Take Back the Crown

"Ah, it is not a probl-," He was about to respond back to valeiah again, but he heard the remark the elf had used to the Sylph and cut himself off. He turned to them, seething but trying to contain it. He knew that term. He had been called it several times in fact. Some fae didn't take kindly to humans, and see as they came from numerous backgrounds, he had been called a half breed in many languages. "You may not have told her to scram, but I do recall you did challenge me to a battle in hopes to make me leave, did you not? Oh, and if I do recall correctly again, you lost. " He usually tried to ignore the angry words of the elf. He would rather avoid any confrontation. But Phaedra had gone out of her way to protect them and this was the attitude she showed towards her?! He was livid with the way she acted so superior. "You are too busy patronizing others to deal with your own problems and make yourself look a fool, Oceana. You lost because of your pride. And your pride is what holds you back now." She clearly had crossed too many lines for his taste. "the princess is human, and her young brother, are they not? And what of the human girl you cradled the entire way here? Svetlana and yaroslav both are leth fuil." He spat the phrase back at her before nearly sneering "and I don't see you disrespectful towards their bloodlines. What if somebody were to speak of your race with such disdain as you do to each of ours? Elf." He spoke the word low and direct, mimicking the exact way she said human with so much distaste "how does that settle on your ears? Pleasant I hope?" He was asking rhetorically of course, being spiteful at this point, trying to get through to her.


@Danika @OlKaJa77
 
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"Not very talented at keeping your mouth shut, are ya?" She retorted to Alo instantly, in the same tone that he had used. "Oh gods. I'm very, very sorry. I speak before I think." She instantly added, blushing. "I'm alright, that you." She said to the two women that were besides her. It was a bit of a lie, because her head hurt like hell, but as long as she didn't tell, it was best they wouldn't know. She stood back, feeling quite awkward when the argument began.


"I'm sorry and it's truly not my place to speak here, but stop the quarreling. Seriously, this desert and this canyon bring enough dangers as it is, no need to add more."


She exclaimed.


@Danika @OlKaJa77 @GalacticRam @Queen of Fantasy
 
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"No. I'm not talented at it. At all." Alo said flatly. "Don't apologize."


@L1d1ja


Valeiah looked over at him and snickered a bit. "Ooh, Alo." She teased, and then mimicked him, "'Don't apologize'." Somehow she always found a way to make a joke of things.
 

At least Foxrun appeared to have gotten the right idea.

Phaedra glared at Oceana, not knowing the word, but hearing the venom behind them was enough to set her off. It was confirmed when Foxrun spoke that she had said something Phaedra despised hearing. She deliberately ignored the other Elven woman's calls for everyone to calm down. She felt blood rush to her cheeks and all the way up to the tips of her ears, coloring them violet, but certainly not from embarrassment. From anger. How dare she?

Her voice was low and angry, still desperately trying to make her point without raising her voice and bringing any more attention to their group.

"I didn't choose to be a half-breed and I fail to see the relevance, racist. I fought alongside you all and proved my worth the very moment I approached you all passing through. Actually, if I remember, you were a stranger at the same time as I! Valeiah wasn't even given this warm reception, if you remember. Foxrun neither. We all proved ourselves loyal."

So desperately she wished to scream at her, to try to beat some sense into her as old wounds surrounding her heritage tore open. Those words flayed at her heart. She wanted to choke the Elf into unconsciousness and let this conflict that she caused be over for a few hours, but they needed every bit of strength available to defend the caravans and she couldn't do it now anyway.

"Oceana, without this half-breed, the princess wouldn't be alive. You wouldn't be alive. Choose your fights, racist. Fortunately, I can't fling it in your face that it is only an Elven trait. Racists come from all kinds and you're all disgusting. How dare you favor an Elf you don't know when the people you swore to protect here and now are injured. Think critically. Why is she any different?"

Phaedra's view of the woman was permanently tarnished. How dare she bring race into every encounter? Every single one? Whether it was playful banter, casual conversation, or her temper flaring up - it was becoming increasingly difficult for Phaedra to refrain from bringing it up... until now.

She managed to take a deep breath and exhale slowly in an attempt to calm herself. Her gaze returned to the fiery haired woman. Oceana was distracting them from the real issue at hand with her nonsense again - Phaedra would ignore her. For a woman who spoke of it all the time, there was undoubtedly no honor neither in mocking others nor throwing away battle-forged alliances for strangers.

"Which is why you coming out of nowhere, frightening our horses and creating chaos, and then loudly telling us to calm down isn't exactly helpful. Who are you and why are you still here?"

