Chapter 14: Decisions.
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A good nap in the grass always does good to the mind.
———
The influx of information that Mayu had shared plunged Pasha into deep reflection.
"Why am I only learning this now?" Yumi's curiosity had been piqued.
"Well... it wasn't the most important thing, and besides it's logical, blame yourself for not thinking about it earlier."
"Ouch..." Mayu flicked Yumi's forehead.
Yumi was about to complain, when Yaro's voice was heard from outside,
"There's a suspicious boy walking alone on the side of the road..., should we ask him if he's seen Liu?" he asked.
Before Mayu or Pasha could say anything, Yumi straightened up and answered:
"Yes!!"
'A suspicious guy??' her curiosity had locked onto the boy.
She quickly went through the hatch to join Yaro on the outer bench from where he was steering the carriage.
"Where is he?!" she asked hastily.
Yaro replied with a small laugh:
"Calm down, he's right ahead."
"Huhuh..." she stared at him as soon as she spotted him.
"Yumi! Don't do anything stupid." Mayu warned her, sticking her head through the hatch.
"Yeah, yeah..." she replied in a sulky voice.
"He saw us, Yumi don't get down, alright." Yaro pulled on the reins to slow the chevarbre pulling the carriage.
"Mm, he's my age, right? What is he doing a few hours of walking away from Luschen?? That's suspicious, really suspicious..."
Excitement was starting to rise in Yumi, she loved suspicious things.
"Hello!"
Yumi said enthusiastically as the carriage stopped next to the boy.
"....."
But the boy didn't respond, he looked at Yumi and Yaro then looked away in another direction without moving.
"Huh?! Strange... why isn't he answering?" Yumi asked while looking at Yaro.
Yaro shrugged, "Try again, maybe he's hard of hearing."
"Hey! Hello!!"
This time she shouted, while waving her arms.
The boy turned his gaze back to her, then sighed silently.
He started making movements with his hands.
"What is he...?"
He pointed at his ears and his tongue with his finger, then made a cross with both index fingers. Then he immediately resumed walking, ignoring them.
'What was that?...'
"Hm-hm.." his movements had piqued Yaro's curiosity.
"Maybe he can't hear or speak... but why?..."
Yumi didn't like how he had ignored them.
"Tch... even if he's deaf and mute, that's no reason to ignore us." she sulked, crossing her arms, her curiosity hadn't been satisfied.
"I don't think he's deaf or mu..." Yaro wanted to share what he thought, but Mayu cut him off:
"What's going on? Why aren't you moving again, if he's gone?"
Yaro took the reins again to move forward.
"Nothing, nothing... let's go."
Yumi was silent, analyzing what had just happened.
'That was definitely weird!...'
"Hey, what just happened actually?" she asked Yaro as they passed over a bridge crossing the river coming from the Village of Luttren.
"Well... honestly no idea, it doesn't look like he's used to being deaf or mute... it's very strange..."
"Hm-hm-hmh..."
Yumi leaned out to look behind, trying to satisfy her curiosity a bit more.
"Huh!!"
Her shout made Yaro jump, "What is it??!"
Yumi turned back, she had a strange expression on her face, mixing satisfaction, fear, excitement...
"H.H..He disappeared!!"
"What!?! Seriously??" Yaro shivered, from apprehension but also... excitement.
"Hey what's going on? Why are you shouting?" Mayu asked.
.....
—————
[Liu's Pov]
After what had just happened, Liu came to the same conclusion as before.
'I need to become stronger...'
But, this conclusion was indeed different, it was... new.
'...and for that...'
Liu and Lumian hadn't moved for quite a while.
"Hey, you still want to help me, right? Then just help me become stronger... and I might do your thing after."
She stood up and walked toward Lumian lying on the ground.
"I'll even call you master if you make me stronger."
She stopped right next to Lumian, her head above him.
Instead of answering her, Lumian complained.
"Move your head I can't even see the sun."
'The... sun-what?'
Liu moved her head away while giving Lumian a small kick.
"I'm serious here, weren't you the one who wanted to move the conversation forward?"
Liu had reached her conclusion and she wanted to move things forward.
But...
"It's not the right moment anymore..."
Lumian grabbed Liu's ankle and pulled, making her fall onto her back not far from him.
"Ugh... what the!.."
