You guys, I'm so shook, I want to write the Malvar wedding SO BAD, but I have it planned for later but just... AGHHHHHHHHH
This is, like, such a mood for my writing. Like I just really want to write specific scenes and characters and stuff, but then I have to write out everything in the middle! Talk to ANY writer, and they will sympathize.
F it, I'm writing the wedding now and then I can add it in when I have it planned. Fite me.
Anyway, don't mind my bitching, things are slowly going to pick up steam! Things are already going crazy!
Also, there is no official Elven city that Foxfire is located in that I can find, but it is located in Eternalia in this story!
CUE MUSIC LATER
Biana watched as Lilac practically bounced off the furniture.
"Why are you so excited, your sister was just sent off on a deadly secret mission, and there are armies marching-"
"One saying that runs in my family is to enjoy what you have while you have it, even as it may be small. And I am just enjoying it right now! Oh, Lia already owes me my own Minyama, but after this? She is gonna have to get me my own pony!"Lilac rambled.
"Wait; what? What did you learn?" Keefe asked, still dealing with the scratchy feed as he still patched through their imparters.
"Lia and Ruy-"
A weak knock sounded from the other side of their door, and Biana and Keefe went stiff. So many times, Ruy nearly killed them during the Neverseen, and here they were, about to discuss life-altering information with him. Lilac smacked her hand over her mouth and walked over to the door, slowly cracking it open as she popped her head out.
"Hi!" Lilac said sweetly.
"Didn't your sister just swear you to secrecy?" A deep male voice sounded from the other side of the door.
"Yeah well, I'm excited-"
"Lilac?"
"Yes, Ruy?" Lilac answered in a sing-song voice.
"Shut up." He snapped. Lilac rolled her eyes and opened the door to let him in, and Biana was ready to start chewing him out.
But the words never left Biana's tongue.
A tall man walked in, maybe only a tad older than Sophie. He had deep tan skin with windswept black hair, his deep azure eyes sometimes glinting violet in the light. He was exceptionally well built due to his training and his job profession. He wore a loose white shirt with a dark blue jerkin over the top. Dark pants complimented by tan brown boots, all of it modest, and yet the simplicity only helped his natural handsomeness more. He had a sharp jaw with a high brow; his eyebrows nervously pressed down as he met the eyes of Keefe and Biana.
Biana gave up on trying to scold him, and instead, she just squeaked at the sight of him. Keefe notice Biana turn still and rolled his eyes.
"Sit down." Keefe sighed. Ruy didn't say a thing as he sat down in the cushy couches, still not saying a word and just awkwardly looking between them. The Imparter feed finally cleared up, and Alexios's face flickered onto the screen.
"Hey, we found out some massive stuff over here, and we finally have a plan- is Amalia with you?" Alexios asked.
"No, but..." Keefe sighed as he turned the imparter onto Ruy, who awkwardly waved.
"RUY! Hey buddy, are you doing okay? Where have you been? Is Lia okay-"
"She is fine, man, doing a quick mission. I'll tell you about it later. What is it that you guys found out?" Ruy asked, leaning forward. Alexios explained the various homing devices Dex found all across Inalia and in the guildhall, the fact that Vespera had no idea the attack was happening right now, and how the other Vatarian leaders might be in dangers of the same honing devices. By the end of it, Ruy had his hands running through his hair as he processed the information, Lilac sat deadly quiet with her hands balled in her lap, and Keefe and Biana turned to one another.
"We have already alarmed the other Vatarian leaders. They are combing through their cities for any devices the Neverseen may have left behind, but Ruy, we don't have time for that. We have alarmed the Senate of our findings, but they don't seem to fully believe that the Neverseen are days away from finding Inalia." Alexios explained.
"Of course, they don't..." Ruy mumbled.
"There's more-"
"Of course there is," Keefe coughed.
"The Army is moving." Alexios sighed.
"What?!" Ruy asked, jumping up.
"They are beginning their final approach on Eternia. The Elven council has declared that all residents living on the outer reaches of the city are to move to the inner core of the city. And I think you all know what is in the middle of Eternalia."
"Foxfire," Biana breathed.
