Chapter 30: 29. Forsaken
"A Forsaken"
The elf averted her eyes and completely relaxed her body, seemingly resigning herself to whatever fate the three decided upon.
"A what?" she heard a above her, did this girl really not know what a forsaken child was?!? Of course not, she looks like a child and what's worse was that this child held a dagger to her own throat in a very threatening way.
"Oi lass, don't tell me you don't know about forsaken children?" Tony was now beside Marlet frowning at the mark burnt onto the elf's cheek. "What's ere name leaf licker?" Now the elf went from ashamed to enraged, she may be forsaken by her god but her pride as an elf would not allow an insult like that pass without retorting in some way. "Call me Ranger, you intolerable sulfer muncher." A challenging quirk of her brow while looking at the dwarf in his eyes.
The stare down between the two was interrupted by Marlet clearing her throat and sounding annoyed, "yes, yes. The leaves and rocks don't like each other. Now tell me what in Freya's underwear closet are 'Forsaken Children'?" That seemed to get a different reaction from everyone present, Tony started blushing up a storm at the mention of the most beautiful woman's undergarments while Mizu was stuttering at the casual mention of probably the most powerful goddess in Gekai and the implications of what Marlet just said earning her ire and thus being hunted down by another goddess. Ranger only had a scowl on her face but said nothing.
"A child who had offended their god or goddess in such a way that it was severe enough to kick'em out but petty nough te halt any growth they may get. Then gods don't remove their falna but also mark'em to know not to update their falna. This blocks em from joining another familia and from levelling up."
Marlet was shocked to say the least, that a god would be so petty as to prevent the growth of another as well as abandon them was simply cruel. "What did you do to become forsaken?" She asked the elf still beneath her who now only looked down in anger and a little shame. "It doesn't matter now, does it" a short and curt response basically telling them to mind their own business.
"If I remove the knife, will you attack us?" Marlet asked causing both Tony and Mizu to frown and Ranger to look back at her with a blank face. "No, of course not" her voice was monotonous but the three could detect a hint of sarcasm. "We were escaping from slavery, I'm not going back" surprisingly Mizu spoke up and look at Ranger with determination burning in her eyes.
Ranger eyed each one of them up and down slowly, evaluating each of them by her own standards.
With a tired sigh Ranger finally replied, "Fine" thus prompting Marlet to remove the dagger tip from Ranger's neck and dispel the dagger before she had a chance to see what it was. "But the dwarf walks behind me," she wanted to finish her sentence there but looking down at Marlet's hand that held nothing caused her to awkwardly speak her mind "and damn you have some sharp fingers." At this comment Marlet was blushing up a storm and Mizu could be heard giggling in the background.
Marlet lightly coughed to get rid of some of the embarrassment and straightened her back, "so what can you tell us about the city? What's with the defences north?" Before Marlet could receive a response or turn to face their newest companion she heard a smacking sound, and tracing the source she found that Ranger had done it to Tony.
"OI!?!"
To say that Tony was a little unhappy would have been an understatement, "what was that for!?"
"Feathers asked a dumb question that needed a face smacked" Ranger simply shrugged her shoulders before smirking, "yours was just closer than mine…" she let that statement hang in the air as she sashayed past the entire group walking towards the city.
Tony was trembling in anger at the moment, watching the smug face of Ranger made him consider ramming her face with a mace repeatedly and the jab at his height only made him want to hack her legs down to stumps. As if sensing the dark thoughts passing through their Dwarven companion Mizu trotted past him and grabbed Marlet's harm and looped them together before dragging her after Ranger.
Seeing as he was gonna be left behind Tony stomped after the four women muttering bloody murder whilst sending glances at the insufferable vegetable groomer.
"So? About the city ahead of us?" Marlet wanted to change the subject as quick as possible. "Right, don't go there. Circle round and trade with merchants about to enter or leave, otherwise stay away from it." This caused a confused look to appear on the two women's faces and Tony was still imagining brutal ways to kill an Elf.
With a long sigh and a roll of her eyes Ranger continued, "Zolingham is the northern most defensive city on the continent. It's main purpose was to be the first line of defence between civilisation and the Dragon Valley, those peaks over there" Ranger pointed at a mountainous region much further North, "it's also become the personal backyard of a god named Kronos. If history is to be believed he was the first god to settle in this town as punishment for something he did back in Orario. Being the first has its privileges because he has the strongest familia in the city and it doesn't have the best reputation.
They say he was king in Orario before the Zeus and Hera familias kicked him out for being 'tyrannical'. Long story short, he made another kingdom where he rules up here now and there is nobody that can deny him."
