Here we are at Chapter 23. Time for the next stage in Fuyumi's journey. I do not own Code Vein or Skeleton Knight. They belong to their respective owners. I only own my OCs. Here's chapter 23. Enjoy.
Chapter 23: The City of Combat
"The King wants me to go westward, you say?" Fuyumi asks.
In the duke's office, Fuyumi sits with Emilia and her parents, having a discussion over tea and treats. It had been a couple days since Fuyumi and Emilia had their special time together.
"Indeed. There's been some unrest lately. One of our neighboring countries, the Graylon Empire, has been showing strange movements. They are primarily a militaristic state. Decades ago, they started a war in order to expand their territory and gain more resources. Our kingdom managed to win, but it was not without cost. The other countries, both allies of us and the empire, suffered from this conflict as well. The only county that didn't was the Dragon Alliance, which was neutral and far away from the war. His majesty worries that they may be trying to start another war. We have allies in the Liniark Kingdom and the Matriox Republic, but the Theodosia Conclave has recently been building stronger ties to the empire. The Conclave is a religious country, ruled by the church. They have bad relations with the Dragon Alliance due to them not worshipping the goddess like the rest of the continent does," Duke Joseph explains.
"So, he wants me to infiltrate the empire?" Fuyumi guesses.
"Not at this time. There's still too much we don't understand. He wants to go to a city known as Calipso city. We've been investigating the elf kidnapping on our end and found a few unconfirmed reports of slave trafficking in that area. We couldn't find anything relating to the elves, but we believe it's worth a look. If there are signs of such activity in that area, it could mean that either the conclave or the empire are behind the kidnappings. The conclave do not have high opinions of elves since, like the alliance, they do not worship the goddess. Calipso is still a little distance from the border, but not too far," Joseph says.
Fuyumi strokes her chin, "I see. That's a possibility. Though, I wonder why you don't suspect the dragon alliance after what happened in Ustia,"
"The truth is the Dragon Alliance is the only country with good relations with the elves. The reason for this, and for why no country ever tried to invade them, is that the alliance is ruled... by dragons," Eleonora says.
This catches Fuyumi's attention, "Wait, by dragons?"
"Yes. Dragons are the most powerful beings in the land. One full grown dragon who has lived for centuries could wipe out entire cities. The alliance is ruled by a family of dragons, and have been for a long time. They are among the oldest nations on the continent. Now, don't get me wrong, humans live there as well. But, the dragons rule it similar to our kingdom. The elves and the dragons have a long-standing friendship with one another, even though the elves do not actually live in their domains. This is another reason why the king has been seeking to build ties with the elves. If something happened to the elves because of us, it may provoke the dragons into retaliating on their behalf. It would cause untold chaos. However, the alliance usually stays out of the affairs of other nations. As long as we leave them alone, they leave us alone. Previous attempts to build ties with them have been... difficult. But, suffice to say, they are not suspects in this incident," Duke Joseph explains.
"I see. Well, I am a knight of Anatolia, and his majesty beckons me. I'll head out tomorrow after making preparations," Fuyumi finishes her tea.
"The city is some days away, so you should prepare for the journey," Eleonora.
"I'll let Elane and Anelia know, too. I'm sure Elane will be itching to get over there if it means finding the rest of her people. Sounds like this is going to be an interesting mission," Fuyumi notes.
Emilia pouts a little, "Oh, and I was hoping to keep you around for a while longer all to myself,"
"Now, now, Emilia. There will be other opportunities. Besides, I'd love to have some mother-daughter time with you alone," Eleonora gives Emilia a knowing look.
Luckily, it seems that the duke doesn't quite understand, but Fuyumi understands. Eleonora knows about them... She knows. Suddenly, heading west is looking a lot better right now.
…
The next day, Fuyumi, in her second outfit, Umi, Elane, and Anelia are all packed and ready to head out on their journey. They speak one last time with the duke's family before heading out.
"Be careful on your journey. You shouldn't see any bandits on the road to Calipso, but you never know. The real trouble will probably be when you reach the town. Who knows what could be waiting for you there," Duke Joseph warns them.
"We'll be careful. There's still that cloaked woman from the last time. Who knows where she could be," Fuyumi recollects.
