Kowan

Waking up at the crack of dawn was always a pain in the ass. Having your body clock wake you up exactly just before the sun goes up was never not a headache to deal with. Taking shifts to watch at night and having an inconsistent sleep cycle didn't help alleviate the hassle in the slightest. But still, somehow, through the magic of conditioning his master has ingrained into him as his apprentice, he would always wake at this time of any day.

Davion grumbled under his breath as he exited his tent, strapping his Kinship stone to his left hand and rubbing the stone slightly to make it shine. Looking to his right, he saw Gurion fast asleep, the red behemoth still almost twice his size, even when he was lying down on his side.

With a quiet huff, he went back into his tent, retrieving some toiletries and a change of clothes. They were definitely going to run out soon, as he was sure none of them packed for being away from the village this long. Sure, they could borrow Sekken, but the look Ryo gave them on the idea of turning him into a convenient portable bubble bath at their leisure made them reconsider a lot of things.

As he silently made his way through camp, he occasionally peered into the civilians' tents to check on their well-being. Their sleeping faces were peaceful, though some children were curled up faintly quaking in their bedrolls. His jaw tensed before he shook his head and continued his way.

Getting separated from their comfort zones to a place that is anything but comfortable, he could only imagine just how bad the trauma had been piling up since they were captured and taken away from their families.

Passing by the central fire pit, he paused when he saw his fellow Rider already fanning a flame underneath a grill. On the makeshift table beside him were plates of ingredients for breakfast; potatoes, cheese, cured bacon, a large bowl of flour, and a pot of leftover stew from the night before.

Since Ephraim had been the last watch, the blonde was still partly in armor, his upper torso freed from any protective gear for comfort as he cooked. His Dark Chariot was leaning against a nearby rock that he had rolled up from somewhere. The brunette could see the telltale focus on his helmetless face whenever he was cooking.

Not wanting to disturb him, he merely slipped past towards the spring.

He spared one last glance towards the camp and quickly stripped behind a makeshift privacy screen before stepping into the cold morning waters. Aside from a brief shiver, he quickly acclimated to the temperature and began rinsing himself of sweat and grime.

It wasn't exactly like the hot baths back in the village– so he didn't take that much time washing up and drying himself off. Slipping into the dark blue Glavenus hide gambeson and trousers, he put on his boots before packing up his toiletries. When he got back to his tent, he looked at his partner before he came in close and gently patted Gurion's jaw with a smile.

Then, he reeled his arm back and knocked a closed fist against the hardened shell.

Thwack!

The Glavenus rumbled as he blearily opened an eye at him.

"Up and at 'em, boy." The brunette grinned at his partner as he stepped back, allowing the Cutting Wyvern to roll to his feet and lazily rise. "There we go."

Gurion gave a low growl as he puffed at the swordsman, who jolted as he tried to wave away the smoky exhale.

"Hey, c'mon! I just cleaned up!" He pushed the snout away from him with a sneer. The Glavenus gave another growl before he turned towards the forest and began walking towards it. Davion shook his head with a quiet exhale before he went back inside his tent to start the process of tending to and putting on his armor.

Using a spare rag, he wiped away the dirt and grime from the day prior off its plates. Fighting all of those soldiers to liberate the civilians that they had captured wasn't a clean affair. Despite his best not to maim or inflict open wounds, there were spots of dried blood on the torso and helmet from when they tried to grab him or remove his armor, only for their hands to be cut open due to its jagged and serrated spikes and scales.

A saving grace was that the tint of spilled blood blended with its crimson sheen, making the signs of the confrontation less perceptible when they inevitably met with the Wyverians.

It wouldn't make do to peacefully encounter them while he was visibly covered in the sanguine liquid.

Wiping away the last of what he could see, he started the process. Strapping on his gauntlets first, protecting his hands as he began grasping the other armor pieces, which were all considerably sharp. Then came the breastplate, his chausses around the legs, followed up by the hanging faulds, and layered his boots with the greaves.

After making sure that the straps were firmly secured, especially those that held his Kinship Stone in place, he then put on his helmet. Grabbing his Glavenus Array, he strapped it on his back and exited his tent.

"Ah, you are awake."

And he almost drew it in surprise when he was face to face with the Wyverian Leader from the night prior.

"Wh–" He coughed and cleared his throat as he took his hand off of his greatsword. Switching back to Ancient Wyverian, he shook his head as he crossed his arms. "A bit of a warning would've been appreciated. I had not assumed it would be this early."

