Fate - First Reply Another Test

[Edric]

"Thanks." Edric said to the waitress as wine as poured and she once again swept away. His head turned to follow her for a brief moment, and then he gazed back at Noel.

Her eyes seemed to fix him with a stare as she spoke of their future, his future.

Lips thinned for a brief moment as he listened, fingers grabbing the small cup of wine and slowly swirling it as he considered her words. He brought the cup to his lips, taking a small sip of the wine and finding the taste almost as pleasant as the ale.

A frown touched his lips as Noel went on, offering a hint as to perhaps why she had been so upset earlier.

He considered her words for a moment more, then shrugged. "I will."

It would have been easy to dismiss everything Noel said, to simply throw it all in a basket and just claim none of it meant anything to him. That would have been a lie though. He did see the appeal of all that power, that choice. Of climbing the ranks and doing as he pleased.

He still remembered the Fear he'd felt when meeting an Archon for the first time, how towering the woman had seemed even if she'd been nearly his height at the time. There was something to that. Something unspeakable.

Something he couldn't help but want.

Edric knew what he was. Knew what he could be. That side called to him as strongly as the side that wanted freedom. The power that came with being an Archon. The fear. It was a temptation, a quiet draw. Even after the Republic, those who held the title still commanded sway with just their words. Something he'd experienced first hand.

Those other things? Settling down? Having kids?

No.

Edric wasn't sure what he would have done had he gone on the run, but he knew it wasn't any of those things. He hadn't really thought about it at length, always the goal had just been to go. To make the choice. Nothing else had mattered much.

"So is that what you want then?" Edric asked with a smile. "Archon, retirement, settle down and have a few kids?"

He was teasing of course, never expecting Noel to ever choose such a life.

 

[Noel]

Noel took a sip of the wine that brought. It had the flavor of fruit so that was certainly an upgrade from the ale but she still felt people only drank this stuff for the feelings of inebriation.

Edric’s response raised her mood slightly.

One of her chief rival’s simply walking away from it all would’ve been a nightmare. If he at least was considering the challenge that was a start. She could slowly twist that knife over time until he committed fully. She was sure of it.

If there was one skill Noel was certain she possessed it was setting goals and then accomplishing them.

”Of course not,” she answered in a jovial tone with a smile. ”Pregnancy sounds extremely unpleasant.”

Maybe adoption was an option. At least then she could give back and have her ‘legacy’ live on so to speak, or at least live on in a shape outside of her own achievements.

Noel straightened and gave an honest response. ”I doubt I’d ever fully retire. There’s too much to do when you reach that level. And it’s too easy to all slip away.”

Influence politics from the sidelines, in old age, would always be the ultimate goal. Crafting a stronger, better, Vel Anir for a future long after she passed away. Archon was the only path forward to make any of that a reality.

And Noel was good at setting goals and accomplishing them.

 

[Edric]

"Yeah, plus you'd have to find the right man." Edric jested.

He guessed that like himself, romance had never been a particularly large part of Noel's thoughts. There were a few students, particularly in the last year, who pursued such things. He knew that Noel had her little crush on Fermin, but there was that and...well having children with someone.

Even before he revealed what he'd truly been, he doubted that Noel would have gone for such a thing.

She hardly seemed to be the type to be tied down.

"You know." He mused. "I heard Raf is a merchant's son or something. Richer than some nobles from what I heard. He might give you a leg up."

A shrug rolled over his shoulder as he tried to stifle a laugh. The thought of Noel and the Mimic was...amusing to say the least. They were almost direct opposites in nearly everything. The boy had as much ambition as moss growing on a rock.

Before he could comment about her non-retirement, the waitress swept through the room carrying two piping hot plates.

"Careful now, hons. It's a little warm!"​

She joked, placing the pans of rice and seafood in front of them. The smell instantly wafted into Edric's nose, his eyes widening as the scent of saffron and shrimp reached some wire in his brain. He began to salivate, somewhat dumbstruck. "Th-thank you."

He said quietly, illiciting a small giggle from the woman.

"You're welcome sugar. Anything else for the two of ya?"​

 

[Noel]

"I think we're good," she offered as the waitress departed. They really didn't need more alcohol.

