The start of the journey from Pearl
she said with a weary smile. Tali came to help mitigate the pressure of all the questions the townspeople had as they swarmed around the Alliance. Her cheeks were already a bit flushed from all the attention, so nothing seemed to change when Tali drew her closer. Lynn didn't even seem to freeze up this time, more so she was comforted by it than anything. Nobody was rude or anything, but it was a lot of people, quite a few being familiar faces from when she helped at their medical center.
Later on the road, Lynn was riding in the steam carriage, oddly silent considering the breathtaking views that they rode by. At one point, Lynn let her horse, Feather pull the cart to save on its water. She poked her hed out one of the doors for a moment and looked for Nailah. When she saw her, she tried to quietly call to her.
"U-...um Nailah...c-can I, maybe...ask you something?" Lynn's expression seemed a bit worried, and she didn't seem to want to talk out in the open.
Dremmick fell into his usual routine, scouting around the party for potential threats, often checking what they were coming up on. Truth be told, he was a lot more relaxed now that they were on the road. He was still alert to the things around them, but after all the commotion in pearl, it was nice to slow down and just worry about the road ahead. Oddly enough, and a surprise to him, he found himself thinking of Amaiah every now and again. She did pique his interest, for sure. He couldn't deny that he looked forward to seeing her again, though he was sure that if he got to know her more, his physical appearance would surely drive her off. He looked down at the bandages covering his right arm. he flexed his hand and eased it it a sigh. The cost of using necromancy for one's own gain. A curse that while making him stronger, will one day take his sanity if he wan't careful. He could still, even at this moment hear voices in the back of his mind clamoring for him to pursue more power. It wasn't anything new by now, tough they had gotten a little bit louder. On the positive side, he was able to hear a familiar voice among them. One that had snapped him out of his bloodlust and saved him from assassination. If losing his mind to this curse meant being able to hear her, maybe it wasn't all so bad...
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Allard took up the rear with the ox and supply cart. Looking behind them every once in a while like a rear guard should. Lynn's steam carriage was just ahead of him and should Nailah want to ride on the bench of the cart there was a place there for her, with enough space for another rider if they wanted it. If Aste looked too tired along the journey, hey would have suggested that she can sleep in the back of the cart if she would like, though the trail may be a bit bumpy, it surely would have been better than riding.
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Shye, mostly kept to herself as she walked along with them. Nix would fly around, keeping an eye on things above, swooping down normally out of curiosity of something or when she became bored and wanted to be a bit playful, pouncing on Nyph occasionally if she could find him. Shye kept thinking about what Aeden had said to her at the inn, still upset that her emotions had got the best of her and making a careless advance on him. She glanced his direction for a moment. If Aeden was looking her way already or turned to her at this time, she would quickly try to look away and act as if she wasn't looking, her face probably a little flushed. He had told her he liked her, and for her that was something that she had never heard someone say to her. It made her heart flutter just thinking about it, but what could she do about it? Was it safe to have a relationship now anyway, with everything that was going on in the world? She had been desired by men before, but they were usually assassination targets where she used her body to lure them to their death. Here, there was something that felt
real. and Shye wasn't honestly sure what to do in this situation. These thoughts ran through her mind most the trip, though she did her best to hide it and look natural.
As the group traveled, Aeden walked among the group maintaining vigilance at all times. His habit of being alert for any signs of danger was in full gear. As a field medic he had to be aware of any attempts to remove him from the battlefield. While most operations were done in stealth there were a few times where they became heated skirmishes. In those instances there were several attempts to target Aeden first as soon as it became evident he was the medic.
Aeden spent far more time focused on the surrounding environment than the group itself. Occasionally, his eyes stopped on a few individuals before shifting back to their surroundings. The blood magic from Dremmick caught his eyes every single time he made his brief check of the group. What the hell was it the required him constantly using that vile magic? Aeden could only think of a few reasons, but he imagined asking would get him nowhere near an answer.
The few times he glanced over to Shye he could have sworn she was looking at him moments before. He wondered why he felt attracted towards he at all. The only affection he had received was forced upon him by the Therosi that used him to breed. He wondered sometimes just how many of the children in the orphanage were actually sired by him. Before today any thoughts about affection would get an immediate reaction of hatred and disgust. However, if it was her… he was fine with it. Hell, he was amazed he let the kiss earlier happen. He was curious enough about his own feelings that he wanted to proceed ahead. Even so, he still had to request her to work for the Aion as payment for when the collar is broken.
