The dust swirled up in the air as the wind blew across the barren lands.
No matter where his eye went, only soil and wind existed. Not sand. Soil. Dried clay, mixed with sand and other materials Edward couldn't name.
He didn't know why they came here, but the Divine Lord insisted Ericka and Solos be around him, wherever they went. As such, Edward, as the Queen's Guard, had to tag along. He wasn't complaining.
The absence of anyone trustworthy caused Ericka to rely a lot on him and his company. As a result, they grew close to each other. There might be even more to it than pure companionship, that much even someone as insecure and dense as him could tell. But he was afraid to act upon it. As was she.
Edward didn't wish to ruin whatever trust and reliance he had built with her. And, as he glanced at the handsome young man's back, he feared losing his head.
