Fantasy Wherever the Wind Takes You

[ShredKnives]

Opening up the chest revealed...A small wooden dagger, held by a velvet cushion.

"...Huh."

She took a glance at the blade, once and twice. She lifted up the cushion, but there was nothing underneath.

"Bit of a...Disappointment, huh? I thought it'd be more...Impressive looking than this."

She grabbed the knife.



Something about this was horribly different from any other weapon she's felt before.

"This...I can feel it. It's...Pulsating. Like a heartbeat."

Such a wooden weapon seemed entirely impossible; she could feel the intense magic from it; though the smell has cleared away, what they could feel instead was...Pressure. Intense pressure. This dagger wasn't what it seemed. Even as Laila felt over the blade, she felt like she could get cut at any moment.

And the pulsating she felt stopped. Laila looked...Intimidated.

She held the dagger up for Reeve to see, and upon feeling it, there wouldn't be much difference. The weapon felt heavier than it actually was, sharper than it appeared, and it radiated with a repelling force.

Only then did the voice of a young girl echo from the internal components of the blade...Like an ethereal dream.

"Tck. Who the hell are you?"

"EEK!!!" Laila screeched, dropping it back on the cushion. "The knife is talking!!"

"It's a DAGGER, imbecile. If it weren't for my position, your heart would be in two."

Laila stared at Reeve, then at the dagger. "You're made of wood, though."

"You truly don't know anything. Who are you? You're not from Taeramun. You sound like a bumpkin."
"Hey! I'm a shrine maiden!"

"Hah."
"Aye, I'd oughta..." She grabbed the dagger. "What the heck do you look like, anyway?!"

"Oh, you want me to grace your presence, is that how it is? Fine. Since you want to see a star so desperately."
"You made that up yourself!"

The wooden dagger, in question, transformed to Laila's shock. Whatever was happening to the dagger, the smell of magic grew so intense that it was near suffocating. The dagger extended until the handle was a near 6 feet, the blade itself extending and even curving into an ornate edge. In an instant, the dagger had become a full-fledged spear. In a flash of colors and lights, the handle turned a solid black and its blade a holy-white metal. Laila had to drop the blade because of how fast it was transforming.

The handle was caught by a mysterious silhouette, conjured from the air as a long brown-haired lady of fair skin. With her dress matching the color scheme of the spear and her blue eyes of a serious beauty's, she held the newly-formed spear. She seemed to hold it like it was very much an extension of herself, a god and their throne.

She flourished the spear until it was behind her shoulders, her eyes only giving Reeve just a few seconds of spotlight until it was back on Laila.

"You are speaking to a princess, so I'd suggest you mind your manners, simpleton."
Laila stared in bafflement. She had expected a very important item out of this chest, but not quite something of this scale...

A true, living, breathing Ego Weapon.

"You're...Kind of young, aren't you?"

The spearholder, in response, shot a death-inducing glare. "I'm 19. Perfectly matured. I am Parilla, 'maiden,' Daughter of the Snowfox and Guardian incarnate of Ceril."
"You don't sound like it..."

"And who's the friend? Husband of yours?"

"A friend! His name's Reeve! And stop being so rude!"

"I've been stuck in that intrepid box for an unthinkable amount of time, so my patience is on the ropes, understood? And what of Makou? I was to be held by their hands. I see no reason to associate with someone like yourself, full offense intended."

"They wanted me to pick up the package but something tells me Arioon wouldn't really like you..."

"I happen to prefer more important individuals." She eyed Reeve. "You should feel honored to meet me."

Laila pouted as she stood next to Reeve. "Can't say I'm a big fan of her..." She muttered.

 

[Gary Sue]

The sequence that played before him was truly, truly... something. As ethereal and magical as the transformation felt in full, the man couldn't help but marvel at the absolute contrast between looks and behavior. Where he'd seen even the king of Sesseth that exiled him act much more dignified, this 'Parilla maiden' sought to prove said king an exception, not the rule. He had many things he wanted to say, but he couldn't help but stay quiet.

Even when a side-eye was shot his way and he was assumed to be Laila's husband, a light blush showed up on his cheeks before he slumped his back forwards and placed a hand on the hilt of his sword. It wasn't so much to challenge her as it was to just... pet the hilt of his own sometimes-talking weapon.

Just because I also find her unbearable doesn't mean you can pet me. Stop it.
​

Dream on, little one. When Laila moved to be by his side, he just quietly nodded with an expression as though he had in fact, seen it all. He could just picture the perfection of... making her back into a wooden blade, putting her inside the box and clunk- closed once more. But it appeared they now had... well, what did they have. Was it an important weapon for them to carry around, or was it an all-seeing and knowing deity instead..?

Her attitude definitely didn't exhibit a status like the one she had claimed to have, and as overwhelming as her presence was... Reeve felt like he'd been through this before. Mostly because he couldn't differentiate between magic, mental stress and how intense his curse was on him the one time he tried to bend its rules and got afflicted with a horrible migraine and fever instead.

Still, judging by Laila's expression... this Parilla was a big deal, after all..? It was like he stared into a world he had no knowledge about. Magic, important people, guardian incarnates and what have you... it was a lot for someone who was but a simple bodyguard only weeks ago, dealing with commonfolk and being commonfolk himself. "She's lucky Arioon didn't pick her up, because she wouldn't have had more than a sentence before it's back to eternal darkness for a while."

Come think of it though, the delivery was one thing as was- what now? If the 'package' is self conscious and demanding, let alone capable of talking... would they have to head back to Makou right away? The mental gymnastics of this were... how could he put it as eloquently as possible...

After pondering it for a good moment or so, he dropped both of his arms and let out a begrudging sigh as he shook his head and turned to Laila. "Situations like these make my head hurt. Ugh, why is it always us..?"

You sure act the part of the tragic knight, don't you?
​

"Zip it..."

 

[ShredKnives]

"So...Uh...Okay. Parilla."

"Princess."

"oh my gods. Okay. So...Can I carry you around, at least?"

"I doubt you'd even understand how to wield me."

Laila huffed. She grabbed the handle. Promptly, the spear was in Laila's hand to her surprise. She'd expected-

"I technically can't resist. Our contract is bound the moment you hold my weapon."

"Oh...Makes sense..."

"Not that I expect you to know anything. You probably can't even cast a basic 3rd circle spell."

"Hey!! I know how to cast spells, okay?! I'm the daughter of Tomoe Koiyama, you know?!"

"Eugh. Mercenaries."