"And make sure to send letters letting us know you arrived," Emilia asks.
Fuyumi smiles, "Of course," and then plants a kiss on Emilia's hand. "I'll be back, my love,"
Emilia returns the gesture with a kiss on her cheek, "Don't keep a lady waiting for too long,"
"Ahem," Joseph coughs, making them step apart with blushing faces.
"If we're quite finished, I'd like to get going," Elane says, with Umi cawing in agreement.
"Alright, let's get going then. To Calipso," Fuyumi says while jumping onto a horse for the travel.
Anelia and Elane join her and they ride out of the manor. The trip out of the city is short and they are out int the wilderness beyond as they make their way towards Calipso. They'll have to camp out a few times, but Fuyumi's inventory makes carrying all that camping gear a non-issue.
"So, what should we expect from this Calipso city?" Elane asks.
"I asked the duke, and he said that they have a big mercenary guild there. This is because they have a large coliseum there which hold tournaments every now and then. Mercenaries, soldiers, and even knights have been known to partake in the tournament. It brings a lot of business into the area. Because of that, they have a good-sized shopping district as well.," Fuyumi replies.
"What about the nobles? Who governs the town?" Anelia asks.
"I believe it was a duke like Joseph. Duke Androma von Wilman. The duke said his family is the newest duke family in the kingdom, so a few nobles don't like him that much. He made his claim to fame with the arena. Duke Joseph said he was a little hard to get along with though. Probably because of the arena. However, we're not going to see him the second we reach the town. We don't know if he's involved with this conspiracy or not. We need more information first," Fuyumi explains.
"Fine by me. The less we deal with human nobles, the better. The duke and his family are exceptions. The rest are not," Elane notes.
"True, but we'll work at it one step at a time. For now, let's focus on getting there first," Fuyumi says.
The first part of their trip is smooth-sailing until the sun begins to set. Deciding to find a spot to camp for the night, the trio head into the forest for some cover. They find an open spot in the woods. While Elane tends to the horses, Fuyumi and Anelia get the tents set up. They brought two, one for Fuyumi and Anelia to share and the second for Elane.
"There's a river nearby. I'm going to use that to wash up a bit. I'll be right back," Elane grabs a towel and leaves.
"Call out if something happens," Anelia says, and Elane waves behind her in response.
"We'll go one at a time. This way, someone's watching the campsite. Never know what could be out-," Fuyumi stops when she feels the urge to drink again.
"Fuyumi, is something wrong?" Anelia notices the change.
"I'm fine... It's just my thirst coming up again. I'll go find something to hunt for dinner, and a drink," Fuyumi holds her head for a moment.
"Actually," Anelia stops her by the arm. "Um... if you're okay with it, you can... drink my blood," she blushes.
"Anelia, are you sure? I don't want you to feel uncomfortable or anything," Fuyumi isn't sure.
"Well, I mean, you already drank Emilia's," Anelia says.
"Wait, how do you know that? Did she tell you?" Fuyumi asks, and Anelia offers a small nod. Fuyumi sighs, "Please tell me that's all she told you," she pleads, but Anelia's blush only gets deeper.
"She didn't tell me too much. Just that you drank her blood, but I kind of guessed there was more to it," Anelia can't help looking away out of embarrassment.
Fuyumi glances away with a blush too, "I see. That girl... But, are you really sure, Anelia?"
"I want to be closer to you, Fuyumi. This isn't the same as you getting food. It's me becoming a part of you," Anelia holds Fuyumi's hand tight.
Fuyumi sighs. She can't say no to that cute, pleading face.
"Okay, but in the tent, please," Fuyumi agrees.
The pair enter their tent. Fuyumi waits patiently as Anelia grows the courage to undo her collar, exposing her neck.
"Only a little, okay," Fuyumi says before inching closer, and plunging her fangs into Anelia's flesh.
Anelia gasps from the sensation. Fuyumi holds her close as she drinks in Anelia's taste. She's sweeter than Emilia, but it's still nice. Anelia lets out a few gasps before Fuyumi finishes. She releases Anelia and heals the marks. Anelia takes a few breaths to recollect herself.
"Are you okay, Anelia?" Fuyumi asks, a little concerned.
