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Fantasy Enter the Kaelzon ~fantasy~

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Mikotsuhime

Nonbinary Forest Hermit
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The land of Earghus is a populous and thriving place. The great cities and mountains to the north are inhabited by a mixed population of humans and vampires, who live in peace with one another. The king is human, and mostly well liked by his subjects. The royal guard are mostly fair, and try to be tough on corruption, so that people feel safe in the capital city. Overall, it is an idyllic place.

In the south, however, there is an aberration. The Kaelzon jungle, which stretches the entire south half of the continent, is a mystery to any and all who come across it. Every now and then, strange beasts come from within its depths, dangerous and wild. Nobody knows what manner of creature they are, but they attack anything that moves, and need to be put down by the royal guard. The rumours go that the beasts live within the jungle, and come out to feed on the few villages that dot its edge. But there is no way to confirm this, because of the one rule that all who live in Earghus know as truth.

Nobody who enters the Kaelzon jungle comes back, ever.

The jungle has strange magic around it, which makes it impossible to skirt the edge and impossible to fly over. The only way to know what lies beyond it is through it. Common, sane people know better than to risk entering, and it's given a wide berth by both humans and vampires alike.

Recently, though, rumours have been spreading. They say that somebody is putting together a party to explore the Kaelzon. Normally, such a thing would be scoffed at, but this mysterious person has deep pockets, and has ordered a large amount of gold delivered to the family of whoever agrees to go on the venture, regardless of its success. Some people are willing to take the risk, to ensure the well being of their families. Some people want to know the truth about the jungle and its secrets. Some people crave the adventure of exploring the dangerous place, and testing their strength against unknown beasts.

Whatever their reasons, the whispers throughout the country were clear; meet in Tanzem village at the tavern on the first of the month if you wish to take up the offer. The Kaelzon edge is just a few scant kilometers from the tavern door, and it looms ever threatening over the village.


***


Talia is nervous.

She shouldn't be, really. She's faced bigger and scarier threats in her life than meeting with a bunch of strangers for the first time. She's been the captain of the royal guard for five years now, and she's faced the beasts of Kaelzon forest up close and personal. This, sitting in a tavern and waiting for people to come in and meet with her, should be easy.

It's not easy.

She'd been spreading the rumours for weeks now, about the amount of gold that she'd drop for assistance in exploring the jungle. She'd been clear about how to identify her in the tavern, and she had left the hood on her cloak down to look friendlier and more open. Her position shouldn't intimidate, because she'd kept it secret, and nobody outside the kingdom's knights even knew that the guard captain was a woman. She had made sure to wear her plainest leather armour, forgoing defense for speed and anonymity. Her halberd was, of course, out of view and tucked in her room upstairs. All in all, she was approachable.

Well, mostly. She knew that the fabric of her cloak was a bit fine, clearly from the capital. The wine-red colour stood out amongst the plain clothes of the other patrons, and the owner of the tavern had given her a funny look when he'd served her her breakfast. She ignored it, though, as she waited for the first travelers to show up and hear her offer.

She's been planning this expedition for over a year now. Ever since Erik...

She refuses to think about it as she bites down on her bread roll.

Luckily, outside of her clothes, she doesn't stand out too badly. Her hair isn't the long style of the ladies n the capital, falling just down past the nape of her neck, and her skin is the golden brown of the natives closer to the jungle border. Her hair is a deep burgundy, and her eyes are brown and plain. The only identifying mark on her is the scar beneath her right eye, a thin gash along her cheek from a sparring accident. Overall, she's happy that the common folk usually only see her in her helmet and full plate, because it means that few folks spare her a second glance now.

She can't imagine what people would say if they knew that this crazy fool's errand was being funded and head by one of the king's own men. Er, women. She wasn't sure how she should classify herself, in that sense.

Not that it mattered much. It was still early, but she had a feeling people should show soon. She wanted to be ready for them when they arrived, in case she needed to do some convincing. Hopefully those who showed up were experienced fighters. The last thing she wanted was to be bogged down in unknown territory.
 
"This is stupid."

Rowan rolled his eyes. He couldn't decide which as more annoying, the fact that she kept saying that or the fact that she was basing her analysis not on the fact that it was dangerous but on the fact that she didn't like working with other people. Though she would argue that people did not like working with her. It was a miracle they were friends sometimes.

"You got any money you're not telling me about?" he asked. "Because I'm fresh out. And money is required for eating and staying dry and--"

"We sure the rumors are true?" she countered. "Because considering they want to go into Kaelzon, they could be mad."

Rowan sighed. "Az, this is why people don't like you. You say things like that. Please, for the love of all that is holy, do not insult this person."

"People don't like me because of my magic," Azrael corrected.

"No, they don't like you because you're mean." Rowan sighed for what felt like the hundredth time since he'd decided they would take the job. He spread his arms. "How do I look?"

