"Ascari League Forms New Police Force

At noon, General Erenthil Masari and Grand Mayor Titus Lindsari convened an emergency gathering of the Ascari League's council. From there, it was decided that each member of the League would contribute a volunteer unit to help in the formation of the newly proposed Free Cities Intervention Corps. A joint unit that could act as a secondary reservist policing force in addition to the already overtaxed Ascari League's scouts and rangers. With the complete subjugation of the Barony of Draecen by Melton, another wave of refugees is expected… "

- Arterian Affairs, Third Page, "Section: Foreign Affairs - cont."

Sophie twiddled her fingers and stared out into the ocean. The terrifyingly beautiful expanse of blue that stretched on endlessly with only a few ships between her and the horizon. On the waves they had arrived, now along the waves they departed, away from the troubles of Gratia. Rocked by far more questions than answers, she could only hope that she would get what she was seeking eventually.

She now had three sisters, with one more potentially hidden away somewhere in the distant north. Her origins were part Myndir, a small vindication of her time spent trying to learn about them. Yet the truth only laid bare more questions than answers. Coupled with Pyra's narrative, she was even more lost than before. Her one consolation was that she now had leads to work with, and that she was finally heading back to Arteria and Ary. Away from being in the unending blue and to be able to marvel at ships from afar instead of being on one.

She sighed.

She felt her shoulders sag a little as she leaned against the ship's bulwark. The salty sea air tickled her nostrils but she endured it all the same. It was a welcome change and for that she was grateful. For now she had been acknowledged by the church, Mila's master Serilda officially confirmed that she could no longer rest in the shadow of the Inquisition. That her actions had spurred on more than just the Oraetor. A troubling bit of knowledge.

Mila herself was reprimanded for her lack of decisiveness in dealing with Annalise even after discovering the princess's compromise by Pyra. That Pyra's presence was also now known to the Inquisition was concerning as well. Now, there were no longer questions about who or what had overtaken the princess, only what course of action would be taken against her. Strangely, neither Mila nor Philippe exposed Sophie's connection to the mad princess, the junior looking to the senior for guidance in this before quietly following her in protecting Sophie. Though Lady Serilda seemed to frown back then, enough that Sophie suspected she already knew that something was off, even if she didn't immediately know what.

Sophie was glad though, appreciative that in spite of everything, Mila was reassigned back to monitor her. They were friends and comrades, something that she took great comfort in. Even if she couldn't always pick away at Mila's thoughts, she trusted her and that was more than enough.

A gruff sea shanty broke out amongst the sailors toiling away on the deck and Sophie smiled wistfully. Their voices were all different and haggard, with a lot of different tones that didn't necessarily harmonize. But it promoted a togetherness and liveliness that she found reminiscent of the ballads within taverns. Heh, if Elaria was up here she'd have fun.

The wooden deck creaked under unsteady feet and Sophie turned to find the bard and dark elf hurriedly dragging an increasingly seasick girl along. A few of the deckhands chortled, the sight already common after their first day at sea. They had left the port and almost immediately afterwards Mila had fallen ill once again. For Sophie and the others, it was a familiar sight. Poor girl, heh.

Philippe and Marduk remained behind with the Inquisition, the orc in particular only letting a brief snort of acknowledgement in recognition of their time together. The junior meanwhile had a far more important task based on the way the Senior Inquisitor had spoken. He was to be Mila's replacement, that much was a certainty. A fact the girl hadn't wanted to discuss as of yet. There were no fond goodbyes, just comrades of convenience now parting ways.

In a way it depressed her a little. Of how transactional their relationship had been. Though she was relieved that it had ended about as amicably as possible

Watching the trio did spark a flicker of curiosity within her. Including her, there were four of them up here. That meant that their fifth member was skulking about below decks somewhere and Sophie wondered what she was up to. Stealing one last glance to make sure the others were alright, she finally extricated herself from the bulwark.

The ship groaned against the waves and lurched a little more forward, making her stumble. Righting herself, she gingerly reached for the railings and made her way downstairs. Here, more sailors milled about, some attending to the futile task of sweeping the decks, crowding the already cramped hallways as Sophie squeezed her way past them.

A few other adventurers or warriors had joined them on this trip, or rather, they had bought themselves a ride on a vessel already bound for Arteria. A commercial transport that doubled as a ship to carry stray wayfarers from Gratia to Arteria and back, or so the captain claimed. Whatever the case, the atmosphere was nice.

The bellows of the other passengers behind her, she scuttled her way into the 'guest' section of the ship. Repurposed cabins with claustrophobic bunk beds squeezed into as much space as they could to carry the most amount of passengers. She was beginning to understand how lucky they had been with ship rides in the past. Whether they were vessels chartered by the Inquisition or other higher authorities that were, in the kindest of words, still very cramped. They were a far cry from how squeezed Sophie had felt belowdecks on this merchant ship.

