Chapter 187: 4-1 Hasty farewell

The day had started off bleak. A wagon, pulled by four horses, was traversing slowly through the thick fog of the morning and across the damp soil caused by the humid night before. But as noon arrived, the weather took a sharp change for the better. The frigid arid morning was replaced by balmy vibrant noon. The heat was great but not too hard on any travellers on the road. However, the change of weather did nothing to change the weary mood of the group on the wagon. Or rather, the weather wasn’t the cause of their weariness. The cause was the fervid coitus between Erin and Aedan. The group had been woken up around the wee hours of the night by the sounds of their intense mating.

The only one who was full of spirits and zeal when morning came was none other than Aedan. Not a single layer of a black ring could be found under his eyes. To amplify the inequity, he had not slept at all after exuding that colossal amount of vigour. Come late noon, everyone in the back of the wagon had succumbed to their exhaustion and were now soundly asleep, save for Aedan and Erin.

“This is unfair,” Erin groaned as she drifted between sleep and wake. She was sitting beside Aedan on the coach seat but only Aedan was handling the reins. “You didn’t even yawn.”

Aedan yawned right then and there. “There,” he said, grinning.

Erin glanced behind her. Everyone was soundly asleep in their seats. Siv was the only one sleeping on the floorboards. Her legs and arms were all curled into her belly and her tail was tucked between her legs. It was an endearing sight and it invoked a sigh from Erin.

“If you want, you can join them,” Aedan muttered. “We still have half a day before we reach the first frontier.”

“Frontier? What frontier?”

“A checkpoint of sorts. Unlike Maven’s Creek and Green Scar, Sephrodia Valley is tightly guarded. Or at least the inner lands are, which we will be arriving in about half a day. Until then, you can sleep all you want.”

“I can’t do that, What if there’s an attack?”

“You don’t have to worry about bandits or monsters around here. For the monsters, your presence and I are enough to deter them and for the bandits, there are no bandits around here. There are patrols that come around twice a week and these patrols are level twenty at the lowest.”

“Twenty isn’t exactly low.”

“It is for the combatants in Sephrodia Valley, that’s how thriving the territory is, enough to attract strong individuals.”

“Good to know and all but bandits and monsters are not the reasons for my vigilance.”

“If it’s Marduk’s men or Apostle you’re worried about, don’t. Neither of those two would dare stirring up troubles so close to the inner lands of Sephrodia Valley.”

Erin blinked and tilted her head. “Why is that?”

“It is the rumoured base of operations of Marduk’s cabal, the Covenant. The Apostles, no matter who their Divine Guardian is, won’t risk incurring the ire of the Covenant. Well, they won’t challenge you brazenly out in the open at least but they’ll still try to kill you. Just in a more subtle way.”

“Jolly good to know,” Erin grumbled and stifled a yawn.

“As for Marduk’s men themselves… well, you won’t shit in the place you eat, right?”

Erin stared at Aedan in disbelief and frowned. “That’s a very terrible analogy.”

“Maybe but you get my meaning, no?”

Erin refused to nod, not after that terrible and disgusting analogy of his.

Suddenly, the wagon gave a judder as it went over a small hump on the road. Erin let out a faint yelp and her brows furrowed from the throbbing ache around her crotch. She clenched her fists and gritted her teeth to prevent herself from squealing.

Aedan chuckled with his lips closed and his gaze turned away. “Can’t you just alleviate that pain with Spirit Mend?”

“This is nothing,” she retorted with a scowl. “I’m not going to make it a habit of treating the slightest bit of wound or pain. It’ll dull my senses towards life-threatening circumstances. I have already lost nearly all sense of urgency towards death. I don’t want to lose my fear of pain too.”

“That’s not what you told me last night.”

“I didn’t say that’s the only reason.”

Aedan shrugged as he tittered softly. “I suppose you didn’t.”

“Having another clandestine affair again?” Lyra said as she suddenly emerged from the back and wrapped her arms around Erin, resting her weary head on Erin’s shoulder. Her hair was ruffled and her eyes were barely open. Her eyelids fluttered like a butterfly’s wings as she struggled to keep herself awake.

