Beating Heart

After a few minutes of silent pondering and realizing that the words on the other side of that pamphlet will most likely be my most reliant source material for the background of this world's botany and I might probably not get another one, I eventually came up with a plan.

I can't really unlatch right now since Bettu is sprinting at full speed and I will, in all likelihood, be left in the dust the moment that I leave this potted grass.

Then, as if being able to read my mind. Bettu stopped by a near river to have a drink.

Finding my opportunity, I unlatched myself from the plant, stood atop Bettu's head and I faced the two of them.

"Can we go back?" I asked, scratching my head.

"Why?" Reyna's brows furrowed.

"I, um, I kinda forgot something."

"Hmmm." She mused, pursing her lips and crossing arms. "We are really far right now and it will be a waste of time."

"Right." Fern added.

Far? We haven't even been travelling for long! There's the same type of trees scattered along the plains too…

"Wait, hasn't it only been like, an hour?" I asked the two of them.

"And do you, aactually think this beetle of yours is slow?" Reyna snarled, a small smirk creeping on her face.

"Well no, but wait, is she?"

"Damn right she is." She smiled, rubbing Bettu's carapace gently. Then Bettu lightly shook.

Does she like that? How can she even feel tha-

"Is it important?" Fern suddenly asked.

"Well yeah, it kinda is." I sighed.

"Then we can return after we get to the forest."Fern answered.

Forest?

"What forest?"

"You don't know?" He immediately replied.

"Would I ask if I do?"

"Oh." He shrugged. "Remember that time when you woke me up because Reyna told you so and told me that my group of friends is ambushed?"

Hmmm…yeah, at the camp.

"Yeah, I do." I answered.

"Well they are ambushed IN, the forest." He

"Ohhh, I see. "

"Okay!" Reyna exclaimed, "Can we go now?"

"Well, Bettu seems done drinking." Fern added and yea, Bettu is most probably done drinking considering her head is outside the water.

"Fine. Let's go."

I mean, do I get any other choice? It's two against one!

Latching back on the plant, I breathed an invisible sigh as Bettu cruised the wind again. Passing by hills of varying height, penetrating to fields of flowers that even I think would probably smell good from inside the grass, even the glazing sunlight is felt from within here.

Then, after probably 2 hours of absorbing ourselves on the beautiful view, Bettu started slowing down in front of a huge plateau…

I unlatched once she came to a full stop and walked towards the marvelous scene in front of me. Like plateaus back home, this one had a flat one—except, a golden mist circles the peak like a soft snake. It drizzles down the edges, the edges that are lined with huge carvings that would beat like a heart and emanate a thick green color every few seconds. Suddenly, my legs whimpered. I could fully stand, but my legs felt weak. I could barely lift them but before I know it, I am walking forward and my feet were moving.

But I can't seem to stop them. Instead, I want to continue—I want to run! Slowly, I ran faster, steadily gaining speed. My eyes remain in front of me, looking at the luscious and lustful beating of a heart that gives a weigh inside me and with it, my nigh existing heart beat as well. I exhaled, but nothing came out. I can breathe but I felt my chest collapsing. Then I felt a tug. A tug from behind me. I try to look back but I can't. I don't want to. My eyes were fixated on that golden hue that filled my eyes with an azure luster that warms my skin. I reach my hand out, knowing that the gilded light is within my han—AGHHH!

"WHAT WAS THAT?!" I screamed as a deep cold ran through my back

"Yo- wer-i - ailuusio-" A muffled voice came from somewhere.

I moved my legs, trying to feel them but it's as if they weren't there. I can't stand up. I opened my eyes but it's as if they were closed. Then, I felt the same tugging. But this time, I can't turn around, not when I can't feel my legs.

Then a cold light dawned on my face but unlike the sharp pain, it felt… warm. But it's not hot—it's cold.

"Hey." A man's voice echoed through my head… Fern?

"HEY!" The voice echoed again but this time, a loud scream.

I opened my mouth, tried to utter the words, 'yes?' but my tongue felt numb, my teach cold.

"Y-yehhe~" An inaudible sound came from me.

"Good, he's awake."

What? Who?

"Has the illusion wore off?"

"Probably."

"Is it the giant?"

"Maybe? I don't know."

Reyna?

"Is he awake yet?"

"Well he's staring at us."

"But does he see us."

"No. "

"Then make him!"

"Already?"

"We're in a hurry, my guy!"

"Okay then."

Then, I felt everything. I felt my legs, arms, tongue, teeth, fingers, my jaw, my ear, the solid soil that I lay my back on, the gentle breeze that blew and with my eyes, I stare at the bright sky that lay bare in front of me.

"You okay?" Fern's voice came from my side.

I tilted my head and he's there, crouching with his other hand on his sword.

I heaved a deep sigh, feeling the warm air course through the crevices of my lungs. Then replied, "Yeah, yeah I am… What was that?"

"D-don't worry, it's just an illusion. " Fern sighed, pursing his lips.

Everything felt real my guy.

"Illusion?"

"Yeah… yeah a sleep and an illusion caused by this location—I actually got it once…"

"How long of a sleep?"

