"We can do this, right?" Alea's face was smiling as she uttered such words.
Earl gently squeezed his hand back and felt the warmth of her soft hands. Despite how much she trained, her hands were devoid of calluses. She took care of them well.
He brought his hand up to her face and caressed her cheek with his thumb. There was no resistance as she let him do as he pleased. His hand gradually made itself over to her silky blue hair.
They were in a bubble with just the two of them. Alea never took her eyes off Earl and Earl never took his eyes off Alea. Her white, unblemished skin. Her gorgeous features. Every part of her body was like an incredible piece of artwork that could be appreciated. She had aged into a dazzling gem that could rival his mother.
"I appreciate you."
"Spend more time with me today then."
Alea then took him to the Hall of Time. It was a place for many elves to gather at night around a firepit mainly for storytelling.
The hall itself was spacious. Without the high number of elves in it, the hall would look very empty from the lack of furniture. As per usual elven buildings, the hall was built from stone in a timeless style. There were occasional cracks here in there as well as vines which only added to the timelessness of the place.
At the centre of the hall was a fire heart that burned all year round. The magnificence of this fire could not be put into worlds. Its sheer size reached that of the ceiling and it would take more than 20 men to surround it.
The heat it emitted was not overpowering. It was very warm and comforting. Legends say this fire was gifted to the elves from a Fire Spirit of the highest rank.
Alea and Earl entered the hall in cloaks to avoid standing out. The hall was a place for elves of all origin in Venroris. There were adventurer elves, noble elves, guard elves, and elder elves.
As such, no one paid them any mind especially since the hall was almost packed. An older elf near the fire was engrossed in telling his tale and the other elves in the hall were similarly engrossed.
Only the deep, rich voice of this elf could be heard. Elves were said to be the most peaceful of the sentient races for a reason. There was not a colour of rowdiness in this place.
"This place calms me down," Alea told Earl as they found a place to sit. "Can you feel it? The warmth of the fire?"
It was as she said. The fire was immensely warming in a different sense. It was as if he was back in his mother's embrace.
Earl placed one hand over his heart and smiled. "Yes, it's amazing."
"There are no elves who don't like this place."
The two of them conversed for a long time in whispers to not disturb anyone. They would occasionally stop to listen to the voice of the older elf before returning to their conversation.
Earl felt the same vibe as watching a movie in his previous life from this place.
The older elf was an incredible storyteller who could speak vividly. He could paint pictures with his words and it brought the audience to another world to enjoy this journey.
They ended up staying until it was deep into the night. It was time to send Alea home as the guards would be deployed if she stayed out any longer.
Earl took her by the hand and took the long way to the teleportation circle.
When they stopped for farewells, Earl had his hand on her face again before he knew it. He swept her hair to the side and tucked it behind her ear to see her face clearly in the dark. There was a big smile on her face and her golden eyes looked like they were shimmering.
"I had a good time today," Alea said.
"I did too," Earl said back.
There was a brief silence. Earl was the first to break it by leaning in to kiss her forehead. Needless to say, seeing her eyes widen was a joy to see. Although it was disappointing to see that she did not blush.
"I will see you later then."
"Good night."
"Mhmm."
Earl watched Alea's dainty figure disappear into the circle with a fidgety heart. To experience this sort of feeling again was another type of joy altogether. It felt pure and innocent. He was looking forward to seeing her again.
He held onto this feeling closely and turned around. What he saw next almost made his heart jump out of his chest.
"Mom!"
Ari was standing a distance away with a teasing smile on her face.
"Is my son in love?~"
"I might be." Earl chuckled. "What are you doing here?"
"It's really late so I was getting worried."
"I see. Sorry for worrying you."
"No worries. Just give us a heads up next time."
Ari then offered a hand. Earl gladly took it and they began to walk together.
"We haven't done this in forever." She remarked.
The night wind was calming. It felt soothing to have the wind brush past his face. At the same time, he could smell whiffs of his mother's milky sweet fragrance.
"We should do this more then."
"That's a promise. Speaking of which, isn't there a park nearby." Ari asked with a slight blush on her face.
Earl got the message right away. He jokingly suggested. "We could do it here."
Ari smiled and leaned in to whisper. "Read my mind?~"
"You did raise me."
"Fufu. A park would be more comfortable though."
"You are right, mother."