, there was a Hermit thrush pinned to the tree by an arrow, quickly guinea scanned the area for the hunter to wave them down to not shoot. "HEY! Don't shoot, there's people over here!" Guinea shouted, he couldn't see anyone, and the more he thought the stranger it seemed there was anyone hunting this late at night, let alone why no one seemed to be coming over to grab there catch. "Elfy, do you see, or hear anyone?" Guinea kept looking around just in case, while waiting for his friends answer, for a moment they were both silent, until finally. "No." Elfy responded still shaky, but calmer, than before, Guinea sighed in relief. "Ugh, we're getting to old to be freaking out like this, someone was probably hunting here earlier, and one of there arrows must've strayed further than they could find. hahaha." Guinea spoke trying to seem stoic. "Come on, let's go we're just over thinking it." Elfy grumbled in reluctant agreement, as they started to continue there short hike back to town.
Just as they verged the border of town. "Wow, i can't believe we freaked out over a dead bird. hahaha." Guinea said trying to lighten the mood, Elfy continued to walk in silence without responding. "Elfy, are you alright?" Guinea spoke with genuine concern, patiently waiting for a response. "Yeah." After a moment, Elfy responded, Guinea smiled in the darkness as he felt Elfy was being honest with him, he knew dead things always bothered Elfy, so he usually tried to keep him away from those kinds of situations.
*Grr* Guinea, and Elfy stopped in there tracks when they heard growling coming from behind them. Quickly they turned around keeping shoulder to shoulder, so as to not lose each other. They scanned the area they believed the growling to have come from. *Grr* The growling was behind them again, this time louder. "You keep looking this way Elfy." Guinea said in a broken voice, as he quickly turned back around to where the growling came from the second time, he tried to see but couldn't see more than a couple feet in front of him, due to the lack of a moon. *Grr!* This time it was so close, Guinea thought he could feel whatever it was breathing on him. "RUN ELFY!" Guinea turned around to push Elfy trying to get him away from whatever unknown danger hid in the darkness surrounding them. but when Guinea pushed he felt nothing, throwing himself to the ground with his own weight. *Oof* Guinea grunted as he landed, quickly getting back to his feet. "Elfy?!" Guinea called, but there was no answer. "ELFY!" Guinea screamed, fear wrenched his heart, as he started to franticly feel around, grabbing nothing but air. "Please answer me Elfy." Guinea could only think of these words, these words being the only thing keeping him from succumbing completely to fear.
*Grr!* Guinea froze, this time the growling didn't sound like it was just in front of him, or behind him, but everywhere at once. "GUINEA." Guinea was completely paralyzed by fear now, as the voice he heard wasn't Elfy's, it was a deep and gritty voice, like a drum filled with gravel. "h...Huh-Who are you?!" Guinea tried to sound tough but only sounded more afraid. "GUINEA." "What did you do with my friend?!" Guinea forced most of the fear out of his voice. "GUINEA, DO NOT CONCERN YOURSELF WITH THOSE WHO ARE ALREADY DEAD." It's voice Boomed loudly echoing into Guineas very soul. "n...n-NO! Elfy isn't dead!" "LET GO GUINEA, LET ME TAKE CONTROL." Every word resonated with power and authority, Guineas mind felt numb. "Uh. Aah. Stop it!" Guinea tried to fight whatever was burrowing itself into his mind, but was met with only pain. "THE MORE YOU FIGHT ME, THE MORE YOU WILL SUFFER, GIVE INTO ME." "n-NEVER!" Guinea's words did not match his desire, nor his thoughts. "I should just give in, this pain would go away if i just let go, what am i holding onto?" Guinea fought his own mind, but he could feel he was slowly losing. it wouldn't be long until he was consumed by this being that hid within the darkness. "LET GO." The voice spoke, and with it Guinea lost consciousness due to the pain he was in.
"Guinea, wake up!" Elfy yelled at Guinea, who was lying unconscious. "Guinea, please wake up!" Elfy shook him, afraid of losing the one he considered a brother. "Uuh" Elfy heard Guinea moan. "Guinea?!" Elfy called to him, finally feeling hope. "e... Elfy?" Guinea rasped, Elfy pulled Guinea in tight, silently crying. "I thought you were dead?" Elfy whispered to Guinea. "You ain't getting rid of me that easy." Guinea spoke his voice still raspy. "Let's go home Elfy, i'm tired." Elfy helped Guinea to his feet, and held his arm over his shoulder, as they slowly made there way home.
