On the morning of Saturday, the 5th of July, 1238 TNW.
A young boy, Vonreid, the second child and only son of King Belreid of the Istreid Kingdom.
Woke up in an empty bed. It was not his room, nor was it his bed.
Instead, it was the room given to the Hero of Prophecy summoned from Earth. Raghav Suryanshi.
But he was nowhere to be found as Vonreid rolled out of the bed. 'Where is Raghav?'
Unknown to the prince, after Raghav had completed his morning routine. He was right now outside the castle, stepping through the smaller door in the giant one.
He stood at the door, looking at the road going across and the road straight ahead that led to the front gates of the city.
It was eerily empty. 'Why is it that this world is always so quiet at night and in the morning? It turns into a ghost town.'
Just as he thought that, a bell rang as a carriage travelled towards the intersection from his left, stopping at the corner. As the drivers got off and went to the back.
Raghav ran across the empty road. "Good Morning. Mister."
The man at the back closed the door as he looked at Raghav, and Raghav saw him, a young boy. "Y…You…" "What is happening? Ben, are you okay?"
Came the voice of the older man inside the carriage as he stepped out and looked at the shocked boy and exhaled a sigh of relief, then followed his gaze, and saw Raghav there.
Nearly falling as the shock made him slip a step while stepping down, but he managed to catch himself with the door.
Even Raghav rushed forward to catch the man, but stopped when he saw that he had saved himself. "I am sorry for scaring you, gentlemen. I was hoping to ask if you had a copy of yesterday's newspaper I could buy with today's."
The man nodded as he looked at the boy to his right and then back inside the carriage. "Just a moment, Sir Hero."
Reaching inside, the sound of paper shuffling could be heard.
He came out holding two newspapers and extended them to Raghav.
Taking the newspapers from the man, Raghav looked at him. "Thank you. And you do not have to call me sir or hero. You can call me Raghav."
"I understand, Si…Raghav."
It was awkward for the man because he stood next to the symbol of hope that the people of this world had been telling stories about for over twelve hundred years.
In his heart, he felt insignificant in the face of this legend. So he turned away and began doing his job.
Unloading newspapers at the news boards.
"Excuse me."
Gulp
As he turned around, he saw Raghav holding out his hand with his palm closed.
Before he could ask what was wrong, the palm opened up and in it were two bronze coins. "These are for the newspapers. I have to say thank you for delivering them, you make learning life easier."
A loss of words, the man was at a loss for words as he looked between the coins and Raghav.
Something inside him was yelling at him to wake up from this dream. He accepted the money and looked at Raghav, who gave him a gentle smile before looking at the boy.
"Be a good boy and listen to your mentor. Take care, Ben and John. I hope to see you around.
Just as easily as he had come, he went, and the boy and the man were left there watching his back.
Now it was time for Raghav to read; he first began with yesterday's newspaper and read the article about him joining the adventure guild as an adventurer and forming his party with two mysterious adventurers to go on a quest. It also contained the answers to the questions that the old man at the guild had asked him.
This was all that was on the front page. He moved to the other pages but did not find anything useful, but read it nonetheless as he walked through the castle, making his way to the roof.
After he was done with yesterday's paper, he moved to today's paper.
The image and the headline were what he was expecting.
Sparring Session between The King & The Hero leaves the northern mountains to dust.
Below it was the image of the northern mountains with 6 mountains in the middle carved out.
Ascending the last steps of the stairs that led to the roof, he looked up at the mountains.
A range of snowy mountains surrounded this valley in all directions except for the south. But now, at the centre of the northern range, six mountains were gone.
Done by the power of a single man, even though it took every last drop of his power to be used all at once.
But the public did not know that all they knew was King Belreid decimated the mountains as a side effect of his spar with Raghav, just two weeks after losing his dominant right arm.
"Smart way of assuring the citizens that the capital was not attacked and a reminder to those who harbour ill intentions for this kingdom that the king has not been weakened."
Warm and golden light fell on the right side of his face as he slowly closed his eyes and turned his head to his right.
Through the dark monsoon clouds, the sun made its late entry, nearly missing the morning. "It was most certainly a bad day for rain. Good morning to you, too."
His eyes opened to meet the sun and then moved slightly down, gazing at the dark horizon beyond the eastern mountains. 'General Temis, good luck with your duel."
