Hello all!
A lighter chapter as we enter the new life in Veldahara and prepare for a new academy coming new chapter! Enjoy:)
Make a House a Home
Mel's gaze swept across the entry square to Veldahara, the sounds of a bustling city washing over her. She had seen sights just like this more time than she could count, the entry area of yet another city she would eventually pass through.
"Welcome to the capital of the Arishta Isles." Gyendal said, glancing at Mel. "Shall we give ourselves an in-depth tour?"
She nodded, the two of them setting off through the busy streets. People milled about quickly, and as Mel observed those around her she found much to her shock that most of them had some sort of magical aura about them. Mages of all kinds filled Veldahara, and it dawned on her just how many layers of magic were mixing together in that city. It was an aura that would stretch out over the entire island and into the shallow waters around it, impossible to pick out any specific one from the mix.
"And I thought there were a lot of mages in Peliad, this is incredible." Mel muttered under her breath, Gyendal chuckling at her shock.
"I did tell you that there would be enough to hide us." He pointed out, Mel waving him off.
"Knowing you and the strange tricks you come up with, that could mean a lot of different things."
Gyendal snorted, but said nothing. They both knew she was right anyway, Gyendal was nothing if not crafty.
As they made their way around shops and down the maze of roads, Mel was jostled abruptly to the side by someone pushing roughly between her and Gyendal in their haste to get by. She yelped as she found herself shoved sideways, careening into the path of a boy dressed in rags. Neither were given enough time to react, and the boy ran into Mel with a soft cry of shock. Instinctively she reached out to steady the child, but he fell back with a look of terror.
"I'm so sorry m'lady! I should have been much more careful, I never meant to soil you with my touch! I beg your mercy." The boy cried, dropping down to his knees in front of her.
Mel gaped at the boy, looking around helplessly at the citizens around her. No one even spared the scenario a second glance, as if a child pleading for his safety was a normal occurrence.
"What- I'm not going to hurt you. Get up, it was an accident, it wasn't even your fault. Some ass shoved me to the side and I fell into your path." Mel snapped, her tone harsh in her confusion.
The boy instantly scrambled to his feet, head bowed. She couldn't see his expression, but the twisting of his hands spoke to his fear.
"Thank you m'lady, you are most gracious and kind, I don't deserve your forgiveness. I must be going, I cannot be late for my mistress." With that the boy hesitantly dodged around her, shying away from someone approaching as he moved back to the edge of the road behind her.
She stared a moment after the child, even during her street days accidental encounters with nobility never earned this much groveling. However her musings were quickly cut off as Gyendal grabbed her arm, steering her forward with quick steps.
"Do not stare after him, you will draw attention to his presence." Gyendal said lowly.
"Draw attention? Gyendal, what in all Aia is going on here, why did he react to me like that?" Mel demanded, stepping off the path and forcing him to follow.
He grimaced.
"The Arishta isles were built on slavery, over the centuries the amount of slaves has shrunk down to Veldahara and smaller surrounding cities, but it is still very present. Those you see dress in the rags are not free citizens, they are slaves. That is why the boy reacted as he did and if he had run into one of the many nobles along this street he most likely would have received intense punishment." He explained quietly, careful to keep his voice down.
"You mean that's still happening?!" Mel exclaimed, Gyendal hushing her. Her voice dropped down into a hiss for her next words. "I knew they used to have an active slave trade from your many volumes, and history about Queen Rhen Pendragon. But I was always under the impression it was exactly that, history."
"The trade has shrunk so much that it's rarely spoken of outside the isle, many do not realize. Even in further out cities around Veldahara aren't always aware of the slave trades, especially if they do not leave their island. I thought you knew, or I would have warned you." Gyendal explained.
"People are horrifying. At least as a streetrat I still had some semblance of personal freedom, despite all the other parts." Mel muttered as they stepped back onto the path.
Gyendal made a sound of acknowledgment as they continued on, wandering the wide streets until in the distance they could see huge towers that cast a shadow over the road and surrounding area.
"I believe that is Shadwood Academy if my memory serves me right. It's hardly changed over the years." Gyendal commented, turning to Mel. "It would be wise to go in and turn in your token for enrollment before classes let out for the day. It gets quite busy in the dorms once classes finish. I will retire to the inn for the night, and speak with you tomorrow once I have found a more permanent residence."
