When the portal closed behind her, the first thing Naya saw was nothing: a pitch-black expanse. No noise traveled, and she couldn't even hear the sound of her breath, which was no wonder; she froze, too, unable to move a muscle and couldn't even breathe. Not a single part of her body was under her control.
--I... I can't move anything either. It's like you're frozen in time... What is this?--
Naya didn't panic; she didn't believe Sophia would try and kill her here. But whatever place she was in was clearly not fake and made of magic, or she would have shattered it.
In the distant black, she noticed specks of various other colors, as if they were multicolored stars in the sky.
It fascinated and horrified her. What sort of realm was this? It wasn't recorded in any known magic book, and Lia had been silent, too.
--I'm just as fascinated as you are, Naya. --She spoke with awe. --Sophia... just what is she?--
[An annoying Human.]
--Right, an annoying but absurdly powerful one. If that ability was in the wrong hands... --She left the last bit unsaid.
A moment later, a blinding white flash filled Naya's vision, but she could control her body again along with it and tightly shut her eyes.
When she opened them a moment later, she stood in an empty grass field in front of a lone tree, with Rula sitting on the ground beside her. She appeared disoriented.
In the distance, Naya could see the massive walls that stretched further than she could see. Unlike the Village walls, these appeared tall and domineering, with figures walking above them and a massive wooden gate in the middle.
She could see the roofs of buildings peaking out, and even further, she saw a massive castle surrounded by 4 towers that reached the clouds. At another part, she saw what looked like the peak of a cathedral, and she briefly wondered what sort of gods humans worshipped.
"Is this Cornelia?" Rula asked as she stood back up. "Man, that was so weird. I almost had a panic attack!"
"It should be." Naya wasn't sure what the next step would be; this would be her first time visiting a sizeable human settlement, and she was sure to attract much attention.
--You won't just attract a lot of attention; I wouldn't be surprised if you find yourself meeting with the ruler by the day's end.--
Naya audibly groaned.
Rula looked up at Naya with curiosity shining in her blue eyes. "Miss Naya, who is Lia?"
Naya just stared at her for a moment. The realization quickly struck her; she hadn't cared to speak to Lia in her head during the final minutes back at the tower, but a lot was going on, and she forgot the halfling's presence.
--Just tell her. She'll probably be with you for a while.--
Naya wanted to say she'd just drop Rula off and go on her own, but she did promise to give her money, and she knew an Elf never breaks a promise.
--That's just a you thing, not an Elf thing.--
Naya didn't retort. "Lia is an annoying being that made my head her unauthorized home."
--I detect some sass... I did save your life earlier.--
Naya cringed. She did not want to be reminded of perhaps her most shameful moment. One that she couldn't even rectify.
"Woah~" Rula looked at her in awe. "Elves really are unique."
Naya smiled and stood a little taller. "Of course, we are, though some of the mortals might forget it."
"Yeah~!" Rula clapped her hands and laughed. She seemed a little better, but Naya knew she wouldn't get over what happened in the tower so quickly.
--Grade A bootlicker; no wonder Carla treated her well.--
[I think she is good. This is how people should act around me!]
--You'd get annoyed fast; you only put up with Rula because she's cute. Remember Matthew?--
Naya contemplated for a moment. She came up blank. [No.]
--The human male. You know, the only one you've ever spoken to outside the village chief?--
[Oh, right, he was annoying. But he spoke like he wanted something of me... I guess Elven power is hard to resist and would make his house pretty strong if I joined his forces.]
--Yeah, I'm sure that's what it was.--
Naya didn't like her tone, but she ignored it. She looked toward the city, which was her next destination. "Come, Rula. We will enter that city and look into this guild that Sophia mentioned."
"What about you, Miss Naya?" Rula dusted the grass off her overalls and picked up her sketchbook.
"Call me Naya, not Miss Elf." Naya's face went back to its usual blank state. "I do not like being referred to by my race; I am my own woman."
"Oh, I'm sorry, M- Naya!" Though she apologized, she had a small smile.
"Good. Stay close to me, Rula, and I won't let any of the filth in that city touch you."
From what Naya learned of human cities, they were often filled with the dregs of society and were home to rampant crime. It looked glorious outside, but her lessons were engraved in her being, and she knew the inside would tell a different story.
