17th of Cobre, 9:21am, 1659 (168 days before Starflower's trial)

It was an early morning for our party.

Once everyone had bathed and geared up, they all met outside by the shed. Lenoria patted Chestnut on the neck while Clara and Alistair spoke with Lewis and Allie.

"D'awww, did you miss us, Chestnut?"

Chestnut whinnied in response.

"I'm sorry to have kept you in that dark shed, buddy. You'll get to stretch your legs today! Aren't you excited?"

Chetsnut whinnied negatively.

"No need to be rude. We all got wrapped up on important business, remember? We couldn't help it!"

All she got as a response was Chestnut snorting air on her face.

"Ew, horse snot! I just cleaned up today, you know!"

Alistair's loyal companion bared his teeth as if he were smiling at Lenoria. The 'smiling' stopped when Lenoria grabbed a handful of sugar cubes from her bag.

"Be a good boy and you may have one right now, okay? Sit!"

But Chestnut was not having it; he chomped Lenoria's hand, grappling it and refusing to let go. Chestnut swayed his head back and forth, moving Lenoria with him.

"H-hey, what are you doing? Stop it, boy! Stop!"

Without turning around, Alistair temporarily broke his conversation to address the issue. "Don't treat him like a dog, Lenoria. He hates that. Just give him a sugar cube and he'll calm down."

"But Aaaaaaaaaal!"

Alistair closed his eyes, refusing to see the scene unfolding behind him. With a deep breath, he opened them and resumed his conversation with the innkeep. "I'm sorry, Mr. Lewis."

"Don't be. You kids did all you could, and all that matters is that you brought my little girl back to me." Lewis patted his daughter on the head. "I'll make sure word of your deeds goes back to Helix City. I just need to make sure those Blue Jays aren't lurking around, first."

"AL! AL!!"

"Can you truly handle them on your own?" Clara asked.

"Look, they came to my side of the woods causing trouble. Since they're not tax collectors, I'm afraid I'll have to see them out next time they show their faces around here."

"AL! CLARA! ANYONE!"

"Then we leave Hammer's Reach in your capable hands," Alistair said.

"Safe travels!" Allie waved at them. "The Jaguar people are hospitable folks, but they can be...strange sometimes."

"We'll keep that in mind. Let's go, Lenoria."

When they all faced the direction of the wagon, everyone witnessed Lenoria's head clamped between Chestnut's teeth. She flailed her arms and legs in a fruitless attempt to break herself free.

"Chestnut, spit her out right now!"

The horse does as his master commanded, dropping Lenoria on the ground and following that with spitting noises as if he had just tasted something awful. Clara wasted no time and made her way to Lenoria's side and helped her up.

Lenoria dusted herself off. "Al, I don't know where you got him from, but I think you got yourself a demon horse."

"Don't be ridiculous." Alistair patted Chestnut's mane. "He came from the realm of the gods and is devoted to the Hammer just like I am. He's not your average horse, you know."

Chestnut whinnied as if to confirm Alistair's claim.

"You did say he was ornery, so I'll keep all of these things in mind." Steaming but defeated, Lenoria dragged her feet back to the inn. "I'm gonna go change."

10:21am

One bath and a change of clothes later, the gang was finally ready to leave Hammer's Reach. Clara and Lenoria once again stood on the back of the wagon to wave goodbye to Allie and Lewis, who waved back for as long as they could. It would be a while before they actually reached the north gate and enter the plains ahead, but the wagon was a blip in the horizon by the time Lewis remembered something important.

"I wonder why they were in such a hurry to cross the Jaguar Lands, though?"

"I think they were going to Thule, Dad."

"That land of warmongers?" Lewis scratched his head. "But they're so talented. Why would they waste their potential there?"

"Maybe they're off to do something important. You're not the only one who can get bored of the city life."

Lewis chuckled and grabbed an ax he had planted nearby. With his musket strapped to his back and cartridges around his waist, he headed for the forest while Allie went back inside. It was time to gather wood, and they could speak more on current events once he returned.

***

The trip to Thule officially continued when the party crossed the north gate. The area was forested for another mile until they reached the exit. The sunlight greeted them once again as the land opened up into vibrantly green pastures devoid of trees; plains as far as they eye could see.

"Welcome to the Butterfly Plains, Al." Lenoria peeked through the little window in front of the wagon. "I've never been here, but it's so beautiful!"

"It is. Anything we need to know?"

