Chapter 10 - Across The Stream

'CAW! CAW!'

The call of the crows made Kita flinch, cursing the birds under her breath. She had been awake for what felt like three hours, just watching the dying flames in the small fire pit.

The morning had been peaceful until then, but she was too anxious to drop her guard. If not because of the tense aura of the forest, then because of what she heard and felt last night. Nothing like it happened again, yet she couldn't get the experience out of her head.

Broken from her sleepless trance though, Kita sat up and rubbed her eyes.

"Last night was terrifying," she murmured. "I've never been that scared, and I don't even know if it was real. Then again, why was Stud thrown at me if it wasn't?"

She glanced at the small dog, who was watching her curiously.

"When I heard voices, before..." Kita shuddered. "Were those also real? Was it all in my head?"

Knowing how often she had fought with her own conscience, Kita felt uncomfortable. However, the idea of a follower -or even a haunting specter- just seemed too unlikely. 

Kita clenched her fists, inhaling sharply. "I can't linger on it. I still need answers."

She got up and stretched, then collected the bag and Stud. Afterward, she kicked some dust onto the fire, ensuring it had gone out. With every step, she got the same strange feeling, like ghostly eyes were watching her. However, she tried to stay positive by focusing on the sound of flowing water. It was truly serene.

Eventually, she could see a hint of red through the trees and foliage. She slowed down even more, unsettled by the unnatural hue. After pulling back the leaves, revealing the stream, she was already shuddering.

The water was not only murky, but it was a deep shade of crimson. It looked like blood; a vein of the world around her. Some old stones poked through the surface, splitting its steady current like a fresh log on a large flame. The stones looked unnatural, and from their wear, they had clearly been used as a way to cross for a long time.

"Is..." Kita gulped. "Is it the border?"

Stud cocked his head, watching the questionable water.

"I can see why it's called the Blood Forest now. As eerie as it looks, it's a little relieving, because I was imagining a much worse reason for that title."

Eying the other side of the forest, which seemed denser, Kita felt her blood run cold. This was demons' territory, yet she still could not stomach or believe it. The more she thought about her concerns and reservations though, the more she was drawn back to the reason she was here. It made her realize that monsters were waiting for her, but also the root of her misery.

As scary as that thought was, it made Kita even more determined.

The stream was only about fifteen feet wide, but the much darker middle signified its depth. Keeping her focus on the stones, Kita threw her bag across the stream, then approached the edge of the water. The tips of her boots were grazing the small waves.

Stud, on the other hand, was whimpering, pacing anxiously behind her.

Kita laughed, "I'm scared too. For the record, this is why you shouldn't have followed me."

Stud looked down, but Kita picked him up easily. She studied the rocks and water, and after some measuring, she started across. One step at a time, stone to stone, creating a momentary illusion of serenity before she finally reached the shore.

Kita looked around this foreign territory as she recollected her bag and set Stud down. As a matter of precaution, she pulled out her dagger and sheathed it to the belt of her dress.

There was now twice the amount of overgrown foliage, and concerningly, thorns and spines were clearly lost in the mix. The same tense aura that filled this forest was even stronger than before, almost suffocating.

"I came with the idea that I would know it when I see it," Kita muttered. "I was right."

"I agree!"

Kita flinched hard, nearly stumbling back into the stream. The voice was pathetic, but it was still unexpected. Immediately, she scanned the place for signs of life.

She couldn't see anyone but Stud, who was looking at her with confusion. 

There, she froze as a wild thought crossed her mind.

Kita glared down at the dog. "Stud?"

"Yes?"

Kita almost screamed when hearing the same dog respond. His voice was squeaky and hectic.

"Oh gods, I've lost it!" Kita cried.

Stud stopped, his tail lowering. As if it clicked what was happening though, he perked up.

"You can understand me?" He squeaked.

"Yes!" Kita snapped.

"Oh wow!" Stud yipped. "It's about time!"

"Why do I understand you?" Kita argued. "This was not supposed to happen -there was never any warning!"

"This is nothing too new," Stud explained. "I've always understood your language. I don't remember the specifics too well, but I do know this..."

