Tradition's End (A Touhou Project Fanfiction)

Not Yet Normal

It was nearly a week later that Alice and Eric finally found themselves outside of the Bamboo Forest of the Lost, a moderately wide and well maintained road beneath their feet. The grade was even, and the route was made of hard-packed dirt, making the path they tread one of little difficulty.

Surrounding them, a significant retinue of dolls hovered in formation, far more than Alice typically traveled with.

That was not to say that there was any particular danger; this area was known for being relatively peaceful, bar the occasional troublesome fairy (and the recurring duels between immortals).

However, a certain dollmaker was taking no chances. With the recent attack still fresh in her mind, she was in no mood to be lax on security.

Shanghai floated high above, the apparent commander of the little legion.

Should she be utilizing this much magic? Perhaps not, but she could feel that her mana reserves had already recovered somewhat. They were not 100%, nor were they even 50%, but they were enough.

A spot of good news was that her body had physically recovered. It did not pain her to move anymore, and for that she was grateful. However...

Alice glanced sideways at her companion. She had been consciously adjusting her walking speed in order to keep pace with him. Something twisted slightly in her chest at the sight of him.

Eric limped along next to her at a relatively steady pace. His expression was neutral, but every so often a grimace would flash across his face.

In his hand was a walking cane, provided by Eientei as a supplement to his recovery. It was an item that he was currently getting good use out of.

'Haha, now I really am like an old man,' he had said when the cane was presented. Apparently, he'd been compared to one before.

Yes, despite the emotionally rocky first day, Eric seemed to be handling his recovery fairly well, and the injury itself he was taking in stride. He'd had no shortage of good-natured jokes on the subject and had a generally upbeat outlook.

However, it appeared that his initial levity had faded, and now he was merely managing.

...

After hearing yet another grunt of poorly concealed pain, Alice stopped walking. Seeing her come to a sudden halt, Eric stopped, too.

Her eyes met his. "Eric, perhaps we should switch to flying for now. It may do your leg some good to take the weight off of it," she gently, yet firmly suggested.

He leaned heavily on his cane and sighed.. "I... Yeah, that's probably a good idea." After taking a few long, steadying breaths, he spoke again. "But, between your dolls and flying, wouldn't that be straining your magic too much? Eirin said you should be taking it easy..."

Ah, there he went, worrying about her again. Even though she was in a far better state than he, that was still his first concern.

Why must it be so difficult for him to consider his own well-being? She thought with equal parts appreciation and exasperation.

Alice did her best to give him a placating smile. "You need not worry. The simple acts of flying and utilizing my dolls as sentries are only minor energy expenditures."

She looked to the distance. "Aside from that, it would only be for a short time. We're approaching our destination."

Indeed, the Human Village neared. A certain few rooftops, as well as a couple stonework watchtowers, were visible on the horizon.

Eric sighed again. "Alright, I trust you on that. Nobody knows your limits better than yourself, after all."

He rubbed the back of his neck. "Um, I don't know how long I'll be able to fly. So, sorry in advance if I can't make it all the way there."