The road to the Obrarian border was at least a 3 day journey. A carriage had been arranged for them, complete with various camping supplies and a driver. They were instructed to find Lord Chancellor Quince in the embassy as soon as they arrived. However, due to the relations with Obraria, the closest thing to a road leading them there were the tracks from the tanks the army left. Whatever they had managed to save from Keford had already been sent ahead of them.
Stampeded dead grass with a bit of dirt peaked through the middle, marking the trail they were to follow. Both sides of the tracks had fields of long grass that seemed to stretch on forever. Clusters of trees, and with the clear blue sky, it was overall quite the scenic view. Yarro felt the atmosphere calm him from the mess had had to deal with and he felt he could finally relax.
Over the 3 days, the duo played various travel games by day, learned more about each other by the campfire, and snuggled in the tent. Yarro learned that Kael had grown up in an orphanage as a kid with a matriarch that used them more like slaves than as displaced children with no family. He would frequently run away but never got further than the city gates and ended up well acquainted with the city guards who caught him. Some of them even trained him in his element.
About a decade ago, Kael had a huge fight with the matriarch and ended up leaving for good. That’s when the army took him in with a few good words from the city guard. Yarro tried asking why he turned his opinions around on the guards when he was often saved by them, but Kael didn't want to talk about it.
On the second day they began to put on their armor in anticipation of a fight near the border if they were unable to sneak in. They weren't even sure what to expect. The driver had told them he wasn’t driving into Obraria, so they needed to be careful. The border itself was a thick and clear line of a forest, with a trail of uprooted tree trunks and more dirt roads. Presumably from the turtle tanks mowing them all down in their war path. Not a single soul could be seen in the area.
They arrived by mid-afternoon on the third day. The carriage driver stopped just before the tree line. “This is where I leave you boys,” He said. The man got off his seat and unhinged a horse for them while the duo took their supplies and put it on the horse being given to them. The animal was purely for storage. Walking up the rest of the way to the capital would take a little another two or three days. If they had a carriage it would take them only the day but they had no knowledge of the forest terrain they were about to enter. They were only given a set of directions that hinged on the direction of the sun. If they were to find a road it would lead them away from the directions they knew. Without a map they would have gotten lost for sure, and it would have taken longer to get there.
“Thank you sir. Have a pleasant trip,” Kael said to the carriage driver.
The man tipped his hat. “And I wish you both good luck. Make them barbarians see the stars.” After which, he turned the carriage around and went back to Rylin.
Under the forest canopy was a respite from the sun beating down on their faces. It felt a few degrees cooler with plentiful amount of shade, to the point where Yarro was glad they took this route. He even shivered as his body attempted to adjust to the temperature change.
As they traveled farther into the forest, brand new sounds could be heard all around. Chirps and caws they never heard before. Growls and various scratching sounds. A chime with the tall narrow trees swaying in the wind. Any of these new animals were hostile. It made him nervous.
Yarro looked beside him to see Kael admiring the scenery. Soft rays of light passed over his face and lit up parts of his hair as they pass through. Yarro smiled to himself. How long had it been since he just stopped and admired not just Kael, but the life all around him. Knowing Kael was beside him calmed his nerves from this new and unfamiliar territory. “Thank you, Kael. You didn’t have to follow me into Obrarian territory, but you did.”
Kael looked at him, surprised. But he smiled back all the same. “I told you I'll be there for you, didn’t I?” Butterflies rose in his stomach all over again. He could say it a thousand times, and it would have the same effect each time.
About 45 minutes into the trail, a volley of arrows rained down on them . Yarro went to duck, but his hands slipped from the reins, and the horse reared up and ran off with their supplies. Large chunks of rocks came flying up at them after the arrows. Kael jumped in front of him and redirected the rocks back at their hidden attacker. He may have been strong, but the rockers were heavier than he was used to. They only landed as far as the tree line. It was a good deflection, all things considered.
Another volley of arrows. This time the duo knew where it was coming from. Yarro created a shield of fire above them to disintegrate the arrows and slow their speed. Small bits of sharp iron heads came out the other end and dropped without a scratch on them. Kael took these bits and flung them at their attackers with the help of his element. It was iron, not raw earth, so he only had a slight affect on the trajectory but the sounds of collision told them he was accurate enough.
