Chapter Five Departing Voros
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Arlie nervously stood at the door of the Santra home. They had already taken care of everything else yesterday. That didn’t stop her from feeling nervous about this. Aunty Santra was practically her mother, having adopted her after her own mother had died. Maybe things would have been different if her aunt had still been alive, but she had died about a year before she had been born. Actually it was ten months, but specifics don’t really matter. Aunty Santra had guided her through the worst and best years of her life so far. She had helped her through puberty and taught her how to wrap her chest, to keep her nipples from getting sore. She found herself as she stood there waiting for someone to answer the door, thinking more and more about her years with Aunty Santra. Her thoughts finally drifted to when she had moved back to her family home. That had not been easy, and she had been just as nervous as she was now. Thankfully, Aunty Santra had been quite supportive.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity since she had knocked, but was only mere moments, the door opened. Aunty Santra was there at the door smiling. “Ah, Arlie! Come in. Rose told me you were coming. I made you something to eat, unless you have already eaten,” said Aunty Santra.

“No, I haven’t” stuttered Arlie as she came in. Leaving the entrance behind, she took her spot at the dinner table where the twins were already seated. Aunty Santra went into the kitchen off the main room, coming back out a moment later with a bowl of food and a plate. Breakfast turned out to be soup with a slice of bread. Santra placed it down in front of her and then took her own seat. Sitting here at the table also brought back memories of the past. She had eaten many a meal here with the Santras.

“So, what is it the three of you want to tell me?” asked Aunty Santra. The three jumped in surprise.

“You two have been acting guilty all morning and Arlie is nervous. Doesn’t take a genius to know something is up,” said Aunty Santra. 

The three had been wanting to wait a little longer before saying something, but with Aunty Santra pressing them for what was going on, they spilled. They did, however, avoid mentioning the dragon. 

“A journey? That takes me back. I went on a journey once with your mother. I was a young girl, while your mother still looked to be in the prime of her life. That journey was where I really got to know your mother. I’ll let you go, but I want you to write me regularly and don’t forget to visit the temple before you leave,” said Aunty Santra as she got up from the table.

“Really!” said Arlie, feeling relief about the scenario she feared not happening.

“Yes, I knew you would leave the village eventually. Your mother left me something that she wanted you to have if you ever left the village on a journey,” said Aunty Santra as she left the room. Arlie waited at the table, and she was back quickly with a small box.

“That box contains a magical ring called Dragonsbane. Your mother said it was one of your family treasures. It contains a powerful Sky Lord Magic called The Lord’s Lance. Apparently the spell is highly effective against dragons. Your Mother said she included a note on its exact capabilities in the box. Just add a drop of your blood on the seal and it should open,” said Aunty Santra. Arlie used a bit of magic to open her skin and apply a drop of blood to the seal which opened instantly. Inside the box was a small rolled-up scroll and above it, a lovely silver ring. On the top of the band was an elaborate flower with three differently colored gems set in the center.

Arlie grabbed the scroll and opened it to find a brief note. It started with a simple greeting from her mother and then went straight to describing the ring.

Dragonsbane is a magical weapon forged in the old days by our clan for fighting dragons. The spell contained within is actually a degraded version of the original spell and as a result, is only effective against Lesser Dragons, Drakes, and Wyverns. The Spell, The Lord’s Lance, is a Sky Lord magic that fires a pulse or beam of magic that is dependent on the user’s main attributes. In your case my dear Arlie it will be a tri-elemental spell that combines Lightning, Fire, and Shadow as those are the attributes that you have the highest affinity with. The result should be a crackling violet-blue beam of destruction for you.

Unlike most magical tools, Dragonsbane doesn’t break after a set number of uses. This is because instead of being imbued with a limited amount of mana, it has a mana reservoir that slowly recharges with the user’s mana after use. The reservoir is large enough to store enough mana to use the imbued spell three times before the ring must recharge. The ring takes about a day to fully recharge. Practically speaking, you will only be able to use it three times a day. 

You must be wondering why I left such a valuable treasure with Cecil. The answer is that I needed to be sure you got this when the time for the journey, I know you are destined for, begins. Considering you are the ‘Bykuru Kinsara’ of the family, it is only natural the gods will present you with a journey.

Arlie paused here, staring at the reminder of her family’s so-called blessing. Personally, she considered it a curse. She had read the family histories and knew a great deal about the High God’s Blessing that her family had been given. It gave her family great power, and the Bykuru Kinsara was the member of the family who received the most power from the blessing. Her aunt had been the last Bykuru Kinsara and suffered for it. The blessing was both her greatest trump card and her bane. She considered tossing the paper aside and burning it so she could continue to pretend she wasn’t the latest inheritor of a blessing she never wanted. Still, she continued to read.

