Every one hundred years a cycle takes place on the continent of Einix, two children are born marked as the Hero and the Demon Lord. The cycle has begun again and a young woman discovers that she is to play a part in it.
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Mira spent the next week learning how to use and manipulate her magic, among other things, while she waited for a reply from Estidal. Solinus elected to teach her what the books could not; out of the four generals, he was the best at magic. Using a wand or staff felt unnatural to Mira and she much preferred directing the flow of magic with her hands or, as she discovered, her sword. She discovered she could channel the flow through her sword while practicing with Vane; he was a strict but fair teacher. While sparing, she had felt her magic flow from her fingers and into the blade, which caused it to slice through his armour. Thankfully, Vane was alright, and he even praised her for the ingenuity; she didn't tell him it was an accident. But all things considered, she was doing well.
It was during the second week, while she was speaking to an artisan from one of the closer towns in the throne room, that the messenger from Estidel arrived. All four of the generals waited in the room with her while the messenger was escorted through the castle. The doors were opened, and a decidedly nervous man walked in; his fae features could clearly be seen. His skin shimmered, and his ears extended in long points. He glanced around himself as he approached, and when he finally stood before her, he bowed respectfully, if nervously, at the waist. When he looked at her on her throne, although he would not meet her eye, she could see his eyes were composed of a single colour with no pupils or whites to speak of. He cleared his throat before speaking.
"My Lady, Queen Róisín was surprised to receive your message," the messenger said. "But she is not opposed to meeting with you to further discuss your proposal; she requests that you both meet at the border and that you bring only one of your generals and a small regiment of guards with you, as she will do the same." Mira was happy to hear that the fae Queen wanted to meet with her; the border of Estidal and her land would make for good neutral ground.
"When does your Queen wish to hold this meeting?" Mira asked, and she tried to sound like the noblewoman her clothes suggested she was.
"In two weeks time, my Lady," the messenger answers and pulls from his cloak a rolled piece of parchment. "Here is a map with the location marked on it." Alistar is the one to take it from him and then hand it to her. Mira unrolled the map and looked at where her meeting would take place. If she were to ride Abyss, the name she gave to her dire wolf, she could get there in hours. But then she would be alone and still have to wait for the Queen to arrive. She imagined the fae had their own way of traversing land quickly, and that is how the messenger got here as quick as he did.
"Thank you for delivering this message; I am sure you must be weary from travel," Mira said. "Please rest here in the castle until you feel ready for the journey back; I will meet Queen Róisín in two weeks time at the specified location."
The messenger looked a little relieved but still very nervous to be in the castle. Mira motioned to one of the maids to take the messenger somewhere he can rest; she bows her head and beckons him to follow her. When they both leave, Mira turns to her generals; she needed to decide who was coming with her. Any of them would be welcomed on the trip, but she didn't want to choose at random. Vane was an experienced warrior, and although all four of them had lived through many cycles, he was still the one with the most experience. But a warrior was not what she needed for this meeting. Alistar had a very sharp mind; the research he had compiled on the other kingdoms was extensive. But he had admitted he was better suited to combat strategies. Solinus was currently helping her learn more about magic, and he used it himself often. But then again, Diomedes had shown an active interest in her thoughts on negotiation and diplomacy.