Nyph soared in a glide high above the group, something he started as soon as the group started traveling. He was far enough up that from the ground he might look like a bird of prey on the prowl. He actually preferred this type of scouting to the low to the ground type he had done often before. Gliding was so much more relaxing and energy efficient than camouflaging and flitting around on the ground. Doing the latter long enough wore him out. This… this was nice. He could keep a good eye on most movements on the ground while enjoying the feel of the open air around him.
After they left Pearl, Tali took up near the back of the group, playing her lute as they traveled, keeping it just loud enough to carry to the front of the group. Her fingers deftly played the strings, never missing a beat even if she had to sidestep or crouch. She seemed absolutely comfortable and poised to play even under the most extreme circumstances.
Her servitor followed beside her, silent as a ghost for the most part. Only a few crunches of its feet on the ground signalled its existence. It looked over to Allard, or rather up to him somewhat. "Excuse me, Master Allard, but are you aware of the needs for that egg? If not, I am sure we can determine it and I will be happy to care for it in the meantime if you desire. I may be my mistress's first, but she expects me to serve and assist any that are allies as well."
Tali saw and heard her servitor interacting with Allard. While she did agree that she expected it to be helpful, its actions seemed to hint at a bit more than just following her orders. It seemed keen on wanting to care for that egg. She did not understand why he was so gung ho about it, but she let it slide. If it had more personality developing, she would welcome it.
Itzel, meanwhile, flew in the sky above the group, leaving a constant large shadow of Gaston near the front of the pack. She had her bow out, arrow nocked and ready. Itzel kept an eye out for any odd movement around the group, sometimes swooping down into the trees to investigate anything potentially dangerous. Gaston, for his part, let Itzel do the recon. He focused upon flying properly and having fun at feeling the wind through his fur and feathers. The position and make of his feathers made him fly very much like an owl, nearly perfectly silent. Even his flaps barely made a noise.
After a few words of farewell and thanks from the locals, they were finally ready to leave. Unexpectedly, talking to the crowd wasn't as
bad as Nailah thought it would be. The teenagers that came to confess to her were absolutely adorable, getting all flustered when trying to talk with her. Overall, it was a surprisingly refreshing experience.
That said, both the locals and themselves knew they had to go. After all, time wasn't something that was on their side given the circumstances of their mission. Much to her surprise, Galland also had some words for her after he finished talking with Allard.
"Don't worry, I'll make sure this muscle head won't get in too much trouble~" Nailah said, winking to Galland with a smile.
Unlike others, who had their own horses or carriages, Nailah's plan was to follow them by foot. It wouldn't be a problem for her to keep up with their horses and carriages, after all, her stamina wasn't something to be overlooked. Luckily enough, Allard had a vacant seat on the supply cart he was driving. The view coupled with Tali's beautiful music surely were creating the perfect atmosphere for one to relax and think about nothing but appreciating the moment.
Unexpectedly, Tali's servitor came to Allard, seemingly worried about the egg he had just received.
"Hmm~ That's right... They do require quite a bit of attention and care to hatch... I wouldn't mind helping you with it too." she said, with a kind smile towards Allard.
Before Allard could say anything though, she heard Lynn's adorable voice calling her. She seemed to be surprisingly worried and embarrassed though, clearly indicating she wanted to talk with her alone.
"Oh my~ She's so adorable when she's embarrassed!" Nailah said, turning to Allard, with a kind smile on her face. Much like when she was speaking about the egg with Allard, for Nailah, Lynn was more of a little sister she wanted to teach and protect than someone whom Nailah would play tricks and tease like she did with others. It was surely amusing to see that 'motherly' side of her.
"I'll be already back, it's hard to ignore someone as adorable as her, isn't it?" Nailah said, with a chuckle as she stood up on the bench just next Allard. With light and agile steps, she dashed forwards, gently stepping on the ox's back before she jumped to Lynn's steam carriage which was a few meters ahead of them. Despite the amount of momentum and speed Nailah used to jump, her steps were so light that the Ox didn't seem to even realize someone had stepped on it's back.
"What is it, my sweetie? Is everything ok?" Nailah asked as she got down from the Steam carriage's roof, hanging on the door as she looked to Lynn, inside it.
Slouching against the back of the brown gelding. Aste Aril Ellisande trotted her white horse along the wagon trails. Despite on how tempting the offer of sleep in one of those carriages, she felt that now that is a less appropriate time to doze off. Also she is also much well rested at the short nap from the baths.
It just a short trip to the river. Aste thought.
Her pet bird Valavin was put into the ivory cage. She doesn’t want to convey any messages for anybody so far. And just in case there is any other predator that wants to have a bite at him. Her pair of blue eyes gleamed slightly towards the back. She wasn’t sure on whose pet was that, looks to her that it would be Lynn’s. It doesn’t’ resemble Tali or Shye in any ways.
