Elementalists
Chapter 10 - Survive

"Ukhh my stomach" said Arya grimacing while holding her stomach.

"Why? Do you still feel nauseous from that teleportation?" ask Asuna.

"Of course not, my stomach is like this because for the last two days we haven't eaten at all" Arya replied.

Although Arya had to admit that she did not enjoy the teleportation that they did when they came here, it felt like she was blown into the air at high speed. It made his stomach feel numb and wanted to vomit and then suddenly his feet stepped on the ground again suddenly. It is not a travel experience that should be recommended according to him.

"What the fuck are you? You're a man, right? Just because you didn't eat two days you weren't strong?" asuna taunted

"Huhh?! See who's talking? You think I don't hear that tummy rumbling sound every night?" reply Arya.

"A.a.a..what? i.i.it's not me! At most you just misheard, right in this place many animals with strange sounds" said Asuna while turning her face.

"Where is the sound of such an animal" Arya said as she raised her eyebrows.

They had indeed arrived two days ago, and during those two days they managed to find a resting place along with a spring to drink. But the problem is that for these two days they just stuffed their stomachs with water, this is what causes Arya to not have time to think about how to find the objects they have to find to escape at this stage.

"Do you know where the Minotaur nest is around?" ask Asuna.

"From what I read in the books, it says they're usually nesting in caves"

"Mmm aren't we currently also settling in the cave?"

"Yes, but I don't think any Minoutaur will live in that cave because there's no food source around here"

"What does the Minotaur eat?"

"Ukhh I don't know either! I never read they were herbivores? Carnivores though? or Omnivora, I don't care about that either! all I know right now is that I really need food" Arya replied upsetly.

"You don't have to yell at me like that, do you?" sahut Asuna snorted while pouting.

Arya's steps stopped and she turned to Asuna and put on the best smile she could make at that time, although the nerves on her forehead were already twitching irritably.

"*Hime-sama? Who do you think it's wrong that we haven't been able to eat for the last two days?" arya asked still with an annoyed smile.

*Himesama ( ⁇ ) comes from the Japanese language which means :the son of a noble or can also be interpreted as a princess

They arrived at the Neutral Region where the location was a forest surrounded by plateaus. That's one of the reasons Arya decided to find a place to rest first, because in a place like this will be very easily attacked by various creatures that they do not know but after they find a place of rest and water source actually they have also been trying to find food such as plants which can be eaten or fruit. But the result is nil, the place seems like there are only towering trees.

That is why they decided to hunt, and the incident that made Arya upset at Asuna happened yesterday, they finally found a herd of deer after walking quite far from the cave where they rested. Arya also made a plan to capture one to serve as their consumption inventory for the next few days.

The plan is that Asuna must shoot the deer so that he can not run well and Arya will try to catch it, he said, it would be better if Asuna could kill the deer directly so that Arya would not have to chase after him again.

Unfortunately, Asuna's arrow missed and caused the herd of deer to run scattered in all directions. Of course Arya kept chasing and tried to catch one of them, but he failed because the deer were very agile. In the end all the deer that were there had managed to escape, Arya could only bow languidly on the ground with a breath of breath.

"It must be a lie, right? Just a little more" he whispered disappointed.

"Did you succeed--"

"If I succeed, will I pose pitifully like this?" cut Arya fast.

"You are always pathetic" Asuna sneered.

"What!?" yell Aryan.

The shout made Asuna look a little surprised, she did not expect Arya to be that angry.

"Eh? Wh why? You should've caught one of them"

"If your arrows don't miss it's impossible for me to fail to catch them" Arya said with an annoyed face

"So you blame me?" asked Asuna with a face no less upset.

"Of course, if your arrows don't miss where maybe all the deer ran scattered in all directions. Hey Asuna, tell me why your arrow missed? Wasn't it in the armory, your arrow never missed a single time"

Asuna fell silent and turned her face away from Arya.

"Hey answer me Asuna" Arya said.

"A.a.i-i----"

"You.........?"

"A.a. I've never shot an animal before! You satisfied!?" answer with a red face.

"Apaaaa??!!!" arya was confused.

Asuna was silent and did not want to see Arya's eyes.

"Ahh I forgot, you're a Hime-sama it's only natural that you never hunt and shoot living things. You just shoot the archery target" said Arya, closing her eyes with disbelieving hands.

"Don't call me Hime-sama!" sahut Asuna was upset.

"Why? You are indeed a Hime-sama, if you know this I will not give applause at that time. How is this Hime-sama?" arya asked while trying to hold back the laughter.

"MMM I TOLD YOU NOT TO CALL ME THAT?!" yell Asuna.

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"Don't I apologize? And stop calling me that" replied Asuna annoyed.

He walked past Arya while smashing his shoulders at Arya, aww...these women....are they really creatures that never go wrong? arya said in her heart.

After they walked for quite a while Arya suddenly stopped Asuna's footsteps with her hands. Arya ducked down and gestured to Asuna to do the same, they had arrived at a vast meadow. Arya realizes there is a fawn separated from her friend is there.

