Chapter Text
-*-
We begin our tale in a day of merriment.
Or so it should be for Laios Touden, Lieutenant General of the Kingdom of Esperia. He had just been given the incredibly elusive day off, one that he had managed to make fall into the very same day that his Falin had finally come to visit him. They hadn’t seen in each other in over a year, ever since he managed to visit her following her graduation from the Magic Academy. He had been so excited to ask her all about her new life and tell her all the great things he had achieved since they met.
So why was his dear sister gossiping with that alarming elf magic user?!
“Oh, hello Big Brother! I didn’t see you there!” the younger Touden said after her gaze wondered of the elf long enough to see Laios standing at the door of the guest room. She quickly waved at him to come in, seemingly completely unaware of Laios and the woman gaze having met and erupted in sparks.
That woman, the court wizard, she was making the kind of face others did when they were suspicious of him, which really had become her default state of being when she and Laios were in the same room, and Laios didn’t bother hiding his distaste for the situation himself.
“So, this bru- this man is the older brother you always rave to me about?” the woman asked as her face relaxed with a smile just as quickly as she turned her neck to face Falin again.
“Right! Have two met before?! You must have, right?! I was so glad when I heard you had taken you mother’s old post, so that I could visit you both at same time!” Falin rhythmically waggled her arms below her chin, swivelling like a pendulum in both of their directions. Her unbridled enthusiasm and, more importantly, infectious happiness managed to cool the atmosphere of the room, with both other parties catching themselves smiling as well. It was then that Laios decided to focus on what was important right now, keeping that smile alive and well.
“We have met yes, but we don’t really talk often… at all really.” Laios began, sitting by the desk near the luxurious bed that had been prepared for Falin. That did bring back a thought to Laios’ mind of how this room was usually reserved for esteemed guests, hardly the sister of a soldier even for someone of his rank. He hadn’t even known that Falin would have been able to stay in the castle! Such a waste of time trying to remodel his living room into a place where he could sleep while Falin rested in his own room. He eyed the woman sitting on the other side of his sister’s bed. Had she been to blame? “Lady Donato spends her days by His Majesty’s side after all.”
The Court Magician scoffed with practiced ease, like she had heard this accusation one too many times.
“Please don’t put notions like that in Falin’s head. I’m only there when he orders me to be.” she corrected, to which Laios could only shrug, as it was not like he spent enough time in the castle to know about it. All that he knew about this woman came from glancing past her in hallways when attending meetings, nodding through the gossip of his troops or the rare time he visited the throne room. And opinions on her were split to say the least.
“I bet you still sneak off to research on any opening you get. Is that how you got so pale? It’s not even been two years!” Falin chuckled, pulling on the woman’s cheek to prove a point. Laios was about to leap out of his chair to protect her, it was common knowledge that the Court Wizard scorched the hands of any that dared to ruin her decorum. But then Falin added: “Geez Marcille, are you even spending the night in your room, or did you just plop a bed in your laboratory like you always threatened to do back at the Academy?”
And a light went off inside Laios’ skull.
“Wait... Marcille?! That Marcille? Your best friend from the Academy, Marcille?!” stammered the older Touden, much to the amusement of one of the girls and the annoyance of the other one, who had taken upon herself to stand up from the bed, waltz right up to him and lean down until her face was mere inches away from his.
“Then she did tell you about me! So why did you keep avoiding me when I tried to introduce myself to you? I was practically convinced there were just two separate Laios Toudens that lived in the same country and worked in the same profession!” she chastised, going as far as to nearly poke him in the eye with her index finger when he found it hard to maintain eye contact. Laios was still not good with people that got into his personal space... besides the ones trying to kill him.
“How was I supposed to know that Lady Donato was Falin’s researcher classmate?!” Laios snapped, mentally admonishing himself for yet again sounding more like a hurt puppy than an outraged bear.
Marcille pulled away, eyes widening in realization.
“Falin... did you honestly never tell him my surname? Or how I look? Or-”
“Not really, no.” Falin cut in, the elf just hiding her face in the palm of her hands. “I mean I didn’t tell you how my brother looked, or his surname and you figured it out just fi- oh... right...”
