Chapter II

Refia brushed her hand through the cold water to ascertain the temperature of the pond that was as clear as glass. To her surprise, the water was warm, which surprised her. She expected it to be cold, just like the empty and dead world around her. She couldn't help but let out a long depressed sigh as she glanced at the darkness above, musing that the water would have glistened beneath the pale moonlight if it weren't for the thick black mist hovering like foreboding evil. Dipping both hands fully into the water, she watched as tiny streams of crimson left her wrist and fingers, traveling straight into the depths of the unknown.

"What was that sigh for? Having trouble getting all that gooey blood off your skin?" A vibrant voice joked behind her, and the suddenness of the comment was enough to make her jump slightly.

From the corner of her eyes, she caught sight of messy silver strands billowing in the wind, and knew immediately that Luneth had come to cause trouble just when she wanted to have some time to herself. "I'm getting the yucky blood off just fine, thank you." She rolled her eyes once and quickly scrubbed her hands together to quicken the process. She had a feeling that he was here to pick on her and the faster she left the pond, the sooner she could sleep and rest up for tomorrow. She honestly didn't feel like arguing and throwing witty remarks back at Luneth at a time like this, but at the same time she didn't want to appear like she was losing her edge, so maybe quickly retiring for the night was her best option.

"I'm sure I'm sure!" Luneth said, way too sarcastically for Refia's taste.

Rolling her eyes again, she decided to change the subject. "So where are the other two?"

"Oh…Arc and Ingus are sitting by the campfire. It IS getting a little chilly in case you haven't noticed."

A strong gust of cold wind whizzed past her, ruffling her hair and kissing her rather warm and flushed cheeks. She was still sweating slightly from the battle and her robe was warmer than most garments she had worn in her entire life, so that should be reason enough to justify her inability to detect the temperature change. Pulling herself to a stand, she shook her hands, letting droplets of water fling in all directions before wiping the access on the sleeves of her robe. "It's late. I think I'm gonna go to sleep now."

"Whoa there, Princess. You make it sound as if we have some tent pitched up or something."

"Well, don't we?" Refia blinked. Something inside of her told her that she was most likely going to end up sleeping on the dirty ground. "And don't call me Princess. I'm a smith for God's sake."

"Sorry to disappoint you, but we don't. For some reason, towns here don't seem to sell tents."

"Well then we better have some comfortable ground because I am tired!" Turning on her heels, she began to stray from the lake and head down a dark path. She was a bit lost for a moment, but a flickering light in the distance caught her attention and logic told her that was probably where the campsite was. Hearing footsteps following her, she stopped in her tracks and turned to facing a grinning Luneth. Just what is he smiling for? "Huh? Why are you following me? I thought you needed to wash yourself at the pond."

"Nah, I just came to check up on you. I wasn't sure if you could find your way back."

"But the campfire is burning right there! How can I miss it?"

"I dunno…you're a little slow sometimes, Reffie."

SMACK

He heard the sound of her palm meeting his cheek, but didn't actually FEEL the burn that was supposed to be left behind. The blow caused his head to be tossed to his side against his will, and the only thing he saw in his vision was a black void before the blackness was replaced with a string of multi-colored stars that danced mockingly before his eyes. Somewhere in the midst of the annoying stars that were becoming more vibrant by the second, he saw a vague outline of someone all too familiar. The female had both hands planted on her hips with a deep scowl on her heart shaped face that sent shivers down his spine.

"You've got a lot of nerve, Luneth!" Refia hissed through her clenched teeth, making sure to put emphasis on each word. She was never one to hold back anger, and yes, she did have a habit of getting upset over the most trifling matters, but that's just how she was. "How dare you call me slow? I am CERTAIN that I am much more intelligent than a half-dimwit twit like you!"

Luneth was quite sure that if Refia hit him a notch harder, he'd have the wind knocked out of him. As the dancing dots slowly faded from his eyes and the region around him was coming back into focus, he could clearly see an irate Refia with a glare that shattered the very "tough" barrier that he tried to mold to mask his outer frightened demeanor. "Ugh…you really…need to calm…the hell down…girl…"

"Well, then don't make fun of me! I hate it when people do that!" she said hastily with a hint of hurt and sadness trailing with those words, but she willed her emotions to remain dormant. There was no need in explaining things that just weren't necessary. Blinking away her frustration, she began to move towards the path of the campsite again, indifferent to the man she had just slapped a few seconds ago.

