Hopelessly Devoted ~ Garroth x F!Reader

Ch 31: Hatching A Plan

"We still don't know where Nicole is," Lord Aphmau whispered exasperatedly.

You'd never heard about this Nicole figure before, but still, dwelling on the people who hadn't escaped in time only filled you with an empty sadness for those you would never have the opportunity to meet. The probability that the demon priest had gotten to this missing girl was high.

"We'll head to Scaleswind to tell her dad . . . Right after we finish sheltering the villagers that made it out. We need to focus on our guaranteed survivors," Lord Aphmau winced from a sense of betrayal towards her friend. "It sounds terrible, but considering our conditions, we don't have the time or the people to look for her. Her dad is the Lord of Scaleswind; he should be able to send out a search party. For now, we'll head to our closest ally to Phoenix Drop: Metelli." Being lord meant making hard decisions without exemption from consequence.

"How will the Lord of Scaleswind react to his daughter going missing again? Especially after he trusted her safety in Phoenix Drop?" Dante asked.

"Scaleswind is an ally. Hopefully they can trust it wasn't our fault. She could be safe for all we know." Lord Aphmau ran her hand through her hair stressfully and held it there.

"It's definitely possible," Garroth agreed. "The guards scouted the village for stragglers on the way out. No one spotted her or—god forbid—any remains. Besides, she's plenty capable on her own. For now, we'll keep Nicole's absence under wraps. What do you think?"

"Let's do that." Lord Aphmau nodded hesitantly, unsure of her choice. Then stepped up onto a log, her voice traveling through the crowd. "Our next hope is Metelli. We can seek shelter there."

No one voiced any contradicting opinions, so the Lord continued.

"Garroth, Dante, Laurance, and I will all lead our own groups. We aren't separating from each other—it's just a convenient way to keep everyone accounted for. Stand side by side so that we can get you all sorted up."

The villagers lined up obediently, shoulder to shoulder; with the exception of the younger kids, who had trouble grasping the concept. Lord Aphmau spoke up again. "Alexis, Levin, and Malachi. You guys will be in my group, along with Molly, and Dale."

Garroth stepped forwards. "Katelyn, Cadenza, Brendan, ____, and Aaron. You'll all be in my group."

Dante grabbed the crowd's attention by joining Lord Aphmau on the petrified log. "Kawaii~Chan, Donna, Logan, Yip . . . "

You zoned out after hearing your own name, approaching your assigned travel group. Garroth counted who he was responsible for. "Katelyn, Brendan, ____, Aaron, and Cadenza. That's everyone."

You turned around to check on Laurance, who was listing off the villagers that would be in his group. "Brian, Corey, Emma, Kyle . . ."

Thinking of Laurance reminded you of his sister's deeds. "Cadenza," you turned to your fellow group member. "I'm so glad you're okay. Weren't you headed to Metelli already?"

"I'd just left, so I was among the first to arrive in the safe-spot. I thank my lucky stars I was outside of the village when it. . . struck. I fear for those who were less fortunate." Her eyes fell downcast, her firey yellow-tipped bangs swooping as she shook her head.

Your mind jumped to the Nicole girl. She was the daughter of a high ranking lord?

"D'oh," Cadenza's eyes welled, shaking with crystal tears. "Your new pajamas are ripped all over. I . . . If I just had my sewing machine, I could . . . " She took a deep breath, busting open the seam on her dress sleeve. "I could try to use pine needles to cover that hole on your side, but . . . It's useless without thread. Well, now we both have a few rips, don't we?" She smiled weakly.

You fell to her side and pulled her close, right as Garroth began giving out directions to the group.

Your Lord's voice spoke above the crowd. "Group Leaders! We're getting ready to head to Metelli. Keep your parties under control, and let's head out!"