The morning in hell was humid, the black clouds covered the sky and thunder could be heard. Lia was still wondering how the weather worked here, did it ever rain?
Ryn had waken Lia up early as they would eat breakfast and then go out to the village, they were not much to see she said but it could be fun.
She had started thinking of Ryn as a friend, conversation was easy for them. they had sat up last night and spoken about terra and hell. Lia had told stories about famous people and tv and anime. Ryn had been fascinated by the fact we had moving pictures on a metal box.
As they sat and ate breakfast, Lia soon realized that being a knight really increased her appetite. She had eaten 4 eggs, or what looked like eggs, they were a bit bigger. And she had also eaten what the called breakfast soup, it was just normal meat soup. They had a lot of protein in their meals, in every meal.
"I'm glad you enjoy our food." Ryn said as she watched Lia eat. "I didn't take you for a foodie." She said with a smirk
Lia got a little shocked, "I didn't know you knew what a foodie is, I thought it was a terra thing" she said as she stuffed her mouth with a piece of bread.
Ryn nodded. "We know what it is. Someone that likes food a lot."
After eating breakfast, they started moving towards the village. The streets were already filled with activity, kids running around. Carts being drawn by the big horses. Many heads were turned as Lia with her white armor passed, they didn't seem panicked. Could be because of the company of Ryn beside her.
The village had stalls, and shops pretty much everywhere on the main street. They sold a bit of everything, book, herbs, food and the smithies even sold weapons and armor her. Lia had been told that the elves that are in the guard, are all required to get their own gear. It was suggested they craft their own even, making everyone skilled in making bows, arrows and even simple leather armor.
Lia stood by a jewelry stall, the craftmanship was incredible, if these things existed on terra they would be worth a fortune. Some even had magic in the, some made the wearer warmer, and some could even give protection.
Ryn seemed to know everyone as many came up to her during their walk through the village, many wondered who the mysterious knight is. Most had never even heard of a human so many got even more confused after hearing it.
"Would you like trying to shoot a bow?" Ryn asked as they walked by an archer range.
Lia thought about her ring that could turn into many weapons. She thought of a bow and the ring flowed like water into the shape of a bow.
But one thing was missing, the string. 'You wont need a string, it works with magic, just take an arrow and try' Erythos said in her mind.
Lia stepped onto the range looking at the marked target, she took a arrow and held it towards her bow, the bow hummed and a string was formed behind the arrow. It felt light, like she could draw this super hard.
She nooked the arrow and pulled back, the string gave no resistance.
And then she let go. With a whistle the arrow disappeared and hit the target, the arrow couldn't even be seen flying in the air. Hit it right in the bullseye but, it went right through the target. Ryn looked at Lia. "I didn't know you were that skilled."
Lia shoch her head. "I didn't either." She did know that her skills came from Erythos, and he did mention when she was given the ring that he had mastered many weapons. This made her curious about what else she could do. She didn't ask Erythos directly, she wanted to find out herself.
By lunch they had returned to the manor, dinner was served and Lia at a lot again. 'never know when the last time you will eat comes, so better eat while I can' she thought as she took another spoon of some soup.
Vaeris had been busy all day planning how to handle the clans, many top ranked elves in his guard had come and gone all day.
Later that afternoon Lia, Ryn and Vaeris sat in their living room, on the table was map over the elven forest. The clans were marked out with different colors.
Vaeris clan was located in the most eastern part, directly to the left of it laid the clan Draz'quar, the clan Lia was going to handle on her own.
The smallest clan that Vaeris would handle laid right below his territory, looking at the map, it made sense why he wanted their territory. Taking them would make Vaeris the sole ruler in the east. That could secure a lot, but it would also make it easier to defend. Not to mention the increase in resources.
"In one week, I will travel to the Sylthraen clan to meet their leader. And hopefully we can do this without spilling blood." he said as he looked at the map on the table. "You should depart a day before we do Lia"
Lia nodded, "Sounds good, how long will it take ride for me?"
"About a day, give or take." Ryn answered.
