章 18: An Owen Noble… wait- what?
Maria walked on ahead.
There wasn’t much in sight.
No trees, no animals, and not even bugs.
Nothing.
“Where are we?”
She asked the eagle sitting on her shoulder.
It didn’t reply. But rather squeaked.
‘So, you’re pretending to be just an eagle now?’
With a sigh, she kept on walking.
The eagle wasn’t heavy and so far, it’s just been quiet.
She could see the sky- the stars, and the moon- or rather three moons. Earlier this evening, she didn’t notice that there was more than one moon in the sky.
No wonder it was so bright even this late at night. Or was it just because of her enhanced eyesight?
When she was first teleported out there, she couldn’t see anything and she was awfully confused. But the darkness cleared in less than a minute and she could now see pretty much like in daytime- with maybe a bit less precision.
‘My vision really is something…’
On that note, her whole body was something.
She didn’t feel the slightest bit of drowsiness and though things happened too quickly, she didn’t find herself that agitated either.
‘Still, she just sent me out here like it’s no big deal?’
With a bit of inward sigh, she kept walking and about half an hour later, saw things flying in the sky.
‘Bats?... no, demons?’
Thousands…. And they were flying towards the way she came from.
“Do we turn back?” She asked the eagle. “Am I going the wrong way?”
The eagle shook its head and squeaked again.
‘Since when do eagles squeak though?’
But she didn’t really care all that much and kept on walking. She didn’t turn back.
And just moments later she saw something in the distance.
“Are those tents?” There were people in the distance too.
If she could trust her vision, then those people seemed awfully human-sized.
But if they were out there- then weren’t they the army that was attacking the demons?
‘Why the hell did she send me out here then?’
Maria still kept on walking.
She could ask the questions later. For now, she had to reach humans, get directions, and go see for herself just how much the demons were faking and what the real truth was.
***
“HALT!”
She was still about twenty meters away from the nearest tent and the soldiers.
They had weapons drawn and for some reason, they were awfully hostile.
Maria kept quiet.
“Who are you, state your business!” One of the soldiers shouted.
There were about five of them. All of them were glaring at her.
“Do you think she’s one of them?” One of the soldiers said.
“Didn’t they just flee? And her hair’s black not pink!” Another soldier blurted out.
“It’s brown, morons,” Maria mumbled.
“Hey, who you calling morons!” And one of the soldiers heard that just fine; a rabbit man.
The soldiers took battle stances fast.
‘Aren’t they being a bit too hasty?’ Maria herself was a soldier.
And she knew how things went in battlefields. But these soldiers were acting rather odd.
And judging by the demon sighting earlier and their offhand comments, she could piece together that perhaps the demons had attacked? ‘But why now?’
She wasn’t the least bit worried though. Worst case, she could just defend herself with magic. ‘But I forgot to ask them more about it.’ She was too busy being shocked. ‘Guess, I’ll have to figure things on my own.’
“Lay down your arms, you idiots!”
A loud and ominous voice rang through the area.
Maria turned to her left and just watched a man walk this way through her peripherals. He was taller than most humans.
The soldiers all saluted. “Sir, we’ve found an intruder!”
‘Didn’t I walk my way here?’ Maria rolled her eyes.
“Can’t you see, she’s one of our people?” The man said.
Unlike the soldiers, the man was in rather fancy-looking ashen armor. And he had two large horns; definitely larger than Maria’s.
The soldiers all became quiet.
The man just grunted and headed this way.
A middle-aged man; eyes, shining blue. Face, wrinkly, and scars everywhere; large scales covered half of his chest and most of those scales were hidden behind his armor. A Dragonborn.
“Sorry about that young miss, you are?” the man said.
“Ma-”
“CAN’T YOU SEE SHE’S AN OWEN NOBLE!” the eagle screeched. “BOW DOWN YOU FOOLS!”
Its voice was croaked and loud enough for half the tents here to hear.
Maria had to hold her ears.
‘What happened to you pretending to be a frigging eagle!’
Her ears rang and hurt, but she just stood there, unfazed.
Some soldiers who weren’t paying attention slumped to the ground cradling to protect themselves from an enemy ambush, an ambush that never came.
The man though, was fine. He cleared his throat. “Owen nobility?” He stared at Maria for a good minute, eyes opening wide. “Then, I offer my sincerest apologies.” The man swiftly bowed on one leg. “-My lady.” His tone changed dramatically.
Maria had no idea what just happened. So, she just smiled. “It’s fine, please stand up.”
The soldiers in the distance were even more confused than her. And they were somewhat embarrassed of the display they just pulled. They too bowed.
Were they seriously soldiers? Maria found it a little difficult to swallow.
‘Seriously, what the hell am I supposed to do now?’
And the eagle wasn’t being that much of a help either.
Actually, didn’t it just complicate things further? What was an Owen noble?
The man stood up. Looked sharp. “Are you just passing through, or would you like to meet the general and exchange greetings?”
‘Meet the general and greetings?’ Maria didn’t know what an Owen noble even was. And now she was offered to meet the general?
So much was happening that her head started to ache ever so slightly.
“Sure, why not?” In the end, though, she chose to meet the general.
After all, this was the fastest way.
***
There were many tents.
And many injured.
‘Fresh injuries?’
‘So those demons…’
Maria underestimated them. And she underestimated the queen. ‘She was already plotting this-’
“We just had an attack moments ago.” The man explained as he led her. “So, the soldiers are a little wary.”
Groans, blood, and death.
She was used to it. And yet, she felt a bit sad as she watched.
Compassion, perhaps.
It was quite past midnight and soon it’d be dawn.
This army did not look to be in a state to fight. And their numbers were fewer than what Maria remembered.
No wonder they were so hostile towards her- an intruder.
‘Perfect opportunity to either wipe them off completely or a ceasefire…’
Maria argued both possibilities.
“I see. Must have been tough.”
She found it a little odd that this man was just believing her on the spot and it was odder that they weren’t even questioning her. And he was taking her to the general, no less?
‘This could very well be a trap.’
So, she didn’t let her guard down even for a moment.
.
.
.
[[A/N]]
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