Archive of Our Own

"To your left!"

"Got it!"

An arrow firmly struck the center most mark of a wooden target that was implanted on a dummy. A wave of relief flushed all over you like the strong wind blowing past your skin as you sat firmly onto the back of your Qucusaur companion while she takes you up in the sky.

"Nice shot, Y/n!" A teammate praised you as she and her saurian companion flew up next to you.

"It's not over yet, heads up!" You looked up ahead as you see a couple of moving targets at the distance, each carried off by a small hot air balloon in separate positions.

"My my, guess they're not going easy on us this time" Another one of your teammates remarked as he caught up with your pace.

"Anyone up for a wager?" Your female teammate suggested with a wry smirk on her face.

You looked to your male teammate from the other side as he sighed. "Come on now, Ami. We all know every time you lose the wager, you'll back out on your end of the bargain and just say it was all just a joke—"

"Whoever takes down the most targets wins, the one with the least will pay for dinner. Ready- set, go!" Ami then just took off without a pause in her beat, leaving you and your male teammate behind as you could only let out a mild chuckle.

"Aaand she's not listening.."

"At least she's feeling lively" You chuckled. "Cmon Jolo, you don't wanna get left behind too, right?" You then took off with your Qucusaur as you ready up your crossbow.

Jolo sweatdropped as he was left behind in the dust, looking at his Qucusaur companion as if they both have the same thought of the situation before following behind.

It was a thrilling ride for you and your saurian companion. While you pay the wager no mind, you decided to focus on the moving targets as you aim from the scope of your crossbow. It's no easy feat to aim perfectly but at as long as you get a good angle, you'll able to get it right.

A few minutes passed, all the Qucusaurs and their riders finally landed down. You carefully got off your companion and gave them a gentle pat on the feathers.

"You did great Jules" You muttered with a soft smile, to which the Qucusaur responded with something that you could tell as a happy chirp.

And while you finished up getting things done with your Qucusaur, you hear Jolo and Ami nearby discussing about the training that just ended, with the former holding onto a pair of binoculars while looking up at the balloons in the sky. And so you decided to approach them. 

"Based on the number of those painted arrows on the moving targets, that would be an almost perfect score of 46 for Y/n, 40 for me and uhhh... 23 for you"

"hUH?? WHAT??" Ami shoved Jolo's face aside, nabbed his binoculars and started manually counting by herself.

"Sooo... Who won the wager?" You chirped in at the duo with only Jolo taking notice as he turned towards you.

"It shouldn't be a question by now. You really have talent for this kind of thing, Y/n" He remarked with a chuckle as you both then looked at Ami who seemed to be done counting.

"..22.. 23... No, that can't be right- I know I did more than that!"

"Alright, alright, hand over the binoculars, Ami" He took back his binoculars while the female teammate stood there in disbelief.

You just laughed along at their antics as it's just something common between the three of you. Jolo and Ami were your friends ever since they welcomed you into the tribe just a few years ago. 

Your parents were from different tribes, your father from the Flower-Feather Clan and your mother from the Scions of Canopy. You were originally born and grew up in your mother's tribe, but after a certain incident years ago, it had given your parents the tough decision to have you move into your father's tribe, where your relatives can take care of you.

The three of you then hear clapping noises nearby, as it cued the three of you to turn your heads then see the chief of the tribe, Mutota approaching.

"Well done you three, I can see the team effort you all made in this training and while you three may be the smallest flying squad of the tribe, you three have performed as well as the others and I greatly commend you all for your hardwork. Keep it up"

"Waaah! Thank you so much Chief Mutota!" Ami and Jolo happily said in unison. You can almost tell how happy they are to be praised by the chief that they long idolize.

"Thank you, Chief Mutota" You politely bowed with a smile, also feeling quite happy to be acknowledged by the chief of the tribe. When you then looked up, you noticed the chief handing you a folded letter. 

"A messenger from the Scions of Canopy came by to deliver this. He said it's a letter from your parents"

You accepted the letter with both hands and looked at it for a moment before looking back at the chief. "Thank you so much, Chief Mutota and sorry for the trouble"

"It's no trouble at all. Anyways, I have some business to attend to, you youngsters take it easy and get some well-deserved rest" And with that, the chief then walked off, leaving the three of you be. 

"A messenger~?" Ami slides into your left side with a smirk.

"From the Scions of Canopy~?" Jolo chirped and did the same at your right side.

"Alright, knock it off you two" You pushed both off to give yourself some space before looking at the folded letter in your hands. "The chief didn't specify which messenger. The Scions of Canopy has a lot of messengers, just to inform you" You gave them a blank stare before you opened up the folded letter and read the letter.

"Hey Y/n, do you ever miss your parents? Or like... Your home in the Scions of Canopy?" Ami suddenly uttered, which made you pause and look at her.

"Hm?"

"You know, do you ever think of going back?"

You start to ponder and look back at the handwritten letter while your gaze just drifted off.

"It's... Complicated. But it's also a long-thought decision.. Between me and my parents.."

"But why—"

"Ami" Jolo immediately interrupted her and shook his head, gesturing her to stop prying and it made the latter fall silent instead.

"Sorry, that was out of line" She retreated and apologized with slight remorse.

You shook your head and smiled at her for reassurance. "It's alright, don't worry about it. Anyways-" You stretched your arms up. "I'll be taking Jules home, let's go out for dinner later, my treat"

Ami's eyes lit up and ears perked upon hearing free food and jumped for joy while Jolo just sighed and facepalmed. "ALRIIIGHT!!! YOU'RE THE BEST, Y/N!"

You waved the both of them farewell as you took your saurian companion with you on the way home. As you were walking, your mind drifted and recalled the contents of the handwritten letter from your parents.

"The Pilgrimage, huh... I guess it's already that time of the year.." You placed your left hand on your right shoulder.

"Cheep.." You hear Jules chirp and pushed her head against you for a nuzzle as it snapped you out of your thoughts.

"Ah.. Eheh.." You gently pat the head of the Qucusaur. "Unfortunately, I don't think I can participate in the Pilgrimage anymore. The risk is too high for me"

"Cheep?" Jules tilted her head while looking at you.

"Mhm.. My body could no longer fight like it used to. Not like I had the strength to begin with.."

"Cheep..." She cooed with a sad tone.

"Don't worry, girl" You reassured her and nuzzled your cheek against her feathers. "I have you after all. So I think I have a better chances of fighting on air than on land haha.."

Jules then responded with a soothing chirp while returning the affection. 

It may not seem like it but when you first came into the tribe, Jules was your family's least affectionate saurian companion. Not even your grandparents nor your aunts and uncles could get her to warm up to them. It's not like she suddenly gets affectionate the moment you met her, even you had a hard time getting along with her at first. But eventually, she just softened up and started becoming friendlier around you. She still doesn't show much affection to your relatives but in the very least, she's making progress.

You let out a sigh as you look up in the sky. "I wonder how he has been doing..." 

***

Another day, another training session for the flying squads. This time, it'll be a team competition.

"Let's go team! We're gonna show them who's the best!" Ami proudly yelled, all pumped and full of energy as usual.

"Stop embarrassing us Ami-" Jolo protested as he tries to pipe down your female teammate.

"Oh cmon, Jolo! Besides, we have Y/n on our side! She can definitely turn the tides and sweep the competition off their feathers!"

You were surrounded by stares from other teams. You could feel the pressure and their judgement as soon as they all heard what Ami was rambling on about. You then had a thought of crawling into a hole and hide for the whole day as the embarassment starts to kick in.

"You forgot that we're the smallest team here- you're just gonna turn us to an even BIGGER target for other teams!" You could hear the panic from Jolo's tone while he and Ami continue to bicker.

You decided to clear your mind and ignore the stares to mentally prepare yourself for the training session. Just as you were about to check on your saurian companion, you noticed a certainly familiar color from the corner of your eye. You quickly turned your head to see what it was, but it was no longer there. For a moment, you thought that you were just seeing things out of immense pressure and decided to shrug it off.

A few minutes of clearing your mind, you hear one of the tribe elders, Allpa calling for the attention of all riders to gather. You quickly went back to Ami and Jolo as you all now have gathered around the tribe elder.

"Alright, listen up now. As you all are well aware, today's training session will be a team competition. As for the reason behind this, we have a special guest coming to watch the training session and the winning team will be participating as her group in the upcoming Pilgrimage"

You notice someone approaching as Allpa made her speech. You were awestruck for a moment as not only you, but everyone in the tribe knows who she is.

A tall, red-haired beauty with a strong yet calming presence. She was widely renowned to be the "Peacemaker" of Natlan.

"No way, it's Chasca!"

"Oh my gosh, it is!"

"Chasca will be watching us today?"

"Oh dear I'm getting nervous.."

You hear whispers of excitement among the crowd as Chasca's appearance made everyone feel pumped. You suppose that it's no surprise to see everyone excited, whichever team performs the best gets to participate as her group in the pilgrimage and that would truly be an honor for most in the tribe.

"Looks like everyone's pretty eager in today's training session, Allpa. Can't wait to see how this will turn out" Chasca remarked in amusement from the excitement of all the riders.

All of the riders then were instructed to stick to their teams while everything is being prepared. You and your 3-man team went to your respective area.

"Chasca's so cool! Oh man, I'm getting cold feet.." Ami squealed while eyeing Chasca at the distance, who seemed to be busy chatting with the tribe elder.

"Seriously? After that embarrassing spiel you announced in front of the other teams?" Jolo raised an eyebrow as he crossed his arms.

"I mean, who would expect that Chasca will be observing us today! I definitely don't wanna mess up and embarrass myself in front of her!"

All while the duo were bickering again, you felt something that made you uneasy. As if someone's been keeping an eye on you. You immediately turned your head and you could've sworn for a moment that Chasca was eyeing you. Or perhaps that was just your imagination? 

"Geez... Hm? Something wrong Y/n?" You male teammate took notice of your dazed out expression as you were cut off by your train of thought and looked at him. 

"It's... Nothing. I thought I was just seeing things" 

"You sure? We could just tell aunt Allpa that you need a break. You look completely tense.." Jolo gave a concerned look and Ami then pushed him aside. 

"You're gonna stress her out more if you keep pushing it! Hey Y/n, it's okay if you want to take a break, but let us know if something's up, alright? We can't have our team leader dropping out before the competition" She placed her hand on your shoulder. 

You look at the both of them and sighed. "I told you guys, I'm fine. There's no need to worry, I'm not gonna drop out before the competition. Let's just do our best to win this one" 

"That's the spirit!"

***

*THUMP!*

"That's another down.." You muttered to yourself as you took down another moving target before you and your Qucusaur immediately moved on to the next one.

"Y/n!" Ami called out to you as she flew side by side with you. "Jolo and I had already taken care of the targets on our side!"

"Great, now help me up with these next few, I see a big one far up and I'm aiming for it"

"You sure you don't need help with that one?"

"We can't afford to leave missed targets" You held onto Jules as you both sped upwards, going up ahead from the team as the saurian companion flew with all its might to take you up to your locked target. Once you both got high enough to be within the huge target's range, you quickly readied your arrow and aim the crossbow carefully.

"Steady and—" Before you could pull the trigger, you felt a strong force bluntly hitting both you and your Qucusaur from the side, causing you to be thrown off your balance and fall off the back of your companion.

!!! 

You didn't have the time to react. Your eyes widened in immense shock while you feel your whole body falling and time seemed like it was slowing down for you. 

'I'm.. I'm falling...'

'.. This isn't good...'

'I need to get back up there... Or I'll die...'

'Am I going to die here..?'