Oh Falin, so smart, yet never quite there. Her world was what she made of it, anything else she would never linger in it for longer than necessary. Laios both envied that and wanted nothing more than to provide her that freedom. Laios couldn’t help but start chuckling at that the display. As he did, the same kind of bemusement escaped Marcille’s lips, even when sealed by her hands. Before he knew it, Falin had too dressed down all his worries and left him with only the knowledge that he had just reunited with his sister, and she had not changed a bit. The entire room echoed with laughter by the time Falin found her way across the room and reaching out to the two people she had come to pay a visit to.
“I’ll be in your care you two!” Falin exclaimed with a tilt of her head, her eyes opening with a serene beam, one of the few things that brought stillness to Laios’ soul.
Laios and Marcille shared another quick glance at each other, but with her sighing and reaching out to take Falin’s left hand, Laios took her right one in his and smiled back.
“Just like old times!” he answered at the same time he pledged a silent oath to do better than he had then.
-*-
Marcille Donato, Court Mage of the Kingdom of Esperia, most distinguished student to the Northern Academy for the Arcane Arts and, in her mind, quite the socialite... could not make heads or tails of this situation.
Not her most trusted and beloved friend’s visitation, oh no, she had been planning it for weeks... okay, maybe over a month. She had a schedule, and everything all worked out, plus a map of the city all marked with cute factoids of the places they would visit. The Winged Protector’s statue, the Mage Tower, the Esperanto Theatre House (currently being used by an elven traveling troupe to properly adapt the Daltian Clan of course) and, maybe most importantly of all, Maestro Stefano’s Home to Cioccolato, along with other landmarks of the city.
No, what was vexing her was using little time Falin would spend in this city, barely more than a week, in wandering the slums like this!
Worst of all, Falin seemed more interest in these dingy streets than she had been in the castle that Marcille’s mother had helped build!
“This city is so big brother! And it has so many different races! Look, there’s a kobold over there!” Falin exclaimed, eyes glittering at the sight of a vagrant. Marcille wondered if it was even legal for Kobolds to live in the capital like that...
“I was pleasantly surprised too. Though no one seems to be able to tell me how it got this way...” Laios mumbled, a smirk ripping open on Marcille’s face.
“You see, Esperia’s workforce has been in dire need of expansion over the past twenty-or-so-years, but with the Northern Continent being so politically fractured, it’s hard to convince people to move countries, which causes most of the workers come from Kakha Brud and other Eastern Continent nations. The Kobold over there implies even the Western Continent is getting in on the expansion.” she rattled off, proud of living up to her position.
“Why does the country need to expand the workforce though...?” Falin questioned, and just like that, shattered the young court mage’s confidence.
“I... uh... I will have to look into it...” she admitted, her embarrassment being short lived as something tugged on the hem of her skirt. She turned around to see a tall-man child just looking up at her. Was he lost? Did he confuse her for anything? Before she could even theorize anymore, the clanging of Laios’ plate snapped her out of it, the huge general having knelt down by the child’s side and handed him a shiny gold coin.
“Don’t bother the lady Mario, she’s not used to the lowtown. Go get your sister a nice lunch.” The kid took off with a smile and a small nod, with Laios adding: “Mario can’t speak. His sister usually speaks for him, but she must be sick.”
If he was making it up, Marcille could not tell.
“How do you know so much about this place?” She questioned, receiving only a confused look in return. “You’re too high up in the chain to need to patrol this area, or even at all. Don’t tell me you’ve been wasting time coming down here on your own accord…”
Now his expression returned to one she was more acquainted with, stern, blank, intimidating honestly.
“Is that a problem? The job’s to protect the people of this country, right? Not just the ones with cushy jobs...” that last remark was as pointed as a dagger. Falin would never speak like this.
“What? Don’t put words in my mouth!” The nerve of that man, accusing her of being like those slobs she was forced to dine with so many times. “Just... this is a dangerous area, what makes you think you’re safe around here? Your clothes are practically a sign asking to get robbed.”
“Oh that... well, I’d work that out if it ever happened!” he could not be serious, but he definitely was. Marcille could not understand how this man got the position he got. “Anyway, we’re here!” he exclaimed while pointing at a rundown building whose chimney was working overtime to get rid of all the smoke.
“And here is...?” questioned Marcille, trying her best to remain impassive even as the smoke reduced her eyes to ones crying with onions.
