With her journey to begin again – this time with company – once Calia had finished a quick breakfast she made sure to wash up well. Braiding up ebony hair in it’s usual circlet to keep it out of her way, and donning some fresh clothes for travel. Leaving the metal pieces of her armor in her bag, as they’d not do her much good in their current state. Keeping to the malleable leather that she’d already spent the time to sew and repair.
As for supplies, she had plenty. Whatever else she’d need could be hunted as necessary. Thus, once she’d gathered up all her things it was only Rhelic she needed to wait for. Having no idea what the woman might want for her own travel needs as well… this was going to be an interesting new experience to travel with someone! At least, someone that wasn’t a mouthy demon masquerading as a beetle, anyway.
She’d been up mostly to just pointedly tell the elder drow elf that she was going to be out and away from the building for the unforeseen future. It might be a week, it could be a month. It was unclear and as much as the withered back older man gave her a purple scowl beneath the thick white beard, he didn’t particularly make a verbal fuss. Only muttering some as he hopped along with the aid of wooden cane to make up for the missing left leg with the agreement that he would give her some supplies to take along.
Leaving her to go and collect that of the two beasts of burden that would suitably work for making this voyage easier than putting their own feet to the use.
Of course the cervus himself was more than eager to leave the paddock. Offering her a look of almost what she could have described as utter disdain for having been made to wait this long but pranced once that of halter had found his face. Cloven hooves practically dancing across the earth in following when she had only stopped to grab and point out that she would be taking the horse alongside. Her father had been giving her a new look then but overall the old man just shrugged.
It wasn’t as though he was going to use the horse right now and her brother wasn’t anywhere near the place so it was not even worth bringing up in complaint.
“Well morning to yah,” Rhelic called once she had gotten the two mounts successfully mantled. Well, the horse more than the cervus considering Setu hardly needed more than a simple bridle. Hovering in following while she led Lon forward with a gentle rubbing to his blackened soft nose. “You’ve got everything about yourself this morning then Calia? Nothing left behind because I ain’t mailing it to you after I get back and you are off gallivanting either freely or in the queen’s dungeon.” Smirking at the human woman with hand shortly outstretched to off the gelding’s reigns.
“Finagled yourself a companion for a bit, ol’ Lon here will be a good fellow to carry you about. Gentle as a lamb but not that easy to startle. Didn’t think I ought to see if you could rodeo up on a cervus,” giving Setu a point of thumb to indicate whom was whom.
“Lucky me, I don’t currently own anything worth remembering,” answered Calia all straight faced despite the cheekiness of her tone. Truly, the only thing on her now that was actually her own was the leather armor and her hidden signet ring. …unless one was the count the whole of Caeldalmor, but then Calia never really felt royals owned the land they cared for. More akin to the opposite, really. A responsibility she was still struggling with the weight of.
For now, those features of her resting face that others might consider as unwelcoming bitch had brightened up immediately to reveal just how young she actually was upon the sight of horse and wooly deer. With no hesitation or self consciousness that’d plague her when greeting people, Calia was right there first allowing each creature to give a sniff of her hand waiting for those cues that she was allowed to give affection.
And affection she did give, freely and gladly!
“What a grand bit of trouble you look, darling sir!” she mused aloud to Sen first. Hands happily scritching through big fluffy chest. Calia had never in her life thought to ride a cervus, deer or otherwise. Such things belonged wild in the woods and this one certainly looked like he could be a bit of trouble under the wrong hands. Or the right ones! Having a chuckle of amusement before it was the horse next, a creature she was so accustomed to, she might as well have lived and grown up the stables too.
“But you, love, never a more handsome stallion has been seen, hmm? You seem to know it too,” she crooned, giving the horse Lon that extra bit of stroking on his velvet nose. “Not too gentle, though, I hope. I bet you’d like a good run.”
Walking had been fine enough for Calia, but a horse? You could never have a better companion than a horse!
“I see you’re a woman of good taste,” she grinned towards Rhelic. “Should be a pleasant journey, up until something inevitably tries to kill us.”
“Well lucky me then, I won’t bother looking for anything.” Rhelic chimed unbothered as she merely observed how this cantankerous woman could so easily become a budding babe when animals were present. In turn, it allowed her to get a further sense on Calia’s general personality. If either Setu or Lon started to act like they were ready to run, bite or kick, it was a good bit of knowledge to know the young woman was more of a person to be leery of. Animals had a good sense on people and she’d always take their reactions as gospel over something that could blither blather all day.
Setu gave a rough shake of his wholly neck, as if giving her a short look next to prove he could certainly be a bit of trouble. Still debating that his time in the paddock was worth proving he had been plenty unhappy about it or not, but leave it to Calia to look properly enamoured by the black gelding. “Gentle to ride but he’s been about for a good few years. Ain’t a young man anymore but a wise fellow that knows when and where to be involved.”
Heavily patting the equine’s shoulders so she could step back and give Setu a light prodding to his side. Where he preened like a fat hen, all pleased even as she motioned for him to stay idle enough for her to swing up to the bare of back. Adjusting and squeezing thighs light to hold her core in steady as eyes found the leather clad companion. “And you didn’t pick up such things the night prior, then you may be a slow learner, Calia.” Teasing her with zealous grinning, moving reins to sit in one hand to be the single steer.
Using other to comb through the fluff at withers, “And when that thing tries to kill us, I suppose that’s when pleasant becomes outrageously amusing.” Having dressed herself in smooth black leathers, she was not devoid of weaponry. A bow and been strung over shoulders with a quiver but a pair of long daggers were attached to the back of her waist. Having no problem being an offensive foe or aggressive. Though she found the use of a halberd to be her preferred method of fighting, it wasn’t particularly easy to travel with. So quick and light weapons would be the best for selection.
With long white hair plated into high knot braid to keep it stationary upon head but not bound so tight that she might develop a headache from it. Raising hips and posturing a moment, Rhelic motioned. “We’ll take the road for some time. Keep it easy but by the time we get to the bellow’s cross, we will have to detour. There’s a large caravan camped there and if we pass through the middle, we’ll likely be bound to be their guests for a few days. All in hospitality but bothersome when one has a time crunch.” Rhelic gave Setu a light squeeze to get the cervus to step along. “Plus, we will have little to trade and I don’t know about you but I’m not about to trade my skin for oats this day.”
“Well, we already know I have the sense of a toddler, so you can’t be too surprised,” chimed back Calia easily in return to being a slow learner. Likely a true enough statement, in many cases. Even she herself wasn’t sure why she could pick up some skills so easily, while other things felt like pulling teeth just to learn the lesson. Already pulling herself up on the back of the beautiful black stallion to comfortably roost as naturally as if she’d raised that horse herself.
Nudging Lon along to follow after Rhelic, she listened astutely to the plan and gave a nod of her acceptance.
“Best to avoid people when possible in any case, I don’t much trust my luck not to somehow bring ruin to every caravan and village I stumble into.” she admitted, without sounding down and out about it. Just a fact of her present reality. At least here in the elven lands, Calia doubted Derrick had travelled and dropped off demons to get in her path. She could still feel her heart tugging wistfully away back in the opposite direction, and where ever it was, he was likely there swinging it around like a magic wand causing mayhem.
That slimy, black robed bastard.
“Pretty sure we’re both worth more than oats in any case,” she chirped then, all full of amusement. “A banquet dinner and a couple bottles of fine drink at the bare minimum.”
Eyes slid across her shoulder at the reminder that Calia may have the sense of a young child but Rhelic gave but a charming smirk to this. As though she was plotting ways to refine said toddler actions for the better rather than letting them continued. But was not about to explain her ideas while they were still cooking.
Simply delving instead into explaining the route they were to take whilst Lon happily moved along at the rider’s insistence to catch up. Leaving the drow to wobble her head back and forth thoughtfully, “I mean the more people we avoid the better our travel time will be. Which is six in one. Good for getting you their faster. Bad for getting your head on straight enough to have a royal conversation without banging fists upon table.”
She gave the human a eyeful but it was mostly humorous. Growing into a airy laugh when the human suggested they were worth more than oats. A large dinner and drinks at the very min, “With that logic, I dare say someone may attempt it if we give them a bar to reach.”
Guiding Setu along into the dirt path between the colossal trees, Rhelic settled into the motion of riding. “Well now that we’ve begun this fun little adventure, is there anything else I ought to be aware of. You aren’t going to have suddenly a lovecross lover appear from somewhere and beckon you to return to that of their arms?”
Calia was perfectly content to ride along and let Rhelic do most of the talking – not so much because she wasn’t a conversationalist, Calia did like to chat… Only, she wasn’t used to doing so as herself. As Princess Calia, at home in court she’d keep her mouth shut to avoid causing any problems. In small taverns she’d be glamoured and conversation was more steered towards gratuitous flirting or simply her listening and enjoying the atmosphere as others boasted stories about their own lives.
Luckily with Rhelic she wasn’t too wary of saying something that was going to have the woman immediately staring at her as if she’d grown three heads and was about to eat her family.
