Neighbors in forbidden land

"Xiao Hei, help me up."

After exchanging names, Yimi who was sitting on the beach suddenly said this.

This is a big problem.

I looked at my two paws.

How to help this?

"Why, my legs are numb. You are especially allowed to touch me. Don't you want to?"

It's not a matter of willingness or not...

If I touch her, it is estimated that she will be cut open by my claws.

"why?"

That's it.

So far at least, though I don't use it often, I haven't seen anything my claws can't cut through, let alone a fragile human body.

It will break if you touch it.

"..." Yimi suddenly fell silent, and directly pressed her right hand to her eyes.

After a while like this.

"the same……"

"It's nothing..." Yimi shook her head and continued:

"Is it because of a curse? Or... magic out of control or something..."

How do I answer this, I should answer either...

She seems to think it's some kind of magic on me, doesn't she?

That should be the answer.

"...So you, Xiao Hei, were also exiled here?"

It seems that I have never heard of this.

"Xiao Hei, don't you even know? Exile..." Yimi sighed, turned her head to the direction of the sea and said:

"It means that others hate you, are afraid of you, and don't want to be with you, so you are not allowed to be with them, and you are thrown into a place where they can't see you, and you can't see them. This is called exile." , can you understand me?"

hate me.

afraid of me.

Don't want to be with me.

"……yes."

Forget about my words.

But according to her, she is not a princess, she is a very powerful person...

"Didn't I say it? Because others hate me, are afraid of me, and don't want to stay with me."

Uh...is that so?

Is this an explanation?

Is it an explanation?

"So..." Yimi sighed again, "Answer my previous question."

previous question?Oh me?

"It feels like Xiao Hei you speak very casually, so what is your reason?"

"..."

That's it.

"Xiao Hei, you are a quick learner, you dare to fool me."

I'm just, telling the truth.

Didn't tell a lie.

"Then remember, there are things I can do that you can't, understand?"

"Look at my mood."

"Since you can't touch me, then I'll do it myself—" Yimi said, while continuing to hold the clothes that I chopped up with her left hand to block her body, she stood up slowly on the beach with her right hand.

"——such a simple thing, even without those people, I can do it——"

While talking, Yimi exerted force on her hands, first changed from sitting to crawling, and then supported her body with her right hand and slowly climbed up, but——

"Stop talking nonsense, it's not because Xiao Hei you can't help me—"

But even so, she got up staggeringly, and when she stood firmly, the long light orange hair hung down from her back and chest like clothes, all the way to the ground, in a fan shape Spread out on the sand behind her.

"How about it... I said I can do it myself..." She beat her legs with her hands as she spoke, then patted the sand off her body, and finally pulled the clothes over her shoulders .

"Where are you, Xiao Hei?" She turned her head, but still didn't open her eyes.

She really... can't see me...

That's right, otherwise she would have been scared away.

"That's good, Xiao Hei, just follow me and show the way, and you are not allowed to walk in front of me, do you hear me?"

It's the same wherever I go...

Then she raised her left hand, pointed to the sea and asked me, "Where is this side?"

"Sea..." The expression on her face became softer, "I really want to take a good look..."

Can't you just open your eyes?

Or really... can't see it at all?

"By the way, you ruined my dress, didn't you?" She pointed to the torn clothes she was wearing now, "Find me a new one."

this……

"...the old ones are fine too."

"...You can wear whatever you want."

"Ah?" After hearing my words, the expression on her face finally changed, "Don't you even have any clothes to change?"

"Are you kidding me? It's not funny."

I don't need and can't wear clothes at all...

After a brief silence.

"Xiao Hei, what are you doing as a girl! What if someone sees you—"

nobody.

no animals.

Not even monsters.

There is only a desolate place, and those fragile plants that are struggling to grow in this desolation, and their fragile lives.

After another short silence.

"...Even if there is no one else." She gritted her teeth lightly, and then used her right hand to take off a part of the clothes that I had divided into two. Without turning around, she just stretched out her right hand and slightly passed the clothes to the back handed over.

"You wrap it in this first, wait for me to think of a way..."

"I'll let you hold it. Girls must maintain a good appearance at all times. This is the most basic requirement. Besides, how can you not even wear clothes..." Looking at her face slightly Hongdi lifted the remaining half of the clothes to her body with her left hand, and kept the posture of handing over the other half of the clothes with her right hand. I decided not to refuse.

She froze for a moment, and then seemed to remember that I couldn't touch her.

"If you drop it on the beach, it will be dirty. Just don't touch me."

...How can I get it?

Although did not pick up.

Then she let go, and the clothes fell directly on the sand.

"Did you really hold it? Why do I feel like it's dropped?"

"So... I remember Xiao Hei, you said that you were also exiled here. How long has it been?"

this……

"Why the questioning tone... Forget it, since you can survive alone, then you are familiar with this place, right?"

If it's just around here, I'm really familiar with it.

"Then... just before I fell into the sea... Xiao Hei, did you see... that 'disaster'?"

...I have seen it.

Isn't it right behind you?

She took a deep breath, the expression on her face should be "surprised" at this moment.

"Then it's... gone now?"

in ah.

"Before I fell off the boat... I..." Suddenly, another expression I couldn't understand appeared on her face.

All I know is that it's definitely not a happy expression.

Sure enough... she was afraid of me.

"Then how did you survive till now, Xiao Hei? Isn't that the most dangerous and vicious monster?"

The most dangerous and vicious monster...

Humans really see me that way.

"That's it..." The expression on her face softened a little.

Then we fell into silence again.

"Then..." she said slowly, "Xiao Hei, you know how to avoid it."

Don't avoid it.

"That's good, then Xiao Hei can show you the way now, I don't want to stand here forever."

You will be in no danger.

"Go to the place where you usually stay, Xiao Hei, there should be a place where you can rest."

Where I usually stay...

"If the right...the right...the left is the sea, the right is the north, right?"

Thus, Yimi slightly stretched her right hand forward as if she was exploring something, and then took a very small step towards Beifang.

"Xiao Hei, where are you?"

"That's good, you have to point out the way, I can't forgive you if you let me fall."

After that, Yimi still kept her very small steps and moved slowly towards the north.

Because her steps were so small, I just stood there and watched her go.

After all...she hasn't walked half a step away from me yet.

"Xiao Hei, are you there?" She stopped as if worried, and asked me aloud.

"Are you really following me? Why don't you make any sound when you walk?"

In fact, there will be a lot of noise, I just haven't moved yet, Princess Yimi.

"Is that so... Then, you must follow closely, don't let me go out alone."

I don't know what she thought of what I said, but she moved forward in small steps like before.

After she was some distance away from her original position and out of my shadow, I slowly lowered my body, then stretched out my head and handed Yimi to me the broken piece that fell to the ground because I didn't pick it up. The clothes and the surrounding sand were bitten into his mouth.

Then I spit it all on my left arm, and countless grains of sand slid down the uneven surface of my arm, or stayed directly in the gaps on the surface of my arm.

In the end, that dress was also hanging on the surface of my arm.

"Hey, Blackie, are you there?"

"Do you want to keep going?"

"..."

I looked at the little white on my black arm.

"Why do you want to thank me all of a sudden?" Yimi, who was walking in front, stopped.

"You... why didn't you thank me just now, and you're only talking about this now..." Her fair cheeks were stained with a tinge of red, then she shook her head vigorously, and took small steps again.

"Okay, okay! Just take it as your return gift for saving me, my dress is very expensive, now we're even, understand?"