"Yeah, I'm okay. It's just... I wasn't expecting it to feel so good," Anelia shows a brand-new blush on her cheeks.
Fuyumi rubs her head, "Sorry about that. That's the one thing I have no control over. It just happens. I only took a little too. It was really sweet,"
"Um, well, I'm glad you liked me-uh, I mean it, wait, I mean-," Anelia stutters until Fuyumi silences her with a kiss.
Fuyumi kisses her for a few moments until she knows that Anelia has calmed down, though she does end up pushing Anelia onto the mat in the tent. Soon enough, she releases Anelia.
"I know what you meant. There's no need to get so flustered," Fuyumi gives her a peck on her forehead. "I think Elane should be done, so I'm going to wash up too. I'm sure I can find something around here to eat as well. I have food stored in my inventory, but it never hurts to stock up," Fuyumi gets up and pulls Anelia into a sitting position. "I'll be right back,"
"Don't take too long," Anelia calls out, only to moan a bit while holding her blushing cheeks.
Fuyumi heads deeper into the forest, keeping an eye out for anything they can eat. She looks around and listens for the sounds of any wild animals nearby. However, the only thing she hears is the sound of running water.
"Sounds like the river. Well, might as well go for a quick rinse. Elane should be done by now," Fuyumi shrugs her shoulders and heads closer to the river.
However, as soon she comes out from the foliage near the river, she freezes in place. In the river, the water up to her knees, is Elane... butt naked. Apparently, she was trying to get the water out of her hair... At least until she froze in place when she noticed Fuyumi. Fuyumi gets a clear view of her gorgeous body. If she had to put them in categories, Fuyumi would say that while Emilia has her elegant beauty, and Anelia has her cuteness, Elane has a pair of hips that Fuyumi would love to roll her hands over. Of course, she has bigger concerns.
Fuyumi quickly hides behind a tree while Elane drops back into the water, "I-I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean to!"
"What do you think you're doing, you pervert!" a blushing Elane yells.
"I thought you were already done with your wash, and so I came over while looking for any animals I could hunt for food. I swear I'm not a pervert!" Fuyumi retorts, also blushing.
"Then why were you staring at me for so long?! Wait, don't even think of getting out from behind that tree! You were practically eating me out with your eyes, weren't you!" Elane exits the water to dry herself off and get her clothes back on.
"I was only staring because you were so beautiful!" Fuyumi lets the truth slip.
"Eh?!" Elane freezes while half-dressed.
"I'm not saying that because you think I'm some womanizer. I'm just being honest and telling the truth," Fuyumi says.
Elane blushes deeper from the compliment, "You already have two fiancés. How are you not a womanizer?"
"Because my love is not so small where it can only be given to one person. And I don't fall for women who are only beautiful. There are plenty of women in the world who may be beautiful on the outside, but are ugly within. Emilia and Anelia are beautiful both in and out. They each have qualities that I like about them. I do have standards. Those two are important to me, not just some prizes or toys to play with. I love them, and that is all that matters to me," Fuyumi explains her honest feelings.
"You really love them, don't you. You meant every word just now," Elane says as she is just about done changing.
"Yes. When I say I love them, it means I love them. Just as when I say you're beautiful, I mean you're beautiful. I thought you were beautiful when I first saw you," Fuyumi says.
"I shot you with multiple arrows in our first meeting," Elane recollects.
"Yeah, well, at least our first meeting wasn't boring. But, we're friends now, aren't we?" Fuyumi asks.
Elane sighs, "Yes, we are. My apologies. I'm all done, so I'll be going now. The river is all yours," Elane leaves, allowing Fuyumi to exhale a breath she had been holding in.
"Girl, what are you doing?" Fuyumi mutters, shaking her head.
After taking a little time to wash up, Fuyumi manages to find a deer to cook up for dinner. She returns to the camp to see that Elane, Umi, and Anelia have finished getting the place together and even got a fire going.
"Perfect, and just in time for me to start preparing dinner," Fuyumi gestures to the deer on her shoulder. "I already drained it, so we're good to go. Anelia, if you want, go wash up in the river. By the time you get back, the meat should be ready,"
"Okay, I'll be quick," Anelia runs into the forest towards the river.
