FVN 5-40 Aerysians
5-40 Aerysians
5-40 Aerysians
Erin and her companions decided to make camp on a hill overlooking the lands around them as dusk approached. As the carriage’s operation was fuelled by Erin and Lilian’s efforts, it was impossible for them to travel any further even if they wished to do so. Not to mention, Erin barely had any time to rest. It was one problem after another.
They had covered plenty of distance but the destruction of the soldiers’ encampment could still be seen clearly from far away. Ropes of smoke trailing into the clouds. Though the undead dragon was no longer in sight nor could its cries be heard, Erin wasn’t at ease.
And so, with such a worry in her heart, Erin sat a little bit away from the camp. She positioned herself by the edges of the overlook. Though everyone tried to convince to get some rest, she didn’t budge. She convinced them to let her be as she could rest and also stay vigilant at the same time.
She sat on her knees near the edges, assuming her meditative position. Her hands placed on her lap. Her back straightened. Her eyes closed. Her seven tails fluttered and swayed to the gentle breeze of the descending night.
As Erin was gradually plunging into her dormant state, the approaching sweet and lovely scent brought her consciousness back to the waking world.
“Lyra.”
“Erin.”
It was a brief exchange but no more words were needed. Lyra sat herself down right beside Erin and rested her head on the Fox-kin’s shoulder.
“You know, the dragon wouldn’t just appear out of nowhere. I’m sure you and Aedan would sense it coming if it’s even coming at all. So, just join us at the fire, Erin.”
“There’s no detriment in being too careful, Lyra.”
“I don’t think you’re being ‘too careful’ here. I say you’re being paranoid.”
“The undead dragon wouldn’t just appear out of nowhere but it had slipped my senses until it was upon us. I didn’t sense its presence back at the encampment until it was right above us. And it’s not just the undead dragon I’m worried about.”
“Aedan’s here, alright? The two of you are pretty much invincible together.”
Erin looked at Lyra, smiling wryly and warmly. “Since when did you start thinking of him so highly?”
“He was always the one pulling you out of predicaments. And... before I knew it, I was constantly looking towards him whenever we were in a bind. He’s... reliable.”
“Do you like him?” Erin asked.
Lyra was taken aback by the question but only for a second. “I... I don’t hate him.”
“If you wish to fuck him, you have my permission, Lyra.”
“That is not what I’m trying to say here!” Lyra responded in a panic.
Erin tittered. “I know. I know. I’m just messing with you, Lyra.”
“How mean,” Lyra scoffed, but in a frivolous manner.
“But I meant what I said, Lyra.”
“Huh?”
“I considered both of you to be mine,” Erin smirked. “So, I don’t mind if you wish to... have a taste of him.”
Lyra frowned lightly. “Do you perhaps have a penchant for—”
Erin stopped Lyra from completing her sentence with a glare. “Don’t misunderstand here. I will not tolerate it if either of you lay with someone outside of my... harem.”
“I know.” It was Lyra's turn to smirk. “I’m just teasing you.”
“Tasteless,” Erin grumbled.
Lyra tittered and then they shared a kiss. It was light at first but they then deepened the embrace of their lips and tongues.
“Wait.” Erin stopped the kiss and split their wet and passionate embrace.
“What?”
“Not here. Not now.”
“Then, when?”
“...After supper, mayhaps.”
“Supper’s already waiting for us at the fire.”
Erin raised an eyebrow. “And you’re telling me now?”
“Well...” Lyra chuckled awkwardly. “I kinda forgot about it when I saw you. I was supposed to tell you that but... I lost myself to my desires... Sorry.”
“Maybe it’s a more recent one with the soldiers.”
“Hmm, now that I think back to it, the dragon was only targeting the fancy-looking tents,” Lilian mused.
“Perhaps one of those seconds wronged the Aerysians greatly,” Amyra muttered another guess. “Not the first time those noble brats pissed off a particular group.”
“Whatever the real reason is, we can consider the change a blessing,” Erin said. “At the very least, we won’t have to be so vigilant of the Aerysians for the time being.”
“The closer we get to the capital, the less we need to worry about the zealots,” Aedan pointed out.
“It’s done,” said Siv as she stopped rolling the spit.
The boar was larger than a child but smaller than an adult. It was more than enough for the group. Plus, the three Fae needed only little sustenance and Nivia was against eating meat. The three Fae made do with fruits they plucked from nearby trees.
It was decided that Amyra would take half of the boar while the other half would be spread evenly between Aedan, Siv, Lyra, and Aera.
Amyra was the one who divided the boar into the appropriate portions. She flipped the boar off the firepit and sliced it up in the air. Then she caught all the pieces of meat with her large blade. It was a trivial but magnificent display of her dexterity. Everyone was in awe except for Nivia.
“You shouldn’t play with your food,” the Elf said disapprovingly.
“I didn’t think there would come a time when an Elf is envious of an Augur.”
Nivia glared. “I was not envious of you.”
“How much further before we reach the capital?” Erin cut in before the two’s petty squabble could escalate into a physical quarrel.
“Five days,” Siv answered. “If the winds are favourable. If we make haste, we can reach the capital in three days.”
“Considering our luck so far, I say it would take a week more,” Lyra said.
“Are there any towns or villages in between?” Erin continued her inquiry, ignoring Lyra’s gloomy mutterings.
“There’s a small town governed by a lowly lord and quite a few nameless villages along the path. We won’t be alone for the rest of the journey if that is your concern, Mistress.”
“What’s there to be concerned about?” Lyra asked.
“Collateral,” Erin answered.
“We will be mostly crossing paths with other adventurers as there’s a labyrinth near the capital. You have nothing to worry about, Mistress.”
Erin fell silent for a short while before bringing up another question. “What of the Covenant?”
“They are being indolent for now,” answered Aedan. “If there’s any news, Olivia will let us know.”
“And how long do you think they will be inactive?”
“A year at least. They have suffered a significant loss and a lot of their spies have been uprooted. If they wish to continue their operations, they would avoid catching attention for the time being.”
“Make sense,” Erin mused in agreement. As she was about to put a slice of fruit into her mouth, the area around her chest shook.
The amusing sight caught the attention of everyone around the fire.
Before Erin could figure out what was going on, a cube popped out of her breast pocket, the cube which housed the cat-like Kirin. It nearly fell into the fire but Erin caught the cube just in time.
“Whoa, easy there, little one.”
The Kirin ignored Erin’s words and continued ramming into the sides of the cube.
“It’s trying to get out,” Nivia observed.
“It’s hungry,” Siv said. “It wants to eat the fruit in your hand, Mistress.”
Erin looked towards Aedan. “How do you unlock this thing?”
Aedan frowned. “Are you sure?”
“We can’t exactly just starve this adorable creature now, could we?”
Aedan sighed. “I supposed not,” he said and snapped his fingers.
The moment the cube came undone, the Kirin shot towards the fruit in Erin’s hand. Though the fruit slice was as large as the Kirin itself, it swallowed the fruit whole in a single gulp.
Everyone stared at the Kirin in awe.
“Okay... this is new,” Aedan muttered amidst the silent and awed crowd.