Chapter 31 - Eldhaven
After rushing back home to get ready for the trip to the capital, Eldhaven, Lilly found Mia trying to put a hat on Beak’s head. She looked surprised to see Lilly and quickly hid the hat behind her back.
“Lilly! Back already? How did it go?”
Lilly was in a bit of a hurry to get going, but she felt she had to at least explain some of what had happened. “I was found innocent, but he accused Elly of planning everything since we met and using me for some reason. I arrested him and his guards and now I’m on my way to the capital to hand a letter to the king, and I’m planning to use a disguise so he doesn’t know it’s me.”
“Okay– wait… You arrested, no, Elly used you? To the capital?” Mia looked at Lilly in shock, struggling to absorb all the information.
“I need to see Elly. I don’t think she’s been using me, but his arguments made me doubt some things. I’ll just be delivering a letter, and possibly taking one back again. I’ll be disguised, so you don’t need to worry. You can go talk to Adelia if you want a better explanation; I’m in a bit of a hurry!”
Lilly left Mia in the living room and went to put on some fitting clothes for the occasion. They would have to be quite tight since she was planning to fly, and somewhat proper since she would be meeting the king.
‘Ahh, this is making me nervous. but I think I’m the best choice for the job; I’m confident in making it out of there in one piece if they do anything underhanded.’
The amulet remained silent this time, which Lilly chose to interpret as silent agreement. Myndia wasn’t always available to speak, so Lilly was used to not getting a response at times.
With the letter safely tucked under her jacket and her goggles wrapped around her head, Lilly felt ready to leave for the capital. She stepped back into the living room, where Mia was sitting with her hand on her forehead, looking worried.
“Gods, Lilly… I never thought things would happen so fast, although I guess I should have been prepared if they found you guilty. Are you sure they won’t recognize you with that? The hair is rather telling.”
“I’ll be landing somewhere outside the capital to put a hat on, and keeping my hair under it. There shouldn’t be anyone there who knows exactly what I look like, so I think it’s fine,” Lilly tried convincing her while approaching for a goodbye.
Mia stood, biting her lip before leaning in to give Lilly a nervous yet passionate kiss. “... Won’t you take the cuirass? It would be a lot safer.”
Lilly shook her head confidently. “I’m more invincible than that protection. And I would be worried about you.”
Mia wore a resigned look, knowing she wouldn’t win this argument. “Fine then. Come back safely, okay?”
“I promise! I think I’ll be back before dark, but I might stay the night if it gets dark. But don’t worry about me; not even ancient elven assassins can wound me!”
Mia gave a small smile and a nod, and Lilly took that as the signal to leave. “Later, Beak! I might bring you a hat as a souvenir, so look forward to it!”
Mia’s flustered face was the last thing Lilly saw as she left the room, along with a head tilt from Beak. He was a while away from understanding speech yet, but it wouldn’t take too long, judging by his growth.
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Once outside, Lilly donned her goggles and gripped her staff, holding it close to her chest. Her fiery hair started floating around her head as her feet lifted from the ground.
A moment later, she was gone.
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Even though she was able to fly at high speeds, Lilly had never been far away from Thundrel. Her furthest journey was still the trip to the forest, making this a sort of milestone for her.
Now, though, she was already further beyond the city walls than she could even see from the Skyview Restaurant. The hills and forests disappeared as fast as they appeared, giving Lilly a strong sense of freedom.
‘Ahh, this is amazing! I can go anywhere! I could cross the oceans in a few hours at this speed!’
Lands she had only heard tales of were no longer such distant concepts. Foreign cultures with exotic clothing and dishes could be reached in an afternoon. Although the thought of visiting was exciting, Lilly knew she would be living her life in Thundrel.
The wind had started tearing at her clothes rather violently, so she created a barrier in front of her to remove the worst of the wind resistance. The barrier was a bit nostalgic, being the spell she took with her into the forest, hoping to manage with nothing else. She had learned a lot since then.
A few cities popped in and out of view, with varying sizes and levels of protection. Lilly tried naming each of them as she flew past, but she only knew their placement on the map. It was quite different seeing them in real life.
The only way she could be certain of her direction was the mountain range she knew Eldhaven was located next to. The Skyloft mountains had come into view not long after her departure, so she kept a steady course.
‘Going too far west would take me to Dortfell… But maybe that’s where this is all headed in the end. The way things are going, the king might be gone before the war has a chance to end. How much would I be able to help in the war?’
‘Oh, you’re absolutely a force to be reckoned with! Didn’t you test the offensive powers of the staff? Dortfell might have some serious defensive mages, but they never gave me much trouble before,’ Myndia chimed in, ready to give her inputs again.
‘Oh, you think I could determine the war on my own?’ Lilly asked, gaining some more confidence.
‘Well, I would stay clear of the larger battlefields. Even if you can take a lot of damage, they likely have some seriously great firepower. Your best quality is your ability to attack where it hurts, maybe even going directly to their king.’
Lilly understood that combined spells and siege weapons might hurt her if they hit, but she felt that she was too agile for that. On the other hand, Myndia had a lot more experience than her. Listening was probably the smart choice.
‘Directly to the king? Won’t they have protection?’
‘Some protection, sure. But what did that do for the rat bastard? He lost his arm in no time from my staff. Formations could be dangerous, but standing at a distance, or even high up in the air, makes it easy to avoid.’
Lilly nodded thoughtfully. She hadn’t thought much about formations, but she knew enough not to underestimate them.
A grand city was coming into sight, making Lilly slow down and start her descent. It would be trouble if she were spotted, after all. Only the Vermilion Enchantress had a staff like this, making her identity obvious.
Diving in between some trees in a forest, Lilly landed gently on the ground. She jumped around a bit, feeling a lot safer on solid ground than way up in the sky.
After looking around and finding no sign of people, she hid the staff and goggles in some bushes where she would be able to find them again later. The staff would tell her where it was once she got close enough, so she didn’t feel worried about it.
“Okay, time to visit the capital!”
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The gates were heavily guarded, but there were plenty of people both entering and leaving, giving Lilly no trouble getting in. She nodded briefly to one of the guards as she entered.
The city felt similar to Thundrel, but also very different. Buildings were of the same materials, while the structure was more intricate and grand. The roads seemed a lot straighter, letting her see further than she was used to. And finally, there was the slight incline as the city got closer to the mountain range.
Lilly looked around in wonder, letting everyone know she was a newcomer. Some smiled and chuckled at her, while others seemed used to it.
The castle was easy to find, being at the highest point of the city, so Lilly started walking uphill, hoping the road would lead all the way to her destination.