So much had happened recently.

And yet, Liri ended up in exactly the same position she had been in when she started this journey. Surrounded by likely traumatized survivors of what was just another tragedy in this hostile world.

And, once again, she was leaving them behind to go on her own.

Yes, the elves she'd pitched her idea to wanted absolutely no part of it. At least, not right now.

After what they'd been through, with the deaths of friends and family still fresh in their minds, they weren't about to entertain Liri's plan.

After some discussion, Liri also thought it best to remain away from them for another reason.

The Mother Trees.

It was highly likely, given that the God-King was also a reincarnated soul, that it was through the reactivated Mother Trees that he found her. And, well, Liri planned on activating more of them. It was dangerous, but it was why she'd been sent here to begin with. It was her purpose. Dangerous or not, she would do it.

But, she could at least do her best to keep others from getting caught in the crossfire.

That said, they did give her some valuable information.

"So, this is where we are headed next?" Arisa asked, looking down at the map Liri had been given.

The ven was holding it with one regular arm and one wooden arm. Her limbs had been re-formed and, indeed, the parts the God-King had ripped off had been permanently replaced by Liri's armor.

"Yes," Liri replied. "According to the Elder, there's a small elven settlement located by the western edge of the continent."

The Elder had told her that while they would travel to a settlement found to the south, Liri could try her luck with this idea of hers over there.

Doing so would serve two purposes. One, the Elder guessed that Liri's plan had a higher chance of being more persuasive with a smaller community, and two, it would keep her far away from the God-King.

The farther she was from him, the more time she would have to slowly build her little rebellion, under the table, away from his searching gaze.

[Reactivating more Mother Trees will probably put him on my trail again,] she acknowledged. [But, whatever. Reactivating them is something I can't give up on. It does mean I'll have to stay on the move, though.]

"I-I know I've asked this a lot," Liri said, "but... Are you sure you still want to keep traveling with me?" She stopped, then. Lowering her map, the ven cast a concerned look at Arisa. "I mean, I know you've said that you're willing to put yourself in danger, but... Now that you've seen what we're really up against, has that changed? I think... I think maybe you should consider going-"

Before she could finish asking her question, Arisa put her hands on Liri's shoulder.

Despite the clear gap in power between them, Liri couldn't help but be stunned at the woman's height still. She really was like some sort of huge, buff, dragon goddess. And moments like these, where the other woman was standing so close she had to tilt her head down almost all the way to look at her, Liri tended to forget that she was several times stronger than her.

"Liri, you are right," she said, and the ven's heart dropped. "I have seen what we are up against. Machines, magic, flames, those strange things you call 'bullets', and all manner of other objects I couldn't dream of. I've seen it all. Oh, and I saw 'him'," she added. "The God-King himself. The man who changed the entire world on a whim. I stood before him, face to... mask. And all of it was so, so terrifying."

Liri prepared herself emotionally.

She knew it was coming. It had to have been. The, "I'm sorry, I can't do this" moment where Arisa would choose to part ways. It had to happen, but Liri was already close to crying just from the thought of losing out on the first friend she made on this journey.

But, Arisa followed that up with:

"And, you know what I did as I stood before this horrible deity of a man? I whacked him! Right in the back, with the biggest stick I could find!" She smiled wide, stretching her toned arms to the sides as though to emphasize the size of said stick. "It's a miracle I didn't soil myself. It's a miracle that he let me live too. But, you know what? I'd do it again if I had to."

The drasen woman got on her knees. Now, Liri stood just a couple of inches taller as Arisa took her hands and held them gently.

"I would do it over, and over again, until my life ended. Because I love you." Arisa gave her a corny, downright cheesy smile, that made Liri giggle as she wiped a tear away. "I think you still don't believe me, but that's fine. I will continue saying it as many times as it takes until I can get it through your head. Alright? So, please, now that I have seen the main threat *we* face, do not ask me if I want to leave your side. The God-King would have to tear me away from you personally to make that happen. Do you understand?"

"... Yeah," Liri nodded. "I understand."

"Good. Also, well," Arisa stood back up, scratching the back of her head. "It would be pretty messed up for me to leave the mother of my child as well, don't you think?"

Liri froze.

Looking up into Arisa's warm eyes, with quivering lips, she asked:

"What?"

"Oh, yes," Arisa laughed heartily. "While you were speaking to the elder, I spent the whole last hour puking my guts out."

"T-That's why your breath..."

"Yep!" Arisa laughed. "I don't think I've eaten much today. And, I did see some awful things at the settlement, but the relief I felt upon finding that you were alive all but erased any feelings I may have gotten from that. So, I don't know what else would cause me to have such an episode."

