RAM’S ORDER
1
Deep, deep in the forest—
Grass and fragrant earth tangled and shrouded his feet as he walked in the dark. The gloom that obscured the view a few feet ahead was the result of the sunlight’s inability to penetrate the canopy of branches hanging over his head. In the deep green, Subaru tread carefully.
Lost in the darkness, his perception of time had grown vague. He had gotten ready at dawn and entered the forest first thing that morning, but he wouldn’t have been surprised to find that the sun had already sunk and night had already come outside the woods.
As his fatigue rose, so did his unease. But every time fear reached out to him, a firm but cheerful voice give his heart a much needed talking-to.
“Well, no need to worry about it being nighttime or anything. I still have a physical form—see?”
Smirking at the cheerful voice and those words, Subaru looked up at his companion currently sitting atop his head and said, “You sure don’t have any wiggle room when it comes to the end of our workday, eh, Dad? Just don’t forget to light a flare overhead to show where I am before you run out of power and clock out for the day.”
“Hey now, do I really seem like I’d forget such an important task? I may look careless sometimes, but when Lia entrusts something to me, I make sure I get the job done!”
The cat spirit—Puck—answered Subaru from atop his head with a chuckle into his paw. The cat stroked his furry chin thoughtfully and added, “Still, I’m surprised we haven’t found it yet.”
“Yeah—you said it. I’m just waiting for the countdown to true panic to start.”
“Heh-heh, such bravado! You’re a man, all right.”
Subaru stuck his tongue out at the spirit for immediately seeing through his facade. Even with Puck accompanying him, walking through a dark forest afflicted him with a fear that was hard to shake.
And how did he find himself in this situation?
“Ram…if I die because of this, I’m haunting your ass.”
Cursing at the monotonous scenery, Subaru spat the name of his lost companion. She was the final member of the unlikely party that had entered the forest. Reuniting with the arrogant girl with a big mop of pink hair was Subaru’s top priority at the moment.
“According to superstition, spirits become hollows when people die, but in most cases, hollows tend to be stuck wherever the person died,” Puck said.
“Oh, right. Earthbound spirits. And?”
“Wouldn’t it be funny if you got lost in the forest, died, turned into a hollow, and had to stay lost in that same forest forever?”
“Talk about a lifetime regret!”
Their banter eased Subaru’s fears slightly. Grateful for the floating spirit’s tact, Subaru wiped the sweat off his brow and returned his focus to the path ahead.
Knowing he wasn’t alone in this dark, quiet forest was the main thing keeping him from going over the edge. Which made him feel even more strongly—
I need to find the girl who really is all alone in the forest as soon as possible.
No Comments Yet
Post a new comment
Register or Login