-Break-

-After a little investigation-

Sitting down, I say, “Knowing Orb, he would have loved to explore here, but he wouldn’t do that if he wasn’t prepared, especially if Iancu was with him.”

“So wouldn’t he have used advent to build an ice tower to the hole?”

“He has already used Advent today, so I doubt he could use it again, that would mean they would have to hide somewhere until the day was over, and will wait till tomorrow to leave.”

Rubbing her hands against her head, Maple says, “Doesn’t that mean we just made this more troublesome for them?”

“Yes, that’s why we are going to stay here until tomorrow morning, then when Orb and Iancu arrive we will go. Or at least that’s how I would like for it to go but after scouring the area around us we haven’t found them, despite finding quite a few hiding places.”

“Orb wouldn’t miss such spots so that would mean they left this area to go somewhere else. They could have gone adventuring the area, but that is unlikely for Orb, especially with how cautious he has been since he returned from his adventures.”

What my dear wife says is correct, Orb is a lot less headstrong than he was specifically after he had returned Sparrow to us. It seems what happened during his journey from Elpída to Jedidiah impacted him heavily.

Maple with a worried expression, then says, “What if something happened to Iancu, or Orb saw someone in trouble.”

Reaching the same level of perturbation, I say, “You’re right, it is the only reason I could see that Orb as he is would risk going out into this unknown place.”

“This could mean he is in trouble, we need to go find him?”

“We can’t Maple, he could literally be anywhere, and we have no idea what’s out there as well.”

“But sitting down doesn’t guarantee us anything, having extra hands will only help.”

“It would be better for us to wait under the hole where we know they would be coming.”

Getting irritated, Maple says, “Orb's body is not at a hundred per cent, and the boy Iancu isn’t even a fighter he is a craftsman.”

As the two talk their anger flares at each word from one to another.

Also getting irritated, I respond, “Well then how do you plan to find them? Just keep looking and hope you find them.”

“I can figure it out later, just let me go and look for them!”

“NO!” I say screaming at Maple. “Don’t go causing more issues for people.”

“It won’t be an issue, I am strong and can take care of myself, I have a legacy.”

“Orb is far better at using his legacy than you and look at what state he ended up in. What if you find someone with a legacy as well and what if they can use advent!”

“I will still make do I can use spirit arts and my shots will never let me down!”

“So can I, that doesn’t mean anything against monsters that exist in the outside world. Don’t be incompetent.”

Maple filled with anger says, “JUST BECAUSE YOU’RE WEAK DOESN'T MEAN I SHOULD BE AFRAID LIKE YOU. If you want me to be safe just stay here it will be less of a burden. If my father was here instead, I wouldn’t have to worry about this at all, but you can’t even ease my worries like he did!”

I tighten my fist as if I am prepared to hit something and say, “If your father was here Aplos wouldn’t be stuck with such an incompetent leader, but guess what we are.

During the time he was fighting for his life, you couldn’t even do anything as Orb fought a man to death just to protect you. Don’t talk to me as if you are some almighty and powerful figure, you're just a little girl who lucked on power!”

I look directly at her face after saying this, and I see she looks completely heartbroken, with tears in her eyes, she says, “You liar.”

Then turning around she runs away, and on her legs, she activates her legacy and dashes away from me.

As she does, I hold up my hand and say, “Please stop.” But I can’t keep up with her. She completely outpaces me to the point where she looks like a piece of dust.

So I run as fast as I can even running out of breath, but still I continue until in the distance I see Maple crouched down in a field of flowers, so I stop and then walk over to her.

“Maple,” I say standing behind her.

She ignores me, and shifts her body away; using it as a symbol that she is rejecting me.

“Maple,” I say again trying to move my body towards her face, but she does the same action bringing me away from her line of sight.

But I persist, and say, “Maple, Maple, Maple, Maple,” While trying to get her to face me but she keeps up her evasions.

Then she says, “Liar.”

Annoyed, I sit down in the field of flowers beside her and say, “It isn’t fair of you to get like this, you said some horrible stuff to me as well.”

In a mocking voice, she says, “I am sure you will grow into a wonderful leader.”

“Me saying you're incompetent, doesn’t disprove that sentence.”

Maple throws her bow at me, which pins me to the ground until I use spirit energy to make it lightweight.

“I already know, I am an incompetent girl who can’t do anything right. I make a promise to be a nice girl after my dad dies, and then I go saying mean things to one of the only people who still cares about me. I am a fool, who can’t even keep a promise to herself.” Maple says as she starts to cry.

She wipes tears from her eyes and pulls back in her snot, so I quickly make something and hand it to her saying, “Here.”

Looking at my hand she sees I am holding a poorly put-together flower crown.

Maple looks at the crown and then looks at me, so I say, “I heard from Buloke that your dad used to make them all the time, so I thought this would make you happy.”

Maple grabs it from my hand and as she does it falls apart. Seeing this I droop my head down low, and say, “I guess I can’t do anything right.”