“Lucia’s smithy.” Laios was already halfway into the establishment while saying it, his sister in tow. Against her better judgement, Marcille walked in too.
The inside looked a lot better than the first expression for it gave off. Though not fancy, all the shelves were adequately stocked and organized, the storefront was clean and any faults in the wood had been dutifully repaired. It may not have been pretty, but it was safe and practical.
“You’re late Laios!” a strong, yet slightly high-pitched voice called out from below the counter. Marcille watched in slightly shameful amusement as a female half-foot climbed her way into view from behind the counter.
That does explain all the ladders around the house.
The raven-haired half-foot the dirtiest little thing in the house, covered in sooth an sweat, her black eyes scanning the people who just snuck into her establishment. Marcille found it hard to get over the pit in her stomach when she saw people that looked so very much like her as tween out here working. The smirk the half-foot gained when she locked eyes with her and Falin though, all but innocent. “And you’ve been busy I see. Of all the lads I’d expect to bring in two bombshells, you’d be last on the list.”
Laios laughed it off with nary a thought, completely unaware of the eruption of blood that had occurred on the elven court mage. How could a girl that looked like that wield such words to describe her?!
“Don’t give them a hard time Lucia, this is Falin, my sister. Brought her with me since you said you wanted to meet her.” Laios told the clerk, Falin skipping over to the counter to give the complete stranger a hug.
“Only because you don’t stop talkin’ about her. But sheesh, you sure you two are related?” mumbled the blacksmith, mimicking the blush she had forced upon Marcille.
“We get that a lot. I don’t get why though...” Falin sighed.
Marcille chose not to comment.
“Well, what about the other girl? Still crazy for elf ears then? Don’t get why, you should get yourself a stout dwarf lady or la-”
“Lucia! Sword, show me, now!” Laios growled, taking the blacksmith’s hand and dragging her past the counter.
Marcille sighed. This was a daily occurrence at this point. Tall-men and their need to validate themselves by taking a longer-lived race as their partner or even servant. Her fellows had warned her of what would come if she ever settled in their lands.
Still, this man was a completely different person ever since they had entered the lowtown. There he was, lifting up a completely plain broadsword with a gleam of satisfaction in his eyes that was matched only by the sword’s sheen and Falin’s look of admiration.
The mage didn’t get it. He could have so much more with the kind of money he made. Nobody would even say a thing if he dipped into the armoury to grab a sword. So, what gives?
“Sorry about that Marcille, Lucia wanted to meet Falin, and I had a piece to pick up, I’ll make it up for you on the next stop.” Laios oh-so-honestly apologized, having completely forgotten to dispel the accusations lobbied against him.
“I don’t need any compensation, I pledged my free time to Falin for her stay here, so ju-” a finger shushed her.
“Marcille, it’s rude to refuse an apology! Let my brother treat you!” Falin demanded, her golden gaze, normally hidden behind her nearsighted lids, fully piercing Marcille’s greens. It only stopped when her shoulders slumped in defeat.
“Oh, I see how it is...” Lucia cryptically snided, snatching the purse off a very confused Laios. “Your sister’s a scary one champ, get her out of my store before I’m caught in her web.” she told the person that could have her executed with nary an excuse before kicking his ass off the smithy.
Marcille just stared at the full-grown tall-man, laid out on his rear by a half-foot a third of his size and just mentally checked out for the time being.
“Where next?”
-*-
“You know, I’m pleasantly surprised.” Laios turned around to meet the unexpected complimented. Falin’s friend had been quick to shower his sister with praise at any opportunity but him?
“What for?” Laios raised an eyebrow.
“I didn’t take you as someone to appreciate magic.” She retorted just as Laios realized her gaze was on the mage tower.
He and his sister shared a look before quietly chuckling.
“Sorry to disappoint, but that’s a bit over my pay grade. No, we’re here for what’s on the other side of the tower!” He regained pep when he realized Marcille had no idea what he meant. And so, he guided both girls to one of his favorite places to unwind.
Awkwardly positioned in what should probably be private property for the mages in the tower, but instead had become an al fresco cafe, was a little stall, with table sets littered around the tower garden around it.