"There's no making you happy, is there?!"

"Happy is back at the castle with my butler, my horse, and my tea."

...

Laila held the spear up in the air, then for Reeve to feel.

This spear definitely didn't feel right either. The dagger felt more like a storage begging to break out, but the spear seemed to be holding back in some way. The magic pressure was just as intense as it was in wooden dagger form.

"From what I understand. If she's truly an ego weapon, she would already be aware of what she is...But she is very much like...Like, who is she?"

"Excuse me." Parilla casually stepped in-between them, yanking her weapon back into her own hands. "Of course I'm an ego weapon. But I'm also still the daughter of a great man. Know your place."

"Eesh...What'd you mean by guardian incarnate anyway? What, you were designed to protect all of Ceril?"

Parilla confidently brushed her hair back. "Well, you don't need to put it so humbly."

"...Okay..." Laila said.

"Hah...Why did you have to lay your hands on me? Now I have to deal with you for the rest of our time together."

"You're telling me...Wait, so I'm now contractually bound to you?? I can't even, like, let go? Retire?"

"I know contracts aren't something you deal with often, but I feel you should get the hint by now. I'm stuck with you. You may now feel inspired."

"Guess I shouldn't have held the knife."

"Dagger."

"I don't care! Man...Reeeeeeve, I'm stuck with an annoying younger sister..."

"Excuse me???"

Laila sighed. "And who's the Snowfox?"

"You really are ignorant! He's one of the most powerful dukes in Tarlan! You'd do well not to disrespect his title, else you'd see my hand across your face."

"Got it...Very cool...Reeve, what should we do?"

 

[Gary Sue]

He blinked. What else was there to do or say..? Her presence was overwhelming, and as beautiful a maiden as she seemed it took but the first few words to come out of her mouth before someone realised she was more of a pampered brat than anything in demeanor... What definitely caught him off guard was the 'contractual obligation' Laila had to wield her now, but at the same time... Would she have that physical form no matter what..? He assumed it was magic projecting out of the weapon to visualize her, but it seemed to be 'real' alright.

There was a lot to ponder over and reconsider, for crying out loud. And now he was asked for any ideas on what to do. His brain just... poofed. There was a fair bit on his mind, given their experience adventuring to Sesseth, the incident of only a few minutes ago and now this rollercoaster of emotions. He quietly crossed his arms, put a hand to his chin as he quietly rubbed it and began to think... and think... and think.

It took a minute of judgmentally staring at Parilla and trying to get his gears going before he realised the best way he could respond was but a simple shrug. They had to take some time planning out their course of action and seeing if there was a faster way right back to home. They had money which would make them a target if they were to take a carriage, but the only way to take a carriage would be through Sesseth and then they'd even have an issue with Rivera...

Ah shit, Rivera was there too. Raising a hand to the back of his head to scratch it, the knight gave but a silent stare at the horse as he grunted lowly and shook his head. "Gods, what does one even do at this point..? Do we really have no choice but to move the ego weapon right back to Makou? If we keep her 'here' for too long, she's gonna start throwing fits and making it impossible to discreetly get anywhere."

Why don't you take a while to talk things over with the woman. You'll figure something out.
​

It wasn't that off the mark... So he quietly turned to Laila, raised a brow and shrugged with a small, clueless frown. What should they do..?

 

[ShredKnives]

Parilla stared back at Reeve with a "I'll kill you myself if I have to" sort of look.

Laila pouted. "Hey, Parilla."

"Princess."

"I don't care. Listen, I get that you're super important, but you're just a spear right now. Can you at least pipe down with the attitude?"

"'Just a spear.' Listen here, why don't you hold the spear for a little bit? Longer than 2 seconds."

Laila glanced at Reeve, then impatiently grabbed the spear. "What's this supposed to do?"

"Ego weapons are meant to scale off of its user, no? But my weapon will not grow if the user's skill is less than mine."

Obviously, nothing changed about the spear. "Okay, whatever, fine, you're probably better at the spear than me, I'm a sword user, you know, how about you pass it off to Reeve instead?"

"I'm not a rental you pass to another lowly bodyguard, imbecile."

"Alright, that's it, you can't disrespect my friend like that. I'll beat some sense into you!" Laila, irritated, pulled out Alina's trusty blade.

"I wouldn't do that if I were a bumpkin like you."

"Who cares! I don't care if you have bigger reach or whatever!" Laila donned her blade and performed her slash in a most gracious burst of pressure, Alina's magic resonating like a tingle amongst the skin.

Ia-Iasp, Form 1.
Snap.

Such a powerful slash that had cleaved the likes of the half-dead corpses like knife and butter. Laila took pride in that single move she knew.

Parilla responded in kind with a flourishing movement, barely detectable by the moving eye. Her spear's tip flashed for just a brief moment, and

cut the demonic blade clean in half.

...

"S...Shit," Laila said, a bit flabbergasted as her entire blade faded away into ink, shadow, and dust. That wasn't a move one could straight up nullify...Laila didn't have a plan outside of that. Parilla's magic is...Uh...Way stronger. I'll be damned...

"Yeah. Either you deal with me, or I'll make it a very poor journey for you."

Laila was getting more frustrated, finally saying, "Or I put you back in the damn box."

Parilla froze up. "...I'd suggest not doing that. You need me now that you just have a silly bow."

"Sorry, bub," Laila said sharply, grabbing the spear out of Parilla's hands. "Since I can take the spear from you whenever I want, and you can't technically stop me."

For a brief moment, the spear lady looked anxious.

"Wait. I'm a powerful artifact, you can't just hole me up in a poor man's locker!"

"Can and will!" Laila was just about to stuff the spear ontop of the box, though...

I don't know how to shrink it back into a dagger...Does it use intention?

Just as she was thinking about it, the spear was beginning to transform, Parilla immediately reacting by trying to grab the chest.

"Hold on! Damn bumpkin...Fine! I'll...Keep my lips shut. Just don't put me back in the box."

Laila glanced at Reeve as Parilla annoyingly crossed her arms, looking away. Laila sighed in relief. "Guess...Guess we can start by heading back?"

 

[Gary Sue]

Reeve quietly looked at the scene unfold, with wide eyes when the blade finally broke and fell to the ground. His eyes were fixed on the small cross-like symbol he had inked onto it prior to its creation, watching it melt into a puddle of black and become a dried pool on the ground within seconds. And then, he raised his head again to watch the rest of the scene unfold. They'd gotten rid of one of their problems, at least now she was quiet... But what about Sesseth- no, screw that for now, they weren't pressed for time on this one after all. It was just... a bit inconvenient, but they could put up with it.

