Chapter Two Hundred and Eighty-Six — Warhawk
Chapter Two Hundred and Eighty-Six — Warhawk I stretched big, which meant that my arms reached as high as they could and my toes were stretched out until all of my limbs shook with tension. It was a nice thing to do just after waking up, though it did highlight an issue: I really missed pyjama pants. Nice, thick flannel pyjama pants. The sort that were all nice and warm and soft.There had to be someone selling that kind of thing in Goldenalden.Or maybe they weren’t invented yet?Would it be morally wrong of me to pretend to invent the pyjama bottom in another world? What would I even call them? Broccoli Bottoms? That sounded too silly.I trudged into the living room of our little corner of the inn and found Awen reading on the couch, already dressed for the day, and Amaryllis slumped out across the table as if she had just entirely run out of energy. “Good morning!” I said.“Hey Broc,” Awen said without looking away from the page she was reading. “Did you sleep well?”“Yup!” I declared. “How about you?”“The beds here are nice, but I kind of miss the Beaver Cleaver,” Awen said. “The noise helped me sleep at night.”“The noise?” I asked.Awen nodded. “The engines, mostly. I could hear them running from my room. It’s very quiet in here. You can barely tell that we’re in a city if you don’t look out the window.”“Enchantments,” Amaryllis said. She pushed herself off the table. “To keep things quiet. So, you’re finally awake?”I giggled. “You don’t look all that awake yourself, Amaryllis. What happened?”“Too many thoughts in my head, all at once,” Amaryllis said. “All competing for attention at the same time. It’s a burden, being this smart.”“I’m sure,” I agreed. “So what has your burdensomely smart brain figured out? What’s the plan for today?”“First,” Amaryllis said with imperious decorum. “You dress in something other than a night-gown. Second, we obtain breakfast. That should take care of all our temporary needs. Then, once that’s done and we’ve all cleaned up... I’m thinking of finding those harpies that arrived yesterday. They might know more about the diplomatic team sent for the summit, or they might have their own plans and reasons for being here, in which case it would be best to speak with them sooner rather than later.”“That sounds like a decent plan,” I said.Amaryllis nodded. “Of course it does. I came up with it.”“Well then, shall we enact the first stage of your glorious plan?” I asked.I ran back to my room and got dressed and ready for the day. Armour shined up, dress cleaned, and hair combed until it was more or less straight. When I rejoined my friends I found them just as ready as I was.We climbed up to the main inn floor and grabbed a quick bite to eat while Amaryllis detailed the next part of her master plan.“The harpy are staying at an inn nearby. I trust Caprica’s information that far, but it wouldn’t surprise me if they changed locations if they’re worried about trouble,” Amaryllis said.“Do you think they need to be worried?” I asked.“I think the three of us have discovered ample evidence that Goldenalden isn’t as safe as some sylph would have you believe it is,” Amaryllis said. "Also, the actual diplomatic mission did mysteriously vanish.”I shoved down a couple of spoonfuls of oatmeal (with some sweet, fruity syrup on it; it wasn’t maple syrup, but it was an acceptable, if inferior, substitute) then swallowed the glop down with a glass of juice. “Okay! Let’s head out then. The sooner we meet your harpy friends, the sooner we can see how we can help.”“I just hope that they’ll see things the way we do,” Amaryllis said.“What do you mean?” I asked as I got up.“Not all harpy will be as against the idea of a war as we are.”“It sounds like that’s the case with most places,” Awen said. “Sylphfree, the Trenten Flats, even the Harpy Mountains.”Amaryllis sniffed. “There will always be people who put their own good before that of others. Coincidentally, they’re never the ones who will be doing any of the dirty work if things go wrong.”We descended back to the ground floor, then out onto the busy streets. There were plenty of sylph out, pulling carts and hustling about despite the early hour.Amaryllis took the lead, walking as if she wanted everyone in front of her to see up her nostrils. Still, even with her head tilted back, it didn’t take long for her to guide us over to an inn a block away. It seemed, from outside, to be just a little bit less reputable than the Dewdrop Inn, though maybe I was being unfair by judging it from the street like that.We stepped into a teeny tiny lobby area, where a flustered sylph showed us into an elevator that creaked its way up to the topmost floor.The inn’s owner, a nice sylph by the name of Jordi, admitted that he had some harpy clients, but he seemed reluctant to tell us who they were. “Can you at least tell us if you served them breakfast yet?” I asked.