Tale of Four

”Finally.” Rubbing her hands over her face, Alice looked at the distant settlement, glad to know that seeing it meant that at least half of her journey was finished. Looking at the two, she could tell the large man wasn’t particularly bothered by the arrival, whereas the scarred Lady wore a bright smile that didn’t suit her ugly appearance. ”How long will we be staying here for?” Alice asked and looked back at the large man.

Thinking for a moment, he shrugged, ”It depends on certain informaiton. How dangerous the rest of the journey is, supplies and whatnot. I can see you frowning; don’t worry too much. The roads to Last Hope are personally protected by lord Raven. They tend to be the safest, bar those by the Gateway. As for supplies, they should be prepared for us already.”

”So we can leave straight away?” Alice asked, getting a shake of the head.

”No.” Stretching, they relaxed, and their postures changed noticeably. ”We can finally relax a little. We will stay here for a few days. I know you’ll be bored, so just practise what you have been learning.” After thirty minutes, they finally got close to Lasting Feast. Unlike A Child’s Present, it was massive, with numerous sets of walls getting deeper into the settlement.

They were massive, grey and towering watchtowers evenly spread across the walls, circling around, with massive iron gates to enter and exit. Unlike a Child Present, it was far busier and livelier, with the sound of music and laughter echoing across the entire city. Coming to a stop by the first iron gate, a man in grey armour lifted his hand to stop the three.

”Where are you coming from?” With a small smile, he held his hand out as the large man jumped off his horse and approached.

”Randolf. That’s Elva, and that is a Magi we are transporting for Lord Raven.” Knowing all the questions that would be asked, he answered before they could be asked. ”We’re coming from a Child present, under the orders of Lord Raven and Lord Goodson.” Reaching into the small bag tied to his waist, he pulled out a small, thin sheet of metal. ”The approvals.”

The guard took the thin sheet of metal and scrutinised it, making sure to check everything, from the writing carved into it to the make of the metal. Finally, he brought it to his teeth and bit it before nodding and handing it back. Looking at the scarred woman and then herself, Alice could see the guard’s expression turn dim when he saw her.

”She’s a Magi?”

”Lord Raven’s orders. As for why she is being brought to him, we do not know. All we have been tasked with is transporting her.” The guard nodded, sparing another glance at Alice before looking back at him and handing the metal sheet back. ”Is Lord Halls available?”

”It will be hard to see him. He’s preparing the Days of Life Festivals.” Both the large man and scarred woman brightened up hearing that; small smiles appeared on their face that couldn’t hide their excitement.

”It’s always loud when I come here, but I forgot it’s around that time.” The two shared a small chuckle before the large man’s expression became serious. ”However, I must see Lord Halls. As it is a matter concerning Lord Raven, I am sure he will understand.”

”Head to the Grand Hall. He should be there. Sorry for the hassle, but you know the rules. You’re going to have to go through this checkpoint two more times.” Nodding, the two said their goodbyes as the gate opened, allowing the three to pass. Saddling his horse and taking the lead, he led them through. Inside the first set of walls, Alice looked around and found it rather plain.

Unlike the houses that greeted you within a Children’s present, it was all farmland as far as the eye could see, with buildings evenly spread between them. Within the field, men, women, and children worked with smiles on their faces, sharing laughs. Their clothes were dirty and worn, but their tools were expertly crafted; Alice saw, on those closest to her, the runes on each one.

It was different to normal farmland, however. Unlike the lush green fields expected, the grounds were the same ashiness beyond he walls. And the crops weren’t barley or wheat either, but a strange brown crop that shot off cobs of green vegetables. It took minutes to reach the next set of walls, and once more, they went through the entry process before being let through.

The farms had vanished, and in their place were numerous buildings made of the same brick the walls were created from, tightly compacted together. Long, wide roads, like the one they used, cut through and branched off from them into smaller, tighter roads. All around, men and women expertly coordinated as they hung up numerous decorations, painted and organised routes.

Half the settlement was a grey wall that lacked any colour or excitement, whilst the other half, being worked on, was a rainbow of colour, drawn into numerous patterns, shapes and occasional if the artist was skilled of people. Alongside it, the usual stink of a city wasn’t present; rather, it was the overwhelming smell of different food, mingling together to make a feast for the senses. Whilst some wore the bare clothing that they would likely usually wear, some wore aprons or butcher outfits, hurriedly running from one place to another, juggling ingredients and fresh meats to be cooked whilst the rest wore vibrant outfits.

