Gideon's familiar races into combat. Although ethereal, this large canine was capable of shredding through its prey with its rigid, square teeth. Its stout frame was rather imposing when faced against the surrounding animals of disfigured proportions; wolves, reptiles, and insects aching for blood. 

One wolf rushed at his familiar, fangs protruding, frothing at the mouth. Gideon did not waver at his enemy's bloodlust. His burly partner opened its mouth wider, and when the wolf reached an appropriate distance, it lunged and chomped down on its neck, striking it with immense pressure, and killing it in one attack. The Familiar tosses the wolf aside, and more adversaries come to battle. 

More opponents came at them. The Familiar evades many of the incoming by sprinting around and jumping off the walls. It jumps onto the adjacent rocky wall, catching an insect in its mouth and spitting it out while dodging the hardened tongue of a bulky lizard. 

One reptile, however, notices Gideon by himself. He seemed to be controlling the pet from afar. The enemy takes the opportunity to rush at him. But Gideon sees it fast approaching from the corner of his eye. 

At just the right time, he leaps into the air, confusing the reptile and causing it to slow, only for Gideon to stomp right on its back. Then he kicks the lizard forward, its body sliding and rattling against the rugged ground, caught by his Familiar. Finally, his construct catches the reptile in its mouth, spins, and tosses it in Cyrene's direction. 

Cyrene was busy handling her fodder, so Gideon called out to her.

"To you!" 

In the middle of Cyrene's fight, Gideon's call breaks her concentration, and she turns her head to see the monster flying at her. Her muscles twitch, and by pure reaction, she raises her blade vertically, slicing the creature in half, sending the carcass tumbling, blood splattered across the rocky ground.

Flustered by the sudden action, she quickly lowers her blade, the adrenaline still making her heart thump rapidly. 

"H-hey!" 

Gideon points past her. 

"Behind you!"

Cyrene whips her body around and sees one of the reptiles launch its forked tongue at her, wrapping its slimy grip around her wrist, preventing her from swinging her sword. She flexes her arms and grits her teeth, trying her best to pull back, but the creature has a surprisingly strong grip. Her eyes rapidly scan the area, and her situation only grows more dire. 

Several insects the size of her head began swarming her from various altitudes. Her body felt hotter, as the panic and pressure continued to engross her. Yet as if led by intuition, her sword vanishes, reappearing in her left hand. She eyes her weapon, surprised, but still takes advantage of the situation and cuts off its tongue, sending the reptile writhing in pain and frantically scurrying away.

She then cuts down the insects that attempted to attack her. She evades while slashing at the air, almost as if she were in a dance. She cuts them all but one down while dodging, ducking, or in movement, but a final insect appeared from her blind spot, driving its stinger straight into her bicep. She recoils, her muscles tightening at the sensation of the sharp, stinging pain.

"Urk!" 

And that brief distraction prompted a wolf to lunge at her, aiming its slobbering fangs at the woman. Cyrene powers through the pain of the wriggling insect on her arm; she raises her sword and parries the wolf, shifting to the side while driving her sword along the side of its body, killing it instantly.

She stands upright, and with her free hand, she pulls the wriggling insect out of her arm and crushes it in her bare hand. 

Cccccrunch!

The insect dies instantly, and she tosses the carcass aside. 

Knowing their numbers were depleting rapidly, the creatures swiftly began to escape. The monsters fled into small crevices and holes. Running beside their feet, Cyrene sought to kill as many as she could, so she chased after her closest targets. She sprints toward a lizard that bolts toward a small hole in the wall. Unfortunately, she was unable to make it, and the beast scampered inside the tight hole, disappearing. Cyrene comes to a halt in front of the opening. She breathes a sigh of relief, wiping the bug juice and reptile saliva on her pants.  

“Thank goodness they're gone..."

Gideon approaches her from behind, the animal he once conjured fading away into an airy matter.

"Indeed. Had we let our guard down, they would have likely gotten the best of us. Are you all right?"

