“Ready.” Her words reached his ears, and the tiny little string holding back the swirling chaos beneath his feet snapped. Torrents of darkness propelled Alex upwards, tendrils forming to stabilise his legs so that they didn’t buckle completely under the force. He had to make some corrections in the angle before he released, aiming to intersect the falling white clad man in the air. The shadows released him at the peak of their force, and the air whipped against his ears as he barrelled through the dust laden, excitement running through his muscles, pushing them to work through their fatigue.
Electricity accompanied his enthusiasm, pulsing through his blood in preparation for what he was to command of it. His perception slowed again, for only a second this time, letting him stare at the man that now appeared to float above him, his body twisting so it would be in line with his target. Turning into pure lightning, his body exploded forward, a thunderous crackle echoing through the cavern following the bolt of purple lightning that tore through the air. He rematerialised into his corporeal form, the smell of burning dust and ozone greeting him, along with the sight of Shu’s startled face.
The remnants of lightning coursing through him collected within his palm, Alex’s mana stabilising quicker now that it knew what to expect. The magic ruptured into a blinding stream of electricity, directed towards the man’s chest, unfortunately not making direct contact as it was blocked by the man’s sword. Still, the force was great enough that the pull of gravity seemed to disappear, Shu hurtling through the air, his body struggling to stop itself from barrelling into unconsciousness, almost reaching the ground above.
Even if he somehow managed to regain his balance, it would do him no good. As Alex fell, his momentum finally exhausting itself, Elyza whipped by, leaving wisps of wind in her wake. He reached beside to grab a hold of her trailing halberd, catching it just below the blade, and again he was thrown upwards. She twisted her entire body, her weapon’s shaft groaning as it was forced to deal with her partner’s weight, flicking it at the end to catapult him into Shu.
Before they left, his fingers sprouted shadows to wrap around his partner at the same time as the wind coming from below turned violent. It took a second for the darkness to solidify, dragging his partner behind as the wind added power to his mid air leap. Alex’s body shifted mid-air in order to raise his legs above his head, his hands busy in keeping the umbra ropes stable in his turbulent wake.
His foot slammed into the man’s back, and off he went again, hurtling into the deep blue sky this time, escaping the maw of the crater. He had no time to gloat at his own accuracy, summoning as much raw strength he could muster to swing Elyza at the edge of the hole. She hit the ground, using the momentum he gave her to stumble forward, safe from the pull of gravity as he fell once again.
Waiting was boring, especially if you had no patience for the act. Yet, Alex was forced to practise the virtue as the wind tried fruitlessly to slow his descent, made worse by the fact the airborne shenanigans had slowed his perception a touch. He was able to keep himself from the edge of total oblivion by opening the shadows where he expected to hit the fast approaching ground, along with a couple others in the shapes of different animals.
The ringing of a bell emerged from within his mind, spreading to his ears, reverberating through his body, causing the shadows beneath to shudder in response to its call. They parted to give way, submerging him in the sea of darkness that simmered beneath everything. He wished the transition would allow him a moment’s reprieve, but the pull of the bell was too strong at this proximity. His body barely slowed down as it tore through inky shadows, before being pushed by the semi-fluid liquid, rising once again into the plane of light from whence he rose.
As his head breached the light, Elyza grabbed his hood and yanked upwards, pulling him from his own shadow and throwing him beside her. His back hit rock, thankfully the folds of his cloak softened the blow, and he sat for a moment next to her behind a boulder. Just as he was about to ask why, she pushed his shoulder, and the stone betwixt the two, and a strand of his hair, ceased to exist, as if a blade had cleaved through them.
_Careful, I’ve seen this trick before._
It was easy to make the connection, so he asked the next question that popped into his head, the lack of dispersed mana puzzling him, “How’d you predict where he would strike?”
