Chapter 2: Odd Companion

A voice in her head, the head of an Elf.

Mental magic should have been impossible, yet the reality before Naya proved otherwise.

--Quickly, Nayalisia, you must take that orb.--

Naya's ears twitched, and her brows furrowed, "Don't call me that!"

Still, she turned her head back to the black orb floating silently over the witch's body.

The voice chuckled. --Whatever, just grab that orb!--

A strange feeling rose in Naya; she felt she had to listen, a feeling she only ever felt when her mother asked something of her. An authority she shouldn't disobey, and yet she pushed that feeling down. I will not be commanded.

--AH, you dumb Elf, you're really gonna make me explain things here?!--

The voice sounded exasperated, and Naya responded with a simple nod.

--Tsk. Your mother would never--

"Did Mother do this?!" Naya shouted; anxiety filled her heart along with elation. [Mother!]

--Not telling! No time, listen, that orb is the essence of the devil the witch contracted with.--

Naya ignored the voice; she was too ecstatic. She didn't think she could be happier after killing the witch, but now that her mother may have sent something to her, her mood has only improved. [Only Mom would be able to shatter my expectations.]

Naya shook her head and tried to temper her expectations, but it was difficult since she genuinely didn't believe anybody other than another Elf could do this, and even further because she knew the power her mother held.

--Are you listening?--

That broke Naya from her thoughts, and she recalled what the voice said. She didn't know anything about witches and devils other than the basics of how they formed contracts. The Dwarven witch she killed was a sneak attack, and she had zero interest in investigating the corpse. Even if she saw an orb then, she wouldn't have cared how it worked.

She took in the floating orb again, "So? I don't want that disgusting thing." Even if the voice was something from her mother, she detested devils just as much as the witches that used them.

--It's not for you, it's for me! Quickly, take it; it's part of Nayarali's plan!--

Naya's eyes widened, "Mother's plan?"

The voice didn't explain. Yes.

Naya wondered if her mother wanted to do something with the devils, what kind of research she might be up to now; perhaps it was to better understand the devil contracts. She'd trust the voice for now; knowing her and her mother's full name was enough alone to verify she knew her mother.

"Then I will take it. What do I do?"

The voice laughed again, and Naya was annoyed at its mocking tone. Perhaps she shouldn't listen to it, "What's funny?"

--How much you idolize Nayarali.--

"I don't-"

--It's okay; just grab the orb! Quickly now!--

Naya was still displeased, but she heard the impatience in the voice, so she ignored it and walked over to the orb.

--Good, just touching it should be enough.--

Naya hesitantly reached her hand out at the orb; disgust filled her mind, and her face twisted at having to touch the vile thing. She took a deep breath. [For mother...]

The purple lines on her body had already started to shrink back toward her fingers.

Her hand made contact with the orb. It felt like she was pushing her hand through a small stream of mud; it made her shiver in disgust. She would have to thoroughly wash when she got back.

--This is perfect.--

A blinding purple light instantly burst forth from the orb; it forced Naya to shut her eyes tightly, yank her hand back, and jump away from the corpse.

When she opened them again, the orb was gone, not a trace of it ever being there in the room. The witch's body was untouched, and the room looked completely normal.

"What did you do?"

--Stored it safely.--

An uncomfortable thought struck Naya, "Is it...in my core?" she reluctantly asked. She didn't want to know the answer.

--Correct! Don't worry; it won't do anything here. Although, it's a shame you didn't collect the one from that Dwarf a while back.--

Naya's eyes widened, "Since then? Why didn't you say anything until now?"

--Because I was tired!-- The voice spoke nonchalantly, obviously not intending to give Naya more information.

Again, Naya was annoyed, but she forced it down. [For mother...] she tells herself once again.

--We should go now; I'm also curious why the human lied to you.--

Naya ignored that the voice was active for that long without saying anything but realized that the voice somehow knew she killed a dwarf witch earlier in the year. [Access to my memories?]

