Chapter 15

It's a Date

Mikleo, somehow as graceful as ever, was able to read and travel at the same time, side stepping holes or obstacles, swishing left and right. But Sorey had never been that way. And so, while reading and walking, Mikleo also somehow managed to keep an eye on his boyfriend. And whenever Sorey started to stumble toward something, he simply reached out a hand, grabbed Sorey's sleeve, and yanked him out of the way.

"Watch where you're going or you're going to get hurt," he scolded. But of course, as soon as he did, he realized how hypocritical he was being. And so, he promptly folded up his pamphlet and put it away. "I know it's exciting being in a new area, but let's save the reading for later and pay attention to our surroundings."

Sorey, easily seeing what it was Mikleo was trying to do for him nodded.

"Ok," he agreed, then folded up his own map. Then, once paper free, they started to travel much more safely. And of course, once they pulled their noses out of their reading material, they were treated with the sights, sounds and smells of Tolrin. They spotted several great shops they knew they'd want to explore later, a restaurant here or there, and even one of the hot bath houses Mikleo had mentioned. Everyone was excited to be there.

Finally, reaching the back of town, all five party members spotted the tall wall. And built just in front of it, was The Water Crest Inn. It was a big, elegant looking building. The outside of it was decorated with plaster in the shape of swirls and spirals, symbolizing waves coming off of its sides. And for just a moment, they all stopped to stare at it. Silence fell upon them, but that was only until Lailah's face lit up with an almost crazed delight and she shouted a loud, "HA! I GET IT!"

Edna threw her hands over her ears as she and everyone else in the party turned to stare at her.

"Huh? Get what?"

"The building! The building itself is a pun! It-it-it's-!" And she was so excited she needed a second to gather herself before continuing. "It's covered in waves! A-and waves have crests! Like the crest of a wave! And the building is named The Water Crest Inn!"

Zaveid started laughing, but both Mikleo and Edna groaned.

Sorey was both happy and embarrassed with Lailah. The fire seraph was definitely considered the Pun Queen of the group, and such a...fantastic one as the Water Crest Inn was probably impossible for her to ignore. He was always happy that she found these small things amusing, but on the other hand, it got a little weird whenever she become so terribly excited over her puns.

Maybe he wasn't one to talk, though. He was like that with anything historical.

I guess we all have our obsessions, the shepherd thought, then letting himself laugh along with Zaveid and Lailah.

It felt good to relax and enjoy a moment with everyone. The whole team had been working so hard. Maybe Tolrin was just what they needed to take a break, even if they'd also be researching Heldalf while they were here. Sorey reasoned that was no real obstacle to their relaxation though, not if they didn't let it be.

He eventually stopped laughing, rubbing his eyes as it tapered off. Then, he took a look at the Inn before them.

"This place looks old. I wonder how old..." he said, but he didn't bother to read the pamphlet that he knew would tell him what he wanted to know. Sorey wanted to see if he could figure it out for himself, based on its architectural style. He hummed to himself while looking over the stylized paintings of waves, appreciating the buildings aesthetic. But the shepherd was eager to get inside. "Let's go inside," he prompted, before leading the team in.

The team stepped into the building, and although it's original structuring such as the stone and mortar were older, it was clearly kept up to date and new on the inside. The carpeting in the lobby was a beautiful deep, dark blue, with white wave patterns on top of it. It led up to the check in desk, which was beautifully polished oak wood. It was so polished in fact, it looked almost as if it were wet.

There was a large mural behind the check in desk of the waterfall, and it was so well painted and the lighting on it so spot on, it almost looked like a window to the outside. Adding to the illusion, were the many potted plants they had on either side of it.

To their left, there was an open, arched doorway that led to what appeared upon a glance to be a rather large dining area. And the tables and chairs within were made of the same polished oak. To their right was a hallway leading to the rooms, and also a spiral staircase heading up through a tower to the upper halls.

The woman at the front desk smiled at Sorey as he entered, her teeth white and dazzling.