Noel's eyes widened as the hot plats of paella were plopped down before them. The smells of the dish were almost overwhelming, particularly compared to what they normally ate at the academy. A spoon dug into the pile of yellowish rice and prawns and she steadied herself as the heaping spoonful of food approached her lips.

A gentle blow on the steaming meal and a few seconds of hesitation was all it took until the first globule of the dish entered her mouth. She chewed on it, slowly at first but quicker as the flavor marinated on her tastebuds.

"This is amazing."

Her words cut through after she'd swallowed her first bite before beginning to take a second.

She kept on eating, speaking little as the priority of a well cooked meal took over. "Raf? Did you purposefully pick the most boring boy at the academy?" A few more bites followed as she continued. "What about you? I think there are betting pools out among some students about when you and Talea are going to hook up."

The onyx-haired girl had always assumed they were simply friends. She'd insisted as such to the mid-tier classmates who speculated on rumors and false perceptions. Some among them believed there was more though. A romance of some type that neither student allowed to be seen.

Not that Noel would share every detail she had heard with Edric. Those were for her. She'd just taunt him slightly as they dined on what might've been the best meal they'd had in months.

 

[Edric]

"Worst?" Edric said with a smile, picking up his fork. "He's not too bad. That magic is pretty handy, and at least he's not Va-"

His words died on his tongue as he tasted his food. This Palla, Paella, was the most delicious thing that Edric had ever tasted.

It was so good that he almost didn't hear Noel as she spoke to him. He was utterly lost in the flavor of the rice, the shrimp. His eyes closed, and he could feel his entire body simply shudder with delight as the flavor rolled over his tongue.

Kress. Edric thought to himself. What else have I missed.

For a few moments he found himself utterly lost, enjoying the taste of a simple meal in this little port town until Noel mentioned Talea.

His eyes snapped open, lips turning to a frown despite the delicious taste on his tongue. "No."

He denied instantly.

"Talea and I are just friends." Always. They had decided that a long time ago. "I think anything more would just...ruin it."

Edric said with a frown. "It'd be like if you and I slept together."

He said with a shake of his head.

 

[Noel]

Noel choked on her seafood dish. "Please, I was enjoying this meal."

She understood his point though. The idea of being romantic with Talea was somehow 'wrong' to him. Or, perhaps, he was trying to hint that he viewed Noel as a friend? That certainly wasn't the case before this venture. They were, at best, acquaintances but it was likely more appropriate to refer to them as rivals.

They'd been through a lot these past few days though. Was it so wrong for them to be friends now?

"I'm glad we're friends," she said as she spooned another pile of the delicious rice into her mouth. She was fine being the one who made that leap. They'd never described themselves as friends before this venture.

However, when one considered the academy was filled with types like Liliana and her goons, spoiled children like Kristen, or insufferable wastes of space such as Dorian... Edric was one of those few she felt comfortable calling a friend. After Citra's demise (at her own hand to boot) she'd resisted the urge of reaching out to others.

It was good that she was opening herself up.

She finished her dish, stomach full and palette satiated. Noel poured more of the red liquid into her glass and began to sip at it. "The next few days are going to be miserable." Being a stowaway sounded terrible. She was certain the reality would be much worse than how it sounded though.

 

[Edric]

Edric smiled up at Noel, watching her for a brief moment as he dipped his head in a nod of acknowledgment.

Friendships were rare in the academy. They had barely existed before the Revolution. Too much paranoia about betrayal and getting stabbed in the back. Some graduated without ever having a kind word said to them, or by them.

Talea and He had overcome that, though only because her magic simply didn't work on him. That had created a level of trust, one enough to call her a friend even before things had changed.

Now? Now it seemed almost...fitting, that Noel would be the first of the others that he would call a friend. After all they had been through the last days, what they'd experienced. It seemed right somehow. Eventually his gaze pulled away from Noel, and he began to finish the last of his meal.

A satisfied grunt escaping his throat as he leaned back in his chair, more than pleased with what he'd eaten.

"Maybe it won't be too bad." Edric offered as he took a sip of his own wine, now starting to feel the slight buzz of alcohol. "Not like we haven't been thrown into a tiny box before."