Inside the stall was an elderly tall-woman, waving an obsidian wand around to conjure small blocks of ice over a couple’s bowls and wish a swish of her instrument shredding them into snow-white shavings that landed gracefully on the recipients. As she waved them off, Marcille ran past them and slammed her hands on the table.
“Professor Lucchese, what are you doing here?!” she exclaimed, nearly screamed, a glee that Laios had yet to see painting her face with a smile that was too pretty too be natural.
“Little Marcie... Oh I should call you Lady Donato now shouldn’t I?” the elder joked, receiving a wild headshake in return.
“I could never! I’ll always defer to you first!” Marcille insisted, turning to the Laios and his sister with a blinding beam. “Professor Lucchese, was my homeroom teacher while I was still a student. She retired the same year Falin joined though...”
“Oh, so you know Arete, that’s nice. She’s our chef for the afternoon!” Laios replied as he joined her at the counter. His instincts told him to dodge something, but he was so confused as to what it would be that he let Marcille smack him over the head.
“Show some respect! She’s an Archmage!” Marcille yelled in tandem with the woman’s characteristic jovial laughter, one that betrayed her aging appearance. “She’s probably subbing for a student or something...”
“Oh, nono little Marcie, this is just a little past time of mine. They can’t force a schedule on me after all, right?” she winked devilishly at Laios. He always wondered how she got the permission to abuse state property like this, this was probably why.
“I mean... I guess. But really, a shaved ice stand?”
“Don’t underestimate the power of a good treat to keep my coworker’s brains from overheating. Plus, keeps my ice magic in tip top shape. Slicing ice like this is a lot harder than it may seem!” with that her gaze went past her former student and onto Falin. “Oh you must be little Falin. Your brother always sings your praises! Say, since this is an auspicious day, how’s about I cut you all a deal. You taste test a new recipe and you can eat as much as you’d like, my treat.”
“I was supposed to be treating Mar-”
“We’ll take it!” Falin squealed excitedly, eagerly fetching a set of bowls for all three. Marcille looked to be just as excited to give the ice a go, so Laios decided against pushing back more.
The trio watched as the woman made their ice snow into their bowls before reaching from below the table and pulling out a strange, gelatinous red substance and layering it over their ice.
“Ta-da! The Shaved Ice Strawberry Surprise!” Arete proclaimed, proudly pushing the bowls towards the trio. Marcille looked less than impressed, and part of Laios did understand, she had basically just slapped something atop the ice, but he was too curious about what it was to feel that way.
So, he took it upon himself to taste test it before Falin or yes, even her fell victim to a magical accident.
The spoon easily cut through the foreign substance, and, with a reminder from Arete to mix it with the ice, he took a bite of the strange mix.
It was marvellous. The amorphous substance as cool, but not cold, so it eased his mouth into the ice’s temperature, but it wasn’t just that, the textures perfectly mixed with one another, with the softness of the ice being embraced by the fuller feeling of biting into a something that was still soft, but thick.
And what was before just a refresher became a sweet reminder of the fresh strawberries he and Falin would borrow from their uncle’s farm back in their village, all mixed with an equally mysterious and alluring sweet and sour mix from what could only be the strange new substance.
“It’s... amazing...” Laios mummed between bites, before knowing having slurped up the entire bowl. Falin had not been far behind him, which would annoy Laios if he wasn’t so goddamn taken by the taste.
Marcille seemed to take the fact that neither had fallen over yet as a sign that she should give her own shaved ice a shot and, at least to Laios, seemed pleasantly surprised, slurping it down quickly, and a bit greedily for a moment, before steadying herself.
Laios though, was trying to figure out something. Was it rude to ask a cook what was in the recipe? How they made it? What was the etiquette around it? He couldn’t embarrass himself in front of his sister, he was supposed to be beyond that now of course. So, how would he-
“This is quite exquisite Professor Lucchese. I’ve never felt a texture quite like this one. Any chance you would, well, you know?” Marcille twirled her hair and softly winked at her former teacher, the message clear. The fact that it worked only further proved to Laios that he was still out of his depth. Where he wasn’t though was...
“Well, can I trust the Court Magician and the Lieutenant General to keep an open mind?” Arete questioned, pre-empting either’s response with: “Oops I nearly forgot who I was talking to. Anywho, the surprise is dried slime mixed with the ingredient of choice. As for the recipe...”
