Sarai's Journey
Long Live The Kings Updates
Multiple updates. Because I wrote THREE chapters for Sarai when I should have been working on a chapter with Harrow. They're formatted properly as separate chapters on AO3, but you're getting them all as an anthology post on here.
New Clothes
Janai didn't spend much time with Sarai after making arrangements for her safety in the barracks. The Golden Knight of Lux Aurea was also the highest general of their nation, and she had plenty of other work to do to keep her busy. Instead, Sarai found herself spending most of her time with a young squire by the name of Hadiya. Hadiya took over as her primary guide and guard after she was released from the infirmary - which, to her surprise, was only a day. One of the general's healers was a mage who turned blindingly bright, and a touch from his hand had healed Sarai's stab wound as if it were from years ago and not just a day. She didn't see the mage again after that; Hadiya said such healers were in high demand, as they were rare, and he was busy elsewhere under Janai's command.
So it was only Sarai's second full day in Lux Aurea when Hadiya took her on a tour of the city, and only the fourth when she took her out to a market to get new clothes. The elves had delicately informed her it was unwise to wear her plainly Katolian clothing out in public, even with the Dragon Queen's indulgence, and Sarai couldn't rightfully argue with the point.
"If you like it, ze dressing room is just there," The proprietor of the little shop informed her suddenly, and Sarai jumped, startled by the sudden proximity; she hadn't heard them get up and approach.
They just grinned at her surprise. "I can alter it once you have tried it, just show me." They said cheerfully, and returned to their seat. The glittering gold prosthetic that replaced their left leg didn't make a sound on the wooden floor.
"Ze general will sure ze merchants are well compensated," Hadiya assured her with a smile. "We do not use currency, and you have nothing with which to barter yet."
Right. Sarai's chest hurt, and she took a deep breath to steady herself, reminding herself yet again she would just have to get used to this new world if she were to survive.
And she would survive. There had to be a way around Viren's curse. Or a way to lift it. She just . . . couldn't risk testing anything until she knew for sure. She'd find a way home eventually. She had to.
"Thank you," She said, a beat too late, to Hadiya. "And the general. Let me just get a few more things, and then I'll try them on." For now, she was wearing a somewhat ill-fitting version of trainee's garb from the Sunfire army, and she couldn't deny she felt a little uncomfortable in it despite the queen's mercy.
She was used to wearing blue. The Sunfire golds felt . . . wrong, though she had been assured the Queen had no intention of turning violence on her home at this point in time. Wearing the wrong uniform sat wrong in her chest.
Fortunately, this shop had plenty of blue and gray clothing. Most of them seemed to be different cuts than what she was seeing among the Sunfire elves; rather than the properly fitted, defined lines of the red and brown clothing they favored, the blues and grays seemed to be mostly adjustable wraps with more flowing cuts. She was pleased to find some somewhat more supportive fabric inside some of the tops, at least. The breast band included in the recruit's clothes was somewhat too thin for her, and it certainly wasn't made with a nursing mother in mind.
Sarai gratefully ducked into the dressing room to change, breathing a sigh of relief once she had fully redressed. The adjustable nature of the wraps left her far more comfortable than the borrowed uniform, and the breast band inside this particular wrap was much softer and wider. She hadn't realized how much the thin fabric of the recruit's band was bothering her until she replaced it with better support. The mirror inside the dressing room gave her pause, staring at herself for a minute.
The base colors were gray and blue, just like she would wear at home. The wrap around her hips formed a skirt that left her legs bare - she hadn't found matching trousers, but the skirt was long enough she didn't feel exposed. It was so hot in Lux Aurea she debated if the layers were really necessary. The garment around her chest and shoulders swished when she moved, revealing firmer bands beneath. Everything flowed, giving her an altogether softer demeanor than she often cut at home in Katolian colors. Her battle braid was long gone, her hair allowed to fall free around her shoulders, fluffy enough that indeed, it was hard to say for certain she wasn't hiding small, curved horns behind her ears.
She tucked her hair behind her ear, taking a deep breath, reminding herself who she was. She stepped out carefully with Zubeia's scale strapped onto her back. "I think I have these right," She admitted to Hadiya; she was fairly certain she was wearing the garments correctly, it was hard to get it wrong underneath the flowy layers, but it was a distraction from where her mind truly was. At least the clothes felt a little cooler than the Sunfire layers.
