Chapter VI-Friend-Leisure Stroll

(='∀｀)人('∀｀=)

Chapter VI: Friend-Leisure Stroll

-Seridan Forest-

With one ferocious glare, Stein blared out the thought that was bugging him. "Why did you let her come to my house?" It was now Stein's chance to interrogate to the quills who were hovering in front of him.

None of the dared speak nor look to him in the eyes. Flan's arms were crossed behind his head and whistling playful tune. While Flan was playing innocent, Lily was busy fidgeting her hair with her fingers.

"Hello guys? Still with me?" 

As she plays with her hair, Lily nudged Flan's side and whispered to him without looking at him "It's your fault."

"No it's YOUR fault." Stein sighed. Because of Flan's reply, Stein can see another round of debate coming.

"And how come that it became MY fault?"

He sighed when he remembered what happened earlier.

-Mersheim City-

-Brandice Residence-

-Earlier that morning-

"What is she doing here!?" Stein exclaimed when his green eyes met Sifanderiel's standing figure. Unlike yesterday, she was dressed in a more normal type of clothes. A white shirt that was topped with a lavender short sleeved jacket. It was matched by her fit, black short whose end is just above her knees. Her feet was covered with brown boots with its lace neatly tied.

"She came here 15 minutes before you went out of your room. She was looking for you, but since you're still hitting the hay, I told her to sit down in the sofa while waiting for you." Her mother explained while his father kept silent.

"Before you appeared out here, she asked if she could use the comfort room. While she was still in the comfort room, you came out and sat here with us. She then came out and that's the end of story." Mieschel finished retelling what happened in a quick and tongue twister-like pace. His father, on the other hand, was still as silent as a statue.

His father then lowered the newspaper, exposing his face. Yes, he was silent during the conversation but when he finally spoke, his statement shocked him the most. "Is she your girl?

Stein's face became brightly flushed with a deep shade of red "W-what!? No!?"

"Eh...I can sense something unusual with you Stein." Mieschel teased him with a mischievous look written all over her face even though she was happily digging on her food.

Stein flashed an annoyed look at her sister. She wasn't helping and instead, she pulling the strings more. If glares could kill, he was sure that her sister would have died right now.

His father lifted the newspaper again to hide his face but Stein was sure that behind it was a wide grin "Heh...That's my boy. You finally managed to get one."

"Dad!" he felt like he will explode from the embarrassment that he was feeling right now. He wished he could just turn invisible to hide his reddish face.

Sifanderiel blinked with confusion. She has no idea on the embarrassment that Stein was going through right now which was caused by her.

He was interrupted by her mother. "Oh take a seat here my dear...Join us for breakfast." she was pertaining to Sifanderiel. She definitely doesn't know if she should accept the offer so she seek help by looking at Stein for answer.

Should I?

She spoke telepathically which startled Stein. He still wasn't used to it.

With a slight sigh, he gestured for her to take a seat beside him "Come on..."

A simple dish was laid in front of them. They started digging through the dishes sitting upon the table. Even though Sifanderiel was not saying a word(verbally or mentally), he knew that she was enjoying the simple meal judging from the looks on her face. Although it was very faint, he can see a smile on her lips.

He continued with chewing down his food while taking occasional glances at Sifanderiel who was now sitting beside him. A while ago, Mieschel decided to tease him by exchanging positions with Sifanderiel. She reasoned out that since Stein and Sifanderiel knew each other, it would be better if she would sit beside her to make her less comfortable. It looks like it took effect on the blue haired girl beside him but it was doing completely the opposite in his part. The meal was delicious but he felt uncomfortable now than his previous meals due to the new presence beside him.

"By the way, Sifanderiel is it not?" Farry asked Sifanderiel.

She nodded, making few strands of her hair fall drape along her shoulder.

When Farry has confirmed that she was saying the right name, she continued "What is your connection to Stein?" she spoke in a cheerful and friendly tone.

