Chapter 4: Chapter 3: Onwards to Traumland!

Third Person POV

 

"REIKO!"(Cheryl)

Cheryl broke out of her trance, darting towards the white haired girl.

"ARE YOU HURT? ANY CUTS? ANY BRUISES!? HEY! HEY! TALK TO ME!"(Cheryl)

The confused Reiko didn't respond to Cheryl, blankly staring at the carcass of the scavenger.

"REIKO? REIKO! RESPOND TO ME!!!"(Cheryl)

The woman frantically shook Reiko, catching her attention.

"I- I think I'm fine..."(Reiko)

A sigh left the mouth of the spirit, but as quick as she calmed down, blood rushed to her face.

"YOU IDIOT! WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT!? I CAN'T DIE BUT YOU CAN! YOU ALMOST KILLED YOURSELF!"(Cheryl)

Scolding the girl, Cheryl hit her head.

"o- ow... I'm sorry..."(Reiko)

Reiko softly responded while she clutched her head, a slight pained expression on her face.

"*sigh* what are you gonna do when you're alone, honestly. One more thing, what did you just do?"(Cheryl)

"I- I used magic?"(Reiko)

"You certainly did use magic, but there is one problem, that was no normal magic."(Cheryl)

"wh- what do you mean?"(Reiko)

"Remember what I said, all living beings have a type, but... this didn't, certainly not anything I've seen through my life."(Cheryl)

Reiko's brain formed a knot, she didn't quite understand how to use magic yet, and when she did use it, it was some kind of baseless weird magic. She scratched her head, wondering if something was wrong with her?

"*sigh* we can figure this out later, but right now, try to get some sleep."(Cheryl)

With a slightly frustrated sigh, Cheryl ordered Reiko to go to bed while clutching the bridges of her own nose. She replied with an obedient nod.

---

The sun beamed onto the ground and signaled a new day. A yawn escaped from Reiko as she stretched her arms outwards.

"Reiko, I.... need to talk to you for a bit."(Cheryl)

 "what is it mi- Cheryl?"(Reiko)

Chery raised her left arm and pointed towards a dirt path.

"This is no place for a young child, it's filled with monsters that are 10 times more dangerous than a scavenger, most plants are either inedible or poisonous. If you follow that path you'll eventually reach a small city called Traumland, at least, I think so. But before you go.... Please, can you do me a favour."(Cheryl)

Cheryl's head was facing downwards, the shadows of her bangs hiding her eyes.

"what is it?"(Reiko)

"Reiko, before you make any promises, I want you to know that, what I am asking is life-threatening. If you were found out, you will most likely be chased by some, very scary people..."(Cheryl)

Reiko swallowed her saliva and her gaze looked more serious.

"Can you take that necklace, and take me with you? I know it's very selfish, especially since I am asking a k-"(Cheryl)

"Yes, I will do it"(Reiko)

Reiko said it in an unwavering and determined voice, contrasting her usual timid and soft self.

"Re- Reiko, I want you to take this very seriously and rethi-"(Chery)

"I am taking this seriously mis- Cheryl. You have helped me, got me food, taught me magic and comforted me. And just like you said, you will never leave someone who is lost, so should I. My choice is final miss Cheryl Gunther!"(Reiko)

Cheryl's eyes were a dam ready to burst open. Long, log ago, she lost hope, she never knew this day would come. She clenched her fists as she spoke quietly.

"thank you, THANK YOU!"(Cheryl)

Tears blasted from her eyes, as she went in for a hug.

Reiko, not being used to hugs was again caught off guard, but she didn't mind. Cheryl tightened her embrace and so did Reiko.

"Thank you so much, Reiko, just... thank you."(Cheryl)

------

It's been a while since Reiko and Cheryl left the abandoned village. The sky was painted in a lovely sandstone orange to a vermillion red. The spirit lady was humming a small nursery rhyme, trying to entertain the fox girl, but alas it went into one ear of the child and went out the other. Reiko was more interested into the new flora she was seeing, from the purple trees to the protruding rocks, it was all too new for her.

"Hey, Reiko what is your favourite colour?"(Cheryl)

"Oh uhm... it's a.... blue, I think..."(Reiko)

"I see, I see. Then how about... your favourite animal?"(Cheryl)

"Uh... I don't know"(Reiko)

"hmm, I see"(Cheryl)

"How about.... You tell me about your favourite memory!"(Cheryl)

Reiko's face scrunched up, trying to  remember her most recent 'good' memory.

"I don't remember..."(Reiko)

Cheryl was a let out a disappointed sigh because of Reiko's uncertain response. She never saw, in her entire life, a kid who couldn't remember their favourite memory.

---

Time past by quickly, shrouding the world in a deep blue blanket, the moon becoming a night light. The animals drifted away to sleep on the cozy ground and the stars shimmered like glitter.

"Let's set camp here, can you go fetch me some branches?"(Cheryl)

Reiko nodded and quickly started doing the order. 

After getting the sticks for Cheryl, she made a little campfire. A small spark, similar to a sparkler, appeared from Cheryl's right index finger. The small spark made an ember on the twigs, which became a small fire soon.

"Here you go, this should be perfectly safe to eat!"(Cheryl)

Extending her hand towards Reiko, Cheryl gave her a pear-shaped daffodil yellow fruit, that had a small, star-like symbol on the bottom.

Taking a small nibble from the fruit, Reiko's eyes widened in either confusion or delight. The fruit was sour but savory, with small tints of lemon. 

