Awakening (7)

-Phew~

A gentle breeze blew through the window under a peaceful night sky. In an inn, 2 figures embraced each other. One of these people was Serus.

He comforted a rather... Unpredictable maiden. She silently sobbed as she reminisced the moments of her life under delicate whispers.

Serus paid attention sincerely as he wasn't completely dull in genuinely helping someone. Though he had no idea how this night would go, and who exactly it brought into his life one thing is for certain is that he would have no regrets.

There was a choking silence as soon as Estella had finally calmed down.

"Cough! Are you alright? Can you drink this?"

She sniffed and nodded stiffly, then sat on the edge of the bed with a glass of water. Serus grabbed a chair and sat in front of her. He sucked in a deep breath and exhaled.

"So... How are you feeling?"

As a genuine person, he took into consideration of her feelings and asked.

"Sniff I'm feeling alright now..."

Her condition seemed to have improved, as her face looked more... Determined?

"Yes, I'm feeling better."

"I see then let's discuss some things."

There was a silent nod and she listened to Serus. She expected him to ask why she did this but the question she was expecting to hear didn't come.

"How much time?"

"Wha-?"

"How much time did you spend in their camps?"

Serus wasn't going to ask why she did what she did. While he does wish for her to get better emotionally he saw this as an opportunity to accomplish something.

Her situation and reaction weren't incomprehensible. The gist is... being tortured for months on end by literal monsters... Does things to a person.

These women and children are completely broken inside and out. He was even worried some would drink themselves to death tonight. Luckily the couple running this place are competent enough to control that...

"So? How much?"

"Oh! U-um, I lost count at around 2 months I guess around 4 to 6? You can ask Scarlet she maintained her sanity the best out of all of us." Estella asked a bit dazed by the line of questioning.

"What did you do before you were taken?"

"I-I was a journalist for a local newspaper."

Estella now was distracted from the original topic. She was still shaking in fear but her heart seemed to have calmed by the distraction.

"How old are you?"

"23."

"Have a last name?"

"Kilpi, Estella Kilpi."

"Any family?"

"Not anymore..."

"Sorry... Hobbies."

"They were... Writing, gossip, and cooking I forgot some..."

"That's fine."

"Favourite color?"

...

Time went by, fleeting like the wind...

Estella had a small smile on her face the small talk she was having with Serus took her mind off this for the first time in a while. She wished that it would go on like this a bit longed.

But unfortunately, all good things come to an end.

"Why did you try to sleep with me?"

Estella was stumped, she had discussed how she learned from Scarlet how she was saved and was thankful. But Serus was confused of all things why try to sleep with him?

Shouldn't it be the opposite? Why would she sleep with anyone ever again?

"...I wanted to test you."

"Test?"

Estella curtly nodded.

"I wanted to know in all that chaos, all that destruction that had been caused, why were you willing to save me. You could have left with the others with no injuries and without risking your life... But you came back... Why?

I was prepared to die, the moment you came in and made plans with Scarlet I was still expecting to die that day. I didn't want to feel any more pain."

Serus was shocked and contemplated his thought process. Why did he save her? He could have died for nothing if she had already died back then. So why?

"... I was being petty."

"Huh?"

"Yeah... I was being petty. As you already know Scarlet had said it was for the best to leave you back then. And I don't know... I can't seem to leave it alone when an issue is right in front of me, and then someone tells me otherwise?! I was acting petty even at the cost of my life."

Estella looked at the man in front of her. He wore a white shirt and brown pants. He had a lean and mildly muscular shape. She put her head down and her cheeks puffed.

"Pfft! Haha-no~ please hahahahaha y-you can't be serious hahaha~."

She held tightly onto her abdomen and was literally choking on laughter, creating flows of tears in her eyes... But she didn't stop. Serus looked at her funnily and smiled on the inside, the mood was lifted. Though he didn't completely get the joke...

He was even feeling slightly concerned about her choking.

"Ha~ sorry, sorry it feels like years since I laughed like that..."

She looked at Serus kindly and leaned forward with bated breaths...

-Smooch~

Estella leaned in for a kiss towards Serus but what she met was a hand...

"Sorry, not participating in this second test of yours Estella~"

Serus winked and she originally seemed both shocked and mad, but after a second her eyes lifted into crescent moons.

"Haha~ you got me... Though I did kind of want one sigh."

She pouted a little, and Serus just smiled.

"Alright, I guess we should head to bed... You sleep here tonight!"

Serus spoke in a scolding tone which surprised Estella since it was out of nowhere. Though there is a reason.

"No one recovers THAT quickly, sleep here I'm not letting you try to jump out any windows, not in my sight!

I'm staying here to watch you!"

