I decided not to summon Shaw with news of me coming to the camp. I knew what she would say:
'Silly girl, Nei! Don't believe the rumors! I'm well!'
But I was having none of that.
The only person I was concerned about was grandmother, who would probably be worried about my safety. But my broken heart told me that she wouldn't care too much. After all, her son and his wife had only one child in the world: Iria.
"How are we getting to the plains?" Hhamir asked, fondling his short beard.
"How do you think?" I replied.
"It would be too bothersome to travel by caravan. Besides, once we're out of the city, no one freaking cares whether we're magic users or not.."
"Get to the point," Thanos snapped. He seemed touchy about the fact that he was not a magic user, but an element mage. He'd finally told me what the runes meant.
Hhamir glared at him.
"Get to the point," I seconded, and Thanos wagged his tongue at him. They didn't seem to be getting along.
"Let's teleport," he said finally.
I gasped inwardly. I could hardly teleport. I didn't want to admit it though. Even Iria didn't know. It always drained my energy.
"It's too far," I hid under this excuse.
"I can't even teleport," Thanos grumbled, "I'm only an elemental mage,"
"In that case," Hhamir seemed to have been saving this surprise for last, "I'll summon my VIP transport creature!"
A huge shadow covered us completely. It seemed as if a giant was decending from the sky. Thanos, as expected from a thirteen year old, clutched at my arm in fright.
"What's happening?!" he yelled.
The creature landed gracefully. It was a very large bird, with a long, elegant neck covered with pretty soft white feathers, with a curved orange beak and tiny hazel eyes. It looked down at us with contempt.
"May I introduce you to the Seven Seal Swan?" Hhamir laughed.
"This?--this-this-- this is your transport creature?!" Thanos stammered.
"Thanks to my ancestors for passing it down to me," Hhamir replied with a smirk. Then he turned to me, arm outstretched, "if I may help you, your highness?"
I rolled my eyes and brushed his arm away. The light dancing in his eyes dimmed. Thanos burst out laughing behind us. I ignored him and levitated, flying onto the back of the Seven Seal Swan, which was broad and smooth, a deck having been mounted onto it's back by magic. Thanos and Hhamir followed behind me.
"Your family must be pretty rich to own this," Thanos admitted. Hhamir swelled.
"My father used to be the fifth advisor to His Majesty--"
Before he could continue boasting, I cut in.
"How come you were now injured and homeless and at the mercy of the Valek?"
"That--" his face reddened, "my family has hit some hard times lately. A rival family took over my father's post. Their eyes was on our property as well. To keep some of it within the family, my uncles suggested I marry the rival family's young miss. I had to run away,"
I raised my eyebrow, surprised.
"That sounds like a story a girl might say," Thanos commented, "is that how it is at Canolita? The bride's family dominates?"
Hhamir shook his head.
"I didn't want to cause trouble for my family. If I refused, but remained at Canolita, they would all be killed,"
I frowned in thought, but said nothing.
Hhamir spoke to the Swan with his imprint.
The huge bird spread it's wings and took off gracefully into the air.
To Rashar Plains at last!
***
It turned out we were not the only ones headed for the Plains. There were several other transport creatures headed in the same direction. Most, though, had flags or crests streaming from their decks.
"Do you know any of these people?" I asked my companions.
"In any case, they are mages, as they possess a transport creature," Hhamir replied, "and we all know on whose side the mages are,"
I was releived. It would have been catastrophic if all these people were all against Iria.
We three looked on as creature after creature streamed past us.
"Seems, that the leader of the Rebellion army has found reinforcements after all," Hhamir said, "they only don't look like warriors. I wonder what they're thinking,"
The terrain changed. Flat land stretched out as far as the eye could see. Covered by slightly brown colored grass, the Rashar Plains had become home to thousands of tents. Patrolling soldiers could be seen weaving between them, at alert. They raised their heads as the horde of travelling creatures arrived.
"Halt!"
"Which camp is this?" I asked Hhamir.
"I'm not sure," he replied.
A mage had flew into the air. He magnified his voice to sound in the ears of everyone.
"This is the Rebellion Army Camp! Dismount your creatures and come to pay your respects to the Alliance Head! Anyone that does not follow this command shall be killed!"
I was flabbergasted. Like, what?!
The nobles (I shall call them nobles) on the other creatures grumbled. I could hear a fat beefy man mounted on a Eagle near us say;
"This alliance head is really arrogant. We heard she is poisoned, yet every one must bow to her! Hakorhi folk!"
I frowned.
"Your highness," Hhamir muttered, "since we have not come to see this alliance head, I don't think we have to pay any respects. Why not go down and bring your relative up onto the Swan?"
I shook my head.
"No. The relative I have come to see, is none other than this alliance head," Flying down from the Swan, I approached the mage who had announced.
"Neiman Hakorhi hereby pays respect to the Alliance Head!"