Her hand went into her pouch, pulling out a handful of ivy seeds, sighing as she counted them, “I can sense something arriving before it happens, a fleeting, ghostly pressure, as if some primal part within me is yelling to dodge. The blade appears to eviscerate whatever it touches, but it is only as thick as a bow string, and it takes approximately two seconds for him to ready the next.”
There was determination in her voice, her ears standing straight in focus, her emerald eyes seemed to glimmer as they peeked through the new gap. She had a plan, and he requested to know his part, “So, boss, what do you need me to do?”
“Be yourself,” She remarked, a smile brighter than the sky above appearing on her face, “Distract him and do not die.”
He didn’t stop the scoff that came from the depths of his lungs, and the words rolled off his tongue, “Please, like anyone has the audacity to kill me.”
_Duck._
A chill ran up his spine, his nerves freezing, reminding him of the first time he fully emerged into the domain of darkness. Yet, as much as he hated to, he followed Elina’s command immediately. His hair barely dodged the slash, the boulder behind shuddering as the two halves slammed together, and a plume of dust fell upon him.
_You’re welcome, you ungrateful child._
When you live inside a person’s brain, you have a vested interest in them not dying.
Shaking the grime from his clothes, he gestured to his partner to go the opposite way, pulling out his xiphos as a precaution. Readying himself with a snap each beside his ears, he took in a deep breath, resting his sword on his shoulders as he decided what act would work to steal the show.
As he turned the corner, out from the cover of the now structurally unsound boulder and into a barren crater, no doubt the work of the paladin, he gave his most amicable smile as he began, “ Dong! Is that you?! It’s been so long.”
It was the first time they had stood face to face, Shu’s inky eyes trying desperately to instil some sort of fear in him, staring into his own apathetic pair. He observed how the pure white clothes’ shine had been muddled by dust, tears, and blood. The edges of his white robe were frayed, a scar ran from his neck to his chest, his black straight hair hanging next to, what appeared to be, four gourds strapped to his waist by red strings, and a dao sheathed opposite them. Alex was in the process of studying his opponent’s clothes, when the paranoia returned, his chest filling with an immense amount of pressure.
_Left._
Thank you.
He stepped to his right just as the pressure surged, hovering the tip of his sword at what he perceived to be the attack's path. Glancing at his sword as he felt the slice hit, he saw the metal disappear instantly, as if it never existed in the first place. Annoyance swelled within him, a xiphos took time to forge, but he still had to keep his smile bright and wide, glancing at the trees behind the risen edges of the ground for a hint towards his partner’s plan.
“Didn’t your mother ever teach you the proper way to greet an old friend,” Alex said with a faux frown flashing across his face, returning the sword to his shoulder, somewhat proud that he couldn’t spot her. He gingerly strolled in an arc towards his opponent, keeping an eye on the man’s expressions, lest they betray the next attack.
The threat in Shu’s eyes was replaced with pain, forcing him to shake his head before retrieving a gourd and downing its content in a single swig. He threw the flask at his feet before he spoke, his words accompanied by a hollow thud and the clittering of pebbles.
“The axe does not remember the wounds given to weeds,” His words took a break as he stared at the blue sky, his mind absent, his focus struggling, the reverence in his speech disappearing, “I am sick of people interfering with those who wish to be left alone, those that do not hurt anyone, yet who are persecuted by the likes of you.”
Holding up his hand, Alex tried to explain, “Unfortunately, I believe some sort of miscommunication has happe–”
Paranoia surged again, his mind acclimating to the sensation, learning what the attack stirred within him, before the attack reached, so that there would be a bigger window to dodge. He stepped to the left, using more movement than he would have preferred to maintain his character, continuing, “Please don’t interrupt me, I would appreciate some cooperation while I spoke.”
“A cat only acts familiar with the mouse while it remains useful,” Shu uttered, his eyes unfocused as he pulled out the dao, struggling with grasping the hilt, and when he did the blade was stained a brownish red due to neglect.