Phaedra kept her words to the point. That is all she wanted to know, after all, if the woman wasn't going to just fail to teleport somewhere else. Her primary concern was keeping everyone she trusted safe after their previous ordeal. While she had a sour taste in her mouth at the very thought of Oceana now, she would protect her... at least for as long as there was a common cause to fight under. At this point, she would rather run away and forget she ever knew Oceana, the airy, aloof nature of Sylphs kicking in and fighting against her passionate human blood which bade her to fight for what she knew was right. Her heart ached and, more than anything, she wished that she could just evaporate into the air and disappear.

@OlKaJa77 @L1d1ja @GalacticRam
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Of course he had not expected the sylph to become so harsh. But he also had not expected himself to become so upset with the situation either. Every word Phaedra spoke, he understood to some extent at least. Yet the stranger had a point, this wasn't the time for bickering, so he dropped it just as the other had, and chose to ignore the ignorant comments for now. There were more important matters, like handling the said stranger, and being aware of their surroundings. He then thought for a moment "is there any information you can provide for this area? We know as well as any, the usual dangers of such a place. But if you could tell us something, even the smallest but could help." Maybe if she aided them in some way, they would be more warm to welcome her


@l1d1 @TeeKay
 
All of the quarreling was making Thora sick to her stomach. Sure she had done her fair share of fighting, but deep down she was still a peaceful pacifist at heart (sometimes you just have to defend yourself from daemons). If this group tore apart from the inside out, then their quest would be all but over, her quest would be all but over.


Of course she wished to see the best in people and so she did not mind the new elf's appearance, but that did not mean that she trusted her already. As the quarreling grew into fighting she feared that the elf wouldn't even have a chance to redeem herself before someone, maybe Foxrun or Phaedra, attacked her out of frustration. She praised whoever listened that the two had calmed down enough to at least give the newcomer a chance to prove herself.
 
After Oceana abruptly left , Ayda decided to go after her and began to try and get out of the surface she was asleep on.


'Why.... Can't I get up?... My legs?... I can't feel my legs?!?' Ayda started panicking , as she desperately tried to get up, commanding her legs to move but only getting a sharp tingling sensation instead. She made quite the ruckus as she did this , before giving up and breathing heavily.


"I... I can't..."
 
Valeiah had been focused on her older brother and teasing him for having a crush on the elf or something, because usually he would say he's thankful for the apology and accepts it but no. He said not to apologize. And Valeiah was great at making something out of nothing.


But that's when she heard the girl, Ayda. She seemed a little distressed, so Valeiah got out of her cart to go check on her.


"What's the problem? How are you feeling?"


@QueenSaiko
 
At the word racist Oceana's eyes widened before her brow slowly settled even lower than before. Something within her was cracking, crystallizing. She knew that feeling; for after heady fire came barren ice.


"The gods gave me a destiny and I answered." She said lowly, eyes icy cold.


"Do not speak of loyalty and protection. My death on this journey has been foretold! It is not my fault that humans are favored. The kingdom that is chosen to hold back the darkness, is of the humans... And I am only here because I have been ready to die since the day I left my clan!"


She turned to Phaedra, an odd look in her eye; filled with sorrow and condescension.


"Is that what you wished to hear, hm? You like to think me wrong and evil but I have seen so much to prove the humans role in this world to be distorted. Still, I cannae fight the current, I know. So here I am, fulfilling my destiny, protecting all creation from Kavacht, before I inevitably perish."


The elvish woman sighed, tiredly and said,


"I suppose I should explain my story first. I know you already think less of me but that prophesy is my biggest secret so I have nothing to lose."


Phaedra still looked like she wished to strangle Oceana but the elf knew she was the curious sort.


"Elven culture teaches that we should avoid humans for the most part, it varies clan to clan. My clan was the most reclusive and our elders expressed just how important staying separate was."


Here Oceana grimaced,


"But one day I found a human girl wandering the forest some ways away from our village. And she captured my heart, not with her looks or charm, but the way she hunted, the way she murmured thanks over her dead rabbit." The elf closed her eyes, imagining Kìgyò's face; her soft cheeks spattered with freckles and her green, green eyes and the way her lips curled in an almost perpetual smirk. Her silky golden hair, and how it had felt in her fingers.


"I fell in love with her sometime after; we would meet in that spot and talk and hunt and one day she kissed me. On another she..." Oceana blushed "...layed with me"


"But it was all a trick!" Oceana hissed venomously "for two years she played with my heart until one day she brought mercenary men to our village and slaughtered everyone I loved! While she laughed and laughed!"


Oceana was red with anger now, her stomach hurting in phantom pain.


"She ran me through with her sword and said, 'Thank you for the entertainment' before they up and left."