The weirdly five-fingered Wyverian Leader of the band of similarly five-fingered Wyverians…

He glanced at his feet.

He wasn't standing on his tiptoes.

The Wyverian(?) bowed his head, his neutral lips curling up ever so slightly at the edges. He was wearing the same outfit from last night, though he replaced the leaf cloak with a plain dark gray traveling cloak.

"Apologies, but our leader has made her decision. She wishes to meet with you so you can make your case to her personally."

"Wait, what?" Davion was taken aback. This soon?! Then again, they had the whole night to deliberate. "Personally?"

The man nodded.

"Yes. She is curious to meet another who speaks our ancient tongue, especially those outside of our own community. Come."

"At least let me get breakfast first…"

Tuka Luna Marceau wondered when her father was going to come home. He had left in a slight hurry earlier, and all the noise had woken her up. She hadn't even begun to make breakfast when he had left. She could only hope that whatever it was, he at least could have something to fill his stomach.

The blonde elf girl sighed as she placed the lid on the pot of mushroom stew on the table. Walking over to the window, she leaned on its frame and gazed out into the village.

The opening of the mysterious gateway in Alnus Hill to the West had been felt by all of the Elves of Kowan, as each of them had an innate sense of magic. This meant that the Saderan Empire was on another one of its expeditions, and that typically meant that the forest patrols needed to be increased just in case the humans decided a foray into their woods was a good idea. Their settlement had been hidden from the expansive eyes of the Empire for more than half a millennia; they would not risk it getting found now of all times.

Still, despite the presence of the Saderan military nearby, the village was active with vendors and bards in the square, entertaining the youth with food and tales from the past or from what they've seen in their travels outside Koan Forest. While there was a present risk of some inquisitive scouts somehow following the noises of merrymaking, they still had to go through leagues of forest with unknown creatures within as well as uncharted territory. On top of that, they had a magical barrier that kept their settlement camouflaged.

"...Hm?" She narrowed her eyes before looking down from her window, leaning out somewhat to call down on a familiar face as a passing patrol caught her eye. "Lilianna, is that you?"

The ranger looked up in slight surprise at hearing her name called before smiling. Gesturing for the rest of her party to go on ahead, she called back at her.

"Ah, Tuka! You must be wondering where Hodor is, yes?"

Tuka nodded.

"Well, he's currently outside the walls at the moment– No, he's not out on a spontaneous patrol or anything!" The ash-blonde Elf quickly corrected, having read the dubiousness of Tuka's narrowed eyes. "There's just…something urgent that he was tasked to do."

"Really?"

"Yeah, I can't say much about it, sorry." Lilianna sighed as she rubbed the back of her neck.

"I-I see."

"Anyway, is there anything else you want to ask me? I'm about to head out on a patrol."

Tuka drew back, somewhat embarrassed at what she was going to ask next. "By the way, when are you going to come back? I've learned this new song from Kaia, but I'm not that confident in-"

"Hey, Lilianna, get your butt in gear!"

"Oh, crud, sorry! Ah, sorry Tuka," The ranger shook her head after calling out to her waiting patrol members. "I gotta go before I get yelled at by my captain for lollygagging."

Ears drooping slightly, the younger Elf sighed, feeling a bit disappointed.

"Oh… Okay. Sorry for that..."

Lilianna waved at her with a somewhat guilty smile before she ran to catch up to her squad, leaving the blonde to slump on the windowsill.

Tuka wallowed in her own embarrassment for a while before he recomposed herself. With a quiet sigh, she smacked her cheeks to bring herself out of the funk. Standing straight once more, she reached for the windows to close them when she spotted a familiar shade of blonde in the village square.

And alongside him was some sort of…armored warrior?

"Father..?"

When Davion followed the not-so-Wyverian to their leader, he expected their settlement to be a small hidden village in the trees. Maybe with some houses well-camouflaged against being spotted through the air.

What he didn't expect was a walled town that looked far more elaborate than his own village. If it was even still considered as a village anyway.

There were still treehouses, of course, but they were all located on two large trees situated on what he could guess were the Western and Easternmost parts of the settlement. The trees themselves were enormous, far more extensive than what he had imagined. They were most likely almost 10 storeys high from root to the canopy, and with buildings built on the trunks with stairs, ladders, and bridges that could be used to traverse from building to building. They even built on the thicker branches, and he could see people walking on them with little difficulty.

