Chapter 105 - Wish Upon A Summer Sky

I stirred as the warm light of morning touched my face. I resented the cursed sun for waking me, but I felt nice and safe, as I could feel the warmth of Eira on my back, and her arms wrapping around me, protecting me from the horrors that were morning.

Our room was quiet, despite being a loose pile of what felt like an infinity of loose items scattered hither and yon. It wasn't infinite by any stretch of the imagination, as we were both students whose worldly possessions could fit in a few large satchels, but we admittedly were not very careful where we set things down in the heat of the moment. I grimaced when I realized my underwear had somehow gotten hooked on part of the rafters.

That was going to be a pain and half to get down. That, however, was exceptionally low on my priority list this morning.

Tomorrow was the first day of summer break, and as a reward for my efforts, I was given a pass on exams due to "practical experience," which Walther signed off on. Which definitely worked for me, and I'm sure it worked for the rest of the crew.

That meant Eira and I could enjoy our first day in our new home together, and not worry about all the other nonsense that went along with school life. I was glad we had some place to stay over the break, and hopefully for a long time to come.

I could smell breakfast cooking down below, and it smells like all the heavens put together.

"Mmmm....food," Eira mumbled, squeezing me a little tighter.

"I need air, lovely!" I giggled and playfully tried to wiggle free, but not too hard. I kind of liked this kind of imprisonment.

"No, you are a magical fairy that lives on snuggles and early morning smooches." She mumbled cutely as she buried her head in my hair.

"Well, your magical fairy is getting hungry, and I need to dress before getting food! We don't need to scandalize poor Manya more than we doubtless did last night. You are quite vocal, beloved!" I protested weakly, secretly more than happy to stay like this all day.

"Fine! I understand! I shall simply waste away from lack of snuggles! You fiend! You brute! Monster!" Eira flopped onto her back dramatically, freeing me from her clutches.

I became acutely aware of how undressed I was and how cold being in such a state was. I scrambled to put a long tunic on and some sort of leggings. Underwear could wait till later.

There was a gentle knock on the door. Eira quickly covered up in a blanket, and I carefully opened the door. On the floor was a tray covered in food with a note that read "Have a good morning in, gals!" and it was signed Manya. I picked up the tray and noticed a matching one across the hall.

Lele had popped her head out and was considering the tray. She looked at me, smiled, and bobbed her head. Wordlessly, she picked up her tray and ducked back into her room.

I smiled, glad to see the harpy doing ok.

I closed the door and turned to Eira. "Behold, the mighty hunter has returned with sustenance!"

"Praise to thee, mighty hunter! We shall survive the winter!" Eira laughed, tossing her blanket aside, a sight which I had seen many times, but still made my heart race and my face flush.

Yes, this was a good morning.

We had finished up and put on some loose casual outfits, perfect for lounging around in. And lounge around we did. We lay there, snuggling, and just enjoying each other's presence.

"Hey, Alta?" Eira said, breaking the silence.

"Yes, beloved, lovely?" I replied in a sing-song tone.

"Do you have any particular plans for summer break? This is your first one since coming to Dungeon School. Goodness, this is your first summer away from Burgotova, isn't it?" She asked as she pet my hair.

I thought about it. It was true. It was my first time spending a summer away from Burgotova, and I can't say I missed it. Burgotova in the summer was rainy, muggy, and full of biting insects, which I was far from being a fan of. And the itching, gods above and below, the damned itching!

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"No, I can't say I have any plans. I don't really need to pick up work for spare change, and I refuse to do any kind of extra credit work for school. I don't even think I really want to work at the maid cafe this summer. The idea of running around in a skimpier version of the outfit doesn't thrill me much. Plus, they're going to be doing rebuilding all summer in the district, and I just don't want to deal with that." I considered.

"Well, I was thinking of heading back home to Hastera for a little bit. It's got amazing beaches, amazing festivals with food like you wouldn't believe! And I'd kind of like you to meet my family." She said casually as she continued her petting of my hair.

My brain made a sort of happy lurch. Oh, this relationship was getting serious. I mean, of course it was, I was deliriously happy, but we were really ramping it up now.

"Meet your family? Are you sure?" I sat up, looking her in the eye.