Standing at the edge of the roof, he heard the sounds of a window opening as the smell of ashes and fire entered his nose.
Within a second, he identified the source and looked up to his right at the top of the southeast tower.
"Grandpa? Are you alright?"
The old mage looked down from the window and smiled. "Yes, my child. Good morning, I am fine. Just made a miscalculation, it happens sometimes."
"Should I come and help?" "No, it is alright. I can handle it. I am certain you have other work."
"If you say so. But if you need me, just think, and I will be there."
"I will remember it. Have a good day."
Time was short and made clear by the ringing of his alarm, which reminded him that he needed to be somewhere.
Taking his phone out of his pocket, he silenced it and looked back at the window, seeing Mage Olda had already gone back inside. "You have a good day too."
Without spending another second, he made his way back to his room.
In the hallway, he crossed Vonreid's room and stopped, taking two steps back and noticed the door was slightly ajar.
He looked up from the bottom and knocked on it with two fingers. "Vonreid?"
A stumbling noise came from within, and he opened the door, immediately looking away. It was Vonreid who had stumbled while wearing his pants and was now lying on the floor, embarrassed.
"Sorry."
Within the blink of an eye, he closed the door. "I am sorry, I saw the door was slightly open and I thought you were still asleep in my room. So I knocked to see who it was."
The sound of footsteps drew closer to the door until the door opened, and Raghav looked down at Vonreid, fully clothed. "You didn't mean it, so it's okay. Are we going to train?"
"Yes, I was coming to get you for just that. Could you call your sister while I get my items?"
The young prince ran to his sister's room and knocked on the door while Raghav went to his room to get his swords.
Once he returned, he saw that Aurelia was outside her room, but Vonreid was nowhere to be seen.
"Good morning, princess."
"Good morning, Raghav. I sent Vonreid ahead so that we can talk."
A smile appeared on his face as he approached her, and the two began walking together. "That sounds pleasant."
Her eyes lingered on his locket for a moment before moving to his eyes. "Will you not ask about what my parents discussed with me?"
This was not a question but a suggestion.
One that anyone would have taken up, but not Raghav.
In a calm and gentle tone, he responded. "From the way the King acted yesterday, and the fact that you were gone for the entire evening. It must be something important and private, and I do not want to overstep my limits; however, if you wish to tell me. I am all ears."
A playful smile appeared on her face as she ran forward and turned around, facing him as she walked backwards, with her hands behind her back. "I will tell you some day."
Black met blue, and Raghav nodded with a gentle smile. "I look forward to it."
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On the evening of Sunday, the 6th of July, 1238 TNW.
The sun was descending in the western sky, and it cast a long shadow of Castle white.
Under the veil of this shadow in the training fields of Castle White.
Two people were clashing with their swords, a tall young woman of blonde hair and a short boy of brown hair.
Raghav stood to the side, watching the sparring match unfold.
Aurelia sent a gush of wind from the tip of her sword, which Vonreid blocked and attempted to siphon the Mana, but he jolted and fell to his knees.
"Point to Aurelia, and that concludes round eight. Good job, Aurelia, you were able to internalise one out of the twenty chants."
Vonreid had begun to get back on his feet. "Vonreid, I must admit, you did well holding out eight rounds against the Golden Knight. But you need to listen to your body when it tells you that you are at your limit. Remember Eldrain's words. It is dangerous to siphon Mana when your reserves are full. The jolt you felt was an oversurge of mana in your body."
From one of the many arcaded walkways along the castle's eastern wall. King Belreid and Queen Anessa watched as their children trained under the guidance of Raghav.
The Queen gazed at her Husband, his expression had been different since the day Raghav told her husband's fate.
It was unlike anything she had seen on her husband's face.
In the twenty six years of their lives spent together, not once had she seen this.
A satisfaction, one that did not come from any outside source but from his own soul.
And she felt that the reason for this was none other than the man down in the field.
The very man looked up at the two of them, as Anessa watched him.
"Raghav!"
Called out someone from the dark hallway at the end of the bridge connecting the training field to the castle.
Eldrain and An walked out of the corridor. "We are back."
Now, Raghav had two tasks at hand, so he decided to relieve his students first. "You two are dismissed. Go rest and study the notes, and learn one or two spells."
The siblings sheathed their weapons and bowed slightly. "Yes, Master."
For a moment, Aurelia looked between Raghav and Eldrain before she and Vonreid walked away.
