PactBound

The forest was a blur as Klein ducked and weaved through the thick foliage, trying to keep up with Lina. The dense underbrush snagged at his boots, and low-hanging branches whipped at his face, but he pressed on, determined not to lose sight of her. Lina moved like a shadow, her steps light and precise, her body shifting effortlessly between the trees as if she were part of the forest itself. It was everything Klein could do just to keep his eyes on her. The moment they had crested the treeline back in Falkridge, she had taken off, clearly trying to put as much distance as possible between them and whatever that grotesque creature had been.

"Lina!" Klein called out, his voice strained as he pushed himself to keep pace. She didn't respond, her focus entirely on the path ahead. "Lina! Stop!" he yelled, louder this time.

"Hmm," she hummed, glancing back over her shoulder at him without breaking stride. Her silver-gray eyes flicked to him briefly before she turned her attention forward again, weaving between the trees with an almost unnatural grace. Then, without warning, she came to an abrupt stop, her boots digging into the dirt and leaving a small trail behind her.

"Huh?" Klein said, surprised. He shot past Lina, his eyes still locked on her, not having expected her to stop so suddenly. Before he could react, his body collided with something solid.

"THUD!"

A loud thump echoed through the forest as Klein slammed into a large tree, the impact knocking the wind out of him. He groaned, slumping against the trunk as the world spun around him. The rough bark pressed into his palms, grounding him as he struggled to catch his breath. The light filtering through the canopy above danced in his vision, only to be blocked by a shadow as Lina stepped into view, looking down at him with her usual blank expression.

"Are you okay?" she asked, her tone as flat as ever.

Klein let out a frustrated grunt as he pushed himself to his feet, brushing dirt and leaves off his clothes. "Why were you running?" he demanded, glaring at her.

"I wanted to make sure we weren't followed," she replied, her gaze scanning the forest around them. "Plus, our destination is that way." She pointed with a slender finger in the direction they had been traveling.

"Destination?" Klein asked, confused. "You never even mentioned where we were going."

"Aveloria," Lina said, her voice devoid of inflection.

"Okay?" Klein waited for her to elaborate, but after a long moment of silence, it became clear she wasn't going to. "Why are we going to Aveloria?"

"There's a pact holder there that we're going to take out," Lina said, her eyes still scanning the forest. She seemed satisfied that they weren't being followed and turned back to Klein, her posture relaxing slightly.

"Okay? Who is this pact holder?" Klein asked.

"No idea," Lina responded almost immediately.

Klein let out a heavy sigh, running a hand through his long hair and brushing it back over his shoulders. She's impossible,he thought, frustration bubbling beneath the surface. How am I supposed to work with someone who communicates in riddles and half-answers? He took a moment to survey their surroundings, the familiarity of the Tovar woodlands bringing a strange sense of comfort despite the circumstances. "Do caravans still travel through here?"

"Yes," Lina said. "The Tovar woodlands are still one of the main trade routes for the kingdom."

"Good," Klein said, nodding. "It would be easier on us to travel that way instead of just walking through the woods." He stepped past Lina, heading in the direction of a commonly used caravan trail. "There's a trail this way, though I'm not sure how far it is."

"It would be best for us to stick to the woods," Lina spoke up, falling into step behind him. "We know we were being watched in Falkridge. She has scouts all throughout the area."

"She? As in the Mother of Eyes?" Klein asked, glancing back at her.

Lina nodded. "Her scouts are everywhere. They watch, they listen, and they report back to her."

"Is there any way we can hide ourselves from her?" Klein asked, his voice tinged with frustration.

"I can make protective sigils that will mask us from her scouts," Lina said. "To them, we'll look like any other humans. They won't be able to tell the difference. But if she happens to spot us herself…"

"She'll see right through them, right?" Klein finished, the implications clear.

"Correct," Lina said.

"That's great," Klein said, rubbing his temples. Just another layer of danger to worry about, he thought. As if things weren't complicated enough. "For now, let's just find the road."

---

It took nearly an hour for Klein and Lina to reach one of the many caravan roads that cut through the woodlands. The path was wide and well-trodden, the dirt packed down by countless wheels and hooves over the years. Klein stepped out of the treeline first, taking a moment to stretch and breathe in the slightly clearer air.

"There," he said, gesturing to the road. "This should make things easier."

"I still think my way was better," Lina said as she emerged from the trees shortly after him. She had insisted on traveling in a straight line toward Aveloria, apparently unconcerned with obstacles like rivers, cliffs, or dense thickets.

"No, we need to rest too," Klein said, turning to his right and beginning to walk along the road. "We've been traveling for hours."

