“I need to prepare. See you later.”

Rinaldo walked out of the room with a sense of dread in his stomach. What was he getting himself into? When he reached the main hall, he saw a whole crowd of people. Some of them were talking excitedly; some were carrying things, and some were just standing there.

He hurried over to his room to gather his things and closed the door. It didn't take long for Rinaldo to put his things down and get ready. He did not know what he was getting himself into, but he felt prepared for what would happen next.

There was a knock on the door. Rinaldo walked over to the door and opened it. “Yes?”

Olivia stood in the doorway. She was looking back into the room, her face a picture of worry and concern. “Can I come in?”

Rinaldo let her in. “Of course.”

Olivia slowly walked into the room and looked at Rinaldo, her eyes full of uncertainty. She tried to maintain a neutral face, but was clearly worried about something. Rinaldo wondered what was troubling her.

“Is there something you wanted to tell me?”

“I'm worried about you,” Olivia admitted. “I know you're only trying to do what's right, but you could end up dying, or worse.”

“I'm willing to risk my life to protect everyone here.” Rinaldo looked Olivia in the eye. “I understand why you're worried about me, but I can assure you. Everything will be fine.”

Olivia shook her head. “You can't know that for sure. I'm going with you.”

Rinaldo looked at her, trying to decide what to say. He wasn't sure how she would react to his words. “Olivia, you can't come with me. This is a dangerous mission.”

Olivia didn't want to listen. She insisted they go together. Rinaldo tried to reason with her, but to no avail. Olivia was adamant that she had to go with Rinaldo. It didn't matter how it seemed. She was going to come with him.

She stood up and walked towards Rinaldo. “Listen to me, Rinaldo. If anything happens to you, I will never forgive myself. I have to come with you.”

Rinaldo stood there as Olivia approached him, reaching out with her hands. He looked into her eyes, seeing a reflection of her deep thoughts. Rinaldo couldn't say no. He would rather die than see Olivia unhappy.

He took her hands in his and looked into her eyes. Olivia looked into his eyes, trying to hold back the tears threatening to fall. She seemed very nervous. It was an awkward moment. Rinaldo tried his best to smile.

“Alright, alright. I guess you can come.” Rinaldo finally accepted her request, hoping he wasn't making the biggest mistake of his life.

Olivia was fighting against herself, against her own emotions. Finally, she burst into tears. She buried her face in Rinaldo's shoulder, weeping and feeling like she would throw up. She wasn't thinking straight.

The emotions were too overwhelming. Olivia tried to hold back the tears, but she couldn't. She broke down and wept in Rinaldo's arms. “Thank you, Rinaldo. You don't know how much this means to me.”

Rinaldo wiped her tears away with his thumbs. “I'll do everything in my power to protect you. I'll take care of you.”

“I love you, Rinaldo.”

Olivia leaned in and kissed him, leaving Rinaldo with a warm feeling. His heart pounded as she touched him. The feeling of her lips on his was terrific. He did not know how long the kiss lasted, but he could feel it was very long.

“I love you too.” Rinaldo held Olivia's face gently in his hands. He loved Olivia and knew it would be long before he found someone as wonderful as her.

Olivia broke the kiss and hugged Rinaldo. “I'm sorry, but I just… well, I couldn't resist. I just… I'm sorry…”

Rinaldo smiled. “It's alright. I'm just glad to have someone like you at my side. I think I'll finally have my heart's desire.”

Olivia returned his smile. Rinaldo put his arms around her, hugging her tightly. He was the only person who had ever held her, and it felt good. It felt natural. Olivia said nothing. She was feeling too overwhelmed.

Her only thought was just to stay there, holding Rinaldo, hoping she wouldn't forget how he felt. Olivia wasn't sure if touching him was a good idea, but she couldn't help herself. It felt right. She knew what she wanted, and she wanted it right now.

“I… I…” Olivia struggled to find the words. She knew she had to say something, but didn't know what to say.

“You don't have to say anything.”

The second kiss was even more intense than the first one, and this time, Olivia didn't have to fight back her emotions. They continued to kiss, their bodies slowly becoming entwined, as they held each other in their arms.

Neither of them noticed when the other one moved. All Rinaldo and Olivia could think of was each other. The two knew they had to make it last. The last thing either of them remembered was feeling one another's lips, the warmth of their bodies, and finally, a spark of passion.

They didn't notice the time. The two were lost in their own little world, a world filled with only them. Rinaldo and Olivia were completely caught up in each other. They felt like a single entity. It was almost like they were one being, an extension of the other.

The feelings were indescribable. Rinaldo felt as if he was in another world. He could sense her skin, and her hair was against his lips. Rinaldo could see her heart beating, her lungs breathing. He could feel the air around her body.

It was almost like there was another world that Rinaldo could explore. He felt like he was experiencing a miracle. His feelings were pure joy. “Olivia… you're a miracle. You're the most wonderful thing I've ever seen.”

“Rinaldo…” Olivia didn't know what to say. She couldn't say it. She wasn't sure how to say what she wanted to say. The way she was feeling was so overwhelming.

“What is it, Olivia?”

Olivia didn't want to say anything that would ruin the moment. “Nothing, really. I just wanted to tell you…”

“What is it? Tell me.”