“Huh? Well, I suppose there’s no harm in telling you that I haven’t yet. They came in just yesterday, I imagine they’ll be a bit weary from the flight over.”“Thanks!” I said. I made a point to order more juice and a small helping of second breakfast so that Jordi wouldn’t be insulted by us loitering around.It didn’t take long for the harpies to show up. Three young men, all a couple of years older than me, if I were to guess. They wore fine clothes, and walked with their beaks up and a bit of a strut.I recognized them. Or at least, I recognized the one in the middle of the flock.“Francis?” Amaryllis asked.The harpy stopped and turned to stare at Amaryllis, obvious surprise on his face for just a moment before he masked it under an ugly sneer. “Amaryllis Albatross,” he said as if the name were a curse. “How terribly unfortunate to find you here.”Francis’ buddies looked between him and Amaryllis, but it seemed like they weren’t going to stick their beaks into what was brewing.“What are you doing here?” Amaryllis asked.“Haven’t I asked you first?” he asked. He glanced past Amaryllis and at Awen and me. “You’re here with your pet bun and some wayward human, of all things. What auspicious company the Albatross keep.”Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.“Hi Francis!” I said with a wave.He glared. “It’s Francisco,” he said. “Francisco Hawk of the Hawk clan.”“Oh, sorry. It’s been a bit, and we only met for a few minutes,” I said. “My bad. Do you remember my name at all?”“I don’t care to remember the names of rabble,” he said.Amaryllis’ feathers puffed. “What are you doing here, Francis?”“You’d do well to call me by my name too, honourless Albatross,” he snapped.“Honourless?” Amaryllis boggled.I felt Awen lean close behind me. “Who is that?”“That’s Francisco Hawk,” I said. “He’s Amaryllis’ ex-fiancé. They don’t get along.” Awen’s eyes widened.“Yes!” Francisco said. He stomped his way closer to Amaryllis. “Honourless. Don’t you remember the last time we met? You said you would duel me, but you never showed.”“I... there was an attack on the ball! People died!” Amaryllis rebutted.“A few sylphs,” Francisco said with a dismissive wave. He spoke lower, tone pitched so that only those of us nearest to him would hear. “They’re the sort that are all likely to die in the coming war, anyway.”I gasped, and Francisco looked at me with obvious pleasure. How could someone say something like that?“So, you’re one of the fools who want to drag the whole continent into a war?” Amaryllis hissed. “I should have figured you would be an advocate for the stupidest option. You are as brain-dead as I feared, Hawk.”“Don’t pretend to be any brighter, Albatross,” he said. “You and yours will profit from this just as much as any other harpy clan will. Moreso, maybe, there are only women left in your clan, right? Hardly good for war. You’ll be left toiling back home while my comrades and I win honour and glory for our proud nation.”“You will do no such thing,” Amaryllis said. “We’re going to set things right at the summit. Put an end to this farce.”The harpy glared at Amaryllis, then his glare melted into a smile. “You can’t attend,” he said.“Pardon?”“I rescind your right to attend the summit,” he said, his nose tilting up.“Keep talking and I might rescind your right to breathe,” Amaryllis growled.I stepped up between them, mostly to restrain Amaryllis. The air around her smelled like ozone, which wasn’t a good sign. “What do you mean, Mister Hawk?”“I’m the senior diplomat here, aren’t I?” he asked.“Hardly,” Amaryllis said. “Our clans are equal.”“Ah, but I’m older, he said. “And I’m the first son of my clan. You’re just... the spare.”There was a snap-crack, and Francisco stumbled back, hand brushing at the front of his very nice coat where a burned streak now traced itself across the lapels. "That is it," Amaryllis seethed. "I'm going to fry you like a rotisserie chicken!"“Hey, hey, wait,” I said.“No, there’s no need for waiting,” Amaryllis said. She started to twist her arm, and I just knew she was going to pull out her knife.“A duel!” I said, loud enough that it made everyone pause. “You were promised a duel, right?” I asked Francisco. “Then why don’t we provide you with one? The winner gets to represent the harpy at the summit. It’ll be nice and, uh, official.”“To the death?” Francisco asked.“To yours, maybe,” Amaryllis said.