An open alliance with Elvenkind had thrown Gria's social climate into a muddle. When once Elves were known as the exotic forest-dwellers of the east, now they wandered the capital's streets openly thanks to the Gate maintained between the entrances of both cities. Naturally, not just everyone was allowed passage, but those who had administrative or clerical duties, such as diplomats, made regular trips to and from their homelands.
The relationship between human and Elf had never been a particularly warm one. The Holy Alliance's reluctance to crack down on anti-slavery laws had ruined the lives of countless Elves, and many of the latter still thought of humanity as heartless monsters who were concerned only with preserving their own hides. The revelation of Queen Larion's true lineage had sparked a flame within the Elven aristocracy, and many now petitioned for the hasty alliance between the two nations to be withdrawn.
Even so, while Elves had become a regular sight in Gria, Beastkin and Onda were as rare as ever. It wasn't a surprise, then, that the eyes of the common folk were inevitably drawn towards the presence of an extraordinarily tall figure shrouded in a crimson cloak wandering towards the city's upper districts. At the very least, it was certainly no human or Elf. Most prominent of all, however, were the curled horns that poked out from beneath its hood--like those of a ram, only onyx-black and with a smooth surface.
The horns of an Onda grew slowly from the day of their birth, during which the protrusions would have a malleable, clay-like texture. As a result, even minor imperfections could result in deformities as the horns hardened during an Onda's teenage years, lending a unique appearance to each individual. Provided they grow without issue, an Onda would be rewarded with horns sturdier than any metal--a common point of pride for warriors and members of Fleecian high society.
The wanderer's were of that distinct, unbreakable quality. With its devilish horns and concealed appearance, one wouldn't be told off for assuming that the incarnation of some deathly deity had been unleashed onto Gria's streets, but more than likely, people kept their distance for fear of intruding upon the journey of someone who carried with them an air of importance.
"Hm?" As she approached the royal castle, a guardsman stationed at its grand doors looked upon the approaching Onda with a confused expression, "...An Onda? Were we supposed to be receiving a diplomat today?"
"Straighten out and screw that head of yours back on." His companion, who suddenly stood at attention, replied, "That woman is Shilahi, one of the Three Heroes. Show her the respect she deserves."
"Eh? That's her!?" He exclaimed, "I would have thought she'd arrive with an escort or something like that…"
As Shilahi came to a stop in front of the doors, that guard couldn't help but gulp as he realised that she was absolutely towering over him. The half-lidded redness in her gaze made it appear as if a Demon was staring at him from beneath the shade of her hood.
"I've come here to see a friend of mine. My arrival is expected, I've been told." She greeted succinctly, "I presume there aren't any problems with that?"
"N-No… of course not." With a trembling hand, the guard saluted, "Allow us… to…"
Trailing off as Shilahi walked straight past him, he watched as the girl pushed open the castle's gargantuan doors without the slightest hint of exertion, strolling into the shining jewel of Gria with the confidence of someone entering their own home.
"...We've certainly been getting a lot of legendary names moving through here recently, haven't we?"
"No kidding. First the Queen of Elves, then the Hero of Legend himself, and now the strongest Onda in the world…" His colleague agreed, "She looked like she could have killed you with a glance."
"Yeah… but, you know…" He paused, "-Sometimes, even a girl like that is pretty nice, right?"
"...What the fuck are you talking about?"
Shilahi's stroll through the entrance hall of the castle was an uneventful one. The corridor which once filled itself to the brim with aspiring members of the court seemed comparatively lonely on that day--not that Shilahi was interested in the least about it. And yet, as she passed into the grand hall, a long-lost feeling of togetherness and fulfilment overcame her. A nostalgic sensation.
"-But is it truly a sustainable solution with the materials we have on hand?" Within the room, a discussion was taking place amidst the collection of lords and ladies, "I won't question the effectiveness of anti-matter bombs, but you must understand that such advanced alchemy is complicated even for the most talented of us."
"The progress of one's Foundation in the proceedings of alchemical science is marked by the growth of efficiency and purification." Another voice answered, "With the correct amount of lecturing, I believe it is quite possible for Gria's court alchemists to more properly utilise reagents available in the city."
"And who would be giving these lectures?"
"Myself."
"Well… of course that would be the case, but…" As Lotte averted his eyes from the Homunculus awaiting a response, his gaze fell upon the chamber's newest visitor, "...Oh. It appears we have a visitor."
"Hm?" King Granda, who watched the conversation with interest, diverted his attention, "My, that wouldn't happen to be Lady Shilahi, would it?"
"Shilahi?" Overhearing his remark from another table, Dorma quickly turned her head, "...Is it really you?"
"When once I walked these halls, the sour nobles and rotund King would not deign to even glance at me…" Shilahi mused, walking towards the group, "-Yet, as I wander them now, all hands cease their fidgeting at the mere notion of my presence."
As she approached Granda, the monarch couldn't help but be slightly overwhelmed by the girl's height.
"You must forgive me." She apologised, "Though I would have loved for nothing more than to present a trophy proving my efforts, the problem of fitting Leviathan's head through the doors of your castle wasn't one I wished to consider."
