Norrix warily trailed the human to the entrance of the stable. Her senses ached for her to run, to find a weapon and defend her charge. So focused on the frame of Arkadewi, Norrix couldn't quite grasp why she felt so off. Something was very wrong.

Entering the large double doors, Norrix perked up and began to catalog her surrounding. The doors, typically closed to preserve heat in the stable, had been open. The stalls each had hay already placed, where Norrix knew Rondo left some for Arkadewi to place, allowing her time to interact with the animals. And the smell... to a normal human, it would smell delectable, drawing them in.

To Norrix, however, the scent was all too familiar. It was a scent of pain, of longing, and of desparation. It was the scent of home. Fear flooded her, adrenaline fueling her pounding heart as it seemed to beat against the bone within her chest. Her nostrils flared as her eyes scanned the building, struggling to pinpoint the scent - it was everywhere. But - there. The bathroom.

The bathroom that Arkadewi was walking to.

"No!" The roar broke from Norrix's chest as she pushed herself into action, shaking the stupor from her brain. Her legs heaved her towards the human, and she grabbed her arm, violently pulling her away from the doors. She would worry about the repercussions of that later. Whirling, she lowered herself in front of Arkadewi, back to the human as she sat in a defensive posture that was nothing more than muscle memory.

Her eyes narrowed further as she prowled to the door, inching the wood panel open slowly. To her dismay and chagrin, there was nothing except the scent of Winter burning her nose and the fading signs of her human's lover.

Years of adventuring at least honed Arka's reflex and she brandished her sword in a flash, pointing them towards the bathroom, empty, eerily strongly scented of Winter in the middle of Summer. Her legs widened to a steady fighting stance.

"Faeries are full of trickeries~" Arka hummed in a singsong tune, a nursery rhyme of old as she lowered her sword to Norrix's neck, the Zanair iron hissing quietly, air crackling with unnatural power in the near gap between it and Norrix's skin. Arka spoke in a cold, predatory tone that starkly contrasted her prior cheer. In one opportune step she had blocked Norrix's exit. "Now where is my man, you monster?"

Norrix felt her power, her very soul, receed into the darkness within as the Zanair metal hissed against her skin. She watched in abject horror as the only chance of escaping the blade was sealed by the very being she was sworn to protect. Her chest ached with panic, and she felt the warring thoughts in her mind chase each other.

Trapped, trapped, trapped.

Protect Arkadewi. Protect her.

Trapped.

Her eyes widened as the fear set into the pit of her stomach. "You think I did this? You think I would harm the one being that brings you joy in this shithole of a village?"

Raising her hands to show she had no ill intent, Norrix continued, "I am the one who protects you from the evils of this world, and you think I would cause you emotional pain? I made a deal with the Gods to save you from harm until your last breath. I am sworn to you, Arkadewi. I cannot do you harm."

Gulping in air, she calmed her heaving chest as her brain sorted through the chaos of the last minute. Someone had taken Rondo, and as much as she wished to be grateful for his disappearance, Zanair crackled at her skin, and she saw the predatory expression lining her human's face.

Lowering her hands, she stood tall, taking a deep breathe before going against every instinct in her body and pressing the tender skin of her neck to the blade. Her body cried out in response, every instinct screaming to get away. But Norrix held still.

"If you believe I've done this, then you have my permission to end this now. But I'd like you to consider how many other Fae you know; how many do you think would be willing to help you find your lover? How many would do so without striking a bargain that would surely punish you? I am your only chance at figuring this disaster out, and your only sensible option - I've already made my bargain to protect you. I cannot do anything that would hurt you."

The longer Norrix talked, Arkadewi's base animalistic expression slowly melted into a new one: utter confusion. By the end of her sentence, Arkadewi looked like a child when she questioned, "Really? If you say so." She nodded, feigning contemplation, but it's clear she didn't have any idea what Norrix was talking about.

The girl took a step back and moved her sword back, blinking the traces of darkness away. The iron hissed as it slid back into the sheath on Arka's hip, as if in sentient frustration. "Alright, so... you're saying... you'll help me, right?" She raised one distrusting eyebrow at Norrix as she crouched down. "Where is he?"

The sun was setting outside, and a long, high note traveled throughout the town into the stables. The night horn had been sounded, and the townsfolk's voices outside rose as they hurried to whatever buildings and closed the doors. Soldiers marched, enforcing night hours. Arka glanced at the double door of the stables as one of the stable boys showed up, looking over the two in fear and uncertainty.

