Online In Another World

Stopping for a moment, he glanced over to see Everett listening and watching him intently, scratching his flushed cheek out of embarrassment.

"I know, it's a pretty lame reason–"

"No, I totally get it!" Everett interrupted him, "Isn't the world just amazing?! I'm right there with ya–I wanna see it all, too!"

"Really?"

"I didn't want to say it, but…" Everett coughed into his hand, "...Another reason for becoming a world-class adventurer is, I want to try all the tasty food from around the world."

The childish, but genuine reason that the shielder gave spurred a moment of silence at the campfire before they both broke into laughter.

Perplexing to him, after they finished sharing in a laugh, he looked over to find Everett extending his hand to him with a kind smile.

"Let's make our dreams a reality," Everett said with a bright expression.

Emilio looked at his companion's hand for a moment before accepting it, grasping it tightly, "Yeah."

After reaffirming their resolve and filling their bellies with simply 'adequate' meat, it was time to call it a day as it was simply too dark to traverse the crimson forest further.

Everett offered to stay up to keep watch as he already had some rest, but Emilio declined as he hardly felt capable of sleeping anyway.

Sitting against a tree, holding his catalyst close to his body, Emilio gazed up towards the ceiling of bright-red leaves that had their subtle glow amplified in the darkness.

…You better be hanging in there, Melisande. Joel will never let me hear the end of it, he thought.

He found himself still indecisive about whether or not to continue looking for Melisande, even in the night, but with Everett snoring and defenseless, he was forced to sit still.

With that in mind, a new idea came to mind as he was about to begin studying the tinkerer's journal again, feeling as though a lightbulb shined over his head.

"...Hold on…" He mumbled.

This might work, he thought.

"Salamander. Undyne. Gnome. Sylph," he invoked in a whisper, holding his hand out.

Manifesting to his quiet call, the four lesser spirits arrived above his hand, swaying slowly in their gentle glow.

"Alright…can you guys do me a favor?" He asked quietly.

As he held the spherical spirits close, they each blinked in different frequencies, though he felt innately that their answer was 'yes'.

A small smile appeared on his lips, "I need you each to search the forest for Melisande, okay? If you find her, come back to me immediately and show me where you saw her. Can you all do that?"

The non-verbal spirits blinked once more before they each scattered in four different directions, beginning their search through the crimson forest.

He was surprised that the lesser spirits actually followed such orders and were able to separate from him, but Emilio found it reasonable after allowing the spirits to protect others in previous times.

Alright…Maybe I should summon my soulbound spirit as well, he thought.

Looking at the six-pointed seal on his hand, he considered finally attempting to summon his contracted spirit, but found himself hesitant. There was something unnerving about the thought of conjuring a spirit from the astral realm; whenever he began to build up the resolve to do so, a sickening feeling akin to the 'soul strain' he once was afflicted by resonated through his body.

I don't get it, but it feels like there's…interference? Whenever I think about summoning, it feels like my body, mind, and soul rejects it, he thought.

While the four elemental spirits were out searching through the ember forest, he unintentionally ended up falling asleep against the tree as his eyelids grew heavy, prompting him to slip into slumber.

In the short time it felt he slept before finding himself conscious again, having yet to part his eyelids, he briefly recalled the presence of the 'faceless entity' he repeatedly met in his dreams–though he didn't remember what the meeting he just had was.

All there was as some loose proof of having encountered the mysterious entity was an odd sensation coursing through his body as goosebumps stood on his arms; a familiar feeling to the presence of the cosmic figure.

…Did it tamper with my memory again? Why? He questioned.

As he opened his eyes, he found out what it was that woke him up, finding the small, red spirit hovering in front of his face.

"...Salamander?" He asked tiredly.

Sitting up, he rubbed his eyes and yawned, still finding the sealed valley to be drenched in an artificial night.

"Wha–"

His eyes widened as his tiredness was washed away, realizing now why the lesser spirit woke him up: there were insects reminiscent of moths, having bright-orange forms as they fluttered through the wind.

