Lynnor stopped abruptly, signaling Mozrael to stay still. She suddenly jumped from a branch, twisted, and landed dramatically with her hands outstretched.
"Awesome?" She looked back at Mozrael with a smile on her face.
"Can't tell," Mozrael replied quickly.
"TIMBER!" Lynnor exclaimed out of the blue as she pulled out two curved blades.
With a smirk, she slashed out. A low hum reverberated as the air rippled and the slash extended outward, cutting the trees hundreds of meters ahead of them. The move stunned Mozrael but a new character came into view.
"You idiot! You let it run away!" A green-haired girl came from one tree, landing behind Lynnor. Instinctively, Mozrael grabbed the girl and pinned her down in a lock.
Suspicious
"Hey unhand me, you crazy woman. Who do you think you are? Unhand me this instant, you slut!" She shrieked, thrashing in Mozrael's grip.
"Watch your words," Mozrael said calmly, frowning as she twisted the girl in a grotesque manner. Her eyes popped wide as the moon as she screamed.
Lynnor standing to the side looked at the dark-faced Mozrael, keeping it in her mind to never call her a slut.
Aramith was just escaping when with a low hum, a force shot toward him from a distance, cutting down every tree it passed through. Without a second to spare, his body encased itself with darkness, dispersing the attack. He heard a girl scream in the distance and almost instantly, he felt his true attacker was now onto him.
Ssshing!
Two curved blades slashed behind him. The wielder of the blades, an older woman, grinned like a maniac.
"For a beast, you're fast hahaha. EVEN BETTER!" She attacked him again with more vigor.
"I'm a human, what's wrong with you?" Aramith tried explaining to the madwoman, but they fell on deaf ears.
"It can talk? Oooh this is getting more fun" Her grin turned more manical.
Aramith slipped and dodged, moving out of harm's way with every step and jump, flip, and crouch. Even though none of her attacks landed, he could tell she was holding back. With the many close calls he was having, he feared if she got serious, she would end his life instantly.
"What are you? What's your level? You're oddly fast for a beast," she pondered when Aramith dodged once again, landing on a tree.
"I'm not a beast!"
"Come down from there. The battlefield is on the ground, not up there."
"I'm not your enemy!" He could feel desperation creeping into his voice.
"I know! You're an intelligent beast!" Lynnor lunged at him once again.
He was desperate for an escape route but couldn't find one. All the foliage he could've used were corrupted by his power and most of them were cut down by this mad woman. He needed a plan. Fast.
Lynnor suddenly stopped and touched her forehead, thinking deeply. "You know...I'm not trying to kill you."
"Then why do you attack," he was slowly putting distance between them.
"Well, two reasons. One, I'm bored. Two, I'm trying to warn you that there's a crazy girl who will attack you. Three, there's another crazy girl who will attack you if you call her a slut. And four. You're a beast. Now stay still and die okay?"
That's four reasons... and they're not even connected to me.
She shot at him once again. Aramith turned to run but strings tangled his legs, pulling him to the ground. With her target sprawled on the ground, Lynnor couldn't help but grin.
"Hehehe so you do listen to advice. Just stay still so I end this quickly." She slashed at him.
"STOP!"
An all too familiar voice cut through, stopping the blade that was a hair's breadth from Aramith's back. He quickly untangled himself and backed away.
Lynnor let out a sigh of defeat. "You're lucky, Aram- Boy"
"What?" Aramith's eyes widened
She knew my name?
But before he could react to Lynnor, Mozrael rushed in, kneeling beside him. She was elated to see him but once again, she was trapped by her own thoughts, not knowing whether to hug him, pat him on the back, or help him up.
Aramith quickly untangled himself and held Mozrael, pulling her aside.
"She's crazy," he pointed at Lynnor.
Mozrael smiled. "I know. She saved me."
"That madwoman saved you?" Mozrael's smiling?
"Of course I did. I was saving you too. Now thank me."
Aramith's mouth twitched. Was saving me? Do you think we're idiots?
"Are you hurt?" Mozrael asked with concern.
"I'm not but that crazy woman is trying to do so. And why are you with her?"
"Hey, thank me," Lynnor came out of nowhere beside them. Aramith shot away from her like a bullet.
"You're crazy," Aramith looked at Mozrael for help. She calmly walked to him.
"Okay, this is Lynnor. Aramith, this is Lynnor."
Why are you sounding like you know her well? Aramith couldn't hide his surprsise
"Oh, Aramith huh? Never heard that name before. Such a nice name," Lynnor quickly shook his hand enthusiastically but he pulled back once again.
"Liar. I remember you mentioned my name."
"Maybe you were misguided. I'm now meeting you so how would I know your name? Don't jest hahaha." It was clear she was forcing that laughter.
".."
"..."
"Hey, do you know how stupid that sounds? You never say anything sensible do you?" The green-haired girl came in from behind Lynnor. She shuddered slightly when she made eye contact with Mozrael.
