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Onirica - Lost Traveler 10 - Diplomatic Approach (Story)
Chapter 10... and until I'm done writting the 11th xD Also, the backgrounds here are the laziests I've done ever :v
the other chapters:
Lost traveler 1: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/21138550/
Lost traveler 2: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/21157647/
Lost traveler 3: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/21232130/
Lost traveler 4: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/21307276/
Lost traveler 5: https://www.furaffinity.net/view/22178174/
Lost traveler 6: https://www.furaffinity.net/view/42074410/
Lost traveler 7: https://www.furaffinity.net/view/44230897/
Lost traveler 8: https://www.furaffinity.net/view/44231054/
Lost traveler 9: https://www.furaffinity.net/view/44231372/
Lost traveler 11: https://www.furaffinity.net/view/46252070/
“You just doomed him… his soul now has the claim of the void and is your fault” said Flare’s voice in the darkness with a disgustingly sweet tone. She was looking at her own reflection in a mirror but something was wrong with it.
“No…” replied Flare.
“He’s doomed to oblivion, just like you” continued the other Flare, cooing.The figure’s eyes weren’t sky blue, they were of a creepy green tone.
“No! Leave him alone!!” demanded the princess.
“He will be alone… just like you will… both trapped in the void for all eternity!” said the voice now sounding gleefully sadistic. Her feathers became black, her beak grey. Her body began to rot with dark stains appearing all over her as more and more of her feathers dropped.
“You will not… I will not allow you!” replied the doomed heroine.
“Dear Flare… there is not escaping fate” And suddenly, the thing pounced on her!
-CAW!- and Flare awakened.
-Good morning, meow...- said a familiar and calmed voice. The estirge princess turned to meet its smiling owner.
-Ancelm!… W-where am I? where is Nyepu?!- asked her, looking around with urgency. She barely noticed that the felixin wizard was sitting on a simple puff while she was on a bed that was a lot bigger than her. They were in an unfamiliar room of dark tones, relaxing shades of blues and some decorations of silver. The light of the day was entering through a window, but it might as well just be a magical projection from outside. There were many other beds around. She didn’t care about any of it, though, she only wanted to know one thing.
-You are in our infirmary, and the dragon researcher is…- Ancelm’s face became a lot more serious for a second, even averting her gaze, which made Flare’s heart beat all the faster in worry, and just when her mind was beginning to work in all the horrible possibilities... -he is being an idiot-
-Wha-?!- she opened her beak and stood like that for a second before the wizard laughed at her expression. She puffed up and yelled -Ancelm!-
-Sorry! sorry!- he laughed a little more- but I’m serious, he is ok, he just looked a little crispy around the edges but otherwise he is ok and went back to that research center of his to do… something- the felixin shrugs- instead of being here and resting or waiting for you… he said something about making extra preparations- Flare fell back on her bed with a relieved sigh… then immediately grabbed her phone from her magical inventory and tried to call for Nyepu… only to remember she’s never asked his number. Noticing this, Ancelm said: -I got his number, if you want it-
-Please!- asked her. After gotten the dragon’s number, she immediately called him:
Ring Ring
-Hello?-
-NYEPU!- she couldn’t help but scream happily at hearing his beautiful voice again! She felt relief like she’s never felt before.
-GYAH!!- the dragon screamed out in surprise and some other noises could be heard as well as what was definitely laughter and someone else yelling. The avian couldn’t help but wince since apparently she just got Nyepu in trouble.
-Sorry…-
-Flare? Is that you? and is ok, no problem... - she heard him say sorry to someone else as well.
-Yes! Yes, is me! How are you?! Are you ok?! Where are you?!-
-I already told you…- started to say Ancelm.
-I’m ok, don’t worry, just went back to the research center to grab a few items that I think might be useful, I’ll be on my way back there in a mo…-
-MY boyfriend is with me having fu…!- that was Giorgio’s voice, he was cut off by the sounds of struggling as well as angry yelling and growling. Ancelm was chuckling again and Flare just blinked. Boyfriend?
-Are you... ?- began to ask Flare
-NO! I’M NOT HIS BOYFRIEND! AND WE’VE DONE NOTHING WEIRD!- She winced at hearing Nyepu’s response while Giorgio’s laughter could be heard far away- Anyway! we’ll be back in a moment… we need to pick the last train to your city-
-Ok… I’m glad you are ok, Nyepu- she said more softly.
-T-thanks… are you ok?-
-Yes! just worried for you-
-Worry more about taking any preparation, or eating something, as I told you, we need to pick the last train so be ready, we shall meet at the Train station in an hour-
-O-ok!- said Flare, she suddenly had the urge to say something else, do something else, convey a certain desire to show the dragon her caring and a… a… appreciation? -I… ok… see you later!- said her, unable to really determine what she felt.
-See you later…- said Nyepu.
-Won’t you send her kisses as well?- was teasing Giorgio before he hung up and the princess felt her cheeks getting hot… especially since the word “kiss” triggered a very particular memory: her wing, since she was back into her normal form, went to rub her neck, just where he...
-By the way!- She jumped at hearing the cheery voice of Ancelm- we have good and bad news for you-
-What are the news?- she asked, focusing on the feline, storing her phone back into her magical inventory.
-The Dark God had spoken and had declared that Princess Flare DeFleur is the one in the prophecy… but decided not to mention if that person is you or the one in the Sky Kingdom- he nods and she feels like rolling her eyes.
-Vague enough as usual… And I guess that the bad news is that the Shadow managed to bypass all the temple’s defenses and could do it again- she said almost accusingly. The feline’s eyes opened wider for a second but then he chuckled.
-You’ve gotten sharper, my lady- he chuckles more, even his tail waved a little- Indeed, the Shadow manifested yesterday in a massive attack to the temple- She blinks.
-Wait… massive attack?- repeats her tilting her head and Ancelm nods.
-Nyepu told us about your experience dealing with that mysterious horror… and, while you were dealing with that, the rest of us were dealing with all sorts of magical anomalies: doors connecting to random places, shadows stalking and attacking students and members of the clergy, hallucinations and, for some reason, we all lost the ability to feel with our auras-
-I felt that as well!- she said immediately- Well, more like, I extended my aura when the door of the room disappeared and…- she shivered at the memory, the loneliness, the despair- and suddenly I stop feeling with my aura-
-We also experienced… fear… crippling fear that became all the more unbearable after losing our aura-sensation and that only Master Celio was able to overcome and helped us deal with- he admitted, but he sounded as if he didn’t want to. She would nod, understanding that a wizard’s pride is the ability to control their emotions. So the shadow attacked not just them, but the whole temple… she hadn’t even considered that possibility. -Honestly, we were evacuating everyone since we really didn’t know what else to do… until, suddenly the fear stopped, the shadows stopped acting creepy and the doors connected to the expected places again… we also were able to feel with our auras again and then we felt your urgency- Flare nodded. -When we found you two, you were back to your original shape, but completely unconscious and Nyepu was showing some burns but was definitely alive, so we brought the two of you here-
-I’m sorry…- it was her first impulse, Ancelm raised a brow.
-Why would you be?-
-because you all had to suffer this because of me- she explained. The felixin smiled tenderly at her.
-Flare, we were the ones that insisted in bringing you here, and paid the price of vastly underestimating the enemy…- he nods looking away- This is not your fault, it is not your fault that some dark forces are targeting you- she had to admit that he was right… or maybe not? After all, in a horrible way, she was living her dream: she was part of a prophecy now, she was facing a dark force as the heroine of a story. Maybe it was her fault to wish for this?- But it doesn’t matter if it is your fault or not- he shrugs and she blinks once, looking at him.
-It doesn’t?- she asks tilting her head, definitely intrigued by his answer.
-Of course not! What really matters is that we vanquish that horror as quickly as possible, and, considering how nasty the thing is, that means we also need to be extra careful…- She couldn’t help but agree with that, “is basically what I’ve been saying all along… but, to think I was about to go face that thing all by myself...” she shuddered at the memory of how easily that entity had entered her mind, how quickly and easily it could have defeated her. “If it weren’t for Nyepu...”. She felt a mix of emotions: on one side, she couldn’t be happier that the dragon had been there to help her, that he had gone to her and together defeated a horror; but on the other hand, she still wasn’t sure if he was doing anything out of a genuine desire to help her or her horrible blood control was doing it, that was depressing, and it also made her feel guilty. The guilt, of course, only multiplied at the knowledge of how everyone in the Temple could have suffered a similar fate to her if she and her dragon hadn’t had dealt with the abomination in time… “And even then, we got lucky… we got lucky my magic harmed the thing and Nyepu could withstand my attacks and find a way to wake me up...” she blinked at that.
