Nightfall

Amanda wiggled her toes in the straw-covered red pine clogs she wore. She sat on a thick, low-hanging branch of the Dove Tree she found with Caleb. There wasn't much space in the Dove Tree, so the two had to use different branches.

The tree looked like a piece of Broccoli. Their heart-shaped leaves hid them in the night, like lovely protectors. Flower buds dangled with tiny, rock-like nuts. Caleb snatched a bunch to toss at curious animals. Amanda laughed at the determination he put in on aiming and hitting the Monkeys swinging in the other trees.

"Why are you bothering them? They're just animals."

"That's the problem. If they don't learn that we've taken over this territory, they will keep challenging us. This is the simplest way to deal with them."

'Well, it does look like fun," Amanda murmured.

She grabbed a few hard nuts herself and looked for the monkeys swinging just out of sight. Amanda aimed at a Blue Butt Monkey under the moonlight.

"Hyah!!!"

The nuts narrowly missed, just as Caleb's had missed.

"Hmph! Why are they so slippery?'

"They lived their whole lives in the trees. We're hardly their match, but it looks like they are playing with us. If they wanted to hurt us, they would've thrown things back at us."

Caleb chucked another nut and this time, the Blue Butt Monkey caught it! The animal showed off to its friends and finally got the others to leave.

"Fighting doesn't solve all problems. Everything strives between survival and purpose. So, the animals got their entertainment taunting us and they didn't get hurt while checking our danger levels. Surprisingly effective, considering their simple plan."

Amanda scoffed, "They're just Monkeys. You could've yelled at them to go away or play your flute. Animals like your flute, remember?"

"Ah, but that's not as fun!" Caleb exclaimed. "Also, more variety leads to more understanding. If I lost my flute, I know that I can throw nuts at them until they leave."

"But… that's still redundant. You can beat up basically everything using your Inheritance. Why are you so worried?"

"I don't have control nor do I know the limit of this power. I'd be an idiot to waste it willy nilly. Also, you have my flute. You have all my stuff, actually."

Amanda rolled over on the bag, feeling weird.

"...We should move some stuff to your bag and then switch bags."

"Yeah, an even share sounds about right. Took you long enough. Long enough that I'm done looking through your things. It's been… Interesting."

Amanda blushed.

"Sh-shut up!"

"Hey, I just want you to know I'm happy. You kept my first carving of you all this time…"

A silence fell between them, only drowned out by the cries of rampant Cicadas.

Caleb spoke up again, saying, "Remember the nights when Dad talked about the night sky/'

Amanda reflexively nodded and replied, "Yeah. He always told us stories."

"He said that the Heavens exist, but beyond them is the Greater Universe. Countless Suns and countless Worlds exist, all managed by their own Heavens… I wonder why things don't change so much, considering the power of the Heavens."

Amanda rested, hearing Caleb's soothing voice. She liked listening to Caleb ramble on, because he said the strangest, but also, the most interesting things. That is, if it wasn't completely stupid, yet completely endearing. It was a cute quirk of his, trying to prove himself for some reason.

"Are there Greater Heavens managing all the Heavens? What if there are Heavens higher above those? How many universes exist, one beyond the other and so on? Are they infinite, or do they stop at one point of control?"

"...I don't know," Amanda said. 'It doesn't matter to us. The World exists to hold us together. We live under the Heavens, searching for meaning or Enlightenment. Whichever path leads us to Godhood, like the old days, becomes a true path. But what does Godhood mean if you have no one left that you care about?"

Caleb smiled.

"I'm glad you're here with me, then."

"Me too, Caleb.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"Good night, Amanda."

"Good night, Caleb."

In the lively woods, a chilly draft shook a tall Fir tree. A few green needles fell from its branches, pelting Vanessa and Bill. Vanessa cuddled Bill close to her chest. He felt her rhythmic breathing.

The cone-like form of the Fir Tree hid them under its limbs spreading out to the sides. Oval cones dotted the woodland grounds atop a blanket of green needles.

Vanessa played with Bill's hair as he slept. He didn't smell or look good, but there was something about him. His openness and dedication moved her heart, among other things.

'Perhaps,' she thought. 'I can be with him. I don't need my past. I don't need to think about the future. I can think about now and what I want."

Her fingers swept across his forehead, brushing off a fallen Dung Beetle.

'There wasn't any point in chasing the Inheritor after he left me. I became imprinted to another, so I have no reason to trouble him with who he has chosen.'

A new gale whooshed past the couple. Vanessa rose an eyebrow and then set down Bill against the Fir tree. She paced away from him, the dirty and patched shirt she wore swaying. She stopped a good distance near the noise she heard.

Vanessa called out, "I know you're there. What do you want?"

The bushes rustled and four people shuffled out. They wore frayed brown robes and pulled hoods over their heads. Their womanly shapes fit well in the clothing, like nuns.

"We are Buddyists, followers of a Tao Sect," spoke an older woman's voice on Vanessa's left. "We have come to bring you back, my Lady."

Vanessa shouted, "What do you mean? I don't know who you are!"

The women laughed.

"You don't need to lie, my Lady. You've evaded your fiancé for far too long! It's time to go home and fulfill your duty as a wife, or we have to forcefully take you!"

"I haven't been free from my bondage for uncountable years, but when I gain my liberty, you dare threaten me?! You will not stop me from living! I live for who I love!"