The part of the town that wasn't on the trees followed a more conventional method of planning, almost akin to that of his village. The buildings were made out of some white stone bricks and were tiled with blue roofing, with some golden detailing here and there. There were large paved roads that were flanked by buildings, residential and commercial, and the impromptu tour by the not-Wyverian allowed him to see all sorts of occupations. Various stores were in the process of being opened– it was still dawn, after all– and he even spotted what looked like a smithy that piqued his interest.

The Wyverians that were opening what he presumed were storefronts were all garbed in clothes that were simplistic but conveyed a sense of refinement that he hadn't seen before, with elaborate but subtle embroidery of vines and leaves woven into the hems.

Their outfits were familiar enough that he could identify the occupations denoted by what they wore; aprons for the bakers he saw earlier, an apron and heat-resistant mitts for the blacksmith he just passed by, and other such things. Most of them wore blue and white, and the colors that did stand out belonged to those who weren't civilians.

The green leaf cloaks of those archers he had seen before were easily identifiable, and they moved in groups that seemed to be heading out towards the walls. Some wielded spears paired with kite shields, armored in a resplendent silver cuirass with an equally silver scale mail skirt that reached to their mid-shins and matched with gauntlets and greaves of the same metal. They were fewer than the archers, but they moved with unparalleled discipline in squads marching in cadence through a patrol route.

Those armed and armored 'Wyverians' stared at him with scrutiny as they passed, sometimes exchanging words in hushed tones that he could only barely listen in on. Eavesdrop as he tried, they spoke in the language of those human soldiers they had fought yesterday and understood nothing.

Davion kept quiet as the Wyverian, this Hodor, as he introduced himself earlier, led him to a large square that had a marble fountain in the center depicting a fiery bird whose wings stretched up gloriously. In the middle of the space between the wings was an amber jewel that was floating in place. Behind it was a large tower, taller than the trees, that he realized was somehow hidden in plain sight from outside the boundaries of the territory. If not, then all of its splendor should've been seen from kilometers away.

It was constructed of the same marble-like material that all of the other buildings were made of, with dashes of blue and gold mixed in that gave it an elegant air. There were more of the armored Wyverians around, with two of them acting as door guards flanking either side, sporting conical tower helms.

In the periphery of his vision, something seemed to sparkle just as the shadows on the ground seemed to lengthen. The brunette craned his head up when he saw what looked like a shining jewel on the peak of its spire, and it pulsed in a pattern that sent out a wave of light blue energy up and towards the odd bubble-like canopy that surrounded the whole settlement.

One moment, he and the Wyverian were stepping through some bushes in the forest, and in the next, he found himself in a clearing facing white-blue walls several meters away that looked just as sturdy as some of the castle walls he'd seen whenever he accompanied his master to one of the Guild's cities.

Just what the hell was going on here?!

"Our leader is within the tower." His escort, Hodor, told him as they approached the main doors, the guards looking at them closely. "We permit you to keep your weapon, but we implore that you do not draw it. Our sacred halls have measures that will ensure the safety of Her Grace."

"A-Ah…Understood." Davion nodded. Not that he was going to do something as stupid in the middle of all of these Wyverians. He looked up at the tower again, feeling a sense of foreboding at the sight of the tall structure.

"...Do we have to climb all the way up?"

Hodor looked at him oddly before he shook his head.

"Oh, no. The Court Hall is on the ground floor. The upper levels are for different purposes."

The brunette's shoulders slackened slightly in relief.

"I would ask you to not disturb Her Grace too much, Hodor, especially with this sudden audience." One of the guardsmen, or guardswoman, in this case, drawled dryly in Ancient Wyverian. "She is in the middle of the Dawn Ritual. Even if she asked for you to bring this one before her, she does not need to be distracted."

With that warning in mind, the two guards opened the doors and ushered them in.

It wasn't too big of a surprise to Davion that the interior of the tower was just as opulent as he imagined it would be. Still, he couldn't help but stare in wonder. The walls were decorated with large paintings of various things. From vast landscapes of nature to those that depicted a prominent city of the same design as the settlement he was in. There were also paintings of not-Wyverians– people of importance, he assumed– wearing opulent robes or brilliant armor of the same make as the guards that lined the walkway to the Court Hall.

