Elise walked toward the river, her burden in hand. The delivery request had come from Coralline, apparently Azura had just received some retribution from the purge event. Serves her right. Gerald’s soft fur had been cut short! She missed running her fingers through its long lengths.
A miserable groan came the river as she drew up next to it. There in the middle was Azura, only her head above the water. Next to a large tree lay her clothes or what was left of them. She’d torn them to shreds. Luckily she wasn’t wearing her dragon hide armor at the time. It’d be a shame to destroy such a master piece.
“You doing okay?” Elise asked. It was hard to stay mad when her sister looked so miserable. She sat down putting the clothes next to her.
“Yeah…I guess I had that coming.”
Elise didn’t say anything as it would either be a lie or something that might get her a head thwack. She’d discovered early on during her stay here Azura and the others were very liberal where those were concerned.
“What worries me was Hamal was very careful with his itching powder. The small amount that got inside me broke down quickly. This was carefully chosen to coat my skin.”
“How do you know it was him?” She had no doubt Azura was right. Hamal looked rather funny with almost all his fur gone, although it was already growing back at an astonishing pace.
“Well it wasn’t Gerald. He’s too nice. Gwen would’ve just punched me. I can’t imagine it was Tabatha. So that leave Hamal.”
“Look on the bright side. There are four more cultivators like you now. They have you to thank for that. They’ll get over it.”
“I guess,” Azura muttered.
“Anyways your mother asked me to get you. Lunch is almost ready. It’s fish with mushrooms.”
That statement did what none of her words could. Instantly Azura mood brighten so much that if she produced actual light, Elise would have been permanently blinded.
“Why didn’t you say so earlier?!” Azura leaped out of the water landing nearby. Elise got an eye full before turning around, cheeks flushing. Damn kin and their casual nudity.
“Alright let’s go!” Azura shouted as she quickly marched past Elise already dressed.
“Wait up!” Elise said jogging slightly.
“Fish waits for no kin.”
Together they made their way through Azure’s Rest. What had been little more than a hamlet a year ago, had expanded to the size of a small town. All around Elise saw kin going about their duties and of course cultivating. Always cultivating. Well she would be doing the same but Coralline had asked her to fetch her sister. Their fast march was reduced to a crawl as kin approached cheerily greeting her sister. Most even offer a few kind words to her. It was… nice. The kin community was incredible close. That was when she saw him. A deer-kin was staring rather intently at Azura. Well many were, but this one felt… different. It was more intense. Before she was sure a group of chatty crow-kin blocked her view. When she looked back the deer-kin was gone. It was probably her imagination. That or the kin wanted to talk to Azura about their advancement. The four new liquid cultivators had everyone excited. The strange kin was soon out of her mind as they neared home. Home… It wasn’t as grand as her father’s manse back in Deepmere. Indeed by comparison it was more like a small homestead, but it had become home this past year. She’d was happy here. Happier than she’d ever been back with her grandfather and parents. Coralline had even insisted that she call her mother. It was still hard for her. She missed her own sometimes.
“Come on in the food’s almost ready!” Coralline called from above. Elise looked up at her home. The house was built into one of the largest trees situated above the healing clinic Coralline ran. Her inner child wanted to squeal with glee each time she looked at the massive structure. She was literally living in a tree house.
“Ah my favorite daughter returns!” Coralline said sweeping Elise up in a hug once they entered the clinic. She turned to Azura. “Oh and you too.”
“Mom!”
“Hmm? Sorry, I couldn’t hear you. Perhaps it was your super advance cultivation technique blocking all sound.”
Coralline tapped her chin. “Yup. That must be it. From your expression I can tell you aren’t hungry. I guess it’ll just be us eating today. Too bad. I slathered the fish with wild honey too.”
“Mom!” Azura cried. She appeared ready to follow her voice as water built up in her eyes.
“Hmm, I can’t hear you. Come along Elise, let us feast.” She grabbed Elise by the shoulder. She could only shrug at Azura as Coralline started to lead her away.
“Alright I’m sorry!” Azura wailed. “I shouldn’t have left. I panicked.”
Coralline stopped turning back toward her daughter her as she crossed her arms. Elise decided to play along crossing her own arms.
“Do you think she’s learned her lesson?” Coralline asked her.
“Hmm, maybe. Perhaps she should only have a ‘small’ portion of fish,” Elise said drawling out the word small.
“Have mercy,” Azura said dropping to her knees her ears limp hands clasped before her.
