[Keeno POV]
When I woke up, I was in a very bad mood.
“Ama.”
{Yes Keeno?}
“What has that bastard been thinking?”
{Mostly about killing you and finding some way to curse me.}
“Is patricide allowed in this world?”
{While morally questionable, morals are all subjective in the end, and also, as the Goddess of Death, you decide what is and isn’t worthy of eternal damnation.}
“…Heh.”
{Oh? And what devious schemes are you cooking up, my feisty Fated One?}
“Nothing complicated, though I wonder just what effect my Soul Weapon will have on pitch black souls. Cause I don’t doubt for a second that thing’s soul isn’t pitch black with corruption and malice.”
{…Heh.}
The two of us started to chuckle darkly before snapping out of it.
“That’s for future me to enjoy, for now, focus on going to Vanir. That’s the place Fia went, right? Think we’re going to meet up again so soon?”
{Not soon in the slightest, Keeno. Vanir is several months, almost a year, away on foot. If you travel by carriage you can easily knock about a month off, but from here to there is going to take a while.}
“And that’s the closest Dead Zone?”
{No, there is another between Solheim and Vanir, but you are not ready to go there. It’s located in a country called Odeen.}
“Name aside, why am I not ready for that place yet?”
{The Dead Zone there is guarded just as well if not better than Falheim’s border. The only way into it is if you have express permission from Odeen’s ruler, are one of the people they call Gravekeepers, or are dead. Otherwise it’s avoided, or if someone DOES approach it without the qualifications, they end up with the third one.}
“Hmm. Guess it’s best we avoid traveling through Odeen then.”
{I never said that, just that you have to avoid its Dead Zone for now. Going through Odeen is the fastest route to Vanir after all.}
“Ugh. It’s like dangling a carrot in front of me on a piece of string.”
{Now, now, think of all the fun you’ll have between now and then. I’m very excited to see what you and Pram get up to while you make your way to the Dead Zones.}
“I am too, and speaking of it, I guess I should get Pram. It’s high time we finally set out.”
{Look out world, Keeno Okami, Goddess of the Blue Sun and Death begins her path to ascension!}
“Onward, to conquest, adventure, Divinity!”
{…}
“…”
{“Pfft. Ahahahahahahahahahaha!”}
After Ama and I finished our laughing fit, I exited my room for the last time for a long while and called out to Huginn and Muninn.
“Huginn! Muninn! Let’s go get Pram, then we’re off!”
I heard their acknowledging bird noises and soon enough, they flew to and landed on my shoulders. When they got settled, I made my way through the lodge and out the door. I made sure it was locked and then started on my way to Pram’s home. When I arrived, I found her hugging her mom and dad while Ashe was a little way away, bawling his eyes out.
“Ashe, aren’t you being a bit exaggerated?” (Keeno)
“Not in the slightest! Okami, make sure you protect my sister with everything you have, else I will never forgive you!” (Ashe)
“One, don’t yell at me like that. Two, that’s only natural.” (Keeno)
With tears still streaming down his face like rivers, Ashe gave me an exaggerated nod before his wife started to console him. I looked back over to Pram and her parents. They had just released their hug and, while a little misty eyes, they bode Pram farewell one more time. On Pram’s side, she nodded and walked over to me.
“Don’t worry, I’ll make the two of you proud. The name Karlan will be spread far and wide as healers of great renown.” (Pram)
“You know we don’t care about that, just be safe, have fun, and give it everything you’ve got.” (Mill)
Pram smiled at her mother’s words and the two of us turned and set off for the city gates. On the way I explained to Pram how our first destination changed from Falheim to Vanir as well as how long it would possibly be before we made it there.
“You two are so unlucky when it comes to being intimate, huh. I mean, the first Solar Convergence that you both have time to actually do anything, and it gets interrupted before anything can happen. I feel so bad for the both of you.” (Pram)
“It is what it is. I mean, I AM terribly frustrated, but that just means one more month of waiting. If I’ve made it 18 years, what’s one more month?” (Keeno)
{I also plan on locking my place down next time as well. Then only a Goddess of Space could get in.}
As we passed through the city, we came to the plaza where the Guild was and I stopped.
“Should we let the Guild know we’re leaving?” (Keeno)
{You don’t really need to. Fia let that old angel know you two would be leaving soon.}
“Then off we go.” (Keeno)
The rest of the way to the gate was quiet. Passing by places that have long become familiar, I was filled with the familiar sadness only experience when parting from a person or place. A somewhat sad smile was on my face, breaking through the usual emotionless mask. That sad smile disappeared, however, when we reached the gate. Looking through it at the large expanse of land spreading out as far as the eye could see lit a fire of excitement inside me.
