The time which it took for Minoru to land after being whisked away by Bergobon was almost instantaneous. They suddenly found themselves pulled into the air, and in the next moment they stumbled out of the being's cloak, falling to the ground.
His long, skeletal hand gently held Yeva, setting her down softly onto the dark turquoise grass below.
"Welcome to our realm, guests Minoru and Ashe.” He welcomed them, looking down at them as they pushed up against the ground.
As Minoru and Ashe pulled themselves up, they bore witness to the land around them. The cool-colored grass was an odd detail to say the least, but most of all was the gray sky accompanied by a curious celestial object that looked like a cross between a sun and a moon. It shone a pale white, and although the sky looked as though it was overcast, the whole area surrounding them was lit up brightly.
Looking through their surroundings, the two could see the strange flora that grew around them. A deep turquoise on all of the foliage, many of them glew faintly. The trees were twisted, their trunks appearing in the shape of a corkscrew, while others were bent in different directions. Along the ground or from the canopies of the trees many viny plants twisted, curled, and looped through the air before ending in shining flowers. Small motes of light drifted through the air from these flowers, keeping even shaded areas lit up in a surreal, ethereal glow.
Turning around, they found Yeva and Bergobon facing them, their backs to a large, twisted gate of wrought iron, almost as bendy and curved as the plants surrounding it. Behind the gate was a large, shockingly bustling town.
Buildings extended high into the air, curved and leaning just as loopily as the plants once more. The whole town seemed… curved. The buildings bent and wrapped in on themselves– some so much so that it was difficult to make out their exact geometry at first glance.
And looming over the sky on the horizon was a black castle. The cliff it sat upon curled like a butterfly's proboscis, and the shape of its architecture was noticeably curled and loopy just as the plants and buildings were.
"The realm of the unseelie, wreathed in shadow and mist, may our flights of whimsy and wonder entertain you both." Bergobon spoke softly. "I welcome you both to Morgania, our great queen's domain."
Hand at his hip, resting over the handle of his sword, Minoru looked back towards the town before him. "You said the queen wants to see us, right?"
"Indeed. Our queen knows of your protection of Miss Yeva, an act that she is appreciative of. She requested that I bring you to her. She is… curious about you two. Especially you, boy." Bergobon explained as he gestured for Minoru and Ashe to follow, him and Yeva making their way through the gate.
Many residents of the town seemed to greet Bergobon and Yeva with reverence, bowing and vocally greeting them. The locals all looked suitably off for a realm of unseelie fae. A tall, goblinesque man with long, scaly ears pulled along an almost zombified horse, its back half looking like seaweed or reeds that wrapped and coiled tightly around the cart it was pulling. Short, mothlike individuals walked and hovered through, a person with the upper body of a woman but the lower body of a giant centipede crawled past. A huge troll with scant foliage growing across his body was managing the decorations of what seemed to be a shop, overseen by a short creature that looked like a moving, living bush riding atop a massive, black hound with six legs.
Many of them looked at Minoru and Ashe with curiosity, but not much more than a passing glance.
Yeva turned her head to the side, the other three hearing an excited gasp as she broke away from them.
Running towards an open shop on the side of the stony road, she jumped onto the counter, holding herself up by her arms as her pink tail swished and jostled about behind her.
"Lorog!" She called, to which the man standing behind the counter turned to face her, revealing his head to be that of an anteater's. In fact, unlike a seraut, he was overall closer to a bipedal anteater than a proper humanoid, his massive claws and body covered in fur underneath his clothes showing this clearly.
"Oh, Yeva! How's my favorite customer doing? I hope that trip went well for you."
"Yeah! I made some new friends, too! Do you have any of your bread puffs? I wanna let them try them out!”
Looking up as the other three approached from behind Yeva, Lorog smiled as he saw Bergobon. “Ah, Sir Bergobon! It’s so nice to see you!” Looking at Minoru and Ashe at the huge fae’s side, his expression turned curious. “Oh, are you two Yeva’s new friends?”
“I suppose that would be correct.” Ashe answered. “Granted, we only just met.”
He chuckled. “Well, that’s not unusual. Yeva’s fast to make friends. Here, just a moment.” He moved to the back of the store, which appeared to be a bakery, returning to the front with a basket filled with large, circular pastries. Grasping one, Minoru could feel the warmth still emanating off of them, their texture that of bread. Their color was strange, however, as they were quite a vibrant red, even on the outside. “Here, I actually just finished this batch. Yeva loves these things, I’m sure you will as well!”
“They’re suuuuuper good! Try one! Try one!” Yeva encouraged, taking one and handing it to Ashe.
Minoru and Ashe both looked at each other for a second before back to the pastries in their hands. Ashe took a bite, giving a surprised, pleased reaction, with Minoru confirming this reaction before taking his own bite. The bread was surprisingly sweet. It was a strange flavor, the closest thing Minoru could compare it to would be the taste of banana bread, and yet it was distinctly different. He took another bite, and was in for another surprise as a proverbial explosion of sweet flavor filled his mouth.
Pulling the pastry away from his mouth, he could see a bright blue jelly substance, a stark contrast to the red bread surrounding it. The jelly had an extremely sweet taste, almost overwhelmingly so, like an odd combination of honey and maple syrup.
“It’s good, right?” Yeva asked.
“It’s… sweet.” Minoru began. “I can almost taste how unhealthy this is…” He joked while looking to Ashe, who was already more than halfway through eating her own, as if she was enamored with its taste. “Got a bit of a sweet tooth, don’t you?”
Ashe only seemed to notice how fast she was eating then, quickly stopping to swallow her own bite while wiping crumbs from her mouth. Purposefully standing straight, as if trying to save face, she spoke steadily.
“This is… quite good. Thank you, Lorog, Yeva…” She gave small bows to the two of them.
“She totally has a sweet tooth…” Minoru thought to himself, letting go of an amused huff before taking another bite of his own pastry. “Thank you for these.” Minoru said to Lorog as he swallowed.