'I guess they are the measures that Hodor was talking about…'

The guards wore white and red with splashes of orange. They had a bit more armor than the shielded spearmen that he saw outside, and they were embossed with gold in the shape of flames. Each of them had a white cloak with flame-like designs at the end, and their conical helms had winged designs that made him think back to the fiery bird on the fountain. They each had halberds that looked to be expertly made, and he found himself staring at the weapons more absorbed than he should because Hodor had to clear his throat to get him to snap out of it.

His mind was awash with questions regarding the metals that they used. Did they use Machalite? Carbalite? Maybe Dragonite? What about those gems that they had inlaid in their armor? Did they serve a practical purpose, or were they just there for decoration?

As they stepped closer to the Court Hall itself, the brunette could hear music. It primarily consisted of a flute and harps, and there was an ethereal voice singing along to the harmonic tune in Ancient Wyverian.

"Dance oh light across the sky

Sent to us from heaven

With flames you burn a crimson hue…"

Davion glanced at Hodor by his side, who was closing his eyes as he bowed his head low ever so slightly. The two halberdiers flanking the door grabbed the handles before silently pulling it open, letting the two see the ceremony taking place inside.

"Burn through all our Destinies…

Before the red sky

Is painted blue…"

The Court Hall was a spacious room with polished stone flooring that had some sort of design he couldn't quite make out from his position at the doorway. Large windows were up high around the circular hall, situated in positions reminiscent of those on the points of a compass.

Or maybe more akin to a sundial.

"Oh sacred star…

Bring us hope and show us the way~"

And there, in the center of the dark hall itself, was a figure in the middle of an elegant dance. It was worshipful, flowing, and almost akin to some sort of…flame. Davion didn't know why it made him think of fire, but it did. The instrument players were off to the side, in the shadows, and they bowed their heads as the song slowly came to an end.

Bathed in the dawn rays streaming in through the windows, the figure raised her cupped hands slowly. Then, after a moment of silence, waves of golden energy pulsed from her and throughout the hall. Several amber gems embedded in the walls began to glow before gradually banishing the shadows and lightening the room.

Now that the darkness was gone, Davion could see that the hall's walls were made of white marble, completely smooth but somehow not reflective. The floor, now that he could see with the light, had a large sun mural on it, with the same fiery bird he had seen at the fountain in the middle acting as some sort of core. And in the center of said sun was another not-Wyverian.

She had golden blonde hair that reached past the small of her back, almost akin to a river of sunlight. A green laurel was in said hair and was paired with a golden tiara with an emerald inlaid in the centerpiece in the middle of her forehead. She wore loose, long white robes that exposed her shoulders and navel, with a side cut that showcased her left leg up to her mid-thigh. Golden bracelets decorated her wrists, and an equally golden anklet was on her visible leg. Around her neck was a silver locket, and the locket itself dipped in-between– in- in… in a-

…

'HOLY MOTHER OF GARGWA EGGS!?'

"Lady Celestine." Hodor intoned beside him in deference to the woman, having bowed respectfully. "I have brought the one who speaks our ancient tongue fluently."

Shaky steel gray locked onto mesmerizing emeralds when they opened, and 'Lady Celestine' gave a beatific smile to the two before beckoning them forward.

"Wonderful, Ranger Captain Hodor. Please, step forward."

Davion stayed put for a moment before glancing at Hodor, who opened his left eye ever so slightly to peer at him.

"She means you." The not-Wyverian whispered to him, still bowed low.

'Oh.'

Swallowing to wet his dry throat, the Red Rider stepped forward and entered the sun mural. He stopped a few feet before the…physically blessed not-Wyverian, inwardly trying not to lose his cool. She wasn't taller than him, far from it; she only reached his shoulders, but it somehow felt like she was towering over him.

Facing a Brute Tigrex made him feel less nervous than this!

"No need to be so tense." Lady Celestine smiled up at him, her hands gently pressed together just below her navel. She looked the part of a demure priestess rather than the apparent leader of an entire town. "I am not here to invite harm upon you or those under your protection."

Davion's shoulders slackened ever so slightly.

"Ah." She seemed to have noticed if the slight twinkle in her eyes and the way her smile grew just ever so slightly said anything. "No need to worry about that. While we do not look upon the Saderan Empire fondly, that does not mean that we are hostile against the humans that you protect. Especially if they themselves were harmed by the Saderans. If anything, we sympathize."

