The first floor had three rooms. A large common room with a roaring fire in the hearth, padded stools and benches, and stools at the bar where several men sat drinking pints. The atmosphere was raucous, with hardly a place to be where one wouldn't get sloshed with some drunk patron's ale. The inn back in Griffonbeak was never this rowdy. But this was near Selevea, so the young man assumed that was to be expected.
His sword arm trembled slightly as he fended off his nerves. He could handle himself, so there was no reason to be nervous—right? It didn't help that a fine-looking redhead strolled by, her attractive features highlighted by light freckles. The young man's head swam; he lost track of his surroundings as she walked past him.
Okay, wow. No girls like that back home!
Before he could introduce himself, she was lost in the crowd.
Damn.
With a sigh, the young man sidled up to the bar to order an ale. He tossed down the required coin and leaned against a support beam to take a sip. Casually, he asked, " So... Wha—"
The inkeeper laughed. "Let me stop you right there, kid. She's not someone you want to hit on."
"But I—" he began, denial giving way to honesty as he continued, "Thanks for the warning..."
The innkeeper laughed again and went back to cleaning his tankards. For the moment at least, the young man was content to drink away the disappointment.
Plenty of aquatic animals in various bodies of water. Preferably bodies like that.
Normally, the trip over the highlands to Selevea was a quick one. But without Kit, Kiara found herself traveling slowly.
Very, very slowly.
She winced, hating the petty part of herself that was complaining about the full day's trek it had taken her to get from the secluded glen where she'd left her dragon to this small roadside inn. She just needed some supplies, she'd rest for a few hours, then she'd be back to Kit.
Hopefully her friend would be healed up and ready for proper travel in a day or so. She hadn't wanted to leave him at all, really, but they needed the supplies. This part of Serendipity tended to be safe—for something like Kit, anyway—and she knew her wards were solid.
She sighed, ducking through the door into the common room of the inn and making her way purposefully to the bar. She held up a hand to flag the innkeeper, calling, "You got anything hot to eat?"
The innkeeper grunted and nodded his head toward the menu board that rested on the bar.
"Real friendly isn't he?" Grav asked with a light smirk, his appreciative, bright blue eyes meeting Kiara's. Between the neatness of his golden hair and short beard, his lack of any obvious scars, and his unworn traveler's clothes, she could tell right away that he was either a local or hadn't been on the road long. His rough blue coat, however, had a few sewn-up cuts on it—from combat, judging from the sheathed sword across his back.
Kiara glanced sidelong at him, sizing him up quickly.
Ah. One of those.
She shrugged and gave him a slightly crooked, tired smile. "I suppose I've dealt with worse. You know if there's any rooms free in this place?" She looked around the common room. "Wasn't expecting it to be so crowded..."
With a small start, she seemed to remember some semblance of manners and inclined her head to the stranger. "Kiara," she introduced herself bluntly. "You?"
"Grav," he responded, at least having the decency not to let his eyes drift lower or otherwise act like a lech.
The innkeeper shook his head. "No rooms open. But you're welcome to try sleeping in common room if, by some miracle, you can and have nothing worth stealing."
"Well, shit. Looks like I'm sleeping under the stars again tonight," Grav said with a sigh.
"Well, damn." Kiara sighed and rocked back on her heels, holding lightly onto the edge of the bar as she did. "Whiskey, then," she called to the i keeper, then gave Grav another crooked smile.
"Eh, you could do worse, right? Least the weather's been holding up alright—"
As she spoke, thunder rumbled in the distance.
"Really?" She scowled upward and made a rude gesture in the general direction of the heavens. "Screw you lot, too, then."
Seemed like she wouldn't be sleeping at all tonight. Taking another glance around the common room, she caught Grav's eye and added in a lower voice, "If you're thinking of taking your chances here tonight, I'd keep one hand on that blade."
"Thanks, but I don't see myself getting much shut eye unless the crowd thins out. Or, you know, letting myself get stab-murdered," he responded in a low voice of his own.
"Not that couldn't take whoever tried." There was an air of unwavering confidence behind his words that could only mean he hasn't yet been bested... by anyone in whatever nothing of a town he was from.
Kiara snorted as her drink was slid toward her across the bar. "You're confident," she noted. It wasn't a judgement, just an observation. She took a sip from her glass and closed her eyes for a moment as the alcohol burned down her throat. After a moment, she opened them again and cocked her head at him, looking him up and down. "You're not a local, though," she added decisively. "Which means you at least got this far, so I suppose you've some reason for confidence."
Leaning her hip against the bar, she took another sip of her drink before asking, "Don't suppose you know where a gal might find supplies around here? Mister Sir back there doesn't seem much inclined to give information I'm not paying for." She indicated the innkeeper with a quick jerk of her head.
After swallowing down some more ale of his own, he answered, "Just got here myself. Buuut, as I also need supplies, I could pay him for the info with some of the coin I'm apparently not spending on a room."
This guy wasn't going to make it far with that attitude. At least, not without getting scammed. He may have had the face of a highborn, but he certainly didn't dress or act like the kind of person who could afford to lose all the money in his pouch.
Ah, hells.
She almost let him do it. It wasn't her job to make sure every shiny new adventurer kept coin in his pocket, was it? And gods she was just so tired, with little enough coin of her own. She almost let him.
But it just wasn't in her.
"Oh, I wouldn't go that far just yet." Nodding toward a group gathered around a table not too far from the hearth, Kiara said, "See that lot? Definitely locals--not enough gear to be anything else. And judging by the number of cups on that table, well into their drink. Annnnnnd...there we go."
Out came the dice. Perfect. Shooting Grav a quick grin, she asked, "You much of a gambler?"
"I can't bluff to save my life, but I've been told I have a cat's luck," he answered honestly, "And the reflexes to match."
He finished off his drink and pushed off from the support beam with a languid grace that supported his claim. "So, you do the talking and I'll do the rolling?"
Kiara grinned, flashing canines that were perhaps just a bit too sharp to be properly human. "Oh, I like you," she decided, nodding. "Sounds like a plan. Mind, though, we don't really need coin--just information." Her grin turned a little mischievous. "Though coin would be a nice bonus."
She eyed the group of locals, nodded to herself, then adjusted the hem of her shirt so the whole thing laid a little more flatteringly over her figure before striding over to the table and leaning against the back of the nearest chair.
"Whatcha lads playin'?" she asked conversationally, giving them a bland, friendly smile.
Two of the dice rollers paused and simply stared at her, but a third gave her a look up and down and smiled back. "Cat's claw. Heard of it?"
"Never in my life, but it sounds perfect." She glanced back at Grav. "Weren't you just saying something about a cat's luck, kitten?"
Grav adopted a cocky smirk as he approached, stretching his arms out in front of him as to crack his interlocked fingers. He rolled his shoulders to further loosen up and said, "I tend to land on my feet in a wager. Usually in the other guy's shoes."
"Cat's claw, huh?" he continued wistfully, though with the air of a cat toying with its prey, "That takes me back. Room for one more?"
"I'll even leave some of my winnings on the table in exchange for some information."
The locals exchanged glances and a few smirks, then moved to make room at the table. "You're not playing, lass?" the talkative one asked with a glance in Kiara's direction.
She smiled and shook her head, switching to lean against Grav's offered chair. "Oh, I'm just the good luck charm," she said with a laugh. "You lot from around here, then?"
One of them nodded, before another elbowed him and glowered. "Why you askin'?"
She shrugged. "Just being friendly."
He took the offered seat, growing anxious to try his luck. "Now now fellas, don't be rude to the lady. That's never the way."
"But also; less talk, more action. Kitty needs coin." His cocky smirk became a full-fledged grin as his turn neared. His expectation of victory was obvious enough to be irritating to the drunken gamblers.
He remembered the last time he played Cat's Claw. It had been the final round and he had nearly an entire moon on the line. He, the Golden Boy of Griffonbeak, had thought he would lose it all after a series of bad throws. But he rolled a Nine Lives—a trio of threes —and won big. That was how he paid for his sword. It wasn't anywhere near enough for a masterwork but it was enough for a guardsman quality blade and a sheath to keep it in.
Kiara folded her arms over the back of his chair and continued chatting with the locals while the group rolled, bet, rolled again.
Grav was good. Cat's Claw was a game that relied more on luck than bluff, but he had a certainty to him that made the other players both nervous and ever more determined to beat him.
Which meant they weren't being too terribly cautious in the information they shared in response to Kiara's questions. Usually, in smaller towns like this, the locals tended to be cagey about even the most basic information. She understood that, but she really didn't have time to tiptoe around everyone's feelings just now—she just needed to get her supplies and get back to Kit.
With Grav serving to split their attention, it seemed like this would be even easier than she'd thought.
Grav rolled his three die with a flourish.
Three...
Three..
Three.
"Hahah! Nine Lives! Read 'em and weep!" he rejoiced, sweeping the pot towards himself unless one of the men decided he had to be cheating. Drunks did tend to be sore losers, and Serenians were usually distrustful of men of Connloathian blood.
He couldn't exactly blame them. If half of the stories about his ancestral homeland were true then he didn't much like his kind either. Still, he wanted to see it for himself one day.
Oh boy.
One of the men—seemingly the deepest in his cups—was glaring across the table at them. He started to get to his feet, thrusting a finger accusingly in Grav's direction and opening his mouth.
"Welp, we'd best be going!" Kiara grabbed her partner-by-circumstance by the arm and all but hauled him from the seat. "Lovely meeting you lads, have another round on me!"
She flipped a silver onto the table—not a fortune by any means, but not nothing either. She would have been using it to pay for a room and a meal, so she wasn't all that concerned about losing it if it meant avoiding a scuffle.
Hopefully.
"But I was winning!" he complained like puppy that can't find the stick his master tossed. He used some slight of hand to get his own bet back as she dragged him away, with possible interest because he didn't bother counting to be sure.
He dropped the ignorant routine as they retreated. "I didn't cheat, just so we're clear," he quietly informed her, "Not that anyone ever believes a dirty northern dog around here."
"Oh, I know you didn't. I was watching, and unlike that lot, I'm stone cold sober." A few sips of whiskey notwithstanding.
She gave him a considering sort of look at the last, one eyebrow arched. "You get that sort of response a lot?"
She wouldn't pretend she had any love for Connlaoth—far as she could tell, the whole damned country seemed determined to rip the world apart over something as natural as magic—but she certainly wasn't in any position to be judging someone based on their bloodline.
"I do. I mean, back home they got used to me but travelers often gave me the stinkeye." He seemed pretty blase about it, more annoyed by losing his winnings than the prejudice. She could likely figure out by that and his accent that, while not local, he was at least Serenian by upbringing.
"I don't really look shifty, do I?" He gave her his best innocent face, which wasn't that hard; he was, in fact, pretty honest. Being dishonesty made him uncomfortable. He was even tempted to go back and return the few extra coins he took even though all of it was won fairly.
"Kitten, everyone looks shifty. And if they don't look shifty, then they definitely are shifty," Kiara replied with a chuckle. "Gods, you really are fresh aren't you? Are you out here in your own?"
He certainly wasn't completely incompetent, at least not that she'd seen, but she couldn't help thinking he'd have an easier time of it if he had someone along with him.
She cast the gaming table a quick glance over her shoulder—habitually—then swore under her breath. "We, uh, may want to make ourselves scarce."
He winced at her accurate assessment of his level of life experience. He knew he could handle himself but traveling alone had definitely been more difficult than he had expected. Maybe his uncle in Selevea could connect him with someone who needed a swordsman.
"Oh shit. Good thing the storm seems to be dying down," he responded, hurriedly pushing through the doors out of the inn. Better damp than arrested for a bar fight.
"Probably a summer squall," Kiara agreed as she followed him out. "Listen, you were a help back there, so thanks, but I've gotta grab some supplies and—"
"Oi!"
She closed her eyes. "Mother. Fuck."
"You! That pot was light—you two got sticky fingers, do ya?" It was the drunkest of the gaming table, staggering out of the inn after them into the rain, with two of his friends on his heels—both of which looked like they were sure whether they were trying to pull him back or back him up.
Kiara scowled and planted herself in front of Grav, arms folded. "He won that money fair and square. You're lucky he didn't take the lot of it."
Behind her back, she flicked her fingers: move, go, now.
He started to move, but male pride and misplaced chivalry wouldn't let him leave her cleaning up his mess. So he stepped up beside her with one hand on the hilt of sword. He would fight if he had t.
"I'll tell you what. Tell us where to get some travel supplies and I'll let you keep half of what I bet with no further... unpleasantness," he offered with a friendly but steely tone. He inched his blade out of its sheath just enough to show he was prepared to defend himself.
He was almost a different person when a fight was possible. It was the one thing he was serious about. He knew that he'd get himself killed if he didn't.
"You son of a--!"
The drunk took a threatening step forward, scrabbling for a weapon on his belt--probably a knife--and his friends seemed to decide they were there to back him up after all.
"Shit." Kiara ducked and whirled behind Grav; she was considerably slighter than any of the men coming at them, and she didn't have enough misplaced pride to try squaring up to them toe to toe. "Run," she hissed at him as she quickly drew her own dagger from its sheath at her lower back. "They're too pissed to chase us far, just move!"
She could only hope he had the good sense to follow her as she turned on her heel and took off, hearing scuffling and shouting as at least two of the men came stumbling after her.
He didn't like it, but he could see the sense in avoiding this fight. Besides, heroes didn't cut down drunks anyway. So he shrugged and gave the men a jaunty salute before turning to run.
He caught up to her quickly, staying between her and the men. "I really could have taken them, you know," his pride made him say; And he wholeheartedly believed that he could have. So what if there were three of them? They were drunken idiots!
"Not the point, kitten," Kiara replied as she took a sharp turn between two buildings and started making for the edge of the tiny village. "More often than not, avoiding the fight is winning the fight."
Despite their inebriated state, it seemed their pursuers were gaining on them. Damn.
Swearing quietly, Kiara suddenly backpedaled, grabbing Grav's arm and dragging him with her behind a wagon that had been either parked on abandoned at the edge of the narrow road leading into town. She crouched low, putting one finger to her lips as she pulled him down with her and listened intently.
Stumbling footsteps, muttered oaths, then... There. Sounded like they were giving up the chase.
Grav's hearing wasn't as keen as hers, so he waited a few moments before daring to speak. Not talking was hard!
"So, uh, that was a thing." As he spoke, he counted his recovered coin. "Two moons and six pennies? Nicely done, me."
He flipped one silver her way as compensation. "Here. So we both break even."
Kiara caught the coin and gave him a quick grin. "Thanks, mate." She tucked the silver into the small coin purse on her belt and then cautiously got back to her feet, peering around the edge of the wagon to make sure the coast was clear. With a sigh, she rocked back on one heel and ran a hand through her hair, mussing the already mussed curls.
"Well. Shit. Guess I'll be hunting for supper the next few days." She gave her head a quick shake. Things could be worse.
But it wasn't really food that she'd been so concerned about--she needed medical supplies. She could always forage for those, but she'd been hoping to get a little magical help--Serendipity was near famous for that sort of thing, and her own abilities were sadly lacking in that department.
She forced herself back to the present and gave him another quick grin. "Well. This was lovely and all, but seems like I've got a bit of a trek ahead of me. You mind yourself, kitten--you've got heart. That can be a rare thing on the road."
He, too, returned to his feet, giving her comment a lopsided smile. He was a little embarrassed by it but not enough to say anything about it. "I haven't gotten jaded just yet. Hoping I never do."
Brushing himself off, he added, "It was nice to meet you, Kiara. May fate let us meet again."
He didn't particularly believe in fate being a thing, at least not something anyone could know in advance. Or was that destiny? He could never keep those straight. Not that it mattered because, again, not a thing. People made their own. The Gods don't make people's decisions for them.
"Don't go putting too much stock in fate," Kiara chuckled as she started walking away. "She'll rob you blind."
And that was that.
It didn't take long for the rumors to reach the small town and inn. A dragon had been sighted in the wilds, not far from the nearest farm. A smallish creature, as such things went, and wounded. Far too close for comfort for any of the locals--surely someone should take care of the beast. There was even talk of a collection going up, a reward for anyone who claimed the dragon's head; after all, what were a few coins compared to the damage such a creature could wreak on their land and livestock.
"Out past Meerin's farm, I'm tellin' ya." Coincidentally, it was one of the local gamblers who was regaling the inn's common room with the story the next day--though only a handful seemed to believe him. "Not even a full day's walk! That's too godsdamned close."
Grav's ears perked up upon overhearing the rumor. It was worth looking into, at least. Approaching the inkeeper, he asked, " Any truth to that collection?"
The innkeeper looked him over and nodded. "Whether there is a dragon is a different story, but if you're willing to risk your skin then don't let me stop you from trying."
The young adventurer thanked the man with a small tip and headed out. He had always wanted to see a dragon, and to fight one if necessary. Killing it didn't seem right unless it was truly an imminent threat; if it wasn't, then resolving the issue peacefully would be his first heroic deed all the same. Even if the locals might not see it that way.
Continuing down the road, he eventually found his way to the wilds near Meerin's farm.
The dragon in question was napping quite peacefully under the lip of a low, rolling hill just far enough away from the edge of cultivated land that he should have been quite unobtrusive--and likely would have been, if the small copse of trees around the semi-hiding spot hadn't been so obviously broken by what must have been one hell of a landing.
Kit was lucky he was sleeping at all; the myriad of lacerations that decorated his hide had hardly let him lay comfortably for more than a moment or two in the last three days, and the wide, ragged slash through the membrane of his left wing had only just begun to stop aching. That, or he was just getting used to the sensation.
Still. Most dragons couldn't say they'd gotten off so lightly after a run-in with proper dragonhunters.
Which was why he'd told Kiara that he'd be quite fine on his own while she foraged for some medicinal plants in the nearby fields--"It's not stealing, Kit, it's not like farmers are overly fussed about their burdock when there's proper crops to harvest," she'd said--but as a new scent crested the hill something in his subconscious stirred, wondering if that was entirely true.
The young dragon lifted his head groggily, jaws cracking open in a massive yawn that showed rows of dagger-sharp, silver-bright teeth and a long, forked tongue that tasted the air curiously as he blinked and swam back toward proper wakefulness.
Grav sneaked through the trees to get a better look at the creature that had caused the damage. He had heard so many conflicting stories that he didn't know exactly what kind of threat they were unprovoked or even how intelligent they actually were. Of course, both were true about humans and other races too.
Noticing the dragon waking, he instinctively hid behind a tree and slowed his breathing. The advantage was still his but going in without more of a plan could be suicide even if it was small and hurt. He was a fool but not that much of a fool.
He quickly weighed his options: he could charge in anyway, circle around behind, or approach openly in an attempt to gauge if it meant any harm to begin with. The last thing seemed like the hero's option, so he exhaled and stepped out with a friendly smile.
"I mean no harm if you don't." At least, that's what he would say if it didn't attack him on sight.
Kit snorted in surprise--he'd smelled a human approaching, but he was hardly at the top of his game. He hadn't realized how close said human was.
Rearing his head back, the dragon bared his teeth in an instinctive snarl, lumbering from his curled repose to a hunter's crouch. Even so, he visibly winced as the movement stretched his battered body, and the tear in his wing became even more obvious as he fanned them wide in what in an uninjured dragon would have been a rather impressive threat display.
Kit didn't typically speak to humans, but without Kiara to act as interpreter, he didn't have much choice. "Leave in peace or in pieces," he snarled, puffing his chest out as he tried--and failed--to stoke his inner fire. "Your choice."
Grav hadn't drawn his sword yet precisely for the possibility that presented itself. It had been a gamble, but he had made the right call. So far, anyway.
He held his bare hands out at his sides to show he was unarmed and not reaching for the weapon on his back. "I'd be happy to leave you in peace. But the locals are worried you may attack them. If I can't allay their fears the peaceful way, someone else will likely come along to collect your head. But be warned, I will defend myself if you decide to make this a fight."
Kit growled again, but his stance shifted subtly, moving from outright threatening to simply wary. Golden eyes flicked over the human before him, sizing him up. "And what is your definition of the peaceful way?" he snarled, lip curled back in a deliberate effort to keep his sharp teeth in view.