“Don’t mention it. Yeva’s my best customer, and if you two are her friends then I can’t just let you all go without giving you a sample.”
“Trying to get us hooked with all this sugar and turn us into customers too, huh?”
Lorog chuckled. “Hey, I don’t think it’s wrong to do a bit of marketing with free samples!”
Minoru took another bite. “I’m not sure what this jelly is, but I can’t deny that it’s good.”
“Oh, that’s made out of the sap from the trees around here. Y’know, the real twisty ones? Those things are somethin’ special if you haven’t ever seen ‘em before. You should try the fruit they grow in the spring. The juice those things make? Mmh!” He punctuated the last sound with his claws curling into an OK sign.
“Maybe I’ll pay a visit here in the future then.”
Bergobon spoke up. “Thank you very much for the treats, Lorog. Perhaps I can put a good word in with Her Majesty. We are visiting her, after all.”
“R-Really? N-Naw, it’s no big deal, really… Wait, am I keeping y’all from visiting Her Majesty!? Agh, so sorry, sorry!”
“Do not fret, we are not tight on time. Again, thank you. We will take our leave now. Good day to you.”
“Thank you, Lorog!” Yeva added cheerfully as she walked off with the other three, earning a friendly wave goodbye from the baker.
Glancing to the side, Minoru noticed Ashe looking down at the pastry she was eating, a contemplative look on her face as she walked.
“Something bugging you?”
“Not particularly, no. I suppose I am simply surprised. I have never been to Morgania before. Such a bizarre yet… friendly land was not what I was expecting.”
Bergobon chuckled. “You must be surprised. I presume you’ve only heard of the stories of how we kidnap children, or lure people to their deaths.”
“I suppose so, yes.”
“I do not blame you for your surprise, then.” He breathed out. “I do not have some big speech planned to elucidate you on our ‘true nature,’ as some may expect. All I have is our hospitality to you as guests. However…” He trailed off, looking over his shoulder at the two of them. “Stories of us have spread through your people for a reason. We are not bloodthirsty monsters, yet we are also not peaceful forest dwellers. Those stories of fools lost to the forest by the sound of the singing wind, those led to a watery grave by an innocent horse, or those ripped apart by forces beyond their comprehension when they spoke the wrong name one too many times… They are all rooted in truth. How close that truth is to the stories you have heard is for you to decide.”
Yeva looked from Bergobon to Ashe, observing her conflicted expression with worry before slowing down her pace in order to walk in time with her as she looked up.
“T-The unseelie are really really nice, I promise!” She spoke up. “They’ve been nothing but nice to me, Bonnie’s just trying to scare you, don’t worry!”
“I am not, Miss Yeva.” Bergobon spoke plainly. “You are a special exception. You know your circumstances. The unseelie do not go well with humans, or any other species in Villesia. Her Majesty deigned you important enough to protect.”
“B-But… You guys aren’t bad! I mean… You don’t try to hurt anyone!”
“You are right, Miss Yeva. However, you must realize that we are not kind, just in the same way that we are not bad.”
“And what if your queen didn’t want Yeva protected?” Minoru asked pointedly, to which Bergobon stopped, turning and looking directly at him.
“What do you wish to imply with those words, boy?”
“I’m asking what you’d do if Yeva wasn’t being protected by your queen.” He replied directly. “Would you treat her like you would any other human? What would you do if you were faced with her in the forest, like we were today? Would you just reenact those stories people tell about you all, only to turn around and say some cryptic horseshit?”
Leaning down, Bergobon’s skeletal visage looked Minoru directly in the eye. “Listen well, boy. We are moulded by our circumstances. Circumstances have deigned that I am Miss Yeva’s guardian, that Her Majesty values Miss Yeva’s safety, and that you and your partner are our guests tonight.” He leaned closer, yet Minoru hardly moved. “But circumstances can change at the drop of a hat, especially if you are not careful with your words.”
The two stared each other down for a moment, Ashe and Yeva watching on in the tense silence, before Bergobon stood up straight, once more towering over Minoru at over twice his height. “I will go on ahead and prepare the transporter to the castle. Meet me there when you are ready.” He stated plainly, moving ahead of the three, towards a conically shaped building with wavy, stained glass windows.
Minoru didn’t even notice how tightly his hands were squeezed until he let his breath go.
Looking down at Yeva, who wore an unsure expression, he placed a hand on her shoulder, prompting her to look up at him.
"I'm sorry about that, Yeva. I shouldn't have gotten mad like that. I hope that wasn't too uncomfortable for you."
"No, it's okay…" She replied in a downtrodden tone. "Bonnie doesn't like humans very much. I can tell he's kinda uncomfortable letting you guys in here. He's not mean, he's just…" She trailed off. It was clear she didn't really know what to say in his defense.
Minoru’s expression was sympathetic, as he gave her a small pat on the back. “Don’t worry about it too much, okay? Him and I… we just have some disagreements, is all. We’ll try not to fight like that again. Is that okay?”
She nodded slightly. “Yeah… that’s okay…”
“Good.” He affirmed. “Come on, we should catch up to him. We still need to go see the queen, right?”
She smiled slightly. “Yeah, okay.” The three continued on to the building, following behind Bergobon.
Minoru and Bergobon offered little more than a cursory glance at each other as the three stood alongside the tall fae in the huge, runic circle of the transporter. It was a deep maroon and covered all over in cryptic inscriptions with multiple, esoteric symbols all over it.
“Alright, sending you off now.” Said a fae who was idly working what seemed to be the controls for the transported, pulling a few levers which caused the runes all across the circle to glow an eerie red. Despite how brightly they shone, it wasn’t the kind of light that strained the eyes, as soon enough a cylindrical wall of light surrounded the four, extending high into the air and through a circular hole in the ceiling.
