Chapter 578:
Lucia's Point of View
Druid Forest
I watched Arthur out of concern. His body was tight like it was wound too tightly. A trap ready to spring at any mont. It'd been a while since I'd truly seen it, but his hardened eyes as he watched Obsidian, waiting for any sort of threat, it was almost sad to think about. Like a predator coming face to face with a foe for territory or a mother bear ready to die to protect her cubs.
Even after we'd left, I watched quietly. The other three knew better than to speak at the mont. After all, one look at Arthur's wide eyes as we flew was enough to dissuade them. His face was in a scowl as he occasionally glanced back towards where the shack was. I think it bothered him that a High Elf was able to do that to him without his permission or knowing how.
Biting my lips for a mont as the forest below us traveled by at a frightening speed, far faster than when we had flown here, I wondered how I could help. Our speed, his haste, showed just how unnerved he truly was. Even if he joked about it, Arthur likely didn't expect to run into another High Elf. If he did, he wouldn't've brought us along.
I understood why he was so uncomfortable though. Camoa said it would normally take a couple of days to reach the tall grass plains we saw. Yet, sohow, we were all transported through to the other side without any of us realizing it. As the so much of the forest passed by below, it really was eye opening, and explained why Arthur was so irritated. We'd definitely not walked this distance, but he couldn't stay like that if he was going to be speaking to the king of dwarves and druids.
Surely there was sothing I could do to get his mind off of what happened... I hated it when he was like this. "Arthur?" I called out to him softly. He glanced back at for a mont. His expression softened upon seeing which made happy.
"Yeah?" Arthur asked back over the wind.
Arthur's Point of View
Druid Forest
Lucia spoke up as we rushed through the forest at a rapid pace. "Do you think he was telling the truth?" She questioned.
"He said not to trust or believe any of them. Best advice I've heard since I got here." I replied. "Not that I believe any of them, but he seed sincere."
"Don't you think he also seed sad and lonely?"
"That's not our problem, and you shouldn't dwell on it." I told her. "In fact," Bringing them all to a sudden halt, I called out for the one bowling trees over, "Rock!" Once he rolled over to us, I activated my eyes. "We're leaving this forest. We make for the border unless soone sees sothing from the air."
Not giving them any ti to reply, complain, or co up with so other plan, we were above the canopy. I wanted to get away from that Aridian as fast as I could. As ti passed, more and more things ca to mind from the encounter. The biggest was that perhaps that wasn't so much an illusion as it was a seal much like the one I found Undine in. Maybe it just wasn't as grand.
The real question was, how was he able to deceive my eyes so easily. By flooding the area with magic? Almost no magic appeared once he revealed that he was an Aridian. Especially no white glimr or tint which seems to be a staple for them.
Another thing that concerned him was the purpose of bringing there. I'd be at a disadvantage with the others present, but did he really just want to warn ? Why the warning? How did they keep in contact with each other? Was it through magic since Undine said she couldn't leave her seal? Yet, that was quite literally all he did. Obsidian warned and then just shuffled about lifelessly.
"Sothing on your mind?" Lucia asked from beside as we flew through the air.
I glanced at her. "A few things."
"You want to talk about it?"
A sigh left my lips. "I just don't understand what the High Elves of this world are doing. Sorry, Aridians..." I anded.
"That's what our race is?" Lucia inquired.
Giving her a nod, I continued. "Yeah. Not that it matters." Running my hands down my face in an annoyed manner, a groan escaped my throat. "It's like I'm trying to deal with Thana while there's a secret cult trying to run the world through the shadows, but none of it makes sense."
"So, what we do?" Camoa joined in the conversation.
"What can we do other than staying the course?" I shot back with a shrug. "For so reason, none of these entities want Thana dead, and they certainly don't like trying to unite the world. I say we're on the right course since it seems to be pissing them off."
Vo's brow raised at that. "And that's a good thing?"
