Devilla
Walking back into town with Lucy's hand in mine was an... interesting experience. In some ways, it wasn't that different from when I'd traveled by myself. There were looks of shock and confusion, as if people didn't really know what to make of our presence. There was also a lot more whispering, though, and no matter how much I tried to block it all out, I couldn't help but hear words like 'girlfriends' and 'lovers.'
"Do you want me to cast a privacy spell?" Lucy asked.
I shook my head. "No... It's probably best if I get used to this." I couldn't correct misunderstandings that didn't exist - I really was dating Lucy now, and it was likely only a matter of time before the world knew it.
Then again, considering the amount of time it took information to spread in a world without phones or internet... Well, perhaps I'd be dealing with shocked looks for quite a while yet.
"So we're going to the guild, right?" Feyra asked, glancing at me and then quickly looking away again. Still uncomfortable after our earlier conversation, I suppose. "Have you figured out how much you want to tell them?"
"Well... Everything except Eena's secrets, right?" Lucy replied, tilting her head a little. "I mean, why would I want to hide anything? People should know the monster movements are coming to an end!"
"Probably coming to an end," Feyra countered. "It's not like we know all the inner workings of that place. Something else could be going on, still."
"Well, at the very least things should calm down compared to before," I interceded, hoping to offset Feyra's pessimism.
Perhaps I needn't have bothered, though, as Lucy's smile didn't budge a whit. "I still want to tell the guild so that other people can check our work and make sure! It might end up with someone at the church trying to lecture me, though..."
"Lecture you?" I asked, arching an eyebrow. "I wouldn't have thought there was anyone brave enough to face the Heroine's potential ire." My voice was teasing, but my curiosity was real. The way Lucy was treated by those we'd come across... Well, perhaps it was different in the church where everyone served the goddess?
"Well... most people don't," Lucy admitted, shattering my fragile hope that others treated her like a regular person. "They tend to talk to me really respectfully, but it doesn't stop them from also sounding really disappointed in me sometimes... But it's Father Tuffel who lives at the local church here, and he really will lecture me when he finds out!"
"Oh?" I smiled. "Is it odd I think that's a good thing?"
"Nope!" Lucy cheerfully replied. "I think everyone needs someone in their life who cares enough to lecture them when they do something dangerous!"
"...I suppose for me that would be Abigail," I confided, frowning a little. "Though... it somehow feels like a while since she's given me a proper scolding. I suppose with me being on the road so much she hasn't had a chance to give me more than the occasional exasperated glare."
"Maybe you should go see her sometime?" Lucy suggested. "We could stay in town an extra day or two so you'd have time to visit!"
"I... suppose that might be a decent idea," I admitted. "I'm surprised to hear you're so enthusiastic about it, though. Have you already tired of my company?"
Though I meant it as a joke, the glare Lucy gave me was far too real - and quite startling, at that. "Don't even joke about that! I'd never get tired of you, Eena! Never ever!"
"I... well... I didn't mean to imply... it was merely an attempt at humor, Lucy," I muttered, shrinking back a little.
"You say that, but I'm pretty sure you'd start to believe it if I'm not careful!" Lucy replied, frowning at me. "So I'm going to deliver a lecture on Abigail's behalf and remind you that I do really like you! That I want to be with you! That I don't want to ever stop being with you! And telling you to go spend time with Abigail is actually maybe a little scary, but also I care about you and I think it would lead to happier things for everyone if you did!"
"Yes, well..." My cheeks flushed bright red. "Perhaps I should avoid self-deprecating humor in the future." At least in her presence. "For now, though, would an embrace perhaps serve to quell your anger?"
"I didn't think you'd want me to hug you in public," Lucy said, her ire disappearing as quickly as it came. "People are going to stare."
"We're already getting as many stares as we possibly can," I replied, glancing at our fellow travelers who had slowed to a crawl in favor of gawking at us. "But even beyond that, I'm trying not to let the opinions of others get to me so much. At least in regards to how it affects my time with you..."
Lucy smiled, turning around on the street and wrapping her arms about me tightly for a long moment.
"I'm definitely not going to miss watching you two lovebirds flirt," Feyra grumbled from astride her horse. "Also, maybe you two don't care about all the fucking stares, but they're really getting to me. Could we maybe hurry it up a little?"
"Apologies," I murmured, reluctantly parting from Lucy - though I still refused to relinquish her hand, of course.
"Wait!" Lucy exclaimed. "You're not going to miss it? Does that mean you don't want to join us for our next adventure?"
"Your adventure to dig into the fundamental truths of our religion and take on the whole world to end a two thousand year war?" Feyra replied, her voice lowered to a whisper. "Yeah, no, I think I'll leave that for the absurdly powerful among us. Besides... I've got too much shit to sort through in my brain already, and something tells me hanging out with you two will only make it worse. Hit me up after you've saved the world, though, okay?"
"Aw! It's not going to be the same without you," Lucy said, frowning. "...Though maybe it wouldn't be the worst time if I got to spend some one-on-one time with Eena, too? It has been a few days!"
"What? You planning to act even more lovesick in my absence?" Feyra asked before shaking her head. "You know what? Don't tell me. I don't need to know what you two, of all people, are getting up to in your alone time. Let's just... get to the guild so we can say our goodbyes, alright?"
"I know I was just told not to even joke about this, but you're making it sound like you truly have grown tired of us," I remarked. A quick glance cast Lucy's way didn't reveal any fresh anger on her features, thankfully. Rather, she was coiling a few strands of hair around her fingers in what I was pretty sure was an anxious gesture.
"What? No!" Feyra denied, shaking her head. "I'm just not into big goodbyes. Plus, I'm sort of a third wheel around here, and... Look. It was... an experience traveling with you, alright? One that shook my whole worldview... multiple times. Maybe for the better, but I need some alone time to work through it, alright?"
"If that's what you require," I agreed, a soft smile touching my lips. "Then let us carry on, so that we may part ways."
"Yeah..." Feyra agreed, narrowing her eyes at me in suspicion. "Sure..."
I waited until she'd ridden off a few steps before leaning in to whisper in Lucy's ear. "We are going to have a goodbye dinner, at the very least, are we not?"
