The morning sun had finally arrived in full view, shedding much needed light through the forest canopy. Lenoria kept her eyes on the road with a determined expression, gripping the reins firmly as Chestnut dashed through the uneven dirt road of the forest.
"For a ghost hunter, you sure have no problem using a spirit of your own."
Solveig, steering her own steed behind Lenoria, scoffed at the blonde's remark. "Ophiuchus is many things, but he won't use lethal force unless I ask him to. And when it comes to finishing a job, I'd rather do it with my own power. He likes the arrangement, because he would rather cure people."
"Cure people? But I thought his power was electricity."
"It is. But he used to be a doctor in his past life, so through me, he can still save people even from beyond the mortal coil. I, in turn, get to use his power to soften up my prey."
A doctor in his past life, just like Pearl was a hermit in hers. It was a coincidence that made Lenoria turn to the giant curiously.
"And before you ask, he doesn't remember how he died, either. I only know that he was 38 when he died. Kinda young for a half-elf, wouldn't you say?"
"Is that how you figured out Pearl was a restless spirt?" Lenoria stiffly pressed as she turned her head to face the road.
"No. His Majesty revealed that information to me for free, because Pearl is the appointed leader of your little treasure hunt. He didn't have to tell me about Ophiuchus, because the spirit knew who he was before, what his powers were, and what his purpose was."
"The purpose...that would be finding a righteous person and lend them their power, wouldn't it?"
"Yeah."
"But not every spirit has the wisdom to judge someone as worthy properly. Even Pearl said so when she first met me."
"Are you saying Ophiuchus was wrong in picking me?"
"No. What I'm saying is that we're bound to meet a few rotten apples in the future. We'll have a lot of fights on our hands the longer we do nothing, and you could get hurt."
"Hey, I already told you I'm helping. You don't need to sell this little quest of yours to me."
That was not what she meant, but Lenoria decided to let it go. For now, she was happy to have a dangerous wild card as her healer, though the extent of the help her new ally had offered had not been discussed yet. But even just healing wounds would be more than enough help, and if she offered Ophiuchus's power to the cause, then the party's power would be boosted by an acceptable amount.
Yet despite this boon, this also revealed another mystery. If both Pearl and Ophiuchus remembered their past lives, where would that leave Apus? And Owen? Mr. Horsey?
She would have to get the gang together later to talk about this at length, and she wanted Alistair there, too. "Oh, my darling Alistair. Where could you be? This trip is taking forever."
"Keep it together, girl. This isn't a book, you know. It's not like we can skip time from the last meaningful event and suddenly find the guy." The sounds of fighting made Solveig straighten up. She spotted a multitude of shambling corpses up ahead, along with an armored lad. "There he is!"
Lenoria wasted no time to stand on Chestnut's back when Alistair came into view, ready to jump off at the time she deemed best. A dozen or so walking corpses had surrounded Alistair, and while the boy was holding them off, nothing kept the horde from getting closer and closer.
The boy had nowhere to run.
"I just have a question, girl." Solveig reached under her shirt to grab and hold out a necklace. It was a piece of wood shaped into a perfect circle with wandering shadows drawn within. "Has your man died, and if so, has he been raised by a necromancer?"
YEET
A rotting corpse flew past both women, its blood and guts spilling on the dirt road. "I will not rest until I've destroyed each and every single one of you!" Alistair sounded like he had energy to spare.
"Does that answer your question?"
"Fair enough," Solveig answered her new companion. "Stand back unless you want to get splashed," she ordered.
Not knowing - or wishing to know, for that matter - what Solveig meant, Lenoria sat back down on Chestnut and asked him to slow down. Chestnut refused until Solveig and her horse managed to get slightly ahead of them, both glowing with a radiant light.
"The gates of the underworld have opened to take you away! Head for the light and answer the gatekeeper, for none can escape him! Let your souls rest in peace, and free yourselves from your bindings!" Solveig raised her wooden symbol. "Submit!"
One by one, the rotten corpses explode, each one bursting with the same light Solveig was emanating. She was just inches from the first zombie when her ability went off, and every single one that had surrounded Alistair met with the same gory end.
Neither Al or Solveig were spared from the aftermath and as a result both were bathed with stale blood and putrid fluids. They both wore a mask of experience, unfazed by the new stench and instead they both took a moment to take a breather once the moans of the undead were no more.
One straggler remained, half of its corpse destroyed while the remaining half crawled towards Solveig, but one kick from Lenoria was enough to end its undying existence. "Al!"
"Lenoria?" With the dangers gone, Alistair's legs wobbled before collapsing. The paladin panted heavily while Lenoria wiped his face with a handkerchief, removing the sweat and most of the blood. "What are you doing here?"