You could only see your saurian companion from below, trying to regain her balance at first by flapping her wings before she suddenly dives down to save you when she realizes that you were no longer riding on her back.

In the midst of your fall, You could only reach your hand out to the panicking Qucusaur, who is still a bit far off to be within your reach. You could feel your heartbeat getting faster by the second as you know that any moment now, you could crash into the ground and it would be finally over for you.

At this point, you could only pray to the Wayob for any luck left as you tightly shut your eyes. 

.

. 

. 

Everything is so dark, but you could feel that something or someone had stopped your fall. You wondered why it didn't hurt at all but you're also too scared to open your eyes. You might've thought that your end went too fast that your body wasn't able to process the pain.

But even so, it all felt so familiar to you...

You slowly gained the courage to open your eyes a little, everything seemed a little blurry. You couldn't tell at first who this person is. 

"... Kinich..?" You muttered out with your eyes squinted before you blinked again and widen your eyes as your vision started clearing up and instead of being in the arms of a young man with dark hair and yellow-green eyes, you were greeted by a woman with red hair and a pair of charming ocean-blue eyes instead. She slightly chuckled as she heard your muttering, probably wasn't expecting that to be the first thing you would say upon saving your life.

"Sorry to disappoint, but I'm no Saurian Hunter with a dendro vision" She jested with a soft smile to lighten up the mood before her expression smoothly transitioned to concern. "Are you alright though? Got any injuries? That was quite the nasty shove, you could've died"

It took a while for you to notice that she has carried you up in the air while riding on her weapon as if she doesn't need for any Qucusaur to fly up with. 

"I'm.. Alright..."

"I see... You're.. Y/n, right?"

You blinked for a moment before you nodded your head slowly. "How do you know my name..?"

"Ah thank goodness, that makes things easier for me then" Chasca then carefully took you to safety before putting you down after the both of you had landed. You still feel confused on how she managed to know your name despite this being your first conversation with her.

Chasca then took out a folded letter from her pocket and handed it to you. "Kinich is a good friend of mine and he happened to stop by earlier to have this letter delivered to you, but since he noticed that you were busy preparing for the training session, he decided to have me deliver this to you in his stead"

"Kinich was here..?" You looked up at her as you accepted the letter.

"Yeah, he seemed pretty busy though so he left quick. I honestly thought he'd stick around for a bit longer since he seemed like he really wanted to personally hand you the letter, but I suppose he had important business to attend to"

You feel a hint of disappointment weighing in your chest as you looked at the folded letter in your hands. "I see..."

"Y/n!"

"Y/n, are you alright?!"

Ami and Jolo finally landed back down as well, followed by Jules who was worried sick for you so they all came rushing towards you. 

"I'm alright, don't worry. Chasca caught me in time so I didn't suffer any kind of injury" You lightly smiled to reassure them as you waved both of your hands in front of you. "W-What about the competition? Are you sure you two should be here? I don't think the session has ended yet.." 

"Ami and I managed to take down all the targets you said but... Is that really something you should be worried about right now..?" 

Your female teammate sighed in relief before she turned to everyone else who were watching the session. "What the heck was that kind of dirty trick!? Y/n could've died there!"

You held back Ami as you gently grabbed her arm to prevent her from charging at anyone recklessly. "Ami, calm down..."

Tribe elder Allpa along with Chief Mutota then came to the scene and approached you and your group in a worried manner. "I am so sorry for what had just happened to you, Y/n. We'll be sure to thoroughly investigate this, but for now, please rest along with your teammates and call it a day"

"But aunt Allpa... Chief.. What about our team? Are we disqualified..?"

"That's not important right now, Y/n-" Ami protested.

"We'll have a further discussion with the others soon but for now, it's best to give yourself a break. You look all worn out and could pass out at any moment, you shouldn't overexert yourself" Allpa remarked while the chief beside her nodded in agreement before the both of them walked off and called all the riders down. 

There was nothing you could do when even the tribe chief highly suggested that you had to stay put. You feel slightly guilty that your team's chance of winning the competition seems far beyond your reach now because of the accident, or at least you think it was an accident.

You then looked back to the letter on your hands and unfolded it to read the contents. To your surprise, the letter came from one of your good old friends, Mualani.

["Hey Y/n!

How have you been these days? We all missed you so much ever since you left. You hardly visit us nor at least send us any letters, even Kinich is beginning feel all gloomy since! Well anyhow, I hope this letter finds you well and I'll make sure Kinich personally hands this over to you.

I have heard about what happened that time and I'm sorry I wasn't able to be there to help you out. Kachina has been trying to reach out to you but she was worried that her letters might not be able to go through to you and as for Kinich.. Well, he seemed to be preoccupied about something often and I don't wanna pry since I know how close you both were and I didn't want to step on the line, but I'm worried for the both of you.

Kinich doesn't say it, but I know he also deeply missed you Y/n. And I'm sure deep down, if ever, you missed him too.

Also the Pilgrimage is coming up soon! All three of us here will be participating as usual and I don't know if you could this time but we're hoping that you could at least meet us before the tournament for a reunion celebration! We'll be waiting by the entrance of the stadium upon registering. Can't wait to see you again, Y/n!"

—Mualani]

"Heh... And here I thought they've all forgotten about me.." You muttered in a bittersweet manner before you closed up the letter and put it away in your pocket.

***

A day has passed since the incident. Allpa had announced to the whole flying squad that the rider who caused the "accident" yesterday had her team disqualified for their member's misconduct and insubordination, and then was also punished accordingly.

It didn't feel much of a satisfaction to have someone punished because of you, but at the same time, what had happened that time was truly terrifying. Had it not been for Chasca, you would've been a pile of mushed meat on the ground before you know it.

"Ah, as for the final result of the competition, the winning team who surprisingly almost gathered perfect points... Y/n's team!"

Ami and Jolo gasped in shock while you stood there with your eyes widened.

"Oh my gosh- we won.. WE WON!!" Ami grabbed Jolo who was the nearest to her and shook him repeatedly as her excitement just bursted out. "JOLO WE WON!"

"I-I know!- Ami stop- I'm gonna- get sick-"

Chasca suddenly walked into the scene and approached your team.

"I guess this means we'll be teaming up for the Pilgrimage, well I'm glad to be in your care" She placed one hand on her hip as she congratulated you and your teammates.

"Uhm... Chasca.. I don't know if aunt Allpa or Chief Mutota had already told you this but uhm... I won't be participating with you all in the Pilgrimage... It'll just be the three of you"

"Huh?" Your teammates turned their heads as if they couldn't believe what they had just heard. "Why?? Y/n you can't just throw in the towel now!"

"We've all made it this far, why stop here??" Ami walked up to you in protest.

"I have... Valid reasons not to.. I would if I could but.." You glanced away in shame, unable to look at your teammate in the eye.

Chasca just stood there in silence as she watched your teammates' reactions to your concession and nodded her head instead. "I see.. I understand if that's your decision, Y/n. Don't worry, I'll do my best to lead your team. I also won't pry if you don't want to share your troubles but I do hope you know that your teammates here care for you as much as you care for them so don't be scared to open up and rely on them when you need it. Also, I spot someone at the distance, I think you may have a visitor Y/n" The redhead's lips curled into a light smirk, to which you curiously turned your head and paused for a moment.

You see his dark, wavy locks while wearing a palette mix of black, green and yellow. It's the first time in a long time since your heart had skipped a beat. And before you know it, you subconsciously had ran up to this young man without uttering a word, like your body is moving out of desperation to get close to him again.

It's been such a long time, and yet you know you deeply missed him.

'Kinich doesn't say it, but I know he also deeply missed you Y/n. And I'm sure deep down, if ever, you missed him too.' Words from Mualani's letter flashed in your mind while you continue to run up to him.

"Kinich!" You mustered the courage to call out his name. To your success, he had heard you and turned his head, slightly surprised how close the distance was between the both of you while you were about to tackle him for a hug.

The dark haired saurian hunter immediately caught you in his arms as you had your arms around him firmly. Tightly shutting your eyes while trying your best to compose yourself and not break down.

Kinich still tries to process his mind for a moment, to which then you would feel his hand rubbing on your back as if he's trying to comfort you like he used to back in the day.

"Y/n..?" He finally uttered out your name out loud then you opened your eyes in realization, lightly gasped before you let him go and pulled away with a flustered face.

"Ah! I-I was just- I'm sorry! It's just that- W-well..." You waved your hands in a panic while trying to get things straight, but neither your mind nor the words coming out of your mouth can make a proper sentence to justify what had just happened.

"Oh for crying out loud! Just say it already you mumbling halfwit chicken! I've heard better sentences from a baby saurian, and they can't even speak human language!" A 2-dimensional pixelated saurian just popped out of nowhere next to Kinich with a tiny, yet aggressive tone. 

"Arrrgh! Just how hard is it for you to just say: Hey it's been a long time Kinich! How are you doing Kinich? You know I've missed you and the Almighty Dragonlord K'uhul Ajaw so mu—" 

"Don't overindulge yourself in your delusions too much, Ajaw" Kinich flicked Ajaw away as the latter was shot out of sight. 

You couldn't help but just sheepishly smile with a sweatdrop as you watch the mini chaos unfold. You would be lying to yourself if you had thought that you didn't miss this feeling. 

You felt Kinich's hand at the top of your head, which made you pause and just gaze up at him while the rose tint on your cheeks have yet to go away. 

"I'm glad to see you're doing alright as well, Y/n"

"Kinich.."

He let his hand go from you while you noticed a small smile plastered on his face as he didn't take his eyes off of you. 

"How is your injury? I heard from your parents that you became part of the flying squad not too long ago.. So uhm... I was just wondering if you've made a full recovery.." His gaze slightly averted from you as he scratched the back of his head.

"Ah well.." You placed your left hand on your right shoulder. "It's doing better in the least... But I could no longer exert too much effort on it..—but when I became part of the flying squad, I've learned to use my left arm more since it's somehow much easier to use a crossbow this way" You gave him a confident gaze to assure him that there's nothing to worry about.

He was slightly taken aback by your confidence which slowly turned back into a smile. "I'm relieved to know that, but I suppose that means you won't participate in the upcoming Pilgrimage?"

You helplessly sighed. "Unfortunately so.. You noticed that I haven't been actively participating in it previous times too, right?"

"I guess so.." You couldn't help by notice a hint of sadness in his eyes, as if something was still bothering him.

"Uhm Y/n.. About... Actually, nevermind. You should go and celebrate with Chasca and your team. Congratulations on making it, even though you'll just be sitting this one out.." He then turned around as he was getting ready to leave.

You try to reach out to him and call out his name, but not a single sound would come out of your mouth like something is holding you back.

"Kini—"

"I hope you'll come by to the stadium and watch the tournament. Mualani and Kachina are expecting you to meet them before then. See ya around, Y/n" And with that, Kinich made his leave immediately before you could get his attention.

Remorse started creeping up on you as you could do nothing but just watch him leave, like the last time you saw him.

[Flashback]

You were covered in bandages all over your right arm. You were lucky to have survived that abyss attack, but not lucky enough to avoid permanent damage.

You heard that there was an abyss attack near the tribe so you and Kinich went to check on the situation. A group of young travelers were surrounded by abyssal creatures so you and your former partner had to go and rescue them.

But during that moment, one of the travelers got too scared and tried to run away, attracting unwanted attention from the creatures that you were supposed to fend off, and as a result, you managed to save him but at the cost of your own right arm that one of the creatures had almost bitten off from your body.

The damage was so great that abyssal energy started seeping through and had taken root in your injury. Your arm was beyond saving, not even the best doctors could cure it.

