Temporary Camp

Aranea, Elenea, Leonel, and Zann continued to walk onward. With them noticing that Zann is leading them the way, Aranea could not help but talk, wondering where they are going.

"So, if we are going to beat a Catoblepas, do you know where you are going?" she asked, Zann, stopping in his tracks as he turned his body to look at the three people behind him.

"We're going to have to choose what type of Catoblepas we want to track down," he answered, the twins cocking their heads to the side.

"There are different types of Catoblepas? Not only one?" Elenea asked, Leonel, nodding as he crossed his arms in front of his chest.

"Yup. We have the dessert Catoblepas, and the water Catoblepas," Leonel answered, Elenea, nodding as she understood what the familiars now meant.

"So, the dessert Catoblepas could be found on areas where it is hot, and the water Catoblepas can be found where there is water around, no?" she deduced, the familiars nodding to answer her question.

Aranea furrowed her brows, wondering what type of Catoblepas could they hunt now that they are in Stygian Forest.

"Do you think that this forest has those two kinds of Catoblepas? I mean—it is a forest. We don't know if we have water or dessert areas here," she commented, Zann leaning his back on a nearby tree.

"I suggest we track down a water Catoblepas," he said, the twins, blinking their eyes at his suggestion. "Since Leonel is a Water Familiar and a Catoblepas is weak to ice, Leonel could shift his water magic to ice and attack while we keep it distracted," he added, all eyes already on Leonel after Zann spoke.

"I think it's a good idea," Aranea remarked, nodding slowly as she understood in simpler terms what Zann was planning when it comes to attacking a Catoblepas. "What do you think, Leonel?"

Leonel was quiet for a second. He stared at Zann's eyes, his hands balling into tight fists as he thought of his suggestion which was actually good.

Right here and then, Leonel also realized that Zann changed a lot. Before when they were back in their realm and were hunting down beasts with their master, Zann would just be quiet and he would attack whenever he found the chance.

Usually, it would be Leonel who would observe the surroundings and would suggest plans when it comes to taking down enemies.

Oh, how the tables have turned.

"Zann," Leonel called out his name, the Fire Familiar, looking at him straight in the eyes. "Who are you?"

The twins could not understand why Leonel asked that question. Both of them knew that they know each other since they were young, but with the Water Familiar's question, they now wonder what he could have meant.

A smirk then curled on the Fire Familiar's lips. He then shook his head as he crossed his arms in front of his chest, heaving a sigh at the same time.

"You think I'm not the same person?" he asked, Leonel's brow raised as he continued looking at the familiar a few feet a way from him.

"You were not this initiative before and you would always keep your silence when asked for an opinion. Staying away, what prompted you to change?"

Zann rolled his eyes and scoffed at the same time after Leonel spoke. Soon after, the expression on his face turned serious as he gave his reply, the twins sensing the heavy atmosphere around the two once more.

"I told you. I will no longer sit back and watch. You were great back in the years?"

Zann then stood up straight, a challenging stare from his eyes sent straight to Leonel, sending shivers down his spine—a complete opposite to Zann's fire element.

"Now it's my turn to be great. I'll prove to you and to everyone that I am not that useless as you guys think I am."

Zann and Leonel continued to glare at each other once more, the twins looking back and forth at them as they had a death stare down.

The twins then looked at each other, the both of them sighing at the same time when they realized that the two familiars are in their own world again.

"Hey, guys..." Aranea called out for their attention, Zann and Leonel snapped from their thoughts. "Do you guys want to camp for a while?"

Zann raised a brow at Aranea, not liking the idea.

"You want us to stay here in Stygian Forest for a few hours before we hunt down a Catoblepas? No, thank you."

Aranea bit her lip, wanting to convince Zann to stay so they could make the atmosphere lighter. Besides that, she would also want to finalize the plan now that they are working together to make things work, especially when it comes to beating a Catoblepas.

"Staying here for a few hours would be a good idea," Elenea said, understanding the uneasiness Aranea is feeling. "I mean, with this, we could further plan out our ways in hunting a Catoblepas and other than that, won't you two tell us what's between you guys? Because to be honest, the atmosphere between you two is overbearing."

"Yeah, yeah!" Aranea nodded enthusiastically, her twin sister getting what she wanted to tell the two Familiars. "As your Summoner, I would like to know more about your background as my Familiars, don't you think?"

A nervous chuckle escaped from their Summoner as she scratched the back of her head, voicing out her concerns further.

"To be honest, I worry about you two acting this way—and I would like to have easier tension when we're together because it seems like you two would any time soon attack each other, no?"

With the twins telling the Familiars their concerns and opinions, they had to admit that they somehow felt guilty in dragging them along in their rivalry disputes.

With what Aranea said, too, as their Summoner, she does have a point that she should learn more about their relationship rather than know nothing about them.

Sighing, Zann shook his head, but gave in to the twins' suggestion as well.

"Fine," he replied, looking at Zann at the same time. "We stay here for a few hours before we set out to hunt a Catoblepas," he added, the four of them already preparing a temporary camp before they continue the hunt.