Jake and Rose sat on the coast of the Hudson River, looking off into the sunset. In the distance, they could see the silhouette of the Statue of Liberty. The sky was a breath-taking orange, and the water was a dark, navy blue, with a waving, white middle as it reflected the light and rolled off gently in small waves. They could faintly hear the sounds of the city in the distance, and the cries of seagulls as they flew overhead in great flocks. For a moment, they heard the sound of a ship horn far off, as it docked into some pier somewhere. Everything was peaceful. It was a warm evening, the warmth of the sun soaked into their skin, and gentle, cool breeze flowed in from the west and into their faces. Jake gazed in amazement as he watched Rose's golden hair dance in the wind, as she stared out at the water, soaking it all in.
Rose gave a faint smile, "You know, you get so sucked up in your busy, day to day life, it can be easy to forget how beautiful the world is. Being trapped in underground fortresses can really make you appreciate all of it."
Jake had a feeling she was talking more to herself than she was him, but it didn't really matter. It was one of those moments he wished would never end. He wished he could just freeze time and stay there with Rose forever. He liked the natural silence. There was something soothing about listening to the wave gently rolling onto the coast, just farther down from where they were sitting. It was just one of those moments where it felt like everything was right in the world. Jake criticized himself allowing himself to believe that delusion. There was always trouble afoot. Especially in his position. He knew that somewhere, there was an evil, plotting something horrible, but he knew that in that same place, there was a good that would be willing to stand and fight that evil. He was certain that somewhere, there were dark forces plotting against him, and when the time came he would rise up and defeat those forces, but that time was not right now. Now, he just wanted to sit in the peaceful evening, and believe that all was good, no matter how wrong he knew he was.
"You know Jake," Rose said, never breaking her gaze at the water, "I don't think I ever thanked you for saving me." She looked down at her feet and gave a quick, light, ironic chuckle, "It's kind of funny really. It doesn't matter what situation I end up in, whether I'm trapped in a training facility upstate because I failed to slay a dragon, being lifted in the air by magical forces to my self-inflicted doom, living in an apartment on the other side of the world, with no memory of who I am, or trapped under falling debris in an ancient dragon temple about to be sucked into another dimension, you're always there to save me."
Jake took a moment and swallowed, as he put his arm around Rose, "I don't care how far you are, I'll always find you, and I'll always save you. Always... I promise."
[END STORY]