"Hows it? Can you do that?" ask Arya.

"I'll try" Asuna replied as she put up her arrows.

Their distance was actually not too far, only about ten meters from the target, but what made Arya anxious was that this distance was further than when Asuna's arrow missed earlier. Asuna put up an archery position while squatting down, Arya watched Asuna anxiously. He looked paler than usual and looked cold sweat.

Then Arya also realized that Asuna's hand was shaking violently very attractive bow arrows, maybe because this is where the arrows missed before. Arya approached him and held his hand from behind, Arya supported Asuna's hands. The hand that holds the bow and the hand that pulls the arrow.

"Eh? What are you-----"

"Pull your breath deep and calm yourself" whispered Arya in his ear.

Although at first he seems to want to protest because of Arya's treatment of him but in the end he does what Arya says, Arya holds both hands while trying to calm herself. In the end, the trembling in Asuna's hand disappeared.

"Now!" Aryan orders.

Wushhh, the sound of the arrow splitting the air around it as it shot from its bow. The arrow was aimed at the target and in the end hit the hamstrings of the hind legs of the fawn, he thrashed in pain.

"You see that Aryan I'm haha-eh?" asuna said while looking around her

Arya had already darted quickly from where they had been hiding before, she ran down that hill with all the energy she still had. Actually he had started running since Asuna's arrow was released, he believed that this time Asuna must have hit her target and this time she also had to do her job properly. In just a blink of an eye Arya was right next to the fawn, with one quick movement she slit the throat of the fawn with her sword. The incident happened so fast that even the fawn itself did not realize that his life had been lost by the slash of Aryan's sword.

Arya flicked her sword towards the ground to clear the deer blood flowing on her sword.

"Eee shouldn't this sword be used for fighting? But I used it instead to kill a fawn, Ukhh I'm sorry little deer but we both can't die here. It's not funny if there's news of two Elementalists being found starving to death isn't it? It would be the worst joke material for the Human race" Arya said as she sheathed her sword.

"Hey? is everything going well?" asuna asked as she ran closer to Arya.

Arya threw a smile and gave Asuna a thumbs up. Then Arya pulled out a small knife from her pocket.

"Mmm Asuna can you look for plants that can be used to spice dishes around here?" ask Arya.

"Mmm sure" replied Asuna.

"Well then I'll count on you, I'll chop up this venison so that it's easy to bring back to our cave"

"Why don't we just stay here? It seems like there are more food sources here" asked Asuna.

"It's not safe here, we can attract unwanted creatures if we start a fire around here"

"Come Arya please, I don't want to go back to that cave. There are only trees"

It was the first time Arya heard Asuna beg, should she record this incident?.

"Can you repeat it?"

"Mmm what?"

"Nothing to forget, well then you're the one who has to find a place to rest. Like a cave or whatever it is"

"Alright then, I go first" said Asuna leaving with a face of a grimace.

Arya saw the results of their hunt, small but not too bad also for the first catch they get.

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"I can finally eat" Arya said gratefully as Asuna gave her some venison.

"You look like a bum who hasn't been able to eat for a very long time" Asuna said.

"Whatever you want to say Asuna, I don't care. The important thing tonight is that my stomach doesn't keep sounding demanding to be filled" Arya said as she lifted the first mouthful of her meal.

Asuna hits Arya's hand before the mouthful reaches Arya's mouth.

"Where is the prayer before the meal?" billih Asuna's.

"Hahh...iya-iya sorry I forgot" Arya replied with a sigh.

The first meal they ate since the last two days was very delicious, but like many other pleasures in the world. It did not last long, in just a few minutes the plates were both clean. Although not satisfied eating they decided not to cook too much so that their food supplies can still be used for the next few days.

"Well since now our stomachs have been filled let's talk about our mission that is-" said Arya after gulping down water from a pouch of water that she had.

"Find the Minotaur horn?" continued Asuna while bringing her hand closer to the campfire.

"Did you see a cave or something?" ask Arya.

"I saw about three or more caves on the hill" replied Asuna pointing at the hill not far from them.

"And how did you find this place?

Asuna finds a fairly large hole in the ground, the hole looks like an abandoned nest even though Arya does not know what creatures have such nests. Arya just pray that the owner of the nest does not come back here to take the goods left behind, actually the place is quite safe because it is covered by bushes around it.

"I fell in here" replied Asuna embarrassedly.

"Hehh" Arya looked at him in surprise with a dismissive tone of voice.

"Don't look at me like that!" asuna.

"When do you want to check out those caves?" ask Arya.

"Quickly, uh but Arya don't each of us have to have the Minotaur horn to pass?"

"Mmm it seems like so, we both have to have it to get away. But if the other group seems to be told to look for different objects"

"So shouldn't we be looking for two Minotaurs?"

"Huh? What's for?"

"Don't you just say each one of us should have Minotaur horns?"