The roads are as fickle as the nobility of the Kingdoms. She was away from her own hometown for a long long time, and even the whole charade of a parade has felt as distant as the reaches of the night. She’d wished to keep an eye on the long paths towards the river. But perhaps she would just check on how are things in the inside. Not that she wanted to take a good long rest until the end of the trip. Putting away her stray thoughts, Aste made her way into one of the supply carts.
Just a short rest would do, all she needed is just a quick short one for her own purposes. “Zzzzzz…” Aste let out loud snores from the inside of the ox cart.
When Nailh came to the cart, she seemed to stop at the door. Lynn waved her in, still red in the face, embarrassed for the conversation she would start, but it was one she felt she needed to have. As the door to the carriage closed behind Nailah, Lynn just sat there for a moment, pushing her fingers together in uncertainty.
"I ....I wanted to ask you something. But n-now that you are here, I'm, uh... not so sure." she admitted sheepishly. She sat on the cushioned bench with crossed legs, her tail wrapped around her a bit and her ears were down as she thought.
"Would you....uh....In what way could....no, that's not right....If you were trying to, uh... uhg..," she groaned as she couldn't find the words to say as she balled her fists for a moment and then let them go with a sigh. She looked to Nailah now, meting her eye to eye, her ears perking back up a bit.
"What I'm trying to ask is...How do you know....when you...uh..like...someone. Or if they really do like you back? Or... if they are just playing a game...." she asked, her ears drooping back again at the end. She looked nervous, and was quite flushed about having to be so forward, but she needed to know!
--
Nailah quickly got in as Lynn opened the door to her. Despite how adorable Lynn were when she was embarrassed, it was obvious that whatever it was that she wanted to talk to, it was a delicate matter for her.
Sitting besides her with a kind smile, Nailah waited for her to gather enough courage to talk.
"It's ok my sweetie, you know you can talk with me about anything." Nailah said, with a smooth, kind and motherly tone.
When she finally started talking, Nailah couldn't help but to giggle at how adorable she was when struggling to find the words she wanted. After a brief moment, she finally was able to say what she wanted. When she heard what Lynn had to say though, she couldn't help but contort her mouth in an annoyed smirk.
"Tali... I'm surely going to have a serious talk with her..." Nailah said, sighing heavily as she nodded her head in disapproval. It was clear that Nailah wasn't annoyed or mad with Lynn though.
"Love is a... complicated thing. It always was and it will always be, my dear. Everyone has a... different way of loving and of showing said love to others. It's safe to say that it's much more complicated than any kind of ancient magic or martial art!" Nailah said, with a giggle as she gently caressed Lynn's hair, trying to calm the flustered lassa down.
"Your questions are not simple to answer though. Regarding knowing if you really like someone, only yourself can answer this question. What do you feel when thinking about that person? Do you feel... attracted? By their beauty and body or do you feel attracted by them as a person? By their personality? There are many ways to love, but every single one of them is pure and beautiful. You can love someone as a dear friend, as family or just like a mother would love their child. There is also more fleeting types of love, like desire, lust and physical attraction. That said, none of them is 'wrong' or 'worse' than the other. Love in general is a beautiful thing. Even desire and lust, they aren't 'unnatural' or 'sinful' as some religions teach. Every type of love is beautiful in it's own way." Nailah said, calmly explaining Lynn about love.
"Your own feelings are yours only. Only you can say exactly what they are. That said, there is no better way of knowing yourself and your own feelings than reflecting about them or... by experimenting!" Nailah said, with a kind smile and a giggle.
[color=C86050]"I love you, Lynn."[.color] Nailah said, leaning forward and giving her a gentle smooch on the forehead.
"You are my little sister. I want to protect you, teach you about things that you don't know about and see you happy. Don't you think it's also a form of love?" she asked, looking to Lynn.
"Tali can be as... 'mischievous' as I am, but the best way to know what she really feels about you is asking. Be honest, ask her what she really feels about you, tell her how you are feeling about all this, even if you aren't really certain about it yourself." Nailah finished.
--
Lynn shifted uncomfortably for a moment as she listened to Nailah, her tail lifting an inch or two just to thump back down against the seat a couple times as she thought about her questions. When she was asked how she felt, she shook her head.
"I...I'm honestly not sure, and we just met, though you and I just met as well and we became good friends quickly too. It's something I don't think I've really felt before, though, I've never had any relationships so that could be why.... I mean... She is pretty, and she seems like a really nice person, she helped Shye calm down when we were in the baths. And she helped this morning when I didn't feel well. Before I left Tearia, I hadn't seen anyone as a possible love interest. I always thought I might find some guy that would just show up back at the infirmary, but that really doesn't work when most the people who show up are in need of medical help." she said with a slight grin.
