A Distant Reverie

Chapter 18

Suisei was lucky. The blast of air that Vesper conjured at the last second had propelled her into a nearby shrub on the floor of the grove. The plethora of greenery provided just enough cushioning to soften her landing.

"Ngh..."

Still, that didn't mean the landing wasn't painful. Nearly pummeling to her death had pumped her body full with adrenaline, yet even then it couldn't completely numb the aftermath of the fall. Clenching her teeth, Suisei slowly climbed out of the shrubs. As far as she could tell, she didn't suffer from any serious injuries, aside from a few painful bone bruises and scrapes.

Where is everyone?

Marine and Vesper didn't seem to be nearby. They had fallen from quite a distance—the residence of the elven Priestess was at least six stories high from the floor of the grove. The space in between was covered by a dense web of foliage. The fact that she hadn't heard any commotion suggests that the elven warriors haven't found them yet.

For now, at least.

Suisei scanned her surroundings. The realization that she was alone suddenly sank in. She was by herself, isolated in the middle of a foreign land surrounded by warriors that wanted her dead. She had no weapons. No skills to fight back. No Marine. No Vesper. No one to hide behind.

What should I do?

What if the elves find me?

Should I hide?

She froze. The incessant thoughts kept piling on. She had cursed her own powerlessness before, but only now did it sink in just how dependent she had been on her companions. Inadvertently, she had delegated the responsibility of her own survival into their hands. Without their presence, the fear and dread that she kept bottled up suddenly poured out at once.

What do I do what if the elves find me do I hide I don't know I don't know I don't know—

The cries grew stronger. Her head spun. Her feet tingled. Her hands shook. Somewhere in the back of her mind, Suisei knew she was panicking. It was a bad time. She needed to calm down. But that tiny bit of rationality left in her head no longer had control.

The dizziness suddenly got worse. A wave of nausea washed over her. Suisei felt a violent urge erupting from her stomach. She leaned over, hurling blood as she grabbed her chest.

"Haa...haa..."

She must have suffered from some degree of internal bleeding. She didn't notice it at first, but a sharp pain stabbed her chest every time she took a deep breath. The experience was unpleasant to say the least, but the shock of vomiting seemed to clear her mind.

I have to find Marine and Vesper first.

Once she had a clear goal in mind, the voices in her head immediately ceased. Wiping her mouth clean, Suisei was about to move when she noticed something glimmering from the illuminations of the grove.

That's...

A pistol. Light had reflected off the metallic surface of the heavy brass barrel. The wooden handle was charred and worn out, indicative of its age and use. Suisei recognized it as one of Marine's pistols. She caught a glimpse of the weapons when she intruded on Marine before they departed for this assignment.

Suisei reached out for the weapon. The archaic looking pistol was heavier than it appeared. The smoothness of the handle surprised her, contrary to the obvious wear and tear on the surface. Suisei never used a gun before—the only "knowledge" she possessed came from what she could recall from movies and TV shows.