A Journey Across the Stars

Chapter 3: So Close I Can Taste It

"Soon is not soon enough, my dear, but I'll hold these tears back long enough for a time where I simply can't be strong enough to hold them back any longer."
------------------------
"Gee, how far is the nearest town?!" I exclaimed, panting as I walked alongside Aquarius, whom was carrying my few belongings. Walking for another eternity, we came across an elderly woman walking across the street. I jogged up to her, wanting to help in any way I could.

"Miss, do you need any help?" I asked, walking alongside her.

"Help? What I need is to get to my daughter, she's going to have her baby soon! I've been on the road for nearly three weeks. Her house is close, but I don't think I can walk any further." She waved the stick she was hobbling along with in the air.

"I see, I'll accompany you so you get there safely. Aquarius!" I nodded and Aquarius sat so that the woman could climb atop her.

"Thank you so much. It's not far now, just about another ten to fifteen kilometers. She's just on the outside of the town." She said subtly.

"Oh." I sighed and started to run, wanting to get there faster, slightly faster if anything.

🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

Lucy's scent is fading!!! Give me a break!

As I walked into a town nearby, Lucy's scent got stronger. I wandered aimlessly, sniffing the air not really discreetly; earning some stares as I walked around. I found a store where Lucy's scent was strongest: a perfume salon. So she was trying to shake me, has she? I strolled in, looking around, and sniffed.

"Achoo!" I sneezed.

Too many scents in here. Good thing I can still smell hers. I better get out of here before I lose it.

I escaped before I sneezed again, and started on my search again, before I found myself lost in a forest clearing.

"What were you doing here?" I sniffed the air, smelling a strong, out of place, scent. Perfume.

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

"Almost there, thank goodness!" I was walking, too tired to sprint any longer.

The woman had fallen asleep on Aquarius, who didn't seem tired and was trekking alongside me.

As I studied the old woman's face, she reminded me of my mother. Although I could barely remember what she looked like, I couldn't help but see the resemblance. Her silver and gold hair was in a very long braid, and she looked younger when she slept.

I saw a cabin up ahead, and was tempted to run up to it, but I woke up the old woman instead, wanting to make sure this was the right place.

"Miss, is this the right place?" I whispered, loud enough for her to hear, but not loud enough to scare her. Suddenly, there was a blood-curdling scream from the house. The woman jolted awake, and started shaking. I ran to the cabin and Aquarius was right behind me, the woman clutching to her fur.

What was that?! She might be in trouble!

"Aquarius, keep safe and run if anyone besides me comes outside the cabin." I said, holding a straight face, trying not to worry the woman on her back. I clutched my whip, slowly opening the door, I found blood on the floor, leading to a couch and in the hallways. I opened a door in the hall which had a young pale woman who was in labor, two other young women who were probably here to help and a male who was hovering over a body in the corner. The people in the room had still not acknowledged my presence, and the two women were staring at the man who I now understood was hovering over a third woman, whose hair was soaked in blood and the man had a knife in hand. His eyes were glazed over, and the scared women were trying their best to protect the woman in labor.

The man lunged, but before his knife could pierce anything, my whip wrapped around his wrist stopping him, causing him to drop the knife, and all heads whipped towards me.

"Her mother is not going to like this, not one bit."

🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

"Ooh, I knew I should've eaten before I left." I groaned, rubbing my stomach.

I was on a trail of the perfume I supposed she used; she really was trying to get me off her scent. That made me feel sad, but also knowing that she had told me not to follow her made me a little guilty, and I might be associated as a stalker now. There's no going back though. I'm so close to finding her, I can almost taste it. Speaking of taste, I'm still starving. In that moment I heard a scream. A few miles ahead in the direction Lucy's perfume was.

Thank Mavis dragonslayers have exceptional hearing. Who screamed? It didn't sound like Lucy... But even if it wasn't, I can't just dismiss it.

I started running, the perfume getting stronger and my fuel tank on nearly empty. Nearing a cabin, I smelled iron and the perfume, which were both very strong, making me sneeze from the two mingling smells. Now nearly in front of the cabin, I saw an old woman atop of what looked like a leopard sabertooth.

"Please, please let them be alright..." the old woman had her head in hands and I saw tears run down her face when the leopard saber started growling at me, acknowledging my presence.

"Woah there kitty. What's wrong miss?" I said, keeping my distance from the growling big cat.

"My daughter, Horizon, and her two sisters, along with her housemaiden and her husband are inside with the young lady who brought me here. When we arrived we heard a scream and...and..." She started shaking uncontrollably, and laid herself down on the leosaber.

It might be Lucy! I can smell that perfume and something else mixed with blood...

"Alright, I'll go see what's happening. It'll be okay." I walked up to the door only to find it locked, or jammed. I took a few steps back and rammed the door open, only to find a fight in sight.

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Everyone was still staring until the man grunted and pulled the whip towards him, catching me off guard. I ended up crashing towards the ground, dropping my keys and whip in the process, although I didn't notice.

"Ow, you don't have any manners. I guess it's time to teach you some." I rubbed my head, and was about to stand up when one of the young women grabbed my arm. I looked at her and looked behind her to where the other woman was sitting beside the pregnant woman, who was now passed out.

"Miss, who are you?" The young woman was scared out of her mind. There was a cut across her cheek and blood on her hands, which now was on my arm. I looked into her eyes and said, "Not important now, I'm from a guild, and you need to take care of her," I nodded my head towards the unconscious woman, "and I'll take care of him."

The man had gotten his knife back and swiped at me while I had gotten up. Blocking with my right hand, he sliced through the leather glove I was wearing to cover my guild mark; causing it to bleed severely.

"Come on! When can I get a break?! I didn't want to have to get physical, but I guess I'm going have to take off my glove 'cause this is going to get messy real quick." I took off my glove, yes, singular, and punched the man in the face, dazing him for just a moment. And in that moment, I wrapped up my guild mark and bleeding gash on my hand with the bandages that were by the unconscious woman and her counterpart who was taking care of her. Just in time, I threw another punch, knocking him into the hallway, causing him to trip over the threshold of the door. In that same moment, someone bust through the front door. Someone I really didn't want to see.