#revised by my editor (aka my bf)

[kat-nevayra]

[TToD] Chapter Eleven - Her Nightmares

I looked up to realize that Elae was crying. Tears streamed down his face, although he tried to wipe them away.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” he said, trying to smile as he sniffled. “That kinda got away from me…”

“No, no, don’t be! Are you okay?”

“I’m more concerned with you! I’ve made you cry too.”

I touched my face to find damp cheeks. I hadn’t even noticed them before, being so distracted by his story. There was something about the way he spoke that channeled memories of the past. It took me away with him, back to the places he described. It was almost like I was reliving it with him.

“I’m okay, I’m just moved by what you told me.”

“I suppose that’s a good thing then… thank you,” he said. “And don’t worry about me, I’m alright as well. Mostly, anyway. It’s just hard to relive those memories, given how much has changed. Our old village doesn’t even exist anymore.”

“You two seem to have grown apart as well.”

He sighed. “Indeed. I miss being close with my sister. But I suppose, one does not simply steal the title of the gods without sacrifice.”

I knew he was referring to her status as an empress. It was a title many of the most powerful royals didn’t dare to use. For most of Areth, it was considered a position for deities like the Jade Empress or the Mother Faerie. Titles like emperor or empress were believed to be far too powerful for a mortal being to hold. In taking it for herself, Ophelia had told the world she believed herself to be a god.

“Indeed…” I shuddered at the memory of her gaze.

Seeking to move on from the topic at hand, Elae took a torch off the wall and relit it in our fire. Then he told me to wait here while he went to find the kitchen, hoping to find some pots that we could make dinner with. The idea of being left alone made me anxious, but he reassured me that he wouldn’t be long. According to him, most forts were built following a similar layout.

Luckily for me, he was right. Only a few minutes later, he returned carrying a small pot and some supplies to set up on the fire. He also had some other things, which he excitedly showed to me.

“I found some spices in the cupboards. Some nice teas, too. Combined with the ingredients I already have, I can probably make some florathian tea soup.”

“Florathian tea?” I presumed it was another elven creation.

“It was a really common flower a few thousand years ago, and made really popular tea. You could just drink it, but it was also used in desserts and even entrees. There was also a prevailing belief that it had the power to bring clarity to prophets, which led to people drinking it in an attempt to have prophetic dreams. I never really bought into all of that, but the tea itself is really good.”

“I’m inclined to try it, then,” I said, then laughed. “Impress me once again with your cooking.”

He chuckled, then quickly got to work. After setting up the pot, he waited for the water to boil before steeping it with tea. Slowly, the room began to fill with an unusual floral scent. It was nothing like what I had experienced before, but it was pleasant. Already, I was beginning to understand why it was popular.

I watched as the water became infused with the color of the flowers, the magenta purple dancing with bubbles as it boiled. Ever so carefully, he scooped out the flowers and began preparing his other ingredients. There was something about watching him cook that I found calming. He was so gentle with all the plants he worked with, as if in respect of what they once were. I knew it was probably a way all elves of his time acted, but it felt distinctly his. It wasn’t just his behavior; it was a part of who he was, like he was a fragment of the past that had survived the test of time.

Against my rational thought, there was a part of me that wanted him to look at me the way he looked at those flowers. Adoration.

“It’s ready,” he said softly.

Quickly, the thoughts disappeared as I took in the scent of what he had made. It was exquisite. And it tasted just as good as it looked. The taste was otherworldly in a way, deliberately crafted in a balance of sweet, savory, and floral flavors.

Elae sighed. “It’s a little stale, and lacks proper flavor, but it’ll do. I suppose that’s what happens when tea expires…”

It seemed to disappoint him. Most likely, he was used to the taste when it was still fresh. Back when it was still popular, when the elves were still around. Perhaps he was homesick for it.

“I like it.”

“You do?” He looked rather surprised.

“Of course, the flavors are like a luxury in food! I’m almost upset that I’ve lived twenty years on this planet without ever trying it before.”

That got a laugh out of him. “Good. I shall have to make it again some time… with fresh flowers of course. Though that may be difficult considering how much the landscape has changed. Florathian is much rarer these days than it used to be.”

“I shall eagerly await your remake, then.”

We continued to chat while eating dinner, and long into the night. With a lack of sunlight appearing through the clouds, we had no idea how dark it had gotten. But I felt better about the storm with a fire going and Elae beside me. So even as the thunder occasionally resounded in my ears, I wasn’t as afraid. When we eventually went to sleep, I felt safe with my cloak wrapped around me.

And somewhere in the back of my mind, I pretended I could feel his warmth.

When I awoke, I wasn’t in the fort anymore. I was back in that forest, masked in fog. However, a patch of the stone floor I had fallen asleep on surrounded me. Slowly standing, I began looking around. The mist parted a little, revealing the path of torches I had taken before. Only this time, I could see the eyes in the forest as well.

They watched me as I started down the path again, the faint glow worsened my nerves. I knew it was them, the Banished who had been watching me during my travels. As their eyes laid upon me, I could sense their anticipation. They were waiting for something…

It felt like things had changed since I had last found myself here. Other than the Banished, I knew there was no one else here. Last time, I was afraid of something hiding in the mist, ready to attack me. But now, this place felt empty. Somehow, I could sense that there was nothing out there.

When I saw the wall up ahead again, I braced myself for the horrific sight I would behold this time. But it helped me little; I was still repulsed to see the corpses that littered the ground beneath me. It felt like there were more of them this time, carved open with black blood still pooling on the ground. I knew I was just dreaming, but there was still something about them that unsettled me. It felt far too real.

When I looked up, tearing my eyes away from the ghastly sight below, I saw the new message: He is not like you… He is a creature that does not sleep, nor can he dream.

[kat-nevayra]

[TToD] Chapter Five - A Small, Quiet Town

It was around noon when we made it to the town. The town was small, with a pretty pathetic main street. There were only a few shops and restaurants, a tavern, and a single inn available to us. I didn’t really feel like complaining though. It was just nice to be back in a town.

We found a stable near the town entrance that could take our horses until tomorrow morning. I said my goodbyes to Milkshake, stroking her nose lovingly, before leaving her in their care and heading into town with Elae. Side by side, we walked down main street, seeing which of the restaurants would be the best place to eat at.

“Hm, they have a place that sells elven cuisine here…”

“I assume that’s where you want to go?” I teased.

“A little,” he laughed. “But it’s probably very modernized. Most places are, so they can appeal to the tastes of elementals. It’s better for business, I guess. I’m just glad our food still exists.”

“Does it bother you?”

“Sometimes. It feels like the few elves who remain wish to sacrifice our culture to blend in… which I won’t deny upsets me,” he sighed. “But perhaps I’m just old.”

“Probably. You are, like, thousands of years old.”

“Rude,” he said, although part of a smile crept onto his face.

“Hey, you said it yourself!”

“Fair enough. Still, my mind is young for my age.” I could tell from his expression that he had a playful insult prepared. “Almost as young as you, though you act much more like a child than I do.”

“I do not act like a child. I can be mature.”

“Your ability to talk about things of violent nature doesn’t make you mature.”

I couldn’t really deny his statement, so I conceded. “We probably should stop now. Avoid drawing attention to ourselves and all that. You said you don’t want people to know that you can talk.”

“Without the armor, I’m harder to recognize than you’d think. But you’re right. Getting back to business…” he cleared his throat. “Her radiance gave us money. It’s not a whole lot, but it’ll be enough to afford supplies and whatnot. Even new weaponry, if we happen to need it. So you don’t have to steal anything.”

Admittedly, the thought of receiving money from the empress made my ears perk up. But his assurance that I didn’t have to steal things bothered me. He was probably used to dealing with people’s sob stories about how they didn’t have enough to live on, but I wasn’t like that. After all, Areth wouldn’t have a ‘thief culture’ if everyone’s story was a sad one.

“But what if I want to?” I replied. “I’m not some sad little charity you know.”

He grabbed my wrist, pulling my face close to his. His grip was tight, so tight that it made me nervous. As the green of his uncovered eye stared into mine, his piercing gaze made my blood run cold.

“Then don’t.”

He then let go, and things got quiet. Between the two of us, he was always the gentle one. But it worked, I didn’t want to make him angry after that.

After we walked up and down main street, he decided on a place to eat. I didn’t really have opinions on where to eat, so I just let him choose and followed him into the restaurant. It was a nice place, with a good atmosphere and nice smells coming from their kitchen. We sat down in a booth by the window, where I was inclined to watch the people of the town pass by me.

There wasn’t much foot traffic in such a small town, but people were out and going about their lives. When my mind started to wander, I began to imagine what their lives were like. Maybe some of them had interesting jobs, or family history that made them special. Perhaps the cat an elemental woman carried with her was her familiar. It was unlikely, but familiars weren’t too uncommon among the magically talented.

Elae seemed to notice me staring. “Have you ever wondered what it would be like to live a normal life?”

The question startled me, interrupting my train of thought. I had thought about it before, but not often.

“Occasionally. It’s never really interested me.”

“That seems like you,” he responded with a small laugh. “I just ask because it’s something I like to think about. It passes the time, anyway. And as someone who has… quite the story to tell, I can’t help but wish I didn’t sometimes.”

“Really? To me, a normal life seems pretty boring.”

“And yet, I find myself envious. It’s nice to imagine myself in a position less precarious than being the elven knight.”

I leaned forward, putting my arms on the table. “Oh? What do you imagine your life to be like?”

“I thought you said you had no interest in the mundane,” he teased.

“Correction: I have no interest in my life being normal. I am definitely interested in what other people’s lives are like.”

“Is that why you were staring out the window?”

“Yeah. Imagining what the lives of random strangers are like is a way I pass the time. Though I usually make them more interesting,” I admitted. “But anyway, tell me about your ‘ordinary’ life.”

Once the food had arrived, he did exactly that. He’d decided that he would move to some place in the east, like Talia or Zera-Zera, or maybe Ayulaa. The job he took would either be that of a teacher or a chef, and he’d find some way to share traditional elven culture with people. He told me that he liked dogs and kids, so he might want to start a family some day.

Although everything he described was painfully average, I found myself interested in what he had to say. He didn’t make it sound boring, but instead, kind of peaceful. He seemed to find pleasure in the idea of settling down somewhere. Being Ophelia’s personal knight must have been hard on him, considering the sheer effort he put into a mundane, fictional life. I couldn’t help but feel sorry for him.