"Welcome to The Wave Crest Inn," she greeted. "Do you already have a reservation, or do you need to check in now?"

"No, we don't have a reservation," Sorey explained, preparing to explain who exactly he was. That process was always a little nerve-wracking, just because he wasn't ever sure how people would take it. So he braced himself, and met the smiling woman's eyes directly with his own leaf green ones, and properly introduced himself.

"My name's Sorey, and...I'm the shepherd," he said, pausing to let the woman absorb that information for a moment. "I'm traveling with my seraph companions," he added, wanting the woman to be sure she understood the inn would be housing more than just himself.

And straight away the woman's face lit up with recognition and excitement.

"Oooh! The Shepherd! Wow! I've heard so much about you and your travels! And all of the amazing feats you've achieved! Well this is exciting! I never thought you'd visit a place like Tolrin! After all, we're doing so well for ourselves even though I've heard horrible things are going on elsewhere in the world. Can I ask why you've chosen to visit us? I mean…surely you're not here for the waterfall and tourist attractions, are you?"

"You've heard about us?" Sorey said, feeling grateful, yet surprised. Somehow, it was always a surprise. Lailah had told him that news of the Shepherd would spread far and wide, but Sorey was still unprepared for the reception he was currently getting.

Not wanting to ruin the nice woman's pride in her hometown by stating that the greatest evil to humanity that could possibly ever exist came from Tolrin, and that he was trying to get dirt on the man, Sorey gave a truthful but less disturbing answer instead.

"I'm something of a history addict," he admitted. "And this place has lots of history," he stated. "I'm especially excited about the museum," he admitted, meaning every word of it.

"Oh?" The receptionist blinked in surprise. "So you are sightseeing?" Quickly, her original smile returned to her face. "Well there's plenty here to learn about. Tolrin is over one thousand years old. If you like history, you certainly came to the right place. I can give you all the times and dates of our tours and set you up with a guide if you like. Or I can give you directions to the museum and library. But Shepherd, I do highly recommend our water attractions, even if they aren't as educational. Our waterfall and lake are simply breathtaking. And the hot and cold springs bring longevity and health to those who bathe in them. And you definitely want one of the boat tours through the caves. It's a little spooky and always exciting!"

She gestured to a rack of pamphlets and brochures beside her.

"We have information on all of those things. So after you settle in, you can come back down and peruse all of our information guides. They're free of course. And if you're hungry, we always have a chef on staff in the dining hall to your left. Or if you wanted something a little different, we have many high quality restaurants in the area. As you can imagine, Tolrin specializes in freshwater food. My favorite is the trout."

And Mikleo couldn't help himself after hearing that, he let off a quiet, 'mmm…trout…'

Boat tours? Through the caves? It was as if Sorey kept finding things to get ridiculously excited about. And he voiced that with enthusiasm.

"Really!? There's tours through the caves?" And all he could think about was how much Mikleo would like that. And how it'd be nice...if maybe the two of them could get a boat just for themselves.

He hadn't missed Mikleo's hum about the fresh trout, and looked to his side where the seraph stood. Sure enough, there was a sparkle in his eyes that Sorey knew meant he was...well, not hungry, since seraphs didn't feel that particular need, but...it was more like, he wanted to eat. And of course, once he thought about how nice it'd be to have a good meal, Sorey's stomach rumbled rather loudly.

He blushed, flushing pink almost all the way up to his cheeks. "Ahahah, well...maybe we'll take a look at your dining hall first. We've been on the road for some time, and that trout sounds...appetizing," he said, rubbing his hair in an embarrassed fashion.

"Sure thing!" The receptionist said. "With it being spring and still a little chilly out, tourist season hasn't started yet. We'll have plenty of rooms for some time, so don't worry about needing to reserve anything. Help yourself to anything you'd like."

The woman gestured to the information again, and Mikleo, always hungry for more knowledge, indeed helped himself. Walking over, he picked up several pamphlets, which of course, caused the receptionist to jump back in alarm, as she let out a little gasp.

"Wh…what…what's happening?"

