If there was one place Esperia visited daily then it was the Baskan church. In the end, traditions were difficult to forget, and she was naturally inclined to visit the church every morning for a repeating tradition. Indeed, every morning the young lady would visit the church and took a seat at one of the benches at the back of the church and would clasp her hands together in a prayer.

Some might have called it a futile gesture, to leave matters in the hands of faith and religion, but Esperia wasn't a fool. She knew the gods were silent for a reason, and that the only one who could get a prayer answered was the praying person themselves, in the end only they possessed the power to change things if they were willing to take initiative.

But then why... why did she pray? Perhaps it was simply to seek out comfort, to hope her family would pass over peacefully into the hereafter. It was a tradition for her, to wake up a bit before dawn approached and then pray till the sun had risen.

Dawn had just passed when Esperia rose onto her feet and walked out of the church after telling the priest she would be visiting tomorrow as usual.

However, unlike usually she found her attention drawn away from the path leading back to the town, instead finding herself gazing sideways toward the forest that surrounded the church. It was odd how Esperia found herself instinctively drawn toward the forest, a hand brushing against the leafs of bushes and against the hard bark of the trees while she whispered softly. "I'm sure Liana would love this scenery..."

It was a beautiful landscape, there was no denying that, yet why did her thoughts return toward that memory? She still remembered it, the dawn after the raid on the church she lived in had happened. During the night a young girl had found her and tried to reassure her that everything would be alright.

The words felt empty to her, in the end, how could everything end up being alright when she had lost everything? Her home was gone, and so was her family, one could easily say she had truly lost everything.

And yet the girl spoke and acted with such kindness and confidence that she couldn't help but feel drawn in by her, so perhaps it was the promise that followed afterward by the girl that left a bittersweet taste.

Liana had promised that someday when she was old enough that the girl would come to find her and that she would keep her promise of keeping her safe and happy.

It was a promise, a silly one between children but to her, it did hold a lot of importance. "Maybe once I'm done I'll travel to the Woodsea and seek out Liana."

It sounded like a pleasant idea, to find Liana and spend time with her again, and judging from the excited barks that came from her side it seemed Agni agreed with the idea also.

"I wonder how she is doing... it's been five years since then..."

There was something about the lush forest that made her feel somewhat at ease. Perhaps it was partly related to the fact that it was less cold and harsh than the climate the Elestia tribe lived in, but forests also held a certain tranquility to them that would feel almost foreign to anyone who grew up in a city.

And Agni was a huge fan of this type of landscape also! The Growlithe dashed back and forth among the path with the same excitement a child would have, the sight of the excited dog causing a little smile to emerge upon her lips. "Don't go too far now Agni, we're not used to the lay of the land yet." The Growlithe barked happily in response when suddenly its paw grind to a halt and it sniffed the air. It appeared Agni had caught the trail of something, or someone's scent, and soon started to slowly sniff the air further, seemingly tracking the source.

While usually she would have warned the dog about going off the path of a forest, but she had to admit she was a bit curious about what had drawn the Growlithe's attention, and so she started to slowly approach the trail he was going at, till the dog stopped near a tree, a girl seemed to be resting at the tree, and judging from her appearance she seemed unharmed. Perhaps a skilled napper who had found her ideal spot to take a nap at?

Perhaps, yet her curiosity was drawn as she stepped beside the tree. "Umm miss, it's dangerous to sleep here---" Yet before she could finish her sentence her gaze settled onto the stranger's face. Even after five years, there was no mistaking those features, or the one they belonged to... A hand reached for her chest, trying to suppress the slight tremble of her body while she whispered softly. "Lia?"

Could it be? Was the girl trying to nap here indeed Liana Sylvaine?