The next question, to put it as best as he could, was what the hell they would do with Parilla? She had a weapon form which seemed to have to do with most of her, so... what was the body meant to be..? Was it a representation of her actual form, or what happened to it impact what happened to the weapon counterpart as well? Curiously, he huffed and looked up and down her, gesturing towards Parilla with a raised brow before he looked at Laila, followed by a quick point of the up-and-down of her form. "I'm not entirely sure Rivera can handle three of us, plus... how heavy is the dagger if we're taking it with? He's gotta be able to lift that too."

Assuming all was well with their means of transport, they could start heading right back. Though now there was another question brewing in the back of his mind... Just who the hell is Makou and why would someone like him have a weapon that sounds, feels and acts this important..? What in the world had they gotten themselves involved with?

 

[ShredKnives]

Seeing the way Reeve was looking at Parilla and Laila was also connecting his confusion. After all, she wasn't sure who exactly Parilla was. From what it sounded like, she was straight up the heir to a dynasty or something. She mattered, but it wasn't quite clear how. And even just her appearance threw Laila. Parilla was every bit the human, if not aware of her own more downgraded purpose.

"Alright, let's make a little bit of conversation at least...Who created you?"

"The duke, obviously. I was to be the image of his daughter, represent the Snowfox House, and serve as the right hand of the princess of Taeramun's best duelist."

"So Makou commissioned you...And she was to carry you back to Arioon to wield."

"Undoubtedly. Clearly, plans have changed. What, did she deem me unworthy? Thought to test me by putting me in the hands of a bumpkin?"

"I...Probably."

Better to fake it as a trial for now.

"I see. How fitting for another princess to test my mettle. I'll show her a proper duelist. Hmph!"

"Jeez, you're just so...Above it all!"

"Because I am. You should know that I was once a powerful proponent to the Greywood Skirmishes. I brought kobolds to light and darkness alike."

...

"Did you have a flower name?"

"I was called Peacelily. Also, what a drab place this is. Out of all the locations, you take me to...THIS. I'm getting sick just being here."

...

Is the original daughter dead?

"I...See...Then your appearance..."

"Brought by the memories of the duke himself. I am the spitting incarnation."

"Are you heavy?"

"Do you have the cerebrum of an inchworm?"

"...No???"

"Then there's your answer. Tck. I can't believe you'd even ask a princess her weight. You're in desperate need of a lesson in speaking."

"How do I put you back in the spear." Laila was losing her patience again.

"Just tell me to go back while holding the blade. Wait. Don't do that!"

"Get back inside."

Her entire form morphed into that of a white silhouette before she turned into an amorphous blob, sucked straight into the spear tip.

"Let me back out!! I've half a mind to rip your brain a new set of organs!"

"Oooooh, so scary. Guess I'll just stuff you in the box."

Silent for a full couple of seconds, she said impatiently, "...Sorry."

"Get back out, then. Will you fit on the horse?"

Just like that, the reverse happened, blob into silhouette to figure. Parilla impatiently tapped her foot. "I'm weightless. Your horse wouldn't feel a difference. Even if you leave me behind, I'm always connected to the spear. And so long as you and I are contracted, you will always be able to call for it."

"Okay then. Now...Why all this, anyway? Why are you...Like, this important for Arioon?"

Parilla was silent.

...

"I picture it as a political move. It seems to be that Taeramun intends to form a strategic alliance with the House of Snowfox."

"Are they that important?"

"They're one of the leading blacksmith organizations in the capital. If Taeramun, in this case Arioon, establishes a proof of military might between both parties, the Snowfoxes not only get benefits from having their weapons wielded by the duelists of Taeramun, but Arioon benefits by fully maximizing her potential. So. Stop wielding me."

"Interesting...How strong was the daughter? Er. You?"

...

"I'll let you see for yourself. I'm only as strong as my user. But, since you're not fully incompetent. I can save face and show a few things if something does arise."

"Oh, so you'll change forms?"

"The weapon will change. Not me. I'm perfect as is. Hmhm."

Laila already looked exhausted. She grabbed Reeve's shoulder. "Know what, I'm ready to head back. Reeve, let's just get on Rivera and get out of here...Maybe there's a way to get this contract off my hands...Feels like I have my own curse now."

 

[Gary Sue]

They had gotten enough information for the time being. Though Reeve listened carefully, and figured a thing or two more than Laila had probably pieced together about the weapon. With the half-truths that she seemed to be fed by the shrine maiden, they knew she couldn't discern between lie and truth, unlike his own weapon. They were contractually bound, but their souls were still fairly separate entities by the looks of things. This meant it could be possible to keep certain bits of information hidden from her, so long as they didn't take place in front of them all.

The second part, Laila definitely knew so far- Parilla was mortified of the box.

When his partner insisted on heading back, he nodded and looked behind him to start gathering everything. They could, though if they returned... gagh, they'd just take it, whatever. This would only add a good half hour or so to the time before they started anyways, taking things apart was much faster than putting them together. And so they did, now having packed all their camping supplies and getting ready to take the show on the road. The question was though... where would Parilla fit? She could stand on their shoulders if she really was weightless, but that's a nice way to get spotted- and also impractical to near impossible.

As he untied Rivera's bridle from where he'd been stationed in one of the ruins' brighter corners, he got on and looked behind him. Technically speaking... it was possible to fit both Laila and Parilla. With a huff, he slowly walked towards the two and looked at them, gesturing with his head before he offered a hand to the princess. Though this gesture wasn't to be misunderstood as respect or anything of the sort, it was mostly to shut her up judging by his blank to almost embarrassed stare. "If we do the bare minimum of supply stops, with what we have, it shouldn't be more than two weeks or so before we're back to Arioon."

 

[ShredKnives]

"Your friend isn't much of a talker."

"Because he can't."

"My condolences."

Laila helped Reeve pack. Gathered all the things and whatever. She wasn't having it right now, so just packing things idly was helping her get her impatience staved.

Finally, everything was good to go. Rivera looked to be itching to go. So was Laila.

Parilla stared at Reeve, staring at the hand. She took the hand appropriately. She had all the graces of a princess. Light and effortless steps, and to be frank, she was all regality and elegance. Just taking his hand was like petting the wings of an angel, with how her shoulders pulled back a perfect amount and her back straight upright, and her hand almost floated and hovered.