It was just Raghav and the Exters.
Raghav pulled out a note from his back pocket and showed it to Eldrain. 'Will be back before Monday. Need to take care of some things. E.E.'
"I saw your note on my door yesterday morning. I take it, you were able to do what you set out to do."
Before Eldrain could answer, An answered on his behalf.
"It did. We are now ready for the quest. We do apologise for not telling you in person before leaving yesterday."
"It is alright, you must have been in a hurry. I understand."
After responding, he looked back up at the Arcaded Walkway and saw that King Belreid and Queen Anessa had left.
"By the way, Martel is here, with something big."
This made Raghav's gaze snap at Eldrain. "Come with me then."
Without waiting for a response, he walked forward as the older couple looked at one another before walking after him.
Emerging from the corridor, leading to the western side of the castle.
Raghav saw it in the distance.
At the door of the carriage house of Castle White was Martel with a gigantic metal carriage.
Martel saw Raghav and the others arrive, and a weary smile came across his face. "Raghav. It is done."
As he drew closer, Raghav noticed dark circles under Martel's eyes and that the man did not have his normal posture but instead, slouched ever so little.
"Are you okay?"
Chuckle
"I am not, I will be honest, when I took the commission and told you delivery would be made by Sunday. I am being honest, I underestimated the task. But here I am, with everything you had asked of me."
Even tired, he pushed through, taking a few steps back and adding a little energy to his demeanour as he gestured towards the carriage. "I present to you, your ride across Paneria."
Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes. "This is twenty feet long, excluding the driver's seat and the towing bars, six feet wide on the inside with four inch thick walls. Even someone like Mr. Eldrain can stand inside, as it is seven feet tall on the inside and one and a half feet off the ground, just like you had asked."
He motioned them to follow him as they went to the back side of the wagon, and he opened the double door on the back, revealing to them the interior.
"At the front is a sliding stand for your two wheeled vehicle. Once pulled out, it can tilt forward, making it easier to store and take it out. It also comes with cables to tie around the wheels. To prevent it from rolling back and forth. This takes up two feet in the middle and leaves two feet on either side. The tools you had asked for have all been placed on the walls along this compartment."
Eldrain's head was leaning forward, and his jaw was hanging loose.
Then they moved inside the carriage.
The lightbulb was turned on. Eldrain looked at the lightbulb and back at Martel; meanwhile, Raghav and An were observing the different tools.
"There is a Mana stone in this?"
Martel nodded and placed his hand on the roof and slid a panel, revealing a Mana stone the size of an adult eye embedded in the middle of a mechanical circuit, with runes drawn around it.
"Even though it is significantly smaller, it is of the same grade, used to power electricity, magic stoves and the sewage and water pumping system in Rine."
"You used a Mana stone of such purity for a lightbulb?"
This comment made Martel laugh out loud as he bent down, slapping his thighs.
Like a light that was switched on, he stopped and looked at Eldrain. "Of course not. It is meant to power these power sockets for an indefinite amount of time."
Eldrain followed Martel's fingers as he pointed to the three holes surrounded by wooden coverings and a switch beside them.
"What are they?"
"Power sockets."
Eldrain and An looked at Raghav as he grabbed a drill made of wood and placed a drill head in it, and took the copper wire coated in an insulated resin with a wooden head and 3 metal pins and plugged it into the socket.
He switched the socket on and pressed a button on the back of the drill, and the drill spun.
"I wanted this so I can fix my bike as we travel, and also keep my phone and laptop charged."
Martel clapped as Eldrain's head snapped back at him. 'Has he slept for the last two days?'
"Let me show you the rest."
It was now creeping Eldrain out.
For a man who had lived 498 years and seen countless horrors, this was somehow what got to him.
Under his breath, he whispered to his wife. "That man needs to sleep; if he keeps going, he will need an exorcist."
An chuckled as she lightly smacked Eldrain. "Oh, Eld, you and your jokes. Let me see the man explain."
They were led to the next section of the carriage connected to the Bike shop.
"This is the workbench, a two by four foot workspace and a very comfortable chair. The more fragile tools, like glasses, are kept in the compartments below and the cupboard above the workspace. There is also dedicated lighting to the workbench."
Just when Eldrain thought it was enough. Martel opened the door that led to the next compartment. 'Fuck.'