"You look nice," Hadiya said approvingly. "I prefer brown, but ze blue flatters you." She grinned.
Sarai attempted a smile back. "I do like the-"
The proprietor of the shop interrupted from their chair. "Very nice! If you would like, ze leg wraps zat go with zat particular style of skirt are on ze shelf over there, next to ze trousers," They indicated the spot. "But if you like zis far be it from me to tell you you need zem. Lux Aurea could always use a little more . . ." They spread their hands, wiggling their fingers as they searched for a word and finally just smirked. "Sex appeal." They lounged back in their chair, setting off their bared shoulders and waist, and the cut off nature of their pants - showing significantly more skin than most of the Lux Aurean elves.
Several of the other Sunfire shoppers, including Hadiya, made scandalized noises, yelping or grimaces, and Sarai couldn't help but laugh. The shop owner grinned carelessly.
"See?" They said, gesturing flippantly at their countryfolk. "Zis is what I mean, you are all so uptight, if I did not enjoy scandalizing you so much I would go home to Eieni!" Distracted by something on the other side of the shop, they hopped to their feet, calling out, "Those are tassels, not ties, do not tie zem - no, do you zink I am an idiot? All of ze capes are clip-ons. Zat gets caught when you try to run and what do you zink happens? It is a very good way to lose a leg." They lifted their golden prosthetic pointedly. "No cloaks below ze knee, either."
Sarai chuckled, busying herself looking curiously through the leg wraps and the trousers. She only picked up one set of the wraps, as she'd never tried such a garment before, but she thought a few of the trousers would fit. She usually preferred a little more covering over her legs, though she had to admit she was still sweating in the Lux Aurean heat without them.
The trousers would do for now, though there was only one set that properly fit her. The others were all either too small or too large. Sarai opted to pick up two of the somewhat too large sets, as those would be easier to tailor to an appropriate size, some vague thought in her mind of cutting them shorter. Alongside the trousers she also found a rack of belts, most of which appeared decorative but felt quite strong when she actually picked them up.
One of them had a golden buckle with geometric designs that reminded her of the Katolian guard's uniform. She picked it up despite herself. She'd been warned to be subtle - not to try and completely disguise herself as an elf, after all. That was what Zubeia's scale was for.
The shop owner stopped her and Hadiya before they could leave. "I know those will not fit you," They said, pointing at the trousers, and made a shooing gesture further into their establishment. "Come, let me measure, and give zem back. I will have zem delivered tomorrow after I have tailored zem."
Embarrassed, Sarai began, "You don't have to-"
"Nonsense," The elf huffed. "Zis is what I do. Come here." They ushered her and Hadiya into the staging area beside the fitting rooms again, and Sarai submitted to their authority with some amusement.
"Did you really lose your leg to an incident wiz a cape?" Hadiya asked idly as she sat by and watched. Here on the stone, the gold prosthetic clicked more than it had on the wood in the shop floor.
Sarai stiffened at the question, but to her surprise, the tailor just laughed. "Oh, no. I tell all sorts of stories about my leg, do not listen to zem, it is all nonsense. I say zis to keep things more lighthearted." Their smile had a bit of a sad edge when she looked down at their face. "I lost a friend, when their cape got stuck. She drowned. So I joke about myself and make ze point without cheapening her death. My leg doesn't bother me."
Hadiya chuckled. "Zat much is obvious. Is zat why you wear short pants and sandals? To show it off?"
"No no, zis is how I would dress at home, too. Lux Aurea is . . ." They waved their right, golden hand dismissively. "Fussy. But ze prosthetics are better here."
Sarai couldn't help chuckling, though her heart ached, and when the elves looked at her curiously she explained. "You just reminded me of my sister. She was born without a voice, she can't speak, out loud, but she's never let it slow her down. She speaks with her hands instead. Not everyone knows sign language, but she's trying to find a permanent interpreter she trusts aside from . . . from me." Clearing her throat, she flashed a smile. "She makes up all sorts of stories about what happened to her voice too."
"It is an easy joke but it is versatile," The tailor replied cheerfully, eyes focused once again on their task, though they were smiling. "I wish her all ze luck I had."
