Ane and Elliot wandered aimlessly. Elliot was the only one who still attempted to lead them the correct way. Ane couldn't really be bothered anymore. She just wanted to go back home, to Hilltop, drink Aris' tea and snuggle under the warm, thick sheets filled with feathers. Instead of that idyllic, peaceful place, she was here now.331Please respect copyright.PENANAnALss8YvEY
"Do not give up hope," Elliot said. "We shall find the others again."331Please respect copyright.PENANA9NhgSpSuzl
"I know," said Ane. Her rather disappointed voice contradicted her faith. Elliot heard it and he just sighed. Ane tried to stay hopeful by sending a smile to Elliot.331Please respect copyright.PENANABOyqlBGHaS
"Help!"331Please respect copyright.PENANAgDAylm2pR8
The yelp echoed through the skies like a whistle and alarmed, Ane and Elliot rushed to their feet. It was an unfamiliar voice that had screamed for help, but somehow Ane and Elliot still felt as if they had to help the poor lad.331Please respect copyright.PENANAzvuoVTzTAY
"Help, please!"331Please respect copyright.PENANALHyMnkWVnq
Ane and Elliot rushed to where the voice came from, only to see a horned waylaid by a bunch of rogues. He was on the ground, watching four daggers aiming at his precious face. Would Daphne know them? Ane didn't, and therefore she immediately sent her dead possessions to the group of thieves. Anevay's army quickly shoo'd the four rogues away and they fled.331Please respect copyright.PENANAYrpDGdJFvY
"Thank you," thanked the horned rapidly whilst he shook Ane's hand.331Please respect copyright.PENANAymDyI5GHRn
Ane's companions disappeared again. "You are welcome. What is your name?"331Please respect copyright.PENANARVv5JkIc6k
"My name's Aethul. I'm a doomed," he said. He had messy, dark hair and big, vigorously curling horns. Quite gorgeous.331Please respect copyright.PENANAyqBfqSjq6q
"What are you doing out here, Aethul?" asked Elliot.331Please respect copyright.PENANAX1smORtltW
"Travelling West," Aethul replied. "And you, dear strangers?"331Please respect copyright.PENANAxDtYGi9hNn
"My name is Anevay and this is my best friend Elliot," introduced Ane. "We are also heading West. We could lend you a hand."331Please respect copyright.PENANAw95HViWMPQ
Aethul seemed a tad too distrusting towards those who just saved his life, but eventually he gave in and he shook Ane and Elliot's hand as a sign of confirmation.331Please respect copyright.PENANAdMRJ8RK3Jr
"That wasn't my strongest moment," Aethul snickered.331Please respect copyright.PENANApxbY9bCQwi
"That is fine," nodded Elliot. "Take us to the west, we shall protect you."331Please respect copyright.PENANAqGBMqk3oZG
"I think I can do that," nodded Aethul. Although he didn't really seem like a necessarily strong person or a particularly clever person, he did have a hint of mystery around him which both Ane and Elliot would have liked to unravel. It wasn't the 'witty, magical' type of mystery, though. There were deep waters to a seemingly empty well.
"We're lost, aren't we?" asked Bethil.331Please respect copyright.PENANAQsQLSAtcId
Daphne shook her head. She lived here. She's roamed these forests ever since she could remember. With or without a knife, though. With or without a rogue clan.331Please respect copyright.PENANA5dEnOwO5NR
"So, how long will it take us? Estimated," asked the young shapeshifter. Daphnelle hummed thoughtfully while she looked up at the clear air. No clouds, she noticed. Strange.331Please respect copyright.PENANA5N0dJ2zlBY
"About one day," she shrugged.331Please respect copyright.PENANAMi2L09bwhm
The two continued walking. Evening fell rather quickly and gradually, they were heading somewhere with a crowd. The sound of voices dominated soon enough and a light flame lit up a tiny picture in the forest. Several trees before the alleged camp, Bethil and Daphne took a halt.331Please respect copyright.PENANA7TvOzKqeoi
"Should we go there?" whispered Bethil.331Please respect copyright.PENANAl9hasrzsav
"How many would there be?" replied Daphne.331Please respect copyright.PENANAZRiAcI305W
Bethil shrugged. His form quickly turned into an unnoticeable bug that went and checked the place out. Only three people. What he saw did surprise him. Two of them were hostages. Their feet and wrists were tied together and the rogue that had kidnapped them was a female horned. Bethil mistook her beauty for innocence for a second, before he realised that she had captured two grown-up men.331Please respect copyright.PENANAAQlQrbr0df
"Three," whispered Bethil once he was back with Daphne. "They are talking about the regimes of a rogue. One of them is a rogue. The two others are her prey."331Please respect copyright.PENANAxLZ1FcSK55
"Ah, is that so?" murmured Daphne as she tried to watch whoever was behind the trees. She wished that the branches weren't so thick.331Please respect copyright.PENANAZNVCxQdWai
Bethil nodded.331Please respect copyright.PENANAUvVB6XKstF
Daphne shrugged. "Let's go there."331Please respect copyright.PENANAQBIRR6mIef
Bethil huskily followed the horned as she fearlessly approached the camp of rogues. As soon as she set a foot inside of the tiny camp, a blade was pressed against the soft skin of her neck. The rogue's reflexes were excellent, acknowledged Bethil.331Please respect copyright.PENANAAMJnHvAPGv