Two seconds had already passed but another attack seemed too far off for the man standing dejected in front of him, but Alex had a plan to follow. “Speak plain, I struggle to understand elaborately constructed speech patterns.”
_You are such a hypocrite._
Oh, I know, my queen of darkness. I learned from the best.
“I do not know who you are, but I know you to be an ally of the two before, and I saw the intentions they held against me,” The swordsman drawled out, his voice on the verge of breaking. He pulled another gourd from his waist, swigging the liquid held while he continued, “I’ve sworn on what’s remaining of my soul to protect those that have housed someone of my fate from the likes of you.”
He could sympathise with the words, enjoyed the blue tapestry with lazily meandering cotton floating above them, not even granting Shu his attention as he ducked under another ghost blade. The sensation had barely flared before his body reacted to it, the paranoia just a whispering in the back of his mind. Contemplation ran through Alex’s head, there was a way to talk him out of his drunkenness, but as his eyes rested back onto his opponent, they were drawn to the figure hidden within the trees.
Giving out a grin that, by the looks of Shu, annoyed him to no extent, he bowed, knowing that the man’s honour would not let him strike. He held the sword above his head as it descended, mana flowing through his body, collecting, coalescing, till it mimicked the power of lightning. As he rose, his grin turned sombre, “I’m afraid then there seems to be a need to resolve a misunderstanding, and to do so, I have to kick your pathetic, drunk, ass.”
Shu held out his dao, his eyes for the first time alert to what was going on, taking in a deep breath before uttering, “The path I walk is clear. Whether beneath the sun or the moon, my blade knows no hesitation.” He ran the edge across his palm and his blood ignited the blade, taking a step forward as he settled into a stance that had too many openings to exploit.
Patience was necessary, Alex waiting for the first strike to come, feeding the electricity coursing within crumbles of mana to keep it pulsing through his muscles. His opponent held his stance, but as far as he knew, the spell, magic, or whatever ability he had, must have been innate in nature. The world seemed suspended, neither of the two moving, the figure in the trees frozen as well, even the leaves obscuring her standing still in the gentle breeze whispering through the field.
Soon enough, the voice of the wind was overtaken by one emerging within him. Screaming and begging, the paranoia was a faint mumbling at the back of his mind, a chill running down his nerves, but failing to freeze them. He pushed forward, even as doubt explained that the orientation and the angle of the blade couldn’t be predicted. As his back foot lifted from the ground, the electricity coursing within burst outwards, and he leapt forward, shrouded in a veil of lightning.
_Bit to the right._
His educated wish had proven true, Elina nudged his consciousness so that he barely weaved around the attack, feeling some tendrils of the trails he left in the air being consumed by Shu’s attack. Materialising back into solid reality as the blade floated past him, he leapt again as soon as his feet touched the ground, sword extended to pierce his opponent’s heart. The blade was never going to connect, but it still forced Shu to raise his dao to parry.
As Alex’s shadow touched his, the waiting darkness within exploded upwards like the jaws of a snake, tendrils of ink surrounding around his opponent so that all but one choice remained. Shu leaped backwards, the palm of his other hand engulfed in flames, attempting to form into a bolt. But, it was too late. Green vines exploded from beneath, trapping him within their confines, the ground crackling as the seeds’ roots tore through it, twisting around his body till they locked him in place.
Landing in front of him, Alex tapped the flat of his blade against his head, just as Elyza rested the beak of her halberd around Shu’s neck. “Good distraction,” She remarked.
“It's easy for me, I distract myself every day,” he joked, grinning as he leant on the swordsman, taking out his dagger and placing it next to her hook’s point.
“Now then,” He continued, turning his neck till it cracked, “Shall we finally talk like civilised beings?”
“I have nothing to say to an honourless trickster such as yourself,” Shu shot back, his words drowned in dejection, his breath reeking of alcohol, pungent enough to burn Alex’s nose hairs, “Now do what you came for, chop down this rotten tree.”