"This here, is mari, or mariel fruit. It was named after a heroic cook, Mariel Cuisiner! She changed the ways of a tyrant king because of her dish. Remember this well Reiko, that if you really put your mind into something, you can change the world!"(Cheryl)

Reiko was going to refute that she was an 'adult' but for some reason, she didn't, she didn't feel like she needed to or wanted to, she just wanted to eat her meal.

"If you actually cook, it becomes more savory than sour."(Cheryl)

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Cheryl held the fruit, on a stick and roasting it over the flames. 

Eyelids getting heavy and her vision becoming hazy, Reiko shortly fell asleep.

---

Reiko POV

 

"wa... up..... ko.... w..k... up.... Reik, Reiko wake up."(Cheryl)

I was awoken by the Cheryl, who was shaking me.

"What is it miss Cheryl?"(Reiko)

"First, like I said, call me Cheryl, and second follow me."(Cheryl)

Miss Cheryl said as she hovered away. My head was a hurting a little and it was kinda hard to get up. 

I followed her, passing through the evergreen bushes, climbing the hills, ALL ALONE, and jumping over small streams, I was lead to an empty plain.... Well it was not entirely empty, it had tall grass...

"Here, move your hand through the grass."(Cheryl)

She said as she grabbed my hand and moved it across the grass.

"wow."(Cheryl)

A small glow emerged, then another, and then another, and soon there were multiple warm yellow glows around the field.

Where they fireflies? 

"These are luminoflies, once every 8 years, they reach maturity, so they dig out of the dirt and migrate to a forest to have their babies."(Cheryl)

"And as you can see, they glow."(Cheryl)

Cheryl softly spoke to me.

"Reiko, remember today when you grow in the future. Remember that things will be dark and scary, but as long as you never give up, you will come out as a bright and beautiful luminofly."(Cheryl)

My cheeks were wet, have I been crying? 

"yeah"(Reiko)

Miss Cheryl really is, strange to be around.

---

Third Person POV

 

It was tranquil day, the birds sang a sweet tune and the sun shone brightly among the baby blue sky.  Clouds as soft as cotton peacefully roamed.

*ptack ptack*

Reiko strolled along the dirt path, taking in the surrounding.

"excuse me, mi- Cheryl, what are you humming?"(Reiko)

"Eh? .... EHH???"(Cheryl)

Two words could explain Cheryl at the moment, absolute shock.

"um, did I say something bad? I'm sorry.."(Reiko)

"Oh, no no, it's just."(Cheryl)

Cheryl held her forehead, unable to comprehend that Reiko did not know Neumann's nursery rhymes.

"Reiko are you making a joke?"(Cheryl)

"no, at least I don't think so..."(Reiko)

Cheryl stopped at her tracks, taking in a deep breath.

'Maybe it's because she don't remember her parents, but then how did she survive? Did she have a guardian?'oui oui(Cheryl's thought)

.....

Suddenly, there was a low rumbling... 

The growl was like a tiger's except deeper. The sound was resonating from the deep forest in the distance. Slowly a large figure started emerging, it's scale camouflaging with the abundant foliage. Every step created small earthquake, it moved slowly almost like it was ready to ambush, but this thing was too large, too loud to ambush.

"Shi-oot"(Cheryl)

"Ch- Cheryl wah what is th th dat."(Reiko)

"REIKO I'LL EXPLAIN LATER BUT RIGHT NOW RUN!!!"(Cheryl)

Reiko didn't hesitate, following the instructions obediently.

At that moment she sprinted and quickly the monster followed. 

The creature resembled a dinosaur, but it had a skeletal armour covering it's upper jaws and back. Its arms were as big as an adult woman and its claws was outstretched. The claws were razer sharp and its teeth were like stalagmites. This was the infamous, tyrant of Unsterblich, Skelettmartyrer 

Reiko ran as fast she possible can, her legs felt like it was about to burst, but she didn't stop, she couldn't stop.

"Reiko, they get tired very quickly, so just keep running, while I distract it!"(Cheryl)

Cheryl placed her hand on the ground and closed her eyes. 5 large earth pillars protruded out of the ground towards the monster. It had halted the skelettmartyrer, but they were swiftly broken.

Time was stagnating, Reiko's feet were on fire, she has never ran this far, this fast. It was getting hard to breathe, her legs were about to break in half. Tears streaked out of eyes.

Cheryl was getting desperate, even though ghosts don't get tired, they still have a limit to the amount of magic they can use, and her storage is more than half way depleted. Skelettmartyrer are monsters that required an entire team and strategy to defeat it, but at the time. 

Cheryl had to think quick, the skelettmartyrer was injured but it could still keep moving. She twitched her head left and right and made up her mind. A hand sized ball of wind formed in her hand, and with a swift turn of her arm, a blade of wind shot out, toward a large tree. 

The blade of wind sliced the tree in half, and it quickly fell onto the skelettmartyrer.

The beast laid there for a minute.

Sluggishly it got up, injured and tired, the tyrant walked away, giving up on its prey.

Reiko however didn't know this and kept on running, she was exhausted and terrified. 

She wished for anything to save her, and her wishes soon came true. Her eyes sparkling at the sight of a large stone wall. It was Traumland.

Her sprint slowed down, not by her choice, but the fatigue creeping onto her.

She couldn't run anymore and before she even entered the city, her body gave out.

The last thing she saw was a man clad in iron armour with a polearm on one hand.

Everything went black.