"I see…" The brunette answered lowly, not trusting in raising his voice for fear that it might crack. "I thank you for that. But concerning their further safety, are we to discuss the terms of their stay?"

A few of the halberdiers that had been hidden by the shadows stepped forward in plain view and shifted as they looked at him sternly. Was he being disrespectful? If he was, he would apologize, but not right now!

"Not yet… For now at least." Lady Celestine tilted her head innocently. "Because I have questions of my own that I wish to be answered first. For curiosity's sake."

Davion pursed his lips but said nothing, nodding ever so slightly in acquiescence.

"First-"

He jolted when he felt her hand caress his left one, gray eyes quickly darting over to see her lift it to her face. She seemed to be very careful around handling his armor, most likely being aware that she might get cut. "Is this stone on your gauntlet."

"The Kinship Stone..?"

"'Kinship Stone'. Is that what it is called..?" She hummed as she stared at the emerald inlaid in the shield-shaped metal casing. It was the finest gift he had ever received from his mentor, forged from Pure Crystal and Mellanje Ore and decorated with Wyverian etchings of mountains and other symbols of durability. "Forgive my prying. It is not every day you would meet a person casually carrying a stone filled with so much… unfamiliar energy."

Lady Celestine continued to stare at it as if entranced before she closed her own emerald eyes. Letting go of his hand, she let it rest at his side once more.

"Second question." She stated, opening her eyes once more and locking on to the ethereal blue lenses within the darkness of his helm's eye slits. "Those three monsters that you and your allies were with. We have never seen their species before. What enclave are you from to have tamed such beasts?"

Davion stared at her before he slowly shook his head.

"That…is a difficult question to answer, one I cannot answer in length with the current circumstances, nor am I an expert on the matter."

The not-Wyverian leader– Elder?– tilted her head, silent. Then, she closed her eyes once again and nodded.

"Very well. I can tell that you are honest in that admission. My last question then, before I deliver my answer."

The Red Rider inwardly tensed.

Lady Celestine sent him a gentle smile.

"May I see your face?"

Davion blinked, his mind briefly stunned at the question he didn't really expect to be asked. Still, if doing what she asked was going to get him his answer…

He reached up and loosened the straps that held his helmet firmly in place on his head. Then, he slowly lifted it up and off before holding it by his side.

There were gasps from all around, but Lady Celestine's only reaction was to tilt her head in part confusion and intrigue.

"...You are human." She noted, her tone calm despite her ever so slightly wide eyes. "And yet you speak our ancient tongue so fluently. We mistook you for one of ours. Kin."

"Is…that going to be an issue?" Davion tried to keep his worry away from his face, but he wasn't as good at masking his expressions as the other two Riders.

"It only furthers my curiosity." Lady Celestine answered as she cupped her chin. "After all, you speak without issues in the Ancient Elven tongue when such a language is all but forgotten by humanity."

'Elven..? Ah…'

All points led to things not being what they seemed. Wyverians in this world was a distant dream he had hoped. Well, at least he now had a proper term to call them. Still, he couldn't help but feel disappointed and feeling a bit more lost than before.

"And even then, our tongue is so complex that a human would need to dedicate their whole lives just to be of passing skill. You are clearly young, and yet you speak as if you have spoken it your entire life. How so?"

"That's because I am not speaking Ancient Elvish… At least, not exactly." He answered slowly, unsure if they were going to take him at face value. "Instead, the language I know would be called Ancient Wyverian."

Lady Celestine raised a dainty brow.

"'Wyverian'?"

"Forgive me. I am confused just as well as you may be. But before you had labeled this language as… Elven, I had assumed you were a race we know as Wyverians, whose features were similar to your people, Elves." He tested the word on his tongue, finding it oddly smooth to speak. "As such similar to you, they have long, sharp ears and are mostly Human-like if not for some other polarizing features."

The Elven audience stared intently as they pondered on his description, listening along.

"I assume you Elves also possess long lives, which would be a trait similar to Wyverians."

Their leader nodded.

"It is these similarities that I had mistaken your people for familiar faces. It was my mentor who had taught me his language. He took me in when I was young as a blacksmith's apprentice and have been speaking it since, due to his tendency to write schematics in his tongue, which required me to understand the language."

Lady Celestine hummed in interest. "More questions seem to be arising the more we delve into this, but the wording, Wyverian, presumes that it mayhaps be related to Wyverns, correct?"

