“My interest is in the future because I am going to spend the rest of my life there.”
-Anonymous
Dawn found the two huddled under an old willow tree. The branches sagged towards a small pond, brushing the greenish waters. The thick foliage had kept the ground reasonably dry, so they had decided to camp here.
Alyssa drew upon her few survival skills and got a small fire going.
“Magic sure helps with getting it lit.” Mireille unwittingly denigrated her fire-starting skills.
“Mpf. I would like to see you try. Everything is still wet.”
“Could I have some hot tea, please?”
“Yes, yes. I have seen some herbs that could make a good tea. Wait for me.”
Groaning, Alyssa stood up. Then she went and searched the nearby woods. On the way here, there had been a cluster of lingonberries- Harvesting the berries and picking the leaves, she got back to a softly snoring Mireille.
“Ah, well. It's not as if I were not also tired. Holding watches might sound good in theory, but I doubt we would be up for it. But first, let us have some hot tea.”
While the leaves were brewing, she mashed the berries with a bit of sugar and put them on the hard bread she had heated at the edge of the fire.
Rubbing her arms and blinking tiredly, she yawned. ‘I'm too tired to be terrified. But when- no if!- they should get me, I will most likely be killed. If they don’t do something terrible to me first. Now I am somewhat terrified.’
Trying to get her mind to think of other things, she mustered Mireille. The petite teenager looked far too small for the military uniform covering her sleeping form. If she had not seen her powerful lightning magic, she would have thought her being in the army a bad and tasteless joke. Her red hair draped messily over the tree trunk. ‘It will be a pest to get rid of the tangles.’ Freckles dotted her cheeks and nose. A small scar from some youthful misadventure marred her otherwise smooth left cheek.
“Mireille, wake up. I have made some tea and lingonberry bread.” She softly shook her companion.
“Mmh. Rhys, just a few more minutes. Sarge will get over it.” Pulling the coat tighter, she rolled from her position from leaning on, to beside the tree, which caused her to tumble to the root-riddled ground. “Ouch!”
“Hey! Be careful.”
“Nhg. Now I'm awake.” Sorting herself, she asked hopefully. ”Food and tea, you say?”
“So something I said has penetrated your sleepiness?”
Without further words, Mireille raised her arms aimlessly, groping in the direction of the beaker she used to brew the tea in.
“Here,” Alyssa gave her a cup of herb tea and a slice of trail bread.
She herself used another glass-vial, protecting her hands with her cloak.
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They ate and drank a bit, silently watching the morning light dispel the drifting mists over the pond. They were in a small valley higher up in the foothills of the Erbor mountains. The trees around here were more or less coniferous, with a few exceptions like the willow. The pond was ringed by large bushes, some firs, and their willow tree.
She thanked the god of travel, Varnis, for having bought the traveling clothes. They had stood up to the ravages of the flight far better than feared.
“We should sleep. If there are pursuers, they will most likely be trying to find the vampire girl.” Alyssa mused.
“Vampire!?” Mireille looked alarmed. “But what did I expect? Are there any kinds of undead where you would be glad to know them?” She smiled a bit at that. “And she did seem perhaps too normal for an undead monstrosity. If she were not so strange looking, I would not have thought about her twice.”
“I don't think she is evil. But don’t ask me how I know. And the business about being cousins. Strange.”
“Its cold.” Mireille grumbled.
“You have such a nice warm coat. Don't be greedy!” Alyssa retorted.
“Come here. There is enough of it to cover you too. But I get to be on the inside!”
So they arranged themselves with what cloaks and coats they had and tried to sleep- Exhaustion helping them along.
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It seemed to be late afternoon when Alyssa woke. Mireille was still sleeping soundly.
Carefully extricating herself, she went and washed up as well she could, using the small stream running down from the mountains into the pond.
The water was very cold but refreshing, so she filled up her waterskin too.
Afterward, she searched the woods for more edible roots and berries. While finding some mushrooms in the process, which were growing quickly because of the wet weather, she found a skeleton in a little clearing. It sported an elongated head with rows of needle-like teeth, a snakelike body, and three sets of legs ending in dark claws. It seemed to be the remains of a Basilisk. She shuddered to think what would have happened if the beast were still alive. The mountains around here got more and more dangerous the farther one went, with the unique magic of such places favoring earth and wind creatures. Some of the mountain range was volcanic in nature, so there was even the possibility of a dragon or an elemental.
Basilisks were known for their petrifying stare, which actually did not turn people to stone, as her mother once explained. It simply paralyzed them for later consumption. The creatures not being fond of eating stones like most living beings.
There were legends that the forefather of those creatures was able to turn everything living into crystal and stone. That would have been a sight to see. A whole forest of crystallized trees. This being might not have needed to eat, presumably.
She eyed the claws and then broke off two of them, bringing them back with her otherwise fruitful haul.
“Wake up.” She shook Mireille.
“Noooo. Sleeeev moor.” Came the mumbled reply.
