The promised three days came and went quickly, and without issue.

Velicion had been pleasantly surprised to have woken up on the dawn of the third day without so much of an issue rearing its ugly head around the corner. The elven woman had expected something to happen within the past three days, a trick from the humans perhaps or some sort of shenanigans that involved the raven haired girl that the sorceress had found herself attached to as a quasi-advisor in order to prevent the elves under her care from starving or being waylaid out in the middle of nowhere.

The quick passing of time was also helped by the fact that Velicion had kept herself busy in the moderate sense of the word. For the past several days, the sorceress had mainly kept to herself as she planned out Iskra's language lesson, her mind occupied for hours on end as she attempted to create an elaborate lesson plan to teach the young girl. To say that it was tough would be an understatement. The elven woman was ignorant towards the subject matters to which the young human girl was tutored in. The two of them were not only of different races but also of different social backgrounds, which only helped to stew the growing frustration that had swelled in the back of Velicions mind.

At first, her plans were far more complicated than she had initially intended. She would teach the girl the history of the elven language and of the people who spoke it. Of how various words morphed over time and how the elven runic system grew and shifted as their people became wiser and stronger. In the end, the lesson initially resembled her previous experiences as not only a master guiding their pupil but also of a child going through the years of adolescence to early adulthood.

It was during the second day of the goblins stay that Velicion had decided to start over from scratch. All thanks to the fact that she had to break up, and forbid in a heavy manner, an amateur brawlers guild that had been started up by the more rambunctious boys. The participants of this newly found guild had gone overboard and injured themselves in various ways and methods. At the end of it all, she had to reset nearly a dozen dislocated joints.

She never did find out who had been the mastermind of such an event, as they had apparently sworn an oath of silence to keep the ringmaster a silent secret.

As for their punishment, she had offered up the guilty parties to Captain Boris to do as he saw fit. The teenagers now spent their days walking side by side with the humans as they marched along the palisades or guarded the main gate, of which there was only one. Children of nobility they may be, but it was high time that they had learned that this little adventure of theirs was not the festive outings they had been so familiar with when they were younger children. They were no longer surrounded by the well-trained guards and minders of their families, but of beasts and dastardly races that would gleefully put an end to their lives without so much of a thought.

Velicion hoped that spending time with their human counterparts would do well to serve as a warning for them.

After such a crazy event, the sorceress had decided to take a more straightforward approach towards Iskra's tutorage. It was, more than likely, the more favorable way to go about teaching the young Iskra. Having her memorize the elven alphabet and perfect her pronunciation would have to do for now.

"We're here." Captain Boris' voice called out, which drew the sorceress away from her thoughts of the past few days.

Velicion stopped dead in her tracks, only a few paces ahead of the grey haired human.

Dasher, who appeared to be lost in his own thoughts, bumped into the back of the elven woman's legs. The goblin quickly began to apologize profusely without so much of a second having passed. He repeatedly bowed while babbling on and on about various things to make up for his transgression towards the sorceress.

Eventually, he paused to take a deep breath, and before he could continue, Velicion struck out her hand and ordered the creature's silence.

She wanted this to be over and done within a timely fashion, and the creature wasn't going to be of any help towards that if he was allowed to continue to prattle on about whatever it was that his people thought about the elves as a whole.

"Need a hand with that?" Captain Boris asked the sorceress as he nodded towards the clunky satchel that the elven woman had swung over her shoulders shortly before their departure.

"Thank you, but no." She said as she reached out with her left hand and grabbed hold of the satchel's single strap. In a swift but delicate motion, the woman carefully placed the container in front of her feet. She looked towards the human with a smile as she next spoke. "It's lighter than air."

To demonstrate what she meant, the sorceress grasped the item in question and shook it violently in front of her without so much as an effort on her part. Inside, something metallic clinked and rustled about as the bag swung side to side in exaggerated motions.

Satisfied with what she had meant, the grizzled veteran let out a grunt as he nodded his head. For Captain Boris, a simple no would have sufficed. He found such tacky actions to be tasteless and without warrant.

"Right then," The man said as he turned his attention towards the goblin. "Let's finish our business here and go about the remainder of our day."

Velicion nodded in agreement as she turned to face the goblin who had kept its gaze towards the deforested area that now lay before them. The humans, in their effort to build up a satisfactory amount of defenses, had felled many of the nearby trees. The humans had only been satisfied once they had finished the last of their swiftly put together defenses and a healthy amount of reserve lumber for various purposes. It was through minor gossip that the sorceress had learned that one such purpose would be for the construction of proper facilities to help the humans in their mission.

