บท 12: Yulia The Sacreligious
Sitting close enough to feel its warmth, Ellamir was entranced by the bonfire. The darkness of the night that enveloped them reminded her of home.
The other caravan members already slept in their tent. Even Antani herself decided to get some early shut eye.
Ellamir thought of her sister, her only anchor to that place. She wanted so badly to drop by the palace before she left, it would be stupid to so since the moment they step in there her mother would surely make her move.
"Here's something to help you sleep."
She turned to see the direction of the voice, it was the tiefling. No longer in her armor, she instead wore a simple white blouse and black pants.
With a smile, Yulia offered Ellamir a mug of ale.
Her promise to Antani came to mind. Hesitant at first, Ellamir decided to accept, prompting the paladin to sit close to her holding a mug of her own.
Ellamir took a sip from the mug, it had a bitter and fruity taste.
Antani was correct, being friendly to the tiefling actually paid off. The caravan head was doubtful they would need more muscle, he was being roundabout but he was telling them that they will just be freeloaders until Yulia stood up for the couple and reminded her boss that the bandits were able to slip and steal a caravan while she was defending him from the bandit's frontal assault.
At least they got a healing scroll as a reward for helping out Yulia which they didn't really do, but the tiefling insisted that they take it anyway.
"Is Antani still mad at you?" The tiefling asked.
"No, we already made up."
Yulia drank some of her ale. She could've sworn that the two were bickering like crazy earlier, "Already? That was fast."
"We fight, we make up. It's a cycle for us. A cycle perpetuated by Antani due to her being unreasonable most of the time."
The tiefling giggled at Ellamir casually putting the blame to the poor woman who was already asleep in her tent, "Was it reasonable to blatantly announce to others that you just did the deed?"
"Deed? Oh, you mean fucking. I already said this to Antani earlier but if she felt good doing it and I felt good doing it, then there's no need to be ashamed of it."
Ellamir's answer made Yulia question if all dark elves are this dense, she sure hopes so, Antani's going to be in for a wild ride if it's all Ellamir.
"It's not about being ashamed. I don't know how you dark elves operate in the Underdark, but here at the surface it's not good to kiss and tell. Those moments are supposed to be special, known only to the both of you. There are scenarios when you are allowed to discuss them lightly but blurting out stuff like that from nowhere is…too much information."
Ellamir narrowed her eyelids. She's trying to think. It was common gossip in the Underdark for her kin to let others know how much pain they inflicted and how much pleasure they received from their slaves. However, she's not in the Underdark anymore.
The dark elf takes another sip of ale, "You surface dwellers are weird."
Yulia laughed, she now has an inkling as to how Antani got drawn into the pretty little dark elf.
When Yulia's laughter faded, there was a slight pause as the two bathed in the bonfire's warmth while the night deepened.
"How'd you two end up together?" Since Ellamir seemed to have opened up a bit, Yulia asked the question that had been eating at her since she met the two.
"I don't want to talk about it."
How swift Ellamir's reply made Yulia even more curious. Tempting as it may be, she's not going to prod, she has a lot of secrets herself and the last thing that she would want is a new acquaintance sticking their finger to a place where it doesn't belong.
"How about you, you have someone?" Ellamir wasn't really that interested in Yulia but it wouldn't hurt to keep a decent conversation, she's going to humor the tiefling as gratitude for the ale.
"None." (I had a few, but they were mostly just physical. Didn't want to tell you that since I'm the one who told you not to kiss and tell earlier.)
A paladin that likes to sleep around. The thought is enough to make her laugh. Sacrilege. Then again her mentor Sir Garreth, crowned as the mightiest and most pious paladin alive isn't making a big deal out of it. Why should she? One other thing, piety isn't really the first thing that people should expect from her since the one she serves - Zariel, is a fallen angel waging a war in hell.
Yulia took notice of the surprise in the dark elf's face.
"Is it really that surprising that I don't have someone? Not everything revolves around romance, you know. Besides, I'm a live in the moment kind of woman, I don't do attachments"
"It is surprising. Horns, Red skin and all, I find your looks quite appealing for your kind. I just assumed that you'd have men and women fawning over you." Ellamir delivered her observation with a straight face.
Yulia howled in laughter at Ellamir's compliment. If she didn't already have a clue to her personality she would have mistaken it as the dark elf trying to hit on her, "Are you coming onto me? Wait until Antani hears about this!"
