Chapter Text
"Damn. What a day." I stretched my arms above my head while leaning back with a somewhat bored yawn, watching the sunset.
I just finished training with my apprentices. Though I wasn't too tired, Barclay was face down in the grass, Viola lied beside him on her back (heaving rasped breaths), and Tadg staggered to stay up right on the ground.
"Oh, dear small children, why thou must thee fein exhaustin?" I smirked down at them.
"Oh my dear teacher, me no speak your sophisticated Cyril-language." Barclay mumbled on the ground. I snickered.
"Alright alright, get up. Come on. No Tadg, don't use Barclay as your walking stick— Mitzi, put Toadles down, we'll get you some just barely fresh food from Menneset."
Mitzi's throut rumbled a groan as she spit out Toadles, who over all seemed fine. The frog then proceeded to jump in Tadg's, grumpy yet loving, lap. Slimey from saliva and all of course.
"What are we going to do for dinner? None of the Elsies want anything to do with us after we saved them from that clutter of Rantulas." Viola pointed out, sitting up right. She held Kulo close to her, finally regaining her breath.
"There's nothing quite like "saving" an entire town's only source of food from being eaten by baby Rantulas, just to not share some and leave us to starve." Tadg smiled sarcastically at Viola.
"We couldn't just do nothing!" She retorted.
"Yes we could! They were literally four inches large! Its not like they were gonna eat all those crops in just a few minutes. And even if they did, those Elsewhere vegtables could've grown back themselves!"
"How can you possibly know how fast Elsewhere crops grow!"
"I don't know, I read it in a book once!"
"Ugh, you're impossible." Viola threw herself back in the grass.
"What are you smiling at, blondy?" Tadg stuck his tongue out at me.
I returned the gesture with a laugh. "Nothing, nothing. And don't worry about food. Menneset is just a few miles from here that—"
"Miles!? You want us to walk a few miles, in this condition!" Tadg grabbed his right arm with his left, shaking it around helplessly before letting go while it flopped down to the side. "Runa, I can't even move my limbs and you want me to walk a few miles!?"
"Ha! Jokes on you, I have the best beast in the entire six lands." Barclay finally sat up, summoning Root beside him who looked like he just woke from a nap, but otherwise energized enough to carry his lore keeper.
We didn't use beasts today while training so the apprentices could try fighting without the extra help of their beast's. So I suppose Root could carry Barks for him if he really was that tired . . . Plus, Viola had Mitzi, who had grown to be almost as large as a typical adult dragon, but just slightly shorter, so Viola was good too. But, Tadg . . .
"Darn it, the one time Mar Mar is useful for transportation, we have to be in the middle of the Desert." Tadg groaned.
*author throws sparkles cutely at you as we timeskip a few minutes forward* (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*.✧
Once we got back to our little makeshift camp, we starting packing our things. I didn't have much items, so I slipped on my back pack and waiting a few feet away from the apprentices' tents as I gazed off at the set sun. I brought a hand to my chin as I retraced my knowledge of the Desert.
If we went through Ironwood Forest, it might take us until midnight to get to Menneset, (if I included the extra steps of walking around larger trees' trunks and bushes). But, there was also the likeliness of crossing beasts and having to run or fight througout the entire journey.
I glanced back at my apprentices, who just barely stood upright for three seconds before needing to move to stay awake.
I shake my head. Ironwood Forest is too risky. We would have to go through the Salt Plains.
"All right kids, lets get a move on!" I called behind me. I waited a few moments as they staggered to a halt beside me.
Tadg was the first to speak, "Which way are we going? Ironwood Forest or–"
"Salt Plains." I finish for him.
"You're joking right? It'll take all night if we go through the Salt Plains!" Tadg scowled, crossing his arms. I smiled at the sight of Toadles nestled up asleep in his tusseled, orange hair.
I turn to face Viola, who was neatly finishing to put the last few things in her backpack. "Pop quiz, Viola; Can you tell me why going throug Salt Plains would be the better option rather than Ironwood Forest?"