"I guess...If I were to say how I feel...I-I could say I'm willing to...try a relationship...I think." When Nailah started to stroke her hair, she did find that it calmed her nervesa bit, and she leaned her head on Nailah's arm, too short to reach her shoulder.
When Nailah said she loved her like a little sister she smiled,
"I love you too, I always wondered what having a big sister would be like." her smile faded a bit at Nailah mentioning talking to Tali about it.
"I...I suppose you are right. I'm just... a bit nervous i think." she admitted, though it was most likely obvious by this point.
--
Nailah smiled kindly as she heard Lynn's words. It was understandable for her to still be confused about things like that. She was extremely naïve and pure after all. Regarding love, experience was something Lynn certainly didn't have.
"It's ok, Lynn. It's normal for you to be confused about such things. Tali is a good person. She is mischievous, just as I am, but she is a good person. Thing is... I don't know if she understands that she is making you feel confused. She might be just playing and teasing you." Nailah said, with a calm and soothing voice.
"Love is indeed a beautiful thing, but it can sometimes hurt when you are rejected... Even though, it's important for you to not be afraid to continue forward and try to find your own form to love. Little by little you will learn how to deal with a possible broken heart, disappointments in love & etc." she continued, being as delicate as possible.
"Everyone has it's own way of loving. For example, we on the Temple of the Fallen Goddess believe that love is something to be shared and enjoyed. We are not the type of women to devote ourselves to a single man or woman that easily. The important thing is for you to find your own way of loving others." Nailah finished.
"Anyways, you don't need to be anxious, nervous or anything. What you are passing through, what you are feeling right now is completely normal. If you ever feel uncertain about something, anxious or need someone to talk about those things, I will always have time for you." she said, gently hugging her.
--
Lynn nodded with what Nailah was saying, her eyes wide like a child absorbing important information from their parents. She returned the hug when Nailah embraced her sighing when she let go as if a bit of worry had been lifted from her shoulders.
"Thank you, Nailah. That really helped." she said with a little smile.
"Alright then, I guess I will ask her how she feels about me when we reach the river. It....gives me a while to think a bit about it." She seemed to b sitting a little straighter, her confidence boosted a little, but she still shuffled around a bit uncomfortably.
Algimar remained near the back of some of the group. Though he had no reason other than the fact he was walking on his own two feet. He humbly observed their surroundings. With a calmness as if he was enjoying the scenery. He looked up at the flying members of the group. It was mostly the new entrant into the alliance who soared the airs. A proper Gaian who knew flight and its advantages. He sighed. Things seemed to be moving fairly calmly. Though the pace was slower than usual, the hills made going up and down a priority, a straight flat ground was seldom stepped on. Which was likely why there were very little trees nearby. He walked behind the steam carriage and listened to his new comrades conversations. He himself wore a dark brown cloak, hood lowered but half of his face was covered. The same cloak he mysteriously walked into Pearl with, one that appeared and vanished according to his wishes. The sun was high, bright, and glaring. The winds offset the heat, as was the norm for Gaia. But he had a nagging thought that Fotia would be blazing right now, and closer to it, according to the map, they headed.
Garrett upon departure of Pearl atop Acrid would take point as the pathfinder of the team. At the forefront of the ground-bound members, keeping a good pace for all those who followed him. His eyes wandered the entire scope of his field of view from atop his steed, an alliance of such notoriety required as many watchful eyes from within as possible at any given moment, especially during travel, there was no room for mistake or discourse due to complacency.
He shut his eyes for a moment with a sigh, Lynn was correct in her assumption that he was tired, for reasons that were and were not tied to physical exhaustion. He didn't feel this way when he was manipulating, consuming, and absorbing the blood of a powerful beast. At least, that is what something inside of him is telling himself, regardless of a curse or not, all minds have a darker voice that guides them against rational compunction, especially in his case of violent megalomania where applicable.
He opened his eyes looked around at the team above and behind him, though they may have difficulty accepting his perspective and outlook on things, what proves respect is following religiously what you wish to establish. Were he to harm any of them, he must follow the rules and accept either his own death or imprisonment, were he to be an unstoppable force of mindless bloodlust, he would lose all respectability, integrity, and above all, his natural life. Conviction is was wins in the long run. The time within that span will allow him to harness and control more power than he has now, rather than overwhelm him.
He looked back at the path he would be leading them on. A perfect route for them. Ample time to speak to one another and figure realities out. What Garrett needed to do at the moment was figure out how to ignore the itch to consume, and act frankly and positively to the entirety of the team. Even the ones who aren't
in the team officially.
ButtsnBalls