"W-wait!" Even with his head swaying dizzily from side to side and the sting from the slap slowly starting to become perceived by his senses, Luneth still rushed after her, trying closing in the distance between them. Damn, she sure can walk fast when she's pissed…

"You know…it's bad enough that I get taunted when I was working for my father. The crew made things so difficult for me, which caused me to run away time after time." Her voice had become softer and she spoke to no one in particular, almost as if she was vocalizing her thoughts that were best kept repressed for they were rather terrible memories.

That's right. She really didn't want to go back to her home when we first met her… "S-sorry. I honestly didn't know…" Luneth choked out with great trouble. Apologizing was something he always found a bit hard to do, but admitting that he was wrong took away his pride. However, seeing how his jokes had not only touched her nerves but had also broken her spirit in some way that she won't admit, he felt it was only fair if he admitted his mistake. "It's my fault. I wouldn't have said these things if I had known…even though I was only kidding."

She slowed down her pace, her footsteps matching the cadence of her calm beating heart partially because the road was becoming a bit more winding, but mainly because revealing a part of her tortured past managed to lift the invisible weight of pressure that had been bearing upon her for far too long. It felt nice to be free of the chains that had bind her to the agonizing days she worked as an apprentice for her father, who expected much more than she could offer, and so she ran. Running away from her problems was easy and she'd always find solace from her escape, but could she do that now? Could she run from a destiny that Fate had etched into her life? Could she run away from her duty as one of the Warriors of Light, a duty that had befallen on her by circumstances and not by choice? "Luneth, have you ever thought about what would happen if you…abandoned your destiny as a Warrior of Light?"

Luneth's eyes widened at the unexpected question and felt his heart skip a beat. She can't possibly be serious. I'm not THAT annoying, am I? "W-What?? A-are you saying that you want to?" he stammered.

"No, I'm not saying that at all." She grasped the length of her staff tightly and waited for the bulb of her rod to spark before continuing down the unlit path. From the faint light, she could see the Warrior right behind her, his presence offering her both security and comfort, something she hadn't felt in a long time. The last time she felt this secured was with her mother before she passed away, and that had been many years ago. It was outlandishly bizarre that she was finding the same consolation her mother had given her in a stranger she had only met a few days ago. Maybe Fate did govern her life. "What I mean is that what if we-…I fail? I can't run away from this like the way I can whenever my apprentice training became too hard for me. The entire world is at stake here…and I…" She glanced up at the sky, eyes silently searching for an answer throughout the vast canvas of black, but to no avail. "What…what if it just becomes too much for me?" she finished lamely.

"But the Crystal wouldn't have chosen you if it felt that you couldn't handle it. It must have chosen you for a reason, right?" he said sternly, and his expression betrayed his unhesitant answer. His brows were knit together thoughtfully above his widened eyes, two brilliant sapphire pools swimming with confusion and astonishment.

Refia shook her head, her large, silver triangle shaped earrings swinging side to side from the motion. "I know I know…but why me? I'm just a normal girl living in a small town with no knowledge of any of this!"

"I'm not any different, you know?" Looking into the far distance, he saw two silhouettes sitting across from each other with short tendrils of smoke rising swiftly to the sky from the crackling orange fire between them. He continued, "And neither are Arc and Ingus. We were all normal civilians living in a world that we thought was normal just a few days ago…but then Fate brought us all together and brought us this incredible journey…"

"You're right," Reifa sighed apprehensively. "I guess I'm just not used to being a Warrior of Light yet, you know. Heck, I have no idea how 'incredible' this journey will be. Luneth, you may have quite a romantic view on all this, but I need to remind you that we all nearly got killed before!"

Alright, I guess this is starting to make some sense now… "Oh? Is that what you're afraid of? Dying? Because that is completely understandable-"

"I never said that!!" the mage cried out, feeling slightly insulted. Sure, the thought of dying did cross her mind when she was blessed with the Crystal's powers, but that didn't mean it had been interfering with her mission, constantly plaguing her mind like cancer. It was natural to think about ALL the possible outcomes of a battle, wasn't it? "I guess…I'm just trying to be realistic here. What if things don't go our way? What if we can't bring balance back to this world? You've considered that, haven't you?"

Luneth wasn't quite sure how the conversation had suddenly taken on a despondent tone. He had always believed that Refia was a determined and confident person, making sure things go her way, and when they didn't, she'd still make them go her way. It wasn't like her to talk like this, but then again maybe he didn't know her as well as he thought he did. It literally had been just a few days since he had met her. Perhaps there was more to her than what he thought just from observing her display of brash behavior.