1 month after the incident.
"Guinea, Elfy!" Johnas called to his 2 friends, who were waiting for him in the town center. "Johnas!" Guinea waved to Johnas with his usual excitement, and Elfy gently waved as he often did. "I'm sorry for making you guys wait for me, i was just finishing my morning training." "Yeah, yeah, sure you were Johnas." Guinea said mockingly. "Your one to talk Guinea, you look like you've put on a few pounds since i last saw you." Johnas shot back quickly. "Johnas my ignorant friend, that just means there's more of me to give to the ladies." Guinea spoke in a smooth tone, gesturing to himself. "Hahaha." They all laughed. "So what are we going to do today?" Johnas asked curiously. "Well i vote we should go around town, scoping out all the hot babes." Guinea said. "What the hell, ever since the party last month, all you've thought about is women. what happened to your crush on Nelly?" Johnas spoke with disappointment. "Johnas you'll understand when you get older, crushes are for children, and i'm no child, so i need to seek out a suitable mate, before fate decides my time is up." Guinea spoke cockily, Johnas and Elfy looked at one another for a moment before looking back to Guinea. "Guinea we're the same age, what the hell do you mean when i get older?" Johnas spoke flatly. "It's fine Johnas, i'll come up with a different idea for us to do, since your so apposed to finding a women to bear your children." Guinea spoke in a demeaning way. "What the hell is up with you Guinea, what's with the attitude all of a sudden?" Johnas was clearly frustrated with the way Guinea was speaking to him. "Alright, i'm sorry Johnas, i didn't mean to be rude i was just saying were getting older, and have to start thinking of stuff, like having a family, and a full time job." Guinea spoke apologetically. "It's fine, i guess. but seriously Guinea you need to chill out, i know that stuff might be freaking you out, but letting that kind of stuff, get to you isn't helping." Johnas spoke calmly. "I know, i know. I'll do my best to not freak out on you guys again." "Thanks Guinea. anyway i think i have a better idea." Johnas spoke, recovering some of his earlier excitement. "Oh yeah and what might that be?"
"There's a lake a couple miles from my house, that i've been going to for training, we could go there." "No, no, no, we are not going somewhere just to train Johnas, even my idea is more fun then training." Guinea responded quickly. "Not to train Guinea, i have a ball we could toss around, and we could swim in the lake, and if that isn't enough we could fish to get some dinner." Guinea looked over to Elfy. "What do you think Elfy, does doing chores sound like fun?" Elfy looked at Guinea after what he said with a disappointed look, then looked back to johnas. "I like swimming." He spoke silently. "Well that's 2, to 1, looks like were going to the lake today!" Johnas exclaimed. "Erm." Guinea grumbled, giving Elfy an angry look for moment, then wiping it away quickly. "I'm not going." Guinea spoke in a low tone, Johnas quickly looked at him. "What? but it's 2, to 1, you can't just not go." Johnas spoke, saddened by Guinea. "You guys go on without me i think i'm gonna head home for today." "Guinea come on at least..." Elfy walked over to Johnas and bumping him on the shoulder, Johnas looked at him confused, Elfy in turn slightly shook his head, trying to not be visible to Guinea. "Uh, alright. Next time Guinea, you need to come with us next time." Johnas said disappointedly. "Yeah. later guys." Guinea responded, then walked away, heading to the southern part of the village.
Johnas and Elfy were headed towards Johnas's home, when Johnas spoke up. "Why did you not want Guinea to come with us Elfy?" He spoke to Elfy with genuine concern, Elfy had been looking down at the path almost the entire walk, only now glancing over to Johnas. "let's talk at the lake." Elfy spoke silently, Johnas somewhat taken aback, didn't persist, only nodding his head in understanding.