"Mounty?" scowled Daphne with a sharp hint of disbelief in her raspy voice.331Please respect copyright.PENANAltdwItwW4i
"Daphnelle?" answered the other rogue just as surprised.331Please respect copyright.PENANABSkfPBfXym
Bethil couldn't believe his own eyes. Two beautiful horned – both rogues – were eye to eye. His mind secretly wandered off to some bad thoughts. He couldn't help himself; he was a teenager with hormones out of control too.331Please respect copyright.PENANAGdSF9s5Woo
"What are you doing here?" asked Mounty whilst she put away the dagger.331Please respect copyright.PENANA3yl3LHRwdF
"Passing by," shrugged Daphnelle nonchalantly. "Bethil and I are heading to the Western Bay."331Please respect copyright.PENANAHV1jg8PdNN
"Try to avoid Sharran's Valley," Mounty muttered with a sort of worry as if she knew the terrors of Sharran's Valley.331Please respect copyright.PENANAa6k6QgqFy5
The cheeky smile on Daphne's face betrayed that she knew Sharran's Valley very well. Bethil only heard of Sharran's Valley back when he sat behind those chic desks and he was just aimlessly drawing in his notes. Occasionally, the word 'rogue' and 'dangerous' were dropped whenever the teacher would speak about Sharran's Valley, but Bethil had never paid enough attention.331Please respect copyright.PENANAa3ojDe8hYa
"I'll try," she said. "What about you? What's brought you here?"331Please respect copyright.PENANALMbkOAUd78
Her accent suddenly seemed heavier, as if she was in her hometown, talking with some of the elders in some local tavern. Laid-back and lazy.331Please respect copyright.PENANA5nFt3r7aKJ
Mounty aimed at the two hostages behind her. "Bringing these two to Sharran's Valley," she said ironically.331Please respect copyright.PENANAPRvKSDllED
"You're still in that business?" asked Daphne, suddenly harsher and almost disappointed.331Please respect copyright.PENANAAPMswV5zI1
"I could ask the same to you."331Please respect copyright.PENANAjQDwDBn7An
"Bethil's my friend, not my loot."331Please respect copyright.PENANAk1dyiCe0w5
"Well, I've never left the business. Despite the incident several years back, I never really said my goodbyes to the ways of a rogue. My supposed fiancé and I split up after some further incidents. I needed to earn money, so here I am," explained Mounty. "Come, have a seat and some food. Some rest may do you well."331Please respect copyright.PENANAEKmCGWBl26
Daphne gave a wary nod to Bethil, showing that he still had to be cautious. Apparently, there was more to Mounty than Bethil could think. The pair sat down next to Mounty and were immediately given two cups. She filled it with some thick liquid from in a ceramic bottle. Incredibly useless weight to carry, thought both Bethil and Daphne. Before Daphne or Bethil took a sip from the alcohol that Mounty has just given them, Daphne flicked her wrist.331Please respect copyright.PENANARpqKLc743C
"You don't trust me?" frowned Mounty before she gave herself a portion of the alcohol and took a large sip.331Please respect copyright.PENANA5OqWrCnHuf
"You need to understand that it's hard for me to do that," replied Daphne almost with a mean tone.331Please respect copyright.PENANAZ5yuN3ajCq
"What did you just do?" asked Bethil.331Please respect copyright.PENANAMgiuFlKQF6
"Purifying spell," said Daphne. "It vanquishes all poisonous chemicals."331Please respect copyright.PENANAl8iFL26Fi4
"Alcohol isn't necessarily that healthy," Bethil shrugged.331Please respect copyright.PENANAJ4MaKHQq4a
"Don't you drink?" the horned asked curiously.331Please respect copyright.PENANAijvgOYQ5DT
"I've never been drunk before, no," answered the shapeshifter honestly.331Please respect copyright.PENANAOHCQd8WFl8
The two captured men laughed before Mounty shut them up by snapping her fingers. Their lips seemed to be glued together all of a sudden, and it was quite amusing.331Please respect copyright.PENANAkvcjKr58Te
"Cheers, then," smiled Daphne. She raised her drink and took a large sip. The warm fluids streamed through her throat and she enjoyed the feeling. She hadn't had the opportunity to consume alcohol in quite a while and this did her well.331Please respect copyright.PENANAEZ7sav6QzR
Bethil cautiously took a sip. He didn't really like the taste of it. He admitted this honestly and he handed Mounty the cup.331Please respect copyright.PENANA7eBKnQF1hb
"I'm sorry," he said apologetically, "I'm not an alcohol fan."331Please respect copyright.PENANAT6zvvOuo3N
"It's fine, buddy," Mounty replied. She took another bottle, which had a greener tint. "This is cold tea. Do you prefer this?"331Please respect copyright.PENANAc0uQeFgz4i
"If I may," nodded Bethil. He soon was given another cup with a refreshing fluid inside of it and he liked the taste of the somewhat cheap tea. While the two girls were busy talking, Bethil listened attentively to their conversation. From what he managed to hear – a lot of childhood memories, apparently – he could assume that the two girls had been on friendly terms for a very long time before a certain incident happened. While the horned were retrieving old moments, Bethil just drank his tea. A tad uncomfortable in the presence of these experienced people in the outside, but he definitely was yearning to once be one of them.
