8 Harper's Quest

"Just so you know, I'm not usually this clumsy." Gusion retorted. He didn't like feeling inferior to the flame haired beauty in front of him. So he tried to act nonchalantly about the earlier incident.

Lesley managed a smirk and shrugged, "Yeah. Sure."

An awkward silence between them ensued.

"So.... You managed to find us." Gusion began, clearing his throat while clutching his injured arm. "Does that mean you're gonna come with us now?" He tried to sound as indifferent as possible.

"I'm still calculating my odds." Lesley answered while examining the aftermath of their fight with the assassins.

The cloaked men all disentegrated to dust and left a few of their articles of clothing. Lesley can only guess they're not human. Humans after all, leave their corpse instead of their ashes.

Their identity remained a conundrum for her. If only she let one of them live and interrogated it. It had crossed her mind during that time. But her will to save the suffering stranger in front of her was greater at the moment.

Next time... She told herself. When she gets another chance to fight them... Then she won't hesitate.

"By the way," She began to change the subject. "Where did your blue pet went?" She wondered and noticed that Gusion was alone fighting off those assassins.

"GUUUUUSSSSSSIIIOOOOOON!!!!!" cried the familiar voice, not far beyond the woods.

Speak of the friggin devil. As if her words alone summoned the being.

Gusion traced his throbbing temples and sighed aloud, "Here it comes."

"GUSION!!! WHY DID YOU THROW ME AWAY LIKE THAT?? I COULD'VE DIED YOU KNOW?? IF IT WEREN'T FOR MY ULTRA SOFT FRAME I WOULD'VE BOUNCED MYSELF TO OBLIVION!!" They both turned as a fuming blue ball of a creature came out from the brush.

Harper furiously bobbed its way towards the duo. Lesley trying to surpress a full-on laugh at the face of the poor creature being peppered with leaves and twigs. Gusion, on the other hand, gave an apologetic smile at his guardian.

"Don't you ever do that again! Understand?!" He commanded him as if he was in charge. Gusion just nodded his way out of further discussions.

"Good!" Harper exclaimed and returned to his normal sunny spirits. "Oh!!! You came!!!" It was only then that he'd notice Lesley was with them the whole time.

"I had to take care of some business before coming here" Lesley shrugged and brushed the side of her hair with her hand.

"Of course! I knew you'd come!" Harper beamed at her then turned to Gusion. "See! I told you she'd come!"

Gusion rolled his eyes at the remark. It wasn't exactly what he heard from the creature but refrained again from disagreeing with his guardian. "Yeah. Yeah. I know."

Harper bounced happily at his seemingly great accomplishment. "Awesome! Now that you're also here, uhhh... What's your name again, my lady?"

"Lesley" She replied.

"What a pretty name! I'm Harper!" He bounded towards her.

"Yes. You told me that earlier." She asserted. "And this is Gusion. You're his guide. Etcetera. Etcetera."

"Wow! You're pretty quick!"

"So they say." She shrugged. "Now about this quest of yours..."

"It's Harper's quest. He's just dragging me unwillingly." Gusion remarked. Still in denial of his role in their journey.

She stared him down then turned her attention back to Harper. Kneeling down so she could meet his eyes.

"So... This quest of yours, Harper. How do we get to find this orb you're looking for?" She asked on a serious tone.

He paused and thought for a moment before answering, "Oh! That's easy! Gusion here knows the way!" He pointed at the man beside him.

"I don't know the way." He pressed on, "I told you a hundred times. I have no idea what you're blabbering about." He continued shaking his head.

Lesley glared at him again, analyzing if he was really telling the truth. She sighed aloud and turn to Harper.

"He really does not have any idea where to go, Harper." She acknowledged his ignorance of the matter.

"Don't worry, it'll come to him sooner!" Harper assured the both of them.

Lesley got up and proceeded to leave the scene. "Alright then. Since you two are still both clueless. Let's head out of the woods for now."

"Wait! Where are we going?" Gusion called out, while the cerulean Harper followed.

She turned, rolled her eyes, and replied with a smirk instead. Letting her long red hair trail behind them, she gestured for them to follow suit.