Alyse Egris is sitting on the porch of the Egris family house, enjoying a cup of tea. She's found herself doing it more often lately – it reminds her of the final months she spent with her mother before she passed. As she's lost in thought, she notices a flash of red approaching her…Cara. Her sister has finally returned.
Alyse quickly realizes that there are three other people with Cara. Two of them immediately stick out as human to her. The one that draws her gaze first is the human woman walking at the front of the group next to Cara. She has short brown hair that frames a lovely face, which seems to be scanning the area around her as though everything here bores her.
The woman projects a kind of wild beauty that Alyse thinks wouldn't be out of place for a goddess of war. In fact, she'd be quite compelled to flirt with the woman if her very presence didn't cause a shiver to run up Alyse's spine. 'That's her in the human form I've heard about, isn't it?', she thought. Nedonera.
Realizing that she's finally going to meet the Elder Dragon's party that she's heard so much about over the past few days, a giddy excitement begins to bloom inside Alyse's chest. Being a student of the sword herself, she is especially eager to meet the wolf-kin girl, the alleged sword prodigy.
Alyse desperately wants to spar with her. Not just for her rumored prowess, but because Alyse has never heard of a wolf-kin trained in the sword. She's incredibly curious about what sort of techniques the girl uses.
Unfortunately, as Alyse scans the approaching group, she doesn't notice a wolf-kin. Disappointed, Alyse's gaze drifts to the human man, or rather, the boy behind Nedonera. Her disappointment is quickly replaced by confusion. Looking at him, Alyse is convinced that the boy hasn't even finished his second decade of life. He's so...unassuming. Not at all what she expected for someone with the favor of the Queen and an Elder Dragon.
He has brown hair and peculiar green eyes like Nedonera. Yet, on him, they somehow look more innocent than fierce. She supposes that he probably passes as handsome, but there is nothing particularly impressive about his physique or the way he carries himself.
She watches curiously as he hangs towards the back of the group, listening to the others. While everything else about him is unremarkable, she does find his demeanor to be strange. His expression strikes her as a perpetual suppressed smirk. For someone so out of place, in a country that she assumes has been hostile towards him, he is unnaturally relaxed.
As Cara and the others arrive on the porch in front of her, she takes notice of the elven woman in their party. Seeing her, Alyse freezes. The woman's straight blonde hair, blue eyes, petite build, and refined posture lend her an almost doll-like beauty that Alyse finds quite alluring. However, that's not what interests her the most.
The woman's piercing eyes quietly convey a suspicious and calculating nature. Alyse finds her gaze to be an unsettling contradiction of her delicate features and polite demeanor. It would be easy for someone else to write the woman off as one of those conflict-averse clerical assistants the Prima love, but she knows that would be a mistake. Those are the eyes of someone guarded, determined, and most importantly, dangerous.
So, this is the mage in the Elder Dragon's party?
Alyse can't help but compare the woman to her brother Reynard, who also hides a quiet resolve behind a mismatched, flippant exterior. She has no doubt that if she were to suddenly pull her sword on the elven woman, there'd be an unhesitating and lethal counter awaiting her. The thought brings a giddy smile to Alyse's face...she loves a good fight.
Still, Alyse knows that the woman must be a normal elf, around only a century old. So, such a weary nature is hard for her to reconcile with someone who has lived such little time in a country as peaceful as the Elven Kingdom. Does the woman have a military history, or some other unnaturally dark history?
"Alyse, could you show some decorum and introduce yourself properly to everyone...this is the party of an Elder Dragon, after all. They're our guests for the day – Lady Nedonera, Mizuki, and Alto." (Cara)
Alyse is shaken from her contemplation by Cara's admonishing remark. She realizes that she's probably just been staring at the visitors quietly. Still, she is grateful to learn the elven woman's name – Alto. However, she's mildly annoyed by the interruption of her thoughts, and already not on the greatest of terms with Cara.
She gives an exaggerated curtsy to agitate her sister, but tries to direct a genuinely pleasant smile at the others.
"Sure, sure…it's nice to meet you all. My name is Alyse Egris, oldest daughter of our house. As you may have gathered from how Cara talks to me, I'm somewhat of an outcast." (Alyse)
"Tch…Alyse, you aren't an outcast. You're literally living in our family home. If the other members of our house aren't as receptive to your company as you'd like, have you considered behaving in a way that gives a better impression than this?" (Cara)
Alyse is somewhat taken aback by Cara's dismissal, and she directs a skeptical expression at her sister.
"I could blow flowery compliments up their asses year-round and it wouldn't make them accept me, Cara. They resent me for the same reason I'm not head of our household…because I won't take men in my bed." (Alyse)
Cara rolls her eyes and gives Alyse an expression that's a mix between exhaustion and bewilderment.
"We're not prejudiced against women loving other women, Alyse. This persecution of yours is all in your head." (Cara)
Alyse narrows her eyes at Cara, and she lowers her voice in agitation as she responds. After all these years, she still can't understand why her otherwise observant sister continues to misunderstand the family's animosity towards her.
"Don't be naïve, Cara. I said it was my lack of romantic interest in men that our family takes issue with. As I've said before, they consider that an affront to my very purpose as a noble – to produce heirs. Aside from Mother, Reynard is the only one who's ever been supportive. It's a shame h-" (Alyse)
"Fufufu…well, amusing as this is to watch, could we save sibling bickering over family succession for another time? This is not how I want to spend my visit here." (Nina)
Alyse feels a rush of embarrassment over Nedonera's interruption of the very public spat with her sister. The Elder Dragon's party's visit is the most interesting development in her life since she last saw her little brother Reynard centuries ago. She doesn't want to immediately alienate her chances to be more involved with their visit.
She turns and nods apologetically to Nedonera.
"Certainly, Great Dragon…I apologize. For the record, however, any bitterness on my part is over Cara's persisting inability to see the situation for what it is. I'm not interested in being head of household. In truth, I much prefer the freedom to travel and live my life on my own terms." (Alyse)
Nedonera remains disinterested initially, but she suddenly glances at the boy in confusion. As Alyse's curiosity is piqued by the unexplained behavior, she hears Cara clear her throat apprehensively.
"Ehem…sorry for the display, that wasn't very hospitable. Please, follow me everyone – let me give you the tour!" (Cara)
She turns back towards her sister in time to see Cara walk past her into the house without another word. As she does, the rest of the Elder Dragon's party follows Cara inside with some passing glances towards her.
Alyse feels a pang of disappointment at being unceremoniously left alone outside. Ideally, she'd like to learn more about the strange group. So, she follows them.
As she returns inside the house, it's clear to her that Cara intends to give Nedonera and company a tour of the Egris family home. She decides to hang behind their group and quietly observe for a while. After the exchange outside, and given Alyse's rocky history serving as Cara's guard and advisor, she's worried that Cara might refuse her presence if she sticks out.
Unfortunately, the boy takes notice of her with a puzzled look. Not wanting to call attention to herself from Cara, Alyse smiles and whispers to the boy.
"Is there room for a second outcast in your tour group?" (Alyse)
Alyse intends the question to be rhetorical, playful even, and she's not insulting the boy. She just considers 'outcast' to be an obvious characterization of a human in elven territory. In fact, imagining how much elven animosity the harmless looking boy has probably endured over something he can't control, Alyse can't help but empathize with him. After all, her own past is full of similar prejudice.
To her surprise, the boy chuckles in response to Alyse's question, then he nods approvingly. At the same time, Alyse notices Alto staring at the two of them covertly. Alto's eyes are filled with suspicion, but she seems to relax and returns her attention to Cara and Nedonera after witnessing the boy's response.
