Chapter 16: The doll-faced mage
Leo lightly swayed with their horse's movements as they kept a steady walking pace through the first gates of Yaarlarth. Massive stone walls that had soldiers of all 5 houses guarding along the top of the wall and inside the gates.
The journey was a week and a day, but they made it safely without Stein causing too much of a ruckus. Malach had ordered an Orc to travel with them to deal with Stein, as they would be immune to any magic he attempted to cast on them.
It would take them another day and a half to reach the castle town as they traveled the distance through each ringlet of the kingdom. Leo wanted to get Stein to their father's mages as soon as possible, hoping the falcon they sent with a message to have a mage meet them reached him in time.
Their troops needed rest, not that they brought a lot of them, the Orcs had more in number for their part of the ordeal. They did end up getting into a fight with Elves near the border of Aslamor, which was jarringly close to the path they took to the meeting point with Malach.
The first circlet was widespread flatlands that not only held the bulk of their crops and cattle, but it was sectioned out with heavy defenses. Yaarlarth was built around a massive ancient tree which it is named after, Leo could see the top of the tree's tall scraggly branches from the distance over the wall that sectioned off the next ringlet.
One of the Knights under Leo's Banner named Isaac Avery rode up to Leo's side, their armor clamoring as their horse trotted and slowed down to a walk beside them.
"Commander, Stein is kicking around in the carriage."
Leo looked at him and held their fist up, commanding the troops to halt as they stopped their horse. Their brows furrowed, hearing the thrashing as the noise died down.
"Where is Agalma?" Their question was immediately answered as Isaac pointed to the other side of Leo, where the tall strong Orc woman stood. Leo slightly jumped, not hearing her approach, which earned a huff from their horse.
"Snake man needs to shit." Agalma spoke bluntly, she liked to stick to the point.
Leo and Isaac couldn't help but snicker. Leo looked at a nearby farm, seeing an outhouse not far from them. "Take him there, after he is done we will continue until we at least get to the second ring."
Agalma huffed, her light greenish white eyes flicked between them both before she walked back to the carriage.
Thick with muscle and curves, Agalma stood at about 6'8, she has dark green skin that looks almost black, down her arms she has tribal looking red tattoos. With wild wavy black hair that she wears in a high tied ponytail, the sides of her head are cut down short while the middle of her hair reaches down to her waist. Her tusks are thick with red jagged lines stained into them decoratively. She wears a thick leather chest piece that stops at her ribcage, gray fur on her shoulders and partially covering her back as a small cape. Metal gauntlets and greaves, bones decorate her armor and protrude outward like thorns. She carried a pair of axes that swung from her hips.
As Stein thrashed about in the carriage Agalma swung the door open, the carriage driver almost fell over as the carriage started tilting from Agalma ducking in. She grabbed him as if he was a bag of grain and tossed him onto her shoulder.
Stein's groans were muffled by his gag, but with a swift bruising smack to his behind from her large hand he yelped before shutting up immediately.
"I take you to shit. Be quick or I squeeze out of you, got it boy?" Agalma wasted no time heading to the outhouse, Stein nodded and whined upon her shoulder, he wasn't a small man but he sure felt like one.
The troops watched with great amusement as Stein was handled by the Orc, not getting bored of it during their whole journey. While they waited for Stein to finish his business the troops took this time to stretch and relieve themselves. Leo let their horse graze for a bit, sitting under a tree nearby, they set their sword against the tree. Isaac joined.
"I still can't believe we pulled this off." Isaac slightly groaned as he sat down in his armor beside Leo.
"That's because the Orcs did most of the work, if not all of it." Leo corrected him with a grin, leaning against the tree in a lax way.
Isaac humbly laughed, "That too I am also in disbelief of. Alliship with the Orcs, to be honest I never believed it would be possible.. Especially after reading about our past battles with them."
Leo shrugged, their head tilting. "Our Kings always saw the Orcs as beasts, and not people. I wouldn't have wanted to ally with us either."