--You're not wrong, but don't pretend there aren't bad Elves, either. There's just not as many of you for it to be a widespread problem.--
[Whatever. ]Naya couldn't argue; she didn't know every Elf, and they did have an enforcement group; they were the ones that arrested her.[ It's not as bad as every other race. ]
--Technically correct, but remember the population difference.--
Naya didn't respond and began walking through the grass toward the city. She found herself oddly excited for the next step of her journey. A year ago, she never would have expected to be heading into a massive city with a halfling companion, doing something a human asked of her.
"Wait for me!" Rula jumped and ran up to Naya.
"You know, Naya," Rula said as they walked. "You have a habit of staring off into space. I didn't know why before, but it's because you're talking to Lia!" She waved. "Hi, Lia!"
Naya's ears twitched. She wasn't sure how to hide she was talking to her when it involved more extended conversations.
--Just don't argue with me. Also, I like her.--
Naya bit back her retort and responded to Rula. "I am aware, the hum- Sophia pointed it out."
"Do you think the people here will mistreat me?" Rula suddenly asked as the walls got closer.
Naya took a moment to think about it. She figured people would care far more about her presence and likely wouldn't even notice Rula. But still, if someone did try something, she would just kill them.
"They will not."
"Phew~" She breathed an exaggerated sigh of relief.
--Sheesh~ You're exaggerating, but I can tell you already care for her.--
[She is like me.]
--You'll find that those circumstances are not as uncommon as you might think.--
The rest of the short trip was spent in silence. Rula appeared stuck in silent contemplation the entire time, and Naya just spent the time studying the people entering the city gate.
There was a long line, but Naya had no intention of standing in it.
"We're here; pay attention and don't speak," Naya commanded, and her tone became cold.
"O-ok." Rula gulped; her anxiety was palpable.
As Naya expected, the moment she got within eyesight of the long line, every man, woman, and child stared in awe at her. Some were curious, some were terrified, and there were even some evil stares.
"T-there all looking at you, Naya." Rula held her head down and clutched her sketchbook tightly against her chest.
"I... know."
The only time Naya had this much attention was when she was escorted by the Elven Guard to face trial, and it made her far more uncomfortable than she thought it would. The types of stares were different, but they brought unpleasant memories.
--Once again, you underestimated what it means to see an Elf outside Aleria. --
It wasn't helped by the ghastly sight that was her arms, something she needed to get healed immediately.
The only boon was that it allowed her to walk straight to the gates without interruption. That, and nobody would dare try anything. Of course, that depended on what type of weird stories they were told about Elves.
Rula wasn't handling the attention well, and Naya glanced down to see her pale hands tightly gripping the edges of her sketchbook.
--Once people get used to it here, it won't be a big problem anymore.--
[You speak like we will stay here a while.]
Lia didn't respond, likely to prevent an argument, as Naya approached the guard at the gate.
Unlike the ones at the Village, this one appeared a lot less fazed by Naya's presence and, at most, looked at her with some respect.
[This is much better.]
The guard wore shining silver armor with the logo of a dragon with its wings gone painted on the front in bright red.
--Wow, --Lia exclaimed. --The Dewinged Dragon... They actually went and made an Empire... --She spoke with no small amount of melancholy.
Naya bit back the urge for an explanation. She knew Lia would not give one, but that thought reminded her of the talk she and Lia needed to have.
"Madam Elf, Halfling."
The guard sounded old and had the deep voice of a man. He spoke with authority, but that must have been his natural tone as he stared at Naya with respect and awe. However, Madam Elf was still grating, and the disregard for Rula irked her.
From the corner of her vision, Naya caught a streak of brown go into the city from behind the guard.
--Probably some kind of scout on their way to tell the rulers of your presence.--
Naya didn't care and didn't say anything. "I want in the city."
The guard quickly glanced toward his side, where a door was opened, and breathed a silent breath of relief before he snapped back to Naya. "I need to ask for some form of identification, but... I doubt you have any of that." He sounded a bit more confident.
"Naturally." It was becoming interesting for Naya to see how the humans reacted to her presence. [Why does this have to be complicated?]
"Please wait here, Madam. I will contact my superiors..." He gestured to her arms and turned to walk into the city, leaving his post. "...And see about getting you a healer."
--Are healers run-of-the-mill all of a sudden?--
[Even we do not have that many in Aleria.]