"Anything else I need to know about them?" She asked, the info was not much but anything could help.
Vaeris thought for a moment. "Their leader, Karvos Draz'guar, is very battle crazy and is obsessed by fire. Ten years ago, he burnt down a forest, just because he was a little mad." So I'm going to need to talk sense into a battle maniac? Sounds like nothing could go wrong at all.
"They have about 300 warriors, and an unknown number of magic users. So think about that." Ryn added. Lia hadn't seen magic being used really yet, when she thought magic she saw fireballs and such. "But are you sure you should go alone?" Ryn said out, she sounded worried.
Lia looked at her with a smile, "Don't worry, I will be alright."
The next day Lia stood out by what was the raining ground of the manor. She was doing some light exercise, The fact that she became a Hell-Knight wouldn't change the fact that she liked to keep moving.
On the grounds also stood some of the guards of the manor, they were shooting arrows and sparring, they tried to hide the fact that they were looking at Lia.
She wanted to come here to try using some other weapons, once she used the bow she wanted to see if you could change into other weapons. It could be good against other opponents, like a big hammer against a big armored guy.
While standing and pondering about how to kill demons, one of the elves approached Lia. "Excuse me Lady knight." The voice was a male, he sounded like one of those arrogant guys you would see in series and movies. Lia looked at the elven male, he didn't seem strong, he was skinny, not much taller than herself.
"Yes?" Lia answered in a soft voice.
The elven male smiled. "My name is Alter" He said with a smirk.
'This guy is about to do something stupid.' She thought as she looked at he smirking Alter.
"Can I challenge you to a duel?" Alter said casually, but the smirk wasn't missed, Lia knew this guy was underestimating her. With the others standing a little before, giggling like little school boys. He was trying to humiliate her.
Lia's heightened senses made her hear steps on the walk above the courtyard, looking up she saw Vaeris. The other hadn't seen him. Vaeris looked own, he most likely had heard the situation. He gave a approving nod to the knight.
'alright old man, I will make Alter realize his mistake.' She thought.
"alright Alter, I accept." She said coldly, a smile forming under her helmet.
He smiled, "Great, Sword and bow?" Lia had gotten to know from Ryn that elves used both swords and bows in duels. as this was their used weapons in normal combat.
Lia and Alter took their positions, there were some spectators, mostly the elves that were with Alter before. they all had smirks on their faces. Lia made her ring into a sword, she was used to it being two swords by now, but the single sword felt good. Alter held his bow, with his sword in his sheath.
"You ready?" Alter asked, as he waved his sword.
Lia nodded. Alter charged with his blade. He would be fast, but because of Lia's senses, he looked really slow. He was wide open, she went into his charge. Her shoulder his ribs and his body looked like it hit a wall. As he was falling she hit his side with a kick, his body flew, tumbling in the sand ground of the courtyard.
He tried to get up once he got to a stop, Lia was already in front of him. She swung her blade downwards on him, he held his sword upward trying to block her strike. Lia stopped her sword right before hitting his, his sword would shatter if she hit it. She grabbed his blade and started lifting it upward, he held on and was lifted from the ground. He now stood up, Lia let go of his sword. "Go again" she said coldly, her golden eyes lit through the helmets eyeholes.
He swallowed hard, he didn't think she would put on much of a fight.
'These elves are really stubborn, all of them' she thought as Alter dropped his sword. "I yield" he said quietly.
This surprised Lia, she thought he would continue even after that. "Good thinking." She said as she patted her shoulder. "Don't underestimate someone because of their race."
His eyes widened, she had seen right through him.
Alter's face turned red as a few of the guards chuckled quietly among themselves. He glared at them for a second, then bowed stiffly toward Lia. "Understood… Lady Knight," he said through clenched teeth.
Lia sheathed her sword and turned away from him, the ring shimmering faintly before returning to its dormant state on her finger. "Good duel," she said over her shoulder, though her tone made it clear she didn't mean it as praise.
Up on the balcony, Vaeris crossed his arms, watching silently. There was a faint smirk on his face, half pride, half amusement. As Lia glanced up, he gave her a small nod before disappearing back inside the manor.
