The Elf Nyëthilhand watched and both Wood Elf and Agere looked at each other as the door slowly closed. Not that she cared what was happening, but the sight of pure terror in his face was uncanny to see. Thankfully she has better things to do that require way more of her attention that this, and, soon enough the memory of that scene was but a passing thought. Richardson sat on a couch near the door and offered both Magna and Elf some biscuits in the shape of a pie.
They are called little pies by the bakers, despite the basic recipe for the biscuits being somewhat the same, the filling is visible and not hidden at all between a “sandwich” esque dessert. More like an open pie, thus making them little pies. Fynsell obviously took the sweets and started devouring them, albeit with a lot of etiquette. Richardson could only drink his tea to hide his smile at such a comic yet relatable scene.
“I believe you have something you'd like to discuss, right?”, Richardson asked with a small smile, yet still visible, while drinking his tea.
Fynsell carefully cleaned her cheek with her personal napkin, “Yes, of course. I want to know if the package is secured and how many people know about it.”
“For the first inquiry, it is safely stored in the room reserved for you, as I personally put it there.”, He explained as he leaned forward, “For the latter, the only people that know about the package are I, you, your guard and Captain Zhivko Polanski.”
“Alright. I guess that's fine, but what about the ship?”, Jay asked in hidden apprehension, “The brigantine is going all by itself to Vyzar?”
Richardson only smiled at Jay, “Of course not. I understand your worries, our ship was originally created for ceremonies, but it was modified to hold more equipment suited for combat situations.”
“I assume we will have an escort. Despite the ship being improved, no transportation this big should go alone.”, Fynsell presumed, patronizing slightly.
“Two modified Sloops-of-War for the big guns and two gunboats. The Sloops will be near us while the small boats will follow by a fair distance. We might need to do a few stops once in a while to fish, since it's five ships to sustain.”, The human explained while checking his notebook, “Even with logistics we still need to meet basic needs.”
“Do you really need to feed the slaves?”, Fynsell asked, annoyed.
Richardson raised a brow, “How else do you think we keep them from trying to rebel? It's not about keeping them fed, it's about not wasting time, and I'd very much prefer not to deal with this drama.”
Jay'Ky was about to say something before Fynsell raised her hand, stopping him, “That's fine. The majority of your sailors are standard marines, so it shouldn't be a bother. I know how it is to keep responsibility on a bunch of buffoons that can't think straight if there isn't someone to tell them what to do.”
“I assure you, Lady Fynsell, your sailing will be safe and smooth.”, The Foreman said with a smile.
“I do not trust that smile.”, She thought.
“Speaking of it, what's the route we are going to take?”, Jay asked.
The Human got up and searched a cabinet, taking a map and unveiled its contents, pointing with his finger the route, “We will be going through the Arno Sea, as you may know. To cut short the sailing by a few weeks, we will go through the Kurig River that is connected with the Sea, passing through the Tenure Islands.”
“The Island of the Pirates?”, Fynsell asked, not getting why to go on such a dangerous route.
“I have done some business with these gentlemen. And with a certain slave on board we might be able to go through the river without any problems.”, He answered, smiling all the way.
“Trusting the success of this shortcut on a slave? Are you serious? Because I am pretty sure I'm not a clown nor the carnival to be entertained by such nonsense.”, Jay sneered at the human, who was not intimidated at all.
Fynsell however, she understood that if this was Richardson they were talking about, with the rumors regarding him as a diplomatic genius and the fact that he is a Foreman, someone that deals constantly with dangerous people, he might have merit on suggesting this, but she can't just disregard the obvious concerns her Guard has, even more when she didn't see a necessity for it.
“Can you tell me why we should go through this path? I can hardly see the reason for not just going around the islands.”, The Elf asked, eating a bit more of the little pies.
“A fair assumption.”, He nodded, “However, we are going to sail with a ship used mostly by stupidly rich individuals. If someone is to ambush us, even if we fight against them, we will surely have great losses and numerous casualties. A brigantine might be modified, but its purpose is not warfare.”