"We know that it is slightly unusual for us to travel all by ourselves," said Hallan, "but that is just the way it is. My niece and I love to travel."331Please respect copyright.PENANAkwKfoNMuv3
"Well, I hope that we'll just arrive without too much loss," replied Livi. She had her her fingers gripped around the cold metal from her blade. She refused to let go of it and something inside of her still said that they weren't to be trusted. That could just be rogue's instinct, as she knew very well that nobody could be trusted. Livi herself had travelled two days along with a group of travellers, pretending to be a by-passer, whilst in fact she had her eyes on them as loot the entire time. A successful job it definitely had been.331Please respect copyright.PENANA0SUN4UX56v
"No idea what you'd be losing," replied Marrie. "It isn't like you've that much things with you. Or do you?"331Please respect copyright.PENANAc4Ei41dHZ9
"We lost most of our materials after being attacked by a menrock," answered Jarco.331Please respect copyright.PENANALUU6vPBYyt
"A menrock?" thought Marrie aloud. "That's quite an unfortunate occurrence."331Please respect copyright.PENANASq3t6cj34m
"It definitely was," nodded both Jarco and Lewir.331Please respect copyright.PENANAZyXQLMsCCP
"We should set up our camp and rest here tonight," Jarco said. "Everybody agree?"331Please respect copyright.PENANA3KXqFwdj4B
He got several lazy nods. Not as if there was quite the camp to be built; they barely had anything with them. They could just make it easy for themselves and just sit down by their belongings and sleep, so that is what they did. They didn't bother to eat. None of them had been hungry. Somehow, food didn't really seem much of a priority to them anymore.331Please respect copyright.PENANAeBc2dJnYvi
Jarco woke up in the middle of the night when he heard two voices chattering as if they were teenagers flirting. His eyes slowly darted around and he then noticed Marrie and Lewir, cosily chatting. They sat next to each other and were chuckling with muffled voice. Oh dear, thought Jarco, this is like academy all over again. He stood up and went to a tree some feet away so that he didn't have to hear their constant talking.331Please respect copyright.PENANAlEMF98XFh1
"Oh," mumbled somebody. "Also tired of Lewir's flirting?"331Please respect copyright.PENANAFeig4HkSzt
Jarco looked down and saw Livi, who was chewing on a piece of bread. She sat against a big, fat tree and Jarco joined her.331Please respect copyright.PENANAVUq86QDCV4
"They haven't done anything else but that for the past hours," sighed Jarco. "I wonder how Hallan must feel."331Please respect copyright.PENANAqH6OQ3T1NI
"They travel together a lot, so it mustn't be too strange."331Please respect copyright.PENANA5cXGZKYtwU
Jarco shook his head.331Please respect copyright.PENANAFx1X8YNahA
"I remember when I used to be such a flirt," laughed Livi. "Good times, good times."331Please respect copyright.PENANAJNFRhZNtHz
"Why did you stop?"331Please respect copyright.PENANADysDpkksgn
"I thought I met the one," shrugged Livi. "It's a cliché story and I'd rather skip telling it."331Please respect copyright.PENANACcembnzmy4
"I understand," Jarco mumbled. "Same cliché story for me."331Please respect copyright.PENANALYxgyV42xT
"It's almost as if we're cheesy characters in some novel," chuckled the redhead. Jarco just smiled, humbly.331Please respect copyright.PENANApandRjyMMV
"Do you believe in true love, though?" asked Livi suddenly.331Please respect copyright.PENANA9rlz1fvos3
She didn't make eye contact with him, noticed Jarco as his gaze turned to the left side of her face. He didn't know how to respond. His hands just rubbed over the grass underneath his palm. The tiny blades of grass tickled his skin and for a second, he forgot about answering. He sniffed for a second and smelled the scent of wood and woodruff. That was strange as there was no woodruff around. Jarco just assumed that it was Livi's scent.331Please respect copyright.PENANAhyTotn9A3u
"So?"331Please respect copyright.PENANA7hrzauuIDI
"Not really," he shrugged. "My former wife totally messed up my life."331Please respect copyright.PENANARMjrBwWuiX
"My former wife did the same," sighed Livi. She rubbed her temples, as if she was deep in thought. "I still cannot get over the embarrassment of having to deal with such a burdensome situation."331Please respect copyright.PENANAaCxGS486La
"Which situation?"331Please respect copyright.PENANAEspnwYNrll