After we ate and paid for our meal, we got a room at the inn down the street. He went back out to shop for some more food supplies while I stayed in the room and took a shower. Prior to my capture, I hadn’t had the chance to properly clean myself. While I waited for my hair to dry, I ended up pulling a journal of mine out of my bag. There wasn’t much else to do, so I thought I’d draw pictures of some of the landscapes we had seen. I wasn’t much of an artist, but I could do a pretty nice sketch if I felt like it.

Slowly, the shapes of trees and bushes formed on the paper. I drew a depiction of the forest we had seen from the road. Then I began adding other life, like fireflies and bioluminescent flowers. There was also a streetlight which I was inclined to add, a lantern which hung from two entwined branches. Wisteria hung from the lantern, its vines wrapped around the luminous object.

When I had finished the drawing, I looked at it incredulously. It was beautiful, but I somehow felt as if something was missing from it. There were gaps in between the tree trunks, empty space that needed to be filled. But there was nothing to fill them with, that space was only darkness. Still, I knew that I had to add something.

Suddenly, my hands got to work, as if compelled by some new idea. I started drawing ovals in the gaps. I didn’t know what I was doing, but I knew it made sense. After the ovals were drawn, I colored in the rest of the negative space, taking care to make the new shapes seem as if they glowed.

Only when I looked at the completed drawing did I understand what I had added. Eyes. The glowing eyes of the Banished, looking out from the forest. That was what had felt right. I stared at it, my eyes refusing to pull away for a few seconds. Then quickly shut the journal. Those creatures terrified me, and I didn’t want to look at a drawing full of them. Those eyes haunted me.

Once Elae got back around dinnertime, neither of us really felt hungry. However, he did make a few snacks on a makeshift cutting board, which tasted amazing. After that, we both decided to call it an early night. The past few days of travel had certainly made me tired.

Luckily, we had gotten a room with two beds, so we didn’t have to figure out sleeping arrangements. Taking off my boots, I crawled into bed and quickly curled up under the covers. I reassured myself that the drawing meant nothing, and that nothing was going to get me. The Banished never ventured into towns, so I was safe from them.

The bed was comfy, and I had no trouble getting comfortable. Being in a room with Elae made me feel safer, and it helped to comfort me. If anything happened during the night, he’d be there to protect me. After all, he’d come on this journey to do exactly that. So there was nothing to fear. I had Elae and my sais, and that was enough.

[kat-nevayra]

[TToD] Chapter Nine - A Violent Storm

The past few days had thankfully been uneventful. Due to Elae’s injuries, I insisted that we travel a bit slower. He protested at first, worried about the days that we had likely lost. However, I eventually got him to agree. Luckily, the skies were clear so far. That seemed to ease his worries.

Unfortunately, the opportune weather didn’t last. Early in the afternoon, the sky began to fill up with clouds. It didn’t worry us too much at first, since we’d traveled on cloudy days without a problem. But as the afternoon passed, they slowly began to darken. Suddenly, Elae slowed to a stop, gazing up at the dark clouds. As I followed suit, I watched his hair blow in the wind. It was oddly majestic.

He stared at them, putting together a plan. “We need to take shelter soon. A storm is coming, and from the looks of it, it’ll be bad if we keep going.”

“How can you tell?”

“The clouds are dark and losing definition,” he said, pointing to the southwest. “That’s due to the rain. And the winds just changed.”

Following his gaze, I saw the clouds had coalesced into a dark monolith. The storm was massive.  Milkshake’s reins quivered in my hands.But ahead, there was a fort on a hill. It looked ruined, but some parts seemed to stand well enough to shelter us.

I looked at him. “Do you think we can beat the storm?”

He only nodded before taking off toward the fort. I quickly followed behind, leaning in close to Milkshake’s neck as my hair streamed behind me. As she flew through the plains, I saw a flash of light, scarily close to us. But what really got me was the thunder. I could hear it, and with my wolf-like caninadrin ears, my hearing had always been sensitive. I never liked loud noises.

I closed my eyes, trusting Milkshake to follow my companion as I tried to block out the sounds of thunder. But the only thing I could think about was the coming storm. I felt that I was shaking wildly, and hoped desperately that my companion didn’t see. I didn’t want him to think I was weak. I could handle being seen as reckless or maybe even stupid, but not weak.

“It’s only a little farther!” I heard him shout over the storm.

Once Milkshake slowed to a stop, I reluctantly opened my eyes. We had made it into the fort, where the keep had stood the test of time. Beside me, Elae offered me his hand. I took it, hoping once again he didn’t notice the shaking, and he helped me off my horse. Then, he gently took my horse’s reins.

“You get inside. I’ll get them to the stables.”

I quickly dashed to the door. It wasn’t until I got inside that my worry for Elae resurfaced. Overcome by fear as I was, it had gotten buried. Nervously, I poked my head back out into the open.

“W-what about you?” I asked, desperately trying to steady my voice.

“I’ll be fine, don’t worry. Just stay inside and wait for me. I’ll have food and fire starting equipment with me when I come back.”

The calm tone of his voice reassured me, and I nodded back. Then, I retreated inside and waited. Inside, the keep was dark, so I stayed close to the entrance. I wrapped my cloak around myself, thinking it would help against the cold. As I heard the rain start to fall, I hoped Elae would be back soon.

Luckily, he did. When he entered, he was soaking wet from rain and panting heavily, grasping at his side. He was clearly hurting. Badly.

“A-are you okay?” I said as I heard the sound of thunder strike outside, causing me to shiver.

“Y-yeah, I’m fine,” he gave me the best grin he could manage. “Just overexerted myself a bit. Give me a moment…”

He braced against the door, trying to control his breathing. Deep breaths in and out. I’d learned once that deep breathing was helpful in the healing process of broken ribs. Once the pain had subsided, he struck a match to light his way. I ended up following him as he slowly made his way to the fireplace. There was still some firewood left nearby, and he asked me to grab some.

“I didn’t know you were scared of storms,” he said to me as I brought it back.

“It’s the thunder, actually… my ears are sensitive to it.”

“I understand that. You are a caninadrin, after all.”

I was taken aback. “…You don’t think I’m weak?”

“Of course not. It’s perfectly reasonable. We all have those things we’re afraid of anyway.” 

Once the fire was lit, we both sat close to it to warm up. I worried that Elae would come down with a cold, but he reassured me that he’d be okay. Oddly enough, he didn’t remember the last time he’d gotten sick. He said that he hadn’t been ill ever since he became the elven knight. I figured it must’ve been some strange product of his immortality, although he seemed more mortal than his sister.

Talking about it made me wonder more about his life before his title. From what I’d read, life before the war between humans and elves was very peaceful. His childhood must have been nice, living in the times before the magical races developed such strong hatred for each other. I found myself wondering what that looked like.

“So, where did you grow up?” I asked him.

“Why do you ask?”

“I don’t know,” I replied. “Just interested in learning more about you, I guess.”

“Well, the village I grew up in is long gone now, but it would’ve been northeast of here. We were pretty close to the mountains, as well as the northern forests. Oh, and it was surrounded by lilacs! The scent in the springtime was wonderful.”

“You really love lilacs, don’t you?”

“What can I say? They look and smell nice, and the flowers are an absolutely gorgeous shade of purple. Plus, they remind me of my childhood, and I like that. It’s a time before war… and all the other stuff that comes with being me.”

“I hope you don’t mind me asking so many questions. I know your injury is bothering you.”

“Oh, I don’t mind at all. The distraction helps, actually.”

“Well, in that case… do you have any good childhood stories?”

“Um, not much of interest… My parents wanted me to help protect the village, so I started combat training pretty early. I was about ten, I think, when Ophelia was born. We were pretty close when we were younger,” he told me, then added, “…Did you know she changed her name?”

This made me curious. “Really?”

“Yeah, but it’s not really interesting gossip. She just changed it from the elven spelling when she became ‘Queen of the Elves’. I guess she was trying to blend in with the humans during that time.”

The idea of the elven empress trying to blend in with humans seemed absurd. But from what I gathered, she had discarded much of her culture to become who she was. I supposed that taking on the English spelling was a part of that.

“It’s hard to think of her as a child, considering the person she is now,” I told him. “What was she like when she was younger?”

“Your typical child, more or less. She was goofy and innocent, a far cry from the tyrant she is now. She was also really sweet, always checking in on me. I tried not to burden her too much with my work, but she loved the stories I told.”

“I can see why. You’re an excellent storyteller.”

“Aw, thanks,” he replied sheepishly. “It’s mostly just stuff I picked up during my travels. When there’s nothing to do but talk, you end up becoming a pretty good tale weaver.”

I imagined what Ophelia looked like as a child. I thought of a little girl running around her village with floor length hair, dancing among the lilac trees. She seemed so adorable this way, undisturbed by the evils of the world. And incapable of evil herself.

“Oh!” he remembered. “I could tell you a story from before I left home for war. I have good memories of that day.”

“Ooh, do tell.”

Preparing to tell me a story, he took up position in front of the fire.He patted the floor in front of him, encouraging me to sit closer to him. I complied, sitting down with my head propped up in my arms. A smile spread across his face. It was clear he was excited to tread through old memories.

And as the storm raged outside, he began to weave his story.

[kat-nevayra]

[TToD] Chapter Seven - Solving the Labyrinth

When I awoke, I was curled up beneath my cloak in front of the pedestal. I was back where I started. Getting to my feet, I realized that the mist had formed into a labyrinth. This was the trap.

I wanted to kick myself for thinking this would be easy. I should’ve known that the compass would be well protected. This was a powerful artifact surrounded by magic, not some simple piece of jewelry. But there wasn’t much point to getting angry. It wouldn’t bring Elae back from the fog. I knew I had to go find him myself. The compass was still in my hand, and I hoped that it could help me. But the needle remained still as I moved it around. Of course.

As I followed the winding paths of the maze, I took great care to follow the pathway that was designated for me. If I tried to cheat, my surroundings would swallow me whole and I’d end up back at the beginning again. It proved to be an unexpected trial for my stealth skills, as one misstep could ruin my progress. But I kept going, although I soon learned that it didn’t matter. If I found a dead end, I would be swept into unconsciousness anyway.