His tone changed from one of a salesman to one of a war general explaining basic knowledge to a recruit. And yes, Fynsell was aware of the ship's purpose and the obvious weakness it has, but they still have the Sloops and Gunboats, hopefully with capable Captains and crew, taking them down is a task nowhere near easy and likely counterproductive.
Then again, she is no sailor, much less a Foreman.
“Fine. If you say it's doable, then all I can do is sail with you.”, She admitted with a sigh.
“Better be safe than sorry. The more I know the less I can be surprised.”
“Thank you, My Lady.”, Richardson said as he drank another cup of tea.
“We should go to your quarters, My Lady. Ensure the package is there, as well as prepare for the sailing.”, Jay suggested.
“I beg my leave.”, Fynsell said in a courteous bow. Not that Richardson needed one.
----------------------------------------
“Hello, Connor.”
Connor was left without words. He was pretty sure that Donovan was either comatose or sold to whatever asshole would buy him. To see him here on this ship going to the exact same place was baffling, but what made Connor's blood boil was the fact that Donovan's neck still had the rune, a rune of a slave. He is a slave, sure. But from what he got, Donovan was supposed to be an important guy in the religion or whatever he did, right? Wouldn't him being sold put the religion in jeopardy?
“I-I… Uhm…”, Connor couldn't create a coherent sentence.
“Sorry for your leg.”, Donovan said, looking at the Elf's leg, “Must be hurting like hell.”
Donovan gave a small laugh, but I quickly disappeared as pain made itself known.
“Fuck my leg! You look horrible.”
Connor couldn't give less of a fuck about his own state looking at the injuries that Donovan somehow endured. He seemed as though he had been whipped, cut, and beaten. His downcast demeanor conveyed a sense of unease, and his voice was notably lower than usual. What on earth happened to him? If he truly was a priest and a better person than Yuri claimed he was two years ago, why is he... like this?
Donovan himself diverted his gaze from Connor, climbing down the bunk bed he was sitting on with a jump, wincing in pain as he landed. He sat down on another bed near Connor, who was even more stunned looking at the Father up close. Somehow, Connor felt as if he got light punishment compared to Donovan. No human being… no, living beings should be like this.
“Gotta say, I am impressed.”, He started saying, looking at the ground with a resigned smile, “Never thought I'd see someone just take a punch filled with Holy Magic and get up like nothing happened. You proved me wrong.”
“Proved you wrong…?”, Connor's awe was replaced by confusion.
Unbeknownst to the both of them, Zagul was carefully listening to their talk. He was going to warn Connor about something, but it's better to let this happen.
“When I got to Koloss after fighting in various countries, I thought that you'd be a pushover, someone that just got lucky thanks to Aurumbras sponsors.”, He explained as he tightened his fist, “You took your time to study my style, to improve your own and gave me one of the hardest fights of my life. Never in my life have I seen someone break ten ribs with a single punch.”
Connor could feel this man's frustrated voice. He managed to hide it very well, but being one of those frustrated people that tried to hide how he truly felt, he could see the emotions of Donovan piling up. Losing that fight was way worse than Connor could really understand, but that didn't mean it was less relatable, at least to an extent.
“Don't beat yourself because of it. That punch almost killed me, for real.”, Connor laughed it off, a genuine laugh, “Why didn't you use it before? Or more than once? I know I would exploit the hell out of it.”
“Of course you would.”, He scoffed, but not offended, “I didn't use it earlier because I couldn't.”
“What? You were too shocked that I got up?”, Connor teased, knowing full well that someone surviving a death blow would strike as impossible.
“That too.”, Donovan nodded in pain, “How could someone, anyone, focus properly after getting up and saying I didn't hear no bell like it was nothing?”
“Gotta admit that it was a pretty cool line.”, Connor grinned slightly, “I always wanted to say that.”
Donovan looked at Connor with a “you are weird” stare.