Mikleo, without ever even lifting his head from the new info he was reading responded a bit sourly in Sorey's direction.

"It's because you never introduced us properly," he scolded. "That's why she's so surprised." It was well within Mikleo's character to chastise Sorey for such a thing, but this time…he seemed just a little more sour than usual, his tones holding a bit more bite.

Suavely, it was Zaveid that leaned casually in over the shepherd's shoulder.

"FYI, your shepherdness, dating 101: when you have a boyfriend, you should probably tell people. Especially if your boyfriend is invisible."

Sorey winced. He'd made a mistake.

Uh-oh... I'm such a dolt, he thought, chastising himself for a second. He'd been so caught up with everything that he hadn't even realized he was neglecting something. Everything was just so exciting, and...well, he had to fix it.

"I'm sorry," he said, making eye contact with the nice receptionist, and then glancing over towards Mikleo and his slurry of pamphlets.

"I didn't introduce you to my boyfriend, or the rest of my companions," he stated somewhat woefully, clearly aware that he'd made a blunder, but doing his best to fix it.

"Mikleo, my boyfriend and water seraph, is also a history buff like myself. He's the one who took the pamphlets," he said, gesturing his arms out towards the disgruntled seraph.

"And we have Zaveid, the wind seraph," he said, gesturing to Zaveid, who was still (thankfully) by Sorey's side, "and we also have Lailah, a fire seraph," and he then spun to gesture to her, and she curtseyed as if the receptionist could see her. "And lastly, but certainly not in the least, there's Edna, an earth seraph." And he paused and waited to see what the lady would do. He was used to getting strange stares, but...people were catching on to his story. The receptionist had said she'd heard about him before, so...maybe this wouldn't be too awkward.

The receptionist blinked, looking totally befuddled and a little awkward. A slight rosy color came to her cheeks and as she stood up just a tad taller, she glanced briefly at the area where the pamphlets seemed to be floating.

"I…oh," she said. "I'd heard about your seraphim party members but I uh…didn't know you were dating one of them. And uhh…he did you say?" She glanced to Sorey, then back to the floating pamphlets, then back to Sorey again, the color in her cheeks deepening as a bit of giddiness seemed to start taking over.

Mikleo had stopped reading his materials some time ago: as soon as Sorey introduced him as his boyfriend. Sorey had never referred to him with such a title before, and he hadn't been expecting it. After all, Mikleo had only chastised him as always for not having manners. He hadn't heard Zaveid's whispered advice, and so he hadn't known it was coming.

The first time Sorey said it was surprising enough, but when he said it a second time, a quick flush came over Mikleo's face. Clutching the pamphlets to his chest, he felt the same butterflies he had been feeling before, reemerge. And he was surprised at the suddenness and intensity of how much he loved hearing the new title out loud. For just a second, he allowed himself to bathe in that feeling. But then, he knew he had to do his job. And that job was of course, to protect Sorey, no matter what.

"S…Sorey," he muttered after clearing his throat, his cheeks still pink. "You don't have to do that if you don't want to. W…we should think of your reputation as the Shepherd. Not everyone will understand what we have…" Mikleo didn't finish. He didn't need to. His sentence clearly meant two things: people wouldn't understand that Sorey was with another boy, and also, that a human could date a seraphim. Both ideas were a little outlandish.

But Sorey didn't care. He stepped closer to the flustered seraph, looking at the other young man directly into his amethyst eyes.

"I don't care what other people say, or what other people think," he said earnestly. "I want to call you that. If they have a problem with it, with us...then that's their problem," he said softly. "I'm not hiding our relationship," he finished, then flashed Mikleo a bright smile, as positive as ever.

He had no idea how much Mikleo really liked being called by his new title, but he did know that it made his boyfriend happy. And he also knew that, in his way, Mikleo was trying to protect him.