Azrael squinted up at him. Rowan wore a long traveling cloak over thick leather armor and simple clothing. His broadsword was strapped to his back and several knives were on his belt. His eyes were light green and his hair a dull brown. He was tall and broad, perfect for his chosen profession.

Azrael gestured for him to dip his head, and she fixed a bit of hair that had escaped his short pony-tail. "You have something on your face."

Rowan ran a hand over his scruffy beard. "Humans don't mind beards, you know."

"I don't like it."

"And I don't like your perpetual comments about it, but here we are." Sometimes the best way was just to counter her with equal amounts of rudeness.

He studied her, which made her squirm. Azrael was dressed better than he was, with a black cloak that seemed to deflect light and a black tunic and pants. Despite their travels, she managed to keep her clothes looking nice. He had once figured it was magic, but now he figured it was because he was always shoving her behind him and taking the brunt of any attack. And she carried herself like a stuck-up noble, which he supposed she sort of was. She wore no armor but carried a short sword and many, many knives tucked into her belt and sleeves and everywhere. Her dark hair was braided back out of her dark eyes. The amount of sun she had been getting had caused her freckles to pop out, which he had made the mistake of telling her he thought were cute.

"Well?" she said after a few seconds.

"Smile, don't smirk."

Azrael split her mouth in a fanged grin, and Rowan gave her a thoroughly unimpressed look. "You know what I meant."

She closed her lips, smiling with the most fake smile he had ever seen. Whatever. At least she wasn't insulting people.

"Come on, let's go find this person."

They stepped into the tavern, blinking in the lower light. Rowan opened his mouth to ask if she could see the person, but Azrael was already nudging him. She nodded to the lone woman at a table. Rowan blinked, a little surprised at the appearance of the woman, but ah well. Her money was as good as anyone else's. He lead the way over to Talia's table.

"Hullo," he greeted as he took a seat. "You're the one taking on Kaelzon, eh? I'm Rowan Shepherd and this is Azrael."

He reached over and pulled his companion into the seat next to him. She had been just standing staring at Talia. But now she was sitting and staring at the poor woman.

"We'd like to join your quest," Rowan continued, trying to compensate for his companion's rudeness. "I assume you want our credentials?"

"Why?" Azrael said, finally blinking. "Why do you want to go into Kaelzon?"
 
Talia looked up as the two strangers approached. The man was friendly enough, though the woman seemed wary. That was fine, though. Kaelzon was a dangerous place, and Talia would have been more worried if folks were willing to rush in without any worries.

This was the part that she hated the most - the part where she had to talk to people. The captain of the guard was known as silent and intimidating, but it was mostly because she was just terrible at small talk. People like this young man, bright and friendly, felt a lot like her total opposite.

"Yes," she said, before realizing that she should probably elaborate a bit. "Credentials are important, however not the most important. Past experience with combat is necessary, even if it's only training."

She had a feeling it was more than training. These two seemed like the type to be rogue adventurers. That was good. Practical experience was helpful, though even without it, she would allow them to come along. She didn't mind having to protect people. If she did, she wouldn't have become a knight. Perhaps that was idyllic, though, and besides that, nobody here knew of her profession.

She eyed the woman, her lips pursing. It was a good question. It was one that she expected, though it was difficult to answer. When finding out her reasons were more personal, she feared people would abandon her cause. But she had to say something, or that would just look suspicious.

"I wish to investigate the source of the beasts that leave the forest," she said finally. It wasn't the whole truth, but it was truth enough. "Lord Keaye, who owns this land, has hired me to do so. He's also offered a great sum of money to those who wish to assist, as I'm sure you know."

She inspected each of them carefully, taking note of their clothes and weapons. They looked seasoned enough. Strong, and suitably cautious. That was good.

"This will not be an easy expedition. There is a high chance you will die. You have a choice of the money being paid to you upon our return, or to a family member upon departure."

Was there anything else? She was used to delivering orders to her troops, but she didn't want to appear overly bossy. After a moment she realized she'd forgotten something rather simple.

"Oh. Uhm. You may call me Talia. It is, uhm. A pleasure to meet you."
 
Rowan smiled slightly. She didn't seem to be the talkative type. He hoped Azrael didn't say something rude. "A pleasure to meet you, Talia."

But Azrael's eyes had lit up at the mention of an investigation. There was nothing she liked more than learning something new. Rowan thought she might have learned to be better with people if she had looked up from her books once in a while.

"Lord who?" Azrael asked with a scowl.

"Keaya, Az." Rowan said with a sigh. He swallowed. Training? He was entirely self-taught, being from a humble family of blacksmiths--though, his ancestors had been shepherds. He hoped Talia wouldn't hold that against him if he had to explain. "Az and I usually deal with marauding bands and the like, but last month, we fought off two of those monsters in the border village of Heath."

