"That's not a very nice way of saying it." The girl put her hands on her hips, genuinely offended. "You know, not all shifters are criminals."
"They do not have the best public opinion where I come from." Elias said, a warning spoken in his tone. Readying his sword, his hands gripped the sturdy hilt with caution.
"The last time we encountered any of you, we wound up in a Trovvish prison, forced to face the trials." Cosmo spoke bitterly, gripping Dragon's Focus and summoning the transparent gauntlet. "We neared death itself in that arena."
"Not to mention you were disguised as the Prince himself." Lysander grimaced. "It doesn't paint a good image." Molniya, for once, remained silent. Cosmo had told her of the events that had taken place in Trovvs and she seemed to be letting the boys fight their own battle.
"I'm aware that you Trovvish folk don't have the best opinion of us." She flicked her hair to the left, the color shifting dramatically to a light blonde. Her eyes had changed in an instant to a cool azure, mimicking the appearance of a Trovvish woman. "But it was not I that caused your incarceration. I fled Trovvs years ago when I had a... run-in with the authorities concerning a certain piece of jewelry." She rubbed the gemstones on her necklace, giving away the luxurious piece's origin. "However, if what you say is true and you are victors of the trials, then you must be warriors of incredible strength! Not a soul has emerged victorious in many years."
"In that assumption, you are correct." Cosmo allowed his arrogance to show, stepping forward with an irritated look on his face. "Which is why you will tell us as to why you disguised yourself as Varren."
"Lay off the serious adventurer act." She replied nonchalantly. Cosmo felt embarrassed and his confidence faded. "I wore Varren's face simply because he made the mistake of showing it to me. Think about that: the Prince of Felwyn himself lent me his face. And all it cost me was a boat and a lantern."
"One second." Molniya interrupted, a serious look in her eye. "You saw Varren?"
"Well of course I saw Varren." She rolled her eyes. "Do you think I can just shift into anybody I like? If I could, I would have taken Lord Galdernad's form and kicked the geezer from his throne long ago." The girl laughed, a mischievous look in her eye.
"Where is he now?" Elias asked. He impatiently gripped one end of the boat, clearly wanting to leave.
"Where does anyone go in the Hinterland Wastes?" She asked rhetorically as she propped a hand up on the counter, sighing. Her hair slowly returned to the dark shade of amber it had been previously. "He sailed to Cors. Looked pretty injured, but ask me if I care about that." She made a loathing expression. "I'd assume, if the waters are clearer than usual, he's made it by now." The girl paused and looked at the four of them with a confused expression as though she was just now taking in their appearances. "You don't plan to hunt Varren himself, do you?"
"That's... almost the plan." Lysander spoke unsurely.
"He's leading us to something we have great interest in." Elias added, to which Lysander nodded.
"And you intend to find one man in the center of Cors, with no previous knowledge of the city?" She scoffed. "You'll need someone to help you."
"And why, exactly, is that?" Cosmo raised an eyebrow. If he was being honest with himself, he didn't believe much of what the shifter was saying and desired greatly to leave for Cors as soon as possible. However, the girl was right. All four of them knew next to nothing about where they intended to track Varren. Doing so successfully could prove difficult if they lacked the proper knowledge.
"One wrong move in Cors, and-" She cut herself off, dragging a thumb across her throat and mimicking the sound of someone choking on blood. "You could wind up dead. There are some powerful people in that city. Not to mention that magic can barely be cast there."
"One cannot cast spells in Cors?" Lysander asked, tilting his head. "Tell us more."
"I'll tell you more after you agree to allow me to tag along." She responded, playfully. "I'll answer any question you raise."
"Am I supposed to assume that both your boats and information are free?" Elias asked, dully. He was not amused and didn't appear to be afraid to show that.
"Not exactly." She stretched the words as she nodded her head from side to side.
"It is impossible to provide services without fees." Elias said as he begrudgingly complied with the girl. "Very well, tell us what you desire."
"My friend, Elarra. She was imprisoned in Cors recently." The girl winced as she spoke, as though she already knew what their response was to be. "You look like experienced adventurers and some of you appear to be magic users as well. If you assist me in freeing her, I will guide you around Cors and help you locate your Prince." A vacuum of silence consumed the room.