--Correct again! You're smart!--

A shiver ran up Naya's spine, "Y-you have access to my memories and my thoughts?!"

Naya's heart sank. That meant the only reason the voice knew Naya and her Mother's full names was because she saw her memories. Perhaps she was too blindly trusting. She couldn't help it. Crumbs from her home, from her mother, made her too careless.

--Your doubt is healthy... I'm unsure what the process was, but remember, Elves are immune to mental magic, so I couldn't just force myself in here.--

The voice was correct. If something did try to break her into her mind, it would fail. However, there was a week-long void in her memories; maybe there was some way around it. But Naya found that hard to believe; even the strongest Elf couldn't manipulate another Elf's mind. Maybe with one of her mother's complicated artifacts...

[That's... true]. Only her mother would be able to put her there, and that was a belief unshaken. Her mother made a lot of weird devices, some with fairly niche purposes. It wouldn't be surprising for her to have made an artifact that allowed Lia into her mind. As expected of Mother... And, worst case scenario, Naya was aware now, and she knew the voice wouldn't be able to do anything malicious.

--Nayalisia, I am a part of you now, for better or worse.--

The voice sounded saddened by the last part, so Naya dropped it. She would remember, though, and find out eventually.

The voice lightly chuckled. --We'll get to it eventually. I promise you that, Nayalisia. For now, have patience.--

"I'm Naya."

--Bleh, you will always be Nayalisia, no matter what the Tribunal says.--

Naya didn't respond, and her mind drifted. Frozen in silence, the voice's mention of the Tribunal caused thoughts of her far away home to fill her mind. She missed her mother and her doting, her few friends, and their nightly gatherings. [How long will this take me?]

--Don't worry; you will be back eventually. In the meantime, you have a human to question, right?--

Naya shook the thoughts away, something she had grown used to having to do when anything reminded her of her home.

--Best not worry; for now, you should focus on the human!--

Naya nodded, her thoughts returned to the older male in the village. After killing the witch, she had forgotten about him; at least she got what she came for. However, the strange voice's words were correct; she should find out why he lied, lest he thinks lying to her was acceptable.

--You're...--

"Hm?"

--...Arrogant as hell.--

...

"I'm not." She thought for a second and concluded that it was only natural. She nodded her head, "I will go back."

--That's a good choice!--

The voice sounded excited, which reminded Naya, "Your-"

--Call me Lia.--

It creeped Naya out that the voice, Lia, could hear her thoughts. It meant nothing would be hidden. Even if it was from her mother, it was hard to accept.

--Well, I'm sure it'll be okay, we'll be good friends!--

"Friends..." That word isn't one Naya has heard in over a year since they, too, abandoned her.

--You have to understand--

"I know." Naya couldn't profess her innocence then; she didn't even remember anything. Even still, she couldn't help feeling betrayed when everyone she was close to looked at her with those scornful eyes.

Lie sighed but didn't say anything.

Naya started to walk to the door and took one last glance at the human witch before opening the door and leaving. [If Aleria grants you mercy, live an honest life next time.]

Lia suddenly laughed. --That human belongs to the devils now, same with all witches, eventually.--

That intrigued Naya but made her angry, "They interfere with Aleria's cycle."

--Well, let's leave it at that... You got company.--

Naya picked it up a moment later, the sound of footsteps hitting the dirt. Luckily, she still had a little Arcana left to make minor attacks and boost her senses. [Having someone else will be helpful.]

--We'll be an amazing team!--

Naya nodded, then opened the door.

The outside scenery once again brought nostalgia and a sense of peace, only to be ruined by interlopers again, filling her with no minor annoyance. [Humans...]

A group of humans stood atop the beautiful flowers, and that was the first thing Naya noticed before turning her gaze upward.

--And a Dwarf.--

The group was formed with a human with his back turned, speaking with three people standing behind him; the Dwarf was small and hidden behind the human. Naya wondered how Lia knew he was there.

