Together, We Walk - I

TOGETHER, WE WALK

(Part I)

Von and Eli stopped by in a small village to stay for the night, but while they were roaming around to look for an inn they've noticed how beautiful, clean and organized the place was.

After an hour of searching, they finally found a place to stay at. Von paid the owner of the house for letting them stay, "We'll only staying for the night"

The lady smiled then guided them to their room.

When Von and Eli was finally alone at the room, Eli transformed from being a horse into a human form.

"This place looks nice, Von" Eli complimented. Von nods in agreement.

"But it looks like it's prone to danger" Von commented when she noticed something.

Both of them stopped talking when they heard someone knock on their door. They turned their head towards the door when someone opened it after knocking three times. The person behind the door was an old woman with a food on her hands.

Eli immediately helped the old woman.

"What's this for?" Eli politely asked.

"It's for the both of you" The old woman answered.

"Thank you" Von said.

The old woman watched how Eli puts down the food on a small table. A minute have passed but the old woman just stand there.

Both Eli and Von stared at each other then looked back at the old woman. It was a 3 minutes awkward moment, when finally the old woman spoke.

"The both of you are what they call 'adventurer', right?" The old woman asked.

Von and Eli got startled, but Von managed to composed herself. She nodded as answer. "Yes, ma'am. Why do you ask?"

"I've met an adventurer before and he have so many interesting stories to tell. It felt like I was able to travel with him when he describes the places he have already been through. So, uhhh… May I ask if you could also entertain me with your stories?" The old woman shyly asked.

The two looked at each other as if asking each other's permission. With their conversation using their eyes, both of them agreed. They smiled at the old woman and invited her to sit down.

"Of course, we have a lot if stories that you might actually like" Eli enthusiastically said.

The old woman attentively listened to the stories that Eli was telling. Von was just silently watching and was also listening. She let Eli hold the mic since she's not a good storyteller like Eli.

The old woman was too immersed to the story, that is why she almost jump in surprise when someone knocked at the door.

"Elder, there's a news that someone found a man in the forest" the person who knocked hurriedly informed the old woman. It looks like something was bothering her.

The old woman frowned, "A man?" she asked while thinking in a deep thought.

A moment later she suddenly stood up. "Go gather some men who'd be able to accompany as later. That man might be already the one we've been waiting for a long time"

The old woman turned to face Von and Eli. "Thank you for sparing some time to entertain me. We'll just take care of something. You could wander around the village or you could rest"

Both of them were confused at what's going on, but they knew better to not ask.

"It's not our business, Eli. Let's just look around" Von said when she noticed how Eli's eyes was screaming in curiosity.

But Eli was not giving up. He reminded Von, "It's getting late already"

Von looked outside then she did saw how the sun was slowly disappearing. She immediately understood what Eli meant.

Von took out her weapons and put it around her waists. Eli was bewildered at Von's sudden actions.

"What's wrong?" Eli asked in confusion as he doesn't understand what's making Von get agitated.

"This is the time where the wild animals in that forest are more active Don't tell me that you also forgot that there was a rumor going around saying this is the place where the criminals hide!" Vo answered in a hurry while preparing her weapons.

"Uh-huh, and so?"

Von was now the one who was confused. She thought that Eli reminded her the time because he already realized it.

"Haven't you heard what the old woman just said earlier?!They are going inside the forest at this hour!"

That's when Eli finally understood. He only mentioned the time to Von earlier since she mentioned about going around.

Eli immediately transformed into his horse form. "What are you waiting for? Let's go!"

•••

Fortunately, Von and Eli caught up with the old woman and a group of men that was already on the way outside of the village. Von was about to stop them, when Eli suddenly changed his form. Because of this, Von fell just to be caught on Eli's arms.

"What the hell, Eli?!" Von cursed at Eli who suddenly changed into a human form. Eli just grinned at Von as if telling her that is was intentional.

"You're the one who said it, Von. It's not our business, let's not meddle with them." Eli reminded her.

Von rolled her eyes while Eli was putting her down. "So? What do you want me to do? Let them get harm?" Von sarcastically asked as she puts her hand on her waist.

"We'll follow them and protect them in shadows. Isn't that exciting?" Eli suggested like a child.

