When I went to pick up the phone at the inn, my name left Alijah's lips as he tried to tug me back into his arms. Unable to stop him from doing so, I brought the phone into the bed with me. When he noticed it, he glanced at me, scrunching his eyes again as I dialed a number on the pad.
"What are you doing?" he asked as I placed the phone in my ear and turned away.
Luckily, the airship line answered quickly enough not to give him a chance to take it away.
"Oi..." Alijah mumbled, hovering over me.
Shaking my head, I stood up from the bed and asked, "Can I have all the airline information available today?"
This was a small village, and it only had space for two to three airships. Fortunately, when they gave me the list of crafts leaving, a ship departed soon for Allora.
Crap, it's headed to the capital Orarios… No, it doesn't matter; nothing will stop me.
"I see, thank you. I'll be passing by there soon." I bid farewell before hanging up.
We usually traveled everywhere on foot because it was easier to go undetected that way. However, Allora was separated from the rest of the nations by an ocean, one we couldn't cross by land.
One airship won't be world-ending for us.
We had to bribe the officers there, but that wasn't something gold coins wouldn't buy. I turned to Alijah, who wasn't amused by everything happening.
"Rem! What the fuck are you doing?" He growled, eyes twitching.
"You… won't understand." I shifted my gaze away from him before heading to get my clothes, only for him to grab my hand.
Don't make this any more complicated than it already is!
I wanted to scream at him, but if I allowed any emotion out. There was no doubt I would break.
"Rem, tell me what is going on." He demanded as I took a deep breath and turned to him again.
I don't want you to know. Not until you must know.
I probably should've told him, but I desired him for myself for a bit longer.
"Because we're going somewhere important—something's waiting for us there, and we must go fetch it, Ali," I answered, feeling empty inside.
I wasn't ready for our separation, and we wouldn't split up right after they met. Instead, I would become a supporting character for them.
Awkward…
After they were reunited, we had to travel to Silverant to get Vera to help me break the bond. Sadly, I couldn't do it alone.
Argh! I didn't think this through, but I never thought I would've had a taste of you.
Thankfully, I had prepared for that moment before I even got on the airship the day I met Alijah. I never thought I would have...
Right... This was never supposed to happen. I was never supposed to have a taste of you. Harden... Harden up, heart, please! For your happiness, everything must go, including me!
"What are you talking about, Rem? What the fuck is going on?" He cocked his head, scowling at me.
Last night didn't help. Does it?
"Look, I'm sorry about last night. Maybe I'm getting my period soon." I brushed off as I tugged away from him and dressed for our trip.
An obvious lie. Though you wouldn't know, you haven't been there all my life to know.
"Everything will be clear once we get to our destination," I added, closing my heart to him.
This time, I wouldn't break, not until we got there. Usually, I would shower when we spent our days in an inn. After all, we didn't know the last time when we would see another one, yet I didn't want to wash any part of him off me.
His warmth still lingered in every centimeter of me, and I wanted to keep it there until I couldn't.
"Rem, where are we going?" Alijah queried, taking a step towards me.
Evidently, he didn't trust a word that left my mouth for the first time since the campfire that changed our relationship. Perhaps he had caught a few feelings for me, but it wouldn't matter when he saw Lilith.
Those emotions will melt the moment you lay eyes on her. I can't forget. I won't forget.
When he said he loved me, it would replay in my memories until I finally stopped breathing. I could already picture the moment everything ended for us—the moment Lilith ran into Alijah's arms while he held them open for her.
The bliss in your eyes…
My heart would break into a million pieces then, and I couldn't do anything about it.
For your happiness, I'll shatter it myself. For our vow… I'll…
"You'll see. I'm just keeping my promise to you. That's all." I tried to reassure my troubled wolf.
"What? A promise? You wouldn't be crying if it were something like that. No, I dislike this, Rem. Every instinct is telling me to keep you here with me." He growled.
Crap… I need to get my act together.
"Everything will be fine. You'll be happier than you've ever been when we get there. Trust me, I haven't hurt you yet. Have I?" I simpered, trying to hide all the ugliness inside.
All that mattered was getting him to Allora and reuniting him with his beloved.
Hopefully, we can save her before Edna's magic corrupts her. If that's possible... We never figured out what the witch wanted with the elf.
"Rem," he called, grabbing onto my chin.
Gathering the courage, I faced him head-on. I was glad I brightened his life, even if it was a little, which meant my time with him hadn't been in vain.
Perhaps you've changed or are simply tolerating me all these months. Either way, you're my everything. Because of that, you'll have everything you ever wanted.
I smiled before tugging myself to meet his lips. It reminded me of the night I bonded with him.
The night I made you my captive. Soon, we both will have our freedom. I love you... It's time to set you free.
When my lips touched him, he quickly deepened the kiss as I wouldn't allow him to sway me. I drew away from him, pressing my hands on his chest.
