Heading Out

With a bit of preparation, Kerron and Yuzuki would be setting out into the wider world of Vestia.

Crim and Azura came to see them off, as well as the seven little Lapluna. Though they were also venturing back out into the forest where they ultimately belonged. The cook felt a certain way about seeing them go, but each of them came to her to nuzzle her hand in farewell. She’d gotten used to the idea of them being around and thought they would remain, but they hopped their way out at the same time Kerron and her set off for the nearest settlement where they could buy new ingredients for the kitchen. And tools as well. Yuzuki insisted. There had to be a certain standard they needed to meet; cleaning it from top to bottom was only one part of her overhaul of the kitchens. If he was offering to pay, she was going to make sure the kitchen was how she liked it.

Honestly, despite running everything singlehandedly herself back home, Yuzuki had little to no control over anything in the restaurant. Everything, right down to what cheap acrylic knife she used instead of steel ones, was decided by the owner. Everything was run down and poorly maintained and the expensive tools they originally had were sold off and replaced with more ‘cost effective’ replacements. And even those eventually got replaced by even cheaper models, still, in an effort to stem the bleeding the restaurant was going through while under new management.

But in this case, she was still alone, with a whole kitchen by herself, but she would have the freedom to run it how she saw fit. Hopefully, she could find things comparable to what she was used to. Yuzuki had no idea what to expect once she ventured out.

“Do you have everything with you?” Azura inquired, sounding like a mother sending her child off on her first day of school. While she sounded calm, there was a slight frazzled tone to her voice. As if she was trying to remember if Yuzuki had all the things she needed before leaving the castle.

“Not that I had much to begin with,” she replied with a laugh. The sack she had been given to her by the driver was in her hands, along with the dagger. Kerron had everything else, aka the money and she assumed he would have it somewhere within the voluminous robes he wore. Turning to Kerron, she was ready to set off and began taking her first steps towards the Forest of Spirits. “We should get going. I have no idea where you’re taking me, but it’ll take a while to get there, right?”

His hand on her shoulder stopped her.

“May I inquire as to where you are going?” Kerroin asked, a single brow cocked upwards.

Yuzuki blinked. “Um…outside?”

“You are not seriously considering we…walk, are you?” His voice was even, but held no small hint of incredulity.

“Um…yes?” Yuzuki replied.

“Please consider how long it took you to traverse the Forest of Spirits when you came here.” Yuzuki did just that, recalling how it basically took a whole day. “And now, think about my responsibilities.”

…Oh.

“So, then, how are we going to get to the nearest village?”

Wordlessly, Kerron waved his hand, summoning his usual mode of transportation: the black gondola he used to fulfill his duties as the Lord of Death. Yuzuki screwed up her face into one of great reluctance, because while he looked like some gorgeous ethereal being flying in the air on a floating boat, she was sure her legs would give out and she’d go tumbling down the opposite side without much resistance. He did see her unwillingness to get on, but simply looked between her and the boat, silently urging her to get on.

Of course, like a finicky cat, she was unwilling to just comply.

“Oh, did I leave something cooking in the kitchen? I think I may have, I should probably go back–”

“Do get in the boat, Yuzuki.”

“Urk–”

There was no argument to be tolerated according to his tone; he was soft in the way he spoke, but there was a firmness in his voice, too. Yuzuki really couldn’t win and gingerly climbed in with a helping hand from Kerron. Considering it laid on the ground, there was no rockiness or movement, so she felt a little more assured, but knew once they got up she would be shaking. Yuzuki was not a fan of heights. There were seats at least, but no safety devices like seatbelts. At the very least, there should be some kind of cover to keep the wind out of their faces!

Kerron stepped in after her, standing tall with an oar that materialized into his hands. His eyes roamed around the area, checking for something before turning towards Azura and Crim and giving them a nod.

“Come home safe, you two,” Azura said.

“Don’t stay out for too long,” Crim added.

Acknowledging their words with another nod, the lord tapped the ground, signalling for the boat to gently lift off.

Yuzuki yelped clinging to the side of the long boat and shutting her eyes as she felt her stomach drop a bit. She could feel gravity working against them, which reminded her of the ascent on a rollercoaster right before the drop. It was the latter part that she worried about, even though Kerron had made travelling magically through the air effortless. What if his magic ran out, even if it was unlikely? What if something came at them while they were up? What about things like turbulence? So many things could go wrong and many worst case scenarios kept playing in her imagination.

“Yuzuki.”

She said nothing, just kept her eyes shut and hanging on for dear life.

“Yuzuki…”

Kerron’s voice called out to her, yet she steadfastly refused to answer. It was his fault she felt scared stiff in the first place.

The boat shifted a bit, which startled Yuzuki and she dove for the floor of the boat to feel something more stable.

A hand settled on the top of her head, gently, almost shyly.

“Are you afraid?” he asked.

“I’m not afraid!” she replied without missing a beat. Pride would not let her admit she was terrified, even though her body did all the speaking for her.

The hand remained where it was, a heavy, yet centering presence. It felt solid and steady and after a bit of unreasonable cowering on the floor, it drew her to eventually open her eyes. As expected, she saw the wooden bottom of the boat, with its slightly scuffed black wood. A random detail to notice, but it was clear that this boat was used a lot, which meant there was experience in handling it.

She could see the bottom of Kerron’s robes just pooling around his knees, as he took the time to kneel in front of her. His face was set into a small frown as he looked down at her. And beyond him, just over his shoulder, was the vast blue sky.

His hand slipped from her head and moved to help her sit back up on her side of the flying boat. He was quiet and did not say anything about the display she just made, nor the outburst she made when he inquired about how she was doing. He kept a grip on her hand, understanding she needed the support, even if she did not outright say it, which she secretly appreciated.

They were in the air.

The wind blowing through their hair and ruffling their clothes as they moved speedily through the air. All around them, the world was made of fluff and an endless sea of blue above their heads. It wasn’t hard at all to breathe. Did magic do this? Or was their speed not as breakneck as she expected it to be.

Feeling a little braver since he was firmly holding one of her hands, she reached down and felt the clouds below them. It didn’t feel particularly of anything. Like having the wind blow through her fingers.

Looking up, the sun was out and shining on them, keeping her warmed despite what should be a chilly breeze this high up. In the distance, she could see a formation of birds soaring together, freely and without worry. It was a scene one could only see within the safety of an airplane normally, or just as visuals in pictures or film. But now she can taste the clean air, feel the wind in her hair and the cry of birds flying together.

Rather than feel afraid, it was starting to become exciting.

She let go of Kerron’s hand and turned herself to watch as the clouds passed by and the sky be filled with other avian creatures taking wing.

Unable to help it, a smile crept up on her lips and she turned to Kerron, eyes bright with everything she was seeing.

“This is amazing!” she stated, awe in her voice.

Kerron, for his part, looked around him quietly, before eventually nodding. He smiled slightly and returned to his post, driving their vehicle with his oar and magic.

“Yes, I suppose so,” he agreed.