The path to Ash town was a long one filled with strife
And due to that fact, it would take four days before they would be able to reach it at the shortest, seven if they were particularly unlucky with road events.
Road events in this case ranging from the neighborhood nuisance variable rain to why is this here aether storms.
But as it stands, the road event of the day was the neighborhood nuisance.
Metal laden water falling from the skies like bolts from the blue, any and all living beings with a sense of touch found it wise to seek shelter underneath the bruising weather.
Klatuls dug into their nesting grounds, starbugs released brief flashes of light in the clouds above, Erguls ran amuck in the harsh rainstorm...
Well not everything was as durable as the Metal shelled Erguls.
In humanities case, they hid underneath durable shelters with this particular set of humans reinforcing their shelter.
Having found an abandoned ship with signs of previous inhabitants, the sister brother duo claimed the place as their own, reinforcing the place in preparation of the previous inhabitant.
Watching his sister, Eva walked around the edges of the broken and abandoned ship stripped of parts, drawing glyphs onto its surface with a special adhesive paste using her fingers.
With large broad strokes, each Glyph was formed of three continuous strokes.
'Earth, ice, metal.'
Seeing the three glyphs form with sharp strokes, they were arranged around the entrance in an inverted triangle, the top glyph being ice while the support glyphs were Earth and Metal
The orientation of the Glyphs was surprisingly important in determining the wards effects.
But in this case, it served as a particularly strong shell for the outside elements that would freeze anything that would enter through the entrance.
[Can I do the honors]
"You did everything, go ahead."
Tossing a pouch filled to the brim with Aether dust, Eva caught it in one smooth motion while its seven similar sized cousins rested besides the gas lamp.
Unravelling the knot, Eva took out a pinch of glowing dust and scattered it onto the ice glyph.
Then it began to glow in sync with its two other connecting glyphs.
*Crack
Ice forming with a crackle, it fell downwards where it met the metal and earth glyphs dyeing the ice grey while an earthy smell slowly wafted up.
Nodding her head in satisfaction, Eva knotted up the now lighter pouch and tossed it back to Ester.
Catching it, Ester placed it against the seven others and waited for Eva to come and sit besides the soft flame of the lamp.
Then a comfortable silence where nothing needed to be said with each other.
Smiling underneath his mask, Eva seemed to sense the sentiment as she nodded her head in return and laid her body against the ground.
Adjusting the rolls of cloth underneath her body, she laid her head against her bag and shifted around until she found a comfortable enough position.
Letting the time flow ceaselessly as night fell and the Star bugs disappeared from the sky, Ester laid his back against the wall and rested the pair of Katars on his legs.
It was going to be a long night as he kept watch over her sleeping body.
The night was long
---
Sleep came easy when he woke her up and let Eva have second watch.
But all good things inevitably ended.
It was what made them good in the first place.
Especially when what ended the good thing was a bad thing.
Feeling a hand cover his mask despite the futility of such an action thanks to his respirator, sensing the sentiment carried in the gesture, Ester opened his eyes to Eva's secondary gesture of a finger on her lips.
'Ah.'
Pushing himself up off the ground, he looked around
The ship's interior, lit up by its unlikely visitors was filled with the sound of respirators humming their tune.
As expected of an abandoned ship, it was just as empty as the previous one they had made their home in.
If there was one difference here, it was the fact that this place was previously a home to a rather large inhabitant.
'And that inhabitant has finally returned.'
Briefly visible past the wall of frost at the entrance, a large shadow pressed its forehead against the curtain of metal infused ice.
And it was impatient.
Grabbing his weapons, Ester barely made out what it exactly was before the ship shook with a loud bang.
*Krkrkr
Icy entrance screaming as it cracked, the unknown beast having not expected such resistance staggered and shook its head.
Then it let out a growl audible from even within the ship and pulled back.
'It's coming back.'
Realizing that one simple fact, Ester joined Eva and flanked the entrance, leaving behind their items.
Since they had set it far from the entrance so that they would have an ample amount of time to react if something did eventually break through the entrance, it was unlikely to be trampled on.
Tightening his grip on his weapons, Ester rolled his stiff limbs as the beast continued hammering its head against the frozen entrance.
And then the entrance finally broke apart allowing what was outside to enter.
'An Ergul, an injured adult at that.'
Covered in what looked like the wounds of a Klatul flocks claws, the gigantic metal shelled beast let out a roar, blue colored blood leaking out of its body
But... was it supposed to be this injured?
[...]
"?"
Seeing it collapse against the ground soon after it broke through the entrance, the duo exchanged silent gazes only to convene at the entrance once more as someone's footsteps crunched the metal covered ground.
Entering through the doorway, Ester and Eva failed to hide the shock shaking their eyes.
Smirking annoyingly, the maskless woman covered her mouth and chuckled.
"What? Didn't expect to see me?"
[Yes]
"Blunt as ever are you Eva." Tilting her head backwards to get a good look at Eva, her eyes narrowed when she noticed the black foldable staff in her hands.
"...I see that you're using the gift that the mentor made for us well."
[Not unlike you, you're using them right now aren't you]
"Hm... That's fair." Flexing her fingers, the claws embedded into the tips of her gloves glinted underneath the gaslight.
Turning her head to look at Ester, she smiled brightly, her stormy eyes locked onto Ester's own. "Ahaha, why do you look so annoyed? Aren't you happy that your other sister is here?"
"...Why did you suddenly follow us here?" Cutting to the chase, unaffected by Ester's interruption, she waved her hand in dismissal.
"That's easy, since our mentor gave us these special weapons, that meant that there was something to do, it helped when you guys weren't at your home when I visited."
"Then how did you follow us here?"
Raising an eyebrow at the question, Astra had an amused look on her face while crossing her arms.
"It wasn't hard, if anything, you guys got rusty after staying in one place so long."
Frowning, Ester recalled how they specifically chose a path lacking any soft ground that could show their tracks all the while following what they had learned from their mentors
Turning to look at Astra, it didn't seem like she was lying, but even then it didn't make sense.
Unless she was suddenly capable of differentiating the air thick with various contaminants for their scents, it wasn't possible
[Just to be safe, you don't have a pheromone tracker do you]
"Does it look like I have that big bulky thing here with me?" Raising and spreading her arms, Ester nodded his head unconsciously.
"Wait no, that still doesn't answer my question."
"Eh, we all have a few secrets in our lives that we can't tell each other don't we Ester, Eva?"
"I can confidently say that I have no secrets to hide." Proudly puffing out his chest, Astra scoffed.
"Hah, likely story... You're actually telling the truth? The hell?"
Tilting her head in confusion, Eva folded her staff with a snap and attracted the both of their attention.
[So Astra, now that we've asked our questions, you are entitled to one question.]
"That's a bit unfair, didn't I answer two of your questions?"
[One of them was from me, the other was from Ester, now ask]
Tilting her head like a lizard, Astra chuckled at the irrefutable knowledge while ignoring the fact that Ester had technically asked two of the three questions before speaking.
"Haven't I made it obvious? I'm here to join you, whatever our mentors left behind, it doesn't make sense that I want join you guys"
[...]
"It'll be like old days." Clapping her hands in mock joy, Ester awkwardly nodded his head.
"...Yeah."
"Great!"
And that was how on the path to Ash Town, an old friend, sibling, and comrade joined them.
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Tree that has exams and probably won't be able to upload for the a month or two.
Tree