You had to give up your life as a fighter, it's like a piece of you was missing from that incident. You wondered if your life would be given a purpose again if not as a warrior.

Your parents couldn't bear to see you lose your purpose like this, they both had a long discussion on what to do and that was when they decided to send you away to the Flower-Feather Clan, where your paternal relatives can help you out. It's as if your parents had expected that you'll pass and be accepted into the flying squad.

It was a tough decision for you to make as it would mean you'd be seeing less of your friends in or near the tribe but you also think it's for the best.

And so you made up your mind.

You and Kinich met up by the cliffs just right above the tribe as you had requested to meet with him one last time.

".. You're leaving?"

"It's... for the best. It's also what my parents had thought about too.."

"Does that mean we'll have to go on our separate ways from now on?"

"If that's the way you see it..."

Kinich fell silent for a moment before he got up and quietly turned away from you.

"... I wish you the best, Y/n.." He then created as what looked like a vine and used it to swing away. You watched him leave as his figure starts going further and further away from you.

As soon as he was no longer in sight, you suddenly burst and broke down into tears. You could no longer hold back your sobs as you clenched tightly onto your chest, pained and miserable. You mourned for your broken heart and the loss of your deeply bonded relationship for the rest of the day at the top of that cliff. It became a painful memory for you to look back on.

. 

. 

. 

. 

. 

"Y/n?" Jolo called out to you as you were brought back to reality.

"Helloooo? Teyvat to Y/n?" Ami waved her hand in front of your face.

"Hm? Oh it's you two- Where's Chasca?" You looked at the both of them, a little confused.

"Hey, are you okay? You've been spacing out ever since that guy left. Was he...—"

"IS HE THE GUY YOU'VE BEEN SEEING BACK AT YOUR MOTHER'S TRIBE??" Ami's eyes lit up like spark that bursted into flames. She's such a gossipmonger.

You face immediately turned red from how loud your teammate is and immediately covered her mouth. "C-cut it out Ami, you're being too loud..!"

As you bickered and about with your teammates, you decided to distract yourself and enjoy the rest of your time with them.

***

You took a deep breath as you and Jules made your way to the Stadium of the Sacred Flame to watch the tournament. You're a bit nervous at the thought of meeting your old friends, especially Kinich after being away from them for so long. 

You know moving to another tribe is not an excuse to not see them again but regarding the distance and the amount of time recovering from your injury, then your time with the flying squad, you figured that there's no way you could make time to see them in all those chances. But you guess it's also no excuse to not send them letters, perhaps you were in the wrong there. 

As you were still wondering on what you need to say to them, you then hear Jules chirping as she tries to tell you that you both are already nearing the stadium. Seeing the stadium's building growing larger as you come closer in distance makes your skin crawl as nervousness grew like a punch in a gut. You don't feel ready at all to face them and you're not even participating.

"Ugh... I don't feel so good.." You muttered to yourself as you held your stomach. It didn't take long before Jules took you down near the entrance to the stadium then with you getting off, still feeling sick to the stomach.

"... Hey Jules... How about we go home—" You were about to turn around and retreat but your saurian companion leaned her head down to push you back, giving you a disagreeing stare.

"Oh cmon, it's not like I have anything important to do" You whined.

"Cheep"

"Wh- hey, I am not a coward!"

"Cheep"

"I am just feeling a bit unwell, that's all" You childishly frown as you crossed your arms and look away.

"Cheep"

"Uggghhh..." You gave Jules the side-eye as you both stared at each other for a moment.

.

.

.

After a few moments of silence, you sighed in defeat and walked away. "Okay, fine you win"

"Cheep" She proudly chirped with a satisfied expression.

You slowly walked over to the entrance as you fiddle your fingers together and your mind concentrating on keeping your thoughts together.

"Hey is that who I think it is? Y/n!!"

".. Huh..?" You slowly looked up, realizing that at the entrance of the stadium, you see two familiar faces standing in idle as if they've been waiting for a while.

"Mualani.. Kinich.."

"Hey! How dare you forget about me?! Grrrr the Almighty Dragonlord K'uhul Ajaw shall not stand for this insolence!!" Ajaw suddenly popped up again, ranting and rambling on while all three of you decided to ignore him.

"It's been such a long time! I'm really glad you decided to come!" Mualani's presence had always been a pleasant company.

"Sorry for not saying anything before I left.." You glanced down remorsefully for abandoning her so suddenly.

"Hey now, cmon. I'm sure you had your reasons for doing so, let's not fret over that" She then placed both of her hands on your shoulders as she turns you around to face the dark haired saurian hunter. "Hey, aren't you going to say anything to her, Kinich? I know you must have a lot of things to say"

You could feel your cheeks warming up as you came face to face with him. He, on the other hand may not seem like it, but you can tell he was hesitating to get the words out. Kinich isn't always the type to speak his mind but there are times you could tell that behind his stern expression is a soft heart that needed to be understood and cared for.

It felt like you're standing there for a long time, staring at his yellow-green orbs while your face feels like it's about to heat up and explode. But how could you stay calm in this situation when he still makes your heart skip a beat like this?

Mualani peeked in between the both of you, looking back and forth to see the tension and awkwardness the both of you were emitting then she hammered her palm with her other hand as if she has gained an idea. "Oh!"

She quickly nabbed Ajaw, covering his mouth. "Ajaw and I will be over there to keep watch if Kachina is nearby so you two go ahead and catch up with each other or something~!" Mualani gave you a side glance and winked before she immediately walked off from the scene with a squirming Ajaw in her hands.

'That Mualani...' You internally panicked as you could feel your face becoming a blushing mess.

"So uhm... I guess you and Mualani will be teaming up?" You tried to think of something to break the ice.

"No, Mualani and I have our own teams"

"Ah.. Right..."

"... I'm guessing Chasca will be leading your supposed team from the flying squad?"

"Mhm.."

"I see.."

"...." 

"...." 

Silence ensues as you both ran out of topics to talk about. You awkwardly looked down and averted his gaze as you rubbed your arm.

"... Hey uhm Kinich.."

"Yeah?"

"About the other day... When you visited the Flower-Feather Clan... What were you about to tell me before you left?" Your gazed trailed slowly back to him, hoping for an answer out of him, even though chances of him giving you a proper answer would be quite low.

You could tell from his eyes that he wasnt expecting that kind of question from you. His gaze fell and looked away slowly as he rubbed his nape, most likely thinking about how to respond.

"I was... Or rather, I've been wondering about us... For these past few years.." He returned his gaze back to you as his expression softened and became less stern.

".. You have..?" You firmly gripped on the hem of your shirt as you couldn't keep your eyes away from him.

"Are we really done..?" You could see the sorrow and remorse in his eyes as he kept eye contact with you.

Your chest begins to feel quite heavy as you try to choke back your tears and sobs. You couldn't afford to cry in front of him now of all times.

"Kinich... I..—"

"Hey you two lovebirds! Are you two just gonna chat the day away and waste our precious time?!" Ajaw suddenly ruined the atmosphere as he called for the both of you.

Kinich looks at you for a second, understanding that you needed some time to give your answer so he gently grabbed your arm as he carefully dragged you with him back to the group. "Alright, we're coming"

You looked down at his hand while holding onto your arm, somehow wishing he had taken your hand instead.

As you both arrived back at the group, there were two—or rather three more people added to the factor, with one of them being familiar to you the most.

"Y/n!" Kachina gasped and called out your name happily as she tackled you.

Your face lit up at the sight of your adorable friend, opening your arms to catch her and hold her in your embrace. "Kachina!"

"Oh my gosh you're here! You're really here!" She nuzzled against you as she sounds like she's about to cry.

"Mhm!" You nodded as you gently stroke the back of her head.

After a moment of a heartwarming reunion, Kachina immediately pulled away from you.

"Oh right I almost forgot! Sorry, I got caught up with the moment and was really surprised to see Y/n here... Anyways, everyone, these are the Traveler and Paimon. They've been helping me out in return of me being their guide. They're really quite strong too. Traveler, Paimon, these guys are my friends, Kinich, Mualani and Y/n"

"Nice to meet you! We're travelers trying to go around the seven nations together!"

"HEY! AREN'T YOU FORGETTING SOMETHING?! How DARE you fail to mention the fearsome Almighty Dragonlord K'uhul Ajaw! First you lowly servants took forever to finally gather up, and now you all dare to ignore the glorious presence of the—" Before Ajaw finished his rant, Kinich flicked him away and everyone watched the tiny pixelated saurian thrown away into the air like a shooting star going upwards.

"Sorry about that, Ajaw can be quite an earful to be around with. Please pay no mind to his ramblings, he's always been like that. Although this time, he may need to be in a timeout" Kinich looked at you all with a stern face, it makes you wonder how he can still keep his cool having a companion like Ajaw 24/7.

The conversation continued before the topic of the Pilgrimage came up. As it turns out, Kachina's former teammates had ditched her for "stronger" teams and the duo happened to witness it so they offered their assistance in exchange for having Kachina as their tour guide around Natlan. Although there aren't any rules about outlanders joining the Pilgrimage yet, you and Mualani thought it would be worth a shot, since it would be a special case.

You and the whole group then head over to the registration area to confirm and have Kachina's team registered but the registrar explained that for safety reasons of outlanders, only Natlanese are allowed to join the Pilgrimage. It left everyone no choice, Mualani then decided to have her team merge with Kinich's so she could join Kachina as a 2-man team. You feel bad for your little friend but as much as you wanted to help her out and team up with her, you know very well you're physically incapable of fighting.

After everything has been settled and the participants have already registered, all of you then went inside the stadium and head over to the hotel deep inside as dinner and lodging are currently free.

You tried your best to distract yourself by getting to know the Traveler more but you can't help in some moments where you have to steal a glance at a certain dark-haired man as the question he asked was still replayed on loop in your mind, making it hard for you to contain yourself.

Hours had passed, the whole group just had dinner and Kachina went out to get some cups for her homemade refreshments, although you were pretty sure that she just didn't want everyone to see her cry. You all continued to have the discussion about the Pilgrimage as a way to help the Traveler and their companion understand the circumstances Natlan goes through for centuries since the Cataclysm. You had one of those moment of stealing a glance at Kinich and this time, you caught him glancing back at you so you quickly looked away and had your attention back to Mualani as she started talking about her previous experiences in the Pilgrimage.

"I'm back, here are your drinks!" The little geo rabbit came back to the table just as the topic was about to end.

"Are you feeling better now Kachina?" You turned to look at her as you gratefully accepted the refreshment.

"Oh I'm fine, really, you don't have to worry about me!" She shook her head as she waved her hands in front of her.

"Well, if you say so. Paimon's gotta say, this juice is really good!"

"Aww thank you, I'm glad you like it. Oh right, I should get some meat in my system then I'll head out for some exercise. Wanna be nice and loose for the tournament tomorrow!" Kachina confidently stated as she readies herself to eat.

"I'll come with you" Mualani added.

"Just don't go overboard, okay? The last thing we need is for you guys to oversleep. We got an early day tomorrow" Kinich then reminded the both of them like a responsible older brother, one of his personalities that you quite admire about him.

Your blue haired friend cheekily grinned with a giggle. "Oh if only we have a friend who doesn't oversleep"

The saurian hunter took a moment and sighed in defeat as he knows what Mualani was trying to imply. "Fine, I'll make sure to wake you both up tomorrow"

"Attaboy, I knew you'd catch on~"

Just as Kachina and Mualani left to get some exercise, Traveler and Paimon also got up to head over to their room to get some rest. Which then leaves you and Kinich alone on the dining table.

"Aren't you going to get some rest, Y/n?" He glanced at you as he noticed that you're still sitting comfortably on your seat. 

