Year 91

  *Kimmy holds her now much rounder stomach, resting on some pillow as they cross a shallow river. One of the wheels breaks, and Kimmy jostles around, and Emma catches her from hurting herself.*

  Emma: Damnit, Haze! What’re you doing out there?!

  Haze: Don’t yell at me. That wheel finally gave way.

  Kimmy: You can go, Mom. I’ll be fine.

  *Emma hops out into the mud and looks down, irritated at the mess. Arthur pokes his head out, laughing.*

  Arthur: That looks fun! Can I join Auntie?

  Emma: Elizabeth, please keep Arthur from playing in the mud.

  Arthur: Aww.

  *Emma walks over to the wheel and notices the axle has snapped over a sharp rock.*

  Griffin: Go back inside.

  Emma: I’m already covered in mud; I need to wash off before anything.

  *Keya walks around from the other side of the cart, using her magic to stand on the mud, her eyes open wide with fear as she points out that a massive wave of water washes toward them. The others turn their heads to look as the wave rapidly approaches. Haze leaps inside and grabs Kimmy; they barely manage to get out of the cart and escape from the tidal waves' path. Emma watches as the cart is torn to splinters from the wave crashing through. She turns back to see that everyone is safe.*

  Kimmy: What’re we gonna do now? The nearest known settlement is a month out, and we don’t have any food.

  Haze: Your mother is an amazing hunter, and I’m sure we can figure something out. Right?

  *Haze looks to Emma, who stands in silence. She sighs before turning toward the forest.*

  Griffin: Where are you going?

  Emma: I’m hangry, I’m gonna go find something to take my frustration out on.

  *As Emma hunts around, she finds a small bear-like creature. She stalks it until it turns around to reveal the face of Bubba, her father's spirit. As she approaches, she blinks, and he disappears.*

  Emma: Bubba! Come back…

  Lily: What are you talking about?

  Emma: I saw Dad’s Bubba. He was right here.

  *Lily hops down and sniffs the ground where Emma claims Bubba stood.*

  Lily: I smell something, but nothing familiar.

  Emma: *Rubs head* Maybe I’m hungrier than I thought.

  Lily: You’ve been cutting back to help Kimmy not feel guilty.

  Emma: Because there is nothing dangerous around, because of the damn mists.

  *Emma throws her arms up in frustration, turning back the way she came from. She freezes, and Lily starts to follow her, bumping into Emma and noticing a door in the center of the overgrown road.*

  Lily: Do we open it?

  Emma: No.

  *Emma’s soulsight makes the door appear as a smoky black silhouette. They decide to turn around and stop to see another door.*

  Lily: I don’t like this.

  *They walk past the door, Emma watches it until they pass it.*

  Lily: What?

  *Emma looks, and another door awaits them at the edge of the path. Whispers from the forest around them start quietly, but get louder as they stare at the doors.*

  Emma: I don’t like this. I can’t sense past the doors, and it’s almost as though we’re trapped in a loop.

  *As they continue the loop, the whispers get louder with each door they pass. Until they realize the words are not in Common.*

  Emma: It sounds like a mix of elven and something else.

  Lily: What if it is the seers?!

  Emma: That’s what I’m wondering. *Sigh* I don’t think we have a choice. Something is pushing us toward this door, and it won't let go.

  Voice: Just go with it.

  Emma: Okay then.

  *Emma reaches out to the door, and the whispers die down, going silent as the door opens. The other side sits.*

  Emma: There’s nothing on the other side.

  *Emma closes the door and walks to the otherside, opening it again, and once again, nothing different rests through the entrance. Using her soulsight, the center of the door is a white void. Emma walks in as though in a trance. Lily watches her in confusion as she follows her. Upon crossing through the entryway, a bright light shines, blinding the two. Emma raises her arms to block the light to realize it’s the sun.*

  Lily: Where did the forest go?

  *Emma looks around at the fields around them. She spins around and notices a stone road in the distance, magical lights float above it, dimmed by the sun. They approach the road, looking left and right.*

  Emma: Well, left or right?