"She was my childhood friend." Stein immediately prevented Sifanderiel to speak and he did this on purpose. Sifanderiel must've seen through his plan and just went with its flow by staying silent as a statue.

"Childhood friend? I do not remember seeing you in any streets around Mersheim though

"Ah that's right!" Mieschel butted in. "Her hair color is also very unusual around this area. I must say it's beautiful though. I wish I have that kind of hair color."

"It's because her family was truly from other region. They moved here when she was little but only for a brief time." Stein once again spoke in Sifanderiel's favor just after he finished drinking a glass of milk.

"When did you met Stein?"

"It's-"

Mieschel grew tired of what Stein was doing so he decided to correct in once and for all "Mom's not talking to you Stein. She has a mouth of her own so let her speak...Geez."

Stein was afraid that she might slip the information that no one will surely believe. He knows that it will only sound ridiculous and retarded to other people especially because they were not aware of braziell's existence. He glanced at her face to find any hint on what she will say. He waited if she will ask him through his mind, but she didn't.

But to Stein's delight, she knows what to say well.

"I am from the west region but we have to go here for a few days because of my father's business. That's when I met Stein in the forest. We only stayed here for a short period of time before we went back to our region again." That was probably the longest dialogue that she has spoken so far. What confuses him though was why she went along with his lie. Well, he was in favor of that though.

"Why did you travel such distance looking for Stein then?" Mieschel continued the interrogation to pry answers.

"I agree. It is dangerous for a girl to travel alone at this times." his mother commented.

"Because I have no one to go to. He also saved me yesterday from thieves." The last line that she said was true. She is twisting and mixing the truth and lies to make a convincing story which made Stein admire her since she also looks so calm as if all that was coming from her mouth was pure truth.

"I left to go here because I am all alone now. My parents died a month ago and I cannot think of someone to go to." she continued.

"What about your relatives?"

"I don't know where they are or if they will accept me. Our family is not that close to each other after all."

"Where are your things?"

"It was robbed while I was crossing the regional border..." Her voice was pitched down.

"Oh poor girl."

If Stein didn't know the truth, he must've felt the same pity that they we're feeling right now.  

*** 

"It's your fault!"

"No! It's yours!" Stein just stared at the blue and yellow quills who were now yelling at each other.

"Cut it off already...You guys are so noisy and it's annoying me." Fleia placed herself between them with a sour expression painted all over her face.

Fleia took a deep breath as she parted the two quills away from each other. There was a sudden change in her personality as she released the air that she inhaled. From her sour mood, within seconds, she was now smiling at Stein.

She can really be weird at times.

Fleia's expression then turned soft "I'm sorry Stein...It was because of our negligence. We told her that she must stay here with us just since you entrusted her to us for the time being but she still insisted on going. We didn't know that she can trace you in the city."

With that, Stein remembered his conversations with the quills last night 

*** 

-Mersheim City-

-Seridan Forest-

-Last Night-

"Speak." Stein commanded.

A couple of minutes ago, he barged in through the quills' forest. Sifanderiel was with him and she was just staring at him on their whole walk. He then took out a tool that can help him in this situation as they halted. He pressed a small, silver whistle again his lips and took a deep breath before blowing it.

It was a small, simple whistle whose color can be compared to the color of a blade. It bounces and reflects the moonlight as he held it in his hands. This whistle was given to him by the quills when he was still a young boy. It proved its worth when he was lost in the forest when he was still little and was chased by a stray animal. They came to his aid even if it they are busy tending the trees and plants for the harvest. Ever since that incident, he thought the it might be wise to bring it everyday, it was just small after all.

"What?" Flan asked him with a confused look masking his face. He was still groggy because of his interrupted sleep. Lily looks like a zombie with her messy hair. Fleia, on the other hand, was the only one who looks fine and prepared. Her pink hair was nicely brushed is hanging on her shoulders.