“Oh alright,” Coralline said with a huff. Instantly Azura was back on her feet. All traces of her sadness gone.
“I guess I messed up huh?” Azura asked.
“Yup,” Coralline agreed. “It’ll be fine. Everyone is too excited over having new liquid cultivators to really care that much. However, we’ll be setting up cleaning stations for the next group.”
“Good idea,” Azura said as they waked through the clinic toward their next stair case.
“Umm, why is she here?” Azura asked.
Elise followed her sister’s gaze to see a human woman sprawled out on one of the sickbeds. She looked vaguely familiar.
“Fatania needs her to get some information.”
You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.
“Okay… but why is she here?”
“Oh. Well, she got too drunk talk and we’re in a hurry. We need to confirm what that deer-kin told us.”
Deer-kin… Again that brought up the weird kin that was watching them. Elise was about to bring it up, even if it seemed pointless, when the woman farted loudly. The sudden noise did what their talking hadn’t and seemed to rouse her. She opened and closed her mouth loudly before belching.
“Ugh,” she moaned then opened her eyes.
Brianna had a massive migraine. An intrusive light from somewhere made her instantly close her eyes as her pained doubled.
“Ow.” She tried to move, but her entire body felt like a horse had trampled her. At least it appeared she got home safely. Perhaps she had a little too much to drink last night.
“Hey wake up!” A voice thundered. The sound actually wasn’t that loud but it somehow bounced around in head tripling in volume. Damn. Did she sleep in someone else’s bed again? She hoped this person didn’t have an angry wife like the last one.
“Not so loud,” Brianna moaned.
“Gods below, I’m not missing dinner for this,” the voice complained.
“I’ll stay,” a new voice softer said.
“Are you sure Elise? We can’t just leave her. She won’t go anywhere,” the first voice said again.
“I’m okay. I ate earlier. I’m not very hungry.”
“At least one of my daughters is responsible,” a third voice added.
“I’m responsible! I don’t want the fish you prepared to get cold.”
“Uh huh,” the third voice said growing distance as the pair continued to bicker. Brianna tuned them out. Perhaps she could go back to bed…
“You alright?” The soft voiced asked.
Ugh. Why won’t they let me sleep? Brianna thought bitterly. Cautiously she opened her eyes shielding them with her hand. She was indeed in an unfamiliar place. Very unfamiliar, with a style she hadn’t seen before. That wasn’t good. Then again if she somehow got herself away from Deepmere, was that a bad thing?
“Do you want some water?” The soft voice asked. Brianna turned to see a young woman with long blue hair looking at her. Brianna thought she looked familiar, but didn’t really care. Instead she focused on the water realizing only now how parched she was. With the eagerness of a sailor on shore leave, she snatched the glass guzzling down the liquid. It was almost better than ale. She coughed from drinking too fast. Regardless it had the desired effect. Her mind cleared and she was at last able to think.
“Thanks…” She muttered sitting up slowly. “Where am I?”
“Uh…” The woman trailed off before shrugging. “You’re in Azure’s Rest.”
“Where? I’ve never heard of it.”
“That’s because it’s secret. About time you woke up. I was going to have Azura smack you around if you weren’t,” A female rat-kin said entering the home. Brianna’s blood went cold.
“Welcome Mother Fatania,” the woman said bowing.
“So you’re her? Azura’s informant.”
Oh shit… Brianna thought. She involuntarily worked for the Magebane. Brianna had originally encountered the Magebane, before she was the Magebane, during a rather stupid trip she made into the mana forest. There she’d been saved and had to offer the Magebane a favor. She had collected just a week later. Now she was a servant to the powerful kin.
“My children’s descriptions of you seem very accurate. Including your recent… indulgences.”
Brianna’s alarm, which was already at a 5, immediately jumped to 8. Children. She must be the leader of the rat-kin. She’d mostly been dealing with various rat-kin over the years. Each of them had referred to someone as the “big rat”. At first she thought it was the Magebane now she knew differently. This kin was dangerous in a way the Magebane wasn’t. Brianna could easily imagine this kin plotting the downfall of nations.
“Oh she’s awake now?” A white cat-kin said walking towards her. Brianna heart nearly stopped. Following behind the cat-kin was her. The Magebane… She held a plate with rather large piece of fish on it. The Magebane watched her with little interest as she shoveled large forkfuls into her mouth. Gods above… Was she going to get out of here alive? Did they want to squeeze the last bit of information out of her before they killed and ate her?
