Once again, we were all on the dirt road, pulling forward at the steady speed of the horses stride. Everyone's nerves were tingling slightly after last night's events. Though the coyotes did provide a good scare, they were much preferred over hungry wolves.
I watch the planes from the back of the cart, my eyes scanning as it pulls away with each tug of the horses. Today, Lillia sits next to me, her eyes observant to the surroundings as well. Blake was given the privilege of sitting in the front with Seth for the last day of travel, as he was the only one yet to sit up there.
Seth was very clear in his assertion that we should reach Inchor before nightfall, a relief to both Blake and Lillia. Though I worried it may dull their sense, being distracted by the end being so near, it was clear that was not necessary, as Lillia was as focused as ever.
Maybe she's too focused...
"Say, you do know it's alright to have conversation while we travel, right?" I ask, glancing at her from my seat. "As long as we keep a good eye around us, it wouldn't be any cause for concern."
"Really? Thank goodness!" Lillia sighed with relief. "I was sure you would be upset if I didn't give it my entire focus while watching, so I've been incredibly bored with a lack of talking!"
She seemed so happy to know she could talk that a weight almost seemed to visibly lift off of her shoulders. As it did, the plains surrounding slowly turned into thick woods as the dirt patch made a turn.
"In that case, about before," she said, her legs squirming anxiously as her face began to grow red. "You and Rosalie aren't dating, right?"
What? Wait, no way she likes me, right? I mean, I suspected it last time, but surely she doesn't! Right..?
Her hands cover her face as she sits there, waiting for my response. Only her eyes peek out from in-between her fingers as her face grows hotter and hotter with each passing moment.
"No, Rosalie and I aren't dating," I start to say, but already with just those words her expression grows brighter.
"Really!?" she asks, a mix of nervousness and excitement creeping onto her face.
"Really, but Lillia" I start to say, my own face growing red from embarrassment as I turn away. "Lillia, we can't do that with each other, even if you like me."
I can't help but feel my face grow hotter with embarrassment as a moment of silence passes between us.
"Huh?"
"W-what I mean is, we can't date each other. Not only are we in the same party, which already is a big red flag, but I'm also teaching you, and I'm eight years older than you, so we can't," I declare much more clearly this time.
I can't bring myself to turn and look at her, too embarrassed with the situation that is progressing rather rapidly.
"Huh?"
"I mean we can't date Lillia! More than anything, I'm way too old for you!"
"Huh?"
What is she not getting!? Is she just too shocked to properly understand what I'm saying? But I'm already so uncomfortable after having said it this many times already! Still, I need to make things clear to her.
"What I mean is-" I start to say, but my voice stops dead in its tracks as soon as my eyes land on her face.
She is completely and utterly shocked. Her eyes lay wide open, and her mouth sits completely ajar.
Huh? Am I missing something? This isn't how I thought she would look after I said that.
"Wait, Lionell... You thought..." she paused, searching for the right words before she continued. "You thought that it was you that I liked?"
"... It wasn't?"
A moment of silence very noticeably begins to stretch between the both of us, the distance between us on the wagon seemingly expanding farther and farther despite no movement between the both of us.
Was I wrong then?
I start to question whether I was right with my assumption when suddenly, a small laugh erupts from Lillia's mouth.
"Haha! Hahahahah! HAHAHAHAHAHA!"
She clutches at her sides uncontrollably as she laughs harder than I have ever seen from her in the short time I've known her, unable to contain it within herself.
"You think I like you Lionell? You!?" she points and laughs, not out of mockery but out of genuine surprise. "No silly, it isn't you I'm interested in, it's Rosalie!"
Her face shoots to red after saying that, realizing she just blurted out who it was she was attracted to.
"..."
"..."
"..."
"..."
"Oh. I see."
It takes a few moments, but all at once, everything suddenly clicks in to place. All of her strange behavior from the market place, and all of the weird questions from just before all start to make sense.
My face grows twice as hot from the immense embarrassment.
"So, she isn't dating anyone then?" she asks turning away in her own embarrassment.
"What? Oh, uh, no she has a boyfriend."
Immediately, the happy and cheerful demeanor on her face freezes, replacing itself with a somber expression.
"Oh..."
"Wait wait wait, she also plans to breakup with him," I quickly interject, my arms shaking rapidily before she has a chance to get too lost in her thoughts.
This seems to salvage her mood a bit.
"So, she likes boys. Not too surprising, most girls do. Still, if she's breaking up with him, maybe I have a chance after all," she happily says to herself before turning back towards me. "Thank you, Lionell."
The sound of creaking can be heard just ahead of us.
"Of course, Lill-"
"ENEMY AMBUSH!"
Not a single moment is wasted on thought. Moving on pure reflex, I am off the back of the wagon with my sword drawn before Lillia even has a moment to react.
An ambush? This close to Inchor? I'm surprised.
The all-familiar feeling of my armor on my body and equipment at my sides makes itself present. Everything is right where it should be.
Quickly, I dash to the front of the wagon to assess the situation just as Lillia hops off of the back of the wagon herself.
Blocking the dirt path is a small tree, uprooted entirely. Shrieking where the tree lies is a rather large group of small, green enemies.
"Goblins!" I shout.
Goblins. Main weaknesses include attacks to vital points along with strong blunt force. They are also uncooperative, an advantage for us.
As for their strengths, they quite literally have plenty of strength for their small physique, lugging around large clubs as their weapon of choice. Nothing else noteworthy.
"No flame spells, we don't want to spark a fire in the woods!" I shout at Blake who had begun to raise his hand.
He quickly lowers it in response, a fierce look on his face as he stares down the goblins. There were eight in total, plenty enough to uproot that tree and then some.
"Lillia, cast Light-Flash!" I shout back to her.
"Yes!" she shouts back, reciting the incantation as quickly as she can.
As she does, the goblins waste no time, jumping across the log and aiming for a fight. Just before they can reach us, I can hear the end of her spells incantation.
"Close your eyes for the next second!" I shout to Blake, and just as I do, there is a blinding light shining from behind us.
"Light-Flash!" Lillia shouts with all of her might. The spell immediately blinds all of the goblins momentarily, making them easy pickings for Blake and myself.
Waiting no time, I dash into their ranks by the log, my sword slashing downwards in one swift motion. The goblin's chest splits open at the slash, it's blood spewing out and over me.
Blake does the same, his own sword tight within his hands as he moves to fight. Unlike me, he stabs the goblin through entirely, the end of the sword poking out from the other side and stabbing another goblin that had been hiding behind the first.
Three goblins down already, five more to go.
I jump at the next one as the effects of Light-Flash begin to dim all around us, returning our surroundings to their usual brightness as the goblins came back to their senses.
But it was too late.
We gave them no chance to recover. Blake and I quickly dispatch each of the remaining five goblins before they have the opportunity to make any moves.
The fight was over in less than thirty seconds.
"A-are we safe!?" Seth calls out from his riders seat, clearly shaken by the surprise of a fight.
"Yes, we"re safe," I reassure him. "The goblins are well and truly dead. Blake, help me clear the road now. If we want to meet it to Inchor before the sun sets again, we need to hurry."
Blake nods and starts working.
"What about me? What should I do?" Lillia quickly jumps in, more than ready to make herself useful.
"Lillia, you keep watch, make sure nothing else tries to sneak up on us. Once we're done, we continue moving until we make it to Inchor."
"Mmm," Lillia nods, and together, we all get to work.