Finally, I reach the main gate where several guards stood. Six in total and two I recognized from earlier this Divine Flame Center.
To use my moonstone, I had to escape to the outer limits of the city because certain gemstones in Èze nullify its power, and moonstones used for travel are one of the few affected. It prevents any troublemakers from fleeing free of consequences and with elite guards at the main exit and the fortified Taaffeite pillars draining all forms of power, including gems during use as a secondary precaution. Escaping is impossible.
Walls far too high to scale unnoticed.
Disadvantage in number and combat levels.
Transmutation of a gemstone will reveal my location.
What should I do?
Just as I doubted the success of my escape, a tall figure approaches the guards. Soon after, the six guards ran towards the colosseum and once the figure was alone, they call out.
“Nobody! I know your there! Come out nobody!”
No? Body? Why is she calling for…oh. That is the name I gave her. Convenient considering the circumstances, as she appears to be quirky rather than assisting.
Stepping out from behind the smithing shop, I reveal myself to the tall woman. Once again, I find myself amazed by the stature of a woman so formidable, yet it carries a gentleness with each step. A gentle giant in every sense of those words. And somehow among the Divine Flames set, the city illuminates in that radiance she emits.
“Nobody. Let us be off before they return.”
I nod and travel through the gate with her behind, keeping me hidden from view. Again, her habit of twirling her hair appears, avoiding my gaze as to be expected. She must have learned of my existence with her expansive network of information. My identity would not be trivial to ascertain and determine artificially reproduce these events in motion to remove any unwanted debts to me.
It all makes sense. The savior, guards and even those at the colosseum from Vice Admiral to Plebeian must be involved in the scheme as well. How else could her timing be so perfect?
I see. She may play the naïve, but it was a deceptive mask unlike my own.
“So. Nobody.”
“Yes.”
Responding is required. Disrespecting the princess of the kingdom results in me being hunted down by the kingdom as the dungeon monsters.
“Here! Your blade. I have come to return it to you.”
In her palms, my jadeite blade that I’d accidentally left with her days prior. I assumed she would have it examined and seek to replicate it without the need for my knowledge or consent.
Ah.
Perhaps she cannot certain aspects after deciphering its component and seeks to lower my guard meanwhile gaining such information. A devious princess, this woman is. Disorientate me with the concert while use of threats lowered my guard to the shop owners into following such a plan then, as I am finally feeling at ease, pretend to save me, leaving me vulnerable to probing.
Now it is as clear as ever that she is not to be trusted. Naïve and kind, she maybe her allegiance in with Éze no matter what I felt internally. However, now that I know of her plan, how should I proceed? Revealing my secret on the construction of the Jadeite results in me being temporarily left alone. However, the princess is sure to reveal its true value and her kingdom will desire more, causing the other two factions to seek me out and ask me to recreate it for them. What awaits me then is a prison.
I won’t go back. Not after I escaped.
Then revealing is out of the question. I must traverse this conversation delicately and as meticulously as I transmute my Jadeite. Each word, pace, and response must be precise to avoid unwanted parties from retaliation. This is vital and I only have one chance.
“Hello? Nobody? Are you feeling unwell?”
“I am fine.”
Seem distant. Uninterested. Brief responses, with no way to continue the conversation without force on her end. As long as I parry her attempts slightly without negative or positive reinforcement will cause a forgetful departure.
“A blessing to hear. Returning to the topic, did you make that blade? It’s well-crafted from what I can tell, though, I am neither a craftsman nor gem smith.”
“I see. Much appreciated.”
“Oh. Is something the matter?”
“No. I am fine.”
Discomfort. That’s easy to told from her wavering voice. She stood behind me so I could not tell what expression the princess wore, but I shouldn’t care either. It was neither my place nor responsibility to tend to her emotions. Surviving tomorrow and the Divine Flames beyond it comes first and foremost. That’s how I must act and never will I stray from it.
“Was it I who spurned you?”
It was like a whisper, low and barely audible, as if she tried hiding them.
“Huh?”
Reflexively, I turn around and there the Divine Flames were, once again, only this time, the sacred element flow from Hilda’s eyes as she covers her face. A tearful face unbecoming of a warrior earnestly facing their demise or a behemoth intimidating foes into retreat. In front of me is a woman in shambles at the thought of something so small as not liking her. I may have the body size of a child, but her response is that of one.
“The anger you are justified, is caused by me, isn’t it?”
How cruel.
“No!” I shouted, placing my hands up trying to consoled her, but did not know where to touch without offending the girl, especially since the maximum height of my reach was her well-placed chest. “The Taaffiete is exhausting for me to be around.”
What am I doing? Why am I telling such an obvious lie? Why should I care?
No. I have to care. If people found out that I made the princess cry, then they would destroy me before the end of today.
Yes. That’s it.