"That's an excellent question." Kiara seemed to simply detach herself from the trees just behind and a little to the left of where Grav had been hiding. She had one dagger drawn, her whole body taut in preparation for a fight. "I'd be on my way, if I was you--"
Then she saw his face, and she drew up short, eyes going wide. "Oh holy shit."
Grav instinctively went for his sword as he turned, keeping the dragon in his sights. When he saw the face of dragon's defender, he dropped his half-drawn blade back into his scabbard and put his arms up.
"Whoah! Hey! Kiara!" he said awkwardly, regretting the lack of anything to casually lean on, "It's not what you think! I wasn't here to hurt him! At least, not if I didn't have to."
He certainly had a haplessy honest uncomfortable smile going in his favor. The man was either genuine or a really good actor.
Kiara couldn't keep the corner of her mouth from twitching in the threat of a smiled as recognized her, though she managed to wrangle the expression back under control quickly.
Flipping her dagger casually to catch it by the hilt, she slid it back into the sheath on her hip--still easy to draw, but for now matching his unarmed state--and leaned back into one hip as she folded her arms over her chest. Her expression went flat, steely.
"Whaddya think, Kit?" She didn't look at the dragon, but tipped her head fractionally in his direction. "Worth the indigestion?"
Picking up on her game, the dragon settled back on his haunches and yawned dramatically. "The shiny ones never go down easy," he grumbled, snorting smoke.
"Mmm." Kiara looked Grav up and down again, as though considering. Then she smiled, letting her stance relax and her arms drop to her sides. "Breathe, kitten. Long as you keep that blade sheathed, we don't have a problem."
Kit chuckled quietly, the sound like crackling embers, and settled back down into his little hollow, carefully folding his injured wing back into his side. "This is the guy, then?"
"Yup." Kiara cocked her head the other way, half a smirk twitching at her lips. "So. You came alone? To potentially fight a dragon?"
Grav's posture relaxed and he lowered his arms. "They said it wasn't full size and it—he was injured. So I thought I could handle the job alone..."—He slouched a little as he actually listened to himself —"Whiiich sounds really dumb now that I say it out loud."
He suddenly shifted his mouth into a smirk. "Waaiit. Back up. 'the guy?' Did you tell your friend about little ol' me?"
He may, may, be jumping to the wrong conclusion about the kind of impression he had made.
Kit snorted and grumbled something about full size or not being perfectly capable of taking one overly-confident, wet-behind-the-ears adventurer, thank you very much. Kiara shot him a Look and he subsided, plopping his head down onto his front paws.
"Gods' teeth, kitten, you're lucky it was just us," she laughed, turning back to Grav. "A proper dragonrider might've slit you navel to nose just for the audacity."
She found herself, quite irrationally, blushing a bit as it seemed to be his turn to smirk. "Hold your horses, lad. I just told him about our little run-in with the lovely locals, that's all."
Which was true. She may have mentioned a slight--very slight--admiration for his confidence, even if it seemed a bit misplaced. She couldn't help it! It was oddly endearing.
"Anyway! Suppose proper introductions are in order, yeah?" She gestured between man and dragon. "Kit, this is Grav. Grav, this is my partner, Kittsareyn." Smiling crookedly, she added, "And as you can see, we're not much interested in ravaging the countryside."
"A pleasure, my good man, err, dragon." He gave a playful bow, a stray bang flopping over his face.
He stood straight and fixed his hair. With a sheepish look that was slowly replaced by reassurance, he said, "Then my job is a success. One I can't get paid for. But a success nonetheless."
His confidence had wavered under the weight of logic but was quickly recovered. It would take more than that to dull his sunny disposition.
"Is it?" Kit grunted without raising his head. "A pleasure or a success? Just because you're sweet enough on Kiara to buy what she's selling doesn't mean the rest of the locals will."
"Kittsareyn," Kiara snapped at him, glowering and flushing now in equal measures.
The dragon snorted a smoke ring, unrepentant. In her mind, he quipped, I'm right and you know it.
She sighed and scratch at her nose, frown deepening. "I hate to admit it, but he has a point--" She suddenly paused, staring at Grav as though it was the first time she'd ever seen him.
"You." She blinked, then slowly started to smile. "Did you mention something about getting paid?"
Of course he was sweet on her; she had breasts and a pulse.
"There's a collection going to reward whoever, aheh, brings them his head. Dragons aren't popular around here, it seems. Back home, dragons are something that only exist in other places; so I wanted to judge for myself if he was dange—well, of course he's dangerous, he's a dragon—if he was hostile."
He completely missed the scheming look on her face.
"Oh, he's plenty hostile," Kiara said flippantly, earning an offended huff from Kit, "but we won't be causing the locals anymore trouble than a few nicked herbs."
She considered her slowly forming idea, turning it over in her mind as she pursed her lips. "Which direction you heading, Grav? Toward the city?"
"Yeah. I've got an uncle in Selevea. He runs a tavern. He might be able to find a job for me." The way he said job gave her the sense he was fantasizing about epic quests and noble deeds. Or maybe it was just that new adventurers often had their heads in the clouds until grim reality beat them down.
"Why? Where are you headed?"
"Perfect!" Kiara clapped her hands together, beaming. "We're heading to Selevea ourselves. Have a job lined up--and you, kitten, are just what we need to get there without a crowd with torches and pitchforks on our heels."
Kit snorted in surprise and jerked his head up, staring at her incredulously. What are you thinking?
Trust me. "No one would look at you and think you're up to anything nefarious," Kiara continued, gesturing broadly in Grav's direction. "This...Whole Thing you've got going on is just so perfectly innocent. If you tell people you're traveling with us, we won't have to deal with half as many angry villagers." She shrugged. "Normally we wouldn't need the escort, but with Kit grounded for the moment, it's more than a tenday walk to the city." She cocked her head and added, "I can pay you."
Kit continued to stare at her. With what?!
She was right; he was a goody-two-shoes but not enough to turn down some coin for his help.
"How much we talking?"
Oh, please, you know you'd do it anyway. And she does too.
Shut it, brain.
"Because I could always use the coin."
"Well, the job's worth sixteen crowns," Kiara mused, ticking hypothetical coins off on her fingers. "Let's say...six of that is yours, provided we get to Selevea without any mishaps?"
It was a good deal, and she knew it. She knew he knew it too--he probably would have tagged along for half that, but she didn't like cheating people.
Well. Usually.
Grinning crookedly, she took a step toward him and put out her hand. "So? We got a deal?"
"S-six crowns?!" He tried and failed to convert that to Serenian currency in his head. "Wait, how much is that in suns and moons?"
He knew he should have paid more attention when his adoptive father taught him about commerce. His mind always drifted when the subject came up. He had a limited attention span and it was just so boring.
And what was this job? Could she use a swordsman?
"Oh, sorry. You can take the girl out of Adela, but..." She chuckled and converted for him, "It's about six shiin." Which, if one played their cards right, could fund a good few weeks of adventuring.
It also meant the job she was after was either very well compensated, or stupidly dangerous. Possibly both.
She shrugged, still smiling, one hand still outstretched. "Whaddya say, kitten?"
His eyes widened as he thought of the possibilities. "Wow. I've never had that much coin to myself. I could get better equipment and maybe a halfway decent horse."
"You sure? That's a big share for an escort job. Even if a dragon is involved." He wasn't suspicious by nature but he felt she was leaving something out. Maybe even something dangerous. How exciting!
"Good boy," Kiara praised, nodding. "Never take a job upfront that looks too good to be true--it always is." Her smile softened just a bit at the edges and she added, "This time, though, consider it fair recompense. Kit...means a lot to me. If traveling with you keeps him safe, it's worth every penny."
The dragon snorted and finally raised his head enough to stretch his neck forward and give her shoulder a brief nuzzle. She shooed him away, dark green eyes going a bit darker with worry as they flickered over the wounds that still littered his hide.
Whatever had brought them down so close to this little town, it hadn't been kind to either of them.
"Besides." She gave herself a little shake and looked back to Grav. "We're getting overpaid ourselves for the job. Should be an in-and-out sorta thing, just a few manticores harrying some property near the edge of the city."
As sorry as he felt for the dragon, the mention of monsters to slay won his attention and brought a sparkle to his eyes. Manticores were nothing to sneeze at. At least, so he'd been told.
"Just a few manticores? You say that like poisonous murder-cats are no tougher than field vermin. I mean, sure you have a dragon, but a dragon that can't fly and just crashed through several trees."
He thought it over, nodding as he decided something. And he was difficult to talk out of something once he was set on it. "Yeah, I'm going to help you with that too. No extra charge."
"Whoa, hang on, I didn't mean--"
Kit snorted, and she looked at him. Really looked at him. Then some of the bravado bled from her stance, shoulders curving forward, and she gave Grav a considering look.
"...Alright," she agreed after a long moment. "Deal."
Kit huffed, sulfur tinging the air from his breath, and lowered his head to eye their newest companion sidelong. "Welcome aboard, Ser Grav," the dragon rumbled.
"Great! You won't regret it."
He grinned like an excited puppy. Finally, his first monster hunt. Well, his first that was actually dangerous. He had prepared for years in the best ways he could and now it was the time.
"So, what are we waiting for? The villagers are restless, so the sooner the better."
Kiara gave him a very dry look. "Well, for starters, Kit's being held together by spit and prayers at the moment."
"I'm fine--"
"You shush." Kiara waved him off, then said to Grav, "So, for now, if you don't mind playing lookout, I'm gonna see what I can do with this--" she reached into her belt pouch to pull out a handful of burdock leaves-- "and then we can decide where to go from there. Sound good?"
"Right," he answered apologetically, "Healing first, then murder-cats. Sorry."
He positioned himself for a better view of the most likely approach from the village. Then he drew his sword in a graceful motion and began to occupy himself with a few sword exercises. The blade was nothing special but the way he handled it suggested it was well balanced.
His motions were quick and precise, as if the blade were an extension of his body. His lack of formal training and little actual combat experience would be apparent to a seasoned fighter, but his innate talent would as well. She would have to see him in action to see just how justified his confidence was; however, he was a promising addition to her job
Kiara was more concerned with caring for her dragon initially, but as she ground the burdock into a poultice and spread it over the worst of the cuts, she found herself glancing to where Grav was "keeping watch" every so often.
He's not bad, Kit noted when she tapped his injured wing, indicating she needed to see the tear. Fresh, but not bad.
"He's an idiot," Kiara replied quietly, though there was no venom in her voice. "He has no idea what he's getting into."
Kit shot her a wry look. Do we ever?
That made her chuckle even as she threaded a bone needle and spread the last of a numbing salve that she'd been saving from her last job over the membrane of his wing. "Oi! Ser knight," she called to Grav as she climbed carefully up onto Kit's back and leaned out over his injured wing. "I'm sure your sword is very impressive, but wanna learn something that's even more likely to save your life out on the road?"
She nodded down to the needle in her salve-covered hands, indicating the first aid that she was performing on Kit's wing. "I guarantee, no matter how good you are with that thing, you're gonna have to learn how to stitch yourself up sooner or later."
Grav looked her way; it wasn't hard to imagine him perking up his ears like a dog. Or, well, a frisky kitten.
He sheathed his sword smoothly and walked over, saying, "That's... actually a very good idea. I don't want to tire my arms out anyway."
He watched closely, but not so closely that he wasn't paying attention to their surroundings. Occasionally he would turn to investigate a sound yet, as most animals avoided dragons, there were very few such instance.
"What kind of salve is that? It smells... kind of nice, actually."
"Maybe kitten was a misnomer," Kiara chuckled as he got closer. "I suppose you're more of a puppy, really."
She shimmied her way to the dip in the join between Kit's wing and shoulder and answered, "It's sylvanleaf, mostly." She said it easily, as though she hadn't just named a near-mythical plant: the sort of plant that supposedly only grew in places where the boundary between mortal and faerie realms was thin. Shrugging, she carried on, "Some lavender in there too—that's probably what you're smelling. I mostly put it in there to keep it a little less abrasive. Alright, see this?"
She gestured to the tear in Kit's wing. The dragon grumbled beneath her. "I don't care for playing role model here," he muttered.
"Your wing is getting stitched either way, my love, no way out of it," Kiara replied easily. Looking to Grav again, she continued, "The salve I used mostly numbs the area, and kills off any fever before it starts. Alcohol works in a pinch to do mostly the same. Then it's just stitching."
With the ease of long practice, she set about dipping the needle through Kit's wing. Though her voice was blithe, expression neutral, there was the barest tremor to the hand she had pressed against her dragon's neck—and every time Kit winced, she murmured softly to him in a language that wasn't Common, but definitely wasn't Adelan either, stroking the edges of his scales.
Grav would have been embarrassed by the comparison to puppy but he had heard it before. He couldn't help it if he was excitable!
Besides, there was a certain mystery about her that intrigued him and that was already taking up his thoughts. Where had she traveled? What language was that? What was it like riding a dragon? Grav had a lot of questions but was afraid he'd annoy her by asking all of them.
There was one, however, that seemed important: "How did you two end up crashing, if I may ask?"
He would have asked Kit directly, but the dragon wasn't exactly talkative. Did the creature not trust him enough or was he just not as sociable as his friend? He supposed time would tell.
Both Kit and Kiara went very still. It was a reasonable question--and if he was to be traveling with them he was owed an answer--but neither seemed all that inclined to address it.
After a moment though, Kiara sighed and continued working on Kit's wing as she replied, "Dragonhunters. They followed us from the Thunderblacks."
Kit growled quietly, lowering his head onto his forepaws once again and closing his eyes as she neared the end of the tear in his wing. Kiara stroked his neck lightly. "They had their own dragons. I think they were drugged, brainwashed. We led them through a storm, lost them somewhere back east, but..."
She finished stitching the wound closed and tied off the thread, then slid down from Kit's back and moved around to the dragon's head. She pressed a kiss to the ridge above his brow, and Kit gave a low, rumbling croon that echoed through his chest, leaning just slightly into the touch.
"Anyway." Kiara patted his cheek and turned to Grav, quirking an eyebrow. "How'd you end up out here then? Where're you from, puppy?"
Dragonhunters? He had heard they existed, that was about it. Hunting intelligent creatures for parts didn't sit right with him. But he supposed he had been close to doing something similar if the day had gone differently. It seemed he had a lot to learn about what right was.
He answered without hesitation. "I'm from Griffonbeak, a small-ish port in Featherfell. I've always dreamed of setting out on my own to see the world, and not just taking goods from port to port like my father. I wanted to explore, to discover things no one has ever seen, to meet interesting people, visit my ancestral homeland, and maybe even commit some great heroic deed that gets me written songs about." He chuckled at how silly that sounded out loud.
"So when I found out I was good with a blade, I knew I had my path. I trained night and day, challenging what skilled opponents I could find in order to get better. But it wasn't until I was finally good enough to defeat a sellsword they call The Red Crow that I felt the time was right. So I gathered my supplies and headed out to test my luck on the road."
"And just how long ago was that?" Kiara asked, smiling lopsidedly. "Discovered anything yet? Met some interesting folks?"
She might have been teasing, but there was no hint of it in her voice. She could hardly judge him for seeking more, could she? Aside from maybe some visions of grandeur, her own story wasn't really all that different. She'd wanted to see the world--and she was luckier than most to have a companion that made that so much easier.
"And you said ancestral homeland--so you've never actually been to Connlaoth?" she asked curiously.
Grav sighed lightly; he should have known his answer would have brought it up. It wasn't that he avoiding talking about it, but it wasn't exactly a fun subject.
"I was adopted at an early age by a Serenian couple. I was too young to remember what my birth family even looked like. My father told me he and his crew rescued me from a ship that had been attacked and that there were no other survivors."
"I don't expect to ever find out who I would have been or if I have any family out there. But that's okay. Despite dreams of leaving, I liked my life and felt entirely at home with the family that accepted me as one of their own. It's just... the life of a sailor or a merchant isn't me. I needed something different, something more."
"I haven't been on the road more than a couple of seasons. And, well, I've met one interesting person so far, " he concluded with a soft smile, made melancholy by his story.
"...Well." Kiara cleared her throat. "Don't know if it's worth anything, but--sometimes the family you're born to isn't exactly a prize."
She paused awkwardly, then, being slightly allergic to sincerity, gave him a friendly punch on the arm. "So! Connlaoth!"
She shot him that crooked grin as she strode passed to move around to Kit's other side and check the wounds on his flank. "We'll probably be parting ways before you get that far north, but I wish you luck! They don't much care for my kind around there." She wiggled her fingers lazily to indicate "my kind", and a few sparks jumped into the air. "Nor Kit's, come to think of it."
"Yes, because we've been so well-received everywhere else," the dragon harrumphed.
Grav shrugged. "That's part of why I'm in no hurry to get to Connloath. Growing up Serenian has kind of turned me away from the Connloathian ideal. I doubt I'll feel welcome there.
Kit would probably hear them first, footsteps from the trees accompanied by the smell of humans.
Grav had been about to say something else when he suddenly reached for his sword and turned toward the nearby treeline. "It seems I'm not the only one who was interested in that reward."
Three men came into view; they were better armed than mere villagers, perhaps adventurers like Grav but more likely outlaws judging by their gear. A man with a leather eyepatch, the apparent leader, stepped forward.
"So the Connloathian is not only not dead, but a dragon lover to boot? May wonders never cease." The man smirked threateningly, his companions training crossbows on Grav and Kiara. "Step away from the beast and we'll let you two live."
"Case in point," Kit sighed theatrically, turning his head toward the newcomers as they appeared from the trees.
Kiara was in front of the dragon in a heartbeat, dagger drawn and raised defensively as she eyed the three men up and down. "Interesting thought," she replied to the man with the eyepatch, smiling bright and eyes hard. "Counteroffer: you turn around and we don't fry you to a crisp. Sound fair?"
Kit heaved himself into a threatening crouch, head low and wings just slightly flared to make him seem a little larger as he growled.
Grav was already in a defensive stance when he added, "Or sliced, diced, and served with a side of noodles. Customer's choice."
The eyepatched man sneered, not amused. "Do wisecracks ever work for you?"
"Not really," Grav admitted.
The man continued. "Hrm. Well, don't say we didn't give you a chance."—he raised one hand and made a gesture to signal his men to attack—"Kill them."
A pair of crossbow bolts flew. Grav was fast, beginning to move even as the man gave the order. His blade flashed through the air and he smoothly deflected the bolt headed his way. He had to assume Kiara could deal with her own projectile as he rushed forward to meet the enemy head o.
Kiara shrugged at Grav as the man in the lead sneered, saying under her breath, "I thought it was funny."
Annnnnd out came the crossbows. Of course.
"Some people have no sense of humor," she lamented as she spun away from the bolt that would have struck her shoulder and replied with a projectile of her own--a throwing knife that she pulled from her boot in a flash. The blade landed in the shoulder of the man who'd shot at her, who reeled back with a cry of surprise and pain.
"Idiots." Kiara rolled her eyes, falling back to Kit's side as the dragon shifted and drew his wings in protectively. "Did you think you can take a dragon? All three of you?"
The second archer sneered, and her stomach dropped. Oh dear...
"No. We didn't."
Kit snarled as half a dozen--more, damnit--new outlaws melted from the trees around them. "I hate stealth magic," Kiara muttered.
Eyepatch looked down his nose as Grav approached and the rest of his forces materialized around him. "Maybe you want to rethink our offer."
Grav frowned.
Three isn't that ridiculous.
He pulled up short as the rest of the band materialized around them. He wasn't so confident that he thought they could take them all. He hoped Kiara had a plan, because he sure didn't.
"I've been told thinking isn't my strong suit. Besides, I don't negotiate with people who want to kill me friends." Kiara could tell he was stalling. "Unless, that is, you're brave enough to fight me one on one."
Eyepatch continued to sneer confidently, his men drawing slowly closer.
"And why on Earth would he do that, pretty boy?" one laughed
"How can he lead you if he's afraid of a 'pretty boy'?"
Kiara watched Grav's back, trying to judge the distance, how fast it would take her to cover the gap and back him up. If Kit had been in top form, she would have faced the fight without a second thought, but with him grounded and unable to still summon up a proper flame...
But then Grav seemed to be...baiting them?
No, no. Just the one.
Pretty boy. Okay, so they were those kinds of idiots.
...Well. Fuck it. May as well go all out. The only other option she could see would be to hoof it, and Kit wouldn't make it far. Not with how many ranged weapons she was clocking.