WC: 338

It felt like time had stopped for a moment, or perhaps it was more that Esperia felt like the past had caught up to her. Memories of Liana trying to lead her away from the smouldering remains of the church, the encounter with the beast that nearly killed them and the rescue by the hands of one of the Elestia tribesmen, it was the moment that followed afterwards that had left the most impact on the girl. The fact that Liana had promised her that once she was old enough that they would be reunited and that she wouldn't be alone anymore.

And it seemed today that promise was about to be fulfilled. The words spoken by the girl confirmed her identity, in the end there weren't many outside the Elestia tribe who knew of her name, and while at first she felt a deeply ingrained desire to pounce down onto the girl and embrace her, to let the feelings that were building in her chest be released into an emotional outburst, but instead she placed her hands onto her hips and smiled softly, a playful reply escaping from her lips.

"The one and only~"

It was difficult, to hold back the urge to let her emotions surface, to the point her eyes grew moist with the tears she was trying to hold back all that time. "Five years... you sure make a lady wait quite a while, don't you Lia?" A playful wink followed while the Growlithe barked excitedly onto their ongoing conversation.

---
254 WC

The teasing remark about her getting emotional about the encounter caused her to rapidly shake her head in denial, a hand brushing toward her eyes as she quickly tried to brush away any potential traces of the building up tears. "I'm not crying! There is just something stuck in my eyes..."

A classic excuse, but it seemed enough to distract Liana from the subject, instead the decision to embrace her had left Esperia with a certain feeling of joy and happiness, her arms returning the gesture in a gentle embrace. "In some communities, seventeen is already past the age of consent." the girl remarked with a sly smile upon her lips, as if she was returning the teasing from before.

"I missed you also..." It was true, despite the fact she had not known Liana for long the young lady had left quite an impression upon Esperia, so to say she had been looking forward to their reunion was an understatement.

However, their embrace also made Esperia realize, or rather experience something she had not been used to. A soft pressure was pushing against her chest, a glimpse downwards confirming that indeed five years had passed since she had last seen the girl.

"Seventeen hmm?" A soft hum followed while she remarked with a little wink. "For a seventeen-years-old girl you have had quite a growth spurt in a particular area, Liana."

A mischievous snicker followed as she waited to see Liana's reaction before answering her earlier question. "I just been waiting for you~ so aside from that I haven't done much these past five years..." She couldn't possibly tell Liana she had been spending those five years preparing for the search for answers, and the hunt for the Lycan pack that murdered her family... right?

A playful chuckle escaped Esperia's lips at the embarrassment of her friend,  the puffing of her cheeks making Esperia almost feel the urge to pinch them while she listened to the girl's remark about herself having grown quite a bit in the 'pillow' department herself. Slowly lowering her gaze she raised a hand to her cheek, tilting her head slightly to the side in confusion while remarking with a hint of curiosity as if she was truly considering the idea as a genuine suggestion rather than a joke. "I'm not sure... I think I'm still somewhat modest in comparison to you. Want to check?"

Arching her back slightly as if she was trying to push her chest slightly forwards the girl suddenly started to giggle, shaking her head lightly in amusement while replying in a cheerful tone. "I'm only teasing~"

However, she decided to cut the girl some slack by changing the subject to something else instead: the discussion of her stay in Baska! "Hmm, I been staying here for about a week so far while planning my next destination... But it was a rather amusing coincidence that we met. I actually visit the church daily whenever I'm in a town, and on my way back little Agni here likely got curious and went off into the wild."

She smiled briefly while the Growlithe barked in agreement, a moment passing before Esperia continued her explanation with a smile. "But that's pretty much all there is to it~ Either way, I'm still happy I could meet you again. and this time I'm not letting you give me a raincheck~"

A little wink followed as she explained her words with a soft hum. "Because we were going to be traveling together from now on, right?"

A little giggle escaped her lips as Liana pointed toward her bust ad commented about how she had grown in that particular area, it was true, since they were both still children at that time the fact they would have grown plenty during those years apart was a simple to understand fact, yet when Liana commented about her having grown more playful during their time apart the girl stood upright once more and pondered about the meaning behind those words.

