Noah did exactly that. He helped both of the men to the carriage and flashed his attendants a look while instructing to take care of them. Thankfully there was a team of four humans, appearing to be in a more favorable state pulling the second vehicle. He considered asking his companions to pull it as well but was afraid of revealing his hand too soon. He could explain away the extra passenger due to his discomfort sharing the load with a weaker person, but there was nothing he could say in regards to the second carriage. He would help all of them in due time, they would just have to hang on a little longer. He was however careful not to push the speed any more than the previous men had managed, not wanting to put undue pressure on the others.
Delia had dutifully protested being pulled by a sovereign but finally gave in when he explained how it was really all for his benefit. Judging by her veiled reaction she quite enjoyed the prospect of watching him pull the cart, a sentiment that Noah would not quickly forget. It was an easy job and at this point felt no more difficult than running uphill. If anything it was actually the relief he had pitched it as to Delia, especially considering the close quarters they had shared previously. He shivered as he remembered the attraction he had felt for that monster. He had let himself hope that the elves were just another people group, each with their own oddities and sour apples. Now however he was ready to throw that idea out the window. He had met animals with more decency than these creatures, at least Jeline was upfront about her subjugation of others. His opinion had been too impacted by the fairy tales from Earth, always painting elves as beautiful and enchanting. He frowned. Idiot. Even the stories had pointed to the conniving nature of these creatures but like a sailor to a siren, he had been drawn in. He knew others thought of him as naive, but to him, it was simply taking people at their word and giving them the benefit of the doubt. In this instance, he had been wrong and it caused a lot of people to suffer. He knew he wasn’t the only one responsible, the world didn’t revolve around him, but he could have done more.
With his head in the clouds, it felt like only moments had passed when the city came into view–and it was a city. Large gates barred entry into the eleven capital, and several guards armed with bows and metallic armor stood atop the walls’ ramparts, studying them with critical eyes. Noah stopped some hundred feet from the gate and waited as Delia stepped from the carriage. She waved at the guards and they responded in a flurry of motion, opening the gates in incredible time. Noah couldn’t help but stare as the guards moved with nothing more than a wave from his travel companion. Who is she? Several guards ran out to meet them and upon instruction pulled the carriage the rest of the way into the city themselves. Noah noticed the confused glances that the soldiers shared, but none of them dared raise their questions.
It seemed that whoever Delia was, she was not one that anybody wanted to offend. After the carriages were parked inside the walls, Delia informed Noah that rooms had been prepared for them in the castle and that an audience with the king was scheduled for the next morning. She led the way, and Noah only hoped that his fellow humans would still be alive to save by the time he had what he wanted. As they walked through the lively city, Noah expanded his domain to its limit, taking in both illusion and reality, two concepts that seemed to be woven together in the elven city. He wondered what the elves saw when they looked around. Did they get to enjoy the idyllic city with clean streets, beautiful buildings, and pleasant aromas? Or were they stuck with the far less pleasant reality that was the filth of a medieval city? Judging by the expressions on his companion's face, Recter had also trained his domain while Ta’Ku was either unable or neglecting to use his.
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Their ever-jovial tour guide came to a stop in front of the inner gates, which would lead into the castle grounds. The guards took more efforts to ensure Delia’s identity, which involved asking for her name rather than going off of looks alone. They stepped through the gates after a brief stop and entered the most beautiful illusion yet. The fake palace glistened in emerald and gold and was surrounded by fields of beautiful flowers of colors indescribable. The difference in reality was even more stark than the rest of the city had been. Before him was a large wooden mansion, absent of decoration or design. The fields were empty, barren soil without even a sprout of life. Noah shivered as he took in the eerie landscape, the darker side of elven stories finally being stirred in his memory. There were creatures of nightmare known only as fey that haunted the fantasy novels of Earth, kidnapping children, enchanting souls, and trapping travelers for millennia in their never-changing realms. Noah took a deep breath and brought back to mind his reasons for coming. Kyle was here. His people were held in bondage.
He steeled his resolve and followed Delia as she stepped through the front door. The reception hall was barren and beautiful depending on which senses he chose to utilize. Delia led them down a long corridor and into a suite of rooms before turning to speak with them.
“I welcome you to the celestial hall of King Balkendar. These guest rooms are for you, so make yourselves comfortable. I will have a meal brought to you within the hour. If you need anything else, I will be in the room we passed just down the hall,” she said before making her exit. Noah let out a sigh of relief when she finally left his domain’s range. He turned to his companions and held up a finger.
“Check the rooms first, then we’ll talk,” he said. They did just that, scouring the area for any sign of intrusion. Noah made sure to double-check the areas where Ta’Ku looked just in case something was hidden under illusion. The rooms appeared to be free from any obvious listeners so Noah gathered them in the furthest space from the hallway.
“Are you aware of the illusions?” He asked. Recter nodded and to his surprise, so did Ta’Ku. Seeing his confusion, Ta’Ku explained.
“I didn’t catch on until we stepped into the castle ground. Everything seemed to perfect and orderly which prompted me to take a closer look. I can’t say I was glad I did though, the truth was disturbing to take in.” He answered.
“That makes this easier then,” Noah sighed, raking his brain for next steps.
“From what I’ve seen the elves have enslaved everyone from the town, likely binding them all through System oaths. From what Jeline told me, the only way to free someone from one is through the recipient's willful action or death.” Noah explained. Recter grinned, nodding.
“So we kill them all?” He stated more than asked. Noah opened his mouth to argue but changed his mind.
“We’ll kill as many as we need to to free everyone else, starting with the king. They have proven to be no different than another beast swarm set on achieving their goals at any expense.” Noah replied. Ta’Ku nodded gravely, and Recter’s grin grew.
“It's about time we fought a battle on our terms. My spear has grown cold from the lack of use.” Recter commented. Noah chuckled but couldn’t help but agree. They had fought for survival, fought for freedom, fought as Jeline’s pawns, but now they were finally fighting because they wanted to. They spent the night readying themselves for what came next. It was hard to plan with their limited knowledge, but they could go through hypotheticals. Assuming that only Noah was allowed in the audience, the others would wait for a sign of battle before making their move, securing the perimeter of the throne room to avoid a repeat of their last takeover fiasco. If they were all invited in, then they would work to cut down the king in as quick a move as possible before anyone had time to intervene. In either scenario, the day would be filled with bloodshed and likely end with a run.
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