“Pram.” (Keeno)
“Hmm?” (Pram)
“Let’s have the greatest journey this world has ever seen.” (Keeno)
“Yeah. Let’s leave our marks so deep on this world, we’ll be talked about thousands of years from now." (Pram)
"Hehehe.” (Keeno)
With those statements, the two of us took our first steps on our journey.
Chaos Realm:
Fia: Good for them.
Amaterasu: Yep. By the way, how have things been on your side, Fia?
Fia: Good. I’ve just been having to…’reeducate’ some of the wolves in Vanir.
Atmos: If only we could see what’s on your side of things sometimes. Not that I’m complaining about what we do get to see. I honestly really enjoy not having a clue about what’s going to happen.
Fia: …Rasu, is she really a god of Fate? She’s so different from the one we know.
Amaterasu: Honestly, I think I like her personality better. I’d rather deal with pranks than whatever Phobos does.
Atmos: In his defense, he’s trying to do his job in the way he thinks is best. Sure, he’s extremely socially awkward and has a horrible habit of killing the mood, but he really isn’t the worst. I’ve seen so many gods much worse than him.
Amaterasu: I’ll take your word for it.
Fia: Same. Though hearing the perspective of a different god of Fate is actually quite nice.
Atmos: If Luna and Tamamo were here right now, they would say the two of you are crazy. But that’s fine, a little craziness in life is so much better than none at all.
{I also plan on locking my place down next time as well. Then only a Goddess of Space could get in.}
Ama, please. This is totally a flag
I was going to observe much the same, that's definitely flag planting.
Probably she will come to complain about the heat
TFTC!
If they need to travel for nearly a year, why not get some horses or other mounts? Sure, they would need to first learn how to use them, but it would definitely be faster. I'm also honestly kinda surprised they didn't take a delivery quest or something like that to a town on their way. While I'm certain that Fia left enough money for years for them, a little bit more can never hurt. And a letter isn't much to carry with them.
Agree on both points.
I expect this trip is as much about the journey as the destination so I can understand them not starting with mounts, they will likely get some in the future.
I was also expecting them to take a job from the Guild on their way out of town, if for no other reason than to get more/new experiences.
@Tinderox yea, I can see your point in not getting a mount in the beginning. Maybe they'll find some interesting things on the way? Some ancient ruins or something? I think it's still a bit too early for another party member though.
If they took a delivery quest, id feel it would go too similar to luna's story. For the first few countrys nd city's she would always pick a delivery quest. Plus starting off with a delivery quest could seriously limit the freedom of traveling, because you have a fixed destination and most likely a timelimit. Now okami and pram are free to travel at their own pace and are allowed to gradually get used to things.
As for the mount, i got a feeling okami will eventually get something summonable like the traditional skeletal horse or ghost wolf. Maybe huggin and muggin are somehow involved? Flying on their back would sound awesome if they get big enough/(learn to )transform.
@Philipp__3 I'm thinking they're going to pick up at least two more party members to act as her apostles. I'm thinking some sort of dead zone scholar for death and maybe a chimera who is fias' destined partner for the blue Sun
@Cavler then again, this story tends to be unpredictable so i could be 20km off the mark with my feeling. Who knows... wouldn't be the first time, but that is a good thing
@Rad622 Maybe not Fias but Pram's partner. But that's anyone's guess.
While Fia is present through her actions, I think she won't appear in quite some time (Chaos realm not included).
@Cavler Ghost wolf sound way better than skeletal horse IMO. But both are nice ideas and can maybe found in the first dead zone they travel to.
@Philipp__3 who sayed the limit was one? I don't think one is enough for the whole party to travel 
@Cavler That's true. It would also bolster her fighting strength with the death element... Nice one!
And what better place to find these creatures of death than in a death zone?
Then again, seemingly raising creatures from the dead is another thing for normal people to hate her. (Nearly) no one likes necromancy. Nothing worse than abolishing the dead zones (at least in the relevant countries), but seeing dead creatures won't be welcome anywhere.
The only way that I can see this being remedied is by doing more good than perceived bad. So hunting other "bad" necromancers for example. I don't think revealing her status as a goddess this early is a valid option since her strength is still lacking.
Oh, Payto will love this if he doesn't have something planned already or is willing to change it. I also already asked for nya's from half asleep Pram if we don't get a catkin traveling with them.
But, seeing where they'll travel, a wolfkin is more plausible right now if they pick up someone there.
@Philipp__3 I just think that the parity of the Apostle of the Blue sun being the chosen of the apostle of the regular Sun to be more entertaining
@Rad622 same with the apostle of death and pram (aposle of life candidate) right?
@Cavler not necessarily it just seems like the goddesses could have friendly banter about how it took Keenos' Ascension to find Fia a partner
@Rad622 huh... yeah that would be a nice conversation toppic