2412 Strilaxis 30, Jyda
Reeca swore loudly when she caught Nyxis checking his reflection on the dwarven knife for the third time. "You are going to shatter that with your face," Reeca's hand swept over the knife and soon, it was stashed with the rest of her weapons stuck to her belt.
Nyxis frowned. "Come on," he splayed his fingers and waved them at Reeca's face. "What are we even doing here? I am bored."
Reeca massaged her forehead with a sigh. "Find something else to do!" she hissed. "You would draw attention with this kind of knife especially when we are in Rabante. These people are blacksmiths. They would know and they would ask questions."
Reeca drew closer to Nyxis and jabbed a finger against the rough wooden table. "You do not want people asking questions," she narrowed her eyes before glancing at the slew of drunk shard fairies drinking the afternoon away. Why did she even agree to meet Rhys here?
Nyxis scratched his head, drawing Reeca's attention back to him. "Earlier, you said I cannot catalog my ingredients because it would draw attention. Now I could not even fix my hair with the knife because it would draw attention," Nyxis grinned knowingly. "Are you implying that everything I do has some sort of effect on the people around me? No one is even looking our way," he flicked his gaze around them as well. He shrugged and smoothed his hair off his forehead. "I know I am handsome and all, but I know how to disappear and blend in."
Reeca blinked. This little—no. Just...no. She rubbed her face, tamping the growing scream in her throat. "Just sit tight," she crossed her arms. She's not hearing anything more. "Look at some flowers or something."
Nyxis sighed and straightened on his seat. Reeca leaned back into hers from across the table. Rabante's fresh air tousled their hair, shaking the canopies shading this tavern from both the sun and from the prying eyes from shard fairies from the Upper Cities. Reeca inhaled and closed her eyes. At least Helinfirth had fresh air compared to the thick fog that was Carleon's ambience. It's...a nice change, for once.
Not too windy and not too sunny. This was the perfect weather for flying. Reeca glanced back at the bandaged mess of her wings behind her. Flying was out of the list, then. She heaved a heavy breath and looked at Nyxis who now pored at his nails, his foot tapping against the tavern's floor made of forest dirt. At least the human agreed to remove the stark white bandages and let her wings hang out in the open, passing for a healthy, colorful pair.
Reeca didn't need another thing to lie to Rhys about.
Nyxis had moved from his nails to watching the pale green grass blades growing on the forest floor with unmasked, eerie interest. Reeca sighed. If she hadn't bumped into him two days ago on his way back to Carleon, she wouldn't have known that her wings would need another week more before being back to their full functionality.
"Xanthy told me to move on so I was just dropping by Gulstead to pick something up," Nyxis had told Reeca. "But then, you need me to attend to your wings since I do not see Xanthy anywhere."
Reeca had agreed. She had no idea how to apply the ointment on herself. So...a week it was. A week more of Nyxis's raving about perfection and all that. Back at the present, Reeca tousled her short hair. Nyxis wasn't a bad person—far from it. He was able to adapt well in any situation and fought well, if not even professionally. What irked Reeca was how he managed to insert himself in any conversation that always got back to his perfection and his face.
It was amusing at first but Reeca wasn't amused now. Just a week more and then she could be rid of his perfect rear.
"What are we doing here, really?" Nyxis slipped off his stool to crouch and examine the grass. Okay. Fine. Nyxis wasn't ever going to listen to Reeca. "I am pretty sure we are not here for cups of luuro."
Reeca's stomach turned at the mention of the Helinfirth sweet delicacy. Damn, she wanted one. "We are waiting for someone," Reeca said instead. "When he arrives, kindly step outside and wait there," she extended a finger to his face before he could open his mouth. "No questions."
Nyxis shrugged then turned back to the grass. Reeca sighed and scanned the place, past the chattering shard fairies with their light-toned hair, pale complexions, and simple clothes. Wood surrounded them, from ceilings to the planks supporting the roof, and even the walls. Reeca frowned. This would easily burn down.
A wooden door stood at the far corner of the room, a little too far from Reeca's table as she would have liked. It would be tricky to escape through that. The windows that peppered the walls in equal intervals were slated with glass. So, punching windows would be the best option for a quick getaway. Let her hope that it wasn't presora glass and would shatter upon impact.