I am saving my life by stopping her from crying because the need to remain neutral is far more important and this emotional status is leaning towards the negative. I didn’t for her tears of sadness or the feelings in her core, just tipping her opinion of me to stay impartial. Nothing else. There’s nothing else it could be.
“Is that so?”
“It is. Today has been quite a long day and I am exhausted from today’s events. That is all.”
“Is it true?”
No.
“I’m afraid so.”
“Oh.” She brightens, clasping her hands into fists. “I see. Exhaustion. Long day. Excellent.”
Am I mistaken, or Hilda’s ears gleam a vibrant red more than before? With the bounce of her figure it’s hard to tell, especially with the Divine Flames setting and Taaffeite dull without that light. Perhaps I am mistaken after all and need not think any more of it. It is not my place, after all. I am the lowest commoner and her a princess. Our paths crossing twice is fortune in itself, anymore, and my core will feed into its greed.
“We can continue the conversation at the end of the path or another time.”
“Then let’s hurry to the bottom.” Her sudden change in demeanor stuns me. “I mean. Let us depart to…the…bottom.”
There it is the fidgeting twirl of her hair. I understand that a level of pride in one’s appearance must be validating for her however showing it off so often and blatantly can make her seem more arrogant or desperate like the Elven Women. Or perhaps she is doing so to gain my acknowledgement of her careful maintenance and wishes for me to compliment her.
Hilda rushes ahead of me, clutching onto her ears and reaching the bottom of the pathway with ease. The ease in her maneuverability is enviable, built on her many experiences I am sure. I make my way down, though at a much slower pace and retrieve my moonstone. The plan was to leave as soon as possible, however, “Salutation stranger, we meet again.” This stunt of hers has my interest piqued.
“Well then, farewell stranger.”
“Halt!” She grabs my hood. “Our conversation!”
“I thought we agreed at another time?”
“You said at the bottom or another time. We are at the bottom at and another ti — I mean, promises must be kept Nobody, else we’d become savages.”
“I see.”
This woman.
Prodigal princess.
Stunning warrior.
Emotional fool.
The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.
Naïve clutz.
Honest core.
Which of these is the real Hilda and which is fake? None register as fake but all too unbelievable to be a real person and as mysterious as the dark side of the Divine Orb above. My opinion skewed, from beauty to deceiver to fool, what has become of me? Perhaps the recent events have truly affected my core, leading me to bring up the discussion as I did.
“So. Speak.”
“Well,” she said as she kicked the dirt with her hands behind her back, “what do we discuss?”
“Farewell.”
“Wait!”
“Then speak.”
“Well…”
“Farewell.”
“No!”
What a troublesome attractive woman. Does she want to converse or not? If not, let me return home, and why must I be on the end of this charade? Even my core seethed from her actions, forcing me to take the moonstone.
“Speak or I leave.”
“But…”
“Three.”
“Just a moment Nobody.”
“One. Ze—.”
“IwantedtotalkaboutyourbladesbutyouseemedangrysoIdidn’tmentionit.” She blurted, as if the sentence were a single long word.
“Fine. What is it you wish to know? I will only answer certain questions. Agreed.”
“Reasonable. Then did you craft these blades yourself?”
“Next question.”
“Hm.” She stops. It seems that this non-response was not something she accounted for, but that vagueness is to my benefit. Now I can lead her into thinking that the shop owners crafted my blades, and I am but a humble customer, gratefully accepting pity. “What components did you use to craft this blade?”
“Next question.”
I agreed to answer questions to the best of my ability, not spew incriminating evidence to be the target of scrutiny of any faction. And with Hilda’s nature, I doubt secrets are well hidden by her, especially for gem smithing. Éze certainly has the highest quality product considering the sapphire gems in abundance, however their smithing capabilities are roughly the same as any other faction, be it Elven woman or Orcish man.
The secret that I and those shop owners share is our techniques, more specifically the ability to transmute the gems naturally without tools. The process for the shop owners requires the Elf woman to examine the gem and prepare it for refinement while the Orc man shapes its flow of prana into the desired form. I, on the other hand can see and manipulate them due to my eyes being able to perceive the flow and shape them with a method I learned from my youth.
A method that lacks quantity but quality.
Remove excess.
Free its form.
And forge them into what I please… if the resources are available.
Unfortunately, unlike traditional gem smiths who await orders and given material by customers, it is my responsibility to acquire the materials on my own for forging.
The shop owners cater exclusively to commissioned clients, and although I can acquire their products, they come at a premium price. Years prior, on a day like today, when funds were nonexistent for me, I exchanged the technique for Nepherite, an enhanced version of a simple Jade, for royalties and a starting investment of a thousand S.Rubies, one hundred unrefined Jade stones and twenty R.Rubies.
That knowledge saved me that day.