So she darted forward to take ahold of Grav's arm and made a show of trying to pull him back, saying in a just-a-bit-too-loud "whisper", "Grav, no, you'll be killed!"
Lowering her voice to an actual whisper, she added, "I hope you're as good with that sword as you say you are."
"Don't worry. He doesn't look that tough." His acting was an exaggerated version of himself, not that exaggerated either. "Like a kitten, really. I mean, an ugly one, but that's not his fault."
He was sure, though, that he could take the one. Maybe even two at once. He just hoped she had a plan for the others.
Eyepatch twitched in irritation; he was this close to accepting the challenge. "This man really is an idiot if he thinks it's a good idea to mock me."
"Grav, please." Kiara tugged his arm again, looking around theatrically. "Don't do this alone. We can—we can take them together!"
She let her voice warble a bit, as though the idea terrified her. If they could get Eyepatch to play along, to face Grav alone...
She needed to think. They could do this.
Grav laid on the brave idiot routine even thicker, adopting the clueless arrogance of a foppish noble. "Fear not, Kiara. This ruffian is no match for my blade. If he had any skill, he wouldn't be hiding behind so many me."
Eyepatch frowned angrily and took a step closer. "Fine. If you're so eager to die humiliated, you have your duel."
"We shall see who dies today." Grav, too, stepped forward, his forward in a one-handed grip.
He had never actually taken a life before. He prayed he didn't hesitate when the time came to do so.
Kiara stepped back, clasping her hands over her mouth and hoping she looked terrified enough. Her mind was racing, and once she felt Kit's heat at her back, she started planning.
Can you keep them distracted without drawing fire? Just...look intimidating.
The dragon snarled, rolling his haunches and drawing a few nervous looks from the gang of outlaws who were no eagerly watching Grav and their leader circle one another. On it.
Good. Keep it up, but be careful.
You too.
She shot him the briefest flash of a smirk. Aren't I always?
Kit made a low, rumbling sound that she recognized as a chuckle, but most would probably assume was a growl. He flared his wings out, earning a few muttered curses and crossbows aimed in his direction, but no one actually fired.
And Kiara vanished, ducking behind his bulk and fading into the trees as silently as she could manage. Okay. There's...eight. Plus Eyepatch. Okay. Okay, we can do this.
She just had to hope Grav and Kit would serve as enough of a distraction without getting themselves hurt...
With their leader otherwise engaged, the other outlaws took up strategic positions around Kit. A quick order from the second in command sent two of them to find "the girl," and they stepped into the trees.
Grav's expression, meanwhile, hardened into pure determination as he took the initiative. He practically danced forward, blade flashing towards Eyepatch like a bolt of lightning. He may be kind of an idiot but he was a quick idiot.
Eyepatch caught Grav's first strike on the broad side of his blade, with the sort of quick grace that implied many years of practice. He did give a quiet grunt that might have been surprise--the kid was fast, credit where it was due.
But he was bigger. He shoved Grav back and came at him with an overhead swing, aiming for his sword arm.
Kiara, meanwhile, was leading the two who had been stupid enough to follow her into the trees just a bit further. Just far enough that the quiet, choked gasps when she sent two more throwing knives into their throats went unheard by the larger group.
She didn't like killing. But these bastards had threatened Kit--and if she didn't get this taken care of soon, whatever happened to Grav was going to be on her head.
Grav was hoping for Eyepatch to put all his strength into an overhead swing. He twisted, angling his sword downward to let the attack slide down the length of the blade. He grabbed one of Eyepatch's forearms with his free hand and tugged in an effort to turn the man's momentum against him.
The two outlaws that went after Kiara fell to the ground, clutching their throats as their lifeblood spilled through their fingers.
The others kept crossbows, swords, and one spear trained on Kit. They were ready to attack as soon as the duel ended.
When the bigger man stumbled, clearly taken off-guard, a low muttering went through the remaining cronies. Eyepatch glared and spat a curse, spinning to swipe low at Grav's legs with his sword--but feinted and made a jab for his ribs instead.
Kit snarled, drawing the attention of four of the remaining six outlaws, one of which shifted his crossbow and called nervously, "Boss?" as the dragons snorted smoke.
They didn't need to know Kit was currently incapable of breathing fire.
I can take the rest, the dragon told his rider, catching a glimpse of her shadow flicking through the trees behind the furthest threat.
Not without your fire, not before they get a good hit in on you. Kiara crept soundlessly up behind the man and swung an arm around his neck, dragging him down into the undergrowth and swiftly cutting his throat. He barely had time to make a noise of surprise--but it was enough.
"What the--" The next closest outlaw turned, saw her, and fired with a shout: "Oi! Over here!"
Too late. Kit sprang forward, teeth and claws glinting as he knocked into three of the men who turned toward where Kiara was still crouched over the body.
"Damnit." She got to her feet, barely darting away from the next bolt. "Grav! Get out of there!"
Grav parried the blow just in time, but it was awkward, and the outlaw's blade cut shallowly across his side. He pulled away just as one of the men not engaging Kiara and Kit shot a bolt in his direction. It narrowly missed him, embedding itself in a tree.
"I guess the duel's off then!" He grinned, enjoying himself far too much for someone who was quite possibly losing.
The other remaining outlaw lunged, but Grav was definitely better than him. The young adventurer parried and countered, getting the man across the belly. He went down with a cry.
Grav decided to deal with taking a life later and made for Kiara's position. "So... maybe I bit off a liiittle more than I can chew."
"Down!"
Just as he reached her, Kiara grabbed his shoulder and dropped, yanking him down with her as another crossbow bolt sailed over their heads. She popped her head back up, trying to figure out which of the remaining men—Eyepatch of his lackey—was the more immediate threat.
Then Kit's jaws came down on the last man with a crunch, quite succinctly answering that question for her. She scrambled to her feet, dagger in one hand and a throwing knife in the other.
"You don't have to die here," she told Eyepatch, voice steely. "But I doubt anyone would miss you. Don't push me."
Eyepatch glared at them with murder in his eyes. "I swear you'll pay for this," he spat.
Grav gave Kiara and Kit a lightly amused, questioning look. "What do you say? Is threatening revenge really the best idea right now?"
Kiara gave him a look, not quite as amused by the situation. She'd killed, or been complicit in the deaths of, more than half a dozen men in the last five minutes—that didn't mean she relished the idea of another death in her conscience.
But it wouldn't stop her, either.
"You came after us," she told Eyepatch, taking a step back. Kit began to pull back with her. "This didn't have to be a fight. Walk away, and you stay alive."
Kit growled, as though he didn't quite agree with the offer of mercy, but he stayed still.
Grav realized the true gravity of the situation, and his expression grew somber. The thrill of battle had temporarily overridden his more noble attributes. Now that it was fading, he had begun to feel the weight of what they had done.
Eyepatch gave them one last evil glare before turning tail to escape with his life. There was little doubt that he would spin a very different version of events—likely an ambush by at least a dozen men.
"We did what we had to... right?" he asked, a tremble in his voice betraying his inner turmoil at taking a life.
Kiara watched the man go, only allowing the tension to bleed from her body when he was out of sight. She gave Grav a look that was caught somewhere between weary and sympathetic.
"...You're hurt," she said after a long moment, rather than answer his question. "Here, lemme see..."
She gestured to his side, which seemed to still be bleeding from the blow Eyepatch had managed to score on him. Moving to stand in front of him, eyes on the wound rather than his face, she murmured, "It was them or us. We picked us." She gestured for him to lift his shirt so she could get at the wound. "...Was that your first kill?"
Kit rumbled, lowering his head though he did not lay back down as he had before they were attacked. Despite his injuries, the dragon was clearly ready to move.
"Yeah," Grav sighed as he lifted his shirt, "I've only ever dueled before. I... didn't think it would be so... easy."
He was troubled by how effortless the kill was—almost an afterthought. He hadn't even hesitated one bit, which surprised him. The fact that it kept him alive was a cold comfort.
The wound along his ribs was a shallow cut about two inches long. Thankfully, it was clean, with no ragged edges to be seen. He had been lucky.
No wonder he was cocky if he had never had a real fight before—one to the death. People held back when life wasn't at stake.
"Mm." Kiara eyed the cut, then started fishing through her pouch for what was left of the healing salve that she'd used on Kit. "It isn't always."
She dabbed a bit of the salve over the wound, then scrounged up the last of the clean linens she typically used for wrapping. Tying the bandaging off quickly, she added, "If it wasn't you, it would've been someone else. Men who decide picking a fight with a dragon is a good path to coin tend not to live long anyway."
"Then I'm glad I didn't end up fighting Kit." He gave her a weak, lopsided smile. "You must think me a proper fool, strutting about like I can't possibly lose."
Reality was hitting him hard. She could see him replaying his past victories in his head, seeing them in a new light. It was very different when your opponent wanted you dead.
She snorted, nodding. "On your own? You'd have been a nice snack, even with the state he's in," she joked lightly.
Then she looked up, saw his expression, and her own clouded. "Hey."
She gripped his arm firmly, trying to draw his attention back to her. "Remember what I said before? About heart?" She gave his arm a little shake. "I meant that. It's too easy to lose out here--yeah, a real fight it probably different from what you're used to. But don't let that change who you are, okay?"
"What good is heart if other people have to kill for me? If I had been better, more resolute to kill, then you two wouldn't have had to take the rest on your own."
He was overlooking the fact that if he hadn't been here, they would have had to face all nine alone and without a distraction. It could have been much worse.
"Well, aren't we confident." Kiara smirked at him. "Who's to say we wouldn't let you even have that one, if we didn't need the distraction."
She was joking, but she hoped it helped. She'd never been good with this sort of thing—sincerity, emotion. Ick. Eyeing him carefully, she added a little more soberly, "Listen, if you need to back out...no hard feelings." She glanced at Kit, then exhaled sharply. "We...tend to get into our share of scrapes."
Grav straightened his posture and visibly shook off his vulnerable moment. He wasn't good with serious emotional moments himself. He usually made jokes and silly banter to break the tension.
"No. I don't back down on my word. Besides," he said, smirking, "Someone has to keep you two out of trouble. Just think of me as a good luck charm."
He wasn't sure he was good luck to have around anymore, but he wouldn't be himself if dwelled on it.
"There ya go, puppy." Kiara thumped the back of her hand against his chest with a quick smirk. "Well, you're as patched up as I can manage. We should probably get on the road sooner rather than later."
She glanced in the direction Eyepatch had gone and worried her lower lip for a moment. "No telling if there're more where that lot came from." She glanced back at Kit. "Think you're up for a bit of a trek."
The dragon snorted, nodding firmly. "I'm fine."
"Bullshit, but I s'pose we don't have a lot of options." She sighed, ran a hand back through her hair, then shook herself. "Right. Onward, then?"
"Onward! To adventure!" He gestured ahead theatrically. "And lots of walking! Really, adventure is mostly walking!"
The goofy adventurer let her lead the way. This wasn't his "quest" after all. His story might not be beginning how he had always imagined, but he was happy to have made some friends. One was even a dragon!
Both Kit and Kiara groaned dramatically and said in twin tones of disgust, "Walking."
Kiara shot their new traveling companion a quick grin as the little group set out from their sheltered hillock. "Once Kit's feeling better, you should see how we really go adventuring."
Grav beamed like a child receiving a much-wished-for toy as a gift. "I want nothing more at this moment."
He didn't know if Kit could carry two or if she was even offering that, but seeing a dragon fly would be amazing enough. Well, a dragon not trying to roast him.
Kit huffed at them both and Kiara laughed, then picked up her pace a bit--not enough to strain Kit's wounds, but certainly quicker than a "wander". They had places to be, after all.
Leaving the small village and it's potential dangers behind seemed to lighten her step. She was amiable enough to conversation as they walked, but she didn't offer many details about herself or Kit--mostly she joked, or told wildly embellished tales of jobs she and the dragon had completed in the past, all with a lopsided grin that made it clear she wasn't being entirely serious.
Grav was completely fine with jokes and embellished stories. Yet he did offer up more in the way of personal details within his stories. Granted, he had spent most of his life in one town, so it was unavoidable short of being silent.
He told her of his father's ship, the Golden Stag. He amused her, or tried to, with stories of drunken shenanigans. And he regaled her with the tale of his duel with the Red Crow.
The journey seemed to speed past for him as they talked. It made his tiring legs and the itching of his healing wound more bearable. His first taking of a life was, at least for then, a distant memory.
It was surprisingly pleasant, to be traveling with company. Even Kit's grouchiness--which she knew was mostly due to the fact that he was irritated they were walking rather than flying--was easy enough to let roll off as they walked.
As the daylight started to flag, though, she began looking around for a place to camp. "You been doing a lot of roughing it, since you've been on your own?" she asked Grav as she did, both to keep conversation moving and to try to get a sense of how adept he might be at pitching a camp.
"Oh, yeah, the Gods know I don't have the coin to spend every night in an inn. I had a few mishaps on my first time camping alone, but I figured it out." Humility? May wonders never cease.
He was looking for a spot too. His gaze kept going back to the same group of trees. "I think I see a nice spot, but I'm not sure it's dragon sized."
"I'll make do," Kit grumbled, sounding about as annoyed about it as he had about everything else in the brief time of their acquaintance.
Kiara rolled her eyes at him. "I swear, usually I'm the ornery one," she told Grav with a small laugh.
Silently though, she asked her partner, How're you feeling? Really?
The dragon dropped his surly attitude just long enough to blink fondly at her. I'll be fine. The sylvanleaf is already working. I might even be able to fly in a day or so.
Without thinking, she answered that aloud with, "Oh no you will not, mister. That wing needs three days at least." She abruptly realized what she'd done and shot their companion a sheepish sort of look. "Er...sorry. I'm--we're not used to having a third party around."
Grav looked momentarily puzzled. When he spoke, he was equal parts impressed and amused. "You two must have quite the connection if you can speak mind to mind. I just thought he didn't talk much."
"Also, I thought you two acted like siblings, but now I'm thinking you act more like... well, like you raised him."
The brought them both up short. Kit snorted--it was difficult for a dragon to look surprised, their faces just didn't work that way, but he came close. Kiara found herself looking up at him, eyes a little wide.
"I--I guess I did. Sort of," she muttered after a moment. "My mother, she thought--well, her partner sired him, so...we've been together since he hatched." She shrugged, trying to shake herself out of the sudden reverie. "He's only three years younger than me, though, really. Mum mostly raised both of us. For a while."
"I see. A little of both." He felt some satisfaction at his successful insight. He didn't have many of those.
He sensed she wouldn't want to talk about that final addition, but he asked anyway just in case she did. "For a while?" he asked gently.
Kiara glanced at him, then exhaled sharply and looked away.
"She died," she replied bluntly. "Got sick. Happened really fast. It was a long time ago."
Kit rumbled, looking at her, and she shook her head subtly. It was fine. She was fine.
"Anyway, we should mark out a perimeter," she said briskly, looking about the potential campsite.
"Right," he answered, beginning to walk the perimeter while looking for potential problems.
He stabbed at a suspicious shape with his sword, but it proved to just be a snakelike stick.
"I'm sorry you had to go through that." Sure, it was a social cliché to say, but it was clear he meant it.
She shrugged again, not looking at him. "Like I said. It was a long time ago."
Kit gave her a Look, but didn't say anything as the two humans mapped a perimeter and he settled himself into it. Kiara quickly started gathering up firewood and kindling.
"Don't suppose you've got more than a day or two of rations on you?" she asked, purposefully chipper as she began building a fire.
"I just happened to stock up for three or four. So, yes, for the two of us at least. I suspect not nearly enough for a growing dragon."
He dragged a convenient fallen logs to use as seating, pausing to sweep a few insects away that he had disturbed. He shuddered, but at least there weren't any spiders. "Ugh. Gross."
She chuckled as she watched him move the log, finishing arranging their kindling as she sat back on her heels. "Not much for the creepy crawlies?" she teased lightly. Nodding to Kit, she added, "I've got enough food for the two of us for the next two days. Ish. Just making sure you were alright."
Kit shifted a little more onto his side and added, "I can hunt for us, after that."
Kiara nodded, holding her hands over the firewood. Normally, Kit would light it with little more than a sigh. But firebreath took more out of a dragon than most people realized, and she knew he probably needed at least the night before he was back in top form.
She narrowed her eyes and snapped, sending a cascade of sparks spiraling over the wood. The kindling caught and she nodded to herself, satisfied.
When the fire was built, Grav started rummaging through his pack for his tinderbox.
"Wait a minute, I have a tind--" He blinked as he caught sight of her casting a spell. "Okay. That works too."
"So... magic, huh?" he asked more jealously than any true magic-fearing Connloathian would.
"Oh. Yeah." She flashed a quick smile that didn't quite reach her eyes as she leaned back in her hands. "Not much, but a bit. Just fire stuff." She stared at the flames of their campfire for a moment. "Not the gentlest element. Can be a bit of a bitch sometimes."
She shook herself and gave him another smile. "But then, so can I, so I guess it works." Cocking her head, she added, "Honestly, it's usually more trouble than it's worth."
Grav laughed heartily. "My father says the same thing. He has some air magic, but finds it far too unpredictable to be of much use at sea."
"'The ocean is tempestuous enough without mages mucking about with the wind.'" He quoted his adoptive father with a coastal Serenian accent much thicker than his own.
She chuckled and nodded. "Yeah, I can see how that would be a pain." She pulled her knees up toward her chest and rested one arm across them, leaning back on her other hand. "Think a lot of Serenians feel that in their magic, the little bit of primal force--I mean, the ones who get it from a fae bloodline, at least."
Kit flicked his tail, curving a little around both them and the fire. "Born to the wrong nation then, weren't you," he huffed at her, and she stuck her tongue out at him.
"Right, because the two of us are so patriotic," she quipped back, rolling her eyes.
"I mean, I am a little. Just not to the land of my origin." He took out one of his rations and opened it up. Biting off a chunk of bread, he started to eat.
"I doubt I ever will be. The way they treat mages is atrocious. I wonder sometimes if one of my parents was a mage and I was being smuggled to safety before the Connloathian church could take me, fearing I would have magic. But I don't."
"Oh, I meant us, really," Kiara said, waving a hand between herself and Kit. "We're not exactly, y'know...Adelan Adelan."
She leaned over to nudge her shoulder against his knee. "Well, hey. Word is the civil war might be winding down. Maybe. Who knows--could be the country will pull its collective head out of its ass."
Wouldn't that be nice.
"You said you've got family in Selevea?" she asked abruptly, trying to steer the conversation somewhere a little less grim. "But you've never been to the city before?"
"I do, but not by blood, and no, I haven't. I'd never even left Featherfell before I started traveling, and I have no plans for after meeting up with him."
He turned his head to look at her and smiled. "Why? You offering to show me around?"
"Well, we should probably deal with some murdercats first, but after that, sure. Why not," she laughed. "It's not my most familiar city, but I know most of the important spots."
She stretched, arching her back slightly, before climbing to her feet and moving to the other side of the fire. "We should grab some shuteye while we can. Normally I'd try to put up wards, but frankly I'm terrible at it and I'm beat."
Kit huffed at her and nudged her hip with his muzzle. "Sleep. I can keep first watch. I spent most of the day napping."
She smiled and gave his cheek a pat. "Thanks, Kitten."
"You two are adorable." He smirked teasingly while he found a spot for himself.
He fished out a blanket for himself, spread it out on the ground, and lay down. Turning to face her, he grinned. "I mean it. Just adorable."
"Shut up," both girl and dragon huffed in unison, then shot each other surprised looks.
Kit grumbled and Kiara pointed threateningly at Grav, mock growling, "Not. One. Word."
"Sleep," Kit agreed, sitting up on his haunches as Kiara unrolled her sleeping roll and tucked in into the curve of the dragon's body before climbing inside.
Grav mimed sewing his lips shut before tucking himself into his sleeping roll. He quickly fell asleep with a satisfied smile on his pretty face.
A couple of days passed and the trio was nearly to their destination. Grav had proven helpful to have around so far, but the true test still lay ahead. He was a capable fighter though, so the prospects were good.
The few days of traveling at a consistent pace without having to fight off angry villagers did wonders for Kit, both physically and in terms of his disposition.
By the third morning, he was wheedling Kiara to allow him to fly.
