Netori: Stealing The Hero's Party!

Chapter 846: Maps And The Direction Of The Future

With an end to his conversation with Aradin, Raven met up with Maria and her group. The trio had plenty to say, but Kara even more. Lying out a map that she’d been given by Elowen, she began running her fingers across it and tapping on different places. Each was already marked by the map maker, and then there was the newly discovered territory around Inktaus, which wasn’t even halfway marked yet.

"The terrain has been changing with more flora and fauna around Eclanor thanks to Athenia’s influence, but our map maker was more implement on charting the region around and beyond the invisible city." Lifting her gaze for a moment, she drew Raven’s attention and then lowered her head again. "See these ruins? Apparently, there’s some sort of vengeful spirit there. His spies had to go around them, but whatever it is, it seems to have poisoned the regions that go around it."

Leaning forward to get a better look at the map, Raven tried soaking in every detail as carefully as possible. Beyond the walls of Inktaus, he hadn’t spent much time himself; the message from Athenia had taken precedence back then, and what little he’d seen of the ruins was far too little for him to understand what was happening.

"I think Lumine was supposed to take a batch of fliers with her to survey the area." Narrowing his brows, he tried to remember the last time he’d heard from her. "It’s possible that they flew over the poison, and if so, we can do the same with the flying vessels. Ignoring the troubling spirit on the way altogether."

"A sound idea," taking a step forward, Aira hunched over beside Raven and started looking through the map as well. "This map doesn’t tell us much, but how to avoid the spirit anyways, so might as well make use of that information."

"If so, I guess my job here is done." Throwing her hands to her side, Kara gave a smile and took a step away from the map.

Lifting his gaze off the map, however, Raven asked her one final question before she could leave.

"What about Razor? Did you find out something from him?" Shaking her head, the priestess sighed.

"More riddles than answers. Nothing you can use anyway," bowing her head politely, she wore a gentle smile on her face. "No more Mrs Gray Clouds, I hope. Either way, there are others in need, and I need to help them as well."

Like sand through the air, her body washed away with no signs of her ever being there. It had been the first time anyone had seen her using that ability to teleport; otherwise, her departures were far too abrupt for anyone to notice.

With her gone, everyone could hear their thoughts once again. Not a pleasant way to be when anxious about a god spying on them, and moving on to other matters, Amedith decided to open further conversation.

"What now?" Turning around to his voice, Raven looked at everyone present.

The elves, the lovers, the ex-queen, the spirit, and the grieving warrior seemed just as lost as the person next to them and were looking at him for some guidance. Taking a deep breath to shoulder that pressure, Raven puffed up his chest and announced to all of them.

"We go back home, rest for one last time, and as this may be our last departure, I want us all to have a chance to say our goodbyes..." His words were as haunting as they were necessary, for no amount of whitewashing would help if someone were to die without meeting those important to them one last time. It would forever be a stain of regret in an otherwise pleasant memory of the person.

The very notion of a last time had been so foreign until just recently that to think of their lives ending in their early twenties felt quite defeating. For the elves, a thousand years of age awaited them; the same could be true for the magus, but for the humans, time would fly past them in an instant, and perhaps that’s why both Raven and Erika felt much more strongly about leaving a mark of their existence. Be in memory or passed through the tongue.

"I... I will go visit the orphanage," said the priestess, hoping to show her face to the children, as children have always been her family.

The others had plans of their own, from spending time with each other to living a few days as carefree as they used to before this journey began. As for Raven, he planned to meet up with his women and make love. Not all of them, he wanted to get pregnant just yet, but to share one last moment before the final departure felt terribly important.

"I’ll meet you guys in Athenia. It has been a while since I saw Diane and her family. It would be a shame if I left before meeting with them." With an affirming nod from everyone else, Raven started making his way towards the exit. Holding his hand up on his side while passing, however, he said a few final words. "Tell Tan and Blossom to start preparing for another banquet. I want everyone to get together the night before we have to leave for good."

The name of their butler and his wife, just hearing it again, reminded everyone of just how long they’d been away. Their titles as dukes and duchesses also felt foreign, and maybe that was exactly why they needed to rest. One after the other, everyone followed their leader’s example and started leaving. Erika was the first, then the elves and the lovers, after which Maria decided to go back to Eclanor to get Amelia and Ophlie before heading back to their home. Hayley was the only one left behind from that group in the spire, as she, along with Reina and Regalia were meant to learn how to fly the floating vessel.

With everyone now scattered, perhaps a moment’s calm would follow. Or perhaps all hell shall break loose, but the only thing for certain was that the hero had a lot of lovers to satisfy and even breed for good. All in a few weeks’ time, in every city and even other people’s homes.