POV – Alania Knighting

After what seemed like; paradoxically, an eternity and yet no time at all, Alania felt the teleportation end, reality rushed back together as feeling returned to her body. The gentle smell of nature filled her nose as rays of sunlight stuck her skin, however she gave no attention to the tranquil environment, her mind frozen in a confused bliss.

Alania’s face was painted a bright crimson as it lay trapped between the smooth pale sphere, a warm pulse emitted from the orb that blocked her vision.

She stood there, petrified, her mind in disarray as it tried to reconcile the sheer joy of her position with the mortifying nature of her situation. Her joyful escapism eventually had to come to an end however, the soft surface her face had been pressed into eventually pulled away as the woman took a step back.

The sudden and unexpected change almost caused Alania to crumble to the ground, something she slightly wished had happened as her situation returned to her attention, along with the embarrassment of what she had just done.

‘Did… she…’

Alania shot a horrified glance towards the alien woman, only to find their attention on the environment around them. A sigh of relief escaped her mouth as she attempted to force the blush from her face.

‘She didn’t see, no one knows…’

With her humiliating self-indulgence pushed to the back of her mind she joined the woman in examination of their surroundings.

‘Wait… where are we…’

Alania looked over the beautiful natural landscape unmarked by civilisation that stretched out in all directions.

They stood atop one of many hills covered by lush grass that sighed in the slight wind, patches of trees occasionally dotting the grassy terrain. Far off in the distance Alania could spot a massive mountain range, peaks blackened for the abundant energy of high altitudes.

Alania turned her forces towards the edge of the grass land, it was like a man-made clearing, a shear wall of dense vegetation blocking off three side. The last cover by a massive lake of shinning blue water, several large reptiles resting on the bank closest to them.

‘It’s… beautiful, this is nothing like anywhere in Moridian, home is far to cold for any kind of jungle…’

‘And what are those creatures, likely some species of Xenothon, but definitely not one I know… still, maybe somewhere on mainland Zednious, they are common across the entire continent.’

Alania’s attention slowly waving from the environment to the figure beside her, the light gleaming off the smooth pale skin, and highlighted the complex black structure that comprise her forearms.

‘Beautiful...’

‘Why… why does the alien… dragon… creature, WHATEVER have to be hot…’

‘And nice… or I guess kind to me…’

‘But she wiped out so many people… that’s… even if valid, it’s not got…’

‘…’

‘You don’t even know if she wants, or has a relationship, especially with just some mortal…’

Alania forced her attention way for the woman, only for it to be brought right back as her the melodic voice exit the woman’s lips.

Woman “Definitely safer… I think, anyway let’s get to introductions, or I guess re-introductions.”

Her eyes meeting with the alien’s eyes, the abyss of black drawing in her entire attention while the white star seemingly pierced into her mind.

Alania only managing to hold the eye contact for several second, before she turned away, cheeks marked once again with crimson blush.

A gentle laugh like sound escaped the woman’s lips at Alania’s reaction, promptly followed by the musical voice breaking over the landscape.

Woman “I supposed it is productive if I initiate this,”

The symphony of the pale woman’s voice pausing for a second, clearly in thought.

Woman “My… I guess title is the most accurate term your language has, is Monarch,”

Woman “Though for ease of use, simply call me Mona.”

The woman, Mona, paused for a second, raising one of her pitch-black talons to her face.

Mona “Your world does not really have… the capacity to express a rationalised term of what I am,”

Mona “But, an approximation for what my kind are called, would be Orcmids.”

Mona “Through, that does not really inform you of anything about me…”

The women, Mona, scratch her cheek lightly with one of her pitch-black talons, clearly think what to say next.

Mona “I shall propose that my act speak for my capabilities… as for my intent,”

Mona “I entered this section of space with the aim of self-entertainment…”

The humanoid trailing off as she fell back into though, leaving a deafening silence to fall over the pair.

Alania could feel her breathe catch in her throat as she heard Mona’s word, a mixture of confusion and dread welled inside her.