"My wing is fine!" the dragon whined. "Come on, we could be there by the end of the day if we flew!"
Kiara glowered. "Yeah, and have you be at half your best fighting manticores."
Kit snorted. "I think I know my best better than you." He swung his head around to blink plaintively at Grav before Kiara could retort. "C'mon, you want to get there faster, don't you?"
Grav chuckled, shaking his head. "Oh no, big guy, I'm not getting in the middle of this. You're on your own."
The adventurer knew he couldn't win, whatever side he took. He wasn't that big a fool. Pissing off either of them was a terrible idea.
"Coward," Kit sighed theatrically, giving Grav a teasing flick with his tail.
"Clever," Kiara corrected, laughing, as she finished packing their supplies.
"He'd back me up if he wasn't sweet on you," Kit retorted, truly living up to his unofficial position as "bratty younger brother".
"You know what? Fine." Kiara planted her hands on her hips and glared at him. "You wanna fly, fine. We'll be up there for ten minutes and you'll remember that your damn wing was sliced through four days ago!"
"Kiara." He day back on his haunches and snorted. "I'm fine. You don't have to baby me."
I don't break so easily.
She continued to glare. Says you.
Yes. Says me. The dragon lowered his head to nudge his snout against her cheek. Trust me. I'm alright. Really...you won't lose me.
Her glare melted slowly and she sighed, then turned and wrapped her arms around his neck in a quick hug. "Alright," she muttered into his scales. "You win. But if you feel even a little sore, we're landing."
Kit flicked his tongue out to scrape over her cheek, then lowered himself down to the ground and stretched out one foreleg like a mounting block.
Kiara climbed easily up into his back, settling herself into place at the dip where his neck met the joints of his shoulders and wings. She glanced down at Grav and held out a hand. "Coming?"
"Oh, I wouldn't miss this for the world." He took her and and pulled himself onto Kit.
He was beaming, all but vibrating with excitement. This was a childhood dream come true. Well, half of one; he had wanted his own personal dragon friend.
"I have been waiting for this since I was twelve."
Kiara grinned at him. "Then hold on."
Kit stretched his wings open slowly, testing, flapped once, then set off at a steady lope that quickly turned to a sprint before he launched himself into the air.
She leaned forward over his neck, shifting easily with the movement of his body as they climbed up up up, before finally leveling out when the earth below was a patchwork quilt of fields and farmland, woods and rivers. Kit banked left, setting a course for Selevea, and then snapped his wings in twice to oriel them forward with the wind.
Kiara glanced back at Grav, grinning. "So? Does it meet expectation?"
"This is incredible! Beyond incredible! Super-incredible, you could say!" He grinned from ear to ear, shouting over the wind and the beating of Kit's mighty wings.
He was holding on a little too tight, but everyone did their first time. The fear was to be expected. Hells, the fear was half the thrill! And he was clearly thrilled.
Kiara laughed, leaning fractionally as Kit turned into a shallow bank. "Easy there, air's thin enough up here without you crushing the breath out of me," she teased, but she really didn't mind the grip. He wasn't the first person whose first time this high had been on Kit's back behind her--she'd had one employer who had actually left bruises on her ribs from how tight they clung on.
Think he could handle a dive? Kit asked her silently, glancing back over his shoulder for a moment with a glint in his eye. She made a face at him.
Don't you dare. For your sake as much as his.
"Sorry."
Grav relaxed a little. He could only imagine what they had just said to each other.
"Anything to share with the class?" He smirked, amused.
"Don't worry about it," Kiara snorted, and Kit chuckled. On his back, they could feel the rumble of the sound echoing out from his chest through the rest of his body.
"Well, if we keep this pace up, we're only a few hours from the city," she noted, glancing up. "Should be there by sundown."
Grav widened his eyes in amazement. "You're that fast?"
Kit was incredible. He was stronger and faster than any horse could ever be. How could the adventurer ever be happy with a horse that couldn't even talk?
"Well, you've ruined horses for me forever," he quipped.
"Aha! Our secret evil plan all along to ruin your life," Kiara snorted. "Here, lean back, we should get above that cloud bank."
Kit huffed in agreement and began a steep climb to bring them over the slightly heavier, grayish clouds they'd been heading toward. The air temperature dropped a bit, and Kiara felt her magic flickering in her chest in an effort to warm her.
"Where's your uncle live, anyhow?" she asked over her shoulder. "What part of the city?"
It took Grav a long moment to wrap his head around being above the clouds. It wasn't something many humans would ever experience. He was filled with wonder at the very idea that he had now joined the club.
"Huh? Oh! The port district, on the Whitesands side, near the city wall. The tavern is called The Rooster and Kitten."
"Perfect. Port district has an inn that sometimes caters to Adelan riders, we should be able to set down there."
Kit huffed an agreement, making minute adjustments to the position of his wings as he caught the wind.
"Is he expecting you?" Kiara asked, glancing back. "I wouldn't wanna give the man a heart attack, turning up with a dragon and all if he didn't even know you were coming."
"He knows, but he won't be expecting me for a few days. And I have no idea what he'll make of Kit. I've only met him a few times."
"But, we've got manticores to hunt down first. We can cross that bridge when we come to it. At least I'll have a story to tell!"
"You sure?" She frowned a bit, tilting her head back toward him fractionally. "I mean...manticores aren't exactly easy, even with a dragon. Sure you don't wanna check in with him, maybe catch your breath for a day or so?"
"I mean, I could go for a break. I just kinda assumed you would want to get paid. Forgot for a moment that I'm not the one most in need of a rest." He gave the dragon a soft look.
"Uhg, don't you start," Kit scoffed, snorting smoke.
Kiara, for her part, gave Grav a slightly surprised but appreciative look and mouthed, Thank you.
Kit dipped slightly, taking them back down beneath the lowest bank of clouds once they were passed the grayish, vaguely threatening ones. They continued to fly mostly without incident, from either weather or overly excitable people on the ground.
They reached the city just as the sun began its descent, enfolding the world in a luminous dragon's brilliant wings. The towers along the city walls cast long shadows reaching out towards them like a hungry giant. From their perspective, the sight took Grav's breath away.
"Wow... this is better than being above the clouds."
It was sort of fascinating, to see his reaction to their arrival. Kiara found herself a little caught up in his wonder, looking out over the view as though it was her first time seeing it.
Yeah. Pretty impressive, she supposed.
"It is kind of amazing," she agreed with a little chuckle and a shrug as Kit banked toward the port district. A few shouts went up from the people on the ground below--but Kit was still relatively small, by dragon standards, and clearly not aggressive, so the clamor died down quickly. He set them down in a wide courtyard near the city wall, and Kiara swung down to the ground gracefully before looking back up at Grav.
"Need a hand? It can be a little bit of an adjustment, getting back onto solid ground after flying."
"No. I've got this. How different can it be from getting off a boat." Grav didn't understand what the concern was about; he had a terrific sense of balance. So, he climbed down without a care in the world. "See? Eas—"
He fell on his butt the instant he tried to stand. "—I don't got this." He gave her an awkward, embarrassed look as he held a hand out for her to help him up.
Kiara laughed, though the sound was playful rather than mocking as she leaned forward to help him stand. "Steady there, puppy," she chuckled, hauling him to his feet and keeping her grip on his hand for a moment or two longer to make sure he had his legs back under him properly. "I did warn you," she pointed out, eyes glinting.
Kit huffed, amused, and gave their companion a teasing flick across the shoulder with the tip of his tail. "You get used to it. Eventually," he rumbled, eyes sparkling in a way oddly similar to his rider's. "Maybe by the third or fourth flight."
Kiara quirked an eyebrow at that, at the implication that there would be a third or fourth flight. For all his theatric surliness, Kit seemed to like Grav. Better than he'd liked some people they'd traveled with, at least.
Still a little unsteady, the large creature's gentle flick nearly toppled him over again. This time, Grav found his balance before that happened. "Whoah! Careful, big guy!" he laughed, "I've still got jelly legs."
"How many times did it take you to stop feeling like the ground was out to get you?" He looked at Kiara with the expectation of a humorous anecdote.
Kit gave another amused huff, but didn't speak. A few of the locals of the district had overcome their initial surprise at the dragon's landing and were creeping a bit closer, forming a semi-ring around the group.
Kiara just chuckled and shot Grav a wink, exclaiming theatrically, "Why, me? Ser, I will have you know I am a natural flyer." Expression slipping toward sincerity, though still light, she added, "Really though, Mum used to take me flying on Korokast, her partner. Since before I could walk, probably. Didn't take too long to get used to it on Kit." She crinkled her nose. "Sea travel though--uhg." She closed her eyes and shuddered dramatically.
Grav grinned with amusement. "It is difficult to get used to. I used to throw up over the edge all the time when my father took me out."
He scanned the growing crowd. "We should get moving before we draw the wrong kind of attention. I saw the tavern nearby while we were landing."
"You should lead the way then," Kiara agreed, glancing around as well. She looked to Kit, quirking an eyebrow, and the dragon dipped his head with a low huff.
Call if you need me.
Of course, Kitten. We'll come find you once everything's settled a bit. She frowned. You're just scouting. Don't push yourself.
He nodded, snorted, then launched himself into the air with a great sweep of his wings that sent a few of the curious onlookers skittering back in surprise at the gust of wind.
"He's gonna scope out the manor where our employer said the manticores have been a nuisance," Kiara explained to Grav as she watched him gain some air, then back eastward. She looked back to him and gave a nod down the street. "Shall we?"
"We shall!"
The tavern was not like Grav expected. The outside had looked respectable: stylish signage, colorful frosted windows, and no criminal types hanging around...
... because they were all inside. The assorted thieves and ruffians within grew quiet, sizing up the new meat. They weren't impressed.
"At least it isn't crowded?" He joked nervously, unsure they were even in the right place.
"Oh no." Kiara gave him a very clear Fuck This Nonsense look. "Gods forbid it be crowded."
She was mostly just giving him a hard time; she'd certainly been in her fair share of unsavory inns and taverns in her time.
Still, the looks they were getting—she was getting, really—from a couple of men in the corner brought her hackles up a bit.
"Do me a favor, puppy." She abruptly took his arm and pressed closer to his side, pasting on a vapid smile as she said out of the corner of her mouth, "When we find your uncle, tell him I find his accommodations somewhat lacking."
"You're not the only one. Eesh," he clandestinely whispered back. This was not the place as it was described. It seemed dear uncle Clade had embellished greatly. Did he not expect him to actually come?
He led them to the bar, cautiously avoiding irritating anyone in their path. Waiting for them was a portly Serenian with fair skin and curly green hair. His blue eyes were the only thing the man had in common with the adventurer.
The tavernkeeper studied them suspiciously. "We don't serve Conn—" he said, blinking as annoyance gave way to recognition, "Grav...? Is that you?"
The man laughed happily. "By the gods it is you! I wasn't sure you'd—you're early." He glanced over at Kiara with a glint in his eyes. "And who, pray tell, is this lovely creature?"
She kept close to Grav's side as they picked their way to the bar, more than willing to play up at being arm candy if it meant the people in this tavern would be less inclined to pay her much attention.
Then Grav's uncle--at least, she had to assume this was the uncle--greeted them, and her smile grew brittle. "The lovely creature is Kiara," she told him sharply, though she kept the smile in place. "I'm...a friend."
That was right, wasn't it? Sure, it wasn't like she and Grav had known each other all that long, but they'd fought side by side, and Kit had acquiesced to carrying him. "Friend" seemed appropriate.
"It's not like that, Uncle Clade." Grav flushed. "We met on the road, and I'm helping her out."
"My apologies, young lady. I thought... nevermind." Clade's near leer changed to a jovial smile as he lifted the flap that allowed passage to the kitchen. "Come, let us talk somewhere more private."
The kitchen was surprisingly clean in comparison with the main room. Perhaps that was due to the younger blue-haired woman running the kitchen. He waved her out politely and turned to his guests. "So, already playing the hero, eh, my boy?"
"Kind of? I mean, she is paying me. Well, after the job's done."
The tavern keeper perked up with interest. "Job, you say? What sort of job?"
Oh, she knew very well what he thought. Not sure she entirely bought Clade's shift into joviality, Kiara nonetheless followed them into the kitchen. She gave the young woman a nod and a friendly smile as she was shooed out.
"Oh, it's a...pest control situation," she answered Grav's uncle, snapping back to the current situation. "We got word there's been some manticores harrying one of the estates just outside the city."
"Diving right into the deep, aren't you, boyo?" Clade asked a little worriedly.
"It'll be okay Uncle Clade. She knows what she's doing. And I've already had a reality check about the limits of my skill level. Don't worry." Grav assured the man with a confident smile.
Clade gave the — monster hunter? — a measuring gaze, taking her much more seriously. "You do this for a living?"
Kiara shrugged. "I mean...sure. Yeah. Take whatever jobs that pay, mostly. Haven't gotten myself killed yet."
She glanced at Grav—now that they weren't out in the common room she'd put a little more space between them—then back to his uncle. Tone sobering a bit, she added, "I'll keep an eye out for him, ser, you can count on that."
"I'll hold you to that," Clade said in a way that suggested he knew who to pay to hunt her down if she failed to keep him alive. Judging by his clientele, this was true. His face became jovial again before Grav could notice the threat.
"Where are my manners?" He chuckled. "I bet you two are starving for a warm meal. I'll have Emilia make some of her famous stew. On the house."
Kiara held his gaze, eyes hard. She had no intention of letting Grav get himself killed—but it wasn't in her nature to back down from a threat either. Even a carefully veiled one.
When the conversation turned to food though, she relaxed immediately and grinned. "Hey, I'll never say no to a free meal," she chuckled.
They spoke of nothing of consequence over the course of the meal. Clade Caviin was determined to keep up the kind uncle act in front of his nephew. Despite the obvious holes in the image, Grav seemed to be buying it. He was the type to see the best in people, so why wouldn't he see the same in his family?
When the meal ended, the man leaned back in his chair with a satisfied smile. "You two are more than welcome to stay the night in my guest room upstairs. In fact, I insist. And don't worry, you won't be bothered by my patrons."
Kiara was always a little awkward in these sorts of situations--family situations--and on top of that, she just...she didn't trust Clade. She didn't necessarily think he was up to anything specifically nefarious, but she had a hard time justifying the "jovial uncle" with the proprietor of this particular establishment.
But--but that was probably her own fault. Her own bias. She had a hard time believing anyone's family was exactly who they said they were.
Maybe I'm being paranoid. So she smiled and nodded her thanks when he offered them a place to stay the night, despite her instinctive urge to reject the offer. "Well, thanks. That's awful kind of you, ser."
She stood from the table and glanced at Grav, adding a little more quietly, "I'm gonna head toward the wall and let Kit know we'll be here for the night." She didn't love the idea of leaving the dragon to himself, but it wasn't the first time he'd kept the wilds while she bunked in a city. Besides, she doubted he'd be interested in the awkward dance of finding an inn that was willing to accommodate a dragon on short notice.
"Alright. I'll... meet you upstairs when you get back." Even Grav was hesitant to be around the tavern's patron. He, at least, wasn't completely oblivious.
"Assuming I don't fall asleep before then. Even with flying, I'm beat."
She chuckled and gave him a light, friendly punch on the shoulder. "Ah, don't keep yourself up on my account. I'll see you in the morning, yeah?"
She gave Clade another nod, telling herself that she was just being overly sensitive to the man's clientele, then slipped back out onto the street and began making her way toward the city wall near where they'd left Kit. The manor he was supposed to be scoping out wasn't too far from the city proper, so she figured she should be able to reach him through their mental link once she had the wall in sight.
After a day of rest and preparation, the pair departed for the estate where the manticores awaited. Grav was in high spirits as he watched the land speed by beneath them. Today was the day he would slay his first monster.
"Sooo... any last minute advice on how to not get myself killed?"
Both Kit and Kiara snorted in almost perfect unison. "Yell for Kia," the dragon advised wryly.
Kiara rolled her eyes and added, "He means me, not the goddess." Twisting to better look at him, she continued more seriously, "Really though--that's the best advice I've got. If you're in trouble, call for help. Kit or I will back you."
She sighed and faced forward again as Kit began a slow, spiraling descent to the manor and grounds of their employer. "You'd be surprised how often just accepting that you can't do it all on your own will save your life," she murmured as they touched down.
"Not the invincible chosen hero, got it." He gave a nod of understanding and climbed down off the dragon. He was still wobbly-legged, but he didn't fall this time. Bracing himself on Kit's flank, he added, "Really, I hear you. I won't hesitate to ask for help if I need it."
His character had grown since his near defeat. Not much, mind you, but he no longer had himself convinced he was gods' gift to swordfighting. While he still had great confidence in his abilitie, he understood he needed experience to be truly great.
"Atta boy." She clapped him on the shoulder, heedless of his wobbly legs—he was leaning against Kit, after all—and turned toward the front gates of the manor.
Where a rather terrified housekeeper was waiting, eyes wide as they fixed on the dragon.
Ah. Seemed they hadn't been entirely expected.
Kiara winced and raised a hand to the woman. "Ah, hello there! We're the pest control the master of the house ordered," she explained as succinctly as she could.
Still looking rather stunned, the housekeeper made a concerted effort to pull herself together and nodded briskly. "Oh. Yes. Right. Of—of course. Ahem, forgive me, Master Hallis didn't mention—" She cleared her throat. "I will go fetch him. Just, ah...wait here."
Kiara smiled and nodded as the woman scurried away, then leaned back against Kit's flank. "Well, that could've been worse."
The dragon nodded. "Remember the one who came at us with ice crystals?"
She snorted. "Oh yeah. That was fun."
"Like, a magic spell or just chucking ice at you?" He was both amused and curious, suddenly dying to hear that story. "Just asking for clarification. And because you are here to amuse me, jester."
He gave her a teasing smirk that made his eyes twinkle. But, also, he was clearly nervous about his first real job as a "hero."
Kiara laughed. "Kind of a combination of the two; they're these crystals that someone basically stores an ice spell in--I think that's how it works--basically, we were getting pelted with shiny rocks that made the ground very slippery."
Sensing his tension, a bit, she elbowed him lightly and before rocking back on one heel casually. "So." She nodded toward the manor before them--three stories tall and sprawling, with its grounds mostly rolling over the coastal hills that stretched behind it. "Think they're compensating for something?"
Grav smirked and looked up at the structure thoughtfully. It didn't seem remotely just for the nobility to have such luxuries while others suffered just to eat.
"Don't be silly. When you're this rich, the size of one's inheritance is the only thing that matters."
She snorted. "Yeah, guess they do think so, huh?"
She shot him a considering sort of look as something occurred to her.
"What's your home like?" she asked abruptly, still leaning against Kit's side. "I mean, the actual place. You said your father's on ships mostly, but you've gotta have a house somewhere, right?"
Grav scratched his head in thought as he considered how to describe it.
"It's near a cliff just outside of town. It's not big, though it's a far cry from being just a hut. Not much of a grounds to speak of, kinda rocky and nearly treeless, but there's this... breathtaking view from the outcropping of the cliff. It makes you feel, for just a moment, like you're—" He paused, smiling warmly. "Well, flying over the coast on a dragon."
The fact that he had actually ridden on a dragon twice now made him chuckle.
Kiara watched him as he spoke of his home, the barest hint of a softer than usual smile on her lips. "That sounds...nice," she murmured, glancing away.
Kit rumbled quietly, giving her a questioning look that she didn't seem to notice.
"And your mother?" Despite the days they'd spent traveling together, it was dawning on her that she really only knew the shallowest details of his life. For some reason, she felt compelled to ask now, as they waited to face bloodthirsty manticores. "What's she like?"
Grav knew even less about her. She didn't seem to want to talk about herself. Though, now that she trusted him, perhaps he would risk asking.
"She's wonderful." He smiled fondly. "My father isn't around much, so she mostly raised me by herself. She's loving and kind, with a silly sense of humor that's lost on most people. And brave if she needs to be. She certainly taught me to be."
"What about your family? You said your mother raised you; does that mean your father wasn't in the picture?"
Well. She really should have expected that.
Kiara listened to him talk about his mother with a small smile of her own, but when the question was turned back to her the expression morphed into something of a grimace for a moment before she cleared her face entirely.