“I was actually asked by the other members of the church to not use the Holy Magic, as it would be disrespectful to my Goddess.”, Donovan said ruefully.
“What?”
Even Zagul was questioning how exactly that would be disrespectful. Then again, different religions have different traditions, meaning that something that might be considered normal to a culture might be completely different in another, sometimes borderline illegal or even a taboo.
“Orïvah Weerling, The Goddess of Lightning. She teaches us to use our strength for a good cause, for a great purpose. I understood that, but you just… didn't get down… no matter how strong I have struck you…”, Donovan recalled with anxiety, “I was getting desperate, nervous and… and… I couldn't afford to lose…”
Connor grimaced at the pained voice, a voice he himself said quite a few times. One that wanted so desperately to protect something, someone. Yet, there's no good thing he can say to Donovan right now. I mean, what can he say? Sorry for ruining your life? That's just stupid thinking.
“Why you wanted to win so desperately?”, Connor asked carefully.
Donovan raised his head, “I wanted to help the commoners in the outskirts of Askar. When I was freed from slavery there, I was put to be responsible for their wellbeing. At the start I thought of it more to be a chore, not really caring for the lives of others nor their concerns.”
“But they freed you for a reason, right?”, Connor asked while starting to dress in sailor clothes.
“Yes they did. They gave me food, clothes and a path towards my own future. I wanted to be free and to just go back to my old ways of whoring and drinking, but I also didn't want to be ungrateful.”, Donovan stared at Connor, his face showing regret, “I became a slave thanks to my crimes and because I pissed off the wrong people, so maybe I acted more selfishly than I thought.”
“But you took care of them?”
“At first, no. I was just a guy helping with some stuff, but after they showed me their religion… I found my purpose.”, A warm smile showed on his face, “I understood the teachings and would preach about them to the people that didn't have access to it. Eventually the higher priests would make me a Father and send me to the outskirts, where I would help in any way I could. They were so receptive to me, saying I was a strong young man, someone they could look for when troubling times arose."
“I'm not liking where this is going.”, Zagul thought, but didn't act towards it.
“You grew fond of them.”, Connor said, understanding the direction the conversation is going, “Only people that can like you for what you are can really change you. It was the same for me, but I was robbed of that.”
Donovan looked at Connor, his eyes widening slightly, “You had…?”
“Someone that loved me? Yeah I did.”, Connor interrupted, guessing what he was going to say, “Let me give you a piece of advice. Don't beat yourself because of it. I did and it really didn't pay off. I didn't even know what I was expecting to get doing all of that to be honest.”
The human could only stare confused at the Elf, “What… but how could you… get over it?”
Connor finished dressing up and put a hand on his chin, thinking of an answer, “Look, I am not the right person for you to ask that.”
Donovan hesitated, but eventually spoke, “You were hurt, I am hurt. You managed to come up with an explanation, some sort of medicine, a solution or- whatever it is… I need to know.”
“Let me ask you this then,”, Connor stared directly into Donovan's eyes, “Do you think you have failed?”
Donovan flinched, the idea of admitting failure to the people he swore to protect and to provide, it ripped his soul and filled it with dread and rage. Yet, it's undeniable that he did fail on a certain level, but for Connor to ask that, for him to relate to his extent…
“Yes, I did.”
Connor breathed in.
“Failure is often seen as a roadblock, a dead end, or worse, a sign of personal inadequacy. However, some of the most successful individuals throughout history have embraced failure as a stepping stone to success. It's natural to feel hurt, disappointed, or even defeated when things don't go as planned. But it's essential to recognize that failure is not the end of the journey, it's merely a detour, an opportunity for growth and learning. In fact, failure is an integral part of the success equation. It teaches us resilience, perseverance, and the importance of adaptation. Each setback presents a chance to reassess our strategies, refine our skills, and ultimately emerge stronger than before.”, Connor recalled his own moments of weakness.