"Divorce. Realising that rose-coloured love is not perpetual, realising that people are temporary and the only that is forever is your own experience in life, with or without significant others," Livi answered. Her voice was soft and it was huskier than usual. Jarco thought about her words. Was love really rose-coloured? He had always imagined blue; painful and filled with grief, but at the same time peaceful and strong, intense.331Please respect copyright.PENANAUsj68avpU1
"Guess we'll never find out if there's such a thing called 'forever'," he whispered.331Please respect copyright.PENANA9mwu8Yu6Aj
"There is a forever," replied the redhead. "It's just not for us. For nobody."331Please respect copyright.PENANA3gze0o2GVi
"Then what is it for?"331Please respect copyright.PENANAkQY2shdVyo
"Existence, I suppose."331Please respect copyright.PENANAW6QQnH3LoN
"What if everything will disappear?"331Please respect copyright.PENANAocvloJKIAc
"Then the void is the existence."331Please respect copyright.PENANAVJze6v7E7V
Jarco remained silent. When did he sign up for this conversation again? Never. Yet he was rather pleased that he had it. Livi wished him a good night and she closed her eyes. Jarco, not much later, fell sleep creep over him as well as his eyes closed and imaginary dreams filled his head.
"Wake up," said a voice. As soon as Bethil woke up and noticed where the sound was coming from, he saw Daphne ready to leave again. She had her hair in a ponytail.331Please respect copyright.PENANAkOr253pPGD
"Are we continuing our trip? Is Mounty here?"331Please respect copyright.PENANAnOAXpb3HXK
"She shall be here in a moment, she's just finishing off her two hostages," nodded Daphne. Bethil stretched his limbs for a solid period and then relaxed as he stood up. He was given a piece of seasoned meat between two slices of thick bread. Daphne told him that it was chicken's meat.331Please respect copyright.PENANAKXIqCtL031
"And where exactly did you find the chicken?"331Please respect copyright.PENANAILJQZtnfk3
"Mounty said that she slaughtered chickens for their meat before she proceeded with the trip," replied Daphne. "Preparations."331Please respect copyright.PENANAAW3uyMZrUX
Bethil ate the breakfast faster than he had expected as the meat had an extraordinary taste. "This is very good chicken."331Please respect copyright.PENANADTEAuOj3X4
"It's actually human meat."331Please respect copyright.PENANAx7OpRlG88Z
Upon hearing these words, the young boy spat out the remains of the flesh still in his mouth.331Please respect copyright.PENANAQBM9PSYdQ0
"Are you serious?!" he yelled. "You made me eat human flesh?"331Please respect copyright.PENANA60X067Nv4F
Daphne burst into laughter. "Calm down, I was joking. I wouldn't feed you human meat."331Please respect copyright.PENANABC4A7P29be
Bethil looked down at the meat he had just spat out, and he decided that it was best just to let it go. He wasn't sure if Mounty was actually psychopathic enough to slice off some skin from her hostages and feed it to Daphne and Bethil. He then assumed that even if it may have been human meat, Daphne wouldn't care.331Please respect copyright.PENANAJdeJA9aKQD
"What is our goal for today?" asked Bethil after he calmed down.331Please respect copyright.PENANARxV8PZkTw5
"To get past Sharran's Valley," replied Daphne. At that moment, Mounty came back. She was rubbing some blood off her hands with an old rag and it made Bethil feel somewhat sick. He could easily figure out whose blood that was.331Please respect copyright.PENANAB3F5ZaRjSE
"Never seen blood, boy?" she asked with a cheeky smile.331Please respect copyright.PENANA1dqtgeD9zE
"I have," responded Bethil. "I'd rather not feel it on my own hands, though."331Please respect copyright.PENANAPemEIJnW2A
"You're too pure," said Mounty. "There is no way you'll survive in the wilderness."331Please respect copyright.PENANAYdJq7gEvBZ
"We're not in the wilderness, Mounitilly," shushed Daphne. Mounitilly? What type of name was that? Bethil frowned as he heard it. The only conclusion that he could get to was that horned had the common use for shortening their family and friends' names. It was a sign of familiarity and comfort. The only times when people would use their full names, was for scolding, patronising and all those types of negative attitudes towards someone, but also for honorific use. However, that was often forgotten and people didn't really bother to be polite anymore.331Please respect copyright.PENANAA931WuY3Hn
"So we're digging up old names?" grinned Mounty. "Should I drop your name?"331Please respect copyright.PENANAFZsbh44ej6
Daphne shot a quick glance at Bethil, who seemed more than curious for Daphne's full name. He had heard a tiny piece of it back when Rok was about to 'spill her secret', but it never got further than that. He hadn't bother to ask, either.331Please respect copyright.PENANAuwFNOwXUMg