He stepped closer, and Kita barely suppressed the urge to kick him away, still in shock.

"Before you found me as a pup, I was abandoned by my first owner, who happened to be a witch. Probably not a great one, but a witch nonetheless! So..." He spun in a circle. "Behold, you can finally know! You are the owner of an ex-familiar!"

"That doesn't explain why you can talk," Kita argued. "I've never heard of a spell being able to do that! There's not even supposed to be magic in Sybilius; it's illegal for good reason!"

"Stealing is also outlawed, but people steal all the time," Stud remarked. "Laws don't get rid of anything, they're just a very firm suggestion. From the magic I was hit with, I definitely got speech, a longer lifespan, and some other traits I've never been too sure of. I don't even remember it happening, I just know it did. Strange, huh? Maybe that's part of the curse; something along the lines of 'being forever reminded that I am merely a servant.' I don't mind though."

"Why does it only work now?" Kita interrogated.

"I'm not sure," Stud replied. "Maybe it just doesn't work in Sybilius. That's probably for the better though. Can you imagine everyone's reaction to talking animals?"

Kita sighed, rubbing her temples. "You're trying to say, all this time, I had a cursed dog and didn't even realize it? Are these things just drawn to me for some reason? Am I a curse and-or supernatural magnet?"

"Enchanted, not cursed!" Stud barked. "Frankly, I'm glad it works."

Kita gulped nervously. "This place is already getting too strange for me. I really hope this is as bad as it gets, but I don't think so."

"Probably not," Stud agreed.

Kita muttered to herself, "Keep it together, it's just a talking dog in demon's territory. You knew it would be bad. You also hallucinate..." She froze up, shaking. "This is real, right?"

Stud walked over to the bag. "Yes, and you should get used to it. I know I will."

"Good luck to both of us," Kita muttered.

Stud pushed out a scroll with his snout. "We're dealing with demons, and if I'm any evidence of this, magic can do wild things. Especially in nature, it's a force of pure and utter chaos! You'll want someone to keep you steady on the way, won't you?"

Kita picked up the scroll, staring at it for a long time. Many different thoughts were buzzing about her head.

She finally spoke under her breath, "As I just learned, 'magic in nature' allows for creatures to age forever, function without a heart, and produce elements at their fingertips. I guess it is chaos..." She took a deep breath. "Okay! Let's try to move on, right? There's an upside to this. If we can communicate, you will be a lot more useful, and I have to worry less about losing track of you."

Stud didn't respond, just wagged his tail.

Kita managed a constrained smile. "M-Maybe your size will have uses, too? You can get around easier. Anyway, you must be updated on what we're doing, right?"

"Why do you think I ran into the palace?" Asked Stud. "I was your ticket in."

Kita blinked hard. "Oh, so that's why you ran off! Wow, you really were listening."

Stud visibly shuddered, "I was glad to do that for you, but I don't like this nearly as much."

Kita hesitated to respond; she knew exactly what she wanted to ask, but still found it unnerving. After a moment to think, she made her choice and forced the words out.

"Stud, you probably know that I hear things sometimes. Mainly voices. Last night, it happened again. I thought it was just more of the same and it would go away on its own, but then you were thrown at me."

"Yeah, I remember," Stud mumbled. "I was hoping you wouldn't bring it up, but it's just another reason to be scared of this place."

"You must've heard it too," Kita said eagerly, kneeling closer to his level. "That means it's not all in my head, right?"

Stud shook his head. "I was sleeping when someone grabbed me. Whoever it was, he kept my mouth shut, and the way he had my neck, I couldn't even whimper. Believe me though, I was trying to warn you. Thankfully, he decided to just talk to you, nothing else."

"I'm sorry," Kita said quickly. "Did you see him though? What did he look like?"

"I didn't get a good look. I was asleep before being grabbed, everything was dark, and my head was faced away from him. I only vaguely saw his hands..." He shuddered. "He was so close to you, and you didn't even realize. He even had a knife!"

Kita felt her face go pale. "What?"

"It was a big knife," Stud said a little quieter. "He kept it closer to you the whole time, like he was just waiting for you to try something, before he threw me at you and disappeared. Oh, and if you thought that was strange, his skin was gray! It was covered in scars, too."

