Author Note: Would I write for a rare pair in a video game with a small fandom? You bet I would. This fic contains spoilers for the entirety of Bravely Default 2. It takes place pre-canon.
Adelle's journey since leaving Mag Mell had been a slow one. She had set out with a simple plan; to find Edna, pick a few flowers for Erin, and then return to the village. There was a problem though. Adelle hadn't accounted for having to travel on foot. Walking was unfortunately much slower than flying.
For years and years she'd flown, watching the ground rush by with just a flap of her wings. Humans, as it turned out, were stuck on the ground. If she was going to blend in, she needed to do the same.
Perhaps that was why humans were so horrid, Adelle mused as she trekked out of Wiswald. She had stopped there first after leaving the village, but hadn't expected any results. It took way too long to walk there, so if Edna had gone then she certainly would've moved on by now.
Adelle had still checked, peeking through a few windows and looking around the roots of trees. She avoided the humans who were milling about. Every time she saw one, the stories she'd been told flashed through her minds. Stories of humans tearing off the wings of fairies, of capturing them and putting them on display in bottles, and of attacking them on sight. They lied and stole from fairies without a care and were not to be trusted.
Adelle's new disguise felt heavy on her, as if it weighted down her limbs and could slip at any moment. If it did, a human would see for sure.
Adelle didn't want any trouble. She just wanted to find her sister, and then go home. She did pick up a map from a merchant, keeping her eyes down as she purchased it. She'd brought some items to sell with her from Mag Mell, which should fund her for a while.
The map showed the other regions of the world, which was far larger than Adelle was expecting. It was going to be hard to collect all of the flowers for Erin.
If she had her wings, it would've been easy to see it all. Without them, she started the long walk.
After Wiswald, Adelle traveled towards a city marked as Rimedhal. The climate turned colder and colder as she approached, with a blanket of snow appearing over the ground. When she first saw it, Adelle scooped some up in wonder. She recoiled as the ice burned her skin, dropping it back to the earth. She decided that she preferred the warmth.
Her feet hurt as she walked, but that was something she just needed to get used to. She wouldn't be flying any time soon.
Adelle had brought a cloak, which she put on as she journeyed farther into the cold. As she travelled, she camped out away from the main road. There weren't many people around, which suited her just fine. Some monsters did attempt to attack her, but they were dealt with easily.
By the time Adelle reached Rimedhal, she almost felt at ease in her disguise. It had settled well on her form, and she didn't need to focus on it constantly to maintain it. She felt comfortable enough to walk in the front gates of Rimedhal, as if she were a regular human who belonged there.
This city was quite different than the last, with tall buildings and weaving sets of stairs. Adelle still avoided talking to any humans as she moved through it. Even with the disguise, the way she talked could also be a dead giveaway.
Adelle sighed as she reached the top of the town with no sign of Edna. This was going to be harder than she hoped. She looked out over the buildings from a new perspective, the glinting sun reflecting back off the piled up snow into her eyes. From here the city looked untouched, like it had been preserved in the snow. Her heart twinged as it reminded her of the ever unchanging Mag Mell.
"Excuse me miss." A voice, much deeper than ones Adelle was used to hearing, spoke quietly to her right. Adelle's spine stiffened as she turned towards it, making sure her disguise was fully in place. To her side stood a human, one with short white hair and a wrinkled face. "The ceremony is about to start." He said as Adelle's eyes met his, before gesturing to the large building nearby. The presence of men was also something Adelle was still getting used to.
There was no way for Adelle to say no. Still afraid to speak, she merely nodded and walked to the building. It was a tall and wide building, with some kind of colored glass decorating the front. Adelle was surprised humans could build something so beautiful.
After she passed through the tall doors, the human came through behind her and shut them. The space inside was large, with beams of light coming in from a high ceiling. At the back of the room another human stood in front of a podium with his arms raised. He was wearing robes and had long white hair with a full beard. The room was lined with seats, all full of humans. There was an empty spot near the back, which Adelle quickly filled.
What kind of place was this, she wondered as she soaked in the details.
She didn't have to wait for an answer, as the ceremony began a moment later.
"Welcome all to our community." The human at the podium spoke loudly and clearly, his voice echoing through the room. "Today, we pray for the Lord of Dragons' blessing."
Oh, Adelle had heard of the Lord of Dragons. Edna had told her about him, read her a story about how he guarded the snow to prevent it from melting. He was said to be all knowing, which meant he would certainly know where Edna had gone.
Adelle stayed for the rest of the ceremony, but she wasn't listening. Instead, she pondered where this Lord of Dragons might be. He was certainly going to be close to Rimedhal, somewhere where the snow still fell.