-Ancelm…- the felixin’s ear twitched- Does anyone tried to attack the thing with their magic? Does the Hollow Guards did anything?- The Hollow Guards were strange constructs that very few wizards knew how to make, they protected the Temples and some of the trains from magical threats since their presence sucked magic, nullifying it around them. The Adeptus nodded.
-Some of us tried to use our powers against the shadows, but it was for naught, our powers simply vanished in contact with them, and everyone was too scared and auraless to try and track the origin of the powers controlling all the phenomena… the Hollow Guards did very little, Master Celio used them to protect the students and help the evacuation. With enough of them, we were able to keep the shadows at bay, they’d still try to sneak around, though… we had to be very close to the Guards for them to be effective-
-I’ve seen Nyepu shooting an anti-magic beam, very similar to the NERV projector’s beam- comments Flare- it only seemed to slow down the horror but wouldn’t seemed to harm it especially…-
-He told us that, indeed…- he sighs looking sincerely frustrated, he was allowing her to see a lot of his emotions!- this horror, whatever it is, while definitely magical in nature, is surprisingly resistant to anti-magic techniques and weapons… but, surprisingly vulnerable to magic… your magic, at least - he looked pensive.
-Is this… why I’m the one in the prophecies? because my magic is the only thing that can harm the Shadow?-
-Perhaps… that said, it could mean that this entity is directly connected to you somehow… otherwise, I fail to see what’s so special about your magic to be the only one capable of harming the Shadow- Flare remembered how she felt when she woke up at the sea merely two days ago, like she’d been trapped somewhere, she clearly remembered how happy, how free, she’d felt when flying, as if she hadn’t done that in ages.
-I’ve been gone for a whole year…- she says, closing her eyes, the gem in her neck shining with her words- I’ve been having dreams of voices in the darkness, not unlike the way this thing had communicated with me…-
-the shadow had talked to you?- he asked, managing to keep hidden most of his surprise.
-Yes…- she nods- it told me, with my own voice, that it was going to claim me, return me back to the darkness- she opens her eyes again looking down to the bed. -I’m pretty sure right now that the shadow is related to the impostor and that dark place I’ve been for what’s probably a whole year… and that, somehow, makes me the only one capable of harming it… I just feel that’s what’s going on- The Adeptus nods but doesn’t reply right away. Both of them stood silent for a moment with thoughtful expressions in their faces before the feline decided that they should get ready for their trip, they had wasted enough time as it is… that’s when Flare’s stomach decided it was a good time to remind her, very loudly, that she needed to eat.
After some quick preparations, a much needed breakfast, and also a bath for the princess, Ancelm and Flare found themselves waiting for Nyepu and Giorgio at the City’s Train Station. The estirge princess was reminded of the time she first arrived at City 45 with Nyepu after defeating a gigantic Savage Daemon, it was incredible for her that that had happened only 2 days ago! It felt nostalgic for her to be back here, at this huge white dome-like building where four railways converged, and it felt strange for her to finally be on her way home after everything that’s happened.
-Ancelm… is it ok to… to bring this much help?- asked her as she eyed at the eight wizards that were waiting with them, four of them were wearing the blue and silver robes of the holy darkness’ faith, the other wore more ordinary clothes, so it was clear they were volunteers, but the whole group was looking very capable and some were even chatting already. The catty duo of Ancelm and Celio had arranged a magical escort for the princess as requested by Argenta, and they had gone all out on it… because with her and Ancelm, that made a total of ten wizards, more than enough to take an army of savage daemon, at least, way more than those Flare could take all by herself! and if that weren’t enough, there was a freaking Hollow Guard as well! The silver golem was standing there, completely silent, at their side… the wizards, Flare and Ancelm included, were keeping their distance from the construct.
-After yesterday’s assault on our temple, we are taking no risks- answered Ancelm simply, wearing his blue robes as well, they wanted to look as official as possible since this was an official mission. This all reminded her of her days doing official visits to the other cities and settlements of the Sky Kingdom and its neighbours, especially since one of the other wizards was also a estirge! She felt tempted to ask her for the latest castle gossip! Actually… there were some things she could ask to a more… normal estirge. Flare had always thought of herself as someone different, not actually especial, but definitely different… Nyepu had pointed out a few of her peculiarities and asked her about them,after all!. But yeah, these sensations and feelings that she’s never experienced before… Maybe, she could make up for all the biology lessons she missed and lack of social life by asking about these things to a random estirge that most likely had a normal life and experiences. And speaking of her dragon, where was him?! The train was about to depar! And right on cue...
-The Train to City 43 is departing in 10 minutes, all passengers, please, aboard the train… that means you lot!- said the synthetic voice of Argenta through the speakers, as the lights of the building seemingly shined brighter on them, some of the wizards let out annoyed huffs while others chuckled. They’d need to go through some cities before arriving at her home city, City 43 was one of them. “Where are them?!” wondered Flare, beginning to worry, and just when she was about to grab her phone...
-Greetings!- That familiar and beautiful manly voice, Flare’s neck almost snapped towards the source of it and there he was, the huge dragon walking towards her, Nyepu barely registered how the little princess almost transformed into a red blur before she was hugging his chest with wings and talons… Nyepu, who was wearing a black and red version of his usual bio-suit, blushed and blinked in surprise. -Flare…- he whispered softly, his blush deepening as he felt her nuzzling him. She wasn’t sure why she was feeling like this, but she really wanted to embrace him, feel him, just like when he protected her from the dark horror.
Flare was hugging him. The speed and eagerness with which she tackled him and did it, the warm feel of her little and soft embrace, all of that felt really, really...nice. “Is this how it feels to be… wanted?” He couldn’t help but think that and blush even more before shaking his head. This had to be her biology and Sahá blood at work, she drank a lot of his blood yesterday after all… there was no way that Flare would really want him. And yet, he had her right there, basically asking him to hug her back… For a second there, he was reminded of their encounter with the abomination of yesterday, of how much he’d carried her in his arms, and how strangely weird it felt to not have her so close during most of the day. Of course, this probably was also the effects of the blood magic… But what if not? What if he genuinely wanted to hold her… “she is so cute… so small and unique… so… so pretty...” he embraces her softly, blushing more as he lets himself do this.
Flare let out a cute and happy chirp as she felt the embrace of her dragon, she felt that warm feeling from before, from those moments in which the dragon had kept her safe, such tenderness… she began to feel warmer...
-By the gods!… aren’t you two adorable?!- asked Giorgio suddenly in a very sarcastic tone right before pulling from his colleague’s tail. Nyepu, being on his legs now, almost jumped as the goat researcher, who was wearing a black shirt that didn’t covered all of his torso, and a pair of short blue pants, pulled him with his impressive strength towards the train wagon, getting amused looks from the three research helpers they brought -but we have no time for this, the train leaves in 5 minutes!- Ancelm chuckled at the whole thing.
Flare was brought back to reality at Nyepu’s jump and hearing the voice of the homunculus researcher, she looked at him in surprise, almost as if she had just noticed the guy was there, then looked at Nyepu and felt the looks of the other wizards and the few scientific adjutants… she suddenly felt very conscious of what she had just done.
-R-Right!- said her nodding, not sure if she should fly or stay there, but given that Nyepu was still holding her firmly in his arms she decided to not move, not that she really minded, though.
-S-sure Giorgio, you can let me go now!- he said, pulling his tail away from the goat’s hands, walking the rest of the way with Flare firmly held in his arms… yes, holding her really felt nice.
-Well, just in time!- commented Ancelm simply with a smile, following them all with their wizardly and scientific entourage following them.
-By the way… sorry for the delay- said Nyepu they entered the train. The vehicle was huge and had already plenty of people taking seats in the normal rows and also the compartments for magically shrunken people. Humans, lapins, a few dragons and estirges, felixins, homunculi, all of them chatting with other passengers or merely minding their own businesses as the group passed by them, earning more than a few glances (and disgusted or worried looks when noticing the Hollow Guard), as the went towards their private compartments provided by the Church of the Holy Darkness. -We had to make sure everything was well placed in the storage-
-Yeah, the guys in charge of that are a bunch of savages! we barely managed to keep them from destroying some of our devices!- says Giorgio, he clearly was upset at that and one of the adjutants, a pretty sheep nodded with him.
-we offered to shrink your devices but you wouldn’t have none of it- said Ancelm shrugging helplessly with a teasing smile, getting giggles from some members of the magical team. The scientific team gave the cat an annoyed glare and a few eye rolls right before the train started moving.
4 hours later…
13:34 hours - Local time.
City 43 was radically different to City 45. While City 45 was a coastal city with a beautiful sky and made with Neocrete and other materials, City 43 was literally in the middle of a jungle and while it was also made with the same materials as City 45, it had many a difference...
