Night had crept its way upon Baskia, Veter, and Raion; with Raiopn and Baskia lying wide awake as Veter had slept peacefully.
Raion: "Baskia, I forgot to mention something."
Baskia: "What is it?"
Raion: "I told Veter he could come with us to see Wen the all might."
Baskia: "You did?"
Raion: "He knows about me."
Baskia: "Interesting."
Raion: "Just interesting?"
Baskia: "Yes."
Raion: "Aren't you curious as to how?"
Baskia: "I am, just like I'm interested in how my abilities did not work on you either."
Raion: "I.. I'm sorry."
Baskia: "It's a mystery I tend to find out."
Raion lay there not saying a word.
Baskia: "You know something, Raion?"
Raion: "What?"
Baskia: "You and Veter could potentially become a powerful duo."
Raion: "I highly doubt that. The guy creeps me out a bit! Did you see how he stares at me?!
Baskia: "You never know, Raion. Now let's get some sleep."
Raion turns his back away from Baskia. This is when Baskia noticed the marking behind his ear.
Baskia: That symbol? I can't make it out. He actually might be very powerful.
The next morning, Veter was the first to wake.
Veter: "Raion, Baskia, wake up, it's time to go."
Baskia: "I've been up."
Raion sleeps next to Baskia as he snores loudly.
Baskia: "This one has kept me up with his loud snoring."
Veter: "He looks like he's out cold."
Baskia: "I can change that." He kicks Raion and yells, "Wake up!"
Raion: "But it's so early."
Veter: "Best time to go and get the Wistle rub Shiri needs."
Baskia: "I did hear that Wistle rub grows best at sunrise."
Raion: "Of course you have." As he rolls his eyes and gathers his belongings together.
Veter: "He's not mistaken. It is true."
Raion: "Really, you too."
They all begin to laugh and continue their way towards the woods.
Baskia: "So, Veter, I hear you're coming with us to meet Wen the all sight."
Veter: "Yes, I asked Raion, he said you'd be alright with it. I hope that's fine?"
Baskia: "It is all right with me. Why do you need to go and see Wen?"
Veter: "The same reason you are."
Baskia and Veter look at one another as if they've read each other's minds.
Baskia: "Understandable."
Raion: "Baskia, you never did tell Fourth and me why you're going."
Baskia: "I will tell you when we get Fourth back. Promise."
Raion: "I hope we get him back in time."
The three of them continue walking down the path, eventually, after some time, Veter spots the forest in the distance.
Veter: "There's the forest of Akuma no Kumo." As he points down in the distance. "We are going to need to take a certain path that is only visible during this time of day."
Baskia: "I hear that the black spider Akuma no Kumo likes to hunt during this time."
Raion: "Hunt?"
Veter: "Yes, which is why it's crucial we stay together and follow the path."
Baskia: "Yeah, Raion, they come out and host on whoever walks under them."
Veter: "It really is a horrible experience. They clench their pincers straight onto your back. At first, you barely notice, then they have to dig deeper and deeper until…"
Raion is standing in fear, staring blankly at Veter and Baskia.
Baskia: "I think it's best we don't continue that story."
Raion, shaking with fear, trembles out the words. "Is there another way…?"
Veter: "Sadly, no. We should head out."
Raion: "Great. Maybe if I run through fast enough, this will go quickly."
Raion runs ahead of them.
Baskia: "Raion! Wait up! Don't get lost!"
Veter: "Does he ever listen?"
Baskia: "No, not at all."
Raion has ended up running far ahead of Baskia and Veter. He stops to catch his breath.
Raion: "Phew, I'm beat. Alright, guys."
Raion turns around. "Which way are we heading now?" He sees that no one is behind him. "Guys? Where are you at? Of course, I had to run off ahead and get lost."
Veter: "Do you think he'll be fine?"
Baskia: "Yeah, Raion is kind of a good guy and acts up at times, but he's strong. He'll be fine."
Veter: "You think?"
Baskia: "I do. He has this mark I've never seen. I have a feeling he's going to be pretty strong."
Veter stands there in shock.
Raion: "Okay, I have to figure out which way I came. These trees all look the same. I'm going to die here." Raion beings are running around in circles and freaking out.
"Calm down, Raion, you got this, stay focused."
All of a sudden, loud screeching noises came from the distance.
Raion quickly turns the other way. "Definitely not that way!" and runs in the opposite direction.
As Raion runs through the forest, it grows dimmer the farther he goes; the light barely peeks through the trees. In the distance, there's a creature that looks like a cross between Akuma no Kumo and a fox following Raion.