"Get dressed. Our flight leaves in an hour," I announced, tugging away to get ready.
Alijah stared at me for a few moments before reluctantly getting ready. He knew once I had something in mind, nothing would change it. Checking out of the inn was a breeze, and getting to the airship wasn't a hassle.
Luckily, blaze elves were too hot-tempered to care about anything else than their engines running. Then again, it had been six months, and everyone had already forgotten or cared little about Alijah's wanted pictures.
Sometimes, hiding in plain sight is better.
Zent was a fiery place to travel in, especially if we didn't have unique elven-chanted jewels to travel to. Even walking on the streets of a small village was like walking in a boiling sun. Every building was red or black based on how hot the metal had burned.
Unlike other places, their houses were made with a special metal called etantil, which was enchanted to resist heat. They even made the inn we rented of it. Luckily, I had purchased some of those accessories before I left Silverant.
So, when we got to Zent's border, it wasn't an issue to travel on it.
I still remember when they got home, Caden had asked me why I had brought them.
"For fashion, duh!" I blurted out as he rolled his eyes at me.
"If you say so, sis." He shook his head, grabbing the bag next to the table.
"Oh, mind your own business!" I huffed, grumpily going back to my room.
Everyone thought I was brainless, and I was, but I also knew how to slip through the cracks. I had planned to travel the entire world with Alijah, but that would be a wish that wouldn't be fully accomplished.
Ah… Our end will be Celestelia, Zent, Azear, Niamoor, and Allora. I guess Celnaer, Arthion, and Raman will have to wait until… If it ever happens.Pity…
Lyari was somewhere we could have never traveled together while being fugitives, though.
Heck, even Raman might've been impossible, too. Those sun elves are too stuck up.
Though Celnaer and Arthion, we could've gotten away with those.
Crap… There is so much I want to do with you, but I guess you'll have your pick soon, Alijah.
We got on a civilian ship, which meant no Cerberus officers were on board, especially since it was a tiny village in Zent. Once on it, though, Alijah couldn't keep his eyes off everything. It was fascinating initially, but it quickly grew too loud for him to handle.
I had to buy him Lycan earplugs for the trip. The loud noises from the airship were overwhelming to someone like him, who had never lived in our modern era. The entire trip was relatively quick—only four hours in the air—but he spent the whole time snuggled up against me, trying to concentrate on the sound of my heart rather than the machinery.
Not that I didn't enjoy every moment of having Alijah cling to me so desperately, but it was saddening to see him like that. The big bad wolf everyone was terrified of appeared to be a small child. This would be yet another memory I could store in my mind.
They conceptualized machinery like this in his era, but the elves made the first airship only two thousand years ago, making this a completely new thing for him. Walking everywhere had saved him from this experience, but it was a must this time.
All I could do was gently caress his hair, trying to keep him from attempting to destroy the ship. Thankfully, he stayed calm until it came time to get off the boat. The moment he saw where we were, he instantly recognized it.
We had arrived in Allora's central city, Oraios, which was only a few hours away from our primary destination. In the middle of the town, a giant ancient white tree marked this as moon-elven territory.
The houses all had the same ghastly, purple appearance. They loved to build their homes of clay here, but they would paint them white. The only colors that showed were purple stripes in some of them and the ribbons that made up part of their lighting.
That was all we could see from the ship, though.
"We have to go." Alijah huffed, taking a step into the ship.
"What?" I mumbled, reaching for it.
"We shouldn't be here." He growled, eyes shimmering.
Retrieving my hand, I shifted my gaze away.
"Fine. You can stay here. I can go by myself." I sighed, turning away from him and exiting the aircraft.
"Wait, Rem!" He tried to get me to pivot around, but I continued steadily on my path.
This is all for you! Why are you being like this? Let me help you!
As I didn't stop, he rushed after me, and I didn't stop until we were on the outskirts of the main town.
"Rem!" Alijah called out for me as I turned towards him.
"Oh? So you decided to come after all." I huffed, fixing my hair after the sprint I embarked on.
"Enough, let's get out of here now." He grabbed my hand, only for me to pull it away.
"No, shift, I have to go somewhere important." I sighed, shaking my head.
"What?" He breathed, picking up my chin as I winced.
"Please! Alijah, just listen to me!" I pleaded, trying not to break.
Luckily, we weren't alone as presences made themselves known.
"Is that a lover's quarrel?" A moon elf asked, poking their head out of the building nearby.
"I don't know. I saw him chasing the Luma, so I thought it would be a fight." Another commented, prompting Alijah to scowl at them.
"Fine." His voice grew cold.
Thank the gods.
A soft sigh left me as he shifted before I mounted him. However, this wolf had other plans as he took off before I could take out our map. It was almost as if a switch had flipped on him. There wasn't anything to stop the incoming confrontation from happening.