Azrael made a face. She hadn't really liked that fight. Rowan had nearly been mauled to death, and she had had to do very dangerous magic to save him. But Rowan had thought it meant it was time for them to take on new and bigger challenges.

"I'm proficient with a broad sword and not a bad shot with a crossbow, and Az is a mage," Rowan continued, oblivious to Azrael's scowl. "She's not to bad with her short sword, either." She was actually quite good with it, but he didn't feel the need to inflate her ego any more than it was already inflated. "Az, do you have the letter from the village elder?"

She reached into her pack and withdrew a scroll and handed it to Talia.

"My cut can go to Rowan's family in the event of my death," Azrael said with a shrug.

"Which isn't going to happen," Rowan said with a look of horror.

"It could."

"I'm not going to let it happen--and don't argue." Rowan nodded as Azrael closed her mouth.

But Azrael wasn't done. She flicked her eyes to Talia. "Rowan's family lives in Salvo." Then she cocked her head. "Can we have your credentials?"
 
Talia nodded. A broadsword and a crossbow... She used a polearm herself, and was a decent enough sniper with a long bow, but she preferred up close fighting. A swordsman and a mage would be very good to have around; they would round out the team, and cover for some of her weaknesses. She rested her chin in her hand as she leaned forward on the table, going over the advantages in her mind.

"I'm... not very familiar with magic," she admitted. It was less that she didn't know anything about it, and more that she couldn't use it herself. Her mother had been quite a mage, specializing in the healing arts. Magic was one of the reasons she was even going on this crazy endeavor to begin with, but she didn't want to say that just yet. "But real combat experience is good. Even if you lack formal training, if you--"

She paused, because did he say they had fought the beasts? Her eyes lit up, and she looked at both of them with new eyes. She hadn't really expected they would be novices, but it was good to know that they knew what the jungle could throw at them. The beasts were not easy to fight, and Talia had a newfound respect for these two.

She took the letter and examined it, clearly pleased with what she read.

"The jungle beasts are not easy foes. I think that you two seem more than capable of joining this venture," she said.

Except then Azrael asked for /her/ credentials, and she hesitated.

That was difficult. She was not supposed to give away her rank or position, because it would involve the royal guard in her personal affairs. It was one of the rules Lord Keaye had set for her when he agreed to fund her expedition, and she had been instructed very clearly not to break it.

But it was also unfair not to answer, and in a situation like this her credentials /were/ important. They needed to know that they could rely on her, if needed. She chewed her lower lip.

"I... served as a knight," she said finally, because that was truth enough. "However I am heading this expedition on my own as a mercenary. I have fought the jungle beasts on many occasions. I use a halberd... My horse will not be accompanying me, but I have experience fighting on the ground as well."
 
Azrael made a face when Talia mentioned magic but didn't elaborate on her abilities. Her scowl only deepened when the woman looked excited about their experience. Azrael had only agreed to this because Rowan had been dead-set on it so disagreeing with him wouldn't have done anything. But she also hadn't really told him what she had done to save him. It wasn't exactly that she thought they weren't capable, but more like she didn't want to deal with the high risk. But, Rowan was going to do this with or without her, so she was here.

Rowan basked in the praise. It was nice to be recognized once in a while. Then his eyes widened and his mouth dropped open. "You're a knight?" he gasped, his eyes filled with awe.

Azrael rolled her eyes. Rowan wanted so badly to be a knight. He was such the hero type. She hated what a selfless person he was sometimes and wished he would be a little more careful with his life. She had also noticed the hesitation before the answer. This woman was hiding something, but then both she and Rowan weren't being forthcoming about themselves, either, so she couldn't risk prying. There was a reason Rowan had left off her family name when he introduced them.

"How long have you been a knight? What's it like to protect the citizens all the time? How often do you have to fight the beasts?" Rowan practically word vomited on poor Talia. And he accused Azrael of being rude.

"More importantly," Azrael said, shooting Rowan a look, "what can you tell us about the creatures from the jungle? We fought the two, yes, but it was a tough fight. And the local libraries don't really have much in the way of information. I'd rather know what I'm up against this time."
 
Talia couldn't help but smile. She loved enthusiasm when it came to what she did, and she always enjoyed encouraging people. Training the young ones had been one of her favourite jobs back in the capital.

"I've been a knight for ten years now," she said. She was in her early thirties, and had trained ever since she was young to become the knight that she was today. She certainly did not lack experience. "It is very difficult work, but also very rewarding. Protecting people is something I take great pride in."

She had seemed to open up a bit, and was more than happy to answer his questions. Being a knight was her pride, after all, even if she was all but abandoning her station for this mission. Such a thought soured her mood, but she tried not to show it on her face.

Azrael had the more pertinent question, though, and Talia frowned. It was again difficult to answer.