The moments he just wished everything just stopped, how he wanted the things that hurt him to just disappear and how much he wishes that he could have a tiny bit of power to strike everyone down. These memories however were quickly replaced by the new ones he made, about Yuri taking the time and patience to listen to him and to work out his mind and body, as well as the very twisted friendship he has with Zagul right now.
“It's okay to feel hurt by failure; it's a testament to our mortality.”, Connor resumed, his voice tender and careful, giving a tone that was rather ironic, since it came from him of all people.
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“However,”, But quickly turned his voice deeper, almost like a reprimand, “it's not okay to let that hurt paralyze us into inaction. We must use it as fuel to propel us forward. We must acknowledge our mistakes, learn from them, and then take decisive action to try again.”
Donovan was perplexed by this incredible insightful pep talk. It was almost as if Connor was teaching him a very important and valuable lesson that the Wood Elf also learned. Even so it wasn't that easy to just change with a snap of his fingers. Just thinking about change and how scary it is to do something about this situation fills him with uncertainty and anxiety.
“But… What if I fail?”, Donovan asked, his voice as low as a whisper.
“Oh, don't you fucking do that right now.”, Connor's voice reeked a determined fury, “It's always about the future! Fuck the future! You will keep thinking that you can't and you will eventually fight not to lose, which is the exact thing that will make you lose! Will this action be the correct one, you ask yourself. That doubt leads to preoccupation. Why did I do that, is a question that leads to fury. Instead, take a bet and live what's happening right now! Because you deserve a rest! You deserve recognition! I am not the religious guy in the room and I am offended by how your faith is crumbling in my face! If you live your life right here and right now, the entire world will feel alive! So don't you dare feel sorry for yourself, got it?!?”
Donovan looked at the Elf, who was breathing heavily after all that screaming. Zagul was smirking from ear to ear, reminiscing the similarities between Zagul's speech to Connor and Connor’s to Donovan. The Lacerta could only feel pride and a great sense of accomplishment looking at how Connor developed. Yuri was right, the guy is way better. No need to worry about it. For Donovan, he was speechless. Not even the wisest and most insightful of priests, bishops and even the Cardinals could evoke such a powerful sense of purpose, give someone a will to just live. Preach what you felt, not what you know. If it was anyone else, it wouldn't have nearly the same impact.
“Done yapping?”, Donovan asked.
“Yeah.”, Connor breathed in, “I'm done.”
“Thank you Connor. I guess you made sense there.”, He said with a smile. This time an actual happy smile.
“Well, a man's gotta do what he gotta do.”
Henry, who was waiting for the mood to go down, finally appeared in the room, “Connor, Yuri asked me to call you. We are going to talk.”
“Sure. I'm coming.”, Connor said as he got to the doorway.
“Might as well bring Sir Donovan, don't you think?”, Hughes suggested.
“Why?”
“Well, considering the current circumstances, I doubt he wants to remain as a slaver. Besides, doesn't he remind you of… something?”, Hughes inquired, obviously referring to the betrayal Donovan suffered.
Connor sighed, “You gonna sit there all day? Come on.”
Donovan couldn't reply on time as both Lacerta and Wood Elf left the room, with the former suspiciously looking at the latter.
“What a weird guy.”
----------------------------------------
Yuri has managed to get a secluded room inside of the ship, which is no way an easy feat. With a few lies and a well constructed alibi, he forced everyone to leave the nearby areas of the room. Aside from the True Elf and his guard, no one would be able to enter the room, so the Aborigine could only hope that whatever they would do, wouldn't be near where the meeting was going to happen.
Yuri sat at the table in the center of the room and waited for Zagul to call Connor, and by extension, Hughes. Surely enough, both Lacerta and Wood Elf appeared but when they didn't close the door, Yuri was surprised that Donovan was there as well, which made him raise his eyebrows, but quickly dismissed it. After all, Zagul didn't protest when Donovan entered, so he is kind of okay.
No harm in asking, tho.
“Is he trustworthy?”, The Aborigine asked, pointing to Donovan.