“All of my former paramours were left with fond memories, I hope,” Calia responded with a laugh. “Save for the sorcerer that is literally using my heart as a new toy. That was a mistake I was too young to understand at the time.”
Aside from that? As far as all of Caeldalmor was concerned, Princess Calia was dead along with the rest of the royal family. There was no one left who would even think about her, let alone miss her and track her down.
“…I did come through the mountains with someone, though,” she admitted with a frown. Calia couldn’t just blabber out that Archimedes was a demon, she’d had sense enough to keep that to herself for as long as she’d known him. And she was especially not going to call him by name, when it seemed to be an oh-so-famous one! Still, she wasn’t about to start spinning lies about how she got there and then lose her mind trying to keep track of all the details.
“He seemed to be an asshole only in my direction and could not escape me fast enough. He’s likely found his way to the other side of the world by now.”
“Well that last paramour is probably the one who is the most fond of you. Considering he went to such lengths to get your heart.” Rhelic rolled her eyes in a flared dramatic. An over the top expression that outwardly proclaimed just how stupid she thought said sorcerer was. “Like I think bringing roses to a girl is overkill but this? He clearly takes reject well.” Notably the drow wasn’t blaming Calia. If anything, it sounded to Rhelic that this sorcerer was truly a crazed ex that didn’t like being told no for anything. So he amped up the crazy and decided that to a person’s heart, they just might as well take it. Literally.
“Dark magic is such a wild tool.” The woman muttered clear enough with a shake of her head. “It always promises so much but it costs more than anyone could ever pay. In ways that no one would ever guess.” The stories she heard was enough for her to come to this conclusion.
Every tale she heard about such things, the price was always something no one expected and it was hefty. Admittedly she was pretty certain that Calia’s dark bastard would have to fork out some costly thing for the items he did but how and what, would be left unknown.
With attention moving along the heavy barks of the enormous tress, ears slightly lifted to indicate she was listening to the other. That she had come with someone else but in turn the male had apparently been simply an asshole to her and fled. “Sounds like good riddance then. Did you a favour if he ran away, so I wouldn’t even offer such a thing a thought. You’ve got other things on the mind anyways than some loser that can’t do anything, anyways.” Leathered shoulders shrugged, “Consider it as the garbage taking itself out. Only good thing it has done and now you’re on the better track forward.”
Calia laughed again at Rhelic’s conclusion that she was better off that the ass had saved her a lot of trouble by taking himself out of the picture. She’d thought the same, frequently! Every time that damn demon popped into her mind. The trouble was that she couldn’t seem to help those second thoughts. Third thoughts. A thousand thoughts that kept bringing her back to Archimedes, as if he were a splinter under her skin that she couldn’t dig out.
Now armed with new, fresh information that made things a little more complicated than just a demonic asshole. He hurt her through thoughtless, vicious actions and she turned around and hurt him right back with that same careless fury. Here now that she was finally past those first moments of grief and shock she could admit that maybe, she’d struck at him first by means of dagger thrown violence before they ever reached that first tavern. Still, he escalated it too far and was completely incapable of admitting his own fault in things.
…he’d said he only does what demons do, which was not true at all, though. In that moment, yes, he was cruel. Every other? Archimedes had spent the entire time lecturing and fussing at her to do right by people. If he were the same Archimedes of elven history, then he may have forgotten who he once was, but hadn’t lost who he was before becoming a demon.
It made Calia wonder if that was her own inevitable fate. If without her heart and magic if she would eventually forget exactly who she was and who she was meant to be.
Damn, she wished she’d quit wasting all her mental energy thinking about the stupid man! Calia ought to be practicing her royal etiquette so she didn’t make a fool of herself at Queen Ashera’s court!
“It’s a track forward, in any case. Time will tell if it’s the correct one,” she admitted with a small sense of self deprecation. “Playing up being a damsel princess is starting to sound good this morning. A little bit of eyelash batting, some long world weary sighs, and let someone else solve all my problems. All those romantic stories about princesses meeting their heroic princes, and I am out here getting my ass kicked around every corner!”
Bright did she laugh at the suggestion that maybe playing the damsel princes would have been far more worth it. Earning a delighted eye from the drow, “It sounds fun at first but then all that swooning and acting like you are so helpless so some dumb blond hulk that couldn’t put two sticks together to make a fire, sounds absolutely exhausting.” Rhelic thought about it for a moment.
Shown by how quickly she sneered and grimaced. The very idea leaving her as though she ate something so sour it was making her insides pucker as well.
“A dopey guy playing hero sounds nice but honestly, that sounds like more work. Like trying to teach a babe to walk while not just getting so fed up that you punt them across the yard.” Fingers pressed at the bridge of her nose. “They are good to play with but not to rely on. I never understood those romantic stories, they sounds so… extra. And what really happens after their happy ever after?”
Another chuckling laugh and Calia reached to give Lon a good pat, only afterwards realizing somewhere along the way she’d forgotten to feel guilty for experiencing even the smallest moment of amusement. That was good, wasn’t it? Her inner voice not waking up to tell her what an asshole she was for laughing as if she were taking a long day trip while everyone she knew was dead.
Maybe it was worth opening up that coffin she’d buried all her thoughts and feelings in. If only because Calia had this new niggling fear that if she didn’t hold tight to her memories, to the way she used to feel, that she might forget it altogether.
“Pretty sure the standard is getting married, having a dozen kids, and then living a life of domestic bliss punting all of your obnoxious kids across the yard,” she mused, finding particular humor in that. Both in imagining Rhelic kicking annoying brats around, but also in it’s truth. Calia could remember her father doing that plenty on days he was getting frustrated. Who knew that was actually good memory.
“Once I am done committing murder and rising a kingdom from the ashes, I suppose I’ll have to do my royal duty and find myself a husband to make heirs with. I might as well bring back the old tribal clan ways and have it be entertaining. Defeat me in battle, maybe I’ll marry you.”
“Oh that just sounds absolutely deplorable with social obligations that I would rather chase a fae off into the woods than commit such a domestic life too.” Rhelic shuddered again for measure, “All that… expectation. No thank you. If that’s the choice of the happy after, the idea of being a wicked witch of the woods is sounding far more entertaining.” Her eyes glittered, “People only coming to you with wild problems that you make sound can be cured by some random plant that’s just garlic. Fix all your ails, sort of thing.”
It might be sufficient to say that she found the idea of marrying, having children and doing anything that the means of society wished for was absolutely the sort of things she would rebel against. Preferring her freedom over expectation.
As if that was hard to see. “This is why drows don’t think about marriage, its not required. I mean pop out a few kids, sure, but you can fuck right off if you don’t want to.” She said so nonchalantly, well aware her parents had that option but stuck it out.
Still, the moonlight elf listened to Calia suggest that after all this mayhem, she might be needing to do this obligations for her kingdom. Smirking soon, “I’d come and watch that spectacle. Sounds far better than being courted by some foolish knave bringing you flowers and poetry.” Brows furrowed, “That’s what the pampered royal type do right? Poetry and waving around coin at the poor folks to look generous in the eyes of their chosen courted?”
She had not a clue outside hearsay and made up thoughts.
“I guess I should have been born drow,” Calia almost cackled. For whatever she was now, she certainly didn’t fit into to everyone else’s ideas on what a young human woman was meant to be, let alone a princess! She’d always thought it was the magic that made her feel like a strange outsider creature, but she was finding even without it she still didn’t quite blend in.
Did she even want to? Not that it mattered, Calia had little in the way of choices. Princess Calia, Queen Calia… either way that crown was a leash of it’s own. She’d give it away in a heartbeat, only… then she’d have to do all of the work to find someone suitable to wear it.
“Allow me to paint you the picture of what a princess’ life is truly like,” she announced, straightening up on her beautiful stallion of black, putting on the air and performance of, well, Princess Calia.
“The court of Caeldalmor was in a transition from the old clan ways to organized bullshittery. Bless my mother, she was a farm girl, but that woman was always meant to be a regal queen. She brought class and elegance to a kingdom who was still solving disputes through organized fist fights.”
Of course, that delighted Calia, but not so much her mother!
“As soon as I was old enough to debut at court, there’s been all manner of absolute nauseating offers of marriage. Mind you, I was never the heir, so the plan laid out for me was to choose myself a husband that’d be advantageous for the kingdom. I’ve met so many of the tribal chiefs, self proclaimed kings, useless princes, and primped up noble boys. All with the same playbook of flowers, shallow compliments, and stupid posturing.”
Just from that nonsense alone it was reason enough for Calia to want to escape the castle and go seeking herself anonymous fun across the countryside. Where people didn’t fawn over her because she was a princess. And while men in taverns could be just as terrible when it came to the way they hit on girls, at least with her glamours she could happily tell those she didn’t like to go fuck off.
