Lyrian and Faylin are back to the swamp area at camp. Faylin loads up the carriage, packing the ores they found in the village's mine. Orange bauxite and black cassiterite piles the wooden wagon.

A willow tree houses their camp with leaves drooping down, and above is Aleena laying on a branch, with her eyes closed in tranquility. Next to the tree trunk stands their three horses, neighing in unison. Night has fallen and crickets play their songs. Stars glitter in the skies like freckles on cheeks.

Faylin's eyes scan the horizon. Lyrian packs up their horses and feeds them some grass while Aleena is still sleeping.

Lyrian looks up at Aleena as Faylin sits by the fire. He notices her cute figure, her legs visible, her small pointy ears, and her flowing blonde hair. Her visible belly raises as she breathes in a soothing rhythm. He can't take his eyes off of her.

"She is so pretty," Lyrian says to Faylin. "She's just sleeping there, and she's so peaceful, and she's so cute. She is like nature itself. Like a flower blooming in the sun." He smiles to himself, knowing the beauty of even her leather survival outfit.

"Wow, Lyrian," she says, laughing softly and raising an eyebrow, "I haven't seen you talk about anyone like that before."

"She's just beautiful is all," Lyrian replies.

"She is pretty cute," she smiles at Aleena sleeping peacefully above the trees. "She kinda reminds me of an innocent young girl."

"That's what makes her so cute. It's almost like she's a nature goddess." He sighs deeply, lost in her trance, "she's so beautiful."

"You better watch it Lyrian. You don't want Aleena finding out about you talking about her beauty," she teases. "Now, go to sleep, you pervert," she giggles and lays in her bedroll with a blanket over her head.

"Goodnight Fay," Lyrian replies and covers up as well.

A couple of minutes go by the crickets and the swirling buzz of cicadas. Faylin's eyes are still open, thinking about Lyrian and Aleena. Her mind then questions if they'd even go good together.

Faylin rolls over and uncovers her head in the cool grass, "hey Lyrian? You don't actually like her like that, do you?"

"Well, no, not in the romantic sense. Plus I haven't talked to an elf in a long time."

Faylin feels a hint of jealousy springing from her chest, "so you don't like her romantically?"

"Yeah, she is cute, but I'm not interested in her in a romantic way." He thinks, "I'd rather have a human wife if anything."

Faylin's jealous feelings fade with a relieving soft sigh to herself, "okay, well good night." She lays down, thinking about what Lyrian had said to her.

He lays on his back, and fireflies hover over him, lighting the night sky. Lyrian continues, "but you never know. There might be an elf I meet one day. Or a dwarf, or a gnome, or even an orc, or another mage like me. Life is full of surprises. As long as she has a good personality, and a good heart."

"You're a hopeless romantic," Faylin giggles. "You and an orc woman?"

Lyrian blurts out with laughter, "hey orcs are intelligent."

"I guess if you like green and grey muscles, bottom fangs, and slobber," she can't help but to shiver at the thought.

"Hey muscles are very good looking. Besides you're one to talk Fay," he squeezes her bicep as a playful touch. Her strength obviously coming from her metal work.

She giggles and gives a playful slap to his hand, "you're so weird."

Lyrian's joy settles down and he lays his head back onto his flat pillow, "it's not about looks Fay."

"I guess you're right, but what about a kleptomaniacal goblin for a wife? Always stealing your things and running about?" She giggles again walking two fingers up his arm.

Lyrian turns his head with a smile, "what's mine is hers."

Faylin rolls her eyes and gives him a nudge, "you're so a mama's boy."

"Well it also depends on what's she's taking and if I need it in that moment of time, and I'm not a mama's boy," he explains.

"She would eat all your food, your farm would also probably be food to her, how about that?" she smirks.

"Then we would have a problem," Lyrian says.

"Also your orc wife would probably work you to death," Faylin adds with a smug.

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"That would also be a problem," he points out.

"And your little goblin wife would probably have you hoard a junkyard in the back of your house."

"I would be constantly throwing stuff away each day. No thanks."

"Oh Lyrian, you're such a weirdo. Don't stay up too late now. We'll continue first thing tomorrow morning." She rests, ready to drift off to sleep to get rid of her feelings of jealousy. 'It was stupid to get upset,' Faylin thought.

He lies awake in bed. He looks up at the stars in the night, "stars are beautiful. Just like the moon."

He hears a rustle of leaves and creeping branches coming from the willow tree, seeing a small squirrel crawl its way onto the leaves. It moves around them to create noise, jumping onto the other branches.

"It's not like anyone would be interested in a mage like me anyway," he says with his mood changing. "What human girl or elf woman wants to marry some weird human that's got magic rock powers?"

"I'm sure someone would," Faylin replies, trying to go back to sleep.

"I don't know." He watches the squirrel jump onto another leaf, taking in the entertainment as he talks. "Even with my earth magic, and my love for magic, and books, I doubt any human or elf would like the same." His mood saddens, "but who needs romance? I'm happy as I am."

"Well, it doesn't hurt to dream about romance," she smiles to herself, keeping her eyes closed.

"Romance is a dream that will never be real. No one would be interested in me for the reasons I've mentioned. Plus, geomancers are rare. Hardly anyone takes interest in them."

