Prepping to Leave

Holvaeth puts on a face of being taken aback, but knew fine well that Kyarl was going to do something like this. "What in the hells are you talking about?! My daughter was kidnapped, and was saved barely a day ago! How could you insinuate that she have done something so heinous?!" Holvaeth replies swiftly yet strictly.

"Oh, how could I?! Your daughter, who ran away from the agreed upon union and supposed hero of Reduna'z Gaze is incapable of killing?! And it just so happens that his death came at the time when no one knew where she was?! Please, Holvaeth. I know how smart you are, so don't belittle your own intelligence to save your daughter!"

Holvaeth wants to rock Kyarl's jaw right then and there, even though he knows that Terra did do the deed, but the parental urge to protect his daughter still flares within.
"I know you are hurt beyond comprehension, but to lash out and blame my daughter is far lower than I believe you would ever steep, Kyarl Knagstun."

"And I cannot believe you would steep so low as to lie to my face, Holvaeth Tarron." Kyarl responds with venom in every word.

The two patriarchs of their respective families just stare each other down. Kyarl looks ready to strike in a single moment as Holvaeth simply looks at the man, planning several steps ahead of how to deal with him.

"So, where is she?" Kyarl asks.

"You do not need to know, Kyarl. She is innocent, end of story."

"I didn't ask if she was innocent, I asked where she was!" Kyarl barks back.

At this point, the eavesdropping Terra has had enough, so she barges in. "I'm right here!"

Kyarl turns around, fury burning bright in his eyes as he looks at his son's killer, which he only assumes is the case at the current moment. "You! You will pay for what you've done!"

"And what have I done, exactly?" Terra asks. "Survive a kidnapping? Enjoy the past day with my family? Because if that's the case, then lock me up and throw away the key!"

Kyarl is infuriated. His eyes practically broadcasting his thoughts of wanting to stab Terra numerous times in front of her own father. His anger just begins to get incredibly close to the boiling point, "You murdered my son, and you have the gall to stand there and make jokes!"

"And what proof do you have that I killed Nartho?! I didn't even know he was coming here! The last I heard, he was in Drownsvoyle, yet I supposedly killed him?!"

"Not supposedly, you did! You and those bastard friends of yours took my son away from me!" Kyarl roars back.

Holvaeth then decides to take the reins back and says, "Kyarl. I understand your stance to accuse everything, but answer me this: If my daughter and her friends somehow killed your son, wouldn't it be fair to assume that Nartho had something to do with her kidnapping?"

Kyarl's gaze snaps back to Holvaeth. "No! How dare you make such an accusation! My son had no idea that Terra would be here!"

"Then how would I know that Nartho would be coming here?!" Terra asks. "Better yet, answer this one: If you knew that Nartho would be coming here, why didn't you have your men protect him on his way here?!"

Kyarl quickly shuts down, not having any sort of real response to Terra's questions. He tries his hardest to get a retort out, but he knows that anything he may say will reveal too much. After all, he knew fine well what his son was planning to do.

After a few moments of silence, Kyarl eventually relents. "You... have a point. I shouldn't have accused you like that. It's just... it's my boy." Tears begin to fall from Kyarl's eyes as he thinks about Nartho.

Holvaeth actually begins to feel pangs of guilt over Kyarl's reaction. He knows that Kyarl can be cold-hearted, so he didn't expect to see tears coming from the man. However, seeing his reaction only makes him think about how he would react if it was Terra or any of his other daughters in Nartho's place.

Holvaeth then realizes that he needs to continue on with the story, so he asks. "My men brought his body back. I assume you'll want to see him."

The now crying Kyarl simply replies, "Yes."

Holvaeth then stands up and walks over to Kyarl, placing his hand on the man's shoulder. "As I said before, I know losing your child is a pain that can never be described, but I believe that you should use this time to be closer to your wife and daughter in Voolertun."

Kyarl is shocked, his teary eyes just looking at Holvaeth. "How did you know?"

"You know that I am an information broker, and it is my duty to know everything about everyone. I wouldn't exactly be a good leader of Mulvenscroll if I didn't know now, would I?"

Kyarl doesn't respond with fear or anger that Holvaeth is privy to that information, instead, he simply says, "You are correct. I've been away from them for far too long. Maybe it's time that I stop being the head of a family, and start being a part of my family."