"Dasher," The elven woman started to say as she watched the creature look up into her eyes in sheer terror. The sorceress clucked her tongue as she stared down at the goblin, she had thought that the creature had grown used to being around elves, but she was apparently in the wrong. "It's time for us to depart."

The goblin remained quiet as he swallowed back his fears; his beady red eyes stared deeply into the void-black orbs that made up Velicions eyes. Slowly, he nodded at what she had said.

Over the past few days, the creature had remained in the prince's tent, confined to the small confines of the young boy's domain without so much as a peep about its isolation. Much to the surprise of no one, Iskra had refused to meet with the creature after the sorceress had weaved the crazy sounding tale. That was all fine and dandy with Velicion; she was satisfied that the creature had been convinced of the young girls' apparent status of godhood. The goblin would depart Ruined Home with the idea stuck in its mind that it had been chosen as a mortal champion of some unknown and ageless god that roamed the world, looking for all sorts of worthy mortals to accomplish its mysterious goals.

Not that any of that mattered in all honesty. The sorceress had serious doubts that the creature would survive long out in the wild.

"I won't disappoint." Dasher said as he looked back at the thick copse of trees that stood directly in his path. His body brimmed in confidence as he let out a big breath of air, readying himself for what was to come.

Velicion nodded her head as she gave the satchel a light kick. The rugged cloth bag rolled onto its side; its hidden contents clanked together as its misshapen form slumped along the ground. "Which is why the Tall Lady chose you and it's also why she has decided to grace your leaving with a few parting gifts."

Dasher raised an eyebrow at the elven woman's words while Captain Boris, oblivious to what was going on, looked on in confused silence. Everything that had been said between the elf and the goblin were for their ears only, which was precisely what the sorceress wanted.

“Gifts?” Dasher asked as he looked on in a curious fashion.

Quietly, the sorceress nodded as she leaned forward and opened the satchel. In total there were two items within its confines, a crudely made bow with a small quiver filled with arrows as well as a smaller handbag filled with medicinal supplies that one would commonly find amongst the standard issued gear of your average Dark Elven foot soldier.

The bow was the first to be pulled out. Velicion had forced the twins to work together to create the crude looking weapon, and in haste, they had completed their task for fear of some unspoken punishment similar to those who had taken part in the brawler's guild. While its design reflected the hast as to which it was created, the sorceress had been assured that it would kill just as well as any other expertly crafted bow one would commonly see throughout their homeland.

"This..." Dasher said in a hoarse whisper as the elven woman held out the weapon and its ammunition for him to grab hold of. The goblin accepted the offering, taking the quiver first before quickly throwing it across his back as he reached for the crude bow. "Is for me?"

Velicion nodded her head as she watched the creature's reaction, rolling her eyes at the ridiculousness of it all.

"And this as well," She said as she reached for the medicine bag. It looked similar in appearance to the satchel to which it had been borne from, but was noticeably smaller in size. "The Tall Lady has assured me that this will come in handy very shortly."

Without saying a word, Dasher took the bag in his hand, his fingers clasped around its leathery strap as he stood dumbfounded at his saviors' kindness.

"As for the bow," Velicion asked as she motioned towards the goblins newly acquired weapon. "Do you know to use it?"

Before he gave his reply, Dasher peered inside the contents of the medicine bag. Bandages, herbs, and other mysterious things were all neatly tucked within. This was far beyond anything that the goblin had ever seen before, to receive such a gift was beyond imaginable for him. It was at this very moment that the creature steeled his thoughts and readied his very soul for what lay before him.

Finally, he closed the bag and placed it over his shoulder, causing it to sway and bounce against his waist. It was at that moment that Dasher gave his reply in confidence. "I do."

In truth today was the first time he had ever held a bow, or any weapon for that matter, but being part of a nomadic tribe, he understood the basics of how to wield and fire the weapon. If the elven woman had asked him if he was an expert or a decent shot, then his answer would convey a more negative tone. The goblin was no more than an amateur to most things that involved fighting.

The task that now stood before him was a momentous one, and it scared him, but he would accomplish what the Tall Lady had set out for him and upon his return, Dasher would hold his head high in triumph.

