Nashi: The Gifted Dragon Slayer

Clover Town

<3rd POV>
Down the popular streets of Clover Town, both Nashi and Cody freely walked around. They had arrived during the town's seasonal harvest. Fruit and vegetable stands were at every corner. Some baked goods and toys festered for kids.

Numerous children played along the sides and coming in and out of the open stores. The streets were not quiet at all. However, they weren't loud and boisterous.

Harvest season also meant the trees were in bloom. The small pale pink petals from the tall trees fluttered in the air.

"I'm kind of thankful we arrived during their harvest festival." Nashi twirled around. As if all her worried had vanished as she stepped off that train awhile back.

"So we're are we headed first?" Cody asked, breaking Nashi's calm mood.

"I had booked a hotel a week prior to today. I never thought that you would join me, so let's just check in first and rearrange the numbers." Nashi said.

They had finally figured out a route and a plan to their first destination. Cody followed along behind Nashi who didn't seem like the same girl on the train. She wasn't shrouded by darkness this time.

"I know we're trying to get answers here. However, how will you do that? Where do we start?" Cody questioned.

"We?" Nashi halted. "Who said you were going to aid me in my findings?" She crossed her arms.

"Well, I'm not a guy who just stands around to look pretty." Cody teased. "I'll contribute. Might as well while I decided to tag along."

"You're lucky I didn't chuck you over the rails of the train, when I had the chance." Nashi said, keeping both a fixed expression and blissful one.

"There's a doctor in Clover Town. The one who treated my mom after I was born. Plus, she's one of my clients at the guild. We're going to pay her a visit especially." Nashi unfolded the plan. "You're gonna help me get ahold of those files and paper works at the hospital."

"Ah, so I am going to help you?" Cody nudged her arm, feeling a glint of victory.

"No. I'm just using you." She rolled her eyes, "call it what you want." Nashi sighed, pushing him a little harder in response to the nudge Cody gave her.

Cody laughed,

"We're not breaking in right?" He asked worried.
She made a face at him.

"We're not burglars or anything. Gosh, you make me sound evil." Nashi raised a brow. "We'll be civilized, don't worry." She assured.

"Just making sure. That's all. From recent things that have come up. You don't necessarily think twice." Cody made sure to be careful with his words.

Nashi giggled and patted Cody's shoulder. The glistening light that was possessed in her eyes.

"I'm perfectly sane."

"Why is that not convincing?" Cody nudged her arm again.

That sudden moment of reliance clicked between the two of them. For strangers who've just met recently. The bond that began to melt in place, no hammer nor magic, could separate the chains between these two.
••••••
<Cody>
Signing into our hotel room, at first I had thought something would hinder my stay. However, the old woman made no objections to me sharing a room with Nashi. Instead she winked at me when Nashi had wanted to add another person to her party.
Chills instantly ran up my spine. What was that for? Was there something on my face?

Opening the door to the room, Nashi took a deep breath and exhaled with such emphasis.

"Don't judge me." She opened her arms.

"Huh? What do you mean-"

Nashi, like a squirrel. Leaped onto one of the two queen size beds and rolled around.

"Aren't you too old for that?" I chuckled.

"I'm never to old to childish things. You're asking too much of me." Nashi plopped over and laughed.

"You should be grateful that there's two beds."
Nashi rolled off the bed and landed on her feet. Then she made her way to the wide window and tugged the curtains over. Making the room slightly darker.

She checked the drawers, sheets, bathroom, and closet. Sniffing around like a hound.

"What are you doing?" Lost for words as I was.

"Huh? Taking precautions like always." Nashi continued. "What? Never stayed at a hotel before?"
Well, that's true.

"I feel like that's going a little too overboard." I pointed at how she was reaching her hands into the pillow case.

"Geeze, you're such a pampered child. What? You've never checked your closets for monsters when you were little?" Nashi teased me.

I guess it would be a bad idea to tell her that my butler did that..

"They might as well exist." I brought up.

"Of course they do. When we look into closets, what do we find?" Nashi asked.

"In this context, monsters?"

"Correct. Not just any monsters though." Nashi kept the wheel spinning and I've never felt so confused in such a simple matter.

"Demons? Beasts?"

"Humans." Nashi sighed and then spontaneously her expression brightened. At least it didn't look like it in a good way.

"What did you find?" I asked as Nashi pulled out something small from the pillow case.

"EEEEEKKKK!" She shrieked.

For a moment my eyes had laid upon the petit square package with vibrant colors and a ring at center. I started reading what it said aloud,

"con-"

"STOP!" Nashi lit the ground on fire and the small item had perished in the flames.

"What's wrong?!" I questioned.

"N-nothing! Just leave it!" Her face was burning red as the small fire that was flickering.

"Don't just let it keep going?!" As I was talking about the fire which was going to set off the alarms in the hotel.

"AH?!" Nashi stomped her foot on the ground and extinguished it beneath her. The steam that expanded. The ice that I saw on on her sandals.

Nashi dug her face into the bed and screamed louder. But the resistance of the sheets muffled her. Where was she getting this energy from?

"Nashi? Are you ok-"

"Shut up. We need to hurry up and change. We're gonna be out for a while." She moved onto another subject.

"H-how long will be out for?" I followed with her sudden change of pace.

Nashi seemed to have ignored me when I asked as she stared intensely at her hands. Next thing I knew was that she was in the bathroom, scrubbing her hands away.