He said with a shrug.

 

[Noel]

"True," she said while finishing her glass of wine, "I'm sure it'll be more spacious than the box."

Noel had avoided the punishment more than some of her classmates but all of them had spent some amount of time in the box. Too tiny to move much, kids with claustrophobia struggled the most with it but it was uncomfortable for anyone. It felt so restrictive, it was enchanted to stunt your magical abilities, and it got so damn hot in there.

At least the dark areas of a ship would likely be a more pleasant temperature.

She leaned back in her chair and glanced over at the waitress who began to walk towards the pair. "We should be going, I think." A few coins were pulled from her pouch and handed to the waitress. She dropped several extra into the palms of the servers hand. "For your troubles."

"Thank you kindly," the worker said with a warm smile on her face.

Noel stood and stretched, her steps slightly woozy from the alcohol. "Ready?"

 

[Edric]

”Yeah lets hope we at least hit that incredibly low bar.” Edric had not been locked in the box much either, mostly because he’d never made it a habit to break too many rules in front of the Proctors.

That of course hadn’t excluded him from the punishment. Nor had it taken away the method during his teacher’s ‘tests’ when it came to his magic. A frown touched his lips for a moment, and then he pushed himself up from his chair.

Almost immediately he reached out a hand to grab the table in front of him, steadying himself. A brief smile was flickered to Noel. ”Guess a bit too much.”

He said with a motion to the cup of wine, then picked it up to drain the last of it.

”Let’s go find our ride.” Edric said before she could offer any other argument. With the saunter of a King the Initiate headed out the door, stepping out onto the street and turning left, before heading right.

It wasn’t hard to find the docks, the smell of sea air and the masts looming over the top of buildings more than enough of a clue.

Near a dozen ships sat within the harbor, half that number again moored to the docks themselves. Edric slowly gazed out over the sails, searching for signal flags. ”See anything Anirian?”

He asked as he searched the further out vessels.

 

[Noel]

A roll of her eyes were all that came from Edric's stumble and his insistence to finish his drink despite realizing he might've had a bit too much. Though, to be fair, she'd learned that she wasn't much better at controlling her alcohol as the room seemed to tilt slightly.

Eventually they managed to tipsily waltz to the boatyards which seemed to be lined with dozens, maybe hundreds, of ships. This place must've been one of Cortos' primary ports. Or at least, it was the primary port for Anirian vessels and shipping to the east (which, to be fair, was where most of the coin was anyway).

Noel glanced up and down the docks, casting a glance as they walked deeper and deeper on the piers. "Not yet." Her words were tight, and perhaps slightly slurred from the drinking, as they kept moving on.

This wasn't a good sign. What if all of the ships from Vel Anir had departed out of caution for the Radiant Church's advances? What if they'd be cast out by the Church already, as Edric had feared? How would they charter a way home after they spent all the coin they had?

Just as panic was about to set in she noticed a ship loading up boxes at night with sailors dressed in the clothing popular within Vel Anir's middle class circles.

"There," she whispered while grabbing at Edric's forearm. "Now how do we get aboard?"

 

[Edric]

Edric turned, his gaze flickering over towards the ship that Noel indicated.

He noticed the clothes too, remembering walking through some of the villages back home and seeing similar dress. A frown flickered over his features for a brief moment, and then he let a shrug roll over his shoulders. "What if we just...ask?"

The Initiate suggested.

"We're..." He dropped his voice. "Dreadlords."

That title alone accounted for something. "Need passage back home, say the Republic will pay when we arrive."

It wasn't that unlikely that they would. After all the Republic needed as many Dreadlords as possible nowadays. Perhaps if they made the claim in a strong manner, the Captain of the ship would just go with it. They might not even have to stowaway in the first place.

"Worth a shot at least." He said with a shrug.

 

[Noel]

Noel had, to her shock, thoroughly enjoyed her time with Edric for the past day. They’d grown closer and she now viewed him as more of a friend rather than an estranged family rival. However, this closeness had caused her to forget that while he wasn’t an idiot he hadn’t gotten near the top of the class because of his brain.

”Ask them?” What a peculiar suggestion. Had he even thought the idea through? If they said no it was going to increase the difficulty of sneaking aboard tenfold

Considering the lack of other Anirian ships it seemed risky.

