"We're taught in our history lessons that the gods once came down to the Continent, though for what reasons, we do not exactly know. Like how the synners of Codrean were once gifted the Gwynnleaf, so, too, were the elves given the ability to manipulate natural mana more efficiently," she continued, pointing a finger at a large tree housing multiple hut-like structures embedded into it.
"So that's what Nenvalur meant when he said that the Gwynnleaf wasn't the only source of power, and how this city was built," I said, more to myself than anything else. "Correct. However, there are still so many mysteries from that time, as much knowledge was lost during the Battle of Nemoria," she said, her tone dropping quite a bit.
I was stunned, to say the least.
Until she'd told me, I would have never guessed this place had been the focal point of a battle, let alone that it was primarily created by ancient, elven mages who could manipulate elemental mana to this degree. Nevertheless, I was humbled at my lack of worldly knowledge, as I'd never heard of the Battle of Nemoria until now.
"Has anyone ever tried to reclaim some of that ancient knowledge?" I asked, not really expecting an answer. "There was one but…" she trailed off. "Ah, we're here!" she snapped up excitedly, looking up at the two massive doors in front of us. I hadn't realized it, but we'd walked from my room to the royal palace's banquet hall.
As one might expect, there was a massive, central table with intricately detailed carvings on it, flowing from one side of the table to the other like the movement of a river. Atop it was a feast laid out, with all sorts of meats and leafy greens I couldn't really identify. Above the table hung a pair of large chandeliers made of the same root-like structures as the rest of the building itself. In the off-shoots of the chandeliers, glass containers filled with a warm, yellow mana-flame lit the room softly.
"Ah, you've made it! And in good company, I see," my mother said, gesturing over to us from the far end of the table. She was wearing a black dress that folded multiple times across her chest, leaving the top of it and her neck exposed. Her hair was braided, and hung down over her left shoulder, embroidered with a few, silver trinkets.
I blushed, and not lightly at all.
"Oh, Commander Siraye, you play too much! Look at what you've done to your boy. He might actually stop breathing if you make another comment," Ysevel said jokingly, her laugh was light and warm, just like her smile. "She's right, mother. How could you do that to the poor turd?" Bernar chimed in from beside my mother, wearing roughly the same clothes I did. He'd taken off his pendant for the dinner, and actually looked like a respectable half-elf for once.
"Is this payback for what I did with you and Leona?" I asked, finally seeing what was happening here. My brother, saying nothing in return, merely shrugged. "In any case, we're so glad to see you've finally met our daughter," Elhael said with a heavier emphasis on the last word like a brightly colored frog in the forest that screamed danger.
"Y-your majesties," I started, making sure I addressed both the king and queen accordingly. They wore matching, olive colored tunics, with silver sashes not unlike Ysevel's. It was only then that I'd actually made the connection. "W-wait. You're…" I stammered. "Ysevel Phrys," she said warmly, tapping my hand as my arm was still interlocked with hers.
Shiiiiiiit, I thought, averting my gaze to allow myself the nervous grin that immediately spawned on my face.
We sat next to each other, as my mother and Bernar sat just opposite us, with both Elhael and Aurae sitting side by side at the head of the large table. "It has been a long time since we've had any visitors. In truth, since the last time Bernar was here, I believe it was," Aurae said, breaking the silence with her voice floaty and ethereal.
"It is good to see you both again, your majesties," my brother said with a half-bow. "But now that we have Thoma here, we would like to ask him a few questions," Aurae said, glancing at me warmly. "O-of course! I'd be happy to answer whatever I can, your majesty," I said, mimicking the bow my brother had given earlier.
"What do you plan to do with our daughter?" Elhael asked sharply, to which Aurae shot him a frustrated scrunch of her fine features. "Now is not the time for questions like that, dear," she said. Her tone might not have seemed like a threat to any normal person, but having spent enough time with Meliss, I'd learned what a veiled threat sounded like when I heard one.
It seemed like the king had as well.
"My apologies. It's not every day we get visitors, let alone one that could be a potential suitor who would fit well with her maturation point," he said, subtly lowering his head. I thought I saw Ysevel blush, but she had turned her head away before I could confirm that.
Even a king bows to his queen, huh? I thought, a wry smirk threatening to show itself as I ignored his comment about me being a potential suitor.
"Why did it take you so long to come here?" Aurae finally asked, not in an aggressive tone or anything, but more out of sheer curiosity than anything else. I furrowed my brow, trying to piece together a coherent answer.