Von can't help but to just sigh. She turned his head towards where the old woman and her companions were. They were already getting farther.

"Sure, let's do that. I'm also curious anyways" she surrendered.

•••

It seems like it was raining in Beatrice's eyes, even though the sky was obviously clear. She can't help her tears to slowly fall down when she saw the man that was leaning against a tree.

The said man however looked like as if he was hiding from someone. He doesn't even noticed the presence of Beatrice and her companion. His attention was obviously at something else.

"K-kurt" Beatrice softly called out its name.

It was not enough for the man to hear it though. But, the man instinctively turned his head where the others were. Slowly, his eyes widened at the sight of the woman named Beatrice.

"Beatrice?" he called out the old woman's name.

Beatrice went towards to the person he called as Kurt. When she was close enough, she hold its face and examine it.

"It's really you… It's been so since the last time we've seen each other" the old woman said as her voice almost crack.

"What are you guys doing he---? No, never mind that. Let's get out of this place first. The second prince is here!" Kurt informed them.

"Oh no! We should inform the people in the village! It'll be hard to get out from the prince's grasp, fighting him is also out of the question even if he is alone" Beatrice's companion commented.

"Village? You guys were still staying at that place?" Kurt asked in surprise.

Beatrice smiled and nodded, "You are the person who created that village, Kurt. We won't just leave and turn our backs from the place that became the reason for you to sacrifice yourself to those nobles"

Kurt looked at another direction as he got embarrassed from what Beatrice said, "I was hoping you'd find a new place where it's safer for everyone while I bought you some time"

"But you told me to wait for you, so I did" Beatrice reasoned out.

Kurt sighed in defeat as he murmured "Stupid"

"Besides, the village was also willing to wa---" Beatrice stopped from talking when he heard a rustling sound from their behind. Beatrice and the others nervously turned to that direction.

All of them sighed in relief when they saw Von and Eli instead.

"What are you two doing here?" Beatrice asked to Von and Eli.

"I apologize for disrupting your conversation, but I don't think this place is safe Ma'am. I advice you to leave this area as soon as possible" Von said with respect.

"He's right, Beatrice. Let's get out of here first" Kurt said as he agreed with Von.

Beatrice and the others started walking towards the village, while Von stood still from her place and simply watched them. Kurt noticed that Von was not following them so he turned around to check on her.

"What are you two waiting for? Let's go." Right after Kurt asked Von and Eli, it was also the time when Von turned his back away from them.

"We'll be checking something quickly, you can go ahead. Don't worry about us" Eli answered him in behalf of Von who was already walking towards the different direction. Eli also noticed how Von was tightly clenching her fist.

Kurt was left confused but he understood better to not ask them any more questions. Just like what Eli said, they went ahead first.

"I thought they won't follow you?" Eli whispered to Von.

Von sighed in frustration, "I also don't know, Eli! I don't understand why brother Zyruse is here! I'm sure brother Lyon wouldn't ask Esperanza my whereabouts after the information I've sent!"

"Maybe the second prince just got lost in this place and he doesn't really know that you are in here?"

"Maybe. We'll see" Von breathe deeply before she asked Eli a favor, "Eli, can you change your form into---"

"Sniper, right? Sure, sure" Eli readily agreed. Von just gave a small smile with Eli's response.

Eli changed his form into sniper. Von hold the sniper as she jumped into a tree and hide in there. She used the scope of the gun to look for the second prince. It only took her a few minutes to successfully find the prince.

"Found you" Von whispered. But Von's eyes widened in shock when the second prince looked towards their direction even when they are too far away from him.

"H-how did he---" Von shook her head as she stopped from continuing that sentence. When Von looked on the scope again, her brother was no longer on that place. She searched him once again and patiently observed his actions.

"Von" Eli called her out. "He knows you're here." He continued.

"Hmm. He is using magic right now, after all. This place had become his territory once he used that magic" Von agreed while watching the second prince.

"He's not here to look for you, Von. Let's go back to the village" Eli suggested after he noticed that the second prince is not making any moves towards them.

Von sighed and let Eli transform into his human form. Both of them went down from the tree. Eli started walking towards the village, while Von turned to look towards the direction where her brother was.

"Von" Eli called out her attention when she was not following him.