It was midday when we got back to base, and my wounds were now completely healed thanks to Arwans odd healing ability. Though I, unfortunately, now had some giant scars on my back, but hey, at least it'll add to the mysterious aura.
As Arwan and I entered the base, Victor was waiting right at the entrance with his hand on the hilt of his sword, he was impatiently sliding it in and out of its scabbard.
Walking toward him, I noticed that he was sporting an annoyed expression on his face. I was tempted to ask what was wrong, but I had a feeling that I'd regret doing so, so I just settled on a simple greeting.
"Hey Victor, we're back! Did you have a fun time while we were away?" I asked with a bit of a teasing tone.
"Greeting M'Lord, and no I did not," He responded with a tone full of annoyance and frustration.
"Oh? And I thought that as a knight you were supposed to enjoy fulfilling you're lord's order, or is it just that you hate the thought of helping Lord Andraste out?" Arwan jested in turn.
Perhaps it was the tone Victor used with me, but Arwan was also sporting a look of annoyance on his face.
"Ha! Says the newbie, don't try to tell me what I'm doing wrong, the fact that you spoke back to my comment instead of His Grace without his go-ahead is a breach of rules and etiquette," Victor pocked back with a know-it-all all tone and to boot it, it was written on his face as well.
"Well excuse me, but I was trying to make sure that His Lordship was greeted again but with a nicer tone so perhaps you should retract that reched statement and face of yours from this space!" Arwan said with a growl.
"Um-"
"Oh, you are most certainly not excused! Besides, who was it that he spoke to? Or thats right it was me! So if anything you are also in the wrong here you oversized lizard!" Victor retorted with an extra hint of anger.
"Ha!? As if, besides of course he would greet you, after all, I was already by his grace's side, so am I really in the wrong here, huh? You snobbish bloodsucker!" Arwan replied.
"Urgh! You fucking cockered harpy!"
"HAH! Do you kiss your mother with that mouth?"
"OKAY, okay, that is enough you two, I mean seriously what is wrong with you two!?" I yelled, "Who I greeted and how they greeted me back doesn't matter, haaaaa I thought you knew better Victor, is there anything wrong? This isn't like you…"
They both looked away in shame, finally realizing what they had said and who they said it in front of.
"My deepest apologies your Grace, there were just a few problems that popped up in the strategy and I was feeling rather pressured and annoyed because people kept coming up to me with their problems," he explained.
"That isn't an excuse for the things you just said to Arwan, and Arwan, you need to apologize for the things you said to Victor," I responded.
"I'm sorry…" they both said in unison.
"Like you mean it!"
"I'm real sorry I responded to what you said to His Lordship like that," Arwan said.
"It's alright, and I'm sorry too…" Victor apologized in return.
"Good, now Victor, you said some issues arose in the strategy we came up with, could you tell us what they were?" I added.
"Of course, but we should go somewhere more private for this, we wouldn't want any nosy ears to hear this."
***
"So tell me, what is the problem that occurred?" I had asked when we finally reached a room in a more secluded part of the base. It was rather hectic in the other areas since everyone was running around trying to get their work done, whether for battle or something else.
"Well…When we arrived at the battlefield we were immediately thrown into battle. But were quickly overwhelmed by the opposing forces," Victor explained.
"But how? If my memory serves me correctly the peril kingdom forces and inhabitants are made up almost entirely up of humans, with only a few Dragonborn clans scattered around, but even then they hardly ever come out of their homeland, plus the rest are fire nymph and the like, which are all allied on the opposing side," I relayed to Victor and Arwan.
"You are indeed correct My Liege, however, I believe some of the Dragonborn have come out of their clans' land to side with the humans for some land they were promised, but I highly doubt they'll actually get it," Arwan interjected.
"Arwan is correct in that manner, but I fear that there is an additional cause of concern," He paused and I enlarged him on, "My Grace, it seems that the sea folk have given them some form of support."
"In what way…wait, never mind don't answer that, I think I already know," When I had heard from Victor that they had gained support from sea folk, I remembered a certain scene and point in time in the novel.
During the time of the Revolutionary War, the protagonist and his party were off in the Alkmene Kingdom searching for information regarding the demon king and his army. And during that time they came to find that the King of Alkmene, and all of the sea folk, had given the Peril Kingdom his support.
The King had decided to let them borrow a certain ancient device that could create weapons and defensive structures out of water, it was proven to be quite useful against The Fire spirits, fire/magma nymphs, and fire elementals. The King thought that it would be easier to get rid of them that way and then, perhaps get a potential ally. However, the King was in actuality, being controlled by one of the demon king's generals and once they received their land, the demon king killed the King of Alkmene himself and took control over his land and people.
'If my memory serves me correctly, I'm pretty sure they used that to gain a substantial part of land, that they later turned into a naval base by flooding and extinguishing the fire of the land and drying the lava, thus resulting in killing every last fire and magma nymph…I need to stop that from happening at all cost.'
"If it is using the sea folks' power to control water, then yes, you're thoughts are indeed correct, My Lord," Victor started to explain, "The King of the Sewafolk has decided to bestow the King of Peril with an ancient device that apparently can manipulate water."
"So it is as I thought…Approximately how long would it take to get to Alkmene's capital from here?" I asked Victor.
