Their meal was eaten in mostly silence since both Rula and Sophia picked up on Naya's distaste for discussing while eating. Something she didn't think she felt strongly about until Rilious forced her to wait while they ate.
Shortly after, the trio moved toward a hill in a relatively empty part of the city, with a single tree above it. It was a nice break from the ocean of brick and wood and swarming crowds of people. The breeze felt great on Naya's face, reminding her of home, as the soothing wind often did when she first left Aleria.
Rula was asleep below the tree; she took the spot instantly and was fast asleep mere moments later with a gold coin tightly gripped in her palm.
Naya sat on the hill, watching the sun dip below the horizon. Sophia sat beside her, but not uncomfortably close as she had done in Rella. Still, she kept glancing at Naya and looked as though she wanted to say something but was unsure if she should.
It was unusual for her, so Naya figured it must be something presumptuous, even for her.
She was going to ignore it, but the side glances were starting to grate her; she hated it when people did not get to the point.
"What?" Naya caught her glance with a stare.
Sophia shyly smiled, which made it even more odd and was even slightly uncomfortable for Naya to see.
"Sometimes, I can't help but stare a little, even if I know you don't like it."
"Wha-"
"Sorry, sorry." Sophia chuckled. "But no, I was just curious but wasn't sure if I should ask..."
Naya lightly raised a brow. "Speak then."
Sophia smiled. "I would like to keep some decorum around a pretty girl."
The distance between them was short, not uncomfortably short, but enough to embarrass Naya at Sophia's constant mention of her beauty, given the distance.
It was an odd feeling for her because, as vain as it may be, she knew how beautiful Elves were. Her observations outside Aleria proved that, even if she didn't bring it to the surface. But still, Naya didn't consider herself as beautiful as Sophia kept making her out to be. In Aleria, she was surrounded by beauty so often that she didn't see herself as anything special.
Then she left Aleria and met humans and males, which only highlighted the unnatural beauty of the Elves.
--Elves are made somewhat in Aleria's image; of course, you'd all be stunningly beautiful. It isn't just you being an Elf that brings you attention in the streets.--
Human females brought a different type of beauty that Naya appreciated; it was fresh and offered a much wider variety of appearances than Elves, who sometimes could look nearly identical save for stuff like hair and eyes.
Perhaps that was why she enjoyed Sophia's appearance; she looked like someone with the beauty of an Elf yet the ruggedness of Humans.
A thought she quickly shook away.
"If you have something to say, say it," Naya said.
"Actually..." Sophia moved a little closer, "I want to know why you hunt Witches, Naya."
"Because it's my duty."
"Nonsense." Sophia scoffed. "Here, I'll make it even; I hunt them because one killed my Mother and Brother and because I want to prevent them from harming as many people as possible."
"It's just my-"
"No, it's not, Naya. I'm not an idiot; an Elf would never leave Aleria to hunt Witches; they'd have done so far sooner if they actually cared."
"We do-"
"No, you don't. Sanctum asked Aleria for help fighting them a century ago, and they refused instantly."
"Stop interrupting me!" Naya coldly commanded and glared at her.
"Stop lying to me." Sophia retorted instantly, unphased by Naya's tone and glare as she kept her eyes glued to her. She gently smiled, though it seemed a bit sad. "I want to help you, Naya."
"Why?"
Sophia opened her mouth but closed it. Naya knew it was likely to resist just calling her beautiful again. Then, it looked like she was seriously considering her following sentences.
Naya couldn't say she hated Sophia, even if she found some of the woman's mannerisms annoying. She had everything Naya usually liked: beauty, power, mystery, and a straightforward personality. It was just a shame that straightforward personality translated to constantly attempting to embarrass her.
Sophia suddenly smiled again. I'll keep it nice and simple for you." She moved even closer, close to touching Naya.
Naya's ears twitched, and she turned to face her and didn't see a teasing smile but a rather charming one.
Sophia giggled. "My bad. Just gotta make sure you're listening to me." She didn't move closer and laid her back against the grassy hill. "Because I like you, Naya."
"What nonsense-"
"You're my type of girl, you know. Beautiful, strong, arrogant, and the way you try to hide your emotions is just so adorable." Sophia spoke matter-of-factly, without the same tone that made it seem like she was poking for a reaction.
Naya felt her face flush and wasn't sure how to react.
[The human likes me? What does that mean? ]
--I'll let you figure that out. --Lia sounded depressed when she said that.
"I want to get to know you more, Naya."
Sophia placed her arms behind her head and crossed her legs. She was staring at Naya's back; she could feel it.
