Ordo ab chao - A GWH Story (LEVEL 4)

Ordo ab chao - Chapter 5

Lives kept passing by, pushing Tsukiko ever closer to immortality. The notion of possible reencounters with old friends and loved ones proved to be a powerful influence that guided her primarily towards acts of order. For some reincarnations, the spirit maintained the course that Minori had plotted for her without any further questioning. The love she had developed for the Tale Dimension and all its inhabitants made her want to continue trying what she wanted her to do, and so she worked harder to convey that desire to her mortal hosts; an effort that became gradually less difficult thanks to her significant experiences across lives, which made her soul stronger and stronger.

That was, until the day she was reminded of a story.

During a pilgrimage to pay his respects to an important figure of that life, his party stopped at a roadside town to rest. They stayed at an inn and shared tales of their travels with the locals, and in turn, the residents of the village shared their own stories. That night was a good time for everyone.

Tsukino stuck with his best friend Kiari during that gathering. Even though they had met just a few months ago, the two were inseparable, as if they had known each other forever. Their personalities complemented each other perfectly, they had a lot of interests and points of view in common, and most importantly, both of them felt at peace and in complete trust with the other. The duo was supposed to be going their separate ways after the pilgrimage was over, but they were already making plans to meet up soon after; reorganizing their agendas to spend more time in each other's company in the future. Truth be told, it was hard for them to imagine being apart.

And so, they enjoyed the evening together. They conversed, laughed, drank, listened to stories and had an awesome time overall. Yet, even though spirits were high, Tsu finally started to give in to weariness.

"Oh, but the night's just getting started!" The overly energetic Kiari protested.

"I'm sorry, but I can't handle too much partying." The white-haired young man apologized, yawning. "It's been truly fun, honest, but I really gotta go to bed. Sorry."

"Aww..." His pal groaned, disappointed. "Well, I'm staying a while longer. At least let me drop you off at your room."

"Thank you for understanding." Tsukino smiled at his friend as the two began to walk away from the common room, arm-in-arm.

"Hey, no problem." Kiari winked. "Promise me you'll stay up longer in the next town, though, OK? This team doesn't work with just one of us, you know."

"I'll do my best." The sleepy guy replied, his smile faint from the lack of energy. "But don't forget we have a duty to finish this pilgrimage on time. We have to make the most of our resting periods."

"Don't worry, I haven't forgotten, Mr. Responsibility." The dark-haired young woman stuck out her tongue teasingly.

As the pair chuckled, almost reaching the exit, they passed by a part of their group that was sitting in a semi-circle, listening to a story from one of the locals. Tsukino absentmindedly waved good-bye to a few of them he was familiar with, fully intending to leave as soon as possible to get a good night's sleep... until something the storyteller said caught his attention, making him stop in his tracks. Kiari, not expecting it, tugged on her buddy's arm before stopping as well, puzzled. She turned back to her friend.

"Tsu? What's the matter?" She asked in wonder. "I thought you wanted to-"

"Shush..." Tsukino told Kiari, and then interrupted the person at the table. "What did you say?"