I wasn't the only one, but yes. It was the way I found to get through my pain. Still, I would be lying if I said that he and Ysevel didn't play a significant role in my getting over it, much like Irun and Athar played their own roles, she replied, making him lean back in his seat, trying to understand what he was hearing.
I understand the loss of your friend, and believe me when I say that you're not the only one who suffered from it. Thoma, too, had his own reservations about Irun, but with time and understanding, we've come to where we are now. I hope you can do the same, someday, she said warmly, offering him another nod, but I could tell she was smiling in a way that matched her tone through our connection.
Whatever walls Ed had built up began to crumble as he slowly digested what he was being told. After a few moments of consideration, he finally nodded in agreement, but turned to look at Irun again. "I still want that duel, by the way. I want to know how much stronger than me you really are," Ed said, using the back of his gauntlet to wipe away a stray tear.
"We can have it once we're done with all this bullshit. I promise, but it can't be to the death," Irun replied, extending his non-daemonic arm out toward him. Ed paused and considered whether to take it for a moment, but ultimately gave in. "F-Fine, but don't expect me to go lightly on you," he said as he gripped Irun's hand firmly.
Athar, however, returned to his seat beside Devyr and let out a sigh of relief as he slumped into it. "Fucking finally," his alternate voice muttered, getting a chuckle from Ysevel and I in response.
As we continued on our way toward Narin, I was glad to see Ed beginning to come to terms with what happened, even going so far as to strike up a loose conversation regarding Irun's arm. The others in the carriage were also visibly relieved that the awkward situation was finally over. Still, they merely exchanged glances and silent sighs of relief that they weren't going to be caught up in a battle in the back of the carriage.
Of course, it had only been a momentary distraction from the losses they'd suffered.
We reached Narin within a few hours, but when we arrived, there were a handful of dwarven families anxiously awaiting news of the expedition. Tears welled in their eyes when the weapons and armor of the fallen were brought out, but the sight that hit me hardest was that of a young girl realizing her father wasn't coming home as a guard kneeled before her, presenting the weapon.
"I'm sorry, little one. He fought bravely, and…" I heard the guardsman's voice trail off as we continued toward the main palace. I did my best to maintain my composure, but the sight of the girl slowly realizing it wasn't some sick joke was etched into my memory. "Damn it," I hissed silently, balling my fist and feeling the tensed gauntlet tighten around my knuckles.
While the mission wasn't a complete failure, the look on her face sure made it feel like one.
"We should head to the palace and wash up. I hear the Lord of Narin would like to have a few words with you all," Balgrim said, interrupting my thoughts after discussing something with a group of servants. "The Lord of Narin?" I asked, realizing we'd yet to meet this figure. "Calduran Lytehammer," he reminded me with a furrowed brow. "Why haven't we met him yet?" I asked, trying to figure out who was actually in charge of this place.
"Because while I deal with anomalies across the country, he deals with the industry owners and mayors, such as Lokren, which often keeps him away. Edryd has been a great help to me in managing my time so I can work on upcoming technologies, but even he's been overwhelmed with everything that's been happening here," he explained loosely.
That's rather unusual, Ysevel sent, having overheard the conversation. There's nothing usual about anything he's told us so far, but I think we should play along for now until we find out how much he knows about Leech mana, Mom added, regarding him warily.
"I see. I suppose it would be best not to waste his precious time, then," I said as diplomatically as I could. "Indeed. Meet us at the Great Hall in two hours. The banquet should be prepared by then, and I'll be expecting you not to look like you've just crawled out of a Thran's ass," he said, aiming the final part of his comment at my mother. "Such a large mouth for such a little man," she muttered sardonically, giving him a chagrined smile.
We followed him into the palace and split off to our rooms. I was wondering how we were supposed to dress for the occasion, but I was surprised to see a set of formal attire already laid out for us. After a quick wash, Ysevel and I tried to figure out the proper way to wear the clothes we were offered, but after a few minutes, we'd finally figured it out.
It was a loose-fitting, dark-gray tunic accented by turquoise strips that lined the outer edges. The waist strap had small metallic plates engraved with geometric designs near each end that clasped together with a satisfying click, while our boots were tightened by similar mechanisms, lined with more turquoise designs.
