Chapter 7: Goodbyes and Oh-Nos

As the sun rose over the horizon, the Loud siblings awoke to the familiar scent of breakfast hit their noses. While most rushed down to eat, Lana took a different route as she went to the washroom to splash some water on her face. Her night was spent tossing and turning with the mysterious stomach ache and barely got any rest. After wiping the water off her face, Lori had knocked on the door to make sure her sister was okay. Lana lied as she said she just wanted to see the washroom and plumbing which Lori just rolled her eyes at. It wouldn't take too long before Lana joined her family at the table and began to dig into the spread of food La had prepared.

"This is delicious, La" Lynn said as the rest mumbled in agreement; some with their mouths full. La smiled and thanked the kids for the compliment as Phi and Ette joined them at the table. Lynn's mood shifted a bit as Ette sat and began to eat without making eye contact. The tension was thick in the air until Phi cleared her throat to get everyone's attention before speaking.

"Well, I hope you all got a good night of rest but we need to get down to business." Phi ushered the kids outside as they got a look at their cart which the three had improved a bit. It now had canvas cover over the bed of the cart along with some extra cushion for the driver. Along the side of the cart was the word "Louddraya" carved in as well as a few looped strands of rope perfect for storing a few items. The Louds rushed to their new cart, fawning over the new look, while Ette hitched the horse to the cart. "Well, I'm glad you love the cart but that's not all we have for you."

Phi dug into her and pulled out a map before handing it to Lincoln. He unrolled the back which appeared to be directions to some location. Soon, the rest of the sisters would crowd around the map before Lisa took in and began some calculations. It wouldn't talk too long before she came to the conclusion that this journey would take about two weeks before they get their; weather and other interruptions not included. Phi applauded the youngest Loud before explaining herself.

"The three of us have been talking and we may have a plan for you to go back home and put an end to Mrya's plan. It all starts by finding the sword Nirvana. This map will lead you to the last known locations of it. However, while the travel may be easy, getting the sword is another story as it is heavily guarded." The Louds looked at each each before nodding in solidarity

"Ms. Phi," Lincoln began, "we don't care how difficult it may be, as long as we get the rest of our family back home safe, then we'll do anything." His sister let out a collective "yeah" as Lincoln continued. "We have a saying back home and it still applies here, 'Louds never quit ''' On cue, they began to chant their family motto as the three women looked on. After a few rounds of their motto, La shut them up by tossing a cookie in their mouths with great accuracy.

"Sorry kids. We do love positive energy but we do have gifts to help you on your quest," La said a bit flustered. The three went inside before coming back out with something in each of their hands. La gave the group a cookbook which was filled with recipes anyone can make from the forest which Luan happily took. Phi also had a book but it was a book of notes from the original Lafayette which she gave to Lisa since she was the most inquisitive of the group. Finally, with a bit of bitterness, Ette handed Lynn a set of armor in the shape of an animal pelt. Lynn examined the armor before putting it on which was a bit big but still wearable. After a few more words between the two families, The Louds began to load up the cart with their supplies with Luna and Lynn making sure the horse was ready for the trip.

Thanks to the Louds teamwork, it wasn't long before the cart was loaded up and a few decorations added on. La taught them how to use berries, stone dust and other things mixed with egg yolk to make a crude paint which they happily used to give their bland looking cart a blast of color. Now the cart was a lavender color with each sibling putting their own little logo on it while making a goldish looking paint for the Louddraya name. Meanwhile, Lana and Lola were in the process of giving their horse a makeover as Lola braided the mane and Lana cleaned the hooves.

"Hey, since we're gonna keep the horse, we should give 'em a name," Leni said, to which everyone agreed on the idea. Soon, names were discussed and a few mild fights broke out all over the name. A few more ideas would be tossed around until Luna came up with the name Leighton which the horse let out a gleeful whinny. The Louds let out a collective laugh as the horse decided their name themself. After everyone settled down, Lincoln took out his sword and christened their horse as Leighton Loud as Luna strummed her lute as glittery sparkles showered Leighton.

The group celebrated and finished off their cart as they began to hop in for their next destination. It wouldn't take too long as they finished the preparations with Lori taking the reins while the others loaded up in the back. The sibling waved goodbye to the Lafayette sisters before heading back down the road while singing a road trip song. As soon as the siblings were out of view, Phi looked over as La with a look of disapproval.

"La, you know something don't you," she said while narrowing her eyes. La tried to excuse herself from the conversation but Phi and Ette weren't having any of it. La, now cornered by her two parts, sighed and explained how she has a feeling the kids are not safe as she can sense something off within their group. She couldn't place her finger on it but they should keep an eye on them in any way they could. Ette wasted no time as sent a small bird to follow the family while Phi scolded La for not saying something sooner. La defended herself as she wasn't a hundred percent sure but Phi wasn't having it as they all headed back inside arguing.

Meanwhile the Louds had finished their song and laughed as they settled in for their trip. Luan had taken the co-pilot position as Lincoln laid back against the cart while having a little conversation with Leni and Luna about a potential strategy they could try. Lisa was still working on M.U.T.'s new upgrade with the help of Lana while Lola took a bit of time to tan. Lynn and Lucy played guard as they walked alongside the cart while occasionally talking about ways they could combine their abilities. Everything seemed rather calm as even a few birds and butterflies landed on the cart. During the peace, Lincoln unrolled the map to pick out any places for rest for the next few nights on their journey.