Before he could open his mouth, his partner cleared her throat, gazing into his eyes with a reminder. He raised his hand in agreement, letting her take over as she began, “We are not here to kill you, neither of us nor the paladin, we are here to ensure that you face justice. Your actions in your past, especially after you joined the cult, are to be judged, but your allies will be held separate to your acts. “
Shu remained silent, what almost looked like disappointment welling up in his eyes, sighing as he spoke, “May they live the rest of their lives unbothered by the likes of hunters and monsters.”
_He’s talking about you._
Shush, I’m listening.
“Me and my partner will be in charge of questioning them,” Elyza spoke in a reassuring tone, willing her halberd back around her fingers before she continued, “And if you truly believe that your group is on the right side of history, then worry shall not invade your mind, and you come with us peacefully.”
The swordsman nodded, and the vines that entwined him retreated back into the ground, shrivelling as his partner slowly cut off their sustenance. However, he had made a promise to a friend, shadows exploding from beneath, tentacles slithering around Shu as they locked him back into place.
“Unfortunately,” he began, patting the top of his head, lowering his dagger from the swordsman’s neck and shifting it to the back of his neck, “I have an eye for an eye policy, and you have taken something of great pride of my friend.”
Grabbing his cascading hair, he pulled them taut and cleaved them in a single swing. The short hair fell around Shu’s face, suiting its sharp features and providing a pleasing contrast with his fair skin. “There, you got a free haircut,” Alex said with a grin, the inky appendages around his customer retreating to the protection of his shadow under the bright sun above.
“You and Sarah have too much pride in your hair,” Elyza remarked, offering her bottle to the confused man between them.
He kept his grin as he spoke, “When the goddess of beauty herself compliments your hair, you tend to take care,” Not waiting for any follow-up questions, he added, “And it seems my unfortunate streak at maintaining some mystique about my past has resulted in meeting an old friend of yours. Would you like to tell me now, or shall we wait for the questioning?”
Elyza sighed, “Let us wait. Do you know the way back to town?”
Alex looked at the sky, spotting a familiar raven circling above, her inky feathers giving the bird an iridescent glow in the sunlight, “I hope she wasn’t waiting to feast on any of us.”
----------------------------------------
Staring at the two sitting opposite him, making sure to make them as uncomfortable as possible as his eyes gazed into theirs. It worked on Cillian, who shifted his weight on his chair, trying to find some way to make it more comfortable. However, Reyna matched his eyes without any fear, sipping on some apple cider served in a glass too fancy for the tavern whose owners had agreed to house the cult of Sucellus till judgement had passed.
His partner walked through the door behind him, letting the room flood with sunlight for moments before all four sat under the fake illuminance of crystals lined above. Cillian tried to say something to her, but Elyza simply shifted her chair forward, shooting any attempts to initiate a conversation from him with a single glare. It allowed her partner to relax from his duty, Alex leaning back on his chair, flipping back his hood, and putting his feet up on the next table over, dropping the grim, serious expression to replace it with his grin.
“Hello,” She began, as formal as she was normally, her ears circling the air as they relaxed, “I believe I have not yet formally introduced me and my partner. I am Penelope, and this is Nemo. We will be acting as representatives of the guild in the following conversation, so please refrain from lying.”
The wizard raised his hand, anxiety creeping up his face before Elyza gestured towards him, “What will happen to Shu?”
The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.
“His judgement will be separated from the operations of your cult, and will be carried out by a paladin of Durga, who, in the little time I’ve known her, will be giving your friend a fair trial,” She spoke without an ounce of emotion in her voice, meaning he had to do most of the expressions for her words, doing his best to look concerned and empathetic.
Straightening herself even, Reyna slid her glass towards the edge of the table before speaking, her tone more regal than many of the queens he had met in the past, “Ask what is required, and then we shall talk about officialising our prayers to the guardian of the source of life and the dead.”