Women dressed in bright long dresses, mainly red and blue, with small chains wrapped around their heads, all in different patterns and designs, but each connecting to a gem in the centre of their forehead that matched the dress they wore. Men, meanwhile, wore long oversized robes, layered in three sections, mainly green or white in colour, with tri-corner hats that matched the robes.

The streets buzzed with excitement as people happily sang and spoke whilst they worked, never letting themselves be stopped by the conversations they were having. Walking through it, Alice lost herself in the smells, tasting the food without touching it whilst the two with her happily joked with people they passed.

Finally reaching the last and largest wall, they did the same routine as the other two and wlaked through. Unlike the other two sections of the settlement, there was only one building, a great wooden megalith, made of the dark trees of the land, built to look like a grand hall rather than a fortress. A massive amount of labour worked tirelessly, preparing it as they prepared the innermost section for the festival.

”My guests.” Stepping out of the large double doors, a bald man with a pot belly looked at the three, a wide grin on his face, his skin the same grey as everyone else in the land and his eyes a deep black. By his side, a thin woman stood with a stern expression, betrayed by the warmth in her eyes, and two others, identical in looks. One was a woman with large breasts, wearing the same red dress she had seen throughout the street, the ornament atop her head no more extravagant than the rest. Despite her large breasts, she was lean and muscular, her dress unable to hide the effort she had put into keeping her physique. Next to her, a man with a large frame, dressed in the same white robes as the others, with a white tri-corner hat. Like the rest, they both had deep black hair and eyes, with grey skin.

”Lord Halls.” The large man and scarred woman jumped off their horses, nodded towards the fat man as he stepped down and spread his arms, bringing them into individual embraces.

”Lord Raven told me of your arrival. Come, we have much to discuss.” Looking to Alice, he flashed a wide smile. ”Little Magi. If you would follow my son and daughter, they will lead you to your room. I have left a few books for you that you may enjoy, about the land and our Gods. Please do rest. As for food, I will have some brought to you.” Alice nodded, not really caring, with the idea of food dominating her thoughts after smelling the lovely smells in the streets.

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Closing the door behind him, Lord Halsl sighed and collapsed onto his seat, his joyful expression showing a tiredness he had hidden in public. From behind, his wife grabbed his shoulders and slowly massaged them, giving him a loving squeeze of the hand.

”Forgive me for not greeting you, Lady Cassia.” Shaking her head and focusing slowly on relieving her husband’s stress, she made herself feel invincible despite standing before them so they could focus on what was important. ”Lord Halls.”

”Lugetus is fine.” Saying this with a wave of his hand, he reached into his desk and pulled out a small, clear-looking gem, popping it into his mouth to suck on. ”I know I shouldn’t indulge myself, but with all the work I must do for the festival, I need soemthing to relieve my stress.”

”I am sure no one here would blame you, my Lord.” Randfol said with a smile and took a seat alongside Elva once offered, ”I never got to ask you, but I heard your son went south.”

Lugetus nodded and frowned, ”Lord Raven said someone must sent qa child south to act on the Kingsguard. Lord Eversigth and Graves would have been better choices, but they can’t spare their children away from their duties. I volunteered, given that I already have two children in adulthood; a third is of no concern.” Sighing, he grabbed his forehead and rubbed it. ”A shame he had to change his name when he did. He tried to use a name from our land, but they struggled to pronounce it, apparently. So he chose Bryan.”

Waving his hand to end the conversation, he leane forward and stared the two in the eyes. ”Lord Raven tells em you are delivering him someone important.” 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

”It’s why I wished to speak to you, my Lord. I need to speak to Lord Raven, to relay some things. The gi- the Magi has said some rather strange and dangerous things on our journey.” Nodding, Legetus replied.

”Lord Raven also asked me to relay soemthing to you. I will permit your conversation, but first. He understands your journey will have been tiring, and any issues that you faced because of it, he will not hold you accountable for what has happened, unless they are irreversible problems.” The two sighed in relief. ”Now he is also sure you will have many questions. He spoke, and I listened. All questions you may have will be answered with this.”

Pausing, Legetus closed his eyes as his face went blank. As he opened his mouth, it was a deep voice lacking the joy he spoke with before, only existing now to relay what he had been told. ”She carries a trace of the Eldest One. Do not pry. Do not question. Do not think meaningless thoughts. Do not take unnecessary action. Only obey.”

The room went silent as a tense air filled it. Taking a shallow breath, Randolf peeked out of his eyes and stared at Elva as he shook in her chair, her hand working its way up to her scar.