"You wish us to break an accomplice of yours out of prison?" Lysander asked, incredulous.
"Not an accomplice!" The girl responded angrily. "A friend. She was arrested for casting a spell! If you believe that magic is a crime worthy of imprisonment, you are truly mad."
"Is performing magic illegal in Cors?" Elias asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Well, yes, but-"
"Did your friend know of this before doing what she did?" Elias continued, a frustrated look forming on his face.
"It's hard to find someone in Cors who doesn't know that, but-"
"I think we've heard all we need to." Cosmo interrupted sternly. "We'll give you the rest of the money we have on hand for the boats, but I don't feel inclined to go to jail for two criminals."
"Wait!" She cried out, only receiving the attention of Cosmo and Lysander. "Prior to her arrest, Elarra and I were on the cusp of uncovering something great." Elias and Molniya begrudgingly turned around once again, hardly listening.
"Which is?" Lysander inquired, seeming to be the only one curious enough to ask. The girl sighed, reluctant to reveal what she knew. After pondering the idea for a moment, she spoke up.
"That a mysterious, primordial force is causing the Hinterland Wastes to fall into a state of putrefaction. Each day, the flow of mana grows weaker and more irregular. What is left standing today may be nothing more than rubble soon if nothing is done."
"This is information that we have already been made aware of. You must think us stupid to fall for that scheme." Cosmo's eyes narrowed, looking at the girl with frustration. The thought of Varren investigating Cors for the Divine Prism while he remained on the mainland talking to this girl made him feel not too keen on wasting his time.
"Elarra, however, knows why it's happening." The girl smirked as Cosmo, Lysander, Elias, and Molniya's eyes returned to her. "She did not keep me privy on the details, mainly for the fact that I would not understand much, but I know two things. One, that the strange force has been dubbed 'The Decay' and can be felt by magic users who know what they're looking for. Two, she claims that, after extensive study of this residual arcana, the energy is crystal-based."
"What does that mean?" Lysander asked, intrigued by the girl's story.
"It means that whatever this Decay is, the center of its power is coming from some type of extremely powerful crystal conduit." At this, the four looked at each other with the same thought in their minds. The resemblance between what the girl had described and a Divine Prism was uncanny.
"Alright," Elias relented gruffly as he hoisted his end of the boat in the air and Molniya followed suit, carrying the opposite side. "Grab what you must and join us quickly." The girl smiled as Cosmo and Lysander followed Elias and Molniya carefully, ready to grab the boat if it were to fall. The shifter snagged a satchel from a hook on the wall and, after the boat had been safely transferred to the water, took a seat at the very back.
Molniya stood at the front of the boat, a small flame flickering in her hand to provide a little more light and clear a portion of the mist encircling them. Elias sat behind her by himself, his falchion resting at his side and his helmet on the seat next to him. Cosmo and Lysander sat behind him, turned towards the shifter, their curiosities piqued. Within minutes, they had pushed off from the dock, the girl providing simple directions for Elias, who manned the oars.
"What should we call you, Gesichtler?" Elias asked after several moments of silence, excluding the girl's directions.
"Preferably?" She asked, with a sarcastic tone in her words. "Not Gesichtler." Cosmo couldn't help but chuckle at her sharp tongue. "You may call me Lileth."
"So, then, Lileth." Lysander leaned forward, his ever curious eyes holding a slew of questions for her. "You mentioned being able to tell us more after allowing you to accompany us."
"Of course, it's only natural that you seek the information promised to you. I like to think that I'm a shifter of my word. What do you desire to know?"
"You mentioned magic being illegal in Cors, and it being the reason Elarra is imprisoned." Lileth nodded. "Why is it that that law exists? How serious are the punishments?"
"Those who live in Cors believe magic to be the source of the Decay." The girl explained, not looking at Lysander but rather at her arms, on which she was adding and removing freckles at will. "I don't live in Cors, nor am old enough to have been alive when the rumor started, but I do know that you'll be hard-pressed to find someone living there who doesn't believe in it."
"But how could just the act of casting a spell cause the very earth to wither away? It just doesn't make sense." Cosmo pondered, his eyebrows scrunched together.