Yarro’s hands were burning at this point so he threw the fire towards the trees, where they quickly caught on fire. But the enemies were quicker. Just as soon as it did, a wave of water washed over and put out the fires. The water then changed direction, to Yarro this time. It would have hit his face and knocked him on his ass—he could feel the pressure of this manipulated stream—but he was able to wrestle control from the user by wrapping his arms around it like it was solid, and sweeping it through the foliage like an extended arm.
The attackers came barreling out all over the floor and soaking wet. A moment later the archers came out but no one attacked. Looks full of fear and surprise were written all over their faces. What were they waiting for? One by one they came out of hiding. One woman pointed at him and spoke in a language he wasn’t familiar with. Most likely the natural language of Obraria. Yarro raised an eyebrow and tilted his head. She repeated her words with increasing agitation to no avail. The duo looked at each other and shrugged back. If only his Demideity genetics made him multilingual.
Now she began to shout something to her group. He recognized the word Hirstgate, their capital. Kael was first to get knocked to the ground. Yarro’s fire flared up with his anger, preparing for another attack. His entire body caught fire. This time it hurt. He could feel his skin prickling with the heat. Those with the water element immediately doused him, and while stunned, tackled and tied him up with deft hands.
The both of them were dragged and tossed in the back of a cart some distance away. The leader got in front to drive the cart and the rest piled into the back with Yarro and Kael. She snapped the reins and the cart lurched forward, driving them all up north, in the direction they were headed. It drove over risen roots and rocks still in the way. The bumpy road caused Kael to groan. “Are you OK?” Yarro asked him.
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He blinked hard, then nodded. “Yeah. You?”
Yarro nodded back. “Do you think they hate Demideities here?”
“No. If they did they would have killed us, rather than capture us to take us wherever they’re taking us.
“Hirstgate. I heard it. No idea why they’re taking us to the capital though.” The cart didn’t stop at all. Not to eat or for bathroom breaks, or if a herd of whatever animal was passing by. Trees became a blur and the sun flashed in his eyes through what little light could peak through the canopy. A bit of breeze rustled his hair.
Yarro was chained up with up metal chains, not rope like Kael so he couldn't burn through it. He didn't want to dry burning Kael's rope, as he still wasn't confident in not burning him. Kael also tried to unshackle him, but the locks were too complicated. They were stuck there.
It soon became dark, with Kael nodding off on Yarro’s shoulders when they finally reached a clearing and the horses slowed down. He peaked past their captor to see a city in the middle of a forest. No walls, no watch guards. Hirstgate. It would have taken forever to find, but once they did it seemed they could have simply walked in. Even the animals could just waltz in.
As they neared closer, the city seemed quiet. Dead silent. There weren't any lights on in the windows or the streets either. Yarro was a bit freaked out at how silent the entire area was. For a capital, shouldn’t it be bustling with activity, even at night? Just what kind of city didn't have a night life?
For a city surrounded by wood, it used surprisingly little. Most buildings were made of smooth stone, or brick, with various buildings accented in marble. The roofs were tall and made of red clay tiles. The closer he got, the more he realized the capitol was probably as big, if not bigger, than Rylin.
He could spot stained glass windows, aqueducts, and most of the roads were smooth and well maintained with hardly any litter on the streets. Plenty of greenery grew all around the city, but only in purposeful gardens and pots lacked the natural vines that climbed over the buildings. Despite blending well with the forest, the city gave an overall clean, well kept city. Much better than Rylin, anyway. It certainly smelled better.
Why was Queen Illa so insistent on calling them barbarians? Yarro couldn’t wrap his head around it. This was clearly a solid country, only one surrounded by forests that merely limited their external affairs. It could hardly be their fault. Maybe there was something more that he wasn’t seeing. Something in their customs maybe? He would find out soon enough, but right now what he saw was a far cry from what anybody would call "barbarians."
They arrived at a gated building with two guards standing watch, no weapons. The cart came to a slow stop and one of the guards and the team leader spoke a bit. The woman turned to him and spoke to him. Once again he shrugged. Why was she so insistent on speaking to him in her language? Did she not know the Listhuanean language?
The group that captured them jumped down from the carriage one by one until all that was left was the duo. One person grabbed Kael by the wrist and yanked him down, causing him to fall on his side. “Hey! Be careful!” Yarro shouted, even though he knew they couldn't understand him. He jumped down and helped the other up. The team seemed unamused and disinterested in helping. Luckily Kael was tougher than he looked and only gained a small scratch on his cheek.