Alyse can't quite make sense of what she just witnessed. Why was that boy so amused? Also, why did it feel like he just granted her genuine permission to be there, when he never consulted anyone else? Finally, what was with that sudden shift in Alto's behavior?
It isn't hard for her to believe that Alto is protective of the boy. He has a rather vulnerable air about him, and she's heard that he allegedly helped rescue Alto from slavery. That said, she does find it strange that Alto would so easily transition from being suspicious of her to not paying her any mind, just because the boy accepted her presence in the tour.
As Cara leads them around the mansion, Alyse studies the three visitors intently. She notices that Alto maintains a fairly neutral expression, merely looking around with idle curiosity. The one exception occurs when Cara mentions the family library, and unprecedented excitement flashes across Alto's expression. Is Alto actually as much of a bookworm as her appearance suggests?
Meanwhile, Nedonera herself only seems to grow progressively more bored with the tour, with a few unexpected flashes of curiosity over some baubles that Cara points out. Alyse can't help but wonder why the normally considerate Cara is continuing to tour Nedonera around the mansion when she's obviously so painfully bored.
Eventually, Cara looks over her shoulder towards Alto and the boy, and she notices Alyse's presence. Shock and concern flash across Cara's face. Alyse sighs internally…she wonders if she's about to be removed from the tour group now.
However, instead of admonishing her, Cara merely casts an uncertain look towards the boy. He is looking elsewhere with a troubled expression, seemingly lost in thought. Alto notices and makes a subtle dismissive gesture at Cara. Cara gives an incredulous expression to Alto in return, casts an apprehensive look at Alyse, then sighs dejectedly and nods at Alto.
Alyse, having watched the exchange closely, is left flabbergasted. Did Alto just tell Cara to accept her presence in the tour? Did Cara actually listen to that suggestion? Finally, when Cara noticed her presence, why was the boy the first person Cara looked at? She can't quite make sense of those things.
They eventually arrive outside of Cara's office, and she sees Cara once again glance nervously between her and the boy. The boy is looking off into space.
"Oh, Mizuki, you may be interested to know that this is my office. What do you think?" (Cara)
Right, the boy's name is Mizuki. She remembers her sister mentioning that earlier. Still, she wonders, why would this Mizuki boy be interested in an office, and why would Cara be so invested in what he thought of it?
Alyse notices that Mizuki has yet to respond, and when she glances at him, he seems oblivious to Cara's question. She isn't the only one that notices his distracted state.
"Mizuki?" (Alto)
Mizuki snaps his head towards Alto, and his expression becomes confused.
"Uhm…sorry, Alto, did you say something?" (Mizuki)
It's the first time that Alyse has heard him speak, and she's thrown by how strange his attitude towards Alto is. He's apologetic, but she expected him to behave like a young boy who'd just been admonished by his teacher for sleeping in class. Instead, his tone is more like that of a distracted parent who'd just noticed their child trying to get their attention.
To her surprise, Alto does not seem to find his response condescending in the slightest. If anything, she appears worried. However, Cara quickly takes a step towards Mizuki to grab his attention.
"No, it was me. I was letting you know that this is my office. I spend a decent amount of time here, writing letters, signing official documents, and taking meetings. Would you like to see?" (Cara)
Alyse notices Cara glancing between her and Mizuki nervously. Then, realization dawns on Mizuki's face, and he nods apologetically to Cara.
"Sure, that sounds great! Sorry for spacing out, Cara." (Mizuki)
Cara smiles reassuringly to him with a dismissive gesture, then moves to open the office for everyone, but Alyse's head snaps to look at her sister in shock. She has several questions floating to the surface of her mind.
Are Mizuki and her sister close enough for him to be addressing Cara so casually? Also, why is Cara acting so weird about the office again? She also notes the reemergence of her sister's nervous behavior due to her presence. Does Cara really want her gone that badly?
As Alyse mulls over these questions, Cara begins leading them around the familiar office. As they move around the space slowly, her sister needlessly details the histories of some of the displayed items. After a few minutes, she stops near the office desk and gestures to the banner on the wall behind it.
"This is the Egris family crest…keeping it hung behind the desk here is traditional, even though it covers all this perfectly good wall space." (Cara)
Alyse balks at Cara's unbelievably pointless comment as she glances over at Nedonera, who is wearing a pained expression. What is her sister thinking? Can't Cara see that Nedonera is borderline irritated at this point? How much longer is Cara going to subject an Elder Dragon to something that's obviously boring her to death? She's never known her little sister to be so dense about matters like this.
To Alyse's surprise, Mizuki chirps in with an inexplicable enthusiasm in his voice.
"It's a lovely crest, so I'm sure the wall space isn't wasted." (Mizuki)
"Thanks, I appreciate it." (Cara)
Alyse glances back and forth between Mizuki and Cara in confusion, who appear to be smiling at each other. She doesn't know what the hell is going on. Perhaps her sister is just nervous hosting someone that can destroy the city on a whim, but she can't bear another minute of these tedious interactions. Especially when they seem to be straining the patience of said city-destroyer.
Alyse lets out a deep sigh and directs a bewildered gaze at Cara as she shakes her head.
"Seriously, Cara? You're boring them with our family crest now? I can't believe you implied that my behavior was inconsiderate to them...this is painful to watch." (Alyse)
She catches a smile on Nedonera's face out of the corner of her eye, which eases some of the tension that had built up inside her. However, her sister looks less approving of her outburst.
"Alyse...dear sister...could I speak to you outside? Lady Nedonera, please feel free to make yourselves comfortable here, I'll just be a moment." (Cara)
Alyse groans internally. She's sure that her sister wants to lecture her, but she wonders why Cara can't see that leaving Nedonera in here with nothing to do is a bad idea. Nonetheless, she nods her acknowledgement and follows Cara out of the office. Her sister turns around to face her as the office door closes behind them, then Cara crosses her arms disapprovingly.
"Alyse, how many times have I asked you to be polite around important guests? What are you even doing tagging along on this tour anyway?" (Cara)
Cara stares at her expectantly, somehow looking less annoyed than her words suggest she'd be. Alyse gives her an incredulous expression in return.
"You're kidding, right? Look, I admit that I'm not a fan of the Prima or most of our family, and some of the nobles even grate on me at times, but I assure you that I have no desire to offend these people. On the other hand, you seem like you're trying to bore an Elder Dragon to death. Don't you see how annoyed Nedonera is becoming? Call me impolite, but I just didn't want a walking, talking cataclysm to start viewing us as a nuisance because you felt the need to tell her the entire history of every trinket we own." (Alyse)
Cara's eyes go wide in surprise.
"That's…surprisingly sound reasoning. Perhaps I jumped to conclusions a bit, so I apologize. I'm glad that you fully respect the gravity of the situation, and I appreciate that you were trying to help matters in your own way. Nevertheless, I need you to trust me to handle this situation. Please refrain from any further outbursts like that. I have a rapport with these people, and I promise you that Lady Nedonera won't be a problem." (Cara)
Cara's tone isn't condemning, and her apology seems genuine, but Alyse can't help but find her sister's response a touch condescending. Especially the part about her helping 'in her own way'. She's also annoyed that her sister practically admitted that she was right about the dangers of agitating Nedonera, yet didn't feel the need to justify this total confidence that it wouldn't cause a problem.
Still, she bites back her impulse to make a sarcastic retort. Whether she agrees with Cara or not, she knows her sister well enough to accept that challenging Cara's opinion further won't change anything. By dragging out this lecture, all she'd be doing is further annoying their god-like guest waiting around in the office.
Alyse forces a smile to her face, and nods at Cara.