As they arrived at Johnas's house, Johnas looked over to Elfy. "Could you come in with me, if my Mother thinks i'm by myself she'll make do chores, Hehe." Johnas chuckled, Elfy nodded at him, following Johnas into his home. "Hey, Mom!" Johnas Called to his Mother. "Yes?" She responded from the study, Johnas followed the sound of her voice while gesturing to Elfy to follow him, as they reached the entrance to the study, Johnas knocked on the doorway as a way of announcing his presence. "Mom." His mother was sat in his fathers lounge chair that had been stretched and faded from prior years of use, she looked up at Johnas, and noticed Elfy behind him. "Oh, my. You brought your friends here, why is that Johnas?" She said, hinting he shouldn't have. "It's just Elfy, and I, this time. We won't be here long though, i just came to let you know we'll be headed to the lake, and i needed to grab the fishing poles." Johnas gestured for Elfy to back him up, but all Elfy could muster was a gentle, but wild, nod. "Hmm, alright, all your fathers fishing gear is up stairs in the closet." She initially spoke to Johnas, before looking to Elfy. "What happened to the other one with the red hair? you 2 are always together." Johnas spoke up. "He wasn't feeling well, but didn't want to hold us up, so he insisted we go without him." His Mother Gave him a sharp stare, before dismissing them with a subtle flick of her hand, looking back to the paper work she was looking through.
Johnas quickly ran upstairs grabbed his, and his fathers fishing poles, grabbed some extra fishing line, a couple extra hooks, and tossed them all into a small box. He then ran back down stairs, across the long hall, past Elfy, and into his room, he then grabbed a small travelers pack, that was on the floor by the head of his bed, he put the small box into the pack then took the 2 rods, and slipped them into 2 leather loops attached to the pack designed to hold the rods upright. He walked out of his room with the pack in hand so as to not cause the rods to get stuck on the ceiling, he then gently grabbed Elfy's arm, and directed him towards the front door. "I'll be back in a couple hours." "Be safe." She said casually.
A few minutes of silence pass between Johnas and Elfy, as they walk in the woods headed towards the lake. "Has Guinea been acting strangely back home?" Johnas broke the silence with a question, it startled Elfy the suddenness of Johnas's question, he calmed himself before responding. "Yes." Johnas kept looking forward along the path, without looking at Elfy. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?" Johnas asked in an almost hurt tone. "I thought he'd get better." Silence comes over them, what feels like minutes passes, and not a word is spoken. "Elfy... do you consider us friends?" Johnas spoke gently, Elfy surprised by the question, looks at Johnas for a long moment before responding. "Yes, of course." Elfy responded, confused by the question, suddenly Johnas stops walking and holds his arm out, barring Elfy from walking forward. "J... Oof." Before Elfy could speak, Johnas turns and punches him in the gut, the force of the punch leaves Elfy winded, causing him to crouch, clutching his gut. *Cough, cough* Elfy coughs from the pain, Johnas then grabs Elfy by the arms forcing Elfy to a standing position, Elfy winced afraid Johnas would hit him again.
instead Johnas pulls him in and hugs Elfy tightly, surprising Elfy as much as the punch. "Never, keep a secret like this from me again Elfy." Johnas spoke sounding like he was starting to sob, Elfy reciprocated the hug. "I'm sorry, Johnas." They stood there a moment longer holding each other, before Johnas's grip loosens around Elfy, Elfy follows in doing so, until there both standing in front of one another. "We're friends Elfy, friends help each other, how can i help my friends when i don't know they need my help?" Johnas looked up at Elfy eyes still watery from the tears he previously shed, Elfy looked back at Johnas and gave a gentle smile before nodding, letting Johnas know. "I understand." They continued there walk towards the lake, in silence once more, but feeling less burdened by the secrets held from on another.
Half an hour of walking passes when they finally reach the edge of the lake. "We made it." Johnas exclaimed, turning to Elfy with a smile. "Let's talk." Elfy nods in agreement as they look for a suitable spot to sit down.
After finding a small boulder, that was relatively flat on the top, they climbed on top of it and sat next to one another, facing the grand beauty of the lake. "So when did Guinea start acting like this?" Elfy hesitated but spoke quickly. "About a month ago after the Autumn Coming party." Johnas looked over at Elfy. "I thought you guys hadn't gone to the party?" Elfy shook his head, implying whatever they had previously told Johnas, was a lie, Johnas held his tongue and gestured for Elfy to continue.
1 month before during the incident.
