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The group resumed their journey towards the capital as soon as dawn broke. Everyone was in high spirits. Or rather, they were reinvigorated by their much-needed rest. Labelling yesterday as hectic was an understatement.

Everyone had a good night’s sleep, much to everyone’s surprise and mild chagrin. They didn’t think they would have such a nice sleep, all thanks to Amyra’s mastery over the instruments of melodies. Her talent shocked everyone, save for Aedan who already knew beforehand.

A staple flair amongst adventurers who frequently participate in labyrinth-diving. As labyrinths tend to be located in enclosed spaces underground, the strain on adventurers’ minds was significantly heavier. They needed something to alleviate their strained mind while resting. Songs and melodies became the regular form of entertainment.

Gradually, labyrinth-diving adventurers became known to be deft at playing the instruments or singing due to their constant practice. It was why a lot of bards or minstrels are former adventurers, though Erin couldn’t recall having met any bards or minstrels as of yet.

The melodies Amyra played had soothed the minds of the group. They didn’t realise how much they needed something to cleanse their weary thoughts. They were all sceptical at first when Amyra boasted her talent but all doubts were gone when she started strumming the strings on the instrument. Before they knew it, they had all fallen asleep to the tune, including Ruri the Kirin.

Speaking of which, Ruri had opened up to Erin and her companions last night. It wouldn’t be wrong to say they had bonded over the melodies Amyra played. Ruri was no longer putting its guard up around the group. It no longer saw any of them as a potential threat, except for Aedan. It couldn’t get rid of its primal fear towards a True Dragon.

The ornate carriage rolled into a vast plain as late morning came about. The plain oddly resembled the one before with one huge glaring difference. This plain wasn’t permeated with the presence of an army. Small buildings were scattered about in this vast plain, presumably the residences of lone families that didn’t belong to any villages or towns.

There were paths leading through and across the plains. The one Erin took was leading them to a small town in the distance. As they crossed over a stream that stretched on further than her eyes could perceive, Erin began hearing songs being sung from the other travellers on the road.

Most of the travellers were peddlers or folks going about their daily routines. A good portion of them were adventurers, going by their mismatched combat garments. The singing mostly came from the adventurers, which reminded Erin of last night.

“Say, where did you learn all those melodies?” Erin asked.

“Other adventurers,” Amyra answered with a shrug. She was sitting beside Erin in the driver’s seat while the rest were staying in the back of the carriage.

The pair was drawing a lot of glances, curious of the two. One was an Augur while the other was a Fae. Like always, they were an odd pair. It didn’t help that Erin was a great beauty and many were caught drooling after her, though they all turned away when Amyra caught them sneaking glances.

“You didn’t make any songs yourself?”

“I’m good, I’m aware of that, but I’m not that good. Besides, playing isn’t a passion. It’s a necessity to soothe a strained mind. Kinda like potions. I know how to make a few basic potions but I have never come up with any original recipes. Why do you ask, milady?”

“Nothing important. It’s just… it’s hard to believe someone so lustful over battles can be so practised with melody instruments.”

Amyra grinned. “I’m versatile, milady. Have I mentioned that I can also work the forge?”

“No, but I did assume that you would know the basics.”

“Oh, I know more than that. I’m no master but I’m no greenhorn either. If you would allow me, milady, I would love to forge you a sword when the opportunity presents itself.”

“I appreciate the sentiment and the offer but corporeal swords are hindrances to me now, and less reliable too.”

“I can forge you tools of other kinds, milady. Not necessarily a sword.”

“I don’t know what other tools I would need.”

“I’m sure I can think of something,” Amyra said with the utmost confidence.

“Is there a reason for your persistence?”

“It is an honour to make an oblation for the god I serve and his spouse.”

“I am not his spouse, Amyra. And he isn’t the Dragon God.”

“His Grace has all the qualifications to the throne. The only things missing are incentives. Like it or not, every Aeryon is already looking to him as the Dragon God. They believe that it’s only a matter of time before he ascends to the throne.”

“Don’t you think this is all too bothersome for him? You revered him but all you did was trouble him.”

Amyra smiled wryly. “If he’s truly troubled, then he will not be so quiet and vague with his stance. He would have appointed a candidate if he truly had no intentions of taking the throne. Besides, he can’t completely deny the throne with all of his vehemence. Dorvus had been eyeing the throne.”

“I thought he doesn’t believe in Aeryo?”

“He doesn’t but that’s the Dragon God’s throne and the Aerysians believed Aerys should be the one on that throne. Dorvus doesn’t want the throne for himself. He wants it for Aerys.”

“Will he be a problem any time soon?”

“Only time will tell, milady.”

As the carriage passed by a farm of melons, something flew into the coachstand through the blinds from the back of the carriage.

“Kyu!” Ruri cried as she landed on Erin’s lap.

“Hey, where are you going?!” Nivia shouted after the Kirin, popping her head through the blinds. “I’m sorry, Erin, but this trog just suddenly rushed at you.”

“It’s alright, Nivia. It wants something from me.”

“Kyu!” Ruri chirped, pointing at the melon farm with its head.

“Those melons?”

Ruri nodded.

“You want to eat them?”

Ruri nodded again.

Erin frowned. “You just ate an hour ago. A whole fruit, at that.”

Ruri widened its eyes, not in surprise but in an attempt to persuade Erin.

“No,” Erin responded.

“Myu….” it pouted.