"Thank you, knight."

"Not a knight."

"Any handler of protection is a knight."

She certainly was a princess, even if it pissed Laila off.

Laila sighed. "How to get you on the horse..."

"You can just stick me into the blade."

"You don't need to eat?"

"I feed off of the blood of the slain."

"Are you serious?"

"I also like garlic croissants, honey-roasted pig, and moussaka."

"So you can eat but you don't have to?"

"My form is perfect already. Food is just entertainment."

"If you don't give me a straight answer, I'm stuffing you back in the chest and throwing you into the ocean!"

"...No, I don't need to eat."

Laila was...Slightly irritated. "COOL. Get in the damn spear."

Parilla did so.

Laila glanced at Reeve now that they were preparing to get on Rivera. She could see that Reeve was trying to figure out the logistics of this, but Laila was planning to just book it. She didn't look to be in the mood. She cleared her throat, stuffing her mouth full of canteen water, then shifting herself into a more neutral expression. "So we're gonna carry the spear. We'll ride in the horse together. And nothing will come our way. And we'll go see Makou about...Princess."

 

[Gary Sue]

It had been a long few days on the road. As peaceful and calm as they were when Parilla was quietly stuffed inside of the spear, they were equally noisy once she went back out until Laila told her 'enough is enough' with some much less kind and more forceful threats to get her in the timeout box they had picked up. The odd cloudiness had left from Reeve's eyes, and his heart felt much more at ease too now that he had spent a few days rather unnerved and expecting an attack from any which direction, but... was it the ego weapon that drove them away, or was it something else?

Too many things to piece together, with not enough clues- and time, too to an extent. Right now, they were something more than halfway through their journey back to Velia, and had stopped only minutes ago to set up a small camp and get to cooking something for the afternoon. Their supplies wasn't short or anywhere close to depleted, but the foods surely were. So Reeve, trying to avoid causing any accidents before the cooking even began, waited for Laila to set up the pot like she usually did... using magic to make up for what they lacked mostly, that is.

"It's been a short while that we've been travelling with her, and yet we don't see eye to eye at all. It's like she really is from another world.", his own voice kept him company as he looked at Parilla from the side of the tree he leaned against, observing the odd looks and stares that she was giving Laila. "Couldn't be her doing this in any reality, could it?", Reeve scoffed with his own joke as he rolled his shoulders, checking for anything by his sides. Maybe a dish that they'd sadly have to put down first (he truly did hate killing innocent animals) or an actual threat?

 

[ShredKnives]

As peaceful and calm as they were when Parilla was quietly stuffed inside of the spear, they were equally noisy once she went back out until Laila told her 'enough is enough' with some much less kind and more forceful threats to get her in the timeout box they had picked up.

During the times Parilla did pop out, they actually did get some interesting info. Parilla, at least her original, was born in a family of obvious wealth. The youngest out of 4 sisters, she was pampered with nearly everything she desired. Academics, politics, and socioeconomics, she had a handle of it all and was taught well by many individuals. The only thing she lacked out of the four was combat experience and education alike. It didn't stop her from matching up well to the rest of her sisters.

"In a family of business, there's very little love to be passed around. Everything's an investment."

Something Laila wasn't comfortable dealing with. Love was all she knew. Sacrifices were made because of love and trust, not because of the return on investment. Care wasn't something one loaned out.

Parilla was also tiring in her own aspects. She droned on for a bit about all sorts of small little things like how she wanted her meat prepared and what time and day she should be woken up. Laila eventually forced her back in the spear and Parilla was grumpy for the rest of the ride.

Right now, they were something more than halfway through their journey back to Velia, and had stopped only minutes ago to set up a small camp and get to cooking something for the afternoon. Their supplies wasn't short or anywhere close to depleted, but the foods surely were. So Reeve, trying to avoid causing any accidents before the cooking even began, waited for Laila to set up the pot like she usually did... using magic to make up for what they lacked mostly, that is.

Finally, Parilla managed to make another convincing argument to let her out.

Laila yawned as she set up the pot to Parilla's mild disgust. "Did you even wash that?"

"I'm gonna kill you," Laila passively said, stuffing an assortment of foods that looked to be running empty.

Parilla shot a glance from Laila to Reeve, again giving them both odd looks before walking over to Laila. "Do you even know Third Circle spells?"

"No. I don't even know what that is."

"Fine, let me show you. Give me that."

Following this interaction, Laila reluctantly passed the pot to Parilla. Parilla snapped her fingers and out came the sparks of several runic words, flashing and buzzing like embers and sparks out into the open air. With a swift hand motion, her hand brushed through the words, letting them dissipate before drawing a circle in the air, rearranging the trails and wisps until she had a fully-formed circle, lines converging to make a smaller second, and then again into a smaller third. Biting her lip, Parilla muttered to herself as her forehead creased and held in a breath.

"6 meats and 7 dwarves, 1 wanted to go camping, so he brought 2 pigs, 3 brought forks but only brought 5 plates."

A flash of light came out of the circle. out the circle came a dumping of freshly-obtained foods, from sliced turkey breasts to pork bellies and even a slice of steak somewhere in there.

Laila didn't have words to describe what she just saw. "What'd you just do?!"

"A third circle spell. Make Food and Water...Minus the water."

"Uh...Thanks...?"

Parilla was quiet. "I should be thanking you two. So...Treat this as my thanks."

"I wonder if Alina knows how to do this...Third Circle spells..."

"The mages at home described it as a stage in the body where magic can be expelled in greater complexities. Circle-class spells are a spell casted from...The head itself. Calculation-based, following formulas where the interaction of magic would yield results, and mages are the controlling group. Any other magic type was called a Gentile-class magic. Undisciplined, unrefined."

Parilla rubbed a thumb through her lip. "Never believed in that hokum. Who cares about being smart when you're dead."

Laila didn't want to probe into that last sentence. "Tarlan sounds like a smart place."

"It's where Ceril is. It's where the capital is. I imagine only the smartest remain there."

"Why'd you say all that stuff before the food came out, though?" Laila asked as she conjured a bonfire from underneath the pot.

"Mnemonic. I don't memorize every calculation, since I usually have a book for that. Times are different now."

"Well...Thanks, Parilla."

"Mmhm. Princess."

"Shut up."

Parilla moved back to a tree to watch Laila go at it, before glancing at Reeve. Clearly, Parilla also isn't sure how to approach Reeve, considering the first major language barrier of him not being able to talk.