Holvaeth pats him on the back. "A wise decision, old friend. I hope one day that I shall be able to do the same when the time is right."

The two patriarchs then walk through the throne room doors, heading towards where Nartho's body is being kept.

Meanwhile, Terra is just in shock at what just transpired. She knows fine well that Kyarl was involved in the plot, so she doesn't feel guilt over it, but is that a good thing? She killed a living person, and no matter how scummy they may have been, they were still a living, breathing person.

Terra quickly tries to put it out of mind as dwelling on it will do nothing to help her at the moment before walking out of the throne room and heads toward the kitchen.

BACK UPSTAIRS:

"You like Terra?" Kyuala asks, unsure if she just heard Amilia correctly.

Amilia's head drops down before she meekly replies. "Yeah."

Kyuala is shocked. Her best friend, quite possibly the most sexual person this side of the world has actually fallen in love with someone. The urge to check if byoars can fly or if it's raining platinum almost overtakes Kyuala, but she keeps herself planted on the bed.

"When did you first start having these... feelings?" Kyuala asks.

"The day we got attacked by the pirates. We had a talk after she beat that dude to a pulp, and after that, I started feeling something that I ain't ever felt before. Now, don't get me wrong, I always thought she was smoking hot, but this wasn't the usual feeling I have when I want to fuck someone. I must've thought about it for hours, but it wasn't until I remember about the first time your parents took me in that it finally clicked. You know how much I love you and your folks, but this is different... and I'm not sure how I feel about it."

Kyuala is even more shocked. "Why not?! This is amazing! You've finally found someone you like! I mean, don't you remember how much we talked about this moment when we were little girls? Now, I have John and Tally, and now you have a chance-."

"That's it, Ky! A chance! That's all I have right now! You claimed John, and he went along with it, plus you got Tally as part of the deal. I don't know if Terra likes me like I like her! I don't even know which way she swings! Shit, all I know about her for certain is that she comes from a rich, snooty family and has sisters that apparently like to watch couples fucking in their guest rooms!" Amilia then drops her head once more. "What the fuck do I do if she doesn't like me back?"

Kyuala immediately wraps her left arm around her friend and pulls her in for a hug. "You do what you always do."

"Fuck until I can't walk for a week?"

Kyuala chortles. "No. You brush it off and keep moving. As much as I don't agree with your sexual exploits, I have always admired how much you manage to just brush past everything and move on."

"It's not as easy as it looks." Amilia comments, remembering the tough times she had when Kyuala didn't want anything to do with her. "It just looked easy cause I had you with me."

"And I'll be here again." Kyuala responds, bringing Amilia in even closer.

The duo are silent for a few moments, just enjoying the embrace, but a question begins to burn in Amilia's mind. "So, you really fucked John with Naura in the closet?"

"Yep. It wasn't my intention, but I panicked and just shoved her in the closet. Then I got too horny for my own good, and it just... happened."

Amilia chuckles. "Be real with me here. How hot was it to claim him in front of the little skank?"

Kyuala's cheeks flush as the feeling races back into mind. "I can't lie. I felt a rush that I never knew existed! Seeing her peeking through the door, just stuck watching and finding out that I own him... it was amazing!"

Amilia lets out a raucous laugh, unable to believe what she just heard. "Man, he's really turned you into his personal slut, hasn't he?"

"I can't really say no now, can I?" Kyuala says as she blushes even more.

"Wow. I just can't believe I wasn't the first to watch." Amilia says before the two begin to laugh over the ridiculousness of the situation.

Just then, a knock is heard at the door. Amilia then says, "Come in!"

The door opens up, and its revealed to be Terra standing there. "Hey. Are you feeling any better? Kyuala told me that you had an upset stomach."

Amilia looks at Kyuala for a quick moment before replying. "Uhh, yeah. I guess all those fancy drinks messed me up more than I though. The fanciest drink I'm used to is the grog that Ky sells, and I'm pretty sure it's ninety percent troll piss."

Kyuala overdramatically gasps. "How dare you?! I'll have you know it's ninety-five percent actually."

The trio laugh, easing tensions all around. Eventually, after the laughter dies down, Terra says, "Well, don't worry. I've packed quite a few soups, so they should hopefully ease your stomach while we're on the road."