“Luckily for me, my elder sister was the romantic, one true love type. They couldn’t push me into a wedding until she was married off first. I don’t think she even knew what sex was, but she sure wasn’t impressed with the suitors at court anymore than I was.”
Rhelic, for all intents and purposes, looked at the woman shifting on the back of Lon. Putting on the motif that was fit for a princess. Practiced if one had to explain it in any ways while raising her eyes up and down the show. Eventually settling and sort of narrowing. Taking it all in. Snorting effectively at the statement that the farm girl turned queen had not cared for the means of solving issues with fists. Even if they were neatly organized.
Such a waste. Sometimes it worked better just to clock someone across the chin for them to get the point of what you were trying to say. Rattling around their heads so their brain could get some air from flying around their skull. Although, yes, such things weren’t always the best ways of getting things handled either.
However as Calia continued, there was a low disgusted sound rising out of throat. Head shook, “I swear there must be a book out there that teaches these dopes the same thing and calls it romance.” Finding it so baffling that a king, a prince, nobles and anything in-between all seemed to have the same mannerisms of how to woo a female. Of course it worked on some girls, making it seem effective. But those who were not in that mould of feminine giggling and swooning, were quick to be disgusted by the same efforts.
“You know it’s bad when you have a romantic sibling and they aren’t even impressed by said suitors.” Rhelic again gave her head a hearty shake. “I suppose if one were to use such things as an indicator, finding the male or female that doesn’t behave in that playbook manner may be worth having around for a little bit. Just to see what they do or don’t do? I don’t know, sometimes I find human’s mannerisms highly peculiar.” Fingers smoothed along Setu’s mane then, “Well at least for yourself, you have that cradle of your elder sibling needing to marry first so you don’t have to deal with the primp and pomp. At least for now, seeing as you have a whole other problem to deal with.”
“If my sister or my other siblings were alive,” Calia said, perhaps all too bluntly, but without any sort of hurt or ill feelings about it. Not that she couldn’t feel it; that lump of grief wriggling it’s little tendrils out of it’s coffin. Only instead of stuffing it back down again, she let it do as it wished. Daring to speak about her family out loud, to actually acknowledge their loss, hoping that it was going to get her to a place where she could think about them and not want to suddenly set fire to everything.
“I’d not mind traveling across the mountains meeting foreign Kings and Queens if there were here. Anything I screwed up, they would fix it and I could just be Calia the Helper. Not Queen Calia and having to mind my manners lest an entire kingdom fall even further into ruin.”
Having to do it all alone was an overwhelming thing – and there was another moment she hated that Archimedes could be so right about something. How she did actually need others and couldn’t just go stomping her way through the mountains all by herself trying to repair what she’d broken. Fucking royal advisor indeed!
Finally she just laughed, shrugging her shoulders as if she didn’t much care either way. This was her life, and unless she wanted to be the ultimate asshole and just abandon it all, Calia had to figure out how to deal with it.
“You’re right that all the primp and pom can wait, though. The last thing I need is being hassled by a carousel of romancing dingbats. I’m almost tempted to swear off men altogether for the trouble they’ve been. Almost.”
After all, Calia might have more important things to do, but a pretty face and the right opportunity would be hard to pass up.
If she was about to be shocked or bothered by the grave reality of Calia’s words, she didn’t show it. A mere look at the woman was all that was given but little else. No sympathetic words or ones of hope. Just letting Calia feel as she needed to before smirking a bit crookedly at the way she spoke further. Mentioning how her family would be able to fix the things that had become a mess if it ever came to it. Maybe there, Rhelic offered an eye that was probably readable.
Loudly stating that maybe Calia had some royal pains that weren’t favourable. “Or, you could just learn how to fix the problems too rather than relying on others. Asking for help is different than expecting the fix.” She stated but was shrugging, “Just my own opinion of course, I don’t know how royals work. What I say could be totally taboo for the courts.” She knew that she could possibly just be cynical and didn’t blame the youth beside her for it.
There was a difference in that one could suppose. Rhelic liked to fix her own mistakes because well, how did she learn from them if she didn’t try to rectify them. But that wasn’t like she always knew that. She had to learn that too!
For a moment they rode in silence till the other was laughing. Shrugging and making it all seem miniscule. It could be, it could not be.
“Well, you may still have to deal with a carousel of romancing dingbats. Elves are the sort who think they are romantic. Sweet and charismatic. But they are just a bunch of gobshites really. Especially to a forienger, I can’t even imagine what sort of looks you’ll be pulling in the capitol.” The lips of the drow frowned, “I should have made my price for travel steeper if that’s the case.”
“If I could fix it all on my own without having to drag anyone else involved, you can bet I would already be on my way north,” she did admit with a shrug of her shoulders and another laugh. “It was actually my first plan. I think it took three different monsters kicking my ass before I figured out I’m no longer the most dangerous thing in the mountains.”
Spite got her far, but Calia was indeed woefully human now. No longer a frost breathing dragon, but a croaking frog. Liable to end up on a spit if she didn’t get her shit together and figure out how to be dangerous in a new sort of way. That single-minded focus of hers would go farther than her spite ever could. It was the one thing that hadn’t been stolen.
Of course, to the thought of elven paramours dogging at her heels left and right, Calia was all cheeky smiles.
“I’ve noticed. I almost had a trio insist on joining me, but I’ve no interest in mothering a bunch of elven babes,” she scoffed. “You know that attention is sure to get worse at court, especially if I have to impress. Maybe they’ll try and woo me with expensive gifts and I’ll just pass them on to you. Especially since I’m liable to make you throw up. Flirting is just about the only courtly thing I actually know how to do.”
“Hearing that for some reason does not surprise me. And I’ve only clocked your personality for one day.” Probably because somewhere Rhelic knew that if she was younger, she’d have done the same. Or had done the same. It wasn’t as though she didn’t understand Calia at all, rather they were very similar. Just age had managed much of her own behaviours that now she was more fiery verbal lashing that eventually could turn into a physical beat down. But she would blow a lot of smoke first till she was properly pissed off.
Just most people in the little town knew that she wasn’t someone to trifle with. Most preferring their luck with her father or when her brother was in town. As the nice sibling. “I hope you managed to at least give the said three monsters a bit of a run for their money.” Grinning all whites, she suspected Calia had gone down swinging. Refusing to give in and absolutely intended to make sure whatever monsters she went against knew she was no pushover.
Where eyes slipped to look at Lon all calm. Happy as can be and affirming yet again that while the mountain princess seemed like she was all thorns and prickles, the animal knew there was something good in there.
Leaving her to shortly ramble about how Calia was doomed properly to have little younglings flying about her ears in the form of elven men. The ones that thought they could charm the nymphs from the trees! And the very thought was enough to figuratively make her green around the gills. “Unless it’s coin, I don’t what no gifts. What the hell would I do with them anyway besides making Setu an unfortunate pack elk.” The very creature’s ears lifted and like he understood everything snorted in firm disagreement.
Liable to start rearing and kicking like a tantruming kid if that were the case. Earning fingers to reach and scratch at a soft ear in hopes to avoid him actually doing so. “Well the only good thing is, if they just wanna flirt with you then they ought to be nice. So I guess using that to your advantage is hardly a bad idea. Unless someone starts trying to arm wrestle, then I suggest do that instead. Worth more of a show than the frou frou of painful flirting. It’s stuff like that in which only solidifies my comfort in being a commoner. It’s a lot easier.”
“It’s not hard to know me, I am simple,” admitted Calia.
…or at least it was simple now that she was no longer harboring a magical secret. Calia wasn’t one to lie without good reason, nor was she the type to play games. She’d never had hidden agendas or a want for anything more than just getting to live her life. To exist. Maybe keeping her magical secret had preventing anyone to actually see all of that. She supposed it was impossible to get close to anyone when you never shared your entire self.
Calia wasn’t having much success on that front though. Except for maybe now. Still, it was hard to trust even a kindred spirit and Calia was done with being naively foolish to believe that she’d make a friend just like that! As long as she made it to the capitol without something going horribly wrong and Rhelic trying to stab her, all would be well.
“Never you fear, I might not be able to arm wrestle my way through Queen Ashera’s court, but there’s going to be plenty of mountain clans that’d be thrilled by the prospect. I might even win a few!”
“Simple is good. Simpleminded, is not. As long as I don’t catch you trying to eat twigs in the woods, then I won’t start developing a perpetual cockeyed brow.”
Granted she doubted someone was simple when they had their heart stolen by black magic because of some bloke that sounded more like the sort of pompous baby that needed more swats to the backside as a child. Or someone who had wielded magic powerful enough to be stolen at all. However, there was a sort of silent understanding that she hardly had to point these things out. It was Calia’s personality they were talking about rather than her gifts.
“Well whenever you get your mountain tribes all back in order, you make sure to invite me to the first official arm wrestling match. See their new queen make a few of the mountain men all sorts of docile because she’s a living she-beast that they cow from.” Lips pulled into a genuine smirk. Eventually giving a lazy stretch of arms while vision passed forward once more.
