Back on the Road

"I will allow it," I say.

Faye's face brightens up like the sun.

"Really?" She asks.

"On one condition."

Faye looks a little taken back.

"W-What is it?"

"You have to stay with us at all times and can not leave our group," I say.

Astra tugs on my sleeve and asks, "Why did you suddenly add that?"

I lean back to her and whisper, "In case she learns of our secrets, we don't want her running around telling everyone, do we?"

"What secrets? You are making us sound like a group of bandits," Astra says.

What the hell is this girl talking about?

"Oh, I don't know, the facts that she is the dragon queen, you are the Goddess, and I am from another world?"

"Ah, right, those secrets."

I turn back to Faye and ask, "So, what do you say?"

"Of course, I have no problem with it," she says, bubbling with excitement.

"Alright, say goodbye to your friends. We will be leaving soon," I say.

"J-Just like that?" Faye asks.

"Do you need anything else?"

She shakes her head. I turn back to the other two and say, "Get on, let's get ready."

"Yes, Master."

"Okay."

Lohikaarmi and Astra climb into the cabin, and I walk over to the driver's seat. The horse has been awfully quiet during this whole time. Very well trained, I must say. I step up into the seat and pick up the reins.

Faye is giving her friends hugs through the cage and talking to them. I can't hear exactly what they are saying, but from the bittersweet expression on their faces, I can tell that Faye will be much missed.

After she is done saying goodbye to Nasha, Faye comes over to us.

She walks up beside me, claps her hand together, and bows. "Kris, I don't know how to thank you. I would have never found the courage to go by myself," Faye says.

Well, she has the courage to ask to join a strange man's travel group. She would be crazy to think that this is any more viable than just going herself.

"Just don't forget what I've done for you," I say, "Get in the cabin. The girls back there will introduce themselves. We have a long journey ahead of us."

"Yes, right away."

Faye jogs to the back, and I feel the carriage rock a little as she climbs into the cabin.

I give Nasha one last wave, and I tap my horse. The carriage is back on the way.

DOOK!

"Kris! I told you to warn me!" Astra shouts from behind.

I hoped that would happen. With a grin on my face, we are back to raising dust on the dirt road. There doesn't look to be an end to this forest. On either side are dense walls made of logs, and in front is just more and more of the same stretch in between woods.

About a minute of silence passed. With how crammed it is back there, I bet it's been pretty awkward for Faye. As for the two other shameless girls, they probably feel nothing.

"Introduce yourselves or something," I say.

"What?" Astra asks.

"I said, introduce yourselves."

"What? I can't hear you."

Astra sticks her head out the window behind me. "Say it again."

"Introduce yourselves to Faye. It's a long trip."

"Oh, alright. How do you want us to introduce ourselves?"

"Say what I said to the elves back at the village."

"Okay. Now give me a candy."

I let out a sigh. What kind of Goddess runs on syrup? I take out a piece from my pouch, and she licks it out of my hand.

"Ugh."

Astra doesn't look at all bothered. She slithers back through the window into the cabin.

"How ya doin', Faye?" I hear Astra say.

Oh my God.

"Um… I'm good," Faye says. I can barely catch her voice.

"As you know," Astra continues, "Kris is on his way to the Holy Capital, and since we will be traveling with each other for a while, I feel like it's best for us to get to know each other a little better."

Are you sure that it's not because of the candy?

"Uh, yeah, of course."

The wheel of the carriage runs over a root in the ground and makes us jump a little.

"My name is Astra. I am Kris's sister."

"I thought so when I met you two yesterday. You both have the same golden hair."

"Have we met before?" Astra asks.

"Yeah, when I found you guys in the forest."

"Oh, that must be why you look somewhat familiar."

"I don't think so? You were sleeping in Kris's arms then."

Astra takes a pause.

"Huh, well, anyways, that rock sitting there is Lohikaarmi, she, uh…"

Oh, crap, I never introduced Lohikaarmi to anyone in front of Astra.

"I am Master's slave," Lohikaarmi helps her finish.

Right to the point, huh?

"S-Slave?" Faye sounds a little distressed, understandably, as she was on her way to becoming one not that long ago.

"Yes."

"Were you… taken from your village?" Faye asks.

"No."

"Faye, Faye. It seems like there is a misunderstanding here," Astra interjects, "Have you heard of the Blessed Beasts?"

"Blessed Beasts? No?"

"Well, you see," Astra continues, "you elves are sometimes taken and forced into slavery, but that's because you have your own land. You might feel like it's unfair, but there is a minority even below you."

"Even below elves?" Faye asks, unable to believe what Astra is saying. I can't either, but I don't feel like she's one to lie about things like this or lie at all.

"That's right. Do you know about blessings?" Astra says.

"Blessings? Yeah."

"And do you know that sometimes, these blessings show up in physical forms as features from animals?"

Ah, that must be what Faye was talking about when we first met. This is all new information to me, too.

"Yes, I have seen one before," Faye says.

"Those people are called Blessed Beasts. In the Holy Capital, they don't have rights, because the humans think of them as beasts who have gained human abilities, rather than humans who have been gifted with beast abilities. So when a Blessed Beast is born, they are usually sold as, quote on quote, pets, and they are worth quite a fortune."

"That's terrible! So… the woman I saw before was a slave?" Faye says.

"Probably."

"And, Lohikaarmi here is also a Blessed Beast?"

"Uh, a kind of, yeah."

A little bit far-fetched, I would say. I doubt those Blessed Beasts can transform into their animals.