"I know we'll be here for a while before we reach the next town. But since we're away from the big city, the night sky will look gorgeous!"

That's right, the night sky. Lenoria suddenly remembered something she wanted to do, and now that the possibility of doing so was near, her heart thumped at a greater rate.

"I wonder if he'll be okay with stargazing together..."

"Gorgeous, huh?" Alistair kept his eyes on the road. "I'd love to see it."

"Just you wait until tonight, Al. You're gonna love it!" Lenoria withdrew back to the wagon floor and sat next to Clara. "Whatcha reading now, Clare?"

"I'm just reading up on how to set up a camp. It's been ages since you and I went camping together, and now Alistair is joining us." Clara closed her book. "But it looks like you got something on your mind. Everything okay?"

"A whole lot, really. But I don't want to worry you or Alistair." Lenoria sighed. "But I know you won't stop asking until I say something, so I'll get the big one out of the way."

"Let me guess: The Blue Jays?"

"Yes! The fact Spark convinced the authorities to let his goons go is already scary. I wonder just how much influence that entire order has." Lenoria slammed her fist on the wagon floor. "They even managed to turn the village against us. It could have gone bad if Lewis hadn't stepped in."

"That worries me, too, Lenoria. And I'm sure Alistair feels the same. The best we can do now is leave things to Aquamarine. I have faith in her."

"Right..." Clara's words helped Lenoria relax. She knew there were times she simply had to step aside and let the authorities handle things. Once Constable Richards caught wind of how the authorities in Hammer's Reach had acted, he'd surely give them a piece of his mind.

"What else is bothering you?"

"This one's just as important, but on a more personal level." Lenoria blushed. "I feel like Alistair and I made a lot of progress in such a short time."

"How long did you stay up last night, anyway?"

"After you left? About five hours."

"Did you, um...?"

"No. He took a vow of chastity, so there won't be any of that for a long time. But that's not the problem." Lenoria's cheeks puffed out. After as short breath, she continued. "Every time I get close, every time I lean closer to him, I can feel him...resisting. He accepts it, but it's kinda like he doesn't want me to touch him."

"That is concerning. What are you going to do?"

"I don't know. I always thought all guys liked physical contact. Do you think maybe...he finds me unattractive?"

"Why would you even think that? You're very pretty. Don't let the Anne's words get to you, or anyone else's for that matter." Clara tapped her forehead. "Think, Lenoria! There has to be another reason. Maybe he just doesn't respond well to physical touch, so you'll have to think on other methods."

"That's a great idea! Let's relax in the meantime and enact our plan when it's time to camp!"

"Okay!" Clara's cheery smile changed into a blank face. "Um, what is our plan?"

"Make an effigy of his greatest enemy during the evening?" Owen's sudden appearance frightened both girls.

"Owen, you're okay!" Lenoria was ecstatic as soon as she recovered.

"Of course I'm okay. I just ran out of power yesterday. Congrats on your victory, by the way."

"Cool! We're planning something special for Alistair. Let's take a look at our camping supplies. I'm sure we can come up with something!"

***

6:30pm

The wagon exited the main road and entered a small park off the road. The park was relatively small compared to a normal park, with stone tables and benches scattered about and fenced by a wooden wall around it. Alistair got off the wagon to open the main gate, command Chestnut to walk through, and follow him and the wagon in before closing the gate behind him.

Once inside, Alistair announced the group's arrival at the park, prompting Lenoria and Clara to help unload their camping gear. As Alistair helped them carry their belongings to a nearby stone table, he caught sight of a sign not far away.

Butterfly Plains, Section C

Thank you for visiting one of our many pit stops.

Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

Please help keep our butterfly sanctuary clean by cleaning up after yourselves and disposing all of your waste properly.

Thank you.

"Butterfly sanctuary?" Alistair set his camping gear on the ground. "Is that why they call it the Butterfly Plains?"

"Yeah," Lenoria said. "Fire butterflies migrate here all the time."

"Fire butterflies?"

"Yeah. They sleep during the day and only come out at night. But they're beautiful to look at."

"I see." Once the group finished unloading their camping gear, Alistair grabbed some firewood he bought back at Hammer's Reach and placed it on a neat stack. After encircling it with some rocks he found nearby, he grabbed some flint and stone and smashed them together to create sparks. The sparks then clung into the firewood, and they quickly grew into a fire.