"A couple of days, but if we had Arwan fly us there I'm sure it'd be only a couple of hours, but forgive my ignorance, are you perhaps planning something?" Victor questioned.
"It's nothing to concern yourselves with, Arwan get ready for departure, we are taking the airway, though thats only if you're comfortable with it," I added.
"While I'm fine with having you on my back, there is no way I'm letting that haggard ride on me, especially not all the way to Alkmene!" Arwan exclaimed while pointing at Victor.
"Arwan, Victor, if too start fighting I'll have to just go alone," I paused to let their expressions settle then I turned around and opened the door to walk out before saying, "I suggest the two of you seace your little arguments, and for good, otherwise I'll have to fire one of you."
***
We reached the Alkmene Kingdom a few hours later, and as I suggested, Arwan and Victor settled on the agreement to not fight anymore. We had gathered all of our things and brought them with us, Arwan put it all into his storage space.
Before we entered the city Arwan cast an invisibility spell on all of us and flew down to an alley to lift us off his back before turning back into his human form and removing the invisibility.
After that, we went searching for an inn, and luckily found a seaside one with a view of the harbor, though the harbor was quite busy and noisy, it was still quite nice. I decided that we should stay in for the night, but Arwan insisted on surveying the area, and Victor was hungry so we went down to the inn's bar for a meal and a few drinks.
"Now remember My Lord, you can drink, and since I know your alcohol tolerance is abnormally high I will allow for 3 glasses or less," Victor lectured, not wanting to have to carry my drunk ass upstairs.
"Ho? The servant limiting the master on the amount he is allowed to drink? Rather bold of you! But alright, since I am oh so considerate, I'll try to remember," I teased him, i found the embarrassed expression on his face to be rather amusing.
"Right…apologies your grace, and thank you for that," He said tilting his head down.
"Hahaha! No need to apologize, besides I was just teasing you!" I admitted, and a few steps later we entered the bar, "Hoho? It's nicer than I thought it'd be!"
"Pfft- perhaps I'm a little underdressed for the appeal of the bar," Victor joked, motioning to his clothing, he was just wearing his knight uniform without the armor and cape, though his sword was still at his side.
"Oh please, if you're underdressed then I'm overdressed," I said entering the bar before Victor closed the door.
The bar reminded me of those private bars you would see on the lower floors of a shopping complex and restaurant districts, It also had a bit of what my world would call a "Vintage feel" to it.
As soon as we sat down at the actual bar, the bartender then immediately came over and asked what we would like to drink and eat if we were hungry, we each ordered a few starters and I got some scotch while he ordered a white wine, the bartender had stated that it was the first time someone had ordered one in weeks so we got a discount on it.
Since I had gotten a scotch I was also in the mood for a smoke, so I asked the barkeep if it was alright if I lit one in here, and he replied, "We have enchanted air filters, so feel free to smoke your lungs away!" Though he obviously meant the last part as a joke.
Once our food arrived, I put out my cigarette and we both ate our food while trying to savor it. And I must admit, for a bar, they sure did serve good food. After we were done eating I ordered another drink, this time a red wine.
"Excuse me M'Lord, but I have a few questions if you are willing to answer them," He asked and I motioned with my head for him to go on before taking another sip of my drink, "Well, it's just that we came here so suddenly without warning, so I was curious as to what your plan was."
"Ah, yes I suppose I didn't tell you two now did I? I think it's best if I tell the both of you at the same time, and also not somewhere with a lot of ears present, like a bar. So why don't we go back up to the room and see if Arwan is back?" I suggested before paying for our food and drinks and leaving the bar with Victor close behind.
Going back up to the room, we entered with a surprised humanoid dragon, "OH! My Liegem, welcome back!... And hello Victor," Arwan said excitedly then dispointedly upon seeing the vampire.
"Yes hello Arwan, do you really feel the need to act so disappointed upon seeing me?" He said after I greeted Arwan.
"It's not the fact that it's you, just the fact that you with his lordship, thats the fact that I'm disappointed with!" He admitted with courage.
"Haaaaa, alright you two, I have some things to tell the both of you, so why don't you stop your lovers quarrel and sit your asses down?" I said, finally showing how annoyed I was with their bickering.
"We are not having a lovers quarrel!" The both of them objected before sitting down at the table in the main room of our suite.
"Whatever you guys say, anyways Victor reminded me that I hadn't explained what my plan was when we got here, so I guess I owe you two an explanation," I had recalled.
'Haaaa, I'm so going to regret this later.'
A while later, once I was done explaining the plan I had, while also having to slip a few lies in to not reveal what my current existence is, I was finally done explaining.
"So to summarize, you gained information saying that the King was currently under a demons mind control, making him give his support to the Peril Kingdom's forces?" Victor said, tilting his head to sign that he was still a little confused.
"And you plan on trying to get an audience with either him or one of his closest subordinates, which you'll hopefully achieve getting that audience and then break the mind control?" Arwan continued from Victor's statement, still with a hint of skepticism in his voice.
"Well, something like that! Though of course, it will take a while to achieve, after all, I never sent a formal letter…But! I heard that he occasionally goes on walks around town, so hopefully I can manage to "run into him" and then help him out and gain that audience!" I exclaimed.
"Haaaaa, I suppose we have no choice but to go along with this "Grand Scheme" of yours, now do we?" Victor jested, and I shook my head with a smile in response.