"It is to . If we're doing sothing these assholes don't like, I'd say it's a very good thing." I then turned to him. "Unless you like being used in so weird eternal conflict without knowing any better? Ignorance is bliss after all."
The dwarf frowned. "No." His face hardened. "No, I don't."
Lucia nodded at that. "I don't think any of us do. It's a disturbing thought."
"You've no idea. Sothing is going on behind the scenes of this world, and it has sothing to do with the Aridians, the Royal Family, and Thana. Unfortunately, the Lestranian Royal Family seems to be all but abandoned by their kin." Crossing my arms, my eyes narrowed. "There's sothing wrong with this world. Sothing that is keep these entities to the shadows. What that 'sothing' is, I don't know, but it's clearly a big enough issue to frighten all of them."
That gave them all pause. Why wouldn't it? Sothing was in this world that was scaring so of the strongest beings on the planet? Shit, it was making uneasy. Especially since I'd been the one fighting these assholes off and on. Given Undine's fear of that magic she had sealed, my interactions with that strange voice that can sohow slow down ti, and my visions of that massive being, I'd say it's very likely that Davost isn't the only one keeping an eye on this world.
Davost... A sigh left my lips as I thought about her. Was she even still around? I t her with Aydan all those years ago, but that didn't an her weird ass library still existed, or her realm for that matter. My lip began to twitch at how much all this was annoying . Nothing could ever seem to go correctly for . Try to reach out to Crawlana, boom, Aridian. Want to return to Vithari to speak to the newly ford alliance, boom, Aridian.
Sighing, I mumbled to myself. "I just wanted to talk to so dwarves and druids, but no. Had to deal with more Aridian shit."
"What'd you say?" Vo inquired genuinely.
"Nothing. Just complaining to myself." I told him. "Does anyone see the new capital?"
Shrugs, a shake of the head, and a grumble. "No, Arthur." Camoa answered for all of them.
"Fuck it! We're going back to the desert to kidnap a rchant."
"Didn't you get upset because we were all technically kidnapped just minutes ago?" Lucia questioned.
"Kidnapping is extrely popular right now. I tried to kidnap Ayda, we got kidnapped, and now we're going to do the sa to soone else." I answered. "Besides, it more along the lines of forcefully escorting soone to a destination they already had in mind."
"I'm going to tell the new king his druid magic defenses worked wonders." Vo comnted.
I snorted at that. "You gotta help 'escort' one of your kin first."
"Easy enough, lad."
The desert soon ca into view once more as trees began to beco more and more sparse. Turning us so we flew along the edge of the forest, I kept my eyes fixated into the desert sands. Looking for any sort of flicker that could be seen as a traveling rchant. Then again, I don't know how long we were actually with Obsidian, but it couldn't've been that long, right?
Soon enough, we found a traveling dwarf ripe for the picking. "Well, hello there! Aren't you the people flying from earlier? Thought I was out in the sun for too long seeing as how there was a flying rock in the sky." He greeted as we landed just in front of his carriage being pulled by so cals. "Can I-"
Vo was the one who shouted. "Take him! Take him now!"
"Wha-!?" With a screaming dwarf, screeching cals, all crying out in fear as they floated up into the sky, he eventually stopped when I brought him before . "Are... Are you going to kill ?" A generic young dwarf who I couldn't give any distinguishing features to asked fearfully.
Biting my lips for a mont as I tried to stop myself from smiling, I couldn't stop myself from making an amused snort. "No."
"Oh, thank the gods." He then turned to Rock. "Uh... Is that a god?"
"No." I answered again.
"...Are you sure?"
"Yes."
"Ok. So, uh, you're not killin , and your not a god... Why am I flying around?"
Camoa answered in a happy tone. "We're kidnapping you."
"Oh. I see." He said slowly. "Wait... Huh?"
I rolled my eyes. "Are you a rchant heading to the new dwarf and druid capital?" He nodded. "Good. We're going to escort you to get there quicker. We don't know where it is, and we kind of got lost. So, point the way, and you get to fly there much faster than you would've gotten there through the desert."