Isaac just stared at Agalma's large frame by the outhouse, which she was almost bigger than. "You have a point. I too thought the same, until I actually spoke to them. They're so… So interesting, so different from us but so similar. I can't believe I was so blind." Isaac felt guilt and shame build up inside him, recalling his previous protest of allying with the Orcs. He was so embarrassed of the way he used to speak of the Orcs. Now he was fond of them, more specifically a certain Orc he was staring at.
Leo caned their head to look at Isaac. "Are you going to make a move on her, or are you going to keep being shy?"
Isaac's olive skin turned red, but he kept his composure, mostly. "I-I am a Knight, making a 'move' on her would be indecent. She is a warrior, I know not how their culture works, but I assume earning her respect would be the way to begin…. Courtship…"
Leo shrugged and chortled. "Express that you fancy her and challenge her to a brawl."
Issac retorted defensively. "I can't hit a wom-" Issac clamped his mouth shut, looking at Leo as he realized he spoke out of turn.
"You insult a warrior of any sex with that logic. Do you think less of her because she is a woman?" Leo's amber eyes narrowed at him, it was clear they were offended by Issac's remark.
Issac sighed defeatedly. "No.. My apologies, I am still adapting to change the way we have been taught. I know she is a powerful fighter. As are you, and I am sorry if my words have hurt you."
Leo's expression softened, patting Issac's pauldron upon his shoulder. "I feel as though you forget we grew up together, you needn't be so formal. However, Wayde seems to have a much better memory."
Issac chuckled softly at the mention of his older brother. "He has always been the smarter one of us." His gaze went back to Agalma. "So… It's customary for Orc's to challenge each other when courting?"
An unsure hum comes from Leo. "Well, it's one way to build respect as someone who is an outsider to their customs. Can't hurt to try."
"Wait, so you aren't even sure?" Issac scoffed.
"Orc's respect strength, it's pretty simple. Even if you lose, fight her as an equal."
Issac struggled internally. " What if I-" Leo smacked the back of his head.
"You can't even best me in a spar, get your bloomers out of a twist, see her as the warrior you say she is and stop pussyfooting around." Leo was quite done with his whining. Standing up and stretching their back as Alagma made her way back to the carriage with Stein on her shoulder.
Issac's pride was a bit bruised, he stood as well with his hand rubbing the back of his head. "Right… you are correct, sorry Naemara-Leo. Leo…." He tried saving himself poorly.
Leo smacked the back of his head again. "A bit late for the correction there Issac."
Taking the reins of their horse, Leo petted the mare's neck and top of her head before climbing up onto her back. With Issac joining on his horse they trotted over to the carriage where Agalma unceremoniously tossed Stein into it.
Leo held their thumb and pointer finger in their mouth and let out a sharp ear piercing whistle. Agalma had plugged her ears with a nasty grimace.
"Must human make such foul sound?" Agalma spoke under her breath and shook her head to clear it.
Issac cleared his throat, sitting stiffly on top of his horse beside Agalma as Leo barked at the soldiers to get back into formation. A good portion of them were sitting around a fountain with a statue of Ashuura and her 2 feline companions, Celios and Peri, each representing night and day. The spiral horned woman was depicted with her feathered wings outstretched, in her hands she held a jug tipped to the side where water poured out into the fountain pool. A symbol of when she filled the oceans and lakes with water.
Stein kicked at the carriage door while Issac and Agalma stood there. With a blank expression Agalma used her finger to roughly push on the carriage, making it sway and buckle causing Stein to roll around in it and the coachman to curse at Agalma as he almost fell from the boot.
"At the very least warn me!" He snapped as he looked at her.
She huffed. "Be ready always, then won't fall." He groaned at her and turned around. Stein stopped kicking as well knowing it would get him nowhere.
Issac looked at her, mustering up all the courage and proper tone he could.