Confidence swathed her word, and as his partner’s ears lowered it signalled that she saw the vampire as an equal, her formal tone relaxing a bit, “First, we would formally like to inquire which deity or deities you claim to worship.”
“Sucellus, or Sucullos as is his old name,” Cillian answered, his hand late to rise as it followed his voice, embarrassment quickly spreading across his face as the excitement faded. “We… We worship only him.”
Elyza did not pay any special attention to the answer, “And have you had any direct or indirect interaction with your god?”
“I met him… once,” Reyna answered, her words mixed with fondness, annoyance, and longing, something he had heard before, by many scorned and touched by immortals. “The meeting is what motivated me to recommence formal worship of him.”
“If…” Alex inserted before his partner could ask another question, “Any of us were to stumble upon Sucellus in the future, would you like me to pass on a message?”
The concept must’ve baffled her, taking a moment before answering, “Only to return so we may speak about what the temple may develop into.”
He gave her a thumbs up as Elyza continued with the guild’s questioning, not even using the cheat sheet he had given her mere moments ago, “What are the traditions you partake in? And along with it, are there any festivals your group has organised in the past year, within the bounds of a town or city and accepted by common society, of course.”
Reyna prodded the elf trying his best to keep quiet to speak, hitting his arm with her elbow, forcing a yelp out of Cillian to make him begin, “Ah– I apologise, I’m still new. Aside from helping the townspeople care for their crops and produce, and sustain a greenhouse to try and introduce vegetables not native to the area, without turning them into invasive species.”
His pace had increased with each word spoken, not even paying attention to the scribblings his partner was making in her notebook, forcing a gesture to wind it down from Alex. “And… Following the lunar cycle, we burn the ripest fruit available as an offering to Lord Succellus every half moon, along with enacting rituals of bloom every four months, erecting a festival to showcase the harvest at the start of the different cropping seasons. We also keep a monthly reading of the operations and finances we partake in, but not a lot attend them.”
Elyza simply nodded, noting down the last of his words, before speaking again, “These worshippers are free to leave whenever it may come upon them to do so.”
“Of course,” Reyna answered the statement without an ounce of hesitation.
“Can a former member back up your claim?”
“Ask the owners of this pub,” She replied similarly.
Elyza put down her pencil in the crease of her notes, closing the book as she asked the final in the list of questions, “Have you ever had altercations with beings outside the group that have resulted in blood being spilled?”
“Not since I have dedicated myself to following Succelos,” The vampire met her stare without any anxiety, or fear clouding her red eyes.
His partner waited in silence, moments stretching to minutes, before she exclaimed, “The questioning is over. I see no reason for any action to be taken by the guild, or us.”
He knew Reyna was delighted, even though her face didn’t show it, the edges of her mouth fighting to suppress a smile. But, Alex was more interested in her student, now hunched over the table, deep sighs of relief escaping his mouth, wiping some sweat from his brow. Just as he was about to launch into an interrogation of his own, his partner stopped him with a hand.
“Lady Reyna, the paladin wished to ask you some questions regarding Mr. Shu’s stint with your cult, and I would like to reconnect with an old acquaintance, so if you would be willing…” Elyza spoke basically through her teeth, the annoyance she was trying so hard to remove from them present in her drooping ears.
It was torture holding himself back from launching into theatrical dialogue, Alex’s fingers rapping against the table waiting for the vampire to close the tavern doors. He vaulted over the table, landing backwards on the chair next to Cillian, spinning it the long way around till he could lean against the table before he spoke with the bewildered elf, “Hello, I’m Alex, you shot my illusion with a frankly impressive fireball back down there.”
“I–uh–” He shot a glance at his partner, getting no aid from Elyza as he pushed through his bafflement, “Didn’t you say your name was Nemo?”
_He is pitifully slow._
“I did, but since you already know Elyza, I think you know better than to contradict me in front of others,” Alex gave him a grin, grabbing his shoulder to emphasise his coming words, “Or reveal that extremely secretive fact to anyone else.”
