Nyal, Reonda, and Soliene weren’t sure of how many days they had been traveling. All they had was Reonda’s Historia and Teolus’ wings as guides. The group had fallen into a rhythm throughout the days, each taking turns at night gathering fire, preparing what Reonda and Teolus caught for food, and fetching water. The first night after she awoke, Nyal wasn’t exactly sure how they planned to start a fire without the necessary tools. Pho was quick to explain how.
As it turned out, she was the fire starter. Pho had shown her how to harness the deathfire that night. Nyal found that the process came so instinctively that it was hard to formulate how she had managed it in the first place. Despite that, she quickly found herself lighting their campfire every night far quicker than her parents ever had. Even more than that, however, she found it as a symbol of control. Something she had believed forever lost since the night Klaus tried to kill her.
Once everyone was done eating, Reonda was typically the first to try and sleep. It was at this time Soliene had decided to try and teach Nyal Acamese. Even knowing she wasn’t qualified for the task at hand, the first few nights had been a struggle for them both. There were more than a few points where she considered giving up, seeing her efforts as futile in the long run. That was before someone stepped in to help the two out not only with teaching Nyal the regional dialect, but also make Soliene into something resembling a teacher: Pho’nix’ea.
The morning turned into a tutoring session for Soliene as well once the phoenix came into the frey. While neither her, her vessel, or the numaran were sure where the oracle’s teaching experience came from, they weren’t about to question it. With her help, Soliene became something closer to the teacher she wanted to be. In turn, Nyal also started to gain some basic understanding of Acamese, even if most of what she could say came down to single word sentences. Still, for a hen who didn’t know even that beforehand, it was a remarkable improvement.
The same couldn’t be said for Teolus’ sudden fear of the harpen.
Nyal learned following the first incident that she had taken in the soul the rabbit had once held. The same had happened for the squirrels they had that night and any other animal they hunted. The more she collected, the more Teolus feared her. While she had still been able to get close to the hawk the first few days, whatever frightened them soon made it impossible. Nothing she or Reonda did changed that, and Nyal was starting to get worried something was wrong with her.
Perhaps, whoever they are visiting in Pierzé had the answers. After what would later be agreed by historians as fifteen days of pure traveling, the city was within view. A large wall surrounded the city, making it hard to discern much of what lay within. Open fields had turned into farmland, with rows of wheat and livestock everywhere to be found. Soliene found the latter to be a bit frightening, noticing how nearly every animal seemed to look at her as she went past them.
“So that is it? Pierzzé,” Reonda said, looking in awe at both the city proper and farmlands. It had been so long since she had seen any civilization that she had to stop herself from running up to farmers and hugging them. “This is a lot bigger than Makaus.”
“It makes sense. As you said, this is where the worship of the Oracles was believed to be founded,” Soliene replied. She did nothing to hide her sarcastic tone, something Reonda had gotten more than used to over the course of the journey. “They say the city itself is protected by an Oracle too. While the Naravar province has seen a lot of damage in recent years from Acamian forces due to both invasion attempts and the blockade on its northern side, it has remained undamaged. It’s part of why it has gained the title it has: the sanctuary city.”
Despite not understanding most of what her teacher said, Nyal beamed as she watched Soliene recite those words off the top of her head. “Miss VerBansk smart!”
Soliene smirked and allowed an egotistical smirk to cross her face, though due to having her hood on none could see it. Reonda chuckled at the sight, hiding the fact that she didn’t agree with the title they had gotten. Sure, half a century ago she was certain it might have been impregnable. That didn’t account for the changes in technology that had occurred over time, most Reine still hadn’t taken up themselves. Muskets, artillery cannons, or anything else that had come about with the discovery of gunpowder in the last thirty years made it less certain. She saw that wall, these humans, and the soldiers and knew Acamus could blast through it.
“Only a matter of time till those bastards you call parents realize it, and then Acamus will spill all the blood without us,” Il’jan’i stated. While the sound of their voice sent a conditioned shiver through Reonda, she couldn’t deny what the oracle was saying. “Perhaps you could warn them. We do know who your pen pal is after all, even if they do not.”
“Are you… actually trying to do something good?” Reonda muttered, hoping that Soliene or Nyal didn’t hear her; she knew she looked crazy. “That is rare for you.”
“Our true mama clearly liked this place, and unlike all these other miserable worms – with the exclusion of Nyal – she is someone that has treated us well,” Il’jan’i explained. Her explanation was then followed by that same lustful chuckle Reonda was used to. “I will admit the idea of tearing into the current Oracle of Balance would be delightful. I’m sure our blood tastes as divine as she looks.”
Reonda could only shake her head at Il’jan’i, though she couldn’t deny the oracle was right. Even if her pen pal didn’t know who she was, she knew who they were. While it would likely end with a destroyed friendship, telling them that Pierzé was under threat with the assurance of her being the daughter of Acamus’ military leaders would mean something. Once she has access to paper and pen again, which she was certain wasn’t too far away, she would see that through.