‘She just… wants entertainment… that’s it…’

‘She… she hops worlds for entertainment… what…’

She could feel herself start to breakdown at the ridiculousness of the notion, her heartbeat rapidly pounded in her ears.

‘Its… no… it’s just different,’

‘Calm, it’s just a difference in lifestyles… it’s not something to fixate on,’

‘Alania, calm, breath,’

Focusing on pulling air into her lungs she let the silence wash over her, centring herself, dismissing the flourishing whispers of dread. Alania’s mind returned to a calm quite as she continued to breath in and out, slowly she let her attention return to the world around her.

Her vision was meet with the concerned face of Mona, Alania’s eyes instantly tracing over the pale alien’s complexion. The incredible smoothness of the woman’s face even more clear when it was so close to her own.

‘WAIT, when did she get so close-’

Alania stagged backwards, nearly falling to the ground once again as a hot blush blazed across her cheeks.

Alania “W-what was that for…”

She saw confusion spread across the alien woman’s face, as Mona titled her head slightly.

Mona “Your bodily motions just… froze… which is has occurred several times with our interactions,”

Mona “I presumed it not to be a natural state for lifeforms of this world, and so choose to investigate your biological status.”

Mona “Though it appears to be at functional levels…”

An awkward silence formed between the two as Alania’s face flashed with even more crimson pigment.

‘What is wrong with me…’

‘She… why does she keep getting so flustered…’

Mona “Shall we press forward with my introduction.”

The abruptness of Mona destruction of the muteness causing Alania to freeze for a moment before she focused on the melodic words filling the air.

Mona “As I stated, my occurrence in this space is for my personal enjoyment and entertainment.”

Mona “It is a common issue collectively found among my kin, and functionally any sentient construct that lacks an age limit,”

Mona “Though that is removed for the topic.”

Mona “My intent was to explore this world, and amuse myself…”

Mona “However, your occurrence has given me a potential additional avenue for preventing boredom.”

Alania could feel the gleams of white in their black voids fixed to her in anticipation, prompting, wishing for her to inquire further.

Alania “a-and that is?”

Mona frozen for a split second as a slight mark of confusion flashed across the woman’s face before she carefully responded.

‘That… was wrong…’

Mona “It is you… the individual that is yourself…”

Complete disbelief crashed down onto Alania’s rapidly distressed mind with the alien melodic words.

‘W-what…’

Mona “You appear to not understand,”

Mona “From, which I admit to be few, interactions have illustrated an interesting individuals, which is compounded with the unique situation of you biological state…”

Mona “With me additionally being able to express, at least for my position, an interesting dynamic to our given interactions.”

Mona “It is possible for me to continue with reasons, such as the potential interesting future which your memories suggest, or, I suppose if you desire the most mundane reasoning, I would press that your rather cute by my standards…”

Alania’s mind descended into a well of confusion at Mona’s words and the many, many implications tied to them. She pushed a major of it to the side, focusing on a only the main points the alien expressed in an attempt to quell the disarray in her head.

Alania “M-my memories”

Mona “Yeah… I mention this topic previously, to prevent you minds collapse I extracted specific memories, and for an unlikely fortune, I have been able to determine parts of your language off them.”

Mona “I am unsure how to continue this… do you lack knowledge of this pervious conversation, was it just a reaction to deal with an information overload?”

Alania blinked, her mind raced to recall the memories of this issue, with them quickly being brought to the forefront of her mind.

Alania “No… no I.. I do remember… just…”

Mona “Perhaps we should end our conversing here for the day…your individual seems… to… be having difficulty continue?”

The melody in the woman voice dropped significantly as the concern filled her tone, the black sphere watched her with slight, but prominent concern.

Alania “No, we can continue…”

Mona “Okay then… I presume it is your difficulty anyway.”

Alania found a slight smile tugging at her lips, the alien’s odd way of speaking was quickly becoming rather endearing to her. Her mind started to reflect on the woman’s continued adorable issue in express, before the melody of her vocals pulled Alania’s attention back to her.