"Ah.. Well..." You nervously chuckled as you finished up your cup of juice. "It'll probably be a while before I could fall asleep anyways eheh..."

"Is something bothering you?"

"....."

"Is it about the question I asked you earlier?"

"...." You twiddled your fingers together on the table as you let out a sigh and mutter under your breath. "You know too much..."

"Not quite" He leaned back on his chair with his arms crossed. "I still have yet to hear your answer and I'm no mind reader, you of all people should know that. But I'm not going to interrogate you here and force the answer out, just relax and take the time you need. I was just asking out of curiosity... And... Maybe a little remorse.."

"It's just that..." You let out a sigh as you couldn't think of a better phrase to express yourself. ".. At that time, I had a little too much on my plate.. All the tough decisions were laid before me and I wasn't even ready... Even if I had to choose the relationship over my life, I'll only slow you down.."

"But even you managed to find a way to conquer that disability and still be able to fight from the sky without having to overexert your injury"

"It's never tested nor proven yet in an actual battle though.."

You felt Kinich's hand over yours as you were slightly surprised and turned to face him. 

"You've always been so pessimistic about yourself.. Much worse than Kachina" He sighed as he closed his eyes and opened them to gaze back to you. "I was hoping that after all these years, you'd learn to be kinder to yourself and let go of those woes... But I guess you still haven't"

"...." You closed your eyes to compose yourself and hold back the urge to break down right in front of him. ".. I didn't want us to end... I had so much regrets... And now we're here.. Talking again, I-I thought about... Wanting to start over..." You mumbled under your breath as you readjusted your hand that he held so you could squeeze his.

You hear him moving his seat next to you and then felt him placing his free hand at the back of your head, gently leaning you down on his chest while you showed no resistance. "It's just us here.. You can let it out" He whispered as he stroked your hair gently.

You began to let your tears out as you planted your face to bury on his chest. Both your hands then clinged around his torso, refusing to let him go while you feel his arms readjusting itself to embrace you. You cried and cried for a while, never expected that you get to be in his arms again after all these years. You missed this feeling so much that you wished that time would just stop for a while and let you have this moment with him.

[Checkpoint 1]

[] Please take a moment to give yourself a break! Grab some snacks or perhaps drink a glass of water to refresh your mind~![] 

—Cruxgear

***

You opened your eyes as the ray of sunlight had shone over your face. You wondered how it is suddenly morning. 

You slowly sat up, yawning and still feeling groggy. You can't remember how you got into the room in the first place. As you recall, last night you were....

!?

Flashes of memories from last night started flooding in. You were in Kinich's arms for a while as you were crying your heart out. Due to all the tension and anxiety being washed away over your cries, your energy was completely spent and you passed out.

You face started heating up, beginning to feel embarrassed. 

"I should Apologize to Kinich... Must've been troublesome to carry me all the way here..." And before you got off, you noticed a piece of paper next to you with something written on it. You picked it up and decided to read the contents. You eyes slightly widened as you kept reading.

[Hey, I'm just writing this down to tell you that I got up early to wake Mualani and Kachina. By the time you're reading this, I already had your breakfast paid so feel free to order as you like]

Your face has turned redder as you finished reading then *POOF* like a volcano as you no longer could keep yourself composed.

"K-K-Kinich and I slept.. Together?! In ONE bed?!" You tightly clenched the letter from shock as your body dropped back on the bed.

"O-Oh no, I can't be late.." You quickly recovered as you realized and scurried out of bed as you took a second to fix yourself before rushing for the door.

As you rushed out of your hotel room, you noticed the group already gathering and havinf a chat so you went over immediately to meet up with them.

"Sorry I'm late, I kinda overslept-" You jogged your way towards them as they noticed you coming.

"Oh look who it is, it's the sleeping beauty, you sure took your time slumbering like there's no tomorrow!" Ajaw immediately remarked upon your arrival. 

"No worries, you're right on time. The tournament is about to start soon. Did you already have your breakfast?" Kinich looked over to you as you glance away slowly while sheepishly scratching your cheek.

"Ah... I may have yet to order it... I-I'll go get my breakfast now—"

"Attention, everyone! The tournament is about to begin. All contestants proceed to the venue. I repeat, all contestants proceed to the venue" The staff announced as it indicates the beginning of the Pilgrimage tournament.

"Guess that's our cue, we better get going now" Mualani stated while looking over at Kachina and Kinich.

"Paimon will cheer for you guys so loud, you could hear it from across the stadium!"

"Aww thanks you guys~" Kachina sheepishly chuckled.

Just before the three left, you quickly rushed up for one last thing.

"Uhm.. Kinich..!" You called to him out loud as he paused on his tracks and turned to you for a moment.

"Hm?"

"...." You clenched your hand over your beating chest before mustering the courage to get the words out. "... Goodluck... Y-you better win this!"

Kinich looked at you for a moment before his stern face softened, giving you a light smile and nod. "I will. Thanks" And then he walked off along with the other contestants.

You let out a deep breath of relief as you finally got your words out. It seems like you're making progress and finally got comfortable talking to him again. 

"Hey traveler, do you think there's something between Y/n and Kinich~?" Paimon "whispered" to the Traveler with a mischievous smirk even though you can still hear her behind you, making your ears perk up, your body flinched upon hearing her mentioning you and Kinich and your face as bright as a tomato.

"I-I can hear you Paimon..!!" Your voice turned high-pitched from the embarassment and rushed off to get your breakfast.

After getting your food, you went to meet up with the traveling duo as the three of you went to your seats by the audience. Not before long, the opening ceremony was about to begin and everyone in the stadium stood in attention.

You looked down upon your seat as you were looking for the dark-haired hunter among the contestants. As soon as you spotted him, you subconsciously smiled as you thought how cool he looks. You internally sighed to yourself, wondering what could've been if you never had the injury at all. You could've still fought by his side until now. But you guessed that dwelling on those "what ifs" will only hold you back from moving forward.

But at the very least, your relationship, not only with him but with everyone else has been repaired, and even made two new friends in the process. You can finally now let go of your regrets.

After the opening ceremony ended, the host began his introduction and the rules and regulations of the tournament as the contestants started preparing for the first phase.

"GO KACHINA! MUALANI! YOU CAN DO IT!" Traveler and Paimon cheered loudly among the crowd and you thought to yourself that you can't let your boy feel left out.

"GO KINICH! SWEEP THEM OFF YOUR FEET!" You called out to the dark-haired hunter below as he heard your cheer. He had a cute reaction as he looked up at you with a small wave, and soon as he turned around to get ready with his teammates, you giggled and slightly smirked as you caught that the tip of his ears were tinted with a blush.

After a short while, all the contestants got on to their team's respective hot air balloons before they all took off and scattered all over Natlan.

"Hey Y/n, if you don't mind Paimon asking, why are you not part of the tournament? You would've made a great trio with Mualani and Kachina" Paimon started munching on her food as she looked at you curiously. 

You turned to the duo as you munched on your breakfast then took a moment before you swallowed down the food in your mouth. "Ah well... A few years ago, I was actually a warrior in the Scions of Canopy. But as you both would know, being a fighter comes with great risks, and it's kinda the whole niche of being part of that tribe. People from the Scions of Canopy are well-known for being huge risk-takers, Kinich is a fitting example"

"Whoa really? And here Paimon thought that Kinich isn't the type to take huge risks"

"He does actually, and so did I. Well, that was until a certain incident a few years ago. It was an acute abyss invasion, only Kinich and I were nearby to get rid of it and it would've gone a lot smoothly if one of the attacked victims weren't being reckless. But then again, I can't fully blame them for it. Fear is part of being human after all" You lightly sighed and touched your right shoulder.

"My dominant arm got gnawed by a rifthound while protecting the adventurer. Luckily, Kinich took it down before it ripped my limb off from my body, but the damage it caused was already beyond repair so the injury became permanent. Abyssal energy seeped into the wound, causing my arm to become almost useless"

"We're sorry to hear that, Y/n... It must've been painful having to endure all that. Paimon can't imagine how hard it is for you to go on without your dominant arm"

You shook your head. "It's alright, I've learned to cope with it. After my parents sent me to my father's tribe, the Flower-Feather Clan, I was able to find a new purpose without having to dwell on my disability"

"Oh! That's great to hear!"

You just giggled and nod your head as the three of you then continued eating.

It took a while before the first phase ended, thousands of cheers roared all over the stadium as the winning teams made it back to the venue, some were sweating, exhausted, or even mildly injured as they all just went through a battle royale against other teams.

You told the duo that you'll be right back then quickly rushed down from the audience seats, searching for a certain team as there were a lot of people gathering to meet the winners.

After a few minutes of searching, you finally found the team you were looking for. You rushed up towards them with an excited arm wave as you called for them.

"Chasca! Ami! Jolo!"

The trio turned around upon hearing your call. They all greeted you back as you got close to them with Jolo and Chasca waving back and Ami raising her fist in the air.

"Y/n! What do you think, hm? We made a pretty awesome team, no? Although it would've been even better to have you in as well!" Ami said proudly.

"Don't pretend like you didn't just lead us to an ambush when Chasca told you to be careful-" Jolo immediately remarked then the two started to bicker again.

Chasca came over to you to lead you away from the bickering duo and patted your back. "I heard that you went to meet up with your old friends. How did it go?"

"Ah.. Haha.. It was honestly nerve-wracking but I managed to gather up the courage to be able to talk to them again and make up for lost time" You sheepishly scratched the back of your head.

"That's good to know" She smiled and looked over the entrance of the stadium as another team arrived. "Looks like a certain someone's team finally arrived, why don't you go and greet him?"

"Ehe.. I will! Congrats again, Chasca!" And with that, you ran off to meet the newly arrived team.

It's a bit crowded by the entrance of the stadium, and your height isn't helping much as everyone around is bigger or taller than you. Even as you stand in your tip toes to look over the people's shoulders, you could still barely see so you raised your arm to wave for attention.

"Kinich!!-" You couldn't hold to stand on your tip toes for very long so you resorted to jumping up like a rabbit. "Kinich!"

You jumped again. "Over!"

And again. "Here!"

And again. "Heyy!!"

You jumped up once more but your landing suddenly became flawed and your legs lost its balance, causing you to step back without noticing that behind you is the stairs and like any other klutz in this situation, you fell backwards.

!?-

You shut your eyes tightly as you braced yourself for an incoming impact. 

And just when you were about to accept your fate, you felt a tight grab on your wrist, preventing your fall. You then heard a sigh coming from whoever caught you in time. 

"I thought you would have learned by now to always watch your step" He uttered as he carefully pulled back up on your feet. 

You opened your eyes to see the dark-haired hunter in front of you, causing your cheeks to heat up and flush while you noticed that he's still holding onto your wrist. 

"K-Kinich!- Ah- Congrats on making it through the first phase!" It's like you had forgotten what happened to you just a few seconds ago and happily greeted his victorious return. 

Kinich sweatdropped at the sudden change of your reaction and shrugged it off with a smile and patted your head. "Thanks. Your cheering helped" 

You internally screamed in adoration from his praise. You fell really hard for this man, even more now than you ever did a few years back. Any moment, you could pass out from your heart beating too fast. 

"Ugh, get a room or save the sweet talk for later! Don't forget you stil a couple more opponents to face, Kinich!" Ajaw popped out of nowhere as usual. Way to ruin the mood.

"Well, Ajaw's right. I must be off to prepare for the second phase in the lobby now. I'll see you later, Y/n" It was rather quick but right before Kinich went off with Ajaw, he held a couple strands of your hair, bringing it to his lips before letting you go and walk away back to the lobby.

