I don't own anything but the land in which this takes place, my OCs, and the plot. Not that it's entirely original. Is anything?

Preparation

"What do you mean, my lord?" Saphire was holding her new uniform in her hands as she stared at Yuichiro EXE. "I cannot go on a quest, I am not even properly prepared for this... What if I ruin the mission that you are sending me to complete? And what if I offend the king? Won't he be mad that an elven slave is taking part in the mission?"

He chuckled. This girl was as curious and cautious as his eldest son, although she hid it worse. In fact, she didn't hide it at all. "I mean what I said. You will act as my eldest son's, Forte by name, assistant. I have all you will need ready for you now. You will be dead if you fail, or will have just barely escaped with your lives. You won't offend the king of Afaldren, he likes elves. And he is the one who came up with the idea that slaves who take part in an important quest are to be freed, so no, he won't be mad. Now go and prepare for the quest, you leave in the morning."

"My lord is far to kind." She bowed and left the great hall where they had been conversing. It had been a week since she had come to this place, and she found that she rather liked it. Her new masters treated her with kindness and compassion, and she was quickly learning new things. Rockman had been teaching her how to use a sword correctly and she had revealed a talent for the use of the bow as well. She had learnt how to garden passibly from Lady EXE, and she had come to love it, just as predicted. She learnt how to use darts and how to steal from Alicia, and had learnt how to read and write in many languages from Netto. Forte had taught her the knights code of honor and conduct. Saphire had taken them to heart as well. Stealing didn't count, though.

"Beleive it or not you are doing me a favor..." He said to himself. If things work out as planned, we may be able to end the war between Lunarian elves and Nocturn elves once and for all...

She went to her new quarters, located in between Forte and Alica's rooms, and began to change. She was now wearing a travel suit just like Forte's, with one difference. It was dark-blue. She thought it was a little bland, and so she added a few things. She now wore a light-blue skirt, and a shirt that would have shown her middriff if it weren't for the travel suit. It was the same color as her boots and skirt. She then put on a scarf that was tied in the back and fell down to her ankles in two tail-like ribbons. It could also cover her mouth and nose if she were to pull it up. The dark-blue ribbon stayed in her hair, tied in a bow at her shoulders. She then put on a cloak that hid her mouth, it was an ancient cloak that would change from light-blue to dark-blue when night fell. It also acted as a ward against damage from physical attacks and illusions were useless as long as she had her scarf.

"Better get ready for the quest, eh Saphire-chan?" Alicia called from the back of the room, she had walked in while Saphire was putting on the cloak. "I hope you like the suit, I found it myself. I thought it would look good on you, and I was right."

"I don't suppose that this was your idea?" She asked the girl who wore her usuall purple clothing. Except the formal dinner that she had served during she had never seen Alicia wear anything different from that. Not even during her training. She assumed that Ailica was better than she pretended to be. "I mean, you did teach me all those things about being a theif. You even taught me the theif's cant..."

"Nah..." She said with a wave of her hand. "I like you, but not that much. Dad came up with this plan on his own. He just wanted me to help as much as possible, is all. So, I tought you how to be a theif. Aren't ya glad I did? Now you can get money if you ever run short, right?"

"I guess..." Saphire wasn't quite sure that Forte would take the money she stole from other's, but she was sure that it would come in handy, at least her abilitiy to pick locks. Well, if there were locks to pick where they were going. "I've never been out of the city before, what's out there?"

"Forest. Lakes. Monsters. The usuall."

"M-monsters? Is that why I need to know how to fight?" She was starting to stutter. Great, just what I need. Monsters...

"Not to worry. They only attack parties that have a lot of magical talent. Since noone has had said talent in a hundred years but the clerics, you'll be fine!"

"A-are you sure..." Saphire began to tell of a situation that she had been in before but was cut off by the sound of Rocman's shout.

"ALICIA!" He ran into the room, grabbed his older sister by her arm, turned to leave... and looked at Saphire with a calculating expression. She looks good in that, but still not as good as... He jerked himself out of the thoughts that he was starting to find slightly annoying. "Saphire?" When she bowed calmly he continued. "You should show that to Forte. Watch how he reacts, and then tell me."

"Rockman?" She said quietly. As usuall. He indicated that he was listening while trying to hold onto Alicia's arm. She was trying to escape again. "Why do you want me to show this to Forte... Is there something I should know?"

"Not really, I'm just curious is all." Rockman finally pinned Alicia to the wall and was able to talk calmly. "He's been acting strange, and I have a theory as to why, but it isn't confirmed. Could you please do this for me?"

