"I'll have to be quick if we wanna hurry and get back, so keep up Terra!"
"Shouldn't be too hard…!"
Two sets of footsteps hurried through the darker forest as a flame had been lit in the hand of one of them. They held the hand of the other as they rushed through, avoiding multiple bushes and rocks along the way until finally reaching their destination. They had finally let go of the other hand before turning back to them.
"Okay…you can uncover your eyes now."
"Alright Dante…I don't know what to expect honestly…"
As she opened her eyes, a sight she'd never seen before was instantly a reality. She gazed upon the mountains which were lit amongst the luminescent light of the moon. The clouds' wispy formations shone a teal palette before mixing with the blue of the mountain's crevices. White were amongst the top of the mountain peaks as snow seemed to fall down upon each peak. It was unlike anything Terra had seen before, as she had been living in the kingdom all of her life. The stunning view left her impressed and awed as she tried her best to take in the sight.
"Miss Rita told me before, that those mountains are where I was born…I want to go up there once I'm stronger and able to take on whatever's there. I don't know when that'll be but…"
"They're really beautiful."
"Oh…the mountains right? Yeah…"
"You know, I've only heard stories from the local taverns and adventurers roaming the capital about what it's really like out in the mountains. But seeing it firsthand is-"
"Amazing right?"
"Yeah. Amazing."
The two gazed upon the sightlines as she pulled out her book from her carrier. Quickly scribbling what she saw as her breath showed due to the cold air surrounding how high they were. Dante watched as she tried to take in the sight of what she was seeing. Though as she continued to draw, Dante slowly began to realize something.
"You're…really bad at drawing y'know…?"
Terra's pen stopped moving as she slowly turned to him with tearful eyes.
"You don't have to tell me…"
He gave her a pat on the back as she put the book away defeatedly and turned back to the mountain view as wiping her tears away. Dante leaned back on his arms and looked to Terra. He knew his time with her and Xavien was dwindling down, and he had enjoyed every second of them being here. As much as he wanted to let them stay and hang out some more, he knew that it wouldn't be right to try to keep them here as they have lives in the kingdom waiting for them and he had to go back to his routine in the village. Though it was an unexpected turn of events for him in the process of meeting new people and being able to show what he can do after all of his training, and protecting the people he's grown to love so much, he wanted to take in these last moments and feel happy with all that's happened.
"Hey…" Terra said, instantly interrupting his thoughts. He jolted at the sudden break of silence and replied.
"Y-yeah?"
"I wish this didn't have to end, spending the last 2 days here has been something I never expected."
"Yeah, same here…"
Terra then looked over at him as she huddled her legs in between her arms. She let off a small smile before continuing.
"Honestly, it's been a blast being able to come out here and speak to you and all of the people in your village. Everyone is such a joy and really feels like a family…it's something special."
"Well, we'd basically be considered a big family here in the village. They were basically all I've known until you and your friend appeared."
"That's understandable, someone like me wouldn't really get it since I belong to a noble family."
"What's up with that anyway? Are ya guys royalty or somethin'?"
"No, no! Nothing that grand, just a fairly dignified and recognized family in the kingdom is all."
"No wonder those guys were looking for you, it must suck having such a target on your back."
She huddled herself closer as she looked down at her feet.
"Yeah, it does."
The wind slowly blew as the silence between the two only grew louder with each passing second. Dante scratched the back of his head before turning to look away from Terra as speaking.
"Y'know, I'm glad you guys have shown me…that there's more out there. Knowing someone like me could be accepted by people like you really makes me feel better."
"Well, I'm an odd duck, you know."
"You're not a duck, you're a person…unless you were keeping a secret from me…"
He peered his eyes intensely at her, trying to decipher whether she was in fact hiding something from him or not. She let out a loud laugh as it seemed that his naivety was able to make her feel better. She smiled as looked at him once more. Her bright blue eyes illuminated by the moon's lighting, she stared intently at Dante before speaking.
"I wish we could bring you with us."
His eyes widened at the remark as his face filled with red, though it would be hard to see considering the setting. He looked at his new wand and gripped it to steel his will, reminding himself that he's come a long way and that with everything that's happened that maybe he had a real chance of being allowed to leave. He looked at her intensely and proclaimed loudly.
"I'll go with you! I'll make sure of it!"
The words stunned Terra as she was surprised by his sudden reaction. Seeing him so worked up about it made her realize how much he actually wanted to go. She thought to herself that maybe if there was a way to convince Rita and pull a few strings on her end, that it would be possible. Though with everything having to go through Rita first, she'd have to hope for the best. She slowly began to stand as she dusted herself off and held out her hand. Dante took it and rose to a stand, she gripped his hand and gave him a confident look, as if she agreed with his statement.
"Well, lead us back to the party. I'm sure the others are wondering where we are by now."
"Oh…right."
The two continued back down the path Dante had shown her, until ultimately reaching the base of the mountain and the village. The lights were shining as they walked along the pathway until reaching the area where everyone was originally, but they seemed to have disappeared.