She lays a hand on her wound. Fresh blood paints her palm. Her face strains a bit, but she brushes it off, wiping away the blood on her already blood-red mantle. 

"I think I'll be fine," she lowers the mantle that covered her mouth. "Good job fighting out there, but what exactly did you do back there? Wasn't there an animal with you? And it looked weird, too. Where did it go?" 

"You are referring to my Familiar?"

Gideon holds his hand forward and summons small vines from his hands that protrude in different directions, unveiling his tame beast. 

"It is a power I adopted after observing the behaviour of animals in the Emerald Sea. They're constructs that aid me in battle."

Cyrene was inquisitively eyeing the vines closely, but was ultimately confused. 

"I... don't understand..." 

Gideon slowly retracts his vines, partially puzzled. 

"How could you not? You have a power of your own." 

Cyrene holds up her sword close to her body.

"You mean this?"

Woosh!

Her sword abruptly disappears from her hand, surprising the huntress.

"Ah!" She yelped.

She looks down at her palm and opens and closes her hand.   

“Does my power work just like yours?" She juts her arm out. "Do you have to flex your hand or something?"  

Her actions did not cause anything to occur. She frowns and tries again, holding out her arm and hand in a different position. 

"Maybe if I try it this way?" She asks. 

Nothing happens. She tries another motion. 

"Or this?"  

Cyrene flails her hand in an attempt to resummon her weapon. Gideon chuckles. 

"I'm afraid it may not work like that." 

Gideon takes a step back from her and surveys the area.

“We've done an excellent job pushing the enemy back," he says, looking at Cyrene. "You're very adept with a sword. I take it you are experienced in combat?"

Cyrene stops flailing her hand and turns to Gideon.

“I’m a hunter,” she replies, “My job is to kill these monsters and protect my home, but right now I'm hunting a person. The only time I'll be killing these things is if they're getting in the way." 

Gideon scratches his chin.

“Fascinating. Would you please enlighten me with more details?” 

“I'd rather not do that right now. We’ve gotta go to your Master, remember?” 

“Oh, yes! Thank you for reminding me."

Gideon leads Cyrene to another path. 

“Come along, the path is clear for now. I shall take you to him. The cave's catacombs are rather lengthy. It will be some time before I've completely retraced my steps. Be prepared for a bit of a trek."

Cyrene nods. 

"I'm good to go."

Cyrene and Gideon maneuver through the cavern for hours, passing through small archways, narrow walkways, and an often corroding path. During their venture, Gideon would frequently pause to bask in the environment. While this only slightly bothered the huntress, his antics started to become frequent as she followed him for hours. After the fifth time, Gideon stopped to look at what Cyrene could only perceive as a cracked wall. She placed her palm on her forehead and sighed. 

“Can we please keep moving?"

“Hu-huh?” He stammers. “My apologies.” 

“Haven’t you already passed by here? Why're you looking at these walls again?"  

“The structure of this Grotto is quite alluring. I could not help but bask in its beauty."

Cyrene turns to face what Gideon was ogling. She points to the wall, somewhat angry.

“Er, those are rocks.” 

“Rocks, yes, but their formation paints a different picture. Truth be told, it feels as if that alone is enough to capture my heart.” 

Cyrene puts her hands on her hips. 

“That's quite an easy catch."

“Honestly, it hurts to see the Dysmorphs infect and destroy this place.” 

The huntress's eyebrow raises.

“The… Dysmorphs?” 

“Yes, the disfigured creatures we recently fought off. My Master calls them that. The Dysmorphs have been appearing more frequently in the Emerald Sea," Gideon shakes his head. "It’s a shame. They serve more of a hindrance to the ecosystem than a help, what with their relentless attacking."  

Cyrene recalls the hunting encounters he's had with her brother. 

“I've seen some of those creatures at home. No one knows where they came from. They just showed up one day..." 