Once the brightness became too much to bear, Minoru felt an oddly familiar sense of weightlessness as, in a flash, the whole group was whisked away to a far off location, feeling as though he was being pushed along the currents of a huge yet orderly river. As soon as he felt his feet touch solid ground once more and saw the light dissipate, he opened his eyes.
Him and Ashe stepped forwards unsurely, a little shaken from the rapid transportation. As they exited the similar building they found themselves in, their heads immediately turned upwards as they gazed upon the enormous castle they could only see in silhouette from the town. It towered into the sky, illuminated from below only by the ghostly blue fire of torches alongside its walls. The howling cliffside behind it provided an eerie ambience as the wind sounded frighteningly similar to that of a groaning spirit, the winds causing purple banners emblazoned with a golden faerie crest taking the distinct shape of a moth with a spiky crown surrounding it.
In addition, the castle’s architecture was bizarre, just as the houses in the town had been. It almost looked as though the architecture curved upwards, as Minoru could just barely make out the way the main building sloped upwards into a fully vertical tower. It was strange, to say the least.
Looking up even further was what seemed to be the capstone to said tower– a huge extension to the castle that looked like a building in its own right, as though it was built first and simply stacked on top of the tower later.
The front gates to the castle wall opened up as they approached, to which Bergobon spoke in an almost mocking tone. “Be on your best behavior for our queen, will you?”
Minoru simply shot him an annoyed glance before him and Ashe followed Bergobon and Yeva in.
As they entered the central keep, they were welcomed in by two guards, large membranous wings like those of bees stuck out from their backs, and they were armed with highly sharpened staves. To the left and right of the two guards were two houndlike beasts, one about the size of a wolf with smooth, glossy fur and a long tail. The other was much larger, almost the size of a moose, with shaggy gray fur and a disturbingly humanoid face.
The doors of the keep were opened, and on the inside there were multiple fae of many bizarre shapes and sizes flitting about. A second floor supported by pillars and statues sculpted from a dark purple stone.
As they neared the far end of the entrance hall Minoru could see exactly why the building seemed to curve from the outside, as on either end– almost like a stand-in for a staircase– the floor sloped upwards, the whole building seeming to curve as it shifted to being oriented completely vertically such that the floor became a wall. In the middle of the raised parts of the floor was an alternate passageway that seemed to slope downwards instead, branching off to a different area of the castle. Even the second floor above them curved upwards to match the floor below.
Minoru and Ashe gazed up the sloping paths, unsure of how they were going to navigate them, only for Yeva to confidently step up one of them, walking up the slope with ease as the floor became steeper and steeper…
Only to then continue walking up the wall as the floor curved into it, her body oriented parallel to the floor Minoru and Ashe were standing on. Her clothing and hair didn’t even seem to be affected by this bizarre orientation, they still looked as they did when she was standing right beside them, as though gravity had no effect on her at the moment.
She turned her head up, looking to Minoru and Ashe with a smile, gesturing for them to follow her.
“Come on, guys!” She called to them, Bergobon approaching her as his body also seemed to stick seamlessly to the floor as it curved into the wall.
The two looked at each other, before cautiously walking up the slope as well, following behind Yeva and Bergobon.
The strangest part of walking up the slope was, in Minoru’s mind, the fact that it wasn’t steep at all. At least, it didn’t feel so. It was as if gravity oriented itself with them, rather than the other way around. It was as seamless as could be, and within seconds what was once the wall was now the floor, and what was once the floor now appeared to them to be the wall said floor curved into.
Looking out a window on the side of the hallway Minoru could tell that, in actuality, they were indeed parallel to the actual ground, as the whole world outside was sideways in comparison to how his body was oriented, but it felt so… natural that the dissonance wasn’t felt in his brain.
Though looking out the window inevitably provoked a slight headache. Trying to comprehend the castle’s surroundings while sideways wasn’t the easiest thing.
Other than this confusion, walking through the hall– or up the tower– wasn’t very difficult. Yet despite this, and not to mention the various fae flitting about– even in this strangely warped space– coming from halls that curved off downwards such that Minoru couldn't see into them very far, Minoru's heart was beating fast.
His head like it was on a swivel, he constantly looked from side to side, his gaze lingering on the surrounding fae, even twisting his upper body to watch them pass by.
He had no idea why his hand was grasping the hilt of his blade so tightly, nor why he couldn't seem to simply look straight ahead while walking. He tried slowing and deepening his breathing, as the pounding of his veins was beginning to make his chest feel tight and his breathing shallower.
Ashe cast a glance his way as he looked away from her, her brow furrowing as she watched his reactions to the surroundings.
As seamlessly as possible, the group walked through the hall, reaching the top where the floor curved downwards. As they walked over this part of their path, they were reoriented once more, standing perpendicular to the ground below the castle.
Once they were right side up again, they approached a large, ornate, double door, seemingly crafted from the turquoise wood of the trees in this country. As they neared, the doors opened entirely on their own, swinging inwards to welcome them.
The wide open room following was almost wreathed in shadow at the far end, yet even just from the entrance it was clear it was important with the ornate decorations. Windows flanked by intricately sculpted statues, banners flying the same moth crest that was on the outside of the castle, the walls decorated alternatingly by paintings and beautiful swords that looked like they were crafted out of precious gems rather than metal.
As they neared the shadowy area of the room, chandeliers adorning the ceiling lit up, wreathing the room in a ghostly glow, almost in response to their presence, light suddenly filling their area just as they were about to move into the shadows.
And at the very end, brightly illuminated by said chandeliers, sat a lone throne. Large and ornate, almost built into the wall, it appeared as though enormous moth wings spread out from it, patterned like eyes that bored into Minoru with a piercing glare as the wings reached from wall to wall.