Mona “May I prompt you to perform an introduction of your individual?”

Alania took a slow breath in she pushed her mind back into calmness, letting a stillness settle, before beginning with what could be one of the most important introductions of her life.

Alania “M-my name is Alania Knighting, I was born in Moridian… it’s also where I grow up…”

She could feel the silence of her mind start to collapse, still she pushed on, hoping to finish it quickly.

Alania “I-I am called the Draconic Hero, for… obvious reason,”

Alania “and, I- I want to protect my family… the people of Moridian… and maybe the rest of the people living on the Zednious continent.”

As Alania trailed off a series of claps burst to life form the black hands of the alien, before Mona’s voice overwhelmed her claps.

Mona “Good job, a functional introduction.”

Alania could already feel the crimson spread across her face at the sincerity of the alien’s also most motherly approval.

‘WHY ARE YOU LIKE THIS…’

‘You can barely even introduce yourself without stumbling over your own words,’

‘She just… she’s…’

‘Why is she so nice… it’s just… it doesn’t make sense…’

‘She is like a contradiction, mercilessly wiping out armies… and then… this…’

Her complex emotions fleshing across her face as she contemplated why such a destructive creature would help anyone, only for the return of the melody to break her from her thoughts.

Mona “Is your state good Alania?”

Her attention snapped to the alien woman’s slightly concerned face, as its empty eyes studied Alania for the source of the apparent issue.

Mona “Your biological constitution remains consistent with pre-transportation to this vicinity…”

Mona “Is… does your mental form find issue with something-”

Alania watched the woman face freeze, before it blossomed with an apprehensive understanding.

Mona “Your difficult to rectifying my earlier actions to my current behaviour…”

She felt a slight shame bubble up as she watched Mona’s face drop into a weird expression of sadness, disappointment, and agreement.

A silence formed as the alien awkwardly ran one hand of its black talons through its pure white hair, clearly unsure what do say next.

Alania found an odd sympathy with the woman, her mind drifted to the many time her curiosity had nearly gotten her killed. How her parents would be so worried, how she would apologise promising to be more careful before doing it again.

‘It’s so… she knows it’s wrong… but accepts that it’s going to happen again…’

‘Or… is this just an act…’

Alania pulled in a deep breath before she pushed herself to speak, the silence shattered into an uneasy conversation.

Alania “Mona… is this an act?

She watched the woman titled her head in confusion, even if her face remained blank from emotion.

Alania “I mean are you… are you… you or… or that monster…”

Mona “It… is a complicated topic of conversing…”

The alien paused for a moment before carefully allowed its melodic voice to continue.

Mona “In terms of self… I would be classified as both… but also neither…”

Mona “It is hard to express what I am…”

Mona “One mind made of many… but many minds made from one…”

Mona “That would function as the closet expression to what I, and my kin are in your language.”

Mona “As for that relation to my actions, I would propose that I act in a more… personal? Way when in individual conversations,”

Mona “While for that unknown combat situation I functioned more as… conflict.”

The conversation tapered off in quite as Alania contemplated Mona’s words, time slipped by as she slowly reached a conclusion. Her eyes locked with the piercing gaze of the woman’s white stars for a second, she glanced away as a nearly invisible anxiety seemed to flicker across the voids of black behind them.

Her body trembled slight from the oddness of the alien’s eyes, their impossible yet undeniable expression of emotion.

Alania “So like how people change how they act depending on who they’re with?”

Mona “In a simplistic sense… it is just-”

Alania “No, I… I think I get it…”

‘Even if it’s really weird…’

‘Though I guess it might be higher being stuff,’

She turned back to face Mona, as the woman’s melodic voice dismissed the silence that attempted to descend on them.

Mona “Your belief is still correct through, an outcome of an approximate 16.63 million deceased lifeforms is… bad…”

Alania “WHAT?!?”

Alania “That nearly half the population of Drathgon!?!”

A sigh exited the alien’s lips as it gazed at Alania with a look of both exasperation and pity, quietly she let Alania’s mind realize the problem.

