The cool evening air of the town greeted us the exact moment our entire gathering stepped away from the restaurant's threshold and out onto the quiet streets. The town was incredibly peaceful at this late hour, with the faint glow of lanterns casting long, flickering shadows against the walls of the surrounding wooden and stone buildings. We formed a loose line as we began our walk back toward the inn, our footsteps echoing softly in a steady, synchronized rhythm against the ground. King Nishighi walked near the front with a grand, measured stride, while Ishighi, Hanashighi, Zhandra, and Celes maintained a calm and orderly pace just behind him. Sir Vael walked a few paces away, his posture finally relaxing now that he was free from Lucian's constant, deliberate attempts to annoy him during our celebration dinner. Alongside them, Celdrich and Euphyne chatted quietly in hushed tones, enjoying the gentle evening breeze that swept through the narrow streets and alleyways of the town. Elphyete and I walked close together, keeping a watchful eye on our immediate surroundings while Lucian walked nearby, still looking incredibly energetic and alert after waking from his deep state.
As we continued to make our way deeper into the heart of the quiet town, the ambient noise of the restaurant completely faded into the distance, leaving only the sound of our collective footsteps and the gentle rustling of leaves in the nearby trees. The path twisted slightly, guiding us past small shops and closed storefronts that were completely dark for the night. Salphy was walking right alongside us, her small strides keeping up with our larger steps for a considerable portion of the journey. However, as the walk stretched on, her movements began to slow down slightly, her feet dragging against the ground as the fatigue from the long, eventful evening finally began to catch up with her. She looked up at the night sky, her eyelids growing heavy with a deep drowsiness that she could no longer easily shake off. Suddenly, without any warning, Salphy moved closer to my side, reached out her small hands, and tightly clings to me, wrapping her arms around my clothing to stop me from walking any further ahead. She tilted her head backward to look directly up into my face with an expression of pure, exhausted innocence, and she said, "Daddy, carry me please." Her small voice was incredibly soft, quiet, and filled with a sweet, sleepy weariness that clearly showed just how tired her little body had become from all the walking we had done throughout the town.
Hearing her gentle request, I immediately came to a complete stop on the town walkway, looking down at her small, tired figure with a warm and gentle smile. I bent my knees and leaned down toward the ground, extending my arms forward to carefully lift her up into the air. I carried Salphy securely against my chest, lifting her weight with ease and adjusting my hold so that her small legs were wrapped safely around my waist while my arms provided a solid, comfortable platform to support her. She immediately leaned her entire upper body forward, resting her small head heavily against my shoulder and letting out a long, contented sigh as she finally relaxed completely in my arms. I straightened back up to my full height, making sure she was perfectly balanced and secure before I took my first step forward to resume our walk back toward the inn. The moment I began walking again with her resting quietly against my shoulder, Lucian, who had been walking just a few steps to the side, suddenly stopped dead in tracks. He turned his head sharply toward me, his eyes widening to an absolute, unbelievable size as he stared at the scene unfolding right in front of him. Suddenly Lucian looks at me with an incredibly weird, utterly bewildered, and deeply shocked look on his face, his jaw dropping slightly in absolute disbelief as he tried to comprehend what he had just witnessed. He looked continuously between me, the sleeping girl in my arms, and Elphyete who was walking right beside us, his mind clearly jumping to the most extreme and chaotic conclusion possible. He pointed a shaking finger directly at us, took a quick gasp of air, and asked me in a loud, incredibly stunned voice, "You and Elphyete had a kid?!!!!?? How long have I been in a coma??" His words were filled with absolute panic and confusion, genuinely believing that an entire lifetime or several years had completely passed by while he was asleep in the inn bed.
The sheer drama and absolute shock in Lucian's voice caused a few members of our walking group to glance back over their shoulders with quiet amusement, though we kept moving forward along the town street to avoid blocking the path. Elphyete's cheeks turned a faint shade of pink at his incredibly loud and sudden exclamation, but she simply offered a gentle, amused smile as she walked tightly by my side. I looked directly over at Lucian, keeping my voice calm, steady, and perfectly clear so that he could immediately understand the reality of the situation and stop panicking. I just said to him that he's been in a coma for a few months or so and that we just adopted Salphy, speaking the words plainly to completely clear up his massive misunderstanding. I explained that time had not passed by nearly as fast as he thought and that the small girl resting in my arms was a relatively recent addition to our lives through adoption, rather than being our biological child born during his absence. Lucian listened to my explanation, his wide eyes blinking rapidly as his brain slowly processed the new information and adjusted to the fact that he hadn't actually missed out on years of history. He let out a slow, breathy sigh of relief, lowering his hand and shaking his head slightly at his own wild imagination, though he still kept a highly curious eye on Salphy as we continued our journey. The entire group maintained a steady pace, navigating the final few turns of the quiet town streets until the familiar structure of our lodgings finally appeared ahead of us under the pale moonlight.