"I'm offended you even have to ask." Tossing the handkerchief away, Lenoria pulled Al closer for a hug. "I promised myself I would come get you once we settled in Goodsprings."
"L-Lenoria, you really shouldn't." Feeling a little self-conscious, Alistair feebly tried to push Lenoria away. "M-my armor's dirty..."
"Save it for someone who cares about that."
Knowing her mind was set, Alistair did not fight it and instead returned the embrace. He had a lot of explaining to do, and this moment of respite gave him the chance to do so.
Instead of words, however, there was sobbing...and tears.
"What's wrong, Al?"
Alistair held back on the sobbing as much as he could. "I-it's nothing."
"'Nothing,' he says. You're crying..."
"Sorry. It's just...I didn't think anyone would come back for me. I must look pathetic..."
"Why would you think that? We're your friends. The only reason Clara and Aqua, er, Joanna, didn't come with me was because they knew they would hold you back if they came with me." Lenoria gently lifted Alistair's face with both hands. "Everyone is safe," she whispered. "Thanks to you, everyone is safe. You're not pathetic, Al. It's okay to cry."
"I..."
Still sensing hesitation, Lenoria finally remembered they weren't alone.
"Don't hold back on my account," Solveig said, almost laughing. "I was curious how far you were going to go before you remembered, though I would have stopped you if you started taking off your clothes."
"Solveig..." Alistair found the strength to stand back up. Refusing to let go, Lenoria held on as she got on her feet along with him. "You're here, too."
"I'm honored you remembered at all. Part of me was intrigued how you conquered such a feisty soul."
Whether it was his imagination or not, Alistair could feel Lenoria's body heat up after Solveig said her piece. "I didn't conquer anything," the boy stated matter-of-factly.
"Solveig here says you met before. She also said you had quite the taste in women." Lenoria stared at her beloved inquisitively.
"Oh." Alistair tried to avoid eye contact, but Lenoria's eyes followed his wherever they went. "I-I was meaning to tell you. Well, I-I didn't mean to hide it from you, actually, but-"
"It's okay." Lenoria giggled. "I wasn't expecting you to be popular around here, but I'm not surprised, actually. I mean, who wouldn't want you?"
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"The majority of people reading this story, apparently," Alistair mumbled.
Lenoria's head faceplanted on the ground, courtesy of a strong hoof.
"Chestnut! I didn't forget about you," the boy reassured his steed.
Chestnut neighed loudly, happy to see his master again.
"We'll talk more in Goodsprings. We should get going." Solveig turned around and marched on the path back to town.
"She's right." Lenoria spat out some mud before standing up and climbing on Chestnut's back. Once she had her feet on the footholds, she offered a hand for Alistair. "Hop on!"
Alistair hesitated at first, but his weary body urged him to take his beloved's hand in the end. He placed his hands behind him, gently resting on Chestnut's rump. "I see you and Chestnut bonded while I was gone."
"He loves me!" Lenoria laid her head on Chestnut's mane. "Don't you, buddy?"
CHOMP
"Hey, let go of my hair!" Chestnut whinnied after Lenoria yanked her hair away from his teeth. Ignoring the mocking sound, Lenoria's attention went back to Alistair. "What's wrong, Al? You'll fall off if you don't grab on."
"G-grab on to what?"
"To me, silly!"
Alistair gulped. With understandable reluctance, his hands eventually made it to Lenoria's shoulders.
"You tease! This isn't a conga line, Al. Here."
Using both hands, Lenoria guided each of Alistair's hands down to her waistline, one at a time. Once there, she pulled them towards the center around her belly and, after insisting, made sure Alistair interlocked his fingers with both hands so that he was holding on to her tightly.
"Are you sure about this?"
"Don't you worry, Al. I'm strapped to Chestnut, so as long as you hold on as tightly as you can, you won't fall off, either. I've been on horseback plenty of times back home in the Steppes, so I'll make sure you don't fall off, okay?"
Alistair nodded. "Very well. I-I said this before, b-but please don't think I'm a pervert..."
"I'll deep-fry my boots and eat them before I accuse my hero of something he's not." Lenoria hid her blushing cheeks by keeping her eyes on the road. "Not like I would mind, as long as it was just you..."
"Hurry up, you two, or I won't be there to save you if we bump into another horde," Solveig yelled from the distance.
"We better hurry. Miss Solveig can be very irritable," Alistair suggested.
"You're telling me. Let's go, Chestnut."
Flicking the reins, Chestnut turned around and rushed back on the road to Goodsprings. Once he caught up to Solveig, the horse slowed his advance while keeping up with the giant woman and her steed.