“Fantastic,” Velicion said as she shifted her gaze towards the forest before slowly looking up at the early morning sun. A hand went up to shield her eyes from its rays; she needed to end this charade now if she were to finish preparing for Iskra’s coming lessons. “It seems that the Tall Lady is calling for me. I must take my leave.”

Dasher stayed quiet as he looked to the ground, thinking of how it was that the Tall Lady had called for her chosen speaker. Eventually, he shifted his gaze towards the sun as he realized that was how the two had communicated. His eyes slowly closed as he breathed in deeply, the goblins face was full of quiet determination as he let go of his breath and let out a large gasp of air.

The goblin looked towards Captain Boris and nodded at the man before bowing towards Velicion. Confused at the creature's behavior, the human gave a stuttered nod in reply to the creatures' actions while the elven woman gave a wave of her hand and watched as Dasher turned towards the forest and took his first step towards his destiny.

Human and elf stood side by side as they watched the creature slowly make its way across the stump filled wasteland.

“A strange creature.” Captain Boris said as he watched the increasingly distant goblin.

Velicion grunted in reply as she watched the grey skinned monster stop at the edge of the forest and turn to face them.

“Magic Chucka!” Dasher yelled out. The goblins voice echoed across the way as he continued to speak. “I will bring the Tall Lady the head of the gluttonous pig; tell her to wait for that day!”

The sorceress rolled her eyes as she acknowledged the words of the goblin with a wave of her hand.

Captain Boris and Velicion watched on in silence as the goblin slowly vanished into the distant tree line, the grey-skinned monster slowly disappeared from their sight as its body melded into the dark shadows of the forest. A gentle yet humid breeze brushed against their faces as the two remained quiet for a moment longer.

“Well then,” Velicion started to say as she let out a big sigh in relief of seeing the creature gone. “It’s gone now.”

“So it is.” Captain Boris grunted out as he replied to the woman’s words.

The two stood there in silence for a little bit longer; neither of them felt the need to take the first step back towards the gate of Ruined Home. While the gate itself wasn't very far from where they stood, the walk to get back was an annoying one. There were far too many stumps and broken limbs of the fallen trees that served as obstacles to avoid.

It was Captain Boris that broke the silence as he turned and began to walk towards the main gate. "I don't think that thing will survive out there for very long."

His words were cold, but they served a purpose in being said.

"Truth be told Captain," Velicion said as she turned to follow after the man. "I have my own doubts about the goblins survival."

"And yet you gave it those items," The man turned to look at the elven woman with a bewildered stare, finding it strange that she would give the items to the creature even though she felt that the beast wouldn't last long. Why?"

Velicion hummed to herself as she ran her fingers through her silken black hair. "For appearances mostly."

Captain Boris raised an eyebrow at the woman's words but chose to stay quiet on the matter. To him, it was over and done with and there was no need to continue with the subject unless something were to come up. There were far more important tasks at hand.

As they passed through the gate, Captain Boris nodded in acknowledgment towards the two figures who stood on guard. He noticed that the usual shift was now bolstered by three of Velicions elves. The teenaged elves had a bored aura about their persons while they stood in a relaxed manner, idly chatting amongst each other.

Velicion spoke sharply in the elven tongue which forced the three elves to perk up and straighten out their backs as they replied in rapid succession. Captain Boris was shocked in a way to see the young elves to act in such a manner around the sorceress; it was apparent to him that the woman commanded great respect amongst them. Or perhaps it was fear that kept them in line most of the time.

He wasn't sure what to make of such thoughts.

"Captain," Velicion spoke up as she looked towards the man. The two of them made their way deeper into the camp as they slowly passed the entrance. "How are the boys doing? Not causing you any unnecessary trouble, I hope?"

"Can't say I've had any complaints towards their behavior." Captain Boris said as he thought back over the past few days.

Of what little conversations he had involving the elves and their guard duties, there had been no complaints from his sergeants and corporals who had taken the teenagers into their squads. Despite the obvious hazard of a language barrier, the elven teenagers appeared to be doing well with their human counterparts.

While he didn't doubt that the elves only had harsh things to say about their punishment, he was also pleasantly surprised to see that they took their assigned tasks seriously and did them in a professional as well as without complaint. At least, away from any prying ears that could understand them.

"They seem to be getting along well in their tasks, and the men they've been partnered with have only good things to say about them though I wouldn't put it past them if they were complaining their friends' ears off when they're with the others. Of course, not that any of that matters."