It became an endless cycle. Heading into the maze and taking extreme caution, only for it all to be undone once I found a dead end. Then I’d wake up on the floor outside the maze, and repeat the cycle. There was a certain point at which I lost track of how many times I’d woken up here. I felt like I was trapped in a dream, and one of these cycles would end with me waking up in a campsite. Then, Elae would assure me that we never even went into the library. But I knew that couldn’t be true.

I didn’t understand. How could every single path I found be the wrong one? The odds of being wrong as many times as I had seemed impossible. It felt like the maze was changing every time I restarted. And for all I knew, it was.

I eventually found a new path, one I knew I hadn’t taken before. I spent a long time following it, and started to get the feeling that I was getting close. As I took another turn, I crossed my fingers in hopes that this would be it. I could finally rescue Elae and get out of this place.

But all I found was a dead end. I dropped to my knees as the mist took me again. Once I woke up, I was furious.

“Why couldn’t you have taken me instead, you stupid maze?!” I shouted. “I’m the one who stole your stupid compass!”

I curled up into a ball and sobbed. This was all my fault. My eager hands and eyes had gotten me into a terrible mess, and now we would both pay the price. I could have been losing days or even weeks of time, making this quest impossible. I didn’t even know. But that wasn’t what made me feel worst. I had been greedy, and it cost me Elae.

Through my blurry tears, I saw something on the compass that I hadn’t noticed before. There was another inscription, like on the side of the table upstairs. I turned it around in my hands, inspecting the words that had been etched into the metal. Unfortunately, it didn’t help my mood. In similar fashion to the table, it had been written in Elvish.

I groaned. “Why does everything have to be in Elvish? English is my only language…”

The text on the compass glowed as the letters and words rearranged themselves. The light was so bright I had to close my eyes and shield my face. When it was safe to open them, I found that the text read in English. I was stunned, unable to believe that the compass had this power.

However, I remembered the murals I had looked at. They had depicted a variety of heroes, and it had truly been a mixed bag. There were elves, but there were also humans, elementals, and many other kinds of people. I even recalled there being a few with bushy tails and pointed wolf ears, not dissimilar to myself. They couldn’t all have known Elvish.

The inscription read, At night, the sky’s children come out to play, but then are hidden by the light of day.

I figured that this was a riddle, and solving it would allow the compass to activate. Then, I could locate my companion and leave this place. All I had to do was figure out the answer. Of course, that was easier said than done. As I thought about the night sky, I realized just how little there was in it. All the things that played came during the day, like the birds and butterflies. But all the night had was the moon and darkness. Except for…

“The stars!” I exclaimed. It seemed obvious once I realized.

Once more, the compass began to glow. A new inscription read, Speak of where you wish to go, and the compass shall make it so.

“Take me to Elae.”

The needle immediately sprung to action, and I followed where it led. It directed me through each turn, and my worries began to subside. I should probably have checked it sooner, but that didn’t matter now. I was going to rescue him.

I was led to a small room, if one could call it that, within the maze. There he was, unharmed. Tendrils of mist curled around his wrists, ankles, mouth, and neck, keeping him restrained. His eyes were closed, and he was clearly asleep. Silent tears rolled down his cheeks. They also seemed to be giving him nightmares.

Once I found him, freeing him from the mist was surprisingly easy. Very gently, I wrapped my arms around him and pulled him away from the tendrils. They slowly detangled themselves from him, much to my relief. But even after being separated from them, he remained asleep.

As I held him, I noticed something that I hadn’t before. A little metal collar, made of elven silver, was clasped around his neck. Despite traveling with him for at least a week, I’d never seen it. I guessed that he kept it hidden underneath his cloak. This revelation made me pity him. He was such a sweet, caring person. What could he have possibly done that led to this?

I lightly brushed away his tears and tried to wake him, but to no avail. Neither my voice nor my touch could make him stir, and I didn’t dare hurt him more than circumstance already had. Besides, maybe he could use the sleep. His face was no longer being stained with tears, so it seemed the nightmares had ceased. Instead, I simply scooped him up in my arms. It surprised me just how light he was. Perhaps it was in exaggeration, he felt almost as light as a bag of feathers.

“Show me the way out of here,” I whispered to the compass.

Once again, it pointed the way, leading me back through the maze and to the exit. I walked up the curved steps, making sure to be careful with the sleeping form I now held. After I reached the top of the staircase, I was back in the library. That pathway was likely the one I was meant to use in the first place, as there was another book lever sticking out of the shelf. I tried my best to push it back in, sealing the door behind me. It was the least I could do before heading to the bridges.

Night had fallen by the time I got out of the Ancient Library. Luckily, the bridge was illuminated by magical lanterns, so I was able to see where I was going. I got back over to the horses and decided to set up camp for the night. Gently setting him down, I got out my circular cushion for him to sleep on. Then, I set up our tents and went to collect firewood. It was difficult finding wood in the plains, but I managed to find enough to start a small fire.

After I got the fire going, I decided to make dinner. It wasn’t nearly as precise, nor as delicious, as the meals Elae had made for me. But it would have to do. When I was done eating, I decided that we would sleep underneath the stars. So I procured a blanket and curled up beside the cushion. I laid my head beside my companion’s, and quickly fell asleep gazing at the children of the sky.

[kat-nevayra]

[TToD] Chapter Two - Preparations

They led me to a nice guest room, where I was then uncuffed. Even though I was locked in that room, it felt good to have my hands back. The guards told me that they would be outside the door, and to ask them if I needed something. I was left alone to relax for an hour until dinnertime.

Inspecting the room, I was amazed at the finery. The windows were crafted with ornate decorations made with elven silver, and emerald green drapes stretched to the floor. I had a queen-sized bed all to myself, as well as a desk and vanity. There was a bathroom connected to the room, which was spacious and filled with marble. It made me feel like royalty.

Immediately, I checked the vanity for anything I could pocket. The items here were nice, so I could probably sell them for good money. Or keep them for myself. 

Hiding in the drawers, I found a few items of interest. Mostly fancy watches, gold plated jewelry, and ornately decorated combs. Stuff that would be easy to pawn off. The previous owners of this room left a lot behind, so I sorted through them to find the most expensive stuff. I picked out a few things and stuffed them in the pockets of my cloak.

When I went to open the very bottom drawer, there was only one item. A floral comb, the kind fancy ladies used as accessories. The flowers were a beautiful purple, and black runestone branches served as accents. The centers of the flowers were inlaid with amethysts so expertly cut that I knew they had to be from Ayulaa. The people there were master jewelry crafters, and their works were worth a fortune. But I couldn’t sell this. It was too valuable to just be pawned away.

Against my better judgment, I took out a hair tie and put some of my hair into a little bun, then slipped the comb into place. I knew not to get carried away with my looks, but I couldn’t help myself. After all, it’s not every day one gets a chance to wear an accessory of nobility.

As I was looking at myself in the mirror, I heard a knock at the door. Getting up, I went over to open it. When I did, I found the guards outside my door looking at me.

“It’s time to go to dinner, Miss Sparrowood,” one of the guards told me.

I was surprised. Had an hour gone by already?

They placed me back in handcuffs, and began escorting me to dinner. I was displeased, but at least my hands were in front of me this time. While we walked, I felt something in one of my pockets start to slide out. I prayed that it wouldn’t fall…

But that was asking for too much. The next thing I heard was the sound of a golden necklace hitting the ground. It was a soft noise, but loud enough for the guards to hear. One knelt down to pick it up, then he looked at me.

“Still trying to steal, huh?” he then turned to his companion. “Search her.”

They then searched all of my pockets for stolen items, finding almost everything. Luckily, they didn’t take the floral comb. But everything else was quickly confiscated, much to my frustration. If only I had my weapons… then I’d make them sorry for treating me this way.

Once they were satisfied, we resumed our walk to the banquet hall. I could tell that they were starting to regret bringing me to the castle. Now they had to deal with me. Though, the tension did make the trip rather uncomfortable. They kept a tight grip on my arms, and I felt awkward everytime one of them glanced at me.

Fortunately for everyone involved, the walk was short. Within a few minutes, we had arrived at a large door. The guards opened it, and we walked in to find that everyone else was seated. Ophelia sat at the head of the table, and her glowing eye looked at me. Everyone else turned their heads to look as well. Having that many eyes on me was miserable.

“You’re late,” Ophelia said, not to me, but to the guards.

“My apologies, your radiance,” one told her, holding up the golden necklace. “We had some… difficulties convincing her to cooperate.”

The empress sighed. “I wouldn’t expect anything less.”

She motioned for me to sit at the other end of the table, across from her. The guards let me go from their grip and I obeyed, slowly taking my place. I surveyed the scene before me, of all the people sitting at the banquet table. The king of the satyrs sat next to a nervous strawberry blond, and a few nobles in matching attire also sat together. Advisors and high ranking soldiers, as well as her prophet, were also seated around the table. She clearly had employed people from all across the continent to work for her, and I saw it here. I didn’t scare easily, but I found it a rather intimidating sight.

“Now that everyone is here,” Ophelia began, standing up with her glass. “I’d like to take some time to mention tonight’s guest of honor, Elsie Sparrowood. In a few days time, she will be making a great journey across the countryside to recover some items that are very important to us. This will be a dangerous quest, but I have full faith in her abilities. Tonight, I’d like to make a toast in her honor. To her success and wellbeing!”

“May she bring glory to the empress!” the crowd returned.

I didn’t feel like participating. I wasn’t even here of my own will, but I couldn’t tell them that. Once Ophelia had said her piece, it was truly dinnertime. I was thrilled. I hadn’t eaten anything since breakfast, and was about ready to eat the tablecloth if I didn’t get real food. Thankfully for the rest of the table, they were spared from seeing that display as servants brought trays of food to the table.

The scents of meat, fruit, and pastries wafted through the air, and my wolfish senses told me I would like this meal. It got even better once they revealed the dishes. Roasted chicken, breads, potato dishes, cakes, and danishes were only a few of the many things available to me.

I ended up eating mostly pastries and garlic bread, as well as a chicken leg to satisfy my craving for meat. I probably should have picked something with more nutritional value, but Alverian capital pastries were supposedly to die for. I had no regrets though, the rumors were right. Those were the best pastries I’d ever tasted. And I also hoped the chef’s recipe for garlic bread wasn’t a secret, because I needed to know how to make it myself.

After the meal, I was escorted back to my room, but not before the guards checked to make sure I hadn’t stolen some noble’s belongings. As if I could, with them staring at me the entire evening. But all they found was a strawberry danish I had wrapped up in my napkin, which they miraculously let me keep. I supposed that even the imperial guard understood how excellent the court baker’s desserts were.

Once we returned to my room, I was left alone to think about what lay ahead of me. My quest worried me, especially since I was only a thief. I may have been no ordinary thief, but stealing money from homes was hardly comparable to the task at hand. Journeying to collect relics was a hard task… and even harder to do alone.

But I was not alone, as a knock on my door would soon prove. I opened it to find someone I recognized from my earlier encounters with the Elven Empress. He was short by elven standards, as he and I were similar in height. He also bore a striking resemblance to Ophelia, with an eye of the same glowing green. Also like her, his other eye was obscured by long hair that fell in his face, which he had tied back into a ponytail.

But he looked more ordinary than she did, lacking the same ethereal charm of the empress. Most of his hair was the color of dry soil, only being purple at the tips. Peculiar black scars covered his face, seemingly from battles fought long ago. Although, his armor looked much newer than he did. The elven silver used to make it still shone with enchanting luster. His purple cape was the only thing he wore that showed signs of age.

I looked at him, then at all the things he was carrying in his arms. He had maps, stationary, books, and other things I couldn’t even name.

“What’s all this?” I asked as I let him in.

He brought it in and set it on my desk. “Supplies.”

“And who are you?”

“My name is Elae, and I am known as the elven knight. My duty is to protect the people of the Alverian Empire, most of all the Elven Empress Ophelia,” he said in a quiet, somewhat husky voice. “And now, I am your travel companion.”

I was a little confused as to why Ophelia would send her knight as my traveling companion. After all, her protector would serve best at her side.

“If you’re her bodyguard, then would she make you my travel companion?”

“I asked her to,” was his simple reply. “She cannot say ‘no’ to her brother.”

He looked at my hair, inspecting it with a suspicious look on his face. I hoped he wouldn’t think too much of the floral comb. But once again, I was hoping for too much.

“Did you steal that?”

“Yeah, what of it?” I said, taking it out and holding it.

“Give it back.”

I held it close to my chest. “Why do you need it back if it has no owner?”

“Because I cannot let you go around stealing things. Hand it over,” he held out his hand. “Please.”

Reluctantly, I placed it in his hand, evading his gaze. I didn’t want to look at him.

“Thank you.”

His voice was gentle. Sincere. But that didn’t change the fact that I was mad at him. That comb was beautiful and it was mine. He had no right to take it if it didn’t belong to anyone else. It wasn’t like I could argue with him though. As the elven knight, he was the ultimate voice of authority.

“I will be going now. If you need anything else, you can ask the guards.”

“I already know that,” I huffed.

“Alright then. Good night.”

Then he left me alone. Good. I didn’t want to be around him anymore. I took the danish out of my cloak and ate it while I sorted through the contents he had left on my desk. They were all useful items for our journey. Probably stuff he wanted me to pack. I figured I’d worry about it later.

Once I finished the danish, I took off my cloak and hung it off the vanity. Then, I crawled into bed. It had been a long day, and I was tired of being awake. I was thrilled to find that the covers were nice and soft, and the pillows were perfect to lay my head on. It didn’t take long after getting in to slip away into the land of dreams.

[kat-nevayra]

[TToD] Chapter One - The Palace of the Empress

“Good thing we finally caught her,” I could hear one of the guards say from outside. “She’s been giving us trouble for a while.”

“Now to take her back to the capital.”

My head ached. I wanted to yell at them to shut up, but I didn’t have the strength. I couldn’t even get up very well, since my hands were now cuffed behind me. Feeling around my cloak, I could tell that all my weapons were missing.

Looking around at my surroundings, I realized that I was in the back of a prison wagon. Made of sturdy metal, there was no chance of breaking my way out. The only windows were two tiny, barred slits located near the roof. They were just big enough to let light in.

Knowing that the predicament I now found myself in was hopeless, I cursed.

“Hey, be quiet back there!”

I sighed. Of course they didn’t want to hear a sound from me. I didn’t mind though; there was nothing I wanted to say to them anyway. Being difficult had little point either. I had no way of escape. The journey to the capital from here was six hours by carriage. Six hours of waiting for my impending fate. The lack of automation in Alveria had never bothered me so much. Why couldn’t we be on a train?

Most of the ride was spent trying to sleep, desperately blocking out the pain in my head. I didn’t get very far with that idea, as every jostle of the wagon kept me awake. But I tried anyway, my cloak and wolf-like tail serving as comfort against the metal floor. Eventually, I was forced to accept that my dream of slipping into sweet oblivion was unattainable. Instead, I envisioned an escape. It was hardly possible, but it kept me entertained. The thought of punishing those fools for their arrogance delighted me.

I could hear them talking outside my confines. Already, they celebrated their victory, talking about the rewards and promotions they could receive from the empress. It made me sick. I may have been a thief, but I couldn’t stand the idea of trading a person’s freedom for coin. I stole money, not lives.

Once the bumps in the road lessened, I could tell we were close to our destination. The streets of the Alverian Empire’s capital were much finer than the dirt paths between cities. I could hear more voices outside as we traveled through their bustling market. Sounds and scents made their way through the little windows of the wagon. The smell of fresh pastries made me wish I could steal a loaf of bread. The long journey had made me terribly hungry.

Eventually, the wagon stopped. We had arrived at the palace. I soon realized what awaited me on the other side of those doors. I knew that I would soon be walking the steps to my doom, and it frightened me.

Luckily, I suppose, I didn’t have to. When the guards opened the doors, the back of the wagon was filled with the scent of incense smoke. My eyes grew heavy, and I slipped away into the sleep I long desired…

When I awoke, I found myself on my knees within a ring of little mushrooms. The small little mushrooms emitted a faint green glow that could barely be seen with all the light. There was no artificial light in the palace throne room. Instead, glass skylights let the light of the sun wash over the space. Grass grew all over the area, and flowering vines snaked their way up marble pillars. Glowing white butterflies, that may have been made of magic itself, fluttered around the room. It was an oddly peaceful place to be given a death sentence.

“You put her to sleep?” a feminine voice asked, bemused.

“We heard she was incredibly dangerous. We couldn’t take any chances.”

“I suppose the commander didn’t put such a high bounty on her without reason. She just looks so harmless in the faerie ring… it’s hard to believe that such a face belongs to a notorious thief. If she wasn’t a criminal, I’d almost wish she was my daughter.”

I looked up to see who was speaking, and found myself gazing at the woman on the marble throne. Her wine red dress greatly contrasted the peaceful scenery surrounding her, and her uncovered eye glowed just like the mushrooms in the faerie ring. She didn’t need a crown, nor introductions. Her name was Ophelia. The Elven Empress.

“Ah, you're awake. I suppose you heard us talking about you?” I didn’t answer her. “You aren’t going to say anything?”

“I have nothing to say to you.”

“Well, you’re certainly a bold one. Not many would talk to a monarch that way.”

“Guess I’m not like most.”

“Truly, I suppose you aren’t. You possess exceptional talents to have evaded capture for so long. Why, you could almost rival the Black Vixen!”

The comparison was an honor. On the eastern coast, the Black Vixen had a reputation for being a great thief. Some said she was the greatest thief who ever lived. Regardless, no criminal could deny that the reputation of ‘The Uncatchable’ was something admirable. But it didn’t feel honorable coming from the empress.

“But let’s get serious. You know why you’re here, right?”

Reluctantly, I nodded.

“Now, I should punish you; make an example out of you to the rest of this country… But I’ve taken an interest in you. I’d like to see just how strong you really are.”

“If you expect me to show off like a performance servant, I won’t have it,” I spat. “I’d rather slit my throat with a sai.”

She laughed. “Oh, no. I’d like you to go on a quest.”

Sending me on a quest? The idea felt so stupid. I had never been interested in hero tales. Grand questing and slaying beasts never seemed worth the risk. I could obtain that much money, and more, just by stealing it. I wasn’t some kind of adventurer.

“You mean you’re sending me to run your errands?”

“Don’t worry, there’s something in it for you,” she replied. “If you succeed, I’ll waive your punishment, and grant you your freedom.”

Freedom. The word rang in my head. “And what’s the alternative?”

“There are many ways to punish a criminal. I could make you one of the banished, torture you in a dark dungeon, or leave you dangling from a mountain for eternity…” I shuddered as her voice became a cold whisper, and she gave me a wicked smile. “Ways you don’t even want to know, Elsie.”

I couldn’t help but shake. As adverse to the idea of going on a quest as I was, I did not want to take the alternative option.

“What do you want from me?”

“Across the far corners of this land, there lay three ancient artifacts, all lost to time. They are the Scholar’s Compass, the Cursed Sword of Aevennettle, and the Eye of the Rouge Fae. Each is hidden behind trials that will test your limits… but I’m sure a thief like you can handle it. Complete the trials and return the relics to me, and I shall grant you your freedom.”

While it didn’t exactly sound easy, it was at least straightforward. I’d done more complex heists before. With my freedom on the line, I at least had to try.

“Alright, I accept.”

She smiled. “Excellent. You will be given three days to stay here and prepare what you need. I’ll do my part and provide you with tools to help you on your journey. As for the quest itself, I expect it to take three months.”

Three months seemed like a short window, especially to traverse a continent. But I wasn’t about to argue with her. It was already mercy for her to give me a chance.

“You are dismissed,” she turned to the guards. “Please escort Elsie to her room.”

“Yes, your radiance!”

I only hoped I wouldn’t fail her.

[kat-nevayra]

[TToD] Chapter Ten - Memories

“Woah! The lilacs are so pretty… And they smell heavenly!” O’phelea turned back to look at him. “I can see why you like them so much!”

Elae smiled. It was nice seeing his sister so happy. As she twirled among the lilacs, it reminded him of simpler times. The days before trouble, where he had all the time in the world to sit under the trees. He would often meditate, taking in their beloved scent. It helped him find peace, even amidst growing concerns of war.

“It’s a nice day.” he mused, looking up at the sky. “Perfect to go to the temple, don’t you think?”

O’phelea pouted. “I guess so…”

“What’s wrong?”

She picked up a stick and started poking at the ground. “I don’t like going to the temple… The priestess always gives me weird looks. She doesn’t like me very much.”

“Now, I’m sure that’s not true.”

“Say,” she said, randomly changing the subject the way children do. “Should we bring some of the lilac as an offering?”

He was used to it. “That’s a wonderful idea! I’m sure the fae would love that, O’phelea.”

“Yay! I’ll go gather some of the best lilacs this village has to offer!”

And with that, she ran off. Elae started after her, taking the time to appreciate the village around him. Usually, he didn’t have much time to spend here, or to be with his sister. So, he wanted to savor every moment of it.

He regretted not being with her more when they were growing up. He hadn’t had much time, but he wished that he’d made it. After all, she wouldn’t be a child forever.

The village was decorated in garlands and lanterns, all in preparation for the spring celebration. Despite the circumstances, everyone had been working hard to make sure that the festival would go on. To have survived winter was considered a great blessing, and it was incredibly important to thank Mother Faerie. She was their protector, and made sure that the village lived to prosper another spring. And their work paid off; the place looked beautiful. It made him happy to live in such a diligent and friendly community.

Soon, O’phelea returned with a fragrant handful of lilacs. When she did, her brother took her hand, and they ventured up the hill to the temple. In the spring, it typically buzzed with activity, and today was no different. Many of the villagers were coming in and out, each looking to pay their own respects. The clergy were busy as well, decorating the interior and tending to the altars.

The offering altars lined the sides of the temple, leading to the fountain and faerie ring. The entire temple was built around it, as it was believed to be a gateway to the fae’s domain. Some people paid their respects to the Mother Faerie at the edge of the fountain, while others placed their offerings directly in the flowing water. As for Elae himself, the eyes of the fae had been on him as he stood before it during his initiation. There, he became the guard captain’s second in command.

Finding an open altar, he laid the lilac down upon it. But before he could offer his prayers to the fae, he heard new voices. There were always conversation in the temple, but this was different. The speaker sounded panicked.

“My apologies for rushing in here, I don’t mean to disturb your sacred space,” they said, panting heavily. “But I’m afraid it’s urgent.”

“All is well, my child. Now, what business brings you here?” the priestess replied.

“I’m looking for the second in command of the village guard. I was told that he’d come here. His name was Elae, I think?”

At the mention of his name, the young elf stood and approached the conversation. “That would be me.”

Upon seeing the speaker, he knew they were a messenger. The cloak they wore was the color of sea foam, symbolic of the guard from the eastern side of Alveria. They themselves looked rather disheveled, covered in dirt and  sweat with strands of hair coming out of their ponytail. Clearly a sign that they’d been traveling quickly. But for an eastern messenger to be traveling this far west, especially this fast… something had to be very wrong.

“O’phelea, why don't you go with the priestess? She’ll help you finish your offering,” he told his sister. “I have some business I need to take care of.”

“Aw, but I wanna stay with you! You told me we’d spend the day together!”

“I know, and we will. But I have to attend to this first. I’m sorry.”

She crossed her arms and huffed. “This always happens. Something comes up, and you have to go off on some ‘important business’. Leaving me all alone.”

“Trust me, I wish it didn’t,” he replied, bending down and putting his hands on her shoulders. “But that’s the price of all the stories I tell you. My job may give me cool stories to tell you, but it comes at the cost that I can’t always be around. This time though, I’ll come back right after this, okay? It won’t take me very long.”

“Promise?”

“Of course. I promise.”

As the priestess led O’phelea back to the altar, he turned back to the messenger. He led them out of the temple and around a corner. That way, they could have some privacy from all the other people looking to pray. Besides, he didn’t want to worry the villagers. Not yet, at least.

“Alright, what did you need to tell me?”

“I’m sure you’re already aware of the humans that have been landing on our shores,” they began, to which Elae nodded. “Well, we’ve been keeping an eye on them for a while now. They’ve been peaceful for the longest time, but… As of recent, they’ve been slowly preparing their army. They’ve built training camps, and big ships from overseas come bringing weapons.”

“This was why my captain left on that journey, isn’t it? He said he was looking to scout some new camps. I didn’t realize they were made by humans.”

“About your captain… His party was staying in our village for a while, when it was… attacked.”

Elae’s heart dropped. “Oh no, is he…?”

“He’s alright, if a bit injured,” the messenger reassured him. “But they set fire to the city. It seems that the humans have turned against us, inciting war. I was sent to tell you to head east, toward his encampment, with the rest of the guard.”

“The entire village guard? Isn’t that a bit drastic?”

“Leave some behind to continue protecting the village, but bring your best. The humans are much stronger than we initially thought.”

“A-alright. I can’t refuse an order. Just give me time to organize everyone.”

“We’ll leave tomorrow, so we can get back as soon as possible. I know it sounds worrisome, but have a little faith. The generals have been saying that we can beat them if we give it everything we got.”

“I hope they’re right,” he said, before turning back toward the temple. “See you tomorrow.”

The messenger nodded, and departed without another word. As Elae headed inside, he took a deep breath. He didn’t want to worry O’phelea, who had just been looking to spend time with her big brother. For now, everything was okay. Besides, the generals thought the war could be won. Surely they wouldn’t be wrong.

He found her with the priestess, finishing her offering to the fae. Her eyes were closed, and she mouthed the words to a silent prayer. The priestess noticed his approach and moved aside, giving him space next to his sister.

“The little one has such a kind and thoughtful heart,” she said to him. “I can’t wait to see what kind of beautiful young woman she turns into.”

Then she swiftly got up and left, leaving the pair alone. He carefully knelt down beside O’phelea and folded his hands. As he prayed, he thought about what the priestess had said. After finishing with his thanks, he had only one thing to ask the Mother Faerie.

“Please protect my sister,” he said quietly aloud. “Let her survive so she can grow up.”

[kat-nevayra]

[TToD] Chapter Eight - The Path Ahead

It was an odd feeling, being the first one awake. I had gotten used to the scent of breakfast drawing me out of my tent, where I’d found that Elae had been busy long before I had woken up. But this morning, I was the first one awake.

First, I decided to tend to the horses. I gave them food and water, also rewarding Milkshake with some attention. She’d seemed worried about me the night we returned, so I wanted to assure her that we were okay. I didn’t know how long we’d been gone, but there was relief in the fact that our horses were still here. We couldn’t have lost too much time.

After tending to their needs, I gathered firewood to make breakfast. Along the way, I decided I would gather some extra wood to take with us. There wouldn’t be much firewood where we were headed next. We’d need to be prepared.

Once I got a fire going, I produced a few ingredients to make oatmeal. Since I wasn’t a very good cook, I picked an easy recipe. I’d watched Elae make it a few times during breakfast, so I figured I could make it without a recipe. As I began to put ingredients in the pot, I heard my companion begin to stir.

He opened his eyes, speaking in a drowsy voice, “You… saved me…”

“Of course, you’re my travel partner,” I told him. “Besides, Ophelia probably wouldn’t let me go free if I left you to die here.”

He laughed. “Of course. Freedom is the priority.”

“Eh, you’re what actually makes this quest bearable. Freedom is just what makes it worth it.”

“Worth dealing with me?”

“No, worth dealing with stuff like that,” I said, looking back at the library. “If I can go my whole life without ever getting trapped in a labyrinth again, I will die happy.”

“Unfortunately, we still have two artifacts to recover. Though, I don’t think either of them are protected in the same manner.”

“Thank goodness.”

He and I shared a little laugh. We were both grateful to have made it out of there. But something seemed to bother him. He’d done nothing but sleep since we were separated, and yet he looked tired. He was quieter, in the way he sometimes got on our journey when he was sleepy. Were his nightmares still affecting him?

“Are you doing okay?”

“Yeah. Though I still need to see a doctor, I think,” he replied. “Why do you ask?”

“You seem tired, and… when I found you in the maze, you were crying.”

“Ah. So you’re worried about what I saw, then?”

I nodded.

“It’s nothing, really. Just some stuff from my past. I’ve fought in a lot of wars, even before my sister became the empress. That stuff tends to stick with you, no matter how long ago it happened.”

I knew nothing of his experiences, but could somehow understand the feeling. I had my own things that stuck with me. Even now, I was making memories that would never leave. The labyrinth, the collar, the eyes in the woods… Once I completed this quest, I would never forget it. Of course, that was assuming I completed it. Either way, I'd die with the memories.

I found myself relieved to see Elae safe. His smile was infectious, and hearing his voice again made relief crash over me in waves. Seeing him safe, although injured, gave me a sense of security. I felt like everything was going to be okay. But I worried about him too. The collar around his neck shimmered in the sunlight, even from beneath his cloak.

I didn’t understand. How had I never noticed it before? It seemed like such an obvious detail in hindsight. Without his armor, the elven silver stuck out against the rest of his outfit. He wasn’t one to wear jewelry, so he just wore simple fabrics. Except for the brooch that held his cape together. That was made of a beautiful green gem from the mountains, wrapped in the same silver.

I desperately wanted to ask him about the collar, to find out what happened to him. But the elven knight was a secretive person. The only thing he’d really been willing to share with me was his reason for coming along. He was pretty honest about his relationship with Ophelia, but not much else. He’d likely tell me not to worry about it. He always did.

“Elsie, are you alright?”

I hadn’t realized that I was staring. “Oh! Sorry, I just-”

“How long have you known?” he said, touching the glimmering metal.

“Not long. Since last night… when I found you,” I replied. “I guess I’m just trying to understand it. You’re the sweetest, most lawful person I know. I can’t think of any reason someone would want to collar you.”

He sighed. “Unfortunately, I can think of many. One that comes to mind is paranoia.”

“Paranoia?”

“Ophelia is incredibly paranoid. It’s why she banned magic; so no one could contest her power. And as for the people who work for her, she’s always worried about traitors. So this collar makes me obedient. I’m forced to follow any order she gives me, with little room for free will.”

“Is that why you wouldn’t do anything without me in the Ancient Library?”

“Indeed.” He looked away from me with guilt in his eyes. “It’s why I couldn’t have been of more help. But her orders were very specific, to ‘follow your instruction within the relic domains’. It makes assisting you difficult, but I tried my best to protect you anyway. Unfortunately, we as her court are kept on tight leashes… in both literal and metaphorical senses.”

“At the very least, it doesn’t seem like she gives you too many restrictions.”

“She doesn’t know she has to,” he said, before adding quietly, “She thinks my mind was broken a long time ago.”

I had so many answers, and yet an equal amount of questions. If the empress thought he was broken, then it made sense why he acted so strangely when we met. It explained the way he only spoke when spoken to, as well as his silent nature at the beginning of our journey. But it opened up even more questions. What had happened to make everyone think that way about him? What was Ophelia so afraid of, and why did it lead her to force obedience from her own brother?

In an attempt not to pry, I pushed away the questions I had. I didn’t think I was going to get more answers. If he wanted me to know, he’d tell me later. Besides, he was still recovering from whatever happened in that maze. I wanted to give him some privacy. We still had months to spend together; there would be more time to pester him with questions.

After breakfast, Elae helped bundle the wood I’d gathered while I packed up the camp. Since I hadn’t pitched either of our tents, we were done quicker than usual. This left us more time to plan our destination and get on the road.

“You said you knew someone who could help you,” I mentioned, looking at the map. “Where do we have to go to find them?”

Standing next to me, he drew his finger over the map to a town south of here. It was one I recognized, and not for good reasons. “She lives here. I believe we need to head southwest anyway, so we can stop at her place on our way.”

“You must be insane! That place is full of criminals.”

“I’m well aware of that, don’t worry. I’ve visited her before, and we’ll be fine as long as we stick together.” he reassured me. “Besides, aren’t you a criminal?”

“I’m a thief. That’s different. Those people will do terrible things to others for quick money. It sickens me.”

“You’re absolutely right; it’s horrendous. But it’ll only take a night. Just trust me on this.”

I still wasn’t entirely sure this was a good idea, but I trusted him. He had thousands of years worth of experience, so maybe he knew this place better than I did. I’d never been; only having heard the stories from other thieves and travelers. Perhaps we could stay the night and then get out of there safely. It’s not like I knew where else to go, anyway.

After packing up, we got onto our horses and began taking the path that headed south. Elae told me that the journey would only take a few days, and we’d be traveling away from the forest. I felt a small amount of relief, since that meant I wouldn’t be haunted by the eyes. Unfortunately, as we rode under the open sky, I wasn’t rid of my worries.

…And soon, they would be proven right.

[kat-nevayra]

[TToD] Chapter Six - The Ancient Library

The rest of the week blurred together. Starting the day we left the village, we rode from dawn until dusk, not stopping until the sun met the horizon. It was usually dark by the time we ate, and Elae had to take a torch with him to go find firewood. Sometimes, the spots we found were clear enough that we could see the stars.

Whenever we could, he would tell me about the various constellations he could see. He’d point to one and tell me its name and history. To his surprise, I already knew many of them. Having traveled around often, I had learned some of the stories surrounding the night sky’s children. However, like with most stories, we had been told different versions. So we enjoyed exchanging the stories we grew up with, and seeing what the other had been told.

Based on the differences in his, I gathered some idea of where he came from. He told me a lot of elven tales, and I knew that the west had maintained closer ties to that culture. Being from the east, however, I had heard stories that weren’t even from Alveria. The traders from the coastal towns not only brought goods, but the legends of their homelands as well. Having hid in the back of their wagons, I had heard ones from all over the world.

I continued to see eyes in the forest, or at least feel the presence of something. Even when I couldn’t see them, I still knew I was being watched. There were a few times I considered telling Elae, but I decided against it. For many, the Banished were a touchy subject, especially with the elves. Few elves remained, so I’d never gotten a chance to ask, but they supposedly hated anything that bled black. To them, black blood was a sign of dark magic and corruption. I didn’t want to upset him. It was clear that enough already bothered him.

Eventually, we could see a building in the distance, the rising sun behind it. The Ancient Library; home to the Scholar’s Compass. It was built on a lake, the white marble structure rising above the water. The library had clearly been modeled after its artifact. Four ornate bridges led into a circular structure, representing the four cardinal directions.

When we got to the eastern bridge, we tied up our horses and I went with Elae to inspect the structure. I followed him until he stopped at the beginning of the bridge, as if he was waiting.

“So, what’s the plan?” he asked me.

“I don’t know, you’ve been the one leading me around.”

“Well, in terms of obtaining the artifacts,” he said. “Ophelia told me to follow your instructions, as long as it doesn’t conflict with any of her orders.”

“And her orders were?”

“Mostly just things she’s already told me. Obey the law, don’t defile the relic domains, other stuff along those lines… Oh, and I’m not allowed to get the artifacts for you.”

“Noted. Let’s get moving then,” I said, then began muttering, “Why couldn’t it have just been a public execution?”

He sighed. “Ophelia has really twisted ways of dealing with her enemies.”

“Clearly,” I replied with a shudder.

As we walked across the marble bridge, the sheer scale of the Ancient Library was revealed to me. Elae explained that it used to be an attraction to scholars from all around the world, long before the construction of the Grand Alverian Library or Aephan Academy. There were once many people who walked across these bridges, looking to study magic, history, and many other things.

“I could be here for days… just reading all the books they have to offer,” he mused.

“If you wanted to read all of them, you’d have to be here for much longer than that.”

“Well, maybe not all of them. Just whatever interests me. But I hardly have the time, especially not now. We have a job to do,” he said. “Speaking of which, I believe the Scholar’s Compass is kept on the lower level. However, none of the librarians ever revealed how to access it. So I can’t help you there.”

“We’ll figure it out,” I said, as if I had a choice.

The door to the library was massive, and it took our combined strength to make it open. What we found inside was breathtaking. The space inside had many interior balcony levels, all filled with bookshelves. At the very top, the roof was made of ornate stained glass that depicted the lands of Alveria. Each section was dedicated to the landscapes of the north, south, east, and west.

Counting the floors, we appeared to be on the third. Looking over the railing, I could see that the first floor had a big table at the center of it. I figured we needed to head there. And when I inspected the table, my suspicions were proved right. I could see that there was an inscription on the edge.

“Can you read any of this?” I asked Elae.

He smirked. “Oh, so just because I’m old, you think that I can translate ancient texts?”

“No, it’s because you’re an elf, you idiot,” I teased, grinning. “Besides, you know lots of things about ancient elves. It’s not really a stretch to think you’d know Elvish.”

He threw up his hands in joking surrender. “You’re right, you’re right, I do know Elvish. It is… incredibly rusty, but I’m hoping it’ll do. As long as they don’t use very big words.”

He kneeled down and inspected the inscription. It took him a while, sometimes involving pacing around the table, staring at it and squinting. There was a part of me that wondered if I could get faster results by finding an Elvish dictionary. But knowing myself, I’d probably end up wandering around the library for hours. And then I’d get distracted thinking about how much I could sell these books for.

Eventually, he figured out the words. “Find… knowledge stone… to release road… no, no, that’s not right.” He cleared his throat. “Find the gem of knowledge to unlock the path. That makes more sense.”

“Okay… not much more helpful. I guess we have to start poking around the bookshelves, then.”

“Is that what you want me to do?”

“Yeah.” I pointed. “You start over there, and I’ll start here.”

“Understood.”

He walked over to the opposite side of the library, and we both began looking. I had no idea what I was looking for, but I hoped that things would make sense once I found it. After all, that was how it always worked in the stories. The heroes found some cryptic inscription, and then it became obvious once they discovered the way forward.

It still felt weird to me to be on a quest. I was certainly no hero, and recovering a few artifacts wasn’t going to change that. Thievery ran in my blood, and stealing was really all I knew. None of this was going to make me see any differently. Although, it wasn’t like Ophelia had wanted to redeem me anyway. My brain made sure to remind me that she had sent me here to die.

We were at this task for hours, scanning each title to find that ‘gem of knowledge’. It felt like an eternity. Occasionally, I stole a glance at Elae, who had busied himself with his task. He worked diligently, never stopping to take a break. I wished I could be that efficient, so that this chore could be over sooner. But every so often, my mind would wander, and I would have to pause to refocus. However, my boredom would soon be over. I soon saw the ‘gem’ I had been looking for.

There was one book I saw that had no title. It simply had a gold spine, covered in a delicate filigree. I knew that this had to be the ‘gem of knowledge’, for beautifully cut rubies and garnets were inlaid at the corners. This made it look even fancier. And even more expensive.

Without hesitation, I tried to snatch the book from the shelf. But although it was pulled out of the shelf, it wasn’t in my hands. I’d gotten distracted, and hadn’t realized that it was a lever. But it worked; the pathway had opened up. Or a pathway, at least. The floor quickly opened up underneath us, casting Elae and I into the darkness below.

After I finally stopped falling, I found myself in a place made of stone brick. It was dark, with a little torchlight coming from behind me. Wherever I was, it had shown signs of age. Much more so than the library above. Looking up at the wall in front of me, a message was scrawled on it.

Did you really think we weren’t expecting you, thief?

A trap. I looked around wildly, realizing that the space I was in was an old cell. And in that cell, I was all alone. I panicked, trying to figure out where my companion had gone. We were on opposite sides of the room when the floor opened up. What if he was all alone, trapped in a different part of this prison?

I reached my hand through the bars, calling his name. “Elae!”

“I’m here…” a quiet voice responded.

Tracking the sound, I saw him in a cell opposite to mine. In the dim light, I could see him struggling to get up, clutching at his side. Despite barely knowing him for a week, I found myself stricken with worry. I hoped the fall hadn’t given him severe injuries.

“Are you alright?”

“Yeah… mostly. I may have fractured something, but I don’t think it’s too serious,” he replied. “What happened…?”

“Well, I thought I had found what we were looking for… The book I saw was covered in gold and jewels, so I thought that it had to be the ‘gem of knowledge’! But I guess not…”

“Of course you took that literally.”

“Hey! For the record, I do know what a metaphor is!”

“I know you do. You just have a habit of getting distracted by shiny things.”

I wanted to argue with him. I really did. “I think I might be able to get us out of here, as long as I didn’t lose my lockpicking supplies.”

I checked through the pockets of my cloak, feeling for the little bag that contained what I needed. It wasn’t hard to find, as I usually kept my things well organized. I pulled out the black drawstring pouch, thanking the fates that it hadn’t fallen out. Using one of my picks and a tension wrench, I got to work. It was pretty easy to open, and I quickly ran over to Elae’s cell to free him.

The lock on the door was so old I didn’t even need to pick it. Rust had made it so flimsy that it broke off what I brought my sai down on it. I opened the door and offered him my hand, as he was still struggling to get up.

“You sure you’re okay?”

“Like I said, I believe I fractured something. It isn’t serious, but it is painful.”

I could tell he was downplaying it. “Do you want to stay here? I’ll come get you after I get the Scholar’s Compass. Then we can go see a doctor.”

“No, no, I want to go with you,” he said. “But as for a doctor… that’s probably a good idea. I know someone not far from here who can help. But that’ll have to wait until after we get the compass. I don’t think there’s any other way to leave.”

I sighed. “Doesn’t seem like it. Time to find our way out of here then.”

The exit was straightforward, but the maze of tunnels that followed were not. They led to different rooms that housed various treasures, as well as things like potion supplies. There were private studies and offices, but not what we were looking for. I knew that the Scholar’s Compass couldn’t have been behind just any old door. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have given the building such a strong tie to it.

Following the hallways, we were eventually led to another circular room. This room mirrored the marble aesthetic of the library above it, but had murals along the walls. Elae and I agreed to split up and inspect them, before meeting up by the central pedestal.

The mural depicted various myths that involved the Scholar’s Compass. One portrayed a sorceress using the compass to find home, and another showed a hero who used it to find and rescue their lover. Others illustrated various characters trying to find relics with the compass as a guide. Usually, I would’ve rolled my eyes at such generic hero tales. But I wanted to appreciate the art, at least. Even if such tales had no interest, the murals were beautiful.

After looking at them, we both stood in front of the pedestal. On top of it was the Scholar’s Compass, completely unprotected. I found it pitiful that the librarians had prepared for thieves, but hadn’t thought to keep their most precious relic protected.

“Well, it looks like we can just take it now,” I said.

“Wait, there could be more traps…”

“Come on, it’s an open room!” I scoffed. “They can’t hide anything here.”

I had done plenty of jobs with spaces like this, and I never feared them. People hid their traps with technology or furniture, and this room had none of those. Feeling confident, I walked up the pedestal steps and reached for the compass.

“Elsie, wait! Don’t!”

But it was too late. The Scholar’s Compass was already in my hands.

Suddenly, mist began filling the room. I had no idea where it was coming from, but soon I couldn’t see much farther than my companion. Tendrils of mist slowly started emerging from the haze, which quickly wrapped around him. He threw out his hand, desperately trying to reach out to me.

His cry for help was filled with fear I had never seen from him. “Elsie!”

“Elae!” I cried, trying to grab him. But his fingers slipped through mine, and he was dragged away into the mist.

Not giving up, I ran after him. The room felt so much larger than it had previously, as there was no end in sight. I had lost him, and I grew drowsier as I stayed. I tried to keep going, but it was no use. Slowly, the mist drew me into a deep sleep.

[kat-nevayra]

[TToD] Chapter Four - The Creatures of Shadow

I woke up in the middle of the night to find a strange mist filling my tent. The mist surrounded me, and I suddenly felt cold. Confused, and perhaps a bit curious, I wandered out to find that my surroundings had changed. Elae’s tent, the fire pit, the horses; they were all gone. There was only my tent, with a few trees. 

But something was wrong. They were dead and warped, branches bending in ways that didn’t feel natural. The world around me was black, even much of the ground. The only light came from torches on the trees and the mist itself, which gave off a faint lilac glow. It smelled like lilacs too.

Not knowing what to do, I cautiously followed the trees. I took my sais out as I walked deeper into the forest. I couldn’t see beyond the torches, and certainly wasn’t about to get jumped by some wild animal out here. I wasn’t that dumb.

Following the path of torches led me to a brick wall. Tortured creatures made of magic laid at its base. Their eyes were dead, but black blood still pooled beneath them. I nearly threw up when I saw them, but the site I saw upon gazing upward was even worse. There was a message scrawled across the wall, written in their blood.

You are no hero, but neither is he… do not trust the Elven Knight!

I screamed.

I opened my eyes to find myself in my tent. There was no strange mist, and no cold feeling in the air. I scrambled out of bed and went outside my tent, just to make sure everything was normal. Everything was the same as the night before, and Elae was making breakfast. When he heard my footsteps, he turned to look at me.

“Is everything alright?”

“Yeah. Just some stupid nightmare,” I said, trying to push away the image of the wall. Elae was mysterious, sure, but not untrustworthy. 

“That’s a relief.”

“I’m surprised you didn’t come running.”

“It’s not wise to leave one’s cooking unattended,” he said. “Besides, I was under the impression that you’d be mad if I just ran into your tent. You could’ve also been indecent, and I have no wishes to disrespect your privacy.”

“Well, thank you. I appreciate that.”

He then chose to change the subject. “Why don’t you come sit down? Breakfast is just about ready.”

I walked over and sat by the fire. For breakfast, he’d made oatmeal, as well as some fried apples tossed with cinnamon and sugar. He also had some jam, made with the leftover honeyberries, which I was inclined to use. I had never heard of them before now, but they certainly seemed like a wonderful addition to any meal.

“Do you wanna talk about it? Your nightmare, I mean.”

Given what I had seen and what it had implied about him, I decided it was best if he didn’t know. “Just some troubling stuff… getting lost in the woods and being eaten by wolves.”

“Ah. Well, if it helps, you have no need to worry. Even if either of us got lost, the wolves around these parts tend to avoid people. Most of the things in this forest do. We may have to worry about wolf attacks in the mountains, but we are weeks off from that.”

It was a comfort to me to hear him reassure me, even if it wasn’t what really worried me. “You’re really knowledgeable.”

“If you live as long as I do, you’ll have my experience and more.”

Once again, his cooking proved delicious. I finished my whole bowl quickly, and began scraping at the sides for more. Seeing me do this provoked a light chuckle from Elae.

“What?!” I said. “You make good food!”

He chuckled again. “If you want seconds so badly, you can have them. I made extra.”

“Gladly.”

After breakfast was over, I washed our dishes in the river while Elae packed up the campsite. He was remarkably efficient, as almost everything was packed up by the time I got back. I handed him our dishes and cookware, which he wrapped up and placed back into our saddlebag. He and I worked together to put a few more things away, and then we headed off.

Despite having spent a night in the forest, the scenery hadn’t lost its beauty to me. The trees and occasional flowers on the roadside still mesmerized me. However, I found the scenery tainted by my dream. I couldn’t help but be reminded of when I wandered deep into that forest, and what I had seen. I knew it wasn’t real, but the images were so grotesquely vivid that I couldn’t unsee them. Whether it was truly real or not only mattered superficially.

Things got better in the afternoon, but the rest of the day offered less peace. In the dim light of both early morning and late evening, my eyes played even greater tricks on me. I kept thinking I saw shadows dancing between the trees, their white eyes staring at me. But that couldn’t be possible. Although I knew of the existence of a group of shadow people, known as the Banished, Elae said that the things of the forest avoided people.

This could only be true for the Banished as well. Although they had a habit of ruthlessly attacking those who got too close, they mostly held fear for people. Attacks were said to be only a last resort, if they were trapped or cornered. Otherwise, they hid themselves from the world, retreating deep into the forest. It would go against their nature itself to appear so close to the road.

Yet, I couldn’t help but feel as though they watched while we found a place to set up camp for the night. I felt their glowing eyes upon me as I pitched the tents once again. It was terrifying. So terrifying, in fact, that I was startled when Elae returned with firewood. Upon hearing his footsteps, I shrieked.

“Oh, it’s just you,” I said, relieved.

“Of course it’s me; there’s no one else out here. Are you okay?”

“Yeah, don’t worry,” I lied. “Just still a bit jittery, that’s all.”

“Must have been a vivid nightmare then.”

I sighed. “Yeah…”

He started another fire, and began cooking our dinner. First, he put in some rice as a base for what he was cooking.

“What are you making this time?”

“Just some sticky rice. I learned it from a Talian official a while ago, and I wanted to try making it. I don’t get a lot of opportunities back home.”

“Ooh… experimenting, are we?”

“Not that much. I’ve made rice before,” he said, before adding, “Don’t worry, I washed it already. I did so back at the castle, since I didn’t really trust the river water to be clean enough.”

I could tell that he wasn’t as precise with his measurements this time around. As he watched the pot, he kept adjusting the proportions of various ingredients. It took a while for him to get the balance right, but it looked and smelled amazing once he did.

After dinner, he once again washed our dishes in the river while I went straight to sleep. I didn’t want to spend any more time outside. Not with the Banished watching me. So I quickly set up my bed and tried to fall asleep. It took me a much longer time, but my eyes grew heavy eventually.

And luckily for me, that night had no more nightmares.

[kat-nevayra]

[TToD] Chapter Three - The Beginning of a Great Quest

Eventually, it was time for Elae and I to begin our journey. We agreed to leave at 7:00am, which left me time to take a bath after I got up and packed . Ever since I discovered the array of scented soaps in the bathroom, I had wanted to use one. Since I had no permanent residence, I was used to bathing in lakes and streams. It always calmed my nerves, especially before a big heist. So I hoped that it could do the same for me now. And maybe I also wanted to smell like flowers for once, instead of river water.

After taking a long, relaxing bubble bath, I dressed for the day and prepared to head out. It helped a bit; I felt calmer as I fastened my cloak over my shoulders. I checked each pocket and storage space to make sure that I had what I needed. My sais, which had been returned to me the night before, fit snugly in their holders. As for everything else… coins, snacks, and other items were tucked safely away in pockets. All I had to do now was grab my bag, as well as some things to pack in my saddlebag, and meet Elae outside.

By the time I got there, he was already preparing the horses for our departure. When he saw me, he offered a stiff, awkward wave.

“Good morning.”

I waved back. “‘Morning.”

“You smell like lilacs,” he commented.

“I-I took a bath to help calm my nerves,” I replied, slightly embarrassed. “Not that it’s your place to comment on what people smell like.”

“My apologies. I simply noticed because lilacs are my favorite flower.”

“It’s fine, I guess. Let’s just get ready to leave.”

As I opened the saddlebag to put my stuff in, I noticed that there were some things already in there. Inspecting the contents, I found that it was mostly full of food, and some supplies like rope and stakes. Likely for pitching tents later.

“I probably should have told you,” Elae said. “I packed some things in your saddlebag already. I hope you do not mind.”

“I don’t. I didn’t have much to pack anyway.”

Once we had packed everything onto the horses, we got ready to leave. I had admittedly never ridden one before, so we spent the time left before 7:00am practicing. Elae taught me the basics, and with his guidance, I trotted around the courtyard with my horse. Apparently, her name was Milkshake.

Eventually, the clock tower in the capital’s town square read seven o’clock, and we rode  out. Elae took the lead, as he knew the streets better than I did. As we traveled through the city, I got a chance to see some landmarks of the area. We passed by both the Grand Alverian Library and the Old Elven Gardens. I wasn’t particularly the tourist type, but seeing those locations was pretty interesting, even at a glance. Even I could appreciate history. After a few minutes of riding around the city, we got onto the main road out of the capital. We then began heading west.

For the first hour of our journey, Elae remained silent. He rode on, staring ahead at some faraway place. I didn’t even know if it was a place I could see. But he seemed to know where he was going, and Milkshake seemed to know to follow him. I didn’t have to do much in terms of navigation. 

That gave me the ability to watch the scenery go by. A dense forest surrounded the path, so thickly wooded that I couldn’t see far into the greenery. I found myself mesmerized by my surroundings as they passed. I hadn’t had the time to appreciate nature like this before. I supposed I would get quite a few chances to do so on this trip.

“Alright, we should be far enough away from the capital now. It’s probably best if we head for the Scholar’s Compass first. Not only is it the closest, but it might be able to lead us to the others.”

Having not heard his voice in an hour, and being distracted by the trees, hearing him speak startled me. I had to hold onto Milkshake to ensure that I didn’t fall off.

“A-alright,” I responded. “What was that silence about?”

“The people I am surrounded by greatly underestimate me. Most of the people in the capital think I can’t even speak, and I’d prefer to keep it that way.”

I looked at him, perplexed by his answer. “Why?”

“That’s nothing you need to worry about,” he pulled a map out of his saddlebag and began studying it. “If I remember correctly, it’ll probably be a week and a half long journey to the stronghold. There’s a town about three days out from here that we can stop in for supplies. We can also probably find an inn there if we get tired of sleeping on the ground.”

He seemed very knowledgeable. As peculiar and irksome as he was, I appreciated having him as a traveling companion. I likely wouldn’t have been able to figure out the map without him. I was never very good with maps.

So I just sat back and listened as he planned our path for the next week. From here until the town would be a pretty simple journey, and we wouldn’t be too pressed for time. But after that, he suggested that we should try and cover ground as quickly as possible. If we really pushed ourselves and rode for longer periods of time, we could probably be at the stronghold a week from now. He told me that doing so would leave us more time to worry about the other artifacts.

I had admittedly forgotten that we were on a tight schedule. But he was right; it would be good to try and save as much time as possible now. It would be harder to do later, as the terrain and distance got more difficult to traverse. I agreed to his plan, hoping that a night of rest in town would give us enough strength to travel that fast.

We continued riding until sundown, when Elae decided to find a place to step up camp for the night. He got off his horse, and then offered me help getting off mine. I declined, and ended up face planting in the dirt.

“Are you okay?”

“I’ve been better,” I replied, getting up and brushing myself off.

Together, we led our horses to a nice little spot in the woods. It was far enough away from the road where we wouldn’t be seen, but not deep enough that we were at the mercy of wild creatures. It was the perfect place to set up camp. After we tied our horses to a tree and gave them some hay, Elae showed me how to pitch a tent. After the first one went up, he asked me to put up the second one while he went to find firewood.

It took some doing, but I managed to finish securing it just as he came back. Not only did he find wood to start a fire with, but he also had small golden berries.

“I found some honeyberries while I was out there. I can make soup!”

Soup? Out of berries? The elven knight was a very strange man. I watched as he started our fire, and then began setting up some cookware. He brought some items out of his bag and set them beside him as he tended the fire. This seemed to bring him joy, as I saw him smile for the first time.

Though, there was still something that bothered me. Elae had no reason to care about my quest. And yet, he’d asked to come along.

“Why are you helping me?”

He sighed, evading my gaze. “Because I’ve seen the twisted person my sister has become. This quest is a death trap.”

“Wait, what?” shock filled my voice. She had seemed so enthusiastic about this quest. But I couldn’t say I was too surprised. The empress was known for her tricks, after all.

“Her hope is that you’ll die trying to complete this quest. I’m here to prevent that from happening.”

“And that’s why she set a time limit too. So that, even if I don’t die… I’ll still fail.”

“Unfortunately, yes,” he saw that my face had fallen and tried to comfort me. “But that won’t happen. You and I are going to get those relics, and we are going to bring them back. And then… you’ll have your freedom.”

His confidence made me feel a little relieved. It was nice to know that someone had faith in me, genuine faith. Although, the idea that she had set me up to fail worried me.

I watched as he prepared the soup. Even though he had no measuring equipment, he seemed precise as he poured water and broth into his pot. I guessed that he’d done this many times before.

“So, when you were talking about the length of our journey earlier, you said ‘if I remember correctly’. Have you been on this quest before?”

“No, but I’ve had thousands of years to traverse these roads. I’ve gotten accustomed to how long they’ll take.”

“Thousands?”

“I am an elf, Elsie. My lifespan is much longer than those of your kind.”

“You don’t act much older than myself. When you’re not acting weird, that is.”

“Well, I am considered young for an elf.” Now he asked a question: “You think I act weird?”

“Yeah, the way you talk has changed since we got out here. Is it related to why the citizens think you’re mute?”

“Yes.”

“What is it?”

“Like I said, it’s not something for you to worry about.”

“Was there some kind of incident? Did somebody hurt you or something?”

He didn’t answer me. “You ask too many questions.”

A brief silence fell as he went back to cooking. I was surprised at his excitement to find berries. He had not forgotten his elven roots, as nature seemed to comfort him. He was in his element out here, which was unusual for a capital soldier. Though, something told me he wasn’t average in any way.

“Why are you so mysterious?”

“That’s still a question,” he replied, not looking up from his work. “But if you really must know, it’s to protect you.”

I was about to ask him how, but I bit back the words on my lips. I wasn’t in the mood to argue with him. Besides, the food was ready.

The soup was good, despite not being what I expected. When he added berries to the broth, I thought he was insane. But it turned out that they added a subtle sweetness which made the dish even better. The elven knight was a good cook, apparently.

“This is really good! What is it?”

“It’s a traditional elven dish. Honeyberry and beef soup,” he then cast his gaze away from me, toward the ground. “Ophelia doesn’t like to make them, but I do.”

I felt a pang of sympathy run through me. Although he and Ophelia were siblings, they didn’t seem to be very close. At least, not anymore.

But I didn’t pry. Instead, he told me some stories he was willing to share. It was mostly stuff he’d seen on his travels. As Ophelia’s knight, he’d accompanied her to many faraway lands. He’d seen stuff like gardens full of magical plants and museums full of cultural history. He knew so much about the places he’d visited, and I could tell he was excited to share it with me.

After we finished our meal, he offered to go wash my bowl in the river. It seemed like he wanted to spend some time in nature, and I needed the extra sleep. So I accepted his offer, and set about preparing my sleeping area within my tent.

Once the circular cushion had been set up, I curled up onto it to make sure it was comfortable. The bed in the guest room was nice, but nothing was better than sleeping on a circle bed. Especially to a caninadrin. I’d packed a blanket, but all I needed tonight was a pillow. My cloak and tail kept me warm enough, so I thought to save it for a colder night. We’d be in the mountains later.

It wasn’t long before sleep’s sweet oblivion claimed me once again. Only this time, it wouldn’t be so sweet.

[kat-nevayra]

The Prologue of "The Thief of Dusk"

I walked into the boutique and put a little bag of money onto the counter. I usually didn’t go and buy stuff; stealing it proved much easier. But today was a special day. Since it was my twentieth birthday, I decided to go on a shopping spree. It seemed like a fun treat, especially after such a good year of thievery.

“Get me the finest cloak you have,” I told the tailor.

She led me over to a section full of options. There were so many colors and lengths. Some were covered in fancy jewels and embroidery, and others were simple, floor-length capes that could hide a person’s identity with ease.

“My finest collection.”

Indeed. Suddenly, another voice, belonging to a man, could be heard. “Hey, could you help me find something?”

“O-of course!” she then turned to me. “I’ll leave you to browse. When you’re ready, just come up to the counter and we’ll settle the payment.”

And with that, I was left alone to select my new cloak. I had no idea where to start. Immediately, I could rule out a capelet, or something floor-length. Neither were very practical for a thief. I also looked for something in black; any other color would attract too much attention. But even narrowing down my color and length, I still had so many options.

There were quite a few that I liked. One had lilies embroidered in the corners in silver thread, and another had a chain clasp inlaid with amethyst. The tailor who made these seemed to have a flair for mystery. I started to wonder if I could even make a decision, before I saw the one.

It had a simple black velvet exterior, but the inside was beautiful. It was a rich purple, with delicate embroidery of blossoming branches. Hidden pockets and holsters found within would be perfect to hold my sais, as well as whatever else I needed to carry. The clasp had the same theming as the interior, with two branches covered in flowers connected by a chain. Since it was made out of runestone, the dark colored clasp didn’t stand out too much on the rest of the cloak. It was perfect.

I quickly took it to the counter and worked out my payment with the tailor. She had kept my coins safe while I looked, and took out the bag to see if it contained appropriate payment. Of course, I had more than enough, and was able to put it on before I left. It fit perfectly, as if it was made for me. I let her keep the change; she deserved it for creating such a beautiful thing.

Unfortunately, the joy would not last. When I walked outside, there were two guards waiting for me. Immediately, I pulled out my sais, ready for a fight.

“Elsie Sparrowood! You are under arrest! Come quietly, and no one gets hurt.”

I rolled my eyes.

“Make me,” I hissed.

I had confidence in my capabilities. I had evaded the Alverian guard many times before, and even fought them off. Besides, I could only see two.

But what I didn’t see was the one behind me, who had been the other ‘customer’ in the shop. I didn’t notice him until he was already upon me.