Seated calmly, with one leg crossed over the other, was a woman who looked to be a young adult. Her white hair done up in a regal ponytail by her black, jagged crown. Her pale skin contrasted to the nightlike darkness of her dress. The top and dress were separated such that her midsection was visible, the dress flowing down the length of her legs onto the floor. On her left arm was a large fur pelt resting on her shoulder and a long, wide sleeve. The other was left mostly uncovered, but wore a winding bracelet that went all the way from her wrist to just under her shoulder.
Her left hand propped up her head, in a pose that would suggest she was asleep on the throne, but her right hand firmly held onto a tall scepter. The top was similar to that of a trident, but the middle pike was enlarged such that it looked like the blade of a large broadsword. Just below the tip was a large crescent oriented upwards, from which six magical structures– three on either side– that could only be described as glowing black wings projected outward.
And spread out from her back, fluttering gently, were huge moth wings of her own.
On one side of the throne stood a large, hulking man dressed in bulky armor, a large two sided axe at his side. His ghostly green skin and hair faintly glowed as he stood guard at the woman’s side, yet his posture suggested a more laid back attitude about the whole ordeal.
The group stopped a fair distance from the throne, save for Yeva who stepped forwards quickly, an excited smile on her face. Bergobon followed closely behind, taking up his position on the other side of the throne, now facing Minoru and Ashe.
As the woman opened her eyes slowly at Yeva and Bergobon’s approach, an incomprehensible chill washed over Minoru and Ashe. Minoru felt his heart drop as it was a feeling reminiscent of being grabbed by his legs and arms. In a rough motion, he was almost forced to the floor, kneeling to the queen before him, with Ashe following much the same motions.
As the woman stood up slowly from her throne, the two could tell just how tall she was. She wasn’t Bergobon’s towering height by any means, but she was still much taller than expected, exceeding both Minoru and Ashe’s height by a sizable margin. Working off his best approximation, she was about six and a half feet tall.
Stepping down from the raised platform her throne was on, she brushed her hand along the top of Yeva’s fuzzy hat while looking down at the small girl before stepping closer to Minoru and Ashe, Yeva following closely behind.
“You must be Yeva’s friends.” She spoke in a calm, calculated tone, her eyes almost shining an unnerving yellow. Minoru couldn’t make out any pupils, either. Instead, her irises seemed to be patterned like a grid, similar to the compound eyes of insects.
Her presence was coupled with another whirl of an almost supernatural cold
“They’re Minoru and Ashe! They let me camp with them and fed me really good food!” Yeva explained cheerily.
“Did they now?” She acknowledged the small girl's words, looking towards Minoru and Ashe. Stepping forwards a little, she spoke to them. “Rise for me, would you?”
Almost as if commanded by a freezing, unseen force once more, Minoru and Ashe stood up, looking up at the collected expression of the queen before them. She studied their faces for a moment before she continued.
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“I am Morgan le Fae. Queen of Morgania. It is a pleasure to me two people that Yeva considers her friends.” She spoke, her tone regal and dignified beyond compare. “I assume she met you two while she was out playing in the forest, was she not?”
Minoru stayed quiet as Ashe spoke. “That is correct. We found her in the forest bordering Swatesia."
"My, you certainly traveled far, Yeva. No wonder Sir Bergobon lost track of you." She spoke in an amused tone as she looked down at Yeva, who was clutching onto Morgan's long dress with one hand. "Truly, I do thank the both of you for taking care of her while she was out, she is nothing if not one for a touch of wanderlust in her day to day life."
As she spoke, Minoru’s hand felt stiff, a strange sensation as he glanced to Bergobon and the green man standing on either side of Morgan’s throne. They both watched him and Ashe with lingering gazes.
“Are they just watching the conversation? …Maybe they’re trying to watch us in case we do anything… That green guy has an axe, and Bergobon confused the hell out of Ashe and I when we were in the forest… Are they here to fight us if we act out of turn? …Maybe they don’t even intend to help us, and are here to kill us anyways? Shit… Shit! If that’s the case, then Ashe and I just kicked and walked directly into the fucking hornet’s nest!” He felt a cold sweat trickle down his neck, and instinctively his hand moved for the handle of his sword, slowly, trying to hide his movement.
As Ashe was speaking about something that Minoru could hardly hear over his own thoughts, he saw Morgan’s head turn. Looking up, his eyes met with hers and his heart sank. His stomach felt hollow as her eyes seemed to glow slightly brighter as she looked at him with a stern expression.
His hand trembled as it hovered over his sword’s handle. He didn’t know why he was starting to breathe so heavily, nor why he felt completely and utterly frozen in place, his palms clamming up as his hand seized.
Willing himself to move, he acted as if he was simply wiping his hands on his cloak, which seemed to get Morgan’s attention off of him, yet he was still left with that cold sweat on his brow as he stood with his arms at his side, hands trying to find something to do to ease the strange feeling he had.
“Well, I do suppose you two must have had a good reason for wandering so close to Morgania. Tell me exactly what you were doing, would you?”
Ashe continued in response. “That does tie nicely into what we were told by Bergobon. We wished to know if you would have any information about Ouroboros.”
“Ouroboros, hm? Now why would simple humans such as you two need information about them, those worshipers of the elder ones and enemies of humanity?”
“We plan to stop them.” Minoru stated plainly. “We’re looking for any leads on where Gaia’s poisoned roots could be. We have the ability to purify them. And from there, I intend to kill them.”
Morgan observed him for a moment before turning around and walking back towards her throne, Yeva staying nearby Minoru and Ashe. “Tell me, Minoru, just how long have you been in Villesia for?”
“...About a month. Why?”
“I simply get the sense that you do not know your foe all that well.”
His brow furrowed. “And what else is there for me to know? They destroyed my friends’ home, they’ve killed so many people, they’re poisoning the world you live on, they…” He hesitated, his heart hurting as he trailed off for a moment. “They killed my friends… All I need to know about them is what I can do to fix what they’re doing to Gaia, and how I can make sure they’re dead.”
“And you think that’s all you need to know about them?”
Minoru’s gaze narrowed on her. “That is all I need to know.”