"Look at the sky... and imagine... I wish I could go to the moon..."
Liu wanted to complain, but looking at the white and... empty sky...
'It's calming...'
She remembered the moment of freedom she had felt while looking at the sky on the way to school.
'So empty...'
After everything that had happened, she almost fell asleep, the moment was so quiet and soothing...
'The grass is so soft...'
...but footsteps walking in the grass echoed behind her and Lumian.
'Who is it...?'
She tilted her head back to see... Patrick arriving calmly...
'What is he doing?...'
...he crouched down while making a face at Lumian, then lay down in the opposite direction from Liu and Lumian.
"Hhouuaah..." Liu yawned.
'Weird... I feel like sleeping...'
And, she fell asleep...
...her sleep lasted a good half an hour.
"...how me."
'Mmmh....'
She woke up curled up, her head resting on her left hand...
"Nnnh..."
...a soft cool and humid wind brushed against her skin as she stretched.
'It's so pleasant...'
"Come on show me! What are you playing at?"
She turned toward the voice, to see Lumian sitting against a tree, a piece of wood in his hand on which he was pressing rapidly.
'What are they doing?'
Patrick was trying to look over Lumian's shoulder, to see the piece of wood in his hands.
"Seriously! I can't see anything here!"
'I slept? And why can he talk again?...'
She straightened up to sit, and quickly rubbed her eyes.
'...did I really sleep? How long...?'
She looked at her watch.
———
02.72/10.00
———
"What's the name of the game?"
'That much??... what time did I fall asleep? I really slept next to them? How is that possible...?'
She always had trouble sleeping near people she wasn't close to, even when she was tired.
'...what's been happening lately?...'
Her throat was dry, so she got up to go get some water.
'Still there?...'
Out of habit, she looked for The Form, which she saw in the shadow of a tree not far away.
"Oh. You're awake..."
Patrick saw her get up and immediately turned his attention to her. He quickly approached.
"... say, what did you talk about? Are you going to come with us?"
When he arrived in front of Liu, he seemed excited by the idea.
'Hhaa... he's already annoying me.'
"I don't know. Leave me alone."
For lazy people like Liu, waking up was always difficult and a moment where calm was essential.
But Patrick had no idea. And above all, he had no delicacy.
"Huh, seriously? You didn't even finish your conversation after everything that happened? You're... ouch!!"
So Liu kicked him in the shin.
"Shut up! Patrick."
She ignored Patrick, turned around and went back in search of water.
"But hey! My name isn't Patrick!"
While Liu sat on her chair drinking some water, Patrick went to complain to Lumian.
'Hhaaa... so now what do I do?'
She lowered her eyes to look at her feet.
'What was I going to say before falling asleep again?'
Suddenly, a voice came from above her.
"So now what do you want to do?"
Liu quickly raised her head...
'I....'
...it was Lumian, standing in front of Liu with Patrick looking over his shoulder.
"... I want to become stronger. Even if it means becoming your student."
Lumian nodded and asked:
"Why?"
Liu thought for a few seconds about her answer.
'Why...'
"... to solve my problems by myself. And reach my objectives by myself."
Lumian nodded again.
Crunch!
'What's that sound?...'
Patrick had moved aside and was now eating a cereal bar that Liu had never seen.
Crunch!
Liu's heart rate sped up slightly.
'Seriously?...'
That bar was making a lot of noise...
'...I'm going to kill him...'
...a noise that reminded Liu of bad memories.
She threw Patrick a hostile look, but not understanding the message he took a third bite.
"Guugh!!"
Liu suddenly stood up and pushed the bar into Patrick's mouth with her left hand, making him choke.
"Kaah!...cough..cough.."
Lumian didn't move for a single instant and watched everything calmly, with an almost amused face.
"Alright we can finish the discussion, I'm ready to make a decision." Liu stated.
"Geh!...why?! What did I do?!"
But Patrick didn't agree.
"You better not eat one of those things in front of me again!"
Liu threatened him with a fierce look.
But Patrick didn't back down.
"Ha! And why?"
'I'm going to destroy him!'
She was about to jump on him, but Lumian intervened at that moment.
"That's enough! Calm down, you can fight later, when we've made a decision."
But that didn't seem to deter Liu or Patrick.
'Tch...'
"... if I don't hit him now, I won't be able to make a decision!"
