"Wha-wha-what?!?!" Amara screamed, her brain not able to process the sudden avalanche of truth bombs Maven was dropping on her. The King turned on the Saintess? A mission from the goddess? That little fairy girl was the revered Kannon?! She had no idea how to react to any of this news.
"How admirable!" Ela exclaimed, eyes sparkling. Maven's words and goals evoking the same grand feeling as the myths from the age of old. Having grown up on fairy tales about righteous heroes and kind goddesses, Ela was just thrilled at the thought of being any part of this sort of grand journey.
"And you want to drag Ela into something like that?" Amara pressed Maven for answers, not wanting her princess to be involved in a potential war.
"I'm afraid there's not much choice… Things are getting rather urgent. The protective aura of the Lilith Mountains is about to expire and a war is brewing. A war of extermination, one that could undo the very fabric of the world. I'm (unfortunately) the only one who can do anything about it, so I have to go. I feel bad saying that Ela has to join me as we cross the mountains and explore unknown lands, but I don't really see much of choice… Who knows what would happen if that curse Ela was saddled with were allowed to run rampant." Maven said regretfully.
At these words, Amara looked down at the floor with her fists clenched. She felt powerless. But what could she do? She was forced to recognize her inability to protect her princess just a few hours ago.
"It's okay," Ela said as she held Amara by the hand. "I believe in Maven. She's so kind and strong. She saved you and me, right? Plus, she's got Kannon and Henna to back her up. The Henna and Kannon. With the Saintess and two goddesses by my side, how could I ever be in danger? By her side is the safest place in the world."
Amara just stared back at her princess with a defeated look. She knew there was little she could do but nod her head at this point.
"You'll have to go to the capital, Amara. Just tell the Holy Kingdom I've been attacked and am secluding myself until the group targeting me has been dealt with." Ela said as she outlined her plan for the future. "After a week or two, find a way to let them know about the members that have been captured here in Mistport. Dealing with all those cultists and figuring out how deep the rot has spread should keep them so busy they forget about me for awhile."
"Are you sure?" Amara asked one last time, wanting to make sure Ela was actually prepared for the journey and willing to embrace the hardships and dangers.
She knew Ela wasn't thrilled at the thought of marriage talks with the smelly second prince, but Amara thought Ela might be a little too gung-ho about just running away with the Saintess.
"Yeah, I'm sure." Ela said with an excited smile, causing Amara to let out a resigned sigh as she rose from the bed.
"Will there be any way I can contact you? How will I know where you are?" Amara asked worriedly.
"About that... I have an idea." Maven said as she held one of her hands up in the air.
With a cute yell full of fighting spirit, Maven smooshed together a tiny little speck of divinity, a great big gob of light magic, and a dash of spatial manipulation - compressing them and filling them with magical programming to ultimately create two beautiful pearls. She handed one to Ela and the other to Amara before explaining.
"These are artificial spirits. They're similar to golems, but much more intelligent and able to change shapes. I've bound them to each of you and linked the two together. They should only respond to your mana, Ela, Amara. Try saying 'fly' as you channel magic into the pearl." Maven said as she motioned for the two to give it a shot.
"Fly!" The two voices cried out simultaneously, Ela sounding excited while Amara sounding a bit doubtful.
The pearls shone brightly as they rose into the air. Then, with a flash of blinding light, the two milky orbs gradually expanded in size as they uncurled into the figure of two tiny doves. No bigger than the size of an apple, they possessed glittering, pitch black eyes, immaculate feathers, and improbably sharp talons. Except for their abnormally small size, they were indistinguishable from real birds.
"You're giving these to us?!"
Eyes shining in delight, Ela held out her index finger and her divine dove settled atop it gracefully. Receiving an affectionate scratch on the head from Ela, the bird gently closed its eyes in delight. The way it behaved was so true to life that everyone present had to question whether it truly possessed a mere pseudo-soul.
"They're beautiful… but how are these birds going to help us stay in contact?" Amara asked, squinting at the bird in her palm inquisitively.
"They'll serve two primary functions." Maven explained. "The first is allowing you to pass messages to each other. Just think of what you want to say while channeling mana into the pearl and then say 'Shazam' with all your fighting spirit. Once you do, these little cuties will fly off in search of its twin. Since their linked to your unique mana imprint and can lock onto certain spatial coordinates, they'll always be able to find you. The second function is related to that, but a bit experimental…"
"I'm not sure I like the sound of that." Amara said with a twitching smile.
Also putting on a forced smile, Maven continued, "I tried to give those pearls the ability to serve as a teleportation anchor point. Assuming I did it right and the enchantment holds, we should be able to teleport to anywhere the pearls have been. So, if you can find somewhere safe and private, I can take Ela over to visit."
"That's amazing!" Amara said, her mood improving drastically at the news. The thought of being separated from her princess for weeks or months on end made her physically ill.
"Yay!" Ela shouted as she threw her free arm around Amara, being careful not to jostle either of the two birds. No matter how excited she was to go off on a journey and explore the forbidden Demon Archipelago, she had known Amara since she was a child. There was no way she felt nothing about separating from her.
"I'm glad you like it," Maven said with a gentle smile. "To turn it back into pearl form, just say 'compress' as you channel mana into the bird. Then you can just put it in your pocket or hang it from some jewelry. Why not try it now?"
"Compress!" The two said, causing the two birds to deform and melt away back into their marble-sized forms.
"Maven… Henna just reached out. Looks like the guards have managed to check out the warehouse." Kannon sent telepathically, not wanting to interrupt the two elves who had transitioned into full on hugs once the birds were out of the way.
"And? Is there any problem?"
"Well… The guards didn't know how to react once they realized they couldn't move those goons. They apparently tried to pick them up, flip them over, and drag them across the floor… None of it worked. Once they realized that, they started kicking up a fuss. They've apparently sent one messenger to the lord and another to us. We can expect him to show up shortly." Kannon explained, conveying the information Henna had sent over.
Forced to interrupt the two elves as they take comfort from the other's warmth, Maven asked. "Now, are you ready to head back? I'm sure your companions are still in that field, feeling very confused and worried. Looks like something troublesome is headed our way and I don't want you to get up in it."
Letting go of Ela with a sigh, Amara turned to Maven with a determined expression. "I guess so… If I don't leave soon, I may not ever be able to."
"Excellent," Maven said as she clapped her hands together. "Let's get you back to your friends and get ready to meet the lord here."