"Exactly. The Council is using the school as a safe house for all the citizens in Eternalia. The citizens are freaking out. The Council has tried retrieving reinforcements from the Ogres and Trolls, anybody, but for some reason, the crystals to Inalia aren't working. The elves are on their own with their pitiful fighting force."
"They don't stand a chance," Ruy whimpered.
"The Assassins are already preparing. But there is no telling how this is going to go down. We are down two of our leaders, and, well, the Neverseen army is... huge. We have around 350 Assassins, and they have thousands of men. And while ours are better trained, and could probably take on about three at a time, it doesn't matter. Their numbers are massive."
"How much time is predicted before they attack?" Ruy asked.
"Dawn. Of tomorrow." Alexios shuddered. Biana whimpered, her hands flying to her mouth.
"And what of the Elves staying in Inalia?"
"We have decided they should be back with the Elves. Update everyone on where they have been and what they have learned." Alexios turned to Biana and Keefe, "Two of our inner circle Assassins are escorting your friends home now. We planned on having you in Inalia longer, but it is no secret that the Elves aren't exactly... built, for bloodshed and battle." Alexios explained. Biana wanted to counter it, but he was right. Elven minds simply couldn't comprehend the bloody mass of war or violence in general.
"Would you like us to return?" Biana asked.
"Not exactly. Fill me in, where have you guys been, it might be better to stay where you are. Ruy, what happened to you?!" Alexis asked, trying to get as much information as possible.
"You will not believe what the hell has been happening," Ruy pathetically chuckled. Ruy explained the Dunmer, Elrond the traitor, and Ruy's father. Alexios was wide-mouthed, his face slightly paled as Ruy dropped bombshell after bombshell.
"No. Way." Alexios breathed.
"You aren't the only one who has been busy." Ruy shrugged.
"And Lia is on a mission for your dad, the gods' damned King of the Dunmer, to hopefully find us some slimmer of a chance to win this thing and to reorder a Vatarian and Dunmer alliance?" Alexios questioned. Lilac was the only one who had the strength to nod her head.
"Gods," Alexios breathed.
"Screw this, I'm coming home," Ruy grumbled, standing up from his seat.
"Wait, Ruy, that isn't the best move."
"I don't care. My guild, my real family, is in trouble. I'm not going to sit on my ass-"
"Ruy, you are a Prince, with a deadly Dunmer army that could be at your disposal." Alexios cut in.
"W-What?" Ruy stuttered.
"Your father is the King, and I have heard legends of the Dunmer army. Maybe, just maybe, you could ask your father for reinforcements." Alexios proposed.
"That's ridiculous. I'm some half breed kid he had years ago, I just arrived here, and I'm going to just barge into his throne room and beg for his troops? That's insane!"
"Alexios could be on something you know," Keefe admitted.
"Not happening. I would have to get on my knees and beg, like I would ever do that, and I doubt he would give anything to me-"
"But he would if you have the support of his queen." A voice said sternly from behind them. All of them whipped their heads around, gaping at the tall woman at the door to the guest chambers. Her hair was a deep brown with red highlights speckling through the mass of delicate waves, all of it cropped at her shoulders. On her head sat a pair of ram horns that curled around the sides of her hair. On her forehead was a gleaming circlet of silver and gold, deep rubies and sapphires adorning it. Her skin was a deep brown, flecked with gold. On her back, she had a massive pair of feathered wings, shifting and following each one of her movements. The same woman that caught all of them when they first fell into the Dunmer cavern.
Queen Sarai
Ruy's stepmother.
Ruy looked at the queen with a cocked eyebrow, and she walked forward.
"Lives are at stake. And if you don't believe me when I say that I am doing this out of the kindness of my heart, think about it. The Dunmer allying next to the Assassins, protecting the innocent Elvin capital against the Neverseen. It seems like a pretty good way to make an impression on our potential Vatarian allies." The Queen explained, stepping forward.
"The Dunmer public won't be too happy if you send off your men and women to fight in a battle that isn't yours," Keefe noted, leaning forward.
"But they would be happy when they learn their King and Queen are making strives to re-ally with the Vatarians and hopefully, allow them to stretch their wings above ground one day."