--To be fair, few Elves would want to go into a field like that, even if they had the ability... But the ability itself should have been rare.--
Rula reached her hand over and gripped Naya's. She almost reflexively snapped back.
"What's wrong?" Naya asked.
"J-just to be safe." She still had her head down, so Naya couldn't make out her expression. Still, she sounded anxious.
--It's been a long time since she's been around this many people.--
Naya allowed her to continue gripping her hand; she had a quickly forming soft spot for the halfling.
Moments later, the guard came back with two people.
One was a tall, broad-shouldered man who wore a similar silver armor to the guard but with some yellow outlines, which Naya figured indicated higher status. He had a full black beard, slicked-back black hair, and a fierce yellow gaze that reminded Naya of the garuda.
She was shocked when she turned her gaze to the other person, standing slightly behind the tall man.
[Aleria?!]
It was a woman with brown hair that reached her lower back and hazel eyes. She wore a form-fitting white and gold robe adorned by golden patterns that mimicked tree roots and led to the center, where a tree icon was embroidered.
The icon was what held Naya's stare.
The holy tree of Aleria, the same shape as the ones worn by the Elven Guard and Priests, and the defacto symbol of her people.
The priestess had her hands together and stared at Naya with a mix of awe and fear.
However, Naya was enraged by what she saw.
"You dare wear the symbol of Aleria?!" She took a heavy step forward.
Aleria was the Elven god, their diety, and she would not allow other races to use her for their own twisted purposes. If such a group really existed, Naya would personally erase them.
Aleria was everything to Naya, and her only hope to return home. She wasn't trying to appease her people; deep down, she didn't think they'd ever willingly let her back. She was trying to do a service for her Goddess so that no matter what anyone said, she would be welcomed with open arms by the Goddess's decree.
Rula gripped her hand tighter.
The guard and his commander flashed their hands to the hilt of their swords but didn't pull them out.
The commander's gaze narrowed, and he spoke, "The Goddess Aleria has been the symbol of our people for centuries, Elf."
"--[Your ]--people?! You humans mock my people with this... farce."
Naya tugged on her Arcana, only to realize she had run out. She looked at her free arm, and the lines were no longer present; she did not think she'd run out this early. Had she been in that space for longer than she thought?
She recovered quickly; her physical abilities were enough to deal with some humans.
--Stop. Nayalisia, you do not get to decide what people worship.--
"Wait, Madam, it isn't what you think!" Before Naya could argue, the priestess ran in front of the two guards to stand at arm's length of Naya.
Naya resisted the urge to snap out at her, not that she could with her still injured arms.
"Speak fast," Naya commanded.
"I understand why you might feel this way, Madam. But the Church of Aleria has been around for centuries, even before the Elves locked themselves away. We are devout followers following the teachings of the Elves that introduced her to us so long ago." She spoke in a pleading way, with her hands gripped together.
While externally, Naya looked as though she was contemplating, with the 2 guards and priestess eyeing her anxiously, internally, she was speaking with Lia.
--She's right; it's not unusual for other races to follow different gods. Aleria is the most appealing for most due to, well, being the only one with verifiable existence.--
[I can't... I can't accept this!]
--You don't have a choice. You know how Aleria would view hurting one of her priests.--
[Were they really allowed to exist? Did Aleria grant permission for the lower races to gather under her banner?]
--Even if she didn't, you cannot stop someone from worshipping whoever they want. And besides Nayalisia, this church would be very useful to you.--
[I would never take advantage of Aleria! ]
--You know that's not what I meant. How about you just visit their church and see how it is. --
Naya grit her teeth, and her ears drooped slightly; the guard's grip on their blades tightened.
Rula suddenly pulled on Naya's hand. Bringing her attention to the halfling, who looked up at her in fear.
"Naya, let's not. Ok?"
Seeing that look deflated Naya instantly. It was as if Naya was a beast that needed to be kept in check, and Rula begged it not to attack. It filled her with shame.
"Fine." She said and saw Rula switch to a relieved smile.
She would not be able to let go of the feeling; Naya would definitely look into the church, and if she spotted anything egregious, she would end it. That was the only compromise she would make.
--That's fine; I doubt a church who knows their Goddess actually exists would be delving into the corrupt.--
Naya looked at the woman. "What are you?" She sounded more like she was ordering and not asking.