"These compartments were thirteen feet long, and the next will be seven feet long. This was the workspace, and the next will be a storage area."
He moved to the next compartment, and it was different from the other two.
"Here on the right wall, you have three berths, extending all along the length of the compartment, and they are three feet wide. Below the lowest berth are trunks which house your bed sheets, pillows and extra cushion."
Gesturing towards the left, he showed them a closet. "This is a three feet wide closet, and inside it you will find rope to hang your wet clothes, buckets for water, and your essentials like soap. You can also store your clothes in this. Lastly, we have a chair for someone to sit in beside the closet and finally, the side entrance.
Opening the side door, they stepped out, and Martel closed the door.
"Apart from all the innovation inside, from the outside it is a normal metal carriage. Just a small detail, it has lightbulbs on the outside as well, and the wheels are also metal. Other than that, it is normal."
Eldrain pointed towards the towing bars. "Am I supposed to pull this carriage? Because no horse is pulling this. It is massive."
"Gati will pull it."
An and Eldrain were both taken aback by this. "Your horse will pull it alone?"
Raghav nodded. "It is lighter; gravitational magic was used on it to make it weigh as much as a normal carriage. Gati will have no problem pulling it."
Eldrain frowned as he closed his eyes and looked away.
The sun had fully set, and the night was in full swing.
Martel sighed a relief as he and Raghav stood before each other, "Thank you for letting me work on this incredible project. I must also apologise, I won't be attending your departure ceremony tomorrow. But I hope The One protects you on your journey and that we meet once more."
"Thank you, Martel, for making this carriage and the swords for me. Without your help, it would have been a very difficult journey. I look forward to meeting again. What will you do now?"
"Go home and sleep. I do not plan on waking up until the day after tomorrow."
"I agree, heck, take one more day and take good care of yourself, Mr. Martel."
The comment made Martel chuckle as he turned to Eldrain. "Goodnight, Mr. Exter and you too, Mrs. Exter. Goodnight, Raghav."
"Good night, Martel."
Raghav and Martel shook hands, and then he walked to his carriage.
Despite his exhaustion, his walk remained as elegant as it always was.
Once his carriage was out of the castle, Raghav crossed his hands. "What ceremony was he talking about?"
An frowned slightly at the question. "You don't know? I thought you and Belreid came up with it together. We will leave the castle and head out of the city as the people gather to see us off."
"I was not aware of such plans. I was hoping to leave silently, but since it has reached the people. Nothing I can do about it. Get a good night's rest, we leave tomorrow evening."
"Aye, Captain."
Spoke both Eldrain and An in unison before they left.
Until now, the three of them had not discussed the prospect of who should be the captain.
But they already knew, it was always going to be Raghav, not because of his experience or identity as the hero and most certainly not because he formed it and that it was his mission.
It was because of who he was as a person.
He closed the back doors of the carriage and locked them.
Then, without a word, he turned and went to his room to prepare for tomorrow.
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On Monday, the 7th of July, 1238 TNW.
The day of their departure had arrived.
Compared to usual, the castle was more packed and busier today. The Master of Grains Melter was personally overseeing the loading of a wagon with a month's worth of food supplies for the Band's journey.
In the castle's treasure room. The Master of Economics, Belfort, had prepared a small box full of Coins separated by what element they were from.
Beside it was a paper and he read it, looking back between the paper and the box. "Five hundred copper coins, two hundred silver coins and fifty gold coins."
Once the coins were accounted for and then the box was locked. "Let's take this to the metal carriage."
Elsewhere, in Raghav's room.
The packed backpack was sitting on the bed, beside it were two swords lying on the bed.
Eldrain was sitting on the Sofa watching Raghav inspect the bike.
It was a white Sportster S, and to match it, Raghav had a plain white helmet with a black visor tied to the handle.
"So this bike of yours. It is one of the many modes of transport in your world, and it runs on processed liquefaction of fossils that are millions of years old. Is that right?"
Raghav stood up, patting his thighs and nodded. "It is."
"How will you run it in this world?" "I will have to remake the engine to run it on Mana or Omniurja."
"Or you could simply create more of this diesel in your pocket dimension, I mean, I do not understand why you would go through the troubles of getting such a big carriage when you have a pocket dimension of your own."
The words came from the logical mind of an experienced Grand Master, who knew how to use every resource at his disposal to its fullest utility.