Once both were standing up, they were grabbed once more and dragged inside. There, another guard was standing around. He merely took one glance at the whole group and turned around. Evidently he wanted no part of whatever was going on. Yarro and Kael were shoved and nudged all the way until they landed themselves right in a cell. Oh great. They even had a jail. The team leader spoke some more to him, as if he would understand any of it, and left. She seemed upset, or regretful, but he didn't understand why.
Once they were safely locked in their cells, one of the guards motioned for them to turn around and freed them from their restraints. Yarro rubbed his wrists once his were free.
"Well, at least we made it to Hirstgate. Now we just need to get out of here," Kael said.
Yarro glanced around. Four walls, no windows. Guards at every corner, and although they seemed relaxed, they didn't have any weapons. Which meant they could all command the elements. He didn't want to test them. They were here for a rescue mission, and breaking out of jail would risk Seila even more. "Let's wait for a while. Maybe someone will processes us. They know we're not Obrarians, and they want us alive. It must be for something."
Kael glanced at the nearest guard. He likely came to the same conclusion he did. "Agreed. We should rest while we can."
After all he had just been through, Yarro made himself a spot in the corner and fell fast asleep. The cell was musty and the floor was hard. Sleep was hard to come by as there was always some yelling, either from the other people in a cell or from the guard himself. Yarro was fed some sort of savory root soup and soft, hot bread, while Kael only got stale bread. Of course, Yarro tried to share his portion, but the watchguard got upset when he found out.
A few days in the jail cell later and the duo were greeted by the Rylin Ambassador. He barged in, red faced and out of breath. Upon seeing the sight of them he began to yell at the guard responsible for watching over them and keeping them in the cell. They must have looked quite haggard and dirty. From what little language Yarro had picked up, the Ambassador was fluent and angry to boot. The watchguard rushed to grab his keys and release them from their cell.
The Ambassador continued to yell at the man as he unlocked the gate and let them all out. “Let’s go.” The Ambassador said to them. They shouted some more at the guard, presumably some curses as the man winced. He turned around and they finally left with the Ambassador, muttering to himself the entire way out.
Outside the building, a cool breeze hit them. Yarro didn’t realize how hot and stuffy it had been inside. Off on one side of the sky, the orange-pink sky slowly faded into a night sky, with the stars beginning to come out. “Um. Thanks. For getting us out of there, Mr…?” Kael trailed off.
“My apologies, I’m Ambassador Miguel. I’m sorry I took so long to get to you. The Lord Chancellor had received Queen Illa’s letter a few days ago, and told me that a Demideity is being placed in my care. I didn't come to know of your jailing until but a few hours ago by chance from some guards. They were gloating about capturing a Demideity.”
Ah, so his anger was merely embarrassment from failing to protect his charge. Yarro was at a complete loss. And judging by Kael’s face, he was as well. “A… letter?” Kael asked.
“Of course. Queen Illa sent an urgent letter, asking the Lord Chancellor and me to look after the Demideity and help him find Seila through any means necessary. We’ve been told Seila is the child of the Secretary of State. It's a good thing she mentioned you were a Demideity or else I wouldn’t have connected the stars.” Ambassador Miguel led them through the streets. Many people were closing up shop but there were colorful banners and flowers all around. Confetti littered the streets, a stark contrast the the neat and tidy capitol city he assumed when he first arrived. The last time he saw the city, not a speck of festivities could be seen.
“What’s going on?” Yarro asked.
“The Festival of Lost Souls,” Ambassador Miguel stated as a matter-of-fact, and without further explanation.
“That sounds morbid,” Kael mumbled.
“Not at all. Obrarians believe souls stay on this mortal plane until the divine emperor gives them safe passage onwards. It's held every year. Emperor Sopros will give his speech tomorrow. I bet he would know about Arnold’s missing kid. But neither I nor the Lord Chancellor have been able to get in touch with him since I received notice of Seila's disappearance.”
“Well, Yarro is a Demideity. Surely that has to account for something?”
Ambassador Miguel gasped and stopped in his tracks. He turned around with a twinkle in his eyes, a smile slowly crept across his face. “You’re right! Obrarians practically worship Demideities. If Emperor Sopros heard you wanted an audience with him, and that you were jailed, surely that will work in your favor. I'll work on it right away! In the meantime, feel free to use my house to rest up.” The ambassador began to talk to himself about what he would need to do. He walked off to the inside of a house Yarro presumed it to be his own.