"Then why should we avoid entering the city?" Mizu wondered aloud after the brief history lesson. "That Tails, is because he has an agreement of sorts with Rakia. You see if a slave escapes officially Zolingham sells them back to Rakia. Unofficially, Kronos doesn't care unless it's someone interesting and he can charge extra for 'returning the lost property', and trust me, between you and Feathers, you're prime targets for the guy."
Mizu slightly shivered from the thought of going back to her holding cell and Marlet could only sigh in relief at the potential problems they had avoided, Tony didn't respond but that was due to him still not listening. "So where to now?" the winged girl asked their new guide. "We head for the Eastern road and wait for merchants just a little ways out." Short and to the point, the three companions followed Ranger until they were in a clearing just outside of the city limits.
The four had spent two nights camped in the clearing before the first few merchants could be seen leaving from the city gates. "Let the dwarf do all the buying, he isn't special enough for Kronos to care about if he's out here camping alone" Ranger spoke and before Tony could retort she, Marlet and Mizu were already walking away. "Ungrateful peach peeler's and their…" the three girls couldn't hear the end of that sentence because they had already made it to the tree line so as to remain out of sight.
"Hold right there stranger!" One of the guards shouted at Tony as they were getting closer to the little camp set up. "State your name and intentions."
From an outsider's perspective the guards reactions were warranted due to the scowl on Tony's face as well as him angrily stomping towards them, this fact however eluded Tony and he became even more irritated due to the rude person in front of him. "Oi, ye skinny teat suckin milk drinker! Sell me yer wares now!" This made the guards around the speaker all draw their own weapons ready to attack the aggressive Dwarf before them.
"You sure you want to buy wares friend?" A man with more decorated armour asked Tony carefully. "Course I do ye Cobalt shite" following this Tony launched a pouch of Valis at the first guard who spoke's head and proceeded to knock him out.
To say this was a first for the guards was an understatement, never had a bandit insulted them and asked to buy their merchandise in one sentence and then proceed to attack with his own money.
The guard proceeded to pick up the pouch and look at the money weirdly, then back at Tony. "You really do mean to buy wares?" At this point even the guard was questioning what course of events these were.
"Ye musta been the smartest piglet of the orc litter to'ave figured that out" Tony grumbled out while snatching the pouch from the captain and proceed to the cart intending to look at what the merchants had to offer, unarmed. Seeing his actions all the guards sheathed their weapons but remained vigilant of the dwarf eying the products.
The merchant only cast a quick glance at the captain to see his assessment, receiving only a shrug in response and immediately went into sales mode. They brought out all the consumables first and then fine jewellery in the hopes that it may catch the dwarf's attention. "Put those away boy, I've seen a blind dwarf forge better jewels with his feet than that rubbish." The merchant looked between the rude Dwarf and their jewellery and contemplated strangling him with a silver necklace.
"Give me some'o that dried meat and that there box of vegetables" Tony was still browsing through all the wares on display, whether he was oblivious or acting it to the growing frustrated actions of all around him he didn't show it. "What's that there in the back box boy?" Tony pointed out a box tucked away behind the jewellery.
"Those sir are some ornamental eggs, forged by a fine smith for only the richest of clients to be placed on display. A little outside of the price sir… presented, to my guard there." Tony looked from the merchant to the eggs for a few seconds then bellowed out laughing. "Ye thought that was all me Valis! Boy, yer mother musta been a brute to have dropped ye on yer head so many times!" He was lying on the floor laughing at this point and barely containing his laughter.
After calming down enough Tony wheezed out "boy, a person never brings all their Valis when they want to haggle. Who taught you how ta make profit?" At this the merchant could only look down in shame as the dwarf had a point, even the guards were pitying him. "Listen boy, just let me see them" Tony was still indicating towards the eggs.
By the time the caravan had left Tony was sitting merrily by the fire eating some of the meat he had gotten and the vegetables were in a pot making a soup. A golden ornamental egg sitting next to his boot. As the three woman came out of the woods Tony could only scowl at the Elf approaching remembering what she had put him through. "Why'd you buy that?" Mizu asked indicating towards the egg. "Ever seen a egg this big?" He only received head shakes in return, "me neither. Ain't forged either, I checked. Now imagine the breakfast this sucker can make us" Tony was petting the egg as though it had done a brilliant trick.
"Nope" Marlet swiped the egg from Tony without a second thought. "Oi, gimme breakfast" Tony seemed ready to tussle with the Fey for it before she shut him up, "and with who's money did you buy all of this?" Tony stopped dead in his tracks, then slowly sat down again grumbling about woman.
Marlet didn't tell anyone but she could feel a faint heartbeat coming from the egg as she held it close to her.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
Super_Surprised231
Super_Surprised231 Let me know if the comedy felt a little forced.
Will try and release the next chapter as soon as possible.
Let me know your thoughts.
Also, should I do a Orario chapter or continue their journey?
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