Unfortunately, the region was fairly large. Trying to find the dragon would be tough, but not as hard as finding her sister. With that in mind, Adelle finalized her decision to find him first.
As the ceremony ended and the humans filed out of the building, Adelle also wondered if the humans knew where he lived. If she wanted to find out, she would need to ask.
From what she'd heard so far, they seemed like they talked the same way as fairies did. It might be okay to talk to one.
With that thought in mind, Adelle walked out of the building and back downstairs towards the market. She would need an offering for the Lord of Dragons, which she could likely buy there. Her sister said he enjoyed dragonseed wine, which made sense.
The human merchant greeted Adelle warmly as she entered the shop, offering assistance if she needed it. Adelle nodded back at him, before searching for the desired item. She was able to locate it without trouble, finding a decent sized bottle of the wine. Hopefully it would be enough.
Adelle brought the bottle to the counter to pay for it, bracing herself to have a conversation with the human.
"That'll be 200 coins please." He said, hand outstretched for the money.
Adelle counted the coins out and placed them into his hand. "Thank you." She said, trying to be polite. "Can I ask you something?"
The human smiled as he stowed the coins in a pouch. "Of course."
"Do you know where the Lord of Dragons lives?"
His smile faltered for a moment, signaling that maybe this had been a bad idea, before resuming in full force. "He is all around us." The human gestured in a similar way to how the other human had earlier. "His wisdom is everywhere."
Adelle replied about how interesting that was, before dismissing herself from the conversation. The human's eyes narrowed slightly as she turned to walk away.
This had been a mistake. The human seemed moments away from turning on her, from attack and exposing her. Humans couldn't be trusted.
Adelle fled the store and didn't look back.
She scurried down the rest of the stairs and left Rimedhal, setting out in a new direction. She was just going to have to find the Lord of Dragons on her own. That was fine, better to keep troublesome humans out of it anyway.
Adelle headed east from the city, travelling across large fields of ice and snow. There were plenty of monsters, but no sign of a dragon. After a few days of travel, she reached a river and decided to walk along it as it flowed north. There were more plants growing near the river, including some flowers. Erin's words replayed themselves in Adelle's mind, to find all the flowers in the world for her. Adelle had picked one back near Wiswald, and she wanted to get one here too.
By the time she reached a dead end, where the river tunneled into a cliffside, Adelle had picked a few different types of flowers. There was some glowing grass as well, but it didn't have flowers so Adelle left it alone.
She tucked her spoils into her bag, so she could take them back to Mag Mell with her. After this she was forced to turn back, and chose to walk along the cliffside heading west instead.
When Adelle spotted a cave entrance in the distance, she could feel a faint wave of magic radiating outward from it. This had to be her destination.
After camping to restore her energy, Adelle ventured inside. The pulse of magic was even clearer, drawing her through the network of caves. Even an abundance of monsters couldn't hinder her.
When she had almost reached the source of the magic, where it was stronger than ever before, the situation abruptly changed.
Adelle was rounding a corner, feeling that the source of the magic was ahead, when her senses lit up with danger. She jumped back right as a spear smashed down in front of her, narrowly avoiding being crushed. A figure dressed in black had come down with it, a human who looked quite different from the other ones Adelle had met.
The human had long brown hair and eyes that were shaded by bangs. She was dressed with quite a bit of skin exposed, something Adelle wouldn't risk in the cold temperatures. Her head was tilted forward, down at her weapon. She lifted it slowly as she yanked the spear out of the grown, vivid green eyes coming up to meet Adelle's gaze.
Adelle hadn't known that humans could be beautiful.
She pushed that thought from her mind; this human had just tried to kill her.
"I am Martha, guardian of the serpent's grotto." The human spoke with a voice that rang like bells in Adelle's ears. "Leave this place, or my next strike won't miss." The threat was clear and potent, backed up with the sharp end of her spear.
Adelle took half a step back, to make sure there was a safe distance between them. So the stories about humans were true then, they really were violent and aggressive. This one had attacked her unprovoked, and was still threatening her. Even disguised as a human, Adelle was in danger from them. If they knew she was a fairy, it was sure to be worse.
This human being here though, it was a sign. Martha was trying to stop Adelle from reaching something, whatever it was that oozed magic aura. She must've been protecting the Lord of Dragons.
"I would like to meet with the Lord of Dragons." Adelle said, keeping her eyes on the end of the spear.
"You cannot." Martha replied sharply, her hands tightening on her weapon. "Now isn't a good time."
That confirmed it; he was there. "I brought an offering." Adelle reached into her pack slowly, grabbing the dragonseed wine and showing it to Martha. "As thanks for him seeing me."