Davion rubbed the back of his neck. "That I'm not completely sure about. From what my Master had taught me, Wyverians are called as such due to the belief that they shared a common ancestry with Wyverns. This is reflected in their physical traits, as well. The structure of their legs is, well, more similar to what you would see in animals that can fly than those of a human's, making them seem as if they're standing on their tiptoes. Another distinction would be that they only have four fingers in each hand." He paused briefly as he suddenly got reminded of a rumor he had heard while he was in one of the Guild Cities.

"They also lay eggs in reproduction, though, that may just be gossip…" He added hesitantly.

There was a faint concern and confusion as well as peculiar curiosity that stirred in the audience. The court keenly attended to each word he spoke, projecting their own mental depiction of a wyverian's appearance, some accurate and others being entirely off the mark.

The priestess's expression piqued up slightly but was still overall collected. "I see. The difference between Elves and Wyverians is that wide... Though, it appears we still share a common tongue it seems. Rather peculiar that we somehow never heard of their existence."

"It is mutual, as we have also never heard of your existence as well." Davion bit the inside of his cheek. "We could only assume that we come from a distant land that is unheard of in these regions."

"Then how is it that you came to be on this continent?" She asked quizzically.

"We have reason to believe that some sort of unexplainable incident had unexpectedly sent us far from our home to here. A few days ago, we had followed a familiar trail that we had traversed many times before until we got caught up in a storm and found ourselves in an unfamiliar locale when it passed."

"Oh?" Lady Celestine's expression suddenly gained a hint of seriousness, her passive expression scrunching slightly into a focused gaze.

"The landscape we have known and familiarized with our entire lives has disappeared, and in place of it is a foreign arrangement of flora and fauna that we are unaccustomed to." He looked around, squirming uncomfortably against the full attention of the elven audience. "When we had tried scouting the area, all landmarks were absent, and we were entirely lost on where we were. Days pass, and we finally encounter the local civilization, the 'Saderans' as you call them, wherein due to the language barrier, the situation escalated and led us to liberate the people we are accommodating in our camp now."

Silence reigned in the Court Hall. No one spoke, and the pressure felt like a physical weight was bearing down on the Rider's shoulders. Davion hoped that they believed him. While it was the truth in his eyes, they could see it as an elaborate lie in theirs. But what would he gain by lying to them like this? People's lives were at stake, and he'd rather not risk them all on a paper-thin lie.

Then, Celestine's lips curled into a reassuring smile.

"We will welcome your people and allow them to move into Kowan within its walls. Having a human encampment nearby is going to only draw more attention from the Empire, especially considering that they have forces on nearby Alnus Hill. Should there be Dragon Riders flying overhead, and they spot you? That will only invite further trouble, no?"

The brunette's eyes widened at her in shock, almost recoiling in surprise. But what was the catch?

"However… We will require something from your people as well."

'Here it comes.'

Davion slowly nodded before bracing himself.

"And what may that be?"

Lady Celestine tittered behind a hand.

"Why, labor and services, of course. It is only fair, yes? While we are not in need of warriors or mercenaries at the moment, surely there are other skills that can be provided."

Davion swallowed, withholding a sigh of relief.

"Well, as I mentioned, I am a trained blacksmith who apprenticed under someone who was considered a master of my time. My fellow Riders have their own specialties as well. And as Riders, our working philosophy is led by preserving the balance of nature, no matter where it may be."

Her smile didn't abate. "All in due time, we will tell you how you would assist us. For now, that is our proposal."

Davion frowned. Was this too good to be true? Judging from how they had treated them so far, they seemed to be more reasonable and pragmatic from what he could see, with no hint of malicious intent.

Surely, it would be no question but to accept, right?

But he had to make sure…

"Before… Before I would accept, would it be uncouth of me to demand something as well?"

The court murmured amongst themselves, quite surprised that some random passerby dared to ask something despite being at the mercy of their behest and to their great leader no less.

"Hm, It would depend on the request." The elven priestess's voice carried a trace of curious interest.

"I would only ask that no harm and mistreatment would befall anyone in our group, including our partners, our mounts."

"You dare insinuate that we are savages like the Empi-!" One member of the court erupted and was quickly silenced by Celestine holding up her hand and giving him a cool side-eye.