Your heart skipped a beat as watch his figure walking away. Had he stayed a bit longer, you might not be able to contain your feelings.

You soon went back to your seat with the audience right beside Traveler and Paimon, both were glad to see you return then were confused for a moment as they notice your cherry-red face.

"Are you alright, Y/n? You look a bit red-"

"D-Do I? Hahaha—must've been the heat!"

The both of them sweatdropped and blinked at your response as they looked at each other for a second.

***

The second phase soon began just shortly after Kachina and Mualani had returned to the stadium as one of the winning teams of the first phase. The second phase now is a 1 on 1 battle between contestants, where the top 5 who are declared victorious their matches will officially be chosen to participate in the Night Warden Wars.

In your previous experiences with the Pilgrimage years ago, you only ever got to the second phase of the tournament as you had quite the losing streak. When your injury occurred, you never had the chance to make up for those loses, and you might never will.

You waited alone in the audience as the duo had left to check on Kachina. You wished you could just go down there and visit Kinich too but you'll most likely get chewed out by Ajaw for being a distraction so you just sulked and watch the battle go on.

You cheered for all of your friends who are participating in the fight, including your teammates from the flying squad. It made you a little envious to see them go out and shine on the battlefield but you know your limits and what can do. At the very least, seeing Kinich fight on the arena ended up distracting you from those thoughts.

The second phase ends with Kachina emerging victorious in the arena against Mualani, making her one of the top 5 winners of the Pilgrimage.

"The winner is..." 

".. From the Children of Echoes..." 

"Kachina!"

The crowd goes wild as the sound of their cheers roared across the stadium. 

"Way to go, Kachina!" You cheered loudly for your friend as you raised your fist in the air.

The host then announced the top 5 warriors of the tournament, who'll be participating in the Night Warden Wars. Unfortunately, Kinich didn't make it so it was a bit disappointing for you but at the same time, you figured that you could use the opportunity to make up for lost time with him.

As the tournament has come to a close, you, the traveler and Paimon left the audience seats and went to leave the stadium. You caught sight of Ami and Jolo at the distance so you stopped on your tracks for a moment.

"Oh uh, Traveler? Paimon? You two should go ahead. I'll be off to meet some friends"

"Oh sure! See ya later, Y/n!" The duo nodded and went to leave the stadium first.

You rushed off to your flying squad teammates and waved. "Ami! Jolo!"

They both noticed you and waved back. "Uwaaaa! Y/n! I was so close to victory, but they were just too strong!" Ami whined as she approached you for a sudden embrace.

"Ah- haha..." You sheepishly chuckled and patted her back for comfort. "You still did great, Ami. You can try again in the next Pilgrimage"

"Still, it's amazing with how far we've come this time. Y'know, before you arrived in the tribe and before we ever got to team up with Chasca, Ami and I had always been eliminated during the team stage before we could make it to the second phase" Jolo remarked as he approached the both of you.

"True that! For some reason, we both always get dragged down by either the worst teammates or the worst leader in every attempt we make to join the Pilgrimage" She then let out a sigh. "And here I thought our luck has finally turned for the better this time..."

"Well... Consider it as progress, no? It's not like it'll be end of the Pilgrimage, you both have a lot more chances along the way" You try to encourage them to prevent them from feeling disheartened.

"Heh, you sure have a way with words. I'm pretty sure you use them to swoon a certain someone—Oh! Speaking of.." She smirked as she held both of your shoulders and turned you around, you then see Kinich idling nearby while leaning against a pillar, as if he's waiting for someone. "Looks like your prince charming came to pick you up~"

"Go and have fun with your date, Y/n~" Jolo teased along.

Your face became flushed and irked at the both of them as you wryly smiled. "I'll let aunt Allpa know to give you both a more complicated obstacle course in the next training session~💢"

"Ahahaha, surely you jest..? L-let's go Ami, we have somewhere to be, riiight?" He took your female companion by the arm as they both quickly scurried away.

You sighed with hands on your hips, shaking your head as you watched your two teammates run off. You then reverted your attention to the dark-haired hunter at the distance and approached him. "Waiting for someone?"

It's like Kinich's train of thoughts were interrupted as soon as he heard your voice. His eyes landed on you as he leaned away from the pillar. "Yeah, for you"

*BA-DUMP!*

"A- I see..." You rubbed your arm as you bashfully looked away.

"You got somewhere else to be..?" He slightly tilted his head curiously, uncertain of your reaction.

"Ah- No, not at all!" You waved your hands in front of you. "Why do you ask?"

"I was hoping that you'll spare some time to visit the Scions of Canopy. You haven't visited your parents in a while now, have you? They're worried about you"

"Hmm, I guess so. So you're gonna escort me all the way as my bodyguard then~?" You teased to lighten up the mood.

"Of course. How else are you going to get there safely with that injury of yours?"

"Ack- You didn't have to attack me with your rationality..."

"Glad to see you finally acting yourself again" You caught a glimpse of his lips curling into a light smile, which made your heart race and have you a flustered face.

"I... I don't know what you're talking about..! Hmph!" You marched off ahead while the hunter just followed behind you.

It's been a while since you and Kinich had walked together like this. You both used to always go wherever the other goes and hardly ever stayed apart. Despite Kinich's career of being a Saurian Hunter, you actually had often tagged along to assist him in some bounties and such, and while you always thought it's something you did out of kindness and care for him, he usually sees it as a favor that he needed to reciprocate one way or another.

You sometimes can't figure out what goes into the guy's mind as he always try to think rationally and makes his decisions through weighing the cost of his actions. You'd be lying if you said you never had any doubts on your relationship at least once or a few times back then.

As you both walked and climbed over the terrains, you both also took the time to enjoy the serene view. You figured something felt off because it was too quiet.

"I just realized... Where's Ajaw? It's kinda rare that he isn't with you right now" You immediately turned to your partner with an eyebrow raised.

"I sent him away on an important task, so you shouldn't worry about him being a nuisance"

".. Aren't you worried that he's gonna cause trouble elsewhere?"

"Ajaw is incapable of acting on his own unless I order him to. So no, I'm not worried at all"

"Huh, fair point.."

You both went silent for a moment while the only sounds that had filled your ears were the sounds of the grass and rocks that were stepped on the path. Although it doesn't seem too bad, it doesn't feel as awkward as the last time.

"So, those two back at the stadium.. I'm guessing they're your teammates in the flying squad?" Kinich somehow started a conversation for once, which slightly taken you aback. 

"Yep, Ami and Jolo did so much for me ever since they welcomed me into the tribe. Even guided me on how to take the trials"

"I see. I'm glad to hear that"

"Mhm"

"...." 

"...." 

You thought too soon. It's extremely awkward now.

"Ahem..!" You tried to break the silence as you faked a cough. "So uhh.... I thought Mualani said that you actually have a lot of things to tell me?"

"Hm? Oh right, I do, but I figured that now's a bit inappropriate to bring it up" He slightly glanced away, hoping to dodge the topic. 

"Oh? Why not? It's just the two of us here"

"Hmm.. Alright then.." He paused on his tracks and turned to face you as it also had put you into a halt and looked back at him. "Will you go out with me?"

".... Huh?" Your mind tried to process what he had just said and a few seconds had gone by, it only had struck you. "HUH???? W-WHAT BROUGHT THAT UP?!"

He sweatdropped as he just gave you a logical response. "You told me to speak my mind so I just did as you told"

"I-I know that!! But..." You gave yourself a moment to calm down as you facepalmed to cover your blushing face. "... Why the sudden question about that..?"

"Well, you said you wanted the both of us to have a fresh start so I figured that the proper way to do it is by asking you first to go out with me again" He placed his hand on his chin as you can tell he's in this "thinking" mode.

"I-" You're at a complete loss for words at this man's demeanor as you could only let out a sigh. "You're really unpredictable, you know that right?"

"I believe being unpredictable has its advantages, so I'll personally take it as a compliment" He crossed his arms and while his face doesn't show it, you can tell that he's feeling all smug right now.

"Ugh..." You gave up trying to debate against him and continued walking. "Fine, I will.."

"Hm?" He tilted his head as he follows.

"I said I'll go out with you, you dummy!" You try to walk ahead of him to hide the fact that you're uncontrollably blushing as you speak.

You and Kinich soon finally arrived at the Scions of Canopy and the first thing you had in mind is being struck with nostalgia. It has been years since you've left the tribe and you felt immensely guilty for not trying to pay a visit once in a while.

"I'll... Be off to see my parents first.. Meet me here later?" You turned to your partner as you can feel the nervousness rushing through your system.

"Sure, I'll just be over there to have a chat with the chief. Send my regards to auntie and uncle for me, will you?" He then planted a soft kiss on your forehead as you froze in shock by his sudden action.

He noticed the reaction on your face and slightly frowned, possibly in shame. "... Was I being too fast?"

"N-no! Not at all! See ya Kinich!" You then quickly ran off to find your childhood home while leaving the dark-haired hunter behind as he just waved at you.

[Checkpoint 2]

[] Please take a moment to give yourself a break! Grab some snacks or perhaps drink a glass of water to refresh your mind~![] 

—Cruxgear

***

The day went by without a hitch as you spent most of your time catching up with your loved ones and reminisce in the old times as you let nostalgia flow in your mind in each settlement you pass by within the tribe. You spent the night in your parents' place as you had a feeling that it'll be a while before you get to visit them again. 

The next day, Kinich invited you for a picnic at the cliffs above the tribe. Although it's not the most ideal place to hang out, considering the last time that happened between the both of you there, it also has one of the nicest views so you really couldn't decline unless you have a better idea.

You finally got to the spot after minutes of hiking and it seems your partner had already arrived before you. 

"Sorry for being late, almost forgot the route to get here ehe.." You sheepishly chuckled as you see him sitting at the edge of the cliff with a basket next to him.

"Oh no worries, I just got here. If you had told me sooner that you forgot the way up here, I would've just picked you up outside your place" He turned to face you as he patted down the vacant spot next to him, to which you acceoted the offer and sat down.

"I-It's alright, you've already went through the trouble of preparing this for us"

"I don't think it's a wise choice on my end to let my girlfriend get lost before she could arrive at the meeting spot-" He blinked as he looked at you. Your heart skipped a beat again as you hear him mention his endearment to you.

"I honestly really cannot argue with you..." You covered your face as it rests in your palms.

Kinich then offered you some puff pops that he had carried in his basket.

You turned your head and peeked at what he was offering you then you face lit up at the sight of your favorite snack that you haven't tasted in years. "Puff pops! Oh my archons, I missed having these!" You accepted the food and almost immediately started munching on it, enjoying its variety of flavors.

"I figured you haven't had any of them in a while so I thought it would be great to have it as a surprise"

"Really? You shouldn't have!" You munched on another puff pop and had an enjoyable expression from the way it tastes.

"As long as it makes you happy, I would do anything for it"

You swear that this guy can casually say anything and you would have your skipping beats everytime. "Geez..."

"I also brought some extras so you can take them home when you head back to the Flower-Feather Clan" He opened up the basket to show the extra batch of puff pops. "Don't eat it all at once though"

"... You're too sweet, Kinich..."

"Am I not supposed to..?"

You immediately just shove some puff pops into his mouth.

The both of you then went on to catch up with a few things that you both had missed. You only have a few hours left before you need to return to the Flower-Feather Clan so you decided to make the most of it with your partner.