Erin couldn’t understand the Kirin’s language but she could understand its body language. “Those melons are not ours and they aren’t something grown in the wild. They are the possessions of others. Stealing is bad.”

“Tsk,” the Kirin tutted and hopped onto Amyra’s lap. It stared the Augur straight in the eyes with bloated cheeks. “Kyu~” it squealed.

“I’m sorry, little one, but milady had already given you the answer.”

“Hmph!” Ruri huffed and hopped back into the back of the carriage.

Nivia sighed. “This thing is no pet. It’s a nuisance.”

“It’s still very adorable.”

“Adorable or not, it’s mischievous, very much so. As soon as it realised none of us meant any harm, it began to take a lot of liberties.”

“At least it ain’t trying to find ways to gut us anymore,” Amyra said.

“Now it’s finding ways to annoy us or take advantage of us. I don’t know which is worse.”

“Meep!!”

A shrill resounded all of a sudden. Ruri came dashing back out. It was practically scampering with all of its might. It found Erin’s lap and huddled itself as deep into her lap as it could.

“What happened?” Erin inquired, glancing behind her. Her hands moved themselves. They went to comfort Rurir, gently stroking it.

This time, it was Aedan who showed himself. “Nothing,” he answered.

“Meep…!”

Erin narrowed her gaze. “Are you sure?”

“Ruri was being… a spoiled runt. So, I gave her a hint as to what would happen if she continued with her bratty behaviour.”

“What did you do?”

“I smiled at her,” Aedan said with a smile.

“Her?”

“It’s a female. So yeah, her. Anyway, just keep a good eye on her. Remember, you chose this. She’s your responsibility.”

“What happened to ‘us’ or ‘our’?”

“Well, we have all our regrets,” Aedan said and retreated into the back.

Erin could hear their discussions about Ruri. Apparently, it had been giving them a lot of trouble. She looked down at her lap, where the Kirin was all curled up, shaking in fright.

“Already tired?”

“Is this what it's like to care for a pet?”

“I wouldn’t know. Never have a pet before, if you don’t count mounts. However, I do have a piece of advice, if you care to listen, milady.”

“Just tell me.”

“A pet isn’t a friend. It is an animal and you, as its owner, have the obligation to train it. An animal is trained, not educated. Pets are to be well-trained, not well-educated. But it would be a different story if it possessed the rationality of a sapient.”

“...Thank you, Amyra,” Erin said after a short silence.

“You’re most welcome, milady.”

“I have to train it huh…” Musing, Erin lifted Ruri up to her face.

The Kirin looked confused when it was suddenly being lifted. Perhaps it sensed what was coming when it saw Erin’s face as it went still and stared back at her.

“....”

“Kyu?”

“No more tantrums, understand?”

“Kyu…”

“Milady, I don’t think it fully understands words.”

“Do you understand what I’m saying?”

“Kyu?”

“Nod, if you do.”

Ruri nodded.

“Oh…” Amyra muttered. “That’s unexpected. I know it’s intelligent but to think it understands such specifics.”

“Stick your tongue out,” Erin said.

Ruri tilted its head cutely, looking confused.

“Stick your tongue out, please?”

While still looking confused, Ruri stuck its tongue out.

“By the stars, it understands!” Amyra exclaimed. “The blood of the dragon within this Kirin is strong.”

“So, you understand me completely?” Erin asked.

Ruri nodded after some hesitation.

“Maybe teaching this Kirin would be easier than other pets.”

“Kyu!”

“Or harder,” Erin added.

“Kye!” Ruri hissed.

“I think you hurt its feelings, milady.”

“It hurt our feelings too by being bratty.”

“Kyu…” it mewed softly, seemingly ashamed over its behaviour being pointed out.

“Feels like I’m talking to a child here…”

“It does seem like it.”

Then, a faint tremor spread across the ground. It was truly vague. It was barely enough to topple a poorly stacked tower of stones. But Erin felt the tremor nonetheless.

“Kyu!” Ruri squealed and ducked into Erin’s lap.

“You felt it too, milady?”

Erin nodded. “Something’s coming.”

“Enemies?”

Erin shook her head.

In the direction they were travelling towards, a muster of soldiers appeared from the hillock in the distance, around hundreds of them. The soldiers appeared to be in a hurry as they didn’t slow down even though there were many other travellers in their paths.

“Stay inside and keep quiet.” Erin’s voice wasn’t loud but she only needed one of them to pick up on her words and have them relayed them to others.

Immediately, the ones in the back quieted down. Amyra took the reins and stirred the carriage onto the side of the road, making way for the soldiers.

The stampede rushed past them without sparing a glance. They were truly in a hurry. They stopped for no one. Erin saw a few of the carts were too slow in evading the soldiers and ended up having their carts overturned. The soldiers themselves suffered no detriment when they crashed through the carts.

Once things had calmed down, the rest of the group poked their heads out from the carriage.

“What was that?” Lyra asked.

“Soldiers.”

“It sounded like they were in a rush,” Nivia said.

“They were. They even took banners with them,” Erin observed.

“War is certain,” Aedan muttered. “Now that I think about it, this could get ugly for us.”

“Why?”

“The Aeryons and the Aerysians both serve the Dragon God. Though there’s a clear distinction to be made, outsiders rarely care for the specifics, especially for soldiers. They will most likely indict the Aeryons along with the Aerysians. Unless…”

“Unless?”

“Unless our new friend would be so kind as to help make the distinction clear to the soldiers and the public.”

Erin’s face gleamed with realisation. “Ah… Azaela.”