"I never had any intention to do so. However, I can understand why you would need reassurance that we will not take advantage of your people. You have my word that we will treat you with the utmost hospitality as long as it can be returned in kind."

His gray eyes bore into her emerald greens, looking for any signs of duplicity.

…

The tension in Davion's shoulders slowly laxed.

"...Then that is enough for me, I accept."

"Most excellent." Her smile regained its radiance, her hands giving a small, quiet clap. "I shall instruct our craftsmen to refurbish some buildings for shared bunkhouses for now. While it is underway, there is an empty plaza where you would be able to settle in. May this be the start of a harmonious cooperation between our people…" Celestine trailed off, blinking in confusion for a moment before she tilted her head.

"Oh dear, I haven't caught your name."

"Davion." The Red Rider provided after a moment's hesitation, nodding at her respectfully after. "Just…Davion."

Hodor's mind was in a whirl at the recent turn of events.

There had been records of occurrences that had sent people from distant lands through great distances in the blink of an eye. Most of them were due to spells casted by great mages onto their foes, or due to a magical incident that caused an uncontrolled teleport spell to occur. That didn't exactly speak much of good tidings if that were the case for the red dragon knight and his friends.

But Lady Celestine seemed to trust Davion's words, and her judgment was always precise. However, he still had a healthy amount of doubt towards them.

'This whole business just became a bit more complicated. Especially with the humans being allowed access into Kowan.'

While there was little risk of their settlement being leaked outside to the Saderan Empire, the fact that humans were going to be let in was something that was going to ruffle a lot of feathers. The majority of the elves were well aware of the heavy-handed nature and barbarism that the Imperials were capable of and assumed that any humans they saw were of the same mindset save for certain settlements.

At the very least, he knew where Lady Celestine was going to house them. The old residential district had been empty for a while. The previous occupants had migrated further down South to the mountain enclave within Elbe, Yvressa. It had been almost half a century since they left, and he wondered how they were doing…

"Hey, Hodor..?"

He snapped out of his reminiscing to turn to the human, who was once more wearing his helmet. Clad once more in his full panoply, Davion struck an intimidating figure, but the Elf gave him the benefit of understanding what it means to look out for their own.

Now, if only he could find a semblance of credibility of a magical storm that whisks people away to new lands…

"Yes?"

"The language that those other humans were using, those Imperials you called them… Is it possible to learn it, or at least have someone teach it?" The Red Rider asked him as they walked down one of the main roads, once more attracting many eyes due to the striking look of his armor. "Considering that we are going to be staying here for an unknown amount of time, I think we should learn the local language rather than fumble around with gestures and play charades. It would also allow us to better integrate into your society."

The Ranger Captain hummed as he tapped his chin, mulling it over. "We do have teachers, but they generally do not teach Saderan nor do they speak it. Our academies are more focused on utilizing the Elven tongue, you see, and our traditional method of teaching is to let the youth mimic what the elders do. However, I believe I can find the bards and bookkeepers to be more of assistance as they would be more exposed to the language than those who stay behind our walls. They often travel outside and mingle with the Saderans, so they might have notes and such that can aid you."

"I see…" The armored human cupped his helm's chin as he crossed his arms. "Then, do you know any-

"Father!"

Hodor stopped in his tracks and turned around, a smile instinctively growing on his lips.

"Tuka!"

His darling daughter ran up to them, somewhat panting as she stopped.

"Where…" She breathed out before composing herself once more. "Where have you been? Did you even have breakfast yet? You left so early!" she says in Saderan.

"Ah…" Now that she mentioned it, his stomach had been rather hollow in the past hour. "No, I have not. Sorry, dear, I was doing something for Her Grace."

"Eh?" Tuka recoiled, eyes wide. "Her Grace?! What did she- No," She turned her head towards Davion, who had been silently watching their interaction, withdrawing slightly at the sight of his jagged armor.

"Do not worry, this is Davion. He is the reason why I have been busy of late." Hodor turned to the man in question with an apologetic smile as he switched from Saderan back to Ancient Elvish. "Forgive me. This girl is my daughter, Tuka, and she was wondering where I had been."

The armored human nodded, then paused. Looking at the pulsing on the stone in his left hand, he seemed to stare at it before the pulsing slowly stopped being active. "I apologize. It appears that I may need to take my leave for now. Is there anything else I need to know before we begin moving our camp to the city?"