"No, we're not," Daphne replied quite softly.331Please respect copyright.PENANACG354kWo4b
"Why can't I know your full name?" asked Bethil.331Please respect copyright.PENANAuni55Gg9GZ
"Because that'll leak information about me that you aren't supposed to know," Daphne replied.331Please respect copyright.PENANABdGrG8xuDH
"We're comrades, aren't we? Isn't it better for us if we know each other's names?"331Please respect copyright.PENANAE1vFYI4p4l
"Perhaps," answered Daphnelle, "but it truly isn't necessary for us."331Please respect copyright.PENANAfxzenvredi
Left with feelings of somewhat rejection and denial, Bethil followed the two girls anyhow.331Please respect copyright.PENANAfh6RKqaDLV
"Wait, Mounty," he suddenly began. "Weren't you supposed to bring those men to some people?"331Please respect copyright.PENANA7PB1S8bnGW
Mounty shrugged. "I needed food."331Please respect copyright.PENANApjXo6HAuIo
Bethil's mouth was filled with a gagging reflex, but he held it in. It was better to shut up now, he realised.
"So where is your family from?" asked Ane to Aethul.331Please respect copyright.PENANA9OPcWePImn
"My family is from far away. I'm not entirely sure where they're from, but it's definitely not nearby," said Aethul. He seemed incredibly air-headed, thought Elliot, and he knew that Ane thought the same when the two shared some glares.331Please respect copyright.PENANAfEFq9eTZGM
"Do you know anything about them at all?"331Please respect copyright.PENANAbDSTwB4J1O
"They were dangerous," shrugged the horned. "And they were constantly hungry."331Please respect copyright.PENANAIwCjmGYmNi
"Right..." replied Ane confused.331Please respect copyright.PENANA7GNUF1DpK0
"What about you two?" asked Aethul. He didn't look at them when he talked, and he kept his eyes at the path made out of gravel underneath his bare feet. His feet weren't wounded at all and he wore but a grey shirt on top of some dark trousers. Ane was still somewhat cautious over him.331Please respect copyright.PENANAjVS1yQMKt6
"My parents are from Kinslot," said Anevay.331Please respect copyright.PENANAaQwpOgmutT
"My mother is from Hilltop," Elliot said.331Please respect copyright.PENANAl3WPEnu9pr
"You don't have a father?" asked Aethul. Elliot wasn't only a bit grim because of the contents of the question, but also because of Aethul's inconsideration.331Please respect copyright.PENANA78SIfpVTG2
"I do not," Elliot said eventually. Aethul turned to Elliot now, and he put his hand on Elliot's shoulder.331Please respect copyright.PENANABJwUtiOqio
Ane was taken aback by what happened next. Aethul's eyes flashed white and he turned his stare to the sky. Elliot was near panicking as Aethul hung onto him. He was afraid that Aethul's legs would soon give in and he'd collapse, but that didn't happen.331Please respect copyright.PENANA1tiNdz457D
Aethul snapped back to consciousness, but instead of giving any explanation or information, he stared at Elliot as if he was some evil monster.331Please respect copyright.PENANAPpSGi4siAu
"Dear lords..." muttered the horned, before he collapsed. Ane and Elliot rushed to his aid.331Please respect copyright.PENANAFEH6C0R8wk
"We should be more wary about who we recruit into our fellowship," hissed Ane.331Please respect copyright.PENANAjrgJmLdFt7
"What do you think he saw?" asked Elliot.331Please respect copyright.PENANAHV8RlGRksd
"How could I know?" Ane snarled. She didn't want any of this nonsense. Elliot carried Aethul on his back and Anevay carried Elliot's bag.331Please respect copyright.PENANAe4EH8Mp1oq
Elliot wondered what it could've been. He also wondered if all doomed could do what Aethul had done. Was that a special trick?331Please respect copyright.PENANAieY78gtVmg
Ane was also sceptical about everything. Jarco had never taught her that doomed were clairvoyances. She knew they held rubies, which was a unique type of magic to horned alone, but she wasn't sure whether those rubies held seeing powers or not. It was all too confusing. Anevay started to realise that for real knowledge, you needed more than just wisdom grasped out of literal words. Out here in the wild, it came to her that she knew perhaps a handful of grains from what this world had to offer qua knowledge. Jarco had always complimented her that she was smart; the outside proved the opposite.331Please respect copyright.PENANANjFx4neKdI
