-=Enter Kerning=-

The day had passed slowly since Shadow Viper’s arrival, but like many things good and bad, it was coming to an end. The entirety of L Forest was slowly taking on a darker hue as the bright sun above began it’s downward setting beneath the western horizon. The blue that was the daytime sky was dissipating, giving way to the blackness that was the signaling of night’s arrival. Those who looked up carefully into the sky could make out stars revealing themselves through what remained of the cyan color.

As beautiful and serene as this transformation was, Shadow himself wouldn’t be able to enjoy it as easily as anyone else.

The exasperated bandit sat solemnly on his knees, his heavy-laden eyes staring at nothing more than two graves sitting side by side. Without warning, time, or provocation, two innocent souls had been forever cut off from their earthly bodies. Whoever commited the vile act made sure he, or she, or even IT, was only around the instants the kills were made. Unfortunately, for Shadow’s eyes, those moments were far too fast. Now, he sat helpless before the dead, familiar feelings of sorrow and rage intertwining like a whirlwind in his mind.

Fortunately, Shadow didn’t have to bear this burden alone. Random passer-by adventurers caught sight of the tragedy, the earliest ariving exactly two minutes after it happened. Those who could fight the feelings of overwhelming sadness and churning stomachs helped the one-armed bandit bury the twins. One among the group who was deeply affected from the situation knew the victims as Samuel and Elyce Meier, two twins planning on becoming pages. Now, they and their dreams were only memories, lasting memories that could only be honored with a final goodbye.

After the funeral had passed, everyone except Shadow went on their way with hearts now heavier than when they first arrived. The ninja bandit simply sat with the graves for a few moments, the memories of death clinging to his mind involuntarily. First was the village, then Yuka, then Kira, and now these two. *So much suffering,* he thought as he gazed at the sinking sunlight. *Why…why is this all happening? Why is there so much darkness all around me? I had expected to find evil, but I never thought…it could find me.*

A cough sounded from behind Shadow. In a split second, he was on his feet, looking around with dagger in hand. His eyes caught sight of a girl kneeling not far from the graves. Long, purple hair flowed from underneath a black bandana. She wore a maroon moon and matching pants, purple goni shoes, and blue moon gloves. A sapphire stain claw decorated her right hand, which held a pair of lotus flowers. Her face was sullen and tear-streaked.

Shadow took a few steps towards the stranger and stopped. He decided to wait a moment, wondering how the girl would react to his prescence. His efforts were rewarded with soft, monotone words. “They…..were my cousins….they’d been here two weeks. I had planned…to meet them here…..they hadn’t been to Kerning City before.” She said them all without looking at him.

Shadow could barely take the words in. The thoughts of losing someone close to him antagonized his mind with every word she spoke. In the end, though, he managed to fight the despair off; even with the pain that arose from the day’s events, he was able to refocus on his current mission. He started on his way.

Shadow took no more than three steps before he looked back at the girl again. He couldn’t help but look on as the girl sat completely emotionless, despite the sadness in her eyes. It seemed as though she wasn’t as sad as he thought, as though she wasn’t as badly effected by the deaths. From her motionless stare, it felt as though she was…almost USED to death.

The bandit shuddered and pushed the thought aside. There was no way he was letting the girl sit there in isolation. There was enough darkness from the sky above anyway. He returned to the girl and held out his hand. “If you are going to return to Kerning, you won’t do so alone,” he said, hoping he could reach beyond her dreary stillness.

The girl’s gaze shifted towards Shadow. With no change in her expression, she muttered, “They were the last of my family. I AM alone.” She stood up, ignoring his outstretched hand, and made a ninja-esque jump towards the land masses leading to the city.

Shadow’s gaze narrowed slightly as he watched her leave. Without a second thought, he began his land hopping, trailing her path of jumps perfectly. As they got closer to the city, the girl’s path became more complicated, even going through thick trees. Nonetheless, Shadow’s agility and reflexes carried him onward as he effortlessly avoided any hinderment. It did become apparent in his mind, however, that the girl didn’t want to be followed, but he didn’t care for some reason; something deep down told him to stay with her, but he didn’t know what it was.

Eventually, the scene changed as the two rougish figures came upon the city border. The green around them gradually disappeared as concrete took it’s place. The granite was paved, though rough-looking. The floating land masses left for the most part; though there were a few in the distance, more of the higher elevation was carried by masses of red and orange bricks. Posters and graffiti were scattered along the walls. The sky teemed with clusters of gray clouds, looming above like a ceiling to the mass of tall buildings that stood not far from the city’s entrance.

Upon making it into Kerning’s outskirts, the girl ended her fast jumping. She then walked slowly towards a small collection of long, floating land masses, one above another. Her demeanor was the same as before, though this time a metal throwing star was in her clawed hand’s deathgrip.

Shadow landed moments after her. He walked quickly towards her, the feeling inside him still focused on her. As soon as he was about to tap her shoulder, however, he noticed a sudden movement from her claw. Instinctively, he backflipped. His timing couldn’t have been better; in the blink of an eye, the girl had thrown her star at him. It just missed his head.

Though no emotion arose, the girl’s face hardened, complete with narrowed eyes and a biting voice. “I AM ALONE!” she spat at him. “NOTHING WILL CHANGE THAT!” With that, she stormed off towards the masses that teemed with monsters.

Shadow immediately started after her, but quickly froze when a hand came down on his shoulder. “Let her be, Shadow,” a somewhat young, male voice said. “Her past is one fraught with darkness too strong to be dispelled. You should stick to your own path. After all, you have enough of your own darkness to be rid of.”

The words stuck with Shadow as he felt them swim in his head. Though he wasn’t sure who said them, as he didn’t think of looking behind him, he knew the advice was correct. This girl more than likely had reasons for her unpleasant mood, and they were enough of a burden without anyone trying to press into them. Still, he wouldn’t forget this encounter; there was simply something about her that brought up something inside him.

Shadow soon no longer felt the hand hold him back. This reminded him of the voice. He turned around to meet the one who stopped him, only to find the person wasn’t there. *Odd,* he immediately wondered. *Who could have stopped me like that? And how did he know my name?*

The questions stuck with Shadow, but energy was a different matter, as fatigue crept onto him. With everything that had happened since his arrival, it was easy for the bandit to realize how long and hard his day had been. Without another thought, he climbed up rope fixtures on the nearby brick walls, taking him further into the city. There, he quickly found an inn. He paid a small fee, grabbed a free room, and flopped on the bed. A vision of the purple-clad rogue girl yelling at him and running off was the last thing he saw before sleep came upon him.

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Finally, another chapter is up! Sorry for the delay, you wouldn’t believe the week I’ve been having! I’d love to say more, but I’m amazingly busy right now, so simply grab yourself a Mountain Dew and have a good night.

Previous installments:
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