We've arrived back at the inn after our long walk through the town, stepping through the front entrance and into the quiet, welcoming warmth of the building's ground floor. The lobby was completely silent and dimly lit, preserving the peaceful atmosphere for the guests who were already sleeping throughout the establishment. We all gathered briefly near the base of the wooden staircase, checking in with one another one last time after the long, celebratory evening. King Nishighi turned to his companions, offering a silent, dignified nod of his head before leading Ishighi, Hanashighi, Zhandra, Celes, and the others toward the upper corridors. Sir Vael gave a tired wave of his hand, looking immensely grateful that the day was finally drawing to a close, and walked off toward his own quarters without a sound. Celdrich and Euphyne offered us a warm, quiet goodnight, their voices barely above a whisper so they wouldn't disturb the resting girl in my arms, before they turned and walked down the hallway to their respective rooms. Lucian, still looking a bit reflective but thoroughly exhausted from his first full day of activity, gave us one final nod and quietly made his way to his designated sleeping quarters. With everyone else successfully accounted for, the others went back to their rooms, leaving the hallway completely empty and silent. We turned away from the main stairs and walked quietly down the familiar corridor, navigating the narrow space with careful, silent steps until we finally arrived directly in front of our own door. I reached out with one hand while keeping a firm, secure hold on Salphy with the other, turning the doorknob slowly and pushing the heavy wood open. We went into our room, stepping over the threshold into the dark, quiet space and closing the door perfectly shut behind us to seal out the rest of the world.
The room was incredibly peaceful, with the soft light from the town streets filtering gently through the windowpanes and casting a calm, silver glow across the floor and the large bed. I walked slowly over to the side of the mattress, moving with extreme care to ensure that I wouldn't accidentally jar or startle the small girl resting heavily against my shoulder. I leaned down over the blankets, gently lowering my arms and sliding them out from beneath her form as I placed her softly onto the surface of the mattress. Salphy went to bed and instantly slept, her body completely relaxing the exact moment her head touched the soft fabric of the pillow. She didn't even open her eyes for a single second or make a single sound as she transitioned from her shallow doze into a deep, uninterrupted, and profoundly peaceful slumber. Her breathing became incredibly slow, steady, and rhythmic, filling the quiet corners of the room with a soft, comforting sound. Elphyete moved quietly around the other side of the bed, carefully pulling the heavy blankets up over Salphy's small shoulders to keep her perfectly warm and comfortable throughout the cool night. We both stood perfectly still at the bedside for a few brief moments, simply looking down at her peaceful face and feeling a deep, shared sense of tranquility wrap around us.
Once we were completely certain that she was safely tucked in and experiencing a wonderful, deep rest, Elphyete and I went besides Salphy as well, moving with total silence so we wouldn't break the peaceful atmosphere of the room. We slipped carefully beneath the covers on either side of her, settling our bodies down onto the soft mattress and resting our heads against the pillows. Salphy didn't even move a single inch when we joined her, remaining completely motionless, perfectly still, and entirely locked in her deep sleep, completely undisturbed by our movements. The room was absolutely silent, with the gentle moonlight continuing to trace soft patterns across the blankets. Suddenly, Elphyete turned her body completely toward me in the dim light, her eyes shining with an incredible warmth and affection that filled my heart with pure joy. She reached out her arms, wrapping them securely and tenderly around my shoulders, and suddenly Elphyete kissed me while hugging me with a deep, gentle intensity that expressed all the love and gratitude she felt. She held onto me tightly, pressing her body close to mine and refusing to let go as we lay there together in the quiet sanctuary of our room. She maintained that warm, protective embrace, keeping her arms wrapped firmly around me while hugging me till we fell asleep, our breathing gradually syncing together in the dark until our eyelids grew completely heavy and we both drifted off into a deep, peaceful slumber alongside Salphy.