"That's not true," she tells him. "There's someone out there that's meant for you. Some human, somewhere, that loves magic like you." She thinks and recalls one person, but then sighs herself back to sleep.

"I'm sorry, I just normally don't like to think about it. It depends on my mood," he rolls away from Faylin and shut his eyes.

The fire is still crackling. Smoke blows to the willow as it shakes the squirrel off. The moon is bright, casting shadows, illuminating the forest.

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Faylin and Lyrian are shot up by a sudden kick to their sides, "wake up humans!" Aleena orders in a loud yell with a military rasp of an annoying child. "Nature awaits!"

"Good morning, Aleena. Nice to see you too." He rubs his side, "ow."

"Good morning Aleena," Faylin's voice is rough. "Thanks for waking us up with such a gentle touch," she snarks at her.

Aleena is irritated, "we should have left sooner. Come on, get your arses up!" Aleena kicks Lyrian once again, frustrated and red.

"Ow! I'm getting up," he rubs his leg. Lyrian gets dressed, putting on his robes swiftly. He scarfs down a packed egg sandwich as Aleena paces back and forth, annoyed.

Aleena watches him impatiently, waiting for Lyrian to get done eating, tapping her foot in the dirt, "come on, hurry up Lyrian."

"I'm going, I'm going," he replies.

"Ugh!" She groans, rolling her eyes. "Stupid human," she mocks and throws a small pebble at his head.

"Hey!" the tiny rock skips off the back of his head. He calls in pain, "ow, I'm sorry!"

Faylin quickly finishes up and packs everything up with the help of Lyrian.

"Hurry, let's go!" Aleena yells to them, annoyed.

"Aleena, we'll be done in a minute." Faylin grunts and finishes tying down a leather strap to the carriage.

"Pathetic. You ill-bred hoarding curs of humans always want to laze around. Sloth will be the death of your kind," she huffs. "I told you we needed to leave as soon as possible," she growls under her breath and crosses her arms.

"You sound like my mom. Get a move on! You can't just lay around like a bum!" Lyrian imitates, getting closer to her.

"I am not like your paunchy churl of a human mother!" She snaps.

"Well you sure sound like a paunchy churl," Lyrian argues back with a finger. "And don't insult my mother you self-righteous wretch."

"I don't take orders from some ill-nurtured inchworm," she spats back and slaps a push to his chest.

Lyrian puckers his brow with rage only growing, "you don't want to fight a mage Aleena."

She squints at him, "you best watch your tongue or you may loose it, boy!"

"Hey!" Faylin shouts in defense, "that's enough Aleena!"

Aleena lifts her finger to argue back but Faylin cuts her off, "remember what you did last night?"

Aleena crosses her arms, "yes, and? It's not like that matters. One less human scum to walk this planet. I still need to reach my home! The forest is waiting, I shouldn't even be here with you human worms but by the gods' bones, I need help." She raises her arms with annoyance and drops them.

"Whoa! Whoa! That's it. Aleena," Faylin steps toward her. Aleena backs up in caution with a hand on her bow. "First off, no wonder people call elves ruthless and evil because you seem to be proving their case. Second off, how many times do we have to prove we're not here to enslave you! If we were slave traders, we would have killed you for being so annoying!"

"You know I wasn't even talking to you. I was talking about that pathetic excuse of a man over there. A useless, lazy rock mage mooching off your business, who can't even brush his hair right! Until you came in defending him like his paunchy mother with no self control."

Lyrian looks over to the side, red with embarrassment, taking a big offense but Faylin doesn't notice. She focuses her attention solely on Aleena.

"Do you honestly think we wanted to travel all this way and do this for you?! You don't know how much we are giving up for our life's back home! Lyrian abandoned his magic farm, which he built up by himself. I closed down my blacksmithing shop for a month, possibly more."

"Magic farm?" She raises a brow. Aleena steps forward in rage and pushes Faylin, "all this suffering could have been prevented had you humans just stayed on your own turf and left us elves alone!"

"Don't you dare push me you witch!" Faylin retaliates and grabs a fist full of her hair and pulls.

"You human whore!" Aleena screeches as she wrestles to grab a hold of her red hair.

"Guys stop!" Lyrian tries to pry them apart but they don't listen. Faylin pulls her in by the head and knees her gut.

Aleena grunts and grits her teeth, "I have endured enough damage from the bandits who raided my village to beat your bastard self down."

Lyrian tugs Faylin, "guys! We are suppose to be helping each other." He eventually has it and pounds his fist to the ground, causing a large earthquake. "Both of you, knock it off!" He yells, now standing between them. He is fuming but the two girls are stunned silent, glaring at each other.

They break their tension and turn away from each other.

Aleena wipes off dust, "I won't tolerate being put behind schedule. Let's just go already. Leave your stuff if you may, maybe you'll learn some discipline that way."

Aleena walks over to her horse, Snowdrop and hops on, petting the side of his face. She doesn't even bat an eye to them, getting ready to leave.

"Lyrian, just throw the stuff in the back of the wagon, we need to go," Faylin shakes her head and hurries over to their horses to ready the leather reins.

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Sleeping Aleena

image [https://i.imgur.com/Q8RUeLl.png]

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Faylin and Lyrian

image [https://i.imgur.com/qqcUsMH.png]