"He...tried, I guess," she muttered, not quite looking at him. "Sometimes. When he remembered. But no, not really. It was just me and Mum until I was twelve, then..." She trailed off with a shrug.
It still hurt.
"Stayed with Aeol--my father, for a while after that. But it just...didn't work. So, Kit and I left." The dragon crooned quietly and ducked his head to nuzzle her cheek, which was rewarded with a smile and a fond pat. "I think I was about fourteen? Been just the two of us ever since, really."
Listening to her story, Grav couldn't help but feel sorry for her. His father wasn't home most of the time, but at least it was obvious that he thought about them when he was away. The adventurer had never felt abandoned or forgotten. He was lucky in that regard, and he knew it.
He kept the pity out of his voice as he answered, "I'm sorry you've had to go it by yourselves. That can't have been easy."
"For what it's worth, you seem to have turned out pretty well." He smiled softly, but not flirtatiously.
She shrugged, not really looking at him. "We've done alright."
After a pause, she gave him a brief look and mumbled, "Thanks, though."
Lucky for her, as the conversation was dangerously sincere for her tastes, the housekeeper came bustling back out of the manor. The woman looked a little harried, but she pasted on a polite smile and nodded respectfully to them both.
"If you'll follow me please, I can take you around to the back gardens to meet with your employer. We don't exactly have the ah...prepared space for your..."
She glanced at Kit, who rolled his eyes and huffed, then got up and began lumbering around the side of the manor without waiting for her guidance.
Kiara winced, hurrying after him. "Oi! Don't be rude."
"Sorry. I should... probably follow them." He gave the servant an apologetic smile before chasing after his companions.
He caught up quickly. "I'd chastise you for lacking etiquette, but then I'd have to know it. And, you know, care."
She snorted, rolling her eyes at him, as they rounded the corner of the manor and came into--what she assumed was--the back gardens.
They really were lovely: sprawling grounds with winding paths between different beds of colorful flowers, most of the perimeter marked by blossoming fruit trees.
Most of the perimeter. There was a section on the far western side, about the length of a horse's body, where it was clear one of the trees had been not cut down, but ripped from the earth. Kiara's eyebrows crept up.
"Didn't realize the things were getting so close to the main house," she noted to Grav, nodding in the direction of the torn up earth.
Grav looked at the spot nervously. "Uhh... just how big are these things?"
He figured they were big, the size of a lion, not—he realized just then that he didn't actually know how big a lion really was. He had only read vague descriptions of them and even more vague descriptions of manticores. That could be a problem.
"Ummm...'bout the size of a charger? Give or take? They're usually solitary, but report I got said they'd been moving in a pack..." Kiara answered absently, attention caught by the approaching figure that she assumed had to be "Master Hallis", her employer. Well, their employer.
He seemed to be a typical Serenian nobleman, in most respects: dressed in fine silks and leathers, sapphire hair perfectly braided back from his face, with at least a dozen rings adorning his fingers and a crystal droplet dangling from one ear. He was also younger than she'd expected--not that much older than her or Grav, really.
"Ah, hello." The man gave them a nod and welcoming if slightly befuddled smile. He was doing better than the housekeeper at not staring at Kit, but his eyes kept flicking in the dragon's direction before away again quickly. "Forgive me, I suppose I did not consider--you see, when Barran recommended I contact you, he didn't mention--ahem."
"Oh!" Kiara realized. "Master Hallis. Not Lord Hallis."
The noble blinked at her, taken aback. "Ah--yes. I mean, no. No, that's--that would be my father." Clearly unsure, he glanced toward Grav. "I--forgive me, and you are?"
It seemed to Grav that this noble was as uncertain as he was about how to act in this situation. He guessed that the young man was as inexperienced with the world as he was.
He gave a short, hesitant bow before extending a grubby commoner hand. "Grav Caviin of Griffonbeak, at your service."
"Ah—of course. Well met." Master Hallis eyed his hand for a moment, then took it gingerly. The smile he gave seemed genuine enough, if still a little unsure.
Kiara rolled her eyes. "So. The manticores?"
"Right! Yes!" The lordling turned to her and nodded quickly. "They've been coming at night, usually an hour or so after dusk. They used to just harry the edges of the grounds, but in the last week they've grown bolder..."
His eyes flicked to the destroyed tree and he swallowed. "No one has been seriously hurt, thank Kia, but one of our groundskeepers burned himself removing some of the wreckage—their venom seems to...linger for an unusually long time."
Kiara frowned. Moving in packs, systematically encroaching on human territory, lingering venom... Something was up.
She looked to Grav, one eyebrow quirked. "Well. Ready for some weird shit?"
Grav frowned. That didn't sound right, but he lacked practical knowledge of monster behavior, so he wasn't sure. Could someone have trained them somehow?
"Ready as I'll ever be." He nodded, taking in her expression. "That's not normal, though, is it?"
"Not even a little bit!" She grinned. "This'll be fun."
Their employer glanced between them. "You...have an odd definition of fun, Miss Kiara."
She crinkled her nose. "Uhg, no "Miss" please. I can't afford it."
While Master Hallis seemed to be trying to process that, she looked to Grav and Kit and nodded consideringly. "Well, we've got until evening, if the pattern holds. We should find a good place to set up watch, see if we can catch them before they get too close to the estate."
Grav nodded again, looking around for a place to keep watch. It needed to have a clear view and provide for a quick response. His eyes landed on the back of a carriage house he noticed from the air.
"What if we ask to borrow a carriage, or a wagon, to use as a hunter's blind of sorts?"
Kiara nodded thoughtfully. "Yeah, that could work. What direction do the manticores usually approach from?"
"Northward," Hallis responded, pointing—as though she didn't where north was—and added, "We've sent a few scouting parties to track them, try to find their den, but..." He shook his head with a sigh. "Nothing."
Kiara frowned. This was getting stranger by the moment.
But, ah well. Weird or not, the manticores were a danger, and that was why she and Kit—and now by extension Grav—were here.
"It's almost like--" He knew it was ridiculous, but this was a strange case, so maybe... "This weirdness has me thinking: could someone have used magic to bend them to their will? I don't have any guesses about what they could be after, but do you have any enemies who might do anything like this?"
Hallis shook his head, evidently mystified. "Not to my knowledge—well, people in our circles are almost constantly sniping at one another, but nothing like this."
Kiara sighed and rubbed at the back of her neck. "Could be something less nefarious," she muttered. "Surge of wild magic, maybe?"
Still...manticores weren't exactly common under more usual circumstances. That would be an awful lot of coincidences.
"Tell me, are they attacking anywhere else or just probing your defenses? If it's just you, then it can't be natural. I know I'm not the smartest guy, but it seems to me that would have to be directed by a person."
"Solid point," Kiara noted consideringly, looking around the perimeter of the gardens.
Hallis looked a little ill. "You—you think someone is making them do this?"
Kiara looked at Grav, shrugging. "Could be. Could also be some sort of plan gone wrong?"
"As good a guess as any." Grav shrugged, looking at the sky to judge the time of day. "We should probably get set up. It won't be much longer."
Dusk was quickly fading into night as the trio finished setting up their ambush. The least valuable of Master Hallis' carriages had been moved into a place downwind of the approach, where the beasts couldn't easily sense the two humans lying in wait.
Grav peered out from inside, senses peeled for signs of their quarry. "Is Kit going to be okay out there?"
Kiara chuckled, giving him a wry look over the knife she'd been checking the edge of. "Puppy, your concern is sweet, but he's a fuckmothering dragon. Now that he's healed, with his fire back, he'll be fine."
...She hoped.
"Hallis said there were three sighted, right?" she murmured, peering out into the fading light. "That's one each. Should be easy enough, no matter how clever the damned things are."
Grav hoped his confidence would hold out when face to face with such a formidable beast. He could already feel the rare pang of anxiety pass through him. He took a slow breath to clear his head.
Then he saw it—movement in the dying light. They had arrived. "They're here."
Kit--
I see them. Movement far to their left--not the manticores, but Kit, tucking his wings in close and keeping his head low as he darted over the ground in a midnight flash to intercept the pack of monstrous felines.
"You flank his left, I'll take right," Kiara muttered to Grav, already moving to jump down from their makeshift blind and circle broadly around the dragon to catch any of the creatures that might avoid his first scything attack with his claws.
Grav burst out of the carriage and dashed to take up the left side of the dragon. He drew his blade in a flash, deflecting an enormous stinger just as it lashed towards Kit.
"I don't think so, beast." He delivered a swift counter, catching the manticore across the snout as he hopped back to avoid its paw. Now that he had its attention, it turned its ire towards him and stalked away from the dragon.
Now that he was in battle, his nerves had dissolved. They had been replaced with steely determination. The battlefield was no place for doubt.
Kit managed to spare him an appreciative nod and a snort before another of the creatures had launched itself at his side and he snapped his head around to grab it by the scruff and rip it off, snarling.
Kiara was fighting closer to the dragon than Grav, using his bulk as cover with the ease of many years of practice, darting out quickly to slash at the manticores when they got too close, or occasionally sending off a quick burst of flame to scatter the pack.
The pack which was definitely more than three. There had to be nearly half a dozen of the damn things.
"Kit!"
On it.
The dragon suddenly wrapped himself around the two humans, herding them into the curve of his body, and exhaled a white-hot stream of flame in a wide arc in front of the group. At least one of the creatures was caught directly in the blast; the rest retreated quickly, snarling and shrieking, though the didn't go far, pacing around the edges of the burning arc.
Once free of Kit, Grav took a defensive stance. His eyes darted from beast to beast. He slashed at one, but it never came within striking distance.
"They're fencing us in like wolves. This is definitely not natural. Please tell me you have a plan." His confidence was wavering.
"A plan." She swallowed, backing up a step as one of the manticores swiped cautiously at the flames--in a way no wild creature should ever do. "Um..."
Fuck.
"No plan, but a bad idea!" She turned to him and shoved him toward Kit. "You two get in the air, and take out any of them that--that make it through this."
Kit's eyes widened. Kia--!
No time! Another of the creatures was eyeing the height of the flames, and two more were realizing that the edge of the arc was sputtering--easy enough to dash through, if they were quick. "Go, go, go!"
Grav didn't argue, climbing onto Kit. "You'd better make it through this."
The two manticores that were eyeing the flames leaped through them and rushed their position, deep growls filling the air with malice. If Kit was going to take flight, now was the time.
The dragon hesitated just long enough for one of the manticores to lash its stinger at his neck. He roared, launching himself into the air and hovering above the arcing line of fire as Kiara was swarmed by the two--no, three--creatures that had made it through the flames.
Don't be stupid, the dragon prayed silently, but he kept them in the air. He knew Kiara had asked for Grav's sake more than his--it was difficult for fire to harm a dragon, but if Grav had been caught up in it...
On the ground, his rider thrust one hand out toward both manticores and flame, then jerked it upward with a wordless cry.
The fire surged, then raged, a plume of white-hot inferno that enveloped Kiara and three of the manticores, which let out screeching cries as the flames devoured them. The young woman was entirely obscured in the heat and light.
Even Kit flinched back, but then he shook himself with a snort and dove for one of the two remaining creatures. "The last one is breaking for the gardens!" he shouted as his feet hit the ground, trusting Grav to stop the thing from breaking through the perimeter as he sunk his claws into his target's flank.
Grav was awestruck by the pyromantic display. He had never witnessed that amount of magic in his life. Again, he wished he had been born with it himself. Having none closed many doors in Serendipity, especially for the foreign-born.
Kit's shout dragged him back to the present. He instantly leaped from the dragon and onto the fleeing manticore, his sword piercing its skull from above before it could sting him.
Then he rolled off as it fell sideways. It was quite a smooth kill, until--"Ow! Ow! Quills! Quills!" He pulled one from his leg with a wince, praying they weren't poisonous too.
Kit trotted over to him, claws and teeth glinting red in the slowly dying firelight, and dipped his head to sniff at his leg. "Ah, you'll be fine," he snorted, arching his neck back and scanning the area. They seemed to have disposed of all the manticores...
"Kiara?"
The fire receded, revealing the charred bodies of three of the manticores and one lightly singed Kiara. Surprisingly lightly, considering the ferocity of the flames she'd summoned--still, her outer jacket had been burned to tatters, badly enough that it essentially fell off her as she moved toward them, leaving her in a sleeveless undershirt; one leg of her breeches had been burned away nearly to the knee, still smoldering a bit around the hem, and the other had some pretty clear scorch marks along the length. But Kiara herself was unharmed, not even seeming to notice the embers she walked through to reach them.
She gave them both a tired smile, wavering slightly on her feet. "You boys alright?"
"Alright? That was amazing!" He pulled out another quill with a grimace before looking excited again as he hopped to his feet. "I had no idea you were that powerful!"
His eyes couldn't help but quickly scan her body for... let's say injuries. "The more important question is, 'Are you alright?'"
Kiara gave him a crooked smile, but Kit growled low in his chest.
"She's not that powerful."
She shot the dragon a tired pout and waved a hand at him. "Oh hush, Kitten, I'm fine--"
Another step forward and her knees buckled. Kit darted his head forward to catch the back of her shirt, trying to slow her descent as she went down. Kia?!
"I'm...alright," she panted, vision a little fuzzy at the edges as she squinted up at them. "Just...that...took a lot out of me..."
Grav rushed to her side, deeply concerned by her collapse. "Are you sure? You look--well, terrible to be honest." Of course, he wouldn't know what to do if she wasn't alright.
Unbeknownst to them, an owl was watching them intently. Reflected flames danced in its dark eyes, giving them a malevolent quality. With a flap of its wings, it was off.
"I'm—fine," Kiara gritted out, looking not at all fine.
Kit growled, worry and frustration clashing in the sound. She reached out to grab Grav's arm to help steady herself. "Magic...needs energy," she panted out, eyes closed against a wave of exhausted vertigo. "That was...a lot of magic. Needed—needed a lot of energy."
There was a faint, twisting feeling in the pit of her stomach telling her that wasn't the whole truth, but she ignored it.
Kit growled again, this time trying to alert the two humans to the rapidly approaching Master Hallis.
"That was—well!" The young not-quite-a-lord panted, staring at the trio with wide eyes. "Goodness, that was just—oh." He blinked, seeing Kiara on the ground and Grav kneeling beside her, still bleeding from those quill pricks. "Oh dear. You seem a bit worse for wear."
"I'm fine, but I'm not sure about her. I'm not sure I believe she's just exhausted." He gave her a preemptive shushing gesture. He didn't know much about magic, and though it sounded reasonable, he didn't completely buy it. "Is there a healer you can call upon?"
"Oh--oh, of course! A healer, right away. Can--can she walk?" Hallis asked, wringing his hands and shifting from foot to foot, as though unsure whether to stay and assist or find the healer.
"She is right here," Kiara muttered, "and she can walk just fine, thank you."
To prove it, she shoved herself to her feet--and almost immediately collapsed back to the ground. "...Ow."
Kit snorted. That one serves you right. Despite the bite in his voice, there was concern beneath it.
This time, Grav caught her, supporting her shoulders as he helped her back up. "At least let me help. You're paying me to assist, so let me make myself worth it. I only killed one after all."
Unless she continued to be stubborn, he would help her inside while Hallis fetched the healer. It wasn't like he wouldn't do the same in her shoes, but he hoped whoever he was with would ignore his posturing and helped. Pride can heal on its own.
"Yeah, well, the dragon only killed one, too, so." She shrugged, and Kit snorted at her.
"I would have gotten more, if you hadn't felt the need to show off," he grumbled, hiding concern under irritation.
She huffed and rolled her eyes. "Well, sorry for handling the damn problem." She hesitated a moment, then sighed and accepted Grav's help to get her into the manor while Hallis hurried off to find this healer. "You should get that looked at," she told Grav as they hobbled inside, gesturing to his leg. "I don't know what was up with those manticores, but the last thing you need is an infection. Or poison."
"I will." He helped her onto an elegant couch where she could lay down. "But you're in worse shape at the moment."
He sat on the end of the couch, careful not to get blood on the already soot-stained furniture. "I just... need to sit down. That leap off of Kit is catching up to me."
The healer came quickly. He was a man with piercing silver eyes and long purple hair tied back in a ponytail, with coppery skin suggesting an Adelan in his parentage. He had a kind expression, but there was something cold in his eyes.
"My, my, my. This is not good at all," he said concernedly, eyeing Grav's more obvious injury.
Grav shook his head. "Her first."
"I suppose you'll keep for a few more minutes." The tall man leaned over Kiara, feeling her forehead. "How are you feeling? Be honest now."
"I am fine--" she tried to say for the umpteenth time, but then the world tilted sideways and her stomach churned uncomfortably.
She swallowed and clenched her eyes shut, most of the color drained from her face. "Just...magical burnout. I just need rest, I'll...be alright," she muttered.
Kit--who couldn't exactly fit inside the manor but was not about to budge from the open doorway where he'd jammed his head--growled quietly at her.
"Clearly I'll be the one to say if you're fine." The man spoke an incantation under his breath and placed a glowing hand on her arm. Information about her physical state flowed into his mind.
She had indeed overextended her magic; time would fix that if she could resist using more for a while. At least, it would if she weren't--"You're part fae, aren't you?"
Kiara and Kit both went very, very still.
Her eyes snapped open, despite the dizziness, and she stared at the healer with a combination of shock and wariness. "How--how did you--?"
Alright. It wasn't exactly a secret. Her ears were a bit too pointed, canines a bit too sharp, and she didn't usually bother hiding those things--but there were plenty of ways a person could end up with those traits. Faeries weren't exactly a common sight, even in Serendipity; immediately jumping to "fae" meant he knew something.
And she didn't like not knowing what he knew.
"Relax. It's simply a spell I inherited from my father that tells me the state of my patient. All Serenians have some fae blood, but I sense far more in you. Coupled with the effect of your mana exhaustion on your body, I was left with only one conclusion." His expression grew less clinical. "I'm afraid that, while your fae part can withstand that level of release, your human part cannot. You'll be fine this time, but keep this up and you won't be so lucky."
His knowledge of fae had to be firsthand, or he was himself part fae. Either way, something was off about him. His bedside manner rang false.
"Um...right. Yeah." Kiara shifted subtly closer to Grav, unconsciously seeking the reassurance of familiarity as soft warning bells started to clang in the back of her mind. "I'll...be careful."
"Oh, good, you're here!" Hallis hurried into the room, looking flustered. He looked to the healer, anxious. "Are they alright?"
The healer turned to Master Hallis. "The young lady will be fine, so long as she lays off of the magic for a while."
"As for her companion," he said, beginning to check Grav's wound with the same spell. "I'll have to leech out the venom from these punctures, but he should be alright."
The man was difficult to read, but as he applied some leeches to the wounds, it seemed like he wasn't being entirely honest about Grav.
Hallis smiled, relieved, but Kiara was frowning.
"Hang on." She held a hand out to the healer, trying to sit up a little straighter as he started tending to Grav. "I've got a salve, in my pack. It'll help with the venom faster."
Kit, picking up on the slight suspicion in her tone, rolled his shoulders back, loosening his wings from his sides.
"That would be excellent, thank you." The healer gave her a warm smile that didn't reach his eyes as he reached into his robe.
Grav, meanwhile, was far too trusting to notice the man's suspicious behavior.
"Right. Of course. We'll just...grab that. Grav, help me out here?" She reached out to him with a sheepish smile, praying that he would just go with her.
She Did Not like this; whatever was going on with her magic, she thought they had a better chance on Kit's back and in the air than they did hanging around this guy. They could circle back for their payment later.
Grav raised an eyebrow but excused himself to help her, taking her arm to support her.
The healer frowned, blocking them from leaving. "Please don't move. You'll only make the poison spread more quickly." Something glinted in his hand as he began to remove it from his dark robes.
She didn't see what he was grabbing. She didn't need to.
Kiara went for her dagger, lurching awkwardly in front of Grav with one arm extended out protectively in front of him.
"I fucking dare you," she snarled, the sound echoed by her dragon in the doorway. Kit scrabbled to rear his head back, preparing to rip into the manor by force if he had to.
"Serrah Kiara!" Hallis gasped, looking absolutely scandalized. "What in--this man is trying to help you!"
The man looked alarmed, dropping what he was holding. A small wrapped bundle hit the floor. What? It was definitely something metal before, wasn't it?