"For that, I can't provide many good answers. Nobody I've talked to can come up with a concrete reason as to how magic is causing the Decay. Most believe that since casting spells requires mana, spellcasters are somehow draining the amount of residual mana in the area."
"But that's impossible." Lysander interjected. "Mana is an unlimited resource, there isn't a finite amount that people can just use up." Cosmo nodded, familiar with this information, which Athro had taught them.
"That's exactly my point." Lileth responded. "There's a deeper reason for the Decay, and Elarra and I are out to find it." She paused before remembering the original question posed to her. "To answer your inquiry, the punishment is great, as most people in Cors believe that the consequences to casting spells are much greater than they truly are."
"So we will not be permitted to cast magic once we arrive?" Lysander asked. He sounded downcast.
"Well, that clearly didn't stop Elarra, nor does it stop other braver folk." Lileth giggled. "But probably not, no. Before we free my companion from prison, we should focus on remaining inconspicuous."
"That reminds me," Molniya spoke up from the front of the boat, turning her face around to look at Cosmo, Lysander, Elias, and Lileth. Her scales almost sparkled in the lantern's light, regardless of the injuries she had sustained during the battle with Folcanrog. "For now, it seems impossible, if not difficult, to defeat Prince Varren in our current state. If we were to engage in battle with him, the outcome would not be favorable. What will we do to avoid detection?"
As a long pause settled over the group, Cosmo began to think to himself. In his haste with moving forward, he hadn't even taken a second to think about what would happen were he to encounter Varren. I suppose this is why I asked Molniya to join us. He thought, smiling at the lizardwoman. She shot him a confused look before Lysander spoke up.
"Cosmo and I can always change into the clothes we departed from the Archipelago wearing. That might give us enough cover to find an inn or a place to stay." He offered up the idea, unsure of its effectiveness but also aware of the lack of better substitutes.
"I believe I could assist you in your endeavors." Lileth spoke confidently. Everyone turned their heads towards her once again.
"How so?" Lysander asked the question first, leaning towards her.
"Well, Elarra isn't like I am. She was born a human and, despite being proficient in magic, cannot simply change shape at will." She paused. "Because of this, certain... jobs proved difficult. While I could simply make a disguise at will, she knew no spells that could alter her appearance."
"And?" Elias asked, clearly wanting Lileth to get to the point as he rowed the boat forwards forcefully. "Why are you telling us this?"
"I crafted my own spell." She answered, grabbing everyone's attention. From what Cosmo understood, creating your own line of incantations was serious business. "I call it 'Boon of the Metamorph' or tchel yn tarak ya tolmeka."
"That incantation is long." Molniya commented. "The effects must be complex and difficult to control."
"They were, at first." Lileth answered. "The spell is capable of completely changing the target's appearance for a period of about one day. At first, my work was shoddy. But with practice, I could turn Elarra into a completely different person long enough for us to avoid certain... repercussions."
"Incredible." Cosmo said, mouth agape. "I've never heard of anything like it." He mused, ignoring Lileth's reasons for creating the spell in the first place.
"And you're offering this to us for free?" Elias asked, skeptical. Cosmo noticed his continued abrasive behaviour towards Lileth and frowned.
"Since you're doing such a big favor for me," She paused, and then smirked. "We can call it even. Deal?" Cosmo nodded before looking to Elias for confirmation, much to the armored boy's distaste. Shaking Lileth's hand, Cosmo gave his thanks. However, as she grabbed the pendant around her neck and prepared to cast the spell, Elias spoke up to voice his concerns.
"I do not wish to have your spell cast upon me." Elias stated, his tone cold as he continued rowing towards where Molniya was guiding him. Her vision through the dark night and thick fog was incredible.
"Hm?" Lileth tilted her head. "Why not?"
"Frankly, Gesichtler-" Elias began.
"Lileth." She corrected him, raising a finger. Cosmo couldn't help but smile once again. The shifter was quick-witted and clever. He got the idea that these were simply one of the many innate strengths of a seasoned thief.
"Lileth. My apologies." Elias spoke through gritted teeth. "I know two things about you right now. The first is that you're a shifter, a metamorph, whichever term you prefer. And where I come from, people like you are not to be trusted."
"I-" Lileth started, only for Elias to interrupt her this time.