"Oh, uhm,

Well this is awkward, "Where's Reyna?" I asked.

"Oh! Uhm, she's figh—looking at the map o-oover… there." He pointed at a table that is partially covered by Bettu. "There, there she is looking at the map over there."

"Right…"

I stood up, cranked my knees, stretched and turned around.

And as I turned around, a huge shadow covered my sight. I looked up and on the same plateau that now just looks like a normal, grassy and root-y plateau, A huge skeleton stood.

It's skull wide open and a huge blade goes through its ribs while it's enormous hands rests on the same sword that goes through it, seemingly impaling the giant. But the longer I stare into it, the more I can feel the same beating and warmth that came earlier.

An illusion…

"Hey." I called to Fern

"Hm?!" He jolted, biting on his fingers with his clattering teeth.

"Why? What's wrong?"

"Nothing wrong, uh, what is it?

"Right... what's that?" I asked, pointing at the massive skeleton in front of me.

"Oh, that's…" He mused, staring at the bones in font of him. "Well, according to what I was taught when I got to this world, that is the body of Viir, a God who challenged another God regarding his creations and as I remember, Viir got killed by the other God's greatest child. "

Huh.

"Is it real?"

"I don't know too… Well you can always ask Reyna about it." He gulped, crossing his arms while his feet kept on tapping the ground.

And is that a person standing up there…

"And where is Reyna?"

"Sh-she should be back."

"I'll go to her." Then I walked towards Reyna while trying my hardest to take my eyes from the

"W-wait for me!" Fern exclaimed in a hush tone before catching up to me.

Eventually, I'm standing beside Bettu. Running my hand through the beetle's carapace, the table that Fern was pointing to began entering my sights as I moved behind Bettu.

And as the table slowly shows itself to me, the first thing that my eyes were looking at is… an absurdly beautiful girl. Her hands lay on the table as those golden hair of hers flew graciously in the wind.

Then, she looked at me with glazing red eyes that seemed to talk to me the longer I stare at them. And she opened her mouth, parting those sweet, red lips.

"I'm ready to accept punishment, Satoshi. " Were the words that came out of her mo—Satoshi?!

"How'd you know my name" I asked, perking my head back.

"It's me, Reyna." She smiled.

"Wait…"

I stared at her. Trying to remember the Reyna I knew but for some reason… I can't.

She just looks… different. I don't know what's beautiful whatever it were, she will be the definition of it. Simply looking at her eyes feels like my breath being sucked and my eyes softening in on itself…

"Wha-How?" I asked, a smile stretching from my left ear, all the way to the right.

"You, um, your fruit." Fern answered from behind me.

"Wha- My fruit did that?!"

"Yes…" He replied, lowering his head.

"Ha! Hahaha! That's… that's amazing Reyna!"

"Wait, you aren't angry?" She asks, furrowing her thick, blazing eyebrows.

"WHY WOULD I!" I screamed.

Then her brows furrowed even deeper, "But we did it without your permission…" She murmured.

"Well, I mean, yeah but you do have a reason for it, yeah?"

"Oh, uhm, we were attacked and captain fern had to be by your side." She pursed her lips.

"See—wait, we were attacked?"

Then she jolted up, "I-It's my fault too! I decided to hurry and took the shortest route…" She answered, drawing two lines at the map on the table, one the shortest and one the longest. Where she took a whole 10 seconds longer on the other one. "There, I'm so sorry."

"Well, you don't have to worry, really. If It's successful on you, it means it will work on others too."

"You can make one again?!" Fern suddenly spoke from behind me.

"Yeah! And then, I could see if also changes Fern's looks! I mean, you never know, he might grow wings or a tail or something."

The two of them remained silent, Reyna slowly looked down on her map while Fern remained silent behind me… was that a bad joke?

"Oh, uhmm, so where do we go now?"

"The Merchant's route, where we should have gone before… I'm sorry again Satoshi."

"Don't worry, it's just a fruit."

Then the two of them froze as I answered.

"Just a fruit?" Fern asked, going around me and standing beside Reyna before staring at me.

"You don't remember anything else?" She added.

"Why?"

"Nothing… let's just pack up now and continue on our way."

Then Fern looked at Reyna with squinted eyes. She met his gaze, making him lower his head and tap his finger on the table, placing it in his ring.

Reyna, as well tapped her finger on the map she's holding on then it turned to dust, going inside her ring.

And on the ground, Fern is collecting grasses again.

"Why are you there." I asked him.

"Collecting grass?" He answered, looking at me.

"Didn't you already pick some before? Where are they?" I crouched, helping him pull grasses from their roots… or bases.

"Sadly, living things don't survive in the ring."

"Oh, I see… this should be enough— I only really need one piece."

"Right!" He replied, quickly standing up and extending his arms, placing the box in front of me.

Before latching, I take one last look at the huge skeleton that rests on the plateau. Seemingly looking at me with a beating heart with a warm embrace that I felt from afar.

Eventually, Fern tapped my shoulder. "What's the matter?" He asked.

"Nothing, nothing. Let's go." Then I latched on to the plant, preparing myself for the landscape that is yet to lay bare in front of me.