"..." The silence I received wasn't quite what I was expecting. "You want to go to the new capital?"
"Yes." I said with a nod. "We've been flying around trying to find it but have had no luck."
"We'd really appreciate your help if you could give us a hand." Lucia cut in with a smile. "This is Arthur Pendragon."
"The hero of Vithari?"
My daughter nodded enthusiastically. "Yes! Can you help us?"
"I an, I don't have a problem with it, but I just-"
Vo interrupted him from the side. "We're not here to cause any trouble lad. Just tell us where we need to go."
The young dwarf just pointed down. "We're almost to the checkpoint. In fact, it's practically right below you."
All of us looked down, and I imdiately saw two druids looking up at us with their hands over their eyes to shade them and block the sunlight. We all glanced at each other. Each of those in my group looked like they were on the verge of snickering. I rolled my eyes as I started to lower us down.
"Arth-" Camoa tried.
"Not a word." I cut in.
"We all-" This ti it was Lucia.
"Not a single word. I'll drop all of you except Rock and the rchant."
Vo looked at with a huff. "What did I do!?"
My eyes narrowed on him. "You know what you did."
"Bwuh-!?" He let out confused.
"You are very odd group of people." The rchant comnted.
As we landed in front of the checkpoint, the cals seed almost lost while the druids were looking at us in confusion. A silence filled the area for a mont as our groups stared at each other. The druids clearly knew who I was as one rushed off into the trees. I wished soone would just end the silence.
Camoa stepped forward. "Brothers, this is Arthur Pendragon. He wanted to search for the new capital himself, so we've been kind of lost." I wished the silence would co back. "Is there any chance we'd be permitted to enter."
One of the guards nodded. "Of course, but why'd you sudden appear and take the rchant into the air?" He asked as he eyed us carefully.
"We needed a guide." Vo answered.
"A guide?"
The dwarf nodded. "We were lost and had no idea the entrance to the new capital was right beneath us." He then laughed. "The lad here got anxious."
I rolled my eyes. "I am Arthur Pendragon." The druids were studying . "I'm here to speak with King Vitar. Maybe even check in on Ventari, Dwar, and Turiel."
"We do have a procedure we ask you to follow." One of guards continued with a nod in my direction. "Naturally, it won't work on you, but we do ask to verify those you are with."
That got one of my brows to slowly rise. "What kind of procedure?"
"To verify whether or not any of you are ghouls. Demons are foul, and druid magic can detect them sowhat. It's how we were able to escape when the demons ca to our forest before." The guard explained.
"Now I'm curious. What do you do?"
The other druid stepped forward. "We can show you through the rchant if you'd like. I'll explain as we go."
Our generic dwarven rchant stepped forward. Vines shot from the nearby trees as they held his arm in place when he offered it. He didn't seem overly concerned, but I know I definitely was feeling more skeptical. My brows shot up to my hair line when he presented his palm, only to have the vine shoot into his hand. Several in my party winced as the druid controlled the vine as it crawled up his arm under his skin.
"Damn. That's fucked." Vo comnted in so shock.
I couldn't help but nod in agreent. "It kind of is."
The rchant turned to us while the vine was still in his arm. "I admit that I was skeptical at first as well, and while it is uncomfortable, it doesn't actually hurt."
"Bullshit!" Vo declared.
"That looks awful." Lucia agreed.
Camoa was the one who shrugged. "It really doesn't feel that bad. After a while, you do get used to it, and it can even feel good at tis. Having a flower bloom from your own body is quite thrilling." Our friendly druid explained. All of us eyed her like she'd gone insane. "Besides," She gestured to the rchant once more, "The wound heals monts later."
Sure enough, the vine pulled out from his arm after going up past his elbow. The wound slowly closed as the hole the vine left behind disappeared from view in monts. He wiggled his arm around a little bit as the druid guards smiled at him as he showed he was fine.
"...That's fucked." Vo said again.
"It is fucked." I agreed before I nudged him. "That's why you're going first."