Mel nodded, adjusting her bag over her shoulder as she started down the path towards the school. Everything was going perfectly, there had been no worrisome magical encounters on their way and now she could get herself settled for the school year.
A group of students passed by her, excited chatter about level certification making her smile slightly. Once within the fence around the grounds, Mel found herself impressed by how far they stretched. She saw students with practice weapons sparring further away, while two students worked out of textbook volumes laid out in front of them. As she entered the grand doors, the familiar sounds of chattering students and clanking weapons reached Mel.
"Welcome to Shadwood Academy." Came the greeting from just ahead, Mel looking up to see an older man sitting in a stone cubby behind a wrap around desk.
"Uh, hi." She responded, shifting uncomfortably on her feet.
He gave her a once over, eyes lingering on her nervous movements before flicking back up to meet hers.
"Is there something I can help you with? I am the headmaster here, and depending on what you are looking for may be able to assist." The man prompted.
"When are your student intakes?" Mel questioned abruptly.
To his credit, he didn't seem taken aback by Mel's rough manner. He continued on smoothly as though she had spoken with all the pleasantries of a noble.
"We will take students into our halls at any time, but traditionally our semesters start according to season and that is when our classes usually refresh. We will begin our summer semester in two weeks, students staying for it in the meantime are left to settle in. Am I to take it that you are here to enroll? Do you have a token?" The headmaster questioned.
Mel's hand moved automatically to her pocket, reaching in to close around the token that had been given to her at the dark mages event. The headmaster watched her expectantly, but Mel found herself hesitating.
The school was loud and filled with activity, an environment she had gotten used to first during her time at the school in Thais, and now over the course of her adventures. There was no time to stop in either, Shadwood would be a whirlwind of classes and activity as she was pushed to master her craft alongside new peers.
The idea of that made Mel tired, even before she had begun. Her bag weighed heavy on her shoulder, reminding her of the chronic weariness that clung to her from the time on the run.
"I'm not here to enroll, I'm just finding out… for a friend. Your next intake will be fall, right?" Mel said, fingers relaxing and letting the token fall free.
Amusement flitted across the headmaster's features and he nodded.
"That is correct. Be sure you- pardon, make sure your friend studies what she is currently learning through the summer so she is ready for the placement test when she enrolls." The headmaster instructed.
"Thanks." Mel muttered, flushing at how deliberately the headmaster had called her out.
"If you'll excuse me, I must tend to the students. Have a pleasant day." The headmaster said with a smile, Mel heeding the clear cue and leaving.
Her steps as she made her way back to the central city were slow, Mel letting out a sigh. Perhaps she would regret leaving her next couple months open, but the idea of being able to relax and sleep full nights through without early wakeup or guard shifts appealed greatly to her. With some wandering Mel was able to find the inn, the innkeeper a pleasant man with a close-cropped beard.
"Excuse me, has a man with dark hair and a red cloak by chance checked in here today? He would have signed in under the name Gyendal?" Mel questioned.
"Actually they have! You just missed meeting him, would you like me to send for him?" The innkeeper asked.
Mel waved him off.
"No need, I simply wasn't sure whether I needed to wait for him before checking in. I'll take a room on the same floor. Under the name Mel please." She requested, the innkeeper nodding and writing her name down in his ledger as she passed payment over in exchange for the key.
The innkeeper informed her of the city gate curfew before wishing her a good evening, Mel climbing the stairs up to the next floor and making her way past the room doors. It didn't take long before she could faintly feel Gyendal through the bond, coming to a stop in front of one of the corner doors and knocking.
The door opened to reveal Gyendal sans cloak, the ex-vampire doing a double-take upon seeing her standing in front of him.
"Mel? Did something happen at Shadwood?" He questioned, startled.
"No, I changed my mind is all." Mel said simply, Gyendal studying her for a moment before stepping aside and gesturing for her to enter.
She walked further in, setting her bag aside and dropping into the chair as Gyendal closed the door behind her. He took a seat on the bed facing her and leaned forward, elbows resting on his knees.
"And what of training for the Gynna?"
Mel sighed, rolling out her stiff shoulder.
"I'll apply in the fall. I just… need some time." She said quietly.
Nothing more needed to be said on it, Mel could feel through the bond that Gyendal understood the unspoken explanation.
"I'll be taking an early dinner tonight if you wish to join me. I intend to retire early tonight and get a quick start on finding a home. It should not take me long." He said, smoothly transitioning the conversation much to Mel's relief.
