The soft clicking of hooves echoed down the desolate asphalt road, the only sound breaking the silence of the surrounding wilderness. Despite traveling for over thirty minutes, not a single vehicle had passed them by. The sun was nearly set, and the tall trees on either side cast ominous shadows, painting the landscape in a deep gloom.
Alicarde wasn't particularly bothered by the darkness. This was just another mundane part of his existence; the night didn't harbor monsters, or so he hoped.
He shifted slightly in his saddle, feeling the warmth of Malefica pressed against him. Riding on the bicorn, she was forced to lean back into his chest due to the way they were seated.
After thirty minutes of riding, he imagined her back must be getting sore, but he wasn't about to complain. In fact, he was rather enjoying the softness of her skin and the subtle fragrance that lingered around her.
'No complaints here, no sir.'
Malefica seed completely unaware of his thoughts. With her leaning on him, he decided to indulge himself a little, wrapping his arm more tightly around her waist.
"How much longer until we get there?" he asked.
Malefica turned her head slightly, giving him a sidelong glance.
"Not much further now."
"We'd get there faster if you let us pick up the pace," he suggested, a hint of sarcasm in his voice.
She shook her head.
"No, we go at this pace. If they saw a bicorn charging into their territory, what do you think they'd do?"
Alicarde understood her reasoning, but that didn't stop him from retorting,.
"They'd welco us with open arms, of course."
Malefica scoffed.
"Oh, sure. Open arms… and a barrage of deadly spells."
He sighed and rested his head against hers, whispering in her ear.
"That was a good one. If I didn't know better, I'd say I'm rubbing off on you."
Her expression remained deadpan.
"How terrible. What will I do with myself?"
Alicarde smiled under his hood at her dry response.
"It's getting dark. At least let us teleport short distances. And by the way you're leaning on , I'd say your back hurts."
Malefica pushed her glasses down slightly, her gaze turning colder.
"My back doesn't hurt, and I wasn't leaning on you. Don't think you can use the situation to take advantage of ."
His grin widened. He could tell she was getting flustered, sothing he'd grown accustod to.
"Really? I don't mind at all. And you're definitely getting flustered. The way you keep adjusting your glasses is kind of cute, you know. You look really pretty when you do that."
She turned her head away, her gaze falling to the shadowy forest around them, though she didn't seem to be paying attention to it.
"Don't flirt with your professor."
Alicarde reached out, his tal-clad fingers gently tilting her chin toward him so their eyes could et, though his own were still hidden beneath his hood.
"I wasn't flirting… I an it. You look beautiful. Your hazel eyes, they're srizing. And when you smile, it's like looking at a sky full of stars. That's the truth."
His words carried an unexpected seriousness, and Malefica's heart quickened at their proximity. She closed her eyes, unsure of what to expect, and her reaction made Alicarde gulp.
He hadn't ant to take things this far, but now, seeing her like this, so unguarded and close, he couldn't resist. He leaned in, pulling down his mask, his lips just inches from hers when—
Wrath, the bicorn, ca to a sudden halt, jerking them forward and causing their foreheads to collide painfully.
Malefica blinked, quickly turning her head away, while Alicarde cleared his throat, coughing to dispel the awkwardness. He'd almost kissed his professor, and though he wasn't quite sure what that ant, his juvenile thoughts couldn't help but entertain the notion.
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'Legendary status, no doubt.'
Malefica, anwhile, was focused on the real reason Wrath had stopped. A shimring barrier stood before them, barely visible in the fading light.
"Is that… a barrier?"
Alicarde asked, more to break the tension than out of curiosity.
"Yes," Malefica replied coolly. "It seems we've arrived."
She took a deep breath, internally chastising herself.
'What was I thinking back there?'
She glanced at Alicarde out of the corner of her eye. She couldn't see his expression under the hood, but she couldn't help but wonder what he had been thinking just monts ago.
'Since when have I been so impulsive?'
Alicarde dismounted from Wrath, then turned to help Malefica down. She hesitated for a mont before accepting his hand, her face turning slightly as their faces ca too close for comfort. He gently placed her on the ground and walked toward the barrier.
"So, are we there yet?" he asked, trying to mask the lingering awkwardness.
Malefica's expression remained stern, but her fidgeting eyes betrayed her flustered state.
"We're almost there. We just need to cross this barrier. There should be a weak point sowhere we can bypass."
She pointed toward the forest on the left side of the road.
"Over there. We'll find a flaw in the barrier that will allow us to enter their territory undetected."
Alicarde nodded, his eyes scanning the barrier. It wasn't fully active—he could tell by the way it didn't prevent physical objects from passing through. He voiced his observation.
"Can't we just walk through? It doesn't seem fully operational."
Malefica shook her head.
"Go ahead, if you want to announce our presence to them. Or did you forget these witches all hate ?"
Alicarde's deadpan expression was hidden beneath his hood.
"You really aren't a people person, are you?"
Malefica sneered, already walking toward the forest.
"If you're done taking jabs at , we don't have all day."
"Yeah, sure. Right behind you," he muttered, following her into the trees with Wrath trailing behind.
Once inside the forest, they walked in silence for a while before Malefica stopped suddenly.
"What is it?" Alicarde asked, stepping up beside her.
"I can't see in the dark," she replied calmly.
Alicarde resisted the urge to facepalm.
"Then why did you take the lead? Or better yet, use an illumination spell."
"I can't," she said, her tone flat. "It's too detectable."
Sighing, Alicarde took her hand in his.
"Fine. I'll be your guide. Good thing I have night vision."
Malefica didn't resist or comnt, rely nodding in agreent.
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