58 The right company (1/2)
Part 1
”Graaahh!!! I'm going to eat you!!!”
Inside the middle right path, Auren and Ria were moving along the rocky terrain trying to reach the exit on the other side of the mountain.
”Beware the wrath of the dragon lady!! I'll reap your flesh and devour your bones!!!”
Ria was having the time of her life while role-playing as a dragon monster and teasing Auren who was now bearing the body of a minotaur.
”You!! Bull-man!! You shall now be my servant and obey my every command!! I demand you to hug me!!!”
Auren couldn't stop blushing and covering his face with both hands due to how cute his fiancée looked right now while trying to appear intimidating.
”Come on darling, play along!! It's fun!!”
”I- I better not... I don't think my heart can bear much more of this...”
”Ha!! I knew you couldn't handle my terrifying performance!! I was born to be a dragon!!”
”I'm glad you seem so calm about this...”
”Eh...? What do you mean...?”
”I mean... We are about to enter enemy territory... If we make any mistake we might lose our heads for real this time... On top of that, we are all being followed by a group of assassins... I'm just surprised you don't appear afraid at all. It's like you don't even care... I wish I was as brave as you...”
”...”
”...? Ria...?”
”Is that... What you think of me...?”
”Eh...?”
”You think I can just hear that someone is coming to take our lives and act like it wasn't a big deal...? Do you think I'm that cold of a person...?”
”B- But... But you always act like nothing ever bothers you...”
Ria extended her dragon tail and started to pat Auren on his head with it like he was a dog.
”Oh, man... I never noticed my darling was such a dummy...”
”W- What do you mean...?”
”...”
Ria used her tail to grab Auren's hands and started to lean on him.
”Carry me...”
”Huh...!?”
”I'm angry with you right now and want you to spoil me... Carry! Me!”
”Oh... Ok...”
Auren wasn't sure as to why Ria was angry but he thought it would be better not to make the situation worse. The idea of Ria being upset was something he would rather not think about.
He placed her on a princess carry position and started to walk deeper inside of the tunnel while feeling her light body on his arms.
She was so close to him that his heart started to beat at immense speed and his legs were about to start shaking.
After making the ceremony to become servants of the goddess of the west, Auren finally mustered the courage to propose to Ria, but she still would make him feel nervous from time to time.
”How do you feel?”
”W- What...?”
”Right now... As you carry me in this tunnel... How does it feel? What are you thinking...?”
”I- I-...”
”...”
”Honestly... Right now I'm so happy to be able to carry you like this that I feel like I might pass out at any minute...”
”I see...”
As she heard that, she started to blush and turned her eyes on another direction to hide her embarrassment.
”So you're not afraid right now, right?”
”Huh...?”
”That thing that Evlin said... About how we are going to be attacked by Marcus and his new friends... You weren't thinking about that right now were you...?”
”N- No... I wasn't...”
”... Do you think you would be feeling any better right now if you were...?”
”...?”
”I know we are in danger... And I know we need to take this seriously... But there is nothing that can be done about it right now... So instead of burning our brains with worries for no reason... Wouldn't you rather try to focus on something better...?”
She turned her head again to look at him and wrapped her arms around his body to hug him.
”Am I really such a cold person because I want the man I love to enjoy my company instead of thinking about a bunch a crazy people following us...?”
”... You were trying to make me relax...”
”...”
”Ugh... I really am a dummy...”
”You really are... I don't mind if everyone else thinks I'm just an airhead... But please, at least you... Could you please try a little harder to understand me...?”
Auren was filled with great shame right now. He always went on about how much he loved Ria and how he wanted to marry her and would dedicate the rest of his life for her, and yet he failed to completely miss the point in regards to her feelings.
He looked at the woman resting in his arms and began to talk to her.
”Tell me more...”
”Huh...?”
”Tell me more about you... I don't want to make the same mistake ever again... Tell me about how you feel, how you think, where you came from...”
She extended her hands towards his face and started to touch his cheeks.
”Auren...”
Followed by pinching them really hard with her strong dragon hands.
”That's something you say BEFORE you propose to the girl you idiot!!!”
”Ouch, ouch. ouch!! Sorry, sorry!! Please stop!! I might drop you!!”
She pushed him away and returned to walk on her own.
”God, you really are an idiot... I'm gonna have to work hard on you if we are going to spend the eternity together...”
”S- Sorry...”
”Ugh... What a pain... come here...”
Ria turned around and extended her hand towards him, much to his confusion.
”Huh...!?”
”This might be a dark scary cave and we both look like abominations of nature right now... But this is still our first date together, and I am planning to enjoy it!!”
”This is a date...?”
”Do you have anything against it??”
She started to blush again, but Auren didn't know if it was due to anger, embarrassment, or both.
”None at all!! Date, date! This is a date!”
He hurried to grab her hand and the two continued their way.
After walking for a little longer and chatting for a bit, they finally arrived at the place Ashley mentioned before.
”Ugh...”