"As far as I am concerned, the less we see of those fiends, the better." He replied, "It is an honour to house you in my court, Lady Shilahi."
"A greeting befitting His Majesty's reputation." She placed a hand to her chin, changing the subject of her focus, "-But not the first I expected to hear. You appear to have gone stiff, Dorma."
"Hm…" The sorcerer smiled, "You can still recognise an old woman like me?"
"Do you hear that? The ruby of Khazman herself, whose beauty it was said could spark a war--calling herself an old woman when her face has not aged a day." Shilahi smirked, "Even if you had wasted away to dust, I would have recognised you, Dorma."
As the two of them approached one-another, the warm looks in each of their eyes spoke of an unbreakable camaraderie which had been forged within the fires of countless conflicts. Shilahi had scarcely been a sociable sort in her youth--as she remembered it, the tugging loneliness of the open ocean was all the companionship she had ever desired. Even her centuries-long isolation, intruded upon only by the occasional King or two, hadn't bothered her in the least. But the slimmest possibility of once more coming face-to-face with one of the only two she had ever dubbed a comrade constantly nagged at her meditation.
"...It is good to see you again, Dorma." Her elusive smile was a captivating one, contrary to the girl's fearsome image, "Where is the young Hero?"
"Barion is off investigating some leads into the origins of Demonkind." Dorma's grin became a line, "...He travels with Manyu."
"Manyu…" Shilahi's gaze went skyward, "The slug yet lives?"
"If we mean to bring this war to a close, we need to make use of every available connection."
"I won't argue with that. But don't think for a second that I'm pleased about it." She ceded, "Aren't there any Crucibles in need of tearing apart? My spear could still do with another meal."
"-Unless you plan on running off to the Steppe like Barion did, you had best stay here." Dorma advised, "When Lilith resurrects, we will need all hands close by."
Dorma had failed to explain to King Granda the danger Lilith presented to the city and the realm at large--not with the urgency it required, at the very least. Though the ageing king had always made time for her wisdom, nothing short of a direct confrontation with the fiend would convince him that troubles far in excess of mere unorganised attacks were well on their way.
"The city seems well enough, considering most of its soldiers have perished." Shilahi commented, "But for how long can it last now that the farmers and millers of the countryside have packed up and moved on? Moving each and every family into Gria is a generous thing, but even the most illiterate fool knows not everyone will be allowed entry."
"Food and drink can be synthesised easily enough using alchemy and magic, but space--and, not to mention, the availability of work, is a problem, yes."
"I assume His Majesty's plan is to draft most of your diasporic labourers into the army?"
"We can't be expected to support evacuees who refuse to do any work, or those who don't have the means to carry out their livelihoods." Dorma explained, "Many would happily take up spears to defend their homeland, however poor with a weapon they may be."
"Against men, you would be surprised just how effective a line of farmers with spears can be." Shilahi argued, "But we are not warring with men. A Demon cares little for strategy. Even knights are next to useless against them. If you don't fancy seeing half the kingdom being torn apart, I would recommend finding something else for them to occupy their idle hands with."
"What would you suggest?"
"Have those who are fit and able working on the farms outside of the walls. For the carpenters and joiners among them, commission homes and warehouses. A castle town would sit well upon these even plains."
"But, they would be exposed to Demons without walls to protect them…"
"Walls can come when they come. No doubt the farming settlements have brought with them as many seeds and tools as they possibly could. It's more important at the moment to worry about the sustainability of this city than the safety of its citizens." Shilahi explained, "If Demons come--if Lilith comes, we will be the ones to protect them."
"I see you've taken a page out of Barion's book with that optimism…" Dorma sighed.
"I was just thinking to myself that my ears were burning!"
Enlightened to the presence of yet another voice, all eyes in the room turned to the hall's entrance, where a duo of young men sauntered quickly through the doorway. Barion and Manyu both, who wore upon each of their faces expressions of fatigue and relief, had returned from their subterranean outing.
"Can you imagine how it feels--the weight being lifted from my chest as another Heavenly King falls?" Barion placed his hands to his heart, "But, at the same time, I couldn't help but wonder just what sort of person had mustered up the courage to face Leviathan."
Without replying, Shilahi paced over to the smirking Hero.
"In all my travels and trading, I couldn't gather even a single rumour as to your whereabouts, or whether you were alive at all." He continued, "-But I disappear for a matter of hours, and suddenly you emerge from hibernation like a bear out of the winter? If I didn't know any better, I would say you were avoiding me, Shilahi!"
"I see Dorma hasn't quite managed to sew that mouth of yours shut yet." She replied, "Even a millennium of silence wouldn't have been enough to make up for the times you've chewed my ear off with your prattling, Barion."
They bickered and squabbled like children, for children they were in a time when the two of them had journeyed across the world. As they met in the hall's centre, their hands flew out like cannon fire, catching one-another's wrists in their grip with a sound like whips cracking. Compared to the relationship between himself and Dorma, Barion shared a more outwardly passionate companionship with the Onda. One may have even called it competitive.
"...It's been a long time, hasn't it?" Barion grinned, "Shilahi."