I use my large wings to splash Sally with water. I make sure it isn't too much. I still want it to be fun, after all. We splash around in the water for a few minutes and calm down. I toggle my wings off as Saly makes her way closer with a certain look on her face. I wait for her, and once she is within arms reach, she wraps her arms around my neck and brings me in closer.

"You know, you still haven't cleaned your armor... Don't you think you should get on that? I mean, it is covered in elk blood after all.

" I smile slightly and lean my head towards hers. She matches me and leans forward as she closes her eyes. Our lips make contact a second later, and it sends a warm feeling throughout my body. We don't add any extra movement or make it hot—just a simple kiss.

I like these ones the most. We pull apart for a second only to make contact again. I feel Sally run her fingers through my wet hair and move her lips in a sensual motion. It looks like we are moving on from simple kisses. I match the calm small movements, and after a couple more seconds, we pull away from each other. She stares into my eyes with a pure smile.

"You make me have butterflies in my stomach... Sometimes, I wonder what I'd do if any other woman tried to steal you from me. I hate sounding possessive and controlling, but I hate that thought so much...

" I hate the thought of some other man taking you from me, so I get the feeling. I'm the type of man that wants to be with one girl I like for the rest of my life.

I tilt my head slightly and notice she is waiting for a response.

"I get that, Sally. I don't like the thought of losing you to another, and I'd probably kill the man that tried. I never expected us to grow so close, but it's hard not to like you, Sally. The first conversation we had made me laugh. I opened my room door, and you said that I needed a serious bath. After learning more about you, it made me wonder how you could turn out the way you did. So kind and sweet, with a good heart. I can see now that it's because of you, your own strength. That's rare to find in anyone, and I love it.

" Her cheeks redden as her smile gets larger from my retelling the first time we met. She lowers her head just a little while keeping eye contact.

It's a look that puts me on edge. She brings her head forward and starts kissing me again. This time she is much more exploratory. She moves her lips in medium to large movements, sticking the tip of her tongue in ever so slightly at random intervals. After upping the intensity, she uses the tip of her tongue to touch mine. The feeling is good on both ends as we both release a small moan at the contact. The contact stops, and we pull away from each other. I open my eyes to see the half-closed eyes of Sally with red burning cheeks. I watch her take deep breaths and have a certain look in her eye. I must have the same blushing face as hers.

"I hate that I'm on my period right now...

" I crack a grin at the disappointed look on her face as she remembers that.

I bring us back to the edge of the stream. I'm tall enough to reach the bottom. She hangs on as I bring us out of the water. The heat has risen since we went in the water. I gently let her go and watch as she uses the sun to dry off. I'm disappointed she is on her period too. I turn back to the stream and take my armor out of my inventory. I go waist-deep in the water and drop my armor in. I scrub the elk blood out as best I can, and the clean, clear water dies a little red as the water carries the blood downstream. Leaving it in my inventory would have cleaned it, but I want it clean right now after I get all the blood out and take them out of the water and lay them next to Sally's clothes. I walk over and sit next to her on a rock.

Sally takes a seat on the same rock I'm on, limiting space to where we have to lean on one another.

"So, have you thought about what we are going to do first after Zenith? You know all the targets after all.

" She looks out to the stream with a calm expression. It's going to be hard to face the men that did that to her, and while I'd like to cut them down myself. I'm going to leave that pleasure for Sally. The thought of her being abused makes a rage fester inside me, one that I've never had in my life. It's not a good rage. It's an evil one. She sighs and leans her head on my shoulder.

"We don't have to talk about it now. We'll discuss it after we are done in Zenith.

" She nods her head and grabs my hand with hers. I'm going to be with her the entire time.

If she needs to fall back on me, she can, and if she needs me to let her do all the dirty work, then that's fine too.

"How long do you think it'll be before we make it to the Dryads?

" I tell her we'll get there before late evening. Traveling at full speed as we have been will make the trip fast.

"I'm excited that we get to help an entire race of people be freed from a curse. Who knows what will happen once they are free... Are we going to have to explain to them everything that has happened since they were cursed thousands of years ago?

" Sally brings up a point that I have avoided thing about since it's really complex. Explaining everything that's happened to the Dryads will be hard, and I doubt they'll let Bellvia off the hook after all this time.

To them, it happened yesterday.

"I'm not sure, Sally. They are returning to a world that has been without them for a couple of thousand years, and the way they left was not of their own accord. They will want Bellvia to pay for its crimes against them. What I'm worried about is how it will affect the rest of Gaia and the wars that we are in and are on the horizon.

" Bellvia, during the time of the Dryads, was in league with the church of dark ones. After the war was over and the church of light discovered Bellvia's treachery, they had to let them go. There were too many innocent people in Bellvia to punish the entire country. It isn't the normal people's fault that the rulers did what they did. This led the church to cover it up.

The Dryads don't know this, but I'm sure they would if they took Belliva and learned the military secrets. That would cause a new war, and it'll spilt allegiances all over Gaia.

"We can cross that bridge when we get there, all right? I don't think it's fair that you have to solve all the world's problems.

" Sally reassures me and kisses me on the cheek. We are both dry now, and that means it's time to get a move on. We don't reek anymore, which is nice, and I'm happy to be traveling with Sally. We stand up and get dressed. Laying our clothes in the sun really dried them off. I toggle my wings on and kneel so Sally can climb on. Once she is all settled in, I launch us off the ground at full speed, and we reach the clouds.

I keep the speed up and enjoy the late morning sunshine. If I did have a favorite part of the day, it'd be late morning. It's when things aren't too cold or hot yet. It's been quite some time since I've been to The Ancient Ruins of the Dryads. I honestly never thought I'd be back. A true bonafide legendary quest sure is difficult. I'd be lying if I said I didn't care about the reward. I can only guess what I'd be getting, lots of levels and some great items. Probably huge reputation boosts with all light factions, too, and having the Dryads as my friends just like the fairies are. I wonder what the first thing they'll do once they are free from the curse. Finding loved ones and connecting after being cursed, I couldn't imagine such a fate.

We fly for the next several hours, and as late afternoon approaches, I can see the ruins as we soar through the sky. This is it, freeing the Dryads at least. Fighting a powerful boss that will surely stand in the way and completing a quest I've had since I've started my journey here. Only for the next chapter with Sally to be right around the corner.