--Please tell her you need it more than you know.--
[You sound like you don't really want me to. ]
--You need someone to discuss it with that's not me. --She sounded even more depressed as she said it.
Naya considered it.
She wasn't against the idea, considering the information didn't harm her. Although she didn't understand why talking about it with someone would benefit her at all. If anything, she found herself with a desire to tell her.
But that's what scared her.
Why was she okay with saying anything to the human? It didn't make any sense, and the odd nature of her own emotions made her feel afraid.
Was it because she shared some similarities with her mother? Or perhaps it was simply due to her beauty that Naya was more willing to be open. Even now, Sophia was gently looking at her, patiently waiting for her to decide.
When she saw that patient look, she felt compelled to speak. "I... I was banished."
Sophia's eyes widened slightly, but she quickly controlled her expression.
Naya turned to fully look back at her. "I was accused of murder, set to be banished."
"But that isn't what happened."
Naya shook her head. "Mother convinced the Elders to give me an opportunity to return."
Sophia's face lit in realization. "Kill all the Witches. Not one, not a lot, but all."
Naya nodded slowly.
"That's... ridiculous." Sophia sat back up and moved closer. "Accused. So you didn't do it." She spoke as if it were a fact, not sounding questioning at all.
Naya felt happy about it but didn't show it on her face. "I don't remember."
Sophia's eyes widened. "Memory loss?"
Naya nodded again. Her only memory of the crime painted her in a very negative light. It was difficult to convince even herself that she was innocent when the only thing she had to go on was the punishment and the lone memory.
"Could it be your Mo-"
"Don't even imply that Mother would harm me!" Naya viciously glared. She looked as though she'd spring into action at another word.
Sophia raised her hands and smiled gently, meeting Naya's glare, "I'm sorry."
Naya's ears twitched, and she averted her gaze. She couldn't believe that got her that upset in an instant.
[Am I really such a sensitive thing?]
Sophia had a contemplative look. "But Naya, that doesn't make any sense."
"What?" Naya thought she was implying something but quickly realized that wasn't it, and her ears twitched again.
Sophia chuckled lightly. "Banishing you in itself."
"Murder is the worst sin an Elf can commit," Naya explained.
Sophia shook her head. "Even then, it doesn't make sense." She paused to consider, "Is murder rare in your race?"
"Yes."
"But it does happen, and so there is precedent. So then, why are you the only one banished for it?"
"My mother's position." Naya understood what Sophia was getting at, that it didn't make sense for her to get banished when all other Elven murderers had been either executed or imprisoned. If they were imprisoned, it was for eternity. But it also made sense to Naya that her mother's position afforded her a lesser judgment.
Sophia shook her head. "Even then, there's no way your Elders don't understand what an Elf outside Aleria means."
"We don't care."
Sophia's face lit up in realization, and then it became grim, "You have a misunderstanding, Naya. When the Elves came and got the dragon bones, they knew exactly what would happen to Thrar. And I don't mean that as in it was obvious, but that it was intended to be that way."
"How could you possibly know that?" That would mean that the Elves, her mother, didn't just do it for an equivalent exchange but because they had an ulterior motive.
"Because Sanctum was there, and we have detailed accounts of the entire process. Even written logs from members of that expedition."
Naya was silent, her mind in turmoil.
She didn't want to believe that the Elves played an intentional role in the outside world; that would mean everything she had been taught was a lie. She had the same feeling when she first learned about Thrarl, but it was easy to convince herself that the Elves only did it because they didn't care about the outcome of a profitable trade.
But she was taught that Elves don't care for the outside world; they should be allowed to function as they please. She had put the Thrarl incident aside because she figured it was a matter of course when Dragons were involved. But to not just pay for the bones and leave but actively plan for an empire's rise...
Then, Soranulam's influence was in a place as inconsequential as Soran Forest. Then, there was the Elf that had supposedly killed Carla. The Hall Master also spoke with her mother directly, and Sarah had some information about elven etiquette.
Another thing struck her: Elves seemed to be feared. People barely approach her to speak; they stare at her the entire time she's in their eyesight, and people seem to always mention the fear she would lash out in violence.
She had never asked about it because she just didn't care.
She was finding traces of her people in places that did not make sense.
[I need to see these logs.]
"I can tell you're freaking out about it, Naya." Sophia moved her hand and placed it on Naya's shoulder.
Naya was too distracted by her own thoughts to care.
"What I meant by that was, would they really banish you knowing fully what an Elf can do in mortal lands? You could easily alter the landscape they pretty much built themselves."
