Headed by a Snake

⟬ One bell later... ⟭

Willow cracked open the rotten log with her stone axe, exposing the snake inside to the open air.

It was actually really pretty, all-black with brown crossbands... and it was probably as long as she was tall.

The snake coiled up defensively and hissed at her, revealing the white inside of its mouth...

"(You disturb my resting place, hatchling... How would you like it if you were awoken in the middle of your sleep cycle?)"

It wasn't the first time Willow heard an animal talk to her... but she hadn't talked to any snakes since this sun.

"Yeah... I'd be pretty upset, too," Willow bared her teeth and slightly inclined her head. "I'm real sorry about this."

"(So you understand me... Hmph. We have no quarrel,)" The snake reared its head back but remained wary of her, "(--but I will not stand down to the likes of a human. Go on, then. Away with you.)"

Willow threw her newly-crafted fishing spear, piercing the snake's body and pinning it to the splintered wood. In its dying throes, she stepped close and used her full body weight to slam down her stone axe.

Its head was roughly hewn from its body...

That... was dangerous. She breathed a sigh of relief.

Willow was shaping up to be... a pretty good adventurer.

Adventurers killed monsters. They got stronger... and then they killed bigger, badder monsters. Sprig would be proud.

She didn't feel good about it, though.

She had to kill. She was forced to. It was just something she had to do in order to survive.

She couldn't blame anything or anyone for it. It was just how the Realm worked.

The weak didn't have a right to live.

And sure, Willow was weak right now... but that wouldn't last forever.

⟬ Defeat predatory creatures Level 10 or higher. (5/5). ⟭

⟬ Quest complete. ⟭

⟬ Rewarding experience... ⟭

⟬ Congratulations, host has reached Level 14. ⟭

There was one nice thing about being in danger all the time. Willow was gaining experience points at an unbelievable rate. After escaping from the creature that might have once been her dad, she didn't need much more to hit the next level.

The refreshing feeling of leveling up washed over her, restoring her spirit and making her a little less tired than she probably was.

It made it a bit easier to make her way back to where she left Imperia...

Willow's Elven sister was propped up on a moss-covered rock adjacent to a blue-watered pond. The sun shone down on her and the glare from the water's surface lit her up like a holiday tree... but at least it was warmer, because of it.

She felt Imperia's forehead. Hot as coals. Loose strands of her thin, silver braids stuck to her perspiring face.

She felt her wrist... her pulse was weak... her skin colder than the pond.

The hole on her waist wasn't bleeding as bad... but black blood still ran from where she was pierced by the Bog Creature's claws.

Imperia was sick... really sick.

"I... thought you left me to die," The elf blinked hazily... weakly lifting her palm to shade her eyes from the sun, "You wouldn't be... the first-- bitch of a sister to do so."

Willow averted her gaze... "I... had some things to do."

Imperia had questions about why Willow was hunting snakes... but that was before she fell to her fever.

...It was something Willow couldn't answer without revealing that she had a System. She must have looked absolutely crazy for doing so... and honestly, sometimes the quests the System gave didn't make any sense at all.

"Go," Imperia winced in pain as she flipped onto her side... "Leave, you... you useless human."

Willow's heart ached from hearing Imperia's words. Even though they hadn't known each other for very long, Imperia had been nothing but a sweet, caring, and more-or-less honest sister.

"I won't leave you, Sis."

"U... useless!" Imperia groaned as she curled up in pain, "If it wasn't for you... I wouldn't... be in this... MESS right now... I'd be safe... safe at home... in a f*cking bed. I'd... I'd be long... gone from here... surrounded by servants... doted upon by... by handsome men. At least... at least three."

Willow clutched at her chest as she tried to stop tears from welling up...

She... couldn't take Imperia's abuse to heart.

She could have fled. She could have been the one to leave Willow to die, escaping with her magic.

The injury she got... was because she didn't... It was because she tried to protect the both of them... because she had a blink of time less to react after having to shove an idiotic twelve year old human girl out of the way.

Imperia was hurt... she was scared... she was dying.

But even after all that, she turned her body away so Willow couldn't see her crying face. Imperia yelled at her to leave... because the longer they stayed in one location, the more likely the bog creature would catch up... and then, they'd have nowhere to run.