“We have to. Sorry. We should use the remaining daylight hours to get a bit more distance.” She winced a bit at the thought of her sore feet.
Asandria hovered beside her and looked on, seemingly amused. ‘When we have a peaceful moment, I should try to educate you a bit. You are sorely missing in basic magics. Something like weariness or small hurts should be no problem for one of your potential.’
“As if I don’t know.” Sighed Alyssa.
“Who are you talking to?” Mireille suspiciously grumbled.
“No one. Get up. I have some vegetables for a stew. Do you have some food left?”
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“No, did not expect to need it. I am glad to have packed my waterskin, at least. What I would not give for my backpack.” She looked a bit annoyed. "Rhys always said I would leave my head were it not attached."
Murmuring crackling words of fire, Alyssa grew a small flame around her fingers. She waved, and the flame floated slowly onto the cold wood, and soon a brightly crackling fire warmed the roots and berries in the beaker.
“Why don’t you have a normal pot?” Mireille eyed the beaker a bit incredulously.
“When I left, I took what I could carry." She flexed her very modest biceps. "And why ask now? I used the thing yesterday too.”
“Was too tired and hungry, and then I was sleeping.”
“Here, have some vegetable stew.”
They ate and washed their cups before packing their few belongings. Alyssa cleaned the dirty clothes a bit using a household cantrip.
“Before I forget. Here, I found a dead basilisk and got two of its talons. Do you want one? They should make more than decent daggers. Perhaps with time and a bit more knowledge, I could even enchant it for you. Let it be the start of me thanking you for coming along.” Alyssa was a bit red in the face as she said that.
Mireille, grinning, took the proffered black claw. “Aw. That's sweet. Never have been gifted a monster part before.” Before her partner could retort, she continued. “But honestly- That's quite a nice gift. I look forward to you enchanting it. I have faith you will get there.”
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They walked for two days.
The food was never plentiful, but autumn gave them enough plants, berries, and mushrooms to eat, so at least they did not go hungry. They were highly vigilant during their travels but never saw not hide nor hair of a pursuit.
“They most likely tried to help the destroyed village and perhaps chased the various undead. We must seem trivial in comparison.” Mentioned Mireille.
“Don't underestimate a priestess of Ielenia. She has it out for me. Not that I can completely blame her." Alyssa sighed. "I have to mention. I am wanted for defending myself.” She hesitated. “No, I must say it as it is, for killing in self-defense- and it is doubtful they will acknowledge that. A young noble, the son of the local viscount, was trying to...” She stopped.
“You don’t have to say.” Mireille put her hand on her shoulder. “I have seen the wanted poster. You are the infamous dark witch of Firswending. Evil poisoner and concubine of demons. The last was gossip, not part of the wanted poster.”
“Why did you not say anything? I did not want to keep you in the dark, but there was never a good time, and I feared that you would leave me.” The last was whispered. “I felt so guilty.”
“Mh. I forgot about it. It did not seem important. You saved a bunch of people and did not help the evil necromancer. When would you have done your evil villain spiel if not then? So you are not an evil villain. Probably. Also, you seemed nice.”
“How can you be so calm about that!”
“The world is strange enough. No sense making it stranger and worse.”
“That does not make sense. Thank you regardless.” Alyssa smiled.
“Is that a cave, I spy? Sleeping on dry ground would be welcome just about now.” Mireille seemed a bit embarrassed at the relieved smile on the face of her companion.
And indeed, a bit farther up on the hill was a small brook, flowing from a large fissure in the rocky face of the mountain. Beside it, a traversable ledge led into the darkness.
“Could be. But we have to be careful. If it's too comfortable, there is probably already someone or something living there.”
Alyssa spoke and gestured, and a small ball of glowing light floated over her outstretched right hand.
“Nifty.” Mireille grinned.
“Mh. How does your brand work? I heard that your magic is sealed into the spells the sigil allows. Do you still have the ability for small magics?”
“I don’t think so. But it's maybe worth a try. Before all this happened, I could barely get a fire started. But I was pretty good with wind gusts.” Mireille reminisced fondly.
“Perhaps if it's something related to your spells?”
“You would have to ask Rhys for that.”
“Who is that?”
“A friend who is still in the army. She and another of my friends were assigned to a castle near the border of Margrinar. I forgot the name, actually. I wonder what happened to Alan. He was in the army encampment when it started.” She looked troubled.
“You mentioned her before. A good friend?”
“Yes. Let's not talk about it. I will get depressed.” Mireille looked gloomy. "Correction, I am depressed."
Walking along the water on the surprisingly spacious ledge, they saw some older scratch marks.
“Do we continue? It does not look like it happened yesterday, but those scratches look ominous. And are those bloodstains?”
“It seems to get warmer farther in. I would really like to look. There are some hot springs in this part of the mountains. Hot springs!”
“I have never been.” Said Alyssa.
“I went once with my grandma when she still had her business. It was fabulous. The water was so warm.” She shivered in remembered delight. "She always had the best clothes too. Like a real lady."
