Departure

"God-Marked, she's waking up!"

Yuna heard the sounds of footsteps and a bit of scrambling as she came back to consciousness. She opened her eyes slowly, her vision initially blurred as her brain booted up again. 

She was lying on a large, lavish bed within Velmoria's castle. One of the Velmorians stood over her, observing her as he came to. On the other side of the bed was Itsuki, who wore an intense expression. 

"Hey...Itsuki," Yuna smiled. "Sorry to worry you."

Once he heard Yuna's voice, Itsuki's entire form relaxed. He dropped to his knees, catching himself on the bed. 

"Glad you're okay," he smiled, a tear rolling down his cheek. "Just try not to be so brash next time, okay?"

Yuna was startled, but happy with his affection. She smiled and nodded. 

"On top of being awake, her condition is nearing full recovery," the Velmorian physician spoke. "I would suspect in a couple of hours, she'll be okay to move about as before."

"Thanks, Doc."

The physician left after that, leaving Itsuki and Yuna to themselves. 

"What happened?" Yuna asked, sitting up a bit. "I remember flying in the air and...all sorts of other crazy things. Was I hallucinating?"

"It was all real," Itsuki assured her. "Look at your chest."

Yuna did so. Emblazoned on her torso was a golden dragon - almost identical to the one Itsuki possessed. 

"Even after everything finished, that mark remained. We saw it after you were undressed and checked for injuries."

"You saw it...with me undressed..."

What followed was what felt like the world's longest moment of silence. 

"Eep!" Yuna squealed, her facing becoming a tomato as she buried herself under the covers. 

"That's not what I was getting at!"

Itsuki tried his best, but his face was also a bright red. It hadn't crossed his mind in the moment, although now that he thought about it more...he had seen everything.

"Thank you for looking after me..." Yuna spoke from under the covers. 

A sudden shift, but Itsuki let out a breath and relaxed a bit. 

"Of course, what else would I do? You are my Hope after all. You said so yourself, before leaping out of the tower."

Yuna seemed to shudder a bit under the covers, embarrassed. After a moment, she finally poked the top of her head out and looked at him. 

"By the way," she noted. "What is that?"

Itsuki followed her gaze. She was looking at the golden necklace he was now wearing. The chain was very thin and a small, golden bird feather hung from it. 

"Vaelric provided it," Itsuki mentioned. "He called it the 'Feather From The Scale', I think? As long as I'm wearing it, I'm able to tell if someone is deceiving me, and get a sense of their intentions. Although it doesn't work on other God-Marked."

"Oh, wow. Where did he get something like that?"

"Apparently, he received it one-thousand years ago from the last person to serve as the Judge. Vaelric said that he was given it just before the judge made his decision...to continue the Cataclysm for another thousand years..."

There was a momentary pause for both of them. Things had gotten hectic, and they really hadn't had the chance to discuss what Vaelric had revealed about Itsuki's responsibility. Itsuki wasn't thrilled about the idea, and had a suspicion that some people would view him as a monster if they knew. 

Yuna, however, always seemed to remain supportive. 

"So, what's next?" Yuna asked, wearing a cheerful expression. 

"Once we're sure you've recovered, we'll be heading to Evermere. Vaelric offered us the full red-carpet treatment. He's had a caravan set to go and is going to have Alarak and a small squad of guards bring us and ensure our safety.

"Really?! But don't they need that help here?"

"That's what I suggested," Itsuki admitted. "But he insisted. With the Cataclysm passed, he said he wasn't worried about another major threat. He also noted that none of them would be alive if not for you, so what's a few men?"

"That's really nice of him..."

Yuna said it genuinely, but seemed to have a solemn expression about her. 

"Everything okay?"

"Yeah..." she responded. "Is it safe to assume that Baron Vaelric will be seeing us off?"

"Probably? He hasn't said."

"Okay. Let's not waste time, then..."

With some resolve in her voice and expression, she worked on making her way out of bed. 

***

As Yuna and Itsuki finished loading up the caravan, Vaelric approached. 

"Alarak and his men should be able to get you pretty close to Evermere," he informed them. "They can't take you the whole way - for obvious reasons - but you'll be within a few hours' distance on foot."

"That's more than enough," Itsuki assured him. "You have my thanks."

Yuna, having just finished putting her bag down, stormed up to Vaelric. Both Itsuki and Vaelric seemed a bit surprised by the tense and determined look on her face. 

She then, with great fury, bowed her entire torso.

"I'm so sorry!" Yuna yelled out. "I've been nothing but rude and malicious at every turn! The entire time I was here, I constantly assumed the worst. I showed all this prejudice, and yet you welcomed me and treated me kindly nonetheless. I promise, I will remember this wherever I go!"

Vaelric took in her words for a moment, startled by her intensity. Once he had fully processed it, he burst out laughing. 

"You're truly one-of-a-kind, girl!" he exclaimed. "Make sure you keep her close, Itsuki. Someone might sweep her off her feet and bring your romance to an end!"

Yuna stiffened back up, her face blushing red. 

"I appreciate the sentiment," Vaelric spoke in a more serious tone. "Your concern was justifiable, and you more than made up for it during the battle. In fact, I have something for you..."

He then reached into his cloak and pulled out a bracelet. It was an obsidian color and had red runic markings all over it. 

"I'd be humbled if you'd accept becoming an honorary member of Velmoria," Vaelric announced. "While we isolate ourselves for the most part, my reputation will likely get you farther than you might expect..."

"Oh...thank you."

Yuna took the bracelet and scanned it over. Her reaction was to refuse gifts to be polite, but in this case, it would have the opposite effect. She put it on, and a smile grew across her face. 

"I thought about a ring," Vaelric admitted, "but I figured I'd leave that to him..."

He looked to Itsuki, and began laughing as they both blushed once again. 

After a bit more back-and-forth, their time at Velmoria came to an end. They said their goodbyes, hopped aboard the caravan, and began off. 

The caravan moved swiftly and smoothly. Horses pulled the carriage while Alarak and his guards walked beside it. Even with the camping supplies of the squad, Yuna and Itsuki had plenty of room in the carriage. 

"This feels so weird," Yuna admitted. "I feel like royalty..."

"You're an honorary Velmorian, now!" Itsuki teased. "No harm in that, right?"

"What about you?"

"No dice," Itsuki responded. "I think it's for the best anyway. If I'm meant to be this world's judge, I should be as impartial as I can across the board. I think Vaelric knew that, too."

"I see. I guess that is that, then!" Yuna spoke with a smile. "To Evermere we go!"

Itsuki nodded in affirmation. It would be a bit before they arrived, but they were much better-equipped to survive the trek to Evermere in this condition. With any luck, they would arrive with minimal issue and be able to begin their search for Amane and Shin...

***

"An update, your Highness," a royal guard spoke. "The scouts have reported back. They are on their way..."

"Excellent," Amane responded. "You are dismissed."

The guard bowed and left, leaving her to her own thoughts. She peered out the window, gazing out over the city that was Evermere. From atop her tower, very little escaped her vision. 

"You're finally coming, Itsuki," she spoke to herself, a smile on her face. "Come, then. Let's see if you're ready for the mess you're about to walk into..."