Departures
As they neared Port Sulala, Vordea motioned for them to all stop.
"I'm afraid this is where I must say goodbye for now." She said, a sadness to her voice. "I've been putting off my many duties for far too long to have fun, and I need to take care of business."
"When will we see you again?" Francisco asked.
"Make it back to Gilnas City in one piece, and I'll see you there. This I vow." Vordea said, giving Francisco a big hug. "You've grown so much in the time I've travelled with you. Where there was once a sassy teenager there is now a grown man, eager to carve out his place in the world."
"It's been fun, my Lady." Nalaea said, bowing.
"Don't forget our plans. Vordean Rangers." Vordea said, smiling. Her own elven rangers.
"Wouldn't miss it for the world, my lady. I'll keep traveling with these two idiots, somebody needs to make sure they get back to Gilnas in one piece." Nalaea said, gesturing at Elias and Francisco.
"Fret not Vordea, I shall make my grand entrance to the Great Cathedral and bring down the ceiling." Elias said, grinning.
"They just finished repairing it!" Vordea gasped, laughing. "Father Walsh would kill you!"
Elias, Francisco, and Nalaea all laughed in response, knowing Elias was even more likely to do it now that he knew this.
"Come on, everybody gets a goodbye hug and kiss." Vordea said, moving in to give Francisco a kiss, who was surprised when it was on the lips, but didn't object. After lingering for entirely too long, Vordea pulled away and winked. "Sure you don't want to be one of my priests?"
"Quite sure thank you." Francisco said. "My sex drive isn't up to it."
"Oh you're still such a prude!" Vordea said, pouting.
"Oh oh me next!" Nalaea said, jumping up onto Vordea and latching her legs around her torso.
"There's no rush you-" Vordea started to say, before she was interrupted by a kiss. What began as a kiss quickly devolved into a brief make-out session, before Vordea gently but firmly pulled Nalaea off her and deposited her into Elias's arms. "Kiss him if you're that horny."
Elias waggled his tongue at Nalaea, causing her to giggle and blush a bit.
"Maybe later, handsome." Nalaea said, smoothly sliding out of Elias's arms.
"I suppose this is goodbye for now, Vordea." Elias said, approaching her and hugging her tightly.
"Oh? No kiss?" Vordea asked, teasing him.
"I can't talk and kiss at the same time, and neither can you. I just want to say some things." Elias said, his head buried in her chest and slightly muffled. "I... dammit I love you, Vordea. I desperately wanted you to not be a Goddess, so that I actually had a hope of marrying you, yet here we are."
"You're right that I could never marry you, or even promise myself to just you, Elias." Vordea said, her voice soft and sweet. "But what if I gave you a piece of myself?"
"What do you mean?" Elias asked, still hugging her.
"This was going to be a surprise, when you got to the Great Cathedral. But I don't want you moping the whole way." Vordea said, pushing Elias away. "What you all see before you isn't me. No mortal is capable of comprehending the real me."