"Very well, if I have any more concerns, I promise that I'll express them to you privately. I apologize for the outburst. If that's all, I suppose we shouldn't keep your guests waiting." (Alyse)
A look of shock flashes across Cara's face, and Alyse wonders if her sister was expecting that she'd argue the point. She's briefly confused, then she remembers that there are more important things going on right now. She pushes the concern aside for the moment, and she reaches for the door to the office.
But before she can open it, Cara's hand stops her abruptly.
"Wait!" (Cara)
Alyse snaps her gaze back to Cara in confusion, only to see a frantic expression on her sister's face. However, Cara seems to realize that her behavior was strange, and quickly calms herself.
"Ehem…sorry, I meant to say that you didn't answer my other question. Why are you even tagging along on this tour? You haven't expressed an interest in joining any of my meetings in centuries." (Cara)
Alyse eyes her sister suspiciously for a moment, then she shrugs.
"Perhaps, but you know as well as I do that you dismissed me from your guard detail centuries ago. That hurt, but I came to terms with your reasoning, and I've tried to respect your decision. Believe it or not, I really do want to support you. Regardless, the guests of this meeting are far more interesting than any I've attended in five millennia. Honestly, I regretted not getting to go to that royal announcement with you." (Alyse)
Her sister's gaze seems to soften briefly as she nods her acknowledgement, as though the news caught her off guard. After a moment, though, Cara seems to realize something, and her face becomes quite serious again.
"That's understandable, I suppose. By the way, you didn't say anything else to them, did you? Before I noticed that you were following us, that is. I believe that you wouldn't do something intentionally offensive, but…" (Cara)
"Well, no? I'm a little miffed that you don't trust me to avoid offending her, but I never had the chance to talk to Nedonera. She was next to you the whole time, remember?" (Alyse)
Cara shakes her head impatiently and narrows her eyes.
"No, not her, I'm talking about the others. What about Mizuki? You didn't say anything to him, did you?" (Cara)
Alyse gives an incredulous look to Cara.
"Him? You can relax, I barely spoke to the boy. What's the deal with you two anyway? You seem surprisingly casual with him. He seems like a sweet kid, so I'm not judging, I was just surprised is all." (Alyse)
Cara freezes and her face goes pale, and Alyse stares back at her in confusion. Cara's eyes lock with Alyse's, and her voice is so hesitant that it's almost a whisper.
"B-boy…k-kid…you just…oh god. Alyse, please tell me that you didn't call him a kid out loud. Did he or Alto hear you say that? You said you barely spoke to him…that means you talked. I need you to tell me, right now, what words exactly did you say to him?" (Cara)
Alyse gives her sister a suspicious glare.
"I don't really see the issue, since he's clearly a human teenager, but no…I never referred to him like that out loud. I only spoke to him once, and I don't remember exactly what I said. When he noticed me following you all, I just jokingly asked him if there was room in the tour for a second outcast. He wasn't offended, though, he just laughed and told me to join them." (Alyse)
Cara's knees look like they're about to buckle, and she grips the door frame beside her with a hand. Alyse thinks she hears Cara mumble something like 'of course he did', but she's not sure. After a moment, Cara breathes shakily and looks back up at her sister. Alyse just watches the whole scene, dumbfounded.
"Alyse...you have no id-" (Cara)
Cara looks off abruptly, like she's listening to something, then she sighs.
"Nevermind. Just…please…don't make any more jokes to Mizuki. Okay? For now, we should get back to our guests before they get bored." (Cara)
Perplexed by her sister's sudden rollercoaster of emotions, and realizing she got distracted and forgot about the bored Elder Dragon next door, Alyse just nods agreeably. She figures that she can question Cara about her strange behavior later.
The sisters collect Nedonera and the others, then finish the tour back in the mansion's reception hall. To Alyse's relief, she notices the Elder Dragon becoming progressively more enthused as the tour ends. Apparently, the group was promised a tour of Wellick, and Nedonera is looking forward to it.
Unfortunately, Prima Devon is waiting for them downstairs, and seems resolved to pester Cara with endless questions about a so-called 'train' magic item. Alyse has heard a little about it from local rumors and a letter Cara sent ahead of her return, and she is also curious about it. But she knows better than to insert herself into such a meeting. She can ask Cara about the train later.
More importantly, she's alarmed that there will be another delay before Nedonera's group's tour of the city, during which Cara suggests just sticking them in a room. Alyse notices that Nedonera is now directing a murderous glare at Devon, and she quickly tries to intervene.
"Actually, I'm available now, Cara. I'd be happy to begin showing Lady Nedonera and the others around the city in your stead. You could just join us when your meeting is over." (Alyse)
Cara glances at her frantically. She can already tell that her sister is about to shoot down the idea, no doubt out of fear that she'll offend Nedonera or the others. Though she's more than a little annoyed by the implication, she's more concerned about letting Cara have her way and further annoying Nedonera.
"Err…while that's very generous of you, Alyse, I don't thi-" (Cara)
"That's a splendid idea, Lady Alyse, thank you! We'd be delighted to have you escort us! I'm sure my Lady wants to see as much of your beautiful city as we can today." (Mizuki)
Alyse turns to the boy, Mizuki, in surprise. He seems like he'd be so timid, she didn't expect him to brazenly cut off Cara mid-sentence. What's more, she can see an amused smirk plastered across his face. His outburst raises more than a few questions for her, but she's thankful for the support.
She turns to her sister, expecting Cara to diplomatically shoot the boy down to avoid leaving her alone with them. To her surprise, however, while Cara is certainly glancing at her nervously, her sister seems more hesitant about telling Mizuki 'no'.
"Fufufu…yes, Mizuki is correct! Shall we go now?" (Nina)
Cara looked like she was desperately trying to find a reason to turn Mizuki down before, but after Nedonera's interjection, she deflates completely. Alyse can tell that, surprisingly, her sister is going to cave.
"Uhm…very well. Thank you for the offer, Alyse. I'll catch up with you all as soon as I can. Please try not to do anything problematic until then." (Cara)
Alyse has to suppress the urge to roll her eyes at her sister's final comment. She can't help but be annoyed – did Cara really have to treat her like an idiot? She just finished politely sitting through another one of her sister's lectures, and there's no way that she could be a bigger nuisance to Nedonera than being stuffed in a room for over an hour.
Still, she thinks, if Cara's going to treat her like an inconsiderate fool, it's only polite to prove her dear sister correct. Sure, it will stress Cara out, but she's been constantly stressed by Cara's treatment of Nedonera today.
Alyse gives her sister the most confused expression she can muster.
"Me…problematic? Whatever do you mean little sister? I'm just offering to make up for your shortcomings as a host." (Alyse)
Cara just gives her a pleading look in return, without a trace of anger in her expression. Alyse sighs internally – now she feels kind of bad for teasing her sister. She subtly nods to Cara, and her sister relaxes marginally.
"Ehem…Lady Cara, I'm sure Lady Alyse will be a perfectly appropriate host until you rejoin us. We appreciate both of your consideration. Mizuki, perhaps we have delayed our Lady's tour of the city long enough, hmm?" (Alto)
Alyse looks back towards Nedonera's group in surprise, hearing Alto's voice for the first time. It's just as regal as she expected, and she's delighted to hear Alto supporting her proposal. That makes three of three.
While the main reason she offered to do so is to appease Nedonera, she also has ulterior motives. She wants the chance to ask them all her questions that have been building up – she's been aware of Nedonera's party and their impending visit for a couple days now. Also, if they enjoy her company and seek it out again, she may very well get to meet this wolf-kin girl that she's heard so much about.