Biana turned still, and she looked at the Queen with her teal eyes sparkled with curiosity.
"Is that why the former King sparked the war between the Vatarians and Dunmer? So the Dunmer could fly beyond the cavern?" Biana asked. The Queen nodded with sad eyes.
"Though we do not condone the former king's methods of trying to achieve it, we are a race of winged people, but we aren't allowed to take to the skies." The Queen admitted.
"Okay, I'm so confused on what's going on, can I get a little update over here? Is someone there? "Alexios asked through the imparter. Nobody answered his questions. Ruy looked blandly at the Queen, but his eyes flashed with something Biana couldn't quite place.
"You are my stepmother, then?" Ruy asked quietly though blandly.
The Queen nodded, gulping down her nervousness. Ruy didn't break eye contact with the Queen.
"Alexios, keep the Assassins ready. I'll see what I can do about those reinforcements." Ruy mumbled, his eyes never breaking Queen Sarai's.
"What, Ruy-" Ruy got up from the couch, messed up Lilac's hair as he silently walked over to the Queen, smiling at the young girl, and quickly striding out the door, the Queen rushing to keep up with him. Biana picked up Keefe's imparter.
"What do you need from us?" Biana asked.
"Try to get Lia on this battlefield as fast as possible. There isn't that much we can do anymore." Alexios mumbled. Alexios turned behind him to the Assassins rushing around, getting ready for the oncoming battle.
"Keep me updated, guys. Things are changing, and they are changing fast." Alexios sighed before he cut off the call, turning back to the chaos of the Guild. Biana and Keefe met eyes, and Biana gulped down her fear, twirling the end of her brown braid with her finger.
What if the Neverseen made it to Foxfire?
"There are so many innocent children at that school, Keefe." Biana breathed.
"I know," Keefe answered. The back window to the guest chambers burst open, someone throwing themselves through the open windows and slamming them shut. Biana, Keefe, and Lilac jumped up, Biana shuffling in front of Lilac and tucking her behind Biana's body. The figure was panting as if rushing for them, and he looked up at all of them.
"Leto?!" Biana gasped. He nodded, glancing out around them.
"I heard that you guys were here, and I have been avoiding Dunmer patrols and scouts like crazy." Leto panted as he pushed himself off the floor. Leto looked over all of them with a weary smile, but stopped at Lilac, his face contorting into confusion.
"Who is that?" Leto asked the two elves.
"I call her Mini Foster," Keefe said proudly.
"I'm Lilac Morretti, sir, I'm Amalia's younger sister," Lilac answered. Leto's face dropped.
"Apparently, Sophie's mother has been, um, busy," Biana whispered. Leto's face dropped, and he turned to Lilac.
"Gods," Leto breathed. Leto shook off his shock and turned to Biana and Keefe.
"Do you two mind if I hide out for a while?" Leto proposed.
"Not at all. But I have a feeling we won't be here much longer." Keefe shrugged.
"Why?"
"There is a giant army marching on Eternalia, and we are going to head back any minute now-"
"Please tell me you are joking." Leto whimpered. Both Keefe and Biana shook their heads.
"Incredibile, lascio quel cigno nero per un paio di giorni e improvvisamente hanno un esercito di Neverseen a portata di mano." Leto breathed to himself.
"Tu chi sei?" Lilac asked in Inalian, reminding Leto that there was another Inalian present
"Sono anche un assassino. Sono il padre di Amalia Rastus." Leto answered. Biana and Keefe awkwardly stood there as the two Inalians conversed, Keefe clearing his throat, reminding them that some weren't born Polygots. Biana and Keefe updated Leto on everything that he missed out on, and he grumbled into his hands, his black hair ruffling.
"Gods," He mumbled.
"What do we do?" Biana asked.
"I'll try to get in contact with the Black Swan; it will help to have somebody on the inside of this whole Elvin disaster."
"And?"
"There is no and. With the cards we are playing, there isn't much we can do besides that." Leto whimpered.
(Cue Music)
Sophie leaned against the back of her chair, listening to the scattered voices of the pub. Sophie and Ricin arrived at the small village just as dusk started to drench the sky with gold and black. Sophie gathered the best way to locate Fintan and Elrond was to pick up gossip about them in a pub. Sophie just got a bland bottle of ale, leaving Ricin on the rooftop of a nearby building, letting him monitor invisibly.