The rest of the trip back was quiet. Lenoria wanted to chat with Alistair, but the boy's exhaustion caught up to him; feeling safe and sound, he couldn't help but rest his head on the back of her shoulder and allowed his eyes to close.
"You'll fall off if you take a nap."
"It's okay." Alistair yawned. "I'll try not fall asleep. But if I do...I know I can count on you if anything happens."
"Al..." Lenoria didn't argue any further. She promised herself she wouldn't let anything happen now that Alistair was safe and sound. And more importantly, "He trusts me..."
***
"Wake up, Al. We're here."
27th of Cobre, 9:16am, 1659
Alistair mumbled as his eyes blinked open. It took a moment for situational awareness to kick, but once it did, Alistair promptly removed his head from Lenoria's back and removed his hands from around her waist. The sudden fumbling and the weight of his armor brought him from Chestnut's back all the way to the ground.
"Al! Are you okay?"
"Yeah. Ow..." The crash woke him up completely. The paladin gazed at his surroundings and realized he was beyond the gate of a village. "Is this it? Are we truly in Goodsprings?"
"Of course we are, you silly goofball." Lenoria hopped off Chestnut's back and landed close to the boy. She offered a hand, which he gladly took and pulled himself up. "Are you sure you're okay?"
"I am. I-I'm sorry about that. I promise I didn't mean to get too comfortable..."
Lenoria giggled. "Hey, do you hear me complaining?"
Relieved to hear her words of consent, Alistair's tired body lurched forward. Still having a bit of energy left, Lenoria caught up to him and held his hand so they could walk together. She didn't know where he planned to go, so the least she could do was escort him back to their lodgings.
The two were finally in Goodsprings. Lenoria was here for a job, but she was looking forward to some R&R with her love. Surely, they would be given the opportunity to rest before she got to work.
They both stopped at the sight of several men in steel blocking the road, each one standing with a spear ready. Front and center was their apparent leader, a brown-haired human wearing a gray overcoat over his toned body. He exuded a sense of professionalism with his black boots, blue slacks, and black shirt under his coat, which seemed perfect for the cool mountain town weather.
"Hey, Lance!" Solveig greeted the stranger while slapping Lenoria on the back. "A lot happened, but Lady Bisset's guest and her concubine have arrived."
image [https://i.imgur.com/w3uifud.png]Sheriff Helms
"I see. Welcome to Goodsprings." The man's tone and expression showed signs of indifference. "I was informed there would be more of you."
"Three of them are resting in their lodgings, and there are more coming later." Lenoria had no idea how she would explain the arrival of several pirates guarding some orphan children without mentioning Demetrio, but she hoped this answer was at least satisfactory for the man she assumed was the Sheriff of Goodsprings.
"It is a good thing, then, that Lady Bisset anticipated this and set up that building just for you. It is big enough to lodge as many as twenty people." Lance crossed his arms. "There is food in the pantry that Lady Bisset was kind enough to provide, but it is up to you to restock it with your own funds. The sooner you finish her commission, the sooner you'll be allowed to go home."
"Twenty people?" Lenoria nodded in agreement. She wasn't expecting a charity case from the start, but it was nice for Gabrielle to be a bit generous with the provisions.
"Mr. Adams," the callous man continued, "House Bisset requests your assistance. Under no circumstance, other than break time, are you allowed to leave Lenoria's side. Your new task is to protect her from harm. Are we clear?"
"That sounds more like an order, sir," Alistair pointed out. "I already had the intention of staying with Lenoria as much as possible but staying with her around the clock sounds like an invasion of her privacy. Is there a reason Lady Bisset ordered this?"
"You misunderstand; the undead have become more active as of late. The fact our guest made it here unharmed means she can handle the dangers of Thule, but I doubt even she can handle a horde."
That would explain why Alistair bumped into so many ghouls and zombies. He battled so many on his way to Norwich alone, and judging from the Sheriff's wording, even Lenoria could tell this wasn't a common occurrence. Was Demetrio's arrival in Norwich truly a coincidence?
"Lady Bisset plans to compensate you for both the job and the inconvenience, but the guards are authorized to stop anyone coming out of the village by themselves. You must travel in groups or not at all, at least until this surge of undead activity dies down."
"If that's the case, I apologize for my insolence. But you must understand I shouldn't be in her space all of the time."
"There is no need, Mr. Adams. Staying within earshot and protecting her from any danger are your only duties. You are free to spend the day however you wish, otherwise."
Having Alistair around from dawn to dusk? All to herself? There was only one thing she needed to confirm.
"Will Alistair be staying at the lodge as well," she asked.