The counter rimmed the room that would allow the people behind it from going anywhere they wanted, eavesdropping on any conversation they could. Reeca pursed her lips. Why would Rhys request to meet in a place like this? It was noisy with far too many people around.
Why Helinfirth or Rabantee, of all places?
Reeca's hand disappeared inside her armor and her fingers brushed the maximizer. Her mind flared with the memory of how she got it in the first place. Cyrdel had been preparing to go back to Depandes when Reeca cornered him. Thankfully, that Ravalee girl wasn't around.
"I just got it back," the Alkaran prince had said, staring into her eyes through his bronze-rimmed spectacles. "What makes you think I'll give it to you?"
Reeca had crossed her arms. Cyrdel didn't back down when she confronted him unlike everyone else she had. He had been through some stuff, then. "You'll be helping a cause that will save the island and probably your life," Reeca shifted her weight to one foot.
Cyrdel had scratched his head with a scoff. "Save the island?" he had inclined his head at Reeca. "You can do that?"
Reeca's fists clenched at her sides. "I intend to," she replied quietly.
Cyrdel had shaken his head. "I'm not sure I'll be able to follow," he had braced his hips with his hands. "But what are you fighting for?"
Reeca had been taken aback by his question as she stepped back. So Cyrdel hadn't lost his sense inside his amber head even after the battle they had just been through. The words had died in her tongue. "Uh, I'm fighting for this world we live in," Reeca had blurted.
"You gotta be more specific than that," Cyrdel had said.
"Um," Reeca knew why she had hesitated back then. She wasn't sure how much she should reveal about everything she knew. Rhys told her to persuade others to join their cause. He didn't tell her how. Sucks. "Uh..."
Cyrdel had gripped the maximizer tighter before stuffing it into his pocket. He turned away. "I thought so," he began walking away. No. Reeca had to get that device. "You aren't worthy of this until you can answer my question."
Reeca remembered her throat closing as desperation clawed at her senses. Her knuckles turned white when her nails dug into her palms. "I need it to figure out the thrones' location," she had admitted just to make Cyrdel stop in his tracks. Good. Reeca had rubbed her arms. "I don't know the mechanics of everything yet, but I know that I need your device. The fate of the island is at risk."
Cyrdel smiled and chucked the maximizer in the air. Reeca's heart leaped to her throat as her fingers closed around its cold metallic surface, sending a shock through her system. She...got it.
Cyrdel had chuckled then. Probably at seeing her expression as she stared at the maximizer in her hands. "Take care of that," the Alkaran prince had winked. "I hope that someday you'll be able to tell me the reason behind this. Do good with that until then."
Reeca had stood frozen in place, watching the prince walk away until soon, he was gone.
"You could use a smile or two," Nyxis's voice jarred Reeca back to the present. Her eyes snapped back to him to find him grinning at her. That did make her want to smile with him but she stopped herself. "Frowning makes you look older and uglier. Smile. Spread the positivity!"
Reeca rolled her eyes. Why would she smile like a lunatic when she's not even amused the slightest bit. "Positivity, my nose," she scoffed.
Nyxis laughed. A group of shard fairies from the nearby table looked at them. Reeca kicked Nyxis from under the table. He grimaced but at least he shut up.
The tavern dimmed a little when a figure clad in bark swung the door open and entered. Murmurs echoed in the air and followed the figure until he had taken a seat beside Reeca and crossed his arms from there. Reeca huffed. Way to stay discreet there, big brother.
Rhys lowered his hood to reveal a mop of dark orange hair and a pair of bright, amber eyes. His gaze immediately studied Reeca from head to toe. Reeca bit at her lip. Please, don't let him notice the problem with her wings.
"Hey, you rock that cloak thing," Nyxis interjected. Rhys's eyes hardened but Nyxis did take her brother's attention on Reeca.
Reeca slapped her forehead and turned to the human. "Nyxis? That is your cue to leave."
"Oh, right," Nyxis moved to stand up but Rhys reached out and dragged him back down to his seat. The human gurgled as his rear slapped his stool again.
"Really, Reeca?" Rhys's tone was amused as he raised an eyebrow in Reeca's direction. "Why would you send him away? Is that how you treat your friends?"
Reeca frowned, trying to cover the growing anxiety within her. "He's not my friend, Rhys," she snapped. She narrowed her eyes at her brother's hand, still closed around Nyxis's arm. "Let him go."