"Thank you." Sarai said, biting her lip on the truth. Knowing Amaya would probably not accept such well-wishes from an elf, especially not now, with her missing - her gone. The tailor didn't seem threatened by her; she wasn't going to make things awkward.
"Do you need a larger breast band?"
"What?" Sarai blinked, startled by the question.
The tailor hummed, measuring her shoulders now. "Ze clothes you chose are Skywing designs. Skywing elves do not tend to carry much body fat, even here -" They gestured at their own chest - "so it is a standard question when my clients are wearing zese clothes."
Understanding soothed her startled nerves, and Sarai said carefully, "This one's . . . good, actually, but I could probably use a few more."
"Do you have ze measurements for that?"
"Not in the number system you're using," Sarai said, noticing the marks on their tape were completely different than the ones in Katolis.
"Okay." They clicked their tongue as they stood back to note the numbers they had. "So, take ze measurements when you go home tonight. When ze delivery comes with your adjusted trousers tomorrow give zem your measurements and I can provide you wiz whatever support you like - brassiere, band, corset, whatever. Ze more complicated, ze more time it will take. Okay?"
"Okay?" Sarai squeaked, unsure how to respond under their uncompromising tone. It didn't help that she had to look up so far at their face - she was a tall woman by human standards, but it seemed she was merely average for a Sunfire elf, and the tailor towered over her.
"Good. Zis will do to get your trousers and adjust any of ze shirts you desire. Come, I will show you where to leave zem, and then you may take ze rest and go." They ushered her and Hadiya out to the desk and shelf system where they seemed to run most of the business from, storing her clothes in a drawer with a paper of her measurements.
Hadiya chuckled almost nervously as they left the shop. "Ze general says zey are ze best," She said apologetically. "But zey are a bit . . . much."
"Are they?" Sarai said, and smiled weakly at her. "This is all a bit much for me. They were nice, though."
Giving her an odd look, the young soldier nodded. "Yes," She agreed. "I suppose."
Cursed
Lux Aurea was hot, but it was nothing Sarai couldn't handle once she got used to it. She drank more water than it seemed the native Sunfire elves needed, but it was manageable. A week after her adventure buying new clothes, Hadiya invited her to join an informal training session with her and some of the other trainees from the Sunfire Army.
"Are you sure?" Sarai asked, surprised that they would consider allowing a human to even witness their training so closely, let alone participate.
Hadiya shrugged. "You cannot return home anyway, and you are a military woman," She said, practically. "You need something to do. Besides, it is nozing formal, it is just my friends and I playing, mostly."
So that was how Sarai found herself facing off with another Sunfire soldier. Hadiya was apparently a swordswoman who faced off with another sword nearby. The only other polearm in the training group was a tall woman wielding a halberd, and this was who Sarai was paired with at first, as their chosen weapons were the most similar.
"Good luck," One of the young men of the group, whose name Sarai didn't know yet, said dryly; he and his crossbow edged further away.
The woman with the halberd laughed. "He is being dramatic. Do not worry, human." She grinned, cocky - "I will go easy on you."
Sarai barked a laugh and gave her spear an experimental swipe, learning the balance - it wasn't hers, after all. "You might be surprised. I'm Sarai, by the way."
"Akari." The elf gave her half of the traditional Sunfire salute, her other hand remaining on her weapon - she'd learned it was a relatively casual gesture, though if it were directed towards someone like General Janai it would be deeply offensive. Sarai took it as the friendly slang it was meant and returned it, much to the elf's delight.
After a few minutes to warm up and allow her to get used to the balance of the weapon, they made their way to an open spot of the training field to begin sparring. Sarai was already sweating heavily in the Lux Aurean heat - the training field was even closer to the tower she had learned was known as the Sunforge than the barracks, and she suspected the thing radiated heat just like the sun above. It was hard to say with the exertion.
Their first few blows were clearly testing, both she and Akari feeling each other out. The Sunfire soldier was, as Sarai was becoming used to, taller than she was, and just as fast. Sarai was more flexible, though, and more agile once moving. She would have to lean on those skills, be fast but change directions just as quickly - not the easiest prospect with weapons as long as the ones they were using.