Looking amongst the sea of brown and green and all the sort of forestry stuff that was boring to her. “We’ll stop around evening with this sauntering pace we’ve got set. I’ve got a few things put aside in my pack that ought to deter a few of the woodland annoyances and if that don’t work, well Setu and Lon ought to be alert enough to tell us when something’s all sorts of wrong. Suppose you could use this time now to start devising your most ingenious plan for how to win over Omias and then Queen Ashera herself. If you come up with a real winner, tell me. I could use a laugh.”
“What if I’m chewing on the right kind of twigs,” shot back Calia with the sort of statement that was so rife with little sister energy, that it was painfully obvious she was used to being everyone’s favorite pain in the ass. “Us mountain folk do know what trees you can chew to survive a harsh winter, after all.”
That fun statement didn’t need any more clarification. Instead Calia was happy to allow their saunter, as Rhelic called it, to fall into a companionable silence. A grand plan to charm an advisor and queen wasn’t so quick to come to mind, but there was plenty of amusement to be found in imagining a meeting with other mountain clans. The sorts that were far more wild, without the polish and serene lifestyle that came about in the farming valleys. None of the tricky politics that she was sure to meet with the elven court.
Other she was happy to ride and admire these forest lands that she’d never seen before and yet held such a strange familiarity. Here and there urging the gorgeous black stallion into a friendly sprint so he could have himself a nice little run, but never so much that it’d sore his muscles or be too tiring. Having a grand enough time of getting to know the handsome thing, while wistfully wishing she knew were Mercy ended up. Confident even still that the lucky mare had found her way out of the caves. Deciding in those moments that she was going to have to stop trying to bond with these horses, because she wasn’t going to be able to take the heartbreak of leaving them behind!
The leveling of the every so unamused expression was a fine retort and in turn a visual representation that Rhelic wasn’t convinced they knew a aspen twig from a birch! But she wasn’t about to get into semantics simply because she had made a joke that spurred some goblin energy from the human. Offering instead that she use this meandering time to start deliberating her grand plan for playing nice with the cantankerous old advisor and the sugar sweet elven queen.
She hadn’t even mentioned that the Elven Queen’s daughter might even be present. Just leaving that unspoken because she surely couldn’t give Calia all the clues to everything.
Allowing themselves to lull into a comfortable silence between themselves and mounts.
At some point after high noon and an offering of a small bag of dried cranberries to munch on, the rode winding through the forest began to show other bodies. A lot sooner than the bridge in which she knew there was stationed traveling caravan. This was nowhere near the river side, so to see the collection of growing traffic, she had gave a silent motion to Calia to tighten up their formation. Taking the lead for a good five minutes till she slowed Setu to a full stop.
In particular to see what others were looking at.
Elves, of course. But these were no town squatter elves. These were the nobleborn Sel elves that the capitol employed in Gaia’s Temple. Wearing brown and green robes of their traditional standing, they were accompanied by one or two notable men in chainmail armour. Carrying swords that were neatly sheathed in their silver braided leather scabbards. Of course she knew the importance of such a show but to Calia, it was probably nothing more than something fancy.
Urging her to tip her head a bit to indicate they were to step away from the amounting traffic and to the brush more so. Not about to go straight forward of course with the clerics and city guard, but to at least give some information to the human girl.
Waiting till she was close by and hummed. “I’ll have to ask some questions to see just how many of them are out, but it looks like your luck may have made it further than you. Those swords in particular are called Ae’lua. Holy Law in human terms. They are made to combat demon’s.” Rhelic leveled a pointed look at Calia, “They don’t just come out for fun, means someone reported something particularly fishy at least.”
Calia always loved and enjoyed travelling through wooded spaces and the peace she found there. If there wasn’t a weight of responsibility sitting on her like a giant oppressive stone, what she wouldn’t give to spend a few days just wandering around in the giant redwoods to see what she might find and discover. Pretty new plants and flowers, strange little animals. All of it so different from her mountain home that it sparked up this slumbering adventurous spirit. One that’d always been there for as long as she could remember, only now it came with this ache of yearning that was likely going to be a huge pain in the ass later.
Once their road of travel slowly started to become more congested with dots of people, Calia did make sure to stick with Rhelic on the off chance she needed to be warned not to do something stupid. Finding herself taking note of little details of who she saw, what they wore… weird little things that likely came from a royal education so ingrained that it just came about by habit now. Learn a culture, know a culture, blah blah blah.
Maybe she ought to have appreciated her mother’s wisdom and lessons. Had she paid more attention when she was younger, things would not be so difficult now.
Rhelic drew her attention to point out whatever spectacle it was that had been creating a certain amount of low traffic.
Calia could recognize status and importance fairly quick by the style of clothing, armor and weaponry. They looked very much like the elven version of what the Caeldalmor Knight Guard looked like when they were dressed to the nines for something important. But color her surprised to know that they were armed with holy weapons, giving her a small sense of dread.
That was not good. And Calia didn’t even have a single ounce of hope that it might be unrelated to her and her problems.
“I’m going to need one of those,” Calia muttered in answer, contemplating how she was going to get one. …grimacing at her own first thought of simply taking one, and knowing the better course of action was to somehow convince someone to allow her to have it. “Some holy weapons may be my only saving grace without my magic. I’m guessing one can’t just walk into the local weaponsmith and buy one off the rack.”
It was probably comical how fast her eyes darted to Calia muttering how she needed one of those holy weapons. Adding on the whole up and down to be sure this girl wasn’t about to leap off Lon and start trying to fight with one of the knights. Not too convinced she wouldn’t. Debating grabbing the little royals hand like a particularly fussy toddler to drag off and scold privately. It could still happen if she tried something outrageously foolish.
Such an action would be sure to have her in the dungeon and probably hung the next day. Wouldn’t be very good if Calia was dead considering all that had happened and what she was trying to do, would it!
“They are specifically crafted in the Palace, actually. And you’re right. You can’t just walk into a local weaponsmith and buy one. Considering they are exceptionally rare and only a few exist at all. It’s unclear how they are even made just that they are meant for vanquishing a demon.” Rhelic shook her head, “Do not get any ideas. Trust me, whatever foolish thought you have, don’t.” It was certainly a thick warning that if Calia did anything right now to try her hand, she’d be exactly on her own.
Giving her another final look, Rhelic swung off Setu. Giving him a pat and being extra nosy in the way that she moseyed on over to a fellow traveler that was doing the whole curious lookyloo. “What’s going on?” She asked, uncaring whom answered.
Getting a look, then eyes naturally shifting to look at the odd companion of a round ear but found that the sight of the clerics and guards being far more interesting. “Someone said they seen a demon here.”
“Not seen!” Another person hissed, “They found a demon here. Dead already.”
A mutter fluttered through the collection of people nosying about. “It wasn’t anything big from what I heard the clerics muttering. Something like a bird or what not. Who knows, but we aren’t supposed to pass through because you know, checking the surroundings. Blah blah.”
“I’m not a complete idiot, you know. Only half idiot,” she chirped back, knowing her thoughts might’ve been plastered all over her face if Rhelic was so quick to throw out warnings.
She was going to have to watch herself. There were no glamours now to deflect with, and this situation was so wildly different than what she was used to. It was one thing putting on a smile and pretending to be interested during parties and balls, when she didn’t actually care about anything other than not getting in trouble with her parents. Now how she behaved actually mattered on a whole different level, and it’s consequences were going to reflect on the people of her kingdom who’d already suffered enough because of her.
Calia remained on her own pretty mount, shitting her mouth to be the well-behaved little travel companion – or self important royal figure. That should probably be more what she aimed for. Straightening up in her seat, even if she was leaning curiously to listen to Rhelic’s conversation with the other travelers.
Having a quick jolt of hearing a potential demon sighting – a dead one at that. Hating the fact that her first thought came straight to that asshole and fearing his sassy smartassery had finally caught up to him. A bird was not a form she’d seen him take, however. More likely those shitty demon crows… which gave her a whole new worry that some of those unleashed demons were actually following her.
Derrick had left her alive in that dungeon for a reason. Aside from the obvious fact of her coming after him to commit murder, her escape may not have been wanted for other nefarious plans.
At least a demon sighting within these lands was going to help make her case with the Queen Ashera easier. The evidence had preceded her, all Calia would have to do now was not fuck anything up!
They muttered to each other. Throwing thoughts around like they were balls to be tossed back and forth, knowing that gossip like this would flow hot and ready faster than any messenger hawk. “Well if it’s dead, then what are we being held up for?” Someone asked clearly missing the statement that these official sorts were checking the area.
Demons weren’t exactly known to be solo adventurers unless they are higher up in the food chain. But the comment warranted a few more hisses and annoyed additions to the nattering variety. Daring a look over to the searching group with pressed lips. Turning back to once more mount up onto the elk and motion for them to walk towards the east of the group. They’d just take the off beaten path and she figured that if any demon had been here, they were long gone now. Nor was she that interested in trying to see if there was a corpse or not for the demonic creature that had been suggested dead.