Martha didn't move to receive it. In fact, her frown only deepened. "What do you want from the Lord?" She asked after a pause. Her spear was still pointed at Adelle.
"I am looking for my sister. I need to ask him where she is." Adelle answered honestly, as fairies tended to do. She wondered if she would have to fight past Martha to get to the Lord of Dragons, but hoped it wouldn't come to that. Muscular arms and an unyielding spear promised a hard fight, one that would likely ruin her first impression with the Lord of Dragons.
At this, Martha's brow furrowed. "Perhaps he'd allow it..." She muttered, finally bringing her spear down. "You may have an audience with him." Adelle's heart lifted, before sinking back down at Martha's next words. "On one condition."
Here came the human trickery, Adelle thought as she frowned. "What is it?" She asked, crossing her arms over her chest.
"I need calmagrass, but I can't leave here to get it." Martha reached into her pocket as she spoke, pulling out a bright green strand. "It grows near the river, can you go fetch some? If you do, I'll grant you an audience with the Lord."
How greedy, to require an additional gift to allow Adelle inside. This offer would likely end in a lie, in a trap, but it was the best option Adelle had.
"Deal." She replied with a nod. "I'll get your calmagrass."
Martha's expression relaxed slightly, frown lifting minutely for the first time since her surprise attack. "Thank you."
Adelle placed the wine on the ground and backed away without turning around, not wanting to expose her back to this human. She waited until she had rounded a corner before turning away.
Was she really going to fetch some calmagrass for this human? After all, humans were untrustworthy. Martha would probably still refuse Adelle entry after bringing her the materials.
But maybe she wouldn't. Maybe she could be trusted. Adelle needed to talk to the Lord of Dragons. This was worth a shot.
With that thought in mind, Adelle worked her way back out of the cave. She remembered seeing that glowing green grass the week before, as she reached the end of the river. It would take some time to get back there, but the plant would be easy enough to find.
As expected, Adelle was able to gather large clumps of the calmagrass over the next few days. She stowed it in her bag with the flowers, which were starting to wilt. She'd have to finish things up quickly so she could take them back to Erin.
By the time Adelle made it back to the heart of the caves, it had been nearly a week since she departed. She turned the last corner slowly, wary of another sudden attack.
Much to her surprise, there wasn't one. The entrance to the back cave was clear, with no human or any other creature in sight.
Adelle was able to walk right through, finally reaching the magic source she'd followed there.
The cave on the other side was magnificent. Adelle had been impressed with the buildings in Rimedhal, but they were nothing compared to this. The space was huge, higher than should've been possible inside a cave. A greenish light bounced around the open air. In the back, there was a large raised platform. On top of it lied Adelle's target, the Lord of Dragons.
He wasn't alone though. The human Martha was up there too. Adelle had to squint to see her from the entrance, but once she stepped closer she could tell that it was her.
Unlike the last time Adelle saw her, Martha wasn't carrying her spear. She was standing to the Lord of Dragons' side, speaking quietly to him. Adelle was too far away to hear what she was saying. Martha was again frowning, but this was different than before. Her eyes were wide with concern, hands both pressed against a white cloth on the Lord of Dragons' side. She looked like she was caring, compassionate.
Martha was wearing the same clothes, but she looked completely different than the first time Adelle saw her. How complicated.
Adelle called out to the pair as she approached, not wanting to startle Martha and get a spear in the face for her efforts. The human still tensed when called, but didn't immediately lunge for her spear.
When she turned towards Adelle, however, all softness in her expression had gone. Instead her mouth was set in a line, as if reserving judgement. She jumped down from the platform as the Lord of Dragons turned to look at their guest. His eyes glowed in the green light as he observed her.
"I brought the calmagrass." Adelle took it out of her bag and held it out. Martha approached her to take it, examining the strands carefully. Adelle watched her hands as she parsed it, grateful that humans and fairies were similar in at least that way.
"Thank you so much!" As if a switch had been flicked, Martha beamed at her. If it had been a blast of energy, it would've knocked Adelle over. "Gwydion, she's brought the calmagrass." Martha turned back towards the Lord of Dragons.
"That is fantastic news." The Lord of Dragons replied, his voice deep and booming. "Go ahead and boil it to make the paste."
"Of course." Martha walked back towards him, stopping at a small fire to set a bowl over it.
Adelle watched her go, unsure of what to do next. She'd been promised a talk with the Lord of Dragons, was that now being ignored? Was everything she learned about humans true?
She stepped closer, which brought Martha's eyes back to her.
"Oh, I'm sorry I forgot my manners." Martha abandoned her concoction for a moment. "This is Gwydion, Lord of Dragons. You may ask him your question." With that, she resumed cooking her calmagrass.
