Netori: Stealing The Hero's Party!

Chapter 995: Lingering Silence

The carriage to Charammer rode light with only a few passengers. Raven, Helga, and her daughters, as well as Gallaria, all sat in silence as the Aurum fields passed them by. Looking out of the windows, they admired the quiet one last time. What lies beyond these fields was chaos and massacre, not an ideal place to visit after their brief vacation of sorts.

”So...” Cracking the awkward silence, Helga kept staring through the window with her hands folded close to her chest. ”What happened with Aurora? Where is she?”

A single glance at her would reveal her attempt to sweep attention away from her. Even so, giving in to her query, Raven explained how Aradin and his group had gone with the army to Charammer, with Aurora accompanying them. She had yet to accept June as her mother and Aradin as her father; in either case, however, their group had decided to keep her close even if it meant taking her with them to the heart of the war.

”Anything’s better than leaving her alone for Nerva to snatch her off again,” Raven concluded, his eyes narrowed and mind still honed in on what he’d heard about the ordeal with Helga and her daughters.

”We can always try the vault in Aranuvia,” Gallaria chuckled ever so lightly.

”Somehow I doubt that place’s any safer than the hellscape she was in.”

”Of course, it isn’t.” Wiping the smile off her face, she glanced at Raven and Helga, then, with a sweep across the other two dragonesses, she heaved a sigh. ”I was just trying to break the locks of tension. We should move past it already; no good comes from living in the shadow of past mistakes.”

”Easier said than done,” Helga replied, her gaze still set on the outside.

Silence took hold over the carriage once more, but this time, it did not last as Tatiyana and Stella both began apologizing to Helga. The valkyrie, however, ignored them for now. Even her mind was scattered at times, and that couldn’t have been truer than now.

”I guess I wouldn’t mind talking to Andre again, so there’s that.” Without turning her head, Helga placed her hand on Stella’s shoulder. ”Maybe I would’ve done the same thing as you two, gods forbid I was rowdy as a feisty skunk in my youth. Just...try not to make the same mistake again, or I’ll properly discipline you.”

”Mom?” The girl muttered, unsure if they’d been forgiven.

Yet hearing Helga speaking calmly again, their minds were set at ease–although their bodies stiffened at the same time, for every movement now felt to be under great scrutiny. At the same time, Gallaria snapped her fingers to catch the girl’s attention.

”You two still can’t transform into your dragon form yet, can you? Close your eyes, and we’re gonna practice; we have a lot of time to waste until the city.”

”Just make sure not to transform inside the carriage,” the hero advised, finally feeling as though some weight had been lifted off his shoulders.

Giving him a nod, the girls set their eyes on Gallaria and began focusing on their inner dragonic part. In spite of their smaller bodies, a great beast slumbered within, a beast twenty times their size with a wingspan twice that. Dragonic breaths, enhanced magic, as well as control over the elements, inherited from their father and boosted by their mother’s tenacity, they had much to harness and control. And this journey would only be their first practice amongst many.

As silence returned to the carriage, Raven closed his eyes as well and conversed with the carriage traveling with them. Amedith, Liliyana, Erika, and the Elves–all had their own carriages, and in silence they were travelling to the city, but the moment Raven’s voice echoed in their heads, their bodies flinched for a moment before getting ready to fight a non-existent enemy.

’Ease up, nothing’s wrong. I’m just checking on everyone,’ he assured them.

’What about the situation with Helga?’ Mel asked, her thumb pressed to her chin.

After a brief explanation of what happened, Raven listened to everyone’s reservations about the challenges ahead and just soaked it all in. A single group of two or three people against an entire kingdom of people. Had it been any other group, he would’ve lost hope before the mission even began.

’Two kingdoms stand before my company and me. Amedith, Liliyana, and Erika–your groups will be clearing up those places to make room for Helga and me. Everyone else will be handling the other two places; just make sure that no news comes in or out and no reinforcements come or go from the territory. Once the coast is clear, I will handle the emperor directly.’

’We still don’t know anything about him?’ The magus asked, and Raven hummed correspondingly.

’Unfortunately, we don’t. But I won’t be reckless; shadows have always been my friend, so infiltrating the castle shouldn’t be a problem, especially if the capital city is as big as they say it is.’

’Give me a week, and I’ll have my part done,’ Erika assured, her voice confident and regal.

’Lily and I will find a way as well,’ Amedith added, audibly unsure of what they’d do just yet.

The elves hummed back in agreement, and with everyone assigned a task, it was only a matter of time before their infiltration skills were put to the test against the scrying eyes of a god. A week at best, they had left, lest the casualties at the border of Charammer start weighing on their conscience. Opening his eyes, Raven severed their mental connection and looked out of the window. Admiring the lush field of Aurum, he vowed to protect the city, but more importantly, he vowed to put an end to this particular fight without staining the same fields with the blood of their allies nor their enemies.

”Helga.” Calling her name, Raven followed the valkyrie’s gaze as she kept staring out of the carriage.

”Hmm?” She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye.

”Everything’s gonna be fine; we’re gonna make sure of it. Isn’t that right?” To her daughters’ faces of concentration, his head turned, and as Helga’s did the same, the only thing that came to her tongue was...

”I hope so, but the future looks grim.”

”When does it not?”

Scoffing, she masked a faint smirk.

”I guess you’re right.”