Keeping quiet for a few minutes till they were safely away from earshot and in turn, gave Calia a look. Raising her brow, “Well, what’s your thoughts there? This surely was not on your bingo list, was it?”
Calia, at least in this instance, knew to keep quiet until Rhelic had returned and led them off to a safe enough distance from long pointed nosey ears. Looking over her shoulder back at the people when Rhelic posed her question. Giving a soft sort of shrug and a frown.
“It’s hard to believe it just a coincidence. If it truly was only one or two, then they were likely scouts sent outwards to collect information or search for something.”
That is what Calia would do if she were a maniac with a hoard of demons and plans to invade other kingdoms. One didn’t just do it without gathering intelligence first, no matter how powerful you were. Even if it was hard to believe Derrick had that sort of foresight, it could be more likely whomever was pulling his strings was making the bigger decisions. An evil queen beyond the mountains with experience in take overs? Absolutely would think in advanced.
“…or they could be searching for myself. That shithead knows me well enough to know I’ll be a pain in the ass. If he’s figured out I’ve left Caeldalmor altogether, he’d have to cast a wide net to search.”
A heavy sigh followed that, with a sort of resignation to it all.
“I can’t really disguise myself if I want to do all that I need to do, the opposite really. I guess it might accidentally be in my favor though, if demons are already all the way out here and causing trouble. I won’t sound like a crazy lady crying wolf.”
“Well that bodes grimly.” The thought that one might have sent a demon or two ahead to check out the turf while getting information as to what sort of potential problems could be faced was one thing. But it did make her personally curious too, “Say you are right on all of it. If it was a small demon killed here and left then something else killed it. Well, killed.” She made a air quote to the whole term.
Demon’s didn’t die per say. They were just pushed back to their blasted realm of wherever they came from. Hell presumably. But the one here was rendered moot point, then what did that mean. “You said you came with someone else here even if they disliked you so immensely that they booked it once the chance was clear… could they have also been willing to kill a demon? Or worth following?”
She glanced over her shoulder, “Should we go get the corpse so you can swing it around like a dead rat when you go into the city, assure that Queen Ashera and Omias can’t stop you from talking to them?” Smirking then, Rhelic had just the worst image in her head from that alone. Sure as hell convinced that Calia just might try such a wicked thing.
As far as Calia was concerned, anyone could’ve gotten into a nasty fight with a demon and killed it if these people were so horrified of them. But Rhelic’s question about her former traveling companion did give Calia a moment of pause to consider it. Twisted up dubious features and all.
Surely Archimedes was smart enough not to go traveling towards the country’s capitol. After all the lecturing her gave her about talking to people and getting information before she ran off doing things, he’d certainly have had to do some himself while passing through taverns and sleeping with pretty women.
Plus, he didn’t seem much fussed about what other demons did unless they were getting in his way. Or had something he wanted. Some small demon bird wasn’t likely to be any interest to him.
“I doubt he had anything to do with it. Unless he’s as stupid as he is mouthy,” se decided. Only to immediately give Rhelic’s next statement the sort of look that said EW, but don’t tempt me. That’d sure as hell make a first impression, wouldn’t it! Not the kind she was too keen on making, anyway.
Calia was a problem enough just by accident without having to act up and make it worse.
“Unless you want to eat the damnable thing, how about we not,” she shot back with a toothy grin. “I like to at least pretend I’m respectable.”
She didn’t know whom Calia had travel with. Simply that they had got along as well as wet cats and hungry dogs. Needing to split apart that now the royal of a demon infested kingdom was with her. Thinking about the circumstances of how and what a dead small demon paired with an investigative crew could have meant. Settling that it was likely a scouting mission and it made her personally uncomfortable. She knew about demons but not some grand bestiary either. Just that some were smart, some weren’t.
That was enough to know.
Smirking next when the young woman decided that the gobshite that had been with her temporarily before was probably not nearly as stupid as apparently he was mouthy. “Then if that’s the case, who knows what killed it. I am curious but I don’t think getting all nosy with knight guards and clerics is in any benefit for us. Only liable to get them to eyeball us down like we were accomplices. Not my cup of tea.” But shortly laughed when the look she was receiving about mentioning getting the corpse for Calia to swing around like a lasso, got absolutely a reaction worth a thousand words.
“I’ve eaten many things, I don’t think demon is something I ever want to test out of curiosity. So we’ll go with how about no.” The drow grinned brightly then meeting the toothy one. “Well pretend respectable, we’ve gotta put some wisdom into both of us. If you are right and there is scouts, then you probably are a glaring red hot ember in a sea of dry wood. We’ll have to be smart about how we move. I’m not in the idea of fighting demonic beasts, not unless we got some Holy Law but that’s so unlikely.”
“You really made an impression on beau gone twisted, didn’t yah.”
Calia too would like to avoid being dragged to their capitol as a prisoner, as she had a feeling escaping a prison dungeon a second time wasn’t going to be such a simple matter when actual guards would be posted and watching her every move!
At least for the most part she nodded along to Rhelic’s commentary, with a bit of an amused grin at the need for wisdom and avoid them having to get into any demon fights. There was no arguing with that! Calia’s skill could carry her pretty far and she was confident she could face off with a mage or three, but demons was a new sort of league. Until she got her hands on a holy weapon, it was like hacking and slashing at the side of a mountain. Liable to get her nowhere but killed under a rockslide.
As for making an impressive on one piece of shit man, she laughed out right.
“Do you not see me? I am beautiful. Radiant and charming, the very picture of elegant beauty and royal perfection. Rare is a man not besotted with such a dame – until I stand up and open my mouth, and then the illusion is shattered.” It was a statement made in full jest, full of both truth and exaggeration. Calia knew what she was and what she wasn’t, and that as really all that mattered.
“Besides, I’m pretty sure it’s my magic he’s more infatuated with. I’m basically a husk not worth a second thought now that he has the important piece. Probably out there serenading my heart like a damn psychopath when he’s not maiming and murdering.”
Rhelic rolled her eyes so heavily that they were liable to get stuck inside her skull. No less chuckling at the fact that Calia lifted herself so high and in turn reminded that she was well aware that the outer appearance didn’t match the interior. Especially when they were both likeminded in being able to say whatever the hell they wanted too. Feelings be damned. Most couldn’t confidently say they knew the truth of themselves so black and white. That alone was worth a thousand compliments honestly.
Just that brows fell. Head shaking at the idea of Calia’s magic being the thing that wooed the psycho path in which was, “I’ve of humans having magic before. Maybe not nearly as common but what the hell was so unique about yours that it could cause so much damage. It don’t sound like it was the run of the mill stuff, because then the crazy bastard could have picked up any ragamuffin off the street and done the same thing.”
There was clearly something unique about Calia and that was worth bringing up. Elves had magic, as she expressed about a high mage advisor and such. Of course some were born with more gifts or the strength was unparallel but it was still generally conformed to rules.
And how much manna supply someone had. Each person differed in that. Some had vast pools that seemed almost unlimited. Others were contained little cups of the stuff that was good for lighting a candle wick. There was a grand difference between it all and well, some could even expand upon it. “If I see someone running around singing to a heart, I’m going to trip them. Just saying.”
“Try not to break my heart when you trip them, Rhelic, I am a delicate damsel after all,” she preened all toothy smiles and pure nonsense. Laughing again and honestly feeling good to do so. Everything was absolute garbage and bullshit and a huge pain in her ass, but if she could at least squeeze some moments here and there to not feel the weight of the world on her shoulders maybe she could get through it without turning into a burning inferno of a pissed off witch.
Nah. As soon as she got her heart back, there was going to be a new sort of hell on earth to come. Targeted, of course. At the right people.
Leaving here merely shrugging shoulders about human magic and her own.
“To be honest, it is a question I’ve asked myself and have attempted to find answers for. I didn’t just travel all around Caeldalmor to be a whore,” she teased. “I’ve talked to witches and mages. Met a couple wizards and a sorcerer or three. Got a good first hand view of what demon magic is like, and that sure wasn’t it, thank the gods.”
“I think I was just born under an unlucky star. Or lucky? A demented drunkass star that bestowed it’s gifts on the wrong child of Caeldalmor, most likely!”
“Just as delicate as I, I’m sure.” Meeting that grin with the same effort, at least there could be an airy sort of folly between them. Aware that things were certainly a lot worse off than it seemed currently. The demon here was questionable and it surely was an omen all by its lonesome. It wouldn’t surprise her to get to the capitol to find it raised for war. Ready to fight the unknown threat, making it potentially more hostile for Calia. Or the perfect storm for her to get the right allies in her court.
But it still had that question in the air. What was so uniquely special about her that the mad man had decidedly looked at her and went, yes. That one.
There was certainly more to this than they could determine with frivolous banter. “And all that talking did little, then? No one was able to tell you what was so special that your magic could act as a catalyst for something truly terrible. I mean you’d think that sort of information would be rather vital. After all, if it’s that strong and contained in one pretty and foul mouth, that seems like it’s asking for disaster. Unless it’s supposed to be so taboo that no one was to know.”
