Morning came and Lorexia was first out of bed. She braided her hair into one long pony tail. She strapped herself in thick blacking clothing, covering herself from head to toe. She was already sweating from the layers, but was too excited to feel anything. Leaving the house in a flash, she quickly realized, she had been the last to wake up. Unable to sleep from the excitement last night, she had overslept. Yamada was in the centre of yet another mob of women. They begged and pleaded for him to stay. They grinded up against his arms with their chest, pressing their cleavage against him. He gently pulled his arm away, pushing them away. "I'm sorry, but I do have to leave, and I can only take one person with me." "Then why her? She's nothing special." "Yeah, I'm much more beautiful." Lorexia snarled at them, clenching her fist. "If you both think that. That's why I want to take her instead of you two." Their jaws dropped with Lorexia internally squealing in delight.
"Now, if you could please leave me alone, I have to finish these for her." He said carving the finishing touches on the daggers. Lorexia pushed her way through the crowd with the highest sense of entitlement. Giving each and every, one of the women a smug smirk. "Are they finished?" She asked cocking an eye at them. "I'm not a blacksmith or armourer, like Saira or Abaddon." 'Another woman's name.' "But they shouldn't break till we get to Artaraxus. And then we can get them replaced with proper materials." "Like your ridiculously heavy black sword?" "Deiridium isn't meant for a lot of people. If it was possible, I would love to see how Mythril works with your affinity." She cocked an eyebrow at him. What was Mythril? "Now before we go outside, let's go over the rules with your parents." "Do we have to? I can say my goodbyes and then we can leave and live happily.....on the journey. I definitely wasn't going to say ever after."
Yamada smiled. "Yes, we do. Besides there's another thing I have to ask them before we leave." The two of them made their way to the edge of the veil. Walking side by side with smiles stretched across their faces. Lorexia continued to fiddle with her new daggers, or her hair. Yamada kept his hands in his pockets, Harbinger jostling on his back. "Did you really meant what you said last night?" Yamada was silent, shying away. "It was really sweet. I mean I would give you my heart too. But you would have to give me a really, really big piece of yours." Yamada said nothing, continuing to walk beside her. "Like, would you be able to tell me, if I am the prettiest girl you've been with?" Yamada stopped. He scanned the area.
Lorexia did the same, hand on her hilts. "What's wrong? Is something-" Yamada pulled Lorexia in close, pressing his lips against hers. Her eyes bulged, before she closed them and passionately met his lips. She clutched onto him. For what felt like an eternity in bliss only a few seconds had passed. He pulled away smiling. "You are beautiful. It was killing me that I didn't come back inside last night to do that." "I mean we don't have to stop." She said heaving, aching for him to continue. "We should keep moving. I don't want to keep your parents waiting." She cupped his face. "They can wait." She said biting her lower lip. He pecked her on the cheek. "Come on. Let's go." He said taking her by the hand. 'Vasha, you can take everyone in existence, if you just make this man take off my clothes!'
The two of them met up with Theodas and Talindra, who were both red eyed and sniffling, both of them trying to catch their breaths. "Mum, Dad, have you both been crying?" "No." They whimpered. "This is how we always look." Theodas eked out. His voice high pitched. Lorexia hugged both her parents teary-eyed. Yamada checked on the wagon, to avoid the crying mess behind him. "Don't forget about us." Talindra sobbed, nuzzling Lorexia tighter. "Mum....I won't..." After a few minutes it had become a high pitched incomprehensible gibberish to Yamada. Although he could tell they still understood each other, somehow. Yamada periodically summoned them a ball of water to wash their face, and drink from. After a while they called him over, the three of them now snivelling and trying to catch their breaths.
"You *sniff* had *sniff* something *sniff* to-" "Say." Yamada finished Theodas's sentence. "I would like to say. Thank you to both." He bowed deeply, with both hands by his side. "I would not be alive, if you had not found me in the Fork." He rose with blushing cheeks. "That's *sniff* alright. *Sniff.*" Talindra sobbed. "I do have one more thing, I would like to ask before we leave." The three of them were silent. "Jux is really big, and showing her all of it, will take a long time. I don't know what will happen in that time, but I know that I would be angry at myself, if I didn't ask you now." He could feel his face bright red and on fire. "May I have your blessing to be with Lorexia?" Yamada declared. His entire body shaking. Lorexia lurched forward in complete shock. They were completely frozen and silent. Every second of it was unbearable. Worse than any wound he had ever received. What was he thinking? Asking that, for a person he barely knew.
