"When I said what I said," Lia said, grumbling with her cheek in one of her palms and her other hand holding her mage staff. "I didn't mean myself tagging along."
Clarke huffs, softly smiling at Lia leaning against a horse.
"Well you are the one who said to bring some of the recruits along," Clarke said, "and technically after myself, you'd be next in power, so."
"Right, yet I can't lead for crap—and I know this." Lia said. "Leading sucks, and I'd hate to do what you both freaking do. Seems like shit, no offense."
Clarke smiles, her smile strained as she hears more curse words leave such a angelic-looking woman's mouth.
"Ms. Clarke." a soft voice behind her said. Clarke turns around to see a familiar group: Chase, Amur, a tall woman with green eyes and jet black hair, Zayn, and another woman with brown and white vitiligo skin and strawberry pink hair walk to where Clarke stands, all bowing as Clarke greets them with a wave and smile.
"Why, no need for the formalities, new knights!" Clarke said, smiling at the group in front of her. "With Lia's advice, I decided to have the top five recruits join on this small mission. It shouldn't be too much for you guys since the monsters have been deemed lower level."
"Monsters?" Zayn asked, rubbing the back of her head. "I thought they were Vera?"
"They are." the tall woman with green eyes said.
"But they are human too, right? Like human and beast or something?" Zayn asked, "why would they be deemed as monsters?"
"Wow, you must be stupid!" it's the girl with strawberry hair that speaks next, "there only half human—anything that isn't fully human must be a monster, that's like tots gross."
Amur glares at the girl with Chase following Amur's action, also giving the girl a dirty look as well, but Zayn seems unbothered, more confused by the use of monster and Vera together in the same sentence.
Shocked by what Zayn utters, Lia turns to Clarke, who shrugs, blinking with wide eyes at the statement, but doesn't comment further.
"I-I guess that can be debated," Clarke said, offering a stale smile, "but how about you all chose a horse to ride? We'll be leaving shortly—and Zayn, may I have a word?"
Amur, Chase, and Zayn share a look before Zayn nods her head and follows Clarke as she guides them both away from the knights hurrying on their horses and readying to leave. Clarke clears her throat and turns around, raising her hand as she speaks before she pauses, takes in a deep breath, and tries again.
"Knight Zayn," Clarke said, "I'd like to ask you to stay behind."
"What?" Zayn asked, confusion and distraught in her voice, "b-b-but you asked Lia to retrieve the top recruits and-I-I'm one of them and-and why?"
"It isn't because I don't think your incapable or anything like that," Clarke said, "it's that you're technically not suppose to be doing anything that could jerodaize your coronation and—Jeremiah desires to make sure that you're not in the limelight until you're announcement..and if something happens on this mission that jeopardizes that, his efforts will be in vain and-."
"I-I understand," Zayn said, "b-but if it helps, I'll stay in the back and only do anything if you allow it! Please let me go! Please! I-I need to make sure Amur and Chase are okay. That's all I want! I swear!"
Clarke opens her mouth to argue, but then she deflates, sighing as she nods her head in understanding.
"It would be odd for me to send you back since you have one of the highest scores…" Clarke said, "but as you said, do not do anything unless I say! Please, I rather prevent any community damage."
Zayn happily nods, reaching out to hug Clarke, but Clarke stops her, clearing her throat.
"It appears as I may be a bit overjoyed, so I tend to be more intimate, I apologize!" Zayn said. "Should I bow? Offer a handshake?"
Clarke blinks, then she offers a sweet smile, tugging Zayn's arm as she offers Zayn a hug, which Zayn obliges.
"Captain and I think it's quite cute," Clarke said, laughing as she pats Zayn's back, "but we'll just handshake or bow in front of others, alright?"
Zayn breaks apart from Clarke with a large smile on her face, saluting to Clarke.
"Great," Clarke said, "now go find a horse, preferably one sturdy enough to handle all that armor weight."
…
"How are you feigning without Bara, Co-Captain Ryliegh?" Jeremiah asked, sipping another cup of tea as Aliane boredly stares at passerbys through Ryliegh's offices window.
Ryliegh looks like a mess—he has heavy bags under his eyes and he looks pale, gaunt even, like he's been losing sleep ever since the bad news.
"I should have never allowed her out," Ryliegh said, gripping his tea cup in his hands, "she asked to go out and to share one last drink with her friends before she parted ways and—shit—I should have said no. I should have-."
"Enough," Jeremiah said, placing his cup of tea lightly on the table in front of them. The tea cup matches the blue and white walls surrounded them, contrasting with Ryliegh's tan skin and bright golden eyes. "It is not your fault."
"It might as well be," Ryliegh said, placing his face in his hands, "she had so much potential and such a golden heart. How could one do this?"
"According to my vision," Aliane said, softly moving a piece of blue hair from his handsome face, "it was someone with elemental magic."
"E-elemental?!" Ryliegh said, standing up, "isn't that magic rare due to the parting of the God-?"
"Correct," Aliane said, "but whoever it was seems to have mastered it enough to kill a skilled fighter, which, as you know, was missing a chunk of their neck."
Ryliegh nervously plays with the rim of his teacup and Jeremiah watches as the man slouches in his seat, avoiding all eyes on him.
"Did you know?" Aliane said, crossing his arms, "that Bara was a nisf daw?"
Ryliegh meets eyes with Jeremiah, who nods in encouragement for Ryliegh to respond.
"I only found out a-after she because a new knight and we-I-well-I found out after the fact." Ryliegh said. "She received her ring by the time I knew and-and she said it was alright—she said that she's strong and it'll be okay and no one even checks for that and—and I was wrong."
Aliane and Jeremiah share a look, which leads Aliane to continue.
"How did you find out about her being a nisf daw?" Aliane asked. "I'm assuming she didn't share her given blessed name on her application."
Ryliegh nervously looks at Jeremiah, who confusedly raises an eyebrow in response.
"No s-she didn't put her middle name—yeah h-her blessed name on her paperwork," Ryliegh said, "we were—Gods, I am sorry, Bara—we were being intimate when I saw it."
The gears slowly turn in Jeremiah's head until Jeremiah's cheeks burn with a soft red and he drops his tea cup, mouth agape as Ryliegh looks away with his face fully red; Aliane shockingly eyes Ryliegh in disbelief.
"Intimate?" Jeremiah asked.