"I almost forgot.." He quickly reached into his pockets for a moment. "I asked Xilonen to craft this for you... As you most likely need it whether in training or in battle" He then finally took something out of his pocket but he had hidden inside his fist. "Give me your hand for a moment"

You blinked for a moment, slightly confused on what he is trying to give you but you decided to do as he say anyway and reach your hand out to him. He then placed his clenched hand over your open palm as something a bit small but quite heavy landed on your hand. 

"Hm?" You looked down on your hand to see what is it and at first glance it looked like a small looking-glass. "A... Looking-glass?" Upon closer inspection, you could somehow tell that this item has quite the delicate details. 

"Hold it up in front of your eye and take a look at what you're seeing at that landscape over there" He pointed at the vast view in front then you gently held the looking-glass as you only left one eye open.

To your surprise, it's actually no ordinary looking-glass, the view you see through the glass is actually much further in, acting like a scope. "Kinich... This is..."

"It's... Not the best gift I could give after realizing that you're actually from the flying squad so you usually move around in mid-air, rendering the item useless for your weapon. But perhaps you could make use of it in another way?" 

You could feel like crying at any time now. This is probably the best gift you've ever received from him and you would want to treasure it for the rest of your life. 

"Y/n..?" Kinich looked over to you, slightly confused whether you liked the gift or not.

You didn't notice your tears rushing out at first before you began to sob. 

"W-what's wrong..?" His tone starts to feel more concerned and slightly panicked at the sight of you suddenly tearing up in front of him.

"... I love it... I really do..." You continued sobbing as you carefully held the glass close to your chest. "This is the best present I've ever gotten.. Thank you, Kinich..."

He held your shoulders gently as he slowly pulled you close. Then he wraps his arms around you, one hand at the back your head and the other rubbing your back. "I'm glad you love it"

It took a while for you to calm down as you just leaned against his chest and listened to his heartbeat. It felt so calming just listening to it while he comforts you, and now that you thought about it, he has never been this affectionate with you back then. During your relationship with him before the incident, it was mostly just him "returning you the favor" or just hanging out, maybe some sweet moments occasionally but this is probably the first time that he has been this openly affectionate with you without considering favors in the factor. You guessed that he really has changed, but better than you expected. 

After calming down, he then proceeded to feed you some puff pops to cheer you up, to which you find embarrassing but since it's just the two of you, you decided to let it slide.

Hours went by, the sun is about to set, you didn't want the day end so soon as you thought that time was too fast. The both of you started getting up and packed up everything before you two headed back to the tribe together.

"How about we buy some souvenirs for your friends? Is there anything they'd like as a gift?"

"E-eh?? Are you sure??" 

"Well, you can't just go back empty-handed, consider it as a token of my appreciation for them"

"I- well... Alright... But I'll pay for them, you've already done so much for me" You glanced down as you fidgeted your fingers while walking alongside him.

"If you're worried about the funds, I can assure you that this is something I've been saving up for personal use and I have more than enough"

You know you can't compete against this man's persistence so you ended up sighing in defeat and pout childishly along the way.

You both finally had set your foot back into the tribe and went to a souvenir store that you both had long knew. You decided to get Ami and Jolo some matching bracelets, even bought one for yourself too as you thought it would be a cute idea to have the bracelets as a team charm.

"Matching bracelets for your team?" Kinich looked over to the bracelets as he started paying for them, watching you putting one of them on your wrist.

"Yep!" You giggled then raised your wrist to show off the bracelet to your partner. "Isn't it cute?"

You couldn't tell whether Kinich was even paying attention to the bracelet or not as he was just in silence for a moment. His lips then slightly curled into a smile and nodded his head. "It suits you"

"You're not just saying that, aren't you?" You lightly frowned.

"I'm serious, and I'm sure your friends would have the same opinion about it" He placed his hand on your head. "I know it's hard for you to take a compliment, but I'm trying to be sincere about it"

You gazed up to him and could see the softness in his expression through his eyes. A rose tint dusted over your cheeks while you could feel your heartbeat getting louder in each second. You want to spend more time with this man so much but you know it'll only remain as wishful thinking and it would be selfish of you to pursue it.

The longer you both stared into each other's eyes, you suddenly could feel an invisible force slowly pulling you closer to him. You could feel his hands gently holding you in both arms as he leaned closer to you without taking his gaze off of you. Your eyes were slowly closing as your faces are just an inch apart, you could even feel each other's warm breaths—

"Cheep!" A familiar saurian roar echoed throughout the sky, the sound of its wings flapping were getting louder and it had you and your partner turning your heads to look up, interrupted from whatever you both were just about to do.

"Looks like your companion arrived to pick you up" The dark-haired hunter remarked as he looks at the Qucusaur landing nearby, more or less causing quite the public attention.

"Ahaha... That's Jules for ya..." You sheepishly chuckled and looked back to him, feeling a bit disappointed there but it's not like you won't be able to see him again.

"Guess I need to go now..." You stared at him for another moment while his attention reverted back to you. The both of you silently admiring each other one last time as you reached for his hand and held it firmly. "Come see me at practice sometime?"

"If neither my work nor the archon needs my presence, then sure. I'll come by and visit" He firmly gripped on your hand that held his and rubbed his thumb on it. He then suddenly pulled you close to plant a gentle kiss on the forehead then brushed your loose hair strands aside with his free hand, leaving you awestricken as you couldn't contain your admiration for him.

"I'll... See you around, Kinich..." You slowly walk away as the both of you had to let go of each other's hand the moment you're out of arm's reach. At least this time, it's no longer a sad farewell for the both of you.

"Safe travels, Y/n" He muttered as he watched you go and leave with your saurian companion up into the sky. If only you both had thought of this decision a while back, what might've happened to the both of you then?

Life is unpredictable and complicated, as what you would think. 

***

"Oh my archons, this is so cute! Thanks Y/n!" Ami raised her arm up as she adores the bracelet souvenir that you and Kinich had bought for her and Jolo.

"It's actually Kinich's idea to buy you both a souvenir, and it gave me an idea to maybe make it somewhat like a team charm?" You showed the both of them your matching bracelet on your left wrist.

"Oho~ I see I see~" Ami's grin stretched from ear to ear upon hearing the name of your lover.

"So how did the date went?" Jolo curiously asked, subtly hiding his smug expression.

You stared at the both of them as you lightly squint your eyes. "I sometimes hate you both"

"Hehe, we knooow~ So tell us already! Give us the juicy details!" Your female teammate held both of your arms and shook you desperately.

"Did you both uhm... You know..." Jolo made a gesture with both of his hands and fingers intertwined with each other.

"... Huh??" You raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"You know what I mean-"

You sweatdropped as you shook your head. "No, no I don't" You tilted your head and placed a hand on your hip. 

"Agh, he's asking if you both held hands!!" Ami quickly intervened impatiently.

You blinked, trying to process the question. For a moment there, you thought they were going to ask something else.

"Uh yeah, we did"

"Oh my..!" They both gasped.

"So bold!" Ami covered her mouth with both hands.

"How lewd!" Jolo rode along the joke as he mimicked her.

You irked as you blankly stared at them. "You two... 💢"

While the three of you were chatting in idle, one of the guards could be seen running off to where the tribe chief is, leaving you wondering for a moment as it had caught your attention.

"Hm? Hey, isn't that Copa?" Ami seemed to have noticed as well as she watched the rushing guard from the distance.

Jolo turned around upon hearing Ami mention the guard's name out of curiosity. "Huh, yeah it is. I wonder what happened"

"Let's go check it out" Your female teammate ran ahead eagerly.

"Hey wait-" You and Jolo went to follow Ami. You somehow had a bad feeling about this.

The three of you try not to get too close, seeing Copa having a conversation with Chief Mutota as if something urgent has come up, you three pretended to idle around and minding your own business while attempting to eavesdrop on the conversation. When a guard from the outskirts of the tribe comes running for the chief, it almost never lead to any good news.

"What do we do now chief? Chasca's currently being summoned by the Pyro Archon and most of our forces are still handling other affairs elsewhere.."

Chief Mutota had his hand on his chin, pondering deeply on a solution, even though you more or less missed out on some important key factors on what is actually happening.

"Actually, there are still some riders we can dispatch... A bit of a reckless decision... But we're all out of options. What do you three say?" He gave you three a side glance as you all flinched from how sharp his wits are.

"S-sorry for eavesdropping, Chief... We just can't help but feel curious...and kinda concerned-" Jolo mumbled nervously as the three of you came out of your "hiding" spot and stood attention in front of the Chief.

"Well, your concern isn't misplaced. We just got some news that an Abyssal Pylon suddenly spawned by the southwestern side of the tribe, possibly near the Masters of the Night-Wind. I know this is your first on-field mission as a team, but it would be really bad if the abyss attacks us right now while we're all compromised in manpower so you three just need to fend them off until reinforcements arrive, got that?"

The three of you can feel the adrenaline rushing upon hearing your first mission from the Chief. You three never had experiences working together on the field against the abyss before so it may have come off as either exciting or terrifying.

Although for your case, you've had your fair share in fighting the abyss before so feel less nervous, however, with your current condition, you began to question yourself on how to fend off the monsters without dragging your teammates down. You began to worry that your injury will only become a liability to the team.

"Alright, let's go team! Time to kick some abyssal butt!" Ami cheered as she is completely filled with excitement while raising her fist in the air.

"Ah, Y/n, before you go, there's something I need to give you" Chief Mutota quickly uttered out before the three of you could leave. You ushered the two to go ahead then they both immediately complied and left you be with the chief.

Mutota went inside his office for a moment while you waited outside. You could hear him rummaging through his stuff and you wonder if this is something that might actually help you out in battle. If so, you'd be grateful to have a thoughtful chief who understands what you're going through.

It didn't take long before the chief finally went out of his office and carefully handed you a weapon that seemed to be like an old bolt-action rifle.

"Your father back in the day was an excellent fighter and a courageous rider who can turn the tides with the support of his own team. Before he left, he had entrusted his precious weapon to me for safekeeping. Although it was uncertain that he'd ever return, you being sent here by him means that he may have intended for me pass this weapon unto you when the day comes"

You reached both of your arms out to accept the rifle in your hands, quite in awe that the weapon is actually now yours to wield. As the weapon now landed on your hands, you realized how much it actually weighs as you try to make sure you wouldn't drop it.

"I-It's much heavier than I thought-" You muttered with a sweatdrop.

"You think your old man would be carrying around toy guns while dealing with the abyss?" The chief scoffed with a teasing tone in his remark before his expression softened. "I'll be honest, I'm a little reluctant to send you out there while you have your permanent injury. But I would be also just as worried for Ami and Jolo if they're left alone out there without a leader to guide them and they don't have that much experience in the battlefield like you do so I hope you understand that at least"

"I.. I dont know what to say... Thank you so much, Chief Mutota!" You looked up to the chief, feeling determined and confident as you rushed off to catch up to your teammates.

You and your team are now getting ready fly up to the Abyssal Pylon's location. You made sure everything was set and didn't forget anything before you climbed onto your Qucusaur's back, waiting for Ami and Jolo to finish preparing.

"Guess this is our first time fighting together against actual enemies, huh" You muttered as you see Ami already finished prepping her claymore, sheathed it on her back and then got up on her saurian companion. 

"It feels so exciting!" She squealed, more or less unable to contain her excitement before she looked at your other teammate. "Cmon Jolo, hurry up! The abyss doesn't have a pause button to wait for us!"

"Alright, alright, was just making sure my polearm is sharp enough" He annoyedly respond before got up on his own companion's back.

You looked at the both of them, seeing that they're both geared up and ready, you look towards your companion and gently pat her head. "Let's go Jules"

Your saurian made a chirping noise before dashed onto the platform and then flew up in the air with you on her back. The other two followed behind you as you three are now headin on your way to the Abyssal Pylon.

