When the sun first peaked through the curtains, Naya woke from her dreamless slumber with a light stretch.
Nestled against her side was Rula, who had spent a good portion of last night in tears.
--Good morning, Naya.--
Naya turned to confirm Rula was still asleep. She was and had a string of drool running down her mouth.
She deftly removed Rula's tight hold on her body and sat up but ensured she did not awaken.
[This is the person who said I slept like a rock.]
Lia chuckled.
[I want to leave without fanfare, so I will wake her shortly.]
--Shortly... I guess that means you wish to speak now.--
[Yes.]
Naya would have loved Lia's assistance throughout most of yesterday, especially when she had questions burning in her mind. That, and she did not like Lia's sudden vanishing without a word or any indication she would go.
[What happened to you?]
It took Lia a moment to respond.-- I... lied to you, Naya. --She spoke hesitantly.
Naya's heart sank.
--Nothing bad! --Lia quickly assured. --Or, well, nothing that wrong... You see, I was actually awake from the moment you left Aleria.--
Naya wasn't sure how to take that. It wasn't nearly as bad as she expected, but that also meant that Lia had been watching her every day for over a year. She recalled her early days with embarrassment and shame.
It made her uncomfortable and a little upset, but she had been through quite a bit in the last week to let such a thing enrage her.
--I shouldn't have lied to you... There was no benefit to it. However, if I may offer an excuse...--
[Speak. ]
--Naya, I have emotions just like you. When I awoke, I also had no memory of the week prior. All I knew was that Nayarali needed me for her plans, and I agreed. Anything was better than where I was before.--
[And where were you before?]
Lia didn't respond right away.-- I don't know the realm. I was in a neverending expanse of nothingness without a body, flowing endlessly without purpose.--
[What does that mean?]
--It means I lost my body, and my soul was sent to that space.--
Naya wanted to feel bad for her, and deep down, she did, but she couldn't ignore the feeling that she was lied to by someone in such a position as Lia.
--I don't expect anything from you, Naya. I exist for you. --
That line sounded more depressing than anything prior. [What are you?]
--I'm... I'm a--- Lia suddenly stopped speaking.
[Lia?]
--I'm sorry, I can't tell you.--
[Why?]
--I am bound... by a contract that limits not only what I can do but also what I can tell you. Even just now, when I tried to tell you, I was forcefully silenced. It's not a good feeling.--
Naya stood from the bed in alarm, and her brows furrowed. [Contract?]
--It's not like that! --Lia hastily explained. --Remember Alyssa, the beast kin those adventurers had? Not all contracts are meant for what the Devil's use them for. In fact, even I don't know the full extent of their usage.--
No matter the explanation, Naya did not like the term, nor did she want anything to do with them. She did not like that she was bound by one in a way she didn't know; after all, contracts worked two ways. Lia had to be getting something from it and know she was getting something from it. However, she also knew the origin.
--The contract was written by Nayarali. --
[That's... right.]
During the week gap, she must have agreed to the contract and agreed that the memory of those events needed to be erased. Naya was frustrated; she wished she could understand what her mother's plans were. However, Naya would have likely done it without hesitation if her mother had asked her to sign it.
[What can you tell me?]
--I wish I could tell you it was something grand, but no. It's simple: You must come across things yourself before I can add anything. However, even I'm unaware of what I can tell you and when until the contract silences me. --
[I have to learn about a subject on my own before you are allowed to discuss it.]
--Yes. I don't know the intricacies, only what I can glean through normal interactions.--
[Then what is your purpose here if you can't explain things to me? ]It sounded cold, but if Lia couldn't speak on anything unless Naya learned of them herself, why did her mother stick them together? She wanted to catch even a glimpse at her mother's plans.
--I am your guide, at least for now... I can tell you that even I don't know the full details of the contract that binds us. I learned about it through my own attempted actions. It's more binding for me than it is to you; I'm pretty confident the only thing you had to do was let me in and make the connection.--
Naya nodded. If a contract was interfering with her in any way, she would have felt its reaction or felt things acting differently. She also trusted her mother.
[I know Mother would not make me sign a bad contract.]
--Indeed, she loves you dearly... Also, at first, I assumed the essences were just meant for me to store until Nayarali met with you again. But clearly, I was wrong. --
[I somehow used it.]
--Indeed, I think my purpose is just to be your guide when I can and to help you absorb as many essences as I can for whatever purpose Nayarali has for you.--
[That sounds... awful. ]That would mean Lia's only purpose was to be a tool to aid Naya in becoming stronger. It felt terrible to know that someone who had been locked away for so long was now serving a miserable existence as a tool.
--No, Nayalisia. Being able to experience the world for the first time in millennia and doing it with you is... all I could ever ask for.--
Naya wished she could understand the feeling. She didn't get why Lia was attached to her and why she would agree to do what she does.
--I watched you for a year, and I already had an attachment immediately. I think something happened between us during the week gap in our memories. And I agree with Nayarali; she and I both want you to discover the world yourself on your own journey. I think I am just a tool to make it smoother.--
Naya couldn't fathom what her mother's purpose was.
--I can only guess, but I think it's literally meant to be taken at face value. She wants you to learn and grow outside the influence of Aleria, though for what is anyone's guess.--
[That is something mother would do... ]
She had talked before about how the isolation may have been a mistake and wished the Elves could play an active role since it had been so long.
[Could Mother be planning to somehow undo the isolation? ]
Although Naya didn't think she could, just allowing her to be outside Aleria meant that the Tribunal wasn't completely closed off to the idea of Elves in the outside world and that her mother was trying to convince them. Furthermore, they had made themselves known before.