  *Lily looks from Emma’s shoulder. When they hear someone yelling in the distance, approaching the voice, they spy a human male fighting a black dog-like beast made up of smoke. The man wears clothes not too dissimilar to what Emma is used to, but the detail work becomes an interest to her*

  This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

  Human: *Elvish* Fireball!

  *A ball of fire forms in front of the human's hands as he closes them; the ball flies into one of the beasts. Another pack in the distance can be seen running, alerting Emma to their presence as they howl. Emma clenches her fist in anger before running to his aid. She throws her blades into the last of the ones engaged with the human, and it vanishes. But as she swipes at them, she notices her blades cut through the beasts, but do not damage them. The human speaks in an unfamiliar language, confusing Emma. His eyes widen as he notices Emma’s ears.*

  Human: *Elvish* Spells!

  *Emma enhances her blades with Ice and wind, making quick work of the beasts. The one that howled before watches from a distance, it growls and fades into the ground. The human runs over to Emma, and he looks to be a young adult as he speaks this unknown language.*

  Emma: I can’t understand you.

  Human: You. Speak. Olde?

  *The human urges Emma to follow him with hand gestures. She hesitates but decides to follow him since his soul seems safe. She follows at a distance, reaching the road, a strange metal carriage awaits them. He turns at the door with his hand extended.*

  Lily: I mean, we’ve followed him this far. And he doesn’t seem too bright.

  Emma: Yeah, but he’s still a human.

  *The man sighs before reaching in and grabbing a grimoire, the text across it is in elven and says, Basic spellcasting. The pages are filled with notes written in another language. The man reaches out and pulls the book back. Emma glares before climbing into the cart. He calls out as if speaking to a driver, and the cart begins to move. Emma looks to the front andraises her eyebrow. The Human laughs and begins attempting to speak to Emma. *

  *Reaching the city, its walls reach toward the heavens, blocking any chance of entrance except through the gateways. Four paths lead with stone paths lead out in the cardinal directions. They pass the first wall, and the cart stops. Before stepping out of the cart, the human hands Emma a cloak to cover her face and ears. He leads them inside a building, which Emma presumes is an adventurer’s guild, but the crest is made up of arrows and a sword in the center. The man leads them to the counter before whispering to the receptionist, a female, who squints her eyes at Emma and gestures toward her ears. *

  Emma: *Quietly* Can someone just speak common?

  *The receptionist steps away before returning with a thin, scrawny-looking man tall enough for the need to bend through the hallways. They follow him to a room where a young girl awaits with a book in her arms; she holds it tightly to her chest. She struggles to contain herself as everyone sits down.*

  Girl:*Elvish* Elf?!

  *Emma rolls her eyes and lowers the hood. The girl temporarily faints before mumbling as she inspects Emma from head to toe.*

  Lily: Should I scare her? *snickers*

  Emma: No, *Watches the girl.* She seems harmless. I don’t really feel that much magic in the air. I’d rather you stay hidden in case.

  *The girl steps back while Emma speaks and looks at her with a confused grin. She leaps into the air with what appears to be joy and goes back to measuring.*

  Lily: What if they’re gonna cook you!

  *Emma laughs, and after a moment, the Tall man speaks.*

  Tall: Name. Jean.

  Emma: Emma.

  *Emma notices a book before Jean, which shows a very rough translation from Elvish to this new foreign language. She picks it up and begins reading through it. After a moment, she raises her hand to grab the room's attention before flipping through a few pages.*

  Emma: Where? Present. Location.

  *Jean pulls out a map, and the girl tugs on Emma’s sleeve to grab her attention. She points to herself as she speaks.*

  Mirlande: Mirlande. *points to the man.* Gregory.

  *Jean slams his finger down and taps on a map of a foreign landmass. He points to a small circle with the letter S written over it. She follows the lines, each leading to another circle, one for N, E, and W. Beyond the four circles, the lines lead to 20 other much larger circles, spreading out in a diamond shape. Each of the larger circles contains a character.*

  Jean: South.