"Mmm Hime-sama? The Minotaur has two horns, why are you looking for two Minotaurs?" arya asked while making a horn pose with her hand on her head.

"Eh?"

"So all we have to do is chop off one Minotaur head and we'll both pass this stage, that's all you don't know*BA-KA" the word Arya deliberately emphasizes the last two vocabulary.

**Baka ( ⁇ ) comes from Japanese which means: stupid, stupid, idiot, and so on

"What's? What did you call me?" asked Asuna annoyed.

"Nothing\, I never said anything to **BAKASUNA"

***This Aryan memplesetakan afterlife which means stupid by combining it with the name Asuna

"Don't you call me that?!!"

"Hahaha rest there"

"Don't play orders at will, you can't sleep inside" Asuna said.

"Iya-iya slept there Hime-sama" Arya said as she grinned mischievously.

Asuna went into the hole to rest and let Arya rest outside, before entering she did not forget to land a hard blow to Arya's shoulder.

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Asuna woke up with cold sweat all over her body, she had just had a nightmare that she did not want to remember. He got up from where he was lying and walked out of the hole where they were resting. He narrowed his eyes when he saw their bonfire was still burning which signified that the fire was still being supplied with dry wood rather unquenched.

He looked at Arya with his eyes closed and his head stumbling while hugging the katana he was carrying, Arya leaning against a large rock close to the bonfire. Asuna approached the man, she stared at the annoying face of the man who always irritated her even without cause. She reached out to stroke Arya's hair but her hands stopped in the air all of a sudden.

"Why did you wake up?"

Arya had already opened her eyes, she stared back at Asuna with her eyes that were blue like sapphire.

"I thought you were asleep?"

"I just closed my eyes instead of falling asleep, what's wrong?"

"Mmm I just want to get some fresh air, and I think we can just turn to keep watch. I know that you haven't had time to sleep for the past three nights, so please sleep inside" Asuna said while sitting next to Arya.

"I can't"

"Eh? Wh why? It's okay I can be on guard, don't be so strong"

"It's not like that, I'm not a strong ass or something. But I can't sleep in a place that makes me uncomfortable, it's gotta keep me up all night"

"Mmm how about this"

Asuna pulled Arya's head close to her and leaned Arya's head against her shoulder

"Eh? Asuna?" arya was confused.

"How does it feel? Is it comfortable?"

"Warm" Arya whispered softly as she nodded.

"Thank God" Asuna said with a smile.

"Asuna?" call Arya.

"Mmm?"

"You better sleep again, I hear that woman needs more sleep than men. They call it a pretty sleep or something"

But there was no answer from Asuna, and Arya lifted her head from Asuna's shoulders.

"Asuna???"

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Asuna woke up because the sunlight was shining on her eyelids, she rubbed her eyes and looked around in a daze. He felt something soft and warm enveloping his body, it turned out to be the red robe he was wearing. Someone covered him with that robe. His eyes widened with great remembrance of last night's events, and he threw his gaze around the resting place, which he saw only the former campfire that had been burned to ashes. He also could not find Arya in the nest hole.

He ran and searched around the place wondering where the man was, he called Arya but there was no answer. Then tired of screaming he walked towards the river to refresh his dry throat due to shouting, and finally he found Arya in the river without wearing clothes.

"Hey where have you been?!" yell Asuna

"What the hell? Why are you yelling so early in the morning?" arya asked without looking at Asuna.

"There's nothing wrong with you answering my call? You're just making me anxious"

"Can't, if I tell them they can run away"

"What are you doing?"

"Finding breakfast" Arya said as she pounced towards the water in front of her.

He managed to catch a river fish with a size large enough.

"Eh? Don't we still have the venison yesterday?"

"We need to save on food, right?"

"I guess what? It turns out you only went to catch fish" said Asuna ketus.

"It's not just that" Arya said then threw her clothes at Asuna.

"mmm? Whatisthis? why are you giving this to me?" asuna was confused.

"Kiss the smell"

"Mmm?"

Asuna kissed the shirt without a second thought, then suddenly she felt nauseous. The shirt had a very pungent smell and made her want to vomit from kissing it.

"What'sthis? why did you give me this sweaty shirt?" asuna asked while throwing back Arya's clothes.

"You sweat? Don't joke Asuna, it stinks of saliva you know" Arya said with an annoyed face.

"Eh? Meanin?" asuna was confused.

"I didn't go to the river just to find fish, I came here to wash my smelly clothes from your saliva. Alternately watching from where? Just a few minutes you've fallen asleep again, you son of a bitch!"

"Ti.ti.ti.it is impossible that the smell is the smell of my saliva" Asuna said in disbelief.

"You want to argue with him how else? My clothes got wet like this" Arya said as she twirled her clothes by hand.

"Don'tkkkk!!!" yell Asuna.

"Hahh come, hurry here and help me to put this fish" Arya ordered.

"Mmm well.." said Asuna with a frown.