You quickly took out the looking-glass that Kinich gifted to you. It seemed a bit too small to put on your rifle and you don't have something like an adapter to connect them together. You then decided to put the glass in front of your eye, using it like a telescope as you searched for the Abyssal Pylon below.

It didn't take too long to find it as there was a trail of abyssal energy that you can see and that leads to it. You suddenly felt your heart beating harshly against your chest. Even if your mind disregarded that unfortunate incident and moved on, your heart can still remember the pain and fear it inflicted upon you.

"Ami, Jolo, I see the Pylon up ahead. You two can take them down below, I'll take care of them here in the air" You turned your head as you handed them instructions. They both quickly nodded in agreement and dove down while you were left up on the air.

You know the chief only said to fend the abyss off until reinforcements arrive, but you had this itching feeling as you looked at Pylon. The urge to destroy it now while there's still time. 

Ami and Jolo were handling their situation pretty well on land. They both have the speed and strength through their combined efforts and they both just cover each other's weaknesses and blindspots. Ami is capable of fighting head on as she can just brute force her way into the enemy, although she may be a bit slow and her reaction time isn't the best, and that is where Jolo gets to shine. He uses his polearm to strike the enemy towards their vital spots and push them back if they get too close. He doesn't possess great strength like Ami does so all he could do is buy time for her and put the enemy off their balance.

You decided to support them while being up in the air, aiming for enemies to avoid letting the two get overwhelmed by how many are around. And just when the numbers of the enemies are going down, you decided to take the opportunity to aim for the Abyssal Pylon. 

It shouldn't be much of a surprise that the Pylon is too sturdy to be destroyed in one shot. You also didn't want to waste your bullets so you decided to hold back the idea for now and focus on helping Ami and Jolo.

It's been a few minutes since you three started fending off the abyss, reinforcements still have yet to arrive. You decided to let Jules rest without going too far down on land so you both landed on a higher ground to make things easier in supporting your teammates. You began to worry that Ami and Jolo might not last long out there if this keeps up.

Ami wiped her sweat off with the back of her hand as she's beginning to catch her breath. "Are they here yet?? Could use a little help here!" She then lifts her claymore and parry a mitachurl's axe that was about to slash her.

"Agh, less complaining, more fighting!" Jolo seemed to be also worn out on his end as he pushed back a couple of abyss-contaminated saurians with his polearm.

*BANG!*

You fired another bullet at the enemies before you wiped the sweat off your forehead. There's no end to this horde and as long as that Pylon stands, more and more will keep coming.

You took out your looking-glass again, holding it over your eye as you look around for any sign of reinforcements. You turned to your saurian companion as she seemed to have already rested long enough and climbed onto her back as you thought of an idea.

"Ami! Jolo! I'll go and try to ask for help from nearby! Hang in there!" You then flew away with your companion, hoping to seek aid from the Masters of the Night-wind as it is currently the nearest tribe in the area.

It didn't take long for you to find that a group of warriors from the Masters of the Night-wind were already on their way to the Abyssal Pylon's location. You headed down to notify them of the situation and they agreed to have you lead the way.

As you finally returned with some help, you see that reinforcements from the Flower-Feather Clan were already there to hold the line. A surge of relief has washed over you as reinforcements from both tribes immediately charged to handle the situation.

You got off your Qucusaur for a moment and looked around. 

... Where are Ami and Jolo?

In the midst of the chaoric battle against the abyssal creatures, you try to get out of their way while you search for your friends. Anxiety started spiking as you see that they're not in the battle with the rest. 

You turned your head to the least chaotic area and it felt like everything was frozen in time in that moment.

Your eyes had landed on two fallen warriors, their bodies on the ground and laying in their own pool of blood while staying close to each other. Ami's stomach was pierced open, leaving a huge hole in her body while her arms were firmly holding onto Jolo, who seemed to have suffered worse. All of his limbs were greatly bruised with red and violet skin, as if it was brutally crushed. His face was severely beaten to a pulp and the top on his head looked like it's almost been bashed open by something blunt.

The sound of the battle had been deafened from your ears, replaced by the sound of your anxiety-ridden heartbeat. Your hands and knees began shaking, your feet were deeply attached to the ground.

While you had so much experience with witnessing deaths first-hand back in the day, you thought you'd get used to them by now. You couldn't even utter out a sound other than a low croak as your mouth was left agaped. You could feel your heartbeat getting faster, making it difficult for you to breathe as you clenched your chest. You mustered the courage to take a step forward with your trembling feet, slowly but surely heading for your fallen teammates.

"Ami.... Jolo...." You could hear your own voice breaking as you managed to utter out their names under your shakey breath.

As you got closer to them, your legs gave out and fell on your knees. Your eyes began to swell as tears build up fell, guilt and remorse devoured you whole as you question yourself.

'.. Why did I leave them.....'

'This is... All my fault.... I left them alone...'

'I.. Did this... To them...'

Filled with regret, remorse and disbelief as it wrapped all around you, making you question in devastation: What were the looks on their faces upon standing on death's door? What did they see in their last moments? Were they hoping for your return while they know it'll all be in vain?

When one is devoured in despair, they also tend to lose their sense of danger. Unbeknownst to you right now is an electro Lawachurl standing behind and towering over your helpless figure, looking to crush and break you apart literally until nothing remains of you. But you couldn't see it, your eyes were too fixated on your team's bloodied corpses to notice the danger behind you.

As the Lawachurl powers up with a roar, it raised both of its arms and swing them down, immediately going for the kill.

"Kid! Get out of there!!!" A warrior who took notice among the group tried to call out for you, but even he couldn't snap you out of your thoughts.

When the Lawachurl was about to crush you with its fists, a figure quickly passed, grabbing onto you tightly and managed to get you out of harm's way just in time. You blinked for a moment as you were broken free from the trance, realizing that you're being tightly held in someone's arms.

Your eyes were too blurry to see who your savior is after layers of tears blocked your vision. You could feel your strength leaving you after the immense shock that had just occured. You just want to close your eyes and pray to the wayob that this is all just a nightmare. Denying the terror and painful truth despite seeing it before your eyes.

"You're not hurt, are you?" You feel your hearing senses coming back to you as you hear the figure's familiar voice.

"... Kinich.." Your voice weakened and yet you still try mutter out his name.

Your eyes were too clouded to see his expression but you could feel the dark-haired hunter's grasp tightening around you as he held you close.

"Let's get you home, it's not safe out here.." He whispered to you then turned to his companion. "Ajaw, deal with the remaining abyssal monsters and the Pylon"

"Hmph! Gonna show those bottom feeders the power of the Almighty Dragonlord, K'uhul Ajaw! Witness my tremendous power, you lowlifes!" Ajaw went loose as he transforms into a bigger version of a pixelated dragon, eliminating the abyssal creatures with ease while also targeting the Abyssal Pylon in the progress.

Kinich then kept you close while carrying you in his arms as he took you away from the battlefield, retreating away back to the Flower-Feather Clan.

[Checkpoint 3]

[] Please take a moment to give yourself a break! Grab some snacks or perhaps drink a glass of water to refresh your mind~![] 

—Cruxgear

***

It's been days since your teammates fell in battle. The loss of your own team had impacted you greatly that you refused to leave your home, let alone your own room.

Your family, Allpa, and even the chief himself were all worried for you. But knowing the mental and emotional damage that the battle had caused, there was nothing they could do. 

Kinich has been making frequent visits to check up on you, he isn't the type to be able to give you words of comfort but anyone can tell from his actions and the way he tries to show his care for you. Even a stoned hunter can have a soft spot behind his tough persona.

But even with your lover trying his best to help you mentally recover from the traumatic incident, you still feel lost and in despair. You kept blaming yourself for what had happened, but even you can't do anything about it as the damage has already been done. Your teammates are gone.

Everyday you'd just sit around on your bed and stare at the wall in front of you, pondering on the series of events and what might've been had you chosen a different path. But no amount of wishful thinking and what ifs can ever bring back what was lost to the abyss.

Another day has passed, the sunlight beamed through the open window right next to your bed. You only stared down at the emitted light on the floor as you spent another day just wanting to sit on your bed.

Kinich came by again today. Since you always reject the food that your family brings you, he would always come in to help them out in dealing with your stubbornness.

"Siiiigh, Kinich, your little lovebird here already looks like a hopeless case. Why even bother at this point?" Ajaw blabbered out loud as he looked at your pitiful state.

Even with Ajaw's blunt words, it didn't even faze you one bit. On the contrary, you more or less agree with him. The silence then went on, making the tiny bundle of pixels feeling more agitated.

"ARGH! I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE! THIS IS SO DEPRESSING!" Ajaw complained before he went over to you. "Listen here you miserable halfwit! Quit sulking around like that's gonna change anything. If you're fine staying in your delusions then so be it! You might as well go and feed yourself to the abyss while you're at it. All you do is just give me and Kinich more work to deal with! Do you have any idea how much of our time has been wasted because of you?!"

"Ajaw" Kinich suddenly intervened as his voice became cold. "Enough. You've said too much" He glared at his companion as the latter flinched and retreated in silence to avoid further punishment.

Your partner then went and sat down next to you. "Please don't take Ajaw's words to heart. You know how much he loves to run his mouth"

"... It's fine. What he said is true after all.." You finally had the strength to say something after days of staying silent.

Kinich let out a sigh and gave you a bowl of chocolates. "I received these from a client in the Children of Echoes as I was delivering an item to them. I figured that you might want them more than I do, so here. At least try to eat something, I was told you haven't eaten much since my last visit. Please don't make your family worry"

You looked at the bowl of chocolates he offered. You looked reluctant at first but then you just accepted it and place it on your lap, taking one piece of it and put it in your mouth. After finishing one, you immediately went for another and minutes of indulging yourself in the sweet treat, you began sobbing and tearing up as you chew on the food. You wished you could share these treats with Ami and Jolo right now.

Kinich stayed silent while sitting next to you, slowly wrapping his arm around your shoulder and lets you lean on him while letting you cry your heart out. Although your boyfriend doesn't say much, he rather just let his actions speak for themselves.

Hours had gone by, Kinich had to leave as he still has some pressing matters to attend to. By then, you were already feeling better and a lot lighter all thanks to his company. You're really lucky to have him, but you realized that you never really gave him anything in return. You let out a sigh, figuring that you should make it up to him somehow.

You stretched up your arms for a moment and looked out the window. "I should get some fresh air" You muttered to yourself as you quietly left your room.

You went outside for a quick stroll and in the midst of your leisure walk, you would see the flying squad soaring into the air with their respective teams. Admittedly, seeing them up in the air made you envious at first, but quickly shook the feeling off.

"It's only right that I keep moving forward, for their sakes" You slowly close your eyes for a moment and took a deep breath as you let the breeze blow past your skin. 

. 

. 

. 

. 

*CRASH!*

A huge explosion occured by the entrance of the tribe. Screams of citizens and children could be heard from there and people were running away. 

"It's the abyss!!" 

!? 

'What?' You rushed to the scene where upon your arrival, your eyes widened as you couldn't believe what you're seeing. 

"An Abyssal Pylon???"

Memories started flashing as your limbs began trembling, though you clenched your hands and toughen up. You thought to yourself that this is no time dwelling in fear, you need to focus on getting the people to safety. 

All forces who are currently present in the tribe immediately went to take care of the Abyssal Pylon and the creatures that were coming out of it. As for you, you went to help those who are leading the evacuation. 

Before you know it, the whole tribe went into chaos. More abyssal creatures would suddenly appear out of nowhere and attack the tribe, you kept wondering where did all these creatures spawn from if not the Pylon by the entrance? It wasn't long before your question has been answered.