She turned her head down, only for her lips to curl into a smile as she chuckled, before raising her head as her laughter grew louder, and then placed her hand on over her forehead as her laughter turned into full-on boisterous cackling. Minoru’s frustration mounting, but that unmistakably ghastly chill on his spine remained, he clenched his fist tightly at her infuriating reaction, Yeva looked up at him worriedly.
As her laughter settled, Morgan directed her gaze at him again, still chuckling through her words as she spoke.
“Honestly, boy how naïve can you be? Now I understand fully. This quest of yours to dismantle Ouroboros, to destroy them and fix the harm they’ve done– it is not done out of bravery, or heroism, or even a desire for revenge! No…” She stood up once more, planting her scepter against the ground with a heavy CLANG!
Her expression suddenly gave a grim glare as she stared Minoru down, she spoke in a low, threatening tone.
“You are doing it out of nothing more than hopeless, clueless idiocy. This is a fool’s errand, and you would be better served simply returning to wherever you came from.” She smirked with a low huff. “Nothing else could be expected, really, from an outlander. It only makes sense that such a fool who has no idea what this world holds for him could only come from another land.”
“This boy… he’s an outlander!?” Bergobon repeated, seemingly genuinely surprised by the revelation revealed by his queen.
“Is this true, Your Majesty?” The green man asked, to which Morgan nodded.
“As true as can be, Halgor. One look is all I need to tell that this boy is not of our world. He is one of the ‘prophesied heroes’ the Lemurians rave about.” She smiled eerily as she looked Minoru up and down again. “Although I suppose it is stretching the definition quite a bit, calling this lost boy a ‘hero.’”
Planting one foot forward, Minoru called out to her. “Then what do you suggest I should do, O Wise Queen?” He asked sarcastically, his anger coming to a boil. “What choice do you think I have!? It’s not like I can go back home now that I’m stuck in this hellhole you call a world! I never asked for this, but here I am anyways, trying to do something! My friends’ deaths are on my hands, and you expect me to just give up and let these Ouroboros psychos have free reign!? To hell with that!”
“Minoru, please, calm down–” Ashe approached, reaching for his shoulder to try and calm him, only for him to swiftly turn, swatting her hand away.
“Don’t touch me!” He spat out sharply before turning back towards Morgan, whose expression hadn’t changed. “They’ve been out here, destroying your world– burning villages, ruining lives, destroying families, but now the responsibility to stop them has fallen onto me, and I seem to be the only one here intent on actually putting in some actual fucking effort into stopping them! If you or anyone else in this godforsaken continent even cared to save it, you’d do something, but you aren’t, and you think you have the right to tell me to quit!?”
Bergobon suddenly manifested in front of him, a skeletal arm reaching out towards him. “You will shut your blaspheming mouth, boy–”
Minoru’s eyes widened as his teeth clenched, his body moving almost entirely on its own as his mana stream flared to life, the collection of purple lines branching across his body glowing brightly as his hand latched onto the handle of his sword, pulling it in an instant.
The distinct crackling of wild electricity filled the air as he raised his blade, only for the weapon to glow a faint purple.
“I said, don’t touch me!!” He spat out as he swung his sword downwards, his whole body leaning into the swing as the blade clanged against the floor below, only for the crackling to blossom into a loud booming noise as a flash of purple lightning blasted from his sword, causing the whole room to rumble and for the force of the strike to even push Bergobon back slightly. Ashe covered her face with her arm and Yeva was blown to the ground as she shrieked in surprise.
Morgan remained composed as she watched the scene unfurl, the only change visible on her was her hair and dress blowing in the forceful winds of the sudden strike. Halgor stepped forwards, brandishing his axe, only for Morgan to halt him by moving her staff in front of him. The composed look on his queen’s face told him all he needed to know and he stepped back, planting his axe into the floor once more.
Purple lightning sparked and arced from Minoru’s body as Bergobon stared him down, the whole room silent as he breathed heavily. He looked past the fae in front of him to Morgan.
“I’m not… going to stop… I don’t care how stupid it is, I have a job to do now. I’m tired of this world yanking me around everywhere. I’m making this choice to fight Ouroboros, here and now.” He declared before standing up and breathing in deeply, sheathing his sword. “I don’t have anything against you, Morgan, but if you think I’m going to quit just because you tell me to, then I’m sorry, but I’m going to have to go against your suggestions.”
Ashe approached Minoru, once more placing her hand on his shoulder softly, pulling his attention towards her as she looked at him with a sympathetic expression.
“Sorry about that… I didn’t mean to lash out at you.” Minoru apologized remorsefully, to which Ashe simply shook her head.
“Think nothing of it.”
Morgan watched him for a moment more, before she smiled with a soft chuckle. “If he were still here, you and my idiot brother would get along just fine.” She returned to sitting down on her throne, head resting in her hand as Bergobon stood down, returning to Morgan’s side. “Very well. Far be it from me to get in the way of an idiot’s tenacity. Besides, if you’re going to get yourself killed, you might as well get something done while doing it.”
Snapping her fingers, a light spawned above her free hand, within which a starry crystal ball appeared. From the ball a large stream of light appeared, projecting out a large image in front of Minoru and Ashe, as though displayed on a projector right in front of them.
The image was somewhat grainy, but could still be made out. A wartorn, burning landscape. The sun was black and the moon was cracked. On one side were seven individuals with glowing weapons primed and rushing to attack an enormous, black shadow that sported four yellow eyes and enormous tendrils that blotted out the sky.
“The seven champions, when fighting their war against Ouroboros, kept it a secret. Even I, as the sister to King Arthur, did not know of this conflict. I cannot reveal to you the identities of Ouroboros, as I never had a personal encounter with them, save for one time.”
The image changed, a young man with long, flowing blonde hair and a similarly colored beard stood beside a woman that looked strikingly similar to Morgan. He was dressed in bulky, shimmering armor as the two overlooked the wide plains in front of a castle’s walls. The sky was an ominous purple.