"Hah?! You can't do that!"

"I can and you will now sleep!"

The two bickered until Estella was the one to give in and Serus with his arms crossed rummaged through his brain while watching her sleeping figure.

***

"Activate superbia sin-perfectionist."

The chimera heard gears turning in the far-off distance, but other than that strange sound felt no different...

It stood up and analyzed itself, the dirt, blood, and sweat covered itself. Its one eye twitched at the sight feeling disgusted by its appearance.

It popped its chapped lips and without the distracting gear sounds, it could hear the sounds of water flowing nearby. It could now observe the floor it was on, the sounds of rustling trees, water streams, and squeaking?

It could look hundreds of kilometers where there were thousands of little tree-like shrubs and small exits of water.

Its eye gleamed white and it teleported to the nearest water source.

...

In those little shrubs, many little multi-colored, humanoid creatures with wings looked at the giant figure in front of them.

It appeared out of nowhere like the humans in a portal. A figure hundreds of kilometers tall it had a grotesque appearance; large, muscular legs, sharp, awkwardly shaped hands and feet. With a torso and head of familiarly human looks, but apart from its hand, the remainder of its arm was black bone.

It was like a kaiju from the movie but more... Ugly. These small creatures are 'groots', beings that live in the trees. They're in reality the size of pixies but here they'd be like giants to humans...

-Boom!

They felt a gust of wind after a bright light and the creature was suddenly at their water reserve. Their water was being scooped up and scrubbed on its body like it was... Bathing.

The groots turned pale looking at the creature that casually used their drinking water to wash itself. There goblins of mud and water flooding that area.

The chieftains had maintained public order and so there wasn't mass panic at the sight of this giant creature. It was supposed to be another day of tormenting young human adventurers that would enter their floor but this event was unprecedented.

They all scuttled together to underground bunkers and their homes. They were all very sensitive to movements in nature, so with every step that the chimera made it felt like they were having an internal earthquake!

...

"Huaam~"

Meanwhile said Kaiju/chimera/creature was enjoying removing all the grime from its body, but its goblin ears were getting irritated by the scuttling sounds in the "bushes".

It glared into the leaves and squinted, it couldn't see any particular movements but what it could see were multi-colored silhouettes moving in a hurry.

It didn't feel particularly threatened by their small auras however and it shook off some of the moisture while it put on the armor that it now owned.

-Step, step

It tip-toed through the bushes because it didn't want to get dirty again, it was already less than perfect. Its curiosity overcame its desire to be clean and approached the little critters that were steadily speeding up as they approached.

However, they were still too slow and simply reached in and got one of the creatures in its hand.

-Crack

In its hand, the little creature cracked under the pressure and from its whole body and leaked onto the chimeras hand.

"Ew~"

It threw away the creature that it accidentally killed and was about to grab another one but memories flooded in its head.

...

-Roaaaaar!!!

The creature fell to the ground and held onto its head, the shout created shockwaves in the entire forest and the groots were all blown away. Only one stood strong and his eyes burned into the skull of the chimera.

"Brother!"

A little creature yelled in utter despair as it watched one of its brethren got thrown into the side of a mountain like a ragdoll. No other paid attention to him and continued to run when they picked themselves up.

"Sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry..."

The absolute titan was apologizing in a deep heavy tone to gods know who. Meanwhile, the little groot yelled with a burning rage.

In appearance, this little man had long blue hair and wooden patterned skin. He was filled with a hatred beyond reckoning and dashed towards the chimera. Rapier in hand...

"Gyaah!!"

He jumped and covered himself in blue water and lighting, he formed chariots and a horse that were up to size.

"Dieeeee!!!"

With a warrior cry, it dashed into battle...

...

Meanwhile, the chimera was seeing new memories being flashed through its mind. The life of a young scholar, a famous diplomat of sorts, Bril was his name...

He had a decent life as a groot, with a good family, a powerful brother, a team of friends and fellow scholars, and his final moments being picked up by some unknown monster.

Once again the chimera experiences the fear of death and the final passing moments thinking about Brils most powerful memories in life...

It was in immense pain during this process, and its arms were growing wooden-like appendages. It felt extremely sensitive like it could feel every little movement underground...

"Dieeee..."

A high-pitched cry and chimera was not exactly in the best mood, it looked up and saw the water chariot led by lightning horses...

It furrowed its brows and this time gently grabbed the small thing... It struggled; it stung, stabbed, bit, and electrocuted its hand but it was all for naught.

It only pissed off the chimera because of the pricks and burning sensation. It looked at the creature which is smaller than the palm of its hand with curiosity and observed using its new knowledge but it had a shocking revelation and spoke...

"Brother?"