His head whipped to so fast I thought he might've broken his neck. "!?"
I nodded. "You."
"Why !?"
"Camoa does this shit for fun, it won't work on Rock or , and I'd rather you go before Lucia." I quickly explained. "So, braid your beard, tighten those cheeks, and go get a vine stuck in your arm."
"This is bullshit! I didn't sign up for this!"
I rolled my eyes. "Fine. We'll do it together. You and ."
"You said it doesn't work on you! Can't you just vouch for us!?" Vo turned to the guards before gesturing to in a huff. "His eyes can see if soone is a demon! Just ask him!"
"They don't know that."
"Uh, actually, we've heard all abou-" One tried, but I quickly gave him a dismissive wave.
"Seeing is believing. Co on, Vo. You and ." Grabbing him, I held him close as she tried to struggle. "Stay still as they penetrate us. It might hurt worse."
Lucia just groaned. "Please don't tell you're doing this just so you could make a sex joke..."
The druids were now even more unsure. "Sex joke?" I asked her. "We're about to be penetrated, Lucia. Can't you see that." Holding Vo a little tighter, I spoke. "It's rather intimate, don't you think?"
"No, it's fucking not!"
Camoa rolled her eyes at us. "And they say romance is dead."
Wiggling my arm as I offered it to the druids, I spoke. "Well?"
"Wait!" Vo cried out as the vines began to tighten around his arm. "Wait! You didn't explain the purpose of this!"
"Does it matter?"
Vo growled at angrily. "Yes! Why do this if you don't know the reason!?"
"The experience?" I offered back. He began flailing about, trying to escape anyway. "Ugh. Why do you do this?"
"Our vines are sensitive to magical creatures. Sothing foul, like demon magic hidden inside a ghoul, cannot hide from nature." One of the druids explained.
"That's true." Camoa agreed. "Rember how I knew demons were in the Hollow Forest before you did without ever seeing them? It's the sa thing. Wildlife in general has a keen sense for these things. Animals or any sort of foliage have a sixth sense of sorts."
I nodded in agreent at that since it made sense. "What happens if you do sense demonic magic?"
One of the druids gestured to the vine. "Then it would slowly continue to creep up the arm as if conducting our regular procedure before shooting all throughout the body. This is the best we can do given the horrible nature of ghouls and their strength. Killing them as quickly as possible is our best option. So, our vines would turn into almost thread like needles before trying to destroy the heart and anything else they can find." Given that the vines were in our arms by this point, my not so friendly dwarf was freaking out.
"Dark." I replied.
"Get it out of !" Vo cried.
I rolled my eyes. "You're not a ghoul, so calm down. No needles in your heart."
To my surprise, the vines began to withdraw. "By your own admission, he is not a ghoul." One of the druids said as he let go of Vo. "We'll take your words as truth given who you are." They then turned to Vo. "However, should you return without Lord Pendragon, we will have to repeat this process."
"I was wrong. He could be a ghoul!" Gesturing to the dwarf who was now hiding behind Rock, I continued. "We should check again! Just to be-"
Lucia whapped in the back of the head. "Will you stop!"
The rchant and druid guards jumped at that. "...Ow." I said after a mont as I rubbed the back of my head. "Did you use your magic? Why are you so violent?"
"That's rich coming from you!"
"What about decorum? We must set an example-"
"Of sex jokes about being penetrated!?" Lucia snapped back as her hands flailed about in an annoyed manner.
Anything to get my mind off of Obsidian. Part of was considering if it was worth it to try and visit him again. Another part of realized he was able to guide to wherever he wanted without any of us being none-the-wiser. Were any other Aridian's in the area?
"You're just upset because it probably made you think of Alwin." Was the complete wrong thing to say. Had I seen her face, I would've stopped there. I didn't... "Act more like a god damn bunny than an elf. Seebgh-" Being distracted, whether is be in conversation, or environnt, had consequences.