Catching onto his change in demeanor her eyes snapped over to him, and like a leaf in a strong wind his courage flew away.
"You scare easy, like cat. Speak." Her tone was soft, but she was still intimidating.
"I-I uh-" Issac's mind was racing. "Challenge. I want to challenge you, l-lady Agalma to a fight- a-a brawl. Respectfully, of course." His voice cracked with nerves, but he kept himself as dignified as he could.
Agalma was very amused, the corner of her lip curling into a grin. "Human has balls. Agalma accepts. We fight later, but am not lady. Am warrior." With a teasing tone she poked his chestplate with a strong finger, pushing him back a little as she laughed.
"R-right- I look forward to our-uh-match." He almost fell off his horse from her poke, straightening himself up; he nodded to Agalma and trotted over to stay beside Leo as their group began moving once more. Letting out a hard sigh of relief, but he was filled with anxious terror. "I can't believe she accepted.."
"Even when you made a fool of yourself, congratulations. Now you just have to survive." Leo gave Issac a smirk.
Issac gulped and gripped his reins tighter. "I shall compose a poem of death for my family, should I not survive." He spoke with a touch of melodrama.
—-----------
Leo and the rest of their band of soldiers took a much needed rest at a tavern within the second ring of Yaarlarth.
Leo jolted out of the bed when a raucous knocking startled them awake. Without even fully waking up, they grabbed their sword and swung the door open. Blinking as a pair of deep violet eyes stared at them.
"Crown Princess-" Leo's hand snatched the man's robe collar as they dragged him into their room, slamming the wooden door behind them.
The man stumbled out of Leo's grasp, his black layered robes fluttering as he spun on his heel and straightened himself out. "Hm. Grabby, aren't we?"
"Jin… You know better than to refer to me as that." Leo rubbed their eyes and set their sword against the wall.
The man referred to as Jin clicked his tongue. His voice was deep and soft with an accent that made him sound monotonous and flat even with his obvious snarky attitude.
"Oh? I assumed it was common knowledge, seeing as though you carry the royal name… And the King has no sons."
Leo looked at him with a piercing glare. 'Of all the mages… It just had to be Jin Sumda.' Thinking to themself before they responded. "When I am serving the King as his commander, refer to me as Leo. You were told this."
Jin shrugged, looking around the room unbothered. His face was framed with short blondish white hair. He has fair beige skin, thin slit eyes with soft features and a defined jaw paired with a wide chin. His irises are blackish violet. He stood shorter than Leo by an inch or two at 6ft, lean build with some muscle. Wearing mostly black clothing with a silver falcon broach that signified his standing within the house of Falco.
"It is disrespectful as a mage of the Royal court to address the Royal family in such titles." Jin had the most delicate smirk playing on his lips as he recited those words formally.
Leo went to the chair and table in the corner of the room and began pulling on their boots and armor, looking at Jin through their brows as their head was downturned. "If you want to keep being a mage of the royal court, I suggest you change your tone."
Jin eyed the pendant that slipped out of Leo's tunic and swung delicately as they strapped their boots on. The pendant was of a lion's head with ram horns, one of the many things that show they are the heir to the throne.
Jin's doll-like face slightly distorted as he scoffed, eloquently waving his hand around as he spoke. "Oh, of course your Royal highness. I mean, Commander Leonardo Chimera. Back to the reason why I am here… Where is this, Stein fellow, your letter mentioned?"
Leo let out a gruff huff, tightening a belt on their arm for their gauntlets. "He is currently in the care of Agalma, an Orc from Vibhurik. To negate the risk of him controlling anyone, King Malach'karh sent her along with us."
Jin's shoulders rise and fall as he rolls them, seeming to become uncomfortable. "Hm. No wonder I felt something strange when coming, intimidating energy… Offensive Mana barrier… Unnatural strength…Of course there is an Orc here."