She couldn’t think of what might be so strong that it could find its way into a mortal body without some sort of half bent man appearing to prophesize about its appearance and the world disaster that would fall if it came into the wrong hands.
All that cryptic fairytale stuff. All the works.
“I see we’re going to ponder the big questions now,” she remarked with some humor. Calia couldn’t blame the woman, she’d spent her whole life feeling like a weird outsider. Fearing what would happen if someone knew what she was capable of, and sometimes even fearing her own self when she was younger and still didn’t quite know or understand what she was doing.
“I didn’t exactly tell any of them that my magic was different. Actually, I didn’t tell them I had magic at all,” she did admit. “I would visit and tell them I was curious to learn. Most love to boast about their talents, or shared their interests with anyone willing to listen. Only the oldest of elders were ever cagey about it, but they’d still share a thing or two if you were persistent enough. I’d practice their style of craft on my own just to see what it felt like. Follow their methods and their rules, hoping I might find what felt right.”
It never did, which was the obvious lesson in that little spiel. Another shrug of her shoulders, and Calia supposed it was only fair to give some context on why it’d been such a secret in the first place.
“My father was incredibly disliking of magic. It wasn’t banished from the kingdom or anything, he just didn’t trust it or those that used it. He was always of the opinion that people with that kind of power tended to be reckless maniacs and belong off in their own little towers somewhere as far away from the population as possible. When I was little I thought he’d hate me and stuff me in a dungeon, which of course was nonsense. When I got older and met some of those witches and wizards… well, I could understand why he thought they ought to stay in their towers. They are fucking bonkers.”
“Everything was fine, until all of a sudden it wasn’t,” she finished with a deep frown. “I wish I had told him from the start. Whatever would’ve happened to me couldn’t even come close to being as bad as this.”
“Honey, I always ask the big questions.”
Well not really but in this moment, absolutely. Whatever this all was, it was out of this world. And there seemed to be missing puzzle pieces in which Calia got a whole ass look that was entirely unamused when she revealed that in her travels of learning, she had never told them that she was in possession of such things. Working mouth open to ask just how the hell was she supposed to get true answers if she couldn’t tell anyone what she could do. That was like trying to take a knight test while supply answers suitable for how to bake dough. They didn’t go well together.
But silencing herself, guessing that as a young girl, she was likely afraid. Stupid and afraid. So she just shouldered it by itself with vague lessons and futile hopes.
At beast, Rhelic clucked her tongue. Tsk tsking away. Sliding fingers through the fluffy tuffs of Setu’s mane while the girl decided that context was probably important now. And it was. Encouraging a frown on her face, “People fear what they don’t know. Sounds like your father assumed the worst only because of a few people. Rather than learnt that not all magic is bad. Not all people are power hungry. One person or a few people do not decide the fate of all.” She nodded mostly to herself, “I can understand why you wouldn’t say anything. Nothing quite like finding out your parents might be the less supportive sort when you don’t know what to do.”
Lips still curled up at the suggestion of those in towers being crazy. “Mages, wizards or what not from I know, tend to be a bit out there. But if you are secluded, well, that sounds like a fair way to become bonkers.”
She looked over at Calia, “Sounds pretty lonely to be isolated in a public space, Calia. A lone wolf is not a good thing. A lone wolf is a sickly thing, and it sounds like to me, you’ve been sick from day one. Just not sure what to do about it. Not your fault but hindsight is twenty twenty.”
“Hindsight really does love making a mockery of me,” Calia did admit with a heavy sigh. Truly it might’ve been the entire story of her whole life so far. Making huge blundering mistakes and finding out the hard way that she wasn’t exactly Caeldalmor’s smartest and brightest. It wasn’t as if there wasn’t some sense of intelligence, she could learn so quickly and figure out the sorts of things no one else could seem to think of. Only when it came to tying to navigate her life, there was always some fuckup or another. As if she were living by a completely different set of instructions than everyone else.
“It’s fine,” she shifted her tone back to that slightly sarcastic playful lit. “Here I am learning how to make friends. Before long, I’ll be the belle of the royal ball. Charming nobles, not having people screaming at the sight of me. Maybe I’ll snatch up an elven duke or three.”
The horror can begin anew once she’d gotten her heart back! For now, she’d just have to be the very model of what a good princess and queen should be. Nauseatingly perfect in every way.
It wasn’t fine. Whenever someone said that, it was so full of horse shit that it might as well have been covering the person’s eyes. Yet, she could pick up that Calia was doing that sort of displacement of thought and worry because well, there was much going on. And she likely was still trying to figure it all out. If she started stressing about it, she’d be overburdened.
And yet, this little sassy royal just took all her own understanding and threw it out the metaphoric window. Rattling on about how she was guna be a belle of the royal ball. Doing all sorts of proper things that once more Rhelic was rolling her eyes. “And I was just starting to feel something for you besides bafflement at your silliness.”
Urging Setu into a trot, the drow shook her head comically at this one. “Hurry up, belle of the royal ball. I don’t think I can ride any slower to listen to your nonsense a moment more and I don’t want the demons to get bored waiting for you to show up. Maybe your new magical power is making them get their eyeballs stuck in their heads!”
“Careful, with compliments like that I might think you want to be my first wife!” Calia shouted after her. “I’m afraid you’e too busty for my tastes!”
Following with another laugh and cheesy smile. Things would be fine. There honestly was no other choice than to believe that somehow she was going to find a way to figure everything out. The alternative was dropping dead somewhere like a useless pathetic lump. Running off to the woods and forgetting that she really did have a heart, not just what was stolen but actual feelings and wants and wishes.
Calia couldn’t let herself forget that, else she’d fall right back into that dark place.
“Alright my midnight love, lets go for a mighty run,” she cooed to the beautiful black stallion. Elder as he was, he still had a good spark of spirit! Urging him into a quick dash to catch up with the drow woman and her wooly deer of a beast.
It was almost a threat or something for Rhelic urged the elk into a steadier pace to almost try to outright the joking prospect of being the first wife to the maniac daughter of the stony peaks. Rather than the most obvious fact that they needed to close ground as not to be potential targets for too long. With the service of the crown out and about with their holy weapons, surely nothing of the deep dark hells would be too eager to incite something that would result in their prompt finish.
But one could never be too sure.
They’d ride for a long while. Only stopping at a small creek to let the animals seek their fill of water. Pausing some to snack in-between but were hastened by her lead to keep moving. As they had already steered away from the main trail between the trees, there was risks of lingering faelings so wild to reach them. And it was unwise to be in their territory when they might not feel playful but simply hungry. Eventually bringing them back to that main dusty artery in which was closer to the break of evening.
No towns were nearby. No noticeable other folks crossing across the roads to indicate more travelers but she knew the way to at least be settled. Indicating to Calia they were to find placement to settle and she took them a bit along the road till there was noticeable change from redwood and sandy path to a slight incline and stone. Dense moss leading them a bit off the beaten path to where a few minutes rested a old stony ruin. Thickly covered by the approaching forest element in house to bring it back to its world.
“We’ll settle here. At least it’s clear and we will have a mild roof upon one’s head. Ought to also be fine to keep out of sight of anyone bold enough to approach.”
Calia had no fear of the potential faelings lurking out in the giant redwoods, even on those rare occasions she could see one shifting around in the wooded distance. More curious than anything, because the fae did not wander out in Caeldalmor. If someone saw a fae outside of their territories, that was usually a bad omen or a heap of trouble about to start for someone. Despite all of Calia’s traveling and exploring, avoiding the fae wood was the one rule she’d adhere to as they were more kin to demons than any sort of sweet fairy creature in tales. Especially since in most of those stories those ‘sweet’ faeries had often started all of the trouble in the first place!
Still… how could one not be curious when things here were so different and new sorts of opportunities were lurking around every bend.
Despite enjoying the day of riding, Calia was glad when it drew to a close and they were to settle for awhile. Discovering that any weariness she might’ve had, disappeared in an instant when their chosen place of rest turned out to be an old abandoned ruin covered in vines and moss. There were not ancient ruins within the valley kingdom, at least none that she had found. They were all deep inside the mountains instead where she’d not traveled.
This was basically a whole treat for someone like her.
Dismounting Lon with ease, Calia took her time to give the horse a little bit of appreciative affection with some long pets along the neck and scritches of the nose.
“I guess with elves being as old as they are, there must be a lot of places like this out here?” she asked, not hiding her interest of the place.
Dismounting Setu with a fond pat and scritch to muzzle to praise the mount for his care this day, she glanced over only when Calia had addressed their currently location. Finding her own gaze venturing to the space with no more interest than one had to a fly buzzing around. Of course to her, this was nothing more than scenery like that of the redwoods. Just there. Always had been and she didn’t impress her own thoughts to give it much more attention than that.
