The Hero Should've Known Better

Chapter 15: Rissle

When Sollar woke up again, she found herself nestled in warm blankets. She blinked the grogginess out of her eyes and peered around at the unfamiliar wooden structure she was in.

It took her thirty seconds to figure out that she was on a boat.

The Demonfolk girl could feel the entire vessel rocking back and forth. There was the sound of the splashing of waves. Accompanying that was the cool, yet humid air, as if she was near a body of water.

"Hey! Finally awake, are you?"

Sollar immediately glanced around, to see where the voice was coming from. It was rather evident; there was only one person nearby that made herself apparent to Sollar's presence.

The first person Sollar saw was another Demonfolk, an older lady. She had short, dull-red hair and heterochromia eyes, one the same dull-red as her hair and the other a pale off-gray color.

"You alright, girl? I saw you had Flared earlier. After landing on my barge from that bridge, too."

Sollar blinked the sleepiness out of her eyes. She brought a hand up to wipe her eyes, but winced when the skin of her hand made contact with her face.

"Ah! Careful, the skin on your hands is still probably sore from Flaring."

"Flared...?" Sollar asked.

"Y'know. Humans call it 'going Manic' but I don't like that term. Sounds like we go insane or something along those lines."

"Manic?"

The red headed Demonfolk woman shook her head. "Well, that's... Nevermind. Are you doing fine? You were in a pretty rough spot earlier, I can assume?"

Sollar stared at the Demonfolk woman. "Who are you?"

"Oh! Forgot to introduce myself, sorry! I'm Rissle."

Rissle extended her hand out to Sollar. "Nice to meet you! What's your name?"

Sollar stared at the woman, taking the hand in a slow and steady handshake.

"My name's Sollar," the Demonfolk girl replied.

"Well, welcome aboard, Sollar. Odd circumstances to be boarding my barge, but I've seen weirder. What were you doing falling off that bridge, might I ask?"

"Bridge. I fell off a bridge?"

Rissle frowned. "Huh... sounds like you were in a pretty rough spot, then."

"I wasn't in a rough spot-place," Sollar replied. "I was on a rail engine thing. And I was chased. There was this guy with a very big sword!"

Sollar raised her arms, in an attempt to somewhat act out what was happening.

"And then he tried to hit me! But I jumped away and got away, and then..."

She paused. Sollar placed a finger on her cheek as she tried to think.

"...I don't know what happened next," she admitted.

Rissle frowned, then held her hand up to pat the Demonfolk girl on the head.

"That's ain't a problem," the woman reassured. "Answers one of my questions, actually... so they have a rail engine up there?"

Rissle looked out the window, glancing up as though the bridge would be right there. It wasn't, as she had gone rather far down the canyon.

"I was wondering what that bridge was for," she continued, looking back at Sollar. "But you're completely fine, right? Not injured anywhere, I hope? Considering you Flared up..."