I launched myself at the dark elf without hesitation, my ice-coated fists aimed right for her. She parried effortlessly, her lithe form ducking and weaving through my attacks.
"Wait!"
She called out mid-dodge, deflecting a shard of ice that flew her way.
"I'm not a threat!"
"Yeah, yeah," I muttered, leaping back and sending a wave of ice at her feet. "Tell that to someone who cares!"
She sighed, her voice is calm but slightly exasperated as she narrowly avoided my ice trap, flipping gracefully over it.
"I'm serious! I'm not here to fight you!" she called, her eyes narrowing as she continued to dodge my relentless assault. "You're being ridiculous."
I couldn't help but grin as I skated around her, leaving a thin layer of ice on the ground with every step.
"Ridiculous? Or just having fun?"
The truth was, I didn't care if she was a threat or not. This was the thrill I lived for, fighting strong opponents and seeing how far I could push my limits. And from what I could tell, she wasn't going all out either, which just made me want to push her even harder.
With a flick of my wrist, I sent a barrage of ice spikes toward her. She danced between them effortlessly, barely breaking a sweat.
"You're really not listening, are you?" She huffed, ducking under one of my attacks. "I don't have time for this. I came here for—"
"To lose?" I interrupted, increasing the intensity of my attacks. "Because that's all I'm seeing right now."
Her emerald eyes flared with frustration as she sidestepped another ice blast, her movements is fluid but precise.
"You're infuriating,"
She muttered under her breath, before slamming her palm to the ground.
Suddenly, the earth beneath us quaked, disrupting the ice I had laid out. Roots shot out of the ground, twisting and tangling toward me with incredible speed.
I grinned, skidding backward on a fresh patch of ice to avoid the grasping vines.
"Now we're talking!"
But despite my excitement, something about her magic seemed… different. It wasn't just offensive. The way the vines moved wasn't intended to harm me, just to stop me.
Before I could react, one of the vines snatched my ankle, yanking me off balance. I quickly froze it and shattered it with a flick of my fingers, but by then, she had taken a step back, her hands raised towards me.
"Enough!"
The dark elf's voice rang out, sharp and commanding. Her emerald eyes locked onto mine, frustration giving way to a deadly seriousness.
"I'm not here to fight!" She said again, her tone clipped, as the ground beneath us trembled slightly. "If I wanted to hurt you, don't you think I would've done it already?"
I skidded to a halt, the ice around me stopping with a sharp crack. Her words were enough to give me a brief pause, but not for the reason she might have hoped.
My eyes narrowed as I kept my stance ready, magic circle still thrumming in my hands.
"If you're not a threat," I said slowly, flicking a shard of ice between my fingers, "Then why the hell did you disguise yourself as one of my friends?"
She winced at that, lowering her hands slightly.
"That wasn't meant to be a threat, either," She explained, her voice is softer, almost apologetic. "I thought I could blend in without causing trouble. I've been watching the people here and… your friend seemed like the safest option."
I snorted, taking a step closer.
"Safest? You thought turning into Tiara was the safest way to approach me?" I let out a low chuckle. "You must not be as smart as you look."
She frowned, clearly frustrated.
"Look, I don't expect you to believe me, but I had no intention of harming anyone," She insisted, her voice growing more urgent. "I'm just trying to gather information."
"For what?" I asked, raising an eyebrow as I circled her slowly. "What's a dark elf doing snooping around this part so close to the kingdom? And why do you know me and my friends?"
The dark elf hesitated, her gaze flickering as if she were carefully weighing her next words.
She clenched her fists but didn't summon more magic, which I noted with some disappointment.
"My name is Arienna,"
She finally said, her voice is steady but carrying an edge of frustration.
"I came here because there are forces moving in the west side of Caelumora."
"Forces? What kind of forces? You know that there are six guilds in Caelumora, so, this forces is pretty much dead if they decide to invade."
Arienna shook her head, her expression is darkening.
"I'm not worried about Caelumora," She said, her voice tight. "These 'forces' you're so quick to dismiss aren't interested in invading your precious kingdom. They're far more dangerous, and they have something... someone, that matters more to me than anything in this world."
I crossed my arms, still not convinced.
"Oh yeah? And who would that be? Some dark elf prince or something?"
She met my gaze, her eyes sharp as daggers.
"My brother. And not just him... my entire clan. They're being held as prisoners, enslaved by these forces in the shadows. That's why I'm here, Kira. To file a quest to the Magic Council to help me save my clan."
I sit on the ground, my arms still crossed. If what she's saying is true, it's still doesn't explain why she knows us.
I frowned, trying to piece it together in my head, but as usual, nothing useful came to mind.
Thinking wasn't exactly my strong suit.
"So let me get this straight," I said, glancing up at her. "You're telling me some shadowy forces are holding your whole clan prisoner, you're here to get help from the Magic Council, and somehow, in all of that, you know who we are?"
Arienna sighed, rubbing her temples like she was already tired of dealing with me.
"Yes. That's what I'm saying."