"Just shut it!" Arka yelled at him, making a shushing gesture and slid a line across her neck, threatening him to keep his silence. The boy placed a torch by the door before doing as he was told quickly, and the noises outside became muffled. She reached inside her pocket on the right side of her trousers and pulled out her adventuring license, glanced at it for a second, then pushed it back in reassurance that it's still there. It was her permit to roam at night.

The girl reached towards the open window by their side, the only one in the stables, and slammed it shut quick. The horses whinnied in protest for being trapped inside with a faerie.

"This is supposed to keep fae folks out," she commented, "but I'm here with one. Doesn't seem right." She shrugged the thought off. Sitting down, left leg folded touching the ground, while right leg folded upright supported her arm. "So?"

Norrix shook her head at the defiant female. She knew the human had no recollection of their bargain; it was the perk of having made it when she was so young. The human was never one to seem clueless, though, and Norrix was not surprised at her feigned indifference.

She cringed as the stable boy scurried away, the scent of his fear palpable. "You're a fool if you think anything can keep the Fae out. The only thing that would deter us is that wretched metal on your blade, and even then, it only tells us to run away. Nothing can keep an immortal being from going where they wish."

Norrix sent a wave of power over the stable, quieting the horses; the feeling she sent allowed them to understand she was not here to hurt them. She needed quiet. Squatting down, she looked over the fragile girl before her, scenting her confusion and fear. A pang went through her body at the distress.

"A very long time ago, I lived in the Winter Court. I know you've heard the stories, as I've ensured that you are well versed in them for your own safety. I... defected. After a particularly rough season, I realized my people were waging war on themselves once again, and I refused to take part in it. So I left the Winter, and came here. A few years into my residence in this village, I found a small child. And I was so lonely, so desperate to have something to care for, that I made a bargain with her and the Gods."

Norrix pulled the angel wing necklace out from under her pearls, the twin to the piece she knew had disappeared with the human boy. Refusing to give Arkadewi time to process this, she continued, "You have been under my protection since then. I have ensured you are safe, and will continue to do so until your last breath. I don't know why someone would want that horrible human, but I can only assume it is to find you, and consequently, me. I will help you find him, under one condition. We will make another bargain. You will have a say in what it is, but ultimately, I will make the final choice. If you refuse, I will follow you to him, but you will be on your own unless your life is in peril. If you accept, I will do everything to find him. Do you understand?"

Arka was surprised. "This is real? I was sure the blacksmith tricked me." She gawked at her sword and no longer seemed to be listening as Norrix explained. At the mention of war, however, she perked up with a shit-eating grin across her face.

"Huh, I thought immortal beings would've known better than war. The Kings and Queens, I've no idea why they bother, when they've got enough beer to last a lifetime."

She fumbled closer to take a look at the angel necklace when Norrix pulled it out, grabbing at it with the uncontrolled strength of a fighter.

"I did? No wonder you've been helping me, all these times! Good job, little me!" Accepting the information without so much as a little consideration, Arka lifted her right palm up high and high-fived herself in an awkward clap. No memory seemed to haunt her eyes at all, as if it wasn't her in the story that Norrix told. She then merely responded to Norrix's last question with a non-committal "uh-huh."

"To be honest with you, you say difficult words. Lots of 'em, I don't get. I just want my Rondo back, however it is, I'll give you whatever."

Norrix snapped her fingers at the human, glaring at her despite the smile that crept onto her face. "Focus, Arkadewi. We have things to discuss. I'll make our bargain simple. I will help you find your human male, but in exchange, you will come with me to the Fae realm. I can protect you much easier there than I can here. Your male can come, but my protection will not extend to him. You must also stop drinking so much."

She awaited the response of her human, bracing for the impact of her aggression as the reality of the bargain sank in. She was sure the female would have no qualms about leaving this town, but to give up her addiction would surely cause a ruckus.

[I'm so sorry this is short forgive me ;-;]

((i'm sorry for the short replies too :'D but tbh i don't mind))

Arka gave Norrix a double take, then she roared with laughter. "Me, stop drinking?" She paused, grinned at Norrix, then started laughing again, harder than before. "I didn't know Faeries can make a joke! You're funny."

She got up and brushed the dirt off her clothes. "Faerie realm, huh? I'd better order a Zanair armor to that blacksmith tomorrow. And pay a visit to the Queen," she referred to the nearest monarch whose territory extended to Beerburgh, "bet she'd pay me good gold for a trip to Fae realm."

She glanced at Norrix and shook her head. "Don't think the guards would be too fond of a fae showing up at the capital, so I'll meet you again here after. About two..." her eyebrows knitted as she considered the balls, "three days. How's that sound?"

