"So, Malvolia. Where are you from?"
We had continued on trekking towards the capital. There were no more villages, so we would have to camp from now on. Thankfully, there were many campsites from previous travelers and merchants that we could use and save time. And hopefully, get to Ohtesh quicker.
Since we had a new person joining us, we were naturally curious. Malvolia had asked us plenty of questions so far. Well, more questions for Stolas and Alder. They were far more interesting than I was. A Fairy King and a shapeshifting raven. Who wouldn't be enamored by them? But now, it was her turn to get questioned.
"Some distant land." She answered Stolas.
He nodded. "I see. That explains the hair."
"What land specifically? Is red hair common there?" I asked, glancing over at her.
She shrugged. "Oh, you've probably never heard of it."
What an avoidant answer. I tried to keep my voice nonchalant. "Ah. Okay. Then why did you move here?"
"Just because."
"How did your family feel about you moving?"
"They were fine with it."
"Really? How long have you lived here? Do you have any goals or dreams?"
Malvolia laughed, shaking her head as if I had told a ridiculous joke. "You ask a lot of questions, Cahira."
"And you avoid a lot of answers, Malvolia."
I couldn't help how snarky my tone was. Filled with bitter doubt. Malvolia was a stranger. If she had no hidden agenda, then there should be no reason she deflected simple questions. The way she was so indifferent about everything had me questioning her true intentions. Maybe she saw the Fairy King and wanted to get close to him. Maybe she wanted to distract him and lead him astray. I couldn't let that happen.
Malvolia didn't respond to my statement. She looked to Alder instead. "So, my king, what type of magic can you use? Is it powerful?"
My eyes narrowed. "He's the Fairy King. Of course his magic is powerful."
"Cahira." Alder raised his hand. "Do not be so rude."
Rude. I scoffed. "I'm not being rude. I'm stating the obvious."
"Someone needs a nap." Stolas said, rolling his eyes.
"No, I don't!"
"You do seem kinda on edge…" Malvolia tilted her head. "Unless you're normally like this."
Stolas snorted, a wry smile spreading across his lips. "She's not. Normally, she's a happy idiot that won't stop singing."
"I'm not an idiot!"
"Enough!" Alder stopped walking and turned to face us. "No more fighting. We are all on edge from travelling. We are going to stop early today."
My eyes widened. "We can't! We're already so close-"
"We can and we will. You have been on edge for too long, Cahira. It is time you actually rest instead of rushing around like the world is ending. I cannot stand to see you in distress any longer."
The world technically was ending. The Atrophy was killing everything in its path, turning innocent creatures into grotesque monsters. Not that I didn't have faith that Alder and the king would quickly get rid of the problem. But it was a problem. Alder himself knew that time was of the essence. So why was I being scolded?
Okay. I knew why.
Yeah, I was being skeptical. And grumpy. And annoying. This journey probably wasn't easy, especially since I was more of a burden than anything. I was just making it worse by acting like a paranoid asshole. So I just looked away and nodded, silently agreeing to rest. I turned away and walked off as Alder and Malvolia started to set up camp.
"I didn't want to be mean," Stolas said, walking up behind me. "But you are acting like a completely different person."
"Yeah, yeah. I just… I don't know. I'm freaked out."
"By Malvolia or everything else?"
I shrugged and ran my hand through my hair. "Both, maybe?"
"You'll be fine." He gave me a rare kind smile. "Relax and don't see her as a threat. She won't hurt you."
"I know."
I looked over to see Malvolia using her claymore to try and light a fire. Where did she even hide that thing? I scrunched my nose slightly. I pushed down the persistent feeling that had plagued me for days. Stolas was right. I was acting differently. I needed to just take a deep breath and relax. I could do that.
˚°❀⋆.ೃ࿔ ۫ 𝄞♪ ˚°❀⋆.ೃ࿔
The crackling fire and warmth from a nice bowl of stew eased the tension in my shoulders. When Malvolia first joined us, dinner was awkward and silent. Now, the conversation flowed freely. I wasn't as harsh in my tone and actually enjoyed talking to someone new. It helped that Alder and Stolas weren't wary of her at all. I truly had no reason to act like I was.
Malvolia was sitting across from me, her veil folded neatly in her lap. "So you never tried magic before meeting Alder and Stolas?"
I nodded. "Not consciously, at least. Before the fairy incident, I thought that my music just made everyone happy. But now I know it was magic."
"I would say otherwise." Alder patted my head. "Your music is very delightful."
I flushed and looked away shyly. "You just love to flatter me."
"Can I see your magic?" Malvolia leaned forward. "I don't get to meet a lot of magic users."
That made Stolas frown. "I thought you had magic. Don't you keep your claymore in a liminal space?"
She shook her head and lifted her right hand, pointing to a thick ring on her finger. "Magic ring from my country. Pricey, but comes in handy."
"What would you like to see?" I asked. "I can't do much, but I've gotten better."
"I wanna see your music magic."