Ryn appeared moments later, walking quickly across the courtyard, her cloak fluttering behind her. "You really had to humiliate him in front of everyone?" she asked, but her tone was more teasing than scolding.
Lia grinned. "He challenged me, not the other way around. If he didn't want to get knocked into the dirt, he shouldn't have picked a fight."
Ryn looked at Alter once more before joining Lia as she walked back into the manor. "Are you joining Vaeris to the clan?" Lia asked Ryn
She shock her head. "No, I'm staying here to take care of some things. I wanted to join you, but father seems decided that you do it alone."
'Good to know that Vaeris seems to trusts me' Lia thought.
Inside the mansions dinner hall dinner had been prepared, Lia and Ryn sat down and ate. This time it was some sort of pie, it tasted like pumpkin pie but there was meat in. Vaeris joined them soon after. "Do you need anything for your journey in 3 days Lia?" he asked as he sat down.
She didn't really need anything, just her horse. 'Do we want anything?' she asked Erythos.
She got the feeling he was scratching his chin as he thought about it. 'Not really, you already have potions and gold. Not like you need food either' Lia shook her head to Vaeris.
"You should rest for the rest of the days until you get started on your journey, wouldn't want you traveling alone and getting surprised by anything. Must be on your guard." Vaeris knew she could very well handle herself, but he was right. Can't underestimate everyone.
The days passed slowly, Lia had been walking around the village a lot. Learning things about the elves, Erythos said this could help her in the future. And it was interesting. They had very similar rules and general accepts of life that mirrored life on terra. They went to work and school, Laws and rules were enforced, they had a economy. Lia was curious about if they constant hell weather was bothering them. But the short answer was no, they were after all born with it.
Three days later, as Lia stood by her horse, ready to depart.
Ryn and Vaeris stood close by. Lia was happy about going out again, the village life had made her lazy, being served food everyday and even gotten dressed some days. She wasn't that kind of person, she felt awkward when someone did things for her.
She and Ryn had gotten closer these days, they had walked a lot around the village, spoken more about life before coming to Hell.
Lia had wanted to get to know more about Ryn's mother, she wore her ring every day. But she chose to wait until she tells it herself. There were paintings of what she assumed to be her mother but didn't ask.
"I should head out." Lia said as she looked away from her horse to Ryn and Vaeris. The weather was hot today, the wind only blew hot air.
Vaeris nodded. "Safe travels to you Knight Lia, Ryn will stay here. she will meet you once you return." He said as he held his hand on Lia's shoulder. "And be careful." He said with a smile.
Ryn looked nervous, maybe even scared. "Don't take too long, it will get boring once you and father are both gone."
Lia smiled. "I will return as fast as I can. I promise." She said while looking into Ryn's eyes.
Ryn held her gaze for a moment longer, then nodded. "You better," she said softly, though the playful smirk she tried to give couldn't quite mask the worry in her eyes.
Lia pulled herself up onto her red horse, the armor plates clinking faintly as she settled into the saddle. The air shimmered faintly with heat, carrying the scent of sulfur and ash from the distant plains. She took one last look at the manor, the banners of Vaeris' clan fluttering gently in the heated wind, and then at Ryn, standing beside her father.
With a sharp tug of the reins, Lia turned the horse toward the forest path. "See you soon," she said, her voice calm but firm.
Vaeris raised his hand in farewell, his expression unreadable. "Ride swift," he said in his deep, commanding tone. "And if you find trouble, make sure it regrets finding you first."
Lia grinned beneath her helmet. "Wouldn't dream of doing otherwise."
She rode through the village, the hoofs of the horse making a steady galloping sound against the packed dirt road. The Elves of the village looked at her as she passed. The sight of a white knight riding through on a big red horse must have been a sight.
As she left the gates of the village behind, she looked out over the forest of the elven territory. Dense, with trees bigger than skyscrapers. The road to the Draz'quar clan laid out in front of her.