Raion: "Why didn't I just stay with them. I'd be safe now. Thought I could at least defend myself a bit with my bow and arrow. Now is the time I wish I paid more attention to Fourth's training."
Raion walks as he hears a noise coming from a bush behind him.
Raion: "What? Who's there, come out?"
Slowly out of the bush comes the Akuma fox hybrid. Raion quickly jumps backward and pulls his bow and arrow out.
Meanwhile, Veter and Baskia grow concerned about Raion's whereabouts.
Raion: "What the hell is that thing?"
Veter: "We should have seen him by now."
Baskia: "He probably got lost. We will find him."
Veter: "Let's hope so before the Akuma no Kumo finds him first. He didn't even let me get to the worst parts."
Baskia: "He is powerful, but I'm not sure if he can take on an Akuma, especially with such great strength."
Meanwhile, the creature starts to move forward towards Raion with its eight legs and tail whipping back and forth.
Raion aims his bow at the creature. "I never saw such a thing."
Fox Spider: "A thing?"
Raion falls backward and lets go of his arrow. It flies past the fox Spider.
Fox Spider: "Hey! Watch that thing!"
Raion: "It talks!" He yells
Fox Spider: "Yeah, of course I talk."
Raion: "Can it understand me?"
Fox Spider: "Yes! I just said that!"
Raion: "Wait till the others hear about this. This will be great."
Fox Spider: What is with him? He was just about to shit his pants in fear, and now this.
Raion grabs the fox Spider.
Fox Spider: "Wait, hold on a second, put me down."
Raion: "This is fucking awesome!"
Fox spider yells: "You were just scared like two minutes ago!"
Without even realizing it, he runs past Baskia and Veter.
Veter: "Was that Raion?"
Baskia: "I think it was."
Veter: "What is that thing he's carrying? It looks like a fox... but a spider too."
Baskia: "I agree… what the hell."
Veter: "Whelp, we should probably go after him."
Veter and Baskia start running after Raion.
Veter: "Raion, wait up!"
Veter: "Slow down!"
Raion stops to a halt and turns around.
Raion: "Veter, Baskia, I found you!"
Veter: "Please don't run off again!"
Baskia: "What don't you understand about sticking together?!"
Raion completely ignores them. "Guys, guys, look at this awesome creature I found!"
Veter looks at Baskia. "He's not even paying attention to us."
Raion: "It can understand me."
Baskia: "I think you're right, Veter."
Veter: "What is he on about?"
Baskia: "I have no idea."
Raion: "Here listen, speak as you did before to me."
The fox Spider makes a noise.
Raion: "You heard that right?"
Baskia: "I heard it make a weird bark noise."
Raion: "No, that wasn't it. Veter, you heard it right?"
Veter: "Raion, truthfully, I think you've gone insane. "
Raion: "But honestly, he spoke, I can hear him as clear as I can hear you guys."
Raion: "Humor us, then. What did this creature say?"
Raion: "Well, it's kind of rude."
Baskia: "I think we can handle it."
Raion: "He said, "Put me down, you filthy swine! Get me away from these horrific-smelling and hideous creatures."
Veter: "Okay, we've heard enough."
Raion: "I'm not done yet, he also said, "Especially the one with the huge pointy ears."
Baskia grabs hold of his ears. "What's wrong with my ears?"
Veter: "Nothing is wrong."
Fox spider: "They're massive, I could build a new home in them."
Baskia: "What did he say?!"
Raion: "Oh, he was just apologizing."
Baskia: "Ah, thank you. I can't help being a half-elf."
Veter: "That's not the issue now."
Baskia: "Right, it's about Raion and his new weird ability."
Raion: "Ability?"
Veter: "Yeah, from the looks of it, you can talk to different creatures."
Raion: " How the hell did this happen?"
Baskia: "It could have something to do with the marking on your ear."
Raion: "Marking? What mark?"
Veter: "You mean to tell me you don't know about the marking?"
Raion: "No, I never noticed."
Baskia: "So what you're telling me is you never knew you had that?"
Raion: "That's what I'm saying."
Veter: "But how?"
Raion: "No one's ever said anything to me."
Baskia: "That's very odd, not even Fourth has mentioned it?"
Raion: "No, not at all, he's just been teaching me basic magic spells."
Veter: "Raion, those basic spells basically come from your marking. No one without a mark can cast magic."
Raion: "Are you serious?! No wonder a few people ran away from me when I would practice my magic in public."
Veter: "Unfortunately, even as far as we had come with magic, there are still those who feel threatened by us."
Baskia: "Well, take a seat, Raion, to let me tell you the story of the marking."