Aureate led half of the Allegiance through the plains of the Sunfall Kingdom. Morale was, unfortunately, at an all-time low. Astrophelle's existence didn't help, either.
"They don't seem to be very fond of him," Stuffy pointed out. Aureate blinked at her. They were on a lesser-known trail to Northreach. As per Astrophelle's discretion, she made sure to keep the Topaz deactivated. Both were precautions to not attract any unwanted attention. Tensions were high as they could be, with the others being wildly wary of the zombie traveling with them.
They traveled in a line of sorts, with Aureate and Stuffy at the front. Astrophelle was instructed to stay close to the Princess at all times, so he was next, with Flare and Oliver on either side. They weren't happy about it, though. Every two seconds, Oliver would take a jab at Flare, who couldn't help but barrage him with threats. What was Aureate thinking, putting Oliver in the same group as Flare? Even with Lorelei there to keep him in check, he was relentless.
If that weren't enough, Pea had volunteered to be at the tail end. Aureate suspected it was because he wanted to stay as far away from her as possible. He, rightfully, was still hurt about the whole lying thing. She would have to pull him aside eventually. Cybrus was with him, establishing the end of the line as the quietest part.
"It might be in our best interest to take a break," Gloria said from beside her. They had been walking for a straight four hours. In all honesty, Aureate found herself unable to blame Flare and Oliver for being so irritable.
"I agree with the queen," Stuffy said. The plush took it upon herself to carry the Gemstones. Pocketing it in Dimensional Storage was a no-go, as Pea couldn't store such powerful Cora-Touched objects. The same went for Astrophelle's umbrella, so Aureate held onto it.
"Gloria is fine, dearie. No need for formalities," the other responded with a light smile. "Everyone!" Aureate turned around, projecting her voice. They all stopped, listening intently. "We're going to take a break in the Wanderer's Woods up ahead. Take this time to recover as much as you can. Prepare to continue the voyage in an hour."
The Wanderer's Woods was one of the Sunfall Kingdom's landmarks. It was a ways away from the main paths of the kingdoms, hence the name. Aureate had only been there once or twice before, but she made it a constant to admire the way the sunlight flowed through the leaves, bright streams igniting every gap until it met the forest floor.
"Finally," Flare grumbled.
"Can't handle walking? I mean, I knew you were lazy, but.." Oliver sneered.
Flare snarled at him. "That's it!" She went to headbutt him, but Lorelei used Immoblize to prevent the accident from happening. Astrophelle quickly ducked away, planting himself beneath the tree. Aureate joined him with Stuffy trailing behind her. Gloria helped Lorelei to defuse the situation. Flare ended up stalking away. Nobody went after her.
"Why can't we all just get along?" Aureate groaned.
"An ambiguous question," Astrophelle commented. She looked at him.
Purple eyes were a sign of an Offensive Chorian, weren't they?
Within his scarf, the horned rabbit lay still. It was.. sleeping, it seemed. Aureate almost envied it. "What's your Core Ability?" she asked.
"Irrelevant."
Aureate frowned at him. There was no reason to dodge such a common inquiry, lest the target be attempting to hide something. "Ookay." She gestured to the sleeping bunny. "Can you tell me about the herbivore?"
"Her name is Estrella. She's a jackalope."
"What's a jackalope?"
"Feeling curious, aren't you?" There was a certain glint in his eyes. "A jackalope is a creature resembling both a rabbit and an antelope. They're rather peaceful, so there is no need to worry."
YOU ARE READING
Golden: The Collection
Fanfiction"Do you accept this humble burden?" Luz demanded. "The burden to protect those who cannot protect themselves?" The princess stood for a moment. Her senses were screaming at her to decline and go back to her normal life, but there was this voice. Thi...