Lia giggled. --I share your senses, so anything you see, I see. You just didn't notice.--

The three people's mouths were agape and their eyes wide when they saw Naya exit the house, which prompted the leader to turn around. Then his mouth went wide, and his eyes.

"Brother, is that-" the woman started.

"Elf..." He whispered.

"The rumors were true?" The old Dwarf asked.

The last human said nothing and had a hood pulled over, preventing Naya from making out any features.

--Ha! You're famous!--

"Talking like I am not present, typical." Naya looked angered, speaking to Lia.

--You said that out loud. Remember, I can read your thoughts!--

Naya's ears twitched.

--Your embarrassment is adorable!--

"Forgive my companions, Madam Elf." The human man at the front bowed, which brought satisfaction to Naya.

--You really are...-- Lia left the last part unsaid, but Naya knew what it was, though she ignored it.

The bowed man had short blonde hair and blue eyes; he wore a rugged black leather outfit with metal studs around it. At his waist was a sword, so it could be assumed he had some ability. Naya couldn't tell how effective his armor would be. I could easily pierce it.

Two of the people behind the man also bowed; one was a woman with similar blonde hair and blue eyes, likely a sibling to the man. Naya preferred her aesthetic over the man, a refined, gentle grace. It reminded her of Elven noble daughters. The girl wore black tight leather pants and a simple white cloth tunic with a black vest over it; it gave Naya the impression she was a mage. [Practical.]

The Dwarf bowed, and Naya looked down to see his bald head and red beard that reached his waist. The color paused Naya until she remembered that witches can only be female. The Dwarf had a large silver hammer strapped to his back and wore a thick brown apron over a dirty white shirt and thick brown pants. He gave the impression of a worker. [Some sort of laborer?]

--You really have no understanding of life outside of Aleria.--

[Shut up.]

The third person didn't make any movements, but Naya could feel the stare, which made her even more displeased. She didn't enjoy being stared at, especially after what happened in Aleria.

It showed on her face because the human man looked up, then turned toward the hooded person and back to Naya; his annoyance flashed through his face, "Madam Elf, please forgive Alyssa; she doesn't yet understand."

Lia laughed. --This man is really sucking up to you; I had forgotten what meeting an Elf means to the other races.--

Naya almost responded, but the embarrassment from earlier made her ignore it.

The group made no movements as they all stopped bowing, seemingly waiting for Naya to say something. They eyed her expectantly.

Naya slightly shook her head, "It's fine."

The man released a breath, "Thank you, Madam Elf." He straightened his back, perhaps trying to show off to her, "Allow me to introduce oursel-"

"Not necessary." Naya interrupted. [Why would I care about them?]

A snicker came from the hooded girl, Alyssa, and the man angrily snapped his head back.

Lia laughed again. --Naya, you silly Elf, you need to let them speak! I have a good feeling about this encounter!--

Naya inwardly groaned, "I..." she gulped, "...apologize... I misspoke." The words tasted sour.

--Way better!--

The man snapped his head back and smiled, "Forgive my presumptuousness, Madam." He cleared his throat, "What I meant was it would be our honor to introduce ourselves to you."

He paused, likely waiting for Naya to say something.

She didn't, so he continued, "Allow me to start." In an odd gesture, he brought his hand to his chest, "My name is Matthew Hale, 2nd son of Lord Hale, ruler of Albion."

Naya had no idea what that meant.

The man, Matthew, looked disappointed as his hands dropped to his side. "Go on, Lyra."

Lyra stepped forward and delivered a graceful bow, one that pleased Naya, "And I am Lyra Hale, only daughter to Lord Hale."

Naya much preferred hearing her speak; she liked the gentle voice. It again reminded her of the noble daughters she met in Aleria. [Ah, so these two are the human version of nobility?]

--Nobility isn't just an Elven concept, you know. Every race has nobles, though they may call them differently.--

Naya nodded; she figured the other races must have taken the concept from the Elves.

--I don't think...you know what, never mind.--

Lyra smiled after seeing Naya nod, then stepped back into the group.

