The morning brought a gentle chill, stirring me awake. Oda was asleep next to me as Sivero sat with a campfire, facing the lake. The Kenku cocked his eyes as he scanned the water surface, analyzing each flop of a fish or random swell of bubbles.
"Those kappa are nothing to snuff, huh?" I teased, patting Sivero on the shoulder and made the geezer jump in the air, "If I focus my attention on the water, something is telling that they're staring right back at you from behind that cluster of cattails."
Between the cattail stems, a round, yellow bowl lined with green hairs popped out of the water. I could faintly make out its red eyes peering from just below the water. When I looked directly in its eyes, the kappa quickly ducked its head and swam behind its nearby friends.
"I don't think you'll have to worry about those guys again, Siv," I laughed.
"Kappa aren't much to worry about when you're on land," Oda yawned as he joined us at the fire, "They're only a problem when catch you with your pants down in the water."
During his shift of watch duty, Sivero had gather some apples. He saved each of us one to eat, having placed the rest of his bounty in a warm, apple-based tea. We watched the campfire flicker until it died out and packed up our things. As we began walking away, the kappa followed us from the lake and nearly stood at the edge as we left their territory.
Artemis' Bow glowed brightly as we continued our western-bound path, the crunching of autumn leaves being the only sound to break up the gusty breeze and occasional bird calls. We reached a small path stamped with the hooves of horses and began to follow the trail until we reached a fork in the road.
Between the two pathways was a thin, rickety wooden sign that read "Vardurr" down the right path and "Ashfall" down the left. Before we could continue, I had to wrap my crossbow in its cloth and sling back over my back. I put my cloak back on, slinging the hood over my head once again.
"Sivero, have you ever been to Vardurr?" Oda asked as we trotted down the road.
Sivero shook his head and shrugged his shoulders.
"Going in blind has gotten us this far, I guess," I sighed with a slight chuckle.
"It's also broken your ribs and you've nearly drowned twice now," Oda complained, "Poor Sivero nearly got ate by giant snake."
"And we're still here," I reminded him cheekily.
The occasional homestead began cropping up, clearing out some of the trees and giving us a better view of the cloudy, grey sky. Long, log fences began lining the path with more frequency as we neared Vardurr.
Standing loftily in the grey sky was a black tower, covered in ropes and topped with an unfinished roof. The dirt path beneath us morphed into stone and I could see a short city wall at the end of the road.
"I should probably try to blend in," Oda stated as he looked around to ensure we were alone, hiding behind a nearby tree to be certain.
When Oda walked back around the tree, he had taken his dark elf form. To better fit into his armor, he had made himself slightly taller as a dark elf.
"If anyone asks, I'll admit to be being half-tiefling" Oda shrugged, as I looked up at him confused.
With one final fitting, we walked towards the city wall. The bustling streets were filled with fast-paced workers all looking to get back to their job. This stone-clad city was lit by the faint glow of purple, stained glass street lamps. The roofs featured rounded tiling with curved ridges that featured a variety of thin statues at each corner. Some of the statues were fish, while others looked like the kappa we had seen at the lake.
We walked through Vardurr without turning a single head. Although the majority of residents seemed to be dark elves, there was the occasional satyr or haregon. Out of the three of us, it was me so seemed the most out of place. Despite standing out so much, I couldn't feel anyone's eyes on me.
The citizens all seemed like they were in their own, little world. Keeping pace with those around us meant nearly running, allowing us to quickly reach the castle towards the back of town. As we had been walking through town, I thought it was odd that we couldn't make out the castle sooner until we arrived.
Although the tower of the castle stood high above town, the rest of the castle was barely built up. The three of us watched as workers hoisted large panes of colorful glass into their final resting place in the unfinished walls.
"Ahem..." a gruff voice coughed from behind us.
Oda, Sivero, and I whipped around to see an old haregon in an official looking waistcoat and trousers. His eyes were red and cloudy, but he still squinted in attempt to get a look at us. Our eyes met for a moment, his confusion briefly crossing my mind.
Unlike the other haregon from town, this rabbit-like had lopped ears that were dark brown at the ends and faded into a smokey brown. His flat face was the same shade of dark brown and faded into the rest of his smokey brown body.
