Chapter 17 - Face your fears, fight back.

"Your timing is very good. It just so happens that our teacher is discussing the parts of Iris City when you've made your discovery about the star crystals. You wanted to tell me so badly, that you came to my school and waited for my classes to finish.

While waiting on the rafters, you we're thinking of a way on how to go where the star crystals are. You don't even know where to start. But then, it happened.

You may not understand the previous lessons we're taking, that's why you got bored and just waited for classes to finish, but when our teacher discussed the Atmosfir, you really got interested. You listened very carefully. You memorized everything he said. You tried really hard to understand it, until you got it. And that, my oblivious friend, is how you learned about the Exosfir and the path to get there. Oh, what joy you have when you told me all those things!"

"Sadly... I've forgotten everything about it..."

"That's why I'm here."

"Thank you, Kaoru. Thank you for reassuring me. I really appreciate it. Uhmm... I hope you don't mind but, I still have one more question left."

"What is it, Lionel?"

"Uhm... How about the path? Did I make a map or something?"

"The path to Exosfir is so easy, we don't need a map!"

"Okay... So, what direction should we take?"

"Straight ahead."

"Straight ahead?"

"Yup, just straight ahead."

"Uhm... Shouldn't we turn left or right, or something?"

"Nope, just straight ahead!"

"Straight ahead... That's how simple it is?!"

"That's how simple it is."

"Oh..."

Quite convenient isn't it...?

We continued to walk in silence...

After a few minutes, she stopped and talked in a hushed voice.

"Lionel, stop."

I stopped in my tracks.

"Huh?"

"Shhh... It might hear you..."

I lowered my voice.

"What? Where?"

"In front of us..."

"Oh, my... What is that?!!"

"It's an Undeadwood!"

"Undeadwood...? What is that?!"

"Ah!! Do I really have to explain everything?! Oh, well... It can't be helped. I'll explain. An Undeadwood is a tree that has been cut down and died. Because it shouldn't have been cut down, the tree became un-dead to seek revenge on its cutter!"

After a few minutes of thinking...

"Ha?"

"Ah!!! You still don't understand?! Aaaaaaaaahh!!! This is frustrating! Wait, Kaoru, wait... Calm down, relax, patience, yes, breath in, breath out... Okay... Let's make it simple so that Lionel could understand... Lionel?"

She's scary.

"Y - Yes?"

"Do you know what a Zombie is?"

"Y - Yes."

"So it's like this, that thing is a zombie, but it's a tree. Do you understand now?"

I looked at the Undeadwood. It looks like a tree but its top leaves and branches are gone now. It is much smaller too. I guess it's really been cut down. Only the trunk is left. But that trunk has black holes for eyes and an open mouth with wooden sharp teeth. There are thick moving branches on its sides. I guess that serves as its arms and claws. At the lowest part of the trunk are thick, moving, black roots. It's like tentacles. I guess that serves as its feet. I guess that's how it moves. It really looks scary but...

"A zombie tree... That's just ridiculous! I didn't know something like that exists!"

I really wanted to laugh but I was cut short. Kaoru hit me in the head.

"Ow! What'd you do that for?! And where did that staff came from?!"

"Be serious, Lionel! That thing might eat us!"

"Oh, come now, Kyrie, its scary and all, but it wouldn't eat us. I think it's harmless."

And then, it moved. It's really slow, but it's moving towards us. And it spoke...

"Huhhhhhhhh..."

"Hmmm... I guess it's thirsty. It sounded thirsty and tired too. I think we should give it some water."

She hit me with her magic staff again.

"Ouch!!! What'd I say?!"

"Stop kidding around! Look! It's coming for us! It's going to eat us!!!"

"Oh, come on! How can you be so sure about that?"

"The Undeadwood said it!!!"

"Ha?!"

Complete and utter silence...

This... is getting awkward...

"Oh, come on!! It just said 'Huhhhhhhhh...' and it means 'It's going to eat us,' what? You can understand them?!"