Seeing Willow disheartened Maple places a flower crown on Willow's head, and says, “You look quite handsome with that on.”

Embarrassed, Willow says, “Please don’t tell me such things.”

Maple pleased to see Willow embarrassed smiles, and then pushes herself against Willow, and says, “You really aren’t gifted with plants are you.”

Willow irked by this says, “SO what, plants are evil soulless demons that exist to predate on humans, completely unlike adorable wonderbeasts who are beckoning to be friends.”

Maple looking at me says, “Has a single wonderbeast you’ve met, not instantly tried to attack you?”

With a proud smile, I say, “It is simply their way of saying hello. After you bypass it the gate to friendship opens, my bond with the Zterytavises and the Tiritrex is evidence of that.”

With a false expression, Maple says, “How sad it is that means I will never be able to get a good flower crown from my husband.”

Willow looks shocked by this and then moments later he combles together and forms another flower crown which falls apart easily.

Seeing this Maple falls on her back and laughs which causes Willow to say embarrassed, “It’s not that funny!”

Φ “You really can’t do something so basic, I thought you were better than that.”

Willow turns her body away from me so that I only see his back, so I say, “Willow,” And try to get in front of him.

But he turns his entire body away from me so that I can’t.

“Willow, Willow, Willow,” I say as I continue to try and get in front of him, but he simply just continues.

Getting annoyed, I grab him and try to turn him toward me saying, “Don’t just ignore me, it’s really annoying.”

“It isn’t fun is it,” He says looking away from me.

Sitting down, I hug him from the back, and say, “I am sorry, I don’t want my husband to not talk to me.”

Making a cute noise, Willow says, “So am I, I don’t want to make my wife cry.”

After hugging for a moment, I say in a bashful voice, “Orb isn’t around to stop us.”

Willow then turns around and gives me a shocked look and says, “To suggest we do something such as that right here in the open, I didn’t know you were like that, you really are Orb’s sister.”

“Hey don’t call me a freak of nature, and if you don’t want to do it just say no.”

With bright and pure eyes, Willow says, “I absolutely want to.”

Looking away from him, I say, “Pervert.”

I am about to go in to kiss Willow, but then both me and Willow jump backwards away from each other, as an arrow appears in between the both of us which then explodes.

Using my enhanced vision, I look into the distance, and say, “8 hooded archers all of them riding wonderbeasts with large green antlers.”

Using spirit energy Willow picks up my bow and brings it towards me, but more shots get in the way of both of us, and due to the explosions after impact.

I look at the riders again and notice that before they shoot their arrows they attach to them these purple fruits growing out of the wonderbeast's green antler, and then shoot them.

If that is causing them to explode it would explain why they aren’t infusing spirit energy into their arrows using string, this allows them to make us rely on only our senses when fighting.

Me and Willow continue to dodge the arrows, but they are sent at us in such frequency and in so many different directions that we can’t keep up.

But Willow suddenly stops dodging and runs towards me, which causes an arrow that lands at his feet to explode. Still, he runs through it with his legs bleeding and scarred and throws me my bow.

“Get them.”

Grabbing it, I say, “You bastards will pay for that.” Activating my legacy I increase the speed of my body which allows me to dodge, quicker then I weave arrows and shoot one at high speed which explodes upon hitting a rider.

Dodging more arrows, I shoot an arrow into the sky and slow it to a halt, using this I am able to get some elevation and then I shoot another arrow directly at another horseman, taking him out of the battle as well.

One of the riders lets out a whistle, and then their battle formation changes, 3 of the remaining riders charge towards us, and the remaining 3 continue to shoot at us.

“Trying to take me out in close combat, lucky for me I have a great guard.”

I shoot an arrow at Willow and increase his speed, which causes him to say, “Good work darling.”

Using spirit energy and his new speed Willow runs at high speed, jumps us and manages to kick one of the riders in the face, after that, he is able to hit another of the riders before they can counter, and then he knocks out the last one.

As he does this I move around and shoot down the remaining three, then I move over to Willow and ask, “Are you alright?”

Willow is looking down at the people on the ground in amazement, and says, “Maple come look at this.”

Looking at the people, I see she looks like a human but he has ears on his head reminiscent of an animal, and a tail as well.

“Maple it is like a human, but also an animal, It’s this amazing!”

Noticing Willow’s enthralled face, I say, “Remember I am your wife!”

Willow with a half-hearted expression, says, “Yeah.”

Grabbing him, I say, “Don’t cheat on me with animals!!!!”

Suddenly both me and Willow get up on our feet and assume battle positions.

Coming from the distance we see a Tiritrex that looks similar to that of a tree, and on that beast comes a man with a spear, whose presence makes us go still.

Sighing, he says, “I still need to train my men more, I guess I was too soft.”

 Raising his spear at us, he says, “But regardless of that you two demons from the sky, need to be cleansed immediately.”