Too risky.

Her lips pursed as she ran through other options until she finally decided that sitting in a cramped spot for days didn’t appeal to her very much either. ”Ok, we ask. But only if they seem receptive.” There was a smarter way to go about this than simply blabbing about them being Dreadlords.

With her back straight and shoulders firm she knew that she’d have to be the one to handle this. Her people skills far surpassed Edric’s.

Noel approached the Captain who was in the middle of directing his crew to load this or pack that and with a huge grin on her face called to him in the sweetest voice she could muster, ”oh it’s so good to see another proud Anirian in this grim place! How goes it?”

He cocked an eyebrow, grunted, and went back to ordering his sailors around.

 

[Edric]

Edric glanced at Noel, a frown pulling at her lips as she jovially approached the man. The response they got back was...well about as bad as could be imagined. A frown pulled across his lips, his gaze flickering over towards his companion.

Slowly he shook his head as Noel returned to his side. "I don't think that's the right approach."

It was in that moment that the young man probably should have realized that he was drunk. The Ale had been pretty strong, the wine too, and after a few cups of that...well there was something to be said about the impairment of ones judgment.

He shook his head, patting Noel on the shoulder.

"Don't worry." Edric winked. "I'll take care of this."

The Initiate sauntered down the pier, moving towards the Captain. "Hey!"

He shouted, his voice loud enough to grab the mans attention. As he walked, he drew upon that reserve at his core. Muscles grew stronger, tendons flexed, and then just as the Captain turned around and opened his mouth to tell him to buzz off Edric grabbed him by the Lapels and lifted him off the ground.

"My friend said it was good to see a fellow Anirian." The much older, much bigger, man seemed to balk as he found himself floating in the air, held aloft by the teen aged Edric.

"I--err-i..."​

He stammered, glancing at Noel.

 

[Noel]

There wouldn't be any benefit to admitting it but requiring Edric to help her certainly bruised Noel's pride.

"Yes, another proud Anirian," she said through gritting teeth. "We require passage back home."

In a stern voice and serious eyes she added to the statement. "We're Dreadlords. You'll be paid once we arrive."

It was almost verbatim what Edric had suggested in the first place but Noel had believed it too direct. Too forward.

The look on the captain's face told her it was anything but. In fact, it seemed like it was precisely what she was meant to say in the first place. "Dreadlords? On my ship? What an honor!" he exclaimed as if he was going to haul the Prince and the heiress of House Luana. "You'll both have a spot, come aboard!"

Perhaps it was simply because they had the look of killers but it was going far simpler than Noel could've imagined.

"Guess we go ahead?" she said with a wary look towards Ed whilst placing a hand upon the ladder that'd been extended for them.

 

[Edric]

Well that seemed super legit. "Why wouldn't we?"

Edric said with a shrug of his shoulders.

He placed the Captain down onto the deck. His hand extended for just a moment, straightening the mans clothes with a smile.

"Sorry about that." Edric seemed to sway slightly as he said the words, the influence of wine still hanging over him as he nodded. His head turned towards Noel, a brief smug flicker of a smile pulling over his lips.

"Of course, of course, sirs. It's alright. I'm afraid I can only offer you one room, but if it's not enough I can tell my first mate to stay with the men."​

Edric glanced at Noel for a moment. "No, no that's fine Captain. We just need to make it back."

The man nodded quickly in acceptance.

"Yes. Yes. Please, come aboard. We'll be leaving within the hour."​

Edric nodded his head, and then motioned for Noel to climb the ladder. Never noticing some of the stares from the crew behind them.

 

[Noel]

Simple enough after all, Edric had been right.

Without any protests from Noel she ascended the ladder and allowed a small smirk to form on her lips. Not having to sit in a cramped underdeck for a few days was a welcome new development. Perhaps the alcohol played a role in the rare crack of her armor too.

Showing emotion often had few benefits but for once in the past few days she felt like she could finally let her guard down.

They were going home, the crew were Anirians who were proud of their home state, and the Captain seemed... well, he seemed a bit odd but that was alright. He was getting them home.

