by Pirateaba
“I feel sick after using that spell just once. I don’t have the mana to keep using it.”
“Weakling.”
I glare up at the faerie dangling her cold legs on my forehead.
“As far as I understand it, magic isn’t something I can actively train myself to have more of, unless I want to alter my body somehow. What I have is what I get and I’m grateful for that. Unless you know something about magic that I don’t?”
I’m sure they do. For all I hate these faeries at times, they’re a damn goldmine of information. If they choose to share it.
Which this faerie does not. She sniffs at me, arrogant as a queen despite the fact that she’s naked and tiny.
“Of course we know how magic works. But why should we tell you? And how would you understand? Would ye explain breathing to a rock?”
“I’d give it a shot. And I could try to understand your view of magic. Unless you don’t understand your powers enough to explain it in the first place, that is?”
The faerie pauses, and I think I’ve got her. But then she laughs, clear and bright as a bell. She takes off, and a few more of her friends fly down to laugh at me as well.
“Ooh, look. The plaything is trying to be clever. Take this!”
They flick their fingers at me and I flinch. But no snow appears. I frown, take a step—
And slip on the ice patch they’ve just created. I crash to the gorund, swearing as they laugh and sit on my side as I struggle to get up.
Faeries. But I guess I deserved that? Wait a second, no I didn’t. I just asked a damn question about magic. Screw their opinions about what I should or should not be allowed to learn.
But each time I talk to them, I swear it’s worth it. Bruises and all.
Plaything. That was another word they kept using. Once the faeries have stopped laughing I ask them about it.
“What do you mean when you call me ‘plaything’? I’ve heard you call me that before. Whose plaything am I? Teriarch’s?”
Huh. That makes the faeries stop laughing. They exchange a look, and I watch them. Then one of the faeries shakes her head.
“As if the Dragon would bother with you. Nae, ye are a plaything of greater powers still. But you don’t even know what ye’ve given up, do you?”
“Given up? What do you mean?”
“Ach. How would we explain it? What good can a slave do with the chains on their neck? But you put it on willingly, didn’t ye?”
She looks at her companions and shakes her head again.
“Your…classes, fool! Your levels and foolish things. You are a plaything, and you know not what that means or who plays this game.”
And there it is. Part of the mystery, right there if only I was smart enough to put all the pieces together. I frown, but then I notice the faerie’s expression. She’s…glaring at me. So are the others.
Hm. They really, really don’t like this subject. And I can see they’re getting ready to either fly off or do something nasty to me, not just prank me.
So I look her in the eye and shake my head.
“I’m no plaything.”
“Liar!”
“Lies, you are all playthings! Ignorant slaves!”
“You cannot hide the truth!”
Okay, now they’re pissed. The faeries fly around me, and more of them come down. They look angry.
Faeries. Quick to change emotions. And dangerous. I gulp, but hold my hands up.
“I’m telling the truth. I have no classes and no skills. I never leveled. I chose not to.”
They freeze. One of the faeries squints at me.
“Truly?”
“Can’t you tell?”
They hesitate, and then shake their heads reluctantly. Huh. Seems like that’s one of the things faeries can’t do. One of them, the first one, I think, floats closer and eyes me suspiciously.
“Do not try to trick us, mortal. Tell us plain: do you have levels? Did ye accept the power of this world?”
I look her straight in the eye. If ever this was a time to be honest…
“I swear it. I swear it on the water, by the grass and earth and sky and on my name. I swear it by honor and life itself.”
I’m not sure if those are the right words. I don’t know any faerie oaths and I’ve forgotten any famous ones in the moment. But it seems to work. The faeries exchange a glance and then look at me. one speaks.
“That is…good. And interesting. It changes much, Human.”
“And nothing.”
Another one mutters that. Some faeries nod and others shake their heads. For the first time I see them start to argue, but then they look at me. Almost all of them fly out of earshot and the first one—I think it’s still her—remains.
“Would you like to explain any of that?”
She lifts her small nose up at me.
“‘Tis for us to discuss. We will tell you if you need to hear it.”
“Thanks.”
I sigh. Faeries. Secrets. It’s not as if I’m not used to this already. I glance over my shoulder the way I’ve come. A long, open stretch of snow is behind me, and a small forest seems to be ahead.
“Damn it. Do you at least know where I am? Am I even headed back to Liscor?”
She hesitated, and then nods stiffly.
“You go the right way, Human. You and others march towards the city that floods.”
Wait, what? Two parts of that sentence bother me.
“Me and others? What do you mean?”
She squints behind me. I look over my shoulder, but I don’t see anything. But the faerie does.
“‘Tis a great column of the children of Dragons and the walking dogs following your trail. About a day’s journey behind.”
Oh no. My heart begins beating faster again. I remember Ilvriss and the other one. Zel-something.
“Do you know which army it is? Is it the one who captured me, or the other one?”
