A Single Ray of Light in a Sea of Darkness

Fortunes, Karma, and Departures

Rushing out of the inn, Eric hurried over to where the crowd was. He hoped the run would wake him up some, since he felt somewhat lethargic from the night before. If it weren't for the commotion outside, he'd still be asleep.

His exhaustion from yesterday caused him to oversleep; once he realized how late it was, a surge of panic wound him up into a frenzy. As he hastily ran around the room to prepare for the trip back home, he caught bits and pieces of shouts from his window. Then he heard a yell of someone saying they spotted the Vlixeox at the forest's entrance, which made him drop everything and run out.

The place was just teeming with people when he arrived. If what he heard was true, then she had to be past this crowd. Although he didn't know how she'd fare in a large group of people, it couldn't be well regardless. She had to know coming out of the forest was a big risk, considering everyone's attitudes towards her. After stubbornly pushing past some people, his suspicions were confirmed.

Ven stood at the border, with her eyes squeezed shut and her mouth a grimace. She appeared to be hugging her glaive as she kept the cloak wrapped around her body close in a tight grip. With so many voices coming at her from all directions, it was a miracle how she hadn't broken down yet. The way her body shook differed from her usual stoicism so much, it may as well have been a completely different person.

Deciding enough was enough, he got in front of her and said, "She's with me."

Thankfully, they seemed to have gotten the message and went on their way. As he let out an annoyed sigh, he wondered why they always grouped up and swarmed someone as if they were a bunch of hungry bloodhounds. It's like they're desperate for something exciting to happen to liven up their dull lives, he thought.

Turning around to face her, he could already see a change in demeanor. She had relaxed considerably as she buried her face in her cloak. He softly smiled at her, relieved to see her okay.

"Have you decided?" he asked. He knew she wouldn't have come out of her comfort zone if she hadn't.

She didn't reply, almost hesitating to give him an answer. In a calm and soothing tone, he said, "Just take your time."

"I want... to go with you," she answered, a hand on her chest.

"Are you sure? You don't have to come with me if you don't want to."

"I'm sure. If you really want me to go with you, then... I'll go."

Although he didn't show it, he felt relieved. He was so worried over what he had to do if she decided not to come with him but he didn't need to be anymore. Happiness came as well, because it meant she'd have a second chance at life now. The abuse would stop after today and she could finally be happy.

Remembering the time, he tells her, "I just need to get something from my room at the inn, meet with Lianthorne, and then we can board the boat to Aurora Zenith, all right?" and begins to walk away.

"Ah---" she called out as he felt a tug at his wrist.

Turning her face away, he saw her hand holding onto his sleeve. Although it took him a minute or so to understand what she was doing, he eventually took hold of her hand. It was to give her support and for her not to get lost following him.

"This is so--" he pulled the hood up to conceal her face-- "we can avoid another disaster like earlier."

While holding her hand, he led her through the town. He took it slow so as to not rush her, though she was proving to be quite capable of keeping up with him. Despite the large amount of people staring at them, he kept looking forward, not paying them any heed.