"I mean, if you think about it, I already met yours. Your meeting with my family can't possibly be more awkward than that. Probably. Maybe." Eira matched my gaze.

"Well, you're not wrong about that. Beaches, you say, though?" I said, changing the subject.

"Oh yeah! They're great! My family used to go to this little resort that's on an island in the Swordwind Sea, just past the Mortal Kingdoms' territorial waters, in unclaimed ocean. It's the best! Beaches, drinks, relaxation, fishing, the whole works! It'd be a great way to unwind after...well, everything we've been through this last year." She took my hands in hers and squeezed them gently. "And girl, we need some relaxation, just the two of us."

I considered it. It did sound really great. And we had all summer to relax. If I couldn't get relaxed after three months of sun, sand, swimming, and spending lots of snuggle time with Eira, nothing would relax me except death.

"That sounds perfect! It'll take us, what, a week or so to get there?" I asked, running down a preparatory checklist in my head.

"Yeah, that sounds right. Week there, week back. Gives us a good long break, we can catch some festivals, and you can meet my family. Maybe even my mom, if she's not working." Eira said, her smile getting a bit strained as she mentioned her mom.

"You haven't told me much about her," I said, looking at her curiously.

"Anyway! We should get planning and take off as soon as we can! Eira changed the subject quickly. I'd let it go for now, but at some point, I was going to get info out of her. Or I'd just wait and find out later.

A sudden thought occurred to me.

"I'm going to need to get a swimsuit, aren't I? I don't think any shops in town sell anything like that. Not much swimming to be done around here that isn't rivers, and I'm not keen on dealing with rivers around here after everything." My face blanched thinking about what I saw in the undercity.

"We'll pick some up in Hastera. The swimsuits there are awesome! You'll see! I bet we can find you a really cute one. Or a sexy one, whatever vibe you're feeling! Or maybe both! Ooooh!" She smiled big at the thought, hopped up from the bed, and started rooting through her things.

I leaned back and watched her excitement with a bemused smile on my face.

I was looking forward to this. A nice little trip, no dungeons, no monsters, no danger. Just the two of us, the sea, the sun, and peace.

Our day was filled with preparations, snuggling, kissing, more preparations, punctuated by meals, with even more snuggles and kisses.

If I were seeing us from an outside perspective, I would have likely been disgusted at the amount of affection we were showering each other. But quite frankly, I don't give two halves of a damn.

Eventually, we finished our planning for our summer getaway. A little trip to the shores of the Swordwind Sea, a little boat ride to a nice, quiet island paradise, and then nothing but rest and relaxation.

Eira was exhausted, and I tucked her into bed with a little kiss to her forehead. I wasn't quite ready to go to sleep yet, and the smutty novel Smitty had loaned me some time ago was simply failing to catch my attention. My own romantic life was far more entertaining than the bodice rippers the kobold was so fond of, but I appreciated the thought.

I walked over to the window and stared up into the evening sky, gazing at the moon and the stars above.

There was a star I didn't recognize, but then I wasn't really much of an astrologian, so it might have been just one that had missed my notice. The clouds in Burgotova this time of year were thick with rain, so it was more than likely.

It was pretty, though. Like a ruby set in the blue-black ink of the heavens. It twinkled like a gemstone in the sky.

I looked at it for a long, quiet moment, nothing but the sound of Eira's soft breathing, and the soft beating of my heart, and I made a wish.

It was a silly tradition, spread amongst little girls in my old homeland, wishing for riches, power, and a handsome nobleman to sweep them off their feet, but it seemed right to me at this moment.

I wished for many things. Continued happiness, success, more money than I could count, and revenge against all who had ever wronged me. Maybe my own personal Ptarm would be nice.

I turned away from the window and smiled at my lover, the raven-haired half-elven goddess named Eira. I looked at my sword, hanging on the wall, a trophy easily won, but earned nonetheless.

I climbed into my side of our bed and blew out the candle, plunging us into a darkness that wrapped me in safety, and nestled against the warmth beside me.

I was happy.

And for once, I felt good about the future.

In the depths of my soul, I felt a little twinkle of another spirit, the core that I had once carried with me. I wasn't sure why, but I assured them that all would be well.

I then let sleep claim me, one more time, carrying me into restful darkness.

END OF VOLUME 3