"Not much of a cook?"

 

[Gary Sue]

Spells that could create things, let alone actual, edible food existed..? He found it as hard to believe as Laila did, judging by his wide eyes and fair struggle to keep his jaw from dropping. So he quietly rolled his shoulders and looked at the foods as he nodded slowly, listening to the two talking about Tarlan. It still felt like gibberish to him, hearing that everyone had magic this and magic that, and yet he didn't know the first about it. It was a whole world that just like many others, he couldn't enter or even peer into aside from the sidelines view he had.

Especially if Laila was impressed, then it was probably something to gawk at. Be it her smarts or skills with magic, she'd done enough to earn Reeve's respect and attention on that behalf too. When Parilla reached to Reeve and tried to talk to him, he knew where the issue was. Even if he did want to talk- and he did, this time around, it was hard. So he silently looked down at his hands where a few cuts were visible, now that he'd taken his gauntlets off, remembering the last few attempts years ago when he tried to cook.

Gods, his hands twitched in irritation as he still felt the fresh cuts from the kitchen knife back then. To call him clumsy with a blade was a mistake- at least in combat. In the kitchen, he was an entirely different man. Not stupid per se, but definitely not as brilliant without a sword in his hand when it came to most forms of craftsmanship. The man shook his head at the princess' question as he scratched the back of his neck rather awkwardly, observing Laila take the foods Parilla had conjured and turn them into a stew, most probably.

He was going to nod his head towards her in an effort to keep the conversation going as best as he could, but the two of them already knew how she'd never had to cook for herself, so he would assume it's impossible for her to get even close to foods and a kitchen without an allergic reaction showing its sweet little face. What he was curious about though, was just how much variety the princess had back at home. Raising a brow at the pot as he pointed at it, he leaned forwards a little with crossed arms and a cocked eyebrow. Where in the world did that come from?

 

[ShredKnives]

As natural as grass, she said, "Never had to cook. Rows of butlers and chefs took that reign instead."

Upon looking his eyes to the pot, she scratched her head. Judging by her expression, she never had to answer such questions, as if the concept of divining food from thin air was as normal as racing horses on a 20-acre yard and sleeping on a marshmallow bed.

"...Conjure Food and Water is a mental transmutation spell. By concentrating thought into a...Hand-based movement, you can exert change in alternative ways. They are expressed as the rune words you see here."

She snapped her fingers again, forming a different set of runes that floated in the air.

"These are numbers. It's easier to calculate when you have numbers rather than real words. You memorize these numbers and rearrange them into parts of a circle. Each part of a circle is related to a command. There's two different spell planes to access; sphere magic, and circle magic, which just defines the foundation of the spell. Third sphere magic would simply change how many more variables there are in the spell; breaking the spell down, so to speak. Not intended for combat use, it's more for testing purposes. Circle magic is more powerful and versatile. See, we call this section of a circle the interior point. The edge, the circumference. If you define line segments within the circle, it's called a chord. Long story short, this is how we define where the spell delivers. Angled, arced, or even staggered. The more circles there are, the more complicated it has to be. For example, in order to cast Food and Water, you need to define three circles. If you want the food to be on the pot, you have to calculate where the pot is in relation to the circle you've casted, which is actually a point on the circumference on the third circle."

It took Laila a good four seconds to even process that and even then, she was just all over the place. "H-huh??"

"Then you determine the amount of food, which is defined by how large the circle is. Then you determine what kind of food, which is defined by the runes. Each number memorized is actually a set of letters which can correlate to the food. Then you verbally cast it out. So the mnemomic works as both a mnemomic and a verbal component. If you want the food to stagger, you set a delay by creating a staggered line from the center of the first circle to the circumference of the third. Like this..."

In a similar way, her three circles are created and she draws a stagger diameter with her finger.

"Holy crap, you're confusing me now..." Laila said, conjuring water into the pot and shooting glances at Parilla. "You have to think ALL of that?"

"...It's easier when you have the numbers memorized. There's plenty of ways to cast circle magic, but you only need a few techniques to be considered proficient. Or maybe just get better, simpleton. This can typically take two years or so to get a handle on. Like the genius I am, I learned it in half that time. Hmhm."

Parilla swiped away the circles with her hand.

Laila sighed. "Urgh. I'll stick to my talismans, thank you. And don't just dump that on Reeve! He doesn't know a whole lot about magic."

"Shame. Royalty, as wondrous of a privilege, is about as extraordinary as it is vapid. The commoners have near no concept of it. All they know is swinging claws, sticking their noses where they don't belong, and completing oddball jobs for the other commoners."

"Hey, that's...Kind of accurate, actually."

"Of course it is, I worked with them. I joined the mercenaries for combat experience."

"Oh, how cool, you joined the Flower Maidens instead of the knights 'cause you wanted to."

"At the ripe age of 16."

"Jeez. Whatever happened to having a childhood?"

"...It wasn't something I ever really desired. I learned fairly early to be the best."

"...Must've been a battle for attention, huh?"

"They're all petty. I think some part of them cares enough to worry about me, but I also think my siblings really want to keep me in my place because of their age."

...

Parilla shook her head. "Anyway. This magic is a bit of an odd type. One of the more popular ones in Tarlan since it's much more complex. Helps advance the sciences rather than other Gentile-class magic. Speaking of which. What sort of sword do you have? Some sort of hand-and-a-half? Arming sword? I would like to see it. As long as it isn't a rapier, I already respect you."

 

[Gary Sue]

In all honesty? Reeve was beyond lost at this point. Finding himself blinking and trying to connect the dots, only to end up lagging behind, the man quietly remained seated and looked at her with wide eyes. When Laila mentioned him not knowing the first thing about magic, he just nodded and gave her a thumbs up. "G-Geometry..? I know my letters, shapes, and that's it... I'm not an architect or a 'scientist', why would I know..?", his inner voice grumbled as he put a thumbnail to his lip, looking at the two perplexed.

At least when he heard the name 'Flower Maidens', he began to feel less excluded from the discussion once more. He knew what and to an extent, who that title was referring to. But it was really a shame that Parilla had joined this early on. Before he knew it, she had turned her attention to him and his blade. It was a nice way to ground right back to reality, and so he did as he offered a smile and drew his blade, holding it before him and looking at it.

