Valeria silently pondered about Orion's beaming expression, reminiscent of a three-year-old who had just made his first friend, his white teeth on full display. Perplexed, she couldn't discern what she had done to deserve such a reaction.
"You seem to enjoy our meeting," Valeria noted, withdrawing her calloused hand.
"I'm just happy to see you," Orion responded, his words falling into place before he realized the potential for misunderstandings. "I was scared, after all."
"Ah, I see. Being alone like this must have been quite frightening," Valeria replied in a soothing voice, reeking of sarcasm. "Before you spin another tale, I'll head back home." She rose from the ground, smoothing out her tightly fitted grey pants.
Orion wondered if she had truly seen through him or was merely bluffing. Without concrete evidence, he would maintain his previous statements. "Why would you think I am lying?"
"I wasn't quick enough," Valeria stated, along with a soft sigh. "You don't strike me as someone who tucks their legs in so easily." Her matter-of-fact way of talking didn't answer Orion's question.
"And why is that?" Orion inquired.
"A hunter's intuition," Valeria answered, her voice trailing off, leaving a hint of mystery in the air. She turned around, ready to walk off, when Orion asked her to stop. "What do you need?" She wondered.
"I hurt my leg when I ran and won't make it home by nightfall."
Her odd facial expression told him everything. She didn't believe him. But even then, she said something that surprised him.
"I'll lend you my shoulder if you need it," Valeria offered, with no additional comments.
Her words stumped Orion for a moment. He was sure that she would call out his lies without a second thought. Yet here she was, extending a helping hand to a complete stranger. To add on that, one that so obviously evaded her questions.
He hesitated, not sure if it was right to accept it. Pride clashed with his helpless situation, but he knew that his shaking legs wouldn't get him anywhere without her help.
Swallowing his pride, Orion mustered the courage to accept her offer. "Thank you," he said, his voice filled with both gratitude and a hint of embarrassment. "I will pay you back once I get the chance, I promise."
Valeria nodded, her expression softening ever so slightly. She walked over to Orion and gently slipped her arm around his waist, offering him the support he needed. As they began to make their way back, Valeria's stride remained steady and firm, and Orion couldn't help but notice the strength in her presence.
He rarely met hunters during his ventures to the forest. Only when he looked for herbs near popular hunting ranges did he spot them hiding in bushes or on top of branches. They silently observed him, gesturing Orion to leave, lest he scared away their prey.
Silence enveloped them as they traversed the path, broken only by the occasional rustle of leaves or the distant sound of crickets. Orion contemplated the unusual turn of events and wondered about Valeria's true intentions. Was her offer of help an act of genuine compassion, or was there something more to it?
Before anything, he sent a telepathic message to Lux, who buckled itself to his belt. "Did you notice anything off about her?" Orion looked at her side profile. Her outlook was firm, never straying off the path ahead.
"She's just being kind Orion, don't overthink it." Lux didn't want Orion to ruin his first human company because of suspicion. It would be a tragedy for both him and his mental state, which was already balancing on a thin thread.
Since his contract, Orion placed at least some trust in his partner. For now, he let his worries rest until they validated themselves.
"Can I ask you something, Valeria?"
Valeria turned to face Orion, locking eyes for a moment, only to place her focus back on the path ahead. "Go on."
"Why are you out hunting this late? Wouldn't the best time to hunt something like a boar be early morning?"
His question was met with an amused chuckle. "You appear to have done some research on animals, but you only know half the truth," Valeria said, a tinge of pride laced her words. To know something and be able to teach someone about the things she enjoyed was one of her passions.
"Boars are said to be most active during early morning, but also late evening. Since a lot of hunters don't know that, I have less competition at this time," She said, her chin raised high into the sky. "Wait, you're not a hunter too, right?"
Her attempt at looking intimidating fell into flat eyes, as Orion had seen much worse. Still, he answered her. "No, you don't have to worry about that."
Valeria glanced at Orion with interest. "Since I answered your question, could you answer one of mine?"
Considering it was only right to do so, Orion agreed with a light nod.
"Great. Then tell me, do you want to grab your basket before we arrive?"
Her words made Orion's eyes go wide in a stupor. 'I knew there was something I forgot.' Helpless, he asked her, "Can we?"
Together, they went to the spot his pursuit began at. Trekking along the rocky path of the forest. "Over there," Orion said, noticing the knife impaled into the ground. Next to it, were the herbs and insects he left behind, tucked into his basket. A group of ring spiders nested in it, having taken a fancy to the cloth he brought along.
"Those aren't quite common. Is your father an alchemist?" Seeing the strange assortment of things he gathered, Valeria's curiosity got piqued.
"He is, but even I don't know what he wants these for," Orion said, using the assassins' knife to remove the intruders, making sure not to hurt them.
He picked up his belongings, and they continued their travel toward the kingdom. With neither of them talking, silence once again prevailed. Only the splashes of water, made by nearby fish, mixed it up now and then.
Their peaceful steps gave Orion time to properly adjust to his new environment. He still hadn't come to terms with his escape, but he felt free for the first time in forever. A relieved sigh left his lips and only he knew its meaning. 'I'm alive again.'
Soon, they reached the edge of the forest. The kingdom of Nove slowly became visible in the distance. Grand spires reached high into the sky, making it stand out in the surrounding ocean. A bridge stretched between the large water gap between the land.
Orion stopped in his tracks. It was the sight in front of him that lingered in his mind every single second for the past months. Wondering when he would return to it and if it would look the same as when he left it. Now, he had the answer to both.
"Is something wrong?" Valeria asked, feeling him resist her stride.
"No, just a bit exhausted." Orion leaned forward, signing her to continue. Another lie, she thought, continuing nonetheless.
With relaxed steps, they reached the bridge. Stone pavement, lined with wooden railings, stretched across the water. Each time they put a foot down, vibrations coursed through the rocks.
Lux's voice rang in his head. "Wait a moment." Its sudden appearance made Orion stop. Beneath Valeria's confused eyes, he asked, "What's wrong?"
To her, it looked like he lost his mind. Not far-fetched, considering his lies, but she shook off the thought.
"Did you forget you look slightly different now? I've hidden it until now, but the guards will discover me." Now that it said it, he remembered Valeria hadn't said anything about his glowing skin. 'So Lux did that.'
"So what do we do?" There was no way in, except for the gates up front. And conveniently, guards waited there all day long. "Wait, how come you can't hide yourself from humans?"
"A topic for another time, just follow what I say."
Ignoring the odd look on Valeria's face, Orion gestured for her to continue. When they were right up against the entrance, two guards clad in metal armor blocked their path. A red insignia depicting a turtle wearing a gold crown was seen on their chest.
"Wait, please prove your identity," Said the one with a red shoulder guard, being the leader of the two.
Valeria reached into her pocket and fumbled for a bit before taking out an emblem resembling the guard's insignia. Only hers had a silver background, whilst theirs was blue.
After handing it to them, they took a closer look at it. Name, birthdate, citizen status, and more were written. By inserting a bit of magical energy into it, it would point toward the owner of it.
The last step was checking the appearance of the holder. Using peculiar magic, they scanned Valeria's figure. "She may pass," they stated, handing her back the emblem.
"Next."
Having seen the end of the procedure, Orion gulped, hoping for Lux to have thought this through.