"Have you heard about those new folks in town?" An ogre murmured to his troll friend. Sophie pinpointed her hearing to the conversing friends.
"Yeah, they came into my store the other day. Asking for Millenium power cores. Have no idea what they are using them for though, but must be a giant project."
Millenium power cores? Why would Fintan and Elrond need that much power?
"Some say that they are a part of that Neverseen group," The Ogre whispered, leaning towards his friend. The troll gasped, and Sophie glared at them from the corner of her eyes.
"You are kidding! Do you think the Assassins are going to come for them?" The troll asked.
"It's possible."
"The Assassins?" Another voice asked, Sophie realizing that there was another person at their table, a younger-looking elf.
"Old Vatarian warriors of stealth and assassination. They say after the fall of Inalia, and their last Mentore died, they slowly started to crumble, but his daughter Amalia Morretti returned after hiding out. She took control of the guild, and the guild has been thriving ever since." The Ogre explained. Sophie grumbled slightly, not happy that her name was super well known. It would be easier if she was just anonymous, make her job smoother.
"Amalia Morretti?" The Elf asked.
"You remember that Sophie Foster that the elves found? The Moonlark? She is actually Vatarian, the lost daughter of Allesandro Morretti." The Troll chuckled. The Elf gasped.
"I thought she was dead!"
"Nope. She escaped the Neverseen and returned to her real home in Inalia. She was recently taken to execution, but she escaped after revealing herself and calling out the Elven council. She is now rumored to be one of the most dangerous women in the world."
"But how? She was so mild-mannered from when I was in the Lost cities, but that was almost five years ago."
"Everyone has heard of her now, not as a freak from the Black Swan, but a woman who built her own empire of secrets and power."
"What do you think about her?" The Elf asked.
"She is no longer some blind little girl. As beautiful as sin, a rose in one hand and a dagger in the other. She knows how to toy with people, say just the right things to learn what she wants. Break any lock, sneak through any window. Some of the stories say that she even scaled the outside of an entire castle to break in!" Ah, the Garow job. Sophie did indeed have to scale the castle to reach the highest most tower, but not to kill anyone. Somebody just wanted her to steal back some silly book from an upity noble.
"She also knows how to gut a man in, like, 26 different ways!" The troll laughed. Sophie made sure her hood was pulled over her head, and she shuffled, so her Assassin pin holding her cape was slightly hidden, and she turned to them.
"I'm sorry I couldn't help but overhear. Was someone asking for Millenium power cores? I happen to be selling a few, do you know where they might be?" Sophie asked in a bewildered voice, trying to divert the conversation back to the info she needed. The small group turned to Sophie, confused about her suddenly butting in.
"Yeah, they came by today. I don't sell those types of techno gizmos, so I sent them to the lower quarters of the city. They seemed to be in a rush; they were talking about some event happening at sunrise tomorrow." The troll explained with his eyebrow pressed, somewhat annoyed at Sophie. The three of them tried to look under Sophie's hood, but she ducked her head down a little lower.
"But, whatever could they be using them for?" Sophie asked, a finger on her chin.
"Listen, kid; I don't know. They are in the Roaring Dragon inn near the lower quarters of the village. Go bother them." The troll sighed, waving off Sophie. Sophie smirked under her hood, finally getting the information she needs. Sophie flicked a gold piece onto the counter for her ale, downing the rest of the sour liquid, and getting out of her chair, stretching out her limbs like a cat. She strode out the door casually with her hands in her pockets. People started to notice the intimidating hooded women, but Sophie didn't let them call her out, she was out the door before anyone could whisper anything else.
Sophie walked down the paved streets of the village, shuffling out of the way of any other patrons strolling for a dusky walk. Sophie quickly made her way towards the lower quarters of the town, making herself invisible by staying to the sides of the sidewalks and not even bothering with talking with anybody. In a couple of minutes, Sophie was standing in front of the slummy inn. There were dark brown wooden shambles that covered the entire inn, water dripping down the roof from the wet atmosphere, it wasn't rainy, but it was slightly foggy. Sophie walked into the popular inn, dodging through the dice rolling crowds and snogging couples, and towards the bar.