"That girl!" Flan snapped out of his sleepy state when he noticed the girl standing near Stein.

"She's a braziell. Stein's Braziell." Stein didn't know that Fleia was already hovering beside Sifanderiel. He must be really tired to not see Fleia passing by him.

"You're name is?" The pink quill asked Sifanderiel.

"Sifanderiel..."

Fleia nodded before turning to Stein. "I'm willing to listen to your story."

A few minutes passed as Stein retold what happened earlier. The quills, on the other hand are quietly listening to him. Stein came here to pry answers from them but he ended up explaining himself throughout their conversation. They are the only ones that can understand him. If he doesn't share this to others, he might go insane.

"Is that true?" Sifanderiel nodded.

"That's why I'm telling you...I found her in the ruins and we were attacked by a pair of thugs. One of them is like Sifanderiel. They introduced themselves as Braziell hunters."

"And you two forged a contract?"

"Yeah."

"And you still don't get what she is to you...Stein, SHE is the gift that I am talking about."

No matter how hard he dig into his mind, he still doesn't know what she means when she said that Sifanderiel was his gift. Especially when his mind was starting to be cloudy from weariness.

Fleia has seen through this and used it to end the conversation. "I know that you have many questions but spare them for tomorrow because, for heaven's sake, I know that tired from my work and this commotion. It's written all over your face. You should get some sleep now."

He didn't argue with it because right now, he felt like his eyelids weighs a ton and threatens to close anytime. His muscles yearns for the comfortable bed that was waiting for him when he come back home.

"We'll take care of her so don't worry." He knew that he can’t bring her to his house or leave her in the woods alone either. So leaving her with the quills is the greatest option right now. He can trust them to take care of her while he gets some rest.

He felt happy when he saw their house after his walk. He pass through his room's window and headed straight to bed.

It was when he was greeted by another dream 

*** 

"Stein...Stein wake up." Stein was stirred from his slumber by a sweet voice. It was different from Sifanderiel's. Clueless of the identity of the voice's owner, he decided to open his eyes. The brightness of the surroundings forced him to blink hard. A warm daylight breeze comforted him after opening his eyes. He found himself looking at a pair of silver eyes that is staring back at him. Her white flowing hair was running down her shoulders. Stein remembered her as the girl in white from his previous dream. The only difference is, she was younger right now.

"You'll catch a cold if you sleep there in the grass." she giggled which is almost like a giggle of an angel.

He sat up and studied the surroundings. They were sitting on a land of green grasses. In front of them was a beautiful river. The crystal clear water sparkles as the light radiating from the sun bounces on it.

The white haired girl stood up and brushed off some grasses that hangs on her white dress. She smiled at him and called his name. "Rein!" It seems like she sees me as another person.

Stein flinched with the image that he saw when he peered at the glassy water. The person who he was now was at the same age as the white haired girl. He has raven black hair, dark green eyes and white complexion.

"Hey Rein! are you listening to me ?" Her words forced him to redirect his gaze upon her again. She pouted and crossed her arms.

"Hey...it's beautiful isn't it?"

She continued even if he didn't respond to her. She turned around and stared at the bright blue sky. "It's beautiful..This world where we live in..."

She crouched and dipped her hand into the water. She rocked it back and forth, letting the cold water pass through her fingers with ease.

"Just like this lake. The crystal clear water that it cradles is really mesmerizing..." she halted her sentence and stopped the movement of her hand. "But don't let it trick you. Life is like a illusion you see..."

The water suddenly turned black as she lifted her hand and stood up once again. "It may seem calm and peaceful right now..."

She then waved her hand into the air and right away, the water returned to its original color "But it can change within a matter of seconds."

"Right, Rein?" She turned to Stein again and flashed a smile as she offered her hand to him. "Let's go for a walk shall we?"

Then the dream melted away.

"If that's not my memories then what was that?" Stein silently asked himself.  

---xXx---