“Soliene?”
Reonda looked behind her as she heard Nyal speak. She hadn’t noticed the harpen or Numaran stop, and it took her a second more to notice that Soliene had dropped to her knees. She was confused at first about what she was doing, but then remembered where they were. Reonda watched as Nyal joined Soliene’s side, kneeling on one leg and spreading her wings outwards. The Acamian couldn’t help but feel the width of said wings had grown a little over the course of their travel.
“Great serpent Rag’na’rog, thank you for seeing me through these travels for the past few months,” Soliene replied. It was possibly the least hate-fueled words that the Acamian had heard out of the Numaran since meeting her. “Please see my father here alive, just as you did me. If he is here already, then I thank you for guiding him here safely.”
Reonda watched in a mixture of confusion and apprehension. Though Nyal didn’t speak, she could see the harpen’s mouth moving as well. It came to her that, out of the three, she was the only one who wasn’t an originist. She knew that it shouldn’t surprise her that she was different in that way too. Given prayer was forbidden in Acamus, just like so many things were, it wasn’t hard to see how she ended up so different. How many more things so standard in the other countries were seen as treasonous or defective?
“Hehehe. Who would imagine a sight like that,” Il’jan’i said, Reonda somehow knowing their gaze rested on Nyal. “A vessel praying to itself. You figured she would know just how futile such an act is.”
Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
“Don’t insult her, Il’jan’i,” Reonda ordered, glancing off into the farmland as if she could see the dragon in the distance. “I may not understand faith myself, but it is important to these two. I won’t ruin what they believe.”
Soliene was the first of the two to stand back up. Through both the hood, mask, and fur, Reonda could see tear trails on the girl’s face. Soliene did her best to wipe them away as Nyal stood up and walked over to her teacher. The harpen looked up at her, face twisting into concern as she saw the water in Soliene’s eyes.
“Soliene… okay?” Nyal asked, having to pause mid sentence to remember the correct word.
“Yeah,” Soliene answered, removing her arm from her face. Despite her best effort, the water didn’t leave her eyes. “Papa and I were supposed to come here. Pierzé is the only city in Reine we would be safe in.”
“How can you be sure?” Reonda asked, looking back at the city proper. “It is still in Reine. It has the same laws that the rest of the country does.”
“I guess I can’t blame you for thinking that, but Pierzé is special,” Soliene explained as she started walking. Nyal quickly started following her side, with Reonda joining the two when they reached her. “The amount of power Pierzé has is too great for even the royal family to overthrow it. If they did try to pressure Pierzé into following the same laws as the rest of Reine, the fallout would be enough to spark an uprising,” Soliene looked to Reonda as she continued to speak. “While it calls itself a city, it is more accurate to think of the sanctuary city as a city-state.”
Reonda’s jaw hung open. “That… is kind of crazy to believe. How do you know all this?”
“Papa was a general,” Soliene answered, a smile on her face. “Got me the best education I could. He means so much to me, and I love him even more,” Tears started falling from her face. “I hope he still recognizes me, when I find him again.”
“I’m sure he will,” Reonda said.
She reached her hand out to try and give Soliene a reassuring pat on the shoulder. The moment Soliene noticed it she stepped to the side, giving a stern glare to the Acamian. Reonda retracted her hand back to her side, noticing how Soliene refused to move her eye off her. It would have stayed for longer if not for outside interference.
As her eyes were tunneled onto the Acamian, Soliene did not notice the sheep in front of her. Her leg bumped into it and, with her having already started taking her next step, she fell over the sheep and onto the ground face first. Nyal and Reonda looked on in shock, waiting for the Numaran to stand up. Instead they were met with a groan, followed by a couple more sheep joining them and a farmer girl pushing past them to reach her.
“Oh Oracles. I’m so, so sorry,” the girl said as she reached Soliene, grabbing them by the hand and helping them back up. “Are you okay young miss?”
“Yeah, I’m fine,” Soliene replied, rubbing her head and hoping dirt didn’t get in her eye socket. She felt a sheep nudge one of her legs, and as she looked down another sheep nudged her from behind. “Hey, stop that! Get away from me you wooly bastards! I said leave me alo- wah!”
Having been swarmed by the wooly mass, Soliene quickly found no room for her legs. The first step she took backwards ended in her falling to the ground again. Nyal did her best to hold in her laughter as the Numaran rubbed her tailbone, Reonda and the farmer looking on in surprise at the sight. None could see the scowl on her face, but they could see the twitch of her remaining eye as most of her body became hidden under the sheepish mass around her.
“I hate animals.”