“No no,” I said. “I’m sure the sylph have, uh, arenas or something for this kind of thing. They’ve got to have rules too. I’m sure it’s all very civilised. I hope.”Francisco glared at Amaryllis past my shoulder, then nodded. “This afternoon,” he said. “That should be long enough for you to prepare yourself for that kind of venture. You certainly seemed ready to claw at my throat just now.”“Fine then,” Amaryllis said. “This afternoon. I’ll send someone to you with the time and address.”Francisco’s eyes narrowed. “How about we make it more interesting then? My two companions here will want in on the fight too. You have two sycophants. It would be a shame if you lost them.” Francisco’s friends glanced at each other. They’d been very quiet so far, and I wasn’t sure they’d actually want anything to do with the fight.“Wow,” I said. “Did you rehearse how to sound like a cheap villain in front of the mirror?” I asked.Francisco sniffed. “Is that a no? Your animal half is showing, cowardly little bunny.”“We’ll do it,” Awen said. “I really don’t mind.”Francisco glared some more, but then he snapped his talons and walked off with his friends, leaving us behind without so much as a word.“Rude,” I muttered under my breath. Then I turned to my friends, specifically Amaryllis. “What was that?”She huffed the huff of someone who didn’t want to talk about it. “He gets under my feathers.”“You almost attacked him. You did attack him. Amaryllis, that could have led to a fight!”“I wanted it to, obviously,” she said.I pouted at her. “We could have gotten hurt. That wasn’t very smart, I don’t think. And you’re supposed to be the one that’s clever about these kinds of things.”Amaryllis crossed her arms. “Like I said. I dislike him.”I shook my head. “And Awen, why did you escalate?”Awen hesitated a moment before answering. “Ah, well, it was to our advantage?”“Our advantage?” I asked.“They’re weaker than we are. Their levels are the same, but their classes aren’t as good, and they don’t carry themselves like people who know how to fight. And if we do fight with them, and win, then I think the sylph here might respect us a bit more? They’re very martial, you know, so that kind of thing probably impresses them a lot.”“That’s... fine,” I said. “How are we going to find a place for a duel on such short notice?”“Oh, that part is easy,” Amaryllis said. “We go and bother Caprica. She’ll want us to win anyway, so I can’t foresee her not stacking the deck in our favor.”“We’re not going to cheat,” I said.“No no, not cheating, just... ensuring an even playing field,” Amaryllis said. “Francisco doesn’t know how to fight fairly. Trust me?”I crossed my own arms. “Fine,” I said. “But I still very much don’t like any of this.”“I know,” Amaryllis said. “You can pout about it for the rest of the day, as long as we win.”“I think I need a hug.”
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Chapter Two Hundred and Eighty-Seven — Political Ramblings and Rumblings
Chapter Two Hundred and Eighty-Seven — Political Ramblings and Rumblings Our first step-if we really were going to duel Francisco and his buddies-was to find Caprica.The princess would know a lot more about the local duelling scene and all the laws and such surrounding that kind of thing. Amaryllis probably knew her fair share too, but we didn’t know if the rules from the Harpy Mountains would apply in Slyphfree, and Amaryllis insisted on making sure that it was a proper duel, not just a brawl.I... wasn’t sure what to think about things as they were.On the one hand, Francisco was about as rude as a person could be. On the other, that wasn't enough to make me want to fight him.I think that Awen caught on to my current mood. She bumped shoulders with me as we walked over to the palace. “Isn’t this the same as that tournament you participated in, the one in Rosenbell?” she asked.I shrugged. “I guess it’s not all that different. Will it be all three of us against all three of them?”“I hope not,” Amaryllis said. “I want to face off against Francisco all on my own.”She sounded just a pinch too bloodthirsty there. I patted her on the back. “I know you’re angry at him, but I think you might be, ah, overreacting just a little, teeny tiny bit? He’s rude, sure, but rudeness shouldn’t be answered with violence.”“And how would you respond to the sort of rudeness that might very well end with thousands of lives lost to bolster a puffed up hawk’s ego?” Amaryllis asked.“Well, first I’d write a very strongly worded letter to Francisco’s mom.”Awen choked on nothing, then giggled between coughs. “Broccoli! You can’t!”