Still, Sarai welcomed the challenge. For a time, they seemed evenly matched; Akari knocked her onto her back in their first match, but she returned the favor in their second. She felt almost as if she were running a fever by the third, despite the water she was drinking, and she noticed Hadiya shooting her concerned looks.
They switched partners after the third match ended in a draw, all agreeing that practice with different weapons was a wise idea. Sarai ended up with another woman this time, one about her height but broader, wielding a broadsword to match. She said her name, but Sarai couldn't say she remembered it. A few minutes in, the heat proved too much for her. She stumbled. She remembered falling. She remembered the elf quickly sheathing her sword and asking something. She remembered trying to get up, to ask for water, but then . . .
Sarai woke back in her room in the barracks with a cold compress on her forehead, and similar compresses - barred from her skin by her clothes - on her chest and lower body. The healer from before stood at her side, blinding her yet again, but the light faded quickly as he shook his head. "Zere is nothing to heal, General." He said, glancing over his shoulder, and Sarai followed his gaze to see General Janai. "She is overheated. Zat is all. The compresses have done all that is needed here."
"She is a military woman who collapsed in ze middle of a casual sparring match," General Janai argued stubbornly. "She is in fighting shape. Zere is no reason she should be passing out from zat level of activity."
"I do not know what to tell you, General. Zere is nothing. Wrong." The healer spread his hands. "I will not lie and my power is doing nothing. She is fine. There is only heat."
General Janai made a discontented noise. "Natural heat?" She demanded. "Or something else?"
"What else would it be?" He asked.
Janai's dark eyes flicked down to Sarai, and Sarai suddenly had a terrible suspicion she knew what was wrong with her. She bit her lip. Janai growled. "I don't know. Anything."
"If there is anything wrong, I cannot find it."
"Very well. Go." Janai dismissed him with a wave of her hand. The healer left with a shake of his head.
Sarai carefully reached up to adjust the compress on her chest, grimacing. The healing she'd been given before had left no burn scars on her chest from Viren's spell, but she felt them all the same. "It's the curse, isn't it? It works with heat. That's why I can't cross the Breach."
Janai grunted, folding her arms as she considered the idea. "Lux Aurea is not hot." She said flatly. "We are ze closest prairie to ze Frozen Wastes, and the largest city this far north in Xadia. It is not heat your curse works against. But it might be ze Sun Primal."
"What does that mean?"
"All magic in ze world comes from Six Primal Sources. Ze Sun Primal, ze one Sunfire elves are connected to, it is in ze sun, fire, lava, heat, stone, metal, forges . . . many things, but ze core of it - ze purest, most powerful source of it in ze world - is ze Sunforge. Ze Breach has its own concentration of ze fire aspect. Most beaches are strong in sun and ocean at once." Janai sighed, passing a hand over her painted face. "You cannot stay in Lux Aurea."
Sarai swallowed around the sudden lump in her throat - she had just started to make friends here, she had just started to feel safe. "Where will I go?" She asked weakly.
Janai's gaze was not without sympathy when she looked back at her. "I will take you to meet wiz some of ze Skywing caravan traders." She concluded aloud. "Zey are ze friendliest with humans anyway; they will keep you traveling, and zey will keep you safe so long as you pull your weight."
Though her throat felt thick with yet newfound grief, Sarai nodded. This was too much to ignore. She had to find a way to stay safe. She would just . . . have to leave even her newer friends behind. Perhaps she could send them letters, at least, wherever the caravans took her.
Leaving Lux Aurea
"Are you crazy?" The caravan leader Janai had introduced as Volantus laughed in disbelief. "Listen, General Janai, I respect you, but I'm not stupid. I don't care whose permission she has, the King's not known for asking questions. I feel for you, Sarai, but my caravan passes through the Midnight Desert every year. I can't risk having anyone with us that Avizandum might object to, our route is dangerous enough."
It was no more than Sarai had expected, but Janai made an annoyed noise. "She wears a scale from ze Dragon Queen, it is not just my queen's mercy," She protested. "Surely he would pause for ze opinion of his queen."
"Storm dragons are a bit. Impulsive." Volantus said delicately. "I'm sorry, General. The answer is no."
"She cannot stay here," Janai said. "She betrayed her own people, fought on ze side of Xadia to save Xadian life, and she was cursed with a spell that reacts to ze Sun Primal. It is not safe so close to ze Sunforge."