“Is she lucid is the better question,” Mother Fatania said. “I was just going to start questioning her. Do either of you have anything to ask?”
The white cat-kin shook her head. The Magebane just swallowed what seemed to be a physics defying amount of food before giving a small shake of her head. She then promptly compacted even more fish into her mouth. Mother Fatania gazed deeply into her eyes. Brianna felt like a very small bug beneath that piercing gaze.
“What do you know about the elves and Dageth leaving…”
Brianna stumbled out of the house and nearly toppled off the stairs before a hand steadied her.
“Watch out!” The human called as she hauled the other woman back.
A bit late for that, Brianna thought sourly which matched both her mood and her stomach. At least she was fairly confident she would live through this. Tomorrow was another matter. She had told the intense rat-kin everything she knew. She had regurgitated all the rumors and facts she’d heard. Promptly followed by the contents of her stomach. Now, she wanted nothing more than to get out of here.
“Thanks…” Brianna muttered and regard the human for the first time. Why did she look so familiar? She thought about asking, but then stopped. She didn’t really care. That seemed to be her general attitude now. It was hard to care with the mists nearby and the leadership doing nothing. Worthless nobles.
“I didn’t get a chance to introduce myself earlier. I’m Elise Coldwell.”
It took nearly 30 seconds for the impact of that name to register with her.
“You’re Lord Tarwin’s granddaughter…”
“Yeah, I’m aware.”
“Er, I mean I’ve meet you briefly before. I thought you died.”
“What?” Elise gave her a confused look.
“There was an announcement that you were taken hostage by the kin. Everyone assumed you were dead.”
“WHAT!? THAT’S ABSURD!”
Brianna hesitated looking around to be sure they were relatively alone. She could see a rat-kin making eye contact with her down below. It must be her escort back. Brianna lowered her voice before whispering back.
“Then what are you doing here? Are you safe? I can try to get word to your grandfather.”
Her words didn’t appear to offer any comfort. Instead they appeared to be making her angrier and angrier. Perhaps her time as a hostage had worn her down.
“My GRANDFATHER knows exactly where I am. I sent him several letters along with my mother. I told both of them I’m staying with my sister.”
“Your sister?”
“Azura. She’s my half-sister.”
Brianna stumbled. This time Elise didn’t manage to catch her. She had a long tumble down the wide stairs before crashing at the bottom. The pain was welcome, it helped to soften the blow of what she just heard as she laid in a heap. So many rumors came together in that moment. The slayer of mages, the Azure Magebane, was the granddaughter of one of the leaders of Deepmere, Lord Tarwin. Gods above, no wonder he did what he could to keep such rumors secret. Brianna had no doubt the nobles knew and that was why the Coldwell house was in decline.
“Are you okay!?” Elise shouted reaching her prone figure.
“Fine,” Brianna muttered getting to her feet. A glance showed the rat-kin walking slowly toward her. The kin was completely unconcerned. A look around showed why. Kin were everywhere. She had much smaller chance of running a way than a fish did escaping a barrel.
“Are you hungry? We could get some food before you leave.”
“Hungry? I rather not say another minute with these savages,” Brianna scoffed.
“Hey!” Elise huffed stamping her foot. “That’s rude!”
“What do you expect? They make me spy for them. Do you have any idea what it’s like to be forced to do something you don’t want to do?” Brianna growled.
Elise just looked at her for a long moment. “No. But considering you helped enslaved many of the kin here I bet they do.”
The words caused Brianna world view to shake nearly sending her knees. Somehow she’d never thought of it like that. To her kin were lesser beings. The fact that she could be in a same position as the kin in Deepmere was a terrifying thought.
Elise had no mercy as she went on. “At least you have your freedom other than providing some information. I bet most kin don’t have such luxuries.”
Brianna said nothing. What could she say? Instead she stormed off leaving Elise behind as she approached the rat-kin.
“Your boss is done with me. I want to go home.” She needed a drink…
Elise watch the only other human leave Azure’s Rest. She’d forgotten how it was beyond the village. This wasn’t some minor feud between the kin and the mage’s of Deepmere. The humans and elves had literally conquered this land from the kin and dwarves. The hatred on both sides was deep. Was there any chance of peace with the kin returning to power? Even now with the mists approaching the mages refused to seek help from cultivators and they did the same. How could they ever stand against their foes if they couldn’t even work together?