Rhys clicked his tongue—an obvious sound of disapproval. He turned to Nyxis. "Since you are speaking Ylanenla, I assume you are from Cardina?"
Nyxis nodded. "I am."
Rhys nodded slowly, the corners of his lips pulling down as he processed that information. "How did you meet my sister, then?" he inclined his head at the human.
Reeca's throat closed up. If Nyxis blabbed about her getting mixed up with the battle and getting herself injured, she would have no choice but to stick a sword through him on the spot. Instead, Nyxis looked up and tapped his chin.
"Uh, it was a really weird day, to be honest," Nyxis started. Rhys raised an eyebrow and leaned forward to rest his elbows on the table's rim. "I was helping Furloth—that is my father—and your sister and a bunch of her other friends popped up. Then, everything went kind of haywire from there with the Civil Guards and all," he chuckled a bit as if he found the memory amusing. "Then, we later have to move to the Temple of Magic and your sister and I helped around in the battle at the Palace," Nyxis knitted his eyebrows. " Then, we met the Heiress, which by the way, sounds so crazy, and then we defeated Cardovia. The end."
Reeca blinked. Was it really what happened? She shook her head lightly. Maybe they have had different memories. Rhys, oblivious of Reeca's inner turmoil, had his eyes trained on Nyxis the whole time. It was only then had Reeca noticed the human began squirming and Nyxis never squirmed.
Huh. Reeca should bring her brother more often to shut Nyxis up.
"Why are you here?" Rhys folded his hand atop the table.
Nyxis's eyes widened. "Oh, I was helping Reeca with her medications—"
Reeca stomped on his foot from under the table. From atop it, Nyxis winced. "Um, I mean I was giving her some sleeping draught—" A kick. "Ow! As a friend."
Rhys raised an eyebrow. "You seem nice, going all the way from Cardina to Rabante for a potion. Tell me," Rhys leaned closer to Nyxis before dropping his tone. "Do you fancy my sister?"
Reeca kicked her brother under the table. He didn't budge. Curse that shin protector he weaved. Nyxis coughed into his fist and shook his head rather violently. "No. Not at all! Besides, I am way too perfect for a romantic partner. I am fine by myself!" he swept his fingers towards Rhys. "You can have your sister all to your cool self."
Nyxis smiled his winning grin. Rhys's eyes flashed with amusement. Great. Now even Rhys was enchanted by Nyxis. Reeca crossed her arms and leaned back into her seat. Nyxis had that irresistible charm that people liked. That or Rhys was just humoring the human so her brother could stick a knife at Nyxis's back with no hard feelings.
Reeca cleared her throat, gaining back the attention from the both of them. "If Nyxis is going to stay here, then let us get to the point," she drummed her fingers on the table as she turned to Rhys. "What have you found to have called me suddenly?"
Nyxis pursed his lips as Rhys swung a pouch onto the table and dumped its contents. Pieces of small, glinting rocks formed an unlikely mountain on the table. Their bright blue color contrasted against the table's dark brown surface.
Reeca picked one crystal up and knitted her eyebrows at the cold that started seeping into her skin. "Are these...?"
"Ice crystals," Rhys nodded. A goofy grin spread from his lips. "I found them near the border between Penleth and Carleon."
Nyxis sorted through the pile and poked at the crystals before glancing at his hands. "This is insane," his eyes widened and he turned to Rhys. "Ice Sprites died off eight hundred years ago. There is no way they would resurface again."
Rhys chuckled. "Tell that to the Arbotro."
Reeca raised her eyebrows. The Arbotro Fentimanis was nothing but a legend, a myth. Legends told of a tree that was responsible for the birth of fairies. The Arbotro was said to be the one giving fairies their synnavaimis and deciding their fates. That's crap, if Reeca's opinion would be procured. There's a reason why it was a thing of the legends. They each write their own fates. Who would want to have their destiny subject to a tree?
Nyxis seemed to understand as well. He shoved his hand in his hair and tousled it without actually making a mess out of it. "So, how would you explain the crystals then?"
Rhys picked a stone from the pile and turned it with his fingers. "It is either the Arbotro resurrected them," he leaned closer as if sharing a secret. "Or they were never really gone."
"That is not the craziest thing I heard in my entire life," Nyxis leaned back against his chair which squeaked lightly. He inclined his head at Rhys. "Still, I was certain the rest of the Elemental Sprites drove them into extinction in a rather sordid method."