"Okay, but how do you know us? You're not just some random dark elf strolling in here with no clue, are you?"
She exhaled sharply, the frustration bubbling just beneath her calm exterior.
"I've been tracking these forces for a while. I've had to keep tabs on anyone strong enough to help, and that includes the Arcane Brigade."
"Wait… you've been spying on us?"
"Not spying," She corrected quickly, "just… observing. It's not just your guild, but others in Caelumora too. You and your team caught my attention because, well, you're… difficult to miss."
"Yeah, we do tend to stand out, don't we?"
"That's one way to put it."
I tilted my head, still not entirely convinced but starting to feel the edges of curiosity tugging at me. I rubbed my right shoulder, the emblem of Arcane Brigade is resting on it.
Sure, filing a quest sounded easy enough, but there was one glaring problem.
"You know," I said slowly, standing up and facing Arienna with a smirk that didn't quite reach my eyes. "It's possible to file a quest with the Magic Council. That part is true. But there's a slight issue with your plan."
Her brows furrowed in confusion. "What issue?"
"You're a dark elf," I stated plainly. "And in case you haven't noticed, dark elves aren't exactly welcomed with open arms around here. You think the Magic Council's going to just accept a quest from you? Dark elves and humans… well, let's just say we're not the best of friends."
Arienna's expression darkened, her lips pressed into a thin line. She crossed her arms defensively, but the frustration in her eyes told me she already knew this.
"I'm well aware of that," She said, her voice colder now. "But I had hoped that someone like you could look beyond that. You're part of a guild that's known for taking on difficult and unusual cases. I thought that maybe, just maybe, you wouldn't judge me based on my race."
"Well, I don't hate anyone, but the kingdom hates me too. So, I'm not going to ask those geezers in the Magic Council to help you. But you can ask our Master to file that quest for you."
Arienna raised an eyebrow, clearly still skeptical.
"Your Master... Why would your Master help?"
I sighed, running a hand through my hair.
"Master Merrick is kind, too kind. Come on, I'll take you to the guild."
I turned to lead the way, glancing back to ensure Arienna was keeping pace. She seemed a bit more hesitant now, but I couldn't blame her. If I were in her shoes, I'd be skeptical too.
As we walked, I pulled off my cloak and offered it to her.
"Here, this should help conceal you a bit better. It's big enough to cover your features."
Arienna blinked at the cloak as if it were a rare artifact. "I'm not sure about this," She said, her voice is wavering slightly. "I'm not one to hide."
"Look," I said, urging her to take it. "We're not exactly on friendly ground. You know how people react to dark elves around here. This will just make things easier until we get to the guild house. Trust me, it's better than the alternative."
She hesitated but eventually took the cloak from me, wrapping it around her shoulders. The fabric was thick, and it seemed to swallow her up, making her look less like a dark elf and more like an ordinary traveler.
"There," I said, feeling a bit triumphant. "Now, no one should look twice. Just act normal, and we'll be fine."
Arienna shot me a skeptical glance, still unsure about this whole situation.
"Normal is not really my forte."
I chuckled, shaking my head.
"Don't worry, neither is mine. Just follow my lead."
As we made our way through the outskirts of the kingdom, the path ahead of us was lined with tall trees, their branches reaching out like twisted fingers.
The sky was beginning to darken, casting long shadows across the forest floor. The air was cool, and the ground beneath our feet was damp from a recent rain, the smell of wet earth is filling the air.
Arienna kept a few paces behind me, her movements almost silent despite the cloak I had given her.
The fabric is dragged slightly on the ground, but it served its purpose, she looked like any other traveler now, though her cautious steps told me she wasn't used to hiding.
Every now and then, her gaze darted around, as if she expected someone or something to jump out from the shadows.
I, on the other hand, wasn't bothered by the surroundings. The woods around here were familiar to me, I'd skated through them countless times while evading guards or just trying to burn off energy after a mission.
Still, I kept my senses sharp. Even if I didn't want to admit it, having a dark elf with me could draw unwanted attention if anyone caught on.
The further we walked, the quieter it became. The only sounds were the soft crunch of leaves underfoot and the distant call of birds settling in for the night.
Occasionally, a small animal would scurry away into the underbrush, disturbed by our passing.
Arienna remained silent for most of the journey, her presence a shadow at my back.
I could feel her unease, though she tried to mask it, her shoulders are tense beneath the cloak.
I glanced back once or twice, catching the faint glint of her emerald eyes peeking out from the hood. She looked determined, but there was a hint of weariness in her posture, as if the weight of her mission had been pressing down on her for far too long.
The road ahead of us gradually began to shift from rough dirt to more cobbled stone, a sign that we were getting closer to the kingdom's outskirts.
The towering silhouette of Caelumora's walls loomed in the distance, their edges sharp against the dimming sky.
Soon, we'd have to navigate through the quieter residential areas before making our way to the guild.
Not many people would be out at this time, but the few who were could still pose a problem if they looked too closely.
I didn't say anything, though. There wasn't much to talk about... not yet, at least.