Reincarnated! A Tale of the Sorceress Amaya

After we put Ben to bed I approached Thessia.

“Hey, could you tell me if certain plants are edible?” I asked.

“You do realise that I am a plant?” Thessia responded, smiling.

“Yes. But I have no intention of eating dryads. Also, are you a pure plant? Or more like a half plant? I have never really considered that. What is your body made of?”

“It is made of plant material. There is no flesh or blood involved. Dryads are sentient plants and we are not the only ones. There are alraunes, for example.”

Hm. I did know that from a game. “They are sort of flower ladies, right? A big blossom that can walk with a humanoid body inside the petals.”

“Yes. They often lure people towards them with their body, and then they eat them.”

“Interesting. They could be useful guards. Anyway, I am here about other things, like this mushroom.” I pulled the glowing thing out of my storage.

“An azure shroom. They are rather bitter and not very nutritious. They lead to dehydration but only kill the old and weak.”

I eyed the thing. I did not mind bitterness in general. But Thessia’s description did not sound very enticing.

“I see. We also found a purple fruit whose juice dissolved the grass.”

“They are called night melons. Most people die a horrible death when they eat them.”

“Shame. They do taste like sour candy.”

“I heard the dwarves have some way of processing them. You could inquire in the capital.”

“Ok, thanks!”

Having satisfied my curiosity I returned to Lucy. Lily prepared a nice dinner. Afterwards we relaxed at the campfire until it was time for bed. The next day we continued our journey. The road remained monster free and switched between tunnels and caverns. While I remained with the wagons, Shani made numerous trips exploring nearby tunnels. She was a lot faster than the wagons, meaning she could catch up easily. She also laughed a lot.

It was late afternoon and Shani had just charged into a tunnel. We could still hear her cackling. “Hehehe.”

“Is it me, or is Shani’s colour changing?” I asked Lucy.

“Hm. I do think there is some red in her bunny ears. I suspect it is a design choice?”

Her usual body was light green or turquoise. Her skin looked like wind with clouds moving along her body. Red was certainly a new addition. If it came from our bond I would have expected it to be purple.

“I suppose we could ask her. She does seem rather happy with her new job though. She is constantly removing threats, or playing with Ben.” I said.

“Well, they are not really threats. Nothing comes close to the caravan. She just likes killing new things.” Lucy pointed out.

“Everyone needs a hobby.” I said, shrugging.

Our journey continued rather uneventfully. Shani’s ears became more red but the colour change remained local. She seemed pleased with it. I collected some more night melons but failed to find anything else tasty. It was around lunch time on the fifth day when we reached Mountainheart. Traffic increased steadily as we got closer. Merchants with carts or simply travellers became more common.

When we left the final tunnel the dwarven capital came into sight. It was breathtaking. The cavern we were in was enormous. And in the middle was a city, a large city. Underground. There was a river going through it, with a dock. The ceiling had a massive crystal that served as a miniature sun.

“Do they simulate a day and night cycle in here?” I wondered.

“They do.” Lily answered. “The Dwarven Kingdom is impressive and a testament to their crafting skill. They made the undermountain not just liveable but in many ways rather luxurious.”

“Have you ever been here?” I asked.

“Yes, about a hundred years ago. I suspect quite a bit has changed since then.”

The entrance to the city had two lanes. One for travellers with carriages or wagons, the other one was for people on foot, or with only a mount. We had to wait for about 20 minutes until it was our turn. The dwarven guard looked at us curiously.

“That is quite the caravan you have got there. What is your purpose for visiting Mountainheart?”

“We have been invited to visit the King. I am Amaya Delphinium. Most people in this caravan are refugees and they will settle in the Dominion.”

“I see.” The dwarf opened a pouch he carried and retrieved a notebook. He flipped through it. Then he looked at me and my companions. “Amaya and Lucy Delphinium with an entourage. You are expected. Please follow the road towards the palace.”

The building was big and rather easy to find. The largest road led towards it. The palace was surrounded by a metal fence. The architectural style of the dwarfs reminded me of the romans. It was not a perfect fit but they certainly liked columns. A friendly dwarf greeted us at the gate. He was dressed in a suit and standing next to a guard.

“Ah, you must be the Delphiniums! Greetings, we are expecting you. We have room in the barracks for the refugees and more luxurious quarters for you personally.” He said.

“I hope my family is included.” Lucy said. “My parents and my brother are here too.”

“Certainly, certainly. There is room for your maids as well. I am Magnus and I am at your service during your stay. If you need anything, let me know. A guard will escort your people to their accommodations and I will show you personally to your residence. Do you need any help with your luggage?”

“No, we are good.” I answered.

“I will go and get my family.” Lucy said and walked towards the carriage.