Theodas broke away from the trio first, and held his hand out for Yamada. He wore a stoic face, even with red puffy eyes. Yamada wrapped his hand around Theodas's forearm. The two of them shaking, before Yamada was pulled in for a hug. "I could not ask for a better man, for my daughter. Treat her right and well, and I'll be waiting for you two." As they broke away, Talindra gave him a tender and motherly hug, caressing his back. The sensation nearly brought Yamada to tears. "Take care of her, Yamada." "I will." He said hugging her back. "Always be the man, she sees you as, not the man you think you are, and you'll have my blessing." Yamada said nothing. The two of them separated. "You know Lorexia Ken, isn't a bad name." Lorexia said. "Let's not think that far ahead." Yamada said blushing.
"Now, there is something you need to say to your parents, before we leave." "I'm totally becoming his wife." "Not that." Yamada scolded. "I promise, that I'll listen to everything and do everything Yamada ask, when it comes to my safety." Yamada nodded, with Theodas and Talindra doing the same. Lorexia hugged her parents goodbye one last time, pulling up her cowl and scarf. She wore her sun goggles and hopped onto the wagon. Yamada let Harbinger rest on the side of the wagon, as he pulled it. The two of them waved their final goodbyes, before Yamada pulled the four wheeled wagon out of the veil. "FUCK!" Yamada cried out. "What's wrong!?" Theodas and Talindra cried out from behind the veil. "It's alright! Just. Really damn bright outside." He groaned. "Xia, just guide me. My eyes should readjust to the light.....Xia.?" He called out to no response.
Lorexia was speechless. The world outside of Jux was beautiful. Bathed in the warm light of the sun. Everything was vibrant different shade of colour. This was the world outside the veil. It was breathtaking. This is what Yamada saw every day, and yet he still called her beautiful the first time he saw her. She blushed, gently steering him north. "Hey, how do you know this is the right way? You are bad with directions." "Can you see the Maelstrom to our right?" "I can see the Azure." "Are we heading north?" "Yes." "Jacara said, if we walk north while still being able to see the Maelstrom. We can't miss Shizukana. From there we walk directly west, and we'll reach Artaraxus. That's where they'll be." "If they aren't there?" "Then we'll go further north, and go back to the Citadel." Lorexia nodded and sat back taking in the sights. She hated the thick clothing she had to wear, and the tincture smeared on her skin, but this was still spectacular.
Yamada pulled the wagon late into the night, the two of them sat around a small fire. Lorexia hesitantly took off her heavy clothing, bracing for the burning sensation. To her surprise, she felt nothing, but a bit chilly. She eagerly stripped out of the heavy clothing, with Yamada turning around. "You ask for my parents' blessing, and won't look at me?" She asked with a sly smile. "It's rude. Now get changed." He blushed. Yamada cycled a small stream of water over the camp fire to give her a lukewarm shower. She draped a thin cloth around herself, and stood under the moonlight. "I knew the outside world was amazing." Yamada scanned the empty area, seeing nothing but empty land and rocks. "There's a lot of things to show you. I wish Jacara was here though. He loves to talk about all things." He said extinguishing the flames with dirt.
Yamada laid in the front of the wagon, letting out a yawn. Lorexia tugged on his shirt, pulling him into the back of the wagon. "What's wrong?" He asked She tugged on his shirt harder. Yamada sat up and met Lorexia, planting a kiss on him. He broke away flustered. "What's wrong?" She asked. "It's nothing...I just want to make sure you're okay with this...I know women care about who are their first, and want them to be special." He shied away. Lorexia took a deep breath, clasping Yamada's face with both hands. "You appeared into my life, cutting your way out of a Wyrm's stomach. You can control water; you're a part of the Draken guard, or Forsaken Knight whatever you call it. You kill the Sanguine, get my parent's blessing, you're super strong and just absolutely gorgeous. Then you actually take me outside of Absol. I'm now the first person, to ever leave Absol, for more than a minute. IF THAT DOES NOT MAKE YOU SPECIAL TO ME. NOTHING WILL!"
Panting and clasping his face, Lorexia furrowed her brow at Yamada's silence. "And with you pulling the wagon, I've been riding you all day." Yamada chuckled, climbing into the back. He wrapped his hands around her back, pulling her in close. "This is going to sound like a brag, but every woman, I've ever been with has lost the ability to walk the next day." He whispered into her ear. "Instead of telling me this, you should be showing me this." "Don't complain tomorrow then." He pulled her in close, kissing her. She melted in his grips. Yamada pulled the blanket away, quickly undressing. Morning came and Lorexia awoke in a pleasant stupor. The bright sun burnt her eyes, and she quickly tried to scuttle towards the sun goggles. However her legs weren't responding. "Well, I'll be damned. You weren't kidding." "Told you." Yamada said, grabbing her the goggles. He sat up before she pulled him back down, snuggling next to him. "We have to keep moving Xia." "Your friends can wait five more minutes." Yamada smiled lying back down to cuddle with her. "Yeah, they can wait." "You know, you never really spoke about your friends. What are they like?" "Well...."