"Hm?" She looked up, zipping up the bag and standing upward. She closed her eyes, putting a hand to her chin as she thought a minute.
Viola then snapped her fingers as she opened her eyes. Indicating she had the answer, I grinned.
"Going through Ironwood Forest would be faster, but there is also the chance we run into dangerous Prime, or worse, Mythic class beasts. Especially noctornal beasts that may have migrated closer to the middle of the woods by now.
If we go through Salt Plains, our vision won't be as obscured, so we'll be able to spot beasts quicker, rather than in a forest, and change direction before disturbing them." Viola responded matter-of-factly, all while pulling her bag's strap over her shoulder.
"Very good, V. Can any of you tell me why running into noctornal Prime and or Mythic class beasts at this hour would be risky?" I continued, sweeping my eyes over them. I know Viola knew the answer, but she must've stayed silent to let one of the boys have a go at answering.
"A majority of Prime beasts are hostile, especially night ones when looking for food. Noctornal Mythic beasts are just a matter of being territorial. We might startle them by passing through so late at night and might attack us." Tadg responded.
I nod. "And why would being attacked, even as Guardians, late at night after a long day be a weakness to us?"
"Because we're tired and we're weak. And we might acually die if we don't get some food in our systems." Barclay whined. "Can we just go now! I get it, the beasts are strong and we're twigs, I don't need to be reminded!"
I laugh, ruffling Barclay's tangled, messy hair. "Alright fine. One hundred useless points for all of you."
Barclay then summoned Root, climbing atop him while Viola climbed onto Mitzi.
I summoned my own beast, Klava, offering Tadg to ride her. At first he refused. He walked himself, until we reached the first mile and he started drifting to sleep whilst standing was when he took up my offer and fell asleep on Klava's back.
I noticed Barclay and Viola had fallen limp against their own beasts' backs, and so I smiled softly. I walked alongside the beasts and my sleeping apprentices in silence, humming softly to myself as we strided along the crystalized sand.
For the first time in three years of these children being my apprentices, this might have been the first moment of silence I have ever gotten with them in a five foot vacinity of me. Its not that they were annoying, they were just really loud sometimes. I wonder if Cyril, Audrian, and I were like that to Leopold . . .
I smiled at that thought. After three years, my chaotic nature has finally rubbed off from Leo, to me, to these kids. This is perfect, I'm a somewhat bad example. Now they'll grow up to be sarcastic, amazing, loving Guardians like me one day. I'm such a great mentor.
The night was long and warm as it went on. I spotted a few beasts along the way, but they were mostly harmless so I paid them no mind. Thankfully, the apprentices never stirred, and I prayed it would stay that way until we got to Menneset. The last thing I need was for them to pass out from exhaustion if they wake up and get some 3 am dopamine motivation to walk themselves and collapse trying.
Occasionally we'd stop so the beasts could rest and have a drink of water from my flask before we would start moving again. I eventually lost track of what mile we were at every thirty minutes or so, and would have to look up at the stars to figure out where we were. I wasn't tired, I've pulled six-day-all nighter before, so one night was nothing. But my mind was elsewhere. Once we got to Menneset, we'd have to get a hotel room or something (which shouldn't be too hard since I'm famous. I could easily land a place to sleep for a few days), but then I'd have to drop off the kids and fetch a quick breakfast from the markets and head back before they, as Barks would say, "die of starvation".
I sigh to myself. So much work to do once we get to Menneset. If I had a husband, I'd for sure make him do all this for me. Then maybe I could catch some z's instead of wandering around town all morning without worrying of being spotted ordering pancakes and the Khronicle twisting it into something stupid like "29 year old, Runa Rasgar eating thirty pancakes 'cause obviously she doesn't have apprentices she actually giving them to."
Oh great, now I'm grumpy. So much for being a Positive Penny.
I suddenly wince as a beam of light momentarily blinds me from the horizon. I blink a few times before Menneset comes into focus. Thank you, Looord. I might actually cry if I walk another mile while talking to myself like a lunatic.