"M-my name is Baxter… ma'am." the bigger boy said as he looked away shyly.
"Mya is my name." the more petite girl said with a smile.
"Dillon…" the reserved boy said, holding his arm.
She was happy to see that they were at least willing to give her their names, given their situation. Though it didn't feel like she was really being held captive, in the case of Xavien, it was another story.
Dante turned to Terra once more, looking over his shoulder slightly to see her looking with honest eyes. This was all too confusing for him, as he gave the kids a nod before they went to remove the rope, which restrained her hands and body from moving. They came off quickly due to the children's lackluster tying, but she was thankful she was finally let go. She looked at Xavien, who was still passed out on the ground from earlier.
"What about him?" she said as the others looked at Xavien. A shrug was shared amongst the rest of them as they left him there, deciding it'd be best if he stayed unconscious for the time being while they talked.
Dante put his hand to his chin in a thinking motion, wondering how to approach the situation before noticing her cloak. It was burgundy with a golden cord. It resembled the one he had seen the woman wearing in the photo. It bore an insignia with a golden and black sword within it, which piqued his interest as he walked closer to inspect her cloak.
"So, you said you're from the Kingdom, yeah? Where did you get the cloak?" he asked, pointing directly at it. Once she realized that he was talking about her uniform, she answered quickly.
"Oh, this, it's my academy uniform! I attend the Auradelle Academy; it's what the Kingdom has become known for, as many mages and skilled up-and-comers go to hone their skills. Though, I'll graduate at the end of this upcoming school year!"
She spoke with pride as a bright smile covered her face; the Academy was something spectacular in her eyes. Thoughts of the image appeared in his mind as he asked more questions about it, much to the children's surprise.
"What's…it like in the Kingdom or the Academy? What do you do there?" he said, kneeling beside her, clearly invested in the topic. Terra continued to explain the different things about the Kingdom.
"Well, from learning different spells to becoming a well-known name through different families, many things happen in the Kingdom. My friend and I are students at the school. We actually secretly snuck away from our group to find you. Don't tell anyone, though, hehe."
She let off a devilish grin and chuckled to herself at the thought. It was somewhat relieving that this rumored kid would be such a talkative person, though it made her wonder why he'd ask so many questions. She was sure that even then, he'd at least have heard or known some info about the Kingdom, even the Academy, but to her knowledge, he had no idea about any of it. The two continued to speak as the children poked at Xavien with a stick.
"Heeeey. Wimpy man, wake up."
"You think Dante killed him?"
"I'd really hope not…"
They continued to poke at him until he eventually opened his eyes again. Seeing that he was still in the same predicament, he was ready to begin his pleas again. The girl in the group stuffed his mouth with a bun from the Tavern. It tasted buttery and sweet, soothed Xavien's yells, but he still tried to talk as she forced the bun into his mouth.
"Please, no more whining, sir."
"Mmm-MMF!"
"It's okay; we're not going to hurt you. Now, please stay quiet," she said, letting out a deep sigh. He obeyed as he watched Terra converse with the boy. The two continued to talk for some time, seemingly enjoying the conversation.
To the kids, it seemed as if they were enjoying the conversation as she explained many of the things Dante would wonder about, constantly being able to answer the questions he could never get in the village. Though it was somewhat confusing, it felt good to see Dante talk with someone around his age. She explained many things to him, and he nodded excitedly; the thought of finally learning about the many things outside the village excited him as his nose flared with anticipation at every word she said. Terra excitedly continued to explain as, for once, someone wanted to hear her talk about all sorts of things, even if it was as simple as what the buildings looked like or the types of people you'd find at the Academy. It was the first time in a long time that she could genuinely talk about all she knew.
From an outer perspective, it may have even seemed like they have known one another for more than the small amount of time they've had with each other. The talks continued until Terra thought about asking him a question.
"You have so many questions…have you never been to the kingdom?"
"...Not too sure, but I'd love to see it one day."
"Why not just leave and explore it? It doesn't seem much is stopping you?"
"Well…"
He scratched his head as he looked at the scale-like features on his arms. The thought of leaving the village to explore has plagued his mind for some time. Still, the recent revelations about the rejection and the discovery of his identity scared him into thinking about possibly leaving in this state. His reluctance to answer was noticed as Terra continued to speak.
"You know there are ways to conceal certain parts of yourself from others' view, like your scales or even your sharp and wild appearance," she noted as she pulled an item out of her satchel; it seemed to be an item resembling an earring. It was golden with a red jewel attached to the bottom; she moved her hair aside and put it on. Once connected, she spoke a sentence before magic began surrounding her, changing certain body features. Her hair grew expeditiously, her eyes began to change color, and her ears grew into the shape of elves. It was like looking at another person to Dante, realizing that while it was still Terra, her transformation caused by the earring made her appearance turn out to be completely different.
"This earring allows me to change certain aspects of myself on the go. With a simple chant, it activates and stays active as long as you have the magic reserves to keep its energy from going out."
Dante and the children began to marvel as she changed her appearance to accommodate some of their requests, and she willingly obliged. Xavien watched from the corner as he finished his bread and was finally able to speak again. Realizing some time had passed, he thought it'd be best if they got back as soon as possible.
"Terra, it's been a while, but we should head back."
"Oh, I must've lost track of time! It'd be bad if we stuck around too long."