--That's news to me as well; I found it hard to believe that your Elders or Tribunal would care about the development of the mortal world. If Thrarl was on purpose and not something born from pure arrogance, then larger plans are at play here involving you.--
"I'm sorry for saying it so suddenly, Naya." Sophia still had her hand on Naya's shoulder.
She looked genuinely apologetic for the turmoil it caused her.
But Naya wasn't concerned about that.
"What sort of tales do humans tell of the Elves?"
Sophia understood Naya's intentions. "That you are a violent, quick to anger people when it comes to the mortal races. They are cold, calculating, and wouldn't hesitate to sacrifice thousands if it meant fulfilling their duties."
Naya stared at Sophia in shock. "Why?"
"The people who pass down those tales are rather tightlipped about why. It's just something passed down via word of mouth over the last two centuries." Sophia shook her head. "Even I believed it."
Naya's ears drooped, and Sophia's eyes widened.
"I, of course, knew right away they were wrong. How could such a beautiful, caring woman be anything like what those myths say?"
[Caring?]
--Rula's existence proves that.--
Naya wanted to retort but found herself at a loss for words.
Sophia removed her hand and stretched. "While there may be greater plans in the works, it won't change our goals, right?"
"Right."
But Naya resolved to investigate it when she could; she was tired of feeling like she didn't really understand anything. But more than that, she despised others using her in their plans without her knowledge.
"Let's discuss the Necromantic Witch now." Sophia was lying down again, arms behind her head and legs crossed. Her eyes were closed, which betrayed the gravity of the discussion she wanted to have.
But it was more like she wanted to move on to keep Naya from negative thoughts.
"What's there to discuss? It will die like all the rest."
The only issue Naya saw was finding it.
"Well, I asked Rula for the book you got from the guild, and it doesn't speak of anything too substantial. If anything, it makes our job a lot harder."
"You can sense the Devil."
"I don't sense Arcana, I see it."
"Oh."
--That's a different variety of the ability than I know of. --
"Don't get too down; I don't want to see those captivating ears droop again."
"I was not down!"
"Of course not." Sophia chortled.
"Do not make fun of me!" Naya glared at her, only to be met with an at-ease smile.
"Anyways. It will make our job easier since I can dismiss people as possible suspects with just a glance." Sophia paused for a moment and sighed. "But Rozen is huge and is split into districts. Even investigating the human district alone would take more time than I want to spend doing this."
--Another thing to worry about is if she catches wind of an Elf and a Paragon in the city. You don't have much time before the rumors spread all over Rozen. --
Naya's ears perked up. That was right; if the Witch found out Naya and Sophia were both in the city, there was no way someone as cowardly as them wouldn't leave. They would not be able to stop it.
"What did Lia say?"
Naya was almost shocked, but she recalled she told Sophia her name back in Rella. "She said the Witch will escape the city when it finds out you and I are here."
Sophia frowned. "Of course. I sometimes forget my position."
"We will just have to find her within tomorrow."
[Considering it's arrogant enough to settle in a large city, it might not care since it has confidence in its ability to stay hidden.]
--Maybe, but a Paragon and Elf is something that would make even the Emperor move.--
"Any ideas?" Sophia asked.
"We go to the graveyard and the undercroft right now." Naya stood.
All the activity had been in the dead of night, and they needed to investigate before it started to die down due to suspicions making the Witch more cautious. Naya guessed they still had about 2 hours before the sun completely fell.
"Ugh. I really wanted to sleep with a pretty lady again." Sophia joked, but she stood up as well.
Naya scoffed. "I would not let that happen again; you're too touchy for your own good."
"You taught me a lesson last time; nearly broke my bones, y'know?" Sophia laughed.
Naya's ears twitched. "I'll go to the undercroft with Rula."
"Poor girl." Sophia looked back to where Rula was sound asleep. "I guess that leaves little Sophia all alone at the graveyard."
Naya visibly cringed. She moved over to the tree to the sound of Sophia laughing at her expense, where Rula was sleeping peacefully.
She leaned down and poked Rula's cheek, the same way Rula woke her in the carriage.
"Seven million? These prices... are absurd." Rula mumbled.
Naya smiled and shook Rula instead; she had forgotten how deep a sleeper she was.
"My castle!" Rula jumped up with a line of drool hanging from her mouth.
"It's time to hunt a Witch, Rula."
Rula glanced around Naya and saw Sophia standing to the side, watching them both with a beaming smile. "You shouldn't disturb a lady's beauty sleep, but okay." she wiped the drool from her mouth.