I know you probably don’t think much of it. I know my sister hated the responsibility and conflicts the title had brought to her. I wanted you to have this mainly because I know my sister hated having to use the special gifts that came with being Bykuru Kinsara. I don’t blame her though, I remember helping her with the aftermath of those times she was forced to use our greatest gift. I wish you luck on whatever journey the gods have set you on and pray that this ring aids you on your journey.

Then the letter ended with a simple ending. One she had seen countless times in letters she had found written to her by her mother. Her mother had known she was not going to be here.

“This will prove useful if we run into lesser dragons. Anything stronger and we better hope it is in a merciful mood,” said Arlie as she executed a simple flame spell. A spell that was so simple that she didn’t even need a chant or focus to cast it. A lovely flame burst from her fingertips and consumed the paper. The magical flame reducing the paper to dusty ash that rained onto the table.

“Arlie! How many times have I told you not to burn things at the table?”Aunty Santra reprimanded.

“Sorry, I’ll clean the ashes up right away,” replied Arlie sheepishly. She quickly stood up and chanted a quick cleaning spell. Which cleaned the room of ash and dust, dumping it outside.

“Let’s visit the temple and collect the boys. Best to get going while it is still light out,” said Lily. Arlie and Rose concurred and they were soon out the door.

The walk to the temple was a pleasant one. Today had lovely weather with a slight breeze and only a handful of clouds dotted the sky. Providing a decent amount of shade when they passed overhead. Most of the villagers had already started their day, so traffic wasn’t too bad. 

The temple itself was placed on the top of the highest hill in the village and not far from the center of the village either. The temple was made of pristine white and black stone. A circular structure that was open to the sky and in the center of the structure was an imposing statue of a winged woman. Her wings were covered with scales and her figure was only lightly clothed. More scales could be seen on her arms, legs, and stomach, all with beautiful patterns that were painstakingly carved in exquisite detail. Her scale-covered wings were fully extended and seemed frozen mid flap. Instead of human feet, she had terrifying talons that looked like they could rip a man apart in an instant. Every detail made it seem like the statue could come to life at any moment. The statue was of a Skylord, specifically of the High Goddess Lurellia, The Goddess of Life. She governed everything about life, including things like fertility and the harvest. Her fertility aspect made her a very popular goddess for women seeking to have a child, while her power over crops made her popular with farmers. There were lesser goddesses under her that helped her govern her aspect. Statues of those goddesses were placed before each of the pillars that held up the ring around the temple grounds.

The power of the High Gods was attributed to the sky, hence the reason they were also called the Sky Lords. The openness of the temple was meant to honor this relationship. Voros didn’t have an especially large temple, and only had the space to honor a single a major god and her pantheon. The trio was intercepted by the lone priestess tending the grounds halfway up the path to the temple. Being a small temple, Voros did not have many priestesses tending the temple. So it was not uncommon for only one of them to be tending the temple.

“Good morning, Contrey and the Santra twins. Have you come to pay your respects to the High Gods or is there something I can help you with on this fine day?” asked the Priestess.

“We were going to offer our prayers before leaving on a journey,” said Arlie.

“A journey, may the gods bless your path then. I wish you luck and pray you return home safely,” said the Priestess. Arlie smiled and thanked the priestess. Then they continued up the paved path. The grounds around the temple were lined with beautiful flowers, and the cobblestone path gave people a nice walkway. The three knelt before the statue and offered their prayers to the goddess as soon as they reached the altar of the temple.

As soon as their prayers were finished, a pleasant warmth washed over them, and they stood up. Their business had not taken all that long, so now finished, they descended the hill. They already had everything they needed packed in a cart at Arlie’s home, so they headed there next. They passed through the town square and navigated the sparsely packed streets to the building. Arlie pulled out the twin's armor and weapons from the cart as soon as they got there. She then patiently waited for them to equip their gear before they headed off to the stable. Pulling the cart with them. 

They found the boys waiting for them at the stable. Thron was brushing Arlie’s horse, while Horon was sitting on a bench outside the stable.

“Hey, Arlie. Thought you would appreciate it if I readied your horse. Still wish you would tell me its name though,” said Thron.

“She doesn’t like you, Thron. Hell, I’m beginning to think she hates men,” said Horon.

“She loves me, she’s just too shy to admit it,” said Thron.

“Ha ha ha, loves you? She gave you that scar! I think it safe to say, she hates you,” said Horon. Arlie didn’t know what to say about the topic of conversation, given that they were talking about her. The most astonishing thing was that they were doing it in front of her.

“Hey don’t insult my scar. Ladies dig scars, and I’m sure Arlie loves my scar,” said Thron. “Why am I cursed with this clueless idiot? Why isn’t there a spell to give him a brain?” wondered Arlie as she slumped in front of the cart she had helped pull.