"Easy! Easy!" He kept his hands in sight, trying to placate them. "Just medicine. To prevent swelling."
Grav had seen it too; the man had been gripping a dagger, or maybe a pistol. He leaned close to whisper, "Yeah, this guy is definitely up to something. Good call."
"No shit," Kiara muttered back, eyes still fixed on the "healer". "We're leaving," she informed him.
And then, because goddamnit Grav's heroic streak was apparently rubbing off on her, she added to Hallis, "You should come with us."
She didn't know what this guy was up to, but it didn't feel right to leave the clueless nobleman with him.
Master Hallis, of course, looked flabbergasted. "I--I beg your pardon?"
"Please calm down." The man's voice was even and calm, as if he were speaking to a child. "You can, of course, leave if you truly wish it. But know that you will come to regret refusing treatment."
"Please, Master Hallis. We can explain, after we leave," Grav pleaded, "If you still don't believe us then, so be it."
The 'healer' subtly shook his head in warning.
"I--"
Hallis looked back and forth between them, hesitating. "Ser Volke, please, can you tell me what--?" he started, taking a step back toward Kiara and Grav but keeping his eye on the healer.
"Oh for fuck's sake." Kiara rolled her eyes, grabbed the back of the lordling's jacket, and brought her dagger up to his throat. "Alright. We're leaving. Make one wrong move, and Mister Princely here is a goner."
Hallis choked, utterly blindsided, and Kiara winced internally. Damn, she was going to have a lot of explaining to do. But they didn't have time to argue, and she did not trust this healer, they needed to go.
"Kit!"
She dragged Hallis backward to the dragon and heaved him up with the dragon's help, calling for Grav over her shoulder, "We're leaving, puppy, let's move!"
Kidnapping a noble for his own good—the aspiring hero hadn't seen himself becoming party to such a thing. But there he was, right in the middle of playing the villain. Grav sighed and climbed onto the dragon, hoping Hallis would buy their explanation.
Volke watched them leave with cold interest. The man appeared confident that they'd cross paths again. As they flew away, he stepped outside, where an owl landed on his shoulder.
"Release me this instant!"
"Oh, by all means, your lordliness." Kiara gestured to the drop over Kit's shoulder as they rose steadily higher, leaving the manor behind. "Feel free to exit any time you like."
Hallis swallowed, going pale as he looked down, then quickly back up. "Wh-what do you want with me?"
Kiara sighed, glancing back over her shoulder at Grav. They'd had to sit Hallis between them on Kit's back, so it was a little awkward.
"We don't want anything, Hallis," she muttered. "But that Volke of yours definitely did."
"I missed the switch, but he was definitely pulling a weapon before he dropped the medicine bundle. I think--" Grav paused to think. The timing was too convenient, too quick. Only one explanation made any sense. "I think he may be the one who sent those things. No healer arrives that fast."
"I can't explain why his focus shifted to me at the end."
Kiara shook her head. "Search me, but I didn't like it."
Hallis looked back and forth between them. "So you—you don't...want a ransom? Or...something? You did this to help me?"
He sounded disbelieving, which Kiara really couldn't blame him for. "Look, your almost-lordship, why don't we have this conversation on the ground? Kit, you see a place to land?"
There's a glade up ahead. Should be far enough to give us some time to talk before whoever they sent after Master Hallis shows up.
When they landed, Grav helped the doubtful lordling down to the ground. He shouldn't be able to run if it was his first time on a dragon.
To his credit, Hallis didn't try to run. Though from the looks of him it was out of fear, not curiosity.
Grav rolled his eyes. He removed his scabbard and gently placed it on the ground, his sword still inside. "Look, we aren't going to hurt you. See?"
Hallis glanced down at the sword, then back up, relaxing just a little. "A--alright then...convince me."
Grav began first. "Don't you find it curious that he was so close by you found him so quickly? What, was he taking a casual stroll on a noble's property with manticores about?"
"Well... now that I think about it, I suppose that is odd."
"Isn't it just," Kiara sighed as she slid down from Kit's back. She made sure to give Hallis his space as she unsheathed her own dagger and laid it aside, following Grav's lead.
Voice softening a bit, she looked up at him and said almost sheepishly, "Look, I'm sorry about earlier. Really. If I'd seen another way out of that, I wouldn't have scared you. But we don't want to hurt you, Master Hallis."
Hallis eyed them both warily for a few moments longer. Then his shoulders curved forward with a sigh and he dropped his head. "I--I think I believe you," he mumbled to the ground. "You're right. I did find Volke...suspiciously quickly. But--do you really think he's...involved in all this?"
"I can't say how deeply, but yes. I do. Just how deeply remains to be seen." Grav thought for a moment, scratching his chin. "Tell me, what kind of healer is he?"
"A life mage, and he deals in alchemical potions and medicines. He's... really quite good," Hallis answered.
Grav gave Kiara a look. "Sounds like the right skillset to muck around with monsters, don't you think?"
"At this point, I'd say it seems far too damn coincidental," Kiara agreed. She sighed, scrubbing a hand down her face. She was trembling lightly, still exhausted from over-extending herself on her magic, and now that the adrenaline of their escape/semi-kidnapping was wearing off her body was reminding her of that quite insistently. "We--we need to get a message back to your estate. Tell them you're safe, make sure they...know that he's--he's a...danger..."
She swayed, then sat down hard on the ground. "Ohhhhhhkay. I'm just gonna...sit here. Just for a second..."
"Oh my." Hallis stared at her, then at Grav, then back, hands fluttering. "You--was Volke lying about that? About you being part fae?"
Kiara shook her head tiredly. "No. That bit's true."
"Right." Hallis suddenly straightened his shoulders and knelt beside her, looking up at Grav determinedly. "Do the two of you keep any medicinal supplies on hand? I'm no healer, but I am a mage. Maybe I can...help."
Kiara blinked, surprised that he would be willing to help her, after the chaos of the whole situation. "I really just need rest," she tried to assure the rest of the group.
"I only have some bandages and Kiara may have some salve left. Neither would help with overuse of magic." Grav only thought about his own situation when he saw Volke's leeches sucking away at his quill wounds. The way they undulated seemed strange somehow, but he couldn't say why.
Disgusted, he moved to pull them off but paused. "Do you... think I should leave these things on me? They don't... quite look normal."
"You still have them on?!"
Kiara blamed the chaos and exhaustion for her lack of noticing that. She struggled back up to her feet, waving Hallis's hand as he tried to help her, and staggered toward Grav. "Fuck yeah, you should take them off! What do you mean they don't seem normal?"
Grav quickly peeled the two leeches off. He tossed one into the bushes. The other, he squeamishly held up between two fingers. The wiggling thing certainly looked normal, until you noticed that it wasn't fat with blood. In fact, it had been bigger when Volke applied it. In addition, there were faintly visible glowing veins pulsing along its length.
"See? Something is just a little...off—like the manticores." He could barely look directly at it, so he was surprised he could tell that much.
Hallis's eyes went wide.
"Don't touch that!"
Kiara flinched, whipping around to look at him as he grabbed fro Grav's wrist. "That—look, see the veins, it—it wasn't taking out the poison, it was putting something in your blood!"
Kiara blanched. "That...does not sound good."
Grav reflexively dropped the disgusting thing. Looking a little green, he said, "IN me! Bu--but why... why would someone do that?! I don't even know the guy!"
He was, understandably, freaking out a little. "And what did he put in me?!"
Hallis frowned. "I—I don't know. If I had access to my library, maybe..."
Kiara was already trying to look at the wound in Grav's leg, struggling to focus through the fog of her own exhaustion. "It doesn't look...infected or anything," she muttered, trying to sound calm in the hopes it would help keep everyone else calm, though she was really anything but.
In fact, the wounds were close to closing up. Had whatever the leeches contained sped his healing? All signs did point to an alchemical substance.
"And I don't feel poisoned. Actually, I feel good, now that I'm thinking about it," Grav said.
Hallis looked him over curiously. "Hmm... perhaps you have some unusual resistance to manticore venom, and he was using you as a test subject for... well, something. It's just wild speculation without my books."
"Gee. I've always wanted to be an alchemist's lab rat," Grav said sarcastically.
"Fucking hells." Kiara ran her hands back through her hair. "Shit. Shit shit shit." She looked to Hallis. "What would he want from you? Why your estate?"
He spread his hands helplessly. "I—I don't know. My father has known him, but he and my mother are away at court in Arca—"
"Well that's why," Kiara exclaimed. "If you were the only one there, he probably thought he had a better chance at...getting what he wanted. Whatever that is."
"If he intended to take you hostage, then he'll no doubt try again. If it was something in the manor... then we've practically handed it over," Grav proposed.
Hallis frowned. "There are easier ways to steal something. And to kidnap a noble, for that matter."
Grav shrugged, out of ideas. Though, he did feel like he could think more quickly. It could just be adrenaline, though. He hoped it was just adrenaline. Otherwise, whatever Volke did to him was affecting his mind. And that was terrifying.
Hallis was wringing his hands again. "The staff—oh Kia, he's in the manor, if he hurts them—"
"Hey." Kiara placed one hand on his shoulder and one on Grav's. "Listen just...let's take a breath. You said your family knows him, right? And we just...y'know, kidnapped you. So he has no reason to harm your staff, they don't know anything."
"Well then we need to warn them." He began pacing. "If I get word to my family—maybe..."
"It'll be our word against his without evidence. If he's smart enough to make manticores more intelligent, there won't be any."
Grav was frustrated and angry. His meager intellect was outmatched, and he didn't know how they could fight their way out of the mess they were in. Not to mention the injustice of it all.
He sighed deeply. "I don't know how to fight this."
Kiara shook her head. "I guess—we can start with Arca?" She looked to Hallis. "That's where your family is now, right? We'll...find them, let them know what's happening, they must be able to—to do something, right?"
Kit snorted. "That's a week travel, even flying. And I won't be able to go as fast with three of you..."
Kiara buried her face in her hands, groaning. "What else can we do? We..."
She trailed off as she caught the meaning in her partner's voice. "Oh no. No. No no no no no."
Kit snorted. Will you be able to live with yourself if something happens to Grav because we don't?
She groaned again. "Oh, fuck you. That was a low blow."
You know I'm right.
Grav took a little longer to read between the lines, but he got there. "I'm with her; you can't fly all three of us. Your wings have barely recovered as it is."
He knew he could be in serious danger from whatever substance was in him, but he felt fine at the moment. Surely he could make it to a healer soon enough. But, then there was the risk to Hallis.
"Damnit!" he growled in frustration.
Kiara groaned, then held her hand out to their unexpected charge. "Help me up, Hallis."
He blinked, then hurried to take her hand and pull her to her feet. "You can call me Anaes, you know. I believe we've reached a first name basis."
Kiara—who had actually thought his first name was Hallis—stared for a moment before nodding. "Err. Right. Okay."
She looked around at their weary, hodgepodge group. "We...might have a shortcut, to Arca. It's not easy, or safe...but it would cut travel down to two days."
Grav gave her a suspicious look, frowning. "This better not involve you hurting yourself more. I don't think I can live with that."
Really? You might not live without it, dum dum.
Not helping, brain!
"No. It won't. It's not—I mean, it is magic, but it's not my magic," she sighed. "It'll have to wait until dawn though. It's...hard to explain, I sort of have to show you."
Hallis—Aneas—gave her a suspicious sort of look, but nodded slowly. "You said...this wouldn't be safe. How—how "not safe"?"
She shrugged, sighing again. "It's fae bullshit. That's how not safe."
Aneas looked to Grav with wide eyes, clearly nonplussed, as though he might explain something.
Grav shook his head with a shrug. "Don't ask me! I don't know how any of this magic shit works. I don't have a drop of magic in my--okay, I might now--bad example. I definitely don't know how fae bullshit works."
He looked at Kiara questioningly. "They won't, like, turn us into donkeys or make us dance until we die like in the plays, right?"
Kiara opened her mouth to say no—then closed it, and considered.
For a while.
For Too Long.
Kit snorted at her, incredulous.
"Well!" She threw her hands up. "They—there are rules, right? As long as we follow the rules...we should be fine. It'll be fine. I just—everyone keep on your toes, alright?"
Aneas dropped his face into his hands and muttered something that sounded an awful lot like "how did I end up here?"
Well, Grav had asked for adventure. He just... didn't think that meant the ae realm.
"You and me both, buddy. You and me both."
He yawned. The excitement of the evening was catching up to him with a vengeance. Or so he could hope. "I guess I'll take the first shift."
Yeah, he--he didn't look like he was going to last that long.
"No." Aneas suddenly lifted his head and said firmly, "If--I still think what's happening is mad, but...I also think the two of you have possibly saved my life twice over today. I can keep watch. And I'll set wards when I need to sleep. You rest."
It was a testament to just how exhausted Kiara really was that she didn't even try to argue with him. "Great. That's settled." She all but collapsed against Kit's side, curling into the curve of his body. "Good night."
The dragon huffed, looking between the two young men. Then he jerked his head at Grav in invitation, extending one wing slightly like a canopy over his rider. "Well?"
Grav smiled softly and took his place at the dragon's side without further macho bullshit about being fine. He fell asleep almost instantly. He trusted Kit completely.
He slept fitfully, plagued by nightmares of Volke's substance turning him into something else: a zombie, a manticore, a werewolf, and in one dream, a giant bug. His final dream woke him up with a fearful cry just before dawn, a cold sweat on his brow. Immediately, he ran his hands over his body and sighed in relief when he didn't find any extra limbs.
Kiara slept deeply, but not for very long--she was up just before dawn, and actually feeling quite like her old self, which was a relief. She wasn't sure she would have been able to find their "shortcut" if she'd been as exhausted as she was the previous night. Even though the magic wasn't hers, she was still the conduit.
She glanced around. Hal--Aneas had kept true to his word, she could see the soft glimmer of magical wards surrounding the tiny perimeter of their "camp", and he was sleeping curled up a few lengths away from Kit's snout. Grav was tucked into the dragon's side, not too far from her, but he didn't seem as peaceful.
Which was confirmed when he bolted awake, crying out, and both she and Kit started.
"Hey, hey." Without thinking, she leaned over to grasp his shoulder, keeping her voice low and soothing. "You're alright, puppy, it was just a dream. You're alright."
Grav's breathing slowed as he came back to reality. But he was still trembling slightly. "Gods. I dreamed I turned into a monster, over and over again. It was horrible. I even--I... think I even attacked you."
It had been worse than that. He had killed Anes and seriously wounded Kit. And he was home at one point, with Volke commanding him to kill everyone in town that had ever wronged him.
"Just what is going to happen to me?"
She had seen him doubt himself and seen him anxious, but she had never seen him terrified.
"Hey." She gripped his shoulder a little tighter, then, after a moment of hesitation, scooted closer so she could wrap her arm around him properly.
"It's gonna be okay," she told him, without any real way of know if—or how—that could be true. "We'll get this sorted, yeah? I—"
She paused, then continued quietly, "Kit and I will stick with you, okay? We're gonna fix this..."
Grav calmed further as he leaned into the hug, no longer trembling. "Thanks... I--I really need good friends right now."
When he pulled back, she could notice a purple tint to his blue eyes. That was probably an effect of the sunrise.
Aneas shifted uncomfortably. "Yes... cheer up my friend. Once we're in Arca, I'll see too it you get the best treatment."
Kiara let him lean into the hug as long as he needed, though she was clearly a bit awkward with being in a position of offering comfort. "You're okay," she mumbled, rubbing a hand up and down his back. Oh fuck, how did people do this?! "You're okay..."
She was truthfully a bit relieved when he pulled back--not because she didn't want to be helpful, but because she was sure she was doing it wrong.
Wait.
Was that--?
No. It was fine. He was fine.
"Right! So." She clapped and stood, Kit heaving himself to his paws behind her. "We should be going, right?" She glanced up, judging the time by the way the sky was fading from navy to pale gray, the sort of false-light just before dawn. "We'll only have about twenty minutes to get through..."
Grav raised his brow uncertainly. The odd time requirement perplexed him. "Get through—what, exactly, that would take that long to cross?"
Ugh... it's too early to think about magic weirdness.
Kiara gave him a sympathetic wince. Aneas murmured, "Faerie gates are rare, and only open at certain times, for limited periods. But—I've lived near Selevea all my life. We don't have any gates here."
Kiara reached into the front of her shirt and pulled out a pendant on a thin gold chain: the pendant itself was a white crystal of some sort, cut into the shape of a seven-pointed star, and it was glowing faintly. Two points of the star had cracks through them.
"I know." She sighed and frowned at the crystal. "That's why I'm going to make one."
Aneas choked, wide-eyes. That kind of magic was...unpredictable. And wildly powerful.
Grav, reacting to the look on the nobleman's face, gave Kiara a worried look. This was beginning to seem like a bad idea. Maybe they should take their chances on horseback.
"Is this really, y'know, safe? Opening a hole in the planes where there shouldn't be a hole? That seems... bad."
"It's not a hole. More like a...a shift in the veil. It'll close right up behind us." She hesitated, seeing the clear trepidation on both their faces, then admitted with a huff, "It's a trick from my Da, alright? See the cracks? I've used it twice before, it went fine. Let's just...let's just be going."
Kit grumbled and shifted behind her, lowering his head to nudge his nose against her shoulder. "If we're going, we need to go now. It's dawn."
Grav nodded, unconvinced but showing her that he trusted her. "Okay. Let's do this before I change my mind."
Aneas mumbled something about unpredictable magic and not getting caught being party to it. He simply gave them a look of resignation.
"Right. Okay."
Kiara took a breath, then stepped away from the group toward one of the larger trees at the edge of the glade. It was an old silver oak—common enough in Serendipity, and exactly what's she needed.
She closed her eyes and lifted the pendant toward the tree, murmuring quietly under her breath. The words were hard to catch, but they certainly weren't Common, or even Old Serenian.
Aneas drew in a quiet breath. "Is that...Sylvan?"
Kit rumbled quietly, nodding. Even in Serendipity, where so many could claim at least a thimbleful of faerie blood, the language of the Fae was not something commonly heard.
Kiara didn't seem to hear them; magic was gathering around the pendant, spreading out into the air, creating an arc in the body of the tree's trunk—it almost looked like she had inserted the crystal as a key into a previously invisible door.
Grav watched with amazement as the glowing arc spread across the trunk of the large tree. He felt an electric tingle as the area within the line filled with light in an elegant whorl.
"Gods..." It was all he could do to say that much.
Kit nodded in silent agreement. He had been with Kiara the two years she lived in her father's realm—and he was a gods damned dragon—and even he was anxious about reentering the place.
The glowing arch solidified, full of a soft, silvery white light, and Kiara pulled the crystal back with a harsh exhale. She hadn't been using her own magic to open the gate, but serving as the conduit was still taxing.
"Alright, everyone through," she urged, standing to the side of the arch and gesturing like it was the door to a greenhouse and not a tiny rip in the veil of reality.
Grav walked up to the portal. Hesitantly, he poked a finger into the light like the ignorant small towner he was. When nothing bit off his finger, he pushed himself through.
Aneas took to it with more academic curiosity, but with no less trepidation. After hesitating, he passed through.
Kiara waited until they were all through, Kit having to tuck his head and tail in in order to fit, before she followed herself and finally let the gate crash closed behind her. She felt her pendant crack—another use spent—and pressed the heels of her palms to her eyes as she breathed in the clean, crisp air of the faerie realm.
Home, a part of her sang. She silenced it quickly.
No. This wasn't her home. Kit was her home.
Opening her eyes, she took in the sprawling meadow that stretched before them: the soft grass, silvered with a frost that gave no chill; the old oak that had been their link to this world, blossoming in reds and golds and smelling of spice wine; a pale lavender sky, colored not from the dawn, but simply something other.
"Well...here we are," she muttered, then suddenly turned to Grav and Aneas. "Okay, rules. Don't take any food or drink—actually don't take anything you might be offered. There are no gifts here. Don't ask for names, and guard your own. If it looks too lovely to be true, it is. And mostly, always remember that just because a faerie can't lie, doesn't mean they can't deceive."
She looked around again, taking a fortifying breath. "Gods all willing, we'll be out of here soon."
Grav was wowed by what he was seeing. He could see how easy it would be to be fooled by this storied place. One could be trapped here by sheer beauty alone.