His subtle threat was ignored completely, the elf’s face lighting up as his head flicked to his peer across the table, “Elyza?!”
His partner sighed, and he didn’t give a chance for her to answer, continuing on, “It's so heart-warming to meet a friend from her past, especially since she keeps quiet whenever it's her turn to share stories about her village life.”
Cillian seemed confused, raising his hand once again before replying, “I’m not from her village however?”
“That is exactly why I need you to tell me everything you know about Ears,” Alex explained, refusing to hide the excitement in his voice, to the audible annoyance from his partner.
Groaning in defeat, knowing her past was about to be uncovered, Elyza’s tone fully dry as she spoke, “I do not want to burst whatever form of joy you may be deriving from this situation, but if I may just add, we have only met twice before, so the amount of knowledge he has will be quite shallow.”
“That’s right,” The elf agreed, and the look of panic on his partner’s face was warranted as Cillian’s voice continued, “And we only met during the festival, so I don’t even know her personally.”
_Even I’m interested now._
“Telmevrything,” Alex spoke so quickly that the words melded into one, clearing his throat but not his grin as he repeated, “Let’s start with how she was… fifteen or so years ago?”
Glancing at his partner, inquiring what he was allowed to say, from the corner of his eye he saw her give him the go ahead as she buried her face in her hands, and the elf began, “Well… I was twelve years old when I first met her, so it would have been thirteen years ago…”
“Ah, prime adolescence. Continue on.”
“The different clans of forest elv–”
“Just elves,” Alex corrected, waving the coming rant from within to pay full attention to his words.
“Sure, well the tribes used to meet once a year to host a tournament, even though it's mostly a discussion between village elders. The villages send their best craftsmen and warriors to gain glory, yet I met her as an outsider, a bit strange since she seemed to be local, but since a competition of skills tends to garner an audience, I didn't think it was weird. I personally was selected for the spell crafting competition,” Cillian added full of pride, garnering nods from the man seated next to him and groans from Elyza.
“But I was hanging around the martial weapon tournament happening before it, and out came a girl taller than most boys I knew were her age, no name or mention of the tribe she belonged to, wielding a spare spear, and she was on equal footing with most against her, I’m talking about hunters who had legends attached to their name–”
“They kept underestimating me…” She mumbled out, trying fruitlessly to stop it from continuing.
“By the time she lost, I had to run back to my own tournament, which I won third in, and was a bit disappointed I couldn’t meet the mysterious warrior to ask her questions, so imagine my surprise as I stumbled upon her in the forest while exploring with my friends. They ran away as soon as she glared at them, and while I was very much motivated to run under her piercing eyes…”
“Let me guess,” Alex remarked, a held back plea to stop coming from his good friend, immediately being ignored as he added, “You had something edible in your hands.”
“Damn it,” his partner grumbled out.
Cillian nodded in confirmation, explaining, “I caught her staring at the candied apple I had in my hand, and a trade later, she allowed me to rattle off all my questions, responding only with grunts. After that I basically followed her around, seeing what she did in the village, the fact that she never entered the boundary of the village flying completely over my head, going with her to watch the other competitions happening, hitting every single food stall and trying everything, except the ones that her own village had set up.”
His features softened, his mind planning for revenge, as he asked, “The extent of her ostracisation was that bad?”
“Blew my mind,” the elf agreed, continuing quickly, “Not at the time though, afterwards, when I asked my parents. They were not ready for that topic this early in my childhood, so I had even more questions to ask the next year. We did the same things, mostly, I won first this time, and, of course, the incident at the end.”
“Intriguing,” the grin was back, even though the elf had to look again towards Elyza for permission.
“Well, they held the finals of the martial tournaments at the end of the day, and Elyza had somehow made it to that stage, facing off against whom, if I remember correctly, was slated to become the next elder of her village, but the current one stopped before it even started. He started shouting at her, screaming so much that I was afraid she would kill him right then and there, before another woman came from the forest, the sight of which silenced the elder completely.”