"Preparations to Count Takuya's new castle are still underway," the haregon explained, "Has news of the castle traveled far?"
"Not to our knowledge, sadly," I admitted, "We were actually looking speaking the Count of Vardurr about some concerning matters."
"Concerning matters?" the haregon gasped, "On what authority?"
"On the authority of the Marquess and Marchioness of Lorshire," I announced firmly.
"I shall inform the Count of this at once, if you don't mind waiting here for my return" the haregon assured us, "As Courtier of Vardurr, I will ensure he gets this message."
The Courtier ran off swiftly, dodging the crowd. We turned our attention back to the castle that was building in front of us. Some of the workers had taken note of us since the Courtier spoke with us, seemingly taking their best guesses as to why we were here.
"The Count has requested your appearances... at the local bar..." the Courtier sighed as he walked up, "Please follow me closely."
The haregon slowed his natural walking speed, allowing us to stay directly behind him as we weaved from the street. We were stopped at the entrance of large, wooden and plaster building. The top half of the front wall was lined with wooden, slat windows, allowing the music and merriment inside to be heard in the street.
The Courtier led us in and shut the sliding door behind us. Tatami mats lined the sides of the bar, sectioned off by heavily embellished paper walls. Along the very edge of the room was flowing water filled with water plants and the occasional koi.
At the back of the bar, we could make out a stage where a dark elf playing a biwa sang of the tales of fallen soldiers. His rough, rattling voice overpowering all of the conversations going on loudly in the background.
The Courtier stopped suddenly at the last sectioned room on the right, where a dark elf in gold and blue hakama sat around a round, blanketed table. There were cushions sat all around the table, but the Count of Vardurr sat alone.
The Count was an older dark elf, but he was still noticeably younger than my father. His blue eyes sat atop a long, grey face. His long hair was pulled back and head in place by a thin, silver crown.
"Jorah, you didn't tell me that the Marquess' courier was stunning," the Count swooned, "Lord Takuya of Vardurr, at your service."
"Our Lady is already seeing some of her uncle's approval," Oda nearly spat.
"Oh, she is, big guy?" Takuya laughed, "You've got quite the brute of a dark elf following you around, huh?"
"Sir Oda is skilled adventurer who has been invaluable during my journey," I replied, smiling warmly at Oda.
"Oh, I see... A knight by title..." Takuya snuffed, "Please have seat, my lady."
I sat down, as Oda and Sivero did. Before Oda or Sivero could fully sit down, they was tapped on the shoulder by Jorah, who brought them back up to a standing position. Jorah then silently took his place behind Takuya, Sivero and Oda following his example.
"You must be quite friendly with your staff in Lorshire," Takuya commented, "I apologize, but here in Vardurr, you may find things operate a bit differently."
"As guests, we shall strive to abide by your rules and I apologize for the confusion or any unintentional disrespect," I fluffed further, remembering the old rules of royal conversations, "We came to warn you of an upcoming problem that will affect Vardurr and all the other strongholds of Orah."
"If this is about the Count of Nohr's child, I regret to inform you that I have already spoken to one of your men and simply don't have the resources to allocate to finding her or some cursed weapon," the Count cut me off, frustratedly looking me in the eyes.
Thoughts filled with apathy crossed my mind before I looked back down at the table, formulating my next move.
"You don't seem to like the Count of Nohr," I stated knowingly.
"My attention is focused towards better things is the way I would phrase," Takuya laughed, "That is still quite the bold claim to make about the royal... family, I guess. Where is this coming from, um... I haven't gotten your name."
"I am the one who knows how the actions of Count Vincent will plague this land with their consequences," I stated firmly.
"Oh, the Marquess sent a fortune teller... He must be getting old..." the Count sneered, looking me up and down, "At least he sent a pretty one..."
I looked Count Takuya in his apprehensive eyes, staring down deeply into his mind as I could. As I scrapped through his memories, the biwa player began singing a song familiar to Takuya. He thought about a young wood elf that had once shared a dance with him to that very song. He confusion by my staring was getting overwhelmed by the memory of the wood elf's face.
"What was her name?" I questioned him.
