Chapter 98 - Going Home

They set up a small campsite deep in the forest. Laina and Kol made sure they covered all of their tracks and scent to prevent them from being found. Kol set up a small campfire while Laina sat with Victoria. 

Laina handed her a mug of hot cocoa to help warm her body up. The night was chilly and the wind blew softly in the background. 

"I won't force you to come with us. But if you do, rest assured you will be safe. I won't let him anywhere near you," Laina promised. 

Victoria gripped the mug tightly as she took a sip. As she glanced at the surroundings around her, she grew a little worried. She remembered a distant past. She was a human growing up in Wolfenheim. Things had never been easy for her. 

Her pack family found her as a baby, left in a basket near the entrance of the town. The family who owned the bakery took her in and cared for her as if she was their own. 

Everything went well until soldiers from the Adolfa came into town looking for her. At first, they thought their separation would only be temporary. But it has been seven years and Victoria has never been allowed to return. 

It's been so long, she could barely remember their faces. All this time, they were the only thing keeping her moving forward. 

"I'm sorry, but I don't think I can go with you. I want to return to my family. I've been separated from them for so long… I want to see them again," Victoria proclaimed to Laina. 

"I understand. I don't mean to belittle you, but I don't think you'll be able to get back there on your own. It's not safe."

Laina pondered in thought for a while, "How about we make a deal?"

Victoria looked up at her with a wary expression, "What sort of deal?"

"Kol and I will accompany you and protect you on your journey back to your home. After that, you take a trip with us to Kinshearth," Laina explained with a smile. 

"Your Highness, I don't want to offend you. But I really don't feel comfortable…"

Laina quickly cleared up the misunderstanding, "I am not asking you to assist me. Although if you change your mind later on that would be a different story. You're human, right? Kinshearth is a Kingdom mostly populated with humans. You will be my guest."

"Your… your guest? I… don't think I deserve such an honor, your Highness."

"Don't be so modest! It's a really good deal, is it not? So, what do you say?" Laina asked with a genuine smile. 

Victoria bit her lip. Although she was not as weak as Laina might think, travelling alone as a human in Wolfenheim can prove to be dangerous. Without proper protection, they could encounter rogues or hunting packs. 

"Alright, I will take up your offer," she finally replied. 

"Great. We will leave now," Laina declared as she clapped her hands together and stood up. 

Kol, surprised by Laina's sudden decision, scrambled to get things together. But Victoria was in no condition to travel. The injuries she sustained during her time in the dungeon have not healed.

"I don't think it would be wise for us to leave now, Laina. She won't be able to move much on her own," Kol voiced out. 

Little did he know, Laina already took that into consideration. She cast a healing spell on Victoria, quickly healing most of the wounds she had. Victoria also instantly felt energised. 

"How do you feel?" Laina asked. 

"I feel better than I have in a really long time. Thank you."

With that, they extinguished their campfire and went on their way. Unlike most other humans, Victoria had a keen sense of smell and hearing. Based on that and her general understanding of the land, she was able to guide them on their journey without a map. 

From time to time, Victoria would look up in the sky and consult the stars to ensure they were going in the right direction. Intrigued, Laina asked her to teach her how to do the same. 

"It's really simple, first you will need to look for the Northern Star which is the brightest star in the sky," Victoria instructed. 

Laina tilted her head up and looked all over until she found the brightest star she could see. 

"Is it that one?" she pointed it out to Victoria. 

"Yes, that's the one. That is where the North is. My town is situated in the North east, under that constellation of the scale," Victoria pointed it out to Laina as they continued walking. 

It took Laina a while but soon enough, she saw what Victoria was referring to. 

"This is quite fascinating. Thank you," Laina thanked Victoria. 

"You're welcome, your Highness."

"Oh, don't be so formal. Just call me Laina."

"Sure, you- Laina. Sorry, it's going to take some time to get used to."

When the sky began to light up slowly, they realized they had been walking for the entire night. Lucky for them, there was a village up ahead where they could rest. At first, Laina was worried that the villagers might sense that Victoria is a human. 

Kol and herself had the protection of the masking potion but she did not. But everything seemed normal when they entered the village. 

-Maybe it's because she's spent so much time amongst them.- Laina pondered to herself. 

She could not quite read Victoria's aura since they met. Laina could not figure out if Victoria truly was human or not. But putting that aside, they found the village's inn and decided to rest there for the day. 

After a quick meal at the bar, all of them were ready to catch some sleep before they continued traveling through the night. 

"How much longer would it take to reach your town?" Laina asked as she paid for their meal at the bar. 

"About three days more on foot," Victoria replied. 

After a short pause in thought, Laina made a decision, "Let's get some horses. It would be much quicker that way."

With horses, their three-day journey shortened to a day. By the time they were coming up on the town, the sun was setting on the horizon. The closer they got, the more lively Victoria seemed to be. 

"I can't wait for you to try the bread my mother makes, Laina. Oh, and her specialty is a buttered croissant that just fills the air with this lovely smell of melted butter each time she bakes a fresh batch…" the smile on Victoria's face quickly faded away. 

She stared blankly at what was supposed to be the walls that surrounded her homely and lively town. Victoria's heart sank as she got off the horse. She took two steps forward before crumbling to the ground. 

Tears streamed down her eyes, blurring her vision.

Laina and Kol quickly got off their horses. Even they could not believe the scene before their eyes. 

The once lively town of Sycamore was nowhere to be seen. There were no brick buildings that peeked past the top of the stone walls.. The town of Sycamore was in ruins.