It has only been three days since we lost sight of the 'ghost' town, and we are already seeing signs of the Orcs being nearby. Akiva says he sees footprints heading north, northwest, and Jackson says he can smell their fires burning about thirteen hundred kilometers away. We are officially on the hunting list of the Orcs, at least that's what Essana says. She says that as soon as we come within ten thousand kilometers of their posts they already have a bounty on our heads, and I'm not to sure about that. Akiva and Jackson say just to believe her, but Arya thinks she's just trying to scare us to keep us from getting to close.
Soon, Akiva, Essana, and Jackson are staying close, keeping together to make the group stronger so if we are ambushed we won't be caught off guard, and separated from each other. Akiva gets tense and gets closer to while Jackson takes Arya's hand in his to make sure she doesn't get snatched away from him. Essana gets in front of us all, and pulls out her magic from her little pouch. Then suddenly, Orcs seem jump straight out of thin air, but I know what magic this is. So does everyone else, and they were prepared for it. Essana takes her magic and starts throwing fireballs at each Orc that tries to grab her, while Akiva is lashing down on anything that gets too close to me. Jackson and Arya are each fighting their own Orcs, while poor little me has no one to fight. I get tired of being protected, and jump in front of Akiva blowing orange fire into one of the orcs faces. The head of that Orc was cooked to a crisp, after that I Grab another Orc and freeze his legs with my ice breathe, and break them off with my tail. I look back to see Akiva looking at me in surprise, and then go back to fighting the other Orcs coming out of the alternate dimension. Once the Orcs overwhelm us, Akiva grabs everyone together in his dragon form, and uses a transportation jem to take us somewhere else but here.
As Akiva drops everyone in our new location, he transforms back into his human form, and waits for everyone to either say nothing, yell, or thank him. "Why did you use that jem ? I told you not to use unless I give you permission to." Essana says as he checks me for anything that looks like an injury. "Because we were almost killed by those savages, and I didn't want us to die before our time." Essana rolls her eyes, and continues her rant. "But I had them, if you just had given me two more seconds I would have had them all dead before our feet." Akiva rolls his eyes at her, and begins again to prove her wrong. "Essana, you didn't have them, they had us. If I had waited any longer we would be dead right now, and this whole mission for nothing. Why don't you just be thankful that no one got hurt ? Karou could have gotten seriously injured, and what have you done then, huh ? What would you have done if anyone had gotten injured during that fight ?"
Essana looks at everyone, then gets an apologetic expression on her face. "I- I'm sorry. I shouldn't have thought that way, I should have thought for the wellbeing of the team, not what my abilities can do. I just wanted to stop running away, I'm tired of surrendering. I wanted to win in a fight, to prove that I'm good enough to be by you all's side in battle, but it seems I've only made the situation worse. If you want me to leave the group then-" "NO, that's not what I meant at all. I justed wanted to teach you something about teamwork, and the importance of the team working together to keep everyone safe, and alive. I knew from the very moment I met you that you had a lot to learn, so I took up the challenge of teaching you how to work as a team member, not as a lone warrior." Essana looks at Akiva in amazement, and blushes shyly in embarrassment. "I'm such an idiot, I thought that I wasn't good enough for you, and here you are telling me that I just have a lot to learn about being apart of a team. If I had just known that, then I wouldn't feel like I hold the team back. Thanks Akiva, I really needed to hear that."
Akiva nods his head, and continues to check me for any injuries. "Akiva, I'm fine. There's no need to worry about me, I have tough scales too ya know." I stand up to get away from him pestering me, and he follows annoyingly. "I'm not worrying, I'm checking, there's a difference." "Then tell me the difference please, because apparently I've never learned it. Checking me even when I say I'm fine means that you're worried I'm not fine, which is why you're still checking to make sure I don't suffer because you turned a blind eye simply because I said that I was fine. Am I wrong ?" Akiva blinks at me, and sits down to give me a little space, then I reach over and hug him tightly. "But I do love that you care." I whisper into his ear, and I feel him smile on my cheek as he hugs me back.
I look over to see Jackson and Arya talking by themselves, and we each hush down to hear what they're saying.
"That was a good move you pulled, it wasn't something I thought a princess could do." Arya giggles, and looks at him admirably. "And I didn't know nobles could kick ass as good as you did." They both giggle, and stand up to greet us smiling at them. "What ?" They say simultaneously. Akiva starts off with a question everyone was thinking, but not planning to say out loud. "Are you guys an item or what ? Cause this whole trip you two have been acting like a couple that has lasted for a good five years." Arya blinks weirdly, not expecting that question to pop out of anyone's mouth. Jackson, on the other hand, is looking shyly away trying to hide his deep blushing from view. "Where did that idea come from ? I mean, uh, well umm, I don't know how to answer that question." Jackson stands up and takes a shot at explaining. "Well funny enough that's how long we've known each other, and to answer your question; no we're not an item, but it does seem like it. Doesn't it, Princess ?" Arya looks at him, shocked at how he answered so calmly, and nods her head in agreement.
The next day, we planned to head out into Orc country again.
