Let's go our separate ways

Part 11

"Her flowers are just like herself, pretty but scary,"

The horrifying scene has ended, but the escort Knight is still in a stupor. It is not until the slightly recovered Rhythm speaks out that the Knight regains his senses.

"You okay?" the person who looks like he is dying asks the standing and healthy Knight

"I'm okay," the Knight inhales deeply and exhales lightly, "Are you okay, Mister Rhythm? I am sorry for not being able to help you better,"

"You saved me," Rhythm waves a hand again, "If it was not you... Well, I guess Lashes would hang me on the bird if you couldn't catch me but that wouldn't make me feel good," it's not like he feels good right now anyway

"Shall we go back to the carriage?" the Knight suggests that, and seeing Rhythm's state of lying on the ground without strength, he revises his suggestion, "Shall I carry you back to the carriage?"

Rhythm thinks about it. Carried by the escort Knight or Flos. With Flos, she won't be gentle so the Knight it is, "Please,"

Flos is tying Lashes on her wrist to become a bracelet and letting May-Day braid her hair themselves. Watching Rhythm being half-carried by the Knight to her location, Flos praises her childhood friend, "Good job wearing pants,"

Remembering his state when this incident happened, before Lashes sprung upon him, Rhythm growls at his childhood friend, "I won't let you shame me through that!"

Flos doesn't care how she has offended her childhood friend, "Are you still feeling unwell? If so, I can make you a tea to comfort your tummy,"

The Knight feels a little weird by Flos's choice of words, but keeps quiet as he half-supported Rhythm while the 2 talks. Hearing Flos's offer, taking it as her apology to him, Rhythm hums, "Do that,"

Flos asks the escort Knight to put Rhythm inside the carriage to rest 1st before entering the carriage after the Knight comes out to take out a water bag from Rhythm's luggage. Flos then goes to her luggage to take out a box with small packages inside. From 1 of the small packages, Flos pours something inside Rhythm's water bag and shakes it. Afterwards, Flos opens another small package to put something red into the water bag.

The escort Knight does not know what are those things Miss Flos put into Mister Rhythm's water bag but Mister Rhythm has no hesitation in drinking it so those things should be edible and safe.

Turning his back to the 2, the escort Knight stares at the aftermath of another short fight against a variant beast and ponders deeply about their frequent appearances in this short journey. For a trip of less than 1 week, will it become a trip of more than 1 week if this goes on?

No, the problem lies in the encounter rate with variant beasts. 2 variant beasts met and defeated in just 3 days? On their journey to the Capital? Is the road to the Capital so unsafe recently? Why didn't he hear anything about this when he was still in the Capital?

"Sir Knight," from the carriage, Flos sticks out her head and a hand to give something to the Knight, "This is from the variant bird. We should set off now, find a place to settle quickly so we all can rest,"

"Ah, thank you," the escort Knight reaches out a palm to receive the 2nd small rectangular metal plate that Flos drops. Pausing briefly on seeing this identical dog tag that he has on hand, the escort Knight stores the 2nd dog tag and then goes to pull the carriage to the nearest settlement as Flos suggests without another word.

~~~

The nearest settlement they find is a Town. A Town that has its guard up from the terror of the variant bird beast. After showing the skull of the variant bird to let the townspeople know the beast has been subjugated, Flos, Rhythm, and the Knight finally get the chance to sleep on the bed.