But to an outsider, this was likely very interesting.
No longer used as its original purpose of a shrine but now left to be overtaken by the earthen elements. Reclaimed and held in the vines of the mother earth. “There’s definitely more than a handful in Edelguard. As common as the trees honestly.” Rhelic gave a lazy shrug as she pulled the bags away from Setu. Giving him freedom to wander and graze as his own leisure now. Trusting the beast not to go wandering away too far.
“Old worship places for Gaia herself. Before elves became more industrialized as it were. Less of the sorts to be monkeying around in the trees picking fleas off another and started developing themselves. Suppose losing more of their fae roots and being long living mortals.” She hummed, “It’s a place. A good shelter position. Nothing more than that.”
“What a sad fate for a place to become nothing more than a forgotten shamble overlooked by everyone,” she murmured, no real disappointment there, just an observation marinated in her own interest with old things.
Once the mounts were taken care of, a good petting and rub and somewhere safe they wouldn’t liable to run off or be absconded with by chomping beasts. Calia was quick to start browsing around to see what sort of interesting tidbits she could find. Not only was it an old ruin, it was an old elven ruin, so of course it was rife with newness and interest from her perspective.
“We don’t have any old forgotten temples like these. At best you might find huge stone circles, or carved pillar stones with runes. The old tribes were all nomadic, so it didn’t make any sense to erect permanent buildings. Not until the kingdom was founded, anyway.”
“Time has its ways of just taking what it wants.” She offered still unbothered by the state of said shrine. The fact it was intact well enough was enough of a reason for her to at least consider it. Having no desire to even develop what sort of things happened in this place when it was lively. Knowing that they as once upon a time, fae, would have probably been quite involved with such a space. Before they started getting more creative.
Expanding their abilities and stretching further till they were where they were now. Of course drows differed enough that she wasn’t too involved with the light skinned elves ideals. Knew of them, didn’t practice them.
“Ain’t no sense in having buildings when you are moving around all the time. But now that the kingdom was found, still nothing?” She considered Calia while she helped herself to step up the stairwell to the place. Testing the door to give it a protesting push inwards to find it was mostly just the same. Overrun with plant life and a few scurrying away vermin that were horrified to be interrupted upon. “But then again, I don’t recall you saying your old wandering familial roots had deities they erected such places too.”
Once Rhelic stepped inside Calia was quick to follow, thankfully without the sense that she’d be a dumbass about it and go bumbling around without being aware. There was even a weird quirk to it as she stepped in herself, wiggling her fingers at her sides as if she were testing the very feel of the place – she was. Just without her magic she was down to simple mortal senses. Watching where critters dashed off and being keen to make sure they weren’t snakes or goddamned spiders. How everything smelled of earth and greenery without any of the stink of decaying flesh. Listening too because there could always be something bigger hiding inside.
After that initial inspection she felt more comfortable to actually wander around, brushing aside some vines to look at some old statue figures and the craftsmanship of the place itself. Beautiful even in this dilapidated state.
“There’s not many that still believe in the old gods, really.” she answered with a curious tilt of her head and pondering on the whys herself. “The world isn’t so wild anymore, so I guess no one has reason to think they even still exist. Sometimes in the larger towns you’ll find a church with one as a patron, though. I think the most common is the one called Oren who is either a big stone golem the size of a mountain itself, or this crotchety fat old man with ram’s horns, depending on who you ask. Some elders like to get sassy and say he eats the bones of children who don’t behave.”
If that were true, Calia wouldn’t have any bones left and with the grin she shot Rhelic, it said as much.
Shuffling some rogue things out of the way so she could try and arrange a little bit of a placement for eventual rolls to be laid, rather than sleeping out there all exposed, a low hum was given. Thinking about the means of truth behind Calia’s words. The world was less wild for certain. And in the same breath, it was absolutely the most feral thing it had ever seen. Catching the way she grinned after saying that elders would threaten little children that were being ill behaved. Bones being devoured and all that.
Kicking aside some rocks that wouldn’t leave a bruise on her foot, Rhelic sighed. “I dare say if there were old gods still kicking around, they really need to be more proactive. Because all the madness that is happening with their civilized mortals is outrageously awful.” She was being broad of course but one would think with the amount of evil that was active now, they’d want to quash that. Or they were having a good giggle about it all because look at those little mortals try to handle the big bad villains of it all.
Digging out a small pouch that had a few collected bits of oiled kindling for fire and a tinderbox to accompany it, Rhelic considered their situation. How they could be laid out and all that before looking at the woodland child. “If you’re feeling adventurous and want to keep up with the means of staying healthy, there’s usually some rabbits and smaller critters scooting about in the underbrush. Could put your stabbing arm to use.”
“There is this old song my grandmother used to sing, something about when the old gods fall, new gods rise. I imagine there’s plenty of aspiring fools out there looking to do just that,” she chimed in. Almost immediately regretting it. How easy it was to imagine that floor licking tit of a sorcerer getting ideas of grandeur and thinking he could make himself a god. It made her sick to her stomach even thinking about it.
But Rhelic made a request and is was surely Calia’s turn to carry her own weight with this mission. Nodding readily, at the ask without any extra jokes or quips. Pausing in the space only long enough to give some of those old vines a look over before pulling out her dagger and cutting a few down to wind around her hand.
“…a sword is no way to catch a rabbit,” she explained with a cheeky smile.
Then with her handful of vines went walking about to peruse the place. Weaving pieces together while she looked around for signs of different animals. The trick would be walking out far enough away from the ruin where things were likely to have burrows or thickets. Being at least aware enough to keep an eye and ear out for dangers, but just as much taking her sweet time to soak in the forest around her.
It was a strange feeling to miss home so much and still have this pull to a place she’d never seen before. Even without her heart, out here in the green she felt so much more alive and like herself. Could someone be born of both mountain stone and green woods? Maybe so! Maybe she was made of a lot of things.
Once Calia had found a patch of brush that showed signs of small mammals, she finished up her vine braiding and got to work on setting up a snare trap. A good young sapling to bend over, along with her braided vine for a strong noose. Then it only took her a few moments of using that dagger to make herself a hook and notch to make the whole thing work. A few dried cranberries set out for her bait and the rest… well that was just a waiting game.
Calia took herself off to a good enough distance downwind where her scent wouldn’t likely be picked up and chose a decent tree to climb herself up in. Waiting on the ground would’ve been fine enough, but even with how much she loved the forest, ever since coming out the mountain tunnels, anything even remotely spiderlike was giving her a chill down her spine. Better to be up in the trees!
Then she waited. Hopefully Rhelic wasn’t the sort to be impatient about her dinner.
Thankfully she was not an impatient person about that of a meal. Busying herself with making the temporary shelter suitable for two one night campers. Whilst sporadically checking to see where Lon and Setu were grazing. Not about to lose either one of them while feeling in a sense the world around her.
Her mind settling on a wonderment of many things and nothing so deep that it required lengthy concentration. Mindless babble that was meant as mental background noise. While keeping a long ear ever present to be acute of something potentially not right around them. Idly tapping to assure herself that the daggers were still at the ready at hip. Turning sights through the dense canopy tops. Pressing lips into a purse. The idea that there was a potential reality of demons attempting to scout in Edelguard was no warmth to her or anyone else. It truly would be the time to have holy magic on hand but alas, that was not an easy feat and she did hope that Calia’s luck currently would hold out.
Patience was a virtue that Calia had in such strangely rationed amounts. Her patience for people would dry up in an instance, leading to a vicious temper or her making the quickest escape she could pull off. Patience when she was alone on some task or another? Limitless. it was such a strange thing to crave the company of others, while also so desperately needing time all by herself.
It was easier to quiet her thoughts this way. Surrounded by trees and listening to the songs of birds. Resting on her perch up in a tree, trying to practice what she would say or do with the Queen’s Mage Advisor and then the Queen herself. Attempting to remember all the stupid layers of royal etiquette, from how a princess was meant to greet a foreign queen, to whether or not she should be representing herself as Queen Apparent, and should she then be greeting the woman as her equal? How long was one supposed to carry on idle chit-chat before you got to the important things. Did elven culture require certain sorts of ceremony before discussion vital business? Some of the mountain clans had a little quirks that must be done and…
There was a lot to remember and one little screwup might ruin her chances of doing what was best.
All of this is a pointless waste of time.
Ah, there it was. Little angry voice. Calia had come to the conclusion that it was in fact her own inner voice, cracked and made more intrusive after having her heart ripped out of her. It never said anything that wasn’t outside of her own thoughts, never pushed her to do things, or took control unless she echoed it back. It had grown mostly quiet now that she wasn’t burning rage fuel at both ends, but it seemed while Calia was deeply worried about how she was going to handle herself with Queen Ashera, that was ample opportunity to rise up.