"Can I getcha something darlin? A room? A drink?" The barkeep asked, leaning forward on the bar.
"I'll just take some bread; please, I'm on the road." Sophie sighed. The woman nodded and turned away to check the cupboards for bread. While she was turned away, Sophie peeked over the bar to the inn ledger sitting on the dirty wood countertops, scanning through the names.
Fintan Pyren, room 9.
Sophie scarred the name into her mind as she leaned backward, the barkeep turned to hand her a loaf.
"Fresh poppy seed loaf, made this mornin. Also, put some cheese in there, make the trip a little less borin." The barkeep said, handing Sophie a burlap pouch. Sophie reached into her coin purse, but the barkeep pushed Sophie's hand down, slyly shaking her head, and pointing her eyes toward the burlap bag. Sophie carefully looked in the bag, past the poppy seed slab of bread and wedge of cheese, was a scrap of paper.
You're an Assassin. I saw the crest holding your cape on. I'll stay quiet as long as you get them out, the Neverseen are bad for business. Back of the inn, the second story, middle window.
Sophie's face didn't show any shock, and she tilted her head up, meeting the innkeeper's eyes. The innkeeper squeaked as Sophie flashed her brown eyes, along with the hidden blade slinking out of its gauntlet, warning her what would happen if she did talk.
"Thanks, bread can get a bit bland," Sophie said cheekily, and tied the burlap bag on her belt, before turning on her heel and quickly striding out the door. Sophie returned to the misty dusky sky, and she turned to the small alley between the inn and another building and slid through the crack. Sophie heard Ricin land on the roof of the other building, still invisible, ready to pounce in case anything went awry. Sophie hopped the fence of the garden at the back of the inn. Most of the room lights were still out, except for the middle window on the second story. Sophie glanced around, making sure no one was watching her, and she pulled herself up the wall, grabbing onto the ruddy shingles as she scaled the wall.
Sophie peeped over the edge of the window, noticing it was at the edge of the hallway, spying almost three Neverseen members guarding the door to room 9. Sophie tried to lift open the window, scowling when she found it locked. She placed her feet against a slight overhang of the shingles, just enough to hold her weight. Sophie tucked her head down as a Neverseen member darted his head toward the window. Sophie watched in the reflection as he shook it off, returning to his position of guarding the silent door. Sophie slid her hand into her pockets, pulling out her lockpicks. She placed two of the picks into the outer lock of the window, slowly turning them to find the pressure point of the lock. She felt the lock picks gradually stop turning, snagging the pressure point, and she stopped. She continuously brought the picks down over and over again in swift motions, slowly moving and breaking the lock.
After only a single minute, the lock clicked cleanly open. Sophie pushed open the window, thanking the gods it didn't squeak on its hinges, and now focused on the three guards guarding the door. Sophie bit her cheek, thinking of what to do. Sophie slowly extended her hand, using her Froster powers to chill the air around her, and sent it in a quick puff of brittle wind.
"Ugh, I thought that the window was closed." One of the guards mumbled.
"Does that looked closed to you, Geoffry?" The other guard scoffed.
"Did I ask for your opinion, Charles?"
"Would you lug-heads just close it?" The other guard sighed. The two Neverseen members glared at one another as they walked towards the window.
"Come on, just a bit closer," Sophie hissed to herself as they neared. The one names Charles leaned out to grab the window. Sophie jumped up, sliding her hidden blades out from their gauntlets, and holding them to their necks. They both went pale, eyes bugged.
"Hello, gentlemen," Sophie purred through her cowl. She quickly slid the knives into the soft part right beneath their jaw, using it to sling them over her shoulder and out the window. The other guard whipped around at the sound of their bodies thumping on the garden below, but Sophie was already in the hall, the window closed like nothing happened, and her blood-soaked blade held to his stomach. Sophie lifted her hood slightly, letting the light shine somewhat on her face. At the sight of the infamous brown eyes, the man turned even paler.