"I hope Guineas okay, i know he really wanted to give that pendant he got earlier to Nelly." Elfy thought to himself, as they were walking down the hill, when Elfy saw something in the corner of his eye, he looked up, and saw dark red eyes that glowed in the dark of the moonless night, startled by the sight Elfy quickly exclaimed. "Guinea." He spoke shakily, not moving his eyes from whatever hid in the darkness beside them, Guinea was speaking but Elfy could only hear mumbling, nothing mattered to him in that moment more than keeping his eyes on whatever it was, finally after what felt like hours passed Elfy's gaze was pulled away from the creature when Guinea shouted, Elfy glanced at Guinea for moment before he quickly turned back to where the creature was, but it had vanished, his eyes scanned frantically looking for the creature but he couldn't find it, almost as if it wasn't even there in the first place. "Do you see, or hear anyone Elfy?" Elfy delayed for a moment before answering. "No." In a less shaky voice.
A few minutes pass and they make it to the bottom of the hill nearing the edge of the village. "Wow, i can't believe we freaked out over a dead bird. hahaha." Guinea said, Elfy couldn't help but think. "That wasn't a bird." Silence lingered for a moment before. "Elfy, are you alright?" Elfy could hear the concern in Guineas voice, and didn't want to freak him out anymore. "Yeah." He responded, but wasn't sure Guinea would believe him as his voice still shook a little. not even a moment later Guinea falls to the ground convulsing. "Guinea." Elfy loudly called Guineas name, thinking this must be some bad joke to cheer him up, but when Guinea kept going without responding to Elfy, he dropped to his knees beside Guineas convulsing body, and started to shake him trying to stop him from thrashing about. "GUINEA, GUINEA STOP!" Elfy shouted trying to bring Guinea back from whatever nightmare came over him, but it wasn't working Guinea thrashed about more violently then before banging his head repeatedly against the ground leaving blood, Elfy trying to protect him puts his hand underneath Guineas head but Guinea continues to thrash against Elfy's hand bashing it again and again the pain was almost unbearable for Elfy but he held on so Guinea didn't kill himself from beating his head against the ground. "Guinea wake up, please!" Elfy cried out to him, but there was no sign of Guinea stopping, Elfy feared his friend was dying, and tears fell from his eyes. "Please, Guinea your my brother, stop this!" He begged, and plead, for Guinea to stop but no matter how much cried out, nothing helped.
Suddenly without thinking Elfy began to reach into the air grasping with his thumb, and index finger, onto something invisible, as he pulled, whatever it was, light began to shine from between his fingers, the more Elfy pulled the brighter the light became, when the light reached it's climax Elfy had to shut his eyes due to it's brightness. but he could hear something howl and shriek, as whatever it was dragged a long body across the ground with many feet stomping like horses hooves, once Elfy couldn't hear the creature anymore he instinctively let go of whatever he held in his hand, the light took a moment, but it disappeared with out a trace, Elfy didn't care though he quickly looked back down to Guinea who was lying completely still. "Guinea, wake up!" Elfy yelled at Guinea, who was lying unconscious. "Guinea, please wake up!" Elfy shook him, afraid of losing the one he considered his brother. "Uuh" Elfy heard Guinea moan. "Guinea?!" Elfy called to him, finally feeling hope. "e... Elfy?" Guinea rasped, Elfy pulled Guinea in tight, silently crying. "I thought you were dead?" Elfy whispered to Guinea. "You ain't getting rid of me that easy." Guinea spoke his voice still raspy. "Let's go home Elfy, i'm tired." Elfy helped Guinea to his feet, and held his arm over his shoulder, as they slowly made there way home.
In the present, Elfy mentioned a few other time's he caught Guinea talking to himself, and how since the incident Guinea has become easily irritated, Johnas listened patiently for Elfy to finish speaking. "I don't know what to do John." Elfy said holding back tears. "I just want my brother back." Johnas wrapped his arm around Elfy's shoulder and pulled him close. "We're going to help Guinea, don't you worry Elfy we'll get him back." Johnas spoke stoically, comforting Elfy as best he could.
It had been a couple hours as the sun began to set, "Let's go home Elfy, we're gonna need all the strength we need for tomorrow." Elfy nodded in agreement, they packed what little they brought with them, and began the trek back to Heffet.