Streams of Trust

The inside of the tent was quiet.

Eratz stirred, feeling the warmth of bodies pressed against him on either side. He blinked sleepily, realizing that Milo and Colin were snuggled up between him and Mercury.

Colin's small hand was resting on his chest, and Milo was curled up close to Mercury, their peaceful expressions making him smile.

Carefully, he shifted, trying not to disturb the stillness of the morning. The tent felt warm, too warm after everything they had been through yesterday.

As he gently moved Colin's hand and slipped out of the tent, he was greeted by the cool dawn air. The sky above was a deep blue, just starting to lighten with the new day.

He stretched, letting the crisp air wash over him, when he heard a soft sound from behind. Turning, he saw Mercury emerging from the tent, her blue hair tousled, and her eyes still half-lidded from sleep.

"Morning," she whispered, her voice soft and sweet, careful not to shatter the quiet peace that surrounded them.

"Morning," Eratz replied, matching her soft tone.

Mercury stretched, rolling her shoulders as she glanced toward the kids still sleeping inside.

"Guess we pushed ourselves too much yesterday and they had to take care of everything. That was careless of us."

Eratz chuckled lightly, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Yeah, we should thanks them properly. let's start by a good breakfast."

She glanced down at her dirty and torn clothes and laughed softly.

"Before that, we're a little messy. How about we clean up first? There's this stream nearby."

"Good idea."

They quietly slipped away, careful not to wake Milo and Colin.

As they walked through the forest toward the stream, the early morning light began to filter through the trees, casting a soft glow over everything.

The silence between them wasn't uncomfortable, yet, there was a need to empty something from the chest.

"This is nice," Eratz said after a while, breaking the silence. "Being out here with you guys... it feels different. In a good way."

Mercury raised an eyebrow, glancing at him with a curious smile.

"Hm? Different how?"

"I've always been used to doing things alone. I train with my monsters, then I hunt. This is how I was planning my time here... but I didn't expect to enjoy being part of a group again. You, Milo, Colin, I'm really enjoying this."

Mercury's smile softened.

"I get that," she said quietly. "I've always been used to doing things alone too, but it's good to try new things from time to time. We're beast masters, we have different knowledges, so we always need someone to improve, it's our nature. For example, if it wasn't for you, I think Milo would have been a lost case."

Eratz glanced at her, noting the shift in her tone.

"What do you mean?"

She hesitated, her eyes fixed ahead as they walked.

"Milo... Milo's all I have. My mother died when I was young, and our father… well, he's alive, but he's the biggest piece of shit in the world. He kept fooling around, never caring for us. One day, Milo's mother got fed up and threw him at us, but since this bitch is too dumb to listen, she ignored that our father wasn't even in town anymore. I've been the one taking care of us since he was little."

Eratz listened, his brow furrowing slightly. He hadn't known this part of her story, and it hit him differently, hearing the weight she carried. 

"My chance was that I was a little good at taming monsters, I met Zara one day during a hunt and she invited me, and thanks to her and madam Victoria I could offer us a little decent life. The agency saved our life, so I'll do anything to never see it crumble. I really want to make us the best, so I train Milo too so he will someday be independent... well, I tried... but I've never been able to be hard on him during training," her voice became softer. "I'm too attached. I love him too much to push him like he needs. That's why... that's why I'm glad you're here, Eratz. You're doing what I couldn't. Training him the way he needs, pushing him beyond his limits. I can't tell you how much it means to me."

Eratz was quiet for a moment, his chest tightening at the sincerity in her voice. "I didn't know you had it that hard... you're doing an amazing job. Milo's lucky to have you, you know that?"

She shook her head, though a small smile tugged at her lips.

"Maybe. But I want him to have a future. I want him to be okay, and that's why I'm working so hard, to make enough money to give him that. All I care about is him and the agency."

Eratz stopped walking for a second, taking in the strength behind her words. "That's something that deserves respect," he said, meeting her gaze. "Now it's very personal, Milo's going to be just fine, you have my word, and I don't know how it's gonna be in real matches but I'll put my all for the agency."

Her smile brightened for a moment.

"You better, it's going to be three times funnier with you around."

As they continued toward the stream, Eratz spoke about his own story, from Geneva, with the betrayal of his friends, to his parents ditching him.

Mercury looked over at Eratz, then, seeing no shade of hate in his face, she had a genuine smile.

"You know, I admire how you're handling all of this. Normally people would seek for revenge, become evil... but you... you're just ready to take on the future after everything you've been through.. That's not something a lot of people can do."

Eratz met her gaze.

"It's not easy, but... I've got people who saved me. My uncle, my aunt, Colin... they gave me a reason to keep going. Now, I want to take the world for them, and for the agency."

Mercury nodded.

"Well, this will be our new goal in life, we will reach the top for our loved ones."

They smiled at each other, the bond between them stronger than ever as they could hear the stream.

When they reached the edge of the water, the sound of the flowing current was soothing, and the light sparkled off the surface. Mercury stretched again, groaning softly.

"Finally. I can't stand being this dirty."

Eratz laughed, starting to take off his shirt.

"This is why I always bring another shirt with me "

Mercury, halfway through pulling off her tank top, glanced at him with a teasing smile.

"So... You've already seen me naked once, so you definitely don't feel too shy about this, right?"

Eratz chuckled, shaking his head as he remembered that awkward moment. "Honestly? I barely remember. I was too focused on tracking down that damn Terrakrus."

Her expression shifted from playful to intrigued.

"Terrakrus? A real terrakrus?! When? Where? You've seen one?"

Eratz nodded, tossing his shirt aside and stepping into the stream.

"Yeah. Came across one not too long ago. Big, powerful... The first monster to have escaped me. I want to hunt it down."

Mercury's eyes widened slightly as she waded into the water beside him. "That's... impressive. You know how dangerous those things are, right? Where the heck did you see one?"

"Not too far from where I met you," Eratz said, running his hands through the water. "And I know how powerful it is, that's precisely why I need it... It's not just about the power, though. There's something about it that calls to me."

Mercury studied him for a moment, then, after hesitation, her lowered while her eyes stayed on him.

"So that they you were really after something like this..."

"Yeah... In fact ... I chose the forest to hunt him. I've been keeping it to myself, I didn't want to bring anyone else into it. Sorry."

She observed him for a moment with big eyes, then slowly, she processed his intentions. Her gaze became calmer.

"... You're really crazy, I'll give you that... But don't worry, it's your prey, I won't interfere... Say, you should go after it once we're done training."

Eratz blinked, surprised by her words. "Really? That's all?"

She laughed softly, splashing a little water in his direction.

"Yes, you though I would try to steal it from you? I need you to be at your best for the agency. It's your hunt, I would like to see you succeed."

Eratz shook his head, a grin spreading across his face.

"You're full of surprises, you know that?"

She smirked.

"Gotta keep you on your toes, but I really hate that you took me for a thief."

Before he could say anything else, she gave him a playful shove, sending him splashing into the water.

He resurfaced, sputtering and laughing, and before long, she jumped in after him, both of them caught up in the moment.

Their laughter echoed through the forest, mixing with the sounds of the stream as they shared in a special, lighthearted moment.