Chapter 30 : Capital City

CAPITAL ALLUNA

They reappeared in a flash. Everything around them was blanketed in thick ice and patches of snow. The area nearby was relatively deserted, but the massive crowds and activity of the Capital was very loud even at the modest distance. Even the quarter mile out they could hear the sounds of community markets and the grind of wagons.

Oz dropped to her knees from the drain of warping. She had done magic before but this was beyond her usual levels, her skin felt tight, her body oddly empty. She turned her head to dry heave into the snow, stomach rolling but nothing came out.

Her clothes, soaked from the snow, clung to her. Nahern dropped his hood and scarf, his face pale and breathing ragged. Despite his best efforts it was obvious how badly the cold had affected him. He stumbled, eyes glazed over from the warping.

Others were wobbling as well, but everything teleported with them. 

One moment they were out in the Ice Flats, the next moment they were standing on the edge of the snowy fields.

Nahern held his head as he turned toward the nearest snowy mountain and looked down. Below was the Capital City, Alluna. It was a sight from this height, but there was no doubt that was where they were.

Before anyone could even react, Oz jumped back to her wobbling feet. Like a newborn fawn, she half ran/half stumbled forward. The soaked cloak flying out around her like wings ready to take flight.

Nahern yelled after her, but it was too late. She was gone before he could even react.

"Saint, come back!" He yelled, already running after her. 

Oz skidded to a stop near the edge of the hill, her breath coming in ragged gasps. Her heart pounded in her ears as she tried to calm down, the rush of mana still coursing through her veins.

Her eyes seemed to pulse as she stared out at the city below. All at once, she was overwhelmed.

Her hands flew upward, heels of her palms digging into the painful information dump.

Source was trying to show her everything at once: foraging spots, places of interest, even the location of every person in the city.

She had to squeeze her eyes shut to stop the wash of information. She placed a hand over her scarred eye, casting it into darkness.

"You stupid human," Nahern gasped as he ran up behind her, dragging her from the edge and right back into his arms.

"You are going to be the death of me!" he gasped, the pair of them tumbling back into the snow.

Oz laughed, even as she caught her breath. "I'm fine," she said, pulling away from him. "I just needed a moment to…to process everything."

Nahern shook his head. "You're going to get us both killed," he said between gasps. "You can't just go running off like that."

Oz rolled her eyes. "I wasn't running off," she said. "I was just…I had to move..."

Nahern snorted. "You were about to fall off a cliff!"

"I wasn't going to fall," Oz glared back at him. "I had it under control. I just needed to see where I was."

Nahern just shook his head again. "You're impossible," he said. "Come on, let's get back to the others first."

This time he grabbed her hand, interlocking their fingers in a tight grip.

Oz flushed at the feeling, she buried her face back into her cowl as they walked back. She wasn't a child! She could take care of herself.

Her eyes darted down to where their fingers were interlocked, an odd sensation pulled at her heart. His hand was so much bigger than hers, stronger too. It was like his whole hand easily dwarfed hers.

She shook off the thoughts that rushed to inflame her cheeks, instead focusing on what would be next.

The other elves are already hurrying down the hill. The sheds and other parts following behind them, down the hill other sheds were 'parked' in a gathering area.

They would be inside soon, once they passed through the front gate.

"What about you and Selene?" Oz finally found the courage to ask, "You're on your Uncle's shit list for some reason? Can I ask why?

"We'll have to sneak in." Nahern looked back at her as he grumbled. "My father's brother wanted power, but he wasn't deserving of the throne. A cowardly man who can't even skin his own fur berry. He banished Selene and myself for daring to speak against him. I don't want the throne myself, I would rather it go to our older brother. But Uncle couldn't let that happen."

Oz listened quietly, her face still flushed with embarrassment. She tried to keep Nahern from noticing. 'Great going there Kasper, keep it together.'

But despite herself she couldn't take her mind off something. "So, your parents are alive and well back in the city, but you're not allowed to see them?"

Oz asked quietly, still not looking directly at Nahern. He looked over at her question, the tips of his blue ears now purple.

He sighed before motioning to the others, they could pass through. He would find them shortly. 

"They are alive and well enough."

"But you can't see them?"

Nahern pulled up his own cowl as Selene came over, a large bundle of furs in her arms.

"It is…complicated. For now, no more questions until tonight. For our sake, please keep your cowl up."

Oz gave him a look as the siblings used their magic to change the pearl white of their furs into more mangled and dirty, the white now brown and matted. Even her own borrowed furs were muddled down. She pulled the cowl up and over her face, mirroring the traveler identity of the pair.

"Right now, we are just commoners. Can you keep up with us, Saint?" Nahern asked her. His eyes drifted up to the castle's walls, Oz could tell he seemed nervous as if the city was overwhelming to him as well. 

"I told everyone to do as they need, we will regroup outside the city at the warp point in a few hours. One of our mages is making a permanent charm there for us." Selene offered, tying back her long braids back underneath her heavy cowl. She eyed the curious watch, but not a watch, on her wrist. 

Oz sighed, her eyes drifting up to the towering stone walls before them. "I think I have enough mana to warp us all back to the temple. If things go badly, we can always warp back."

Nahern took a breath and nodded, pulling up the matted fur over his head until his ears poked out of the slits. "Let's go."