CHAPTER 18
TWO BIRDS WITH ONE STONE
After catching up with Leila, I decide to grab a few books from my room. When I’ve settled on the titles to carry with me, the campus grounds exploration begins!
Hopefully, I’ll be able to find a nice spot to read, this will also serve as my post-meal walk. Hitting two blood-sucking, bat princes with one stone as one would say. Hmn? Is that not how the saying goes?
Remembering the gardens out front, I decide to head there. Summer is in full bloom, so as expected, there’s a swath load of students socializing about. Plants with bold, intense colors, and warm evening sun alluring all those to step outside.
Reading material in hand, I walk towards an area with denser growth. There’s less and less people the deeper I step through the trees. Birds chirp, the sound of voices slowly stills. Leaves of fearless, shining green rustle with the wind. The smell of summer, sap, and dirt come drifting with it. There’s bushels of lovely perennials growing by the wayside, I follow the trail of flowers as they grow in both size and in thicker bunches.
Breath leaves my lungs as I take in the scene before me. Plants and tall groves of trees make way to the large lake that runs through the town. Sparkling like aquamarine and beryl jewels in the sun. I settle into a comfortable position before picking up my book.
The Foletto.
My chest tightens. For some reason, I cannot bring myself to open it.
Placing it down, I read instead on the distant lands of Notrral.
"Lands of overreaching tundra, the subarctic region of Notrral first came to be settled upon by the droves of Unseelie unsettled by centuries of war with the Seelie. Although, each passing of season led to a change in tide of battle, the harsher and colder climate is oft synergistic with the Unseelie’s affinity to autumn and winter. Making the region’s characteristic soil and moss that’s perpetually inlaid with permafrost the prime candidate to inhabit. Never reaching a high enough temperature to thaw the snow, it is a severe kingdom that has developed a strong philosophy of ‘the strong overruling the weak.’ The lands are lorded over by the Unseelie’s eternally powerful Queen Morrigan. As of the year 900 pre-constellation, her only filial heir - Prince Moradin is to eventually inherit the crown. Once bonded in matrimony, he will be granted their bloodline’s full power."
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“What’s so interesting about the Myrkkálfar?”
“!” I jolt in shock.
A voice the sound of crisp leaves is spoken directly behind my ear. The last word leaves a foreign and magickal taste on my tongue. I turn my head and am met face to face with a girl. Her complexion is sunlight and bronze bark as if the very embodiment of summer. She uncannily reminds me of Queen Titania.
I quickly recompose myself, “Mn, well… I suppose I just find most things interesting.”
Sitting on top of her head is a wild growth of short, pine-green hair and leaves that look almost plastic from its sheen. However, the leaves don’t look to be mere accessory… Rather, they grow from the roots of her head, naturally braiding together just as Human hair would. But what truly captures my attention are her eyes, they’re a fiery gild and orange… Yet, they carry a blasé and uninterested ambiance. She straightens up, her height a few heads taller than I.
“Is that so? They’re all doom and gloom in reality though.”
Something about her tone… or voice… or accent… I couldn’t place my finger on it, but there’s just something about it that sounds exotic; yet also strangely native to the land. Here, yet there. Familiar, yet completely unfamiliar. Actually everything about her is like this, I can’t quite pinpoint her age. Perhaps alive for as many constellation cycles as I, or perhaps much more ancient.
“Are you acquainted with many Unseelie, er-?”
“Vaniriel. I know a few.”
“Nice to meet you Vaniriel, my name is Aeriea Newlyn.” Once again, I am quite proud of my flawless curtsy. “If you wouldn’t mind sharing a few stories-”
Abruptly, her long ears perk up, “How troublesome.”
Eh, is it me!? Am I the troublesome one!? You’re the one who suddenly spoke to me though!
“Well, it is good to finally meet you, Child of Sunira. You’re brought up so often, it’s quite annoying.” She says this while walking away.
Er… What is this…? Isn’t that kind of rude… Yet, the way she speaks is so upfront and confident, it's honestly kind of refreshing in this place full of nobles. So, I can’t bring myself to dislike it either.
“We’ll meet again.” With this parting statement, she leaps across the whole breadth of the lake, flying across the plains like a leaf to wind.
A-Amazing… So fast…!
“Ah ah, I cannot believe we missed her!”
“My my, we were so close!”
“Oh oh, if it isn’t Aeriea. We haven’t seen you in a while, let us catch up since we missed Vaniriel anyways.”
Hmn? Was Vaniriel escaping from the Flower Faeries? Also, why are you girls making me sound like some sort of consolation prize…?