"Thanks, pointy." Amilia says with a quick smile which in turn makes Terra smile. Terra then leaves the room, closing the door behind her before heading back to her room.

Kyuala looks over at Amilia, seeing that her friend is still looking at the door. She then leans over and says, "Her smile made your heart flutter, didn't it?"

Amilia then turns her head to face Kyuala. "I swear on whatever gods are up there that I will purple-nurple you sooo bad if you don't shut up."

"Go ahead. Who knows? Maybe I'll like it." Kyuala says, stunning Amilia for a moment. Kyuala then takes that moment and pinches Amilia's nipples before quickly twisting them.

Amilia lets out a little yelp, immediately bringing her hands up to cover her nipples as Kyuala pulls her fingers back. Amilia briefly seethes before realizing just what happened to her. Amilia then gets a look on her face, ready to pounce. "Ohhh, you're gonna regret that, green giant. Remember, yours are bigger than mine."

"Glad you finally admitted it." Kyuala says with a proud smirk on her face as Amilia realizes that Kyuala just turned that into a dirty joke. The cat is actually quite proud of her friend however, Kyuala doesn't get to hear that as Amilia quickly pounces and begins to exact her revenge on the much larger woman.

A FEW HOURS LATER:

The group are in the throne room with the Tarron family as the group prepare to embark upon their journey.

The sisters hug one another, saying goodbyes and wishing the ones that are leaving good luck. John and the group also receive well wishes and hugs, but Holvaeth decides to give them some words.

"Heroes. You all have agreed to embark on the perilous task to save my dear daughter Erya's life. This isn't a quest that you all agreed to lightly, and you know the risks should you fail. However, with my daughters by your sides and the strength I believe you all to have, I have no doubt you shall succeed. If you do manage to conquer the Giant Queen, I, Holvaeth Tarron, swear on my life to grant a reward unrivalled by any that the Tarron family has given out before. I leave the fate of not only Erya, but all of Tarron bloodline in your capable hands. May your weapons strike swiftly, and grant you safety in this world of uncertainty."

Holvaeth then gives the group a small bow which almost all of them reciprocate, but Amilia didn't quite get the memo.

Eventually, the group go to leave, but just as they get out of the throne room, John hears a voice.

"Hold just a moment!"

The group turn around, and that's when they see Myssera walking towards them, or rather, John.

"John, please remember what I told you. As much as I trust my husbands judgement in character, I have my doubts about Braxxas. He may be a good man, but we do not need good. We require great... for Erya's sake. I may not know you all a great bunch, but Terra trusts you, and that is enough for me to trust. After all, she was the one who escaped from Nartho Knagstun, twice."

John and Myssera share a quick laugh, but eventually Myssera looks into John's eyes. "Be safe, John. The Emberskiln would be incredibly infuriated if they found out that I sent the second ever human that we're supposed to guard with our lives on such a personal quest."

"I'll try, but I have a feeling that it's not gonna be a quick journey."

"That it won't." Myssera says as he looks amongst the group. "You should go. If I know my daughters as well as I think I do, then you should know that they hate to be held up, especially Sydna."

John nods his head before catching up with the others as they reach the front door. They all then turn around and see Holvaeth, Myssera and the rest of the sisters standing there. The sisters all wave, and receive waves back from the group whilst Holvaeth simply offers a nod, as does Myssera. John then returns one back, giving both of them a silent promise to their now silent requests.

The group then head out of the door and get seated on their transport. The group plus Synda get situated on Virra's cart whilst Kova gets into her carriage.

The group have a small luxury however, as Sydna has her men following them on their own cart, as well as some men that Holvaeth spared to guard Kova's carriage.

The carts and carriage set off, riding down the hill as the Tarron family watch on from the front door. As the carts and carriages ride out of sight down the hill, most of the sisters head back inside along with Holvaeth. The only two that remain outside is Myssera and Erya.

As they look on into the horizon, Erya asks, "Do you think they will be able to cure me?"

"I know they will, dear. I have met many people during my time, and I see they have something that most don't within them."

"What's that?" Erya asks.

"Purpose." Myssera replies with a knowing smile on her face as the afternoon Sun gleams in her eyes.