“You two are bothering Arlie!” shouted Lily. While Rose checked on the slumped Arlie. Who she found muttering about how unreasonably dense the boy was. 

“Don’t let him get to you. I’m sure he will figure it out eventually. Hey, don’t you have a cousin in Arcs?” said Rose.

“Yes, I was planning on stopping there when we get to the town. Why do you ask?” responded Arlie.

“Maybe she could help,” proposed Rose.

“I don’t know about that. The family library didn’t have a single book on a spell that could fix that idiot. I have spells that can turn people into bumbling idiots in that library, but not a single spell to make someone smarter,” said Arlie.

“I don’t think you need to make him smarter just less dense,” said Rose.

“Guess, it won’t hurt to ask her, but I still find it amazing to think someone is so clueless that you can reject them outright and they will still pursue you,” said Arlie. In the background, Lily could be heard lecturing the boys.

“Thron has always been a bit clueless. He seems to understand imagery better than anything else,” said Rose. Arlie’s face turned red, and she said, “I don’t think imagery would be a good idea.”

“No, I guess not. We also need to get going, if we want to reach the first rest point before nightfall,” said Rose. Arlie concurred and got up. The roads between villages and towns had ward stones placed at regular intervals to keep monsters away. They weren’t foolproof, but they did greatly reduce the number of monsters you would encounter on the road. Most monsters were nocturnal, so monster attacks were more common at night. At regular intervals on the road you would find clearings called rest points where travelers regularly set up camping sites. The rest points weren’t any safer from attack than the road, but they were usually defensible locations. Chosen so that campers can fight off a monster if it attacks. Often times if a group has a mage, he or she could cast Protection Barrier around the site that will prevent monster attacks.

Arlie had traveled the road a number of times herself and knew how to cast a Protection Barrier. Voros being a small village, didn’t have all the amenities and services that a town like Arcs had, so often times she had gone on errands to Arcs. 

It didn’t take long for the group to finish preparing Arlie’s horse. Like most Varixyian breeds, the horse was small, but well built. Even in rough terrain, thanks to the special features of the small cart, she would have little trouble pulling the small cart containing their supplies and equipment. As for the cart, it was just big enough to carry a few changes of clothes, camping gear, food, water, a strongbox for their funds, some medicine including potions and the extra equipment they needed (such as the gear Horon needed to maintain their armor and weapons). Even then, it would still have some space left over. Before leaving, the group double-checked their gear.

Arlie didn’t use armor, but she had brought her short sword out of storage. It was actually more of a knife, but given her frame, it was effectively a short sword in her hands. Most mages trained a backup weapon in case they got into close combat. In her case, she had shown talent with the sword and that was her backup weapon. Most mages prefer the staff as it could double as a spell focus. She had found it easier to use a ring as her spell focus. Which is why she had a nondescript silver ring on each hand that served as her spell foci. She had her sword strapped to her waist and was wearing a thick, sturdy brown and blue traveling robe. Carefully woven into the fabric were a number of enchantments, including several defensive ones. Her traveling robe was also shorter and designed not to impede movement. The robe had a skirt that stopped just above her knees and short sleeves that left her arms free. The front of the robe was held closed by a simple brown sash tied across the waist. Under the sash was a belt sewn into the fabric that held the sheath for her sword. Most importantly, the materials it was made from didn’t impede mana flow. That was the main reason she didn’t use armor. As a mage, she had to choose the materials carefully, and the materials needed to make even a basic mage armor for her were expensive. To protect her feet, she was wearing a sturdy pair of traveling boots that ran halfway up her shins. On her hands, she was wearing some sturdy brown fingerless gloves. 

The twins were wearing the same armor they wore on the hunting trip just the day before yesterday. On their backs, they had their bows slung alongside a quiver. Each had their long hunting knives strapped to their waists. As for the boys, Thron was wearing a reinforced set of leather armor. It had metal parts to provide extra protection to vital areas, without overly impeding mobility. He had his sword strapped to his waist so he could draw it easily. Thron was an imposing figure at nearly two meters tall. His frame was covered in muscle and on his left cheek, the beginnings of a scar that wrapped down under his chin and went under his armor on the right side of his neck could be seen. He had rugged, chiseled features that most girls would find attractive.

While Horon was wearing a similar set of armor sized for his smaller frame, and he had an ax hanging from his belt instead. Unlike Thron, Horon also carried a bow which he had slung over his shoulder along with a spear. He was slightly below average height for a man, but he had a well-muscled figure and a good face.

As soon as the group had finished double-checking their gear, they headed to the north gate of the village. It wasn’t very far from the stable, seeing as the stable had been built only a few meters from the north gate. The five friends took up a formation around the cart with Arlie leading the horse and walked out the gate as soon as the guard opened it for them.

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