“Clandestine?” Erin raised an eyebrow, her hand moved to tousle Lyra’s hair. “That’s a fancy word.”

“I have been talking with Lilian and she had talked with a lot of fancy folks. Apparently, you are what one would call eccentric, Erin.”

“She certainly is,” Aedan muttered.

Lyra’s eyes snapped open and she lifted her head off of Erin’s shoulder. She then turned her gaze sharply to Aedan, scowling lightly.

Aedan met Lyra’s glowering gaze but only briefly. It wasn’t even a proper glance but only a sidelong glance. Still, that was enough of a response for Lyra.

“He wasn’t too rough on you, was he?” Lyra asked.

“What?” Erin was caught off guard by her. “W-what do you mean?”

“It was your first time with a man, is it not?”

“Y-yes?” For some reason, Erin felt uncomfortable answering the question. She had no qualms recounting her experiences with Lyra or Siv but with Aedan, it brought for an unexplainable embarrassment.

“My first time was terrible, you know? I act like I felt good because I didn’t want to hurt his feelings but… maybe I should have not put up with it and just be honest with him about his terrible performance. So, tell me, was Aedan good?”

“Was I?” Aedan chimed in.

Erin grimaced. “Why are we talking about this?”

“Because your lover is worried,” Lyra answered.

Erin took a whiff. “Worry, my foot. You’re just intrigued. I can smell your anticipation.” Her eyes widened. “You want to lay with him?”

“Not just him alone…” Lyra’s gaze was swimming as her voice trailed off. “But if it’s with you too… maybe I am a tad curious?”

“I thought you said you hate men?”

“A lot has changed, Erin. Discovering you were a man, for one. And… if he’s a man that you approved… I don’t mind.”

Aedan finally burst out chuckling.

“Did I say something funny?” Lyra asked with a confused frown.

“You forgot to ask my opinion, that’s what I found funny.”

Lyra narrowed her gaze. “How is that funny?”

“What makes you think I want to bed you?”

A spurt of stifled laughter resounded from the back of the wagon. As the three glanced back, they saw Lilian sitting on the bench with her eyes closed but her shoulders were trembling uncontrollably and a cackle on the verge of bursting forth from her lips.

“You were awake,” Aedan said.

Lilian dropped her farce and sat up straight. Her eyes were devoid of tiredness and spanned wide open as if her exhaustion had all been just an illusion. “Oh, my. You didn’t know I was awake?” she asked with a simper.

“Surprisingly, no. I couldn’t tell.”

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“I feel extremely honoured that I managed to elude the senses of a True Dragon,” Lilian said with a slight bow of her head.

“Either you’re extremely skilled in the Magic Arts of concealment or…” His gaze wandered to the back of his left hand. “The seal is deteriorating much quicker than I already feared.”

“Oh, dear… Is that something we should be worried about?” Lilian asked, her smile disappearing.

“Not if I can help it.” He turned to Erin. “Sorry, sweetheart but I can’t accompany you to the city after all. We will have to part here.”

“Here? Why?” Erin questioned with an addled gaze. “Don’t you need to go through the valley regardless?”

“You are right in that regard but there are more ways than one to go through the valley,” Aedan said and pulled on the reins, putting the wagon to a stop. The abrupt shift of momentum woke everyone up, except for Siv who didn’t even stir.

“What’s going on?” Nivia immediately jumped to her feet upon her wake with her twin short swords brandished and her gaze sharpened.

“Change of plans. I’m leaving early,” Aedan explained curtly and hopped down from the coach.

“You’re not going with us until the city?”

“Not anymore. Things have changed for the worse. I need to be quick.”

“What is your plan?” Erin asked, plopping down from the wagon.

“Olivia,” Aedan answered.

Erin’s brows sprang up upon realisation. “I see.”

The person-in-question popped her head out of the wagon’s makeshift cloth window. “Yes, m’lord?” Olivia’s expression was still groggy but her voice was firm and full of zest.

“You’re coming with me. You will be my mount. We are flying to the eastern nations.”

Olivia’s grogginess disappeared in an instant as she shook her face wide awake. “Pardon me, m’lord, but did I hear you right?”