-prriiiii!! I’ve never been in a Living City before!- said Flare with awe, her little sky blue eyes widely opened as she suspended herself in the air with her wings: The buildings, walls, and even the ground, were covered by coats of something that was clearly biological, forming bridges, tunnels, gardens of beautiful and colorful plants and fungi, and, of course, some other… things that Flare wasn’t even sure what they were.
-Really? well, they aren’t that common, to be honest... - admitted Nyepu- wait… this city is not that far from your homecity… how is it that you’ve never visited this place?
-Royal duties suck your time, let me tell you that…- she said dryly.
-Still, to not be able to visit a city that’s just a few train trips from yours sounds crazy- commented Giorgio.
-Tell that to my mom… by the way… is it true that Myquita Lords are gigantic? where is him? - she and the others were standing on the entrance to the city’s train station, a dome-like building that was currently covered in plants and moss. Flare was now spinning in place in search of the one responsible for making this city a botanist’s fantasy. Seeing her spinning with excitement and curiosity warmed Nyepu’s heart, he simply smiled already knowing how this was going to go “wait for it...”.
-I’m right here!- said a manly voice. She turned to found what seemed to be a long shroom with a few shinning tendrils emerging from a wall… -well, not exactly here, look up!- Flare obeyed and there she found a massive mushroom towering over the train station, no, not just the station, it was bigger even than the Spiritual Spire, the largest building in the city!! It was mainly green with white and had large tentacles sprouting from beneath its cap.
-WAH!-!
-heh!-
-meh…-
-hehe! !- said Ancelm
-Welcome to City 43! I’m Lord Verdante, the governor of this Living City…- the colossal mushroom introduced himself.
-Priiii!!! Thanks a lot, Lord Verdante! I’m princess Flare DeFleur of the Sky Kingdom! Very happy to meet you! priii!! I’ve never met a Myquita Lord before!- said her excitedly. Her many companions couldn’t help but smile at seeing her enthusiasm.
-I’m honored to meet you, lady Flare, Argenta had already informed me of your arrival…and situation- that’s when a squad of five guards arrived, all carrying their plasma rifles. -My guards will escort you to the Town Hall first for a meeting, if you don’t mind; there we can talk more privately- At that Flare blinked and turned to the soldiers.
-Please follow us, we’ll keep you safe- said the lapin leading them, smiling and showing off her fangs… they weren’t sure if to try and intimidate them or she was just that happy.
The Town Hall wasn’t very far from there since, like the Train Station, it was located at the Acropolis, a walled area at the center of all metropolitan zones in any city. So after a quick trip in armored transport later, the whole group was entering a large building that was entirely entangled with mycelia, branches, plants and fungi; only a few large windows could be seen in it. Inside, in the main hall, a mushroom with a vaguely anthropomorphic appearance was waiting for them: it had many tentacles and a pair of large arms that ended in huge hands coming from underneath the cap, and supported itself on a pair of strong-looking legs. On top of the cap, they could see a protuberance in which a few spots shapeshifted into cartoony yet expressive faces, the shapes currently looked like a happy emote.
-I hope you find my current appearance more approachable!- Lord Verdante’s voice came from the large mushroom creature like an echo. Flare blinked and tilted her head.
-Lord Verdante? w-weren’t you out there? - she said, motioning her head outside, to the large shroom outside in the center of the city. Lord Verdante chuckled.
-Yes, that’s me as well! This is but a mere avatar… a puppet of sorts I use to have more close and personal interaction with my people and many visitors! - he says, clapping his hands.
-Oh! I see!- Flare has heard many things about the myquita, but she’s rarely had the chance to actually talk with one! Then again, most Myquita don’t talk per se, they use what Argenta calls “morse language” as well as other curious methods to communicate… so talking with one was a rather surreal but incredible experience for her!
-Anyway, please follow me, we have some stuff to talk- he’d say, leading the way to a meeting room. The place was rather strange, it was covered by a greenish coat of mycelia, and instead of light fixtures, it had these luminescent fungi, there were some people in there, attending other citizens and visitors, many greeted the governor and also greeted at Flare and her entourage, she greeted back at them with bows and smiles. Such nice people! It certainly reminded her of her time back at home, when she’d also get greetings from her people when flying through the city or right after dealing with some criminals… her smile became sad for a moment and she had to make use of her will to keep herself from tearing up “I’ll be back at home soon…and I’ll fix everything!”.
The meeting room was big enough for the whole group and, at Lord Verdante’s whim, many mushrooms grew around a table to serve as seats for them all. Flare almost automatically went to sit on Nyepu’s lap but she stopped herself middair as their eyes met, apparently, they had both thought the same… but given that there were enough mushrooms for them all, the princess thought that it would be disrespectful not to accept a seat offered by the governor himself, and went there, Nyepu blinked in confusion, but shrugged and nodded to her, she gave him an apologetic smile and he returned her a soft one. At the end of the room, there was a screen that seemed to be the only thing not made out of biological matter, and once it turned on itself, the disappointingly silly emote face of Argenta appeared there “Seriously… can’t she generate a more impressive face?!” wondered Flare.
-Ok guys! let’s make this quick: Potentially fake princess Flare...- Flare and Nyepu flinched, Giorgio and Lord Verdante chuckled and Ancelm kept his pleasant expression - ...is here now and Queen Mistana´s hitmen will start moving tomorrow!-
-So my mother is still sending people to kill me- said Flare, very definitely not surprised in the slightest. She still remembered that her mother put a bounty for her capture the next day after she called her.
-How do you know they are coming tomorrow?- asked one of the Wizards, a female felixin also wearing the clothes of the holy darkness clergy.
-Because I told her where Potentially Fake Flare is ( :D )- said Argenta without any sign of remorse.
-YOU WHAT?!- asked Flare, her talking gem illuminating the room like a lighthouse, the wizards either made incredulous faces or managed to keep their cool while the scientific team either facepalmed or sighed and Lord Verdante chuckled, the Guards did keep their professional calm.
-I talked with the Queen, first called her out on not telling me anything about this until way after she’s put a bounty for your head, then told her that you were on your way to the Sky Kingdom to make the required tests in front of her and determine who was the real princess, so I requested her to recall the bounty and proceed peacefully. To show her that I was being honest I gave her your location and promised she’ll always know where you were as long as you had your aux with you ( =3= )- explained Argenta as if this was perfectly normal. Flare wasn’t sure if it would be ok to throw fire at a Goddess or if she’d even get away with it “How could this...?! HOW COULD A GODDESS BE THIS STUPID?!”.
-And what did the Queen said?- asked Nyepu with a growl in his voice and gritted fangs, he was angry, more than he thought he could be by this deity’s apparently irresponsible action, he could see that Flare was pretty angry herself… her emotions were most likely affecting him “Glad I… learnt something from Ancelm’s experiments” he thought, even if he still had a hard time controlling himself, at least he wasn’t shooting his bio canon at Argenta’s face.
-She said that she didn’t believe me because I’m a big liar… yes, she told me that to my face (=___=U) - At this, there was a stunned silence, Flare’s anger was immediately replaced by incredulity: she knew her mother was very determined and direct… but, to call a GODDESS a LIAR?! and to the FACE?!! she felt her mother had just crossed a line… and just when she was about to apologize in behalf of the Sky Kingdom, Lord Verdante and the science team broke into laughter (even Nyepu!), much to the confusion and general awkwardness of the rest. Actually, Flare felt rather funny, she felt like she could be laughing as well, even when she felt more confused than anything else. -ok, ok guys! Just shut up already! you had your fun!! (# >__< ) -
-She is not lying, you know…!- commented Giorgio still laughing as the researchers started to calm down. “Anyone that works in technological fields is a follower of the machine goddess… even if they are not members of her clergy… and they all are a bunch of weirdos… their relationship with their goddess has to be the weirdest there is...” those were the words of Flare’s master, and given the incredible things she was hearing and seeing right now, he seemed to be kind of right, after all, this amount of disrespect to their main deity would just be unthinkable to any other religion. “Then again… Nyepu and Giorgio hadn’t shown that much respect for Argenta when we first talked to her” she remembered how the scientists seemed to treat Argenta more like as if she were just some random person and not a very real deity when she first appeared back at City 45.
-As expected of Queen Mistana, she is still one spicy bird, hehe!- said Lord Verdante. Flare raised a brow as she looked at the governor… “spicy bird”? She’s never ever heard anyone referring to her mother like that, not even her fathers… it felt weird… and wrong, for some reason. Still, she did have curiosity: “I wonder, what kind of answer would I get from Lord Verdante if I ask him about my mother...”. On the other hand the other wizards and guards were looking from confused to weirded out and struggling to keep their professional seriousness. Ancelm cleared his throat rather loudly.
-hairball?- suggested Argenta, no one understood what she meant by that… except Lord Verdante, apparently, who giggled some more.
-No?- said the felixin adeptus with uncertainty in his voice- I just wanted to say that, we should focus.- With that said, the meeting proceeded...