But the man before him was different.
"It is not my pocket dimension, it is Octiv's, and I am merely looking after it and the Adventurer guild in his absence. Besides, if one keeps using their powers to solve every small problem, they will eventually forget what it is to be normal."
"So I take it we will be spending some nights in nature?"
Raghav took a moment to think about it before he answered. "You can go to the pocket dimension and sleep in there if you wish. I will not use it for myself."
"I guess, we will stay with you after all, it has been a long time since we lived the life of adventurers."
This was something that Raghav was curious about but never asked anyone.
He decided it was a good time to ask as he looked at Eldrain while wearing his backpack and tying his swords to his hips.
"Why does everyone call the adventure guild by different names? Even I do it sometimes. One moment it is Adventure Guild, the next it is Adventurer Guild, the next Adventurer's Guild. Which is the correct one?"
This was also something Eldrain had wanted someone to ask him for a long time, as he snapped his finger and pointed at Raghav. "Actually, all of them, the guild was designed in a way to bring people together and be a place that brings comfort to the people. So you can call it in whatever way it feels natural, and believe me, that feeling changes, and so sometimes you will say adventure, sometimes adventurer. Or this is what I heard from Octiv. Knowing him, it is most likely a planning issue."
Finishing his explanation, Eldrain studied Raghav's expressions as he picked up his bike from the side without effort and began walking towards the door. "Come on, the last part must have been funny."
"It was."
And then Raghav walked out, followed by Eldrain.
The two walked through the hallway, and Raghav looked at Aurelia's open door and looked inside, matching his gaze to Aurelia, who was facing the door, talking to An standing before her.
They smiled at each other before Raghav continued walking.
Aurelia brought her attention back to An.
"I am sorry, I lost attention for a moment."
The instinct that An had honed for a long time told her something was off as she looked back at the open door and the corner of her left lip, hidden from Aurelia's line of sight, curled up.
Before Aurelia could sense it, An returned to her usual warm expression. "As I was saying, it was a pleasure to spend time with you, Princess Aurelia. You are a remarkable woman and a warrior. The improvements you have shown in the last two days are unlike any other. I wish you could join us, but that decision belongs to your parent and given their silence. It seems unlikely."
"The credit goes to my teachers; without their guidance, I would have been unable to improve. I, too, would love nothing more than to go on this journey with you, but for now, it would seem, this is where we part ways."
In the carriage house, Raghav and Eldrain loaded the bike onto the carriage's track and slid it into the carriage.
"It is a shame Aurelia will not join us; she can learn a lot on this quest." "We have yet to receive a proper answer from her parents, but I do know one thing: Vonreid is dying to join us. Isn't that right, Vonreid?"
Instead of answering, Eldrain's head snapped inside the carriage. "Come out, kid, you won't fool us with that pitiful excuse of an illusion; this is no place for you."
From under the workbench, Vonreid came out, holding a bag that likely contained his clothes.
"I am sorry."
To ease the child, Raghav walked over to him and held his hand, looking him in his eyes. "Vonreid, doing things behind your parents' backs is not the way a son should be. He should listen to his parents, and whenever he wants to take a big step in his life, he should seek both their blessings and guidance. You need not apologise to me or Eldrain. But your parents."
"I just….wanted to go explore the world with you."
The young boy could only mumble out the last words.
Had it been anyone else, those words would have been lost in the noise of the workers nearby.
"If that is what you desire, then wait for me to return. I promise to save the best for last. In the meantime, grow strong, become a good person capable of inspiring goodness in others. Then we will travel the rest of the world together."
The boy smiled as he nodded furiously, and Raghav carried him down from the carriage.
"Raghav!"
The three turned around to look at the king standing beside Belfort and Reinhardt.
"I would like to discuss something with you before you leave, in private."
Raghav looked at Eldrain and took off his backpack and swords, handing them to Eldrain before walking away with the King.
Belfort and Reinhardt approached the carriage, and the box of coins was placed inside. "These are the coins allotted to you for your journey; more will be provided by our covert suppliers in other kingdoms. They will contact you themselves."
With that, Belfort returned to the castle.
Leaving Eldrain alone with Vonreid and Reinhardt.
"It brings back memories seeing you leave once again. This time, you are taking a friend of mine along with you. It has been an honour to learn from you once again."