“I only learned of the existence of Ouroboros when they tested Arthur after he became king and received Lunaris’ blessing. The war was long over at this point, and yet a single man appeared at the gates to Camelot, requesting a duel.”
Another change to the image. Arthur was wielding a huge, golden blade that clashed against the strange, cylindrical weapon of the man, who was wreathed in a shadowy cloak.
“They battled for hours, neither of them tiring. The battle seemed endless, yet neither of them appeared to be giving their all. The duel ended suddenly, with the man bidding Arthur farewell, but not before giving him a strange object. It appeared to be an amulet in the shape of an eye, yet I could not tell quite what it was. Arthur did not show me. He explained everything to me afterwards…”
A new image once more, this time a collection of shadowy figures, overlooked by the silhouettes of great beasts and monsters behind them.
“Ouroboros, a group swearing revenge on all of Villesia. They worshiped the elder ones, beings of great power that many worshiped as gods in the times before Arthur and I were born. Arthur was sparing with the details, but he informed me that they fully intended on upending the lives of all Villesians. They have a personal, deeply hateful vendetta against all of us.”
“How long ago was this war, then?” Minoru asked.
“About five hundred years.”
“So you’re about five hundred years old, huh?”
“Just about. Is that so surprising?”
“In a world like this, not really.” He sighed before continuing. “That aside, why would Ouroboros wait this long? They’ve only reemerged in the past ten years or so, what were they doing for half a millennia?”
“It’s impossible to know exactly what happened to them. After all, they were supposedly defeated at the end of the war with the champions. However, if I had to guess, the Ouroboros we are dealing with now could be a new generation, so to speak. However, I personally doubt that. I feel it might be more likely that they were either recovering from the war, or, possibly, they’ve been planning for this moment ever since.”
Minoru gave a huff. “And we’re the wrench in those plans, then?”
“With how you supposedly have the ability to heal Gaia, I would say that is a fair perspective to have. However, even if you have the ability to reverse their effects on Gaia, truly defeating them is another matter. The champions were the greatest warriors Villesia has ever seen, and if they weren’t able to put them down for good, I see little chance that you two will be able to do so. Even with that strange display you showed just now.”
With a swipe of her hand, the image changed once more.
“From what I could glean based on Arthur’s words and his own personal writings, Ouroboros seems to be intent on slaying all of Villesia, but if I had to guess they are searching for something. I do not believe they have what they need in order to accomplish their goals, and as such are wreaking havoc in very particular places they suspect might house what they need.”
“What makes you think that?” Ashe asked.
“Because Yeva was an attempt at doing just that.”
Minoru and Ashe both instinctively looked at the young girl, whose pink tail wrapped around her as she sheepishly grasped it in her hands.
“What exactly were they trying to do with her?”
“Yeva, may I explain to them?” Morgan asked.
“Huh…? Uhm… Yeah, it’s okay…” Yeva answered in a small voice.
Morgan contemplated her words for a moment before continuing. “Yeva was forced into an experiment at Ouroboros’ hands. I know not what this experiment was meant to achieve, but it produced that tail you see on her now. It also granted her potent shapeshifting abilities, akin to that of an experienced druidic mage.”
“They had a lot of other kids my age where I was…” Yeva explained. “They did a lot of things that hurt… I don’t really remember much, though… I don’t know what happened to the others… I don’t know who it was that took me, either.”
“Thank you for telling them, Yeva. You’re a very brave girl for being able to reveal that.” Morgan reassured her. “I am sheltering Yeva for the time being. I believe that Ouroboros intended on using her as a means to an end. What that end was is a mystery, but I am confident in this conclusion. Otherwise, they would have no reason to do these experiments.”
Minoru thought back to what the beast in Ludmilia said, its words indicating that it and its cohorts were looking for something, in Wesgrave, that their destruction and slaughter had a purpose beyond the death of Villesians…
“Ouroboros is definitely planning something.” Minoru said plainly. “The attack they waged on Wesgrave, ten years ago. I know for a fact now that they were looking for something there. I don’t know what it was, but there’s no way that and Yeva being experimented on aren’t connected.”
“Well then, another lead is always a delightful surprise.” Morgan mused. “What is your plan for now, then?”
“We were traveling north to Camelot, one of the infected roots is there based on the information we have. After that, I suppose the next best thing we can do is investigate Wesgrave.”
“I must say this for both of your sakes– Camelot is a wise first step in your journey, but I would be extremely careful there. If there’s one thing I can say, it’s that you should not reveal your goal of opposing Ouroboros anywhere in that land.”
“Why is that?” Ashe asked.
“Camelot… that radiant city of the north… It is tarnished. I know not what evils lurk behind its golden image these days, but I do not doubt that Ouroboros could very well have eyes and ears there.” She sighed. “How far it has fallen. Arthur would be ashamed if he was awake today.” Shaking her head, she moved her hand over the crystal ball, shutting off the projection. "That aside, if the two of you are intent on challenging Ouroboros, you will need to be much stronger. Here.” She tapped her scepter on the ground, causing a mote of light to form right above Minoru and Ashe’s heads, materializing as they fell down.
Catching them, the two found that they were two pendants in the design of the Morganian crest, the moth overlaid on the shape of Morgan’s crown.
“When you arrive in Camelot, head for House Artorius and show these pendants to them. They have a message encoded for the queen. They will allow you to receive official knight training, on my behalf.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty.” Ashe replied with a bow.
“Then that’s the plan? Just train at Camelot?” Minoru asked.
“There is little else to be done, the two of you are ill-equipped to face Ouroboros as it stands. With the training of Camelot, however, it is likely that you will be able to stand toe-to-toe with them. Perhaps you could even manage to slay one of them.” Morgan explained.
Minoru sighed. “Nothing for it, then. Anything else we should know?”
Morgan thought for a moment in silence before speaking once more.