"This whole place is too lovely to be true. The tall tales really don't do this place justice."
"Watch your step," Kit warned quietly. "Beauty often hides malice."
Kiara nodded, looking around easily. "Maybe you two should ride? If you don't mind, Kitten."
The dragon nodded as he considered that. Looking to Grav and Aneas, Kiara elaborated, "It's harder for me to get lost here since...y'know. If you walk on your own, you might find yourself heading down the wrong path thinking you're still with the rest of us."
Aneas looked like he didn't care for that idea at all, but was also eyeing Kit warily.
Grav shuddered at the thought. He'd rather not get lost here and show back in the mortal world a hundred years later, thank you very much.
"Yes. Dragon. Definitely dragon." He turned to Aneas and tilted his head towards Kit with a reassuring smile. "It's okay. He's really a very nice dragon when you get to know him."
He proceeded to climb onto the dragon and hold a hand out to the nobleman. Aneas sighed and let Grav pull him up.
"Skyward, ho!" he said excitedly.
Kit chuckled, showing maybe too much fang. "Oh don't lie to the man," he said to Grav. "I'm ornery at the best of times."
Kiara snorted. "Easy there, puppy. The skies here aren't as empty as back home. We're probably better off walking."
Kit groaned. "Wonderful."
"Oh alright." Grav sighed dramatically.
He pointed ahead. "Lead the way, then. Us boys will watch your back."
Kiara snorted again. "Oh, right. I'm the one who needs my back watched around here."
The group set off, trekking across the seemingly endless, silvered meadow. Aneas slowly seemed to grow more comfortable with the idea of riding dragon back and began looking around curiously.
"I wish I'd brought my notebook," he murmured as a cluster of gold winged butterflies suddenly rose from the grass and swirled around the four of them in a cloud of wings and glittering pollen, then vanished over the horizon.
Grav sputtered as one of the butterflies flew right past his face. "I wish I had brought a flyswatter."
He must really hate bugs to dislike butterflies. It was like they were creepy, hideous things that just happened to have pretty wings.
Actually, it was exactly that.
"Really. Nothing with pretty wings can be trusted here."
"I'll try not to take that personally," Kit quipped, and Kiara raised a hand to muffle a chuckle as they continued on.
It was difficult to tell time in this part of the faerie realms. The sky above them did change color as the day went on, but not in the way that it would on the mortal plane; it went from pale lavender to a gradient of pinks and blues, and always with sunlight, though one could never pinpoint the actual position of the sun.
It was at least clear as nightfall came—the sky did darken, and bright spots of silver and gold began to twinkle in the firmament above them.
Kiara began to slow; the meadow had changed to wetlands some hours ago, and she was trying to find a place dry enough to camp. She was thankful they seemingly hadn't run into any fae residents—other than a few butterflies or other wildlife—but sort of suspicious of it too.
"We should probably sleep a few hours," she muttered. "But the sooner we can be up and moving again, the better. It's still another few hours to reach my Da's court—home. We'll be able to get to Arca from there."
Grav scratched his chin thoughtfully. "Where do fae even live? I haven't seen any sign of civilization or anything."
His eyes widened as he registered what she had corrected. "Wait, wait... court? What exactly is your father around here?"
Did that make her a princess or something?
"Yeah, we've been traveling through the wildlands, mostly," Kiara responded absently to the first question. "Still, it's a little weird we haven't run into anyone. Even here, someone like Kit tends not to go unnoticed--"
She snapped her mouth shut, giving Grav a rather wide-eyed look when he caught her slip. Luckily for her, Aneas--who had rather shakily slid down from Kit's back and was curiously examining a flower of some sort, said, "Oh, any group of fae living communally is usually referred to as a court, according to my readings. Though some are structured more like a monarchy, it's not a requirement."
"Ah, right." Kiara latched onto that quickly and ignored the glare Kit was burning into the back of her skull. "It's just...y'know, what it's called here. Like a village, sort of." Not a lie, technically not a lie.
Kit huffed. They'll find out eventually.
Shut up.
Grav nodded, satisfied but also a little disappointed. He always wanted to save—well, saved by a princess was close enough. Of course, the dream was to then marry the princess, and Kiara definitely didn't feel that way towards him.
Climbing down, he eyed the flowers suspiciously said, "Careful with that Aneas. It could put you to sleep for eternity, for all we know."
Well, now you're just being paranoid, you ignorant bumpkin.
"Ah." Aneas sat back. "Perhaps you're right." He looked to Kiara as though for confirmation, but she just shrugged.
"Search me. I can't keep all the plants straight around here, so I tend to just avoid it all." She cast the flowers a curious glance, then shrugged again and added, "Pretty sure those are just flowers, but, y'know. Can never be too careful."
Aneas moved away from the plants gingerly.
Kit snorted, jerking his head toward a small hillock to their left. "Should be dry enough for a campfire there, don't you think?"
Grav gave the hillock a long look. Everything was so vivid in this place that he could swear that he could see better. "I'd think so."
"I just hope I don't have those dreams again," he said with a shudder as the group approached the spot.
Kiara gave him a sympathetic look and reached out to grip his shoulder lightly. Lowering her voice a bit, she said, "Listen...I know they suck, but even if you do have them...you'll be okay. Kit and I are here for you, yeah?"
The dragon rumbled in quiet agreement and lowered his head to give Grav a brief nudge with his muzzle before setting about to clearing space for a campfire, Aneas joining him and now chattering inanely about the flora and fauna of the faerie realm.
It took Kiara a moment to realize she still had her hand on Grav's shoulder, and once she did she snatched it back quickly, flushing slightly. "Right. Well...y'know. For whatever that's worth," she muttered, looking away, embarrassed.
Grav gave her a soft smile. "You know, you're not as bad at comforting people as you seem to think. It's worth a lot, actually."
Before his sincerity made her even more uncomfortable, he awkwardly added, "We... we should eat something. You never know when we'll get the chance around here."
Her slight blush cranked up another few degrees and she huffed, looking away from him. "Well...good to know. Thanks."
She cleared her throat again and nodded quickly, relieved to have a change of subject. "Yeah, we should. We've got enough on us to get through the next two days at least, but we'll definitely need to resupply in Arca."
"Oh, I'm sure my parents would be happy to help you there," Aneas piped up, abruptly reminding Kiara of his presence.
Grav started unpacking the travel rations. "Any help you can provide would be appreciated, but—" he turned to Kiara with a look of curiosity, only then considering the next step, "What do we even do next? Can we go back to business as usual knowing this maniac is out there?"
The would-be hero would have to say that. Although, Volke might not actually give them any other options. He could well come to see what results his experiment has wrought.
Kiara groaned and flopped onto her back. "Look, we'll get Aneas to his family, he can explain that we didn't kidnapped him, warn them about Volke, and then...well, c'mon. The lordly folks are probably better equipped to deal with this than we are. What are we supposed to do, just torch him and deal with the aftermath?"
Kit gave a long, low growl in apparent approval at this idea.
Grav sighed. He knew she was right; it wasn't their responsibility to bring the mage to justice for whatever crimes he'd committed. But that didn't mean he liked it.
After tossing her a ration, he said, "I get that it's not our job. I just... I worry this isn't over, y'know? We still don't know what he did to me."
She nodded, looking at him with concern. "I know," she murmured. "But...look, if there's anywhere we can get you help, get answers, it's Arca."
Aneas nodded in agreement as Kit set the campfire and they gathered around. It was properly evening now, the stars perhaps a bit brighter than they would be in the mortal world.
Kiara settled herself between Kit and Grav and nudged the swordsman with her shoulder lightly. "It'll be alright," she told him quietly.
Grav gave her a grateful nod before starting on his ration. He ate quickly and was soon fast asleep.
"I do hope you're right," Aneas said with just a little guilt as he made himself comfortable, "You would likely have never encountered Volke if not for me."
Kiara shook her head at him, sighing. "Yeah, and neither of you would be stuck in fucking fairyland if you hadn't hired me," she replied. "What-ifs hardly ever help anyone."
She offered a small, crooked smile. "Get some sleep. We've only got a few hours."
Taking the first watch, Kiara was far too anxious to sleep herself. Even Kit was dozing, curled up around the three humans with his head resting beside her as she stared into the campfire, frowning.
Maybe it was lucky she couldn't sleep. She heard the rattling in the low wetlands scrub brush just outside the circle of light from their fire and shot to her feet.
"We mean no harm," she said—softly, hoping not to wake her companions if she didn't need to. "We're just passing through."
The brush rattled again, and a small, furry face poked out to grin at her. She stiffened, one hand moving automatically for her dagger.
"You've been gone a while, little lady," the faerie creature noted, hopping out into the firelight. It looked rather like an upright rabbit, but with an almost equine face and a long, tufted tail. "Or perhaps not so long at all. I can never remember."
"No Myda, I haven't been with Raina I swear... " Grav mumbled in his sleep. He wasn't having nightmares, unless angry girlfriends counted. But he seemed to be only sleeping lightly, so she would have to be careful not to wake him.
"What do you want, Lauz?" Kiara hissed at the little spriggan.
Lauz shrugged. "It's not what I want, your ladyship. It's what the court wants."
She gritted her teeth. "I'm going to the court. I don't plan to stay, but I need to see my father. Whatever the king wants, he can ask me there."
Lauz grinned. "Ah, but they are not so willing to wait. Which is why they sent me."
She snorted quietly. "What, so you can deliver their message? Didn't realize you were running errands now."
The grin widened. "I am not here to deliver a message. I am here to deliver you."
Kiara blanched. She whipped around, and realized that, while they'd been talking, the wetlands around their camp had morphed to a thick deciduous forest, the leaves unseasonably colorful.
"Fuck!"
She spun around again, but Lauz was gone. Kit jerked awake, snorting, and Aneas sat up blearily, mumbling, "Wassgonnon?"
Grav woke up and shot to his feet, sword drawn and muscles ready for a fight. His hair was almost fluffed out like an angry beast, and his eyes were purple, nearly red in the strange light of the fae world.
"What is it? Bandi--oh, right, fae... lands..." His voice drifted away as confusion set in. "How did we get to the woods? Have I been asleep that long?"
"Motherfucking, assmunch tricksy little son of a half-baked bi—!"
Aneas was gaping, first at the forest, and then at Kiara as she devolved into a torrent of swearing that would have made the most jaded of sailors blush. Kit snorted and knocked his nose into her shoulder, putting a stop to her tirade and flicking his eyes toward Grav meaningfully.
"Ah...shit." She groaned and dragged a hand down her face. "I'm sorry. It's—we're fine, it's alright. Just...ran into someone I knew here, and he..." She waved a hand around them. "He brought us to my da's court."
Aneas blinked. "But...that's a good thing, isn't it?"
Grav sheathed his sword but remained alert. He gave her an assuring smile and said, "Don't worry about it."
"More importantly--" He motioned to their surroundings. "Like he said, why is that a problem? It's not like we're in a cell. Unless... we were trying to sneak through?"
"I--I wouldn't say sneak--"
"Sneak and creep and hide and smile," a sing-song voice came from the branches above them. "Secrets born through blood and bile."
"Shut up, Lauz!" It took everything she had not to throw a knife at him. But no. No, they were in the Autumn Court, and the laws of hospitality must be respected.
Sighing, she tried to explain, "I was hoping we could sorta...skirt the edges of the court. Without having to kowtow to all the bullshit." She glared up at the space where Lauz's voice had come from, but the branches were empty.
Kit snorted, looking around warily. "Maybe try not to piss off our hosts, Kia?"
She swallowed down an angry retort and took a breath. "Right. Right, I'm fine. This is fine. We just...wait for our hosts to show themselves, I guess."
"Exactly what kind of bullshit were we avoiding?" the young swordsman asked curiously.
Half-seen forms appeared between the trees, as if behind a fine silk curtain. Grav watched uncertainly as more and more appeared.
"Ah. The spooky but eerily beautiful kind."
"Yeah." She sighed. "That kind."
One of the figures moved toward them; a dryad, clothed in the reds and golds of the trees around them, with rustling leaves twined through her hair. She cast curious looks at Aneas and Grav, then nodded to Kiara.
"The Crown Prince wishes to speak with you," she told her in a voice like dry leaves. She looked around the group again. Her face betrayed no expression, but something in her eyes was calculating.
Kiara bit back another sigh. Yeah, I'll just bet he does. "Of course. May we seek a private audience?"
A few more of the figures in the trees rustled and murmured, clearly unhappy with this idea. But then a new voice cut through the noise--not loud, but quickly silencing the rest.
"Yes, you may." A man--or something that looked like a man--stepped out of the trees from Kit's left. The dragon snorted and jerked back, startled, as the faerie glided passed him to approach Kiara. He was dressed in russet and deep greens, with what seemed like actual, living vines curved along the hem of his sleeves, and a thing gold circlet adorned his brow.
The dryad dipped into a curtsy. "My prince."
Grav felt more than a little awe at being in the presence of faerie royalty. A commoner like himself rarely even found himself so close to mortal royalty. And to think, if this prince was Kiara's father then he had been with royalty the whole time.
He looked over at her and mouthed, "Your Da?"
She grimaced, then nodded.
The Crown Prince of the Autumn Court waved a hand toward the lingering figures in the trees surrounding them. "Leave us."
They did, fading back into the shadows and the leaves as silently as a fog. Kit lowered his head slightly, a low rumble that wasn't quite a growl echoing in his chest.
Aneas was looking from the Prince to Kiara, all but gaping. Even if she hadn't confirmed their relation, she looked too much like him to not be his daughter. She didn't have the same unearthly beauty or sharp features, but the shape and color of her eyes, the blade of her nose, even the way their mouths tightened in identical discomfort as they stared at one another.
"Kiara." He tilted his head at her. Like he wasn't quite sure what he was looking at. "You did not tell us you were coming."
She winced. "It...wasn't exactly planned."
Grav leaned in close to Aneas, whispering, "Did you have any idea she was a princess? 'Cause I sure didn't."
Assuming he even acknowledged his presence, Kiara's father might pick up an unnatural air from the adventure. There was the stink of graceless mortal magic about him, something foreign, as if some other life force had been crudely shoved into him.
Aneas shook his head. "No idea," he whispered back. "I mean she hardly looks like—"
He snapped his mouth closed, blushing, as Kit shot him an irritated look.
Kiara either didn't hear or chose to ignore their exchange. "We need to get to Arca," she told her father bluntly. "We're in a bit of a hurry."
"You brought humans here," the prince said, not looking at the humans in question.
She frowned. "I'm human, Da."
He waved a hand as though that was trivial. "The Serenian mage is one thing, but this other? He smells of iron and unclean magic."
Her hackles started to go up. "He's my friend. And he's standing right there."
The faerie finally looked to the two young men, not frowning but not looking exactly pleased either. "Yes. I suppose they are."
So much for the slim hope that those leeches just had something natural in them.
Grav gave an uncertain bow. "Grav Caviin, Your... Highness? Lordship? Grace? Sorry, I--don't know the protocol."
"Faeness? No, that's dumb. You're dumb." he muttered to himself.
"Highness," the prince said, still observing him as though puzzling through a mildly difficult equation. "It seems my daughter did not explain the...protocol."
Kiara glowered. "Well I wasn't planning on having a court audience, Da. I sorta hoped we might just talk to you. Y'know, like a normal fucking person."
Her father turned his attention back to her, properly frowning now. He didn't look irritated so much as confused though. "Is this not...talking?"
"No, it isn't!" She threw her hands up in exasperation. "You practically have us on trial!"
The Prince frowned further. "I...see." He glanced around the small group. "Perhaps...you would be more comfortable discussing this matter in my home?"
"Yes, that would be better," he said with a sigh of relief, adding at the last moment, "Your highness."
He was sure he was making a fool of himself. Formality always made him squirm and fidget, as if he were a child anxious to go play. He was doing it now, fussily brushing the dust and wrinkles from his clothes.
The prince nodded, then turned and walked away into the trees.
Kiara sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "He expects us to follow," she told the others, before hurrying after him. Kit huffed and trailed along behind, jerking his head at Aneas and Grav.
The path that the Autumn Prince took through the trees wasn't really a path at all, but he seemed to know exactly where he was going. It also didn't seem like they were heading toward anything that could be called a "home": just trees, trees, trees.
Until suddenly the trees were replaced by the soaring arch of an entry hall that seemed to be simply grown from the forest itself. Kiara's father led them into a drawing room that was as much a living thing as the forest around them, then settled himself on a chaise covered in a bed of flowers.
"So." He looked around at them. Somehow, Kit had managed to fit himself into the entry hall, and was able to lay his head in the doorway of the room. Kiara hovered by him, looking about as uncomfortable as it was humanly possible to be. "Why are you here?"
Grav was equally uncomfortable, still fidgeting, though less so. He was immensely grateful when Aneas spoke it.
The young noble gave a proper bow. "Aneas Halli, at your service, Your Highness." He straightened up, but he didn't go so far as to look the Prince in the eye. "I had hired your daughter to handle a group of monsters encroaching upon my family estate. She and her companion here dispatched them swiftly, but she overexerted her magic and collapsed. I ran to fetch the local healer, unknowingly inviting the very fiend responsible for the attacks into my home.
"Needless to say, she wised up to him quickly, and we fled. But not before he... infected this young man with something, we know not what. As such, we decided to retreat to Arca with all possible haste to report the fiend and seek treatment for Mr. Caviin here."
"I see." Kiara's father looked between Grav and Aneas. "And you wished to pass through our realm in order to reach Arca more swiftly."
Kiara nodded, finally stepping forward. "Yeah, basically. I was hoping we'd find you with a little less...fanfare."
He waved a hand. "Lauz spotted Kit the second hour you had crossed the Veil. It would have been implausible for you to visit the court and simply speak with me, with no other interference." He looked at them again, then gestured to the moss and flower covered furniture. "Please, make yourselves comfortable."
Aneas seemed to hesitate, looking to Kiara, who waited a moment longer before taking a seat for herself with a huff. The young lord hurriedly followed suit.
"...I can help you back to the mortal realm," the Autumn Prince said after a long moment. "And sooner than you would have reached it had you come to the court more...traditionally."
Aneas perked up, but Kiara looked suspicious. "In exchange for...?"
Her father nodded at her. "In exchange for an audience with your grandfather."
Kiara went white as a sheet, speechless. Seemingly ignoring this, her father rose to his feet again and inclined his head to the two humans.
"Please, enjoy the hospitality of my house. You will find the guest wing to the far side of the entry hall, choose any bed you like. Seeing as the lot of you arrived here a day before you would have planned, you should feel free to take a proper rest. Kiara will have her audience in the morning." He said it so simply, the matter already settled. Turning to leave the room, and forcing Kit to jerk his head back from the doorway, he paused, then added with a touch more warmth to his voice, "You are friends of my daughter. You may call me Aeolthaine."
And he swept from the room.
Grav sat quietly, watching Kiara with a slight smile. When the faerie prince swept out of the room, he drummed his fingers on the arm of his chair. His smile then bloomed into an amused smirk. She was going to be embarrassed now, alright.
"Sooo... royalty, eh? Faerie royalty, even. Now I know why you were so eager to not draw attention."
Kiara groaned and buried her face in her hands. "I'm not," she mumbled. "I'm related to royalty."
Lifting her head, she sighed and ran her fingers back through her hair. "I mean...really. I'm not, technically. Mum was human. I'm just the Crown Prince's bastard."
Her mouth curled sourly around the word, though she said it flippantly. Kit shifted closer to lay his head back in the doorway and whuffed a breath at her.
Grav's teasing expression faded, the moment having lost its humor. It would be cruel to continue. "Try looking at it like this: because you are illegitimate, you don't have to deal with this stuff all the time, and your noble father cares enough to complain that you don't visit. I wager most bastards are more afraid of a knife in the back than of being embarrassed."
"If I was one, and, hells, for all I know my birth father is king of Connloath, I'd feel lucky to not be always looking over my shoulder."
She gave him a lopsided smile and nodded. "Yeah, you're right. Just...I dunno why my grandfather wants to see me now. He never seemed to care much that I even exist..."
She trailed off, frowning, then shook her head and got to her feet. "Well! We've been offered beds--may as well use them, right?"
Grav yawned as he followed her to his feet. "Oh, definitely. The little sleep I got is already wearing off.