Despite the impolite gesture, it was Yuri who did it. He meant no disrespect.
“I guess.”, Zagul replied in a shrug.
“He's cool enough.”, Connor supplied.
“Pardon me. I was invited here by Connor so…”, Donovan could only give him an awkward stare.
The room fell silent.
For a good while.
Was Donovan supposed to do something?
“Uhh…”
“Alright, let me break it down for you.”, Yuri suddenly interrupted, “We're having this meeting to go over the plan we hashed out on Eldora. We'll walk through each step we gotta take to secure our retirement after all our hard work.”
Connor and Zagul sat down, which prompted Donovan to do the same.
“By retirement, you guys mean…?”, Donovan asked without saying the exact words, but the message was clear.
Can't be too careful around a ship full of Eldorians.
“Yup.”, Connor nodded.
“The first step was to get Connor the invitation to the Colosseum. That way he can fight and pledge for that thing we all want.”, Zagul explained the first steps of the plan.
“And, in case I failed, we were going to try the same with Yuri. The reason we did it with me first was because people don't know about my species that much, so a rarity is usually treated differently.”, Connor explained what was apparently plan B.
“Yeah, luckily we snagged the invitation.”, Yuri explained enthusiastically, “Now, we gotta hustle to lock in either a win, a sponsor, or a sit-down with a Runecrafter. That gives us three shots at making this plan fly, one way or another.”
“A Runecrafter? How would that work out?”, Donovan asked, unsure how this part of the plan would work, “I can see why you guys would need a win or a sponsor. That way you can't be denied a wish, even if it is detrimental to business.”
“The thing is that they won't give us what we want to ask,” Zagul said, crossing his arms in a frown, “Connor, as he said himself, is of a rare species, almost no one knows exactly what they are or how they look thanks to the wars at Vyzar all that time ago.”
“Now that you mentioned, yeah I've never seen a Wood Elf before… well…”, Donovan trailed off in awkwardness.
“Meaning,”, Connor resumed, “That even if I become the next champion of the Colosseum, I won't be able to retire from it. Maybe I can ask for you all, but me? Call it corporate greed, if you will.”
That got a snort of Zagul.
“And to cap it all, we gotta track down a shady Runecrafter who's cool with making a buck off our situation. Then, we hustle for wins or sponsors to get the cash flow to pay them off. If we can't pull off either of those, we're stuck working our butts off forever.”, Yuri finished with a comically stern nod, which the other two acquaintances mimicked.
“And… why are you telling me this?”
Yeah, why are they taking their time to explain all of that to him? Do they trust Donovan to the point that they can share sensitive information like this? What if he tells someone about it? He can get benefits, even small ones if he tells them about this. Didn't they think about it when they were so eerily silent at the start of the meeting?
“Donovan.”, Connor said.
“Uh? Y-yes?”
“If you are here, that means you were sold to Richardson, right?”
Donovan paused, sweat going down his face. He felt hurt at the memories of his supposed friend and superiors, so remorselessly selling him for a bag of Pecunious. He gritted his teeth, because there was nothing he could do, no protests he could've made, not only because of his injuries but also because of the rune in his neck. They sold him right after he lost to Connor. Why? He could still fight in other countries, get money to pay the debt, even if not fully. But they still decided to sell him, aiming for a short term profit.
“Yes.”, Donovan managed to say between pursed lips.
“Can you say you were betrayed?”, Connor asked, his voice being incisive about it.
As if a dart hit the bullseye, Donovan jolted, ever so slightly after the mention of the word betrayal. Not even his friend Arthur said something, not even a small objection. He accepted the outcome without doing anything. But can he really say that he was at fault by abstaining? The Archbishop and Cardinal were there, personally watching the progress Donovan made and judging everything that happened with an iron fist. The training he did before Connor's fight was inhumane, being beaten down in constant fights with the knights of Askar and healed by the priests to increase his endurance, as well as teaching him more about wrestling by constantly slamming him into the ground.
