Chosen By The Lover's Constellation-Chapter 124: Children of Mana, Part Eight

{Zura}

By the time Zura came back from grabbing a bite to eat and walking a little around Garriden, she’d been expecting to see Lianna and Enverna locked in another passionate kiss like they had been last time.

Instead, she found Lianna lying on her bed, staring blankly at the ceiling.

"Yo," Zura greeted her. The woman hadn’t even noticed she arrived. "How was the, uh, meditation thing?"

Lianna’s response was slow and detached.

"Not as well as last time."

Zura raised an eyebrow, sensing the tension in Lianna’s voice.

"What happened?"

Lianna shrugged, her gaze still fixed on the ceiling.

"Eh, just... different, I guess."

Zura could tell there was more to it, but she didn’t press further. Instead, she changed the subject.

"What about Enverna? Where is she?"

"Probably still meeting with Caroline, the Champion’s follower."

As if on cue, the door creaked open, and Enverna stepped into the room. Lianna’s face immediately lit up at the sight of her, a smile spreading across her lips.

"Envy," Lianna smiled warmly. For a moment, Zura actually felt jealous. No one lit up like that when she walked into a room. "How did it go?"

"It went... Well."

"..."

"..."

Both Lianna and Zura waited for her to elaborate. Enverna didn’t say anything else.

"And, Caroline... She didn’t give you anything you couldn’t handle?"

Enverna’s response was brief and nonchalant.

"It was fine. Nothing to worry about."

Zura observed the exchange, noticing the awkward tension that hung in the air between the two girls. Sensing that her presence was only adding to the discomfort, Zura decided to make herself scarce.

"Well, I’m gonna go... do something," Zura said awkwardly, backing towards the door. "You two... uh, have fun."

With that, Zura slipped out of the room, leaving Lianna and Enverna alone with their thoughts.

---

Zura stepped out of the inn, feeling the crisp, evening air against her skin.

She took a deep breath.

[Alright. Back to it, then.]

What she was getting back to was the matter of mapping out the city. Something she’d been doing in her spare time.

Not in a literal sense. She was not drawing lines on paper, but she was making notes of places that stood out. Particularly dark alleys the girls would benefit from staying away from, shady-looking people, that sort of thing.

As she began to walk, she heard footsteps behind her and turned to see Vayn approaching.

"Fancy meeting you here," Vayn said with a grin, falling into step beside Zura.

Zura raised an eyebrow.

"Were you waiting for me or something?"

"I was intending on watching over you, like I have been thus far. I just felt like letting you know this time."

Vayn shrugged, her expression playful.

"Ah, I see," Zura chuckled, shaking her head in amusement. "Well, thanks for letting me know I’m being stalked."

"Small price to pay for safety. You never know what kind of trouble you might run into," Vayn replied and Zura rolled her eyes playfully.

"Well, lucky for me, I’ve got you, right?"

"Damn right, you do."

As they walked, Zura couldn’t help but feel a minor inkling of camaraderie with Vayn. Despite their vastly different backgrounds, there was something about Vayn’s easygoing nature that put Zura at ease.

"So, what have you been up to so far?" Vayn asked, breaking the silence as they strolled through the bustling streets of Garriden.

"You know the answer already. You’re stalking me, remember?"

"Well, I wanted to create a conversation naturally, but sure, have it your way. Why are you going around randomly, by yourself?"

Zura shrugged, a thoughtful expression crossing her face.

"I’m just getting a feel for the city. You know, trying to figure out where everything is."

Vayn nodded, her gaze scanning their surroundings with a watchful eye.

"Not a bad idea. Garriden can be a bit overwhelming if you’re not used to it."

Zura chuckled, nodding in agreement.

"Tell me about it. It’s like a maze out here."

Vayn grinned, a mischievous glint in her eye.

"Lucky for you, you’ve got a local to show you around."

Zura arched an eyebrow, a smirk tugging at the corners of her lips.

"Yeah? And, what do I owe you in return?"

Vayn chuckled, shaking her head.

"You can pay me back by not getting yourself killed. Ultimately, this will just make my job easier. Besides, it’s not every day I get to show someone around Garriden."

As they continued to walk, Zura found herself letting her guard down naturally. There was something about the other woman’s easygoing nature that put her at ease, allowing her to just enjoy the moment.

The only other person who had this effect on Zura was Lianna.

"So... what’s your story, Vayn?" Zura asked, curiosity piqued. "How did you meet Miss Taylor? I mean, this is a pretty big favor to be doing for a friend, right?"

Vayn shrugged, a wistful smile crossing her lips.

"It’s a bit of a long story. All I’ll say for now is that I owe that woman a lot. That’s all."

"Fair enough."

As they continued to stroll through the streets of Garriden, Zura couldn’t help but feel grateful for the unexpected companionship. Despite the chaos of their surroundings, Vayn made things feel... normal.

It was nice.

---

{Lianna}

Lianna listened intently as Miss Taylor relayed the latest updates from Telvan over the phone.

"Protests?" she whispered, her voice heavy with concern.

Miss Taylor’s response came through the phone, the urgency evident in her tone.

"Yes. The situation in Telvan is growing increasingly tense. People are demanding answers. The group responsible for the president’s assassination still hasn’t been brought to light."

Lianna’s grip tightened on the phone, her brows furrowing in worry.

While she was here meditating, tensions in Telvan were growing every second.

"People are looking for someone to blame," Miss Taylor added. "Additionally, there are other worrying news."

"What else?"

"Fiends have been growing in number recently," she stated. "Given that raid that happened just before you left for Garriden, people are understandably worried that something bigger is on the horizon."