His partner had finally let her eyes peek out from her hands, staring at the ground as her friend continued, “The lady said a few words that I couldn’t hear, but I do remember her reactions. Disappointment, anger, then immense happiness, followed by them both leaving. I followed her to ask what happened, met the lady who was her mother, and then never saw her again, since I was allowed to go to Chryse to further my studies, and… that’s about it.”
Alex gave some nods, before remarking with the straightest face he could manage, “In your opinion: How much of a momma’s girl is she?”
“Above average?”
“Enough.” Elyza pleaded, getting up from her chair, her halberd springing from her hands to grab Alex’s hood, forcing him to his feet as she took a deep breath before adding, “I was pleasantly surprised to see you here, Cillian.”
“I never imagined I’d see you this far from the forest,” the wizard replied, giving her the kindest smile he could muster, unable to look into her eyes as he took a deep breath to add, “I heard from my parents what happened to your village, and I’m too afraid to ask…”
“My mother is dead,” She remarked, the first time Alex had heard her say it in front of other people, but the topic wasn’t one that was easily brought up in conversation.
Cillian could only nod to the news, playing with the clasps of his spell book, thinking of what to say before the same words the duo had heard time and time again followed, “I’m sorry for your loss, but I hope this journey–”
“Do not worry, this rat has already given me the speech before,” She remarked, pulling Alex around the table, letting him slide on the floor to stand next to her as her halberd rematerialised into a ring once again, continuing, “The village has already rebuilt, most of the captured returned, and my revenge is fulfilled.”
“Hey, don’t whittle down my words with such efficiency,” he protested, flicking his finger at her closest ear.
“Then why don’t you return…” His voice quickly trailed off, the answer to the broken question having already been uttered before.
Elyza answered without hesitation, “They never wanted me before, the death of their beloved betrayer will change nothing, so I see no reason to return to that pitiful man.”
The words piqued his interest, but Alex knew she would tell her their meaning when they were granted privacy, so instead he remarked, “And now she’s stuck with me, a worse fate than death itself, but damn the gods, Ears can’t resist my cooking.”
It made her crack a smile, her ears bolting straight as he knew memories of his creations flooded her mind, remarking, “It does feel that way more days than some, but I am indebted to him in some way.”
“Indebted?” he looked at her quizzically, “For and to do what?”
“Aiding me and aiding others,” she answered, turning back to her old acquaintance, “But tell me, how come you joined Lady Reyna, and why have you left the life of a researcher that you wished for?”
A smile spread across Cillian’s face, “I’m surprised you still remember our conversations.”
“You talk almost as much as the bastard next to me.” To those words, Alex bowed, a silent laugh growing across the wizard’s face, eliciting a slap on his neck from his partner.
“I did achieve my dream, worked under by far the greatest magic researcher I could find, invented some new spells under him, polished some old ones to be more efficient, helped create some mechanical monstrosities that blew up after ten minutes. And then…”
“Either the master is dead, you inherited the position, and ran away from your responsibilities, or there was a girl, and she died, leaving you to carry out her dying wish,” Alex remarked.
“It was… kind of both, but neither,” Cillian replied, scratching the back of his ears, “I met a girl absolutely enamoured by botany and specifically the idea of Druidcraft, so she tracked me down and broke into my room in the dead of night.”
It sounds too much like her.
_If you meet her again, I will turn your prized dreams into the worst of worst nightmares._
The look on the wizard’s face was a mix of fear and absolute adoration as he continued about her, “After my master died, it turns out immortality spells have to be differentiated between un–dying and un–ageing. The headmasters, correctly, gathered I was too inexperienced to inherit his position, but they figured I was too far in my apprenticeship to start again. So, as a compromise, I was allowed to conduct my research study earlier than planned, and I chose to do it under Druidcraft, which meant I was under her supervision, since she is considered an expert of the field.”