Oceana unbuckled her armor and rolled up her shirt to show them all the wicked scar on her abdomen.


"I was healed but my father and my cousin and our hunting master and many others were killed in the mindless slaughter." "Those who remained sent me away, for it was my fault that this human knew of our secret village entrances and our guard tower locations."


"So you see, I was tricked into love by a snake, who made me think that humans could actually be good. And when she proved the elders right it was all my fault. Once again humans are stripped of blame."


Her eyes turned cold again as she murmured,


"I have seen these traits of deceit and greed replicated by humans all across the board. Perhaps it is simply their nature to destroy."


"So tell me again why I shouldnae hate them and cherish my own people when we are so few. Tell me."


@TeeKay @GalacticRam
 
"I! I.... I can't... I can't move my legs!" Ayda said to Valeiah, a panicked look on her face.


"I can't move! I can't move!" Ayda said repeatedly, anxiety filing her as she fully realised what was going on. In her distressed state she flailed about and desperately tried to move her legs but they didn't even twitch. All she could feel in her legs was a strange tingling that felt like small needles.


"I can't move I can't move I can't move!"


@Danika
 
"It's alright, calm down. I can help." Valeiah said. "I haven't healed paralyzation very often but I can do it." She added after that, "Can you sit up? I have to be able to get to your back."


@QueenSaiko
 
"I.... I can?" Ayda said, struggling to calm down as she breathes heavily once again, practically ok the verge of a breakdown.


"...there." Even without use of her legs, Ayda managed to push herself up into a sitting position and looked at Valeiah.


"How... Are you a magic user?"


@Danika
 
"My tribe practices healing." Valeiah answered. She put one hand on the girl's lower back and one on one of her legs. A strong yellow light came from them.


"We believe the gods gave us the gift to heal, because we were meant to go out and help others. Our duty is to serve." She was trying to talk and keep Ayda distracted from the fact her legs weren't working.


@QueenSaiko
 
"... Did you have a family? W-what were they like?" Ayda asked, looking at the ceiling so she couldn't look at her useless legs.


"Are they the ones who t-taught you?"


@Danika
 
Kacel'la tried to keep her calm and refrain from punching someone: she hated arguments.


"I am here because I was traveling. Searching for something, to be exact. I apeared here because I was about to get crushed by a falling rock and when I'm startled, I randomly teleport a short distance away. I'm still here because I want to ask something before leaving, but I can't because people keep yelling at each other." She exclaimed in the calmest tone possible to the blue-skinned woman.


"While this area, I know quite a lot about it." She reached behind her back and unhooked a small scroll from where it hung at her belt. "This is a detailed map I finished quite recently. There are many notes on it I think of value to travelers. I think you would benefit of this map more than me." She extented her hand to the man, offering the scroll.


@GalacticRam @TeeKay
 
"Yes. Well, my older brother is over there. His name is Alo. He's like me but a lot worse. My sister, Yona, was very calm and collected all the time. My other brother, his name was Tadi. He was the youngest. He was very compassionate." Valeiah told her. "Alo and I got our personalities from our dwarf of a dad, Hentah. He's not an actual dwarf, he's just short."


"Then there was my mother. Her name was Mapiya. She was very free-spirited. Very. She always would do what she wished, not what she was told. She taught me to heal when I was very young. She saw my potential." Valeiah smiled a bit. "Alo and I named our horse after her..." She trailed off.


"Are your legs regaining feeling yet?"


@QueenSaiko
 

Phaedra sighed heavily, looking back over at Oceana. She couldn't help but roll her eyes, not in the mood to indulge her curiosity, though she listened. It was a sad story, she admitted to herself, but...

"I do not think you evil and wrong, Oceana. I think you are incredibly ignorant and disrespectful."

Phaedra shook her head. The woman would not understand and Phaedra cared not to explain herself any further. She would simply run the conversation in circles with Oceana and she was already quite sick and tired of hearing her voice, seeing her face. Oceana had the nerve to try and justify herself rather than apologize for the cruel words. Phaedra had not asked for her history to poorly explain her blatant racism.

"Your bitterness only lets you see what you want to see. There is ugliness where ever you choose to look. But.. do only what you can afford, Oceana. We are done."

She waved a hand dismissively to her, unwilling to discuss this any further with the Elven woman.. or speak with her at all, beyond exchanging crucial information. Her focus went back to the stranger with a neutral expression, though her mind was racing, somewhere else - far away from current events.

