LEAVING

With lips pressed together and their eyes opened, Lynne and Thalia stared at each other for what felt like eternity. His hands rested round her neck while hers lingered on at her sides, bangs of her hair gently falling down. Calm and chaos besieged them both as their lips parted slowly. Indescribable rush encompassed them, but neither was able to move. They sat so, their faces inches apart, gazing deeply into another one’s soul.

“Eh…” Lynne stuttered as he jolted himself back to reality, moving back awkwardly. “I-I mean… uh, sorry, I – I didn’t mean, uh…”

“Uh, yea, yea,” Thalia replied just as awkwardly as she got up, her cheeks rosy. “I-I yapped on, ha ha, yeah, you…”

“Uhm, yeah, ha ha, it’s like that, ha ha… ha…” the two turned away from each other, stealing glances from time to time.

“W-we’d like to leave now…” Thalia muttered as she looked at the spherical object.

“You sure?” a voice replied. “This were getting kind of fun.”

“…”

“…”

“Well, you can either peacefully discuss this here without any distractions,” the voice continued, her tone upbeat. “Or leave the awkwardness between you alive that others will notice immediately and make fun of you regardless.”

“…”

“…”

The voice quieted and neither Lynne nor Thalia spoke. The two were several meters apart, their heartbeats the only sound that echoed, cheeks burning strangely crimson.

“… ah, fuck this,” Thalia grunted as she closed the distance and grabbed Lynne by his shoulders, forcing their gazes to lock. “That kiss was terrible.” she leaned in, tilting her head slightly, as she kissed him, closing her eyes. As she was slightly shorter, she lifted herself atop her toes as she wrapped her arms around his waist. Lynne quickly recovered from a slight shock, leaning in further and giving in as he closed his eyes, his hands grabbing onto her back.

The two remained kissing for a while as they ran out of breath, finally breaking apart. Their arms still remained wrapped around the other, and their eyes remained focus on the other pair. Their foreheads clasped together as the two relaxed, their breathing evening out.

“That one was great though.” Lynne said, chuckling.

“Of course it was,” Thalia smiled as she looked up. “I initiated it.”

“Hey, that’s not fair!” Lynne cried out. “I was coming off from having been bombarded with very mixed descriptions of me, and you just came from a slightly awkward situation!”

“I really did bombard you, didn’t I?” Thalia said, chuckling lightly.

“Yeah, wow, that was something,” Lynne exhaled deeply as he remembered. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you that fired up though.”

“Oh,” Thalia smiled wryly as she bit his lips lightly. “You haven’t a clue.”

“…”

“To be fair though,” she continued as the two finally separated. “I’ve expected many reactions, but awkward kiss wasn’t one of them.”

“Really?” Lynne arched his brows as he looked at her. “You never imagined us kissing? That’s odd.”

“Yeah, twist my words,” she hit him lightly as she looked at the spherical object. “There, satisfied? Could you let us go now?”

“That was so embarrassing I had to look away,” the voice replied, chuckling. “Good luck to the two of you.”

A spacial vortex appeared in front of the two, spinning round and round, within it an image of the three gates with Fen’er and Parsia already waiting there.

“Way to go kiddo!” the Spirit’s voice, alongside his laughter, echoed out inside Lynne’s mind, causing the latter to frown.

“Ha ha, you dove right in!” the False God joined.

“That’s my Master for you!” the Liz-boy attributed as well.

“What’s wrong?” Thalia asked as she noticed his frown.

“Nothing,” Lynne grunted, shaking his head. “Just that my Soul is a home to a bunch of juvenile kids.”

“Oh, we’ve been spied on?”

“Yeah…” the two began walking towards the vortex as they spoke.

“So, that is to say, that if I ever decide to sleep with you, we’d never have privacy?” she teased.

“Y-wait, ever?” Lynne asked, stopping suddenly as Thalia entered the vortex, glancing backwards, her tongue out. “Hey, what do you mean ever?! Ugh, thanks a lot guys.”

