Bianca readily followed the unusually tiny kobold butler across and down the elusive halls of the bronze wing. As was the case with the silver wing, the group ascended through before, this citadel of the Trinity Palace preliminary used the name name-giving bronze as a means of decoration and furnishing. Velvet-tinted wood, taffeta and black marble supported the bronze rendering the bronze wing far less sterile than the Argentum greatness of the King's legacy. It was nearly tasteful, inviting even. Bianca observed how Evamal acted quite a bit less professional now with her dad and Queen not overseeing her every step, using the bronze trailing between the black marble plates as guides for her rust-coloured soles, avoiding stepping on the marble altogether. She couldn't help but chuckle, her eyes focused on the cute kobold, who refused to elaborate further until they passed the upper floor. The thin, whip-like tail of hers jerked, and these mesmerizing sky-blue sclerae looked back to Bianca, a sly grin on her face.
"What is so funny, Bianca? Please, allow me to take part in your joy.~"
Bianca smirked softly back and giggled. The lively kobold was attentive and way too charming. Maybe that was the case, why the Bronze Queen held her in such high regard? A source of juvenile joy mixed with tons of talents brimming through her green scales.
"Oh, nothing, Evamal. I only admired your playfulness. You appear way less stiff than prior in the company of our Queen."
Evamal smirked at that and bowed slightly; a preppy yet playful bow. Her earhorns twitched amused.
"What? Assumed, that a member of the elusive Schetl family would only know how to be the perfect servant? My dear Bianca, we, that means my 176 siblings and me, we all were raised in a patented manner to assure us the highest grade of freedom available to koboldkin. In obedience as well as joy and free will. Our late Queen, the first of her legacy 500 years ago, was very strict in that manner. The first Schetl, my great-grand ... and so forth father, signed a binding contract with the Bronze Queen solidifying the cooperation between her and her incarnations and my family."
Bianca quickly raised her paw at that, confused about the implications of all that. She looked past the small kobold, imagining how dozens, no, thousands of her ancestors had served in these halls already.
"You mean ... your family is tied to the Bronze Queen forever? What a rich legacy! And so many siblings, uncles, nephews ... how? How do you know that you are facing one of your family if there are so many? Dumb question. Could I have ties to your family? Is there a way to know?"
The small kobold grinned at that and nodded. She stepped closer and looked at Bianca.
"The possibility is always there, our legacy reaches over the whole world. If I may? Could you kneel for me, Bianca? I am a bit too small."
The olive kobold tilted her head and complied, curious to witness what Evamal had for ways to figure out such a question. She started shivering as she felt the stunningly beautiful eyes of the Schetl scanning her body, looking at her head, chest, rump and legs. Not a single speckle of her scales got spared the piercing gaze of the young kin. Stepping finally back, after having undergone a full-on strip search on Bianca, Evamal shook her head at her.
"I am afraid the Peritls and the Schetls have never crossed paths, dear Bianca. I can't find the mark of our contract anywhere on your body."
Bianca got back on her feet and tilted her head at that, curious regarding what Evamal searched for.
"Means there is a physical mark on your body? If I understand correctly that is. What is it?"
Evamal smirked a joyful smile and pointed at her snout, more precisely at a thin scar running along her snout up her nose bridge ending between her eyes. She brushed gently along it.
"The mark of a Schetl. Every member of my family has one of these scar-like markings somewhere on their body. You saw Dad's running along his cheek horn, did you?"
"The scar?", Bianca asked in shock. "Wait, you don't mean?-"
The kobold fell in an amused peel of laughter, seemingly having heard that question many times throughout her short life.
"No scar, my dear Bianca. I could cut it out of my snout, and it would regrow exactly the same. No, it is more of a birthmark. The history regarding why it had to be a scar is however lost in time. Granny told me something about an error in the arcane contract. Something about the 'strangest written c in history'. Dad theorizes that the first Schetl may have meant to write 'Star', but was not the most sophisticated of our kin. No matter. Let us continue, I still would like to show you my special spot, friend."
Without granting Bianca even a second to answer the small kobold continued to walk, took a sharp corner and vanished into a circulatory downwards-reaching corridor. Bianca, still eager to get some more answers to her questions, which only continued to pile up, made haste to follow her. One ornated corridor later, the two arrived at a large, cross-shaped corridor, with a straight path leading to some sort of ... transparent wall? Not glass, that much was Bianca able to make out, but a bronze-coloured material of unknown origins. Evamal pointed to exactly that plain wall and grinned cheekily.
"You will love that, my dear Bianca. Follow me! And don't you dare stop!"
She chuckled and lowered her stance, preparing herself like an athlete, who prepared for the 100-meter sprint of their life. Her tail wagged in teenage joy as she waited for Bianca to follow her example, who looked quite surprised by the proposal.
"Is that a false wall? B-but I can see the outside on the other side." Bianca gulped and asked herself if that kobold was just testing her trust.
"Indeed.~ Now run!"
Bianca had no chance to second guess her choice and sprinted with the playful kobold at the same time down that corridor face-first into the, what she assumed, fake door. But the rubber-like substance, the bronze transparent door consisted of, was not at all passable. Looking in horror at Evamal, she witnessed how their both bodies got taken in by the transparent material, leaving deep imprints of their both bodies in the strange window. But it didn't hurt, felt only weird to be fully frank. Bianca freed herself from the glass, her run fully absorbed by it, and faced the cackling kobold, who seemingly was happy that they did it. Bianca's face softened up as Galen's voice chuckled in amusement at the back of her head.