The trio sat by a pond, where they splashed some of the clear water on Aethul's face. Despite the refreshment, the boy remained in a deep sleep. Ane and Elliot took the chance to have a rest for themselves as well. It had been a hot day and carrying a grown-up guy didn't make it easier for Elliot.331Please respect copyright.PENANAtAH0EICG68
"Sorry about that."331Please respect copyright.PENANAH457XN86wK
Anevay and Elliot, who had been sitting in silence for the past half hour, looked up to Aethul, who was rubbing his eyes.331Please respect copyright.PENANA8CEZ4aJoEB
"I was overwhelmed there," continued the boy.331Please respect copyright.PENANA6cxohlmOUX
"By what? Do you remember what you saw when we touched?" asked Elliot.331Please respect copyright.PENANAp5btaGwf0f
"No," answered the horned. "I'm extremely sorry. Usually I remember and then I can pass on information, which is why I did it, but it seems that this vision has clearly surpassed any boundaries of information I had intended to maintain."331Please respect copyright.PENANAfTQMpvzUsM
"Do you mean that you make limits to what you see?" frowned Anevay.331Please respect copyright.PENANAXMZEhYvN1K
"Yes," nodded Aethul. "It is always a bad idea to know more than bargained for."331Please respect copyright.PENANArEuIUADbPC
"Why?" asked Elliot.331Please respect copyright.PENANAanORkXeiYj
"Because you never know what information you're dealing with and you never know which spirits you can unleash," Aethul responded wisely.331Please respect copyright.PENANAGK1k45n334
"Then why take the risk?" scowled Elliot.331Please respect copyright.PENANA6J2FVLyj4o
"I hadn't expected such a heavy load from a rather simple lad like you," was Aethul's honest response. Elliot didn't take it personal; he couldn't care about that at that moment.331Please respect copyright.PENANAWwmOtfd5s9
"Do you think you shall ever remember?" Elliot asked, a hint of hope in his insecure voice.331Please respect copyright.PENANAZlrKBB5XgD
"I always remember in the end," began Aethul, "but that could take me months or even years. So I cannot guarantee anything by far."331Please respect copyright.PENANAdC2phUsoti
Ane noticed how disappointment slowly filled Elliot's expression. She thought of ways as to how to cheer him up, but she concluded that in this moment she should just let him be. After Aethul had stretched, the trio was on their way again. Elliot dearly wished for answers.
"We're getting closer and closer to Sharran's Valley," said Hallan. His voice betrayed that it wasn't a good thing.331Please respect copyright.PENANAqAKp6tbpVm
"How can you know without a map or compass?" frowned Lewir.331Please respect copyright.PENANAV9gDlagqpS
"I can feel it," mumbled Hallan.331Please respect copyright.PENANApOQLLtApl8
"Isn't that a bit too mystic for this realm?" asked Livi with a mumbling voice.331Please respect copyright.PENANApWIL697WbA
"Hallan means that he can smell Sharran's Valley," explained Marrie. "They have a very distinct odour."331Please respect copyright.PENANANMlikfP41i
"What's it like?" Livi asked.331Please respect copyright.PENANAxUn2qXx3jV
"Picture a carcass smudged with pig blood and some rotten eggs," said Hallan.331Please respect copyright.PENANAcchRcz9fKL
"I cannot really picture that," said Jarco who pulled a disgusted face.331Please respect copyright.PENANA8d4Kr6hdv4
"Well, it's like that."331Please respect copyright.PENANA4lTSXtbYJb
"Why have you been there?" Lewir asked.331Please respect copyright.PENANATdGSrkXbmC
"For many reasons," Hallan mumbled.331Please respect copyright.PENANARqmAxECw0h
"You're sure good at the entire 'mysterious traveller' image," sighed Lewir who shook his head in frustration.331Please respect copyright.PENANAi8AALI4pG7
"He likes to keep that image up," smiled Marrie. While Livi and Jarco, who walked at the back, where chatting, Lewir decided to stir up a conversation with Marrie.331Please respect copyright.PENANAsqASKthDJR
"So are you excited to return to the Western Bay?" he asked.331Please respect copyright.PENANALLGasDn0ut
"Of course," smiled Marrie. "It's my home. And you?"331Please respect copyright.PENANAgljNiTDB58
"Of course," nodded Lewir, "though it's not really my destination."331Please respect copyright.PENANAHNyfVtFhBv
"What exactly are you searching in the Eastern Bay, though?" Marrie questioned curiously.331Please respect copyright.PENANAxMvZLJpjW7
"Revenge," said the redhead. "I want to hurt those who hurt me."331Please respect copyright.PENANA2crjZWmlnf
"That isn't a wise decision, Lewir."331Please respect copyright.PENANAiiTydOFgi5
"It is," nodded the horned. "They truly deserve it. It's not as if they have done many good things. They're just evil people with cunning plans."331Please respect copyright.PENANAJpzWLAHpbo