"Thank you," she said in a chipper voice than usual as her boots stepped upon the creaky upperdeck of the ship.

 

[Edric]

The ship, he thought, was a galleon.

Edric did not know much about the navy, he'd never much liked water, but it had three masts and more than two decks. As all Anirian ships did, it had a Dreadlord Post atop one of the masts. A crows nest like feature that gave the Anirian Battlemages better view over naval battles.

There were a few other features that marked it out as Anirian, though Edric did not have the eye to spot them. "Were you trading here in Cortos?"

Edric asked as the Captain lead them to some stairs.

"Aye. Selling Anir Peppers, bringing back a few things."​

The Initiate nodded, as though he knew anything at all about mercantilism. His gaze swept over everything still though, watching, taking it in, and feeling no small amount of relief at actually being somewhere at least modestly safe.

It didn't take long until the Captain brought them to a a cabin at the stern of the ship, the door swinging open to reveal a room with a single small bed, a desk, and even a shelf.

Clearly, a Dreadlord's quarters.

"Here you are, if you need anything else. Just holler. We'll be leaving as soon as the cargo is loaded."​

The man said as he turned away.

 

[Noel]

"Sleep in shifts?" she offered only after the captain had left the quarters.

There was only a single bed and there was no way in hell she was going to share it with Edric. Not to mention that every fiber of her being still told her that they weren't out of the proverbial woods yet. Having one of them at the desk to make sure no one entered their room would help the other sleep a bit more soundly.

Noel rustled with the farmer clothes they had obtained before taking a seat at the desk and massaging her temples. It had been a very long few hours and the alcohol was taking its effect on her senses. "You can sleep first," she offered. Truthfully her nerves were still so on edge she didn't think she'd manage to get any shut eye.

"A bed is definitely preferable to being cramped in some cargo box as a stowaway, don't you think?" And at least this way they'd likely get a few of those Anirian peppers or rice or whatever the ship had on hand as food. Instead of scrounging the cargo holds for uncooked scraps or hunting for stowaway rats.

 

[Edric]

Edric wasn't going to argue.

He felt as though it had been days since he'd properly been able to sleep. Wordlessly he stepped over towards the bed, throwing himself down onto the straw mattress with a grunt. It wasn't the most comfortable thing, but it would more than do. "It definitely is."

The Initiate said with a sigh of relief.

"Might even be better than back home." He wasn't entirely sure about that, but it was certainly better than a plank of wood or whatever other horrid thing they would have hidden away in.

"Wake me if anything happens." Edric said, stifling a yawn. "Or you know...maybe just let me sleep."

He said, already feeling the weight of his eyelids as the ship slowly rocked back and forth. A sensation that he found surprisingly comforting.

 

[Noel]

"You can sleep. I doubt anything interesting happens," and those were the final words she said before focusing her gaze on the door to their cabin. A single point of entry and exit.

Before long the sound of Edric's snoring echoed off the cramped walls and the droning sound proved to be oddly soothing. After days of uncertainty, danger, and stress it felt like they were finally safe. Finally secure. But Dreadlord training had a funny way of inducing a constant paranoia. A constant distrust of anyone and everyone.

The fact that Edric could sleep while she stayed awake was already a surprise but they'd come to trust one another throughout this whole ordeal.

A scant bit of the platinum she had was fashioned into a small dagger. The nature of her magic meant that Noel was trained in a wide variety of armaments but daggers and knives were her least favorite. She simply reassured herself that in a worst case scenario they'd be dealing with civilian sailors. Hardly a challenge.

Minutes passed into hours as the anchor lifted and the sound of waves against the bow of the ship increased in volume. It was all she could do to keep herself from nodding off.

Suddenly, a knock came on their door. Gentle initially and then swiftly turned into a pounding. "Who is it?" she demanded in an authoritative tone.

 

[Edric]

The pounding on the door did not wake Edric.

He was an Initiate, used to sleeping in the Academy where chaos was all too common. He had long ago learned to get whatever rest he could, and ensuring that said rest was as long as it could possibly be. Noel could shake him awake, but a simple knock wouldn't do.

As Noe's voice echoed out the pounding on the door stopped for a moment. There was a pause, lingering for just long enough to seem somewhat...suspicious.