"Did I?" She wasn't sure, perhaps she indeed became more playful, but a part of her thought it might have been the result of her interacting with Liana. While she might have been more cheerful and gentle since she started her travels, the playfulness she acted with right now seemed something different, an emotion coaxed out of her rather than something that was a natural part of her nature. "Perhaps~ For some rea, on I feel rather excited around you, and it makes me want to stir all sorts of reactions out of you."

A soft chuckle followed till she finally turned focus toward the conversation about her companion, the little Growlithe barking happily at the compliment Liana was giving him.

However, what followed was a bit unexpected, the sudden gentle grasping of her head and the light tug that made her head nestle against Liana's bosom, the soft feeling and the sound of the girl's heartbeat was more than enough to make her both excited, flustered and a certain feeling of happiness that had been foreign to her.

"I won't run away~ In the end, Liana is my sunflower~ the place I feel the warmest at and will always return to." A gentle nuzzling of her head continued against those soft pillows as she hummed softly.

"I was lonely all those years... Despite the fact the Elestia tribe took me in, nobody truly understood my pain nor did anyone say those same words you did all those years ago... That's why I want to stay with you~"

She explained the last bit in a softer tone as she raised both arms to tenderly wrap around Liana.

Despite the immense joy she felt at being so comfortably close to Liana, there was also the concern in the back of her mind. The awareness that if she was to remain close to Liana there would be a possibility she would be swept up in the dangerous events of her past, but at the same time, the young lady felt a bit of a selfish desire to do so. She didn't want to let go of Liana, not this time so to hear those words made her nod her head with a smile.

"Every corner of the world~"

It sounded like a grand adventure for sure, to travel to places all over the world, meeting new people, and even Agni seemed excited about the whole idea, barking once more in agreement.

"And whatever happens, I'm sure as long as we work together we can overcome any challenge or danger~" perhaps words to reassure herself, but she truly believed that if she was going to work together with Liana that she would be able to overcome whatever hardships the world might throw at her.

Only after a moment she finally let go, stretching her arms playfully into the air while remarking with a grin. "That felt great~ From now on anytime we're camping I'm going to be using your breasts as a pillow~ so soft and snuggly!" the girl giggled softly while she turned toward Agni who barked in return and looked at Liana with a look of interest in his eyes.

"Oh~ it seems Agni is challenging you in terms of softness!" the dog barked in response as Esperia playfully rubbed a hand over his fur.

"Did you have any destination in mind for your stay in Baska?"

The comment that followed after Liana's giggle caused Esperia's cheeks to flush up briefly into a blush of embarrassment, the idea of being allowed to do so causing a mixture of pleasant feelings to rise up within her chest. She truly was looking forward to traveling with Liana, especially if it meant being able to snuggle up to her at night. There was a certain joy to being able to share her bed with her childhood friend, especially if it meant being able to enjoy that same warmth and softness that she had longed for.

"hmm~ I guess we can spend a few weeks at Baska before traveling further along the western region of Fiore." A little nod of agreement followed in response to the girl's idea, but the idea of Halloween visibly took a little change in the girl's expression, concern haunting her visage while Agni's ears drooped lightly at the memory the two had shared.

"If we're going to be outdoors at night we need to make sure to stick together~ I would regret it immensely if something happened to you. Especially during this time of the year the night has a lot of dangers lurking in the shadows."

A brief nod followed from the young lady in response to Liana's idea, making her clap her hands together with a smile of approval. "Let's do that~ I know a small but cozy inn near the residential area, I'm sure they would give us a room at a very modest price~ We can even do some chores around the town to get to know more people~"

It was a simple but effective way to spend their time together in Baska, especially considering the Request Board was often filled with requests from people who needed help with all sorts of matters. Perhaps it was exactly because of that reason that Esperia had suggested it, not only did they get to spend more time together, but they would even be able to earn some money along the way also!