"We know little about them," she explained. "They're magical in nature, and they defy what our healers know of any natural beasts. They're connected to the Kaelzon itself, somehow, though we don't know how. We believe it has something to do with the enchantment on the forest. I am honestly glad to have a mage joining us for that reason."

None of the castle's mages had ever come close to identifying the magic around the Kaelzon, but it didn't hurt to have somebody around who sort of knew what they were doing.

"What I do know is that the beasts lack things that non-magical beings need to survive. We dissected one once, and it had no heart or brain. It was more like a plant than an animal, but also it was capable of thinking and attacking. As you may know, the attacks are getting worse. Over the past five years, their frequency and intensity has increased. There are worries that if the secret behind the beasts is not discovered, then it's more than the border villages that might face peril."
 
Rowan nodded, deep in thought. He had never had a knight in his presence he could ask questions before. Ten years? She couldn't be too old, so when had she begun? When she was younger than him, probably.

"How does one become a knight? How long did you have to train?" he added quickly, not wanting to be obvious about his first question.

Azrael had her permanent scowl on, but Rowan refused to let it dampen his spirits. Besides, it looked like Talia had relaxed a bit.

"I noticed," Azrael said dryly in response to Talia's statement that the beasts were not like animals. They hadn't had any blood in them, which had freaked her out a bit. And when she had finished saving Rowan's life, she found the village had burned her test subjects--the dead creatures--to ash. She had not been pleased and probably would have lost her temper if she had had any energy to do so.

She winced slightly, wishing Talia was not so excited that she was a mage. She had read and studied and practiced, but at the end of the day, people were a little concerned about how she did her magic. It was all fine if a mage summoned fire and threw it at someone, but the second blood was involved people got squeamish. Some magi even considered it dirty magic. She wasn't entirely sure how well her magic would work on this particular quest and if their fearless leader would be so enthused when she saw how it worked.

Sighing Azrael tapped her fingers on the table. "What can you tell us about Kaelzon? I assume you have more information than the books did."
 
Talia hummed. It was not an unusual question, but there were several answers to it.

"If a person wished to join the royal guard, it would require a letter of recommendation from a lord or an existing knight. Then, training depends on the age of the person involved and what kind of previous training they have. I started training at fourteen and gained my knighthood at twenty-one. But there are men in my... In the guard who were older than that when they started."

Usually knights began training as teens, but there were some who started in adulthood. Fenrir was twenty three when he began his training, but he had been an unusual case, and also a bit of a genius.

"It is not an easy thing to do, admittedly. However, I am of the mind that knighthood itself is only ceremonial. The men who guard the villages and hunt down brigands are just as noble as any titled knight. The important thing is the desire to protect people. Any person who can do that, who can jump at the chance to help their fellow man, is just as good as any titled knight of the guard."

She had made the knights in her employ do charity work sometimes, so that they would never forget that. They hadn't enjoyed it very much, but it was important. Too often, folks were blinded by the paycheck and the prestige, and it was important to remain humble.

Speaking about Kaelzon was not as easy as speaking about her work. She hesitated for a long moment, trying to figure out how much she should divulge. Perhaps it would be better to just come clean. It might scare them off, but it would feel better than lying in order to get them into the forest.

"I know little more than the books," she admitted, then reached for her pack. She pulled out a letter, old and worn, yellow and curling at the edges. She set it down on the table in front of them, though the sheet itself was blank. She pulled a small dagger from her belt, pricking the tip of her finger and allowing the single drop of blood to spill onto the page.

At once the red was absorbed by the page, and with the smell of ash, words appeared as though they were burned into the paper.

DO NOT EAT FRUIT

DO NOT DRINK WATER

ONCE YOU ENTER, YOU MUST GO THROUGH


"A friend of mine entered the forest two years ago. This was the only correspondence we were able to have before the forest's magic made it impossible. I have reason to believe that he is still alive, and that the answers to the beast problem lie on the other side of the jungle. However, this is all the information I have. I've prepared a great deal of food and water for our expedition, and I believe that we're more prepared than most. But if you wish to back out, I will not stop you."
 
Rowan sighed wistfully. Yeah, the lord or knight recommendation had always been a problem. He was, after all, a nobody from a nobody village. And she could say his job was just as noble as the knights', but knights got a lot more respect than a pair of mercenaries. Azrael wasn't bothered by it, but he figured she'd stay holed up in a mage library if he wasn't always on the go. She wasn't a people person and preferred to glide under most people's notice, but he wanted to help people and to be known for helping people. The Heath's village elder had been the first to recognize them as worth more than the average mercenary.

Plus, it paid better than the kindness of grateful villagers. Rowan tried to hide his wince as his stomach growled. He hadn't eaten since yesterday.

Azrael waved at a server. "Can you bring us a plate of whatever meat's cooking and vegetables?"