--That man, Matthew, seemed displeased.--

Naya saw the odd look in Matthew's eyes when Lyra smiled at her, but she couldn't understand it at all. [Why?]

--How would I know?-- Lia snickered.

So she did know, Naya figured but just didn't want to tell her. Naya waited for Lia to pick up her thoughts and respond, but she didn't.

The next one to step forward was the Dwarf. He looked directly into Naya's eyes, and this stare was perhaps the most uncomfortable for her. It was one uncaring as if he wasn't seeing Naya, and she didn't even register in his mind.

Naya expected it to annoy her, but it didn't. In fact, it only intrigued her. Weird...

--He's the only one you've ever met who didn't have some sort of respect or admiration for you or your station. Well, he is a Dwarf; they typically don't care about anything. They're my favorite!--

"Hello, Elf, my name is Thrain Deepstone, the greatest smith in Rella."

[Hale, Deepstone, Albion, Rella... I don't know of of these.]

Surnames and land names... You really weren't taught anything in Aleria. The country we're in right now is Rella, and Albion is likely a province.

[Elves don't use these so-called surnames.]

--Well, you'll get used to it.--

The Dwarf, Thrain, stepped back into line without saying anything else. His decree as being the greatest smith might have meant something if Naya had any idea what that entailed.

"Alyssa, introduce yourself - now," Matthew ordered after seeing that Alyssa showed no signs of stepping forward.

Naya heard her click her tongue silently.

But Alyssa still stepped forward, and Matthew ordered, "Pull the hood off, do not be disrespectful to Madam Elf."

Being referred to as Madam Elf by the man started to grate her, but Naya didn't want to give out her name.

Alyssa reluctantly brought her hand to her hood and slowly pulled it back.

Naya was taken aback for a moment. [Wolf?] She almost reflexively pulled on the Arcana in her core. [What is this?]

--Calm down; she's a beastkin.--

Alyssa had fiery red hair reaching down to her waist, along with fierce, bright red eyes and a pair of fluffy ears atop her head. Her face was twisted into a scowl, and she glared at Naya.

"You mutt."

Had Naya not been enhanced with Arcana, she wouldn't have picked up Matthews's purposefully low whisper. That told her her position in the group.

Naya was again intrigued, she had never heard of beastkin before, and the one before her now seemed perfectly intelligent. That, and Alyssa evidently didn't care for Naya's heritage.

--I actually just don't think she realizes what it means to see you here.--

She doesn't know what an Elf is?

--Or perhaps she has a lot more problems to deal with. Doesn't seem to be on good terms with the rest of them.--

[I noticed.]

Even Lyra appeared to disregard Alyssa; she didn't glance her way even once during the discourse.

Alyssa stepped back, and Matthew glared at her before standing at the front of his group again.

"I hope you forgive her rudeness. I'll be sure to... educate Alyssa later."

"It's not a concern."

Matthew said nothing else, again waiting for Naya to say more. Yet silence reigned in the clearing for an awkward amount of time.

--Ask them what they're doing here; gods, you have no social awareness.--

Naya's ears twitched, "What are you doing here?"

Matthew's face instantly lit up, "Madam Elf-"

"I would rather she tell me." Naya motioned toward Lyra, to which she appeared shocked.

He was stunned, "But..." Matthew looked at Naya's unamused eyes and defeatedly sighed, "...If you wish, Madam Elf. Go on... Lyra."

He stepped back, and his face appeared as if he was trying to control his anger, twisted into a deep frown with his eyebrows furrowed as he looked down, evidently trying to hide it from Naya.

Lyra stepped up, excitedly smiling, "Thank you, brother." She must have picked up on Naya's appreciation for class because she tried to keep her tone level, "I'd be happy to, Miss."

--This is indeed much better, but she is just as annoying.--

[I like the sound of her voice.]

--Well, you'll see.-- Lia spoke cryptically, and Naya had no idea what that meant.

Lyra gently cleared her throat, "We're here to hunt a witch."