Stop Running Away! [travel]

“I’m not actually a civilian. I’m actually 17 chipmunks stacked together in a human skinsuit!” Ankaret blinked. On her journey to Suna, she had stopped by a small town towards the border of Fire Country. Against her better judgement, she went into the tavern for a quick lunch, and now a barely clothed local was hanging on her arm, begging her to recount her travels.
“Oh?” she asked, putting down her chopsticks. A small cloud of steam puffed skywards from where she overturned the ramen. The girl- who couldn’t be any older than seventeen- gave a large smile and a thumbs up.
“Hehe, I was just sayin’ that to get your attention. But come on! You look like you travel a lot. What’s the outside world like? How many other countries have you visited? Do they have good food? Are they warmer?” she talked a million miles a minute, hands flailing dramatically with the rhythm of her speech.
“...I might be more inclined-”
“Ooh, have you met any ninjas? A few ninjas come by every year, but that’s it. They seem really cool!”
“-to answer if you’d just-”
“Do ninja summons really talk? Think about how cool it would be to ride into battle on the top of a giant bird or something!”
“-let me talk.”
“Birds are really- wait, I was interrupting you? Why didn’tcha say anything?” she resisted the urge to bash her head against the table. “My name’s Elif, by the way. What’s yours?”
“...I go by Ankaret. I travel.”
“Really?”
“I’ve visited Flower Country, Tea Country, and Fire Country. I’m planning on going to Wind country.” she took a slurp of her noodles, draining the last bit of broth. She slapped a few ryo on the counter and stood up. “I’ve met a few ninja.”
“What were they like?”
“Boring, if you ask me.” she walked out of the establishment, except Elif was still trailing behind her. She blinked, head tilted. “Do you plan on following me all the way to Wind Country?”
“Yeah! I’ve always wanted to travel! I have a bit of money, and a new friend!” an arm was slung around her shoulder. She shivered unintentionally. The girl didn’t seem to notice.
“...It might be dangerous.” she spoke.
“So?”
“You could die.”
“...So?”
Ankaret shrugged. “Alright, but I’m leaving now.” the stranger-turned-travel-buddy grinned and gave her a double thumbs up.
“Hell yeah, let’s get going!”
~~~~~~~~~~~~
The two walked on a well-beaten forest trail. Elif occasionally danced ahead, twirling and jumping to the beat of invisible drums. She moved with a strange, well-practice grace. Perhaps it was some sort of traditional dance from her village. The aspiring dark mage made a mental note to study the topic further. A few birds swooped overhead.
“Maaan, it’s so cold…” the dancer whined, jogging back to her side. She tilted her head.
“...It’s hot enough to burn a dragon today.” she replied. She stretched her arms and legs and looked up. The sun was starting to set, but hopefully they could get a few good hours of walking in before it set completely.
Beams of light filtered through the trees, casting eerie shadows throughout the area. Cicadas, frogs, and all manner of wildlife were starting to get a bit louder. Ankaret picked up the pace a little, and her companion continued to leap ahead. After a particularly loud bird call, Elif paused, looking back at her.
“When you think about it,” she began, putting her finger up to her chin- “the sound of nature is just a bunch of depraved beings trying their hardest to get laid.”
“That sounds oddly reminiscent of grade school,” she added dryly. The dancer paused, taking out a small bag and reaching in. When her hand came out, a small pastry was in it, and she instantly popped it into her mouth. When promptly offered one, she declined. Even if Elif didn’t seem like a spy or a hunternin, she didn’t want to take her chances with poison. She shrugged and ate another pastry.
“You sure you don’t want one? Pine buns are really tasty!” she said. Another thumbs up was sent her way. Her curiosity was piqued.
“Pine buns?” asked she.
“Yeah, because they’re made with pine!” Elif answered. She blinked. I could have guessed that much. She sighed and held out her hand.
“Hee hee… I’ll try one.” instantly, a sticky pastry was placed on her palm. It smelled sweet. She placed it in her mouth and almost gagged. This… has got to be the most bitter thing I’ve ever tasted! Is she trying to poison me?!
“Pffft… Ahahaha! Your face!” laughed her travel companion. “I like to give pine buns to foreigners. Their reactions are always so funny!” Ankaret chewed the item and swallowed. The bitter flavor remained in her mouth, but now it was accompanied by a slightly refreshing aftertaste. I guess taste for pine is acquired. Elif jogged ahead and twirled once. “Hey!” she called out. “Look, there’s a crossroads here! Which way should we take?” she smirked to herself and took her time in catching up.
“Well, we’ve reached Fire Country’s borders. Once we step foot past here, there’s no guarantee what could happen. I haven’t met ninja from other villages before.” she said, head tilted. Elif pumped her fist in the air.
“Hell yeah!” she turned towards the left, pointing towards an overgrown path that didn’t have a clearly printed destination on the sign. “Let’s go this way!” she began sprinting down it, leaving a stunned missingnin behind.
“W-what!? Wait up!” a purple aura seemed to wrap around her body, dragging out behind her like a sickly flame. Her running speed increased to catch up to the stranger who had somehow convinced her to try pine buns and take a random forest path that led to Hell knows where.

What have I gotten myself into?

(exit)
[980 wc, instant protected travel to country borders]