Lana still can't believe they are here. After years and years of researching the Lost Coast, she has finally found it. The inconspicuous elf held back her excitement, doing her best to remain unnoticeable. It wasn't hard for her; she spent more and more of her life trying to stay unnoticed. A small part of her misses the fame and glory she used to be a part of. That part of her life is long lost. She isn't even sure she can handle all the attention now. Attention never brought about any good anyway.
Attracting attention is a recipe for disaster - rule five of the Princess' Guidebook to Blending In. Despite her best efforts to stay calm, she struggles to fight back the smile that crests her lips when she thinks of her old friend's nonsensical rule book. Rule one was, of course, 'Tell no one about the guidebook.' Clip, her mentor, friend, and former squad member, often quoted his book. Now he is another tattered memory she drags behind her. A cherished tattered memory — she has so many of those now.
Lana needed to adapt and accept hard things for much of her life. The first change was leaving her family and home in Lochland and moving to Agoria. Being an elf amongst humans shouldn't have been so difficult to adjust to; it was just that her timing was all off.
When she was in the prime of her youth, the Luminary Kingdom imploded on itself. King and Queen Lightbringer refused the High King of Lochland the right to marry their daughter. As such, the surrounding kingdoms and High King loyalists within Luminary lost their minds. Families fought against families. Resources within the kingdom became sparse, and prices skyrocketed. Invading armies claimed territory forcing many Luminary residents out of their homes.
Then the king, queen, and Princess Sunny were killed. One swift slash of an assassin's blade and the Luminary's royal family was wiped out. That was the tipping point for Lana to be sent away. At least, that is what Clip told her as he smuggled her out of the kingdom on one of his fancy boats. Death seemed to always haunt her; this time, it was a little more real than usual.
Agoria was a fantastic place when she visited before. Unlike her home in Luminary, which heavily centered on luminescence for all things, Agoria was diverse and expansive. The people were welcoming to all, and there was no disdain for her kind. However, when elven refugees fled from her home, the welcoming spirit of Agoria changed significantly. It didn't help that many of her people could not see the beauty of Agoria's diversity. Instead, the elves sneered at the basic constructions of shabby homes and fortresses.
With little opportunity in front of her, Clip and her adopted their new identities and took to the life of adventuring. Agoria was much bigger than Lochland. From the great plains of bounty to the massive rivers and scattered cities — even the desert dunes all seemed like a fantastical setting. Above all, Agoria was fast becoming the best place to cultivate. Life as a mercenary was perfect for a girl looking to get away.
They traveled through Agoria completing missions, fighting against the horde, raiding dungeons, and more. Her cultivation went through leaps and bounds. Her new life as a merc was far from her life before, but she found fulfillment and happiness. Her squad became her new family, which she loved more than anything.
And then, it all blew apart as she feared it would. Agoria, no longer content with peace amongst the three empires, fell into wars amongst themselves. The Greia Empire took the biggest hit with its civil war breaking out while fending off its borders from Alderi and Lackia. Then there was the horde and dragons. Not even her tight squad could last through the turmoil. One foul mission later, they lost their spark and fell apart.
It was crazy. Everything was mostly perfect, and then it was not. Lana's life was in complete ruins once again. Even Clip, her long-time mentor, gave her one last lesson from his guidebook and disappeared. Since then, she has been lost, looking for the spark in the dark. For years she looked, moving from tattered villages to desolate cities. Eventually, her studies brought her to the Lost Coast, the fabled land her squad had always dreamed of exploring. If she was going to find her spark, it would be there in the land of darkness and shadow.
Once again, in search of a better life, she found herself with Agorian outcasts that were fed up with all the pointless fighting. With nowhere else to go, they took their shot in the dark, trusting in Lana's light to lead them to the coast. As their fortune would have it, her light was not even needed. The impenetrable shadow covering the island was gone. Not even the dragon was sighted once. They finally reached the coast after sailing for weeks.
Lycadonia, as the scholars call it, is more beautiful than she ever imagined. Even after three days of hard work and setup, she is still in awe of the golden coast and rolling waves of the emerald sea. Rocky and Kip — a pit forms in her stomach — would have loved it here. Clip, more so than Flint, would complain about the wetness and sand, and Sasha would be consumed in her next book. Lana, well, she would have been happy to be together.
Too much emotion. Too many memories. Remember your training and lessons. The final rule from the princess' guidebook to blending in: Don't reminisce about what can't be recovered. Move forward and move on. Despite the rule, Clip's last words still pained her. That was the last thing her mentor, her friend, said before leaving. Losing members of the squad really messed them up.