There was a swarm of them sweeping through the trees, leaving trails of embers and flame in their path.

"Did you bring them here–?" Emilio asked the lesser spirit, jumping to his feet.

Salamander blinked a few times in a guilty fashion, prompting Emilio to look over at Everett, who was still fast asleep and snoring.

Crap–these things seem like trouble. They're leaving a path of fire behind them and burning everything they see–what the hell is wrong with this place?! He questioned, I wonder if Salamander attracted them…it's practically a bundle of fire.

He recalled Salamander in hopes of deterring the approaching army of fire-born moths, though it didn't seem to change their trajectory as he rushed over to Everett's side, shaking him awake.

"...Five more mins…" Everett sleepily said.

"Wake up!" Emilio shook him harder.

As the hick shielder snored in response to his shaking, Emilio found himself annoyed and pressed for time, resulting in him pointing his staff towards Everett's goofy sleeping face before spraying him with a dose of water.

SPLASH

"Gaaah-!" Everett jumped up and coughed, "What was that for?! I was having a perfectly nice dream 'bout Grubby's!"

As soon as the shielder stood up and shook his head like a dog shaking the water from his fur, Everett got the answer to his question as a small fireball singed his ear lobe, causing him to jump and wince.

"Ah-! What the?!" Everett turned back, seeing the swarm of glowing moths that were fluttering in.

Emilio was already beginning to move in the opposite direction, "Yeah, that's why! Let's go!"

Now, Everett didn't complain or waste a moment following behind Emilio as they rushed away. The young Dragonheart found his lesser spirits returning, with Undyne giving him a few glows that internally told him 'I found the girl'.

"Lead the way!" Emilio said with a smile while running.

Returning the other spirits, he left the water spirit to lead the way as the two ran from the fire-spewing moths.

"Go! Go! Go!" Everett called out.

Even though the shielder frantically yelled such, he was the one lagging behind as Emilio had to suppress his pace so as to not totally leave his companion behind. Though it was understandable when considering the heavy armor and shield that the backwoods recruit was lugging.

"Gah!"

Everett let out a girly scream as a small fireball hit his rear, producing a heat felt even through his armor as his pace increased with further motivation.

That's gotta sting, Emilio thought.

As Emilio led the way with Undyne's guidance, the two were led to a ravine that split the forest in two halves, leading down to an unpleasant drop.

"Get ready to jump!" Emilio yelled behind him.

"Jump?!"

There was no time for Everett to prepare himself as in front of him, he watched Emilio leap over the gap without a hitch.

Emilio turned back, waiting for his companion, "Come on! They're gaining on you!"

The fiery moths left a trail of fire, spewing out dozens of small fireballs that sparked against Everett's armor, forcing him to choose between two poisons before he finally sucked in his fears and rushed towards the gap.

"Aaaaah-!"

Closing his eyes, Everett made the jump, landing on the other side with a heavy thud before Emilio helped him to his feet, allowing the two to continue on.

While Emilio raced forward, the water spirit hovered in front of him, blinking rapidly as if coaxing him to look ahead as he saw it–

"Aaaaaaah—!"

A feminine scream all too familiar to his ears was heard as he saw a head of silver hair rushing out from behind foliage, screaming out from something unknown.

"Melisande-?!" Emilio called out.

Everett was surprised, coming to a stop as he equipped his shield, preparing for the moths' arrival, "--Is that your friend?!"

In total surprise at the unexpected reuniting, Melisande's eyes widened before she glomped the young Dragonheart, hugging him tightly, which was a welcome surprise to Emilio himself.

"Err, glad you're okay," Emilio awkwardly said, returning the embrace.

Melisande was more panicked though, looking up at him, "Th-they're coming! I was fighting them off, but there are a lot of them!"

"What's coming?" Emilio asked.

"Yeah, what's?! We've got our hands full already with these buzzers!" Everett said, planting his shield down in preparation of the flaming moths.

Pointing to the direction she came from, Melisande clarified, "Bees!"