“Ok. Just be careful.”
They walked into the depths, the arched ceiling high overhead, while the temperature kept rising. There was a faint smell of sulfur in the air. Abruptly the wall to their right drew farther and farther back, the ledge opening up into a large cave. Alyssa raised the glowing orb a bit and intensified the magic. The light threw long shadows.
The cave was perhaps a few dozen meters deep and twenty wide. In the middle sat a small pool collecting the water dripping from stalactites in the ceiling. A small, steaming runoff made its way to the brook bubbling away to the left. The ceiling there was actually leveling off and nearly touched the floor at the far end, leaving only a small fissure through which the water flowed. The wet stone glittered in the magical light.
Besides the small pool, in between stalagmites growing to touch their cousins on the ceiling, lay great dark-brown, green-speckled eggs, each nearly a yard across. Steam wafted from the water. Asandria drifted over and looked at the eggs curiously. In a corner lay a pile of bones, obviously gnawed upon, some sporting decaying pieces of flesh. Thankfully none seemed humanoid.
“What are those.” Mireille went towards them after having a cautious look around. “Mh. Do you think they would make a good omelet?”
Shaking her head Alyssa went toward the pool. “Let's have a look. We already made it this far, and it seems like nobody's home.”
“Ah, what the heck.” She followed after her. “Be careful! Grandma warned that there are hot springs that can cook you to well done in a minute!”
Trying the water, they found it quite pleasant, perhaps because of the way it got there, flowing along the stalactites and then dripping into the pool.
Alyssa was fascinated by the eggs. They went nearly to her hips.
Asandria floated closer. ‘They are still alive. Their mother was protecting them while getting back her energy after a difficult birth. Normally you don’t see so many eggs in one clutch. Without the mother, they will all die, though.’
Alyssa frowned. “Are you sure it was the same wyvern we fought?”
“You like to talk to yourself, or was that aimed at me, and I did not get most of it?” Mireille answered.
Asandria's smile was a bit bitter. ‘I cannot talk to her without you using magic that, at the moment, you do not possess. And yes – I am sure.’
“Ahem. I was only thinking out loud. We fought a wyvern on the way here. Saying ‘we’ is perhaps putting it a bit strongly- I was in the forest and heard a commotion, then I helped an adventuring party- you met some of them at the wagon. Torvak was the leader. The Wyvern and some of his companions died.”
“You live an interesting life.” Mireille grinned.
“I could have passed on the more interesting bits.”
“Let's go in. If the wyvern is as dead as you say and has lived here for a bit, there should not be any other beasties lairing here- right?” she then proceeded to disrobe and went into the pool.
“Aaah. That is fantastic. Take care not to remain too long; otherwise, you might faint.”
Alyssa touched an egg and felt something moving within. A warm presence on the other side of the shell. In the light of her spell, she thought she might even see a shadowy form pressed against her hand. “What are the odds that we come here and find her eggs?” She mused. “But a big flying beast like a wyvern needed a big cave, which would then be more visible.” Perhaps the odds were not that bad. “Sorry, little one. I would have liked for your mother to leave us alone and be still alive.”
“Come in. It might not get cold, but it's annoying being the only one in here.” Mireille called.
Alyssa was feeling a bit embarrassed but got into the pool too. “Ah, that is indeed nice.”
They remained in the water for so long that Mireille got light-headed. Pains and scrapes felt a lot better after they had a good soak.
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Asandria was hovering near the egg Alyssa had inspected. ‘There is an old magical technique which it should be possible for you to learn. It lets you gain a familiar. It's not normally encouraged because the gains are often far outweighed by the drawbacks.’
Alyssa whispered, “Tell me more.”
‘A familiar is a crutch for a lesser spell caster to augment his mana drawing ability and to have someone to spy or carry messages.' Asandria looked a bit snobbish saying that, causing her partner to suppress a giggle. With a raised eyebrow, she continued. 'Some do it for the companionship as the ritual lengthens the lifespan of the shorter-lived partner. The problem is that if the partner dies, the other loses a lot of life force, subsequently shortening their life and harming them greatly. But a wyvern. It would once have been fit for royalty.’ She gave a ghostly grin, some excitement visible in her bearing.
“I think I would like that. Even if the experience was horrible, the monster was dragon-like and somehow even beautiful.”
“What are you mumbling about?” Mireille, having finished drying herself off, came over.
“I think I could perhaps form a bond with one of the baby wyverns.”
Mireille gave Alyssa a complicated look, “You know, we are desperately fleeing imprisonment and death.”
“When you put it that way. I still want to.” Alyssa had a stubborn expression. Whispering to the side, “Mireille can't use the magic, can she?”
‘Sadly, no. The butchering of her perfectly fine magical abilities precludes that.’
“Then explain what I have to do.” She was a bit disappointed but not surprised. Branding being so prominent, there was a lot of talk about it, even if people understood only a little of what it meant.
And Asandria told her.