Uhhh… how the fuck do I answer that? Do I tell her that both my brother and, apparently, grandfather failed to tell me that my mother was here and that she could release a suppression spell placed on my core that I didn't know I even had? Sure, that makes sense, I thought derisively.
"Your majesty, I would be lying if I said I knew. I think it had something to do with me finally reaching and becoming comfortable with the second stage of mana manipulation," I said, pulling whatever answer I could out of my ass. "I see," she replied, a pensive look growing on her face. "In any case, how was it that you came to reach the second stage with such a handicap on you? I know Siraye and I removed it together, but how did you manage?" she asked, her tone light and curious at the same time.
It was difficult to get a read on her. On one hand, I could feel she was assessing me and my abilities to answer her questions, but on the other hand, I felt a sort of… playfulness about her.
No, that can't be right. She's the quee-... my thoughts stopped. So that's where Ysevel gets it from, I concluded with a slight smirk on my face.
"To answer your question, your majesty, I think the best way to explain it would be to tell the story of my fight with the ochelon in the cave," I said, proceeding to explain the entire story. My mother, after hearing me give vivid details of searing the slash across my back shut with pure mana, sat in a mild state of shock.
"You didn't…" she said, a bit of her disbelief leaking through her tone. "Oh, he did. After he killed the first one, that is," Bernar chimed in. "The first one?" my mother asked, raising an eyebrow. "Yeah, there were two. The first one was a female, the second was a much larger, red-furred male. That fight was tough enough for me to unlock the second stage without meaning to," I said, scratching my cheek. I spent the next few minutes retelling the tale of the towering creature being torn limb from limb and how I felt during that moment.
Probably not the best idea to describe a drawn and quartered animal at dinner, my brother sent, cocking his head toward the royal family who were visibly shaken.
"Gods above and below, Siraye, is anyone in your family normal?" Elhael asked, breaking his silence after having listened intently. "No, I suppose not," she chuckled lightly, a slight bead of sweat trailing down the side of her cheek. While everyone else, including me, chuckled, Ysevel eyed me carefully, but allowed herself a small smile as she turned away once more.
"So, when do we begin training him?" Bernar asked. My mother put a hand on his shoulder, supported by a surprisingly toned, muscular arm. "Tomorrow morning at first light, we'll start the basics. Knowing what your brother is capable of now, or at least a little bit of it, I'd like to have a sparring session with him to see what he's made of," she said in a light tone.
Tomorrow morning, I thought, the weight of the words snowballing into my reality.
The remainder of the hour went on with us telling tales of Bernar's and my adventures in Codrean, Coltend, and up in the northern country of Hjalfar. I avoided saying the name of the synner school in Fangsdalr, as it wasn't my place to reveal that name to them, but told them the story of how master Pyle helped train me.
"He sounds like he would be fun to spar with," my mother said, a thoughtful look on her face. "Maybe not as fun, what with you being a fifth stage and all. You could probably easily kick his ass," I said, accidentally snapping her out of her thoughts as her features twisted from mild happiness to melancholic worry.
"Yes, but even being a fifth stage might not be enough for the upcoming battles," she said almost under her breath. "What do you mean?" I asked. She went on to tell us about her encounter with the creatures in the woods, and how the second wave was much more difficult than the first to defeat.
"So these… hurroks, they're like an incomplete version of the ones you faced only moments later?" I asked, mentally comparing the details of the two new creatures in my head. "Yes, but the latter has the potential for intelligence," she said almost dreamily. I couldn't quite place the tone she'd just used, but I knew it could mean something vital for the development of our enemies.
"Well, in any case, we've already spread out information on how to defeat them. Any fifth stage synner should be able to kill one just fine, but a fourth stage might have some trouble with them," she said matter-of-factly. "Have you seen any other creatures around lately?" I asked, suddenly remembering what Gwili had warned us of on the pass.
"What kind of creature?" Aurae asked. "I'm not entirely sure. Bernar's friend, Gwili Gwynn I believe his name was, told us of something he chased to the border of Caegwen before halting. He said it was fast… too fast," I explained. The elf's name must have struck a bad chord with the royal family, as all three of their faces, including my mother's, simultaneously scowled as soon as it left my mouth.
"That rat is still alive?" Elhael asked, his tone growing dark. "Y-yes, your majesty," I answered in a half-questioning tone, not wanting to give away too much information. "It is a damned good thing he didn't cross the border. If he had, he would have been punished with a fate worse than death," he said, his tone cold and unforgiving as his balled fists turned an even paler white.
That's an intense aura he's giving off. How badly did I just fuck up? I sent a glance to my mother, whose eyes widened and head shook in response to my question without a word.