(Claire Von Angea)
The route to the village of Ava is a straightforward journey. After acquiring the quest from the Guild's receptionist, Phin, Q, and I had begun our travels via a carriage. Dealing with a murder of fiend fishes is a simple task. From what I could gather from the interactions of the trio, Q seemed to be the most powerful of the collective.
Due to his actions at the banquet last night, I also caught a glimpse of his power. Percival's men; Sir Dante and Sir Catalan, are both incredibly powerful and skilled warriors in their own right. Not only are they two of the twenty men that helped rescue Theoscyran from a bandit siege, but have faced down a league of goblins. For Q to even challenge the two of them is an impressive thing within itself.
Normally, the influence of the Blois and being personally chosen by Percival himself has granted them power and influence over others. They are blatant with their usage of power as well. Not many men would dare to challenge them, but when I stood there and witnessed Q remain defiant to them, I felt a bit of hope. Hope that I can actually trust and rely on them for what's to come ahead.
The wheels of the carriage bumped against the occasional imperfection on the dirt pathway. Unlike the northern wall of Astana, the southern wall has not been properly laid with stone yet. It was a project that the mother wanted to oversee before that fateful day. It was on the exact same road that we were ambushed and separated. That day was similar to this one. The sun was rising in the sky, and the stillness of the air remained unchanged.
Although the carriage was not as luxurious as one may desire, it served the job perfectly. Hiding in plain sight is a big part of how I managed to elude the individuals who were tracking me. There was a group of other passengers that traveled with us.
A woman with two children sat next to me, while an older man and a younger one opted to sit next to Q. Although they seemed sweet, I had my doubts on why they were here. From where I stood, while they could be innocent bystanders, they could also be with the people who wanted to keep an eye on me.
There was no indicator of who they served thus far, but I do believe that Mordred might be behind it. Well, not Mordred specifically, but someone within the realm of influence as he is. Although I defended them against the accusations from the trio last night, I would not lie that those thoughts did cross my mind.
Ever since I made me return under the guise of Clarice Von Angea, Mordred has been playing hard ball with me on certain matters. I have not been able to lay my eyes on my younger brother, and that worries me.
Not only that, but he has undertaken the responsibility of withholding the information of my mother's disappearance to the public. Mordred is a very meticulous and reliable man when it comes to matters like that.
There is a reason that he ascended to Commander whenever his father and elder brother departed on their search. It came as a surprise to me that Mordred was the one that issued the challenge for the duel rather than Percival.
Perhaps he was aiming to make a move, or he was delivering a message to me. He questioned whether or not, if they were my strength, and at first, I was hesitant to answer. I had just met these men a day ago. Sure, they were not too forthcoming, but I believe that is to be expected.
From what I've seen, the fox demi-human or kitsune, as he claimed, is the pseudo leader of their group. Although they seemed more like a band of equals rather than a group with a superior-subordinate relationship. That is how I was able to surmise that they were members of the Conscripted Forces.
As I lay my eyes on Q, the man's gaze seemed to move all over the place. From outside the window to the nearby passengers, he seemed to be attempting to get himself comfortable. The heat was becoming a bit unbearable, but it was nothing that I could handle.
There was a slight whine erupting from one of the children, and it instantly caught my attention. The poor child had become all sweaty, and their mother had attempted to console them. She was using her own sleeves to wipe away the sweat from their forehead.
Seeing them like that had begun to bubble up memories of the past. I recalled those times when I was much younger when my mother would sit me down and wipe my sweat after I had finished playing.
She would sit me on her lap and, in a calm voice, whisper to me that things would be alright. Her soft touch would wipe away any sweat from my forehead with a handkerchief that she always carried with her.
My hands mushed my sword aside and entered my pocket. There was a thin fabric that greeted my fingertips. I pinched it, pulling it free out of its original storage area. My eyes softened at the sight of it.
'Oh mother… Where can you be?- Why would they do this to us?'
The Death of the Angea is here. Those were the words of one of the men that attacked us that day. A man that nearly claimed my life. I would not be here if not for Sylvia, and she would be here if not for me. My weakness brought her to a demise that she did not deserve.
