Ryoiki: Birth, Purpose, Discovery. (2)

CHAPTER 3-3: Charm

Marcy and the mysterious man, now known to her as Kuta. Boated together down the river rapids together.

The wendigo's dead body was in the middle of the boat...and the two sat across from each other as they headed back to the hunters checkpoint.

The boating was long and tiring, as Kuta had exerted a lot of energy carrying the body to the boat, and Marcy herself had to make sure to steer the boat correctly.

"So...what were you doing out here on Lian? Why were you hunting that dude?"

Marcy asked.

"Well...That I can't tell you. All you have to know is he was dangerous, and the worlds better without him..."

Kuta answered her while watching the river.

Marcy started at Kuta...he had taken his hood and mask off, showing off his purple hair. Now longer and put into a ponytail, and his many facial scars.

She couldn't stop watching his little movements...the way his faced moved when he breathed or adjusted his head...

"Mmm..." Marcy mumbled, catching Kutas attention.

"Uh...you okay Marce?" He asked, locking eyes with her.

Marcy became a deep red and looked away, continuing to row.

"...I see." Kuta smirked and went back to watching the river.

After some time, the two made it back to the checkpoint.

Marcy kicked in the door to the common area with energy, and walked in.

"I did it!!!"

She exclaimed, and Kuta followed her. Throwing down the dead wendigo on the ground.

The rest of the hunters in the lodge stared at it in disbelief...

Marcy. The hunter known for not having magic...brought back a wendigo, one of the planets most vicious monsters? Breed by death and decay?

And who was the man with her?

Hunters came to ask the two, and the story that was told went as follows.

Marcy had stumbled across the Wendigo and Kuta In a battle, distracting the wendigo with her arrows to give Kuta a chance to escape.

He would return the favor by letting her use his axe to kill the wendigo, which is how the kill was claimed.

Kuta consistently said that he had no hand in the kill, only being the owner of the weapon.

When asked why he had helped Marcy back, he stated that she asked him to carry the wendigo, but he also needed to get a wound healed...which as true. For the wendigo had damaged him during their initial battle.

So, a few days passed.

Marcy spent her time recounting the tale of her hunt to a few others, along with using the money from the reward to purchase herself some weapon upgrades.

Kuta spent a lot of his time in the infirmary, getting treated for death blight.

But after he had healed, he was prepping to leave. Standing near the dock that several guild members had stationed their boats at.

But Marcy had come out to see him.

"Glad to see you feelin better." Marcy said as he walked up next to him.

"Heh...I knew you'd show up eventually." Kuta turned to her with a smile.

"Well, your heading off aren't you? Gonna go back to adventuring?"

Kuta sighed, looking out onto the river.

"That's the plan. There are still a lot of people I need to track down..."

Marcy giggled and tapped his hand.

"Well I have something for you."

Kuta looked at her, and she held up a charm, it was small and pointed.

"I made this charm out of the wendigos antler I cut off, Figured Id give it to you."

She put it into his hands and closed them.

"Just as a memory of our little adventure, ya know?"

Kuta looked down into his hands...then smiled.

"Huh...well I think I have something for you too."

Kuta suddenly kissed Marcy on the lips, leaving her stunned.

She was bright red, mumbling incoherently to herself.

Kuta quickly vanished into a form of purple smoke, leaving Marcy alone on the dock.

"I...I..." She said, looking down at the wood...

"Aggghhhh!!!! You Kuno!!!"

She began yelling into the sky.

"Im gonna track you down Kuta! Imma get you back for thatttt!!!"

Marcy calmed herself down...and felt her face...

The kiss had created a spark of energy within her...

"Mmm..."