To your horror, you would spot several more Abyssal Pylons throughout the terrains outside the tribe.

You heard a loud cry nearby and quickly reacted to the sound, rushing to its source immediately. 

An abyss-inflicted Qucusaur roared with hostility at a helpless child who is on the ground, she couldn't move as her leg seemed to be injured. 

"No... Please..." She pleaded out of fear while using up her strength to scoot away from the abyssal creature. 

The said creature then raised its leg, about to go for the kill and claw the child immediately. Before it does, you rushed to the scene, diving towards the Qucusaur and tackled it away. 

The child opened her eyes and realized that she has been saved. You wrestled the saurian and rode on its back. You thought about how strong this abyssal creature is and may have slightly underestimated it, but nonetheless, you continued to fight it with all you've got until you took it down. 

As soon as the abyss-inflicted Qucusaur was taken out, you took a moment to catch your breath. You couldn't believe that you took down that creature bare-handed, although it may have taken a slight toll on your injury. You noted to yourself to get yourself a proper weapon soon, but first things first. 

You looked over to the child, who is still terrified at the saurian despite it being already dead. You then went over to her and pulled her close, covering her vision from seeing the abyssal creature. 

You looked around the tribe for a moment before you lift one hand over your lips for a loud whistle. Shortly after, your saurian companion immediately arrived as she responded to your call. 

"Thank goodness you're alright. Jules, I want you to take this child to safety, can you do that?" 

"Cheep!" Jules nodded her head as she lowered her body for the child to climb on. 

"Good girl" 

The child looked reluctant, which is understandable to be afraid but you assured her that it's going to be okay then helped her up on your companion's back. 

"After taking her to safety, please go and look for help from anyone as quick as you can. The tribe is in dire need of manpower..." You placed your hand onto her feathers before your companion immediately took off and carried the child to a safer place.

"Please be safe as well, Jules..." You watch your saurian companion fly away as you clench your chest in worry. Although that worry quickly faded as you immediately revert your attention to the tribe right now and look around for any more citizens that haven't evacuated yet to make sure no one gets left behind.

***

You don't know how long it has been since the abyss started invading the tribe. The sky is getting darker, the forces are getting weaker, and help still isn't enough to fend them off.

You're currently leading what was left of the forces from the initial attack back at the tribe, guarding a group of merchants who just had their cart destroyed in the abyss attack. Luckily there were no casualties and all the abyss creatures in the area were taken care of, all that's left is to wait for help to take them to the Stadium, as it is currently the safest place for refuge.

"H-How long is this invasion going to last..?" One of the merchants trembled in fear while looking paranoid at every angle he sees.

"This is one of the biggest disasters I've ever witnessed first-hand..." Another remarked.

"This is no disaster" You took out your looking-glass and used it to keep an eye out for incoming rescue air balloons into the sky. You also took a quick scan at the surrounding terrains and you can see that monsters from the abyss and corpses of fallen warriors can be seen everwhere. "This is war..."

A few minutes had passed, a hot air balloon finally arrived. You then quickly directed the merchants to get on immediately and have one of your comrades go with them as an escort. You might not know when or where abyssal creatures may attack from while they're up there and it's better to be safe than sorry.

You then instructed your current team to follow your lead and head to the next affected area together in a different hot air balloon. You were beginning to feel the fatigue to rise but you figured that you need to hang on a little longer. You placed your hand onto your shoulder, feeling your abyss-inflicted injury to start aching from overexertion.

"... Just a bit longer.." You mumbled to yourself while enduring the pain.

As your team's hot air balloon had reached its next destination, you looked around but it seems like your team was already too late. There were trampled corpses on the ground, and the area is teeming with abyss-inflicted saurians. But even so, you lead your team take them down, as leaving these abyssal creatures alive will only cause problems in the future.

Once the creatures have been taken care of, you helped the team carry back the corpses onto the hot air balloon. Fatigue starts increasing and the pain on your shoulder is beginning to become a bit unbearable.

"H-Hey, are you sure you're doing alright?" A concerned comrade looked over as he noticed the pained expression and heavy breaths you're making.

"I'm fine, it's just an old wound. Let's get the hot air balloon going now before we get even more delayed.." You sighed. "Messengers from the Scions of Canopy are decreasing... There's less of them handing out reports than usual now.." You began to feel worried for a certain messenger, you're hoping that he's doing alright. 

"Now that you mentioned it..."

"Is everyone on board? Let's get going—" You were immediately cut-off as a huge rifthound suddenly appeared out of nowhere in the scene.

!!! 

The balloon was already about to take off but then you quickly sprinted and jumped down, leaving your team baffled at your reckless decision.

"Y/n?!"

"Go on without me! I'll finish this thing off" You picked up a worn out polearm that was just lying around the ground. You then now came face to face with an abyssal creature that is similar to the one that given you the permanent injury years ago.

"Heh, can't believe after all these years... I'll have to face you again. How about try gnawing my left arm next?" You scoffed with a wry smile before you charged in to attack the rifthound.

In all honesty, you're not even sure if you're going to make it out alive this time. You only got down just so you could buy your team some time. As far as seasoned warriors know, rifthounds are capable of transporting themselves to certain distances. It'll jeopardize your whole team if you just stand there and do nothing.

As you had expected, you're clearly no match for this rifthound. You quickly distanced yourself from getting clawed out and just by dodging alone, you can feel that you're already at your limit.

The team's balloon is already out of range and out of sight, now you've got to figure out how to deal with the danger in front of you. You doubt that help would even arrive here now that this area has already been cleared... Well, almost cleared. But as long as your team gets to safety, they're most likely going to request assistance to rescue you, but how much longer can you last?

The rifthound used its skill to appear behind you and knock you down. With your stamina already depleting and your minor wounds from previous battles, your body could no longer react quick to sudden attacks as you got knocked off your feet and fell onto the ground with your weapon dropped off further from your reach.

"No..!" You tried to reach your arm out for the polearm but the rifthound was already hovering behind you, about to launch another attack.

As you know that you can no longer move out of the way, all you did was shut your eyes tightly, bracing yourself for a painful end.

A loud squeal from a Qucusaur could be heard nearby as it made you open your eyes. The moment your vision cleared, you were surprised to see Jules diving down and tackled the rifthound away from you. She then proceeded to claw the abyssal creature, infused with pyro attacks repeatedly.

"Jules..." You weakly called out to your companion and watch her eliminate the abyssal creature ruthlessly. And soon as the rifthound was no more, the Qucusaur immediately went to tend to you. She gently bit on your clothes and slowly drag you to a safer area, making you lean against something to support your body as you could only sit down. 

".. You came for me..." You gazed up at her, wasn't able to expect her sudden arrival.

"Cheep!"

"No.. I wasn't trying to be reckless. I had to buy my group some time to make it back to the stadium..."

"Cheep.."

You let out a sigh as your weakened arm try to reach out for her and gently stroke her feathers. "I'm sorry for worrying you..." You suddenly start to breathe heavily like your chest is slowly losing air. ".. You know... If Kinich and Ajaw were to see me like this.. Right now... I'd get chewed out.. Hehe..."

"Cheep...?"

"... Don't worry... I just... Haven't slept well for... A while...." You then started taking deep and heavy breaths. "Wake me.. Up... When help has... Arrived... Okay..?" You gave your saurian companion a soft yet weakening smile as you slowly close your eyes.

***

"Y/n!" A voice echoed through your ears, causing you open your eyes wide awake. 

As you finally came unto, you noticed two pairs of legs standing in front of you. As you looked up to see who they are, your eyes widened in shock. You wondered if this is still a dream.

"Hey cmon you sleepyhead! You can't just sit back and let us do the work for you!" Ami placed her hands on both her hips.

"The abyss has grown in numbers recently, we need to hold the line" Jolo added.

'Ami...? Jolo..?' 

"Cmon, you're the team leader, aren't you? You're supposed to lead us!" Your female teammate pouted as she tries to encourage you to get back up on your feet.

You could feel your body getting lighter and it's as if all your wounds were gone. Even your right shoulder doesn't feel like it had an injury at all.

'I finally see how it is...' You quickly got up on your feet and suddenly pulled the both of them for a group hug.

"Eh? Y/n?" 

"H-huh? What's gotten into you, Y/n??" Jolo blinked in confusion as the both of them were dumbfounded by the hug.

"Nothing, I just..." You choked back your sobs as you try your best not to cry in front of them. ".. I just missed you guys..."

"What are you talking about?" Ami chuckled at your statement as you let go of them. "We've always been with you, Y/n~"

"You know, I'd say more as well but... We got company" Your male teammate's gaze turned serious as he turned his head around.

You three would hear disturbing sounds from abyssal creatures as a horde of them started appearing. Ami then handed you a polearm to use in battle. "Well, team leader?"

You smiled as you accepted the polearm in your hands.

'Kinich... Looks like we'll have to wait for another long while before we can see each other again. I pray to the Wayob for you and everyone's safety. I'm sorry for leaving you again...'

"Alright you two, we better finish every last one of these monsters. For Natlan!"

"FOR NATLAN!"

***

[Kinich's POV]

I came to the stadium to deliver my reports to other messengers. The abyss has quite grown in numbers while all our forces from every tribe are slowly decreasing. If the last hero has yet to awaken soon, it won't be long before this nation is doomed.

Upon walking past some refugees and wounded warriors, there's a new group from the Flower-Feather Clan that had just arrived through a hot air balloon, apart from them, they were bringing along the bodies of fallen warriors. One of them came rushing as if something urgent came up.

"Can anyone travel fast enough here? Our leader stranded herself to fend off an abyssal rifthound for our safety. Please, she's too worn out to handle the creature by herself!"

"Where is your leader currently?" I walked towards the pleading soldier. From the looks of his team, they all seem like inexperienced fighters who never experienced war before, possibly new recruits who unfortunately were forced out on the battlefield before they were even ready.

"O-over here..." He took out a map from his teammate and pointed at a marked location, which is at the eastern side of the Flower-Feather Clan.

"Got it" I nodded my head and immediately rushed out of the stadium. If they had just got here, chances are their leader still fighting off the creature but regarding the man saying she's already worn out, it's a possibility that she's already nearing death's door. But if I try to take the shortest route possible, there's a slight chance that I might make it in time. The odds are unfavorable but it's worth a shot.

A gut feeling is telling me that something's off, and I'm just hoping that I may be wrong. 

I got to the marked location as soon as I could, but the moment I got here, there was no sign of an abyssal rifthound, nor any other creature in the area. I knelt down as I noticed some tracks. Qucusaur tracks. I went and followed the trail with caution as the tracks bay be from an abyss-inflicted saurian.

But shortly after following the trail, there was a Qucusaur, looking like it is standing guard. The moment it sees me, it started roaring with hostility. I suppose that it is protecting something. 

.. Or someone?

I realized that this Qucusaur is somewhat familiar. I tried to approach it slowly, reaching my arm out to show that I mean no harm.

Once I got closer, the saurian apparently started toning down, as if it recognized me. It bent its head down to have a closer look at me then slowly moved out of the way to show what it was protecting. 

!!! 

Y/n...?

I quickly went closer to her and immediately checked her wrist and the side of her neck. There was no pulse.

"....." I slowly scooped up her lifeless body in my arms and turned to her saurian companion. ".. You're Jules, right? Can you help me take her back to the stadium..?"

I tried to compose myself as I held Y/n close while getting on her companion's back, just right before we took off and flew back to the stadium. We're still in the middle of a war. This is bound to happen, one way or another.

But still... 

She has left me behind, again... 

-End-