"Heavy thing, isn't it?" Ysevel asked idly, rolling her shoulders once or twice to adjust the weight balance better. "Compared to Caegweni tunics, yeah," I realized, mimicking the same motion she'd made. "I wonder how Devyr and Kalia are going to show up," I said, tugging on the V-shaped opening near my clavicle. Ysevel's eyes widened, but immediately thinned as she stifled a giggle.
"I have no idea how this is going to work for them, given they've likely never been in this kind of situation before," she said, immediately sending a pulse to Kalia to check on her.
I… need help, Kalia replied defeatedly within a heartbeat, prompting the two of us to come to her aid just a short way down the hall. When we entered the room, we found that they, too, had figured out how to wear the heavy tunic, but there was something else bothering her that we hadn't accounted for.
As it turned out, Kalia's hair was cut short on the sides, while the top was combed forward to where there was an elegant arc in the strands that favored the scarred side of her face. Devyr had a similar hairstyle, though she seemed to prefer hers neatly slicked back.
"I-Is this the way I should wear my hair? Oh, and what do I do about these?" Kalia asked bashfully, turning to us and gesturing to the slits near her temples. Ysevel's eyes widened in delightful surprise before she immediately rushed forward. "Oh, my. I've just realized I've never seen you two without a helmet," Ysevel said, putting her hands up to Kalia's cheeks and manipulating her head to inspect her hair.
"Y-Yes, that's because I've never been told I couldn't wear it," Kalia said with visible frustration. "Who told you that?" I wondered with genuine surprise that anyone could tell her to do anything. "Your mother, actually, though I suppose she hadn't accounted for the fact that our faces are much different than an elf's," she sighed.
We considered the ramifications of this for a moment before Ysevel snapped her fingers and laughed victoriously, as if she'd just defeated her greatest opponent in a children's game. "I think I know how to fix that. Can you make your kataki look like hair?" she asked, bringing her face right in front of Kalia's with expectant eyes.
"I-I think so? I've never had to do that before, but I'll try," Kalia said awkwardly, closing her eyes for a moment as she focused on her task. Just as I expected, her control over her kataki was absolute, and within a few moments, thin strands of it began to grow from the sides of her head. "Keep going. I have an idea," Ysevel said, watching as more strands caused her hair to reach the middle of her shoulders.
"Is this enough?" Kalia asked with a raised eyebrow, visibly uncomfortable at having her hair longer than it likely ever had been. "That's perfect. Devyr, you do the same. I'll braid it for you, Kalia, so don't worry about the styling. Thoma, would you mind helping her?" Ysevel jutted her head to Devyr, who was already growing out her own strands of kataki.
I obliged, of course, and I was grateful to have spent all those years with her in the Dome to have learned how to braid hair properly. "If you'll excuse me, Devyr," I said with a light chuckle, which she matched, then turned to allow me to braid it.
"D-Do you think Athar will like it?" she asked when I'd reached the halfway point of her hair, causing me to freeze solid under the weight of Kalia's glare. "I-I think so, y-yes," I replied nervously, quickening my braiding pace so I could avoid any further questions. Ysevel handed me a thin, leather strip, which I tied to the end of the braid to secure it.
Devyr inspected herself for a few moments in the mirror and smiled brightly. "It's… perfect. Where did you learn to do that?" she asked, still maintaining her smile. "When you spend ten years with someone who loves keeping their hair braided, you learn a thing or two," I shrugged, getting a giggle from Ysevel.
"Come on, then. We should get going or we'll be late," Ysevel said, taking Kalia's arm in hers. "Let's see what Athar thinks, shall we?" I whispered, offering Devyr my arm with a wry grin. "I heard that," Kalia growled, causing both of us to chuckle.
When we arrived at the Great Hall, a long table spanned nearly the entire length of it, lined with numerous different haunches of meat, bread, fruits, and a score of barrels containing an unidentified liquid. I soon discovered that it was, in fact, alcohol of some sort, since Mom was already acting like she was back in Caegwen, with her arm wrapped around an unsuspecting Athar.
What, and I cannot stress this enough, the fuck? I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose as she tried to force him to drink more. "Ah, there you are!" Mom said, noticing we were in the doorway.