"Of course I've considered it. For the past few nights, I've been wondering if I'll get to live to see tomorrow…and I did. I just have to believe I will and have faith in myself...and you should too, Reffie. Have faith in yourself like the way the Crystal had faith in you when it chose you." With a shaky hand, he reached for her hood and gently pulled it back. He held his breath, anticipating another slap heading for his face, but when none came, he smiled slightly and daringly allowed his hand to travel through her cascading brown locks until it was braced against the back of her head.

Her eyes nearly doubled in size and her lips were slightly parted as she stood before him agape with the semblance of awe. In the midst of her paralyzed state, she felt her face drawing towards Luneth's, and she wasn't sure if he was pulling her head against him, or if her body was moving against her will out of pure desire to be near him. Her skin was blazing underneath her white robe and her flushed heart shaped face couldn't help but betray the heat of affection she tried so hard to repress. It was the first time she was this close him, this close to any man for that matter. Since the day she had met him, she saw Luneth as nothing but a flirty goofball with wandering eyes that landed on anything that was pretty and had two feet. But, having his eyes seemingly pierce into the very depths of her soul, she saw someone different; someone mature, someone resolute, and someone who knew exactly what he was saying. Could this be the same zany Luneth who had nothing better to do than to jest with her and Arc whenever possible? She didn't get a chance to think as his nose brushed against hers and his gaze began to descend with the tilt of his face until their lips were only a breath away. She instinctively closed her eyes, feeling nothing but the intimate contact with him, and smelling nothing but the faint musky scent his body emitted. She became oblivious to everything at that moment, even to the polluting miasma around them, the very bane of evil.

And then he did something she hadn't expected.

He pressed his forehead against hers, and when her eyes fluttered open, an intense blue gaze met her. He gingerly cupped her cheek and whispered, "Have faith in yourself…like the way I have faith in you…" His lips curved into a genuine smile and what felt like an eternity was nothing more than a few seconds of absolute bliss that fled too quickly. He released his palm from her face and pulled his body back. Even his smile was dissolving into his usual smirk. But Refia still felt as if she was caught under a spell, unable to move or speak, just stared with fixated innocent eyes as her mind tried to make sense of everything that had transpired.

Slightly amused at her dumbfounded look, Luneth lightly ruffled the crown of her head, conscious of how soft her silken strands felt as they snaked around his fingers. He pulled her robe's hood back over her head and gave her back a little push in an attempt to knock her out of her reverie. "Come on, we should head back, don't you think?"

Refia only nodded, and followed him in complete mute as he led the way to the camp. Her body felt light, but the last thing on her mind was sleep.

Arc pressed the crest of his stave beside the burning wood of the dwindling campfire, and after a brief chant, the flames roared to life again with the sound of crackles and pops filling the silence. He wearily tossed his head back against a firm tree and pulled his knees up to his chest, resting the idle staff by his side. He was relieved to see that Luneth had made it back safely with Refia a few minutes ago. They had been gone for a long time, and being the anxious and worried one out of the group, he always feared for the worst. When he saw the two had come back unscathed, he let out a sigh of relief that was a bit too loud and won him a strange look followed by a single raised brow from Ingus. He remembered the Red Mage saying, "You don't think they're THAT incompetent, do you?" It wasn't in Arc's passive nature to argue so he just shook his head and went back to reading his favorite book that had conveniently been with him since he left his home.

He picked up the book again and flipped to the page where he had last left off, but found that his interest in it was waning by the second. Even though his fingers were rummaging through the pages, his eyes were set ahead at the scene displayed before him. Ingus was practicing some sword technique by himself, being reclusive as usual. Arc admired how swiftly and graceful the Red Mage's fluid motions were and could only wish that he could one day be half as skillful as the soldier. If there was one person who chanced at surpassing Ingus' skills, Arc had had no doubt that it would be Luneth, someone who was naturally apt for the active, adventurous, and dangerous life. He had known Luneth nearly his entire life and they had grown to be best friends; always sticking up for each other, well…it was usually Luneth defending him. Arc couldn't remember a single time when Luneth had abandoned him in his time of need, and one day he was surely going to repay him back for his kindness.