She had barely enough room to stretch let alone hold her arms out. It baffled her that Lucinia had somehow shunted herself somewhere here instead of being on the deck. In fact, she had noticed Lucinia was acting a little weird as of late, though not weird enough that it merited too much concern.

Is she still hung up on the duel? I told her it's fine, heh. Sophie snickered to herself. I was just worried she got hurt back then, hah.

Reaching their quarters, Sophie found the door closed and gently rapped her knuckles on it. The faint knock was just distinctive enough to be identified against the backdrop of waves crashing against the hull and the creaking of hard-working wooden planks. One that she was certain could be heard by the occupant inside.

"Who is it?" Came the muffled voice of the former princess.

"It's me, Sophie." She replied.

"What do you need?"

"Just checking in on you." Sophie answered.

There was a small pause before a disgruntled grunt escaped from inside the room.

"I'm fine?" Lucinia huffed, "Feel free to come in. Not like I can stop you."

Sophie chuckled and pushed the door open. The tiny room held just enough room for the Traxian to stretch her legs while she read. The only problem for Sophie was that Lucinia was leaning against the tiny desk in the room and her feet, though wrapped with fine silken socks, were currently resting atop of Sophie's bunk.

Catching sight of Sophie staring at her feet, Lucinia frowned.

"What? Silk is far more comfortable and relaxing than the cotton ones we had to wear during the trip. Since we're heading back, I dare say I deserve a little luxury here and there." Lucinia crossed her arms defensively.

It's not about the silk… Sophie wanted to say but caught herself and paused. Based on how unblemished and almost new they appeared, she had no doubt they were clearner than most things on the ship. Still, it was the fact that her space had been used so callously that irked her the most. Though now that she stopped to think, she found amusement in the situation too. She genuinely thinks it's because they are silk socks huh? Heh.

The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

A small snicker escaped her lips. No need to bring her back to reality right now. The sound seemed to make the former princess wary and the girl pinched a page of her book before slamming it shut.

"You have that conniving look on your face, Sophie. The one that only brings trouble." Lucinia growled, "So if something's the matter, then say it."

"Nothing is, Lucinia. I just came to check up on you." Sophie chuckled.

The Traxian narrowed her eyes and snorted. "While I appreciate the… sentiment. I must take this opportunity to remind you that I am not some helpless little babe on the side of the road. I can take care of myself." She declared forcefully, her nose upturned as if daring Sophie to challenge her.

Sophie felt a flicker of mischief cross her mind. She mockingly bowed to the best of her ability and grinned, "Nothing of the sort, madam. Perish the thought." She tried her best to imitate the accent she would use with Eva back home when they played together, "It is merely your safety that is my utmost concern."

Goddess that sounds awful, she chided herself, haven't done this in… stars, how long has it been? Hah. Bet you could handle her so much better Eva.

Lucinia did not look convinced, the girl knitting her brows together before wagging the book at her, "You are mocking me." She sneered.

Sophie just smiled.

"You are!" Lucinia shrieked, "You insufferable elf!"

The girl was ready to throw the book at Sophie until she realized that the book was also her only source of entertainment at the moment. Defeated, she settled for a disappointed tut thrown towards Sophie's direction.

Amused but knowing that Lucinia could genuinely be getting frustrated by the tone of her voice, Sophie cooled off and stood up a little straighter. Sophie took another look at the cabin they shared. In their small amount of time together on this excursion she had learned that the former princess was both far more disorganized yet also poised and proper than she acted. Her clothes and other easily accessible items were strewn all over her top bunk, a natural need to be above the ground for someone of her stature and certainly to be above Sophie, much to her amusement. She also still liked her luxuries, carrying amongst her belongings a range of small things like her silken socks that she only wore during more relaxed moments such as now.

It was refreshing in a way. Compared to her own musing and the others and their own eccentricities, Lucinia was strange but also wholly normal. Her mannerisms of her royal past never quite disappeared. Every once in a while, Sophie or one of the others would catch the Traxian sneering at some aspect of travelling through the wilds or interacting with large swathes of the peasantry, in particular during their stays at taverns.

"Ugh, what do you want then?" Lucinia mumbled after another moment, "I see that you're still standing there. Like an idiot."

"Pfft." Sophie snickered, earning her another growl, "You alright?"

Lucinia raised an eyebrow, "I am perfectly healthy and alive. If that's what you're asking."

Sophie shook her head, "No. I meant… ugh, I meant how are you? You were a bit quiet the past two days. I already said the duel doesn't matter much."

At this, Lucinia froze and set the book aside before glaring at Sophie.

"Sorry, I worded that wrong. What I mean is that it's alright, you're not at fault for what happened. I-"

"But I am at fault." Lucinia interrupted, "I was the one who distracted you. Win or lose, it was your honor at stake. Our group's honor. And mine for my mistake/"

Sophie pursed her lips. Her message wasn't getting across. Lucinia didn't seem to comprehend that the duel was very much a trifle in the grand scheme of things. Compared to Pyra's revelations, the whole trip to Gratia, the duel between her and the Captain, was a simple affair between warriors, nothing more, nothing less.