From the story Oceana told, Phaedra could not pass judgement on either party as there are three sides to every story. It wasn't to deny the trauma of Oceana's past or to justify the slaughter, but rather because - for all Phaedra knew - the woman's actions could have been in retaliation to something that was done to her or her in family by Elves, only to create a cycle of hatred that Oceana herself now perpetuated. She did not see how a single event could place blame on an entire race - all consisting of people she has never met or spoken to, all people with stories and lives and families and dreams and aspirations, hopes, love, wishes... It was all ignorant and ugly to lump a whole group together in such a way.

And here she was caught in the middle. Phaedra belonged neither in the world of humans, nor fae. An outsider, to be condemned by both, and Oceana harshly reminded her of this fact. Magical races scoffed at her, thinking her an abomination - something that simply should not exist, or should not be possible. Humans gawk at her because they simply know no better and keep their distance, or get a little too close, out of curiosity, or thinking her an exotic treat. At this moment, she felt terribly alone and angry and humiliated. While she made talk with the others - and was surrounded by many on this journey - Phaedra could never shake off the feeling of being lonely and alone. Oceana felt the pain of losing everything. Phaedra never had the luxury of having anything to lose the moment she was born.

She tried her best to stay focused on the fiery haired stranger, listening to her words as calmly as she could. Phaedra nodded, slowly warming up to the other Elven woman as she explained herself. She didn't seem to be lying and the map certainly served as an alibi.

"Fair enough. What is it you would ask?"

@L1d1ja @OlKaJa77
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"Would any of you have seen a small dark-red wyvern by any chance? She's a pet, but we got separated by an accident. She often searches for other people to hand around with, but can get scared rather easily and turn agressive. I'm afraid someone would take her for a wild beast and kill her." Kacel'la explained.


@TeeKay
 
"I... I can feel a little. They still won't move." Ayda said, a spark of hope appearing to her. Maybe this person really would heal her completely!


"Your family sounds wonderful. D-did you ever go to school? Someone with abilities... Like yours would no doubt be invaluable if you did."


@Danika
 

Phaedra tilted her head, caught completely off-guard by the woman's question. Looking around at those around her, she gave them each a questioning glance.

"Wasn't there a commotion about some creature on the ship..? Something about a baby dragon, if I heard correctly? I was preoccupied at the time, I'm afraid."

Her eyes fell on to Thora in the caravan ahead, suddenly remembering that she had been below deck where the majority of the ruckus was happening at that time, unaware of Svetlana's influence in taming the beast almost a full day ago. Phaedra gently called out to the nymph, trying to get her attention without raising her voice too loudly.

"Thora! Was there a creature below deck on that ship? And I'm not talking about the horses."

@OlKaJa77 @plasticlizard022
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Noticing that the elf woman seemed to be handling herself, Oceana felt a bit ashamed.


She knew not what to do. She would not back down from her stance on the matter of humans and yet she felt an unexpected twinge of guilt, especially when she looked over to Valeiah healing Ayda.


Perhaps Phaedra.. No. They are just playing victim, looking for handouts... But she was just... Augh!


"Gods!" She hissed to herself, holding one hand to her head.


She knew she was right. Humans were vile and foolish.... And yet, her heart felt heavier at that thought, not justified or passionate, just... Twisted...


Deciding to that she couldn't take what she thought of as the coward's way out, the elf stayed near the carts but grew silent and despondent.


She felt wrong but knew she was right.


Fearing for the first time that Phaedra's words about her being ignorant might be true, she closed her eyes tightly and tried to figure out what exactly she was fighting for here.


@TeeKay @L1d1ja
 
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"That's good." The light from her hands got a little stronger. She hadn't fixed paralyzation in a while, so it was a little tougher.


"Well... there's teachers in my tribe that taught me things besides healing. I wouldn't say I'm very smart, though." Valeiah chuckled.


@QueenSaiko
 
From where Dorian was far away, he finally recognized the newcomer. Once he knew who it was, he grinned.


"If you ever see the wyvern, she answers to Sera." Kacel'la stated and almost jumped as the air shimmered in front of her. An illusion of Dorian appeared: it was the easiest way for him to communicate from such a distance. He wasn't putting much power into the ilusion as it was rather draining anyway.


"Hello Kitten." The almost-transparent image of the man spoke, making the elf frown at the much-hated old nickname.


"Hello Lucian." She answered in a friendly tone.


"I go by Dorian for now." He rolled his eyes. "Nice to see you again, Kacel'la. Any fun adventures?"


"Not lately. Kinda ran out of them, it seems." The elf smiled.
 
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"Your tribe sounds really amazing... Why... Why did you leave?" Ayda asked, curious on why someone would want to leave such a friendly and supportive place.


"If I were you, I would have never left."


@Danika
 
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