"The second is that you're a criminal or, at the very least, an accomplice to one. Your friend is in jail and the reason for it matters not to me right now. I can only assume that your rightful place is alongside her in that cell."
"Elias, Lileth might be our only way to safely survey Cors for the Prince. What about fulfilling Tatiova's will?" Cosmo rebutted.
"Not to mention, she is providing us with extremely useful insight regarding Cors and the Hinterland Wastes themselves." Lysander added. "She could be an invaluable resource to us."
"Invaluable." Lileth smirked, giggling to herself as though she couldn't believe that the words had just come out of Lysander's mouth.
"I simply do not believe I am prepared to trust someone who is not just a shifter and a criminal, but also someone who seems to be perfect in our current situation." He scrutinized Lileth's appearance. "It just seems too.. easy." Lileth sighed in response to Elias's words but did not argue.
"That's quite alright. I believe I can work with what you desire." She looked down at her pendant once again and held it with her left hand before glancing over at Elias. "But I will need you to remove your armor. In Cors, you'll stand out like a sore thumb walking around like a human tin can." Molniya chuckled at the final comment as he slowly removed his armor, his face red.
"Tchel yn tarak ya tolmeka." Lileth spoke as she gripped the pendant, which began to glow with a swirling, orange energy. The strange force continued to swell for more than a minute before bursting into thousands of ethereal sparks, glistening with a honey-colored sheen. Cosmo watched as the beautiful embers fluttered from the sky, cascading through the air until they landed atop Lysander, Molniya, and himself. As soon as they landed upon his skin, they were absorbed with a flash and, after the spell had completed, it was almost as if the sparks had never been there to begin with.
Lysander was the first to begin changing. It was subtle and slow at first, his fingers growing somewhat longer and thicker, followed by his hands, which widened marginally. The spell took a greater hold on Cosmo's cousin, causing the remainder of his form to become wider and bulkier, a stark contrast to his previously scrawny appearance.
Following his body's proportions, his skin lightened from the darker tone it had gained from weeks of travel. While his hair remained blonde, his eyes slowly became light blue and lost the round and curious shape, which was replaced by a more stern facial structure. Within minutes, Lysander had become a strong, heavyset, Trovvish man that could easily pass for Elias's brother.
What caught Cosmo's eye most, however, was Molniya's transformation, which took place not long after Lysander's skin had shifted. A luxurious head of long, blonde hair fell from her head to her lower back as her deep, yellow eyes became two icy blue orbs. Cosmo was astonished as Molniya's scales faded away under the presence of Lileth's spell. Now, the lizardwoman had pale skin, peppered with white scars and dark bruises from battle. Cosmo was in such a state of bewilderment that he did not even notice when his transformation had taken place.
Looking down at his hands and body, his appearance was not unlike Lysander's. His hands and arms had become more muscular and his chest was noticeably larger. Cosmo's shoulders had broadened and he could even see out of the corner of his eye that his previously curly, dark brown hair had become straight and blonde and now rested at his shoulders. Lileth had also switched to the Trovvish appearance she had displayed earlier. She was smiling from ear to ear.
"There you are." Lileth said, after their transformations had taken place. "For a day, we are a Trovvish family of merchants, visiting Cors on our way to Priddel. We've taken such a vast detour in order to bring unenchanted armor from Halverwedge to a runic mage here." She weaved the lies together as though she had been practicing her whole life. Cosmo didn't doubt that to be true.
"Blast it, shifter!" Molniya exclaimed as she looked down at her body, clearly upset by the stark difference. "Would it really have been that hard to keep the scales?" She made a sickened expression as she rubbed her arms.
"If you wish for someone to blame, look no further than your friend Elias." Lileth laughed, clearly ecstatic from the results of her spell. "His wish to abstain from my magic fueled the very inspiration for this image." She looked at the four of them, Cosmo, Lysander, and Molniya completely unrecognizable. "Isn't this just uncanny?" The girl stretched and leaned back against the boat, still grinning.
"A bit too much for my tastes." Molniya grimaced as she attempted to focus on anything other than her new appearance. Lysander, despite having transformed entirely, was still just as inquisitive as ever.