At the mention of sleep Mel yawned, nodding in agreement to his offer.
"An early dinner sounds nice."
The meal was a quiet affair, the two enjoying their meal in the corner of a tavern nearby before returning to the inn for the night. Mel was out almost as soon as she hit the sheets, the slightly scratchy covers that she had come to associate with Inns not enough to keep her up tonight.
The next morning brought the sounds of chatter floating through her window, Mel rolling over to glare at it blearily. With a groan she dragged herself up and out of bed, dressing and readying her bag for the day. She wasn't surprised to feel through the bond that Gyendal was already awake, the ex-vampire passing through the link with a disgusting amount of alertness that he was ready to go.
As they approached the office Mel felt a little skip of excitement in her gut, by the end of the day they might have a place to call home where they could stay and start building their new plan. Simple and calm would be a welcome change, getting the papers signed for a small ready to go apartment somewhere in the further out neighbourhoods of the capital.
But then again who was Mel kidding? Simple was one thing, calm was asking entirely too much.
"What do you mean the best you can offer us is city central? There has to be something further towards the outskirts of town that keeps us out of the rush of people." Gyendal demanded.
The harried looking man that oversaw rentals and small property sales shrugged helplessly, Mel groaning and rubbing her forehead. This had been going on for at least twenty minutes, and so far taking another lap around this hadn't changed the mans answer at all.
"If you want small for just you two you won't find anything for rent past the city centre, most of those in outer neighbourhoods are large multi-room apartments! And when it comes to property purchases, only large houses and manors with land are for sale in quieter areas right now." The landlord exclaimed. "So long as you're restricted to only within these city walls there's nothing I can do."
Gyendal opened his mouth to chew out the man further but Mel grabbed his arm as she stepped closer to the desk herself.
"You said that you can't do anything so long as it's within city walls. So what's available just outside? Not too far, still close enough to easily reach the city." Mel questioned, Gyendal stilling at her question.
The man reached down to leaf through the stack of papers on his desk, withdrawing a paper from partway down.
"Well, there is a cabin. It's close to the ocean and the civilian docks on that side, tucked into a small area of jungle. It's previous owner was an old mage who worked at Shadwood until his late retirement, he had no family so after his passing it moved into our possession to sell. It's a half day's travel from Veldahara, and it's affordable." The man assured them, handing over the large parchment that held a drawing of the floorplan.
She exchanged a look with Gyendal who only nodded, turning to the man with gold in hand.
"We'll take it."
The landlord stared between the gold and them in bewilderment.
"But, you haven't even seen it yet? It's in good condition, but it's a little… isolated.
"We don't care, we want it." Gyendal snapped impatiently, the landlord jumping.
"Of course, of course. Here, just sign these papers and then I can provide you with the needed documentation and your key." The man said hurriedly, clearly eager to get Gyendal out of his office.
A parchment was laid out on the desk in front of them and a quill was placed in Gyendal's hand, the dark-haired male signing it quickly. Mel expected him to push the sheet back across to the landlord, but instead Gyendal turned directly to her and handed her the quill.
"What-"
Hurry it up lamb, I wish to get out of the city for a bit and pretend I am nowhere near hordes of humans for a few hours." Gyendal said, Mel having to choke back a laugh at the startled double-take of the landlord at Gyendal's comment.
She looked between him and the form before turning to the sheet laid out in front of her on the table, rolling the quill between thumb and forefinger and reaching down to scrawl her signature next to his.
The enchantment of the parchment flashed, ownership now legally passed over into their names.
"Congratulations, you now own a house. Here is a map, it's been clearly marked to show you how to get to it. Here is your master key, there is a shop right around the corner that duplicates keys. Have a lovely day." The landlord announced, handing over everything to them before practically shoving them out of his office.
The door closed behind them and Mel looked to Gyendal, still catching up with what had happened.
"Why did you have me sign?" She finally asked, the action very different to that of the original plan of his purchase during her time in school.
"This is a house for two, not one." He said shortly before striding away.
A quick multiplication of the key for personal copies was done in silence, and soon Mel and Gyendal were following the winding path marked, out of the city and through the jungle. They walked for hours, when all of a sudden Mel could taste the faint hint of salt on the breeze.
"There! Right through there is the beach that leads into the grove." Mel pointed out, her steps quickly gaining speed.
She almost jogged out of the jungle onto the sandy beach, glancing over at the empty dock and focusing in on the grove just beyond. They pushed through the narrow entry into the jungle grove, approaching a high wood and stone fence and gate.
