Netori: Stealing The Hero's Party!

For the most part, the soldiers travelling with Mercedes carried the cargo into Elenaris, but upon noticing Raven and Regalia coming back to the beach not too long after the wolf girl had left, she decided to grab herself a light box and part with the dragon sisters. Their mother, Helga, was, of course, delighted that the woman wouldn't be around them anymore, but as was in her nature, Mercedes made sure not to let the valkyrie have any sort of satisfaction in her departure.

"Wanna help me with these boxes? I'll treat you to some ice cream, what do you say?" Her eyes still focused on the approaching duo, Mercedes smiled as the girls leapt at the treat's mention. And why wouldn't they? Their mother had been training even their stomachs to endure harsh environments with scarcity of meals and diseases, and being teens, neither of them enjoyed the experience.

"Alright! Lemme carry that box!" Grabbing the box out of Mercedes's hands, Tatiyana smirked at her sister before turning back to the merchant. "Where do I take it?"

"Just follow me…" Mercedes replied, but before she left, she had to wait for Stella to grab a box as well.

And although Raven noticed them carrying the resources towards the city, he didn't stop the last shipment from going into Elenaris. It would be the last shipment the kingdom receives until the queen corrects herself. Instead, walking up to Helga, Raven waved her a hand.

"You don't seem too happy. Something the matter?"

"I don't trust that merchant…" Helga replied, her eyes still leering in the direction Mercedes went.

"Neither do I," Regalia added.

And although Raven felt the same way, his argument with Mono had left him a bit drained to be having such a conversation. Thus brushing past the matter, he quickly changed the subject.

"Still destroying the beach, huh?" Looking around at the half-glassed, half-sandy beach with trees all bent in the opposite direction, Raven looked at Helga with a hand offered to help her get off the ground.

Taking his help, she quickly got up and cracked her neck a little before turning to him to answer.

"I won this place from Mono, don't tell me now you're gonna complain about it."

"You won it?"

"Yeah, the queen was complaining about what her daughter's training was doing to the place, so they had a wrestling match to settle things once and for all." Regalia's explanation only added more questions inside Raven's head than they answered.

"How did you even convince her to do so?"

"Long story, but all in all, I tore her limbs while we fought, and the beach has been mine since then." Not sure how to even feel about the whole ordeal, Raven turned to Regalia and asked.

"Whatever, I suppose. Where were you taking me again?" But before she could answer, Helga picked up the picnic blanket from the ground and patted Raven on the shoulders with the words.

"We can talk later about how things have been for you as a general. I'll go check on my daughter and make sure that merchant isn't trying to take advantage of them." And with those words, the valkyrie rushed towards the city, leaving Raven and Regalia all alone on the dark sand beach.

Intertwining their fingers, Regalia began to smile as she once again started leading him to a more secluded spot on the beach. Away from the main dock, their destination was masked behind a curl of trees that reached the ocean with their roots sticking out from the sand. Within them was a sandy spot with a massive rock marking a dead end, and yet the small space just enough for a picnic was the perfect place for any couple to sneak off to.

Sitting down on the sand first, Regalia tugged on Raven's arms and made him sit beside her. Casting her gaze to the skies next, she took a deep breath and, while resting her back against the ground, heaved a sigh. She'd been meaning to relax once the transport was over; however, upon looking at Raven, who still appeared somewhat strained, she quickly rolled her eyes and pulled him to lie down beside her.

"There's always a time for action and a time for rest, Raven. And right now," leaning onto him with her right leg crossing over his thighs, Regalia nuzzled up close against his neck. "It's time to rest, so don't think about anything else, or what's the point of coming here?"

Turning his head towards her, Raven leaned his face closer. Looking into Regalia's eyes, he savoured the brush of her breath, and yet his mind refused not to wander.

"If only it were so easy…" With a sour expression, he turned back to gaze at the stars. "I have the weight of this world on my shoulders, and the heroes of the past are all dead or trapped in purgatory with nobody left to love them."

The horrid image of the lurker in the dark of Choux's great-great-grandmother flashed before Raven's eyes. Trapped in purgatory, she was perhaps the only living person from the late hero's party. And the soldiers that fought against the gods like Helga, Markus and Razor were few and far between.

"What are you talking about?" Not exactly following what he was saying, Regalia gently moved Raven's head back to her. "Don't lose your light, okay? I know it's difficult leading an army, to feel the weight of soldiers' sacrifice on your shoulders, but remember…"

Nodding her head along, she made sure that the warlord's gaze was transfixed on her.

"There is no sacrifice too great to protect the people that you love. And those soldiers, they had family too, so don't disappoint now by losing hope–I bet their souls are watching you, making sure that you're going to provide their families the security that they sacrificed their lives for!"

Her words did little for Raven's angst. He was very much aware that the dead would want nothing more than for their families to be safe. But that wasn't what concerned him, instead, it was the self-doubt simmering deep within himself.

"I…" Closing his eyes for a moment, Raven tried to hold himself back from saying anything stupid. Giving Regalia's words a thorough thought, he finally opened his eyes after a while and whispered. "You're right, I need to be stronger…I need to keep the monster alive."

With a smile arching on her lips, Regalia places her hand on Raven's cheeks and began caressing him gently. Staring into his eyes, her own eyes fluttering from being too tired, the warlock decided to steal a kiss before her body slipped into slumber forcefully.

"You are loved, remember that." And although there was plenty for them to discuss that night, like the patrons with whom Regalia had signed a pact or everything that had occurred on the battlefield, however, with the two being far too tired from their straining lives, they slept in each other's arms with their lips still pressed against each other…