"You shouldn't be tired," Lina said, her tone matter-of-fact. "You should be able to travel for days without resting."

"It's a mental tired," Klein replied, glancing back at her. "I've got a lot to process, and I just want to sleep." She looked like she wanted to say something but kept quiet, her silver-gray eyes scanning the road ahead.

The two of them walked for another ten minutes before they came upon a clearing that opened up beside a river. The sound of rushing water filled the air, and the space was dotted with the remnants of old campfires and makeshift shelters. It was a rest stop, one that Klein remembered well.

"Here we are," Klein said, looking over the space. Even after 300 years, it looked almost exactly as it had in his memories. Shadows of old campfires etched dark rings in the earth, and he could almost hear Lancer's laughter mingling with the rush of the river. The past tugged at him, a ghostly hand on his shoulder, but he forced it away. There's no room for ghosts now, he reminded himself.

"Better than I expected," Lina said, her voice pulling him back to reality.

"Yeah," Klein agreed, stepping further into the clearing. "Too bad we don't have anything for camp." He turned to Lina, about to suggest they gather firewood, but his words caught in his throat as he saw her. She was standing by the river, already down to nothing but her underwear, her small frame on full display.

"Lina—wait!" Klein spun on his heel, his mind raced to find a safe spot to look—anywhere but the riverbank. "You can't just—warn me next time!"

"I'm going to bathe in the river," she said flatly, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. Klein could hear her footsteps as she moved toward the water, and he made sure to keep his back turned. She was centuries older than him, but her appearance was that of someone much younger, and the whole situation made him deeply uncomfortable.

Klein heard the soft splash of water as Lina lowered herself into the river. "You can look now," she said after a moment.

Slowly, very slowly, Klein turned his eyes toward the river. He relaxed as he saw her, submerged up to her neck in the water. He let out a sigh of relief, but just as he did, his ears picked up on something coming from further down the road. He strained to listen, his body tensing.

"It's a carriage," Lina said from the water, her voice calm.

Klein released the breath he was holding. "Thanks," he said, turning his attention to the road. The sound grew closer, and soon a carriage flanked by two riders came into view. The group stopped immediately as they spotted Klein, and one of the riders moved up to the side of the carriage to confer with the driver. After a moment, the rider began making his way over to Klein.

The man moved with practiced ease, his brass-colored eyes sweeping the clearing. His hand rested casually on the hilt of his sword—not a threat, but not a comfort either. "Hello, stranger! My name is Roland, C-Rank Adventurer," the man said, his voice deep and warm, with a gravelly edge that carried the weight of experience. The scent of oiled leather and damp steel clung to him, a quiet reminder of long miles and longer nights.

"Hello," Klein replied, extending a hand. "My name is Klein, and I—"

He stopped mid-sentence as he noticed Roland's attention had been drawn elsewhere. The adventurer's tanned face turned bright red, and Klein followed his gaze to see Lina standing by the river, completely nude, water dripping from her body.

"I'm finished," she said, her tone as flat as ever as she walked over, picking up the clothes she had left by the riverside. "I'm going to start on these sigils."

Klein cleared his throat, his eyes moving away from Lina as she walked away unbothered. He forced a steady breath, his mind scrambling to regain composure. When he finally met Roland's gaze, the adventurer's expression had shifted back to something more neutral, though a hint of pink lingered on his cheeks.

An awkward silence hung between them, the sounds of the river and Lina's soft murmurs as she began drawing sigils in the dirt the only break in the quiet. Klein found himself grateful for the distraction, focusing on the rhythmic scrape of her fingers against the earth.

"Setting up camp?" Klein asked, his voice low but steady.

Roland blinked, the question pulling him back from wherever his thoughts had drifted. He nodded, a cautious smile curving his lips. "Yeah. We've been on the road for a while. A rest would do us good."

Klein hesitated, the words caught in his throat. Trust is a luxury, he thought, but exhaustion weighs heavy. He forced a smile, extending his hand. "Mind if we join you? It's been a long day, and safety in numbers is never a bad idea."

Roland's fingers brushed the hilt of his sword, a subtle shift in his stance that spoke of caution more than threat. His brass-colored eyes held Klein's gaze, and for a moment, the river's murmur was the only sound between them. Then, slowly, he relaxed, his fingers leaving the weapon to extend his hand instead.

"I'd appreciate that," Roland said. "We've got some supplies. Food, firewood. It's not much, but you're welcome to share."

Klein felt a sense of relief easing the last of the tension from his shoulders. "Thanks. I'll get a fire started."