The last remaining mystery was the red tattooed mark on her arm where a long scabbed over cut should’ve been. Pushing up her sleeve in that moment she’d remembered it to give the thing another pondering examination. It looked very much like the sort of contract tattoo that Archimedes had left on her, only… she found no connection to anything. Even sitting there in the quiet, reaching out with her senses to see if perhaps some sense another demon’s magic was there. Thoughts from a bond… anything.
Maybe it was simply a seal to prevent her from holding onto her own magic. Cause one could sure as hell bet she’d drag her own heart back to herself even across miles and miles of distance if only she could hold onto it.
A sudden shrill scream had her nearly jumping out of her own skin. realizing quickly that an animal had stumbled into her snare. Calia jumped out of her tree and without an ounce of hesitation made sure to end that rabbit with swift mercy.
“Back to the forest wee spirit, to be born again,” she murmured soft in process of dressing the rabbit, making sure to do so far enough away from their camp or the night so now hungry predators were going to wander too close. The pelt would’ve been nice to save for a little extra coin, but Calia didn’t have the time for proper tanning – what a beast she’d look like, anyway showing up to the elven capitol with an arm load of dead rabbit hides! Let it return to the earth instead for birds and bugs to make good use of.
Thankfully, she and her catch wandered back to Rhelic before the sun began it’s final set as Calia was not keen on testing her luck with midnight creatures.
Once the fire had properly been stoked to paint the walls with wild shapes of shadows and the environment around them hadn’t become rife with unwanted underworld guests; she had busied herself to gathering Setu and Lon back. To groom and pat down their hides with due care. Extending added attention whilst using their keener senses to foretell that of any approach of those unwelcomed.
Being eventually gifted with the mountain gremlin coming back to the present. Setu made a low grunt as he had casually found himself a place to plop down. Easily accessing the means of mowing down the nearest grass while being far too lazy to use his legs to wander. Leaving Lon to be the mobile gardener of such a place, “Found nothing spooky out there with that of something of a protein value?” Rhelic asked with a little amusement, “No Aeian had found the mountain daughter wandering his self proclaimed lands to make you a fae wife of his choosing,” She teased referencing that some sort of faeish bloke wandered around looking for damsels to whisk away.
That statement had Calia pausing in her steps, first with an expression of pure confusion, and then with a distinctly disappointed look and a shrug of her shoulders.
“That might’ve made my hunt a lot more entertaining, at least until goodbyes needed to be made,” was her rejoinder. Some handsome fae man in the woods sounded like a real good time… up until he ended up doing what all fae did, which was cause an absolute scene of trouble. At least demons and their style of mayhem was predictable. One could never know what a fae was up to. Calia didn’t have to meet one herself to know it was true, it was in every story real and fabricated that fae were pains in the ass.
She could relate, funnily enough.
“Anyway, lets get to cooking this thing. I found a bush of wild rosemary too so it ought to roast up nice.”
“You say that but I doubt even you would have gotten away from the very fae man. Whisked away to a selected part of the fae realm, stuck and unable to escape.” Rhelic scoffed, “There is a reason he is deemed a pretty and dangerous face after all. Unable to resist and then stuck forgetting your own name till his fancy. Hmm, yeah I think a boring means of hunting is better than that sort of entertaining.” Motioning forward to indicate there was an obvious fire lit, the drow hummed somewhat.
Tapping her brow and appreciating the means of some wild rosemary so they weren’t just chewing on rabbit hide so bland. “Look at that, all that foraging skill is coming to use. You just might make a fine huntswoman yet. While you want to skewer or spit the thing over the fire somehow, I am guna take a second look around. Just to make sure we ain’t got no oogly boogie things hanging out in the brush waiting for us to go to sleep.”
“I don’t know, I might like to see so good looking even opening his mouth isn’t enough to sway me away,” Calia answered with a laugh. Of course it was all in good jest… she’d made plenty of mistakes before all because of a pretty face and the right words. At least she had the sense enough not to trust some weirdo strolling out of the woods with promises.
…she was pretty sure anyway.
Thus leaving Calia to give Rhelic that now well used cheeky grin that said a dozen worrying things even for it’s promise of behaving. Getting right on top of the instruction to truss up their dinner on the spit. She’d wrapped the rabbit well in as much rosemary as she could tie and found a good stick. Using what Rhelic herself had already set up to get the meat set at just the right height to start a good roast.
It was a humble meal, but it would be good. For while Calia loved the finery of a ballroom banquet, there was something extra special about something you caught and made all yourself. A pampered lazy princess was just as nice as one who could take care of herself in the wilds. A contradictory two sides of the same, ridiculous person.
Grazing around the space even after Calia’s nonsense was at least once more proving uneventful. It didn’t lessen the stiffness in her back urging to be utterly careful. Like it was pre-warning her of something that was unseen. Knowing she could talk big, fight well but at the end, it all could be highly dangerous if they were unprepared. And demons chasing after the fleeing princess in aid, was not something she wanted to get caught by.
She made her rounds. Uttered a few curses and ultimately wandered back, “I’d almost take a fae over anything else. At least with iron, they piss right off.” Rhelic murmured loudly enough, “I was thinking that if we stumble upon more of them holy knights and stuff, we ought to employ them somehow to be in service to whisk us to the capitol. Something about all this hasn’t left my neck today and I can’t shake that something else is afoot.”
“Pure iron, though. Or wrought iron. As soon as you mix in too much carbon it loses all effect,” Calia muttered without a second thought, adjusting her rabbit on a spit. Only to quickly realize that was a bit of a strange information drop coming from a princess, or even just a random nobody who didn’t specifically forge metal.
“…some lessons stuck better than others,” she explained with a grimace and a point to her head. All that knowledge poured into her from her required education, and all those lessons from things she sought out to learn on her own… it formed a rather strange mix of things that actually stuck in her brain, and things that flittered out because she didn’t care about it, so why bother to remember? It was kind of biting her in the ass now, wasn’t it!
“Instincts are having a go at you then?” Calia asked in all seriousness, dropping her teasing and nonsense for the moment. “If things feel off, it is good to be wary. I’m not sure I can trust my own instincts right now, at least about eminent dangers after being so used to being the danger. It’s… a problem.” she admitted candidly. Calia had developed a healthy amount of fear for specific things now – demon parasites, that creepy collector… spiders, but recognizing something bad sneaking up on her? Not so much.
“Entering the capitol with a holy escort might lend me some legitimacy too. Help me not appear so much as a lone wolf.”
On cue, yes, Rhelic was giving her a look that was clearly questioning just how in the hell did Calia know the means of what sort of iron one used against the fae. Hands finding hips and laying dormant there waiting for a proper explanation. All coming down to, that some things learnt just stuck better than others. Which fairly, she couldn’t dispute. “I’m starting to think you were switched at birth with some princess-y sort.” Offering her not too helpful commentary.
Of course she didn’t know much about the human kingdoms and how they ran their shit. So long as they weren’t inciting wars like some, then she didn’t overly care. But Calia clearly didn’t scream high and royal well. Certainly would have been the sort of woman that enjoyed being in the backwoods hacking apart trees to build a new log house.
“Unfortunately yes. Like I know I live out in the boonies of this grand forest sea but knowing there are threats that are lurking in ways that no one else could really comprehend without a sort of bias giggle, it makes my nerves twitch.” Fingers reached out to rub at Setu when he was within range. “It would, though I think you’d have to convince them to of your cause. Rather than being a raving lunatic. Which I haven’t exactly deduced yet. If we can find a way that gets you some additional support without them trying to run you out, would be good. If we find more of them, that is. Which also tells me, we don’t want too. Cause if we do and they are out here, that means more of those hellish pests.”
“I would wonder myself if I were a stolen child, but I am by my very looks the blood of my family,” she answered wryly. There were so many shared traits between them, that even if Calia was desperate to hope she’d been adopted, she was very much obviously her parent’s child. The dark hair and sharp features… hell, even random bits of her personality were surely inherited.
No, her strangeness was just because Calia was difficult. She liked the unlucky star theory so far.
“Oh, I’m surely a raving lunatic, but I shall keep it under wraps and be a proper damsel in need of experience and lofty help,” she tried to reassure her with a gentle shrug of her shoulder. “If you keep skittering around with all your hackles up, you’re just going to get antsy and tired and start jumping at shadows, though. Whatever might try to jump on us is going to do so whether you’re ready for it not. Best to at least relax and wait it out.”
The girl wasn’t wrong. Actually, it was probably so on the money that for a moment even being told she was getting wound up too tightly was enough of a warning to relax her shoulders. Less she be so coiled like a spring that if something happened, she wouldn’t be smart enough to react properly. And come out with nothing more than sore muscles for no damn reason. If one survived such a thing.
With a due care and a gentle appreciative nod in that measure, she’d keep note of the discomfort in her skull. Not about to let it drop to nothing but allowed herself to relent in turn. To at least enjoy her temporary freedom on the road rather than being at the tavern barking orders and keeping pests at bay.
Even as they made it through the night without something deciding it wanted to try and crawl into the bedrolls with them, and the following day and some were a fine repeat of the former; that caution did lessen.