--Not to mention the Elf that supposedly killed Carla and Soranulam's influence out here. It could very well be a sign of change.--
Naya shook her head; she did not want to think of things she couldn't do anything about; her scale was much smaller for now.[ Can you at least tell me something about you?]
--I can; that's what I wanted our discussion to be about... To start, I am old; how old is anyone's guess. I have witnessed many things up to about maybe two hundred years ago.--
[Are you... Some kind of fallen god?]
That's the only explanation Naya could think of, given how old she claimed to be and how many species she knew of. Though it felt silly to say. Lia did not seem like an unfathomable existence; she often was childish and only occasionally spoke like some wisened elder. There were gods worshipped by the other races, but as far as Naya knew, only Aleria had made herself known.
--No way, I'm nothing of that sort. Your best bet is to think of me as an ancient observer since all I could do was watch for so long.--
[And you weren't always in that space?]
--Of course not; I can only say that a devil was responsible for it. You may get the wrong idea when I say locked up, but it was by a single entity.--
[A devil? ]
--Yes, and you will encounter it eventually. Hopefully, in not too powerful a form, but that feels foreboding to say.--
Naya wasn't sure what to think. Her distaste for being lied to felt insignificant now that she knew Lia was some sort of ancient being whose purpose was now solely to guide her and serve as a tool to aid in her growth.
[You must never lie to me again. ]
--I wouldn't dream of it. --Lia sounded solemn as if she were making an undying oath.
Naya could only trust her for now, especially considering that her mother assigned her to such a miserable position. She had no inclination she was lying, and even if she was, Naya could not do anything. So she would judge her actions, and if she caught Lia in a lie, she would do everything she could to eliminate her from her mind.
[I wish there were some way to allow me into your thoughts. ]
--I... have an idea... I technically share a body with you, and you may be able to attempt to reach for my emotional state if you truly attempt it.--
What Naya thought was an offhanded comment, but what Lia said did make sense.
Naya immediately sat on the floor meditatively, with her palms facing up the same way she had Rula sit for her attempted awakening.
She couldn't believe she hadn't tried this before.
She hadn't done it in over eight years since she first awakened and had a Null Core, so she didn't beat herself too much over it.
Naya took deep, calming breaths and cleared her mind of any thoughts.
It only took a moment, and Naya used the same principle behind her pulling of Arcana to focus her attention on her core.
Awareness, as if it were a part of her body like a beating heart. She felt a similar feeling as if she were about to start refining Arcana, the same feeling she had when she was 10.
But unlike then, she felt something within her like Arcana but distinctly not.
She suddenly found herself flooded with emotions that felt like her own but were also alien.
Anxiety, sadness, desperation, love, then a sudden sense of overwhelming happiness.
--It... it worked! You.. you can feel me! --She sounded like a giddy child.
It was too much, and Naya immediately broke from her meditation.
"You... why..."
Naya could not comprehend those emotions.
--Naya, now you don't have to doubt! You can feel me!--
"Stop wording it like that!"
Lia's relieved laughter filled her head. --Who knows what else we may end up being able to do!--
"It's... too odd. Can you feel my emotions, too? Is it also like what I just felt?"
--No. I can only guess how you feel based on your reactions. --
"That's..." It was unfair; Naya knew that. However, Lia did have access to her memories, so it was sort of an even exchange.
But it felt odd that she could invade someone's privacy so easily.
--I did not get permission to read your memories, even if it wasn't intended. You can read me whenever you want if it makes you feel at ease to do so.--
Now, it was difficult for Naya to feel anything other than sympathy for her, and a sudden, presumptuous idea sprang to her mind.
--Would you... really?--
[I will not accept your help with nothing in return. Once I return to Aleria, I will get Mother to look into getting you a body, even if I must beg Aleria herself.]
--Nayalisia, I... --Lia stopped.
Naya wasn't sure how difficult it was to create a body since, technically, they weren't attempting to create life, but it may be possible. However, she would never try it without Aleria's permission.
She had hoped to gain Aleria's favor, so perhaps she could make that request if granted an audience. If a body could be taken away, such as when Lia got trapped in whatever world she was in, then Naya believed it could also be given.
Arcana allowed limitless possibility.
[Wait, we drifted off-topic, but why were you absent yesterday?]
--I was so, so tired. I'm not sure why, but I found myself entering an irresistible slumber. --Lia sounded spooked by it.
[It seems there is a lot of mystery to our connection.]
Naya shielded her eyes when a ray of sunlight hit her face. The sun was now higher, and Naya could hear the villagers starting to wake up.
She stood from the floor and walked over to Rula, who was still fast asleep, clutching tightly onto her pillow.
"Rula, wake up." She shook her shoulder.
"Mm~" Rula groaned. "2... 2 million gold."
Naya smiled and plugged Rula's nose.
--Devious.--
Seconds later, Rula shot up from the bed and smacked her own nose. "Mine!" she snapped her head back and forth.
Her eyes locked with Naya's, and her face flushed. "G-good morning."
Naya looked at her and smirked. "You sleep like a rock."
Rula suddenly frowned. "I know you're upset at what I said on the wagon, but you don't have to lie." She shook her head in disappointment.
Naya's brow twitched.
Lia's laughter rang in her head again. Now, though, it felt a bit more unrestrained and carefree.
"We're leaving now before the humans have a chance to make it more annoying to do so."
"I knew you were gonna do that." Rula jumped off the bed and smiled. "I'm gonna miss this place."
Naya's brows quirked. "Really?"
"No." Rula chuckled. "I want to become rich!"
Naya walked over to the door and opened it. "Then we'd best get moving; we don't have a cart to take us this time."
--I look forward to the views of the countryside.--