Alyse directs a mischievous smile towards Nedonera and the others.
"How exciting for all of us! Let's depart at once, then." (Alyse)
Reynard is going to be so jealous of her. She'll finally have something to brag to him about when he visits again.
¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬
We're currently following Alyse through the streets of Wellick. It's a vibrant city, with people milling around excitedly, street vendors everywhere, and a similar overall vibe to Avalon. However, there are less multi-story marble buildings around, so it feels less claustrophobic to me.
Honestly, it seems like the kind of place I'd like to bring Ilina for a date. But I doubt I can drag the future Queen to a foreign city and walk around arm-in-arm with her. Just a guess, but that's bound to start rumors. I look over at Nina, who's taking the city in with a huge smile on her face.
I let out a small smile at the sight of her. I feel the urge to grab her hand affectionately, but I'm in character as her servant right now. At times like this, it's easy to make myself doubt whether us publicly acting like lovers would really be problematic. Maybe, so long as their impression of my strength didn't change, common elves wouldn't really care? After all, they are a matriarchal society.
As I'm mulling over the thought, Alyse turns to look at Nina over her shoulder.
"So, Great Dragon, I can certainly make recommendations, but is there anything you're particularly interested in experiencing in Wellick?" (Alyse)
Nina's eyes dart to Alyse excitedly, and she nods. Oh yeah, she's got preferences all right. I can't be certain, but I'd guess…
"Food! And entertainment! All of those that you think are the best and most unique in this city. That's what I want!" (Nina)
I chuckle to myself at her predictable response. Alyse folds her hands behind her head and looks up at the sky thoughtfully for a few moments. As she does, I notice the lean muscle lining her arms. She's not bulky, but she's clearly in ridiculous physical condition. Her body type kind of reminds me of Zara's.
I would be wondering if she's a swordsman, but…she opted to sling a utility belt on over her leather pants and long-sleeve shirt before we left. On it, she has a type of staggered double scabbard that I've never seen before. It houses two short swords on the same hip, and their ends are swaying gently behind her. So, I think the answer to that's obvious now. Although, I don't know why she bothered bringing her weapons.
"Hmm…well there's lots of good food, I think. Some of it's even unique to our family's territory. Food stands or restaurants, sweet or savory, just name it and I'll let you know what's popular. I'm sure that if we throw the Egris name around, specifically Cara's, we can find you a table anywhere. As for entertainment, that's a bit harder. We have a library, a theatre, and my personal favorite, the Ring. That's all I'm familiar with, though." (Alyse)
Nina was probably thinking of games like the ones from my world, but I'm not surprised that the elves don't have stuff like that outside Eden. On the other hand…the Ring? What is that, like a coliseum of sorts? If so, that's surprisingly bloody for the elves.
Alyse did mention sweets, though. Does that mean they have a sugar production method? It's not a guarantee. There are obviously other ways that food can acquire sweetness without adding pure sugar, like if they contain honey. Still, it's a promising lead. If they do have sugar production already, I can get my caramel apple fix.
I hear Nina sigh disappointedly, and she hangs her head with a pouting expression. Apparently, I was correct, and she doesn't share my interest in the Ring.
"The entertainment is disappointing…I was hoping to find something new. Hmm…I guess I'll just pester Mizuki about that when we return to Eden! The food, though, that sounds promising. I want to try savory and sweet things! Mizuki, should we do food stands or restaurants? Or both!?" (Nina)
Alyse glances between Nina and me with a puzzled expression. I guess she's wondering why Nina would pester me about entertainment back in Eden. My first instinct is to tell Nina to avoid spilling the beans about my role in 'designing' those games. But if I'm being honest, there's probably no serious downsides if I end up with the credit at this point.
I turn my attention to Nina and give her an amused smile.
"Well, I'd recommend a fine restaurant for a main course. After that, I bet that we want to browse food stands and maybe devoted bakeries for various sweet things. If you wanted a more specific recommendation, we'd do best to solicit Lady Alyse's advice. Alto, what do you think?" (Mizuki)
Alto nods politely while her eyes keep scanning the area around us. I also notice Alyse giving me a strange look. Err…what's that about? I don't think I said anything weird.
"I think that plan is reasonable, of course. To add further suggestions, you may recall that Miss Ulta mentioned having a restaurant in Wellick, so we could eat there. We could also use the opportunity to inquire about entertainment options from others. Then, pursue those suggestions while our food settles, before browsing sweets later as you mentioned." (Alto)
Oh yeah! Hmm…getting to see Ulta again may be unlikely, and I'm sure she'd be busy working anyway, but I'd like to start fostering a connection with her. I heard that she bought property in Eden after we showed her around, and I assume that means she'll be opening a restaurant there eventually, but it doesn't hurt to start early. I have larger goals I'd like a chef's help with. For one...I'd kill for a pizza party at Eden's rec center.
I turn to Alto with an approving smile.
"As always, I appreciate your advice, Alto. I think that's an excellent suggestion. My Lady, does that sound agreeable to you?" (Mizuki)
Nina is wearing an excited grin already, so I think I know what her answer's going to be.
"Fufufu…yes, yes, Mizuki. Your Lady finds this quite agreeable. Very well, how shall we go about finding this restaurant?" (Nina)
I suppress the urge to roll my eyes at her suggestive emphasis about being my 'lady', and I turn to Alyse.
"Lady Alyse, do you by chance know the location of Miss Ulta's restaurant in question? We're also open to oth-" (Mizuki)
I cut myself off as I realize that Alyse is giving me a more pronounced version of that strange expression from earlier. It's like a mix between confusion and curiosity.
I raise my eyebrows at her.
"Uhm…Lady Alyse…is something the matter? You've been giving me quite the strange look." (Mizuki)
Alyse's eyes widen in surprise, then she gestures apologetically with a small smile.
"Err, no, my apologies. Everything is fine. Ehem…so, about Ulta's restaurant, I do know where it is. Would you like me to take you there now?" (Alyse)
I'll take 'how to be plainly evasive' for three hundred points…she's so clearly sidestepping any explanation. Oh well. I don't see a real benefit to pressing her about it. Although, at times like these I have intrusive thoughts about suddenly sending her a thought-message, like 'I heard what you really thought!' or something. I'm sure her reaction would be priceless. Alas, I have a reputation to uphold.
I sigh internally, then I just give an appreciative nod and smile at Alyse. Her shoulders noticeably relax.
"Splendid! Yes, we would greatly appreciate that. Please lead the way, Lady Alyse." (Mizuki)
Alyse nods.
"Sure, just follow me. Wellick isn't the size of Avalon or anything, but it's still going to take us about half an hour to walk there. Oh, and by the way, you can all just call me Alyse – no need for the 'lady' part. I'm not big on formalities these days, and it seems like you already address Cara personally." (Alyse)
I give her a surprised look.
"Uhm…sure, if that's what you want. Alyse it is. As for the length of the walk…we don't mind." (Mizuki)
Alyse smiles appreciatively, then she gestures for us to follow her and starts leading us down the streets of Wellick. Alto is following a short distance behind her, then Nina and I are at the back of the group. After a few minutes, I see Alyse glance over her shoulder at Alto, then slow her pace so that they're walking next to each other.
A surprised expression overtakes Alto's face, and I see Alyse say something in response while wearing a smile. I can't make out any of their words, though.
[Mizuki? Can we talk?] (Nina)
Surprised by the unexpected interjection, I turn to see Nina's bright green eyes scanning my face expectantly. If she's asking to talk, and using thought speech to do it, I'm guessing it's important. She seems slightly nervous and perhaps a little curious, but I don't sense any fear or anger.
