A Hero With/Out Time

Chapter 20: My Goddess (Part 1)

Chapter 20: My Goddess

Just as Ronalt said, three days after arriving we left the city. Citlia was nice and I hoped one day, as unlikely as it would be, that I could come back. We left heading on the main road east. It was newly built to join the trade city to the Capital. Pina was more than happy to get going, this being the first time she had moved so much in a while. As for the rest of us... there was an unusual tension, well near me at least.

I sat outside driving the carriage as usual. Lara was on one side of me. Her presence was comfortable like I was used to it and it was clear she felt the same way as she hummed happily. On my other side was Taylor. Her distance was perfect. Not too close but our legs lightly touching. If it wasn't for her occasional side long and suggestive gaze it would have been like she wasn't doing it on purpose. For the past two days since her confession to me she had been avoiding me a little. I was doing the same. Now however it seemed she was quite keen to enact her plans. Lara was oblivious.

"So we're going to the Temple of the Goddess right?" Taylor asked.

"Yeah, Ardent and Marley were interested in it," I replied. "It's pretty much on the road so it shouldn't take too long."

She sighed, "I don't do so well with all those religious gooses."

Lara caught on, "Really? The Temple in the kingdom was full of kind people."

Her eyes narrowed, "Let's just say the church in the slums was an ironic kind of place."

"What do you mean ironic?" Lara asked innocently.

Taylor leaned forward and smirked, "Ironic as in 'though shall not touch another' but damn do they touch people plenty."

"W-what?" Lara's face reddened, she was at least knowledgeable enough to know what Taylor was implying.

"Though to be honest if a certain person wanted to touch me I wouldn't say no," she whispered so only I could hear. My body tensed up.

"Is something wrong Rain?" Lara asked concerned.

"Nope I'm perfectly fine," I looked straight ahead. Damn this. "Hey Taylor didn't you say you were tired before? How about take a nap in the carriage."

"Only if you join me," she winked.

"Taylor stop joking around with Rain," Lara complained from the other side.

Yep... I was just going to keep driving the carriage. I leaned forward and rubbed Pina's soft feathers. Truly comforting. It was going to be a long journey.

*

Two days passed. If anything had changed since we first started to travel together it was now we were a lot closer. It was a nice comfort to actually trust those around me. Though some things hadn't changed... and that was me doing all the work as their steward. It wasn't for lack of them wanting however. It was because none of them were particularly good at helping. The most I could leave them to do were the simpler tasks like setting the table. At times Taylor would drive the carriage, though her skill at doing anything else was needing. Still they each had their own roles to play and I had mine.

We arrived at the temple early in the morning as the sun rose. It was located off the main road close to a major demon town, the population of which was in the thousands. Unlike Citlia however it had a much calmer vibe but did share in having an abundant mix of races. We passed through peacefully with the occasional greeting of the early morning risers. The temple itself was a large structure inlaid within the forest and could be easily spotted. Being an important landmark it wasn't hard to get to.