She frowned and decided to move into the room, taking a seat near the end of her bed. Her fingers brushed her ponytail, the ever familiar action drawing her into a more pensive mood.

The princess just stared at her, the Traxian patiently waiting for a response. Sophie meanwhile, searched her mind for solutions and answers and could only land on the one solution that she had often used. One way of replying that had gotten her into trouble almost as much as it had earned her respect. Honesty, directness, and sprinkled with a touch of glibness.

"You are." Sophie decided to affirm.

Lucinia stiffened up, the girl's relaxed posture transforming into a far more serious one.

Sophie felt the stuffiness of the cabin far more acutely now. The heavy humid air of the ocean weighing her down. Glancing upwards, she found Lucinia looked almost ashamed, a rare enough expression that Sophie felt a flash of guilt for no discernable reason.

"But it was because I thought you were in danger. I would've done it for any of us if I thought any of you ran into trouble." Sophie explained.

Lucinia sucked in a breath, awaiting her judgement.

"Listen, Lucinia. Yes, it sucks, it feels bad that I lost. I'll admit that. But you have to understand, I said it the other day, but really. It's fine. I prefer losing a duel than losing a friend. As long as everyone walks away, that's good enough for me, honor or not. Heh." Sophie admitted.

Lucinia grunted. The Traxian rolling her eyes before muttering, "Friend? You? Preposterous." She huffed.

"Pfft. That's what you take issue with?"

"Mayhaps." Lucinia snickered and sighed, "I mean what am I supposed to say? To do?" The Traxian waved her arm around incredulously before wincing as she smacked the wall of the cabin by accident.

"About what?"

"About the offense. Yes, perhaps it's minor in your eyes. But…"

"It matters to you. I get it." Sophie hummed thoughtfully, "But is it because… you think it's a debt of sorts?"

"Yes!" Lucinia hissed, the girl's eyes widening as Sophie seemed to finally catch onto her thought process, "Honor demands that such a slight, however err, slight the slight might be, needs to be repaid. Such is the issue at hand! The reason why duels at tournaments and such exist!"

So that's why! Sophie almost clicked her tongue at the discovery, she's still thinking like someone who hasn't seen the fighting up close.

"Hmmm, then… would it ease your mind to have something that needs to be done in recompense?"

Lucinia nodded.

Sophie almost laughed out loud at how absurd the princess's request was. To want to repay a moment of error with a quest was crazy to her. For someone who had stared death in the eye, to have fought undead and demons, to want to willingly throw oneself forward was something someone like her should do, not a former princess. But an idea did appear in her head, and one that she suspected would be to the girl's benefit too. Something to ground her in the new reality of an adventurer.

"Lady Lucinia."

"Yes?" The girl sat at attention.

"My request to you is simple. If you do not find us offensive, then stick with us. Travel with us the next time we leave the safety of Arteria for a distant place. I think you and I can both tell that we didn't exactly run into too much danger this time around, but that will not always be the case. Yet, it is those journeys that will help you understand why I do not care about honor, not the way you do anyhow. You think you can handle that?"

Uncertainty crossed Lucinia's body for a moment. The girl shifted in her seat uneasily while mulling over the proposal. A compromise was reached at a certain point when her eyes lit up and she started bobbing her head towards Sophie.

"You are all horrific breaches of protocol. Absolutely offensive." Lucinia mumbled.

"Then..."

"But I can do it, that much I promise. If you believe it necessary, elf."

"I do."

"Then I see no issue with it." Lucinia declared more resolutely, "I already agreed to be part of your team. No reason to quit now."

"Good, good." Sophie chuckled.

The two shared a small sigh, growing a little more in sync thanks to the resolution of this issue. But before either of them could bask in the moment, a shrill bell rang out from above, the sound echoing all around them and through the hallways. Panicked cries and bootsteps echoed in the hall outside as the other passengers made their own moves.

The two exchanged a glance, the meaning was clear. Trouble.

Sophie still found a moment of levity to be had, giving the former princess's silken socks a gentle prod and receiving a shriek of alarm in return.

"You harlot!" Lucinia screeched.

"Apologies, your highness. Best pack your fineries away. Wouldn't want you to get those scratched up now, would we?" Sophie teased.

"You tactless little cur!" Lucinia hissed but quickly leapt to her feet, stripping the socks and hurriedly changing them for the rugged cotton ones.

Taking the initiative, the Traxian also reached past Sophie's bed to rummage through her things. Before the elf could complain, the girl retrieved her sword and handed it over to Sophie.

"Well? I'm hardly a fighter, right? Said so yourself. Implied as much. The pretty little ornament incapable of much. So get moving, you lazy lout. Someone's got to raise a blade."

Sophie grabbed it and tried to appear unworried even as her heart raced at the thought of danger on the seas. A place where there was nowhere that one could run. She summoned enough energy for a small chuckle and winked at the girl, unsure if she was reassuring herself or her charge.

"Follow me, your highness. I'll keep you safe."

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