He has faith in Orïvah Weerling’s teachings, but what about Askar? Can he really trust them?
“I think I can.”
“Do you want to continue as a slave?”
“No.”
“Then that settles it.”, Connor laid down on his seat, feeling satisfied.
Yuri looked confused by all of this while Zagul was just staring at Donovan, silently judging him.
“Alright, so with all the trust stuff sorted, even though I'm not quite clear on it, there's something else we gotta spill, Donovan. But swear to keep this super hush-hush, okay? Like, it stays in this room, got it?”, Yuri got back to the point.
Everyone refocused their attention.
“Got it.”, Donovan replied with a determined face.
“Aight, Connor. Do ya thang.”
Connor opened the palm of his hand while Zagul was quick to go to the doorway and serve as a watch dog for any unwanted guests. At first, nothing really happened, but eventually the Elf's hand started to glow, with… metallic parts starting to form on top of it, making a star looking-ish artifact. That puzzled Donovan's mind, but not as much as the next thing that happened.
“I say, Lad, you can't exactly blame me this time, can you?” Hughes said in an eye frown, his voice clearly annoyed, “After all, you're the one who summoned me, eh? Rather keen to avoid any scolding, if you don't mind. That exchange was a bit of a bother in itself, I must say.”
“Don't worry, Hughes. This time we are fine with you appearing.”, Zagul said from the doorway.
“As you wish, Sir Zagul.”, Hughes started floating around the room.
“What? That-? But-?”, Donovan was so confused that he interrupted his own sentences.
“So, you want the over-the-top super detailed explanation or just a quick and swift abridged version?”, Connor asked, posing dramatically to both suggestions.
“The latter, please.”, Donovan said, still confused and eyes locked on the Star Soul.
“Hughes and Connor are a Twinsoul, a living being that has two souls inside of their body.”, Zagul explained as he returned to his seat, locking the door, “That's the most summarized way I can explain it.”
“A Twinsoul? This is also the first time I've heard this term.”, Donovan pondered.
“So did we, dude.”, Yuri sighed, “Gotta be honest, I have no clue what that means and I have more time to think about it than you did, Don.”
“He is also the reason why my leg wasn't amputeed, mind you.”, Connor groaned, “But I assure you that he didn't do anything aside from protecting my leg.”
Connor was visibly in pain, since Hughes wasn't using his magic to diminish the pain the Elf felt.
“Can it use magic?”, Donovan said with surprise.
“Yeah, he can use it.”, Connor warned the human believer.
Donovan could only give an apologetic look.
My magical prowess extends solely to protective measures, as far as my experiments have shown.”, Hughes said in a classic English tone of voice, “Admittedly, I would relish the opportunity to possess a broader array of abilities, but regrettably, that remains beyond my reach. It was nigh on impossible to circumvent the Rune on Connor's neck without inadvertently causing his demise. A circumstance I am keen to avoid, as it would spell my own end as well.”
“I assume that if you die, Connor dies too, right?”, The faithful human asked.
“A fair assumption, indeed. Regrettably, that is not the case, for the Lad would continue to live even if I were to meet the Grim Reaper.”, Hughes looked at Connor, giving a nod.
Well, as much of a nod as a floating metallic Star could.
“Alright, but why are you showing me… him?”
“I don't like lying.”, Connor said, “Nor do I like omitting useful information. For example, Hughes, can you use your protective magic on other people?”
“That would be possible, yes. Although it would take more time, Lad.”, The Star explained while floating atop of the table.
“Yeah, that's part of it, but we need to trust you too, Donovan. Can we sleep soundly knowing you have all this info? Can we count on you to help us secure our retirement? Can we have you on our side in any way?”, Yuri was somehow being formally informal while speaking, “If you can say yes without any doubt, then we'll do everything we can to help you too. Are we good with that?”
Donovan met the stares at him with equal determination, “Yes. I promise, in the honor of the deity I serve, that I will help in this plan in any way I can possibly do.”