The captain of the Royal guards was no longer present here, nor was the nearly five hundread year old Grand Master.
It was just a man and a six year old boy he had met in the eastern ends of this Kingdom nearly three decades ago.
The two hugged with their eyes closed. "I am proud of you, Reinhardt, with what you have become, the youngest captain of the Royal Guards and a warrior feared by the treacherous and revered by the loyal. I will see you when I return."
For a moment, the two men said everything they wanted to one another, things that would have taken hours if not days.
But it was made possible by their hearts meeting and telling the other everything there was to tell.
Then the two separated and gave each other a knowing nod.
"Are we ready?"
Raghav came back with the King and Mage Olda.
Eldrain nodded in response and was about to say something, but was cut off. "We are."
An made her way to her husband and stood by his side. "Why do you always cut me off?" "You look cute when you get grumpy."
Letting the two get their privacy, Raghav turned to King Belreid and extended his hand to him. "Take care, your grace." "You too, Raghav."
Then hugged Mage Olda. "Remember, he is always with you, so never for a second forget that. Take care, grandpa." "I will, my child, return home safely."
Lastly, it was Reinhardt, and the two shook hands in silence as they gave each other a nod.
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A crowd of hundreds of thousands had gathered outside the castle, and on the side of the road, in the buildings, on the roofs, to watch as The Hero and his party set out on their journey.
However, the castle gates were still closed, and behind those gates were two wagons, a normal one driven by Eldrain and An, pulled by two horses.
Behind it was Raghav's metallic carriage, driven by Raghav and drawn by Gati alone. There were no reins attached to her as she followed Raghav's command just by his words.
The gates slowly opened as the crowd began to cheer and applaud as Eldrain's carriage moved first, followed by Raghav.
The main road would lead them straight out of the city as the two carriages moved through the city.
The party members were waving at the people left and right.
While the royal family was on the outer wall of the castle. Looking at the carriages travelling away.
The King felt the peace and satisfaction that he had gained these past few days leave his body as Raghav rode away.
His mind raced back to what the Sage told him. "My child, hold onto the memory and his name. You have been blessed by The One to be granted both."
Aurelia was standing beside her father, watching him ride away, the wind gently blowing her hair.
As the wagons moved forward, the crowd followed after them.
What was supposed to be a gathering to witness Raghav's departure had turned into a procession. Nearly the entire city had walked behind Raghav.
Queen Anessa watched and asked her husband. "What is happening?"
"They are drawn by him, even though it was only for two weeks, Raghav's presence uplifted the city and as he leaves. He leaves behind a longing in all hearts. Such is the effect of Omniurja; it links a man directly to The One."
Everyone looked back at the Sage standing beside them, watching the procession move forth.
At the city gates, with the sun nearly set, Raghav stopped, and so did the people following him.
He dismounted the carriage and walked forward, looking at the people.
They all looked at him in reverence, and he looked back at them with humility as he joined his hands and bowed to them. "I am grateful for the love you have shown me today; it fills up my being. However, I must ask you to return to your homes. The city needs every single one of you to do your duty. I am leaving to do mine. Go and return to your."
The words of sincerity echoed through the people, and without resistance, they dispersed.
Raghav returned to his carriage, and they resumed their journey towards the entrance to the forest.
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"How long will we be waiting here? It is nearly midnight."
Eldrain asked as they stood at the edge of the forest watching the City of Rine in the distance.
However, he received no answer as Raghav's eyes were fixated on the castle. "Raghav?"
"Just a few more minutes. I want to savour the sight, who knows I may never see it again."
Not wanting to push him, Eldrain nodded and walked back to his carriage.
Raghav watched the castle for a few more minutes before the sound of the clock tower ringing reached his ears.
It was now midnight.
Raghav smiled gently as he turned around, walking back to his carriage. That was when he heard a gush of wind.
He turned around and saw Aurelia.
By her side was a bag of clothes, and as their eyes met, the two smiled.
"You came!" "I was not going to let you leave me this time."
The smile on his face grew even more, and he ran at her, embracing her in his arms.
She embraced him back; this was the first time Raghav had ever hugged her of his own choice.
"I take you liked my surprise." "I did, I was waiting for you. I knew you would come."
"Is that so?"
Without breaking the hug, he nodded. "This time, let us go together."
Taking her hand in his and tossing her bag onto his shoulder, the two walked back to the carriage and began their journey together.