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After freeing Soliene from what Reonda could only describe as a jail cell made out of wool, as well as accepting the apologies of the farmer, they continued on to the city gates. The sheer size and beauty of it made the Acamian a bit tense the closer they got to. She had seen the ruins of the walls that used to surround cities in Acamus, but they never towered this high. If it wasn’t for the existence of gunpowder, she was near certain that it would likely be as impregnable as Soliene had said. Perhaps even with gunpowder it would prove to be sturdy, but she couldn’t be sure of that.
The shadow Rul cast on the structure started to fade as midday approached, the speed of light beating the trio’s footsteps. When they grew close enough to the gate Soliene had to crane her neck up to see the top of the wall, she stopped. Reonda was the first to stop and look at her, Nyal not realizing until she realized she couldn’t hear the sound of shoes. Teolus, who had been flying overhead for the majority of the day, came down to Reonda’s shoulder to rest. Soliene looked at the Acamian, taking a deep breath before speaking.
“While Nyal and I should be fine, you can’t go through those gates calling yourself by your real name,” She told Reonda, motioning her head towards the barely visible guards at the front of the gate. “Vessel or no, the moment they learn that a Perciple is trying to enter the city you will have the guards on you.”
Reonda made to speak, then reconsidered as she considered just how true Soliene’s words were. Outside of Nyal, her birth name had led to nothing but harassment by nearly everyone that had learned it. She was now heading into a place that she knew her mother and father considered high priority, for the mere capture of Pierzzé would deal a significant moral blow to all of Reine. Soliene was right, Reonda Perciple could not enter that city, disowned or not.
“Then it is time for that name to die,” The Acamian said. looking at the sky.
“Yep,” Soliene replied, nodding her head. “Any name in mind?”
The Acamian lost herself in thought as she considered certain names. There was Natalie, the name she had given her pen pal, but something about it felt off. She couldn’t explain it beyond the name, just not truly feeling like it fit her, which she quickly realized was the entire reason she had chosen it in the first place. She dismissed it, as she did nearly every other name that came to mind until one caught her attention. A name that she couldn’t explain an attachment to outside of feeling familiar.
“Lilac… Lilac Krauss,” She finally said. She looked at Soliene. “Do you think that would work?”
“I wasn’t expecting you to change your first name too, but I guess better safe than sorry,” Soliene replied. She turned to Nyal, Lilac watching as the Numaran explained everything to Nyal in harparic. Both the harpen and Soliene turned back to her at the same time. “Lilac Krauss it is then. Is it the name of an old friend of yours?”
Lilac shook her head. “I’m not entirely sure where it came from but… something about the name felt familiar. A familiarity that I couldn’t quite shake from my head.”
Soliene gave Lilac a curious look, unsure of what to make of the girl’s response. At the end of it all, she shook her head and turned her attention towards what was more important. With a different name, no one would assume the girl before her had once been a Perciple. It did not matter where the name came from or who it was taken from, because at the end of the day there was always a chance people could share the same first or last name. They could get Lilac into the city now, and that was the thing that mattered most.
Her attention turned to Nyal as the harpen walked up to the newly named Lilac, a huge smile on her face. Both couldn’t help but wonder how, despite everything that had happened, she still found it in her to smile and laugh as much as she did. Especially considering Soliene had seen more than a few passersby stare at Nyal’s changed tail. Perhaps it was naivety or pure obliviousness that kept the hen smiling, but it couldn’t change the fact that all three of them had witnessed her die.
So how, despite that fact, did she not look at all scared?
“H-hi Reo- uh, Lilac,” Nyal said, holding out her wings and beaming with confidence. “N-n-nice to, uh…”
She looked back to Soliene, the Numaran chuckling. She knew what it was the hen was looking for.
“Meet you. Nice. To. Meet. You,” Soliene reminded her.
“Ah!” The harpen responded. She turned back to Lilac, cleared her throat, and spoke. “Nice te eet you, Lilac.”
Lilac wasn’t sure if her face was trying to smile and look surprised as she heard the vessel of death’s attempt at Acamese. She could hear Il’jan’i’s mad snicker in the back of her mind, as well as Teolus’ attempt to stifle the hawk form of laughter. She couldn’t but join them in giggling a little as she reached her hand out to Nyal’s wing. She grabbed it and shook it, then let go and allowed her hand to fall back to her side.
“Nice to “eet” you too, Nyal. Though I don’t think you need to greet me as if I’m an entirely new person,” Lilac replied, scratching the back of her head with her head. She looked from Nyal to Soliene, the awkward smile she was wearing falling to a frown. “So, is that all I’ll need to get it?”
“Yes, a new identity should be enough,” Soliene replied as she turned and started walking towards the gate. “They will ask for your name and search you for anything suspicious. I hope you are ready for that.”
“You think I have suspicious supplies on me?” Lilac asked. Nyal and her quickly caught up with the Numaran
Soliene shook her head. “No, but considering Nyal is the only one of you able to hide their historia, you are about to have a lot of people dropping to their knees and praying.”