He wasn't going to give it, because the moment he did, it would complain to him that it's not a toy for display, but... maybe someone that keen on magic knew a thing or two more about soulbound artifacts or curses? At the very least, maybe something more for Reeve's sword, even if it belonged to Abyssals where humans have no place. He couldn't really explain how it worked to her, so with only the ability to show, she was faced with just... a normal sword. The knight looked over at Laila, gesturing towards Parilla- best she did the talking.

Thoughts of biting on the skin of his thumb to bleed just slightly and feed it to his blade ran through his head, but he still remembered that one warning he'd gotten a while ago. Feeding it would only make it crave more blood, so it was best to keep party tricks to a minimum, unless it'd save them. And if he were to cut himself with it, he'd just be hexing himself once more which would end... well, rather expensively- and poorly, too.

 

[ShredKnives]

"Respectable looking blade, though it has an odd stench to it."

"Mmhmm..." Laila tracked Reeve's little motions, adding, "It's cursed."

"Ohh...Well, uncurse it."

"I can't."

"Neither can I."

"Then what makes you think I can do it?"

"Shrine priestess? Actual divine vessel? I'm just a genius wizard."

Laila partially explained it's more Abyssal origins, though she kept it pretty ambiguous for Reeve's sake.

"How unlucky. I have never touched hands with an Abyssal, but I've never respected them."

"Can't you, like...Unbind it or something?"

"I can blow his arms off."

"No!!!"

"Dispelling curses of an artifact like that would need fifth or sixth circle magic, minimum. I would need to understand every fabric of his body, know him more than a thousand hims would know himself...If I want to safely unbind it. Otherwise, if the artifact isn't so keen to agree to leave, then there'll be more problems than getting the sword out of his hand."

"Mmmh, I didn't think it'd be so easy..."

"Very few people even touch sixth circle magic. Such calculations are reserved for those borne of talent, and trained from birth."

"But...You're perfectly designed for it?"

"...I suppose. Maybe. I'll take it as a personal challenge."

Parilla proceeded to wave his blade away, carrying no more interest in it. She sat near the fire, watching Laila cook.

"Reeve. I'm thinking...Garlic. Salt. And butter for this. And something I haven't tried before. I'm going to mix this with eggs and oil. Parilla?"

Parilla crossed her arms. "I'm not your errand girl."

"Do you want food, or do you want to be stuffed in the box?"

"...Tck..."

Parilla proceeded to snap her fingers, preparing the spell circles again and muttering her silly mnemomic.

"Apparently, I can make mayonnaise like this...And it'll be a real good combo for meat like this...And I think it'll make a pretty good stew! Sounds good?"

 

[Gary Sue]

Hearing that the only cure for his predicament was something of far, far too high a level was to be expected. But seeing her bear absolutely no knowledge of Abyssals, the curse, the sword or any of this' origins... Sure, he'd read most there was to read on it on the walls, written by the Abyssals and for the Abyssals, but... there had to have been something more to the story that he was missing, a secret that was being held, anything.

Rather than despair, he just sighed. They already knew things would go this way, both him and Laila who even said so herself. When he saw Parilla somewhat rudely wave his blade away, he huffed and sheathed it once more before seeing the princess get bossed around for a change. Good on Laila for it, too. He walked closer and looked at her as the maiden mumbled about food combinations and things she could do to make the taste stronger, nodding with a raised eyebrow as he rubbed his chin a little.

The truth was, he really didn't know too much about cooking if it didn't involve honey or some odd herbs. He tried to do the math in his head about how all the flavors would add up, but he struggled a little bit. Still, he trusted Laila with it. A strong, confident nod was all she got in response alongside a warm smile that thanked her preemptively for the food she was cooking.

"Magic really just allows you to conjure food and water..? Even if it's high level, doesn't that border on immortality by self sufficiency then..?", his mind wandered a little as he looked back at Parilla when she inevitably had to create a bit more food for Laila's culinary experiments, cocking a brow up. This was the dreaded third circle after all, but if Laila was still on the 'first circle'- at least with how Reeve, the simpleton, perceived it- wouldn't that still make her very powerful and scary, once she got more accommodated to using her magic abilities? A bit of practice and if she could even do half of what Parilla did... hell, no, even a quarter of it all, a tiny fraction perhaps, she would be fearsome.

"This really is the power of magic, then... And all I'm stuck with is hexing myself and paying in blood for just a bit of what Laila can do with much less blood loss, too.", Reeve scoffed a bit bitterly as he looked away for a moment, with a smile reflecting his thoughts. "Life's not about being fair, anyway."

 

[ShredKnives]

Laila stared at Parilla once again. Not quite so subtly, Laila shared the same interest as Reeve. This was the kind of magic most people would define as truly divine.

"How many times can you cast third circle magic?"

"As many times as I can and feel like calculating it. I can do 4th circle magic, you know."

"Uh huh. If I can create food and water from thin air as a third circle magic, then what does fourth circle do?"

"...Change."

"What does that mean?"

"What the eye sees, the mind can change. I can call lightning and strike judgement in flaming hails of magma. Perhaps, with a lick of my own motivation, I could even banish one into a different plane of existence."

...

"Now you're just making stuff up."

"Hmph. You'll know."

Parilla was passively conjuring specific items to Laila's request, and it was subtle but distinct enough that one could see the changes in her hand movements, from where her dots were placed within her circles to even her muttering of the mnemonic, which would often be in an alternative rhythm. By the time Laila was done requesting, there were a varieties of condiments, even placed in wooden trays that Laila managed to grab for Parilla.

"I can make my own plates and cups, too."

"I assume that takes more time to...Calculate, right?"

"It's a bit of a monkey's paw, but easier to deal with. There are a couple of principles, but it's not particularly consistent."

"Interesting. I wonder if it's based on mood or something..."

"Emotions play a good role in magic, I presume. Maybe due to my unending acceptance of my brilliance, my spells come out prim and proper."

"Ugh..."

The stew was taking on a powerfully salty and onion scent, with hints of toasted nuts, soy glaze, and a touch of horseradish. Tingles the nose.

"Making your own food and water...That means you really could just sustain yourself, huh?"

"Calculation takes a heavy toll on the body. Efficiency and rests are crucial to maintaining the consistency. Long story short, I wouldn't tell you to hike up a mountain just because you can make yourself breathe easier as you go up. Circle magic requires...Comfort in the discomfort. It's not for everyone. Think of too many numbers, too many points..."

"Then you get complacent and the numbers fall apart..."

"And then the spell collapses, or worse..."

"The spell completely backfires. Eugh...Even blood magic doesn't have a drawback like that."