But what was all of this for, if he and his love couldn't live in a world, side by side, together, the way they dreamed? That was Sorey's ultimate goal. To do that, they had to fight hellions and take on Heldalf. And if it also meant he had to fight prejudice or ignorance, well...Sorey would do that too. But hiding how important Mikleo was to him wasn't an option. They deserved to have security and happiness with each other. He believed that other people would see their goodness together, and learn to accept it, even if they initially didn't understand that. They could call him naive all they wanted...but Sorey was in love. And he truly believed their love would conquer all.

As Mikleo stared up into Sorey's forest green eyes and as he listened to his romantic words, he couldn't help the sudden pounding that started up in his chest. He just couldn't deny how much he loved Sorey's determined defense of their relationship. He'd said it in a way that didn't leave it open for discussion or debate, it was simply: I'm not hiding our relationship. Period. And now of course, Sorey was standing so near him, his face no more than a few inches from his own.

Mikleo clutched the pamphlets even more tightly to his chest and he felt the heat in his cheeks increase. He knew his blush was getting worse. Embarrassed, for he knew the others were watching, even if the receptionist couldn't see, he quickly turned his head to the side to try and hide his coloring. Then, as was his way, he replied matter-of-factly.

"If that's what you want to do," he said. "But don't say I didn't warn you. And don't blame me when you start getting into trouble."

Sorey grinned, knowing that he'd succeeded in convincing Mikleo. The water seraph protested in such a way that sounded negative, but Sorey knew better. He was just flustered.

With that settled, he looked back to the receptionist, who...was blushing and making the same face that Lailah made whenever she either encountered a rolly animal, or made a very bad pun. It was...an excited face, Sorey supposed, which didn't make any sense.

"Anyway," he said, trying to revert to a more polite manner. "Thanks for all of the pamphlets," he said gratefully, "and for all of the information. We'll be back later to check in with our rooms. But for now..." And the brunet then turned to face the general direction of the dining hall, throwing his hands up in the air. "Let's get some food!" he said, his green eyes sparkling with anticipation. He was hungry. He was a growing young man and he wanted something with a lot of protein in it. And if this place was half as good as what the pamphlets said, Sorey knew they'd be in for quite a treat.

The group headed into the dining hall. And as would be expected from the fancy lobby, they found an equally fancy dining room. The place was huge, with tall vaulted ceilings. There were dozens of tables inside, more than enough to accommodate every guest if the inn had been full. And with the time being a little off for meals, for it was just after lunch, the dining hall was mostly empty except for one or two other tables farther away.

They all sat down. Once they did, they poured over the menus, which were of course, huge with choices to make. They had some difficulty, except for Mikleo who already knew he wanted to try the trout, but eventually decided on what it was they wanted. After ordering, Mikleo spread the pamphlets out over the table and started reading all of them as the others took up small chat. And as he explored, he found that most of the things in Tolrin sounded really fun, and like Sorey had thought earlier, he decided he wanted to take part in almost all of them.

He knew they had to try both the cold and hot springs. And they'd have to swim in the lake at least once. And the boat tour around the waterfall and through the caves was a must. And of course there were the restaurants, museums, libraries and even a ghost tour after dark. He knew they'd be skipping that one. Not that he was afraid of ghosts of course.

After skimming over the material, Mikleo slowly lifted his gaze to Sorey who sat beside him. Sorey was currently chatting with the others, a light, cheerful smile on his face. His green eyes were as bright as ever, and Mikleo could see the excitement on him from simply being in a new area. He was cute, just the way he always was when being happy and being himself. And suddenly, in thinking of all the things this town had to offer and the types of activities that were available to them, Mikleo got a sudden idea that he knew he would have to pursue.

"Lailah," Mikleo said, interrupting the conversation abruptly, but never taking his eyes off of Sorey's face. "How irresponsible would it be if we held off on our research for today and deviated from our mission until tomorrow?"

The question was odd, and the others glanced Mikleo's way in confusion. After all, it was usually Mikleo himself that kept them all on track, reminding them of their duties and their quest. And so to hear him talk of delaying those things was strange.

After just a second of silence, Lailah responded, "I guess it would be alright if we waited a day," she said. "Heldalf hasn't been seen in quite some time, and although there's always a chance he could do something drastic again, like the war between Rolance and Hyland, the chances of it happening today or tomorrow are slim. Especially since we now know he's focused on us and our party."