"Az," Rowan hissed. "We--"

Several coins appeared in her fingers as if she had conjured them from the air. She hadn't, and he scowled at her. She had been hoarding money again. She always claimed he was too generous.

"At least get yourself something to drink," Rowan muttered.

"Not thirsty," she said, which was lie, but she barely had enough to cover a few emergency meals for Rowan. She wasn't about to squander it. The server soon returned and set the food down in front of Azrael. She pushed it over to Rowan, who began eating enthusiastically.

She was distracted anyway by the knight pricking her finger. Her nose twitched, and she resisted the urge to try to detect the energies in the blood. Anyway, it was being used for another spell. Her eyes lit up and then narrowed at the letter's contents.

"How long do you anticipate being inside the jungle?" Azrael asked. She didn't miss the mention of this friend, but she was more concerned about their stay in Kaelzon. She could last some time between feeding, but her magic needed blood, and her body only contained so much. Rowan would be happy to let her drink his blood--he had done it before--but she didn't like asking that of him. Normally, she would simply subsist on of animal blood, but considering the beasts had had no blood and neither the fruit nor the water should be consumed, she wasn't sure that was an option for her.

Rowan paused, his mouth full of vegetables--which Azrael insisted he always eat at meals because she claimed she could smell the difference in his blood if he'd only been eating meat. He knew why Azrael was asking and wondered if he should just point out that his companion was a vampire. It wasn't exactly like vampires were treated with fear or hate. But his friend preferred to pass as human--she claimed it was easier--and he always honored her preferences. But... this woman was leading their expedition. She should probably know. He glanced meaningfully at Azrael, but she studiously avoided his gaze.
 
Talia blinked, then looked down at her own food. She had completely forgotten herself, and she was a little embarrassed.

"I can cover the costs of the meal," she said, because it was only fair that she should treat them. They were, quite possibly, entrusting their lives to her. She reached into her pack again, pulling out her coinpurse. It bulged, because she had brought more than she usually did to cover the cost of the extra supplies needed for this mission. And, well, Lord Keaye had given her more than he usually did in her stipend. She imagined he had been preparing to never see her again, and wanted to make sure she was comfortable in her last days. It was a morbid thought, but she supposed she appreciated it.

"Please don't hold back, and order whatever you like. We will not have the luxuries of cooked food and alcohol in the jungle, so it is best you enjoy what you can now," she explained. It was a bit early for her to start drinking, and she had instead gotten a cup of watered down tea, as the village inn had little by way of leaves. It was fine, though, and she had enjoyed her meal.

The question was one that she didn't really have a good answer to, and her brows drew together as she stared down at her half-eaten roll.

"I honestly can't say," she admitted. "The only way out is through, and nobody knows what lies on the other side, or how long it will take to get there. Presumably, once we pass the jungle, we will be able to replenish our supplies. But how long it will take to get there is a mystery."
 
The second Talia said she could cover the bill, the coins disappeared from between Azrael's fingers, back to wherever she was hiding them. Rowan scowled. He knew it wasn't magic--she was just moving very quickly--but it still annoyed him.

"Az, I keep the money."

"This is mine," she said firmly. Though, she tended to spend her "cut" on food for him and the occasional book. "You're a bleeding heart, Rowan."

He rolled his eyes, guessing she meant it in the vampire way rather than the human way--which was kinder than the vampire meaning.

Azrael had no shame and therefore ordered tea for herself and more meat for Rowan. Rowan would have been a little more horrified if he wasn't so hungry. Plus, he supposed Azrael had been surprisingly... non-antagonistic so far, so he couldn't really complain.

Azrael didn't exactly like that answer, but she couldn't fault Talia for not knowing how long they would be in a jungle that no one had ever traversed before. Absentmindedly, she traced spell lines on the wood of the table. This might be difficult.

"Az..." Rowan began, staring pointedly at her.

Instead of acknowledging him, she stole a piece of meat from his plate and stuck it in her mouth. She chewed thoughtfully for a minute or so, then asked, "When do you anticipate leaving? Is there anything else we should know about this quest of yours?"
 
Talia offered a wry smile. Money was one of the things she had more than enough of, and she was always happy to share it with others when they needed it. If she could do a little bit of good with her coin, she was happy about it.

The server returned with their food quickly enough, and she gave her a generous tip as well. She doubted gold would do much good in the jungle, so she might as well be liberal with it here. She sipped her tea and considered the question carefully.

"It depends," she said. "I wish to leave by tomorrow morning, or sooner if possible. I have already prepared most of our supplies, so I see no point in dawdling."

The idea that she might be able to see Erik again had her feeling giddy, but she wouldn't ever say it. This was not solely a selfish expedition. She /did/ actually want to find out a way to stop the beasts from invading the kingdom. If Erik was still alive - which she knew he was - she would welcome the chance to see him again, but she couldn't be driven by it.