"I need information," Sophie whispered, not trying to alarm Fintan and Elrond from within the room.
The man gulped.
"Like what?" He hissed, trying to be brave, but gasped as Sophie pushed the blade just a hair width closer to his stomach, putting a finger to her cowl.
"Quiet, don't want to alarm our friends, do we?" Sophie whispered, pointing her head to the unguarded room 9.
"Are Elrond and Fintan in that room?" Sophie asked. The guard bravely stayed quiet.
"Did you hear me? If your ears don't work, I might as well cut them off-"
"I think so. We changed guard positions, and they didn't leave or enter while we were on charge." He gulped.
"You could save me some time and just tell me what their plans are now; I might be inclined to let you live if you do that." Sophie pondered. The guard stayed quiet, and he got a determined look to his eyes.
"Long live the Neverseen!" He claimed, plunging his stomach into Sophie's blade. Sophie gasped, pulling back as the man's blood-drenched her clothes, his clothes, and the floor. He fell in a heap, dead before he even hit the floor. Sophie snarled, whipping the sticky blood of her hand. Sophie sighed, nudging the dead body with her foot.
"He's got pride; I'll give him that," Sophie muttered. Sophie turned to the wooden door, the number nine carved into the front of the door. Sophie quickly realized that the door was locked, but easily picked its lock. Sophie swung open the door, peeking her head into the room. It was a quaint room, nothing too special.
A few beds with ruffled sheets, scattered papers, snuffed out candles. Sophie checked the candles, rubbing her finger across the wax. No hot wax, so they haven't been here recently. Sophie stretched herself out, analyzing every nook and cranny of the room, making sure no one else accompanied her. She slid her hot hood and cowl of her head, happy to not have the stuffy fabrics covering her face. She immediately started searching through the papers and plans left around — nothing on the floor, hidden in the window sills. Sophie stood over the desk, growling at the disorganization of their desk. A simple journal caught Sophie's eyes, tucked near the back of the desk. Sophie picked it up with a swift motion, flipping through the pages.
"Gods," Sophie whimpered. In the journal, pages upon pages of Mirthless notes met Sophie's eyes, complete with drawings and extremely detailed notes that not even Sophie knew about the Mirthless.
"There is only one way they could have known this," Sophie whispered.
They somehow got their hands on the Mirthless book found at Exuillium.
But how? It was in the Assassin's care last time Sophie saw it.
The journal only continued further, and the monstrosities only got worse. They then talked about meshing different types of Mirthless, but it was the last page that made Sophie stop dead in her place.
Mirthless infused People.
All races, elf and ogre, Lith and gnome, could be infused, controlled by Mirthless. They were building some massive contraption, able to take any person and fill them will the soul and being of a mirthless.
Millenium power cores to power it.
Sophie's hands shook as she read through the papers, her mind filling up with the science nonsense she didn't understand. She placed the notebook securely on her belt and shuffled through the documents — it as a gold mine of information. Copies of the war plans filled the desk; the only light was the small candle Sophie lit right at the edge of the wooden desk. Parchments of their formations, letters between leaders, numbers, everything they ould need. It seemed like they were planning on breaking off into smaller formations to surround Eternalia, the close-in all at once. They planned to use Mirthless to break through the shields around Eternalia. They then would swarm, move closer, and closer to the center of the city.
Closer to Foxfire.
The Neverseen knew the council would move all their citizens to the center of the city, to Foxfire. It would be where the last stand of Eternalia would be. Sophie shoved every vital piece of paper into her pockets, belt, anything, and everything. Sophie stopped dead when the flame of the nearby candle started to flicker, growing, and shrinking. Sophie slowly straightened her back, no longer hunching over the desk, her hands slowly moving to her grandmother's blade at her side. Suddenly, a body was right behind her, pressed behind her, and looking at her. Sophie swallowed down her squek, not turning to look behind her. The flame on her candle snuffed out completely, and the person behind her leaned forward to whisper to her.
"You have grown up well, Miss Foster." Fintan chuckled.
Okay, for real, I really like this chapter. I like writing fun secret missions.
I also know stuff that you guys don't and I enjoy having that power.
Please remember to vote, comment, share, and follow.
_Sibylline_