“Why not?” I asked. “He’s not that old, so maybe his parents still have time to teach him some manners. And besides, if I was Francisco’s mom, I’d want to know if my son was about to start a war just to make himself feel more important. Obviously he didn’t get enough hugs growing up, but there’s always time to rectify that kind of misstep.”“That’s... actually a fantastic idea,” Amaryllis said.I blinked. “It is?” I was pretty much positive she was going to dismiss the idea out of hand.“Oh, yes. A public letter, sent to the capital and to Fort Sylphrot, denouncing Fransico’s behaviour and childish actions and the threat they both pose to the nation as a whole. Maybe a few public criers to read it aloud on street corners.”“That’s sounding a lot more like blackmail than what I had in mind,” I said.“Yes. I took your idea and improved it.”“I don’t know if I’d call that an improvement at all.”Awen giggled some more. “But can you imagine his face when he finds out?” she asked.I pouted at her too. “You have a mean streak in you too,” I said.Awen shook her head, but she didn’t quite deny it. “I just think that... ah, I guess there’s more than one way to fight someone. If we lose here, Broccoli, then a lot of others will be losing too. We’re having fun, and it’s another big adventure, but the stakes are pretty high. Whether you want it or not, Francisco is on the other side.” She crossed her arms, smile dying off as we walked into the shadow cast by a tall mansion-like home right next to the road. “My mom... wasn’t a very nice person, but she did make sure that I learned a few things.”“What sorts of things?” I asked.“I didn’t like the lessons,” she said. “So I can’t say I took them to heart. But I did listen. Mostly she talked a lot about how a woman should defeat her opponents and such. I think I like shooting people with a crossbow more than using the methods she spoke about. It’s more honest.”Amaryllis snorted. “Yes, some people do prefer intrigue and rumours over a proper talon-on-talon fight. The Albatrosses aren’t like that though.”I didn’t say it aloud, because I think I’d made my point clear often enough already, but I preferred it when people just talked through all of their problems and acted in a way that would mean that everyone would be happy or at least satisfied by the end of the day. That wasn’t something that was easy to do though.“Well, whatever,” I finally said. There wasn’t much to say, really. We just had to do our best and hope that it was enough and that maybe we set an example.I didn’t have much time to ponder on that since we arrived at the palace. Amaryllis stepped up to the guards by the front gate, bowed shallowly, then asked them to send a message to Princess Caprica on our behalf.The guard bowed back, the big feathery thing atop his helm bobbing with the motion before he spun around sharp-like and walked into the nearby gatehouse. I saw a young sylph fly off towards the palace a moment later, no doubt a messenger.It only took a minute or two before the messenger sylph returned and relayed whatever news he had to the guard.“The Princess is willing to entertain you,” the guard said. “She is waiting in the west garden.” The sylph flagged down a pair of guards who were within the palace walls, and they quickly flashed a few gestures at each other. Mostly the guard just asked them to keep an eye on us while guiding us to the garden where Caprica was waiting.The garden turned out to be one of those glass-walled greenhouses along the outer perimeter of the palace. There was a gazebo built into the side of the enclosure where Caprica and another young woman were sitting down.The princess was in her usual dress-uniform like outfit, though she had added a sash today and had a few ribbons in her hair. The girl next to her was half a head shorter, and wore a more princess-y outfit. A dress with bows on the hips and front, coloured a soft lavender covered in embroidered flowers that let her blend in with the wall of greenery behind her.The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.There were two guards standing by the entrance of the greenhouse. They opened the door for us, and we stepped in eagerly.I didn’t realise how chilly it was outside until I was smacked in the face by the warmth inside the greenhouse. It was a humid, muggy sort of warmth, filled with a whole host of pleasant, flowery smells that changed as we headed over to the gazebo.“Captain Bunch, Lady Amaryllis, Lady Bristlecone,” Caprica said without standing. The princess next to her bounced to her feet and curtsied.The reason Caprica didn’t rise became obvious when a big pile of orange fluff jumped off her lap and onto the table in the centre of the gazebo.