“Karna.” She stated plainly. “If your journeys should take you to the western island, try and search for a small village known as Slimeville. Based on my knowledge, Karna lived there."
“You say Karna the champion is still alive as well?” Ashe asked.
“Whether he is still there now, or has passed away, I do not know. Regardless, if he is dead, then the people of that village have surely preserved his writings. Search for them, you may be able to glean more information.”
“Well then, I suppose we know exactly what we need to do.” Minoru concluded.
“One more thing.” Morgan spoke up. “I would like to make a formal request.”
Minoru and Ashe observed her for a moment longer.
“Well, what is it?”
“I would like for you to allow Yeva to travel with you.”
“Huh?”
“H-Huh?” Yeva uttered in surprise.
“Your Majesty, surely you aren’t serious–” Bergobon began, a worried air about him.
“I have no intention to jest about this, Bergobon.” Morgan addressed him briefly. “Yeva, you have mentioned wishing to return to your home, have you not?”
“W-Well… Yes…”
“Wait, Yeva’s not from here?” Minoru asked.
Morgan shook her head. “No. Yeva was taken from Vogachia to the northwest, that much I know. However, as a result of Ouroboros’ experiments, her memories are fuzzy. She does not remember exactly what village or town she could have called home in the past. That is why I wish to see her brought back home safely with the help of someone who will be traveling.” She observed the two’s shocked reactions, as well as Yeva’s. “This is a personal request from me, you may accept or reject this as you see fit. Should you accept to do this for me, I will provide you compensation up front. I cannot see to Yeva’s safe transport to Vogachia myself, and having her travel with an unseelie fae would draw undue attention to both of them.”
“...Why are you choosing us?”
“Because Yeva is fond of you two, and I have confirmed for myself that the two of you are not a danger to her. All I ask is that you keep her safe.”
“But you know fully well that we will have run-ins with Ouroboros, wouldn’t this be putting Yeva in even greater danger?” Ashe asked. “Is transportation magic out of the question? There has to be a safer way to do this.”
“Unfortunately, Vogachia has shut off all forms of transportation magic from entering their country. Not to mention that the transport lines have been malfunctioning in Villesia as a whole as of late. No doubt thanks to Ouroboros’ meddling.” She breathed out as her eyes locked onto Yeva. “Yeva, now is the time to say something if you wish to. I would like you to tell me if you have any reservations about this. I will retract the request if you do. Please be truthful.”
Yeva twiddled with her tail unsurely, not sure how to respond. “Uhm… Uh… I-I mean…”
Minoru moved over to her, lowering himself so he could place his hand on her shoulder, offering her a reassuring look before turning to speak to Morgan.
“Would you give Yeva more time to think this over? I think this is a lot to take in for her. Besides, Ashe and I don’t plan to leave immediately.”
Morgan mulled this over for a moment before continuing. “Very well. Yeva, I will ask another time. Please think carefully about this, and come to me if you need anything. I will do my best to calm any nerves you may have and clear up anything you are unsure of.”
“Okay, Morgan… I’ll think about it.” Yeva affirmed.
Morgan smiled softly. “Good. Well then, I believe that covers everything. Halgor?” She asked, grabbing the green man’s attention. “Would you please show Minoru and Ashe to a guest room?”
“Yes, my queen.” He replied with a dignified bow, slinging his axe over her shoulder casually as he approached the two. “Come on then, you two, Her Majesty’s choosing to show her hospitable side tonight.”
“I do hope you two appreciate my help. Your journey may be a foolish one, but it is one I will observe with the utmost interest. I do hope you exceed my expectations for you.” Morgan spoke in an amused tone.
“Then we’ll put on the best show you’ve ever seen.” Minoru replied, eliciting an amused chuckle from the queen, before him and Ashe left, following behind Halgor.
In the silence that followed, Yeva softly spoke. “I’m going to go back to my room now.” Morgan offered little more than a simple “Goodnight” as the small girl took her leave.
Leaning towards Morgan, Bergobon spoke.
“Your Majesty, I do not have a problem with you helping them, but why must you put Miss Yeva in danger like this?”
“Because, Bergobon, I do not wish to see her separated from her home a moment longer. She might enjoy her time here, but it is clear that she wants to return.”
“Your Majesty, I cannot agree to this. Miss Yeva does not even know where her true home is. For all we know, her nativity to Vogachia could be a mistake on her part. We don’t know what Ouroboros did to her, but they clearly trifled with her memories.”
“All the more reason why she needs to go on this journey. We cannot leave with her, but she needs to see the world for what it is. Being cooped up in this castle is no way for a child to live.” She sighed wistfully. “I would know.”
Bergobon went quiet for a moment. “May I at least request that we establish some way to communicate with them? It would put my mind at ease to be able to get some form of status report from them every so often.”
“You remind me of my father sometimes, Bergobon.” Morgan said with a bemused smile. “Very well, I see no harm in allowing us to speak with her every so often. I will hand it over to them tomorrow.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty.”
“Rest assured Bergobon, I will make absolutely certain that girl returns home. It is what I promised, after all.”
“...I understand, Your Majesty.”
----------------------------------------
Settling down in the room they were given, Minoru and Ashe sat on opposing beds on either side of the room. Minoru sighed as he set down his bag, beginning to take off his cloak.
“Busy day tomorrow, huh?” He mused aloud. Ashe didn’t respond, and so he glanced over to her as she was seemingly contemplating the pendant in her hand. “Ashe? Something up?”
“You’re being too reckless.”
“How do you mean?”
“That stunt you pulled in the throne room. Not to mention getting into an argument with Bergobon in the middle of town, nor how you act like you’re capable of shouldering everything.” She spoke, a clear frustration in her voice.
“Well, what else can I do? We’ve got a job to do, and we have to keep moving forwards.”
“Even still, that mentality is what has killed many men. You may be holding it together now, but what about tomorrow, or the day after that?” She scoffed. “This is why I asked if there was anything troubling you, yet you chose to hide it instead.”