Alania “Oh… humm… It’s the capital of Moridian, the second largest city on the continent.”

Alania “But… that’s not the point, there is no way the combined human force on that front reached that more than 5 million.”

Mona “That is an accurate conclusion… to my comprehension only about 4.65 million of those who perished to me where components of human forces,”

Mona “The remaining 11.98 million deceased individuals were of demonic constitution.”

She felt her jaw drop at the sheer disparity Mona had proposed there to have between the two armies.

A bubble of thankfulness formed within her to the alien for preventing her from experiencing such an impossible war. The bubble quickly popped by guilt and shame at even having a though of relief for escaping such an event at the cost of so many lives.

‘No… you can’t, so many innocent people died…’

‘It doesn’t matter the outcome, you… you shouldn’t like that it happened…’

The melodic voice of Mona drew her attention for her rapidly spiralling thoughts.

Mona “That expressed, a significant amount of those demonic creatures were of sentient nature… so perhaps a functions death rate of about 11 million.” 

She felt her mind fixating onto one the woman’s words, a dread bubbled up as her mind began to realise what the words entailed.

Alania “What… do you mean…”

Alania’s face slowly wrapped with a mixture of horror and disbelief, her breath catching in her throat as the woman starched her cheek. A flash of a grimace crossed Mona’s face as she looked at Alania with a slightly sorrowfully expression. 

Mona “It… I press this is only a possibility…”

Mona “However… I suspect a reasonable likelihood of the demonic life you have been in opposition with as equally sentient to your own race.”

She felt stammered words escape her mouth as Alania face filled with despair.

Alania “But… that’s… there under the control of a demon lord or something.”

Alania “That’s… that’s why they invaded…”

Alania felt the cold black voids behind the stars of white flash with pity, as if the alien woman was gazing upon a child that had just been tricked.

Mona “Could you express a possible rationalisation for their invading?”

She blinked; her mind raced to fill the apparent escape the woman had given her from the conflict that brewed in her mind.

Alania “No, the demons have land, resources, they’re even favoured by the great calamity of the earth.”

Alania “They have no reason to invade, other-”

The calm and gentle melody cut off her words, the woman’s eyes remained fixed at Alania’s own as she spoke.

Mona “Is there a geographical significance to this land mass?”

She felt her body shiver as the cold reality hit her, her voice trembled slightly as Mona amiable gaze calmly watched her.

Alania “Y-yes…”

Alania “The Zednious continent… here…”

Alania “It’s the only connection point between the mortal nations and demon land…”

She believed it would come, a revelation of how she was guilty, an undeniable proclamation of here wrongness. Instead, the melodic voice proposed something different, the alien woman’s calm music washed over her.

Mona “That would indicate either they are after power or security.”

Mona “While they are similar in the applications of the concepts the driving purpose is different,”

Mona “Given one side, they might be intending to prevent invasion of their own regions, or potentially disable nations with historical or renowned hatred towards them.”

Mona “Conversely, it could be out of a desire to enforce control over those nations.”

Mona “Given that, you are not in the wrong.”

Alania “But-”

Mona “Conflicts at this scale are often… indeterminable, acts done by those within them…”

Mona “They applied by a different standing, one’s actions are nearly always righteous in the views of their allies, but callous and murderous to those in opposition.”

The melody paused for a moment to let its words settle in, Alania’s mind churned with thoughts as it mulled over the words.  

‘She… she can’t be right…’

‘But it makes sense… I have seen the… messes… that can come from legal disputes between adventures…’

‘Even just those have made me question morality…’

‘But that on a bigger scale… a national scale…’

Mona “It could be expressed, that often, even among those in capabilities far above your own, those guilty in war are those abstracted from it and yet control it, force it, causes it.”

Mona “At minimum that is the conclusion I have found from my experience with them.”

Mona “Given, I have had exposure to conflicts of massive scale with one sided morality,”

Mona “even with those case, only an exceedingly small selection of them where truly a example of a purely moral right side, against a moral wrong one.”