[Well, sure. It seems like we have plenty of time, and Alto and Alyse look preoccupied. What's on your mind, Nina?] (Mizuki)
Nina smiles at me appreciatively, and her nervousness rises slightly.
[Our conversation earlier made me realize that I don't know much about you from before we met. You've told me a lot about your planet and people, but only a little about your life there. What was it like? I know that you did not leave another woman behind, but…what about family? Or other people you care for, like Alto?] (Nina)
Yeah, I don't exactly consider my personal life on Earth to be an exciting enough topic to bring up. More importantly, I'm not sure how relevant it is. My knowledge from Earth has certainly been crucial, but I can't say the same for my personal experiences. Although, I guess Nina would have no way of knowing that. Until recently, she was largely ignorant of human cultural norms, even on this planet.
[I had a mother and father, but I didn't have any siblings or other family worth mentioning. I had friends, but they weren't like Alto. They were more like…hmm, it's difficult to say…maybe like Cara before she started living with us. We were friendly and supportive, I enjoyed their company, and I hope they're doing okay in their lives. But…I don't really miss them, you know? We weren't that close.] (Mizuki)
I sense Nina's nervousness wane, then transition to confusion.
[If you were not close enough to miss them now that they're gone, what made them your friends?] (Nina)
Good question...I'm not sure why I called them my friends. I let the silence hang between us for a few moments as I think the question over.
[I suppose that I didn't have any real friends, thinking back. Those that I called my friends were just likable people that I happened to spend a lot of time around because we were working towards similar goals.] (Mizuki)
Nina is silent for a moment, and I assume that she's thinking about how pathetic that is, but…
[I see…I was trying to understand the concept. Except for our mates, dragons do not become so emotionally dependent on anyone that they meet. So, I suppose that it is not in our nature to have friendships, like what you have with Alto.] (Nina)
Huh…
[I guess that makes sense. I always wondered why, with so few of your own kind on Azura, the Elder Dragons are all willingly isolated. At the very least, your descriptions of Halzar and Veyron make them seem similar enough that, by human standards, they could be friends.] (Mizuki)
I sense a rush of amusement from Nina, but it slowly transitions to a kind of…wistfulness, perhaps?
[Fufufu…yes, I have often thought that Halzar and Veyron should just mate with one another and leave Ciri and me alone. Dragons are quite accustomed to solitude, but not to the degree that we've experienced it on Azura. None of us are suitable mates for one another, and we don't even routinely interact with our own kind. I was heavily burdened by loneliness before I met you, Mizuki.] (Nina)
I snap my head to Nina in surprise when she mentions her loneliness. She's kind of implied something similar before, but I've never heard her say it so plainly. What do I even say to that? Apologize? Thank her? Both?
Nina just smiles gratefully as she holds my gaze. After a moment, I smile back at her as genuinely as I can.
[I'm glad that we both have each other now, Nina, and I promise that's never going to change. You're irreplaceable to me…you know?] (Mizuki)
Nina's face goes slack for several moments, and her green eyes seem frozen as they peer into me. Then, I sense a warm sensation through our connection.
[Mizuki…] (Nina)
[Uhm...yeah?] (Mizuki)
[I need you to put off retrieving Ilina for a couple hours longer than normal tonight. This conversation has me feeling very…appreciative…of you, and you know how impatient I am about expressing myself.] (Nina)
Half my brain thinks that she just ruined a perfectly sweet moment, while the other half knows that was sentimental and loving in her own way. Meanwhile, my second brain is very pleased.
[Ehem…err, sure. I'll let her know that I'll be late picking her up tonight.] (Mizuki)
I sense immense satisfaction from Nina for several moments, then the nervousness from earlier suddenly reemerges.
[Mizuki, what are your parents like?] (Nina)
Yup…she just murdered the mood in cold blood. Where the hell did that come from?
Nina seems to realize my sentiments.
[Sorry. You said you didn't miss any of the so-called friends from your home planet, but you didn't discuss the parents you mentioned. I just realized that you've never talked about them before either, so I became curious. Do you miss them?] (Nina)
Ah, I guess that would come off as strange. I talked more about people that I don't miss and can't even consider real friends than I did about my own mom and dad.
I glance at Nina as we continue down the street, and her eyes are fixed on me with a neutral expression.
[No…I can't say that I do. I don't hate them or anything, I just...don't care that I won't see them again.] (Mizuki)
Nina's eyes widen and I sense surprise, relief, then guilt from her in quick succession. She doesn't respond for several moments.
[I see…so, then…] (Nina)
Her thoughts trail off, as though she can't decide whether to finish them, and I sense emotional conflict through our connection.
[Is there something more specific that you're trying to ask me, Nina? If so, just come out and say it. I can sense that you're nervous, and it's not like you to be so reserved either.] (Mizuki)
The conflict remains evident on Nina's face for a while, but she appears to make up her mind at my urging.
[Well, you mentioned never seeing your parents again, but I can't help but wonder. If you found a way to return to your own world...would you? You've made it sound like a wonderful place…] (Nina)
Nina isn't meeting my gaze, but her gait is stiff, her expression strained, and the nervousness I sensed from her hasn't abated.
Ah…so that's what this is all about. She wants to know if there's anything about my old life that could pull me away from her. Honestly, I can't help but feel like it's a pointless question. I can't imagine Azazel or the god of Earth facilitating my return. I doubt they'd even allow me to get there on my own. Even if they'd avoid interfering, I don't have a way to return myself to Earth .
In theory, I could teleport there with enough magic, but I sincerely doubt that I have enough. I can't be sure of the distance between Earth and Azura, but Earth's nearest potentially life-sustaining planet is Alpha Centauri, so they have to be at least that far apart. That's over four light years.
I don't know the upper limit of my teleportation range. But based on how much it drained me to teleport our mansion, and on what I've surmised about the energy requirements for teleportation as a function of distance and size, I can teleport myself maybe a tenth of a thousandth of a light year. That could get me to the moon, or maybe another planet in this solar system at the right time of year, but I'm not going anywhere useful.
Of course, that could be solved if I found a way to harness more magic, but that doesn't seem possible. The only way I've heard of doing that so far is with a Dragon Bond, but I can't make another one of those. Not that I'd want to. There's only one thing that I know for sure can teleport me to Earth, which humans might be inherently capable of manipulating to some degree. Aether, the divine counterpart of magic.
Realizing that I've been silently in thought for a while, I glance at Nina. She's now openly staring at me, nervous. Gah…it wasn't nice of me to trail off like that in thought, I'm probably stressing her out. Still, I know that she's not really asking the question that I've been pondering.
She wants to know about my sentiments…would I go back if I could? Would I abandon her to return home? If she'd asked me that a few weeks ago, my answer might have been different. But…
[Sorry if my silence scared you, Nina. I was just lost in thought. To answer your question…I might go back to Earth if I could, depending on the context. But I wouldn't, for example, make a one-way trip back there alone. So, if you're wondering if I'll ever abandon you, the answer is no. Not under any circumstances.] (Mizuki)
I try to give Nina the most reassuring smile that I can manage, to drive the point home. Her entire body seems to relax as her lips part into an embarrassed smile. I don't need our connection to see that I was right about what was concerning her.
[Thanks, Mizuki. I...didn't really think you would, not deep down. But I'd never even considered it before, and…the thought scared me. So, thanks for saying that...it means a lot to hear it directly from you.] (Nina)
[Don't mention it. If you ever need to hear any other reassurances from me, just say so.] (Mizuki)
I sense a rush of giddiness from Nina as we continue walking along in silence. After a moment, I realize something else about her questions so far.