"Key." Mel said, holding out her hand until the familiar weight of a metal key was settled into it.
Carefully she unlocked the gate, taking a deep breath and pushing it open warily.
There was no one in the yard, even wayward snakes. Her brow furrowed until she took a step through the gate, and felt the barely there beast wards pass through her.
"They put up wards when it emptied, we won't have to worry about a surplus of pests inside, unless they were there before." Mel noted, glancing around the yard at the several trees that dotted it.
"Indeed. Now, as interesting as jungle grass may be, I personally would like to get settled if you don't mind." Gyendal said pointedly.
Mel rolled her eyes and glanced back at him, Gyendal taking things into his own hands at her lack of movement with a sigh. He placed a hand firmly on her lower back and guided her through the yard to the door, earning a startled look.
The door swung open for them on soundless hinges, Mel cautiously entering and looking around. The cottage was somehow still clean for the most part, if a little bit worn down from use. A slow smile spread across Mel's face as she began to prowl, wandering through their livingroom and through the back doorway into a hall.
"Two bedrooms and a bathroom back here! No back exit." Mel reported, peering into the almost identically sized bedrooms.
"A second bathroom out here, along with a closed pantry. Oh, and a crawlspace below if this door in the floor is any indication." Gyendal added, Mel poking her head around the hallway door to see a smaller room near the kitchen with the door open.
"What's down there?"
"Let's find out." She heard the creak of a door being lifted, followed minutes later by a rather startled shout.
Instantly Mel was racing into the pantry, magic at the ready as Gyendal took the stairs back up two at a time.
"What is it? What's down there?" Mel demanded, only to receive no answer as he slammed shut the door.
Letting out a breath he pulled the hand cradled to his chest away, to reveal two sets of bleeding puncture wounds. Mel's eyes widened and she grabbed his arm, stretching it out to see the wound.
"What happened?" She questioned as she reached into her bag and withdrew a healing salve.
"I… found a small snake nest."
Her hand stopped mid application and she stared at her bond, before bursting into laughter.
"You shouted, over snakes? You, the all powerful "Lord of Twilight" who has fought more creatures than most people know even exist." She began to laugh, Gyendal shooting her a glare and yanking his arm out of her grasp.
"I'm a seasoned fighter, not a fool. Perhaps your limited intellect has forgotten this, but snakes are venomous and I am now human. That generally is not a healthy combination." Gyendal bit out as he snatched the paste from her hand. "It was too small a space to take care of it then and there, I need to find a net to restrain and use a light."
"Don't worry, I'll go down and save us from the snakes." Mel said mockingly.
She had barely taken more than a step when Gyendal slipped between her and the door, towering over her imposingly.
"Like hell you are. I am more than able to take care of it, I do not need to be rescued, I do not fear snakes." He snapped, eyes narrowed.
Mel laughed wickedly at his reaction, and he let out an irritable hiss.
"Go down there and I will lock you in. You can get cozy with the snakes long term since you seem to think them so harmless."
"You wouldn't." Mel shot back, crossing her arms over her chest.
"Care to test that theory?" He said, raising a brow.
Mel waved him off with a snort, sauntering out of the pantry. Gyendal was going to kill her by the time she returned to school, having to share such close quarters. At least in Ged'ahere he had a vast manor to avoid others within.
"I'm going to pick the furthest bedroom, they're both the same size so it won't leave you stuck with something smaller." Mel tossed over her shoulder as she vanished into the back hallway.
She dropped her bag on the floor in the centre of the far room, surveying the blank space around her. Glancing at the mattress with a grimace, Mel summoned her staff and turned her attention to her magic, destroying the dirt and filth that had permeated it with dark energy before dropping down on its surface with a sigh.
This wasn't home yet, but maybe with time they could make it into something at least a little worthy of the title.
A cool breeze stirred around the fingers that dangled off the edge of the bed, it's inhabitant stirring slightly and pulling the hand back into the comfort of the blankets. As Mel burrowed deeper under the covers, a muffled sound filtered through her subconscious mind.
At first the sleeping woman only frowned and turned over, but then it came again. The muffled sound of quiet steps outside her window.
Instantly Mel was bolting upright, the knife she slept with under her pillow drawn and ready. Her head whipped about, eyes easily adjusting to the dark after the years spent living in Ged'ahere. She strained her ears as the faint sound of movement continued down it's path along the wall and away from her room.
