De-Bugging Another World

VOL.4 Chapter 14, Departure.

With the bells tolling above them, Kanrish and his family, now including the dryad Alcea, stood at the gate of the foothold town Holbeck.

While Kanrish and the rest had no-one to say goodbye to, Aelanna stood in Pharana's embrace.

Both of them shed tears at the departure, but Aelanna, for the first time, decided to kiss Pharana in front of others.

"I'll miss you, Aela Dear. Please come by soon. I'll be waiting for you." Pharana spoke after their lips separated.

"I'll miss you too." Aelanna replied and rested her forehead against Pharana's.

The two stalled their departure rather long, unintentionally.

It seemed Pharana was rather bad with goodbyes, even if she knew she could contact Aelanna at any time, unlike most in Liria.

She was the only person with anything resembling the function of a modern day cellphone, but still she took the departure of her lover poorly after having a month where they could be together any moment the two wished.

"Aelanna, you ready?" Kanrish called out as Alcea sat in the carriage a little nervously.

"We need to leave before we are forced to rent out an entire inn for our group because it's too late to travel." Lyya called as well and Aelanna gave her wife a final, brief kiss.

"I'm sorry, I need to go. I love you." She whispered and gave Pharana one final hug before the two parted ways.

At Aelanna's step back, the Royal Guard stepped up and encircled Pharana.

With a regretful look in her eyes, Aelanna climbed aboard the carriage.

She was shortly followed by Kanrish and Lyya.

Ayame already sat ready in the driver's seat, reins for the two drakes they had in hand.

"Ready?" She asked and Kanrish gave her an affirmation.

"Well, then we're off." She chimed and whipped the two drakes into motion, leaving from the northern foothold town.

"I-is it r-really safe with those beasts?" Alcea asked worriedly.

It was the first time she had been up close with ground drakes.

She looked at them through the opening of the carriage's front with a mix of amazement and fear.

"It'll be fine, Sweetie, they are tamed, and we don't let them hunt." Emiko replied calmly and pulled Alcea closer.

"R-really... they seem vicious." She replied a little scared.

"They'll be fine, Onee and I often cleaned their feet, so they are used to our group. Don't worry Alcea-chan." Ayame replied cheerily.

It was once they had left Holbeck, that Aelanna clambered next to Ayame and instructed her to head west, in search of the main road that would lead them to the massive city that marked the middle of the forest.

"'Kay!" Ayame replied cheerfully and began to steer the carriage along the way with instructions from Aelanna.

When they set up camp after a long day of travel, immensely shortened by Aelanna's stalling with her wife, Ayame and Emiko began their cooking duties.

Alcea sat with Kanrish a little worriedly.

He could understand her nerves now.

She was a dryad, so as long as she remained in the tree from which she was born, she would not age and live indefinitely.