Respite I

The knights got to work setting up the camp. Four of them were carrying packs that when unfolded, created a large rectangle of leather fabric on the ground. Each of them had a large crystal that when charged with some mana, started to inflate the fabric with brethable air until they were in the shape of large cylindrical tents, able to sleep six knights in each. Thanks to the crystal, the air was pressurized and bound within a certain distance inside the fabric. The tents didn't need to be perfectly sealed, or even really sealed in any meaningful way. One side of the tent could even have its door completely opened.

Claudia had already healed Lucia, Ellis, and Furio of their injures and recalled their souls, but until they had some rest and regained some energy, they wouldn't be able to move much. She and several other knights helped them get into a tent, our of their gear, and into a sleeping bag.

Renelle carried the unknown Fire Elf in a different shelter and immediately felt the pressurized air around her. The crystals on her suit deactivated and her suit stopped generating oxygen for now. The girl briefly gasped for air before she stopped moving again. Renelle nearly dropped her, but readjusted herself and took her to a sleeping bag, gently placing her down. Renelle then peeked out of the tent and waved for Claudia and Mirielle to come in.

Once inside, Claudia kneeled next to the girl and charged her hands with magic. She moved her hands several inches from the girl's face and chest, making several passes, "She's okay," Claudia said, "I don't detect any injury and her breathing is normal, which is strange considering she was out on the Ashen Wastes with no protection and wasn't breathing at all for a time..."

"Hmm... They must have some sort of protection from the environment naturally." Renelle suggested, "Well, at least to an extent until they can't take it anymore. Obviously it would be some form of aetheric corruption. You don't detect Frostrot on her, right?"

"No." Claudia said. She finished her work and pulled her hands away, "No known corruption that I can detect at least."

"I have a question..." Mirielle asked. She brushed the girl's hair out of her face, revealing her round ears, "Is she a human? What is a human doing way out here on the Moon Izi? There's only supposed to be Elves and Goblins."

"I have an answer for that." Claudia responded, " when I used my spell on her, I detected that she was just under two hundred years old. At least her body's mana felt like it was that old. She's definitely an Elf."

"Two hundred years?!? How?" Mirielle looked at the girl's ears then ran her fingers along the back of them. She was attempting to feel for any scarring, as some elven groups of Vreathe will clip their ears, ashamed of their elven heritage, but she felt nothing. "Looks and feels human to me..."

"She's a half-elf," Renelle said. Mirielle looked at her in disbelief, but she continued, "It's very rare, but there are half-elves in Cassel that are born with round ears. I hear it also happens sometimes in Ordland. Do also remember there was a human expedition to Izi a few hundred years ago. Maybe one of them had a child with the locals?"

"Possibly?" Claudia answered, "But... that's not important right now."

"You're right." Renelle, "Claudia, I'm leaving you in charge of the camp. Mirielle, you and Axia are with me. We still have to secure that Dark Citadel."

"Hold on there commander! That's not what I meant!" Claudia grabbed Renelle to prevent her from leaving, "We barely defeated those Magma Wolves. Lucia, Furio, and Ellis are injured and in the next tent over. Two of them literally died! Maybe we should take a day and regain the unit's full strength? Maybe send a messenger back to the forward operating base?"

"No." Renelle said, "We still need to push forward with the objective. Also a smaller unit will allow us to sneak up on them. We'll be back. Make sure whoever you designate as a guard knows water magic. Those magma wolves might return."

"Wait!" Claudia yelled, "What about Lucia? You saw what she did out there. That was blood magic!"

"So?" Renelle shrugged, "She did what she had to do."

"Commander, I'm not letting a vampire roam free around camp!"

"Then don't. Bind her hands until I return and don't let her put on her gear. Put her in this tent with the girl and have them guarded. Mirielle, let's grab Axia and go!"

Some time later, Imara opened her eyes and found herself in an unfamiliar location. She was in a rounded blue room and she was underneath a strange feeling fabric. She looked around and saw a tanned woman laying beside her. She had white hair and bright pink eyes. She had scars on the side of her face and across her nose. She was wearing very little clothing, and also had rope around her arms and legs.

There were also two men in the room with her. One had light brown hair and the other black. They were wearing leather clothing with bright white armored plates, and they had their metal weapons drawn.

The light haired man noticed Imara and looked directly at her, "Oh hey, you're awake! Claudia's going to want to know this!" Furio started to stand up. Imara couldn't understand what he said, but saw that he was leaving. Imara tried to stop him.

"Dari!" Imara weakly said, "Amni Nindastug, Kor um..."

"eh... Claudia will fix this, hold on!" Furio quickly left the tent, a minute later, he returned with Claudia. Claudia kneeled beside Imara.

Imara looked at Claudia. She was holding a large greyish crystal. She charged it with mana in her hands, and then her eyes temporarily glowed. She then handed it to Furio, who also charged the crystal. Furio then handed it back to Claudia. Imara still looked confused, so Claudia handed it to Lucia. Lucia charged the crystal and then made a gesture for Imara to do the same thing.

Imara finally understood what they wanted her to do. She held the crystal in her hands. She knew that they wanted her to charge the crystal with mana, but wasn't sure she trusted them at first. She didn't feel like their prisoner. She wasn't bound even though the white haired woman was, and she could move around, so after a minute she charged the crystal in her hands.

Almost immediately Imara saw nothing but the color white for several seconds before her vision returned to normal. She then said, "That was strange..."

"I wasn't sure the Babel Crystal was going to work!" Claudia exclaimed.

Imara's eyes' widened "I can understand you! You can understand me?!?"

"Of course!" Claudia said, "Are you feeling okay?"

"You didn't take me back to the Caverns of Jirra, did you!?! How is there air here!?!"

"Relax! We're in a tent. We brought it with us from Vreathe!" Furio pressed on the walls of the tent. It moved around, showing they weren't in a cave. "See? You're not in... wherever that place is."

"I'll get you something to drink. Furio, keep an eye on her." Claudia stood up and left.

"Do what I've been doing for the last day?" Furio kneeled down and drew his sword, "Alright then!" Furio then looked over at Lucia, and then at the other guard. Lucia fell backwards in her sleeping bag beside Imara and stared at the ceiling of the tent.

"Round ears...." Imara said silently. Lucia looked over at Imara for a moment but then looked back at the ceiling. It was a few more minutes before Imara spoke again, "Your hands are tied up..."

"Yep! Don't worry about that. It's just a misunderstanding!"

"Misunderstanding?" Furio asked, "You used Blood Magic!"

"And you literally died a few hours ago!" Lucia shot back. Furio tightened his grip on his sword as sparks started forming in his other hand, but Jon calmed him down. Tensions were rather high after what happened earlier in the day.

After a few more minutes of silence Imara asked, "Are you.... Are the three of you humans?"