“Anytime kiddo!”

“And you dove right out!”

“Don’t worry Master, you still have us!”

“…”

Lynne stepped slowly through the vortex, feeling the space around him bend and break as he was forcibly flung through a tunnel. A few minutes later, he was spat out – mid air – and crashed onto the ground, groaning in pain as he lifted himself up, dusting off his robes.

“Thalia told us you died,” Parsia said indifferently. “I guess not.”

“I did die a little bit inside,” Lynne said as he glanced at Thalia. “You two got anything good?”

“Yeah, bunch of nonsense,” Fen’er grunted angrily. “I swear, if that bitch ever reincarnates, I’ll be burying her alive.”

“Burying her? I’ll wail her off, piece by piece!” Parsia joined in.

“Wow, holy shit, what happened guys?” Lynne asked as the monkey and the bird landed on his shoulder.

“Ha ha,” the monkey immediately laughed. “That poor bastard had to watch a projection of his wife screwing half his friends… at the same time! Ha ha ha!”

“Ha ha ha,” Lynne burst out in laughter alongside the monkey. “She’s really something.”

“Hey, my wife would never do that!”

“What about Fen’er then?” Lynne asked the bird.

“If you gawk a single thing out,” Fen’er’s cold eyes focused onto the bird as she threatened in an angry tone. “I’ll kill you by ripping your feathers out, one by one!”

“… I don’t have any feathers.”

“Oh, trust me, you do.”

“… I’m scared Lynne.”

“It’s okay, you don’t have to tell me. Shall we leave?”

“Yeah,” Thalia yawned as she stretched out and began walking towards the exit. “I don’t think that no one ever came back from this place… it’s just that they were too ashamed to share their experiences.”

“I second that.” Fen’er added.

“… you’re just teasing me on purpose, aren’t you?” Lynne said as the group began speeding towards the spiraling stairway.

“What did the two of you get?” Parsia asked.

“Absolutely nothing.” Thalia replied bluntly. “Well, he did get that woman’s spirit for safekeeping. She’s a part of his soul now. Can you believe how romantic that is?” she chuckled as she looked at frowning Lynne.

“Don’t say you didn’t get anything,” Lynne smiled suddenly. “What about all the knowledge you got that stirred your heart?”

“Eh, it was okay I guess. Nothing to write home about.”

“It would be if you had a home.” Lynne grunted.

“Ouch.” the monkey muttered as he looked away.

“You really overestimate that knowledge,” Thalia didn’t seem to mind though as she simply chuckled. “Could it be you were lied to?”

“… you’re just doing it on purpose now, aren’t you?”

“What the hell are the two of you talking about?” Fen’er asked, confusion painted on her face.

“Nothing.” Thalia and Lynne replied in unison as they looked at her.

“… o-okay… sorry for asking.”

Parsia and Thalia slowly fell behind the group as Lynne and Fen’er began chatting about the Eastern Frontier, while the bird fell asleep and the monkey began chewing on some pill.

“Why do you seem so happy all of a sudden?” Parsia asked, smiling cheekily.

“What are you? Thirteen year old girl?” Thalia glanced at him, groaning lowly.

“Didn’t you say you will just be his shield?” Parsia asked, ignoring her, as he looked at Lynne.

“For the first time since I was a kid,” Thalia said, smiling warmly as she looked at him as well. “I felt awkward because of a boy. Shit, even just remembering it I feel like hiding someplace far away.”

“I’m happy for the two of you.” Parsia said. “And even more happy that I’ve got something else to make fun of him for.”

“… you really think it will work?” Thalia asked.

“Yeah, you’re right,” Parsia said as he contemplated for a moment. “He’d probably say something like ‘Yea, I’m with her. She’s hot as hell. She’s hotter than your wife even! What will you do about it, huh? Hah! Are you jealous?! Muhaha! Be jealous! Let it ruin you like I ruined hopes and dreams of all men who wanted Thalia for themselves! Muahaha!’”