"What are their names?"331Please respect copyright.PENANA5tGmpJQsml
"Clyon," said Lewir.331Please respect copyright.PENANANja0AiDRvy
"That's the name of my horse who ran away," scowled Jarco, interrupting brutally.331Please respect copyright.PENANAMkxkhanfno
"I know exactly where you got the name from, Jarco," muttered Lewir who threw a glare over his shoulder. The elf shut up.331Please respect copyright.PENANAiP18sAiBTY
"And Ninéya," added the horned redhead.331Please respect copyright.PENANAy6VHfcPDnU
"Ninéya?" blurted Marrie. "Isn't she the... the hybrid queen of the Eastern Bay?"331Please respect copyright.PENANA3Ve6XDDqY1
"An evil princess, mind you," began Lewir. "She is part mermaid, part fairy, part Druid. Beautiful, gorgeous, everything pretty. Except her bitter mind."331Please respect copyright.PENANAWe79VvS1jJ
"What has she done to you?"331Please respect copyright.PENANANSAjHAdMui
"She stole my horns," said Lewir. Marrie shut up. She caressed her own horns lightly and asked herself what it'd be like without those signs of fierceness and pride. It must be horrible. 331Please respect copyright.PENANA6P5Pig4NHB
"She'd punished me."331Please respect copyright.PENANA79kXGWassO
"For what?"331Please respect copyright.PENANAbN9ioAnKUN
"Being more powerful than her," shrugged Lewir.331Please respect copyright.PENANA9QGEPKvhem
Livi noticed the pained expression on Jarco's face, which was pointed at the dirt underneath his shoes. Did Jarco have a similar experience? Yet what would Ninéya steal from him? Jarco still had his ears and seemingly still had his magical abilities. Too conscious to ask, Livi didn't open her mouth and just patted Jarco's back, who was a bit surprised by this action.331Please respect copyright.PENANA78sEjk8jLn
"What was that for?" asked Jarco.331Please respect copyright.PENANArOr9wIvH7y
"It's not as if I can't see you're hurting," said Livi with a gentle smile.331Please respect copyright.PENANAJJLuo2BmjA
Jarco rested his eyes on her tender face and he smiled too, not necessarily out of happiness.331Please respect copyright.PENANAJlFlQ0m6GI
"Ninéya is very much alive," said Hallan. "You shall definitely have your fun whilst taken revenge on her."331Please respect copyright.PENANA0svPSYtB2J
Lewir smiled and shot a smug smile at Hallan, who seemed as concentrated as ever. Was he connecting with some foreign forces that gave him more information than you could get by simple newspapers?
"We are getting too close to Sharran's Valley, Mounty," said Daphne. "I can smell it."331Please respect copyright.PENANAwyJqIU3v8i
Mounty agreed and nodded. "Yeah," she said, "it's a bad idea if we continue this direction."331Please respect copyright.PENANA6ibRXL2jqB
"Can you smell a city?" frowned Bethil.331Please respect copyright.PENANAFd6KArLCbg
"Of course," nodded Daphne. "Kinslot smells of herbs and flowers, Iccarslot smells of rust and fresh iron and Sharran's Valley smells of death and gore."331Please respect copyright.PENANAhVGIcT5OFY
"What about Hilltop and Lily's York?" Bethil asked.331Please respect copyright.PENANAEyVDBwsIou
"Hilltop's scent are trees and the more raw smell of woods," answered Mounty, "while Lily's York is a mixture of all sorts of fruits and fresh scents. It's hard to describe."331Please respect copyright.PENANAufUWtBkrZj
"How do you even have such good noses?" Bethil snickered.331Please respect copyright.PENANAp9DVkWjogZ
"Tricks," shrugged Daphne.331Please respect copyright.PENANA16NfZY7qgr
The trio kept walking, and Bethil just listened as Mounty and Daphne were talking about a surprising amount of things which Bethil didn't understand at all. He did comprehend that the two girls had been friends for a long time before all of this, but he couldn't quite place when or where. Judging from their conversations, they were close. Maybe they were lovers? Bethil found it a bit too personal to ask, so he just let that slip.331Please respect copyright.PENANA9NYnTO0swU
Bethil followed them sheepishly. Something that caught him off-guard immediately triggered his senses; a murmurous sound behind him made him spin towards the noise.331Please respect copyright.PENANAEWIP6IWL0Y
"Guys," he hissed, warning the girls who instantly shut up and turned to Bethil. They heard the crusty leaves crack under feet as well and they were instantly alarmed. None of them were dumb enough to talk and they followed the noise, until Mounty sighed.331Please respect copyright.PENANAKQxyg1zu0D
"Oh god," she muttered as if she had just realised what it could've been. "Mint?"331Please respect copyright.PENANAt5vxqCCxcT
Laughing arose, and Mounty shook her head.331Please respect copyright.PENANAhZTVRAeWzu