"Drained it, huh?" Elane smirks at the deer.
"Hey, if you want to drain it yourself, then you can do it the next time. At least this way, the meat is nice, and I get my drink to hold me down for a while," Fuyumi says as she puts the deer down, allowing Umi to land on her shoulder.
"You say that like you just went out for drinks at a tavern somewhere," Elane jokes.
"Hey, it's not as easy as it sounds. I'm very careful whenever the carving comes out. Like I said before, I keep myself from having human blood. Though I may not be human anymore, I do want to keep at least a shred of my humanity. Otherwise, I wouldn't be me anymore; just something in the shape of me," Fuyumi retorts.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I just wanted to have a little fun," Elane replies.
They await Anelia's return and have their cooked deer meat. Shortly after, they head in early since they still have a long trip ahead of them.
…
The trio continue on their journey to Calipso city. Luckily, they face few issues along the way and reach their destination in a few days. Overlooking the town on a hill, they spot a large coliseum in the center of town. Joseph certainly didn't lie about it being big for tournaments. There seem to be smaller arenas throughout the city too. There seems to be a lot of traffic coming and going as well. Must be a busy time of the year for the place. Elane is sure to keep her ears hidden under a hood before they move on. The girls each the gates eventually and gain entry into the city. Looking around, they see a number of people with weapons and equipment for battle strolling around. Most of them seem to be mercenaries, but there are a few knights and soldiers among them.
"I wonder if there is a tournament happening today," Fuyumi thinks.
"You ladies entering the tournament?" One civilian asks, a man carrying a bag of tools on his back.
"We heard this place has combat tournaments ever now and then. We're mercenaries here on business, though we're not aware of any tournaments right now," Fuyumi replies.
"Mercenaries, huh?" the man gives them a quick look, noticing their weapons. "Well, there's going to be a tournament in a few days. They happen a few times a year, once during each season. This time of year, it gets really busy in the city. If you want to apply for the tournament, the best place to do so would be the mercenary guild,"
"How do these tournaments work?" Anelia asks.
"Basically, elimination matches. One-on-one, with several matches a day. If there are a lot of applicants, they split the matches into the smaller arenas in the city to save time. Then, when there are only 32 competitors left, they have the remaining matches in the main arena until only one remains standing. You can use magic, weapons, whatever you fight with. However, killing is forbidden, and because of how it can be used, poison is forbidden from use as well. Most people use magic or blades for their fights. They heighten security in the city during these events since it can get pretty rowdy. Most of the time, mercenaries fight. Some soldiers and knights compete too, but for the soldiers, it's rare, and for the knights, even rarer. Something about their army duties or knightly pride or something," the man explains.
"Hmm, and at the end of it, what is the prize for winning the tournament?" Fuyumi asks.
"Hmm, it changes from time to time. Sometimes a big batch of money, other times special weapons or gear. A few times, the reward is that you can make one wish from the duke himself, and if it is within his power, he'll grant it. Most of the time, it's money though. As for the wishes, people have asked for money, noble titles, knowledge, or other stuff. It can get pretty hectic at times," the man explains.
"I see, and where can I find the mercenary guild?" Fuyumi asks.
"Head further down the street, make a left, and then a right. The guild isn't too far from the arena. Big building, red roof, can't miss it," the man points the way.
"Thank you," Fuyumi nods and the girls head their way.
"Are you thinking of entering the tournament? That's not why we came here," Elane reminds them of their objective.
"That's why we should do it. A lot of eyes will be on this tournament, and that could include our adversaries. But, not all of us will enter. I'll enter and act as bait, while you two investigate from the shadows. Tournaments like these always have something fishy going on from behind the scenes. What's more, if I win, I can get a meeting with the duke and get some information. Whether he's an ally or actually an enemy, I'll still get something interesting from him. We don't exactly know where to start investigating either, so this helps with that too," Fuyumi explains.
"Even if that's the case, you just want to fight in the tournament for some fun, don't you," Elane gives her a scrutinizing look.
"I don't know what you mean. Come on, let's go register," Fuyumi feigns innocence and moves on through the crowd.