With a distasteful scoff Leo strapped their chestplate on themselves. "Do not forget they are our allies now. If you disrespect her, I won't step in to save you."
Groaning softly he side eyes Leo, crossing an arm over his chest and as if in thought he held his hand to his chin. Gracefully pacing back and forth in the room as he waited for Leo to finish getting dressed. "Hmph. Duly noted."
The air in the room was tense, the rest of the time Leo got dressed they didn't speak. Leo and Jin never quite got along, even before he became a mage of the royal court. They were about the same age, and even though they grew up playing together there was always something they would argue about.
As a young boy, Jin was often outcast by other children due to his rude behavior and his obsession with the goddess of Mischief, Crisha. Using his skill with magic to play tricks on people, similar to how Crisha would trick others. Despite that, he has become one of the best users of illusionary magic.
After leaving the room with Jin in tow, Leo waited outside the tavern to meet with everyone by the horses. It wasn't long before Agalma came with Stein on her shoulder. She gave Jin a disgusted look as she got near, Jin returned the look of disgust.
"I assume that is Stein upon your shoulder?" Jin asked with a light tone.
Agalma huffed, leaning down to drop Stein onto his feet. His hands were bound and he had a slobber covered rag held in his mouth with rope tied around his head.
Jin tilted his head as he looked at him, he was filthy, bruised and his clothes were practically in shreds. He could sense the man's mana, his dark violet eyes glimmering as they raked over him. Stein was unsteady on his feet, his eyes full of fear as Jin looked at him silently. Agalma's hand stayed on his shoulder to keep him from moving.
Jin closed some of the distance between them as he strided closer, about an arm's length apart. Leo kept their distance, their hand on their sword hilt with a cautious glare. Stein looked at Jin with not only rageful fear, but a sense of familiarity.
"Do I remind you of someone?" Jin asked coldly, his gaze intensifying. He just needed Stein to mentally respond to his query, and he could establish a link with him. His mana coiled around him, invisible to the naked eye, it creeped its way to Stein, causing Agalma to grimace as her senses picked it up.
Stein was stubborn, he filled his head with random thoughts to avoid Jin's invasion. However, his mind drifted to Cyrus, who Jin resembled slightly and as if struck with a strike of lightning Jin was let into Stein's mind. The invasion into Stein's mind sent a current of ice cold chills through his veins. Stein had no defenses within himself that prevented Jin from taking ahold of his mana, clutching it with an ethereal hand and choking it.
Stein could hear a maniacal kind of laughter echoing in his head, followed with tiny squeaks and scuffling. His eyes looked around, confused. Footsteps with the jingling of bells rang in his head, slowly growing in intensity until his ears began to sting, a deep rooted heat building up in his stomach. His skin began to itch and burn as if something was chewing on him. He was unable to move, his eyes unfocusing on the world around him and fading into some other realm.
As if in a dream state, he was surrounded by a dark fog that shifted, and swirled as it revealed the haunting silhouette of a jester. The iconic shape of a cap with bells dangling from the head, he saw the black and white split smiling mask of none other than Crisha. The goddess of Mischief. Her eyes glowed green in the dark fog, head tilting as she stepped over to him, a jingle of bells softly clamoring. Stein tried to speak, only to have a rat climb up his body and begin to chew upon his tongue and lips. He was bound to something, his thrashing held back by chains.
"You canny cast your spell upon me, for I am not human nor flea. Tongue whips and barrier lips, will keep naught my rats from nips." Her laughter rang again, spinning on her heel.
Stein couldn't scream or speak, his eyes glued to the Jester, Crisha. He thought of all the gold he had, he was a wealthy man. He tried to mentally offer a deal to Crisha to end his torment. She rushed up to him with a terrifying speed, her mask engulfing his vision as the rat chewed his flesh and tongue.
"Deal this, deal that, but naught any treasure to offer! But to my delight, not coffers I seek to have filled, alas I want your mind broken and blood spilled. Made a deal with the Mage, and collect, I will."