Mikleo nodded, as if giving himself permission for something.

"Then what do you guys say to taking a break? There're so many things in Tolrin that sound fun and exciting. It'd be a shame to stay in the library the entire time and not try any of them."

"Yeah!" Zaveid immediately cried, clearly excited about the prospect of having fun. "That's more like it! Glad you wised up and are cutting loose for once Mikky boy!"

"No complaints from me," Edna agreed. "We passed a mud house on the way here. I'd like to try that."

And of course, Lailah couldn't be upset about the delay either. The hot springs that kept coming up in conversation were made from lava flows beneath the earth's crust after all. And she'd like to try anything involving heat.

"I think that's a wonderful idea Mikleo," she said, a smile on her face. "So, which of these things should we do first? You've read all of them right? Which is your favorite?"

But as Lailah leaned over the table to take a look at the brochures, Mikleo glanced away and off to the side, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Well I didn't mean for us to do these things together as a group," he confessed. "It sounds like everyone wants to do something different anyway. So I thought we might all split up for the day and do what we wanted. Then we can all meet back here after dark in order to check in and get our rooms."

Sorey's heart skipped a beat. This was...another opportunity to be alone with Mikleo! He had no idea if that's what the seraph was implying or not, but he hoped it was. He'd thought it before, but the idea of taking Mikleo out on the boat tour was both warming and exciting. It'd be a perfect opportunity for them to develop their romantic relationship a little further. When else were they going to have an opportunity like this? Sorey couldn't pass it up.

"I think that sounds like a great idea," Sorey said, feigning innocence, like he wasn't thinking about setting up a date with his boyfriend. "I'd love to go on that bout tour," he stated. "Mikleo?" he questioned, smiling at the seraph seated next to him. It was a clear invitation, and the shepherd knew the implication wouldn't be lost on his highly intelligent boyfriend.

Mikleo couldn't help it when a smile started to spread over his pale lips. He'd thought he'd have to explain to Sorey, once they were away from the others, what it was he was really after. But it seemed he didn't have to. Sorey wanted the same thing, and he'd understood what it was Mikleo was trying to do.

"You read my mind," he said coolly, his smile only spreading at his double meaning. He felt the butterflies start up in his chest again, and as Sorey and Mikleo stared at one another, it became hard to not understand exactly what it was the two boys were setting up. Zaveid's orange eyes lit up with sudden understanding and delight overcame his face as his usual wide grin swept over his cheeks.

"ooOOO!" he cried, banging a hand down on the table top in front of him. "You guys are going on a date!"

Mikleo let off an exasperated sigh.

"Thank God no one in the room can hear you except Sorey…"

As always, he could count on Zaveid to be obvious and also loud. At any other time, Sorey would've winced or at least felt a little uncomfortable with the wind seraph's boisterous attitude, but not today. Not right that minute.

Because it was the truth: he did want a date with Mikleo. And also, because he was proud of the fact that he could go on a date with Mikleo.

And as such, Sorey just grinned broadly in response, before proclaiming it.

"Yes! That's exactly what I want," he said, meeting Mikleo's amethyst gaze with his own steady one. They both wanted the same thing...and for once, it looked like maybe they'd get it.

Mikleo, of course, wanted the date too. After all, it was his idea. All the same, he wasn't the type to be so open about his romance the way Sorey was, he was much more reserved. And so, embarrassed yet again, he put a hand to his face as a rose-tinged color came to his cheeks.

"I was trying to be discreet," he groaned.

"At least I'm appreciative of that," Edna grumbled from her seat whilst drumming her fingers on the table top. "Where's the food? That'll shut every one up."

And as soon as she said it, the waitress arrived back at the table with everyone's food.

"Here you go," she said with a grin. "Let's see if I remember everyone, that is assuming none of your are playing a trick on me by switching seats while I was gone."

"Ooo, we should do that at the next inn!" Zaveid said. But the waitress, not hearing him, of course continued on with serving.

