Journey to a Better End (An Add x Ara Story)

Chapter 20

I was looking back at the ElWiki for a bit of info when I saw that they'd gotten rid of the information about the Xin Empire where Ara and Ran come from. That info is lost to everyone else though cause I downloaded that page long ago!
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       "Add, are we going the right way?" Ara asked him. "Yeah, we're going the right way but we'll have to leave this Ice Hameling somewhere in the Senace kingdom. The poor thing wouldn't be able to survive the hot desert," Add said as he let the icey dragon rest a bit. He'd turned her on the right course after he'd considered them a good distance away from Hamel. Once they got to the desert, he'd easily be able to guide them all the way back home from there.

       It would be a perilous journey for them but as long as they stocked up on supplies they'd be fine. They had been traveling for a full day now, having made two stops so far so that they could eat. The small amount of nonperishable food in Ara's bag wouldn't last them much longer. It was still very cold since the winter season was nowhere near over but the Ice Hameling gave them the neat ability to be unaffected by it as long as they were near the icey dragon. Add's random thoughts were interrupted when he felt Ara's arms begin to slip from around his waist.

        He took hold of one of Ara's hands while still holding on to the reigns of the Ice Hameling. "Don't fall asleep. We're almost to a point where we can stop," Add said. Ara gave a sigh of protest. "But I'm tired. Can't we take a break now? We've been flying for hours," Ara whined. Since they'd technically left Hamel in the cover of the night, they'd gotten no sleep and it was already starting to become nighttime once again. Add was used to not getting sleep at times so it didn't bother him but he'd forgotten that Ara was on a strick routine back in the village. She got plenty of sleep all of the time but if she were to go to sleep now, she'd fall.

        "I guess we can take a break now," Add said as he began to guide the Ice Hameling down for a landing. He first checked to see if there was anyone in the surrounding area before landing and there wasn't so he considered it safe. The area was a little unfamiliar being that it was on the very outskirts of the Senace kingdom but Add found a decent spot among the edge of a thin forest. They were getting closer to the desert and Add could tell because the amount of plants were decreasing the further they got.

       Isshin was almost like an oasis though, with plenty of trees of varying types and lots of bamboo. Once they landed, Ara was the first to get off. "Ara, wait, you're supposed to still check to make sure no one is nearby," Add hissed in a whisper that he knew Ara could still hear. "Eun didn't sense anything so it's fine," Ara said with a wave of her hand as she looked around in the shrubs for a decent spot to lay. Add quickly got down from the Ice Hameling and followed after Ara as she went deeper into the thin forest. The Ice Hameling of course followed which Add didn't mind.

        "I at least need my dynamos," Add said once he'd caught up to Ara. She was still carry the bag on her back which she then took of and handed to Add with a slight laugh. When he'd first mentioned the name of his new weapon during their first stop, Ara had teased him for it, claiming that he really did like Dynamo. Add denied this although he knew it to be true and so Ara would laugh at him every time he said his weapon's name. Ara sat down nearby once she found what she considered a good spot. Add had retrieved his dynamos from the bag and had given the bag back to Ara so that she could take out the single blanket that Ryu Jin had so long ago packed in it.

         Ara had earlier offered that she should share the blanket with him but he'd denied her offer. "Don't stay up too long, okay. You still need to get some sleep or else I'll have to fly us and I'm sure you don't want that to happen," Ara said as she lay in the grass and threw the blanket over her. "Actually, I was thinking we'd walk from here. The Ice Hameling will be too close to the desert if we fly any further," Add said. "Then go ahead and release her. She'll want to fly off somehwere I'm sure," Ara said.