'Come now… Let's not think of such matters. I must find the identity of those responsible and protect Astana.'
There have been two things driving me thus far. I must see to it that Astana and her people are protected and preserved. The second is a bit more personal. I simply want to see my mother again.
"Please…use this."
Those words slipped out of my mouth as I held out the handkerchief out towards the woman. Her actions seemed confused at first, but she soon accepted my gesture with good faith. It was a decision that actually pleased me.
"How are you holding up, C?"
'C? Oh- C as Claire or Clarice.'
I was hit with a wave of confusion, and it likely showed on my face. The veil of confusion lifted as suddenly as it had arrived. It appears that Q had a similar sense of caution as I did. Glancing around, I noticed that no one was following our conversation, so I would respond,
"I am fine. It is just a little heat, so nothing that I could not handle. Ava Village is merely an hour away from the city, so we should be able to arrive before the sun rises higher in the sky."
"That's good. Bear with it, and soon, we'll be able to enjoy ourselves. A good fight should be coming our way."
'A good fight?'
Just looking at him, excluding the muscular stature of the man, you would not expect him to be much of a fighter. There are no marks or scars on his body from what I have seen. In fact, hearing him say that a good fight would be the reason that we would be able to enjoy ourselves brought a smile to my face. I chuckled slightly, and soon after, I wiped a bead of sweat off of my brow.
"I didn't take you as a man that enjoyed fighting at first. Your hair is well maintained, and fingernails are kept. Such things seem incomparable to the type of environment built for combat. Not to mention that you choose to carry no weapon. Had I not seen your exploits from last night, then I would not have imagined any of you three being the type that enjoys it.", I said to him.
"My body is the greatest weapon that I have at my disposal."
There was a soft smack that manifested when he slammed his fist into his palm. It was an intriguing action, and I got a sense of his point. He would follow up with another statement ,
"Therefore, I keep it at its optimal level. Not only do I enjoy cracking skulls, but I also enjoy the finer things. I am just as much of a lover as I am a fighter."
"A lover, huh? I suppose you share more than one passion then."
His words seemed to resonate with me. A lover and a fighter - What an interesting dichotomy that fuels him. There is still so much that I need to learn about them. No- for now, I need to focus on the mission in front of me. I need to show to Q that I am a reliable ally. I may have showcased a bit of my cowardice when I was confronted at the banquet, but I hope to show them that I am still worthy of their time and effort.
I withdrew from our conversation with my eyes drifting away to the windows of the carriage. There was the ever growing clanking of the wooden wheels of the carriage. It did so upon meeting every rock that it ran over. It had a rhythm to it.
The air was dry, and the wind pushed through the leaves, creating a lulled sound. This was the song of the summertime. The listless nature of mother nature as we enjoyed a calming moment.The tranquil clopping of horseshoes led the way to our destination. It was almost the perfect moment.
Kabloom!
'Ru-Run!'
There was a sudden snapping of a tree. It had completely fractured the silence that he ensued after our conversation had ended. Everyone was completely thrown off guard, even the horses. They kicked and bucked as a tree slammed in front of our path.
'Run- Please..RU-'
It was then that my head began to violently throb. Indecision appeared and, with its twisted nature, gripped my mind and refused to release it. The carriage jerked forward at the sudden stop, and it was as if the very earth around me had begun to shake, and my head became rattled as well.
The thick smell of smoke choked me, leaving not even the faintest of air to bless my lungs. My world became twisted, and distortion warped my mind. Even the bright lights peeking from the carriage's window stretched into blackness.
'No-Not this time…I'll-'
My hand raced out for my sword, but… I could not draw it. Tension suddenly grabbed my body and held me against the seat.
"Shlelelele- I'm afraid I've got some bad news!"
What a sickening sound! My stomach began to churn, and my eyes refused to close. I just stared forward. Not even the sight of the men that now resided at the opening of the carriage was enough to shake my gaze.
"Everyone hop out of there and don't try any funny stuff!"
'Ru-Run!'