"I have the lava cakes for Lailah, the mud pie for Edna, the duck for Zaveid, and the trout for Mikleo." And the waitress had a good memory, for she put all of the dishes down in their correct places and in front of the correct seraphs.

"I'm impressed," Mikleo said. After all, it was rare to have a waiter or waitress first off, bother to ask where everyone was seated and what their names were, and then secondly deliver the food to the correct person. The waitress knew she did well, and turning to Sorey with a grin, she then delivered him his food as well.

"Here you are shepherd, please let us know if there's anything else you or your friends need from us. We're honored to have you visiting Tolrin."

Sorey's mouth started to water the instant he saw the duck and potatoes in front of him. It was a common bird, but it was delicious, and Sorey loved the way it tasted compared to chickens and pheasants, and so, like Zaveid, he hadn't been able to resist ordering it.

"Thank you," he addressed the waitress as the plate was set in front of him, his hunger growing even as he took the time to go through the polite motions that he knew were so important, since he was the shepherd and also, because it was good to be polite. "You got everything exactly right!" And he beamed with delight. "That's impressive! And this duck looks amazing. We're very happy to be here," he said with a smile. This was apparently enough for the waitress, so she then took off, looking rather pleased with herself as she went over towards another table.

And then, with that, Sorey started to cut into his duck, and tasted a bite. His eyes fluttered closed and he hummed with delight. "My compliments to the chef," he said, then turning to look at his boyfriend. "The trout looks good too. Everybody happy?" he asked, looking around the table, hoping that everyone else was enjoying their meal just as much as he was.

He got a chorus of "yes" as he asked his question. But of course, no one talked after that, for they were all too busy enjoying their food.

Afterward, when everyone was full and satisfied, the team was eager to enjoy their day off. Gradually, they started to rise from their seats, stretching, and adjusting themselves.

"Well I'm heading to that mud house. See ya," Edna said unceremoniously, then immediately turned and walked away, twirling her umbrella. Zaveid, seeing an opportunity, of course turned to Lailah, an inviting grin on his face.

"M'lady, care to join me in the sauna?"

"I believe the sauna is designated into separate areas for men and women Zaveid," she informed him. But he was hardly deterred.

"The hot springs then?"

Lailah almost giggled.

"I think you'll have the same issues there Zaveid."

"Then perhaps a lovely lady like you would enjoy a full body massage? We passed a massage parlor on the way here."

Lailah smiled politely. Then, casually said,

"Why don't we start somewhere easier and less invasive? Let's take a carriage ride around the city."

Zaveid bowed, then held his elbow out to the fire seraph.

"As you wish."

Then the pair was off, leaving Mikleo and Sorey alone in the dining hall. Mikleo glanced Sorey's way briefly, a fond look overcoming his face. Then he rose from his chair. As proper as ever, he pushed it back in behind himself. Then after dabbing at his lips with his napkin, he placed it back on top of his empty plate. Turning to Sorey, the same fond expression came back over his features.

"So, are we ready?" he asked. And now that they were alone, his vivid violet eyes seemed to already be shining more brightly.

Oh, Sorey was ready. He wiped at his own face, his green eyes never leaving Mikleo's. And in just a second, he was on his feet and eager to get going.

"Yes!" he said, unable to contain the excitement he felt. They were going on a cave tour. A boat cave tour. With just the two of them. On a date. It was happening, and the shepherd was...

Well, Sorey was a lot of things, but mainly he was just excited. He reached down and clasped one of Mikleo's hands in his own, smiling brightly, and gave it a squeeze. Even before they were dating, the two young men had been fond of physical touch. Sorey wasn't going to stop that just because they were in a restaurant. Besides...everyone else in the restaurant would just see him grabbing at thin air.

"Let's go, Mikleo!" And his feelings were palpable. They didn't need to armatize for Mikleo to feel his joy in that moment.

(It's about to get both really interesting and SUPER cute in the next chapter. Can't WAIT to finish writing it for you guys!)