Patrick shivered and felt an injustice he had never experienced.
"But! What did I do wrong?!"
'...I just woke up... idiot!'
Seeing that it was going to escalate, Lumian threatened them.
"If you don't calm down, I have ways to do it myself."
'...'
"..."
Memories of Lumian's powers came back to them, calming them instantly.
"Sit down." Lumian ordered.
Which they did without delay.
"Hhhaa..." Lumian sighed while picking up his chair and the table.
Liu felt a bit guilty now, without really knowing why.
"Ok." Lumian sat down and began to speak.
"Before making a real decision, I'm going to explain the whole situation to you more or less. And you better not interrupt me. Ok?"
Liu and Patrick nodded.
But Lumian insisted.
"Ok?!"
"O-ok." they both answered at the same time.
"First, you both have the objective of becoming stronger, to find your family again. But I won't be able to train you your whole life until you reach your objectives."
Liu and Patrick looked at each other for a moment before quickly looking away.
"You know, I also have objectives and things to do, but I can take a few years of break to help you."
Lumian paused to drink.
'A break of a few years?...'
"So, as long as it's fine for Liu we'll stick to what we planned."
Patrick nodded, while Liu raised her hand to speak.
'They already have a plan?'
"I'll explain don't worry."
"Ok." Liu nodded.
"First, we need to leave the Citizen Zone, and head toward the Free Academy of Lubren, the capital of the Outer Ring of the Kingdom of Lumiscen."
The words Lumian used were unfamiliar to Liu.
'The zone what?...' she quickly raised her hand.
But Lumian wanted to continue.
"You can ask your questions at the end. But, so..."
Liu interrupted him anyway. And rushed to ask her questions.
"No, I can't, I didn't understand anything. What is the Citizen Zone? And the ring thing..."
Patrick suddenly turned to look at her with a surprised expression.
'What's with him?'
"I was thinking you were a bit too desperate... reassure me you know what a noble is?" Lumian asked.
"Of course I know what it is. They're rich people who own land and know how to use energy. My grandparents taught me."
Hearing that, Patrick looked at her with a new expression and strangely bowed in front of her.
"Hhaaa... this is going to be annoying. Alright, Patrick will explain everything to you after we're done."
Seeing Patrick's strange actions, Liu wondered:
'He's going to explain? Him?'
"What! But why do I have to do it?"
Lumian didn't feel like explaining something so simple and basic.
"Because I said so." he left no room for negotiation.
"Tch!"
"And, Liu, you can ask your questions after, it won't change your decision in any way, ok?"
She wasn't so sure.
'Oh yeah...?'
But she decided to follow, she really had to become stronger.
"Ok..."
And so Lumian finished his explanation.
"So, we're going to head toward Lubren, to prepare you to survive on your own and accomplish your objectives... the journey should last about three years..."
'That long??...'
Anticipating Liu's question, Lumian added.
"... and don't worry Liu, the return trip could be much shorter. The three years are just there to train you sufficiently."
'That's... logical...'
Liu nodded, a bit hesitant.
Patrick had remained silent.
And Lumian continued.
"When we arrive, I'll enroll you in the Free Academy as your Guarantor. Then, our paths will separate and you'll just have to become stronger by yourselves until your graduation and coming of age... of course, I'll come see you anytime if I need you for my projects. That's about it. Everything clear?"
Patrick nodded, but Liu hesitated.
"I think I understood... but, does it really have to take that long? I have friends in Luttren... and leaving for that long..."
Lumian didn't let her hesitate any longer.
"You don't plan on going back home before reaching your objectives, right?"
She nodded.
"Well if you reach those objectives before we arrive at Lubren then good. At that moment, I'll pay for your return trip home, and you'll get there in less than a month. Is that fine for you?"
She lowered her eyes to look at her feet, and thought a bit about this proposal.
'It sounds... so perfect... it feels like a trap. But...'
After everything that had happened in the last hour, Liu started to find her mistrust and hesitation a bit ridiculous.
She hesitated a few more seconds before straightening up.
"Huum... alright, it's fine for me."
She finally decided in a low but determined voice.
This decision was the biggest turning point of Liu's life, but she had only one thing in mind:
'I already miss Yumi and Pasha...'
Her journey was truly about to begin.
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End of the Second Arc: Turning Point.