"I doubt that the terrain will allow for a cart. I've packed enough food and water for a month, with rationing. I can carry most of it myself, but I would appreciate some assistance. We can divide the workload when we reach the jungle's edge. You have your own weapons, so we won't be needing those... I ask that everyone carry their own bedroll, though. I have a few prepared, if you need them, though they're nothing fancy." She figured those were the sorts of things they would need to know. She could hardly think of anything else, really. She was used to weight training and was confident in her ability to carry the brunt of their supplies, but a bit of assistance would be nice. Water got quite heavy in such high amounts.
 
Rowan nodded, smiling around the meat he had put in his mouth. Swallowing, he said, "The sooner the better. I'm eager to begin."

Azrael frowned, wondering how this woman could carry a lot of the supplies herself. She supposed she was well-built, much like Rowan. And a month? That would certainly be pushing it even if she used absolutely no magic. She sipped her tea. She might need to ask Rowan for help if she started getting weak. Though, that would in turn weaken him if rations began to run out.

"I can help carry it no problem," Rowan added. He glanced at his companion. "And Az is stronger than she looks. She can carry some as well."

"We have our own bedrolls already," Azrael said. "We travel mostly by foot anyway."

Still ignoring Rowan's silent pleas to be honest about her dietary needs, Azrael sipped her tea. She was liking this job less and less. She had already known it was going to be difficult, but not being able to drink the water or eat the food was going to be a challenge. There was a pretty high chance of them dying, and she refused to be the cause of that. She might need to just go as long as possible without taking any blood. It would be fine. She'd be fine.
 
"Of course, a month is only a guess. It could take us three days to get through the jungle, or it could take longer. As I said before, you are more than welcome to refuse. I would not wish to force you into this job with the risk it carries," Talia explained grimly. She wasn't trying to scare them off, but still...

She was excited when Rowan agreed with her idea to leave early.

"Yes, of course," she said. "I would like to leave as early as possible, and it's early enough in the day that we could even leave by noon, if we wanted to."

Perhaps that was pushing it a bit, but she really was eager.

"If there is anything you require in the village before then, I encourage you to do it this morning," she said, then paused. She had gotten most of her supplies ready, but there was one thing she was worried about.

"You are both... human, correct?" she asked, raising her eyebrows. "I'm afraid I don't know how to keep blood from going bad, so I didn't procure any. However, I can pay for some, if it's necessary."
 
Azrael nodded her understanding. She hoped they would cross much faster, but there really was no telling. And there was no way Rowan was backing out now, so she was going as well.

"Noon is good," Rowan said, finishing his meal. His eyes were aglow with excitement, and Azrael sighed. Yup, there was no way they were backing out now.

Azrael nodded. Yes, she should probably gather a few things now that she knew more about Kaelzon.

But then Talia pointedly asked if they were all human and Rowan started at her in expectation. She could feel her cheeks warming up. She might have brushed the question off if Rowan weren't so blasted obvious. She adored him, but he couldn't lie to save his life. She stared at her tea as if it were the most interesting thing in the world.

After a few awkward heavy seconds, Azrael cleared her throat. For once, she wasn't staring Talia down. "Ah, no. I'm not human. If you could procure some blood, I can keep it from going bad."

She was going to have to coagulate it like a freaking pudding which was had the worst consistancy, but it was better than losing control and going into bloodlust.
 
Talia blinked, then felt a bit of heat in her cheeks.

"Ah. I apologize, I was too quick to assume," she said, feeling a bit silly. It wasn't like she was even a stranger to vampires or anything. There were a few in the guard, though they weren't as common as humans. Many of the nobles she answered to were vampires as well, though the only one she knew well enough to consider a good friend was Fenrir. She hadn't dared to tell him about her plans to enter the forest, because she knew that he would try to stop her if he knew. She wondered if he had figured it out by now, and if he would arrive on his horse to stop her.

Maybe that was part of the reason why she was so eager to get going.

"I will, of course, purchase some for you. How much do you think that you would need?" she asked. The cook back at the barracks had every knight's required rations nailed down, and she knew well enough for when they went on long excursions, but she hadn't noticed any sort of pattern to how much was needed. Fenrir had joked that he joined the guard to support his ridiculous appetite, while many of the other vampires took more modest rations. But it wasn't something that she could even pretend to be knowledgeable about.
 
Azrael wanted to crawl under the table. It was bad enough she had had to admit to actively concealing the fact she was a vampire, but now Talia was apologizing for not noticing that person before her, who was actively concealing the fact she was a vampire, was, in fact, a vampire. She didn't actually want the woman feeling bad since Azrael had been intentional about hiding her teeth.