Sothing hard slamd into as I quickly went face first into the dirt. Groaning, I rolled onto my back to see a very flushed, red-faced, Lucia. Whether that was out of embarrassnt or anger, I wasn't sure, but it was probably both. Magic activated in her hands as she glared down at . Definitely feels like both.
"Lord Arthur Pendragon!" A voice cried out from the forest.
All of us took our eyes off the situation for a mont to see another dwarf coming out from the trees. "Dwar." I greeted him from the ground.
Given his small stature, he didn't need to crank his head down to much to look at , but he did seem confused. "Why are you on the ground?" The Dwarven General inquired. I rely pointed at Lucia who was frozen as if trying to decide to continue her assault or not. "You brought another High Elf with you? Priestess Arceana?"
With a groan, I started to get up. "No. It's Lady Lucia Delmaris."
"Ah." The General let out as he moved over to help up.
"Although, at this point, it may've been better to bring Arceana instead of-"
My hands were swept back causing to face-plant in the sand. "Bwuh!" Magic was involved, and as I rolled my face to look over to Lucia, I saw she was pretending to whistle innocently. With a roll of my eyes, activating them got to my feet quick enough where she couldn't do anything.
Dwar cleared his throat as several other ard dwarves and druids appeared behind him. "You always seem to make quite the entrances. Didn't you crash into our city last ti, and now I find you face first in the sand."
"I bla the people with . None of them appreciate for the incredible person I am." I shot back.
Camoa snorted at that. "You look plenty incredible with all that sand in your beard."
"Rock."
My simple call caused the sand beneath both Camoa and Lucia to shift rapidly causing them to fall over. However, he didn't stop there as sand soon rolled over them. Honestly, if we had been at the beach, it would be comparable to them having only their heads sticking out after being buried in the sand. Both won, mostly because of Lucia's magic, escaped their not so secure prison, and attacked.
All hell broke loose as the dwarves and druids were confused as to what was happening. Sand was flying everywhere. Rock was laughing, which sounded like gravel being scrapped underneath a bobcat's bucket, as he bobbed up and down excitedly. Vo quickly moved next to the other dwarves who were watching with so level of concern.
"Should we intervene?" I heard soone ask.
"No need! This is how they show their affection! Savage though it may be, they're actions filled with love!" I called out.
"Ugh!" Lucia groaned as a wave of sand shot at . "Is this how you acted last ti you ca here!?"
"Technically speaking, I've never been here before!"
Dwar decided to join in the conversation. "When Lord Pendragon landed in Dwardew, we wanted to watch him and keep him confined to the palace. Instead, he road around doing whatever he wanted, antagonized the locals, kidnapped a child for a bath, all within a single day." The Dwarven General announced. "This isn't normal, but it's about what I would expect from him. Playing in the sand is a little weird though."
"You're weird!"
"A cutting insult to be sure, Lord Pendragon." Dwar shot back. "Are you almost done?"
"Lucia, Camoa, are you two almost done assaulting ?"
Camoa seed to relax, but another wave of sand ca at from the side. "Never!" Lucia called out. "You started this!"
"?!" I asked as both my hands ca to my chest in disbelief. My gravity pillars were protecting , but a pebble teleported and hit in the head as it fell from above. "Hey!" Rubbing my head, I rolled my eyes after a mont. "Don't be upset just because you got called out about Alwin."
"He has nothing to do with this!"
"He has everything to do with this!" I called back before I pointed at her. "You're lucky you're condition is preventing from throwing you into a tree."
"Do it! I wanna see it!" Lucia cried out.
"Jesus." Why was she so fussy? Turing from her as I ran a hand down my face, I looked to Dwar. "Apologies-"
Sothing latched onto my back as a teleportation went off behind . Lucia screaming so strange battle cries in my ear inford of who it was. Shaking violently, her magic activated as my feet were swiped out from beneath again.
"Oof!" I let out as we fell back into the sand.
"Mission success." Lucia declared as she got up and stepped on and over .
Spitting out so sand, I groaned. "What mission!?"
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