Due to an overbearing parent, a youth spent on the sheltered side of the elven hierarchy system, and an act of injustice, no species should ever have to suffer, Aura holds no kinship towards her race.
All alone on Mount Morte, she couldn't stop her emotions from spilling free. The cruel actions of her father and the reason she decided to abandon her home had plagued her mind since she had returned. The circumstances leading up to the events of her kidnapping had been a major oversight on the elven princess' part, but that wasn't what caused her waterworks.
More than anything in the world, Aura missed her friends.
Not the women in town that she'd grown close with and certainly not the pointy-eared jerks that were badmouthing Abi. No. When she was known as Princess Aura, the young elf had a group of friends called the Paupers.
At half her size, and what tomatoes would like like if they had faces, limbs, and wore proper clothes, the vegetable people never failed to make Aura laugh. The unsociable princess never responded well to those within her age group or those above. She believed they all had secret agendas.
Which they actually did.
Elven nobility was no different to that of any other. Brown nosing. Backstabbing. Bootlicking. Nobility is the same regardless of species. Entitled, unjustified and propped up in society by a generation long gone and laws decreed centuries ago by a higher type of self-serving, dickhead.
Kings can be much worse than the nobility and Aura's father wasn't any better than the last few. Not that it made him a bad father. After years spent apart, Aura came to understand why he gave that terrible order, but that didn't mean she would be able to forgive him. Never.
The princess visited the Paupers every day. Rejecting her father's pleas to make friends in the palace and stay above ground. Maybe if she had done as she was told, she would never have decided to run away. Maybe her friends would still be alive.
She wasn't the friendliest elf. That was a fact, but the friends she did have were enough. They kept her spirits high, and in turn, she played with them for hours. Sometimes until the sun went down. On those days, a safety lecture would be waiting to greet her the moment she arrived.
Regardless of the time, there were always words to be had on her return. Ordering the guards sent to protect her to stay home just wasn't appropriate.
For those reasons, and probably more that she was unaware of, Aura's best friends were gone. The sweetest, kindest souls she had ever met before finding herself in Varona.
Until now, Aura had only felt happiness with the Paupers.
However, after her owner was killed by the mad elf Hiroshi and she was forcefully dragged into the human lands,
Aura is actually happy and still does not want to return home.
Thankfully, Abi isn't the type that would make her do something like that either. Not unless she got on the wrong side of her somehow. Then again, if the events of today are anything to go by, the elven princess might just stay on the mountain for a few more days.
Aura, the Elven Princess
----------------------------------------
As much as I love my Domain, it gets lonely fast, and unless I bring others along with me, I don't usually stay for more than a day or two. Not that this place isn't kick-ass. Honestly, these self-proclaimed gods are living a life of luxury in their domains.
The amount of control I have in my own Domain far surpasses what I can do in my dungeon. Not that I'm slacking on that front other than what I do and do not know. It's just the comparison. It's ridiculous. For example, I can randomize my bookshelf with novels I've never even heard of. How? No idea. But that's just a small fraction of what makes this place unique.
The time dilation, terrain customization, I'm even able to create copies of myself to test shit out on without a DP cost; everything about my domain is amazing. Everything other than how boring it gets. Then again, I'm probably not even using this place to its potential.
I should have brought Becca with me.
Letting out a sigh, I half regret disappearing. Not because I didn't need a break, but because I now know what I'm returning to. It could be worse, however. I could not have a Domain to run away to. Kicking off the chair, I'm back at my tower by the time I land.
"Don't you dare," finishing the warning that started before I left, Assistant A points his finger at me and I can't help but grin. Me acts like my parent sometimes, and as annoying as his lectures can be, at least it makes me feel wanted.
This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.
It's completely the opposite of how that bunch of pointy-eared bastards made me feel earlier.
"Get over yourself, Dad. I've been and gone already." His annoyance is clear and it doesn't end with a scowl. His face is red and there may as well be steam rising from his ears.
"It's not productive when you disappear for days on end. Or... What would class as days if time still progressed for the rest of us... You know what I mean!" His argument is the same as usual. At least his teenage angst has taken a backseat, and he's not complaining about his job.
"But no time has actually passed. How is that not productive? When I'm there, I'm able to think about everything I need to." And cool off, kick back and de-stress from everything going on all the time.
"Well?" He cocks his head to the side and asks a daft question. "Did you manage to come up with a way to solve the problem then?"
Good one, Me. Which problem? The gods? Sis? Me and You?
Fine. Smartass knows damn well I didn't do anything productive. I bet he thinks that I lazed around for a few days recuperating until I got bored. Which isn't far off the mark really, but it's not like I'm going to admit it.
Not a chance.
To be honest, though, his argument might have some validity. Apart from the elves, I can't think of anything else that needs my attention more than them. More so since Aura cussed out every single one the last time we were there. I'm still not sure why she acted that way, but feel like it would be awkward to ask now.