The Black Mage's eyes shifted from Ingus to a secluded corner where a thick patch of grass stood out noticeably from the dirt-ridden ground. Upon the long blades of green was a broad hefty log that held two occupants. Refia and Luneth sat beside each other and nonchalantly watched the fire before them crackle, but it didn't take long for Refia to fall asleep, the light weight of her head falling on the Warrior's shoulder as he leaned his body closer against her to support her side. They had been quiet the entire time since their return; quiet, but not indifferent. Although no words were exchanged between the two, Arc observed that something must have drawn them closer. For the first time in days, he hadn't heard any bickering and fuss coming from either of them, which was strange being that they were the two most vocal ones out of the party. No longer concerned with the book at all, he placed it beside his staff, and when he glanced up he instantly caught Luneth's eyes that seemed to sparkle through the iridescent flames. He felt his throat tighten, and he tried desperately to say something that didn't make him appear as if he was staring at his friend the entire time, but Luneth simply smiled and gestured him to come over with a wave of his hand.

Obliging, Arc made his way to the other side of the bonfire, his black cape billowing like a second shadow behind him before finally settling back to a placate state when its owner seated himself on the ground adjacent to Luneth and Refia. "You're not tired?" Arc asked, even though that wasn't his initial thought. He didn't want to jump too quickly into questioning his friend's newly established bond with the White Mage.

Luneth shook his head. His eyes were more brilliant than ever, showing no signs of fatigue. "No, and it doesn't seem like Ingus is tired either. What about you?"

"No, I can't seem to sleep. Too much things on my mind," Arc admitted truthfully.

"Haha…well, then I guess Reffie is the only one then." Luneth glanced at the sleeping woman, somewhat expecting her to jump from her farce of a slumber to say something witty about his comment. He inwardly grinned when nothing happened. It looked as if she was really asleep. "So Arc, what's on your mind?"

Arc looked at him agog. "Reffie?"

"Huh? She's on your mind?"

The Black Mage shook his head hard; his steeple hate swaying side to side until it completely fell off from his head. Arc's face instantly flushed as he picked up his hat from the ground. Why did he always have to look stupid in front of his friend? "Umm…that's a cute nickname for her."

"Yeah…I suppose…" Luneth said slowly, not sure of what to make of Arc's blatantly obvious statement, but the hesitant look on his face told him that there was something else on his mind, something he was having a hard time putting into words.

Arc bowed his head, focusing his fingers on the leather material of his hat that was set neatly on his lap. In a volume that barely raised an increment above a whisper, he asked, "Do you like her?"

Luneth was certain that he detected a fleeting trace of despondency in his voice, and for the first time, he wasn't sure why. Arc had always been quite predictable and easy to read, almost like an open book, but Luneth just couldn't grasp the blank expression he had etched across his young and handsome face. He only stared back expectantly with emotionless eyes, and that made Luneth quite uncomfortable. "I-I don't know…" he answered truthfully and went back to watching the orange fire create opaque shadowy figures on the trunk of a nearby tree, reminding him of the days when he and Arc used to paint on canvases. Arc's works were usually beautiful, but Luneth's paintings were nothing more than random colors splattered against the board, dripping and spreading in multiple directions until it dried; that's what he called 'art'. That thought tugged his lips into a half grin. They were so young back then, so young and naïve. Arc had always been his best friend and still was his best friend, and if there was something bothering him, Luneth wanted to get to the bottom of it. "Why do you ask?"

"I-it's really nothing. You two just seem to have gotten closer, that's all." He gave a tiny smile, the baby fat of his pink cheeks puffing out a bit.

"And that is exactly what we ALL have to do if we want to restore balance to this world," a voice spoke from the shadows. Ingus emerged from the darkness, setting his twin blades by the bonfire before finding a comfortable leaning position against a tree trunk. With his feathered hat slightly tipped over his eyes, it was hard to see his expression, but the way he crossed his arms across his chest and had one foot bent at the trunk, gave him an outwardly cocky demeanor. "It's up to us, and the stronger the bond we have with each other, the stronger we will be together."

Luneth nodded. "You're right. We made it through tonight because we worked together, and hopefully we'll manage to luck out like that every time." The body beside him began to stir, and he was momentarily reminded of her presence and how close he had came to losing her tonight. He wasn't going to lie. This 'adventure' plunged straight down to his primal fear, awakening it and bringing him to face the cold and unforgiving fact that death was very possible and probable.

"We will, as long as we're t-together…" Arc stuttered, feeling his throat constricting again. He didn't quite get the answer he was looking for, but then again, what he really wanted to say was hidden beneath the vagueness of his words.

"Right…together." Luneth smiled. He extended one hand to help Arc up to standing and placed his other arm around Refia's shoulders. He glanced up at Ingus and found that the soldier was cracking a small grin that was neither fake nor haughty, a rare and encouraging sight.

A new day was dawning, a new journey was waiting just around the corner, and they were going to get through it all…together.

Fin