"Of course," the Sheriff replied. "The lodge is yours until you depart. I only ask for the men and women to stay in their respective dorms. I shouldn't have to tell you why."
Lenoria excused herself for a moment and stepped away from the crowd. She stared at the morning sky with a bright blush as both body and mind felt rejuvenated for the first time since she arrived in Thule. Her heart and mind had been set ablaze with the unquenchable fires of passion and desire, resulting in her legs quivering uncontrollably.
"The thought of sharing a lodge must be overwhelming for her," the Sheriff commented. "I've traveled through the wilderness before with my friends in the Naval Force. I can't imagine traveling through the mountains without a moment to myself, only to find out that I would have no privacy at my destination, either. I feel her pain."
Pain was not the word Lenoria would use. This trip with her friends was one of the greatest events of her life after spending the better part of her school days alone, and it seemed to her she was destined to meet Alistair. Normally, when people meet a stranger they are instantly smitten for, they never see them again unless one side goes out of their way to interact with the other. Yet, Lenoria met the paladin again after missing her first chance to interact with him back at the graduation ceremony, and he did what he could to save her life. What would this be, then, if not destiny?
He's... he's the man of my dreams. My knight in shining armor. He loves me...
Her conversation with Solveig still fresh in her mind, Lenoria believed nothing could put a stop to their love as long as she kept the flames burning. The rescue mission from earlier was only the beginning of something great, and with their bond now stronger than ever, she'd have an easier time connecting with her beloved Alistair.
The explicit fantasies that played in Lenoria's genius mind, conceived one after another at an inhuman rate, had to be redacted for the sake of not tagging this story with Sexual Content. That would involve going into the dashboard and click the mouse a few times, which is already several steps too many for this author. Instead, you get this.
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"Al, honey, I'm home!"
"Welcome home, my love. Our six children and I missed you very much. Your chemistry workshop has been cleaned and it's ready for use, the kids have done their homework, and I prepared your favorite dish: Plain white rice topped with bonito flakes."
Alistair then picked up a small piece of parchment, read from it, and sighed.
"According to the script you wrote, a housewife or househusband is supposed to ask..." He cleared his throat. "'What will you have, my love? Dinner? A bath? Or maybe... me?'"
Before Lenoria could give a (consensual, of course) pounce, the door slammed back open to signal the arrival of a new visitor.
"Aunt Clara," the children shouted.
"Clara?" Lenoria gasped. "What are you doing here? This is my fantasy sequence!"
"Last thing I remember was me falling asleep back at the lodge and having a nice dream about my music career." Clara strummed one of her guitar strings. "You kids want me to play a song?"
"Ha! You, with a man?" The next arrival was a haughty voice Lenoria knew too well. "I can still smell the skunk musk on you, Tsukino."
"Steiner! What are you doing here? You're not scheduled for an Act 1 cameo!"
"She won't be here for long," Alistair declared. "By the Hammer of Justice, I command you to leave, villain!"
Closing his fist, Alistair swung forward and...gently bonked Anne on the head.
"Egads, I have been bested!" Anne used her forearm to shield her eyes. "I have been defeated by the most handsome paladin of the land! Now I must reflect on my evil ways!"
Once Anne ran away, Clara played a song with her guitar while the children gathered and Alistair and Lenoria stared at each other longingly.
"Alistair Adams... you'll always be my hero. My husband. My king..."
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Back to reality, Lenoria could not contain her glee. "Gabrielle is the best boss ever! Can this day get any better? What can I do for Al to keep this from turning one-sided."
Alistair, blankly staring at Lenoria's thought bubble, had to shake the girl awake. "How about you start by not drooling when you're fantasizing about me?" He rummaged through his bag of holding and grabbed a black vegetable out of it. "Never mind that, Lenoria. Looks like my ingredients are still intact, so how does tacos for lunch and dinner sound? I can prepare a side of rice and mashed avocado, too."
The girl's heart pounded rapidly on her ribcage. The pupils in her eyes formed into hearts, unable to contain the blissful feelings throughout her body and soul. "Living together and having him cook for me? It's like a prelude to being married!"
Lenoria wondered earlier if all she felt for Alistair was nothing more than desire. Alistair offering to cook dinner was such a small gesture, but the feeling that resulted from it trumped whatever fantasies the girl had in her head. Tired as he was, he still thought about her so much that he was already making plans for lunch and dinner.
Lenoria was definitely in love. Finally turning to face Alistair - with blood dripping from her nose - she gave her beloved a thumbs up.
"I don't know, Lance." Solveig chortled. "She seems to be taking things pretty well. Are you sure the poor girl's in pain?"
"..." Sheriff Helms had no rebuttal, but he had to wonder if this was truly the girl genius Lady Bisset had hired.