For Lianna, this statement wasn’t something that made her worried, but rather it confirmed what she already knew to be true.

[A raid’s happening on Garriden soon,] she sighed. [But, when? I’m guessing we’re still a long way off since I haven’t gotten a quest yet.]

There was a brief pause before Miss Taylor continued, her voice tinged with concern.

"Please be careful, Lianna. With everything that’s going on, you never know what might happen."

"I will," Lianna promised, her voice filled with determination. "Thanks for letting me know, Miss Taylor."

"Anytime. Stay safe," Miss Taylor said warmly before they exchanged goodbyes, ending the call.

Lianna couldn’t shake the feeling of unease that lingered in the air after the conversation.

With protests erupting in Telvan and Fiends on the rise near Garriden, it seemed that danger lurked around every corner. But despite the looming threats, Lianna knew she had to stay strong and vigilant. The fate of both cities, and more, depended on it.

[... I hope I can get the artifact under control soon.]

Lianna let out a heavy sigh.

Before she could dwell on it further, Enverna’s voice interrupted her thoughts.

"Lianna, can I talk to you for a moment?" Enverna asked, her tone hesitant.

Lianna turned to face her.

"What’s up?"

Enverna hesitated for a moment before speaking, her words careful and measured.

"It’s about Caroline."

Lianna’s brow furrowed in confusion.

"Caroline? What about her?"

Enverna took a deep breath, steeling herself for what she was about to say.

"She... she seems to have the wrong idea about us."

"What do you mean?"

Again, Enverna paused.

"She thinks I’m controlling you, that you’re just my toy."

Lianna’s eyes widened.

"Your toy?" Greatly amused, Lianna tilted her head. "I mean, I’d like to be that. Sounds fun!"

Enverna rolled her eyes.

"I’m serious," she stated. "She’s under the impression that I’m basically acting as living shackles for you, keeping you from misusing your artifact."

[Ah... I get it.]

"Hm. So, what’s the issue?"

That question seemed to confuse Enverna profoundly.

"What?"

"I mean, what’s the issue?" Lianna shrugged. "I don’t see the problem."

"I... Well..." Enverna stammered. "Does it not bother you?"

"Not really," Lianna smiled. "To be honest, we don’t know much about Caroline, do we?"

"I suppose not," Enverna responded.

"So, it’s hard to tell what her reaction would be if she heard you and I were genuinely... friends," Lianna hesitated to say. A small part of her wondered if by now they’d gone past that, but she didn’t want to put pressure on Enverna to accept some new reality. "Well, if what you said is any indication, no, we probably can guess how she’d react. This is preferable, isn’t it?"

The gears in Enverna’s mind were clearly turning.

Enverna nodded in agreement, though her expression was complicated.

"I... suppose so."

"Yeah," Lianna said. "It’s fine."

Just as Lianna was about to speak again, Enverna’s voice broke the silence once more.

"Lianna, there’s something else as well," Enverna said, her tone hesitant.

Lianna turned to face her, curiosity piqued.

"What is it?"

Enverna took a deep breath, gathering her thoughts before speaking.

"I think... I think Caroline might be attracted to me."

Lianna’s eyes widened a little at the unexpected revelation.

"Really?"

That was slightly more surprising than Caroline disliking Lianna.

Slightly.

Enverna nodded, her cheeks flushing slightly.

"Yes. She’s been... flirtatious, to say the least."

A flicker of amusement crossed Lianna’s features at the thought of Caroline’s advances.

"Well, that’s... interesting."

Enverna’s gaze met hers, uncertainty clouding her expression.

"Do you... do you think I should be worried?"

Lianna shook her head, a reassuring smile on her lips.

"Not at all, Enverna. If anything, this could work to our advantage too."

Enverna’s brow furrowed in confusion.

"How do you mean?"

"You know," Lianna’s smile widened as she explained her reasoning. "If she likes you, it’ll be that much easier to keep tabs on her, right?"

"I see. But..." Somewhat sheepishly, Enverna asked, "are you okay with that?"

"..."

[Oh.] Lianna blinked. [So, that’s what this is about.]

Now, she got it. She understood what was actually troubling Enverna.

Lianna nodded, her gaze softening as she looked at Enverna.

"Do you think she’s hot?"

"WHAT!?" Enverna yelped.

"I’m just asking," Lianna cackled. "Do you think she’s hot?"

"I-I just met her!"

"So?" Lianna’s laughs bubbled further. "I’m not asking if you’ve fallen in love with her, I’m just asking if you think she’s hot."

Enverna’s mouth remained open but no words came out.

She insisted though and, eventually, Enverna caved.

"Y-Yes... She is pretty, I suppose."

[Ah. I see.]

"Well, all I’m going to say is you have my blessing to do whatever you want," Lianna stated.

"What would that even entail?" Enverna asked. "That woman is delusional and... incredibly pushy. I would not do anything with her."

"Well, alright," Lianna shrugged. "But... Envy," Lianna’s voice softened, "it would be pretty unfair of me to tell you to avoid her or something when I’ve literally kissed both Mel and Zura right in front of you. I’m self-aware enough to know I have no right to ask you not to... explore your feelings a little, you know? And I wouldn’t want to, anyway. So, by all means, go ahead and do whatever you feel is necessary. For the mission, of course," Lianna winked.

"..."

Enverna remained in a thoughtful silence.

After a while, she breathed a sigh of relief.

"I wonder if everyone from Telvan is this... accepting," Enverna murmured.

"Heh, I’d like to think I’m one of a kind."