Chapter 11: Fall asleep
Bibi and Flam stared in astonishment as they approached the camp. The creature they had heard so much about was now a breathtakingly beautiful woman, standing tall and proud beside their friends. Dori looked like a child in love, her eyes never leaving the newcomer as she flitted around her like a butterfly around a blooming flower.
"What happened?" Bibi exclaimed, his eyes wide with wonder as he took in the transformation.
Dori looked up at him, her cheeks flushed with excitement. "It's a long story," she began, her voice bubbling over with emotion. She quickly recounted the events of the night, her words tumbling out in a rush. "Revy helped her change back!"
Bibi's eyes widened, his gaze flickering between Revy and the transformed creature. "How is that possible?" he demanded, his voice incredulous.
Revy shrugged, his gambler's persona taking the lead. "Some things in this world, you just can't explain," he said with a knowing smirk. "But we can't stay here all day. We've got to get out of this forest and make our way to the village of Ulti."
The mention of Ulti caused a flicker of unease to cross Luci's beautiful features. "Why do we have to go there?" she asked, her voice tinged with a hint of fear.
Dori looked at him with a mixture of curiosity and concern. "We have no food left," he said gently. "Besides, you can't live in fear, Luci."
The creature, now revealed as a woman of ethereal beauty, took a deep breath, her eyes searching the horizon. "I know," she murmured, her voice a haunting melody that seemed to resonate with the very air. "But that place holds...bad memories for me."
Dori looked at her with a soft smile. "We'll be with you," she assured. "We won't let anyone hurt you again."
The swordsman in Revy nodded in agreement. "If you want to overcome your fear, you have to face it," he said in a determined voice, his voice a promise of protection.
Dori looked at Luci with understanding eyes, remembering her own fears from the night before. "You're not alone," she whispered, taking the woman's hand.
Revy nodded, his swordsman persona slipping away as the exhaustion of the night's ordeal finally took its toll. The shy, introspective part of him took over, his eyes drooping slightly as he leaned against a tree. "Rest," Dori said, her voice gentle. "We'll keep watch."
The shy part of Revy looked up at her, his eyes filled with a quiet gratitude. "Thank you," he murmured, his voice a soft sigh. He watched as Dori and Bibi took positions around the camp, their eyes scanning the surrounding forest with a newfound vigilance. The warmth of the early morning sun washed over him, lulling him into a state of near-sleep.
But even as his body began to relax, his mind raced with the implications of their encounter with Luci. The prophecy grew more tangled with each passing moment, the threads of fate weaving together in a pattern that was both thrilling and terrifying. He knew that they couldn't ignore the signs that were being laid before them, that the journey ahead was fraught with danger and destiny.
The fire crackled, and the smell of the roasting meat filled the clearing. Dori and Bibi sat in companionable silence, both lost in their own thoughts. The dragon, Flam, lay curled around the edges of the camp, a fiery sentinel that offered both warmth and protection.
Dori looked at the sleeping figure of Revy, her mind racing with questions. "We're all just... lost," she murmured to herself.