Volantus winced, but still showed his palms. "Again, I'm sorry. The Midnight Desert won't be any better if that's her problem, though."
"She can come with us." Another voice interrupted, and they all three turned to look. The speaker was another Skywing elf, this one a paler blue than Volantus, with a dark blue ponytail in contrast to his white waves. The markings on his face were white, subtle against his pale skin, but cutting severe lines down his stern face, sharp lines highlighting piercing, electric blue eyes. He was waving off someone from his own caravan as he walked over. "Volantus."
Volantus seemed to know him, nodding with respect. "Aeolus."
Janai seemed to gear up to explain the situation again, but Aeolus waved her off. "I heard," He said evenly. "I'm with the Northern Reaches Caravan. We don't see much of the Sun Primal in the frozen north, so she should be fine. We're one of the supply caravans for the Celestials, as well; if she wants her curse lifted, they'll be her best bet."
Hope suddenly surged in Sarai's chest and she took an involuntary half-step toward him. "What do you mean?" She asked. "Who are the Celestials?"
"They're a sect of Skywing elves dedicated to the study of the stars, and fate," Aeolus explained. "They're stewards of some of Xadia's deepest knowledge. If there's answers to be found in Xadia that aren't in Lux Aurea's Great Bookery, they're likely with the Celestials. That doesn't mean there are answers, mind you, or that they'll necessarily give them to you, if they realize you're human." He winked. "But the whole reason they need supply caravans is because everyone actually in the organization remains blindfolded unless on a clear, moonless night. So they don't have to know."
Janai grumbled. "You would lie to ze people whom you are tasked to care for?" She growled.
Aeolus raised his eyebrows at her. "Does the sun shine when it's raining, General?" He asked mildly. "Sometimes you have to lie to get what you want. The trick is deciding if the consequences are worth it if you're discovered. But that's a philosophical discussion I'm not interested in having with a Sunfire general." He turned his gaze to Sarai. "What's your name? I missed that earlier."
"I'm Sarai," Sarai said, offering her hand to shake as a matter of habit, and wincing when he just looked from it to her in confusion. She let it drop with a little shake of her head.
Mercifully, the elf didn't call her out for it. "We don't leave for a few days, but if you'd like to gather your things and join us at our camp, it's outside of the city, a little further from the Sunforge, so you might get some relief there. Jacia!"
A girl with equally pale, but pinker skin and hair that varied from blue to green zipped into view on dark blue wings. "Yeah?"
"Show Sarai the way to camp if she wants to join us. I think I have to go pull Plumeria out of the gardens again." Aeolus rolled his eyes and breezed away almost as quickly as the girl had flown in, light on his feet though wingless.
Janai looked over at her. "There are other caravans to ask," She said hesitantly, obviously put off by Aeolus' casual regard for lying.
Sarai felt as though she were trembling, though, veins lit by the promise of a chance, however slim, of getting rid of her curse. "The Northern Reaches Caravan sounds perfect, actually. I'll go with them. I just need to grab my things - and maybe talk to Hadiya and Akari."
Though she looked a bit like she'd bitten a lemon, Janai nodded. "Very well. I leave you in Jacia's . . . capable hands." She inclined her head a bit, not quite bowing - she didn't bow to anyone in Lux Aurea, save her sister - and stepped away.
"Hi," Jacia chirped, finally landing beside Sarai, and Sarai's heart surged with abrupt fondness as she realized the girl only stood up to about her shoulder. "Do you want help? I'm good at packing! Grew up a nomad, obviously."
Smiling, Sarai accepted. "Yeah, thanks. You can tell me what's practical to bring with me on the caravan trail."
Jacia grinned. "Sure!"
Goodbyes with Hadiya and Akari weren't as painful as Sarai had been dreading. Apparently the Skywing elves kept up a very efficient mail system in Xadia, so neither of her newfound friends were the least bit concerned about their ability to stay in touch. It was at least somewhat of a comfort, especially when combined with how casually friendly the Northern Reaches Caravan proved to be. They questioned how she received Zubeia's scale more than her humanity, which was a refreshing twist from Lux Aurea. The Caravan set off a few days after she joined it, and Sarai went with them with a pounding heart. Maybe.