"Thank you for taking care of Master during my absence," Areia said, offering a light, surprisingly gentle bow.
By now, the morning sun had climbed high into the sky, striking the exact middle of the cloud cover and baking the thick canopy forest in a warm, golden radiance. The heavy hum of cicadas vibrated through the brush, and a refreshing, cool breeze swept off the water, causing the surface of the lake to ripple like liquid glass and scattering stray white petals across the grass. It had taken a considerable amount of time and awkward coaxing to finally tame the crying beastkin, but through sheer persistence, Areia had somehow managed to pull it off.
"N-No... it was the Contractor who took care of me, rather," Croc muttered softly, her face dusting with a faint blush as she looked away, her large reptile tail giving a slow, subdued twitch in the dirt. "If he hadn't rescued me from those merchants when he did, I might be dead by now. I heard the scaly hide of my tail is incredibly valuable in the black market... that's probably the only reason I was taken hostage in the first place."
"Regardless, you were his frontliner for a while, and I can clearly see how deeply you cherish him too," Areia continued.
She stood tall on the smooth river rock, the midday sun glistening off the bare, pale skin of her shoulders and midriff. Stripped down to her simple, form-fitting white undergarments, her slender, athletic curves were on full display, framed beautifully by the wild, vibrant greenery of the beast kingdom. Her face remained a calm, unreadable mask, but her deep purple eyes were filled with a genuine, unspoken respect.
"Sure, I may be incredibly troubled right now, and honestly, extremely broke," Areia said firmly, placing a delicate, bare hand over her chest, right above her heart. "But if there is ever anything you need me to do for you, I will be sure to comply. That is, of course, if it is within my current ability."
Croc stared up at her for a long, quiet moment. Her eyes slowly traced the elegant line of Areia's collarbones, the gentle taper of her waist, and her surprisingly lean, graceful figure. Then, Croc looked down at her own bulky, muscular frame and rougher, scaly beastkin attributes. A heavy pout formed on her lips.
"Would you mind... teaching me how to look like—"
"That is sadly impossible. I cannot change your literal biology," Areia voiced out deadpan, cutting her off before the question could even fully leave her mouth.
She caught Croc staring and sighed softly, the gentle river breeze catching her long white hair and throwing the silken strands gracefully back over her shoulders. "I don't change physically at all, no matter how much I eat or how hard I work out. It is a fixed trait, likely because of my partially elfish blood, though I'm not sure." If the reverse were the case I'm sure I would be as buff as you due to the training I went through.But still, your body structure is entirely different. If you are trying to get a slender figure like mine, you are just trying to catch a fish with dry sand as bait."
Croc's reptile eyes narrowed into an intense, sour glare, and she let out a low, rumbling growl from the back of her throat. "You are awfully blunt, aren't you, toothpick?"
"It is significantly better than giving you false hope, at least," Areia shrugged casually, completely unfazed by the glare as she stepped off the rock, her bare feet pressing into the soft, sun-warmed grass.
An awkward, heavy silence settled over the riverbank, stretching out until the only sounds left were the gentle lapping of the river water against the rocks and the soft rustle of the leaves above. Croc broke it first, shifting her weight from one foot to the other.
"What were you actually doing earlier?" Croc asked, her voice dropping its aggressive edge, replaced by genuine curiosity. "I mean... you were clearly sniffing the air, and you looked completely pissed off. What was that all about?"
Areia just stared at her, her purple eyes deep and unblinking.
"It's fine if you don't want to tell me," Croc added quickly, suddenly feeling a bit self-conscious under that intense gaze.
"No, it's not that," Areia said, shaking her head slowly. The breeze caught her white hair, blowing it across her face. "You knew I was angry... so why did you still try to provoke me?" she asked, a faint trace of surprise coloring her voice.
Croc's face instantly flushed a deep crimson, and she violently snapped her head away to stare at the bushes. "I was simply jealous, is all! But don't you dare let it get to your head!" she yelled defensively.
When she didn't get a sharp retort back, Croc cautiously turned her gaze back toward the rock. The words died in her throat.
Areia wore an extremely distressed, shattered look on her face. For a brief, terrifying moment, Croc genuinely thought the legendary, unmovable knight was going to burst into tears right then and there. But she didn't. She just held herself, her small frame looking incredibly fragile against the vast backdrop of the forest.
"I try to pride myself on being a logical person," Areia said softly, her voice carrying a heavy, crushing weight that seemed to drain the warmth right out of the afternoon sun. "And I was. For a long time, I was completely logical. But slowly... Master corrupted that part of me. Lately, I've been so blinded by emotions and things I wouldn't normally ever think about."
She stared down at her bare feet pressing into the grass. "The words... 'He's only one boy'. They just keep sticking to me, repeating over and over in my head." Her voice descended into a fragile whisper, losing every single bit of its sharp, lethal edge.