Two hours later.
15:49 hours - Local Time.
Flare was looking intently at her phone. Or more precisely, to the call button. The meeting ended some time ago and most of the team was now waiting outside of the meeting room. Inside were only herself, Nyepu, Ancelm, Giorgio and Lord Verdante. The four guys were waiting for her to press the button. The estirge princess, in turn, was waiting for Argenta’s signal. Any minute, now…
-I’m back!- said the now familiar synthetic and feminine voice of Argenta as her ridiculously simplistic emote face appeared in the lumina screen of the meeting room- is time for the call!!- the little princess nodded and with a wish, she pressed the button and the call started. It rang twice before the call was answered.
-My time is precious… you better not waste it, impostor- said the cold voice of her mother, of Queen Mistana - activate the camera and let’s be done with this-
-Yeah- answered Flare simply before obeying and activating the conference mode: Suddenly, her aux projected a window of sorts through which the six people in the room could see the three waiting for them at the other side of the holographic projection, and could be seen by the others in turn. “The palace… my palace...” thought Flare looking at the familiar room in which the Queen was: the Throne Room, a golden room with large open windows, where the wind and the light ran freely, filled with floating gems that would broadcast images of the many glorious and epic events that the DeFleur long and legendary family line had been the protagonist of. With the Queen were some of her Guards, she identified them! Ludovic and Gerardil! the pair were standing at her sides inside their Walkers, cybernetic battle suits that male estirges used in combat to be on equal footing with the bigger especies. Since the compartments were open as a sign of being in a passive stance, she could see the faces of the small pilots, Ludovic and Gerardil were always around the Queen, but sometimes she’d send them to accompany one of her daughters onto some extra official situation. Flare had visited other cities with each one of them at least twice… But just as she was beginning to feel nostalgic, her eyes met those of her mother...
In front of Flare and her company, was now Queen Mistana, barely bigger than the little avian Nyepu and the others had gotten very acquainted with, the Queen was scarily similar to Flare, except her colors were darker in tone, which somehow made her feel more sophisticated and royal, her tail had different patterns in her feathers, and her icy blue eyes showed a cold boredom that made you feel guilty of wasting her time. Nyepu and Giorgio felt the urge to sit straighter, and try to look as professional as possible, while Ancelm managed to just look affable. Argenta didn’t change her… emote in the slightest… and Lord Verdante...
-Hey Misty! it’s been ages!- greeted the giant mushroom, waving an arm and half of his tentacles rather enthusiastically. Everyone flinched, even Ancelm and the guards that were with the Queen! also, Flare was pretty sure her mother almost fell from the air as she somehow tried to cover her face with both her wings in pure embarrassment right before retaking her flight.
-Lord Verdante… is Queen Mistana, please… I’ve told you to never call me Misty, again- says her after regaining her flying, interestingly enough, she only sounds flustered, not angry. The fungic governor only chuckled.
-Why would I do that, Misty? I’m just trying to help you feel more relaxed, hehe!-
-Priiii! Well, you are failing! Take things more seriously for once!- demanded the queen. Lord Verdante made a snickering sound.
-Always so serious, madame… but yeah, as much as I’d like to… ruffle your feathers…- Argenta let out a chuckle while the rest flinched again- I’m just here to show you how actually official this call is… this cute little princess here needs to tell you a few things- said him pointing to Flare, who blinked at being called cute by the governor, she wasn’t expecting that. -I know you won’t trust Argenta, but you know you can trust me, your old friend of adventures!- “old… friend of adventures… why the way he said that sounded wrong?! and... IS HE WINKING AT MY MOTHER?!” The spots the mushroom lord used to make emotes certainly looked like a winking one.
-wahhh….- sighed the Queen, this time covering her face with one wing to not fall. -I guess that you are certainly more trustworthy than her… and speaking of trust…- and now the full weight of the Queen’s gaze was on Flare. The princess was immediately reminded of that one time she defied her mother about marrying and becoming a boring princess instead of a travelling heroine. -What do you think I’d be interested in hearing from you, impostor?- It felt like forever since the last time Flare felt the oppressive presence of her mother.
But just like back then, the princess’ own stubbornness allowed her to stand, well, fly, firm in front of her Mom.
-It’s been a while, mother...-
-I’m no mother of a pathetic mockery...-
-...of course you are not, and that’s why we need to run the tests, to expel the fake one once and for all-
-I’m looking at the only fake thing here… besides Argenta, that is- said the Queen coldly, then turned around and added- because my true daughter is right here!- And then approached the other Flare: wearing a wonderful necklace with shining jewels, the way she carried herself was simply majestic, her expression was filled with confidence and also kindness, and her presence seemed to fill the place with light, making the colors more vibrant, more alive. “What the hell is this?” wondered Flare at how her copy’s mere presence seemed to carry so much impact, her own confidence somehow faltering in front of the usurper that somehow felt… better?
-So you are the one who’s been causing my mother so much trouble- says the other Flare, not with an accusing tone, but an acknowledging one. “She feels better because she is...”
-I… I’m not…- “you are a source of trouble, good for nothing besides fighting… and you are not that good for that even… needing a weakling of a dragon to save your tail…!”
-Oh really? if that weren’t the case, there wouldn’t be a bounty for your head, miss- said the other Flare with a condescending tone -But I guess that, since you are coming on your own here, maybe there is no point in keeping said bounty-
-What?... - whispered Giorgio while Nyepu frowned and Ancelm raised a brow. The Queen turned to the other Flare, her little eyes demanding an explanation.
-Lord Verdante has proven time and time again that he is a trustworthy leader, Mother, if he gives his word that the impostor is coming to submit herself to the tests, then I don’t see any reason to keep a bounty-
-Flare, I will not allow anyone to put to doubt that you, and only you, are my beloved daughter…-
-And no one will, everyone knows how capable and dedicated you are, my Queen, but the way you’ve tried to terminate the problem violently without even considering all these silly verifications may actually get the opposite idea, making others wonder if there is something you fear or want to hide- explain the other Flare smoothly and softly, the Queen frowned but instead of looking angry, she just looked thoughtful. “I’ve never… got my mother thoughtful like this...” thought Flare, indeed, reminded of the many times her mother had just dismissed her or corrected her on some idea, always telling her that she had a lot to learn still, her fathers and some of her brothers would be the only ones to try to console her or acknowledge her achievements. And here there was this copy of hers, reading the situations and providing another point of view perfectly… “She is perfect… definitely way better than you!”
-No one would dare to assume such a thing...- said the Queen.
-Only us who know you very well wouldn’t dare to think like that- commented Lord Verdante- but you can be sure that certain governors would use this to weaken your public image and try to get some leverage… do not forget that you made the whole thing public, after all, and given that Argenta and The Church of the Holy Darkness are supporting the pacific approach, not accepting their intervention will reinforce the theory that something shady is going on at palace- Queen Mistana glared at the mushroom governor for a moment and finally sighed.
-I guess you two have a point… nothing weird is going on here, but proving that is going to be harder without getting unwanted scrutiny, not that I’m hiding anything, but is just bothersome… not to mention it would give some of my rivals excuses to try and get actually secret information...- It seemed as if the Queen was about to accept to do things peacefully.
-If you allow me, your Majesty- suddenly said Ancelm, getting everyone’s attention - There is a detail that you hadn’t been informed yet, but I’m sure it will help you to see why we need to solve this as swiftly and peacefully as possible- And then he mentioned the prophecy involving Flare and this mysterious darkness… as well as the horrific event from yesterday. After hearing him out, the Queen had a grim look on her face, while the other Flare seemed really worried, almost frightened. Flare looked at her copy and wondered if she looked exactly like that yesterday in the morning when she was told about the prophecy for the first time… somehow, she couldn’t imagine her copy facing that abomination she and Nyepu fought together… “At least… that’s something I can do that you can’t, usurper” thought the little princess, but she didn’t felt that that was enough to actually feel good about herself, it felt more like a petty thing, a desperate attempt of her to invalidate the apparent perfection of the copy.
-So the mockery and that researcher defeated a mysterious horror… I guess that at least, someone that powerful could be useful…- commented the Queen - I… must admit that I find it strange that this dark horror had gone after the mockery instead of the real deal, though…-
-a-actually, mother…- said the other Flare, getting the full attention of the Queen- I’ve… been having very strange nightmares lately as well… I hadn’t mentioned anything since I thought they were just… that, bad dreams, you know it’s been a bit stressing lately, but... - then the Flare in the palace turned to the one in City 43’s Meeting Room and asked -are you having nightmares as well? of a creepy voice in the darkness calling for you?- Flare’s little eyes, and Nyepu’s bigger ones, open widely at that.