“What use would complaining about it be?” Minoru asked. “Gaia’s facing a lot more problems than I ever have. Why should I get the luxury? The time spent doing that would be time spent not fighting Ouroboros, not helping people, not doing what you chose me to do.”
“You are still human, Minoru.” She said curtly, almost cutting him off. “You aren’t invincible, nor can you keep this up forever. Who would be able to do what you wish if you were to die?”
Minoru mulled her words over for a moment.
“If I died fighting, or better yet while taking down one of those psychos from Ouroboros, then I wouldn’t really care about dying. I’d see it as a net positive, really.”
“Minoru!” Ashe shouted, standing up. “It does not matter what you did when you died. How could you even think something like that? Death is the absolute end, you won’t even be around to see the results of those heroics if you throw your life away over something so trivial!”
“I’m not trying to throw my life away, okay? I’m trying to stop Ouroboros. You asked, so I answered how I would feel if I died doing this.” He sighed, looking up at her. “I don’t get why you’re so bothered by it. We’ve only known each other for a week, why does it bother you so much?”
Ashe was silent for a moment. “I do not see why that precludes me from worrying about you. We may have only known one another for a short time, but we are allies, even if it is by pact. I do not wish to see any of my allies crumble under the weight of the responsibilities they carry.” The two were in silence for a moment more. “Your friends who were slain in Ludmilia. You only knew them for the month you’ve been here, didn’t you? Does that invalidate wanting to avenge them?”
Minoru looked at her with a conflicted, almost angry expression. “That’s not the same thing. You know it isn’t.”
“Whether it is the same thing or not isn’t the question, Minoru. I am asking why I am not allowed to worry about you when you are allowed to dedicate yourself to avenging those you only met recently.”
Minoru gave a difficult, strained expression. “That’s…”
Suddenly, a series of knocks against the door to the room. The little shadow at the bottom of the door made it clear who it likely was.
“You can come in.” Minoru called out. Slowly, the door opened, revealing Yeva. “Hey Yeva. Did you need something?”
“Uhm… is it a bad time?” She asked, unsurely after sensing the tension in the room.
“No, no, it’s fine. What do you need?”
“Uhm… Are you guys gonna accept Morgan’s request? Y’know, the one to… take me with you?”
Minoru and Ashe looked to each other for a moment. “Well, do you want to come with us?”
“I… don’t really know. I mean, I want to go home, but… It feels weird… It’s so sudden… I didn’t think Morgan ever wanted me to leave.”
Ashe contemplated her words for a moment before taking a seat on the floor so that her face was level with Yeva’s. “I do not think she wants you to leave, Yeva. Rather, I got the impression that she wishes for you to stay… I think she knows how much you want to go home, and she doesn’t want to keep you here when you have somewhere else you belong.”
“You think so…?”
Minoru spoke up. “My mom would always look a little sad when I told her where I wanted to live when I grew up. My dad would keep telling me that he can’t believe I’ll be leaving the house soon. I think all parents think that someday. A worry about their child leaving and going off on their own. It’s a strange feeling for them. Sad since they know they won’t have their children always by their side anymore, but also proud that they’re going off on their own.” He mused. “Maybe it’s happening a little sooner for you than most others, but I could tell that Morgan cares about you deeply, Yeva. She wants you to be happy, and she thinks that you’d be most happy going back home.”
“Really…? You think that Morgan thinks of me like… her daughter?”
“I could tell she did.” Minoru affirmed. “My parents never shied away from talking about difficult topics like this, and I could always see the care in their eyes. It was the same look she was giving you when she asked what you’d like to do.”
Yeva seemed taken aback, wrapping her tail around herself once more to idly twiddle with it. “Then… Morgan wants me to go home, because she thinks it’d make me happy, and she wants me to be happy?”
“That’s what I think, yes.” Minoru’s posture relaxed as he turned more towards Yeva. “Do you think you’d be happy going home?”
“I… I don’t know… I don’t remember my home very well. It could be a scary place… But… I wanna find out. I wanna know what my home was like. I-If it’s a nice place and I have people there to welcome me back, then… I want to go there. B-But if it’s a scary, or mean place then… I can come back here, right?”
Ashe spoke with a smile. “There is not a doubt in my mind that Morgan would welcome you back with open arms in that case.”
“T-Then… Then, yeah! I wanna go with you guys! I wanna travel all around with you, a-and find my home! Please, let me come with you guys! I promise I’ll help! I-I can fight!”
“We were already intending on accepting the request, Yeva.”
“Eh? R-Really!?” She asked, looking from Ashe to Minoru for affirmation.
Minoru nodded. “Of course. We’ll make sure you get back home safe and sound.”
Yeva was stunned for a moment, before giving a wide smile, her voice choking up slightly as small tears formed in her eyes.
“Y-You guys–! You guys are the best!” She said, throwing up her arms before running towards Minoru, latching onto him with a hug for a moment, and then pulling away and doing the same to Ashe, hugging onto her tightly.
“We are very happy to have you along, Yeva.” Ashe stated calmly. “For now, though, we should all rest. If my assumptions are correct, we’ll be leaving tomorrow. We still have a long way still to Camelot, so we want to be well-rested for the journey.”
Pulling away, Yeva nodded. “Yeah, okay! I’ll go to bed then. S-See you tomorrow! I’ll be the best partner ever for you guys!” She stammered a little out of excitement, before quickly taking her leave, closing the door behind her. She wanted to get to tomorrow as fast as possible.
Minoru let out an amused sigh. “I wonder if we’re going to be able to handle looking after a kid like her.”
“You seem to handle children well, Minoru. I am sure we are going to be fine having her along.”
“Better add ‘legal guardian’ to my responsibilities then, I guess.” He mused aloud, eliciting a slight giggle from Ashe as he rubbed the back of his head.
The journey ahead would be a long one.