Lincoln looked over the map as Leni leaned in to help, causing her chest to press against him. Even with a light blush on his face, Lincoln kept his cool as simple asked Leni to move back a bit. She apologized before the two continued to scan the map before picking the best locations to rest; a few well known campsites and some rather fancy taverns and inns. One that caught everyone's attention was the Treetop Tavern which, by the crude drawing on the parchment, seemed to be a series of buildings built between trees with bridges connecting each one. They murmured about how beautiful the view must be and the kind of people who would make the trip to this tavern. However, this tavern would be the last one they would visit as it was the second to last stop before the end of their trip.

Soon, day turned to night and the louds had set up their camp and Luan had just finished making dinner. The campsite for the night wasn't anything special as it was mostly dirt and grass with a small pond for fishing. After everyone finished their dinner, Lori decided to skip the night watch but Luna was more than happy to take her place as she still had plenty of energy to burn. With a free spot in the tent, Lori and Luan would share a tent causing the two to briefly blush before everyone settled down in their tent. As everyone went to bed, Leni and Luna enjoyed a bit of girl talk while keeping an eye out for any danger. Their time as watchers would come and go in a blink of an eye as they woke up Lucy and Lynn for their shift.

Lucy and Lynn shift was not different in terms of activity but they did talk more about each other. Lynn would flex her muscles causing Lucy to blush and feel the muscles. Lynn would blush herself as Lucy's fingers massaged her biceps before running the hand down to her exposed abs. Lucy would look up from Lynn's abs to realize that she was inches away from her face and got a good look at the reddening face. Lucy pulled herself away from Lynn's gaze but she would be pulled back thanks to Lynn's strength.

"Lucy," Lynn began with a shaky voice, "shouldn't… shouldn't you give in to your… your dark desires?" Lucy smiled at Lynn's attempt to appeal to her interests before placing a kiss on the lips. Lynn was taken aback by Lucy's forwardness but soon melted into the kiss. The two would continue but the rustling of leaves stopped the two as they readied themselves for an attack only to see a small jackalope hope out from the grass. They let out a sigh of relief before going back to their watch with the occasional sneaky kiss here and there. It would be long for their shift to be over as they went to wake up Lola and Lana. Lana was easy to wake up but Lola was in a deep sleep and was near impossible to wake her.

Lana would speak up and say that she could do her watch alone as she has been practicing her wild shapes, as Lincoln put it. Lucy and Lynn were concerned but with everyone else needing their rest, they decided to let it happen. Lucy gave Lana a dagger as some added protection before they went to bed. Lana walked around on the lookout while flipping the dagger in her hand but it wouldn't be long before she felt that same pain in her stomach as before. She tried to get her siblings but the pain was paralyzing as she found herself on the floor in pain. Before she could call for help, something began to crawl up her throat while a set of familiar came into view.

"Well well, it seems my pet is doing its job." Lana looked up to see Myra standing over her with a sadistic smile on her face. Lana would try to fight but with a flick of Myra's hand, the pain intensified as if all of her gut and organs were being tied into an unbreakable knot. "Do you need help," she asked with faux sympathy. "Well, if you want my help, I need your help. I know you and your family are looking for that accursed blade. So here's the deal, you give me the blade and I'll take my pet back to relieve your pain. Deal?" She reached a hand down for a hand shake while she flicked her hand again to lighten the pain. Lana got up on her own before smacking the hand away from her.

"I won't betray my family! I can tough this out! Just watch!" Lana bellowed out even with the pain she was going through. Myra just smiled again as she turned to leave. "Fine. My offer still stands but keep in mind my pet is full of tricks." With a few shot whistles, Lana doubled over once again as she felt like she was being stabbed repeatedly. As Myra took her leave, the pain subsided as Lana looked pissed and disappointed at what just happened.

As the sun rose over the land, the Louds broke down the campsite before heading back on their journey. As everyone talked and planned out for the day, Lana was reserved to herself as she replayed what happened during her watch. A part of her knew she wouldn't betray her sibling but with how painful this "pet" can be, the offer did sound a bit interesting.

Character Lvl.

Lori lvl. 3 (Subclass: Oath of the Crown)

Leni lvl. 3 (Subclass: Light Domain)

Luna lvl. 3 (Subclass: Collage of Creation)

Luan lvl. 3 (Subclass: Way of the Four Elements)

Lynn lvl. 3 (Subclass: Path of the Beast)

Lucy lvl, 3 (Subclass: Phantom)

Lincoln lvl. 3 (Subclass: Battle Master)

Lana lvl. 3 (Circle of The Moon)

Lola lvl. 3 (Divine Soul)

Lisa lvl. 3 (Subclass: Armorer)

Another chapter in the books. A little bit of romance and a possible hard decision for the naive Lana. Will she take the offer or does this animal loving mechanic have a few tricks up her sleeves. This chapter spotlight goes to a returning viewer, Darkness Rissing. Glad you're liking the pairings so far but I think I left a few bread crumbs here and in previous chapters who Lincoln will end up with; just making it a slow burn. Talking, embarrassment, deeper convos, kissing then a romance. That's all for now and until next time, there has never been a confirmed case of candy having anything sharp in them and no pothead will give out edibles (they're expensive). Happy Halloween!