"They're so frantic, they tend to attack on sight. We will more likely see ourselves in combat if there is ever another encounter."

"I hear you." She nods. 

An hour or so passed as they traveled deeper into the cavern. The two travelers ascended atop thin, shaky platforms formed from stone, sidled through tight crevices, and had very few encounters with docile creatures that lurked inside the cavern. 

"This is taking a while..." She said, feeling a bit uneasy. "Are you sure we're going the right way? 

"Don't fret. We're nearly there." 

She looks around the unwelcoming area, creeping anxiety settling within her. 

"I sure hope so..."

Gideon turns his head slightly to see the huntress on guard. He turns forward once more. 

"Pardon me, huntress." 

Cyrene looks up at Gideon. 

"Hm?" 

"This person you're hunting... is there any particular reason you're after him?" 

A solemn gaze formed on her face, and the air about her fell cold. 

"A merchant showed up in my village yesterday. We don't get visitors where I live, so seeing him was already bizarre enough. He let me use one of his weapons for a hunt I had to do, and just when I was ready to give him his sword back. He grabbed me by my arm and I..."

Her thoughts became encapsulated by his hidden gaze. The strength of his grip and moment of powerlessness struck her heart.

"I-I just remember waking up in a crater, and when I rushed home, everything was in shambles. A bunch of monsters came flooding in, destroying homes and killing people; I found my brother almost dead on the floor, and of course, that guy was close by when all of this happened. Last night I followed his tracks into the Grotto. He can't get away with what he did!"

Gideon thinks for a moment.

"A very peculiar situation," he strokes his chin. "And I suppose you are looking for the man to pay his dues?"

"Of course! He'll pay with his blood!"

Her growls catalyzed her sword in her hand. The sight of her performance brings Gideon's attention, but only for a few seconds. After briefly gazing at her rageful stare, he looks ahead once more. 

"I see... I typically do not condone the slaughtering of another, but the way you've described the event, you may not have my support for revenge, but you have certainly gained my understanding."  

Cyrene exhales and calms herself. Her sword disappears from her hand once more. She looks up at him and delivers a weak smile.

"At least that's something."

"Stand firm in your endeavors, huntress." 

They walked further through the cavern, and a light at the end of the hall grew brighter, its rays seeping onto them. The further they approached it, the more the light blinded them. Cyrene partially shields her eyes as she presses ahead.   

“Is that the exit?”  

“Yes, my home should be just beyond the radiance.”

The two proceed toward the shimmering exit. Gideon disappears into the light, and Cyrene trails behind him. Passing underneath a small parting waterfall, the huntress steps out of the cavern, her eyes feasting upon the aforementioned Emerald Sea.

The newfound daylight from above radiated onto a massive plain. Large silvery trees and rocky pillars were scattered across the land. Gigantic, strange rock formations, distant mountains, and various basins were teeming with life. Numerous land animals occupied an ocean of verdant grass. Bizarre aerial beasts flew alongside the white clouds that parted the azure sky, dancing with the amber hues of the early morning. A fair distance off toward the horizon was a massive foundation entirely constructed of bramble, which nearly shot past the clouds. The dawn's luster pierces through the cracks of the splitting clouds, shining a ray onto the two travelers, transfixed by the sight of the Sea. Starstruck, Cyrene steps forward with her eyes glued to the heavens above and beyond. 

“This is the Emerald Sea...?" 

“Yes," he smiles. "I never tire of its vivacity."  

The huntress gazes off with a glint in each eye.

“I see what you mean…”

She ogles the land around before looking to the horizon. 

"I-is that a tree?"

Cyrene nods. 

"R-right..."

Gideon urges the Yak to go with a gentle kick to its side, urging the animal to trot along the grassy fields. 

"Go, Bos!" 

Cyrene and Gideon made their way to the large structure in the distance. With Gideon’s hopes heightened to explore the open world, Cyrene’s resolve pushes her forward, diving into an ocean of unknown possibilities.