"You don't have to say please Rock-jousama." She said calmly to him. It always surprised her how they treated her with respect. She just couldn't get used to it. "I would be happy to do so after I received the supplies I need for the quest Lord EXE asked me to take part in."

"You don't have to call him that, you know." Alicia said in between breaths. Rockman was strong! Not nearly as strong as Forte, but still... "You can call him Yuichiro if you want. In fact, he prefers it."

"I prefer to stick with the formal, for now."

"Alicia, we need to get you to class now! Sensei is actually thinking about teaching you while you are chained up in the dungon, so I suggest you comply for a little while." He practically dragged Alicia out of the room. Saphire watched them untill they were out of sight, holding in laughter as usual.

"I guess I should move on with packing for tomorrow." She went around to the quartermaster and asked what would be needed for the quest. When he just handed her a backpack and told her to fill it with food and arrows, she decided to talk to the armorer. "What do I need to have on me for the quest Lord EXE wishes me to take part in?"

"Have you spoken to the quartermaster?" She nodded. "Then there's not much else I can give you... Except this." He handed her a pair of light-blue long daggers. "They belonged to my mother, and her mother before her, and to her mother's mother before her. It's been in my family for generations, and now I pass it on to you."

"But why give something so special to me?" She asked, looking on the blades almost reverently. "They must mean a lot to you..."

"Did you know that the Lunarian elves were once a sparate people from the humans?" He began to speak calmly and evenly. "Well, these daggers once belonged to the royal family. It is said that when the Lunarian elves are about to be freed one will be born who can hold these daggers as naturally as the great Queens and Kings of old. My family has held on to these blades since the gods gave them to us for safekeeping. I don't exactly know why, but I feel as though you will need them more than any other person in my family. None of us can release it's true power, but maybe you can. And even if you can't. it will do more good in your hands than mine. At the very least no elven clans will get in your way on your various travels."

"Thank you, I will take good care of them. I swear to the Goddess of the Moon." She accepted the blades almost reverentlly. When they touched her, she felt as though she might actually be able to succede in her mission to find the Sword of Sun. She immediatly, one could almost say it was instinct in fact, put the daggers on her thigh where she could reach them easily should an emergency arise.

"You're welcome, now move on. I beleive the kitchen was your next stop, correct?" He shoed her out of the room, before Netto saw her new weapons. He then noticed that the skirt actually hid her new daggers. That girl just may be Tsuki-hime... And if she isn't, she'll at least meet the princess.

"So I just put this in water and it'll make it taste like meat but it won't be?" Saphire asked the cook. She had also been learning how to cook vegitarian meals during the week as well as how to improve the general quality of her meals.

"Yes. But why are you asking for my book on edible herbs and berries?" The cook was actually quite thin. She wore an apron over her uniform, which was a light beige color, and had on hard boots.

"I wanted to see what I could make on the road, should we run out of rations along the way." She answered calmly. She liked the cook, and knew her well enough to not worry about making her mad by mentioning the possibility of running out of food at any time during the quest. "It's just a precaution. You can never be too prepared, you know."

"True... very well." She got the book out of the recipe shelf that was behind her. Handing it over to the young elf she said her goodby. "Good luck kid. You'll need it."

"Thank you, my friend I hope I can return in good health when this is finished."

"Will you say goodby to the others?" The cook asked while stirring the pot for the next day's dinner. "Lady EXE is probably worried about you."

"I think I will do so. They deserve that much, at the very least." As she turned to leave, she was pulled to a particular barrel. It had some magic dust in it, and she decided to take it.(What do you expect, she's a theif.)

"Saphire, please don't forget to return what you don't use!" The cook called from behind. Saphire flinched. She wasn't that good going undetected yet.

"Lady EXE?" Saphire started when she reached the garden. She loved the smell of this place, and secretly wished that she could stay in this place forever. "I don't know if you know, but I'm to accompany Forte-jousama on his quest."

"I know, young one." She was preparing a small puch of what looked like...flower seeds. She closed said pouch and handed it to Saphre. "Take these. They may come in handy."

"W-what are they?" She asked, not quite sure what to think at first. These were the seeds she had been frobidden to plant, after all. "I thought they were dangerous."

"They are." She said calmly. Too calmly. " When raw they mean death to Lunarian elves, but cooked in a stew with blessed moonflowers they can cure a Lunarian Elf of almost any disease. Forte knows how to cook this stew, but the seeds have to be in the possesion of a Lunarian elf up till use for full potency. Understand?" Saphire nodded. It was a poison, but a necessary one for any quest. You never knew when a deadly disease would strike on the road, and without healing magic it would be difficult for anyone to survive on the road. "Get some rest, you'll need it. Forte's an early riser."

"Yes my lady."

What do you guys think? How'd I do?