Chapter 3: The Fated Meeting

In the evening, Axel is out in the woods hunting to gather some food for the night. While in the woods, he hears a humming noise not far from his location. Curiously, Axel walked towards the direction of the humming and happened to stumble across a lake. He quietly peeked from the leaves and looked around to see where the humming come from, and then, he sees it. A woman with light pink hair and dawning red clothing is humming to herself while catching some fishes on the lake.

Axel accidentally stepped on a twig and gasped a bit. The woman heard the snapping sound and quickly turned around to look, and she sees Axel, who's standing there, looking at her. The two stopped and stared at each other for what seemed like hours. Suddenly, the two heard a squeal from far away. And the two turn around to see a wild boar charging at full force.

The girl trembled when she sees the boar getting closer; thinking quickly, Axel swiftly dashes in front of the woman, holding on to his blade prepared to block the attack.

The boar hits Axel's blade, which caused him to be knockback a bit, but he holds his ground while the boar continues to charge. The woman is left speechless when Axel pushes the boar away with a swift movement of his blade, which knocks the boar back. Axel puts away his sword into its sheet and slowly walk towards the boar; he grabs the boar and lifts it, staring at the boar with a menacing glare; he said,

"Don't you even think about hurting her; If you do, you'll be my prey..." said Axel, still holding on to the boar.

He lets go of the boar, and the boar runs away in fear.

The woman is just speechless. She doesn't the time to process everything that just happened. Axel walked back to the woman and reached out his hand, she grabs onto his hand, and she stands up. Shyly, the woman said,

"T-thank you for saving me, stranger," said the woman.

He smiled and said to the woman,

"No problem, anything to help. You should really be careful out here in the wilderness; you may not know if there's a wild animal out here to get you," said Axel.

But before leaving, Axel crouched down, and tap the woman's forehead, and said,

"Try to be more careful next time, okay," said Axel smiling at her.

She is surprised, but quickly she smiles back at him. Then the two heads on their separate ways.

During the night

Night finally come. And Axel is setting up a tent and is also cooking some foods for the night. While cooking the food, he hears a slight gasp behind him; he quickly turns around and gasps. He sees the same woman that he saves from the boar attack a while back, shyly hiding behind the trees. Surprised, Axel said,

"Oh my, I didn't expect you to be here. Come in - come in and take some of the food that I made. You must've been starving, aren't you?" said Axel offering the women some food.

The woman hesitated, but her stomach began to growl. She blushed with embarrassment; she walks towards him and sat down beside him; and take some of the food. But the woman still hesitated to eat then he said to her,

"Come on, eat up, don't worry about me, I'll make more," said Axel cooking the food.

Then she eats the food. Axel finishes making his food also began to eat. After dinner, the woman turns to look at him and said to him,

"T-thank you for saving me earlier," said the girl, shyly.

He smiles and said to her,

"No problem, the good thing is you are safe now. Oh wait, I just realized something; are you alone in this forest?" asked Axel, looking at the women.

She looks at him and said,

"Yes..." said the woman with tears in her eyes.

"Why are you crying? Is there something bothering you?" asked Axel looking a bit concerned.

"N-no, I'm fine," said the woman, now crying.

Seeing the woman cry made Axel worried; he hugs her and tells her,

"Come on now, tell me what's bothering you? It's all right, you can tell me anything," said Axel.

The woman replies, still crying,

"I lost everything in my life. My parents, my friend, and everyone I know is now gone; it's because of a war that turns my once happy life into this!" said the woman crying in his arms.

Axel started to feel sorry for the woman. Then, he asks her,

"A war? Where are you from?" asked Axel, still hugging the girl in his arms.

"I'm from the other side of a village," said the woman.

"A Village? What village?" asked Axel.

"The Kahana Village..." said the woman.

Axel is shocked, realizing that this woman is from the same village where the Civil War happened in his village decades ago.

Now with the realization, he said to the woman while gently rubbing her head,

"I never knew we have another population in the village. I thought that the place is only one big village, but now I realized we have other people who live on the other side of the village."

"And I understand and sympathize how you feel, it's because I too have that experience as well, I also lost my friends, family. I even parted ways with my own master,"

"That war really changed everything. My life and even your own life, but now, let's accept it and try to let go of it because we are the last hope for our village," said Axel.

The woman; still crying, said to him,

"Y-yeah but-"

Axel shushes her and tells her,

"You don't need to worry. Even though our lives will not be the same, you and I will work together, so now, please, stop crying. I promise you, I will protect you no matter what, even if it will cost my own life to do it," said Axel keeping true to his words.

The woman stops crying, then she said to him,

"Thank you...you really understand me," said the woman, now hugging him tightly.

Axel smiles and hugs her back.

Then he realizes that it is already night time. He then said to the women, "Come on, let's get some sleep. I already set up a tent for tonight," said Axel offering the woman a place to rest.

She thanks him, and both of them sleep for the night.

The Next Morning

Morning finally came, the woman began to wake up from her slumber when she hears some noise outside, it turns out Axel already wake up early, and he began to train close by the camp, the woman curiously, walks up to Axel and asked,

"What are you doing so early in the morning?" asked the girl curiously.

He answers her question,

"You know, I'm just doing my training session. I do this every morning, to be spiritful in the morning, that's all," said Axel.

She decided not to bother him by keep questioning and just sat down beside the tent and watch him training. She watched him for a while, and she is impressed by the way he trains. Then she walks up to him again and asks him,

"C-can I train together with you?" asked the woman, nervously.

He smiles and put his hand on her head and said,

"Heh, heh. You should've just told me earlier, sure you can," said Axel.

She smiles, and both of them begin to have their very first sparring match.