Her mind felt an unknown weight left from its depths, the realisation that there likely wasn’t any naturally evil species.

‘Nothing is born evil…’

Alania let the thought blissfully float around her mind, a reminder, a hope, for a dream she had in her younger years.

‘Maybe it is possible… to protect everyone,’

‘Maybe…’

She knew how ridiculous her thinking was, even when the calamities had supposedly roomed the mortal world conflicts had still occurred.

‘Just maybe… I…’

Her eyes glanced towards the alien woman that towered beside her, pale hair marked with orange from the first of the setting suns.

‘Maybe we could push the world towards peace…’

‘Maybe she might-’

She cut off her train of thought, a flash of red stained her cheek for a moment.

‘No, that’s… irrelevant,’

‘And… world peace… that stupid…’

‘But maybe… you can try, try to save as many peo- lives as possible…’

‘Prevent as many deaths form this war between those on Zednious and the demons…’

‘Maybe even end it…’

Less then a day ago she would have felt like that war wouldn’t end until either side was complete wiped out. Alania felt her heart thump in her chest, she had a renewed goal, a goal she thought would never be possible hours ago.

‘And its thanks to her…’

Her gaze ran over the woman’s pale curves and black alien structure. Her attention settled on Mona’s faces, a quiet voice escaped Alania’s lips as she stared in awe and affection.

Alania “Thanks…”

A slight smile creeped onto the alien woman’s lips, one slightly to wide to be human, Alania still found it beautiful.

Mona “I… Did my expression help…”

She closed her eyes, as she allowed the melody of the woman’s voice to warp around her, before calmly and slowly responding.

Alania “Yes… I think so… even if it gives me reason to rethink this whole,”

Alania “War…”

Mona “€*⌈ΜΜoπX”

Alania’s eyes snapped open in shock, her mind trembled as it tried to understand what it had just felt.

Mona “I… apologise, that come out wrong… your language… or the expression of language I have from you, they lack the means to express that…”

The black talons pulled away from her shoulder to raking through her hair as she scratched her head, a slight red pigment dying her cheeks for a second, but only a second.

She staired at the alien woman, her eyes shimmered with intrigue and wonder at the incomprehensible she had just witnessed.

Mona “It was an attempt to express… an…”

The melody paused for a moment as Mona contemplated how best to explain her intention.

Mona “A construct, which would contain a heavy approximate of a congratulations, affection and hope towards a given individual…”

Alania wasn’t sure whether to ponder the wonder of the express Mona had made or fixate on the odd joy she found from the alien’s embarrassment.

She wasn’t given the option to do either as the woman quickly pivoted the conversation away from the topic.

Mona “Dismiss that occurrence, we have sufficient issue impending on us currently.”

Alania felt her mind strain, as it was pulled back to the reality of where they were from the enlightening knowledge about the reality of war.

Mona “Foremost, our current placement, it should be a location on the same land mass,”

Mona “Though I lack knowledge of where.”

Alania’s jaw dropped in disbelief as Mona trailed off, her mind struggled to understand how a being who had given such a sound lecture on the reality of war had acted so carelessly.

Her expression of shock must have been clear, as Mona immediately tried to explain her actions.

Mona “I was concerned for your health, a little distressed about the ramifications of you surviving the attack, and confused by what must be happening in your body…”

Alania “But… you teleport to somewhere you don’t know…”

Mona “That… is an accurate assessment of my expressed experience…”

Alania “DO YOU KNOW HOW DANGEROUS THAT IS!”

Mona “That is not dangerous… is specific region rationalisation from space analysis not something done in your society?”

Alania “WHAT DOES THAT EVEN MEAN?!?”

The woman broke eye contact for a second glancing off into the distance, as she if slightly ashamed from bring up the topic.

Mona “That is not a topic for discussion, perhaps one for the future,”

Mona “My intended point was, I performed fabric re-location to ensure you avoided further injury of yourself,”

Mona “My… attack… had pumped that area full of… What could be simply expressed as higher energies, into the area.”

