Sheer curtains moved to the side as Damien peered out of the window to look at the woman walking through the darkness.
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Worry washed over him anew at the sight of the frail figure and wondered if she was getting enough sleep. Jae had insisted on walking instead of sitting in a carriage, which meant she wouldn't be getting any rest. It was a long way still to go, and he didn't want her to collapse before they got there. Hopefully, she would take her health into account and sleep when she could.
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Still watching through the window, Damien saw the fox spirit running up to her side, carrying a water jug and saying something, which made Jae laugh. A twisting of his stomach made him nauseous, and in his mind, he replaced the fox's image with his own. Once upon a time that used to be him, and now it would never be so again; he had lost all of that when that incident took place a century ago.
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A prickling sensation was attacking the back of Jae's neck, and she was feeling a little irritated. It was pretty obvious where it was coming from, and she was doing her best to not turn around and shoot daggers at the male, who couldn't keep his eyes to himself. It was bad enough that she was stuck on this mission with him. She didn't want to interact with him as well.
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Even if another century was to come to pass, she still wouldn't be ready to talk to him again.
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Sighing, Damien let go of the curtain and settled down into the makeshift bed made of cushions and blankets to sleep. Tomorrow was a new day, and anything could happen, so even if he didn't want to, he had to get plenty of rest so he could be ready for anything that came their way.
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☽
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The next day, the sun beat down on the group of people drifting through the forest. Most had now exited the carriages to get some exercise and stretch their legs - including Damien, who was trying to keep a respectful distance from Jae. It was hard, but her irritation was clear for all to see, and he didn't want to make it worse. For now, just seeing her safe and well was enough for him.
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After some time, they stopped for lunch, and to rest up before they started the next leg of their journey. The air had cooled, giving some relief to the travellers, and they could now move around without worry of overheating. Hopefully, it would stay this way for the rest of the day and throughout the evening.
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Jae sat away from the rest of the group with Syl and ate their share of the food in silence. Not that they didn't want to eat with the rest of the group, but there was a strange sense of isolation, and Jae couldn't think of a way to break the awkward tension.
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That guy had been a part of their group far longer than Jae had, so it was understandable that they didn't want to get in between whatever argument they had had and make matters worst. And it was thinking like that, that made it more bearable for Jae, and she didn't mind it just being Syl and her; it had been like that for a long time, so she was used to it.
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It was almost time to set off again when one person, who obviously didn't agree with the group's thinking, stood in front of the witch and fox duo. His guards were behind him, and they both scowled in their direction. "Do you mind if I join you?" The person cheerfully asked, before sitting down without waiting for an answer.
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Jae gave him a once-over and noted his long white hair loosely tied into a ponytail, and green eyes that held insurmountable joy. However, the most striking thing about him was the barb-like scar that went from his right eyebrow to just above the bridge of his nose - it didn't mar his handsomeness, but it was the first thing you would notice about him.
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"Thank you for accepting the task of escorting me." The man, who introduced himself as Riven, started a conversation when he saw that the two of them wouldn't speak up. "This trip is an important one."
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"Important?" Syl turned to him with sparkling eyes. Since he was a boy, he had always loved adventure stories and hoped to be able to go one himself someday. But it had become an unachievable dream once he was kicked out of his clan. It was not until that he met Jae that he could go on them through the multitude of tasks she accepted.
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Riven chuckled at the younger man's cute expression and said, "right now, it's a secret what we have to do. Perhaps at the end of the trip, you will know."
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"Oh." Syl visibly deflated and went back to eating his food in disappointment.
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"All you can know at the moment is that I need to be escorted to the Capital where my father, a high-ranking noble, lives." He spoke to Jae this time, who seemed to be the more reasonable one of the two. "Your help is appreciated, and you'll be rewarded greatly when it's done."
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"It's our pleasure to escort you," Jae responded politely. And inwardly she thought that the greatest reward would be the amount of power she would get back for this good deed.
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Money meant nothing to the witch, who had lost her power.
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