The Departure

Kaitlynn stirred at the sound of Illeron's voice, blinking sleepily as she looked up at him. "You and your dramatic wake-up calls," she mumbled, rubbing her eyes. "Can't a girl get a few more minutes of sleep?"

Illeron laughed, unfazed by her sleepy protest. "Ah, my dear lady, the world is filled with wonders waiting to be discovered! You wouldn't want to miss a single moment of it, would you?"

Meanwhile, Azrael groaned and rolled onto his back, stretching his arms above his head. "Can't you give us a moment to wake up on our own?" he grumbled, though a hint of amusement glinted in his eyes.

"Of course, my dear friend!" Illeron exclaimed, feigning innocence. "I was just eager to start another day of adventure and song!"

The trio eventually got up and packed their belongings, ready to continue their journey together. As they set off once more, Illeron couldn't contain his curiosity. "So where to?" he asked, his eyes gleaming with excitement. "Do you have a destination in mind?"

"Of course," Azrael nodded. "To that village."

"And..." Kaitlynn stepped forward, looking at Azrael's face like he had forgotten something.

"And..." Azrael pondered for a moment, his expression turning more serious. "And then we go our own ways."

Illeron raised an eyebrow, looking mildly surprised at the answer. "Ah, going your separate ways already?" he said with a hint of disappointment in his voice. "Well, I suppose every journey has its end."

"Aren't you forgetting something?" Kaitlynn folded her arms and pouted, eyeing the two men expectantly.

"Are we?" Azrael glanced at Illeron, hoping he had some answers, but the bard just shrugged his shoulders, feigning innocence.

"You..." A vein popped on the elven girl's forehead, and her voice took a comically stern tone. "When did you two become a couple?"

"What are you talking about?" Illeron exclaimed, waving his hands in front of his face. "My lady, are you suggesting that we have a romantic relationship? I think not, I have much better taste in women."

Kaitlynn facepalmed once again, realizing she was being teased by the bard. She shot a playful glare at both men before deciding to let it go. After all, they had just shared a life-threatening experience together, and it was only natural for emotions to run high.

'Calm down. He's just playing with you,' she silently reminded herself, taking a deep breath to compose herself. She moved ahead of them, stopping in her tracks with her arms outstretched, signaling them to halt.

"What about me? What am I supposed to do if you leave me? How do I go home?" she asked, her expression serious.

"Ah..." Azrael gasped like he just remembered that problem. The elven girl expectantly looked at him for answers, her eyes growing big again. "I don't know. Find it your way."

Kaitlynn's eyes widened in disbelief as she stared at Azrael, her expression a mix of frustration and disbelief. "Find it my way?" she repeated, her voice slightly incredulous. "You can't be serious!"

Illeron, standing beside Azrael, couldn't contain his laughter at the exchange between the two. "Oh, come on, my lady," he chimed in, trying to ease the tension with a playful smile. "Surely you have some navigational skills up your sleeve. Elves are known for their keen senses, aren't they?"

Kaitlynn shot Illeron a mock glare, but she couldn't help but smile a little. "Yes, we are," she replied, the slight amusement breaking through her serious demeanor. "But still, this is his kingdom. I don't even have any idea where this is."

Azrael, without any care, just walked forward, humming to himself, seemingly unbothered by the seriousness of the situation.

"I'll give you anything once I'm in my kingdom, just get me out of here," she pleaded as she caught up with him. "Just one more time, save me."

"If you still haven't figured it out, my lady, this is the Ironhelm Kingdom," Azrael replied, his voice tinged with a hint of warning. "The most vicious and depraved human kingdom in all of this world. You should already know how much these people will treat you if they find an elf walking freely on the streets of their village."

Kaitlynn gulped, her heart sinking with the realization of the danger she was in. She was well aware of the kingdom's cruelty to other races, and the fear of what might happen to her began to gnaw at her.

"Help me..." Her voice was just barely a whisper, desperation evident in her eyes and trembling voice.

Even the talkative Illeron was silent, understanding the gravity of the situation. His usually playful demeanor had disappeared, replaced by a sense of seriousness.