Though if I sold the Jadeite recipe; the amount of funds I’d have could last me a millennium at the cost of my peace disrupted.
Back to Hilda. Frustrated, but unwilling to retreat. The curiosity in my blades and her many glances focused on them told me everything I needed to know about her intentions.
“You want to know how to acquire blades like mine. Am I correct?”
She’s stunned, but nods in agreement.
“Very well.” I said, taking out my Jadeite knives and returned them to crystal form. “Here, I shall convince the maker of these blades to commission you a pair.”
“You have my gratitude.”
“Think nothing and speak none of it. Are we clear?”
“Yes.”
A risky move, but trying to avoid a princess with an army at her disposal brings more trouble than it’s worth, especially with her wealth of influence. For now, delegating the responsibility elsewhere to an unknown gem smith will be much more convenient so that I can return home.
“Do you have any particular preferences I should inform the maker? Like preferred length or weight.”
“My martial training made me proficient in all blades.”
“Noted. Anything else?”
“Is it possible to combine the durability of the sapphire with the sharpness of emerald? When I held that blade of yours, it held well absorbing my dense prana with ease much like sapphire however its cut light and precise unlike all emerald blades I have previously used. Perhaps a new type of gem that I now not of or a new blend unfamiliar with Èze smithers? I am well aware of the updated trends among our armament smithers and yet…” she eyes my blades curiously, as I, in turn, evade her line of sight. “Well, no matter. I am sure you have reasons for your secrets.”
“Not me. The maker.”
“Are they not one and the same?”
“No. I cannot make blades nor can I smith.”
“Is that so? Then punishment for those two will be swift for the falsehood they spread.”
“Punishment?”
“We will deal harshly with anyone who lies to royalty. Father was quite clear on that to the citizens. Worry not, it will be a quick and painless core erasure.”
“What if… they weren’t lying?”
“Then,” she hovers over me like a serpent watching a poisoned prey succumbing to its toxins slowly closing the gap between. Her finger pressed on her pursed refined ruby lips before placing the lovely bit of prana on my cheek, scorching my face. “I must punish you myself.”
Silence fills the air. The thumping of my core and slight wind drowns them out as I am left defenseless to her. Left eye of Divine Flames rise and right dark as the sky above, yet a small pupil at the center of that white cross locked with my own as neither of us move; it was as if we were two statues still in an empty field under the Divine Realm. The luminous of the Divine Orb helped neither casting down its white rays of light directly on top of us. At that moment we stood at the center of all of Sutherland and all else in our shadow, yet in that light something brighter cast that aside and stole every last bit of focus I had.
Rise or setting Divine Flames blessing me from above, entrapped in its gaze. Both are incredibly beautifully distinct and yet so contrasting.
My darting eyes from one breathtaking sight to another frozen in this endless loop, greedily attempting to hoard both images in my core. Neither of us wanted to move. Neither of us could move. What she saw in me I did not know, but she too, found herself lost in my eyes.
“Trunk legs! I’m back.” My savior from earlier calls out.
Immediately, I take out the moonstone and activate it, returning home and resting my back against the stone. Hands trembling. Core is still violently bursting from within my chest.
“What was that?”
I’ve faced death countless times. Brown widows, gate guardians and even the likes of Orc men, yet this. This gripping tension in my chest that struck my being. Like [Dripping Venom] covering all over binding me while eroding away my body with its toxins made me collapse to my knees weak.
My strength was gone, but a R.Ruby remedies that.
Focus. Keep your focus and avoid distractions. She tripped. That’s all. Think nothing of it.
But I couldn’t. The scent of ivory compile with the softness of her hand on my face as the Divine Flame like heat running from breath whispering sweet indulgence to give into those temptations overloads my mind. So close that I tasted those ruby lips on my cheek despite not being on my lips.
Think think think! Focus! We are not the same. A misunderstanding, that is all this is, this is all it can ever be! Focus!
I accidentally activate my painite spreading throughout my hideout today’s harvest and as I watch the gems line across the floor like a graveyard, it snaps me out.
That’s right… I must focus on survival. That… them… she, doesn’t matter. Only this, I can’t afford to… I don’t deserve to… there isn’t a point to.
----------------------------------------
“So… what I miss?” asked the green-haired person calibrates their similarly colored patrol cap.
“Celissa!” shouted back the behemoth of a woman on her back, hiding her face with the same rosy tints as her ears.
“I do not appreciate that tone after helping you.”
“You scared him! You both did! How can you and Brianna do that to me?”
Her kicking and thrashing may appear like a child, a child who sent boulders flying and uproot nearby trees, raising them above the soil.
The green-haired Celissa ignores the tantrum, choosing to adjust to the oversized sack awkwardly hanging over their shoulder. It was as large as their torso, causing Celissa to sway with each step. After that they walk over to Hilda’s head but because of the length of the flustered woman, it takes a few more steps than expected before squatting down boots next to the distraught mess of a woman. Lifting their goggles and revealing an expression empty with no light but voice direct as if issuing a command. “And? Did you tie the knot or what?”