The first hours of travel passed quietly. The forest seemed alive in ways she hadn't noticed before, whispers on the wind, distant roars that sounded both beastly and human, and the occasional shimmer of eyes between trees. The deeper she rode, the darker the light became, the crimson glow of the false sun fading behind the canopy of hellish leaves.
'You're being watched' Erythos said in her mind, she had noticed too.
The didn't do anything other than watching right now, but a scout team of 5 was a bit excessive she thought.
She rode along the path, stopping to let her horse rest a couple of time. She only stopped once night had come. The darkness of the forest was no joke, she didn't have problems with the dark, but her horse was visibly stressed from it.
She stopped by a big tree, her horse tied. She poured him some water while listening to her surroundings. The scouts were above her on branches.
They all had their knifes out.
She was tempted to talk to them, but maybe they would actually just leave her alone.
Lia laid down with her back against the trunk of the tree, a little fireplace lit up the surroundings. Her horse now asleep.
'Lets pretend to sleep for a bit and see what happens' she thought, she leaned back more. Taking a position as she was sleeping against the tree and waited.
And just like she thought they started moving after about an hour. They slowly climbed down from their trees, one after one they made their wat towards the sleeping knight. She looked at them through her helmet as they approached. They moved with perfect silence, not a single noise.
One of them were now dangerously close, the elven male held his knife. He started positioning it against her throat. 'Interesting she said as she felt the blade against her throat, but I think this is enough'
Her arm shot out towards the Elve that had his knife against her, she grabbed his face with a single hand and put force on it. the elf started waving his arms and legs as he was lifted of the ground as Lia stood up. Then a crack and his body went limp. Her fingers imbedded into his skull, blood seeping out, staining her gauntlet. She threw the body to the side, it hit the ground with a thud.
"Did you really think I wouldn't notice you all this way?" Lia said like she was annoyed, "A pathetic display of scouting." That seemed to have angered the elves. They hissed and took out their swords.
She looked on as the elves tried looking intimidating. 'Lets try something new' her ring started flowing, the liquid looking state formed into a giant battle axe. It was twice as tall as Lia. "come at me then." She said with a smirk against them.
They didn't hesitate, they all charged. Lia looked onto the closet elf. She swung her axe in a wade arch, the axe connected by the stomach of the elf and split him in half. The two body parts both hit the ground, organs spilling out onto the dirt road. Some of the elves watch in horror as other got more enraged.
Lia spined around and while spinning her axe formed into a bow again. one of the elves had shot an arrow at her during her spin, she saw it and grabbed it in midair and pulled it into her bow. A magical string appeared behind the arrow, she pulled the string and let go. The arrow made a whoosh sound, and soon it hit the sender right in the head, the arrow passed right though. The body fell limp.
Another lunged at her, her bow became a spear. She held it towards the jumping elf who got panic in his eyes as he fell towards the spear. The spear impaled his chest, he screamed out as Lia pointed the spear upward making the elf slide down the tall spear even more.
A elf had gotten behind her and hit her back with a sword, the hit didn't do anything as Lia took the hit like a immovable wall. The elf stood in silence, she looked up at her elf friend who was impaled by the spear in the air.
Lia's golden eyes stared into the soul of the poor elf, the elf's eyes started to tear. He knees buckled. There were still one more elf apart from this one, he was hiding behind a tree. She pulled her spear still with the other elf impaled on it, she aimed it and threw it. the ground kicked up dirt as it flew.
The spear hit the tree and went right trough it, the bang echoed in the deep dense forest. As the spear stopped in another tree she now saw two elves impaled on the spear. She touched it and the spear became her ring again. the bodies fell to the ground.
She turned back to the kneeling elf.
The elf had peed her pants, and looked like she had seen death itself. 'In her eyes I'm not far from it' she thought as she stood over the elf. The shadow casted from the fireplace enveloped the elf.
"What do I do with you then?" she said coldly. The voice made the elf flinch.
The elf opened her mouth but no voice came, she started sobbing, gasping for air. "You attacked me, and now that you lost, you lose that bravery. Pathetic." She looked at the elf, "You will come with me to your clan."