Olivia couldn't believe it, but she could tell Rinaldo really wanted to hear what she had to say. She had to explain. Rinaldo wanted her to be honest with him. He would never hurt her or be angry at her. He would love her no matter what.

“Rinaldo, I…” Olivia almost choked as she said the words. She had to say it, to get it out.

“Spit it out. Whatever it is.”

Olivia shook her head. She didn't know how to put it into words. She took a deep breath, looked into Rinaldo's eyes, and blurted it out. “I'm a witch.”

Rinaldo was still trying to comprehend what she had said. “What do you mean?”

“What I'm saying is… I'm not human.”

Olivia looked down, knowing she had to reveal this to Rinaldo eventually. When she looked at Rinaldo's face, his eyes seemed to widen at the revelation, but it didn't look like he was surprised or frightened. In fact, it seemed to have not affected him.

Rinaldo held Olivia's face gently, making her calm down. “Don't worry. You'll still be my Olivia. Nothing's going to change.”

She smiled, though, as she realised Rinaldo would never hurt her. She could be herself around him. He wouldn't judge her. She felt safe. “Thank you, Rinaldo. Thank you for everything.”

“You don't need to thank me. I'm here for you. And for now, I'll keep you safe.”

The two of them were holding hands, her hand in his, his hand on her hip. They felt like a natural fit. Rinaldo gently moved closer to her. He wrapped his arms around her waist to make her feel safe. Olivia had no fear, at least not of him. She was afraid that something might happen on their mission.

“What do we do now?”

“We've got to get moving. We don't have much time.” Rinaldo pulled away from Olivia, letting go of her hands. He looked deep into her eyes and smiled.

Olivia looked back at Rinaldo. She smiled at him. Rinaldo was relieved to see her smile. She looked a lot more relaxed now, and it showed on her face. They made their way to the main hall, hurrying past the many people in the hall.

The palace was emptying as people went off to prepare for the trip. Many people were packing things up, and others were looking in their bags to ensure they had everything they needed. Rinaldo noticed the crew had loaded some bags of provisions into a large airship outside.

The airship was a massive dirigible, protected by a durable frame with a heavy-duty envelope. The airship captain, Ahab, was an older man with dark hair, and a deep tan. He was giving commands to the crew of six other men and women.

“Everyone, get to your stations. We have no time to spare. We must leave at once.”

“Yes sir.” They called back in unison, doing as the commander commanded.

The crew dispersed to their stations. The captain looked at the small group of soldiers and motioned for them to follow him into the airship. “Good luck to all of you.”

Olivia and Rinaldo followed the captain, making their way to one of the airship's many compartments. Supplies and equipment, all neatly packed together, filled them. The airship could hold an immense number of people, and they could board it with no trouble.

Inside the compartment, there were bunks and lockers. Rinaldo found a bunk, and Olivia headed to a locker to stow her gear. Rinaldo looked around and saw that there was also a toilet, a sink, and a food area.

The soldiers boarded the ship last. They made sure they had loaded all the supplies before climbing in themselves. Rinaldo and Olivia followed the others. The crew pushed the propellers into the ground and sealed the airship's door. It slowly rose into the air.

Rinaldo smiled and hugged Olivia, who laughed. They climbed to the ship's top and sat down, watching as the others settled into their seats. Rinaldo watched as the crew finished preparing the airship for the journey.

They heard a woman shout, “The airship is ready for departure!”

“Good. We don't have any time to spare, and we need to be on our way.” The commander smiled. The man turned to his crew. “Let's go!”

The crew shouted, pushing buttons and levers, and the propellers slowly spun. The airship flew away from the palace, heading for the northern mountains. Once the airship reached altitude, it soared. It flew over the peaks, heading for the Black Sun's fortress.

Rinaldo looked out of the window as the airship sped up. He saw the ground rushing away beneath the ship, which rose higher. “It's beautiful, isn't it?”

“It sure is.” Olivia smiled at him. She held her hand in his as they looked out the airship's window. They watched as the palace shrank beneath them.

“Not as beautiful as you, though.” Rinaldo gently brushed a lock of hair from her face. “You look amazing, right now.”

“Shut up. You are the one looking amazing, but, yes, I am beautiful.” Olivia laughed. “I'm even prettier when I'm not crying, you know.”

“I know. You've got that sparkle in your eyes. A lot more sparkling than a bunch of tears could make. You're beautiful just like that.”

They spent the rest of the journey gazing out the window, taking in the view. It was peaceful, and relaxing. When the airship descended to the ground, the two realised the peace wouldn't last forever.

A couple of hours later, they reached the fortress. As they arrived, the airship's crew let the propellers slow down. They let the airship drop to the ground, and the crew hurried off to take it down, leaving Rinaldo and Olivia to disembark.

Rinaldo made his way off the airship with Olivia. He looked out over the valley and spotted the fortress. It was a castle-like structure with many towers and high walls. The structure dominated the valley, which Rinaldo knew would help the cultists defend the location.

It was a formidable structure, and he knew things would get more dangerous once they reached it. Rinaldo also knew the cultists would not allow them to enter the fortress. They had to fight their way in, which would be the hardest part.

Olivia wondered how they were going to get inside the fortress. “Are we really going to go through that?”

“We have no choice. Let's do this.”