Just looking at all the facts... Imperia had zero chances of survival. If Willow didn't have her System... no, she didn't want to think about what would happen.

« System. Add my talent point to ⌈Healing Breath.⌋ »

⟬ Talent point added. ⟭

⟬ New skill acquired. ⟭

⟬ ⌈Healing Breath.⌋ Support ability. Restores 25% of the target's maximum health and cures any ailments up to Level 15. ⟭

It was worth it. Even though Willow could have left... even though she could have saved her next talent point for ⌈Emerald Scales...⌋ what she needed right now was to save her sister.

"Sis..." She whispered... shaking Imperia's shoulder gently, "Sis... please."

"Go away..." Imperia tried to curl up deeper, burying her face in her hands, "C... can't you let me die in peace, human?"

Willow gulped... "Sis Imperia... Do you... ⌈Believe in Dragons?⌋"

⟬ ⌈Healing Breath⌋ conditions met. Activate? Y/N?  ⟭

« Yes... Please, Miss System... take care of my sister. »

An eerie green mist came out of Willow's mouth and began to wrap around the injured elf.

Imperia furrowed her brows in confusion as she gasped and turned her head... "Y-you... you're a mage..."

Her body slowly grew still... and her eyes closed. Willow almost thought the healing Skill didn't work-- but her chest continued to rise and fall...

She was asleep. That was good...

Willow sighed... She felt a little better-- a lot better, really.

She slid down the rock and cupped some of the pond's water in her hands to wash off some of Imperia's blood. The wounds on her waist and arm had closed completely... miraculously.

...⌈Healing Breath⌋ was a really strong Skill.

Willow had heard that healing magic was really rare... and that even the expensive potions they sold in stores wouldn't be able to cure diseases.

That... that was why mom died when she was even younger than Sprig. It was why Dad had to run away from his debtors...

But with her new Skill... maybe... just maybe... Willow wouldn't have to go through the same heartache anymore. Maybe she'd be able to keep the people she loved from dying... at least to something stupid like disease.

She had to survive. She had to keep her two family members alive... and everything... should work out somehow.

Something sloshed in the waters behind her-- accented with the squeak of a muddy boot.

Willow readied her spear above her shoulder and turned, her opposite palm pointed forward, "Who's there?!"

"Whoa, hold on, kid! I'm an ally!" A man in a dark green military coat and... a really big hat stepped out of the reeds. "You uh... Willow? Sprig's sister?"

Willow's heart was pumping like mad. The adult in front of her sounded like he was here to help-- and he knew Sprig... but something didn't feel right.

She was in danger.

⟬ Ship Captain, Level 19 Human Buccaneer. ⟭

No. No no no... Not that person. That wasn't enough to make her feel how she felt.

"The young lady seems to fit Mister Sprig's description," A deep voice from behind her rumbled.

Too close.

Someone was behind her... Some got behind her in the seconds she'd turned to the Ship Captain. That wasn't possible! She... she put points into perception!

Willow shut her eyes and stifled tears. Whatever was happening to her-- it didn't make any sense. She put points into ⌈Dragon's Heart!⌋ But the panic she was feeling... all throughout her body... the way her senses were screaming...

She wanted to cry. She wanted to curl up on the ground and apologize for being alive. She wanted to curse the Sea God or the Dragon God or whatever god was responsible for letting her be born.

That someone... they gently pried off her fingers and took the spear out of her hand.

That someone... they... he placed a hand on her chin and turned her head so she could look.

Dark green hair streamed down his young face... topped by a black-brimmed military cap. It was... a sailor, just like the other person.

⟬ Level Unknown. ⟭

⟬ Class Unknown. ⟭

⟬ Species-- ⟭

⟬ Species... Snake. ⟭

His eyes...

He had golden eyes.

Bright gold, piercing eyes stared into Willow's soul... seeing her hurts, the pain in her heart, her lies... her every secret.

This person... was the source of her fear.

She needed to leave-- to run... to get as far away as possible.

She needed... to admit her guilt... for crimes she didn't even know she committed.

She needed... to beg for mercy, fully prostrated on the ground, crying ugly tears, with her forehead pressed deep into the dirt.

⟬ Issuing new quest... ⟭

⟬ Quest Level Unknown. ⟭

⟬ Quest objective... ⟭

⟬ Survive. ⟭