<Well, well, well. I am not surprised. In the end, this mage remains after all but a teenager. Looks as if she desired to experience this elusive material together with us, partner. Enjoy it. I most certainly do.>
<I can see that. Little Evamal is happy, and so am I. A silly little game to unwind. And what fascinating material. Wonder what it is called.>
<Ask.> Her arcane partner sent soothing signals through her brain <Ask about that and the Queen. I am still curious about what caused her distress.>
Bianca leaned down to the small giggling butler and playfully booped her snout, feeling that the scar indeed didn't feel like an injury.
"Say, Evamal. I have never heard of such material. Just look how cute our imprints look in it. What is it called?"
"Glad you asked, Lady Bianca. The rubbery wall over there was a gift from our allies in the north, from the oracle of Do'oshmi. Quite curious material. I got told it is of arcane, yet organic nature. Something about the resin of the guardians. Wait ... let me try to recollect my teachings." A single moment passed, not more. "Oh, right. Dryads sometimes outgrow their bark skin and strip the excess bark away. This resin was harvested out of such discarded guardian matter, gathered over many years and then cast into this one-of-a-kind panorama window. Feel it brimming with ancestral Veil energy."
The cleric went over to the panorama window and brushed over it with her paw feeling up the emitted energy. Evamal was right; that gift from the avians of the north was something else. She was not feeling that much, but her partner Galen drooled with excitement in the back of her head. Curious about what he had to say, Bianca allowed him to take control over their shared body, briefly retreating into her own body. Her paw immediately clenched the resin, and her body began panting softly.
"What power, what astounding raw primal energy. This resin is of exquisite quality. I feel ...", Galen's brimming masculine voice caused Evamal to raise a brow. "What a waste using it like that. Submerged for a few moments made me feel ... recharged. Like a battery giving away reserves, I could never dream of. Say, Miss Evamal? Do you happen to be here often?"
Evamal nodded reluctantly at that and sighed. It was clear, the sudden pilot change did annoy her a tiny bit. She reached out her paw for a handshake.
"Yes? And you are Bianca's arcane partner I assume?"
Galen bowed down slightly at that and smiled, taking the hand. Their handshake was quite a bit firmer than when Bianca was in control. Their halo shined bright and nearly solid above the olive head.
"Oh, my sincerest apologies. I go by the name Galen. ... How curious. For an ascended arcanist does your soul feel ... wow!" Galen's eyes widened and a smile got engraved into that cute maw, "Love, so strong that you persevered. Your soul is bolstered and enhanced, not merged. I don't feel my counterpart in you."
Evamal appeared now quite uncomfortable, pulling away her hand before Galen read even more out of her. She glanced at them and sighed.
"Privacy, please! ... But you are right. But don't approach others like that, this is not the sophisticated way." She looked past Galen's eyes, trying to find Bianca, seemingly quickly finding her. "Miss Bianca, we have to talk a bit about the expected manners of a bound sorcerer in the castle. For now, please announce that you will switch places, as that will make my job so much easier." Her eyes softened up again, and her scolding time was over. "My pleasure meeting you, Galen. And regarding your question. It is my favourite place in the citadel, why?"
Galen grinned softly at that, just as they expected. This kobold has gotten so powerful at such a young age because she absorbed the Veil energy of this window again and again. Ascended sorcerers were powerful, no question, but their lack of a second guiding voice caused many to be late-bloomers. But this kobold with her azure blue sclerae ... that beautiful and full colour told Galen clearly that Evamal was already a master of her craft.
"That explains that fascinating aura around you, Miss Evamal. Such skill and power, so much potential yet still untapped. My deepest respect of you, oh native of the Veil." Galen nodded to themselves respecting her wish. "As you requested. Announcing; I will grant Bianca the stage again."
As Bianca regained the front seat inside her mind once more, she tilted her head curious about Evamal's reaction. The small kobold was blushing strongly. Irises blinked like rubies being focused on her, the kobold's lively eyes observing her in curiosity. She smirked at Bianca, her tail wagging strongly.
"Native of the Veil. What praise, stop it, Galen.~" Noticing Bianca's return, her voice shifted back to her usual friendliness. "You have an interesting partner, Bianca. We should file a bit on his manners, for his protection mostly. Sir Au'piere might cause even more damage to you if he approaches his shininess that recklessly. Anyway, there was still one question unanswered if I remember correctly. The last one, then we should make haste to the gate."
"Indeed, it was about our Queen. Why did she react that strangely before?"
Evamal reached down and grabbed a pebble stationed in a corner. Bianca was surprised seeing it there as the corridor was otherwise serene.
"May I introduce you to one of the many allies of the Queen? This pebble originates from a mine in Nemthi's subterrain, brimming with Veil energy. I call this one lookout." she brushed softly over the pebble and placed it back in its place in the corner. "Lady Bisfourth is an Omnilingualist; the Veil-infused world is her ally. Be it this pebble or even the breeze surrounding us. For her shininess has every unliving thing a voice. Wild assumption, but I think one of the four winds had provided her with special intel."
"The four winds?"
"That's right. My Queen told me that they are stubborn allies. But she is on good terms with all four, and they provide her with the knowledge you and I can only dream of. That's the reason why she even became our Queen. Her abilities proved to be too refined and broken in the ritual, having caused her to leave the splinter colosseum as the last one standing without a single scratch on her flawless body." Evamal looked out of the window and sighed. "Enough history, let us go, lady Bianca. I still want to introduce you to Rubico before my Queen and dad return to our side. Come!"