They make their way to the local mercenary guild. It was actually bigger than the one in Crystalglove city. Registration came easily enough for Fuyumi, though not before getting a few eyes on her due to her beauty. Many in the guild first thought she was a noble looking for a bodyguard. The receptionist kept a professional smile and took care of the paperwork. Talk about professionalism.
"So, what do we do now?" Anelia asks.
"Get a feel for the city. We'll back here in an hour, and then look for an inn to stay at during out time here. You two stay together while I go another way. Too much attention on me equals too much attention on Elane, which I'm sure she'd rather avoid,"
Anelia pouts a bit, "Fine, but next time, I'm going with you,"
Fuyumi chuckles, "Of course. It can be another date," her words make Anelia blush again, while Elane rolls her eyes.
"Come on, Umi, let's check out the sights," Fuyumi pets Umi, who caws in response.
With that, the group split up to check out the city. Fuyumi checks out the shopping district, seeing a lot of people roaming about. The district is selling food, weapons, gear, and other items for sale. There was one stall set up for selling tickets for the upcoming tournament. As Fuyumi looks around, she notices how some people glance and/or stare in her direction. Even if she got a cloak with a hood, it still wouldn't keep her from gaining attention. Besides, if you got the goods, best to flaunt them. Unfortunately, that can also be a double-edged sword.
"Hey there, sweetheart. Haven't seen you around here before," she looks to the side to see three men walking up towards her.
They all appear to be mercenaries. Two of them have somewhat shabby gear, with worn leather armor and while one has a spear, the other has a bow with arrows. The third, most likely the leader, has better gear though. He's got armor on most of his body, sporting a scimitar blade on his hip and a buckler shield on his left arm. The shield and sword have brown and red mana gems imbedded in them respectively. The man has short, spikey brown hair and a small scar on his left jawline. At seeing them, Umi's feathers ruffle out in agitation.
"Are you here to watch the tournament?" the man in armor asks.
"Hey, if you want, we can offer some good seats. Our boss here is participating, and he's gonna win," the bowman says.
"Sorry, boys, but I'll be in the tournament, and I'll be the one to win," Fuyumi replies, looking for anything better to do than deal with this crap.
"You? No offense, babe, but this is a man's game. There's no need to get that beautiful face of yours all scratched up," the man in armor waltzes right up next to her and tries to place an arm around her back. However, Fuyumi quickly steps out of the way. "What the-?"
"I've got other things to deal with that you lot. Also, I read that it's forbidden for contestants in the tournament to fight each other outside the arenas. So, I'll be leaving," Fuyumi says before seeing the man's friends come around to block her path.
"Come on now, sweety. We just want to hang out. Look, we're sorry about what we said earlier. How about we make it up to you by buying you a drink?" the bowman asks.
"Yeah, we're nice people," the spearman adds.
Fuyumi rolls her eyes and is about teleport out of there when...
"That's enough!" a female voice cuts into the action.
They all look over, but Fuyumi stops in her tracks. The voice belongs to a young woman around her age, with waist-length blonde hair with a few silver tips, and bright blue eyes. She is wearing a sleeveless black, buttoned up shirt with black short shorts. Around the shorts is a black half-skirt going to her knees behind it. She has small pieces of armor around her waist. On her upper body, over the shirt, is light armor with a large opening for her well-endowed chest. The armor has a metal collar around her neck, and shoulder pauldrons to match. A long, flowing white cape extends from the pauldrons and the back of the armor, along with two long straps at the front. Openings between the fabric reveal her arms, covered in shoulder length black gloves, which are covered by bracer armor. Her legs have thigh-high black stockings under knee-high armored boots. On her left hip is a double-edged sword with a golden hilt and a yellow mana gem in the center. The look is finished with a small piece of head dress armor circling her head. The armor and sword look well-made, and expensive. Anyone that sees her would think her to be a knight.
"You will not cause trouble for the fair lady a moment longer," the woman says.
"Well, well, this has certainly gotten interesting," Fuyumi thinks.
And that's the chapter. Fuyumi and her gang reach Calipso city for their next assignment. Not only will Fuyumi have a combat tournament to contend with, but it appears a new character has joined the story. What kind of fights will Fuyumi experience in the tournament and beyond? Who is this new woman that has entered the fray? Until then, please Read and Review.