She was less concerned about Talia learning she was a vampire--it wasn't like vampires were seen as evil or monsters by most. But if someone knew she was a vampire and knew she practiced blood magic, they could put two and two together. She wasn't ashamed of her magic, but she was ashamed of the way her clan used their brand of magic. It tended to be... less favorable, and they tended to dabble in the darker magics. Some of her family were downright sadistic, like the legends of vampires of old, but others merely practiced out of curiosity. She was matter-of-fact about how her magic worked and the toll it took on her if she used it extensively, but it wasn't evil in and of itself. But, people tended to only be able to associate the rumors of bathing in the blood of virgins and other such nonsense with the Dreyk family, so it was better to not be associated with the name.

"Oh, no, please don't worry about it," Azrael muttered, still staring at her tea. When asked how much she would need, she swallowed. She always found it a bit awkward talking about blood with humans, though Rowan told her that was silly of her. "Um... two pints should be fine."

"Four," Rowan corrected. "She needs four to last her a month."

Azrael shot him a look because she felt it sounded, well, bloodthirsty, but Rowan ignored her. He still wasn't sure what exactly she had done to keep him alive after he had been mauled in Heath, but he had woken up to a ravenous vampire panting next to him, too weak to act on her bloodlust. Absentmindedly, he ran his fingers over the reinforced leather that now guarded his abdomen. He wasn't risking that again. She would probably end up relying heavily on her magic, and he wanted to make sure she had the sustenance to do that. He would not risk losing his friend.
 
Talia was a little surprised when she suggested two, and then even more when Rowan amended it to four.

"Four?" She asked, trying not to appear too shocked. "For a whole month? Is that really enough?"

It seemed astonishingly little, though perhaps she really shouldn't equate the average vampire with Fenrir. It took her a moment to realize that Azrael seemed embarrassed by the conversation, and she quickly cleared her throat. She was probably being tactless again. Erik used to tell her that it was one of her worst habits.

"I mean, I'm only going by the eating habits of my friend. He takes at least that much every week, but he always says he eats more than normal," she explained. He was a bit of a special case in and of himself, anyways. Apparently the Sigurd family were well known for their need to drink more blood than most vampires to fuel their unusual strength. "But if you really only need four, I can get that easily. Would you like to meet back here in two hours? That should give you time to get whatever you need from town."
 
Azrael frowned slightly at Talia’s reaction. Four pints was only slightly less than the average human contained, and she was not a large vampire. When they had the money, she drank a pint or so a week. As long as she had plenty of water to drink and wasn’t using large amounts of magic, that tended to be enough. She arched an eyebrow at the mention of this friend, and then clicked her tongue as she guessed which family he belonged to.

“No, I don’t need quite that much,” she confirmed. She smiled slightly. “And I’m guessing I’m a good bit smaller than your friend.”

“Better make it five,” Rowan decided. “Just in case.”

He would never understand why talking about blood made her so uncomfortable when she was so blunt about everything else.

“Yes, two hours should be fine,” Azrael said, trying to recover from her awkwardness. “I have just a few things I want to grab.”
 
Talia smiled wryly. That was true, too. Fenrir was a beast of a man in the nicest terms, and Azrael was at least a good foot or two shorter.

"I'll take your word for it, then," she said, and grabbed her roll to finish it off. She'd eaten the rest of her breakfast already, and she should probably organize their supplies and make sure that they had the needed blood before they set off.

"Alright, then. We'll reconvene in two hours at the tavern, and then make our way to the jungle from here. I'll have five pints of blood for you, and you can gather whatever else you'll need in town."

She was using her commander voice, and she paused as she remembered that these were not her troops. She should probably be more approachable. Friendly. That sort of thing.
 
Rowan grinned as he finished off his food. “Sounds like a plan. Thanks for breakfast.”

“Yes, thank you,” Azrael said, standing.

With that, she walked off. Rowan grunted in surprise and made a quick apology and farewell to Talia before running off after his friend.

“Az!” Rowan complained as he caught up. “Remember when I said you can’t just walk off with saying goodbye?”

Azrael shrugged.

“What do you need to get, anyway?” He followed as she turned down a market street.

“Just a few stones I can ward,” she said.

Rowan groaned. “Okay, but just point and I’ll do the haggling. You’re too rude.”

“Their prices are extravagant.“

“Yes but telling then so is not how you play the game.” Rowan said, pushing into a storefront that advertised mage items.

Azrael muttered that she didn’t like to play their stupid game anyway as she followed him inside. Rowan greeted the shopkeeper while Azrael made displeased sounds as she eyed the wares. After a few minutes she nodded to several stones, and Rowan haggled with the shopkeeper. Azrael made a face once they had settled on a price, but the coins reappeared from their hiding place and were exchanged for the stones.

“We got cheated,” Azrael complained as soon as the door closed, and Rowan was honestly glad she had at least waited until they were outside the shop.

“Yes, but you got them. You gonna magic them now?”