"It was, huh?" Kita murmured.

"Yup," Stud rambled. "Burns all along the knuckles, what was probably a big hole in the wrist, and cuts all over. They were so cold too, they were almost like stone. Oh, and I kept seeing black hair get in the way. Very long black hair, but with a voice and grip like that, it had to be a male. I also can't describe it; the scent I picked up was like death, but not the type you'd get from a corpse. It's like..." He inhaled sharply, his eyes narrowed. "Maybe you don't understand this, but you can just smell it in the air when something's not right. It was that scent."

Kita finally started to look uneasy, eying the other side of the stream. She knew this just escalated the danger of her situation; clearly, this male creature -whatever he may be-  could strike at any time without her even realizing. Like she was an oblivious little mouse, wandering closer to a deadly snake without even realizing it. There would be a chance for her to survive, but not even a moderately good one.

Kita took a deep breath. "I read all about this before. I knew it was coming. I just have to be ready to negotiate. I'm not going back to wait for things to get worse."

"I still don't like it," Stud muttered.

"Just one more thing," Kita continued. "You're aware of what was happening in Sybilius, even though you couldn't talk to me, which makes me think you saw how bad things were getting in the house..." She looked away. "First of all, I'm sorry you had to be in the middle of that. I know I was not in a good state, and it might've scared you. Especially since I talk to you so much."

"I never paid much attention," Stud replied. "I got worried when you were in your really bad states, but that was about it. If it helped to talk to me, that's good, and the fact that I can respond now shouldn't keep you from doing that. Just to be clear, I am still your friend and pet."

"You don't have a problem with calling yourself a pet?" Kita murmured.

"Why would I? I'm a coward, I like to sleep, and I crack under pressure. By being a pet, with or without a voice, I don't have to worry about hard jobs or messing something up. I can just sleep all day, and my only job is to listen to you. Sounds good to me!"

"Right, well..." Kita hesitated. "In all that time you spent with me, I don't suppose you saw anything apart from me, did you? Maybe you heard something that wasn't right? Something like that thing from last night?"

Stud flinched and shook his head. "Oh, nno! I would notice something like that being in the house for sure! This was a first."

"Good, this is a new phenomenon," Kita murmured. "Bad, all those voices I heard before were in my own head, which still makes me uneasy."

Stud sighed, turning toward the forest. "I still don't know about doing this for a cure. I'll follow you anywhere, but I don't like it."

"I don't like it either," Kita muttered. "This is what I've been driven to though."

"But there was another option," Stud argued. "You know, if there's just one thing I could pick up in all my time from Sybilius, it's that Queen Corelia truly cares about you. She would do anything to find the right treatment, one that has to be better than Yuna's scraps. You could've stayed with her to get the cure!"

Kita felt deep-seated irritation creeping into her mind. She stood from her knees, facing the forest. Even though it still brought a sense of fear and endangerment, she could feel the urge to go forward buried deep in the mix of emotions. 

There were secrets, ghosts, and an entire bloody history hidden in this forest. Going too deep was bound to cause trouble, but it didn't erase the secret desire to know more.

"All those times I called myself sick. I wasn't just talking about my health. I meant I'm sick of sylphs. I was exaggerating a little, but I also wasn't lying when I gave my response last night. The people of Sybilius are against me."

"I remember they were always mean," Stud mumbled. "I guess I understand..."

Kita awkwardly cleared her throat. "It's not all that bad. Taking this route, I've already been getting more sleep, and I've had much fewer and milder episodes. Besides, aren't you curious? This is a surefire way to find what's connecting me to this place or its people. There's clearly a link, so what is it? How did it form when I've only lived on the opposite side of Sybilius, hundreds of miles -and hours- away? Will Kodin's clues lead me to it, or will I have to figure it out for myself?"

"Scary, that's what it is," Stud muttered.

"We've established that," Kita argued. "Look, can you just try to be calm and work with me?"

"I can't promise the calm part, but I will follow you wherever you go."

Kita managed a faint grin. "Thank you. Let's go."