"Oh?" Velicion said, curious as to what the man had meant. "What makes you say that? Are you planning on giving them back to me after such a short amount of time?"

"Not at this moment, no." The man said as he shook his head in exhaustion. He let out a long and tired sigh as his mind began to turn towards what was required of him to tackle before the days' end. He would be spending most of it within the camps command tent, crawling through meeting after meeting as he and his lieutenants and sergeants would begin to plan for their expeditions main task at hand. "I have it in me to be done with this little excursion into these lands and move on with our lives. I'm already planning on sending out several patrols to get a head start before the royal cartographer arrives."

"Any particular reason for this sudden need to start rushing?" Velicion asked as she tapped a finger against the underside of her chin.

Captain Boris paused as he thought on how to best answer the sorceress's query.

There was no real rhyme or reason as to why he felt the need for such a rush in pushing forward the expeditions task. It was just that he had a feeling in the back of his mind that he couldn't quite grasp at, nor did he know what to make of such thoughts. It was just something that he felt he needed to do if he wished to be more at ease with himself.

"I'm not sure on how to best go about explaining it," He started to say as he finally managed to put words on his tongue. "It's just that I have this odd feeling that I can't quite describe."

With an open palm, the man slowly swung his hands about to help signify that what he was about to talk about meant more than what the two of them could see in front of them. It didn't help that there was a growing number of the expeditions members who started to feel the same way about their current home. It was as if an ill omen had burrowed its way into their minds, and none of them could understand how to feel about it.

It was quiet and remained under the surface of many conversations, but there was a growing sense of unease and trepidation that was slowly begging to spread throughout the camp. The Duchy of Voldigrov was infamous for bringing such emotions to the peoples' minds.

"Care to explain what you mean?" Velicion asked as her curiosity began to grow larger, dubious as to what the man would say next. She tried in vain to scan the distant horizon if she could feel the same way as the human.

The sorceress turned to look back at the man as she failed to summon similar feelings as to what the grey haired human was currently trying to explain.

"It's...Complicated," Captain Boris paused as his mind began to wander as to how to effectively explain what he now felt. "It's just that the strange pit we've come to find ourselves living on the edge of is not what it should be. There are random bouts of demonic screaming while the stench of the Under Hells pricks at our noses. What's worse, one could only hear and smell such things when you stand at its edge. Any further than a few steps, and you wouldn't be able to hear or smell a thing. Even the walls themselves appear to be invisible to one's eyes, yet your mind knows that it's there. It's as if your eyes can't comprehend what it is seeing."

Next, the human pointed towards the sky as he continued to speak his mind. It was clear to both of them that the more the captain spoke; the more it made sense to the man. "The days here are also strange. The days are often humid to the point where you feel as if you're in a swamp, yet the only source of water is the nearby lake. What's more, is the fact that the nights here are often cold enough to freeze you to the bone. How can there be such a vast difference in temperatures without some magic placed on this land to explain it as such?"

Velicion crossed her arms and cupped her chin in the palm of her hands as she thought on the captains' words. While it was true that the rapid differences in temperates were an oddity, there were plenty of natural reasons to help explain as to why.

For the intense heat, the matter could be something as simple as the nearby mountains causing a knock off effect. The mountainsides could be acting as some sort of wall for the nearby volcanoes where their heat is being trapped and pushed down into the valley below. The constant plumes of volcanic ash could also be acting as some sort of humidifier; the falling ash could be entrapping what heat they've captured and released it into the sky once gravity had taken its toll.

The nearby lake could be another factor as well, creating a lake effect that caused the air around them to keep its moisture for far longer than what was usual.

As for the cold, the lake was the most likely answer as to what could cause such bone chilling temperatures. The mountains could also serve as anothe r reason for the night's extreme cold, keeping the cool air trapped with no means to escape.

The pit was a different matter altogether. Velicion wished that she could come up with a natural cause to its strange ongoings, but the sorceress continued to draw a blank the more she thought on the matter.

At the end of it all, she wasn't an expert in the natural ways of the world so most, if not all, of her theories could be dead wrong.

For all she knew, the entire region could have been cursed eons ago, and the humans would be none the wiser for it. She understood that the kingdom to the south of these lands were without those with the abilities of the magical arts and that they would be unable to discover any of the curses' lingering effects. Though she doubted that was the case, she would have known almost immediately if this land bore ill will to those within its cursed grounds.

Realizing that she had become lost in her own train of thought, Velicion looked up at the man as he continued his paranoid dialogue.