-Y-yes- said Flare, nodding,getting the attention of everyone else. -A voice that tells that…-
-It’ll claim me back- said both Flares at the same time, both in a grim tone.
the other chapters:
Lost traveler 1: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/21138550/
Lost traveler 2: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/21157647/
Lost traveler 3: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/21232130/
Lost traveler 4: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/21307276/
Lost traveler 5: https://www.furaffinity.net/view/22178174/
Lost traveler 6: https://www.furaffinity.net/view/42074410/
Lost traveler 7: https://www.furaffinity.net/view/44230897/
Lost traveler 8: https://www.furaffinity.net/view/44231054/
Lost traveler 9: https://www.furaffinity.net/view/44231372/
Lost traveler 11: https://www.furaffinity.net/view/46252070/
“You just doomed him… his soul now has the claim of the void and is your fault” said Flare’s voice in the darkness with a disgustingly sweet tone. She was looking at her own reflection in a mirror but something was wrong with it.
“No…” replied Flare.
“He’s doomed to oblivion, just like you” continued the other Flare, cooing.The figure’s eyes weren’t sky blue, they were of a creepy green tone.
“No! Leave him alone!!” demanded the princess.
“He will be alone… just like you will… both trapped in the void for all eternity!” said the voice now sounding gleefully sadistic. Her feathers became black, her beak grey. Her body began to rot with dark stains appearing all over her as more and more of her feathers dropped.
“You will not… I will not allow you!” replied the doomed heroine.
“Dear Flare… there is not escaping fate” And suddenly, the thing pounced on her!
-CAW!- and Flare awakened.
-Good morning, meow...- said a familiar and calmed voice. The estirge princess turned to meet its smiling owner.
-Ancelm!… W-where am I? where is Nyepu?!- asked her, looking around with urgency. She barely noticed that the felixin wizard was sitting on a simple puff while she was on a bed that was a lot bigger than her. They were in an unfamiliar room of dark tones, relaxing shades of blues and some decorations of silver. The light of the day was entering through a window, but it might as well just be a magical projection from outside. There were many other beds around. She didn’t care about any of it, though, she only wanted to know one thing.
-You are in our infirmary, and the dragon researcher is…- Ancelm’s face became a lot more serious for a second, even averting her gaze, which made Flare’s heart beat all the faster in worry, and just when her mind was beginning to work in all the horrible possibilities... -he is being an idiot-
-Wha-?!- she opened her beak and stood like that for a second before the wizard laughed at her expression. She puffed up and yelled -Ancelm!-
-Sorry! sorry!- he laughed a little more- but I’m serious, he is ok, he just looked a little crispy around the edges but otherwise he is ok and went back to that research center of his to do… something- the felixin shrugs- instead of being here and resting or waiting for you… he said something about making extra preparations- Flare fell back on her bed with a relieved sigh… then immediately grabbed her phone from her magical inventory and tried to call for Nyepu… only to remember she’s never asked his number. Noticing this, Ancelm said: -I got his number, if you want it-
-Please!- asked her. After gotten the dragon’s number, she immediately called him:
Ring Ring
-Hello?-
-NYEPU!- she couldn’t help but scream happily at hearing his beautiful voice again! She felt relief like she’s never felt before.
-GYAH!!- the dragon screamed out in surprise and some other noises could be heard as well as what was definitely laughter and someone else yelling. The avian couldn’t help but wince since apparently she just got Nyepu in trouble.
-Sorry…-
-Flare? Is that you? and is ok, no problem... - she heard him say sorry to someone else as well.
-Yes! Yes, is me! How are you?! Are you ok?! Where are you?!-
-I already told you…- started to say Ancelm.
-I’m ok, don’t worry, just went back to the research center to grab a few items that I think might be useful, I’ll be on my way back there in a mo…-
-MY boyfriend is with me having fu…!- that was Giorgio’s voice, he was cut off by the sounds of struggling as well as angry yelling and growling. Ancelm was chuckling again and Flare just blinked. Boyfriend?
-Are you... ?- began to ask Flare
-NO! I’M NOT HIS BOYFRIEND! AND WE’VE DONE NOTHING WEIRD!- She winced at hearing Nyepu’s response while Giorgio’s laughter could be heard far away- Anyway! we’ll be back in a moment… we need to pick the last train to your city-
-Ok… I’m glad you are ok, Nyepu- she said more softly.
-T-thanks… are you ok?-
-Yes! just worried for you-
-Worry more about taking any preparation, or eating something, as I told you, we need to pick the last train so be ready, we shall meet at the Train station in an hour-
-O-ok!- said Flare, she suddenly had the urge to say something else, do something else, convey a certain desire to show the dragon her caring and a… a… appreciation? -I… ok… see you later!- said her, unable to really determine what she felt.
-See you later…- said Nyepu.
-Won’t you send her kisses as well?- was teasing Giorgio before he hung up and the princess felt her cheeks getting hot… especially since the word “kiss” triggered a very particular memory: her wing, since she was back into her normal form, went to rub her neck, just where he...
-By the way!- She jumped at hearing the cheery voice of Ancelm- we have good and bad news for you-
-What are the news?- she asked, focusing on the feline, storing her phone back into her magical inventory.
-The Dark God had spoken and had declared that Princess Flare DeFleur is the one in the prophecy… but decided not to mention if that person is you or the one in the Sky Kingdom- he nods and she feels like rolling her eyes.
-Vague enough as usual… And I guess that the bad news is that the Shadow managed to bypass all the temple’s defenses and could do it again- she said almost accusingly. The feline’s eyes opened wider for a second but then he chuckled.
-You’ve gotten sharper, my lady- he chuckles more, even his tail waved a little- Indeed, the Shadow manifested yesterday in a massive attack to the temple- She blinks.
-Wait… massive attack?- repeats her tilting her head and Ancelm nods.
-Nyepu told us about your experience dealing with that mysterious horror… and, while you were dealing with that, the rest of us were dealing with all sorts of magical anomalies: doors connecting to random places, shadows stalking and attacking students and members of the clergy, hallucinations and, for some reason, we all lost the ability to feel with our auras-
-I felt that as well!- she said immediately- Well, more like, I extended my aura when the door of the room disappeared and…- she shivered at the memory, the loneliness, the despair- and suddenly I stop feeling with my aura-
-We also experienced… fear… crippling fear that became all the more unbearable after losing our aura-sensation and that only Master Celio was able to overcome and helped us deal with- he admitted, but he sounded as if he didn’t want to. She would nod, understanding that a wizard’s pride is the ability to control their emotions. So the shadow attacked not just them, but the whole temple… she hadn’t even considered that possibility. -Honestly, we were evacuating everyone since we really didn’t know what else to do… until, suddenly the fear stopped, the shadows stopped acting creepy and the doors connected to the expected places again… we also were able to feel with our auras again and then we felt your urgency- Flare nodded. -When we found you two, you were back to your original shape, but completely unconscious and Nyepu was showing some burns but was definitely alive, so we brought the two of you here-
-I’m sorry…- it was her first impulse, Ancelm raised a brow.
-Why would you be?-
-because you all had to suffer this because of me- she explained. The felixin smiled tenderly at her.
-Flare, we were the ones that insisted in bringing you here, and paid the price of vastly underestimating the enemy…- he nods looking away- This is not your fault, it is not your fault that some dark forces are targeting you- she had to admit that he was right… or maybe not? After all, in a horrible way, she was living her dream: she was part of a prophecy now, she was facing a dark force as the heroine of a story. Maybe it was her fault to wish for this?- But it doesn’t matter if it is your fault or not- he shrugs and she blinks once, looking at him.
-It doesn’t?- she asks tilting her head, definitely intrigued by his answer.
-Of course not! What really matters is that we vanquish that horror as quickly as possible, and, considering how nasty the thing is, that means we also need to be extra careful…- She couldn’t help but agree with that, “is basically what I’ve been saying all along… but, to think I was about to go face that thing all by myself...” she shuddered at the memory of how easily that entity had entered her mind, how quickly and easily it could have defeated her. “If it weren’t for Nyepu...”. She felt a mix of emotions: on one side, she couldn’t be happier that the dragon had been there to help her, that he had gone to her and together defeated a horror; but on the other hand, she still wasn’t sure if he was doing anything out of a genuine desire to help her or her horrible blood control was doing it, that was depressing, and it also made her feel guilty. The guilt, of course, only multiplied at the knowledge of how everyone in the Temple could have suffered a similar fate to her if she and her dragon hadn’t had dealt with the abomination in time… “And even then, we got lucky… we got lucky my magic harmed the thing and Nyepu could withstand my attacks and find a way to wake me up...” she blinked at that.
-Ancelm…- the felixin’s ear twitched- Does anyone tried to attack the thing with their magic? Does the Hollow Guards did anything?- The Hollow Guards were strange constructs that very few wizards knew how to make, they protected the Temples and some of the trains from magical threats since their presence sucked magic, nullifying it around them. The Adeptus nodded.