  *Jean and Gregory’s conversation seems to heat up before Jean appears defeated.*

  Lily: Do you think this is all a spell, or do you think we were transported somewhere? Because the Ley lines here feel. Different.

  *Gregory leaves the room, Jean offers the translation book to Emma again, she reads through the book for hours, until a knock at the door and Gregory’s voice calls out. He brings in an elderly looking elf. His wrinkles bear signs of aging. His eyes are an orangish hazel color.*

  Elf: I was unaware of any younger elves. My name is Estaban. Whose child are you?

  *Jean makes a comment before laughing.*

  Estaban: Are you here to replace me?

  Emma: *Arms crossed* Honestly, I’m kind of getting pissed. I’m not sure what’s going on, and I’d like to get back to my family. As for my parents and replacing you. I don’t even know how I got to Valoria. So is this all an illusion or what?

  *Gregory yawns, and the humans discuss for a moment.*

  Estaban: Valoria? Oh, you’re from Valorie?

  *Before Emma can respond, her head nods, as if on impulse.*

  Estaban: Well, you’re far from home. I can get a taxi for you in the morning. You probably won’t be able to leave the South until tomorrow night, though.

  Lily: Why did you say yes?

  Emma(TL): It was an impulse.

  *The next day, a squadron of soldiers rides atop Tall bird like creatures, their feathers range in different shades of red, and their long legs are covered in thick armor. The all-male squadron rides proudly in the direction Emma arrived.*

  Estaban: Looks like we’ll have company today. I’m sorry, but we’ll have to postpone your departure. Unless, of course, it’s one of your parents.

  Lily: Well, after last night, what all did you find out from the Ancient One?

  *Emma sips from a cup as she remembers.*

  Emma(TL): Well, I’ve figured out they’re just elves. Spirits don’t exist here, and for some reason, they need to speak for their spells to work. Stronger elven mages can cast with whispers. So I might need to learn them to avoid getting into trouble.

  Lily: Yeah, I think it’s the lack of spirits, but it seems the spirit energy here is probably how you’d describe your mind space. I’m just wading through it when I’m out and about.

  Emma(TL): Their Demons are creatures capable of magic without speech. I never found out his age. Once he fell asleep, I studied the language enough that I should be able to come off as confused and dumb for now.

  Lily: Fitting *Laughs*

  *Emma rolls her eyes as a female elf approaches the door. A butler enters the room and calls for Emma to come to Estaban’s study. In his study reside countless books, all in a mix of human and elven. Emma stands, awaiting as the Lady enters, on her outfit is a rune with a small nimble bird, its eyes are white gemstones, matching the elf’s eyes.*

  ?Estaban: Valoria! That makes sense with your daughter being here.

  Valoria: Daughter? There isn’t a male of any race I’d lie with. Whom are you talking about?

  *Valoria looks to Emma, and she scratches her head.*

  Valoria: Yeah, I haven’t the faintest clue who this is. *Sits next to Emma.* Are you full or half-blooded?

  Emma: I’m confused.

  Estaban: She arrived yesterday and seems very lost and confused. But she said she came from Valorie. So we were going to get her going your way tonight.

  Emma: My parents were like me.

  Valoria: Is it possible she’s an escaped slave?

  *Valoria’s soul flickers between different shades of grey as she speaks.*

  Estaban: I never looked for a mark.

  Valoria: I apologize. I just realized I never gave you my name. I’m Valoria of the Valor’s.

  Emma: I’m Emma.

  Valoria: Do you have any slave marks on you? I ask because your sleeves cover your wrists.

  *Valoria points at her own wrist, and Emma pauses before showing her wrist. The band in full view, Valoria gasps before hugging Emma tightly.*

  Valoria: You’re still so young. At least they didn’t tag you. Your ears are still intact. But what are these colored spots on the bracelet? They're normally just black, aren’t they?