He then went to his backpack to fetch a skillet, but once he returned to the fire, Lenoria had set down a skillet of her own. "Lenoria?"

"Why don't you take a break, Al? I'll handle the cooking."

"It's alright, Lenoria. I don't mind."

"I insist!" Grabbing a bandana and an apron (out of nowhere) and tying them around her forehead and torso, Lenoria tightly clung to Alistair's arm and pulled him towards a stone table. There, Clara had placed a cloth on the table and set some plates down. She moved out of the way to let Lenoria through, who didn't waste time to sit her beloved down and pile some books in front of the boy.

"Lenoria, it's fine-"

"We want to thank you properly for how good you've taken care of us! You're a gentleman and you're always ready to protect us from harm, even though we're capable of defending ourselves. The least we can do is take care of some of the mundane duties."

"Ladies, please! We're a team." Alistair looked over at Clara right as Lenoria returned to the skillet. "Looking after one another is what a team does."

"Precisely, Alistair," Clara said. "It would look bad to let you do all the work around here. Let us take care of the campfire duties. Besides, I love camping out, and setting everything up just happens to be a guilty pleasure of mine."

"Miss Clara, I'm afraid I have to-" Alistair heard sizzling and caught the scent of animal meat. "What's that smell?"

"Leftover dumplings! Stay put, my love!" Lenoria had placed a couple of dumplings on the skillet and had a bundle of them sticking out of a cloth she left on the ground. "I made these on the morning we left Helix City. They should still be good if we reheat them."

Alistair blushed and looked at the ground. Unable to reason with the girls, he resigned himself to reading one of the books Lenoria left on the table.

"Let's see here. 'I Want to Be Your Parrot,' 'Dusk,' 'Vegetable Cornucopia,' 'Elizabeth the Combat Maid, Volume 1-'"

"That's a good one," Clara chimed in.

"These are all romance novels. The last two have drawn images in them. Hmm?" Alistair looked at the last book, 'My First Love Story.' "Wait a minute! This is the same one I have! But the cover looks so worn down, and some of the pages have been creased and torn." He looked at Lenoria, who hummed happily as she flipped the dumplings on the skillet. "How could she possibly have known? Lady Gabrielle said she's a genius in her field, and I've seen flashes of insight first-hand. I shouldn't be surprised figuring out my tastes was cakewalk for her. Of course! Her brain must operate at a high rate, like a powerful construct. Truly remarkable. I wonder what astounding things she's witnessed. What could she be thinking right now?"

"You put the lime in the coconut and drink 'em both up, you put the lime in the coconut and drink 'em both up~" The dumplings were ready, but there was no cloth to put them in. Thinking quickly, Lenoria grabbed the dumplings - after making sure she kept her gloves on - and wrapped them with the hem of her apron.

Lenoria then dashed to the stone table, unwrapping the dumplings and grabbing them, placing them on the plate she set up for Alistair.

"Ready for the appetizer, Al?"

"Appetizer? Do you have something else planned?"

"Yeah! Lewis was happy to sell me some pork ribs, so we're having those for dinner."

"Has she been planning this since this morning?" Alistair sniffed the air; there was something about the scent of the dumplings that felt off to him, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. "There was no need to buy more food; we have enough rations to last us the whole trip."

"I know, but we wanted to do something special tonight. We can't have dried meat all the time, or at least I don't think we should." Lenoria grabbed a dumpling off the plate, blew on it to cool it off, then tapped Alistair's lips with it. "Stop being so edgy and relax. Say 'ah.'"

"There's no harm in eating her cooking, is there?" Alistair bit down and chewed. "She made it with her own two hands. I-if we're going to be dating, then I should get used to-"

Alistair waited for the flavor to kick in. But it never came. He slowed down on the chewing and savored the dumpling, but all he could taste was the steamed dough and the two-day old meat.

"I've had buuz before, but this is different. No salt or pepper. No onions, garlic, or any of the other vegetables. This is bland!"

"How do you like it, Alistair?" Lenoria blushed. "I make this for Clara's family all the time and they love it."

"Are Miss Clara's parents lacking in taste buds? What about the people in Helix?" Not wanting to hurt Lenoria's feelings, Alistair chowed down with a smile on his face. "I...must...bear it..."

"Oh my gosh, he's crying! Does he love my cooking that much?! Eeeeeeeee!" She immediately grabbed the second dumpling and tapped it on Alistair's lips. "There's plenty more where that came from!"