"You still hang out with that b–"331Please respect copyright.PENANAyQ1vEyQTbQ
"Watch your words, Daphnelle," said a attractive, high voice which would only fit those noble ladies in royal purple dresses, their curled hair put up and thick, red lipstick on this even thicker lips. Quite the opposite appeared from behind a bush. A slender, tall girl with her curves in the right places, a smirk to lure men like mermaids would and long, wavy hair that covered her shoulders. Blue eyes to drown in.331Please respect copyright.PENANAfYAmjTvyEx
"Mint," hissed Daphnelle.331Please respect copyright.PENANAXrITkDvtRx
"I don't hang out with her anymore," muttered Mounty. "She just can't let me go."331Please respect copyright.PENANAUx5HP1Lrqc
"We still work together, Daphne," Mint replied. "And don't get your head all worked up, Mounty."331Please respect copyright.PENANAdWo4ihaolS
"Why are you here?" asked Mounty rather impolite.331Please respect copyright.PENANAci5ZQ8Mj3f
"Coming to fetch you for our leaders," said Mint.331Please respect copyright.PENANAipdc8F5CtZ
The name was a bit odd for her, but it somehow fit her. There wasn't anything minty about her, though.331Please respect copyright.PENANAitFVnbxVoR
"What are you?" asked Bethil.331Please respect copyright.PENANARkC9cBggXa
Mint's smile grew broader, revealing her perfect white teeth. Bethil didn't really feel any hormones work, which he found incredibly strange since Mint was every boy's dream.331Please respect copyright.PENANAsRg2ZbUyMq
"Oh, pretty boy," said Mint with her most seductive voice, "I'm an enchantress. Want to see my skills with charms?"331Please respect copyright.PENANAKzLSrkdvlq
"Your smuttiness is almost as obnoxious as how bad you are at magic," spat Daphne. Bethil wanted to cheer on his friend, but he stopped himself when he saw how Mint's expression turned rock solid. Anger boiled within herself, but Mounty stepped in.331Please respect copyright.PENANA8uEhznFmQh
"Take us to our leader, then," she said. "And leave each other alone, you two."331Please respect copyright.PENANAwZyahq44wB
The group began walking, and Mint began talking with Mounty.331Please respect copyright.PENANATgYsVRXOoY
"What's this feud between you and Mint?" asked Bethil quietly, attempting to be as quiet as possible. He knew that Mint would hear him whatsoever, but he quite frankly couldn't care either.331Please respect copyright.PENANANYeGn301yZ
"She and I had a bad start to begin with," replied Daphne. "Our troubles kind of grew as time passed by." She shrugged. "We never really got along. Our personalities are way too incompatible, I suppose."331Please respect copyright.PENANAOM2cwzQ7jN
"All personalities can get along as long as you're using the proper cement to mend it with," replied Bethil.331Please respect copyright.PENANAfMGwazQDdq
"That's cutely said," smiled Daphne. "Is it a quote from someone?"331Please respect copyright.PENANAyMR32UGXgI
"My mother's, actually," Bethil replied. The memory of his mother didn't bother him, which was good. "She told me that everyone get along as long as you are willing to both act mature and let the controversies behind."331Please respect copyright.PENANA0FbrjtP1ck
"When did she tell you that?"331Please respect copyright.PENANAMvJeebS9tX
"When I complained about my teacher," laughed Bethil.331Please respect copyright.PENANA474BjbkkwT
"I understand," Daphne chuckled. "My teacher and I hated each other too."331Please respect copyright.PENANAc1hUDfXkRY
"You had a teacher?"331Please respect copyright.PENANAm35Zz67XmH
Bethil quickly scolded himself for being so rude, but Daphne just laughed to his relief.331Please respect copyright.PENANAIsAbKCBRSA
"I'm sorry," he said, "I didn't mean to come off that mean."331Please respect copyright.PENANAXwMmeiQ15P
"I wasn't in the entire rogue scene until I was eleven years old," answered Daphne.331Please respect copyright.PENANADMFLNkhHCh
"So... how did you get in the clan?"331Please respect copyright.PENANAak0nrRxsNJ
"That's a story for another time," said Daphne. Bethil nodded as if he agreed, and he then remained quiet. He found it funny how easily things could just go entirely different than you had initially expected. Somebody whose ambition was a butcher, could now be writing travelling books about the east together with the fairies. Someone who had always promised his parents he'd be the best knight around, could now be forging weapons for the people who kept their promise. And someone who wanted to be free all along, could now be searching for his comrades in a somewhat desperate situation.331Please respect copyright.PENANAMZ64l8QOBz