"Well, yes."

"HA?!! You can understand what they're saying?! Do you really mean to say that you can understand their language?!!"

"HAUHHHHHHH!!! RAAAHHH!!!"

"Yes. And it just said that it's going to eat you first and vengeance is mine."

Silence...

This is very awkward...

"YOU'VE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME!!! How can you understand HAUHHHHHH!!! RAAAHHH!!!?! Did you learn that from school?!"

"I just understand them okay?! Now, quick! Hack it away with your sword!"

"Why don't you use your fire orb spells thingy and burn it instead?"

"Because... Because, I'm scared..."

Really... I have nothing to say...

"HUUUHHH! GRARRRR!!!"

"Don't be such a coward now, Lionel! Go! Defeat it now before it gets nearer!"

"Now I'm the one who's being coward! With those powers of yours, you can easily turn it into ash!"

"Pretty please, Lionel! I beg you! I'm really scared..."

With clasped hands at her face, she looked at me with those big charming silver eyes...

No choice.

I drew my sword and took a fighting stance. I'm quite nervous and unsure about this thing. I need to think. I need to stay calm. I breathed heavily. The Undeadwood is getting closer. I looked at Kaoru. She's gone! No, wait, she's hiding at my back. I guess she's really scared...

"I really don't want to do this..."

I ran full speed.

"I'm sorry Undeadwood! I want you to be my pet and all but it just can't be! I'm so sorry!!!"

I swung my sword with all my might! I hit its side strong and true! The Undeadwood shot out spinning in mid-air and fell heavily back to the ground, spilling its innards all over the place.

"You did it, Lionel! You did it! Good job!"

"I did it...? I did it... I did it!"

Still, it's a nasty job for me.

"Oh no! Look, Lionel! The Undeadwood! It's moving!

The Undeadwood is crawling back for us.

I ran to where it is and smashed it again and again.

"Bad! (Smash!) Wood! (Smash!) Bad! (Smash!) Wood! (Smash!) Bad! (Smash!) Wood! (Smash!)"

It spilled more of its innards...

"AAAAAAAAAHHH!!! YUCK!!!"

That's when I stopped.

"Is it dead now Lionel?"

"Well, its innards are out now so I think its dead. By the way, do you know what those parts are?"

"Uhmm... I guess that's its wood pulp, resin, wood blocks, charcoal, and... Wood shavings..."

"Okay... I guess we can get going now..."

"Yeah... Let's do that. Carry on, I say, carry on! Forward - March!"

"Uhm... Why aren't you moving?"

"Please, be my shield, err, I mean, be in front! Don't worry, Lionel; I always got your back!"

"Right... Of course..."

Because of our first encounter with the Undeadwood, I became more cautious of our surroundings. I did not sheathe my sword just in case something shows up again. Even though Kaoru is an Elementalist, I realized that she gets scared easily... I need to protect her.

We continued to walk through the forest...

"Really, Lionel? You want an Undeadwood for a pet?"

"Well, I guess it's cool to have an Undeadwood for a pet. Besides, I told you its just thirsty. If we just gave it some water it would certainly go away!"

"Cool?! What's so 'cool' with that ugly, hideous thing?! And have you forgotten already? It said that it will eat you! It's not thirsty! And you want something like that to be your pet?! You're weird!"

"Huh! Says the one who can understand 'RAWRRR! GRAWRRR!' You're weird!"

"HMPH!!!"

"HMPH too!"

We didn't look at each other, but we know we're smiling...

Suddenly, the forest is filled with laughter.

"HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA!"

It took quite a while before we stopped.

"Hey Kaoru, this is crazy, but you know, I'm really happy. I'm having fun!"

"Me too."

We smiled.

"Friends?"

"Friends."

"No hard feelings?"

"Sheesh! Those petty things? No hard feelings."

"Let's continue?"

"After you Lionel, walk on."