“… that sounded eerily similar to him,” Thalia suddenly shivered as she looked away. “You’ve gotten too good at mimicking him.”

“Yeah, I actually felt uncomfortable in my own skin there for a moment. Creepy.”

The two rejoined Lynne and Fen’er shortly after as they climbed the stairs, reaching the narrow tunnel. They were easily able to pass it as there were no barriers, and shortly after found themselves at the tomb’s entrance whereupon they all suddenly came to a halt, frowning.

“Eleven? Twelve?” Fen’er muttered, reaching for her sword.

“Hey, hey!” Lynne interrupted her quickly. “How about, for a change, we don’t immediately start fighting whoever we encounter, eh? Maybe they’re just curious adventures as well.”

“… you go out first then.”

“… fine.”

“Let’s just go,” Thalia grunted as she pulled Lynne forward where as Fen’er and Parsia followed. “The worst case scenario, we have to fight. So stay alert.”

As they left through the entrance into the open, they spotted thirteen people camping a few dozen meters away. The thirteen quickly turned around as they spotted them and got up, but they didn’t draw their weapons. Instead, a single person – a woman with azure-blue fluttering hair and skin as pale as snow – stepped forward, smiling lightly.

“We’ve been expecting you,” she said in a soft, friendly tone. Her voice slightly startled Lynne, who was half-hidden behind Thalia, as it seemed familiar. “You sure took your sweet time.”

“… you are?” Thalia asked, frowning.

“Ah, how rude of me,” the woman said, bowing lightly. “My name is Leana Rigtor, army General of the Eastern Frontier Human Forces. Pleasure to meet you, fellow travelers.” … can’t be?

“Rigtor?” Fen’er muttered, frowning similarly to Thalia. “Main or branch?”

“You’ve heard of my family?” Leana asked as she looked at Fen’er.

“Only oblivious idiots haven’t,” Fen’er smiled somewhat as she paused for a moment and turned towards Lynne, realizing something. “Sorry Lynne. You’re not an oblivious idiot, just an exception.” Lynne?

“You didn’t have to point it out in the first place!” Lynne cried out, stepping out from behind Thalia, standing next to her as he looked angrily at Fen’er.

“Lynne?!” Leana suddenly exclaimed in disbelief as she stared at the youth before her. Lynne slowly turned towards her and his doubts were immediately confirmed.

“Leana,” Lynne said, smiling lightly. “Long time no see.”

“You two know each other?” Thalia asked.

“Aye. You could say that.”

“It’s really you?!” Leana continued to stare in disbelief. “B-but- you’re… why do I sense such strong aura coming from you?!”

“She’s too young to have ever been your girlfriend,” Thalia said suddenly. “But you don’t associate with other women. So how the hell do you know her?”

“… how lowly do you think of me?” Lynne sighed. “Don’t I associate with Fen’er? And you? Give me some credit!”

“Associate?” Thalia glanced at him, her eyes tilting as her expression turned to that of sadness. “You don’t even consider us friends? How cruel can you be Lynne?”

“… screw you.” Lynne muttered. “Oh wait. If ever.”

“Hey, hey, sorry to interrupt your… eh… whatever that is,” Leana jumped in. “But, just a quick question: what the hell are you doing here Lynne? And when did you start practicing Magic?!”

“There’ll be time to catch up,” Lynne said instead. “How about you tell us why were you waiting for us?”

“Oh, yeah,” Leana stuttered, smiling awkwardly. “How about we talk over a dinner? There’s a lot to say, after all.”

“… sure.”

“Can we trust her?” Thalia whispered as they began walking to Leana’s group.

“No,” Lynne shook his head. “But I don’t think she means harm. Just needs a helping hand.”

“… so you two do have something in common?” she teased.

“Yeah,” Lynne replied. “Neither of us are very happy with you at the moment.”

“… you can tell she isn’t? Eh, wait, why?”

“It’s simple,” Lynne said, smiling lightly. “You’re better than her in every way imaginable.”