"Worst you'll get is losing your blood. Circle magic can break a limb if you're not careful. Torture you. Tear you internally apart. But there's a spell to bring that limb back. Reverse the pain, among other things."

"Can you turn immortal?"

In a rare moment, Parilla paused. She didn't seem to have an answer for it. "Mm...Perhaps. I would never dare try it. Life and death are natural elements. We're not just controlling magic, we're isolating it. Understanding it. Trying to pierce beyond magic's limits will take you somewhere you don't want to go."

Parilla snapped the circles away, lying down on the floor as Laila grabbed a ladle to mix up her ingredients. "Hmm...Pretty interesting...A lot to think about."

"You should be thanking me for expanding your mind."

"Shut up."

 

[Gary Sue]

Every time Reeve heard something interesting out of these conversations, his face returned from excited back to completely neutral as Parilla found a way to make it about her being smart rather than magic being as impressive as it was. With a grunt, he shook his head and just quietly removed himself from the two's conversation as he looked to the side, trying to understand exactly what the limitations of magic were. It could create food, plates, items, even restore limbs and cure amputations... but it couldn't cure curses? And there were circles, numbers, actual sciences going into it... gods, it sounded so much unlike him, he thought as he shuddered and rubbed his arms a little.

When he turned to look back at the two again, Parilla appeared to have gone quiet (thank the gods) as she curiously looked at the pot, a gesture Reeve quickly copied as he peeked into it and saw that the stew of many, many ingredients Laila had made was now ready. With a grin on his face, he clapped his hands and took a whiff of the steam rising from the pot. If anything it was a bit strong, but he'd be lying if he didn't admit his mouth was watering a little at the thought of trying out all of this royalty food that the princess had conjured for the duo.

Now the real question was, to use the wooden bowls they had been up to now, that Laila had helped Reeve carve to be as smooth as possible, or would they exploit their magic item generator that they'd be handing over to Makou in a few days' time?

 

[ShredKnives]

Laila found herself wondering just how far she could pursue this route. Just the idea of being able to do anything. Why, that concept very much embraced wizards, having a hand into the making of everything around them.

"That's odd, though. Why can't you cure a curse at a lower circle magic? They're not that complicated, right?"

"Have you ever tried rewriting your body? Curses are not just some sort of blight you can waft away with mercury pills and water. Have you tried figuring out what a soul looks like? You don't know anything, and I mean that on a general, literal terminology. Limbs, at least, are consistent. Curses are like a modification of who you are. Have you fixed your Knight's curse with whatever magic you have available?"

Fair point.

The food looked real good, and Laila cut the conversation short just to get the servings out. Parilla ended up following suit, and her eyes showed glimmers of interest in something other than herself for once.

And yes, Laila used their own bowls. She preferred the value of using items they actually made, but she couldn't deny self-systaining food was...Pretty awesome.

Parilla glanced at Laila, keeping still as Laila gave Reeve his portion...And glanced at Parilla.

"Want some? Ego weapons don't need to eat or nothing, but you can probably still taste it."

"...Sure."

Laila passed one to Parilla.

Laila took a bite.

Her eyes sparkled like real stars in the moonlight. Eating a stew like this was almost like having another feast in the tavern. The only difference was the portion size. In other words...

It's really good.

 

[Gary Sue]

Parilla's question was the very reason they were asking her, too, but it was an answer in and of itself. Not the desired one, but the expected one nonetheless. But with this chow ready, they weren't going to dwell on that anymore, were they? Eager to eat as his stomach growled, Reeve watched Laila serve out the portions as he licked his lips ever so slightly, wanting to dig right in... He heard Laila's offer to give it to their client's ego weapon, and though he didn't have anything to say, the reaction they saw out of her was surprising.

Not cause the food was great and Reeve hadn't figured yet- no, he'd already had at least half of his meal by the time Parilla got even close to getting her first bite into her serving. But the way she kept switching from sarcastic and rather eager to get slapped, to almost childlike with glee all over her... Sheesh. She was the very definition of a bipolar person if Reeve had ever seen one during his travels.

As soon as he became aware of just how quickly he was scarfing it all down, he grinned and slowed down a little so Laila could enjoy the meal too. Shuffling over to sit down next to the maiden, he gave her a few silent glances, smiling and taking a bite every now and then. He focused his gaze into the stew, seeing all the tasteful (and rather colorful ingredients with the blueblood's additions) ingredients float around. "Having someone like Parilla around would really be helpful, huh? It's surprising she lost her life in the first place, if she was this competent at magic as a human, too."

It was yet another sign that called for questions to him. How could someone this strong die in the first place, let alone be turned into the ego weapons he had heard so little about..?

 

[ShredKnives]

Laila watched Parilla closely. Parilla drank the bowl very different from either Laila or Reeve. Dignified, trained, like this whole eating thing was a method. Princess-like wouldn't begin to describe it, from how Parilla's fingers barely held the bowl to the spoon that seemed so close to exiting her grip. Laila couldn't quite perceive all the minute details, but it certainly was weird to watch a supposed princess actually be all princess-like when she wasn't being an annoying brat.

At least Parilla wasn't complaining about the food.

Then Laila moved right along to eating, ignoring Parilla's suspicious glances, instead paying more attention to Reeve, because sharing glances at him was, at least, normal. Laila definitely nearly broke down in laughter a few times, though; Reeve was just too goofy to disregard.

She had to wonder what else Reeve was thinking about...

...Luckily, Reeve helped as a catalyst for conversation; Laila never thought too hard about what to ask people, but Reeve was always the more cautious, so it gave Laila a second set of eyes that she didn't think would be this useful until recently.

"Um. Parilla," Laila said, turning back to the girl politely sipping her stew. "What's your story?"

"What's there to tell? I was a princess. Served the Flower Maidens. Died."

Ooh. Laila felt the venom in that one. "Is it...Tough to talk about?"

"Considering how sudden it was, I assume it was a meteor rain. A strike from the skies, you might say."

"No shields? Barriers?"

"Can't expect a shield to block every fragment of rock. I'm sure if I was pierced in the heart, I wouldn't even know. Luck of the draw. One unlucky blast, and that's it."

"But what about healing spells? Revivify and..."

"That assumes you know a lick of necromancy and you've a spare heart lying around. Considering I'm standing here, I would guess the former."

And Parilla left it at that. Not a lot of threads for conversation, so Laila painted it as 'didn't want to talk about it.' Laila decided to just finish up on her stew alongside Reeve.