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Lana slightly shakes her head, casting out the memories and thoughts haunting her no matter where she flees. She is careful to keep her movements minuscule to not attract attention. Still, she finds the little shake clears her mind, and she can return to adding runes to the walls.
The temporary shelter by the beach is nearly complete. Hovels were summoned for individuals and families. Trade centers were created for the craftsmen, and a wall was erected for some added security. Hopefully, their safety won't be tested. The Lost Coast… The Golden Coast — she settles on the name of the new location, a task given to her by right of dibs — is the most peaceful environment she ever encountered. Not even the scouts they sent out reported any predators or beasts.
The Golden Coast is a land of peace. Not even her thoughts seem to torment her. They don't have much to nag her about; what does she still have to lose? Still, the walls and runes will need to be strengthened. However, secure architecture takes time and resources. All of which they were preparing for. Within the week, they should be able to upgrade their humble dwelling to a small town. Until then, all she can do is scribble some letters and invest them with mana.
Lana dedicates herself to the task, occasionally sending out her perception. If she can't explore in person, she will do so in spirit. She sends her spirit to navigate the expansive river that flowed from the north and fed into the sea. From there, her spirit travels deep into the woods trekking far east to the jagged mountain range. All the while, she infuses the meager walls with runes.
'Durability,' written in archaic scratches that sort of mean stone, is etched into the wall first. After that, Lana adds anti-flame and anti-earth to prevent the walls from burning or being shattered by earth lancers. Lumen is etched in for glow and classiness, plus the minor buff of mind and light, but that is far less important. Lastly, she adds the security wards because the walls can only hold so much mana. If intruders breach the wall, she would be warned with a high chumming noise that is sounding off now. Are the wards sounding off now?
"Gavin," she yells out immediately. She is not afraid of the intruder, but more so that she appears to respect the chain of command. Besides, Gavin is a respectable leader, and there is no reason for her to not alert him. "We have an intruder."
Lana's eyes scan wildly, searching for the perpetrator, only to find none. Her senses are working extra hard. Even her perception pulls back and homes in on the intruder's breach. Still, she finds nothing.
Gavin, his loyal squad, and a few gruff lancers arrive at her side. War in Agoria wasn't pleasant, but it did ingrain in every one of these outcasts the need for quick response time. All eyes scan the fortress walls and the open areas between the humble houses. Mothers round up their children, and fathers stay close to their side. Those without families act as extra protection.
Everyone is on edge, searching for the intruder. Yet no one is there. Her wards never misled her before, and she did not doubt them now when Gavin's weary eyes turned to her. Something tripped her ward. Before Gavin can voice his objections, a gruff man-beast and wolf appear from a shadow a few yards away. The shock of his appearance inside their walls causes Lana to jump, if only slightly. Hopefully not enough to be noticed.
"Um… hello, friends," the wild man says uncertainly. His large wolf calmly stands by his side. "Welcome to my island… Well, it's Gene's island, but I sort of dibsed it." His voice trails off, and quietly, he curses to himself. All the while, his eyes nervously dance around Lana and the retinue of defenders focusing on him as his hand points at the wolf. Lana pauses, her heart skipping a beat, as she takes in the full image of the intruder. She almost has to avert her gaze when his eyes meet hers for what feels like minutes.
Despite his weak aura, everyone is tense. Gavin and Becky are cycling their mana, and Scotty has an arrow notched. Lana, more than usual, feels her heart beating heavily. She can practically see it beating through her armor. Keep calm. Don't stand out... Her thoughts and emotions are storming. Is that actually him? She senses her uneasiness, causing the lancers and templars around her to be on edge. Even the cool and calm Gavin begins manifesting his mana. The stalwart leader is, once again, about to speak but isn't quick enough.
"Um, the demons are coming... but I'm here to help." The bearded man curses again and reprimands himself as the templars beside her chuckle at his absurd claim. Not bothered by the laughs but still bothered, the man's right hand brushes his hair off his face before it disappears into a pocket of his shadowy robe and then is pulled back out to be folded into his arms, only to be settled down at his side.
"My name's Jim, by the way. Not, By the Way. It's just Jim..." Jim eyes the distant forest outside of the town's walls. His hands finally relax. "Shit… Sorry. My name's Jim, and I'm here to help because the demons are now here."
The last words are spoken quickly before Jim summons his sword, and a skeleton appears at his side; the wolf turns into a wildling, and dense shadow mana descends upon the town. The defenders move to counteract the three intruders who have just drawn weapons against them. However, their walls burst, and a flood of awakened and enlightened wildlings break into town.