“Any objections?”, Yuri looked at the three others at the table.
“Not any I can think of right now.”
“Nah, he is legit.”
“I trust Sir Donovan.”
Yuri nodded, “Then the meeting is over.”
Zagul got up and unlocked the door, “Connor, go meet Richardson. You can't do hard work, yeah, but you will-”
“Please, tell me it's something else aside from paperwork.”
Henry was honestly questioning if Connor's own soul was leaving his body. Does he really hate paperwork that much? Hughes made sure to hide himself, which brought some relief to his leg.
“Are you good with math or geography?”
“I guess? I can read Petruvian, so math shouldn't be a problem, especially with Hughes at my… side.”, Connor almost said insides, which sounds… weird.
“Then you will serve as our guy to look at the map, so we don't get lost in the sea.”, Donovan said, patting Connor on the back.
“I'll work my ass too. Need to keep appearances after all.”, Yuri said as he left the room.
“Fucking hell…”
“Ha! Haven't heard that in a while.”, Zagul laughed.
“Fuck off!”
Donovan just looked at the banter that ensued. Despite them being somehow way more offensive to each other, they still looked like good friends. Actual friends. Maybe he's been focusing too much on having a purpose, ensuring others had the opportunity to feel happiness that he didn't give himself that luxury. Maybe he can experience it now with these globs.
Maybe.
----------------------------------------
Fynsell was in her room, writing the first of many reports she needed to document as she rode the ship. The idea that they need to cross a river, probably negotiate with pirates and have the ever-present threat of them possibly backstabbing them to get even more money made her angry. Even more the idea that so many slaves are inside of the ship, more so a crippled Wood Elf boarding the ship. Why is he here in this state? Why is there a Wood Elf here? That just didn't make sense to her.
On more important and sensitive matters, the Draconic Iridium is indeed stored inside her room, behind a bookshelf through a hidden mechanism that can only be accessed by a code that, as far as Richardson told, only he and Fynsell knew of. She opened the compartment and indeed saw the Orange Crystal there, sitting ever so peacefully. Looking at it, someone might never think it's a weapon of mass destruction, not because the crystal itself can destroy, but the people who want it can.
The deal that Galadar, her father took. She still shivers in disgust at the memories. At her father's inability to think of another way to allow Fynsell to live. Everyone wanted her dead after rumors were spread and investigations were made about her arcane incapabilities. Galadar accepted a deal that would ensure that the girl would live, at the price of the Nyëthilhands own freedom.
Fynsell clenched her fist, crushing the pen she was using to write down the report.
Jay looked at the face of the troubled Elf, “My lady?”
“It's nothing, Jay. I'm just stressed about the future events.”, She lied courteously. A skill she developed thanks to her position in life.
“We are going to sail in a few minutes. Maybe you need to play a game. May I suggest checkers?”, Jay said with a polite smile.
“Too simple for my taste. And honestly, I doubt anyone here can beat me in checkers.”, She snorted.
“Even me? Now I take that as a challenge!”, Jay pouted, which was weird considering his age.
“Any other suggestions?”
“Battleships?”
“Too luck based. As well as reliant on player reactions.”
“That can also be said about poker, my Lady.”, Jay deflated to the debasement of poker and battleships.
“I am not taking that back.”, Fynsell smirked, teasing her guard.
“Fine. To the classics then. Chess?”, Jay offered in a defeated gesture.
Fynsell thought about it. She had been taught the game as a child, her father believing it to be an essential skill for understanding the intricacies of warfare and diplomacy. She knew that accepting the offer would not only be enjoyable but also an opportunity to showcase her strategic prowess in a socially acceptable manner.
The fact she could decimate her political enemies in public, in such a courteous manner never ceases to amaze herself.
“Very well, but who will I play against?”, She asked as she closed the notebook she was writing the reports.
Jay, already with the game box in hand, wondered to himself, “We will find out.”
“Sure. Lead the way.”
Zagul sneezed, even though he was not sure why.