[Hey, Nina?] (Mizuki)
Nina turns to me in surprise, and her eyes widen expectantly.
[Yes?] (Nina)
[Well, what you said reminded me…you left your old world behind by choice, right? Azazel said the Elder Dragons came here out of interest, without dying on their home planet first. Given how unhappy you were when we met, I can't help but wonder – why'd you come here in the first place? Wouldn't you have left behind parents or siblings at least, and foregone the company of your own kind?] (Mizuki)
Nina pauses for several moments, seemingly gathering her thoughts, and I sense a trace of bitterness from her.
[I did not have any siblings, and I mentioned before that dragons don't really have friends. At the time, I also didn't think that I'd be effectively isolated from my kind. Azazel said that several Elder Dragons would also be moving to Azura. I never thought we'd all be so incompatible with one another's company. As for my parents, well…] (Nina)
I sense a moderate rush of anger from Nina.
[My mother was killed by a rival of my father in a power struggle for territory, and my father abandoned me after that. Male dragons are not particularly attentive to their young, but...I was especially neglected. Even on my home planet, I was weaker than most, and my father considered me a disgrace. Like you, I have no bonds tying me to my old world.] (Nina)
Nina turns to face me with an uncharacteristically serious expression, and her green eyes pierce into me.
[Though you did not ask, I would never abandon you either, Mizuki. You are my mate for life – the person I will never tolerate being without.] (Nina)
At first, I'm taken aback by the unexpected severity of her tone. But after a few seconds, I just smirk at her and nod.
[Good…I'm glad we're on the same page.] (Mizuki)
Nina nods seriously, then her expression slowly softens into a mischievous smile.
[Mizuki, speaking of parents and offspring…hmm. I have questions…] (Nina)
That's…ominous. I give Nina a suspicious glare.
[Okay…go ahead…] (Mizuki)
[There are many respects in which I am a dragon at my core. I am dismissive of weak creatures, I value strength, and I detest being deceived. However, in other respects I am…deviant. I can't tolerate the belligerence of the male dragons on Azura, I grow bored easily in isolation, and I appreciate many of your non-dragon qualities. On that subject...I want to know – how many children do you want? What kind of father will you be to them?] (Nina)
Jesus Christ…what a loaded question. Does she really want me to answer stuff that heavy right now? I glance at Nina, and she's all stares. Yup, this is not a casual inquiry. I sigh internally.
[Well, I don't know how many children I want, honestly. If you can't have them more frequently than every few decades to centuries, then I don't think I'll have a problem with the number of children for quite some time. That said…if we really won't die of old age…I don't think we can just keep having children indefinitely. They'll likely be insanely powerful, and maybe even ageless. At some point, their numbers could start being a serious influence on this world. So, I don't know...do you have a number in mind by chance?] (Mizuki)
I sense satisfaction from Nina, and I see a smug smile spread across her face. Clearly, she intended for me to ask this question. Her tone comes through quite chipper.
[I want at least one boy and one girl! However many children it takes to make that happen is how many I want. But so long as you give me one of each, I don't care if we only end up having two.] (Nina)
Well, that's not exactly unreasonable, and I suppose there are far less flexible demands she could have made. I smile at Nina and nod.
[Alright, that sounds fine with me. Just…uhm…not in the next ten years, yeah?] (Mizuki)
And we'll need to start thinking about some kind of birth control strategy for when we're done having kids in a few centuries or so, but that discussion can wait.
[Fufufu…as we've discussed, that's not possible. So, what about my other question?] (Nina)
Oh yeah…what kind of father will I be? She's really grilling me today.
[Honestly…I don't have a good answer prepared for that. All I can tell you for sure is that I don't want to be like my parents. I'm going to do my best to make sure my kids know that they weren't born just to meet some expectation of mine. I don't want them to feel like they've got to earn my attention or support. So long as they're not a menace to society, I'll just help them pursue whatever will make them happy.] (Mizuki)
I sense relief from Nina, followed by excitement.
[That is all I needed to hear Mizuki…I've chosen my mate as well as I thought. Fufufu…all this talk has me quite excited for tonight, hmm?] (Nina)
Nina's eyes cut towards me with a suggestive glint, while her lips curl up mischievously. Before I can respond, though, her eyes widen suddenly.
[Oh, Mizuki, I just realized. I've asked quite a lot of you today. Is there anything you want to ask me in return? It only seems fair.] (Nina)
Nina stares at me expectantly, and I rub my upper lip as I think it over. Is there anything I wanted to ask of her? I normally just do that whenever it crosses my mind. I don't bottle things up like she seems to. Although…she did imply something earlier that I should probably follow up on. I'm not sure how I'll feel about the answer, but…
I turn to Nina and nod appreciatively.
[Now that you mention it…there was something I was curious about.] (Mizuki)
Nina's eyes widen slightly, then she nods. Her gaze just lingers on my face, questioning.
[Well, you've mentioned frequently before how dragons view weaker races and friendships in general, but I also know that you're a little…different. So, I couldn't help but wonder...do you feel like you have friends now? Alto and the others – do you…care…about them?] (Mizuki)
I see Nina's face go stiff at the question, and she glances at me briefly before staring into the air in front of us. She's quiet for several moments, as I sense rising nervousness and apprehension from her. Eventually, she sighs and meets my gaze with a forced smile.
[I enjoy their company, and I'll protect and support them like my own children, but…no. I'm sorry, Mizuki. I've grown fonder of the people here thanks to you, but I'm still a dragon. I don't truly care for them the same way that you seem to. I wouldn't be upset if they left our group. Still, they're important to me because of their importance to you. I hope you'll forgive me.] (Nina)
Yeah…I kind of suspected that. Her admission should probably scare me, like finding out that a dear friend is a diagnosed psychopath. But she's devoted to my friends by proxy, and she even enjoys their company. She just doesn't seem capable of anything more personal with them. Honestly, I can't bring myself to blame her for that when she's being so honest about her feelings and treating all my friends as if they were her own. I've always thought that what people do with their feelings is what's important.
I look over at a nervous Nina and smile reassuringly.
[Don't worry, Nina, there's nothing to forgive. I never want you to feel like you have to hide something like that from me – I value your honesty. I can accept that this is how you are, and I appreciate that you're taking such good care of them just for my sake. Can I rely on you to keep helping them, as if they were your friends?] (Mizuki)
I sense relief flood Nina as she smiles at me.
[Of course, Mizuki, you have my word. What's important to you is important to me…I love you.] (Nina)
That damn dragon is trying to make me cry right here in the middle of the street, isn't she?
[I love you, too, Nina.] (Mizuki)
¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬
Click, click, clack.
Click, click, clack.
Click, click, clack.
Alyse repeatedly drums her fingers along the hilt of one of her swords. It's a tick she's developed that shows up whenever she's nervous or vexed about something. Currently, that's him, the young boy behind her…Mizuki. She's leading him, Nedonera, and Alto to a restaurant they were interested in.
The trek through the city to the restaurant will take about thirty minutes, but that's only because she's intentionally taking them on a roundabout path. Truthfully, she just wanted the extra time to gather her thoughts, and to ask them questions along the way.
"It's all…wrong…" (Alyse)
She can't help but mutter her thoughts aloud. Mizuki, or rather Nedonera's party as a whole, has not behaved at all how she expected after first meeting them. Nedonera is in charge of the party, Mizuki is the one she trusts the most to voice her wishes, and Alto and the wolf-kin girl are fond of Mizuki and assist him in his servant duties. That is their official dynamic, by all accounts.