She shrugs. Well of course faeries don’t care about mortal affairs. She eyes me as I try to pick up the pace.
“Ye know we will not interfere in mortal affairs.”
“I know. But you seem to interfere a lot in my life.”
She shrugs as she floats by my head.
“Some rules may be broken. Some may not. But we speak to you now because your life is not in danger. We will not save ye if you were to fall off a cliff, say. We do not interfere with death.”
For a second her eyes are ancient again. I shiver.
“Because of the price? Or because it’s forbidden?”
“All things have a price. Ye would do well to remember that.”
Silence follows that statement. I mean, what the hell do I say to that? I clear my throat as I try and force my legs to move faster.
“Well. Ah, I will remember. But thank you for helping me before. With everything.”
I wonder if they broke the rules a bit to help me get to Az’kerash? True, I might not have been in danger of dying until I got in sight of the castle, but—
The faerie eyes me as if she can see inside my head. And if she can see on different planes, why not? But she nods.
“You are a curious mortal. Almost interesting, even though ye art a fool.”
“This mortal does have a name, you know. My name is Ryoka Griffin.”
“Good for it.”
I glare at the faerie. But part of me actually wants her to know my name. This is not like the phone call with the person who wanted to scry on us or Teriarch. This is a faerie. I want her to remember my name and—
“What’s your name?”
I look at the faerie, and realize I’ve never asked. I thought faeries didn’t even have names, but perhaps they do. She looks at me.
“Why should I tell you? Names are important and not to be thrown around lightly, Ryoka Griffin.”
Damn. Was that a mistake? But they can find me and mess with me even without a name. I shrug.
“I’m just curious.”
“Curiosity has
killed many cats. Few come back. Besides, ye would never pronounce it.”
“Try me.”
The faerie stares at me archly as I raise an eyebrow at her. Okay, it’s clichéd, but faeries don’t know modern tropes and taunting them often works. She opens her mouth, hesitates, and then vanishes.
“What?”
I blink. One second she’s there, the next…wind and silence. Why? Did I bother her that much? Did I offend her by asking for her name?
Faeries. Let’s see. Names…ah, they’re bad to give to faeries. But I told her my first and last name, and my first name is in kanji, so that would make it difficult for her to control me. I don’t even think they’re that evil, but I didn’t mention my middle name either.
Maybe it’s just because she didn’t want to answer? But even when they get snippy they still talk. So what—?
Hold on. Hold on. The faeries don’t disappear except in one case. When they can’t interf—
I look around. I’ve kept walking as I talked to the faeries. Hell, it’s practically my default state of motion. I’ve gone a small ways into the forest, and the trees were sparsely planted so I have plenty of room to walk between them. All is silent, and I don’t even see any animals.
…And neither do I hear any birds, which I would expect to hear in a place like this. Even in the winter there should be some around.
Immediately I lower my stance. My body’s sore, but it can move. I can cast [Flashbang] if need be, but I have no more potions or bags. I look around warily. Nothing but trees, and yet the faeries are gone.
“I know someone’s out there. Come out!”
Silence. Even the wind is still. I look around.
“Show yourself!”
For a few seconds I’m tense, waiting. I can’t see anything that makes me think there’s someone nearby, but now my skin is crawling and I’m sure there is something there.
And then someone steps out behind a tree that seems far too slim to hide them. A Gnoll walks out from behind the brown, snowy bark, holding a bow in her hands.
She was so invisible that my heart skips a few beats when she moves. I flinch, but if she’d wanted to kill me, she would have while I was standing around like an idiot. The Gnoll is wearing only a few garments despite the cold, and her breath clouds the air. She nods at me, gravely.
“Mrr. Ryoka Griffin. I am Hekra of the Stone Spears Tribe.”
Her bow is lowered, and I relax when I hear what tribe she’s from. I smile at her.
“Sorry. I was wary—are you out hunting?”
“Hunting, yes. But not for game. There are none to be found.”
Some Gnolls are taciturn, but Hekra seems more distracted than anything else. Her eyes flick around the forest, and then to me.
“Were you talking with the Winter Sprites?”
I frown. What’s this?
“Yes. I was. Were you expecting something else to be nearby?”
She shrugs.
“I am not sure. There is something in the wind.”
Hekra hesitates, and then points out of the forest, east and to the north.
“It is dangerous to be alone. Our tribe’s camp is that way. I will take you there. Follow.”
I nod, and the Gnoll begins to walk through the snow. Not fast; in fact, she’s silent as she moves through the trees, despite the landscape. I feel like an ox as I blunder after her in my heavy shoes. And her head is scanning left and right as she moves, and her ears are twitching.
She’s listening for something. And looking. For what? A monster? Enemies?
I don’t know, but I frown as I walk after her and try to keep silent. The faeries reappear slowly as I continue moving. Perhaps they didn’t know if Hekra had been a threat or not either. Good to know they’re not omniscient. But their sudden disappearance and the news of the army following me bug me. Almost as much as Hekra’s own wariness.