"And that plume of ash to the north of us," Captain Boris pointed towards a distant yet large cloud of ash that rose lazily into the sky above, flashes of lightning dotted the earth toned haze as the top of the pillar vanished into the calm sea of nearby clouds. "It hasn't stopped rising ever since we've arrived, and I suspect that it's been like that well before we even arrived."

Velicion had finally grasped at the most likely cause of the man's inner turmoil, paranoia. She had seen it before on countless occasions, one of which was during her many years in service as a corsair. She had traveled the worlds many seas, plundering and looting any and everything that they had come across.

"Captain," The woman said as she gestured towards the man. "Would the words 'Ominous' or 'Deadly' be an appropriate feeling as to what you're trying to describe?"

The man looked to the ground as his mind lingered on the words provided to him. "I believe so," He said after a short while slowly nodding to himself. "Though in all honesty, they aren't quite what I would use to describe what I'm feeling."

"I see," Velicion said with a hum as an innocent smile appeared on her face. "You know...I once knew of someone who was experiencing the same thing that you are right now. We were on a ship, gallanting about the world, and as the journey wore on, he started to grow paranoid with each port call. With each passing day, his paranoia proved to be false, and he returned home without incident."

The man, wearily in all manner of things, looked relieved to hear what the sorceress had to say as she offered up an expedient summary of her one time friend. 'Perhaps,' He thought to himself, relieved to hear that his paranoia was just that. 'I am just a tad bit paranoid.'

"And what happened to him after that," The man asked as he grew curious towards the unnamed elfs fate. "Did he ever return for the next journey?"

"Well..." The sorceress started to say as she tapped a knowing finger to her lips. "Once he returned home, he ended up being murdered by his brother who took everything the man had. Including his wife." Velicion chuckled to herself as she began to recant the tales true, yet horrifying ending. "However the murderous brother ended up being slain by a third sibling. They were triples to be fair, and they had a strange knack in sharing everything with one another. Turns out that betrayal was one of those things."

Velicion gave the human a wicked smile as she exposed the stories final tale. "Turns out that the wife had orchestrated the whole ordeal and ended up killing the last of the brothers. She gained quite the fortune once all was said and done."

The woman shrugged her shoulders once she had finished her tale, as if to say that it was no big deal in the end.

"I…See." Captain Boris said as a look of despair grew over his face.

"Look," The sorceress said as she laid a gentle hand over the sulking man's right shoulder. "The lesson here is that you should just trust your instinct and go with what your gut is trying to tell you." Velicion bobbed her head from side to side as she thought of something else to say. "That or don't get married, but that's not what you should be taking from all of this. To be honest, a concubine’s life is far more dangerous than being married to some black widow who wishes to inherit your fortune. I've seen countless women murder someone without so much as a bash of their eyes because they thought it would raise their status in the harems hierarchy."

The two remained quiet as Velicions advice began to sink in. A few passersby made curious glances their way as the figures stood motionless next to one another. Eventually, the words lost their hold over Captain Boris and the man recovered by squaring up his shoulders.

"I seriously doubt that any of my men are plotting my death or anyone else that resides within these walls for that matter." He said as he let out a confident grunt, his posture returned to its usual form as he took a deep breath.

"Suit yourself." Velicion said as she shrugged at the man's bravado.

"There's another matter that I would like to speak to you with, but I doubt that I have the time to go into much detail."

"Very well then," The sorceress said as she turned away from her counterpart. "Find me whenever you feel like you have the time to speak your mind."

The two parted ways after that, each of them taking the first of many steps towards their separate yet similarly exhaustive schedules.

Ever since the goblin had left the camp, things had slowed to a crawl for Velicion as she continued to prepare for Iskra’s' language lessons. She had also kept a wary eye out for any more shenanigans from the boys; so far they had been well behaved and avoided committing any misdeeds on the scale as the brawler's guild. Yet she knew that the moment she relaxed was the moment that the teenaged elves would pull another trick.

She was grateful for the fact that the teenagers had remained at a tolerable level and disciplined. To the sorceress, it seemed that the punishment of being given guard duty was a powerful deterrent for the young boys, although she had a fear of her own. One that involved many of the young elves under her care to be the sons of important Dar'Nari nobility, sons that wouldn't even be in the line to inherit anything to be fair but that point was useless to the woman. Their families would still send out assassins to exact their revenge if something were to happen to their children; it was the principle that mattered. A principle that she intended to stay far, far away from.