The women sighed and shook their heads.

"My Lady," spoke the older woman on the left. "Your denial saddens our hearts. May your family forgive us for what we have to do."

The women took guarded stances and inched closer.

"I have no family! I have no Tao Sect! I have no relation to who you talk about! But, for her sake, I will stop you!"

Vanessa crouched like a vixen and bared her teeth. Two prominent fangs extended!

"Take her away, Sisters!"

The three Buddyist followers on her right charged! They mutely ran with abandon, prepared to tackle Vanessa!

Vanessa screamed, "Hiyah!"

She sprinted forward, on all fours and low against the ground. The mute Buddyist followers jumped in unison, going down on her!

Vanessa pounced on the middle Buddyist follower! She fisted her liver in a flurry of punches before bouncing off of her body! Using the rebound, she used a spinning drop kick to slam the neck of the Buddyist follower on the right!

The two of Buddyist followers dropped. The first puked on the ground and rolled in pain. She held her liver, writhing like she was near death. The second fell like a rock and lost consciousness.

The third Buddyist follower slowly backed away. Vanessa stared her down and then pointed at her.

"On your knees. Now!"

She complied, laying dumbly against the ground and shivering.

"Oh? When did you learn how to fight, my Lady? Well, it doesn't matter. You have none of the strength of a cultivator! Bear witness, my Lady! This is what tiny vestiges of power I hold in comparison to your fiancé!"

The older woman maniacally laughed and cupped her hands together. The vitality flowed from her body and glowed a pure and golden light!

"May clear wisdoms guide me! May pure ethics lead me! May calm minds show me! Bestow this maiden your power from ignorance to awareness! Buddy Technique: Light!"

Vanessa blankly stared at the woman's long incantation. It bordered on absurdity from its ridiculousness. She walked around the older woman, who kept turning to reaim her attack. When the attack left her palms, the light moved as a small hovering ball.

"...Are you serious?" Vanessa asked. "How is this supposed to scare me?"

The older woman threw back her hood, showing her thin middle-aged face! She cackled, waggling her tongue and showing her decaying teeth.

"As expected, my Lady! Nobles look down on our power! You should know the World is larger than you ever expect! Don't blame me for taking this action!"

Vanessa easily avoided the ball of light by walking around it. She grabbed the middle-aged woman and picked her up.

"W-wait! What are you doing!?"

Vanessa sneered at her.

"Didn't you want to show me your power? How about using your body to demonstrate?"

Vanessa brought her over to the ball of light.

"No, no, no, no! You can't do this, my Lady! You know better than to do this! Ah!!!"

Vanessa slowly lowered her closer and closer to the ball of light.

"I'm sure nothing too bad should happen. You are powerful, right? Such power shouldn't affect you."

"No! Please! I beg of you! Have mercy! This One has committed a lapse in judgement! No! You can't!"

The woman touched the ball of light! The vitality melded through her arm, searing through like a mini-sun!

"Ahhh!!! Why! Ahhh!!! Why!"

The ball of light entirely ate through her left shoulder and cauterized the wound. The ball of light slowly continued forward as the remaining bits of the arm fell on the ground.

"Ahhh!!! It burns!!! It burns!!!"

Vanessa sweated.

'F*ck! How did that happen!? Why is she so weak?! There isn't much vitality in there, so how can that happen!?"

She dropped the screaming woman and backed away.

"I-I didn't mean to do that! How would I know you were too fragile?"

"Ahhh!!! I told you!!! Idiot!!! Stupid!!! Brainless! Ahhhh!!! The pain!"

The woman rolled on the ground in pain.

"My arm! My arm!!!"

She grabbed her arm, hugging the limb close to her chest.

"Ahhh!!!"

Vanessa ran, ignoring any ideas to interrogate the women. She felt too shocked at the older woman's injury and abandoned all responsibility for the incident.

The screams echoed throughout the Woods. So many people turned towards the source, curious at what happened.

When Vanessa arrived at where Bill rested, he slowly woke up.

"Ugh... who is screaming? It sounds like she is dying."

"Um..."

Vanessa fiddled with her fingers.

"Don't worry about it. It's just an old banshee! We should run away before it gets us!"

"Banshee?" Bill yelled.

He jumped up out of his sleepiness and grabbed her hand.

"Let's get out of here!"

Vanessa fell forward and nearly dropped.

"Hey! What are you stopping for?!" Bill yelled again.

He picked up Vanessa and began running.

"Nevermind, I'll take us away from this place! Don't worry! We'll be safe!"

Vanessa had a tingle in her chest. Guilt, worry, happiness, and anxiety sprouted. How was she going to explain this later?

At the same time, Caleb and Amanda fell out of the Dove Tree! They got surprised at the shrieks and lost balance.

"F*ck! What is that? Some woman?" Caleb grumbled.

Amanda brushed the hair out of her face and huffed, "Sounds like it. Should we do something?"

Caleb stood up in indecision.

"Does it matter what we do? What happens in the dark is entirely not our fault. That woman came here and brought danger. I'm not taking a risk when we ran away from all those risks to save ourselves the trouble."

"Yeah, but... she needs help."

"Why not let fate save her? If she is destined not to die tonight or not, we aren't responsible. Besides, when we arrive, it will already be over."

"Still..." Amanda said, looking into the darkness.

"Fine. This is all your fault when we get over there."