Norrix sighed. Fine. She knew it would be an uphill battle. "We're limiting your drinking. In the Fae realm, the drinks are much stronger. You can have one a night, two on the weekends. That's final. And you won't be ordering Zanair armor. I can barely stand that blade, let alone a whole suit of it. I'll purchase you magic-embued armor when we leave. It will draw less attention from the.. unsavory creatures of the land."

She didn't let the human know that she had a bargain with the queen as well. Having riches allowed you to meet influential people. And having considerable strength and magical abilities allowed you special access to places you would otherwise be unwelcome. She would follow the female from a good distance, and catch her in the castle to discuss the terms of this bargain with the queen.

"Three days. That's it. And then we're leaving. I'd rather find your male alive, so if you could make it two, that would be preferable." With that, she stood, swiftly exiting the stables and creeping into the shadows of the trees at its edge. Her heart hammered with the realization that she would be returning to her former home.

[I agree, it's definitely kind of nice xD. Especially assuming we'll get into some lengthy ones in a bit.]

((Here it is, the long one xD it was nice while it lasted lmao))

Arka's eyes sparkled, beautifully, if only it wasn't at the notion of stronger drinks. "I like that place already." She made a face at Norrix's forbidding her from ordering the armor. "Alright, if you say so. You know better about fae folks... buddy." She grinned as she tested the words on her tongue.

"I've never even seen one that wasn't you." She definitely had, just wasn't perceptive enough to notice it's not a mere wild beast. Though fairly, the beasts of Eatth weren't exactly mild, either.

As she watched Norrix leave, her lips pursed into a thin line.

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The capital of the Morvindra was a sprawling metropolis, built upon the ruins of an ancient faerie city. The city's architecture was a hodgepodge of styles, with grand marble buildings standing shoulder-to-shoulder with crumbling stone ruins and ramshackle wooden shacks. The streets were narrow and winding, twisting through the city like a labyrinth, and were lined with vendors hawking their wares and thieves lurking in the shadows.

The heart of the city was the Queen's Amara Palace, a towering fortress that loomed over the surrounding buildings like a giant. The palace was built of black stone and was adorned with gold and jewels, a testament to the queen's wealth and power. Purple flags draped every side. However, the palace was also surrounded by a high wall, topped with barbed wire and guarded by heavily armed soldiers.

The palace grounds were vast and sprawling, filled with gardens, fountains, and ornate statues. The queen's soldiers patrolled the grounds, keeping a watchful eye on the populace and silencing any dissent with brutal force, evident in the bodies hanging as a warning decoration near the entrance of Amara Palace.

Despite the soldiers brutality, they still winced as Arka's steed rumbled the ground with every approaching step.

Horse-like in appearance, except Stitch's body was not built of flesh and muscles. The size of an elephant, it was a whorl of living wood with a curved, pointed roof across its back like that of a castle tower. The legs were dark brown color that morphed to a shade of dark blue as eyes of onlooker travel up its square body. Its mane, white vines that hang on the side with specks of green new growth. Black burn marks trailed along the body - scars from the beast's youth, when it was beaten into submission. The Trojan Horse would grow to a towering 60 feet, given enough sunlight to photosintesize, and much rain to absorb. Hollow on the inside, it was a splinter-prone land transport for armies. Yet for such a mighty beast, the eyes were very much horse-like - brown and expressive, a hint of sadness haunted them.

Stitch lowered its large head in front of the palace's gate and opened its mouth. Arka rolled out and tumbled into the ground, landing perfectly on one knee and made a ta-da! movement at the unamused guards. Stitch's eyes watched her fondly as Arka produced a packet of fertilizer from her pocket and sprinkled him with it.

"Heroine Arkadewi," one of the guards greeted her, rather gruffly, as Stitch snorted. "Welcome back to the Capital Morvindra. The Queen shall be informed of your arrival."

The citizens stopped around them, gawking at the creature, and the raven-haired woman with a sturdy leather armor, made of leather with metal plates covering her chest and shoulders. The armor was adorned with intricate gold engravings that caught the light in certain angles. Underneath the armor, she wore a simple white tunic and orange pants that hugged her legs tightly, allowing for ease of movement. Her boots were made of durable leather, reaching up to her knees, and had a small heel to keep her feet in the stirrups. An orange cloak with a hood was draped over her shoulders, fastened by a silver clasp at her neck.

A tall male wearing formal clothing in the purple color of Morvindra approached shortly, a steely expression on his face. "Please follow me, Heroine Arkadewi."

"Sir Mort!" She went in for a hug, but the man she called Sir Mort side-stepped her with learned reflex and spun on his heels to walk briskly inside. Arka followed.