I grinned and took out my flute that was sitting by my side. "I'll take any chance to play a song or two."
I pressed the mouthpiece against my bottom lip. I took a deep breath and began to play. This song was almost like a lullaby. It was something my mother would sing after dinner during a nice, starry night. Just like now. The sound flowed through the air. I felt the familiar buzzing flow through my body and to my fingers.
Flops shuffled out of her position in Alder's lap. As purple notes began to float around the fire, Flops hopped behind happily. The song continued. Malvolia's eyes were wide as she reached out and touched one of the notes. It burst into iridescent purple and blue sparkles. The music ebbed and flowed. Eventually, I ended the song and the magic slowly faded into the night.
"Amazing!" Malvolia breathed. "I've never seen magic so… tranquil."
I set down my flute. "I had a good teacher. It took a while to get like this."
Alder hummed. "You are a natural, Cahira. Teaching you was a pleasure."
"In Empyrism, magic is seen as something that is only gifted to those who are important."
I was reminded of when I first met Alder and he taught me how people get magic. "Oh, yeah. Something about it being fun?"
She giggled. "Something along those lines. We have a story about the beginning of magic. Would you like to hear it?"
Part of me didn't. There was something about Empyrism that made me uneasy. But I obliged anyway. "Go ahead."
"The Great Divine created our world from the Brightest Star. With just a seed, They made life. And that life grew and expanded to what we know today. There was a time where no magic at all existed on Terrene. The Empyrians saw how hard we worked. Creating towns, sowing the land, and helping each other live long and fulfilling lives… They wanted to give us a gift. A blessing to help us grow even more. Magic is a wild essence. This magic was so strong that it could only be given to someone with a Pure Soul. And that someone… was the Fairy King."
I gasped before whipping my head to look at Alder. "What?! You were the first one to get magic?! How old are you?!"
"Shh." Alder chuckled and placed his hand on my knee. "It was not me. It was the very first Fairy King."
Malvolia grinned in excitement. "Exactly! The Fairy King wasn't the Fairy King until Empyria bestowed him the gift of magic. He was just some guy that lived and cared for the forest. His Pure Soul is what made the Empyrians give him magic."
"I see." I crossed my arms. "So, does everyone with magic have a Pure Soul?"
"It's rare, except for the Fairy King. Only him and a rumored other person has a Pure Soul. After the first Fairy King, Empyrians experimented to see how much magic a creature can truly handle. It's seen as a Divine Trial. Which, you probably passed. Good job."
Ahh, that was right. My magic wasn't truly mine. It was just something that was so graciously given to me to provide entertainment to the Empyrians. Maybe that's why I felt so uneasy with the religion. It didn't feel like the Empyrians were doing good. It was like a false sense of comfort.
"So why don't you have magic?" I suddenly asked. "Shouldn't all Divine Brothers and Sisters have magic since they worship Empyrians?"
She laughed. "No, no. Most of our souls are too weak. We're just… pretty devoted."
I grew more curious. "Do you mind if I ask more about being a Divine Sister?"
"Go ahead."
"Do you have to do anything special? Are there any restrictions? What about sinning? Are there ranks? What rank are you?"
"Wow, that's a lot."
"Cahira." Stolas sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose.
"What? I'm curious!"
"It's fine, it's fine." Malvolia waved her hand. "I don't mind. No, we don't have to do anything special besides our clothing. People usually only wear veils during holidays. We do need to appear clean and well kept. We help prepare every service. There are no restrictions, besides being unable to date non-believers. Interfaith marriage is seen as a sin, so they must convert before getting married. Sins include a bunch of tiny things. The big no-nos are criticising The Great Divine, The Three Teachings, and speaking ill of Empyria. We can atone through confessionals and prayer. There aren't necessarily ranks within the Divine Brothers and Sisters. The Apostle is normally at the top, then Divine Brothers and Sisters, and then Acolytes, which are just normal believers. Seniority and how you contribute can affect your duties."
It didn't seem as intense as I thought, but I was sure Malvolia was leaving things out. Still, a lot of my worry was stamped out. "Oh. I never knew any of that."
"Is it not common for Northern War Elves to practice Empyrism?"
"I mean, some do. But I wasn't ever really interested in it."
Malvolia smiled. "I understand that. It's certainly not for everybody. I'm not the type to pressure people to convert."
"I… thank you for that."
"No problem." Malvolia yawned. "I think it's time for me to go to bed."
"I'm right behind ya." Stolas responded, stretching his arms. "I'm exhausted."
Everyone began to clean up and prepare for bed. I did have a lot more questions to ask. But I felt… relieved. The distrust towards Malvolia had all but dissipated. She wasn't as creepy or weird as she was back at the temple. I was suddenly aware of how sore my muscles felt from constantly being stressed and on the go. As I laid down on my bed roll, Flops cuddling up against my side, I knew I was going to sleep well. We were so close to the kingdom. And then… our journey would be over.