I didn’t have to wait for long. The elf and succubus were quick when it came to packing their tents and loading them on their horses. In the meantime, I allowed myself to be intrigued by the massive bat creature.

It was the size of a small horse and had powerful claws as far as I could tell. I still couldn’t believe how anything like this could fly… or even communicate with the succubus. That had to be some odd trait of demons.

Vyath was the first to finish packing and mounted his horse. He then guided it to my side and watched Gwyn finish loading the last few things on her horse. “If you don’t mind,” He said. “I’d like to ask a couple of questions before crossing the border. I don’t mean to offend you, but it’s not every day that a creature like you enters Len Asari. In fact, I have seen no record of anything like you in the archives.”

“Archives?” Cellestra asked.

“I’m an archivist,” Vyath clarified. “It’s why I was sent here to observe the surroundings and the remains of the former demonic outpost.”

“I see,” The brunette replied.

“Anyways, as I was saying, there are some things I’ll need to report to command and that includes your sudden appearance which coincides with the timing of what Gwyn’s pet observed earlier.”

I nodded. “I understand. What would you like to know?”

“First off, please tell me what you know about that red beam of light.”

I shrugged. “There’s not much to it. We walked past it and sometime later, a light shot from the top of the obelisk into the sky. I didn’t stay to try to find out what it could have been.”

“Fair enough. Next up, please explain how you speak Elven so well.”

What kind of question was that? It made me frown.

“I mean...” I started, slightly frustrated. “Isn’t it obvious?”

Vyath frowned in response. “No,” He stated clearly.

I sighed. “It’s because I am an elf, or I was, rather.”

“Was?”

“As I said, long story. Is all of this really necessary?”

“We need to make sure you’re no threat to the province. You said you were visiting your parents, correct?”

“Yes.”

“What do they look like, are they like you?”

I shook my head. “They are not. I’m not even sure where they are. The last thing I heard is that they were in Thymhil.”

“What are their names?” The elf continued.

“Keelarin and Lilinia,” I said. “Swiftflare.”

Vyath turned around to the succubus who just mounted her horse. “Gwyn?” He called out for her. “Did you sense any lies?”

“None.”

“She can detect lies?” I asked, confused but curious.

Vyath smiled. “It’s a succubus trait. Figures you don’t know about it.”

“I can feel lies through emotions,” Gwyn said as she appeared at the other side. “It’s quite handy sometimes.”

“I can imagine,” Cellestra said in amazement.

Meanwhile, I was left reflecting on what I just said. Had I not lied at all? I thought about the part where I said we walked past the obelisk and then the red light occurred. I had to conclude that that was in fact, the truth. I had to consider myself lucky for not accidentally lying.

“One more thing,” Vyath said. “I see you got your hands on a chunk of starmetal. What were your intentions with it?”

“I was planning on asking someone to make it into a weapon,” I said, knowing there was no point in lying about it. “And a piece of jewelry for Cellestra. Is there a problem?”

“Not necessarily,” the elf said. “It’s as I expected. The thing is, in Len Asari, high-quality weapons are only authorized to be made by specialized craftsmen. You’ll also need a certain token you can purchase from me, any other archivist, or a royal quartermaster. We keep a close count of how many of these weapons there are in this kingdom.”

“How much would that cost me?” I asked.

“Ten gold pieces.”

“That’s half of what we have...” I said in an annoyed voice. “Is there anything else we can do instead?”

“Afraid not,” Vyath said. “The kingdom has strict rules when it comes to these things.”

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“Cellestra?” I asked.

“It’s your money,” She said.

“Hold on a second,” I said. “Vyath, how much can one purchase with ten gold pieces in terms of food?”

“Enough to eat for a month or two,” He said casually. “Are you worried about finances?”

“Uhhh,” I let out, trying to find my words. “The truth is, we’ve been isolated for quite some time, so we don’t know the value of currency well.”

“I can assure you that nutrients won’t be one of your issues.”

“Do you need to know anything else?” I asked.

“No. That will be all for now,” Vyath said in a serious voice. “Let us get moving.”

The elf and succubus both spurred their horses, causing them to run. The bat creature took to the skies as soon as Vyath and Gwyn took off. I was left behind, but only momentarily, a moment in which I smiled. I was amused to see the speed with which their horses ran.

I started running and caught up within seconds, appearing at Gwyn’s side. The succubus glanced at me and smiled slyly. “I figured you’d have no trouble keeping up.”

I looked at the flying creature above us with my elven head and then turned towards Gwyn. “Your pet told you, didn’t it? How does that work? I haven’t heard it speak.”

“Bloodlink magic. He can project whatever he has seen directly into my mind after it returns to me.”

I was left scratching my head.

“That’s incredible,” Cellestra let out.

I could only nod at her statement. It was incredible indeed.

“Vyath?” I called the elf’s name.

“Yes?”

“I heard that Len Asari has a strong military. Could you tell me a little bit about it?”

The elf chuckled as he slowed his horse down slightly so he could walk up from behind me and appear at my right side so I was in the middle now. “Strong military is probably an understatement. Len Asari’s military is unmatched on this continent. You’ll see that firsthand when we reach the border. The wall is testament to all of it.”

“But if you’re unmatched,” I quickly said, “Why don’t you expand? Why did you only recently attack that hostile demon outpost?”

“Our king and queen have no intention of expanding. They prefer to see the kingdom prosper, as it does, and to avoid bloodshed at all cost. They figured building a strong military was a good way to keep the peace. It’s a deterrent if nothing else.”

“And that outpost ahead of us?”

We were nearing the black patch I’d spotted earlier. It was clear that there were once buildings here. Now, there was nothing but ash and scorched ground left. Nature would eventually reclaim this area and it would be as if nothing had ever happened.

“Retaliation,” Vyath said. “Some of the Caidrean blood were given a guarantee of safe passage through this land, but they were hunted down and murdered by the residents of this outpost. Our commander organized a large-scale raid with the elves and demons both and left nothing standing.”

We reached the black patch in the grass which was the size of a small settlement. I couldn’t imagine the events that had transpired here to leave it like this. One thing was clear in my mind: there was no messing with Len Asari.

After the scorched earth, it wasn’t long until a massive wall came into view on the horizon. It stretched out as far as my sharp eyes could see from west to east, with several large portcullis gates along it.

The closer we got, the more I was left in disbelief at how someone or even many people could build something like this. I was certain my mouth was wide open at some point, perhaps both of them were.

The wall was made out of greystone bricks that were perfectly shaped to all be the same size. Its dimensions were breathtaking, with the wall being at least twenty feet high, possibly more. Battlements adorned the top, with plenty of crenels to allow for devastating archer fire. In addition, there were several emplacement points with deadly ballistae at the ready. I also spotted large vats above each gate, presumably used for burning oil in case of an attack.

“Are you okay?” Gwyn asked.

I couldn’t help but continue staring at the wall in front of me.

“I’m… speechless. By the goddess, how was something like this ever built?”

“It took quite a few years,” Vyath said with a smile, “But the result is there. Would it surprise you if I said nobody has ever attempted to lay siege to it yet?”

I shook my head. “Deterrent, indeed.”