“Orange!” I cheered. “This is where you were hiding?”Orange sat, her chest puffed out with obvious pride. She had a few ghostly ribbons tied next to her head, and her fur looked extra soft. By the looks of her she had been properly pampered recently.I scritched her on the head, then under the chin for good measure.“Yes, Orange has been a wonderful guest overnight,” Caprica said.“She’s very handsome,” the other princess replied.“Ah, where are my manners,” Caprica said as she stood and brushed her lap clean of ghostly kitty hair. Or she tried. Her hands just moved right through the fur which refused to leave her pants. “Everyone, this is my little sister Gabrielle. Gabrielle, these are the... explorers and emissaries I spoke of.”Gabrielle curtsied again, and my friends and I did the same in return, though maybe with a bit less grace. “It’s a pleasure,” she said. “Capri rarely makes new friends, so it’s really nice of you to spend time with her.”“Gabby!” Caprica hissed. “Don’t spread such vile lies.”Gabrielle apologised, but it was evident that she wasn’t being sincere with her apology.Caprica rolled her eyes, then gestured to the table. “Sit? I’m sure you’re not just here to pick up Lady Orange.”“Lady Orange?” I asked as I took a seat. Orange looked at me as if to say ‘are you going to question that?’Caprica blushed, but just faintly. “She seems quite lady-like,” she said. “And a spirit cat is a rare being in these parts.”“I guess. Technically she’s an admiral, but I don’t know if that makes her a lady. Maybe it should be Sir Orange?” I asked. “How did you get those bows on her, by the way.” I poked at the bows, but my fingers just slid right through them.“Oh, that was the court wizard,” Gabrielle said. “He’s a master illusionist. They’re not real bows. I think they’re cute.”I nodded, in full agreement.“So, what brings you here?” Caprica asked. “And would you like some tea while we talk, or is it a little more urgent?”“It’s certainly delicate, and not something we can afford to wait on for too long,” Amaryllis said. “But I don’t think it’s quite urgent.”“Do tell,” Caprica said. She gestured to the side, and I almost jumped when a maid bowed back and hurried off. I hadn’t seen the maid at all. Did they have a skill that made them sneaky?Amaryllis shifted in her seat. “We met with the harpies that arrived last night. The meeting... could have gone better. Though, honestly, with the quality of the harpy in question, I doubt it.”“They’re adversarial?” Caprica asked.“You could say that,” Amaryllis said. “Though that would make it an understatement. Francisco Hawk, of the illustrious, boisterous, and full of itself Hawk clan. They’re very much on the pro-war side of things. They want to try and match arms with the sylph, despite all common sense saying that it’s a poor idea.”Caprica frowned. “That’s unfortunate. Who has more seniority between yourself and this Francisco and his companions?”“He does, though only barely,” Amaryllis said. “I managed to maneuver things so that we would duel for the right to represent the Harpy Mountains.”“Truly?” Caprica asked.I glanced at Amaryllis. ‘Maneuver’ was a big word to describe what had happened.“Yes. Which is why we’re here. We want this to be a proper duel, not some street brawl. Francisco is the sort who would easily ignore a deal made. Even one that was won in a duel. I think the only way to make him keep his word is to put too much pressure on him for him to weasel his way out.”Caprica considered it for a moment, then nodded. “We’ll arrange something, then. When is this duel supposed to take place?”“This afternoon,” Amaryllis said.“You’re certainly not giving us much time to prepare,” Caprica said. “Still, I think we can figure something out.”“Can I come? To watch,” Gabrielle said.Caprica glanced at her sister, considered it, then nodded. “Sure.”Gabrielle blinked. “Wait, really?”“Oh yes. You being present will attract all sorts of attention,” Caprica said. “Half the available suitors in the city will rush to attend as well. It’ll make up for the lack of time to set up something proper. And have rumours spread.”“Capri!” Gabrielle said, her cheeks were glowing. “You can’t just use me like that.”“You’re the one that wanted to attend,” Caprica said. “You'll be able to enjoy yourself, leave the palace for a moment, and I won’t have to work as hard to get a crowd of nobles to oversee the happenings. Two harpies with one stone. Ah... forgive the expression.”Amaryllis waved it off. “It’s fine. We have a few similarly uncouth expressions ourselves.”“I can imagine,” Caprica said. “So, do you think you’ll win this duel? I would hardly appreciate backing a loser.”“Oh, don’t worry on our account,” Amaryllis said. “In fact, this will just be a lot of fun, I think.”
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