The boy may not know fear, but he was not immune to anxiety. "Lenoria, you obviously have potential, and I can tell you put your heart into it. But I can help you do even better!"

He decided to tell her the truth without telling her he didn't exactly enjoy the food just now.

"Eh?"

"I wouldn't mind a second helping, but I'd rather not spoil my appetite. How about you and I make something together, instead?"

Lenoria blushed again, but this time steam came out of her nose and ears like a tea kettle. Meanwhile, Alistair rose from his seat and ran to his backpack. He brought it back with him, and from it he retrieved a few glass containers which he then set on the table.

"If we're having pork for dinner, we better trim the fat first, and then season the meat."

As Alistair listed his instructions, Lenoria's mind was elsewhere.

"Cooking...together..."

"Lenoria?"

"I-I'm listening!"

"Excellent! Then let's get started!"

***

9:34pm

After careful preparation, the camp was set up completely. Clara happily set up two tents - one for herself and Lenoria, the other for Alistair. Alistair mentioned keeping night watches, which gave Clara the idea to summon Tsukuyomi.

The ritual took a minute, and it consisted of Clara dancing with twirls of the body and the spinning of her staff at certain points where she had to stand still. Once the minute was up, she had marked a perfect circle on the ground. The circle then glowed with a pink color, and the nearby grass within approximately 10 feet was given the same glow. Beautiful cherry blossoms rained from the sky, forming a cylinder within the circle.

A portal opened in the circle, and out came Tsukuyomi. His flaming jets from his back propelled him about a dozen feet into the air before he turned them off, and his descent was soon followed by a great quake from his landing.

"Will Tsukuyomi help us with the night watches?" Alistair asked.

"Better. Tsukuyomi may be an eidolon, but he's still a machine." Clara grinned. "He can stay up a whole night and not even be tired, so we're free to sleep in and set up a single watch for him."

"That's amazing!" Alistair relaxed his shoulders. "That would help immensely. Thank you, Miss Clara."

As the hours went on, Alistair patiently showed Lenoria how he cooked his meals. He introduced her to his spice collection, which were contained in the glass jars he retrieved earlier. The glass jars contained peppercorns, salt, powdered cayenne, and cinnamon. He applied generous yet balanced amounts of salt and pepper to the ribs and watched them cook over the skillet over the campfire.

Once the food was done, everyone gathered around the fire to eat. Alistair shrugged when he took a bite, but the girls stopped after their first bite.

Clara looked down at her portion. "It's..."

"Yummy!" The two girls abandoned all dining etiquette and devoured the ribs as fast as they could. Alistair looked on in disbelief, but immediately acted when the girls started choking by offering them his waterskin.

"Slow down, ladies! There's plenty more where that came from." He stifled a laugh when Lenoria's cheeks puffed out from all the water she drank.

"Then I'll be eating until I'm full. Excuse me!" Setting the bone aside, Clara grabbed seconds by reaching her hand into the skillet. Her fingers sizzled for a second, but at that moment she didn't care.

"It looks plain, but the meat falls off the bone pretty easily! I had no idea cooking could be so fun and varied!" Lenoria smiled. "Al, are you Gabrielle's chef or something? This is amazing!"

"No, but I studied to become one," he answered. "This is just something I could do with the ingredients at hand. It's not much, really."

"You could get a job anywhere you want with your level of skill," Clara said.

"Thank you, Miss Clara, but I don't have a degree."

"Oh, you failed that class?"

Alistair kept his smile, but Lenoria noticed it fade just a tiny bit. The boy kept his gaze on the skillet, the campfire dancing in his eyes. "Something like that."

The girls looked at each other, and quietly agreed not to pry any further.

"It was a silly dream, anyway. I enjoy cooking. I don't do it for the money."

Lenoria finished chewing before setting her plate down. "Al, how do you feel about traveling around the world?"

"The world? I'm sure most people would travel if they could. As for me, I'm in service of the Hammer, so I go where he falls. And he falls where evil is afoot."

"Is that what you really want?"

"Why does that matter?"

"Think about it. Evil is everywhere we go. No doubt it exists everywhere around the world."

"I see what you mean. Even so, I can't just get up and leave; I have duties to uphold back in Thule." Alistair looked back up at the girls, who held their Soulstones. "Oh."