-Some of us tried to use our powers against the shadows, but it was for naught, our powers simply vanished in contact with them, and everyone was too scared and auraless to try and track the origin of the powers controlling all the phenomena… the Hollow Guards did very little, Master Celio used them to protect the students and help the evacuation. With enough of them, we were able to keep the shadows at bay, they’d still try to sneak around, though… we had to be very close to the Guards for them to be effective-
-I’ve seen Nyepu shooting an anti-magic beam, very similar to the NERV projector’s beam- comments Flare- it only seemed to slow down the horror but wouldn’t seemed to harm it especially…-
-He told us that, indeed…- he sighs looking sincerely frustrated, he was allowing her to see a lot of his emotions!- this horror, whatever it is, while definitely magical in nature, is surprisingly resistant to anti-magic techniques and weapons… but, surprisingly vulnerable to magic… your magic, at least - he looked pensive.
-Is this… why I’m the one in the prophecies? because my magic is the only thing that can harm the Shadow?-
-Perhaps… that said, it could mean that this entity is directly connected to you somehow… otherwise, I fail to see what’s so special about your magic to be the only one capable of harming the Shadow- Flare remembered how she felt when she woke up at the sea merely two days ago, like she’d been trapped somewhere, she clearly remembered how happy, how free, she’d felt when flying, as if she hadn’t done that in ages.
-I’ve been gone for a whole year…- she says, closing her eyes, the gem in her neck shining with her words- I’ve been having dreams of voices in the darkness, not unlike the way this thing had communicated with me…-
-the shadow had talked to you?- he asked, managing to keep hidden most of his surprise.
-Yes…- she nods- it told me, with my own voice, that it was going to claim me, return me back to the darkness- she opens her eyes again looking down to the bed. -I’m pretty sure right now that the shadow is related to the impostor and that dark place I’ve been for what’s probably a whole year… and that, somehow, makes me the only one capable of harming it… I just feel that’s what’s going on- The Adeptus nods but doesn’t reply right away. Both of them stood silent for a moment with thoughtful expressions in their faces before the feline decided that they should get ready for their trip, they had wasted enough time as it is… that’s when Flare’s stomach decided it was a good time to remind her, very loudly, that she needed to eat.
After some quick preparations, a much needed breakfast, and also a bath for the princess, Ancelm and Flare found themselves waiting for Nyepu and Giorgio at the City’s Train Station. The estirge princess was reminded of the time she first arrived at City 45 with Nyepu after defeating a gigantic Savage Daemon, it was incredible for her that that had happened only 2 days ago! It felt nostalgic for her to be back here, at this huge white dome-like building where four railways converged, and it felt strange for her to finally be on her way home after everything that’s happened.
-Ancelm… is it ok to… to bring this much help?- asked her as she eyed at the eight wizards that were waiting with them, four of them were wearing the blue and silver robes of the holy darkness’ faith, the other wore more ordinary clothes, so it was clear they were volunteers, but the whole group was looking very capable and some were even chatting already. The catty duo of Ancelm and Celio had arranged a magical escort for the princess as requested by Argenta, and they had gone all out on it… because with her and Ancelm, that made a total of ten wizards, more than enough to take an army of savage daemon, at least, way more than those Flare could take all by herself! and if that weren’t enough, there was a freaking Hollow Guard as well! The silver golem was standing there, completely silent, at their side… the wizards, Flare and Ancelm included, were keeping their distance from the construct.
-After yesterday’s assault on our temple, we are taking no risks- answered Ancelm simply, wearing his blue robes as well, they wanted to look as official as possible since this was an official mission. This all reminded her of her days doing official visits to the other cities and settlements of the Sky Kingdom and its neighbours, especially since one of the other wizards was also a estirge! She felt tempted to ask her for the latest castle gossip! Actually… there were some things she could ask to a more… normal estirge. Flare had always thought of herself as someone different, not actually especial, but definitely different… Nyepu had pointed out a few of her peculiarities and asked her about them,after all!. But yeah, these sensations and feelings that she’s never experienced before… Maybe, she could make up for all the biology lessons she missed and lack of social life by asking about these things to a random estirge that most likely had a normal life and experiences. And speaking of her dragon, where was him?! The train was about to depar! And right on cue...
-The Train to City 43 is departing in 10 minutes, all passengers, please, aboard the train… that means you lot!- said the synthetic voice of Argenta through the speakers, as the lights of the building seemingly shined brighter on them, some of the wizards let out annoyed huffs while others chuckled. They’d need to go through some cities before arriving at her home city, City 43 was one of them. “Where are them?!” wondered Flare, beginning to worry, and just when she was about to grab her phone...
-Greetings!- That familiar and beautiful manly voice, Flare’s neck almost snapped towards the source of it and there he was, the huge dragon walking towards her, Nyepu barely registered how the little princess almost transformed into a red blur before she was hugging his chest with wings and talons… Nyepu, who was wearing a black and red version of his usual bio-suit, blushed and blinked in surprise. -Flare…- he whispered softly, his blush deepening as he felt her nuzzling him. She wasn’t sure why she was feeling like this, but she really wanted to embrace him, feel him, just like when he protected her from the dark horror.
Flare was hugging him. The speed and eagerness with which she tackled him and did it, the warm feel of her little and soft embrace, all of that felt really, really...nice. “Is this how it feels to be… wanted?” He couldn’t help but think that and blush even more before shaking his head. This had to be her biology and Sahá blood at work, she drank a lot of his blood yesterday after all… there was no way that Flare would really want him. And yet, he had her right there, basically asking him to hug her back… For a second there, he was reminded of their encounter with the abomination of yesterday, of how much he’d carried her in his arms, and how strangely weird it felt to not have her so close during most of the day. Of course, this probably was also the effects of the blood magic… But what if not? What if he genuinely wanted to hold her… “she is so cute… so small and unique… so… so pretty...” he embraces her softly, blushing more as he lets himself do this.
Flare let out a cute and happy chirp as she felt the embrace of her dragon, she felt that warm feeling from before, from those moments in which the dragon had kept her safe, such tenderness… she began to feel warmer...
-By the gods!… aren’t you two adorable?!- asked Giorgio suddenly in a very sarcastic tone right before pulling from his colleague’s tail. Nyepu, being on his legs now, almost jumped as the goat researcher, who was wearing a black shirt that didn’t covered all of his torso, and a pair of short blue pants, pulled him with his impressive strength towards the train wagon, getting amused looks from the three research helpers they brought -but we have no time for this, the train leaves in 5 minutes!- Ancelm chuckled at the whole thing.
Flare was brought back to reality at Nyepu’s jump and hearing the voice of the homunculus researcher, she looked at him in surprise, almost as if she had just noticed the guy was there, then looked at Nyepu and felt the looks of the other wizards and the few scientific adjutants… she suddenly felt very conscious of what she had just done.
-R-Right!- said her nodding, not sure if she should fly or stay there, but given that Nyepu was still holding her firmly in his arms she decided to not move, not that she really minded, though.
-S-sure Giorgio, you can let me go now!- he said, pulling his tail away from the goat’s hands, walking the rest of the way with Flare firmly held in his arms… yes, holding her really felt nice.
-Well, just in time!- commented Ancelm simply with a smile, following them all with their wizardly and scientific entourage following them.
-By the way… sorry for the delay- said Nyepu they entered the train. The vehicle was huge and had already plenty of people taking seats in the normal rows and also the compartments for magically shrunken people. Humans, lapins, a few dragons and estirges, felixins, homunculi, all of them chatting with other passengers or merely minding their own businesses as the group passed by them, earning more than a few glances (and disgusted or worried looks when noticing the Hollow Guard), as the went towards their private compartments provided by the Church of the Holy Darkness. -We had to make sure everything was well placed in the storage-
-Yeah, the guys in charge of that are a bunch of savages! we barely managed to keep them from destroying some of our devices!- says Giorgio, he clearly was upset at that and one of the adjutants, a pretty sheep nodded with him.
-we offered to shrink your devices but you wouldn’t have none of it- said Ancelm shrugging helplessly with a teasing smile, getting giggles from some members of the magical team. The scientific team gave the cat an annoyed glare and a few eye rolls right before the train started moving.
4 hours later…
13:34 hours - Local time.
City 43 was radically different to City 45. While City 45 was a coastal city with a beautiful sky and made with Neocrete and other materials, City 43 was literally in the middle of a jungle and while it was also made with the same materials as City 45, it had many a difference...
-prriiiii!! I’ve never been in a Living City before!- said Flare with awe, her little sky blue eyes widely opened as she suspended herself in the air with her wings: The buildings, walls, and even the ground, were covered by coats of something that was clearly biological, forming bridges, tunnels, gardens of beautiful and colorful plants and fungi, and, of course, some other… things that Flare wasn’t even sure what they were.