"This has got to be the strangest thing I've ever experienced." He muttered to himself in awe as he raised his arms up in front of himself and studied them in disbelief. "It is as though I am looking through the eyes of another person." He turned to Lileth. "Does my original body still exist?"
"As far as I am aware, yes." She answered. "Despite the fact that Molniya indeed appears to be a human, her skin will still be as hard as the scales that once adorned her body." The lizardwoman smiled as she found that she could still carve lines into the side of the wooden boat with her claws hidden underneath the illusion.
Several moments passed on the quiet boat as it sailed through the murky gray waters, pushing the thick layer of dark green algae to either side as the bow sliced through the water. Eventually, Cosmo worked up the nerve to move to the front of the boat, claiming that two sources of heat to clear the fog would be best for navigation. In reality, he was dying to ask Molniya a question that had been on his mind for some time now.
"Lileth is the second person I've heard talk about creating her own spell." Cosmo spoke in a low voice, getting the attention of Molniya and no one else. "You were the first. How does one go about doing it?" He looked at her new form, still able to see her sly and intelligent face underneath.
"I could only imagine you'd get jealous of a superior magic user's ability eventually." She smirked, her pale lips curling into an impish smile. Before Cosmo could form a rebuttal, she continued. "Creating a spell is a dangerous and complicated feat that has frequently caused the death of many magic users."
"Why is it so dangerous? Where did you even begin?" He asked, intrigued by Molniya's warning.
"The answer to both of your questions is the same: creating a unique spell requires a thorough understanding of one of the Ancient Languages. One cannot simply understand the words of a long-extinct civilization buried under centuries of war. To create a spell, interpretation of an Ancient Language is required, and interpretation comes with uncertainty. Uncertainty almost always brings with it an omen of death." She explained, her expression morose.
"Hold on." Cosmo held up his hand as confusion contorted his face. "One of the Ancient Languages? I believed there to only be one to begin with."
"What you're referring to is the oldest of all of the Ancient Languages, which is theorized to have been spoken by everyone in Felwyn at some point, long before the Celestial Pillar was driven into the earth. Most people who haven't journeyed across Felwyn or created their own spell are unaware of the difference between that tongue and the other four languages, but understanding how each differs from one another is crucial in the process." Molniya spoke clearly, but Cosmo found it difficult to focus on the subject, his eyes drifting to the endless fog and the flickering of the flame reflected in her eyes.
"That would explain why Athro never informed me of them." He responded, finally. "She never really struck me as the well-travelled type."
"Or, most likely, she deemed it too advanced material for you." She laughed as Cosmo rolled his eyes. "Putting it simply, there are five ancient languages commonly known in Felywn: Vyosko, Nahk-yol, Cymraeg, Duethe, and the Eldest Language, often referred to as the Ancient Language by those who are not familiar with the concept. Each region of Felwyn has their own common ancient language, one of which I believe you've already heard of."
"Vyosko." Cosmo confirmed, receiving a nod from Molniya.
"Exactly. So, the reason I was capable of creating my own spell was due to my partial fluency in it." She explained.
"All that is required for a feat so powerful is knowledge of a language?" Cosmo asked. If he could somehow learn one of the ancient languages, he would be capable of creating a spell that could locate the Divine Prisms for him. His mind buzzed with ideas.
"Unfortunately, no." Molniya answered. Cosmo frowned. "In total, about two month's time is required to create one's own spell. Only about half of that time is spent on research in order to ensure proper grammar and context. The rest is for practice with the incantation. No matter how fluent or knowledgeable someone is, it would require power like that of a god in order to master the effects on the first casting. Even after twenty attempts, it is unlikely you will be able to perform it successfully. Sometimes, your interpretation of the ancient language will be off by the slightest margin and you will have to return to square one."
"I see." Cosmo sighed. "So many months shall pass before a unique spell is within my grasp." Molniya smiled softly.
"Protect Felwyn from the pig that sits on our throne first." She said, after a long pause. "Then I will teach you to the best of my ability."
"You make that sound easy." Cosmo smiled and shook his head, looking at the warped wood below him.
"It is only natural that it will be easy, right?" He looked at Molniya in confusion, still bewildered by her incredibly realistic human appearance. "I am by your side, am I not?"