Her primary concern was making sure that Prince Aurelius stayed out of harm's way as much as possible, yet still keeping up the appearance of him being a dashing adventurer of sorts. His status as being a prince of her people weighed heavily on her shoulders, especially once she factored in the matter of the boys' mother. The Arch Mistress was overly protective of the boy, and she was baffled by the fact that the Dar'Narian Queen had allowed her most treasured son to even step foot out of the kingdom, let alone the boys home city itself.

If anything were to happen to the child, untold destruction would crash over her once word had reached his mother. This was something that she wished to avoid in its entirety, which was partly why she was so glad that the young human, whose tent she was now in, had taken an instant liking to the princeling.

With regards to the girls' lesson, it appeared as if it was going well. Somewhat. The lithe elven woman watched on as the curvaceous teenager scratched at her head as she quietly mouthed her confusion.

As she held out the small parchment in front of her, the young human made her frustration known before she looked towards her language instructor.

"I don't get it," The girl said as she looked back at the material before she turned to face the sorceress for a second time. "These aren't letters. They're nothing more than weird shapes and oddly placed lines mashed together. How am I supposed to remember any of this?"

Iskra flipped the page over so that it faced the elf and pointed towards its contents.

With her index finger, the human pointed towards a single letter that had a similar shape to that of a dagger's blade. It had an inverted crescent at near its top right corner along with a fully formed circle floating freely above the curved area. Within the middle of the letter was a series of tiny runes that had similar appearances to several other members of the elven alphabet. All of which were oddly shaped in their own regard.

The letter to which the girl pointed to was the 'Fwah' letter.

"It makes perfect sense," Velicion stated as she nodded towards the letter in question. "The 'Fwah' is perhaps the most common letter found throughout many words that are spoken in the elvish tongue. It's also one of the easiest to write."

Iskra gave the elf a look of disgust as she listened to what her teacher had to say. "No it doesn't," She said as she pointed towards several other members of the alphabet. "It looks weird, and then you're telling me that I have to write tiny versions of these ones too?"

The girl proceeded to point towards three more members of the alphabet that accompanied the dagger shaped letter. First was the 'Dwa'n' which looked similar to a broken moon with several rings around it. The second was the 'Diurn' which had several circles, of varying sizes, placed randomly within a small block like shape. Finally, Iskra drew attention to the final letter of the elvish alphabet; the 'Mur' wa.' It looked more like a poorly drawn tree, with naked branches and roots that were twisted around each other.

To say that the elven language was difficult to learn was a blatant understatement.

“Can you give me the pronunciation of the ones that you’ve pointed to?” Velicion asked the girl as she grabbed hold of the paper and flipped it around to face the raven haired human.

"Uh," Iskra started to say as she concentrated on the chosen letters. "I think so." She didn't sound very confident in her abilities to pronounce them correctly, especially since it had been less than an hour since their lesson started.

This was something that the sorceress expected from the young girl; she wasn't the type of instructor to demand her students be an immediate genius in whatever field of study they were currently engaged in. However, she wanted them to give it their all, even if that meant for their feelings to be hurt in in the process.

“Then let me hear it.” Velicion motioned for the curvaceous teenager to begin.

“The first one is ‘Fffwaah’ and the-”

Without warning, Velicion reached out and gave the girl a quick, yet sharp slap on the arm.

“What was that for?” Iskra called out with a yelp as she rubbed at her arm while she quietly sounded out her pain. She was shocked to see that her newfound teacher had decided to hit her for no apparent reason.

"Your pronunciation is just awful," The elf explained as she pointed aggressively towards the human girl. "'Fwah' is pronounced in a more sharp and quiet tone. Your speaking in a way that's too soft and far too drawn out. Now repeat after me. 'F-' "

"'Ff-' "

Iskra stopped almost instantly and bounced backwards the moment she noticed the sorceress begin to lean forward. There was no way that the girl would allow herself to be slapped for a second time. "Why are you trying to hit me?" The girl asked with anger in her voice.

"Because your pronunciation is way off and I'm trying to correct it," Velicion said as she wagged a finger at the girl. "I'm not your typical instructor whose happy to just state what you're doing wrong. It's better that the student is punished for their academic mistakes while being rewarded for reaching perfection."

Iskra looked at the elven woman with grave concern as she leaned towards Argonok who stood close at hand. "Who teaches like that?" She asked the dwarf, who merely shrugged his shoulders in his usual manner.