Reeca nodded with understanding. Everyone knew of the Sprites' guilt in destroying a race akin theirs. The Ice Sprite Genocide was almost concurrent to when Humans were waging war with the Fairies. The Elemental Sprites had always been distrustful of the Ice Sprites so it didn't take long for them to start pinning the cause of the war to their kin.
In the height of the Human-Fairy war, the soldiers were in need of entertainment and the Elemental Sprites came up with the idea of using Ice Sprites. The Sprites would put two Ice Sprites together in and would force them to kill the other while the audience roared with delight.
It was the darkest days of their history and no matter how Reeca justified it, she found herself just as disgusted with the Sprites as everyone else. One could tell why the current High Queen has little to no support from the other kingdoms. Most races still thought of the Sprites as deranged murderers. It's the one thing they never could atone for.
Before the war ended, the Ice Sprites vanished like they never existed at all. Most people thought it was because the Elemental Sprites drove them into extinction. Everyone believed that theory except those who believed there was something more to this story.
Reeca regarded the crystals gathered at the table then her brother, Rhys. Despite the heat in Penleth and the time spent traveling from there to Rabante, the ice didn't melt. Reeca narrowed her eyes at the crystals. Even now at room temperature, the crystals weren't watery. The table remained dry.
According to witnesses, Ice Sprites could create, manipulate, and destroy ice connected to their synnavaim. The ice would not melt if the ice sprite hadn't willed it to. There was no denying what lay in front of her anymore.
Reeca leaned against the table and cocked her head at her brother. "So what if you have found evidence of their existence? You do not want this to reach Imperial ears or else history would repeat itself."
"I do not want to gain profit, if that is what you are implying," Rhys shook his head. "Imagine—if we managed to confer with them, they could be a useful ally."
"Hold on," Nyxis waved his hands before bracing his thighs as he leaned closer. "Ally for what? Are you working for Synketros too?"
Rhys frowned at the mention of the magical organization as he turned towards Nyxis. "What makes you think we work for those rascals?"
Nyxis swallowed, his throat bobbing for Reeca to see. "So you are not, then?" Nyxis scratched his head. His voice was small. Then, he knitted his eyebrows. "Who are you working for, then?"
Reeca widened her eyes, trying to catch Rhys's eye to send a quiet message of caution. Despite everything they went through, Reeca still wasn't sure if Nyxis was to be trusted with the core of her motives. She clenched her fists when Rhys nodded.
"We are working for ourselves," Rhys gathered the crystals back to his pouch.
Nyxis hummed "You are not deceiving me, mister," he grinned at Rhys, his green eyes flashing with something that looked like amusement and curiosity. "You got your mission, your ideals somewhere."
Reeca frowned. "How do we know we could trust you?"
Nyxis chuckled. He seemed relaxed even when these questions were being aimed against him. "You need me as much as I need you," he crossed his arms atop his chest and crossed his legs. Why was he so calm?
The human examined his nails. "I know things you cannot even begin to imagine and you cannot have that until you trust me." He inclined his head as a lazy smile creeped out of his lips. "Information is power, sweetheart."
He winked and Reeca's blood rushed to her face. Oh, stop it. Rhys cleared his throat, flicking a gaze in her direction. She shook her head. "Fine," Reeca exhaled through her mouth. "We did get it somewhere."
Rhys pressed a hand to his armor and blue light flickered as he weaved through it. "How much do you know about Reeca and I?" he glanced at Nyxis from his periphery as he stashed the pouch back into his armor.
Nyxis pursed his lips. "Not much."
Rhys told him the story. Reeca watched Nyxis's eyebrows creep higher and higher as Rhys recounted how he wrecked the throne room and got themselves exiled up until the time they met the robed woman.
""We do not know who or what she is," Reeca stepped inside the conversation because it was the one thing she remembered clearly. "All we know is that she showed up with her strange lantern and told us that the secrets we yearn for are not for us to know about," Reeca knitted her eyebrows and tapped her chin. "She seemed to know who we were and what happened with us judging by how she talked. Then, she told us something that set us on this path years after."
Rhys put his hands together atop the table, his amber eyes dim in the sunlight. He faced Nyxis. "She told us that we are destined to be the island's savior," he didn't react when Nyxis's eyes widened. Rhys put his hand to his chest. "Not the Virtakios, but us."