Chapter 9

The three lost beneath a cherry blossom petal storm

“As… what fell on your forehead?”

“A cherry blossom petal…. ”

“Do you mean...”

“Yeah… something about that tree brought me here”

“Meaning it would be the same for us, right?”

“I mean it would seem like so but what I don’t understand is why the both of you kept your bodies but I didn’t”

“So you are just a spirit huh...”- Auro said as he slowly got up from the ground

“I guess so… Well then should we attempt to pass the mist?”

“Wait… this doesn’t make sense Auro… ”

“What do you mean Aamaile?”

“Didn’t you hear, she spent her last moments by the tree, meaning...”

“I died”

“Yeah...”

“Does this mean we are also dead, Auro?”- she questioned with a complexed stair

“Wait...”- He looked at Christa -“What do you know about us, are we dead?”

“Most likely yes… If you were brought to this place it most likely means both of you are dead… and yet you still have your bodies”

“Do you remember anything else?”- Aamaile asked as she finally stood up

“Not really the last thing I can seem to remember was what I already told you… A cherry blossom falling on to my head”

“Then we really can’t be sure”- Auro claimed as he walked to the sword stuck in a tree

“Well maybe this is just a dream, right Auro?”

“Not possible how would that explain me… ”

“Or the surge of pain that I got from attacking Christa?”

“I guess not…”

Auro walked up to the sword and grabbed onto the handle -“Could this be some kind of alternate reality?”- He pulled at the sword -“gosh this thing is heavier than I thought”- He yanked at it again -“It’s clearly because you haven’t healed fully just get some rest Auro let it be”- He kept yanking at it -“I got myself into this mess, plus if we don't hurry it will get late and turn dark”- He said as he yanked at the sword one more time

“Let me try”- Aamaile said as she walked towards where Auro was

“Are you sure this thing is really stuck in there”

“I’ll be fine”- she said as she grabbed onto the handle

“Wait I wo-” Christa said but it was already to late Aamaile had already pulled at it

“What in the”- she felt a surge of pain run through her body from head to toe, it felt as if a thousand electrified needles were stabbed into her body.

“Aamaile are you all right”- Auro said as he pulled her hand of the handle

“Yeah...I’m...Fine...it just...hurt a… bit”

“It’s as I thought...”

“What do you mean as you thought?”- Auro asked as he grabbed Aamaile

“Those weapons are unique to each one of you, the other can use the others weapon”

“Meaning Aamaile can’t use the sword and I can’t use those gauntlets”

“It seems so.... ”

“That’s... why… I got...struck...with...this pain”

“Most likely yes...”

“Then will she be fine?”

“She will, after all it really wasn’t anything, her nervous system seems to be in shock, but again I’m not sure how this really works...”

“Well then as long as she’s alright I’m fine with that...”- He said as he grabbed the handle and pushed his foot against the tree and pulled on the sword

“Wow...you got...it out”- Aamaile said as she tried to stand up

“Aamaile you shouldn’t try to stand, neither of you should be up anyways your bodies can’t handle it”

“We have no other choice, night might fall sooner or later, and that could lead to us getting lost in the mist...”- Auro said as he walked back to where Aamaile stood

“But I’m sure that eventually the mist makes you return to the tree...”

“You are a spirit and we still have our bodies, maybe it works differently for us”- Aamaile said as she grabbed on to Auro

“Aamaile can you walk?”

“I'm not sure...”

“Well then here’s my plan, I’ll carry Aamaile on my back as Christa walks slowly in front of us leading the way”

“I’m ok with that, but what about….”- Christa said as she looked at Aamaile

“A..Au..Auro what di..d you just say?”- Aamaile asked as her face turned a bright red color

“I’ll carry you on my back so you can recover enough to be able to walk again, why?”

“Umm wouldn’t I be touching the sword...”- she said as she tried to hide her face as Auro turned around to look at her

“Well kinda but it’s in the sheath and plus you won't be using it, so you’ll be safe..”

“Are you sure you’ll be fine carrying me?”

“Yeah it’s no problem really… plus it’s been a while since I last carried you”

“Well yeah but we were still kids back then… plus it’s kinda well you know’

“Huh?”

“Well it’s embarrassing!!!”

“Huh? What do you mean by… ooh I’m sorry..I..I didn’t mean anything by it”- Auro said as he began to glow bright red

“Even if both of you are embarrassed it doesn’t matter we need to get a move on if not it will get dark soon”

“But Auro your arm...won’t it… ”

“It’s fine plus I can put most of the weight onto my right arm to keep the load off my left arm”

“Well if you are sure about it… I’m not against it then”

“Well then”- he said as he walked up to Aamaile -“Hop on”- He said as he squatted down

As she walked up to him and wrapped her arms around his shoulder she could feel her body still stinging with pain. She slowly climbed onto his back even the slow movements caused her a level of pain. She felt as Auro grabbed her legs and slowly stood up so as to not hurt her. After all he still was the same Auro she had met back then…

“Ok we’re ready, how about you Christa...”

“Been ready since you two got here...”

“Well then let's head off then”

“Well then...”

As they began to walk and submerge themselves into the mist-heavy part of the forest, it felt damp and wet as if everything was water. Within minutes their clothes became humid. The heat started to increase the deeper they went. The air got thicker and it felt as if they were going to suffocate….

“What in the world is wrong with you two?”

“You won’t understand as you lack a body but something about this area is not normal...”