"A sadist probably." Argonok said in a bored tone as he shook his head.

"I'll have you know," Velicion said with a gasp. "That this was how my mother taught me when I was younger, and it was the method that my master used during my days as an apprentice." The sorceress let out a defiant huff of air as she nodded her head. "It's also how I taught my apprentices when they were learning under me, and it was how I raised my children."

"See," The dwarf said as he motioned towards the elf with a defiant open palm. "She's a sadist. I'd watch myself around her if I were you little missy. Can't be too careful or she might try and cut you up and have her way with your body."

Shocked at what the dwarf had said, Velicion let out a gasp as she stared down the heavily armored Fireguard. One of these days, the dwarfs' crudeness would be the death of him.

"Come on Argonok," Iskra said as she shook her head before turning to face the sorceress. "I'm sure that there are other ways for Velicion to teach me without resorting to physical harm."

Iskra gave the elven woman a quizzical look as she posed the question.

The girl gave Velicion a quizzical look as she posed the question, but before the sorceress had the chance to reply, Argonok spoke up with absolute confidence in his echoing voice. "We could get Zharatan to place the same language spell on you as he did with me. Shouldn't take all that long."

"Really?" Iskra said happily as she clapped her hands together. "How long will it take? Does it hurt?"

"Pretty sure there isn't any," Argonok answered as the question of pain was brought up. "I'm not the type of person to be asking that though, in case you forgot." To emphasize what he meant, the dwarf pummeled a closed fist against his chest. A metallic thump echoed from somewhere within his chest plate as the gauntleted hand continued to pound away at the armor.

"Hold it right there," Velicion said harshly as she struck out a hand in warning to the dwarf. "What would have been the point of all of this if you just decide to have a spell placed on you? Don't you want to feel the glowing excitement of having your hard work and dedication pay off in the end?"

"Why would I want to do that if I can just solve my problem by using magic?" Iskra raised an eyebrow at what the sorceress had said. She found it strange that someone who practiced the mystical art of sorcery would want to go through all of that hard work when casting a simple spell would be the easiest option of the two.

Argonok, for his part, nodded his head in agreement with the young girl. A smug aura could be felt from where the dwarf stood, his arms crossed over his chest as a proud chuckle escaped from his ethereal throat. He was proud of the fact that he had brought the human over to his side of the argument.

"Because," The sorceress started to say as she raised an index finger. "That's the most boring thing you can possibly due when it comes to learning new things, and it sets a terrible precedent for one’s education. Especially for a young girl such as you." Velicion leaned forward and placed her hands over her hips. "I'll have you know that my most cherished memories were of the times I had spent with a candle on my desk and a book in front of me. My mother would always chastise me and force me to go outside to play with my friends, but I always yearned to be given a new book that allowed me to pour over its contents."

The sorceress pulled away from Iskra as she crossed her arms over her chest. "You know what the best feeling in the world is?" Velicion asked as she tapped her foot repeatedly. Without waiting for a reply, she answered her own question. "Learning a difficult subject after having to wrack your brain around it after a long time. You should try to experience it at least once before casting away the opportunity for good."

Velicion sighed as she looked back on those days with fond memories. She wished that she could turn back time and return to those solitary days. Unfortunately, time had decided she had other things to do, and she needed to face the present as it came to her.

“I seriously doubt you had any friends if any of that was true.” Iskra spoke with venom in her words as she looked at the elven woman in a wicked manner.

Argonok bellowed out in laughter as he leaned his head back, his hands resting over where his stomach would be as he drowned the tent in his distant voice.

"It's true, and I did have friends back then. I'll have you know that I still keep in contact with a few of them." The sorceress replied with a cold tone in her voice as she gave the human a hard stare. She didn't appreciate what the girl had said, and she needed to put her foot down before it got out of hand. "And watch your tone with me, little lady. I'm not afraid to bend you over and give you a walloping that you won't forget."

Iskra chuckled to herself as she ignored the elfs warning. She wasn't afraid of what the sorceress could do to her. "And how do you do that? Open up their pages and read through them while you talk to yourself?"

"Maybe she opens up a secret drawer and plays with them as if she's still a child." Argonok said in between fits of laughter.

Both the human and dwarf couldn't help themselves as they continued to list off a whole slew of ways that poked fun at the sorceress's childhood. Some were mild-mannered and innocent in tone while most had a cruel twist to their words that were meant to cause the elf distress. Through it all, the two figures continued to laugh.