They soon parted ways and entered their respective rooms. The exhausted adventurer hung up his coat and collapsed onto his gloriously soft fae bed. He hadn't even covered himself up before falling asleep.
The next morning, he had yet to emerge when Kiara was called for her audience with her grandfather.
Kiara was called in for her audience with the Autumn King before dawn, and by the time the first streaks of proper daylight--or as proper as it ever got in this place--were streaking the sky, neither she nor Aeolthaine had yet returned. Even Kit had been left behind, and the dragon was clearly uncomfortable with the situation, curled up sulkily around the perimeter of a veranda was Aneas had been escorted for breakfast.
The young nobleman was looking a little awkward, trying to refuse any food the flitting, dragon-fly winged servants offered without being rude. "Really, thank you, but I'm not hungry, it, ah..."
"Is it breakfast already?" Grav yawned as he was escorted onto the veranda, eyes still bleary from sleep. His hair was a little wild and the fae sunlight made his eyes look almost red. Though that didn't quite make sense.
"Shame we can't eat anything here. The food smells so good." How he smelled the food from that distance was also odd; it didn't have a very strong fragrance.
"It really does, doesn't it?" Aneas agreed wistfully. Then he blinked and looked back to Grav, brow furrowed curiously. "Wait, how did you--?"
Oh. Right. Volke.
He cleared his throat and looked away awkwardly. "So! Seems we must wait on our hosts before we can be gone to Arca, eh?"
Grav raised a brow. Was it really that odd? The smell was hard to miss!
He walked up and stretched his arms before scratching his elbows. "Looks like it. I hope she's not suffering too much in there."
"Do you think she'll actually tell us what the Faerie King wanted?" he mused as he stretched his legs.
Aneas sighed and shrugged, leaning back in his chair. "Who knows? She didn't tell us she was a princess--or nearly--so I doubt it. Well." He tilted his head from side to side and looked at Grav consideringly. "I'm not all that surprised she didn't tell me, we don't really know each other all that well. But...I was under the impression you three had been traveling together for a while."
Kit huffed and shifted his weight slightly, not quite looking at either of them. "She doesn't like to talk about it," he muttered, sounding oddly petulant for a creature of his size.
"We actually only met about a week ago," Grav answered, "so it's not like we've told each other everything."
He plopped down into a chair and winced. "Ow. Must be sore from all the dragon riding. That's a thing, right? Like being saddle sore?"
Kit whuffed at him and rolled his shoulders and wings in a dragonish shrug. "Probably? I know Kia can get sore from a few days dragonback. You, uh..." He hesitated, head cocked. "You sure that's...all it is?"
Eyeing him with concern, Aneas added, "Yes, any other effects?"
Grav scoffed away their concern. "Really, guys, I'm fine. I feel great, even."
He scratched his shoulders this time. "Itchy though."
Kit nudged his nose into the back of Grav's head with a low, irritated growl--the dragon's way of saying that he didn't really believe the swordsman was as unconcerned as he claimed--but he didn't press him further.
Aneas, for his part, seemed willing enough to let the subject lie. He looked around the veranda and gave a soft, almost wistful sigh. "I know it's dangerous...but this place really is beautiful," he noted quietly, gesturing to the autumn colors of the forest around them. "It's...peaceful, here."
As if on cue, a door slammed from somewhere further in the faerie prince's manor. Footsteps--one set quick and sharp and loud, the other nearly inaudible in comparison--echoed out to the group.
Kit raised his head. "Uh-oh."
Grav was glad for the reprieve from the questions. He knew something was off about him that day, he just wasn't ready or even awake enough to delve into what, exactly, that meant. Unfortunately for him, he couldn't tell a convincing lie to save his life. Except, perhaps, to an idiot.
"Welp..." He hopped to his feet, anxious to get going. "Say goodbye to paradise. Our dear not-a-princess-damnit sounds piiiiiissed."
Aneas blinked, looking a little nervous. "She certainly does."
It was at that moment that Kiara slammed out onto the veranda, sending colorful autumn leaves spinning away in the gust of wind she caused from how forcefully she opened the door, her father striding down the hall behind her in a way that in a less ethereal creature might have been described as "chasing".
"Fucking fae bullshit," Kiara snarled, stomping across the space to stand at the edge of the veranda, where she was apparently somewhat stranded. She spun around, glaring in a way that was almost a dare.
Someone had dressed her--and it must have been someone, because the young woman who favored the same shirt and tunic three days in a row certainly wouldn't have chosen it--in a deep green gown with threads of gold picked out through the fabric. The dress's sleeves tied at her shoulders, baring most of her arms, with gossamer strips of fabric connecting to the gold bracelets on her wrist. The neckline could most politely have been described as "plunging", and the skirt clung to her figure with every move she made. It seemed the faerie court was not overly concerned with the concept of modesty. Her hair had even been done up in a series of elaborate braids--also threaded with gold--and ties that kept the curls high off the back of her neck, and with the low swoop across her shoulder blades from the back of the dress, her normally-covered tattoo was on full display.
"You are overreacting." Aeolthaine informed her calmly as he reached the veranda.
"Overreacting?!" she screeched. "You're goddsdamned lucky I kept it together until we got back!"
Grav's inner goblin jumped up and down in delight, urging the swordsman to crack a joke or laugh at Kiara's discomfort. Luckily, the rest of his mental round table shot the instinct down. It, of course, swore dire hijinks, but that was tomorrow-Grav's problem. Today, he'd support his friend.
Besides, he preferred his bowels un-disembed.
"Now, now, I don't know who thought--" He motioned the to the damsel in this dress. "--this was a good idea. But let's just... dial it back, alright?"
"Listen to your friend," Aeolthaine said sagely. "Just take a breath, and—"
That was as far as he got before a he had to duck a delicate gold slipper zooming directly at his face with all the lethal accuracy of a girl who was quite good with throwing knives. When he straightened back up, he was blinking rapidly.
Kiara was already going for her other shoe, hopping awkwardly on one foot.
"Oh goodness." Aneas gaped. "Ser Kiara, perhaps—"
"Don't you start with me!" She whirled on him, shoe raised, and the young lord yelped and ducked under the breakfast table.
"Whoah, hey!" Grav interjected, hands raised in placation. "We're on your side."
"Were you ambushed by about something or is it just the pretty pretty princess dress?" he asked, fighting back an ill-timed smirk.
You play a dangerous game, brain goblin.
"You--!"
Kit had to smack his tail down in between the two of them to keep Kiara from launching herself at Grav. "Kia!" he exclaimed, just the barest hint of amusement in his own voice. He had no idea what had set her off, but the end result was unfortunately entertaining.
Kiara snapped her glare to him, then finally seemed to pause. She took a breath, then another, then slowly lowered her shoe-armed hand to her side and dropped the slipper.
Both Aneas and Aeolthaine seemed to breathe a sigh of relief.
"Send us back." She didn't look at her father, but the words were clearly meant for him. "I went to your audience. That was the deal. Now send us back."
She gestured for Aneas and Grav to move in closer to herself and Kit, acting for all the world as though she hadn't just thrown a--nearly--royal fit.
Grav joined her, but in such a position as to jump behind Kit in the event Kiara went off again. "Sorry about the--err... dress crack. I... don't always know when to shut my mouth," he apologized sheepishly.
Aneas had the same idea as the swordsman but was far better at being subtle about it. Nobles should not be seen to be afraid... well, not by the same people twice and not by another blue blood.
"I will get you for that later," Kiara informed Grav when he apologized. With all three of them clustered around the dragon, she finally looked to her father and folded her arms, eyes steely. "Well?"
Aeolthaine sighed. "Please, Firefly--"
"Don't." She swallowed. "Don't call me that."
He paused, then dipped his head in acquiescence. "Please. Just think about the king's offer."
She scoffed and tossed her head, looking away from him. "I've got three cycles of the moon, yeah? I'm sure the king will be waiting for his answer."
Aeolthaine opened his mouth, paused, then closed it again. He nodded. "Very well." He raised his hands toward them, then warned Aneas and Grav, "This may feel...unsettling."
The words were just barely out of his mouth when the world twisted and warped around them, and for the briefest moment it was as though all the air had been sucked from their lungs. The Autumn Court blurred around them, and Kit curled in tight around the three humans, eyes shut.
Then it was over, and they were standing on a grassy hillside overlooking the road to Arca.
Grav was about to ask what the prince meant by that, when he got his answer. Upon the mortal world coming into focus, he took a deep breath and shuddered. That hadn't been pleasant, but, all in all, not that--
"Oh Gods..." He turned green and rushed to lean behind a large rock and heave. There, thankfully, wasn't enough food in his stomach to matter.
Returning, he said, "Let's... get going. I'm starving, and those rations just aren't doing it for me."
Aneas gave a low groan that might have been agreement or might have just been lingering illness from being tossed between realms of existence. Even Kiara was looking a little pale--though in all honesty that might have been from her rather trying morning more than the trip itself.
"Kitten, you mind waiting for us outside the city?" she asked, stepping around in front of the dragon and reaching up to cup his muzzle. He nodded and crooned, nuzzling her cheek before stepping back to get some room for takeoff.
"You three go on. Aneas's parents have probably heard about his "kidnapping" by now."
"Oh, Kia." Aneas blinked. "I hadn't even thought of that."
Grav winced. While he had thought about it before then, it had slipped his mind that their situation was so delicate. One wrong move, and they could be imprisoned, no matter what Aneas said.
"You should probably do the talking when it comes to that. "I don't trust my tongue not to get me clapped in irons," he told the nobleman as they set out on their final trek to the city gates.
Even during the approach, he knew that the city itself was going to blow his mind. Even Selevea paled in comparison to the grandeur that lied ahead of them. When they finally crossed into the city, Grav's jaw went slack.
"It's so... big and... clean. I didn't know cities could be clean."
Kiara chuckled, and even Aneas smiled a bit. "This is the seat of magic in Serendipty," the nobleman said, steps lightening as they entered the city. "It is...spectacular."
He paused, glancing at the two of them, then frowned in thought.
"Ser Kiara, you look...well." He cleared his throat, the tips of his ears going a bit red as he looked her up and down. "You look quite respectable, if a bit...flashy. I don't believe my parents would think you the villain who whisked me away from our estate." He looked to Grav, head nodding from side to side. "Perhaps my parents will have something you can borrow..."
Aneas' critique of his appearance made him feel uncomfortable, like all the times he had ever felt he was being looked down on. "Why? What's wrong with my trusty blues?" he asked, lifting up one flap of his coat to examine it, "Oh. Right. The manticore blood. Still, nothing a good wash and a bit of magic won't fix."
"Well, er, yes, I suppose..." Aneas trailed off awkwardly, his manners clearly preventing him from saying anything else. Though, even with two days of travel rumpling his clothes, they still fairly clearly advertised his status—and Kiara was still stuck in her "pretty pretty princess dress" (though she was now barefoot). They certainly made a statement.
The statement Grav's clothes made was somewhere along the lines of "I have spent several days in the wild while potential killing things".
Kiara huffed and hooked her arm through Grav's. "Oh, shove off, Aneas. I doubt your family will be much worried about what we're wearing once we explain the situation."
"Ah. Yes. Of course. This way, our townhouse is in the garden quarter."
Grav sighed in relief that the subject of his attire had passed. He wouldn't even know what to do with himself in anything remotely fancy. Though, he wouldn't throw his shoes.
The young adventurer was unusually quiet as they walked to the garden quarter. He never even made eye contact, worried they would see through to how scared he really was about what was happening to him. The worst part was how good, how powerful he felt. He was faster, stronger, more alert to every one of his senses, and quite possibly was healing faster.
Aneas seemed quite comfortable giving them a tour as they approached his family's townhouse, but neither Kiara nor Grav seemed to be really listening. For most of the walk Kiara was glaring at the ground, turning over her meeting with her grandfather—and occasionally wincing as she trod on a sharp stone in the road.
After a while though, she seemed to notice something was off with Grav. Arm still linked through his, she gave him a little squeeze to get his attention and said softly, "Hey. Y'alright, mate?"
"Hm?" He gave turned his head towards her but pretended to be studying the ornate architecture of the wealthy part of Arca so not to meet her eyes. "Yeah, I'm good. Just... gawking at how the other half lives. I can't even imagine how many families the cost of this fence alone could feed."
He really was a terrible liar.
She frowned. "C'mon, puppy. Out with it." She elbowed him lightly, though there was proper concern in her voice. "Are you...feeling worse, today? Is that it?"
She winced, feeling a little guilty that she hadn't asked him before. Her morning had really thrown her for a loop.
Grav sighed in defeat and let her see his eyes, which had turned nearly entirely red. Only flecks of blue remained to suggest his natural color. He had seen them that morning in a mirror and had been afraid to have it confirmed.
"Not... exactly."
"Oh, Grav."
She paused in the street, tugging him to a standstill with her arm still linked through his, and reached up to cup his cheek in her palm so she could tilt his face toward her for a better look. "Are you--does that hurt?" she asked quietly, brow furrowed as she looked him over.
"No. Really, I can actually see better. I thought it was just where we were, but now that we're back everything just... pops." There was hesitation in his eyes before he confessed, "But other things hurt and itch and I think all my wounds are gone. I think I'm... changing."
He shuddered. "Not dramatically, thank the gods, but... I'm still terrified."
"Gods." She let her hand drop to curve around the back of his neck and pulled him down to butt her forehead against his gently—it was a gesture oddly reminiscent of a dragon, really.
"Sorry, mate," she mumbled as she pulled back. Aneas had gotten a bit of a lead on them, not seeming to notice their brief aside, and she started walking after him again. "Listen, once we get ourselves explained to Aneas's folks, we can—I'm sure they'll know how to help you, or know someone who can. It'll be alright."
Grav jogged to catch up. "Yeah," he responded, rubbing the back of his neck, "I'm sure you're right."
They soon reached the decadent manor that the Hallis family called a townhouse. The swordsman couldn't help but marvel at the structure as they approached the wrought-iron gate that led onto the property, with decorative vines woven around every bar.
At that time of day, the gate was open. So Aneas led the way as they continued up the short path to the front door. "If you bear with me, I'm sure we'll get this misunderstanding sorted in no time at all," he assured before knocking.
Kiara snorted. "We don't have much of a choice here, Master Aneas."
The nobleman winced--she had a point--but by that point a steward was opening the door.
"Forgive me, Lord and Lady Hallis are not receiving visitors--" She started. "Master Aneas!"
It was a whirlwind of introductions and confrontations; Aneas's parents had clearly been worrying themselves sick over him, and his mother was so relieved that she collapsed onto her son in dramatic sobs. His father was a little more restrained, and clearly suspicious of the two ragged vagabonds--or well, one ragged vagabond and one slightly-better-dressed-but-still-shoeless vagabond--but at Aneas's hurried reassurances the household gradually calmed.
About twenty minutes later, the lot of them were in a parlor, Aneas trying to explain the situation to his parents as concisely as he could. Kiara and Grav had been offered seats, and Kiara was perched awkwardly on the edge of hers, one leg bouncing with restless energy. She glanced across at Grav and mouthed, How long d'you expect this will take?
Grav, too, was full of nervous energy. Much like in the Autumn Court, he was constantly fidgeting like a bored child. He shrugged, whispering back, How should I know? It's all up to him.
Lord Hallis glanced over in their direction before asking Aneas yet another question about how sure he was about their intentions. How was the word of two drifters, one a Connloathian for Kia's sake, supposed to stack up against that of a fine, upstanding citizen like Mister Volke?
Kiara made a face even as she nodded in agreement. Finally, after yet another barrage of questions while the household guards simply stared at them, hands on their weapons, she was fed up.
"Alright, look." She stood, folding her arms. "If we really wanted Aneas hurt, why would we bring him back here? And, in case you've forgotten, we did take care of your manticore problem." She gestured between herself and Grav. In her dress, the gesture was turned into something grand and nearly regal, echoed by the movement of green and gold fabric. "So, if you can't help us, thanks very much for your hospitality, but we'll just be on our way. My friend needs help, and I'm not willing to sit here wasting time about it."
Aneas gave his parents a pleading sort of look.
Lady Hallis spoke up first. "She has a point, dear. They could have easily held onto him and tried for a ransom," she urged, "And they did get him here faster than they possibly could have by normal means."
Lord Hallis looked them over again and sighed. "Fine, fine, we believe you, my son. I'll... properly reward them, send for a mage to assist the young man, and have our people look into Volke. If there is anything suspect, I'll take it to The Eleven."
"Thank you." Kiara sat back down with a huff, blowing an errant curl out of her face.
"You may wait here, if you like," Lord Hallis told them, before ushering his family from the room, the household guards following.
Kiara released a held breath and flopped onto her back, digging the heels of her palms into her eyes and groaning.
"Fuck a reward, I need sleep," she muttered balefully.
Grav gave a rueful chuckle. "You and me both. And I need food. This whole mess--" He motioned to his eyes. "--is taking a lot of energy."
"Also, sitting still is not my thing. At all." He was fidgeting less without his "betters" watching, but he was still a bundle of anxious energy.
"Well, it's just us now. Go pace the room to your heart's content." She waved a hand at him airily, sprawled out over the chaise now.
"Here, help me up, would ya?" She reached out blindly in his direction. "I swear, this damn thing is held on by spiderwebs and wishing. I'm half afraid if I sit up too quick it's just gonna fall off."
Turning her outstretched hand to a finger of accusation, she added, "I still owe you one for the dress crack, you know."
He chuckled a little as he got to his feet. "And I earned it."
Grasping her arm, the swordsman pulled her to her feet with surprising ease. With a lightly teasing smirk, he said, "But, I mean--you do look good in it."
"Oh—shut up." She shoved at his shoulder, blushing up to the tips of her ears. "I look like a rescue mutt in a diamond collar."
She looked down at herself, mouth twisted to one side. "Uhg. Gods, I hope Aneas's folks have something else I can wear; I just remembered I left my spare things in my pack with Kit."
She paused a moment, simply staring down at herself. Then all the breath whooshed out of her and she suddenly tipped forward until her brow thumped lightly against the center of Grav's chest.
"...I feel like the last few days have been a month," she mumbled, the normally steel-enforced set to her shoulders and spine positively melting into sloped exhaustion.
"Whoah!" Grav's arms moved like lightning, supporting her before her head even met his chest. "I think you need to lie down more than I do."
He helped her over to a large sofa so she could relax. "Here. I'll ask about getting you something practical to wear while you recover a bit. Hells, I should get a change of clothes too. These need a bath as much as I do."
"No, I'm fine, I just--" she started to protest automatically, then sighed and allowed him to guide her to the larger sofa. "Okay," she mumbled, letting her head tip back as she all but collapsed onto it. "Just--don't strain yourself, alright? You've gotta be worse off than I am."
She realized how that sounded and winced. "Er, not that--I mean, just...be careful?"
"I will. I promise." He gave her an assuring smile, smirking as he moved for the door. "I'll watch out for the maid though; she looks sneaky."
He peeked out into the hall and waved someone down as he stepped out. The door closed behind him and she was alone.
The moment she was left alone, Kiara crumpled. She curled in on herself on the sofa and squeezed her eyes shut against a sudden tide of tears that seemed to stem from a sense of helplessness and just pure exhaustion.
She managed to pull herself back together by the time Grav returned with a change of clothes, which she donned gratefully; she was so eager to be out of the dress that she didn't even bother to find a proper room to change in, just ducking behind the chaise and trusting that Grav would keep his back turned when she told him firmly, "Don't look."
While to be in breeches again was a welcome relief, that still left them waiting on the Hallises to return and tell them...well. What exactly was happening. It had to have been over an hour by the time one of the maids ducked back into the parlor where they were waiting and laid out a tray with tea and sandwiches.
"Courtesies of Master Aneas," she told them with a small smile. "He mentioned the two of you must be hungry."
"Bless the man," Kiara sighed, snatching up a sandwich and all but cramming it into her mouth as the maid retreated. "Here, eat something." She pushed the tray toward Grav.
It didn't take long to down her first sandwich, and with the rumbling in her stomach somewhat quieted, she was finally able to focus passed some of her anxieties and impatience.
"...I've been a right tit, haven't I?" she realized with a sigh, settling onto a chaise and looking at Grav guiltily. "I'm sorry. I just--I got so caught up in everything that's happening, I just... How are you? Really?"