Tragedy of the Demon Lord

Section One - Those Who Aren't Heroes (3)

Part Three - Introduction of Tragedy

At some point, Kana had managed to ask the soldiers about the food situation. They did have rations, but in the morning they planned on going hunting. Their original plan was actually to leave the forest as quickly as possible and wait on the Southern Plains for their commander to return, but one look at the scrawny kids that had clearly never walked for more than a few hours at a time had convinced them to delay their ambitions. They would stay the night at the camp and everyone would set off at dawn. They had even improved the impressive failures that were the sleeping areas created by the students. Rather than fallen branches balanced to hold up large leaves, the soldiers tied the branches with what appeared similar to twine and draped tarps overtop. For every two people, a single blanket was given. This was generous, and even left some of the soldiers without any for themselves. They explained that it wasn't selflessness, but it was because they were apparently hardy enough to survive without such lavish essentials. It even became somewhat of a manliness competition, with a few of them even going so far as to offer their tents to some of the 'frail other worlders'. Though Rin thought of it as self-serving, Kana was convinced that they were just good people that were finding an excuse to help kids in need.

Of course Rin and Kana paired up for the blanket, much to the disappointment of most of the class. Especially the guys. Kana arranged for herself, Rin, Veronica, Megan, Julie, and Rebecca to share one of the soldier's tents. It wasn't luxurious by any stretch of the imagination, but it was vastly superior to the frail, homemade ones.

A bonfire was built and a feast was held. It was a chance to forget what had happened, and just do something normal. The soldiers, after communication became even slightly possible, had become much more aware of the shock the teenagers had experienced. The fire seemed their way of trying to console them.

The fire dragged long into the night.

"There you are." Rin turned towards Kana's voice. "I was wondering what you'd be doing." At the edge of the forest, Rin sat against a trunk of a tree, and, in the faint light of the fire, was ordering beads. Kana crouched down next to her and flicked a blue one out of place, sending it careening into a red one and so on until it ended up disrupting half of the alignment.

"?!" Rin glared at Kana in both surprise and resentment.

"This was originally my rosary, right? Don't give me that look! Okay okay, fine, I'm sorry!" Kana took a step back and held her hands up innocently. "You may proceed." Rin didn't budge. "I won't touch anything, promise!" Rin eyed her suspiciously, but then returned to placing the rosary beads, red to purple from left to right, in three ridged rows. Kana watched silently as Rin perfected her bead placements.

"Can I sit with you?" Kana asked when it was apparent that the beads were to Rin's satisfaction.

"No." Rin said shortly, looking up at the orangey-red threads dancing around the fire, though they were more like flecks than threads due to their short length.

"Well I'm going to anyways." Kana sat down beside Rin, earning herself a sigh. "But I agree - going to that bonfire is a waste of time. A fire without s'mores is a pretty crappy fire." She snickered at her own bad joke.

"Do you want to go home?" Rin asked in a serious tone. Though she herself loved the mystery of this world, she would follow Kana anywhere. If Kana wanted to go home, Rin would follow.

"..." Kana thought for a long time before replying. "I will miss mom. And dad. Spirit and Fido, too. I have a guaranteed good life there." She paused. "But...I'm curious. It's like that story about the people who sit facing a wall and are only able to, and have ever been, able to see the shadows of people dancing on the wall. Even if someone explained to them that they were just shadows, and that if only they were able to look behind themselves that they would realize that the shadows were only created by people dancing, they would only see it as fantasy. It wouldn't make sense to them. Their world is the shadows dancing on the wall, not the real people dancing behind them. To them, 'people' and 'shadows' are the same thing. What creates their world is irrelevant to them, only what their world is. Unfortunately, I'm the kind of person that can't help but turn around and join into the dancing!" She stopped, following Rin's gaze. "And you are? What kind of person are you?"