She'd done it.

Alteria likely didn't have the power to confirm it for her, but Liri's primary goal had been accomplished.

Arisa was going to have a kid.

[Oh my...]

It was nearly enough to make Liri faint.

"Hm?" Arisa tilted her head. "Hey, don't have that big of a reaction. Come on! This is only the first of many, isn't it?"

Liri swallowed hard.

"H-Hey!" A voice called out.

The two of them turned toward it.

From the trees, they saw someone familiar.

Caitlyn ran all the way to them. She was out of breath but seemed to feel instant relief as she found them.

"Caitlyn!" Liri called out. "W-What- did anything happen to-"

"You two certainly haven't wasted any time," Caitlyn said, as she got her breath. "No, no. Nothing happened."

"Oh." Liri calmed down. "Then..."

"Isn't it obvious?" Caitlyn asked. "I want to come with you."

Liri was surprised.

Not nearly as surprised as she had been just a moment ago when she found out Arisa was likely pregnant, but still. Quite shocked.

"But... Your people," Liri said, hoping Caitlyn would understand what she was trying to ask.

"They will be fine," Caitlyn replied. "I know where they're headed. It's a desolate place but should be safe enough for the near future. They'll be okay."

Liri and Arisa looked at each other.

"What?" Caitlyn asked. "Why are you looking at me like this?"

"Um, Cait..."

Arisa walked up to the elf.

Putting her hands on her hips, Arisa asked:

"Do you know what Liri's plan entails?"

"Obviously," Caitlyn muttered, looking away.

"Alright. So, do you plan on 'contributing'?"

Her pronunciation of the word was so heavy that even the densest anime protagonist in existence would likely get what she meant.

Caitlyn nodded.

Liri's eyes widened.

"Look, I won't lie to you," Caitlyn began to reply, "I would much rather go about our rebellion the old-fashioned way, with guns, swords, and arrows. But, what I want, at the end of the day, is for humanity to be defeated. And," she walked to the side, "for my people to have a home once more. You were sent here by heaven itself to make that happen, right? If you..."

Caitlyn blushed, holding herself.

This was the girliest she'd ever looked, in Liri's eyes.

"If you believe this is the best way to make that happen, I'd be a fool not to want to participate. So, y-yes, I... I am willing."

Liri's eyes naturally went to Arisa.

This woman was the mother of her child, presumably. In some time, she could even end up being Liri's wife.

This plan revolved around Liri, and yet, with this gaze, she communicated to Arisa that she was to have the final decision.

The drasen just shrugged.

"I am fine with it," she said, turning toward Liri. "I have to be. Your plan demands it. That said, as long as I still hold your heart, then I suppose I can allow this... transaction to occur."

[When you put it like that, it's embarrassing how mechanical it all sounds.]

But, she was right.

Liri likely wouldn't be able to fall in love with every single woman she got pregnant. So, on some level, at least a few of these moments she was about to have in the future would be simple transactions. Or, duties. Tasks to be performed, perhaps it would be better to say.

"Well," Caitlyn said, clearing her throat. "What now?"

That question loomed in the air.

Liri considered it. Smiling back at her allies, she said:

"Now, we begin the healing process. To rebuild the world, one Mother Tree and... one ven child at a time. I... I don't know that I will be able to live up to the expectations that you have for me, that Alteria has for me, but I will do my best. And, if I can make the world at least a little better than it was before I came here... Then, that would be nice."

"I agree," Arisa said, putting a hand on her shoulder. "We shall do our best."

"Indeed!" Caitlyn echoed. "We shall. So... So, uhm..."

"Yeah?" Liri asked.

"Shall we...?" Caitlyn pointed back and forth between herself and Liri. 

Liri blinked. 

"What? Oh- OH! No, no, nononono," Liri shook her head. "N-Not yet... The mood isn't right."

"Ah, m-mood, yes," Caitlyn turned away, nodding. "Not like I spent this whole jog mentally preparing myself or anything. Mood. Right."

On that note, it was time.

Time to begin the rebellion Liri had in mind.

One she hoped would bring some amount of peace to the non-human races of this world.

One she hoped would heal the sickly earth around her.

[I'll do my best,] Liri thought, standing beside her allies. [There's probably only so much I'll be able to accomplish but...]

She looked down at her wooden hand, balling it up into a tight fist. It was a reminder of what pain she could go through in the future, but the good that her powers could do for this world.

Knowing that, two simple words were spoken in her mind.

[I'll try.]

Indeed, that was all she could do.