It certainly seems to Alyse that Nedonera is the one whose whims are directing their group's movements. Similarly, it's clear as day that Alto has a soft spot for Mizuki, and that he does most of the talking for the group. So, Alyse's observations have all been consistent with what she's heard. And yet, she can't help but feel like their dynamic is also completely backwards. All the little things just don't make sense.
Even setting aside all of Cara's strange behavior, there were the subtle inconsistencies within the Elder Dragon's party. When Nedonera was considering how to spend their visit, she seemed unnaturally interested in Mizuki's opinion, not Alto's, even though he's never been to the city and has barely inhabited the country. More important is the way she asked the question. It was as though…she wanted to ensure he was also happy with their plans.
Then, there is Alto. When Mizuki asked her opinion, she almost sounded like Vito talking to Cara. She isn't just fond of him…it seems to border on reverence. From everything Alyse has seen, Mizuki by far has the least abilities and life experience, so why are the others so deferential to him?
Perhaps Alyse could entertain the idea that he is just inexplicably beloved by Nina, like her child, and by Alto, like a little brother. That would still be insane, since they're an Elder Dragon, human, and elf, but she could accept it. Unfortunately, that seems inconsistent with Mizuki's own anomalous behavior. It has been bothering her ever since he first spoke.
The way he interacts with Alto and even Nedonera, the way he walks and watches them, the confidence he has in speaking on their behalf…it's not like he's a surrogate child or little brother. It's like he's trying to shepherd them along and make them happy. Like he's the parent of a century old elf and ancient god-like dragon…it's unsettling.
Alyse wants to learn more about their group, and to develop a rapport with them, but now she's unsure how to proceed. At first, Nedonera seemed like the obvious one to chat with. Next, Alto, since she's clearly important to the group and they are both elves. However, everything she's observed since then leads Alyse to believe that Mizuki is actually the group's center – the one that binds them all together. He's probably who Alyse should become friendly with.
Regrettably, she finds the boy somewhat difficult to read. She has no idea what the right way to interact with him is, and Cara seemed especially nervous about her saying the wrong thing to Mizuki. Alyse has never been particularly interested in nor skilled at getting strangers to like her. She prefers a more earnest approach.
Perhaps Alto would be a better first choice for her to talk to, then. After all, Alyse is most accustomed to interacting with elves, and Mizuki went out of his way to ask for Alto's advice earlier. He obviously cares about her opinion.
Alyse glances over her shoulder at Alto, as she leads them through the streets of Wellick. Alto appears to be walking right behind her, slightly separated from Nedonera and Mizuki. This is the perfect opportunity for her to chat with Alto alone.
She shortens her pace and moves to fall in line beside Alto, then gives her a friendly smile.
"Alto, is it? I thought this would be a nice chance to get to know you better, since I haven't really heard you speak much. You're new to Lady Nedonera's party, right?" (Alyse)
Alto's eyes widen in surprise as she meets Alyse's gaze. After a moment, her lips purse slightly as she studies Alyse.
"You're correct on both counts. As you are no doubt aware, I was freed from slavery in the human country by my Lady some time ago, and I joined her party thereafter." (Alto)
"I hope you don't consider the question rude, but…may I ask what compelled you to do that? I understand that you'd be grateful for your freedom, and the opportunity to work so closely with an Elder Dragon is surely enviable, but why would you immediately throw yourself into her service? From what I've heard, you did so after knowing them for only a day." (Alyse)
Alto's eyes narrow slightly, then she looks away thoughtfully for several moments.
"My…you seem quite informed…my situation is just as you say. As for my reasoning, it had less to do with gratitude than admiration – this group, these people, they embody my ideals. I was, and still am, convinced that joining them will let me see a brighter future for everyone than I'd hope to see alone." (Alto)
Alyse is taken aback by the admission. Truthfully, she didn't expect Alto to be such an idealist, claiming some self-sacrificing path for the good of others. Alto's eyes strike her more as those of someone suspicious of the world, who's aware of its harsher truths. In other words, she expected Alto to be a realist. More so, she was hoping that was Alto's nature.
In her experience, those that waxed poetic about ideals were hypocrites. Alyse had the most trust for people who saw the world as she did – an unfair place that runs on selfishness, breeding a desire to condemn or expunge those that don't fit in. It's not that she necessarily denies the existence of altruism, just that she thinks the world and its people at large don't value or reward such sentiments.
She feels that her brother and mother are good examples. Her mother truly loved and accepted her, and yet even with power and influence, her mother suffered intense pressure and backlash for trying to support Alyse's refusal to bed men. Meanwhile, Reynard overflowed with resolve, empathy, and goodwill, and he was immensely skilled with a sword, but the family at large deemed him worthless due to his lack of practical magic.
Frankly, Alyse is troubled by the realization that she may not be able relate to Alto as well as she hoped. Still, that won't be enough for her to abandon developing a rapport between them. At the very least, she can try to learn more about this person that seems so important to the group she's interested in.
Alyse nods politely to Alto.
"I see…I confess some confusion, though. I can't help but notice that you seem more devoted to the boy than your actual Lady. If you joined her party because you want to better the world, would your admiration not be instead directed at the one who wields the most power for change and who guides the party's actions?" (Alyse)
Alto's face first twists in confusion, then her expression settles into one of suspicion. The sudden change in the atmosphere between them isn't lost on Alyse.
"By 'boy', do you mean Mizuki? Despite appearances, thinking of him as a child will be very misleading for you. Respectfully, you should be especially careful to not characterize him that way aloud." (Alto)
Alyse watches as Alto directs a serious gaze towards her, letting the point sink in. She recalls that her sister made a similar warning. Would he really be so offended by her commenting on his age? She didn't get that impression from him.
It's also not lost on her that Alto didn't answer her other question. Was Alto more distracted by the issue of Mizuki's characterization, or simply evading her question? Alyse smiles apologetically towards Alto and nods.
"I understand, I meant no offense. He appeared to be a human teenager, with less than two decades of life experience, so the term only seemed natural to me. However, I appreciate your warning – I'll make sure not to let such a characterization slip around him." (Alyse)
"Mizuki isn't the one you need to avoid such a slip up around, but Lady Nedonera. In fact, the worst thing you could do is make a similar comment to my Lady when Mizuki isn't there. Please avoid that at all costs." (Alto)
Confusion slips onto her face, and she instinctively voices the reason for it.
"I heard she was protective of him, but…what do you mean when he isn't there? Are you implying that his presence is a deterrent to her reacting negatively?" (Alyse)
She finds the implication absurd, but that's what Alto's comment suggested. She eyes Alto curiously, who seems conflicted about how to respond. After a moment, Alto meets her gaze again and gives a thin smile.
"Oh, how impolite of me. Here you are being so friendly, trying to get to know us better, and I haven't even asked you about yourself. How do you like to spend your time around Wellick? I notice that you made a point to grab those swords before we departed. Perhaps you enjoy swordplay? Or maybe you delight in traveling with the freedom you mentioned before?" (Alto)
There is no room for uncertainty anymore – Alto is definitely evading her questions out of suspicion. In that case, pressing Alto more probably won't be productive. It's best to just let the conversation proceed organically for now. That aside, Alto must not know about her skill with a sword, which makes sense. She's been absent from major sword competitions for several decades, and Alto seems a century old at most.
"Your guess is correct, I'm quite fond of studying the sword. In fact, I'd say it's what I'm best at. I spend most of my time in Wellick, helping Cara with trivial tasks and refining my combat skills. Until a few centuries ago, I would travel to other cities and territories for official family duties, but such things are no longer asked of me. Truthfully, well…traveling for myself is somewhat of a recent ambition." (Alyse)
"What sparked that ambition?" (Alto)
She glances over at Alto, but only sees genuine curiosity on her face. She mulls over how to answer the question. She doesn't like talking about her family history, but Alto's question is not so invasive on its face. More importantly, answering would probably go a long way towards Alto being less defensive around her.
