Elemental Thief Part I : Child of Calamity

Homecoming

Verana landed in the small courtyard, followed closely by Anzael, Lianza, and the rest of her royal escort. She paused for a moment, pulling off her helmet and clipping it to her belt as she took in the familiar location, filled with new people and scents, emotions, and memories she hadn't been around for.

She hadn't thought that coming back here would be as hard as it was, but she had been illogically expecting to see Shelby or Reyani walking out towards her and instead only saw a group of hard faced guards and a young woman with Reyani's firm expression and Shelby's thoughtful eyes. Verana had mourned the loss of her friends long before, but her heart ached anew when it realised what her brain already knew.

This was a different Keepsal than the one she had memories of.

The girl gave her a formal bow. "Queen Veranandien, I am Lady Darya. Lady Valencia Rakier and Lady Tisaso del Rei are waiting to receive you."

Verana forced herself to focus on the current moment, on the fact that she didn't sense any cruelty or corruption on those that were greeting her. In fact, the woman in front of her, Darya, gave her soul a small tug. There was something familiar, something close to importance in whomever this woman was and would be.

She saw Anzael and Lianza both look around the keep, judging it thoughtfully, judging the warriors, remembering its layout from the last time they had both been here, giving them a moment before nodding and offering a slight smile.

"Earth's blessing to you Lady Darya. I apologise for the lack of notice, but I have come on an urgent matter. My guard will stay outside, but General Anzael and Commander Lianza will come with me."

She could have demanded the full escort within Keepsal, she was within her rights as a Queen to do so, and she knew that her Guard usually expected it of her, but she was also in the place where she had first made a treaty between Clairval and the Wild.

She was looking at the same uniforms who had protected her before she was Rulin's Queen and staring at a girl who looked so much like her friends it made her heart hurt. And these people in front of her. They were wary and afraid, though Verana only knew a little about what had happened in Clairval over the past few decades.

There was a flash of relief on the woman's face, and she relaxed a little. "Of course, majesty. Your soldiers will be provided for here."

"Most of them remember Morningside's hospitality." She said that to reassure the girl, as well as remind her Guard, perhaps even the human Guard, of their shared history as she moved to walk beside Lady Darya into the Keep. They were flanked by Anzael and Lianza and preceded by two human knights. "You smell of the ocean, you sail, like Samyel did."

There was a flash of surprise, but then a grudging nod from the woman. "Yes, it became a tradition of the second born, I suppose. But a welcome one. I love the sea, the freedom, the beauty of it, the strength of her storms. I returned only a few moments before you did. "

"A Wild with no trees." Verana smiled, nodding and looking at the girl once more, before pausing at the large wooden doors, reaching out to run her fingers over them gently.

There was a scene of what could only be the story of the swearing of the iron oath on one, but another scene including what appeared to be a conversation with humans, Vayans and Rulin on the second one. "They're new."

"Ah...." Lady Darya paused before opening or knocking on the doors, frowning just slightly. "My father had to replace them I think... his wedding got rowdy, they got lit on fire... so the story goes, nothing dangerous, but men being drunk and stupid I think, he used what was salvageable to build the dining table in the dining room, it's a beautiful table."