"I'm sorry. I was distracted. Did I miss something?" he returned my question.
"The wood elf that you dance with to this song," I added.
"W-what? Who are you?" the Count shouted.
"My lord, that's a variation of a divination spell referred to as a telepathic bond," Jorah announced calmly, "this fortune teller you scoff off seems to be a valuable member of Lord Laurent's court."
"Thank you, Jorah," I smiled warmly, resulting in a bow from the haregon, "Before I tell you who I am, I want to know what you think when I tell you that the Count of Nohr plans to betray the other strongholds of Orah and lay waste to your bloodline alongside the Orc King."
Jorah's blinded eyes nearly burst from their sockets when I made that announcement, swiftly running to survey the bar of its inhabitants. The Count of Vardurr sat there in silence, nervously stroking the sides of his face.
"I'm not ready for a war... Not with the Orc King, not with Vincent..." Count Takuya mumbled anxiously, "Brute, call for the bartender to serve us his oldest bottle."
Oda rolled his eyes and walked over to bar, announcing the Count's order. He came back and stood behind me, silently boiling with rage.
"No one stronghold in all of Orah is strong enough to hold off the Orc King's army, which is why I am going to every city to propose an united army, like in the days of Lord Titus," I explained.
"I don't know who you are, but you're foolish to believe that any of the elder royals will submit to a single leader," Takuya jeered, "Not even I like having to follow someone else's lead. That's why I left my father's precious Ashfall to expand Vardurr."
The barkeep walked in with fresh cups and a tall bottle, filling each of our cups to the brim before leaving the bottle in the trusted hands of Jorah. Takuya slammed his drink back and then ordered another drink from his courtier.
"You sound like a jaded son..." I fleered, taking a small sip of my drink, "I may know a thing or two about that."
"Oh, your father is a tyrannical, old geezer who doesn't know his..." Takuya slurred.
"Count Takuya! You know that you shouldn't speak of your father that way," Jorah scolded before leaning in towards Takuya's ear, "at least, not in public... Please..."
"Yes, Lord Takuya, I do know a thing about that feeling," I grinned, "My father is selling out my entire country to the Orc King and hunting me down like I'm the problem."
"Lady Arlo..." Jorah whispered in shock.
"That means you have the legendary crossbow!" Takuya nearly shouted, "Let me see it!"
"I don't here and now is the time for that," I scolded the Count, "and it would help if you were bit quieter about our affairs."
"I just want to see if I can hold it," the Count pleaded.
"And potentially crumble to dust?" I tried to persuade him otherwise.
"What? Are you assuming I'm weak, little Viscountess?" Takuya began yelling.
"My lord, I believe the Viscountess is looking out for your best interests," Jorah added, trying to keep Takuya from touching the crossbow.
"I'm the Lord of this land, Jorah," Takuya hissed, "I don't need my courtier making a servant out of me."
I looked back to check on Oda, who was glaring right through Takuya before noticing my glance. He looked me dead in the eyes and the thought of letting the Count of Vardurr try his luck crossed both of our minds.
"If we win the war against the Orc King, I will let you hold the Artemis' Bow," I offered, "If Artemis wills it, I will even give you his crossbow."
"Oh, really?" the drunken royal smiled, "I think that's a term I can agree to, at least, in part."
"What is your other condition?" I questioned.
"I need a bride," the Count smiled drunkenly, "And you're not half bad for a high elf."
Sivero watched Oda with a close eye, begging him not act out. The Count looked up at Oda and laughed, taking the bottle from Jorah's hands and pouring himself a drink before shoving the bottle back into his hand.
"I am not interested in your marriage proposal, Count," I rolled my eyes.
"This how deals are made in the royal family, my dear," he snickered, "No marriage, no alliance."
"Why would go for such low-hanging fruit, Takuya?" I mocked, "Don't you deserve a bride worth of your affection? I eat among my servants, even going as far as to pour their drinks and cook their food."
A disgusted look washed over Takuya's face, looking back at Oda with malice. He stared me down, weighing the positives and negatives of having the Count of Nohr as his father-in-law.