Azrael rolled one of the stone around in her palm. “No, I’ll wait until we’re inside Kaelzon. I don’t want to have to redo it. Do we need anything else?”

Rowan eyed her. “How much do we have left?”

Azrael pursed her lips. “What do you want to buy?”

Rowan gave her a look and turned into a smithy. The rest of their time was spent with Azrael following Rowan and making grumbling noises as he selected a new knife.

“Why didn’t you tell me you had that much?” Rowan grumbled as they stepped out of the smithy.

Azrael muttered darkly about not knowing Rowan intended to get them killed and money was useless in death anyway.

Rolling his eyes, Rowan ruffled her hair affectionately. They returned to the tavern and stood outside, waiting. Rowan bounced on his toes while Azrael complained about the quality of the stones she had purchased.
 
Talia hardly minded the rudeness. She wasn't exactly polite herself most of the time, so she couldn't fault somebody else for not being perfect with manners.

But once the two left, she figured she had enough time to do her own errands. She set about getting the blood first, speaking to the tavern owner about getting an order ready. He hadn't been too pleased, because five pints was a fair amount to supply on short notice, but a bit of gold quieted his grumbling very quick. Talia was quite pleased with herself as she brought the blood up to her room.

Most of her supplies were very neatly put away in a large pack that was almost the same size she was. She eyed the blood along with the water, and decided to leave two jugs of each for the others to carry. Otherwise, all she needed was her weapon...

The halberd was not a legender weapon the way that Fafnir's Balmung was, so she didn't have to worry about it standing out too much, but it was fancier than most people around here would have. A silver steel alloy, with magic that thrummed along the blade to keep it sharp and clean. Erik had done the spell for her before he left, and she was grateful to him for it every day.

She wasn't going to get emotional. She was going to go into the jungle, and she was going to find him, and she was going to solve this mystery once and for all. She didn't want anyone else to fear for their missing relatives.

Strapping the pack to her back, she grunted a bit as she hefted it up. It was easier without heavy armour on, but it still wasn't light. But if they wanted to survive, they needed to be well prepared. At least she had taken the extra bed rolls out.

Halberd in her hands, she headed down the stairs to the front of the tavern, looking up as she noticed the other two approaching. Her expression was more serious than before, but she tried not to be pessimistic. They had a small party, but three people were better than one. Everything would be fine.

"I take it you're both well prepared?" she asked as she headed out to meet them. It had been harder to tell sitting down, but Talia was not a small woman, and her muscles were clear now that she had the pack on her back. She was very clearly built for brute strength, and she had no problem showing it off. She handed the two smaller packs with the blood and water to the other two, then turned towards the jungle. It was only a short walk away, and it felt like it was looming over them.
 
Azrael looked Talia up and down as she approached. She was a lot more intimidating standing than sitting. Azrael was used to being shorter than most people, but standing next to Rowan and Talia made her feel like a small child.

"Yes, we're ready," Rowan said, his tone eager despite her seriousness. He was eyeing her halberd with wide eyes.

Azrael scrunched her nose but blessedly said nothing. She took the pack without a word and shouldered it. She adjusted the straps and followed after Rowan and Talia. The stone reappeared in her hand as they approached the jungle, and she smoothed it with her fingers.

Rowan eyed the woman and her pack. "Talia, I can carry some of that, if you like."

Azrael eyed the jungle. It looked impassible. And it felt... She shivered. The only blood she could sense was that in her own veins and her two companions' veins. She didn't like this. Not one bit.
 
Talia was nervous. She tried not to show it, but there was a slight tick to her fingers as they approached the jungle's edge. She was staring at the trees, which seemed to stretch up higher than trees normally should, and she almost missed Rowan's suggestion. She blinked and turned to him, then forced a smile. She couldn't let her nerves eat at her.

"Yes, that would be nice," she said, taking off her pack to unstrap the rest of the blood jugs and hand them to him. It was still heavy, but she felt a lot lighter, at least physically.

Her stomach was doing flip-flops, and she had to try her best to quiet the butterflies as she took a deep breath and stepped forward.

Passing the tree-line felt like stepping through a curtain, almost. It wasn't a physical feeling, but the second she had passed into the jungle, the air itself changed around her. It was more humid here, a bit too warm, and sticky. It wasn't a pleasant feeling. At least the other two followed her quickly enough, though when she turned back to look behind her, the tree-line was gone. The jungle spread behind and in front of them, and overhead a bird called in a strange tone she'd never heard before.

Enchantments. The whole damned jungle felt like a pocket dimension, and there truly was no going back once they'd come in.

"Are you two alright?" She asked, though she hadn't felt any ill effects from passing the invisible barrier herself. It was important to check, though. She wanted to ensure the safety of the people who had trusted her enough to accompany her.

Although the situation was expected, it still bothered her nerves a bit, to be so obviously displaced.
 

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