Elara

This place smelled horrible. How can anyone ever willingly give up being a warrior for this kind of life. The choices of Elowen the once powerful Wild Mage and Thalion the Protector of Everglade have left them both fallen from grace, and living amongst beasts and peasants. I am not impressed. Running my fingers across my temples, I repeated the purpose of being here to myself again.

I am here to protect the lady of light. We will be in a hostel that smells of jasmine tomorrow. Just make it through the night.

Looking out the window of my guest room, I gazed at the pastures that rolled into the thick forest beyond. The split moon hung above, only lit partially, the new moon would be here soon.

In the dim light I spotted something, well rather, someone. A small human, maybe one I had seen serving us at dinner? Was making his way towards the stables, chef whites stained from the meal prepared before and arms empty of trash or dry goods that would give him an excuse for going out that far, this late. Something wasn’t right. I turned and faced Elysia,

“I think I am going to step out for a moment, I will return. Do not leave this room.” I said to her, pulling my cloak around my shoulders, and throwing my blade staff across my back.

“Do be careful, we have to leave first thing tomorrow.” Elysia said, not even looking up from her scrolls.

“I’ll be safe, be back in an hour, tops.”

I slipped out the door and started to follow the kitchen steward towards the stables, keeping a few steps behind and muffling my steps the best she could. What was he up to— I don’t know. But I will find out.

******

The door to the stables was left slightly open, so my chance to listen in was made clear. I crouched down and leaned as close as I could, listening to the muffled conversation.

“Why haven’t you talked to me since the forest?” Elara recognized that voice as Lyra, the cousin of her lady, and fumbled her brow.

“I didn’t want to talk about it! I figured if I left it alone you would let it go too!”

“Well, I didn’t and I also felt heavily abandoned by my so-called best friend. Now listen. My cousin knows something about what attacked us in the woods that day, I have no idea if she caught on to me asking her about it, but this is much bigger than us destroying it.”

I gasped and couldn’t stop myself as I pushed my way into the stables, the scared faces of the brown haired human and Lyra looked up.

“What do you know about the creatures?” I demanded grabbing them both by the collars of their shirts, lifting them off the ground slightly.

“Leave Kaelen out of this!” Lyra shouted at me, swinging one of her hands at me. Slamming her back I held them both further apart and demanded once again,

“What do you know, then I will let you both go.”

“We fought a metal beast in the woods and Lyra killed it! But then it exploded—and—and…” Kaelen crumbled and started coughing out of fear.

“Is this true, Lyra? Did you kill one of these beasts?” I asked, looking at the half elf in her deep forest green eyes set in a stubborn glare. She nodded and I let them both down. The pair regained their balance and both stood before me.

“Was that all that happened?” I asked.

“Yes.” Said Lyra, her hands fixing her shirt collar, wincing from what seemed to be pain. I did not grab her that hard, weak.

“Nothing else?” I demanded

“Well, there were the glyphs—” the servant got swiftly elbowed in the ribs.

“What glyphs,” I asked looking at Lyra, knowing she would crumble if enough pressure was placed.

She rolled her eyes then spoke,

“—After it exploded it left charcoal glyphs. I couldn’t read them, but Kealan could. He didn’t tell me what they said.”

I turned my gaze to the human, who was now looking at his feet, “You need to tell me what they said Kaelen.”

He shifted his feet then looked into my soul as he revealed what I feared most,

“They said this” the light from his eyes vanished, “Property of The House of the Unheard.”