"And this..is Jade," Mozrael stated with a slight frown.
"She first tried to kill me," Aramith muttered to Mozrael.
Jade looked at the three very oddly.
"Are you going to kill it?" She asked.
"Call him 'it' one more time and I'll treat you like you want to treat him," Mozrael threatened.
She quickly hid behind Lynnor.
"But Lynnor told me he was a beast," she spoke softly, afraid to raise her eyes.
Lynnor suddenly gasped and stepped back. She placed her hand on her chest as if wronged.
"Why would I say such a thing? I was trying to save him...from you. And you blame me," she sniffled, wiping invisible tears from her eyes.
A grown woman behaving like that was so wrong in many ways.
Does she think they'll believe her? Jade glanced at them, then back at Lynnor
She hunted him down herself. Mozrael realized
She called me a beast! Aramith shuddered
Jade shook her head, ignoring her as she focused her attention on Aramith, trying to size him up. They made eye contact and Aramith smiled, finding the short girl amusing as he remembered how desperately she shot arrows at him but was unable to land a single hit. She was odd, yes but he didn't feel any cause for alarm.
"Wait, so you're a real person?" She asked.
"I said that many more times than I could count, didn't I?" He still didn't understand their method of reasoning.
Jade's face turned beet red as realization hit her and she turned to leave. Lynnor picked on that and grabbed her hair. "Don't go just yet. Hehehe you didn't use your pulse cannon, did you?"
"Aaaaaah!" She screeched and hid her face in embarrassment, remembering the attack she used on Aramith.
She suddenly started crying, offended as she glanced at Aramith. "I'll never get married," she muttered.
Aramith and Mozrael exchanged glances but were unable to comprehend.
"Hey, did she show you her bare chest?" Lynnor pointed at her large bust, directing the question to Aramith.
"Oh shut up, waaaa," Jade tried to shut Lynnor but she evaded, still chuckling.
"Who me? I didn't see anything, I swear."
"Now no one will marry me..." Jade continued to cry.
Thock! Lynnor knocked her hard on the head.
"Stop your whining, the fine young man said he saw nothing. Your chopping board is not worth noticing. I bet you're older than her but you can see she's growing..."
Lynnor paused a bit and scrutinized Mozrael's chest which made her cross her arms over her chest in embarrassment.
"Ah, Mozrael, you're still just a little plum—small and sweet, with plenty of growing to do! You're like a cherry, Mozrael—small and adorable, but with just the right amount of sweetness to make everyone take a second look!"
Those words made her very uncomfortable and she wanted to hide under the ground.
She noticed Aramith staring at her unnervingly. "What...what are you wearing?" He suddenly asked out of the blue, realizing how odd it was to see Mozrael in that outfit. It seemed too bold, not fitting her personality.
Mozrael didn't pay much attention to what Lynnor gave her. She just wore it, knowing it would make movement easier for her but with the comment Lynnor just made, she was starting to feel uncomfortable.
"Listen here, young man. You don't say such things to a young ladeh. What she wears now is to help her in her agility," Lynnor explained shortly.
Mozrael was relieved but...
"As if anyone would believe you, slut!" Jade suddenly threw a punch at Lynnor but missed by a margin.
"Oh come on, sweetie I only do things out of goodwill."
"Listen, this madwoman would never have such an intention with the outfit she wears. She could be agile in anything she wears but-"
"Oh thank you for the compliment," Lynnor cut in, stretching a hand in front of Jade.
Jade clenched a fist. "BUT! She wore that so she could show off her body. You're a victim, girl. She wants to turn you into a slut!"
"Hey watch your words," Aramith frowned at her.
How dare she call my sister a slut If anything, she looked more like a slut with that short skirt.
Mozrael was more embarrassed than she had ever felt her whole life. Her face burned bright red, thinking of what Aramith must have been thinking when he saw her first.
He must have been disappointed, or even disgusted. She was a princess. How would the people think if they saw her dressing like that slut.
Whack "Ah!"
Lynnor smacked Jade in the back with her curved blades. They were now flexible and soft like rubber.
"Look how you're scaring our guests. She didn't mean to call you that," Lynnor turned to the siblings.
Jade, realizing how sad Mozrael looked, felt bad. The poor girl looked like she was about to cry.
"I didn't mean it that way. You're not a slut. Lynnor just made you dress like one."
Whack "Ah!"
"What she means is if you're interested, she could give you some of her clothes to wear. isn't that right?"
Jade nodded, holding back tears as she rubbed her pained head.
"I have better clothes if you want. Sniff"
Mozrael stretched her hand out, keeping her eyes on the floor.
"Wait, now?"
Mozrael didn't retract her hand.
Jade shrugged and gave a new set of clothes to Mozrael.
"Let me help you, she said and walked Mozrael behind a tree. She quickly drew an alchemy formation and plants started to grow, intertwining and twisting till they circled Mozrael, forming a wall that would shield her from any onlookers.