"Sure, you could lower yourself to my standards," I paused, "Or I could speak with the gods and find a woman more valuable than all the money in Nohr... Which isn't as much as your hoping. Actually, I'm rather poor."
Jorah rolled his eyes, seemingly catching on to what I was doing. He knowingly nodded in my direction, silently giving me his approval. An eager Takuya looked at Jorah, with a hopeful look in his eyes.
"Speak with your gods!" Takuya braced his side of the table, keeping himself from jumping to the other side.
Before I could say another word, Artemis was taking a seat at our table and pointed to my cup. I pushed the cup over to him, allowing him to take a drink. Jorah and Takuya stared in awe as the cup met Artemis' lips.
"Do you know where the woman Takuya wants to marry is?" I asked aloud.
"Yes," Artemis answered before pointing to Jorah.
"He knows where your bride is, but requests another drink," I announced.
Jorah poured out the last bit of the bottle, bowing as he walked back behind the Count.
"Tuli," Artemis spoke softly.
"Tuli?!" I nearly yelled, resulting in a shocked look from Oda.
"You know her name?" the Count gasped.
"She lives with the Marquess of Lorshire," I told him.
"I have to leave at once!" Takuya stated, "Jorah, gather my men. We're heading to Lorshire at once!"
Takuya nearly left the room before Oda stopped him at the entrance of the room, with arms crossed firmly.
"Confirm with me that we will have your support if Tuli is where I say she is," I ordered.
"If I have Tuli, then you can have whatever you want..." he scoffed, attempting to shove Oda without any success, "Can you please move your brute?"
"I'm going to tell Tuli that you called me brute and were incredibly disrespectful of the Viscountess personally if you don't stop acting like a royal brat," Oda threatened, "She liked me a whole lot, too, buddy..."
"How dare you speak to me this way!" the Count growled.
"You may not like how Sir Oda is speaking to you, but there is no amount of money or success that will make Tuli love you if she sees you acting this way," I warned him, "Between here and Lorshire, you need to learn respect for your people."
The Count of Vardurr looked over at Jorah, who was nodding vigorously in agreement. Takuya sighed and swallowed his spit as straightened out his back. Without saying a word, Takuya bowed sightly and looked back up at Oda.
"My lord, I believe the something along the lines of 'I apologize for my actions' should be uttered following your bow," Jorah advised, adding anguish to Takuya's eyes.
"I'm not even the person you need to apologize to the most," Oda added, "I believe that honor belongs to your Courtier, if you treat him like this day in and day out... And to the Viscountess who has traveled so far to save your skin..."
"I apologize for my actions, Lady Arlo" Takuya said slowly, bowing even lower this time, "And I'm sorry... Jorah... You've been an excellent servant."
"Tuli is going to straighten him out over an anvil," I joked with Oda and Sivero, who vigorously nodded in agreement.
Before anymore could be said, an embarrassed Takuya nearly ran out of the bar to go gather his men himself. Jorah watched as Takuya ran off, finally relaxing his body out of the stiff position we had seen since first meeting him.
"He's been a drunken mess since his father forbade him from marrying that wood elf girl, all those years ago. I really do hope this sets him on the right path, for the sake of our city," Jorah whispered, "For what you've done, ask of me anything and I will see to it that your needs are met."
"Do you know much of Bastian's other children?" I asked.
"Daisuke is in Ashfall with his father, as the next heir to Lord Bastian's throne... And as for Shintaro, he went even further west to the Sorpyrian Coast to found his own city," Jorah informed us.
"How do you think I should handle negotiations with them?" I explored the topic further, resulting in Jorah leaning in closely.
"Each sibling has their vice," he explained plainly, "For Takuya, it's always been women. For Daisuke, its power. Shintaro is known for his love of... um... fairy powder..."
"Fairy powder?" I repeated for clarity.
"You know... umm... the substance excreted by fairies when they fly around..." Jorah mumbled, praying nobody heard him talk about such a thing, "In large amounts, it's very potent... Well, I must be off for now. I'll be praying for your good fortune, Viscountess."
Jorah scurried off to the find Takuya, disappearing into the crowd as soon as he left the bar. We ordered some food before heading off to Ashfall, allowing me to mentally prepare myself for meeting Lord Bastian.