Is there something out here? Something else? I follow the Gnoll as she leads me towards her tribe’s camp. And now I’m listening as well.
Where have all the animals gone?
—-
“There is nothing out here.”
Ilvriss snapped at Zel as the two Drakes marched through the snow, at the center of a huge column of soldiers and prisoners. Zel Shivertail wondered if he could ignore the other Drake, but politeness dictated he reply. Plus, Ilvirss would remember any slight.
“I’m sure there isn’t. but this is the way the Human Runner went, and I want to follow for a bit.”
Wall Lord Ilvriss glared at Zel. He was a prisoner, as was the bulk of his army. They’d surrendered fast after Zel had charged their lines and they’d realized their leader had been captured. Now Zel was marching with a huge number of them captive among his lines.
He wasn’t worried about the prisoners trying to stage an escape or attacking in his army’s sleep. For one thing, his soldiers were on alert and for another, it would violate the laws of war and Ilvriss’ own sense of honor. Say what you would about the Lord of the Wall, but the Drake was honorable. He’d as soon break the rules of warfare as he would cut off his own tail.
That was also why Ilvriss was marching next to Zel in the snow. He’d even been allowed to keep his armor; it was cold, he needed his dignity, and without his sword Zel could trounce him with one claw tied behind his back.
None of that improved Ilvriss’ mood.
“This is pointless, Shivertail. We should be headed back to your damn alliance cities so I can be ransomed. You are wasting time following a Human who is long gone.”
“She can’t have gotten that far.”
“Oh, really?”
Ilvriss made a sound that in a lesser Drake would have been called a snort. Zel thought of it a snort anyways.
“Didn’t you see her escape? At that speed—”
“At that speed, I’d be surprised if she could sustain it for more than five minutes. And afterwards, she’d have to rest. Potion or not, there are limits to what bodies can handle.”
“The Human’s tracks might be there, but she is still a Runner. She is far faster than this slow army.”
“True, but I want to head this way anyways.”
“Why?”
“Curiosity. She helped me win the battle, if you don’t recall? And there is also the matter of Periss and the soldiers you sent after her.”
Ilvriss looked at Zel out of the corner of one eye. He and Zel hadn’t talked much aside from the ritual offer of surrender and a few short acerbic conversations while they were marching. He shrugged.
“She disappeared. She must have lost the battle.”
“You can’t believe that.”
Zel knew Lord Ilvriss, and he also knew Periss. The very idea that she would have lost a fight to the girl named Ryoka Griffin was ridiculous, and both generals knew it. But Ilvriss just shook his head.
“I will not speculate. I will investigate this matter when I am restored to my city with all the power and resources I have, however. The city we are marching away from as we speak.”
Well, that didn’t bode well for the Human. Zel sighed.
“We can go this way until we hit the main road. Then we’ll start moving south. A day or two of detouring won’t slow us, unless you have another army waiting in ambush?”
Ilvriss shook his head.
“Would I need one? My army would have defeated yours easily. If—”
“Yes, yes.”
Zel ignored the Wall Lord as he walked ahead. He’d deployed heavy scouts ahead of his main army. He didn’t know why, but his instincts were telling him to do so.
He was no [Tactician] or even a [Strategist]. Zel had ranks in the [Commander] class, but only that. In truth, he was a [General] who led from the front and he did his best fighting when he trusted his gut.
And his gut told him there was something else. Not just the Human; she was interesting and possible important, but there was another presence in these empty forests and highlands.
Zel tightened his
fist and silently assessed his condition. His army might be battered, but they were more than capable of managing the prisoners and Ilvriss. With him, they were more than a match for any army a city-state might field, with the exception of the Liscorian army and a few others. But Liscor had sent their mercenaries far to the south. So what was making him so uneasy?
He didn’t know. But Zel ordered the pace to be picked up. The supply lines could damn well catch up later. He had a mystery to solve.
He hated mysteries. This foreboding he felt reminded him of the Antinium and if it was them—
No Hives were allowed to be constructed outside of the six already present on the continent. Even then, they weren’t allowed to expand past certain borders. It wasn’t beyond belief though that the Antinium might hide something this far out here. How else would the girl have made Periss vanish like that?
It was an outside chance. But if it wasn’t the Antinium out here, he wanted to know what it was.
And if it was an unauthorized Hive…Zel’s claws clenched. If it was, it would mean another Antinium War.
He hoped it wouldn’t come to that. But he had to investigate. So Zel marched onwards, wondering. Listening.
What was it?
—-
Ryoka walked into the Stone Spears camp, smiling as she saw Urksh, the Chieftain of the tribe, standing at one of the huge bonfires the Gnolls liked to make. But that smile faded as she took in the camp.
It was not the same place she had left.
Before, the camp had been sprawling chaos, but organized for all of that. Children had run around freely, and Gnolls had been at work performing various tasks.