"How?" he asked, and Kaitlynn was about to open her mouth and say "anyhow," but Azrael wasn't done with his question. "How did you come here?"

"I..." She trailed off, her mind taking her back to that terrible day. "I don't know...I kissed my mom and went to sleep, and when I woke up, I was here. Gagged and bounded with a beautiful witch looking at me hungrily."

"So you don't recall anything?" Azrael asked, his voice tinged with curiosity, as they continued walking down the path.

"No," Kaitlynn replied softly, avoiding his gaze.

'More lies,' Azrael thought to himself. He considered leaving it at that; it was clear she didn't want to talk about it. But a part of him was intrigued and wanted to know the story. After all, it involved a witch, and not just any witch, but one of the Infernal princesses. However, he also knew that delving into this matter might lead to problems that were not his own.

"Oh, my poor lady, it must be hard for you," Illeron chimed in, looking at her with genuine sympathy. "Must be scary too. I don't know how you survived that. My best friend, we should help her." Both Illeron and Kaitlynn turned their eyes towards Azrael, expecting a response.

And he remained silent.

The walk to the village took five long hours, during which Illeron and Kaitlynn did most of the talking. Azrael found himself surprised to learn that the boy was from the Kingdom of Celestia, a grand heaven for all races and one of the most advanced kingdoms in the world. It was the very kingdom the Legion of Heroes originated from, the same kingdom where Azrael was betrayed and killed by his own friends and wife.

As of now, the Legion had not yet formed, and the Elder Dragon still slumbered beneath the Blood Sea, 8000 kilometers below it. Illeron's nonchalant attitude towards Kaitlynn being an Elf made sense; to him, it was just another normal day.

The conversation flowed, and Azrael remained an observer of the two, their interactions ranging from playful banter to heartfelt moments. He couldn't help but notice the genuine bond forming between them.

Eventually, they saw the distant silhouette of the village emerging through the trees. Azrael's heart clenched with anxiety; this place held dark memories for him. But he hid his emotions, maintaining his composure as they approached the village.

Kaitlynn stopped on mid track. Azrael and Illeron, noticing her, stopped on their track.

"I...I don't want to be defiled. I don't want to be a slave either. It's better if you two leave me here. I could find some way to survive," Kaitlynn said, her voice quivering with fear.

"No one's going to defile you, my lady," Illeron reassured her, offering her a kind smile. "She'll get help, right?" He said, glancing at Azrael, who stared at her for a moment before simply nodding in reply.

"We won't leave you here."

'What is wrong with you? Why are you risking your life for an elf?' He wanted to say those words. He wanted to abandon her. But the words remained stuck in his throat.

Instead, he took off his jacket and walked towards the girl. She curiously watched him, her pointy ears twitching with anticipation. Reaching behind him, he unsheathed the knife and looked into her eyes. "Do you trust me?"

"At the moment, yes," she said, her face filled with determination.

A playful smile tugged at his lips, and the same appeared on the girl's face. Illeron was looking at the interaction like an idiot.

"This is going to hurt a little," he said, bringing the knife to her right temple and drawing a line starting from her eyebrows all the way down to her lower cheeks.

She winced a little, but she never cried or complained. The line was not too deep to worry about, but deep enough to draw blood. Then he unfurled his jacket and covered her head, including her ears.

"I don't think I would be able to keep it clean for long, so be careful," she playfully said as he tightened the jacket firmly around her head. Then he crouched down and started to tear her tunic's hem, ripping the seams.

"Aah, look at you trying to get under my pants. Nasty," she joked, looking down at him. The blood from her cut dripped down her face and drenched her tunic.

After a moment, Azrael stood up and told the girl to keep her hands together. She did as he told, and he tied her arms together with the piece of cloth.

"You are my slave. I found you near the woods. Bound and beaten. So, we got you. You work for me."

"Okay," she said.

Illeron looked at the bloody elf with wide eyes. His mouth was half-opened. He was in awe of what Azrael had done.