"You an' dat other feller need to com' right away, Ma'am."​

The voice beyond was that of a commoner, his accent a butchery of the tongue.

"There's been a acciden' on deck!"​

His voice was practically a shout.

The panic in his voice might have been real, but a moment later Noel would feel the door shake slightly, as though he were trying to pull it open.

 

[Noel]

Noel jolted to attention as the door creaked open. A man stood in the doorframe, striped bandana wrapped around his head and saltwater-stained overalls covering his body.

The panic was real. Or else he was a natural liar. It wasn’t possible to tell.

”What happened?” her words short and terse.

“No time, need both of you’s top deck quick.”

He just stood there after that as his foot tapped up and down in a rapid staccato. Noel placed an arm on Edric’s shoulder and attempted to stir him to consciousness. Loud enough that he could hear she added, ”he’s saying there’s an accident upstairs, needs our help.”

The sailor smiled smugly as Noel signed underneath the desk so that only her compatriot could see. They’d all spent a few years learning the silent Dreadlord sign language and it was most helpful in situations such as this one.

To only his gaze she kept repeating, “liar or truth?”, over and over again.

 

[Edric]

Edric's eyes snapped open almost as soon as Noel touched him, that deep unconscious sleep almost instantly broken.

His head turned instantly, glancing up at Noel before his eyes flickered towards the door. Lips thinned for a brief moment, gaze wandering back towards the signs that his fellow Initiate was flickering to him with her fingers.

"Well? Ya comin' or wut? Won't last all day!"

Edric glanced at the man with a frown.

He didn't know what...but something felt off. Putting his finger on it seemed all but impossible, but something in his gut was screaming at him. He glanced at Noel, and then his fingers quickly flickered on the other-side of his torso. Something's not right.

The Initiate signed.

Pin him to the wall. If there was an emergency...well why did it need them? They weren't even supposed to have been on this ship, and there was something about the sailor that just rubbed him the wrong way.

 

[Noel]

It was almost imperceptible. Without a doubt the sailor checking on them didn't see it but Edric likely noticed the slightest nod issued by the raven-haired girl. Noel agreed with his plan, obtain more information, and threats of violence typically made people spill their guts more eagerly.

A slight twist of her head was preceded by a blur of motions.

In a flash she grabbed the sailor by his garb and pressed up, hard, against the inner wall of their cabin. Her heel kicking the door closed behind her as her dagger-wielding hand rushed up towards him. She pressed the sharp of the blade against his fatty neck and narrowed her chestnut colored eyes.

"Explain this... accident."

What initially was just simple shock on the sailor's face quickly turned to unbridled fear. His lips quivered as he stammered out nonsensical words.

"It-it's a b-b-big, I swear, n-need to hurry."​

Noel pressed the blade in a bit deeper, allowing a small droplet of crimson to form. "Explain. This. Accident. Before we have another accident right here and now." Her face was that of stone, utterly set with determination to get to the bottom of this.

She didn't want to entertain the idea that they could've walked into a trap. Not yet at least. It had been a far too stressful couple of days and she was just now getting used to the idea that they were home free.

 

[Edric]

Edric pulled himself up from the cot, his eyes staring daggers at the man as Noel's blade slipped her blade against the man's neck.

He could practically see the terror in the man's eyes. It was clear that he hadn't expected Noel to move so fast, that he hadn't expected her to be able to do any of what she was doing now. Edric stepped in close to him, fingers wrapping around his own knife.

"I-it-it's the main mast, you see. Fell right down on the Captain. He's injured and we need all 'ands to reset the mast."​

In all honesty, Edric had no idea if any of that was plausible.

He had been out like a light, but the main mast tumbling down probably would have made quite a bit of racket. A frown pulled at his lips, and still that feeling in his gut told him something was wrong. "You're lying, and I'm not sure why."

The Initiate said plainly.

"Noel. Do you remember that thing you did with that Dwarf from Alliria?" This was an entirely made up story. "That close shave? You know, the one that went under the skin?"

The man's eyes opened wide.

"PLEASE NO! Don't! I-I-They just wanted you up on the deck, alright? I-I don't know why."​

Something else Edric doubted.