“Auro are you really ok… I think I can walk now so please let m-”

“In your dreams it hasn’t even been half an hour your body isn’t ready”

“But Auro you might faint”

“I’m fine don’t worry”- he said even though he could feel his body crumbling

“Can one of you tell me whats wrong”- Christa yelled

“The mist is increasing the levels of humidity as we go and that is increasing the heat from the sun”

“What but I can’t seem to feel it even though...”

“Huh??”

“Oh it’s nothing, would you like to take a break?”

“If we take a break now we might not be able to recover enough so let’s keep going”

“No Auro you need to rest please”

“It’s fine, I already told you I’m fine”- He said through a fake smile of his, he felt bad for lying to her but this was the only way to do it.

“Well then let's keep going both of you”

“OK”

As they kept walking, they could feel as the heat increased, Aamaile could feel as Auros' body began to shake and even so he kept walking, while she insisted on them taking a break. Christa couldn’t feel any of the effects affecting both Auro and Aamaile. Mostly thanks to her lack of a body. As for Aamaile even though she could feel the effects from the mist her body wasn’t as badly affected as Auro.

“The mist seems to get more and more thick as we keep going, are both of you alright?”

“Yeah I’m fine but Au-”

“I already told you I’m fine we’re close I can feel it”

“We probably aren’t there’s no real way to tell when the forest will come to an end”

“You see Auro we should take a break, it’s for the best”

“If you’re sure about it then I’ll trust you… only if we keep walking slowly”

“Well if that’s your only condition then I’ll listen”

“Well then I’ll put you down”- she said as she slowly squatted down and let go of her

As he let go he could feel the stinging pain on his left arm, even after he let go of her. His body felt like it was about to give up. The heat had the worst effect on him, he could feel his lungs struggle to expand from the lack of oxygen in the air. His body was completely dehydrated and sweating from top to bottom.

“Auro you don’t look so good, we should really get some rest”

“We don’t know what could lurk in the forest while it’s dark plus we really haven’t eaten anything in 2 days now plus the little water we had was from a small puddle remember the faster we get to the outside world the higher are our chances of survival”

“Auro but what if- ” she was cut off by Auro spontaneously hugging her

“A..Au..Auro!! What are yo-”- she said but was cut off -“shh don’t say anything”- He whispered in her ear -“Somethings wrong I can feel it, get ready to attack just in case, I wanted to make sure you used the least energy possible”-...-“huh what do you mean”- she asked -“If she had a body and was always watching us, she would take that in consideration right”

“Well then let’s keep moving”- Christa said as she pointed forward

“Ok, let’s keep moving”

They kept moving forward. Auro could tell something was wrong from the beginning. Christa seemed to be honest but something about her put Auro on edge. Even when she was telling her story something didn’t seem right. She talked as if she felt no guilt about what happened. More importantly, why would a creature like that attack some random girl specifically. Nothing added up.

“Hey, can you feel that Aamaile...”

“Yeah Auro, it’s wind”

“Definitely we are close to end of the forest”

“How about that christa we’ll be free soon, Christa…?”

“Yeah it’s great, finally I’ll see the outside, beyond the forest...”

“Are you ok...”

“I’m more than ok, I’m happy finally I get to see the outside world… finally”

“Aamaile get ready to run”- Auro whispered in her ear

“Ok...”

“Christa tell me… why are you so happy”

“Huh, isn't it obvious, because my pl- I mean I finally get to see the outside world”- she turned around -“Why are you holding the sword handle, Auro...”

Auro stanced up as if he were getting ready to fight and Aamaile clenched her fist inside the gauntlets…

“Don’t tell me you too Aamaile”

“Sorry but I’ll never go against Auros judgement”

“Well then, you left me no other choice”

As Christa turned around the transparency of her body began to fade away and slowly she began to look more humanoid. But then limbs began to grow out of her then her eyes began to glow a bright red. Then limbs began to rip her into two spewing a black oozing liquid, then slowly the black liquid began to climb up and consume her body all the way up to her neck more goop started to spill down her head fully covering her body in it.

“Aamaile RUN!!!”

As both of them began to sprint the same way they were going, they could hear the disgusting pitter patter of goop that Christa told them about. Rather that monster told them about. Auro's intuition was right, something about her was not right.

“Why are you running I thought we were friends”- The creature screeched as it ran behind them

The wind began to grow stronger as both Auro and Aamaile grew closer and closer to the edge, their hair began to flow in it and their sweaty clothes began to dry. They were near but they couldn’t let that thing make it out of the forest. They couldn’t imagine what could happen if it would reach the outside world.

“Aamaile as we get close to the edge stop and stay behind me, I’ll attack the creature and if anything goes wrong run for your life beyond the forest and leave me behind”- He said as a few tears began to run down his eyes…

“What are you saying, I can’t leave you behind not after what you’ve done for me”- She cried

“It doesn’t matter, you have the most energy of both of us, you can keep living for both of us”

“Tell me why should I, you’re the only thing I have left to live for, without you I’m nothing”- she cried out again

“If that’s it find something or someone else to live for, no matter what live for you and me”- His shaky voice rung in the empty forest

The last thing they could hear before getting ready to turn around was screams slowly approaching from behind them.The goopy pitter patter of multiple limbs running at high speeds. The nerves began to build up inside both of them, they could feel their palms getting sweaty. Then he heard it… That voice…

“Auro you better not regret that decision you made… ”

“Wait it can’t be, that voice don’t tell me… you’re”

“Yup… she couldn’t handle it, you put to much stress on her and you will pay for it after we get out of this”

“Well then Iris... I’ll remember it…”

As they saw the light from the outside Auro pulled out the sword from out of its sheath and turned around and stopped. As he stared at the impending doom that approached them…