 

[Gary Sue]

Though he could feel the tension in the air, the man was admittedly at a loss of words. What the hell was a meteor- the word sounded familiar, but... "Aren't meteors astor... N-No, astrology..? Astrology things? In the heavens with the stars, right?", the knight wondered as he gulped and looked all the way up, furrowing his brows and squinting almost as the sun tried its best at poking his eyes out with all that harsh sunlight trying its damndest to pry its way in. "... Do the Gods even exist, and... would they even give that much power to someone..?"

No, never mind the religious talk. Parilla was strong enough as is- does that mean they died by facing someone so strong, he could simulate an event described to be only up to divine judgment..? The man was way out of his waters, and hearing about necromancy just dragged him further into the unfamiliar depths of the discussion. "... I've heard the war was bad, but not that bad to require this high form of magic and overall just... skill, to survive in. Weren't the Flower Maidens a group? How the hell did Parilla die when Tomoe and her friends are still alive even?"

Reeve didn't quite let it show as he quietly went back to having his meat stew alongside a healthy dose of pondering, but... everything the princess said made her story more and more suspicious. He knew Tomoe meant them no ill will, but someone in the Flower Maidens' had ulterior motives, or something much bigger was at play here that he couldn't understand just yet. Then again, being the country bumpkin that he was, barely knowing what the hell a meteor is, he might as well be entirely off the mark and letting his countryside life getting the best of him. Suspicious looks and doubts included, too.

Still, to think someone that high ranking was so unprotected that they held no chance against an attack, even be it as powerful as it was... It made him a bit uneasy. The same way Parilla left the mortal coil, Laila and Reeve very well could too. That's why they avoided trouble whenever possible, right? His thoughts were accompanied by a turn to Laila and a small smile, as if to cheer her up and thank her all the same for being by his side before he turned to Parilla. Whatever he did, the situation wouldn't become much clearer... so he instead entertained himself by just watching how she had her meal, shocked at the elegance on display for something as simple as eating a damn stew.

"... Seriously..? Do nobles do that in Sesseth too?"

Please tell me you're not expecting an answer.
​

"..."

Painfully so, yes. Of all the things you could ask, you surprise me yet again.
​

"Why do I not feel flattered..?", he grumbled with an exhale as a half laugh escaped him, his gaze having slipped down to his sword even if for just a moment.

 

[ShredKnives]

Parilla finished her bowl last, with Laila happily satisfied; even if their time with food was finished with silence, she'll never get over the dopamine satisfaction of a hearty meal. Gosh, she's practically hungry again.

Parilla glanced at Reeve. "You look uncertain. If it's about the Flower Maidens, then I wouldn't hold it against you."

"What do you mean?" Laila asked. She, naturally, had her curiosity piqued. In a bad way.

"There's more than one group of Flower Maidens. The Koiyama name was little more than hearsay. Never even met her, was grouped with some trainees and maybe one or two experienced ones. Large enough to divvy the work across, not large enough to be an organization. Worst of both worlds. I'd say don't think too hard about it. They're just mercenaries. Vigilantes aligned towards the money. I volunteered. Just as you pay for war, war pays for you."

"And you're weird for that too. Don't tell me you think the maidens had some kind of agenda."

"Every group has an agenda," Parilla said with a scoff, drinking out of a shared waterskin. Even held the pinkie up at the end. "Those Maidens aren't bad or good. You find a way to live and make it happen. As long as you'll live, other people will get hurt. No different from the animals in our world. Just try your best to do right by your own standards. Fight for a higher will or...Whatever devout tells you."

Laila pursed her lips, but just gave Reeve another glance. An expressionless one, but one nonetheless. Laila didn't want to think about...Well, what her mother was doing behind the scenes.

"I just...Think it's crazy. You're seriously...Powerful."

"Thanks, I try."

"I hate you- but how can you just...Kick the can like that?"

"The beauty of magic is the illusion of power."

"You say that in every rich ball you go to?"

"Only the ones I care about."

Laila rolled her eyes, beginning her cleanup time. "I'm ready to mosey on out of here, Reeve...By the way, did you want anything from me? I've still probably got some extra portions if you want 'em."

 

[Gary Sue]

With the details he remembered from Tomoe's explanation of 'the Flower Maidens', he always assumed it was no bigger than a troupe of nine, maybe ten people and that was in. But with what they were hearing now from Parilla, they were that large to have 'trainees' and 'veterans' alike..? It sounded like a whole other force parallel to the army, except unaligned with one certain leader, side or country. That was enough to make anyone uneasy.

And judging by that blank look that Laila gave Reeve, she knew all too well exactly what was going through his mind. He gulped and furrowed his brows as he pondered over the implication, trying to see if they even knew anything about Tomoe that could work as a 'red flag'. And yet nothing came. He did have an idea when he looked down at his sword and questioned it about the time Tomoe had it for appraisal while he was trapped in a painful revisiting of the incident, but... silence was all that awaited him. Not even acknowledging the question, the blade didn't answer or elaborate any.

Everything accounted for, it was going to be hard to get answers out of anyone with his communication skills, considering he couldn't ask anybody but Laila, and even her under select conditions. If there was a single emotion going through him right now, it was just... feeling troubled. Troubled enough to just stuff his face with another portion as he tried to stomach the uneasy tension crawling on his spine, at least. He held the bowl out to Laila with a small smile, waiting for her to give him a refill before he dug in.

Finishing his meal, Reeve watched her finish packing their equipment and once he was done too, he made sure to pick up anything that was left laying around to help expedite the process. All things considered, they were ready to go and head right back to the shrine, though his confidence was wavering more and more as they got closer to their destination. It wasn't going to be more than a few days before they found a few things out for themselves, and that was if they even did, as there was no real guarantee they'd be in the know for any suspicious ongoings behind closed doors.

Hopping on the back of their horse, he looked over his shoulder at Laila and gestured with his head for her to hop on so they could get going once again.

 

[ShredKnives]

Midway through their journey, Laila noticed an odd smell. Reeve, naturally, would notice a similar one. It smelled faintly of ammonia and bittersweet candy.

"Smell that?"

"I can't."

"Not you."

The smell revolved on them, circling and...Leaving behind a notable trail. Laila took a glance around as well, but there was nothing but forest around them...Though it seemed a bit darker now. "Kind of...Odd. Are we being followed?"

Rivera, catching the scent, kicked the head up, seemingly disgruntled. Rivera moved faster, trying to trot away from the smell.

"...Knight, please keep on the lookout."