"They may be my honest thoughts, but I already have Antani. I don't see any reason why I would bother hitting on you."
"Ouch, no need to drive it home! It was just a joke anyway."
What terrible luck, she finds two gorgeous women and it turns out that the two of them are already taken, by each other no less. She gained two new friends so it wasn't really that much of a loss. Moreover what Yulia was looking for was someone to warm her tent with and what the two have is something more amazing than merely that.
Yulia took the last swig of her drink, as she got up and said goodbye to Ellamir, "Don't stay up too late, we're finally hitting Elaria tomorrow."
Ellamir pondered as she kept staring at the flames. Maybe becoming friends with Yulia wasn't that bad.
+++
Distancing themselves away from the rest of the caravan.
The birds chirping filled the forest as the couple decided to do some training. More specifically, for Ellamir.
Antani wasn't sure why Ellamir was content with just being a gold adventurer, the dark elf argued higher rank was just prestige. For Antani, it was THE prestige of being in a high rank.
The ranking goes : wood, bronze, silver, gold, platinum, emerald, and the highest being diamond.
Antani knows that Ellamir has what it takes to make it into platinum. Since Yulia told them that the guild will start accepting its monthly applicants by next week, Antani's going to drill proper swordsmanship lessons into Ellamir hard - as hard as Ellamir drills her body.
Amazon combat has 20 sword forms, 20 spear forms, and 10 for the bow. Shields can be freely used with the sword and shield forms but most just ignore it entirely in favor of pure offense.
Antani judged that Ellamir had no use for fervent tiger, the first and most basic form which makes the mana flow freely from your body to your weapon. Ellamir's shadow armor already protects her entire body while also augmenting her strength and speed.
The Amazon took her hanging sword stance. Several feet from her was Ellamir already covered in shadows that looked out of place underneath the radiant sunlight.
"Come at me, and remember what I told you,
focus on your breathing as you channel more mana into your armor."
No answer was given as Ellamir charged at the Amazon with her curved sword. As soon as the dark elf was close enough she swung her sword in a sideward arc, halfway turning it into horizontal for the feint.
Antani blocked it with glee. "Good! Just like what we discussed! Again!"
Ellamir unleashed a barrage of slashes with feints in between.
*Clang* *Clang*
The sound of metal clashing reverberated. A smile on Antani's lips was starting to form mid battle. It wasn't how easily Ellamir easily grasped feinting it was how her strikes packed more whallop than before. Antani had to output more mana into her arms in order for her not to get overwhelmed.
It reminded Antani of Queen Zorla. Ellamir is her daughter after all, which means she will reach the same summit of strength given time.
Granted that she had little to no mana left at the time, it was still an impressive feat to send her flying like a ragdoll with a single sword swipe. Antani was both terrified and delighted at the thought. The things Ellamir would do to her given that monstrous strength.
With excitement getting the better of her, she channels a lackluster amount of mana into her sword. Just enough for a concussion.
*Clang*
Right after another block, Antani quickly transitioned from blocking to striking Ellamir's head. *Swish*
Impact!
There is…but it was the spider appendages on her back holding Antani's sword like a vice. Ellamir raised her curved sword onto Antani's neck. Ellamir didn't use them the entire fight so that it slipped out of Antani's mind.
Antani's grin turned into a full smile, she guessed that Ellamir was smiling under her shadow armor as well.
Ellamir's shadow retreated back into her skin. Antani's guess was right all along.
"My win." Ellamir triumphantly declared.
"You do realize I was going easy on you, right? I'll give you a draw. Take it or leave it."
"Draw my ass. Don't be such a sore loser, Antani."
Antani chuckled. Sure she might not have been taking it seriously, but a victory is a victory regardless. It was very unbecoming of her.
"Yeah yeah, congratulations. You want a medal to go with that?"
"You know what I want." The smile on Ellamir's lips turned into a coy one as she slowly approached Antani.
With only an inch separating them, the two could feel each other's breathing.
Antani stared deep into Ellamir's eyes, "I don't know, you're gonna have to tell me." Biting her lip right after.
"How about I show it instead?"
Their passion overtook them once again, their lips about to lock.
Yulia's voice boomed.
"Hey, love birds! Caravan's about to leave soon, get your asses over here or we're leaving you ladies behind!"
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