Velicion rolled her eyes as she waited for the two of them to settle down. She had grown used to these types of insults ever since she had been inducted into the Witch King's harem. Most of the women there were of the sort who only cared for their social standing and would rarely win their shared lovers' affection by continuously proving their worth. Prince Aurelius' father was the type of man who preferred his women to be of the sort who worked hard and accomplished many things. Something that Velicion had proven to him time and time again.

“Yes, yes.” Velicion dryly said as the laughter finally began to settle down. “You’ve had your fun now. Can we continue the lesson?”

“Can’t we just do what Argonok said? Cast a spell and be done with it?”

The sorceress shook her head at the girls’ disgraceful words. She had a ways to go when it came to her attitude towards her education, and the sorceress wondered if the young girl had a similar attitude with her other instructors.

"And what good would that do for you? Do you think that the prince would be impressed that you've had a spell cast over you so that you could communicate with him, or do you think he'd enjoy speaking with you if he knew that you took the time and effort to learn his language?"

"Honestly?" Iskra said as she shrugged her shoulders. "I don't think he'd care all that much."

Velicion sighed as she rubbed the bridge of her nose. "Alright, then. If you're not going to take this seriously, then I'm not going to teach you any further." Iskra opened her mouth to speak but was interrupted by the sorceress before she could get a word out. "And I'm not going to cast that disgusting spell on you either."

Velicion crossed her arms and watched as disbelief and astonishment exploded over Iskra's face.

The young girl crossed her arms as she let out an exaggerated huff of air, her heaving breasts bounced as she raised her chin at the sorceress. "Fine then, maybe I've lost interest in him anyway. I'm sure that there are plenty of better men out there to win my favor."

Velicion rolled her eyes at the girls' bravado; she knew for a fact that the human was still head over heels for the boy. "And I'm sure that Aurelius," The sorceress let a smug smile form over her face as she watched the young girl perk up at the boys' name. "Will be able to find another girl who is willing to throw themselves at his feet. There are plenty of women out there who are prettier than you anyway."

Velicion let out an imaginary yell of celebration as she watched the girl gasp and repeatedly poke at her chest before a look of despair poured over her face.

Iskra's shoulders hung low in defeat as she spoke to the elf with poison in her voice. "You lie," The girl pointed her finger at the sorceress as she continued to speak. She was none too pleased with what the elven woman had to say. "I'll have you know that I was said to be the most gorgeous child in all of Ranislava. Even the court bards sung songs about my beauty."

Velicion allowed an evil grin to spread across her face as she realized that she had hit bullseye. Now was the time to go on the offensive. "Oh? Is that so..." The sorceress paused to allow her words to take effect on the girls' mind. She wanted to hit her where it hurt. "Then tell me about what happened with that other prince of yours, something about him falling in love with a girl who he saw as more beautiful than you?"

Dead silence filled the air around them as Velicions words slowly started to sink in. From somewhere outside, birds could be heard chirping pleasantly as the faint voices of the nearby guards drifted into the tent.

It happened all at once. Argonok let out an impressed whistle as a choked back cry could be heard from Iskra's trembling lips while she did her best in holding back the tears that now flowed from her emerald green eyes.

In a victorious stance, Velicion shrugged her shoulders and gave the girl a smug look. “Don’t bother playing with fire if you can’t sta-”

Velicion was cut off as a fist connected with the side of her face. The sorceress quickly held out her arms as she managed to catch herself from falling flat on her face with not a moment to spare. She stared wide eyed at the ground as she blinked repeatedly and shook her head in disbelief at what had just occurred.

Iskra said nothing as she rushed out of the tent, the sounds of her crying echoed behind her as she disappeared from their view.

Both Argonok and Velicion remained quiet for a long time, unsure of what to say or do next.

“Want me to go after her?” The dwarf said as he stared down at the sorceress.

“No,” Velicion said as she clasped the bottom of her chin. “Let her cool off for a while. Doing anything at the moment would just make things worse.”

Argonok let out a grunt as he looked towards the tents entrance. “Alright, I’ll be off then. I wanna see if that prince of yours has gotten any better at Fool’s Pride.”

The sorceress grunted in reply as she corrected her stance, bringing her back upright as she rubbed at her chin.

‘For such a tiny girl,’ Velicion thought to herself as she rolled her head back and forth to get the kinks out of her neck. ‘She sure does pack a punch.’