Hopefully, she'll tell one of her friends later and I can just eavesdrop the deets. I could do without having the awkward conversation myself. I have enough of those. Right now, however, we're going for round two.
Not bothering to dignify Me with an answer, I port myself and Becca to the mountain where a lonely-looking elf is wallowing in self-pity. She kinda reminds me of myself when I found out I'd just become a Dungeon Core. Except that she's still got a rocking bod' so buck up princess.
Yeah, I know. Abi the Meanie strikes again. How dare I interrupt her privacy to ask her to come with me again?
How dare I?
Well, it's either this or endure the smug look on Me's face when he finds out he was right. Not that dealing with the elves isn't important. It's the definition of important. Super important. In fact, it's that important that here am, disturbing a crying princess who travelled partway up the mountain clearly to be alone.
Abi the Downright Terrible is more like it.
Unfortunately for Aura, it's tough.
Sometimes in life, you've got to put your big girl pants on and suck it up. Whether you want to or not. More so when your Dungeon Core landlady needs a favour and wants to ditch her overbearing assistant.
"Hey, Aura," I wave as she spins around. Startled at my appearance she quickly tries to hide her tears. It doesn't work, and I pretend like I haven't just interrupted a crying princess with snot dripping from her nose. "Sorry for disturbing you, but I've got a proposition," I don't. I just started winging it in on the spot because it became awkward immediately.
Honestly, I don't know where my confidence goes sometimes. Although, I reckon it's the tears.
"So. Erm... Oh! I've got this," I pull a jade shard from my storage and hold it out to the elf. "This is a piece of my Dungeon Core. It's... It can..." Hmm. What would it do for Aura? Actually. This might not be such a good idea. Who knows what will happen if I let her have this?
Deciding to switch the carrot to something a little less life-threatening, I'm beaten to the punch as the princess takes the shard faster than I can store it. The fragment of my core evaporates into a green mist and her body absorbs it before I'm able to say anything.
Her eyes turn from fiery red to the same jade green as the shard she absorbed. I watch on anxiously, waiting. Hoping. Until finally, nothing else happens. Or at least nothing that I can see. Who knows what's going on inside her body? Aura's the first non-dungeon person to absorb a piece of my core. There's no precedent for what might happen next.
None.
"You didn't even let me get to the offer." I don't know what else to say. I mean, what sort of person jumps in feet first and blind like that? She didn't even hesitate, swallowing that shard like it was dessert from Ali's. Why is everyone around here so reckless?
What if it had been dangerous? What if she'd have died? That shit would have been on me. Is my foresight really that bad? I've never really been one to make plans, but this spur-of-the-moment gig is a fine line to walk sometimes.
Back to Aura though, she didn't even wait to hear what I had to say. Imagine if I'd come to ask Elven Royalty to be Veris' new assistant? I'm not, but what would she say if that were the case? She's already taken payment.
"I'm sorry, Abi. I didn't expect it to disappear. Where did it go?" Is she joking? She doesn't look to be, but the Princess seems fine all things considered.
"What do you mean, 'Where did it go?' You absorbed it!" Aura doesn't look too pleased by that statement and I can't help but sigh. The one time I decide not to do something reckless, someone else does it for me.
"What do you mean I absorbed it? How did that happen? It was a crystal." As Aura checks herself to make sure she's OK, I can't help but wonder how she managed to miss it. Nor can I fathom how other people's thoughts process. Coming to decisions and turning them into actions.
"I... It's... You tell me, Aura. If you were created by me, I could understand what happened and attribute it as dungeon-related. But this? You?" I point my finger at her from top to bottom. "I don't know." Pulling a mirror out, I pass it to the princess who spends a full minute staring at her reflection. Apparently, she's delighted with the changes.
I get it.
Green eyes are cool.
What's not are the stupid situations I keep getting caught up in by not thinking things through first.
"I look like a hero." I wouldn't go that far, Aura. Maybe you've got the looks, but it's what's on the inside that makes a hero. After the vulgarity that escaped your lips this morning, you certainly don't fit that bill. I won't say that to your face, though. Promise.
"That's probably not the only change you'll find, but we can work out the rest later." However, if it improves your attitude a smidgen towards your race, you won't hear me complaining. "Now, we need to go back to the Elven Capital because it's grating on me that we got such a shitty welcome last time."
"Huh?" Aura seems confused. Did I not mention that part? No. I didn't get a chance to, because an impatient elf took it upon herself to throw a wrench in things. "Yep. That's right. That's what I was going to ask before you grabbed my core quicker than a child-snatching witch."
The look on her face makes me feel evil, not that I'm expecting her to fight my corner this time. I just want her present when we meet the King, that's all. For the rabble and hate slingers, I have a different solution.
One that's much more reliable than hedging my bets on a foul-mouthed princess with quick-fingers.