Mona “These are the same classifications of energy which fundamentally comprised all contacts, this includes those related to the composition of essence, or at least more accurately to your language souls.”

Mona “Due to your unstable essence state, I conclude it a reasonable choice to evacuate you for the vicinity of energies that could worsen that state…”

The alien woman paused for a moment, before her face flashed with distress and annoyance.

Mona “I could simple have put it, I was concerned for your health.”

Mona “I do believe it should not be ridiculous for the notion that a higher being would care about some cute mortal.”

Mona “Especially given what you have witness in the small sliver of time.”

A silence descending between them, as the orange evening light gleamed off Mona’s black talon. The curved blade of black lightly scratching at a slight blush that dyed her cheeks.

Alania could feel her own cheeks blaze with embarrassment at Mona’s words, her heart pounding faster.

‘She… she wanted to help me…’

‘Why…why do I feel so… so nice?’

A feeling of affection flashing through Alania’s mind at the alien’s feelings, something she would have immediately questioned if not for Mona’s voice distracting her.

Mona “How about we return to this conversation once I have determined what is the reasoning and statis related to it?”

Alania “Yes”

Her rapid response an attempt to distract herself from the confusing emotions she had on the alien woman, and the odd discomfort she felt from the notion of something occurring with her soul.

Mona “I feel that perhaps we have done enough for this daylight- no, this day.”

Alania “But…”

An odd panic filled her mind, she found herself fearful of falling asleep for some reason she couldn’t quite pinpoint.

Mona “For an individual of mortal constitution the experience you have had today would require an adequate period of sleep to properly process…”

Mona “I… I simply want you to… to mentally process today to allow an effective express of judgement on future actions when we come to conversing on that topic.”

Alania paused before she attempted to disagree, she could feel the pressing tiredness of the day in the back of her mind. She pushed the nagging unexplainable fear aside slowly nodded at Mona’s words, begrudgingly agreeing the necessity for her to sleep.

The alien quickly glanced around them, studying the area for something, clearly not finding it she turned back to Alania.

Mona “Where would you pose is the safest area? Do any of the plants have properties that we could function as sufficient shelters?”

Alania paused for a moment to think through the woman’s words, she quickly glanced over the flora around. Her eyes scanned the undergrowth as her mind ran through the knowledge her many lectures on the botanical life of Zednious instilled in her.

‘The shrubbery seemed to be mainly in the Vectial family… so not likely to help…’

‘Maybe the trees? Those look like Lime trees, potentially also some Onstar… not like which one matters, both species have to many gapes canopy for good cover against rain…’

‘The shrubbery seems to mainly be those in the Vectial Family, some of those shrubs are unlike any I have seen… better to avoid then in case there dangerous…’

Shifting her attention to the hills around them, Alania noted the several silver coloured trees.

‘Probably Silver skin’s… none are big enough for a hollow to form within them through…’

‘Still probably the best option we have…’

Alania “I think the Silver Skin’s over there would be the best beat, even if they wouldn’t completely protect us from weather,”

Alania “Most fauna avoid them because of their mana suppressing abilities.”

Mona “I… I am unsure of which… plant you are referring to…”

She felt a wave of awkwardness and embracement was over her as she received a blank look form Mona.

Alania “Oh… humm… right, those trees with silver bark and no grass around them.”

She pointed towards the nearest one, Mona nodded her head in understanding before she stepped forward and placed a claw talon on Alania’s shoulder.

Mona “I press a recommendation that you close your eyes for a moment,”

Alania’s body follow the instructions before give the melodic voice a second thought.

She felt the world twisted around her as a moment of pure silence and coldness washed over her. Her eyes snapped open in panic, only to find Mona and herself positioned bellow the canopy of one of the Silver Skin trees.

Alania “What… what happened?”

As Mona stepped past Alania to inspect the tree her melodic voice echoed out in response.

Mona “A simple short-ranged relocation, the method is just the fastest means of traversal.” 

Alania could only stare, for what to her felt like the millionth time that day, in raw disbelief at the alien woman before her named Mona.