With relief in her heart and permission granted, Adelle approached the dragon. As she walked past Martha's fire, she could see the bottle of wine that she offered sitting nearby. It appeared to be unopened.
"What may I do for you, child?" Gwydion asked as she stopped in front of him. A tiny dragon lied next to him, curled up in a ball on the ground. It seemed to be asleep.
"I'm searching for someone, my sister Edna." Adelle bowed her head respectfully. "Have you seen her in this realm?"
A steam of smoke furled out of Gwydion's mouth as he thought about the question. "Edna, let me search for her." He mused out loud, casting his head towards the ceiling. "Yes, she has passed through the ice and snow."
Adelle's heart surged as she lifted her head. "Where can I find her?"
"I know not, for she has left this realm." So it was true, he couldn't see outside of this region. Adelle sighed, resigned to her long continued search.
"Which way did she go?" She asked, determined to head there next.
"She left the realm to the south."
"Alright, thanks for your help." Adelle backed away from the dragon, prepared to start her walk once again from scratch. Her feet already ached at the thought. She had just turned to leave when a voice stopped her.
"Wait." It was Martha, calling after her. It was hardly a command, delivered softly and at a speaking tone, but Adelle couldn't resist obeying. "I don't even know your name." She had finished putting the calmagrass into the bowl and was standing by as it cooked.
This human had kept her word, maybe she could be trusted. "Adelle."
"Adelle, Adelle." Martha rolled it over in her mouth. Adelle didn't mind how it sounded from her lips. "A beautiful name."
That caused Adelle's cheeks to warm, and she shook her head in denial. "It's nothing special." She replied.
"Adelle, will you stay for a while? It's been some time since I've had company." Martha's bright green eyes, which so frequently seemed to reflect her mood, were wide as she asked. "It's awfully lonely out here." Adelle could understand the sentiment. She'd been lonely too, since leaving Mag Mell. She missed Erin and her other friends, and having someone to talk to.
Adelle wasn't sure if she should stay or not. Was it human custom to invite others to stay? Would Adelle risk exposing herself is she turned her down? Did she even want to say no?
She didn't know. What she did know was, she couldn't stand looking at those longing eyes. Edna wasn't going to get any farther away if she rested for a bit.
"Just for a while, I guess."
Adelle couldn't regret the choice as Martha's expression glowed, a bright grin appearing on her face. She hadn't reached for her spear a single time today.
Adelle walked back over to join her by the fire, sitting on a nearby rock and setting her pack on the ground. When she arrived, Martha poured her a cup of the dragonseed wine. Adelle didn't drink while she watched as Martha finished boiling the calmagrass, and then mashed it into a salve. She brought it up to Gwydion and slathered it across his back. He sighed as it was applied and fell into slumber.
The calmagrass had been for the Lord of Dragons all along. Adelle felt bad for accusing Martha of being selfish before. She didn't seem to be like that. In fact, she was actually quite different from everything Adelle thought she knew about humans. Sure, she had been aggressive, but that was because she had something to protect. She'd been trustworthy so far, following through on her commitments.
Adelle wondered what else the fairies had wrong about humans. She wondered if Martha would've let her have an audience with Gwydion if she knew she was a fairy.
That wasn't a question she was prepared to answer.
Martha joined her back at the fire, pouring a cup of wine for herself.
"He's going to be alright, I think." Martha said as a sort of toast, before downing her whole cup of wine. "So, where are you from?"
This started a conversation that Adelle had some difficulty navigating. She lied and said she was from Wiswald, since it was the first place she visited after all. She make up a backstory about being a mercenary, how she was looking for work. It wasn't completely false, since if she stayed much longer she would need to find work of some kind.
Martha accepted the tale, though the additional cups of wine probably helped with that. She shared that she was from Rimedhal and had been guarding Gwydion for the last few years. She missed the city, but found her job fulfilling.
There was surprising warmth between them as they talked, a growth of affection between the two. Adelle couldn't remember the last time she felt this way, this close to someone. She couldn't forget that Martha was human as they talked, but the longer they did the less it felt like it mattered.
After a few hours, most of the wine was gone. Martha had consumed most of it, but seemed mostly unaffected. Humans could sure hold their liquor, which wasn't a bad thing in Adelle's opinion.
Martha insisted that they would need to spar in the morning, that she was dying to test her luck against Adelle's fit form.
Adelle had flushed at that, thinking that it was the other way around. Somehow she was flirting with a human, no, with Martha, and she didn't mind. She enjoyed her time there, the time spent together.
Even after getting destroyed in combat the next day, Adelle left the cave content. She said she would return, which was a promise she intended to keep.
Maybe humans weren't so bad after all.