Croc's slitted eyes widened slightly. For the absolute first time since they had begun speaking, the terrifying vanguard knight seemed to completely melt away. Areia seemed to revert to just a normal, heartbroken girl you'd see anywhere on the streets—her suffocating aura completely gone, leaving her entirely vulnerable, stripped down to her rawest form.
Is this... is this all about the Contractor? Croc thought, her own heart aching at the sight.
"I know what they plan to do in the throne room is entirely logical," Areia whispered, wrapping her bare arms tightly around her own body as if she were freezing in the midday heat. "I know it's the right thing to do, given Cyra's responsibility as a hero. To save the entire world... Master must go. He must be sacrificed or locked away."
She choked on her breath, her grip tightening on her shoulders. "But my world is Master. I don't want to live in a world knowing he isn't out there somewhere. Stupid? Yes, I know it is. I've fallen head over heels for him, and I can't pull myself away anymore."
A dark, painful shadow crossed her face. "I hate Cyra and Haki for even considering it. But even more than that... I hate myself. I hate myself for looking at the facts and thinking that it really is the only logical solution, given the absolute nightmare that is coming for us."
Areia finally raised her head. The stoic poker face was completely gone, replaced by a mask of pure agony. Hot, heavy tears were actively streaming down her pale cheeks, glistening in the bright sunlight.
"Croc... I don't want to lose Dan," she said softly, her voice breaking into pieces. "I don't know what to do. I feel like I'm going absolutely crazy. I hate it. I hate all of it."
"Sacrifice? Is something terrible happening to the Contractor?" Croc asked, her voice sharpening as she took a panicked step forward. "I was told he simply went on a journey to find the essence of Isis. Did... did he lie to me?"
Of course. She doesn't know anything about the prophecy or the vision, Areia thought to herself, aggressively wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. I've been crying so much lately. It's all Dan's fault. Can't that idiot just not make me worry for once in his life?
"Why don't you just go see him?" Croc asked suddenly, crossing her arms. "I mean, you're clearly in a lot of pain and you miss him dearly. Surely you could track him down. Whenever things get really dangerous, or when I'm upset about something, I'm usually completely upfront about it. The Contractor tends to do absolutely everything solo. I'm sure whatever massive mess he's gotten himself into right now, he'll need someone reliable by his side."
Croc paused, a proud little smile breaking through her worry. "I've occasionally pulled Dan out of multiple sticky situations myself—though, granted, it was mostly chaotic bar fights, but still! I may not know him for as long as you do, or even as well as you do, but I'm pretty sure he'd absolutely love to have you by his side right now."
Areia stared at the reptile beastkin in utter disbelief as the girl spoke, her heavy tears slowly seizing. The cool breeze off the lake seemed to momentarily pause, leaving only the soft rustle of the forest.
"To be honest, I'm quite envious and sad about it," Croc continued, her smile turning soft and bittersweet. "But... I've never seen quite a look on his face like the one he had when he told me about you. He smiles a lot normally and makes tons of funny jokes, but it was entirely different when he described the times he spent with you. He looked like an old man who had finally found true peace. And now that I've actually seen you in person... I think I finally get it. Or, at least, I'll pretend to."
She let out a small, energetic laugh, stomping her bare foot lightly in the grass. "Bawling your eyes out won't change a single thing! Yes, you're hurt. You're angry, depressed, and completely lost. But what actually matters is when you start taking real action toward the things that sadden you. At least... that's exactly what the Contractor told me during the very first week of our travels together."
"Croc...?" Areia whispered, her purple eyes wide and completely blown out with shock. "Just... who on earth are you?"
"What?" Croc replied, looking thoroughly confused by the sudden dramatic shift.
"Oh, sorry! I mean... no, I mean... GAhh!!! I'm so confused! You just... what... the..." Areia stammered wildly, her usual flawless poker face entirely shattered as she found herself completely unable to form a coherent sentence.
"You're actually scaring me right now," Croc said, cautiously backing away from the stuttering knight.
In her haste, her heel caught the edge of her wooden bait bucket. With a loud clatter, the bucket tipped over, and the freshly caught brass fish happily flopped across the wet grass, finding their way right back into the clear lake water. Croc's slitted eyes widened in a mixture of embarrassment and awe as a faint pink flush brushed her cheeks under the warm sunlight.
Looking at the flustered reptile girl, Areia suddenly let out a soft breath, and a brilliant, blindingly beautiful smile broke across her face—one completely free of malice, sorrow, or frost.
A goddess...? Croc thought to herself, entirely captivated by how dazzling the white-haired girl looked in that exact moment.
"Thank you," Areia said slowly, her gentle voice carried softly by the rising wind.
Before Croc could even respond, the space around the riverbank warped violently. Areia's slender, undergarment-clad form distorted into a blur of light, suddenly bursting into a beautiful cascade of swirling green leaves that scattered into the sky, leaving nothing behind but the faint scent of ozone and the empty rock where her armor had been.
"