Stein looked frozen in peril, from an outsider's perspective, it seemed as though Jin had terrified the man into a statue. When truthfully, Jin was shackling Stein mentally and magically with the aid of his Patron Goddess. Only mere seconds had passed, sweat poured from Stein's forehead and he was heaving breath sporadically. Trembling where he stood.
Jin's delicate lips curled into a malicious grin, his voice dripped with disgust as he saw images of a golden haired elf slave in Stein's mind as Crisha had her fun with him. He could see their resemblance, thin eyes and delicate features. Stein was obsessed with this elf, and many other elves that were enslaved by him. It left Jin feeling heavy, Stein's stare was greasy and predatory. Not wanting to peer into more of the man's memories, he put a metaphorical cap on his mind. Keeping their connection to remain in control of Stein's magic.
"Let's remove this, shall we?" Jin was responded to with a growl from Leo as he lifted a hand to remove Stein's mouth gag. "Jin, you better know what you're doing."
Agalma released her hand off of Stein, waving a hand in front of her face as if to fan a foul stench away and took a step back. Jin's aura was offensive to her, but harmless.
Jin rolled his eyes and dismissed Leo with a wave of his hand, effortlessly pulling the gag down and over his drool-covered chin, letting the cloth that was stuffed in Stein's mouth fall to the floor. Jin's mana aura engulfed both him and Stein as if it were an invisible barrier.
"Know this, should your serpent tongue lash incantations, the only ears your words will hook into, are your own." Jin stared the man down.
Stein nodded his head silently. Swallowing his nerves his throat burned and his lips felt like they were torn off. He was halfway in the waking realm, and halfway still being tormented by Crisha.
Leo looked at the two confused, but accepted it. "That'll make traveling much easier…"
Jin wiped his hand on a cloth he took from a pouch on his left hip, seeming to be rather satisfied with himself. Agalma was watching him with a cocked head, sniffing harshly at the air. "Tch, is there a problem, Orc?" Jin asked with an annoyed glare at her.
Agalma huffed, shaking her head. "Odd man, but am thinking you are good human. Am impressed."
It was a compliment Jin wasn't expecting, especially from an Orc. He knew Orc's weren't prone to lie, or to sweeten words needlessly. His skin flushed slightly, dropping his gaze from her and looking away he gave her a chivalrous half bow. "My thanks." He softly cleared his throat and straightened up. By this time the other soldiers had joined them, watching the entire exchange as they got the horses ready.
"Shall we be off, Commander Leo?" Jin turned on his heel and walked towards the carriage, Stein followed obediently as if led by an invisible leash, his mouth tight in a thin line upon his disgruntled face.
As Jin passed by soldiers, they respectfully nodded their heads at him. The coachman opened the carriage and let them inside. It was filthy, Jin stopped short of ducking inside. "Can I bother you for a blanket?"
Leo smirked, laughing softly to themself as they climbed upon their horse. Once Jin was given a blanket he laid it upon the bench seat he was going to sit and stayed with Stein inside the carriage.
The journey to the Castle town was uneventful luckily. At least for everyone except Stein, who had been endlessly tormented in his head by Crisha and Jin. After all, it was a long boring trip and Jin needed some way to entertain himself, what better way than to weaken Stein's mind even more before him and the other mages interrogated the man for information on Eronshire.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
King_Murder
King_Murder I hope you liked todays chapter! Brought in some new characters, and we get to see how Leo has been dealing with Stein.
Leo is the Crown Princess! So yes, they are technically female but they are non binary. I will use They/them terms for them a majority of the time, unless they are going by their birth name, I might use She/Her at times.
Just for reference, there is 5 mages of the royal Court for Yaarlarth as there are 5 major royal families, Chimera being the crown family. Jin is a mage under the banner of house Falco. I shall get into depth a bit more as we progress. Thanks again for reading! Hit me with any questions you might have <3
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone