Michellin

Wanderers

“My,” Edward said, standing politely back, his hands behind his back, as Ysaryn made a comment to him about what she’d do to him. “I see why you’re friends with her,” he remarked to Kire, who grinned sheepishly. “She’d fit right into the crew,” he added, turning his back on Ysaryn when she indicated it. She was very, very different from the manner of the elves here, which Ed find rather refreshing. He was well acquainted with the stifling atmosphere of royal decorum, as well as the roughness of life outside it, and having too much of the former made him miss the latter.

“I did think that, too,” Kire replied, her eyes averted briefly before going to the table to join the elf. When Ysaryn asked about the cuffs, she frowned. “They’re like the wards in the cells. No magic. I didn’t like how stupid and weak I felt while under the wards, so I left my Ring behind with Ruli rather than wear them. He didn’t want to wear them, either, so he’s stuck there. I’ll check in on him before bed.” Kire yawned, as if the very mention of bed had reminded her body how tired she was. “As for Zeke, he’s with Aera, I think. Catching up.”

“Alright. You should sleep. I might not, I’ve been keeping the same hours as the rest of the Raielwen,” Ed said, standing up. “But we will talk first thing tomorrow morning.”
Kire nodded, likewise getting up. “We need to talk about how you got here.”
“I figured as much.” Ed stepped forward to give Kire another hug. “I missed you, Kay.”
“I missed you, too,” Kire answered, squeezing him tight. “See you tomorrow.” After Ed approached Narda to embrace her, too, he gave a polite nod in goodbye to Ysaryn before stepping out of the room.
Kire’s eyes were on the door. “He’s alive,” she murmured, a soft smile on her face, unable to believe her fortune. She turned to Ysaryn, a teasing grin on her face. “I’d say good looks run in my family, if I hadn’t ruined it,” she said, pointing to her scarred face. She stood and turned to the wardrobe, rummaging to find something comfortable to wear for sleeping. Finding a silk shirt and trousers, Kire ducked behind the divider to change.
“Ever the modest one,” Narda commented lazily, lying down on the bed.
“Yeah, hope you don’t mind the cot, Ysaryn,” Kire called out, before stepping out of the divider. “It’d be hard to dislodge the giant from it.”

Wanderers

The Amrians chatted softly, with Ed telling them about how the elves had treated him while under their care, and Kire and Narda filled him in on what had happened since his disappearance. After half an hour, they heard the door open, and in stepped the servant elf Farryn with Ysayrn. Or at least she thought it was Ysaryn; Kire gaped a little, seeing the shadow elf in a delicate dress instead of her warrior’s garb. “Ysaryn, are you alright?” she asked when she finally remembered to speak, but the elf was muttering to herself as she rummaged around the room.
Ed had heard her mumbling and had to suppress a smirk, waiting for Kire to make their formal introduction. “Ys—hey, Ysaryn! What do you need?” Kire spoke, more firmly now, though she admittedly was very glad to see her up and about. “What did she say?” she turned to Ed in a whisper.
“She is—unhappy with her outfit. Like how you feel when you’re stuffed into your formal dress,” Ed said, adding the last with a cheeky smirk.
Kire’s brows were raised. “Ah. Well.” She cleared her throat. “This is my cousin, Edward, Ed for short. Ed, this is my good friend, Ysaryn. How are you feeling? Will you sit down, please?” she said to the elf.
Narda chuckled, shaking her head at Kire’s politeness.
"My pleasure to make your acquaintance," Ed said with a bow.

Wanderers

Kire and Narda entered their chamber, with the giantess whistling, impressed. “Almost as nice as the Palace chambers, isn’t it?” she said, once the servant elf had left them alone.
“What do you mean, ‘almost’? This is pretty good,” Kire said, roaming around the room. She was tired, but her mind was awake, happy and excited after the reunion. She saw Narda eyeing the bed and laughed. “Fine, you get the bed.”
“As I should,” Narda said with a huff, though she grinned back. She was about to look into the wardrobe to see if there was anything that would fit her when they heard a knock on the door. Kire opened it and grinned, seeing Ed.
“I know you should be resting, but we haven’t had a proper sit-down yet,” he said, and Kire nodded, beckoning him in. “Not bad, is it?” he commented, smiling as he looked about their chambers.
“Not at all,” Kire said, watching Ed sit down by the table with a soft groan. “Getting old, cousin?”
Ed snorted at that. “Just my legs. I can move and fight on them, but they still ache.” Kire joined him at the table while Narda sat up on the bed.
“Elva will talk your ear off about that when you come home,” Kire replied, chuckling, though she went somber after a while. “They treat you well here, I take it?” she asked, her tone suggesting she would do something about it if the answer was anything that suggested a ‘no’.
“Very well, considering their secretive nature,” Ed replied. “So, you arrived here with company then? I presume someone was left behind in the cells.”
“Yeah,” Kire wrinkled her nose at that. “It’s complicated. There’s history between them and the princess. And we also have one more, Ysaryn, an elf, but not like the Raielwen. They don’t like each other much apparently.”

Wanderers

At Aera’s invitation, the Amrians sat, Kire brushing away her tears with her hand. All three looked at one another in silence for a while, as if still unable to believe they were in each other’s presence again. Ed’s expression was tinged with a bittersweet smile. “How are the rest?” he asked after that brief silence.
“As well as can be,” Kire replied. “Janes has been staying with Elva in the North. Elva has sole reign over the northern provinces at the moment. Daryll, too. He’s been taking good care of Pres and Etta.”
He turned to Narda. “And The Green Wench?”
Narda beamed. “Ship hasn’t fallen apart on us yet. Myka’s in charge while we’re away. The ladies would love you back on board,” she added with a sly smirk. Ed chuckled.
“I’d love to be back on board.”
“Hey. You don’t say that about me anymore,” Kire said, pouting.
Narda chuckled. “We see you all the time now, Wyvernling.”

They were joined by Aera shortly, and Kire nodded, waving off the apology, in a much better mood now that Ed was here.
Narda, too, felt similarly, though she did huff. “I suppose it’s understandable,” she said with a grunt.
Ed met Aera’s warm smile with his own, though when she requested that the Amrians not make trouble while roaming free around Lithilote, his gaze shifted to his cousin and Narda. Kire caught the look and smirked, shaking her head.
“You have our word, Princess,” Kire replied. “Best behavior.”

When the refreshments arrived, Kire ate at once. Now that her lethargy was gone, she devoured the fruit with gusto. “This is really good,” she commented, making Narda bark out a laugh.
“You ate that sweet stuff earlier.”
“I did?” Kire shrugged, then turned her attention back to Aera when she explained their accommodations. “I don’t mind. Any room that’s not the cell would suffice.” Her thoughts then went to Ruli, and her face showed a shadow of concern for a moment. She understood his reluctance to be shackled and trapped, though it also seemed a shame for him to stay there while they were here, especially since he helped her be reunited with her cousin.
Aera said something in Elvish, and Ed grinned, nodding. “Indeed, milady,” he replied, and Kire looked up from her fruit bowl.
“You know Elvish?” she said, gaping.
Ed grinned. “Hard not to pick it up when you’ve been marooned here for months.”
“You gotta teach me that,” she murmured back, gently nudging Ed. “Alright. Let’s continue this after we see our rooms. And, uh, Lady Aera,” Kire added, “would we be allowed to visit the cells?”

Wanderers

Edward couldn’t remember when he had been this nervous. Before any war or battle, of course, but that was a familiar feeling followed by a soldier’s calm. Here, he didn’t know, really, what to expect, even if he was told he would be reunited with his younger cousin. He tried to hold a picture of her face in his mind, hear her voice, and Narda’s too, if she was, indeed, the person accompanying her. He stood, one hand lightly on the chair in case he needed to steady himself.

Kire and Narda, after a brief conversation in Taakalon, decided to leave the Ring to Ruli. Kire had trusted him enough with her own life so far, she might as well trust him with the jewel. Besides, it wasn’t as if he could go anywhere else at the moment. She stood a moment outside the cell, her mind already clearing as soon as she had stepped out of the dampening wards, and cast a look at him. Hopefully the elves would really keep their word and not harm anyone while they’ve separated the group.

The Amrians gaped at the way the court shone with an impossible luminance. It was strangely warm, such an ironic contrast to how it looked and felt during the day. But as they continued walking, Kire was silent, her mind trying to picture what she would find. Best case scenario, Ed, whole, unharmed. Worst—was there anything worse than finding him dead? Kire’s hands shook, and she felt Narda’s hand touch her shoulder. Kire patted it, as they followed her up the stairs, to enter a crescent shaped chamber in the second tier adorned with an elaborate table.

Kire didn’t notice that. Her eyes immediately met those of the tall, blonde soldier standing in elven garb by the chair.
“Ed,” she breathed.
Edward’s brow was furrowed. “Who are you?” he asked, gesturing at her. “I don’t know you.”
Kire’s lips trembled, and immediately her eyes welled up, her mind confused. “W-why--?”
Edward broke into a wide grin, and raised his arms. “C’mere, my little crybaby cousin.”
Behind her, Narda let out a choked cry at this, the giantess already crying amid her laughter.
“You—you bastard!” Kire ran forward and pulled him into an embrace, crying into his chest. “I hate you so much,” she cursed, even as she laughed and cried in turns against him. She could feel him trembling; he, too, was shedding tears. “Don’t ever do that again!”
Edward held on just as tight. This was no illusion, no doll, no dream. He was holding Kire, as dear to him as if she had been born his sister, and she was safe. “I needed to make sure,” he murmured. “Needed to see if you were real.”
“It’s me, I’m here.” Kire murmured back in their tongue. “I found you.”
Narda had come forward, bending to embrace them all together. “Haven’t changed a bit, you sly dragon,” Narda said, beaming through her own tears. Ed smiled fondly at the giantess and reached up to touch her hair.
“Nor you, milady. Radiant as ever.” He gave her a wink, and Narda laughed, kissing his forehead. He looked down at Kire, and he gently nudged her to look up at him. He frowned, seeing the scar. “Does it hurt?”
Kire shook her head. “Not the worst scar I’ve gotten, cousin.”
“And Earnest?”
Kire, smile disappeared. So did Narda’s. “He—he didn’t make it, Ed.”
Nine months was long, but not nearly long enough to soften the blow of this. Ed slumped backward onto the seat. “I’m sorry. For everything,” Kire whispered. “For not having found you sooner. And for Ern.”
Ed bent forward in his seat, face buried in his hands. Kire wrapped her arms around him again. “I gave him his own command that day.” His voice was shaky.
“Not your fault, please Ed,” Kire whispered. “And I know he wouldn’t blame you for it, too. None of us would blame you for it.”

Narda stepped back to let the two grieve together, close to where Aera and Zeke had been standing, wiping her own face on her sleeve. When the cousins had finally composed themselves enough, Kire straightened up, with Ed gripping her shoulder. “Princess, I would like to formally introduce you to the Empress of Amria, my cousin, Akire.”
“About that…” Kire said, frowning. “Former Empress. Tell you later.”
Ed’s brows rose, clearly surprised at this, though when he met her gaze he didn’t miss a beat. “Not when we take it back.” He had fully expected them to have taken back the throne sometime within the last nine months, but no matter. He hadn’t been around, and couldn’t make any real assessment of the situation, anyway. He felt lightheaded, overwhelmed with having Kire and Narda here, with the news of his brother’s death shortly after his disappearance, and with the reality that he might be, finally, on his way home soon.

Wanderers

Ed’s lips parted, his brows raised, as Zeke described her. Everything about it screamed Kire, except…Scar? Kire had an enemy she had been chasing, who had allied himself to the Gemini and learned taboo arts from them. From what Kire would tell him, the reports about him, he had been working on creating dolls out of dead flesh. Likenesses that were empty and soulless, dark, twisted forms that heeded only the commands of their maker. Ed swallowed. If this was a doll, though, the elves would have been able to sense something was wrong. And this man didn’t seem to be under anybody’s thrall. Most importantly, the Ring was with her. He looked at Aera, who had a grin on her face, and he dared himself to let in hope and look forward to the meeting. “Thank you. I’ll see you there.” He gave Zeke one more look, appraising him, before turning away to prepare.

Narda helped Kire up to her feet when Aera and Zeke returned. When Zeke grinned and spoke to Kire, the Wyvern gasped. “Ed…” With as much feeble strength as she could, Kire’s hand clenched on Narda’s arm. Her eyes, however, went to the bracelets. She was vaguely aware of Ruli snarling at Aera in reaction to them. Narda raised her hand.
“My friend here has an alternative.”
“My Ring,” Kire said, and Narda opened her hand to reveal it sitting on her palm. “My magic. Need my mind whole for the meeting.” She looked up at Narda, her eyes asking if the giantess was sure about staying behind in the cell. When the giantess smiled and nodded, Kire turned back to Aera. “Ring stays with my friend here.”

Wanderers

These past nine months had been the strangest of Edward’s life, and the bar for strangeness was high indeed when you are the Captain of the Guard of the Capital of Amria, and cousin to the Empress herself. It was usually his younger cousin who would be caught up in otherworldly adventures, often to his dismay, given the state of Kire’s body afterwards, Ring or no Ring. Nine months prior, their empire was torn apart by civil war, prompted by the Gemini infiltration of the Capital, betrayed by Kire’s Gemini contact and Serya, their healer. They had to fight on different fronts and, ultimately, for the safety of the family, flee the home Kire had known all her life.

It had been difficult to remember, the days that led him to this point: the mad pursuit of Gemini forces to buy time for the retreat, cutting off the enemy reinforcements before they could join the fight in the Capital. Earnest had been given his own command so they could try and flank the enemy. What they had run into, however, was something else entirely that they hadn’t prepared for. A bright flash, winds tearing through them as if they were being unmade to their core, and the next thing he knew, he was laying down on his back here, in a place so still and quiet he thought he had woken up in the underworld after dying in battle. Pain, too. He had at some point been thrown from his horse, only barely managing to avoid being crippled, but immediately after that he had been caught in the explosion of light.

Another world. It had taken a long time for this to sink into him. And for a time, he seethed in anger, refusing to believe what had happened. He was still, after all, a Wyvern. But when acceptance came, when he knew this wasn’t some strange limbo or nightmare he had yet to wake up from, he did his best to make the most of his time here. He needed to stay alive, to earn their good graces, because at the back of his mind he still had that stubborn Wyvern hope that he would see his family again, that he would see Amria once more.

“Beleger.” He heard the Princess Aera’s voice call to him, and he looked over with curiosity at the man by her side before making his way towards them. He had been sparring with the others, something that had also taken time for them to allow him to do. There were several advantages to being underestimated, and in his case, it had allowed him to gradually understand his hosts—his captors—speech, and to show them that his injuries didn’t mean he was no longer capable. Even if they hadn’t taught him anything directly, that wouldn’t have stopped him.
“Princess.” He swept his hair back, the strands having stuck to his forehead and neck from sweat. He looked at the man called Zekiel, the first ever human Zekiel had seen since his arrival. A relative?
“Kay…”Edward breathed; he almost looked around then, to see if she was nearby. “Narda.”
That hope he had kept alive threatened to burst in his chest, but even then, not until he could see it with his own eyes, would he believe it to be true. He cleared his throat, fighting back the emotion that welled up there. “I may know them. But I can’t be sure until I’ve spoken with them.” He turned to Aera. “Will I be allowed to see them?” He was aware that he had clenched his hands tight into fists, and so relaxed his fingers, controlled his breathing. Not until they are right in front of me will it be real.

--
“Hmm. Just weighing our options,” Narda said. “Heard that, Kire?”
“Mm. Yeah.” Kire’s brows were furrowed as she thought something through. “If I leave the Ring here with Narda to go see him, will they be amenable to that?”
Narda raised a brow. “Are you willing to be parted with the Ring for that long?”
Kire frowned. “If it gets me to him.”

Wanderers

Kire frowned with a pout. “Who likes being trapped?” she said after a pause, rubbing her face to try and wake herself up more. “Don’t like being trapped. Don’t like being made to wait too long.”
“There, there, little Wyvernling, I know,” Narda said with a smirk, patting her friend’s head, before turning to Ruli, his answer making her frown. Kire peered at him, more curious than wary. She listened as best she could as he talked about who Aera used to be, and it sounded like a much different woman than the one she and Narda had seen earlier. Someone with life inside her. And the way he talks about her…. Her eyes followed his gaze lazily, to where Aera had been standing.

When she heard him address her again—with a helpful nudge from Narda—Kire turned to him, nodding when she recalled the moment he had been talking about. “I…see.” Kire sighed. She wondered, if the Kartaians had captured her, would she be as cold and lifeless as the woman they had just seen earlier? Kire looked at Ruli, still grateful that, despite their initial differences, he had decided to help her that night. Her mind sank into stupor once more, though, and she leaned against Narda again, wishing she would be out of this cell soon.

“So, these elves,” Narda said, when it was clear Kire had withdrawn again, “Besides these wards, and their stealth, what other kind of magic do they possess? Ysaryn has that—mm, what’s it called again—”
“Shdw walk,” Kire mumbled, head raised slightly before leaning on Narda again.
“Right. What else are they capable of?”

Wanderers

The two Amrians remained quiet. Kire hadn’t spoken for a long time, her tongue feeling heavy, her thoughts coming to her slow, like she had gotten into one of Elva’s stronger herbs. Now and then Narda would check on her, just to be sure she wasn’t going unconscious or having other dangerous reactions to the dampening wards. The giantess said little, observing the elves that came to deliver their food in silence. She ate without complaint, prodding Kire to eat, though the latter could only do so in slow increments. Though the continuous pacing of Ruli annoyed the countess, she held her tongue. Really, if Kire hadn’t been so depleted of energy, she most likely would have been doing the same, or something worse. Kire’s heavy eyes would flit now and then to Ruli, then to Ysaryn, brows knit in concern, before leaning against Narda again.

After what felt like ages, a woman appeared that caught the two men’s attention. Narda nudged Kire, who sat up straighter, frowning in concentration. Aera. Despite the words that came out of her mouth, she regarded the two men as if they had been passing acquaintances. Cold, empty. She seemed to Narda to be someone incapable of real fondness. If this is how she treats friends, then this whole place be damned, the giantess thought. Kire was quiet, both from the wards and from her attempts at observing the interactions between the princess and the two men. But when they started talking about carrying Ysaryn out and of poison, Kire moved to stand—albeit unsuccessfully—in confusion and alarm.

“No, where are they taking her?” Kire said, frowning through the lethargic haze, a beat after Zeke had already carried Ysaryn out of the cell.
“They’re taking her to be treated, Kay,” Nard said in Taakalon, prompting her to sit still. “Conserve your strength.”
Kire huffed, shaking her head, cursing her slowness. “She really doesn’t like you doesn’t she,” she finally commented, seeing Ruli on the opposite bench. “Can see why you don’t like this place so much though.”
“Mhmm. Beautiful. But lifeless,” Narda put in, rubbing Kire’s back.
“If they turned Ed into a mindless husk, I will…” Kire grumbled, dissolving into Taakalon.
Narda chuckled. “That’s the spirit.” She frowned, looking at Ruli. “What is this bad blood between you?”

Wanderers

Waiting was the worst. Narda would glance now and then at her old friend; between the two of them, it was Kire who had the worse temper for waiting, though she herself wasn’t much better. But the both of them knew what the stakes were, here. Just like Zeke, the fact that they hadn’t either been struck down or run out of the mountains by this time told them not only were the elves still undecided about what to do with them, but that there was a possibility of them seeing Ed, soon. Kire ran through every possible scenario in her mind, from best case to worst case, as noon dragged on to afternoon, trying to temper her own expectations. Her sapphire eyes burned with impatience, but she stayed where she was. “Soon, Wyvernling. Just like a siege,” Narda whispered. “Patience.” Kire only nodded.

They all looked up when, at last, their guide had made himself known to them. Kire frowned; she didn’t like the look this elf had on his face. She glanced briefly back at Ysaryn in concern, before standing up, following the instructions Ruli had relayed. The Amrians stayed quiet as they followed the guide, though Kire occupied the silence in her mind with a long string of curses in Amrian and common tongue, looking forward to when they could break the silence. Soon, she could smell the actual flower that provided the wards with their signature, noticed the way their graceful guide moved through the forest, while she weighed the risks of moving against a potential ambush. Herself, Ruli, and Ysaryn at least could Shadow-Walk; they’d have to be fast enough to disappear with Narda and Zeke if it came down to it, but given how stealthy the archer had been earlier, it would be hard to do that unscathed.

When they, at last, finally arrived at Lithilote, the Amrians gazed in wonder. Against the afternoon light it shone, almost as if it had been carved from the whitest ivory. It was, admittedly, a beautiful sight, like a dream or vision, a home fit for the descendants of gods. But it seemed to her cold, too, a coldness mirrored in the faces of its people, who followed their every move as they were led forward. As they made their way down a fragrant corridor, Kire turned to Narda and smirked. The giantess did, too. Neither were so optimistic as to expect Ed or a grand welcome; they were silently making bets about what was on the other end.

Of course we’re prisoners. Nothing in the manner of the elves had indicated they would be treated as guests or even equals. Had the elves answered Kire’s relayed query earlier, she would have expected to volunteer herself as hostage, and both she and Narda had been through enough parlays, sieges, battlefields, and negotiations to realize that the cells were a likely possibility. At least it didn’t look like a typical dungeon. For one, this was much, much cleaner. No matter; once they were inside, they could brainstorm how to get out, or how to proceed.

But the moment Kire stepped through, a chill crawled throughout her body, along with a loud ringing in her ears. She got down on one knee, a sudden wave of tiredness overcoming her. As Ruli exchanged words with the guide, Kire waved, or tried to wave, her hand in front of her. Her mind felt foggy, even as it tried to concentrate and drown out the sound filling her ears, and she felt as if she were moving underwater. “Why’s everything so slow?” she asked, not quite understanding that it was she who was slowed down. Before she could collapse onto the stone floor, Narda pulled her to sit with her back to the wall.

“Wards? Where?” she said, her speech sounding like she was drugged. She leaned against Narda, looking up at her; the giantess had an anxious look on her face, as if all her worst fears about magic had come true. Locks magic. Kire frowned, her half-lidded eyes looking at the Ring on her finger. “Make that sound would go away,” she slurred, raising her hands slowly to cover her ears. It did nothing but isolate the ringing, and she gave up, her hands thumping down onto her lap. Maybe I can try a portal? Maybe wards won’t work on another world’s magic, she thought, leaning forward, about to stand and try.

No sooner had her mind thought this and relayed the command to her Ring than a sound like electricity erupted. The Ring flashed blue only briefly, sending a jolt through her body and making her thump against the wall with a hiss. If anything, the attempt had sapped more energy from her. Narda cursed, wrapping one arm around the very dazed Kire, whispering something to her. Kire nodded in answer, holding her right hand up for Narda to carefully slide the Ring off. While the Wyvern still felt the lethargy, the loud ringing had at least lessened.

“Nightfall, hm?” Narda said, looking at the bars. At least Kire had no choice but to wait, now.