“I-I tried.”
“So, you failed.” Celissa asserts further.
“It wasn’t a failure.”
“Damn sure ain’t a success.” The green-haired person sigh, tilting their view to the forest, longing for them rather than deal with another moment of whatever this was. “Then mind if I take swing at him?”
The blubbering mess stops, sitting up smacking the green person flat on their keister searing gazes that almost lit their clothes on fire. The green person picks themselves up, quickly pats off the dirt then walks over to where the hat flew towards.
“No. Why would I let you do that?”
“Why not?”
“Cause he’s mine.”
“By whose authority?”
“Mine.”
“Is he partnered?”
“N-no.”
“Did you join in S.B with him?”
“Of course not! We just met…”
“Then who’s going to stop me? You? Don’t tell me you want to involve Mama? Because I don’t think she’ll interfere with Daddy home.”
“First to find, owns them!” Hilda sticks her finger to assert dominance. “That’s the rules.”
“What are you, a kid? The future of Éze doesn’t need us to be particularly picky and those mysterious enhanced emerald blades of his make him a potentially desirable —business— partner for my armaments.” Celissa pats down their hat, shooting back a dastardly smirk at Hilda. “An unaffiliated who can transmute unknown material and theoretically endless advanced ammunition without the need of limited commission, you see where I’m going. Don’t you?”
Hilda stood silent. Nothing she could say to respond to Celissa’s truth as they put back on the hat.
“Even Bribri snuck him that VIP ticket just to see him, and who knows, you know just as well as I that she’s headstrong enough to take him right there and then. All she wants is a kind man with talent to match, that boy is both, but you knew that already. Didn’t you Trunk Legs.”
“But this is the first time I’ve felt this way, can you not respect my wishes.”
Underneath the moonlight, the Taaffiete crystals behind Hilda twinkled brightly like stars. However, just like that moon, she stood alone surrounded by Celissa starless dark sky as vast as the flatlands that the two stood. Despite their influential positions, the two polarize in almost every way.
“Are you going to stay ignorant forever? Pama and Mapa may have wanted to raise us normally, but we chose to protect our home. Whether you want to think about it or not, the fact remains that you are Èze first princess, and your partner sets the precedent for all those that come after when our parents leave. Inexperienced as you are, this feeling you have will wane and grow but these choices now last forever.” Celissa steps toward Hilda, making her flinch. The wind blew words directly into Hilda’s ears. “Even if you did love him, is that whats best? He’ll become an enemy of the Elven and Orcish then become first in line to rule over Èze. Is that what he wants? Or just what you wanted? Did you ever consider what would happen if you involved yourself. And when you do, do you have the resolve to commit everything you are, even against our family, people and kingdom, for this feeling in your chest. Love and admiration wane, loyalty is forever. I’d rather not have our name stained by a woman whose legs spread for the first man that catches her eye.”
“It’s not like that! He matched me. Me Celissa! If you were there against that Brown Mother Widow you would understand what I see. His smithing excellent but he knew. He knew how I moved, where I would strike like he foresaw them, and we were one being in motion. Father knew mother was his perfect match the moment he laid eyes and I know this feeling is exactly that. That synergy is neither a fluke nor luck, but destiny in the making. I am aware of my place, and I know that he WILL be an asset not to just I, but to Èze. I swear it.”
“Is that so? It seems you have already made your choice. For better or worse.”
“How could you two be so evil? What did I ever do to make you two get in my way? This is the first time I’ve felt this way so why can’t you two not celebrate my sentiments?”
“How? What? Why?” Celissa said, gritting her teeth.
Although a third shorter than Hilda, in that moment Celisaa stood as a giant looking down on her. The confidence in Celissa’s own ability to do as she pleased spoke novels compared any individual words.
“I wonder which of the three will he be interested in? Perhaps I shall visit him early and guide his core in. My direction. Unless…” Celissa brushes their sister’s hair, ensuring that Hilda saw that devilish smirk, “You think you can stop me? Trunk legs.”
Celissa returns to the forest, leaving Hilda standing at the entrance of Éze core flustered with many emotions. Thoughts of her ability to compete with the star power of Brianna and Celissa’s directness envelop her mind as she’s left questioning her own capabilities. Above, the Divine Orb retreats behind a cloud, leaving the girl alone in that darkness.
“No.” she said, before coming back to the city.
And far off in the distance, Celissa, hand on a tree with sadness in her eyes.
“We do celebrate. To find another as you did and as you are, Hilda, brings joy to us. But…” they enter the forest, “…I just hoped I wouldn’t have to lose my sister. For a decade longer.”