_Oh, no, do not tell him that._
“If you could wrap things up in a neat little bow?” Alex pleaded.
“Of course. When I learned of the worshippers, there was a possibility of the usage of Druidcraft, so I tracked them down for my research, and somehow I was roped into becoming the next head for all agricultural activities for them. To be completely honest, I love it. I get to care for all manners of strange plants, analyse to my heart’s content, and they do pay me somewhat.”
“That’s all great, really happy for you, when’s the next time you aim to meet the girl of your dreams?” He inquired, holding his partner from commenting on his discourtesy.
“Around two or so months? She still has some practicals to conduct, then she’ll join me in my research, since studying plants under direct divine influence is quite rare in this day and age.” He was happy to talk more about his crush, so the conversation between the duo was unnecessary.
What was to come was not, Alex tilting to his partner to whisper, “Does he know?”
Before she could answer, her friend added, “She’d be really keen to meet you, Elyza, I told her about the rumours surrounding our tribes and about the supposed ‘Branches of Yggradisil’”
“Don’t mention you’ve met us,” He instructed, his hands clasped together, bowing to Cillian.
It took him a second to process the act, remarking, “W-Why?”
“Yes,” His partner added, “Why should I not meet the woman? Is she one of your…”
“Even I’m not that crazy my dear Ears,” Alex retorted, trying to find the kind words hidden beneath the ones he normally used, out of respect for Cillian, “And she’s what one might refer to as a fanatic of sorts for anything remotely related to Druidcraft. If you meet her without preparation, she will try to dissect everything about you and then you in the end.”
After all the tales uttered from his mouth, after they had inevitably been proven true, it was reassuring to see that doubt flickered over her face before she decided it was too egregious a lie, even for him. However, the wizard’s words were a nice touch, “I can not not guarantee she would do that if given the chance.”
“Then it's settled, this conversation never happened,” Alex stated, waving his hands as if he was casting an illusion, before something pinged in his mind, remembering what the next town over was, remarking with unbridled grin, “Now, let’s go see if Bee wants to split the fare for a dragon.”
Hidden beneath her stoic demeanour, he could spot the excited child begging to know more, but the rational side of her brain won, “Let us first sleep on a comfortable bed for the first time in a week, and a bath as well.”
He spotted Cillian smiling with a warmth he had only seen from the oldest of his friends, and he couldn’t let it go, “Why the smile?”
“I hope me and Faeryl can reach the heights you two have.”
_The name has been spoken, we must run._
“I beg your pardon?”
Sighing, Elyza clarified, “We are partners as in we both work as a team, not in a romantic sense.”
Confusion spread across the wizard’s face, “But you call yourself Nemo and Penelope…”
“Yes, and he calls me Ears because he is, what one might consider, a close friend, and to annoy me.”
Alex raised his hand, not waiting for permission as he remarked, “By default, she doesn’t have many friends.”
He was smacked immediately, but Cillian still continued, “Aren’t the names based on the tale of Odysseus and his dear wife Penelope?”
_Alright, I can wait a bit more._
The words of the Empress meant that she had figured out the connection before he had, and frankly that was more embarrassing than the accidental connection, forcing him to berate himself in silence for missing that obvious connection.
I am a fucking dumbass.
But his partner summed up his feelings perfectly, “… Well, that does explain why the inns always try to give us the fancier rooms.”
“I am so fucking dumb,” Alex repeated his thoughts.
“I agree,” Elyza replied, not as ashamed as he was, and there was no reason for her to be, she hadn’t heard the stories since birth, but still she tried to distract him, “Since this was my final task, maybe a celebration is warranted?”
While it was tempting, he needed to silence his thoughts and especially Elina’s predicted humiliation, and there was only one thing that could do both, “After we return to the Capital, Ears. I want to drown myself in sweet and sour cider.”