"My mother and I were very close, and she passed away a few centuries ago. The last promise I made to her was that, when I felt like I was no longer needed here, I'd seek my own happiness outside of Wellick. Recently, it's become clearer that I'm reaching that point. My little brother Reynard spends most of his time traveling, and it really seems to make him happy, so I thought about giving it a try myself. To keep my promise." (Alyse)
Alto's eyes soften, and she nods sadly.
"I'm sorry to hear that. It sounds like you've been separated from those you cherish. I lost people that were important to me as well recently, and I didn't know how I was going to move on after that. But this new adventure, with these new people, it's made me happier than I thought possible at the time. I hope you can find your own way forward as well. After all, that's what the ones you love would want, right?" (Alto)
Realization dawns on her at Alto's words. Of course…that's why Alto's eyes are so wary. Alyse heard she was ambushed by humans on a trip outside the country, so she probably watched no small number of her friends die before she was enslaved. Alyse got to see her mother leave this world peacefully, at least.
If she'd watched the few she loved get murdered as senselessly and gruesomely as Alto's friends likely were…she shudders at the thought. Perhaps she misjudged Alto as an idealist earlier. Alto obviously knows how full of savagery the world is, and Alyse can't blame her for wanting to extinguish it. She thinks the effort is futile, but at least she finds Alto's sentiments relatable.
She turns towards Alto with an apologetic smile.
"For what little it may be worth, Alto, I'm sorry for your loss. I also appreciate your goodwill. I hope you don't mind if I ask yet again, but…why do you seem so fond of that b-, err, of Mizuki? Elves are taught to fear and reject humans from a young age, and your personal experience with them was surely condemnable. By all accounts, the very sight of him should make you sick." (Alyse)
Alyse sees the familiar glint of suspicion return to Alto's eyes as they meet hers. After a moment studying her face, Alto looks away and a silence seems to linger between them. Eventually, Alto's shoulders sag and a deep sigh escapes her.
"That's exactly how I reacted…at first. Every smile he directed towards me, I met with disgust, and every action he took, I interpreted in the most malicious light. But it never seemed to matter to him how much I spurned his kindness, or that I wasn't human. He just kept treating me and every other slave like our happiness was the most important thing in the world to him. He never asked for compensation. He insisted on nothing in return, in fact. He told us to forget about him altogether at one point. I mean…" (Alto)
Alto looks up to meet her gaze with an exasperated expression.
"…I was too confused to even hold onto any resentment towards him. At that point, what else except fondness could I feel for someone so naïve, so selfless? If anyone's feelings toward Mizuki are inexplicable, it's yours. After all, you haven't expressed a concern about his intentions even once. That's a first in this country, from what I've seen. I wonder…why is that?" (Alto)
So, that's the story behind Alto's affinity for him…it makes their dynamic a little less confusing to Alyse. Still, she sincerely doubts that the boy, docile though he may be, is as selfless as Alto claims. In her experience, that's just how people are – elf, human, or otherwise.
Maybe he had a crush on Alto, maybe he was trying to atone for something, maybe he felt that Nedonera deserved the praise, maybe he knew that they'd feel indebted to him regardless…who knows. Honestly, she doesn't really care what flavor of selfishness motivated his actions, if everyone involved benefitted.
As for Alto's question, though…
"From what I've heard, Mizuki's actions have done nothing but benefit elves. To subject him to outward distrust and hostility despite that, purely over something as out of his control as the race he was born into, well…let's just say that I can empathize with how unfair that is. The elves act like we're so much better than the humans, so empathetic and accepting, but I think we're all just so similar that our prejudices aren't as obvious. If an elf falls short of expectations, even for reasons they can't control, our people shun them just like Mizuki." (Alyse)
Alyse starts her response with a neutral enough tone, but as she's reminded of the way her sweet little brother was treated, she bitterly spits out her final words. After a moment, Alyse realizes that she lost her composure, and quickly glances to Alto apologetically. To her surprise, however, Alto only seems thoughtful.
After several minutes in awkward silence, Alto looks over at her with a careful expression.
"I'm pretty sure now that you're not malicious, and you seem like the type that prefers directness, so I'll just ask you outright. What do you want from us? I'm not blind to your blatant information gathering, and I'm sure you know that. It's also clear that you investigated us before we arrived, and that you were eager to act as our tour guide. So, any chance you'll just tell me why?" (Alto)
Stunned speechless by Alto's sudden and confrontational change in topic, Alyse just stares at her blankly for several moments. Eventually, she lets out an abrupt bark of laughter, then interlocks her fingers on top of her head and smiles.
"Fufufu…and here I had you pegged as one of those indirect and calculating types that loves endlessly analyzing everyone's true intentions! I've never been very good at the kind of subtle questioning I was playing at, so sure, I'll just be frank. My life has been dreadful lately, and you all seem like an exciting change of pace – that's it. Your role in the demon crisis, your connection to Ilina and Alara Ophelle, this 'train' device, the wolf-kin girl with the sword, and why Cara was acting so strange around you…it's all so interesting." (Alyse)
Alto seems to mull over the information, as if deciding whether she believes it. After a moment, she nods to herself, then smirks at Alyse.
"I see…there's no need to be so shy about it, then. There's nothing wrong with asking us questions, so long as you don't expect answers. As an aside, since Lady Alara has been removed from the royal family and started her own noble house, she's taken the name Alara Zuki." (Alto)
Alyse raises her eyebrows in surprise.
"Really? Just like that? Well damn…I can't believe I wasted all that effort trying to be tactful. Also…Zuki, huh? What an odd name." (Alyse)
Alyse sighs in exaggerated disappointment, then her expression abruptly transitions to one of confusion.
"Wait…Zuki…don't tell me that's like Mi-Zuki!? Like your Mizuki!?" (Alyse)
She begins staring daggers into Alto, who seems uncharacteristically amused by the question. To her shock, Alto just nods her acknowledgement and stifles laughter. Alyse feels her jaw almost hit the ground.
"Seriously!? You're talking about former Princess Alara – uppity elite of the royal family, renowned entitled brat, and would-be supporter of human genocide? That Alara willingly named her entire family line after some human teenager? You've got to be shitting me…there's no way you're telling me the truth." (Alyse)
Alto gives her an incredulous look.
"My, my…your tune changed quickly. You have quite the coarse tongue for a noble lady. What happened to all that refined and elegant word choice from before?" (Alto)
"Tch…it was exhausting, and you told me to be myself. Now please don't change the subject like that…it's mean. If what you said is true, you have to tell me the story behind something that absurd." (Alyse)
"Those weren't actually the words I used, but so be it. If this is you being genuine, then I'm sure that's preferable to everyone here. Though, I suspect that Lady Cara would find it objectionable. As for any further questions or details…perhaps it would be best if you spoke with Mizuki instead. You should have plenty of opportunities to do so at the restaurant. Just wait until Lady Nedonera is full of wine…" (Alto)
Alyse has…so many questions about that statement. But she gets the feeling from Alto's tone that their private discussion on anything consequential is pretty much over. She turns her attention back to the street in front of them as they walk in silence, and she can just make out the restaurant in the distance. There isn't much time left for her to ponder her approach towards Nedonera's party.
Fortunately, she's already decided…it's finally time for her to talk to the strangest member of the group directly. Feeling her curiosity getting the better of her, she mutters nervously.
"Guess I'm going to see what's so special about this Mizuki boy myself…" (Alyse)