“You did. So, get down from there and release your shell of a form already.”

Olivia did just that but when she had disembarked from the wagon, she walked towards Aedan with a look of reluctance. “My lord, is this wise? What of your consort?”

Aedan frowned. “My consort?”

“His consort?!” Erin and Lyra exclaimed in unison.

Lilian could be heard tittering inside the wagon.

Aedan sighed. “She’s no consort of mine, Olivia. And what of Erin?”

“If I’m gone, who will protect her from harm, my lord?”

It was Erin’s turn to sigh. She picked up a pebble from the road and tossed it at Olivia.

The moment Olivia instinctively grabbed the pebble falling her way, Erin thrust her palm. Olivia swiftly dodged Erin’s palm thrust but her neck touched something firm and cold as she moved away from Erin’s palm. When she cast her gaze down, she saw Erin’s sword, conjured from Bespoke, was pressing against her neck.

“Wow…” Nivia gasped in awe. She had heard that Erin had grown a lot ever since their last acquaintance but seeing her growth in the flesh was a whole different story. Erin was only just barely her level of skill the last time they sparred but now, Nivia could tell Erin had long surpassed her in both swordsmanship and magic.

Aedan smirked. “Does that answer your question, Olivia?”

Olivia nodded and Erin dispelled her spell sword.

“Levels and the repertoire of spells are not everything, Olivia,” Erin said. “You can’t protect me if you’re not using your true powers and form, and I sincerely doubt you can show your true powers and form in the city.”

“She has a point,” Aedan attested.

“And a True Dragon by my side will just attract more attention.”

“Of course, m’lady. I have been remiss. Forgive me,” Olivia apologised and bowed deeply.

Aedan rolled his eyes. “For heaven’s sake, stop with those etiquettes of yours. No one here cares about them.”

“But I do, m’lord. It is not for them but for me. You are my lord. She is your consort. And they are your friends. I need to show my humble respect.”

“She is not his consort, Lizard!” Lyra baulked at Olivia from the coach seat. “Get that into your head.”

“Your opinion is duly noted, human,” Olivia retorted dryly to Lyra’s growl.

Erin ignored the banter between Olivia and Lyra and walked right up to Aedan. “If I had known you would be leaving so soon, I would have prepared better.”

“Prepare? For what? You were planning on giving a speech?”

“Something like that.”

Aedan smiled. “I don’t need that, Erin. I just need this.” He wrapped his arms around Erin and pulled her in for a deep passionate kiss.

Lyra and Nivia gasped. The two wanted to jump in and give their retorts but they couldn’t think of anything to say. Lyra herself had already given her approval and Nivia had no business in their relationship. And so, they both resorted to just staring at the two embraced in a deep kiss. Olivia was indifferent to their show of affection as always. Aera, Siv, and Lilian were still inside the wagon but for some reason, Lilian was snickering as if she was seeing everything that was transpiring.

The kiss between them only ended when Erin forcefully pushed Aedan away. “That’s too much,” she complained, wiping her lips. “And there are others watching.”

“It’s not like they don’t already know about us.”

“I’m not into that kind of play, Aedan. At least not on this occasion,” Erin said her last sentence in a whisper.

“How improper of you two,” Nivia huffed with her arms crossed, looking away as red filled her cheeks.

“Oh, before I forget.” Aedan ruffled around his pockets for a while before taking out a sigil medallion of sorts and handing it over to Erin. “Once you reach the city, show the officials this medallion.”

“What is this?” Erin asked, inspecting the medallion pressed into her hand.

Olivia’s expression turned solemn suddenly and she cut in, “M’lord. We should leave now.”

Aedan nodded. “We should.”

“Someone’s coming,” Erin said as caught a thunder of hooves approaching in their direction. “The patrols?”

“It can only be them,” Aedan affirmed.

They spared not another moment lingering around on the road. Aedan took Olivia by the hand and disappeared into the dense foliage beside the road. No proper farewell was exchanged but to Erin, she was already given one the night prior. They all climbed back on board the wagon with Erin taking the reins and Lyra sitting by her side.

“I see them,” Lyra said just as the wagons started moving.

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