TBATE - Strings of Fate

17 - Finally, Rest

--TESSIA--

After a relatively sleepless night, we packed up and traveled down the same path we used to arrive. During our journey, Arthur approached me while neither of us were on watch.

"Hey Tessia, ready to have that conversation now?"

I remembered that he wanted to talk yesterday, but I blew him off due to my headache.

"Oh, yeah, sorry. What did you want to talk about?"

"Well, firstly, I just wanted to apologize again for how I treated you at the beginning of the trip. Obviously, I was wrong."

I smiled and nodded. Since he was being uncharacteristically sincere, might as well reciprocate. "It's alright. I was upset about it at the beginning, but I've already forgiven you a while ago."

"I'm glad." He sighed in relief, and we walked for a while in a comfortable silence. Until he ruined it.

"Now that I've said that:" He grinned and called out in used a voice that sounded suspiciously like mine, "Art, watch out!"

I frowned, knowing I was being teased. I had used his nickname accidentally during our fight with the queen snarler half because it was faster to say, and half because I was so used to everyone else saying it.

"Seriously, I knew a comfortable moment with you was too good to be true. Everyone else calls you that, and it slipped out in the heat of the moment."

"I just think that, since you're so comfortable calling me by my nickname, I should be able to call you yours. Let's see, what's a good one..."

Please not 'Tess'. Please don't let this guy ruin...

"I'll go with 'Tess'!"

Dammit. I sighed, knowing that trying to get him to stop calling me 'Tess' would only motivate him to do it more.

The next night, we all slept soundly, and after that our 'cavelag' was gone. We traveled in peace the rest of the way back.

Before we reached the teleporter, I called out to Sylvie in my mind, and a while later she came shooting out of the underbrush behind us. This whole time, she had been busy fighting monsters and eating their cores and getting stronger. It wasn't as easy as receiving the cores as gifts, but we couldn't rely on that forever.

Angela perked up as Sylvie approached but deflated as she ran past her and climbed up my clothes to reach her perch. I felt kind of bad for her, so I moved closer to let her pet Sylvie, who had curled up on my shoulders.

Eventually, we made it to the teleporter, and teleported into Xyrus City. Helen shielded her eyes from the sun after stepping out of the teleporter, reacting to the bright noon sun.

"Alright everyone! Time to get paid!"

We all showed our agreement, Adam and Arthur loudly cheering while the rest of us smiled and nodded. The reward wouldn't be much, but no one hates payday. We rushed to the Guild Hall, collected the reward, and split it according to our agreement.

Afterwards, the Twin Horns took Arthur back to his family and I hired a carriage driver to take me back to Xyrus Academy. We agreed to meet again after 3 days to head out again. Before leaving, Arthur turned around and waved.

"Bye, Tess~"

I gave a frustrated laugh. I was fine with the fact that that he used my nickname, I was just exasperated at how he decided to start using nicknames all by himself.

Whatever.

"Bye, Art. See you in a few days."

Sylvie let out a 'kyuu' sound that sounded suspiciously like a goodbye to everyone present. They didn't know she was highly intelligent, so they just assumed she was mimicking me, I guess.