Someone had gotten through the protective fence around their property and was trying to get into their house.
Mel didn't even think to reach out to wake Gyendal, her still sleep affected brain jumping into instant adrenaline-fuelled action. She slipped on her boots with practiced speed before soundlessly opening the window and hopping out. Her teeth were bared in a snarl as she silently followed the path the intruder had taken, peering around the corner to see a darkly dressed figure continuing their path down the side of the house towards the front. The person coughed and Mel took off at a sprint, the stranger given no time to react as she tackled them full force into the ground.
The person below let out a startled sound as a scuffle broke out, the stranger trying to speak around the flurry of blows they were forced to block. She felt a pressure at the border of her mental bond but ignored it in favour of dealing with the intruder. The man, for she realized quickly that's what it was, flipped to face her and grabbed for her arms, but Mel was faster. A hand gripped the strangers throat and Mel slammed them down flat against the ground, stradling and pinning their legs as she summoned magic in the other hand. Before she could finish the blow to knock the intruder unconscious, a shield of magic came up to meet her, the pressure on her bond breaking through a second later.
"It's me!"
The statement was called out with a choked sound at the same time as he spoke through the bond, Mel's eyes going wide with horror as she snatched her hand back from her bonds throat.
"Gyendal, what the hell!?"
The clouds parted several minutes too late to reveal black hair and a very familiar face, Gyendal coughing as he sat up to face her. A string of curses escaped her and she raked her fingers through her loose hair, equal parts angry and relieved.
"You're going to give me a heart attack, goddamn." She hissed out.
"Me?! Did it not dawn on you to maybe, oh I don't know, check before you try to kill someone? Or better yet, if you think that someone is here that shouldn't be, wake me UP!" He snapped, a hand coming up to rub his throat with a grimace.
Mel sputtered for a moment.
"What the hell were you even doing creeping around outside at this time?! How did you not think that I would hear and wake up, and assume that someone had broken into our property to hurt us? I haven't slept deep enough to miss those kinds of sounds since I was a child, I'm constantly on hyperalert."
Gyendal winced at the reminder, before giving a grudging nod.
"I should have anticipated that. I've been restless, the room felt too constraining and I needed to get out and walk in the fresh air."
She understood what he meant, not pushing further. With a sheepish look Mel reached out very gingerly to check where she had grabbed his throat, Gyendal batting her hand away with grumbled assurances that he was fine. She let out an explosive sigh, rubbing her face tiredly.
"All of this has made me far more paranoid than I was even on the quest for the life orb, I keep expecting something to spring up and attack out of nowhere." She muttered, Gyendal giving a nod of agreement.
"As am I. Though we may be hard pressed to defend any future attacker if we're dead first because you killed me by accident." He said pointedly.
Mel glared at him.
"Well then how about you let me know before you go prowling? I'll go back to sleep just fine, but it'll save us both a world of issues." She said.
"Fair." He conceded, much to her relief.
As silence fell over them, Mel leaned forward slightly to study his neck for any bruises. Belatedly she realized that the scuffle had been rather telling, as Gyendal after the initial strike had only been blocking her and trying to restrain her arms, rather than full on fighting. She couldn't see any discolouration in the light of the moon, althou-
"Ahem."
Her eyes snapped over to Gyendal's and he made a point of looking down before looking back up at her with a smirk.
"Tell me Mel, are you planning to let me up soon? Or have you for some reason decided I'm a better seat than the array of furniture we have inside."
Mel's eyes went wide and she looked down, realizing far too late that in the confusion she had never moved from where she had initially placed herself to pin his legs, and was now seated in his lap. His hands were resting just over her knees, where she vaguely recalled them settling there as he sat up.
She felt her face flush as red as an apple and scrambled to the side, standing and backing away from Gyendal as he got to his feet.
"Why didn't you say something sooner?!" She hissed, watching a fleeting look of amusement pass over his features.
"I was rather busy recovering from your attack lamb, I just noticed. We've sparred and gotten closer than that before, why so embarrassed?"
She found herself at an unusual loss for words, gaping at Gyendal as she scrambled for a cover.
"I'm embarrassed because I'm tied to an idiot that doesn't think to alert battle ready companions when prowling! I'm going back to bed."
She stalked to the door and yanked it open, vanishing inside with a mutter. Goddess just kill her already, it would spare her so much suffering.