-Really? well, they aren’t that common, to be honest... - admitted Nyepu- wait… this city is not that far from your homecity… how is it that you’ve never visited this place?
-Royal duties suck your time, let me tell you that…- she said dryly.
-Still, to not be able to visit a city that’s just a few train trips from yours sounds crazy- commented Giorgio.
-Tell that to my mom… by the way… is it true that Myquita Lords are gigantic? where is him? - she and the others were standing on the entrance to the city’s train station, a dome-like building that was currently covered in plants and moss. Flare was now spinning in place in search of the one responsible for making this city a botanist’s fantasy. Seeing her spinning with excitement and curiosity warmed Nyepu’s heart, he simply smiled already knowing how this was going to go “wait for it...”.
-I’m right here!- said a manly voice. She turned to found what seemed to be a long shroom with a few shinning tendrils emerging from a wall… -well, not exactly here, look up!- Flare obeyed and there she found a massive mushroom towering over the train station, no, not just the station, it was bigger even than the Spiritual Spire, the largest building in the city!! It was mainly green with white and had large tentacles sprouting from beneath its cap.
-WAH!-!
-heh!-
-meh…-
-hehe! !- said Ancelm
-Welcome to City 43! I’m Lord Verdante, the governor of this Living City…- the colossal mushroom introduced himself.
-Priiii!!! Thanks a lot, Lord Verdante! I’m princess Flare DeFleur of the Sky Kingdom! Very happy to meet you! priii!! I’ve never met a Myquita Lord before!- said her excitedly. Her many companions couldn’t help but smile at seeing her enthusiasm.
-I’m honored to meet you, lady Flare, Argenta had already informed me of your arrival…and situation- that’s when a squad of five guards arrived, all carrying their plasma rifles. -My guards will escort you to the Town Hall first for a meeting, if you don’t mind; there we can talk more privately- At that Flare blinked and turned to the soldiers.
-Please follow us, we’ll keep you safe- said the lapin leading them, smiling and showing off her fangs… they weren’t sure if to try and intimidate them or she was just that happy.
The Town Hall wasn’t very far from there since, like the Train Station, it was located at the Acropolis, a walled area at the center of all metropolitan zones in any city. So after a quick trip in armored transport later, the whole group was entering a large building that was entirely entangled with mycelia, branches, plants and fungi; only a few large windows could be seen in it. Inside, in the main hall, a mushroom with a vaguely anthropomorphic appearance was waiting for them: it had many tentacles and a pair of large arms that ended in huge hands coming from underneath the cap, and supported itself on a pair of strong-looking legs. On top of the cap, they could see a protuberance in which a few spots shapeshifted into cartoony yet expressive faces, the shapes currently looked like a happy emote.
-I hope you find my current appearance more approachable!- Lord Verdante’s voice came from the large mushroom creature like an echo. Flare blinked and tilted her head.
-Lord Verdante? w-weren’t you out there? - she said, motioning her head outside, to the large shroom outside in the center of the city. Lord Verdante chuckled.
-Yes, that’s me as well! This is but a mere avatar… a puppet of sorts I use to have more close and personal interaction with my people and many visitors! - he says, clapping his hands.
-Oh! I see!- Flare has heard many things about the myquita, but she’s rarely had the chance to actually talk with one! Then again, most Myquita don’t talk per se, they use what Argenta calls “morse language” as well as other curious methods to communicate… so talking with one was a rather surreal but incredible experience for her!
-Anyway, please follow me, we have some stuff to talk- he’d say, leading the way to a meeting room. The place was rather strange, it was covered by a greenish coat of mycelia, and instead of light fixtures, it had these luminescent fungi, there were some people in there, attending other citizens and visitors, many greeted the governor and also greeted at Flare and her entourage, she greeted back at them with bows and smiles. Such nice people! It certainly reminded her of her time back at home, when she’d also get greetings from her people when flying through the city or right after dealing with some criminals… her smile became sad for a moment and she had to make use of her will to keep herself from tearing up “I’ll be back at home soon…and I’ll fix everything!”.
The meeting room was big enough for the whole group and, at Lord Verdante’s whim, many mushrooms grew around a table to serve as seats for them all. Flare almost automatically went to sit on Nyepu’s lap but she stopped herself middair as their eyes met, apparently, they had both thought the same… but given that there were enough mushrooms for them all, the princess thought that it would be disrespectful not to accept a seat offered by the governor himself, and went there, Nyepu blinked in confusion, but shrugged and nodded to her, she gave him an apologetic smile and he returned her a soft one. At the end of the room, there was a screen that seemed to be the only thing not made out of biological matter, and once it turned on itself, the disappointingly silly emote face of Argenta appeared there “Seriously… can’t she generate a more impressive face?!” wondered Flare.
-Ok guys! let’s make this quick: Potentially fake princess Flare...- Flare and Nyepu flinched, Giorgio and Lord Verdante chuckled and Ancelm kept his pleasant expression - ...is here now and Queen Mistana´s hitmen will start moving tomorrow!-
-So my mother is still sending people to kill me- said Flare, very definitely not surprised in the slightest. She still remembered that her mother put a bounty for her capture the next day after she called her.
-How do you know they are coming tomorrow?- asked one of the Wizards, a female felixin also wearing the clothes of the holy darkness clergy.
-Because I told her where Potentially Fake Flare is ( :D )- said Argenta without any sign of remorse.
-YOU WHAT?!- asked Flare, her talking gem illuminating the room like a lighthouse, the wizards either made incredulous faces or managed to keep their cool while the scientific team either facepalmed or sighed and Lord Verdante chuckled, the Guards did keep their professional calm.
-I talked with the Queen, first called her out on not telling me anything about this until way after she’s put a bounty for your head, then told her that you were on your way to the Sky Kingdom to make the required tests in front of her and determine who was the real princess, so I requested her to recall the bounty and proceed peacefully. To show her that I was being honest I gave her your location and promised she’ll always know where you were as long as you had your aux with you ( =3= )- explained Argenta as if this was perfectly normal. Flare wasn’t sure if it would be ok to throw fire at a Goddess or if she’d even get away with it “How could this...?! HOW COULD A GODDESS BE THIS STUPID?!”.
-And what did the Queen said?- asked Nyepu with a growl in his voice and gritted fangs, he was angry, more than he thought he could be by this deity’s apparently irresponsible action, he could see that Flare was pretty angry herself… her emotions were most likely affecting him “Glad I… learnt something from Ancelm’s experiments” he thought, even if he still had a hard time controlling himself, at least he wasn’t shooting his bio canon at Argenta’s face.
-She said that she didn’t believe me because I’m a big liar… yes, she told me that to my face (=___=U) - At this, there was a stunned silence, Flare’s anger was immediately replaced by incredulity: she knew her mother was very determined and direct… but, to call a GODDESS a LIAR?! and to the FACE?!! she felt her mother had just crossed a line… and just when she was about to apologize in behalf of the Sky Kingdom, Lord Verdante and the science team broke into laughter (even Nyepu!), much to the confusion and general awkwardness of the rest. Actually, Flare felt rather funny, she felt like she could be laughing as well, even when she felt more confused than anything else. -ok, ok guys! Just shut up already! you had your fun!! (# >__< ) -
-She is not lying, you know…!- commented Giorgio still laughing as the researchers started to calm down. “Anyone that works in technological fields is a follower of the machine goddess… even if they are not members of her clergy… and they all are a bunch of weirdos… their relationship with their goddess has to be the weirdest there is...” those were the words of Flare’s master, and given the incredible things she was hearing and seeing right now, he seemed to be kind of right, after all, this amount of disrespect to their main deity would just be unthinkable to any other religion. “Then again… Nyepu and Giorgio hadn’t shown that much respect for Argenta when we first talked to her” she remembered how the scientists seemed to treat Argenta more like as if she were just some random person and not a very real deity when she first appeared back at City 45.
-As expected of Queen Mistana, she is still one spicy bird, hehe!- said Lord Verdante. Flare raised a brow as she looked at the governor… “spicy bird”? She’s never ever heard anyone referring to her mother like that, not even her fathers… it felt weird… and wrong, for some reason. Still, she did have curiosity: “I wonder, what kind of answer would I get from Lord Verdante if I ask him about my mother...”. On the other hand the other wizards and guards were looking from confused to weirded out and struggling to keep their professional seriousness. Ancelm cleared his throat rather loudly.
-hairball?- suggested Argenta, no one understood what she meant by that… except Lord Verdante, apparently, who giggled some more.
-No?- said the felixin adeptus with uncertainty in his voice- I just wanted to say that, we should focus.- With that said, the meeting proceeded...
Two hours later.
15:49 hours - Local Time.