"I plan to go back home to my family in Eishima when I finish working for Gabrielle. Once I spend some quality time with them, I plan to hunt more of these Soulstones full-time." Lenoria pocketed away the stone and blushed. "And it would mean a lot if you could come with me. I was originally going to wait for Clara to finish her course at the College of the Wilds, but I don't mind waiting for you, too."

A butterfly landed on Lenoria's nose. She jumped at the sight of it but quickly composed herself to not scare it.

"A fire butterfly," Clara remarked.

Lenoria then placed her finger close enough to her nose for the butterfly to grab on. The insect does so, prompting Lenoria to slowly move her finger away from her nose. The butterfly's wings lit up as soon as she did, providing some light for the campsite.

Hundreds of tiny, similar lights flashed around the campsite. Alistair stood up to look for his mace, but Clara stopped him.

image [https://i.imgur.com/7HeeeC1.png]

"It's okay, Alistair. They're harmless."

"Sorry, force of habit." Alistair relaxed his posture and stood in awe. "I've never seen anything like it."

The light show continued well after dinner was done. Everyone cleaned up after themselves and put everything away, throwing the trash on nearby wastebins and Alistair using his [Create Water] spell to wash the wooden plates they dined on.

Once he was done, he noticed Lenoria sitting on the stone table. He seated himself next to her and watched the butterflies with her. Watching this from a distance, Clara quietly wandered into a secluded section of the park to get a closer look at a group of butterflies.

"Is the Plateau anything like this?" Alistair asked.

"No," Lenoria answered him. "Butterflies like to avoid cold regions in general. But we do have horses!"

"I see. Maybe Chestnut could make some new friends there."

"Wait, so does this mean-?"

"I'm still thinking about it, mind you. I don't have another incentive to just get up and travel, and I still have to think about my duties in Thule."

"You'll get to learn about a bunch of recipes from across the world."

Without batting an eye, Alistair held his hand out and waited for a handshake. "Deal!"

"That easy, huh?"

Alistair hung his head down, and after some hesitation, he reached for Lenoria's hand with his own. This surprised Lenoria, but she was pleased as well.

"Oh my gosh, he never makes the first move! No, relax, Lenoria! It's only been two days. He has to ease into it first. I have to be patient!"

"T-thanks for your help earlier, by the way. I wouldn't mind cooking with you again."

Lenoria gave him a coy half-lidded stare. "I thought we had enough rations to last the trip."

Alistair laughed. "Excuse me for trying to spend time with you."

"Looking for excuses to get closer to me now, Mr. Adams?"

"That's not what I meant!"

Lenoria feigned sadness by clutching the left side of her chest and hiding her eyes with her right forearm. "I never knew love could be so cruel! There was so much I was looking forward to!"

Alistair lowered her arm, gazing at her firmly. "I would never use you like that." He entwined his hand with hers again. "Ever."

Lenoria was only joking around, but she quickly realized the gravity of the situation. Alistair was completely serious, and she didn't catch on until now. "W-wait, Al! I was just kidding!"

"Oh." The boy chuckled awkwardly, unsure what to make of Lenoria's teasing. They stared at each other in silence as the butterflies glowed around them. "I'm such a dunce..."

"No," Lenoria said softly. Her eyes were half-closed as she slowly got closer. "No, you're not..."

Eyes closed, Lenoria's face got closer and closer. "We didn't drink anything this time. Is this how she truly feels?" Alistair closed his eyes as well, his heart beating and his body showing no resistance this time. He thought on the close calls they had recently, only spanning a few days. How many times could they have died before this very moment?

Pearl, that’s enough! I know you didn’t like Alistair from the start, but I won’t let you hurt him or Clara!

Mr. Adams here did a fine job ridding the world of such a monster. He's strong, brave, and sweet. I’m happy and proud to call him my man.

You’re a good man, Al. I’m not going to lose a friend just because he got careless.

The white raven, Spark, the giants...Lenoria was with him, standing by his side. She had no reason to speak on his behalf, to look out for him, or to fight for something other than herself. Yet, she and Clara did so without complaints. "I always believed there was a due process for relationships. Slowly get to know each other, go out on dates, wait several months for something like this..." He held his tears in, but he refused to release them just yet. Why did she care about him so much?

Yet, this was her choice. This was how he justified his lack of resistance. Tomorrow would surely be a new day, but what if something happened that would rip all three of them apart from one another? He had faith in their abilities and would surely give it his all in every fight for their survival, but if the worst ever came to pass, if there was someone he could make memories with...

It was her, the girl who didn't abandon him.