His daughter seemed to gaze at the Red Rider in slight wonder, almost the same expression he wore at the discovery that he, too, could speak their ancient tongue with more fluency than any other native elf.

Hodor made to speak before he looked between the human and his daughter.

Saderan, Elven language, teaching… Tuka.

…

"Ahem, Davion," He turned to the human, who looked back at him. "My daughter here is a bard-in-training, and she has an interest in learning Ancient Elvish, as some of our older songs are sung using said language."

"I see… Well… Good for her?"

"You misunderstand, you see, I think there is a good learning opportunity here. While I would still need to find suitable people to teach the local language to the rest of your group, I believe Tuka here would be more than enough to be your personal tutor."

Off to the side, as expected, the daughter in question reacted appropriately.

"Eh…. Eh!?"

"...You want me to be taught by her?" Davion re-inquired dubiously.

"While she may not be entirely at the level to speak and understand Ancient Elvish smoothly just yet-"

"Not- speak- yet- Father!"

"Our younger generation is more attuned to speaking Saderan than we older folk, so I think she also might have something to learn from your way of speaking our language." Hodor's expression suddenly turned stony as he fixed a glare at the Rider. " Or what? Is my daughter not enough for you? I'll have you know that she has quite the singing voice."

"Wha– No!" The armored Rider shook his head firmly. "I would appreciate the fact that she would teach me, but that's not the issue here!"

"What issue is there to have? You said that you would appreciate it if she taught you. Then, there we go!"

"I- You-! Urgh…"

"Daughter," He turned to Tuka, switching back to Saderan. "This is Davion. He and his group will be living in Kowan for the foreseeable future, I will give you the details later. All that you need to know for now is that I'm asking you to tutor him in Saderan."

"What? Why does he not know it?" His daughter jolted at his question, looking at him as if he was mad. "And why me?! I…I'm not confident enough about that. I know how to sing and play, but-"

Hodor reached out and gave a reassuring pat on her head. "I wouldn't have asked if I didn't believe you could do it. Perhaps this will be a learning experience for the both of you."

Along with his gesture towards her daughter, Hodor also mentally patted himself on the back for his brilliant idea. Tuka and Davion briefly glanced at each other in confusion, exasperation, as well as utter disbelief. The blank visage of his helm somehow able to express his sentiments, the language barrier briefly having been overcome via mutual emotions.

The moment he had returned to camp, he was immediately beset by a large red mass of sharpness and muscle.

"Whoa, boy, I'm fine!" The Red Rider cried out as the Glavenus nuzzled his snout into him, digging in his heels to prevent being knocked over. Sighing, he rubbed his partner's scales in reassurance. "I'm fine, buddy. Sorry, I took so long."

Leaning over to peer at the other two Riders who were fast approaching, sporting worried and expectant faces. A few other civilians were watching from behind them, curious about where he had been the last two hours.

Davion sighed as he pushed Gurion away, facing both of them as he removed his helmet to show them his complex expression.

"Later." He held a hand up to stop the barrage of questions that would have come at him. "Later after I get breakfast. I'm really hungry right about now. After that? We have so much to discuss."

AN:

Edited and Proofread by: Project Ryo

Aaaand an update! Sorry for the wait, this time the blame sorely lies on me.

Reviewing for an exam is a bitch and a half, especially when you took a gap year to decompress from the non-stop years of academics in college. Project Ryo also was busy with personal business, and there was a really funny period where the both of us got sick one after the other in the same timeframe it took me to write this whole chapter. Same symptoms and everything.

Anyway, Davion enters the walls of Kowan! Now, some of you might be wondering why the place isn't the treehouse village like in the LN and anime, and for that I have an answer!

Because I want it to.

Okay, okay, proper reason is that I really don't want the Elves here to be the generic tree-hugging hippies we are so used to in most modern Fantasy depictions of them. So, I decided to shake things up a bit by modeling them as less 'tree-hugging' and more 'highly civilized' Elves like the ones you'd see in works of Tolkien or the Quel'dorei before Arthas did his thing to them in Warcraft 3.

So, walled settlement with a magical barrier keeping it hidden from the eyes of nearly everyone rather than forest village. Of course, I understand that it's going to change some aspects of the story in the future. In fact, I relied on it being so.

Hopefully, I'll properly execute them in future chapters.

Well, with that, this is Cipher, signing off.

I've got some BattleMechs to pilot, after all.