Something in the depths of Laios’ mind, a deviant train of thought he had locked behind bars so many years ago, rattled on its chains for the first time.
Marcille’s gagging, Falin’s excited prodding, Arete’s laughter, all of them failed to enter Laios’ perception as he just stared down at the bowl.
It wasn’t just a children’s fable. Monsters could be used as food. Monsters could be more than abominations. No, they were more than that, this dish proved it. Suddenly, what he had learned about monsters at his boarding school and military training clashed once again with his childhood book’s fantastical claims. Who knew best, did either know what they were talking about? If not, what was the truth? Could any monster be used as an ingredient? Should... should he try? Monster extermination wasn’t uncommon after all. Was Arete a supporter of monster cuisine, or was this just another flight of fancy for the old crone? So many possibilities, so many questions, so many doubts, infinite ideas and possibilities.
For the first time in a long, long time, Laios’ childhood wonder graced his face with a grin from ear to ear. It was fleeting, he hardened his expression to a polite smile moments later, he had an imagine upholding after all, but even still, he couldn’t help but ask:
“May I have seconds?”
-*-
“Do you take questions poorly, Laios Touden?” Marcille suddenly asked, her eyes following Falin as she went to go grab a third set of ice for herself. Laios wanted some too, maybe ask if there was some cheese flavour, or anything dairy even...
He wondered what kind of web this woman could be possibly weaving now that she had separated him from Falin. Was she even the kind of person to do so? His companions sure seemed to think it, and they knew more about people than he did. But at the same time, this was Falin’s best friend. And she hadn’t really done anything to him yet, if anything, she was quite the pleasant company. Maybe that was her game... but he wouldn’t know it unless he played it.
“I’ve been told I take them too well.” he answered, paraphrasing of course. What they meant was that Laios couldn’t tell a real question an obvious setup.
“Well, then I won’t have to feel bad for prodding.” Marcille’s green gaze pierced into him: “I’ve been observing your behaviour, Lieutenant. And I am quite puzzled.”
Well, that wasn’t new. Laios just raised his eyebrow.
“You’re quite knowledgeable about the lowtown, which is strange from someone of upper-class birth, and especially for someone who joined this military at such a rank that would preclude them from needing to patrol that area. Plus, you got your sword done at a public smithy, instead of using a guild one that is tied to the castle, or even just taking one of the armoury’s swords. Even if you picky with your swords, there’s more than enough there to find one to your tastes. And now here you are, turning a smiling as you gorge into monsters. Word around you is not the best, and I’m starting to see why...” Marcille sighed shook her head, returning to gaze upon his sister. “But Falin worships you, and I don’t believe in acting upon assumptions, so I want to hear your side of things.”
But this was new. Someone actually asking Laios for his reasoning and not just glaring at him from the corner of their eyes, thinking him too simple to understand it? He wouldn’t get it on the first few go arounds, but he wasn’t blind.
“What jobs do you think a Half-Foot usually takes?” he asked Marcille.
“Well, courier, picklock, merchant...”
“Not a blacksmith, right?” Laios prodded, getting the shake of the head he expected. “Lucy’s an amazing blacksmith. This is only the second sword I commissioned, this means her previous one held up for four whole years.” and there was the awe he wanted. “And yet, she’s a girl, and a half-foot. No matter the word of mouth I, and any satisfied clients get, she remains a last resort for most. Guildless even, as what guild would want to employ someone who doesn’t know their place?”
Laios took his sword out and examined. Where others would call it plain, he would call it efficient. There were no fancy drawings on the hilt, no signature shapes on the blade, no eye-catching paint. Just a plain, sharp, lump of iron, guarded by hide. This was a tool. For killing. And it was primed for its job.
“She sells her work, which is far better than any from the guild smiths, for half of the price. Even with the discount they make for the army, I’m better off buying it off her. Even if her work was worse, I promised Falin I’d save up as much as possible...” Laios stopped himself before going further. What he did say could easily be twisted into treason by someone like her.
She didn’t seem convinced.
“And yet you still pay her in lieu of taking a premade one from the castle. You just gave those kids a whole gold coin, when a silver coin would get them through the week easily. Why then?” she asked, Laios purposefully sneering in her direction, making sure his disgust was known.