Flare was looking intently at her phone. Or more precisely, to the call button. The meeting ended some time ago and most of the team was now waiting outside of the meeting room. Inside were only herself, Nyepu, Ancelm, Giorgio and Lord Verdante. The four guys were waiting for her to press the button. The estirge princess, in turn, was waiting for Argenta’s signal. Any minute, now…
-I’m back!- said the now familiar synthetic and feminine voice of Argenta as her ridiculously simplistic emote face appeared in the lumina screen of the meeting room- is time for the call!!- the little princess nodded and with a wish, she pressed the button and the call started. It rang twice before the call was answered.
-My time is precious… you better not waste it, impostor- said the cold voice of her mother, of Queen Mistana - activate the camera and let’s be done with this-
-Yeah- answered Flare simply before obeying and activating the conference mode: Suddenly, her aux projected a window of sorts through which the six people in the room could see the three waiting for them at the other side of the holographic projection, and could be seen by the others in turn. “The palace… my palace...” thought Flare looking at the familiar room in which the Queen was: the Throne Room, a golden room with large open windows, where the wind and the light ran freely, filled with floating gems that would broadcast images of the many glorious and epic events that the DeFleur long and legendary family line had been the protagonist of. With the Queen were some of her Guards, she identified them! Ludovic and Gerardil! the pair were standing at her sides inside their Walkers, cybernetic battle suits that male estirges used in combat to be on equal footing with the bigger especies. Since the compartments were open as a sign of being in a passive stance, she could see the faces of the small pilots, Ludovic and Gerardil were always around the Queen, but sometimes she’d send them to accompany one of her daughters onto some extra official situation. Flare had visited other cities with each one of them at least twice… But just as she was beginning to feel nostalgic, her eyes met those of her mother...
In front of Flare and her company, was now Queen Mistana, barely bigger than the little avian Nyepu and the others had gotten very acquainted with, the Queen was scarily similar to Flare, except her colors were darker in tone, which somehow made her feel more sophisticated and royal, her tail had different patterns in her feathers, and her icy blue eyes showed a cold boredom that made you feel guilty of wasting her time. Nyepu and Giorgio felt the urge to sit straighter, and try to look as professional as possible, while Ancelm managed to just look affable. Argenta didn’t change her… emote in the slightest… and Lord Verdante...
-Hey Misty! it’s been ages!- greeted the giant mushroom, waving an arm and half of his tentacles rather enthusiastically. Everyone flinched, even Ancelm and the guards that were with the Queen! also, Flare was pretty sure her mother almost fell from the air as she somehow tried to cover her face with both her wings in pure embarrassment right before retaking her flight.
-Lord Verdante… is Queen Mistana, please… I’ve told you to never call me Misty, again- says her after regaining her flying, interestingly enough, she only sounds flustered, not angry. The fungic governor only chuckled.
-Why would I do that, Misty? I’m just trying to help you feel more relaxed, hehe!-
-Priiii! Well, you are failing! Take things more seriously for once!- demanded the queen. Lord Verdante made a snickering sound.
-Always so serious, madame… but yeah, as much as I’d like to… ruffle your feathers…- Argenta let out a chuckle while the rest flinched again- I’m just here to show you how actually official this call is… this cute little princess here needs to tell you a few things- said him pointing to Flare, who blinked at being called cute by the governor, she wasn’t expecting that. -I know you won’t trust Argenta, but you know you can trust me, your old friend of adventures!- “old… friend of adventures… why the way he said that sounded wrong?! and... IS HE WINKING AT MY MOTHER?!” The spots the mushroom lord used to make emotes certainly looked like a winking one.
-wahhh….- sighed the Queen, this time covering her face with one wing to not fall. -I guess that you are certainly more trustworthy than her… and speaking of trust…- and now the full weight of the Queen’s gaze was on Flare. The princess was immediately reminded of that one time she defied her mother about marrying and becoming a boring princess instead of a travelling heroine. -What do you think I’d be interested in hearing from you, impostor?- It felt like forever since the last time Flare felt the oppressive presence of her mother.
But just like back then, the princess’ own stubbornness allowed her to stand, well, fly, firm in front of her Mom.
-It’s been a while, mother...-
-I’m no mother of a pathetic mockery...-
-...of course you are not, and that’s why we need to run the tests, to expel the fake one once and for all-
-I’m looking at the only fake thing here… besides Argenta, that is- said the Queen coldly, then turned around and added- because my true daughter is right here!- And then approached the other Flare: wearing a wonderful necklace with shining jewels, the way she carried herself was simply majestic, her expression was filled with confidence and also kindness, and her presence seemed to fill the place with light, making the colors more vibrant, more alive. “What the hell is this?” wondered Flare at how her copy’s mere presence seemed to carry so much impact, her own confidence somehow faltering in front of the usurper that somehow felt… better?
-So you are the one who’s been causing my mother so much trouble- says the other Flare, not with an accusing tone, but an acknowledging one. “She feels better because she is...”
-I… I’m not…- “you are a source of trouble, good for nothing besides fighting… and you are not that good for that even… needing a weakling of a dragon to save your tail…!”
-Oh really? if that weren’t the case, there wouldn’t be a bounty for your head, miss- said the other Flare with a condescending tone -But I guess that, since you are coming on your own here, maybe there is no point in keeping said bounty-
-What?... - whispered Giorgio while Nyepu frowned and Ancelm raised a brow. The Queen turned to the other Flare, her little eyes demanding an explanation.
-Lord Verdante has proven time and time again that he is a trustworthy leader, Mother, if he gives his word that the impostor is coming to submit herself to the tests, then I don’t see any reason to keep a bounty-
-Flare, I will not allow anyone to put to doubt that you, and only you, are my beloved daughter…-
-And no one will, everyone knows how capable and dedicated you are, my Queen, but the way you’ve tried to terminate the problem violently without even considering all these silly verifications may actually get the opposite idea, making others wonder if there is something you fear or want to hide- explain the other Flare smoothly and softly, the Queen frowned but instead of looking angry, she just looked thoughtful. “I’ve never… got my mother thoughtful like this...” thought Flare, indeed, reminded of the many times her mother had just dismissed her or corrected her on some idea, always telling her that she had a lot to learn still, her fathers and some of her brothers would be the only ones to try to console her or acknowledge her achievements. And here there was this copy of hers, reading the situations and providing another point of view perfectly… “She is perfect… definitely way better than you!”
-No one would dare to assume such a thing...- said the Queen.
-Only us who know you very well wouldn’t dare to think like that- commented Lord Verdante- but you can be sure that certain governors would use this to weaken your public image and try to get some leverage… do not forget that you made the whole thing public, after all, and given that Argenta and The Church of the Holy Darkness are supporting the pacific approach, not accepting their intervention will reinforce the theory that something shady is going on at palace- Queen Mistana glared at the mushroom governor for a moment and finally sighed.
-I guess you two have a point… nothing weird is going on here, but proving that is going to be harder without getting unwanted scrutiny, not that I’m hiding anything, but is just bothersome… not to mention it would give some of my rivals excuses to try and get actually secret information...- It seemed as if the Queen was about to accept to do things peacefully.
-If you allow me, your Majesty- suddenly said Ancelm, getting everyone’s attention - There is a detail that you hadn’t been informed yet, but I’m sure it will help you to see why we need to solve this as swiftly and peacefully as possible- And then he mentioned the prophecy involving Flare and this mysterious darkness… as well as the horrific event from yesterday. After hearing him out, the Queen had a grim look on her face, while the other Flare seemed really worried, almost frightened. Flare looked at her copy and wondered if she looked exactly like that yesterday in the morning when she was told about the prophecy for the first time… somehow, she couldn’t imagine her copy facing that abomination she and Nyepu fought together… “At least… that’s something I can do that you can’t, usurper” thought the little princess, but she didn’t felt that that was enough to actually feel good about herself, it felt more like a petty thing, a desperate attempt of her to invalidate the apparent perfection of the copy.
-So the mockery and that researcher defeated a mysterious horror… I guess that at least, someone that powerful could be useful…- commented the Queen - I… must admit that I find it strange that this dark horror had gone after the mockery instead of the real deal, though…-
-a-actually, mother…- said the other Flare, getting the full attention of the Queen- I’ve… been having very strange nightmares lately as well… I hadn’t mentioned anything since I thought they were just… that, bad dreams, you know it’s been a bit stressing lately, but... - then the Flare in the palace turned to the one in City 43’s Meeting Room and asked -are you having nightmares as well? of a creepy voice in the darkness calling for you?- Flare’s little eyes, and Nyepu’s bigger ones, open widely at that.
-Y-yes- said Flare, nodding,getting the attention of everyone else. -A voice that tells that…-
-It’ll claim me back- said both Flares at the same time, both in a grim tone.
Category Artwork (Digital) / Fantasy
Species Avian (Other)
Size 1280 x 1155px
File Size 350.5 kB
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