The priestess cleared her throat and smiled. "My name is Elizabeth Morthall." She bowed, "And I am a proud healer in the service of Aleria."
"Healer?" Naya was surprised. The only healers she knew in Aleria enjoyed lavish living; they had high positions in the Elven hierarchy and had the arrogance to match. Seeing a healer claiming to be a simple priest was hard to believe.
Elizabeth straightened. "Yes, Madam Naya, I am here often to offer my services to the injured entering our wonderful city."
--She sounds... well, not what I expected a healer to sound like.--
[She sounds selfless. ]
"Madam Naya, can you let me heal your injured arms?" she asked.
Rula let go of Naya's hand, and Naya raised her arms.
Naya didn't think Elizabeth would do anything, nor would she have the ability to.
Her magic shattering worked on instinct; if she felt a spell was bad or needed to go, her antimagic would immediately activate. She could not possibly feel that way for healing magic.
"By Aleria, these injuries look bad." She placed Naya's arms in each of her hands. "What happened to you?"
"I... fought a Witch." She was not about to tell a human she got caught in a silly trap.
The guards and Elizabeth looked at her in renewed shock.
Elizabeth quickly recovered, but the two guards moved far back and started whispering to each other. They weren't as dumb as the village guards and clearly expected Naya to have good hearing.
"I'm sure Aleria would be greatly pleased by your services." Elizabeth smiled.
What she said struck Naya's heart, and that alone made Naya appreciate her.[ I hope so...]
Elizabeth closed her eyes and tilted her head down as if in prayer.
A moment later, a golden magic circle appeared above both her hands. It was filled with more complicated Runes than Naya had ever seen. It was her first time seeing human magic. Elves didn't need to use magic circles to contain Wild Arcana, and they did not need runes to command it.
It was beautiful. The circle spun, and the runes moved around within it as if alive. Naya did not know what the runes meant; she could barely identify them as actual writing, as if obscured from her vision on purpose.
"Woah~" Rula gasped; she evidently also hadn't seen a magic circle before.
--This is the ingenuity that put the so-called lesser races on the same playing field as the Elves.--
Another moment later, golden threads slowly emerged from the circle's center. They each extended until they reached Naya's arms and began to wrap around them.
Naya was in awe the entire time; she couldn't even speak. This sight was as interesting to her as seeing her Mother work on artifacts.
The golden threads finished their descent, wrapped around Naya's injured arms as if holding them up like a puppet. Naya felt nothing but warmth, as if her arms were wrapped in a soft blanket.
A golden glow covered her arms entirely, and the pain started to lessen at a noticeable pace. She soon found herself able to completely feel her hands again.
[That was nothing like the Elders... ]The Elven healers were cold; it always felt like they were just telling her injuries to heal, and with a blinding silver flash, they would.
--Elven magic is rarely beautiful, but they don't need beauty with as much power as they can control.--
"And done!" Elizabeth let go of Naya's hands, and the magic circle and golden threads dispersed into the winds a moment later. "How do you feel, Madam Naya?"
Naya lifted her arms and flexed her fingers. "This is perfect. You have my thanks, human."
Naya had to admit this human did wonders for the lesser races church of Aleria in her mind. If they were all like Elizabeth, Naya believed she could accept it.
Elizabeth brightly smiled. "All I ask is that you visit the church later."
"I certainly will."
The guard and commander stepped forward again, and the priestess moved behind. She likely wanted to talk to Naya more but knew she valued her time.
[I like her.]
--You like any pretty girl.--
[If they aren't Witches.]
Lia snorted but didn't respond.
Rula reached up and once again gripped Naya's hand. The short spectacle aside, it was time to enter the city.
"Elf... Naya. I will grant you this card, which will allow you unfettered access to the city. All I need in return is a promise to answer the Royal summons if they arrive." He handed her a silver card with a dragon engraved on it.
"N-"
--You better say yes, you stupid Elf.--
Naya cleared her throat. "Fine, I accept." She reached out with her free hand and took the metal plate. She didn't bother looking at it and simply placed it in her pocket.
Both guards stood to the side with Elizabeth, who was heading back to hurt self-imposed duty of healing the injured arriving at the city.
The commander saluted. "Welcome to Rozen."