“Do you need a reason to help someone?” he shot back. This woman was just like all those nobles, wasn’t she? Even if she did look genuinely speechless at the question he levied at her. “Lucia has two younger brothers to feed. That kid was caring for his sister. My goals in life won’t be built on the suffering of others. And I won’t leave this land indebted.” He shouldn’t have said that. He shouldn’t have made it clear he didn’t harbour loyalty towards this country. If it were anyone else, this would be his end. But she focused on something else.
“What soldier does not build his life on the suffering of others?” the elf’s usual cool and distant demeanour was gone, and so was her surprisingly dorky side that she seemed to have saved for Falin. No, this was spite. “How many families lost their providers under your hands? How many kids will never see their Papás again? Don’t you dare act innocent, Laios Touden!” Laios was stunned, his turn to grasp for an answer. He was not unaware of this, but he did his best impression of being. He couldn’t really put himself on her shoes of a child being sad at never seeing her father again, but it would not be hard to imagine families falling into poverty due to his actions...
“Marcille, Brother?” Falin’s amber eyes looked on in worry at the two people that she valued so highly yet seemed to go together like water and oil. Marcille turned to apologize, but something else caught Laios’ attention. A tall-man passing by their table with a very similar purse to the one he had seen Marcille attach to her waist.
And it wasn’t there anymore.
Instincts took over. He kicked off the chair from beneath him as the entire patio looked on in confusion and, in a flash, grabbed on to the hand holding the purse.
“You’ll return that to my companion you th-” something flashed in the afternoon’s sunlight as the man turned to meet him. Laios leftover hand intercepted what was going for his chest and suddenly went numb. No more holding back.
The soldier kicked at the man’s shins with such force as to rip both legs from the ground, twisting the arm that had just struck at him in midair and putting the whole weight of his body onto the thief’s back.
A bone crunching crack followed the wet thud as the man crashed onto the garden’s floor. His shoulder had been dislocated and Laios was sure his wrist and elbow had been snapped.
That’s right, Laios. He had cooled down enough to regain that name.
“You’re under arrest.” he stated blankly as the man howled in pain.
It was then that Falin, who he vaguely remembered calling his name arrived at his side with Marcille in tow. The elf reached for his hand and forced it away from his chest, where he could hide it from Falin. Why was she so intent on ruining his relationship with his sister?!
It was only then that Laios saw her face was frozen in horror.
“You idiot... all of this for a bag of coin?!” Marcille screamed at him, holding his hand, pierced by a rusty knife, up to his face. “Falin, hold him down, we can’t let this get infected.” Tears had begun to well on her face, and he couldn’t begin to imagine why. She hated him, didn’t she?
“It’s alright I’ll just pass by the infirmary...” Laios groaned, biting into his lip to avoid yelling when Marcille ripped off the knife in one clean motion whilst Falin held his arm.
“Don’t even think about it brother. If the infection spreads it may leave the range of the magic casted on the wound!” Falin admonished, her eyes deathly serious. Laios gave up on fighting back. Instead, he found it strange how he still felt his hand whilst Marcille chanted the healing spell.
“Aren’t you going to numb my senses first?” he asked.
“No.” immediately after, the incantation finished.
He had to fight to remain conscious.
While Laios lost control of his senses, the man beneath him made a run for it, but Falin just clubbed him upside the head with her magical staff... she was far more efficient at immobilizing him than he had been.
“T-Thank you Falin...” he mumbled, mouth still trembling from the sudden jolt of pain. The older brother recomposed himself as fast as he could and lobbed the man over his shoulder, the feel of the thief’s mangled arm weighing on his heart more than usual. “Sorry, but I’ll have to drop him by the guardhouse before he wakes up again. I’m sure Marcille can continue the tour with you...”
“What are you talking about?” Falin questioned, crossing her arms in an identical fashion to Marcille.
“I mean... it’ll take a good hour and-”
“Shush. A soldier just saved a maiden’s savings, do you take me for an ingrate?” Marcille retorted, faking her best indignation while passing by him with Falin in tow. “Once you’re done, it’s my turn to treat you!” And she flashed a smile.
Such a dangerously brilliant smile.