A Salamander, but Mighty

POV: Dyenna

Everything had been prepared for her departure, she and Shalotte had decided to leave the city during the night when fewer guards were around and they would bypass the city gates closed due to the night curfew by crossing the walls in a small boat. Dyenna had prepared everything she needed, including not only her sword but also food, water and money for all the time needed to reach the city of Stanbroodge, where she knew Rosalia, Darren and his knights were at that moment.

The two girls had left the castle wearing clothes that hid them and hid their faces, they went out into the darkness of the city illuminated only by a few lanterns scattered along the main streets and, hand in hand, they reached the port area of ​​Khalrinda, where the leporan had hid a boat during the afternoon of that same day.

“Are… are you sure what you want to do it?” Shalotte dared to ask with a certain note of hesitation in her voice, “forgive me if I dare to question your decisions, but this will not only put you in danger but will also make the king and queen furious…”

“Are you worried that my wise father might resent you for accepting my request to help me escape?” Dyenna asked, parting her lips in a smile and raising a hand to place it on one of her shoulders, “don't worry, nothing will happen to you. When the time comes and we return, I will take full responsibility for everything. I could never bear the thought of someone paying for my actions.”

“I-I'm worried, but not just about that,” the leporan's cheeks reddened, “I'm worried about you too… hunting down the monster who killed your brother will put you in danger,” she muttered under her breath.

“You're very sweet,” Dyenna took a step toward the boat and pulled it out of hiding, “but I'll be safer away from the castle. Think about it: could Nightmare Tyrant expect me to look for it instead of being locked inside a castle, where it wouldn't even have to look for me if it wanted to kill me?”

Shalotte became thoughtful, she bit her lower lip, “y-yeah, it makes sense…” she whispered softly. "Wait! Let me push!"

“No need, we can do it together…” Dyenna replied, narrowing her eyes, “you know, maybe on this trip you could treat me not like your princess, but like an adventure companion,” she said vaguely as she moved to the back of the boat to push it onto the stony shore of the beach. “Growing up as a member of the royal family, I made many friends, but no real friendships…”

Dyenna glanced at her out of the corner of one eye as Shalotte approached to stand beside her and give her a hand to push: she was visibly rejoicing, the leporan's eyes shone like the stars and a sweet smile had arisen on her face; Dyenna nodded a few times to herself: it was so easy to manipulate her just by telling her what she wanted to hear.

“I'm sorry, I imagine it must be difficult to meet all the expectations expected of a noble,” Shalotte sighed, “but I come from a simple family, my parents have always left me and my siblings free to do what we want. We did what we liked, without any expectations or demands.”

“Do you have a good relationship with all of them?” Dyenna asked. The brackish water of the lagoon on which the capital of the kingdom overlooked began to touch the prow.

"Of course! Ins't the same for you with Rosalia?"

Dyenna simply nodded a few times.

“I even talked to them about our escape from the city!” She exclaimed, smiling brightly.

"Really?" Dyenna stiffened her shoulders, “and what did they tell you?”

“They advised me what to take for the trip, my mother filled my backpack with all the things she cooked!” She giggled, "during the trip I'd like to share them with you, also because he gave me too much and I wouldn't have time to eat it all before it started to go rotten..."

"I'd love that! Not that the castle kitchens don't cook delicious food, but I don't think I've ever tasted leporans recipes!” She replied with a smile. With one last effort the boat ended up completely in the water, “and that's it. I can't wait to see my sister again..."

Shalotte helped her on board – she could have done it alone, but having help would have helped the leporan bond with her – before doing the same, receiving help from Dyenna. Less than a minute later the small boat had completely separated from the mainland and began to sway gently on the dark lagoon.

“You know, I think we'll make some detours,” Dyenna continued to say, who in the meantime had sat down on the wooden board that served as a seat, “I want to try to get to know the kingdom and help the people, I think it's my duty as the future queen to know the needs of her people and to make herself known to them."

“My l-lady! Look!”

The princess looked up: a ball of light that eluded the normal laws of physics by producing light but illuminating nothing was floating in front of the prow of their little boat. That apparition had surprised Shalotte but not Dyenna, who had been informed that the old spirit of Khalrinda's walls would contact her.

“Vallagrad?” Dyenna murmured softly, “I read about you in my family history.”

“Pleased to make your acquaintance, future queen of Heliolite,” the orb of light began to say. His voice was ancient, powerful and solid, like that of an impenetrable wall for any enemy, "I've been watching you for a long time."

I know, Dyenna thought as she bowed to him, bowing her head and shoulders, “I am honored to be able to speak with you, spirit of Khalrinda. What is the will of the gods?”

“I have come to speak to you of your future intentions: the gods follow you with concern,” Vallagrad began to say. “They believe you could cause a repeat of the events that led to the rise and fall of the Heliolite Empire, with all that entailed.”

“My lady is not like her ancestors!” Shalotte exclaimed, who in the meantime had recovered from the shock of being in the presence of a semi-divine entity, “she is good and kind, she is not tainted by the arrogance and ambitions of those who attempted to unite the entire continent by force centuries ago!"

“Your loyalty to your lady is commendable,” the spirit said smugly, “but the gods see further than any mortal and their knowledge transcends time.” Dyenna felt Vallagrad's attention return to her, "please explain your intentions, so that I can report them to the gods."

Dyenna gave the leporan a nod and a smile, "don't worry, if my actions cause concern, I need to respond," she said reassuringly before turning back to the spirit. “All I want is peace, progress and order.”

“And how would you like to obtain these things?”

Dyenna gathered her hands in her lap, intertwining her fingers, “Evil has fallen upon this world and has already claimed the life of my beloved brother, his life was only the first of a long list of lives that will be taken in the future.” Her eyes began to shine after he mentioned Wilfrod, she had always been good at crying on command, "the only hope we have for stopping this threat is for humanity to unite, for the armies of the East Continent to unite under a single flag and purpose."

Vallagrad hesitated, his voice sounding pleasantly surprised, “are you not seeking war?”

“No, Vallagrad, I do not seek war,” she said softly, “why would I desire something as destructive and senseless as war? I seek only peace,” the boat swayed gently beneath her feet as the currents pushed her, the leporan, and the spirit away, away from the walls of the sleeping city. “death is an ultimate destiny that should not be reached before its time, it is for this reason that I have decided to put my own life on the front line: to save as many people as possible and lead them into a future of great safety, where they will no longer have to fear the insurgence of malignant entities eager only to cause mindless destruction.”

“You speak wisely, future queen of Heliolite,” the spirit replied, “many kings and queens in the past have spoken the same, do you think you are superior to them all?”

Dyenna had immediately understood that this was a trick question: the spirit wanted to see if she was an arrogant woman, but if he thought that would be enough to catch her off guard, Vallagrad was making a big mistake. “I am no wiser than they were, their blood runs in mine,” the young woman replied, spreading her arms, “however, I know their stories and learned from their life lessons so that what happened in the past does not repeat itself in the future."

“I see…” Vallagrad murmured, “very well then.”

"Can we go?" Shalotte asked, folding her long ears behind her head, “we have to travel all night to get far enough away from the city by dawn.”

“Yes, you may go,” the spirit said, its voice sounding heartened, “I will convey your words to the gods, Dyenna. May you succeed in your search for peace and justice in this violent world.”

“Thank you, spirit. I hope you will be proud of the world I leave after me,” Dyenna declared. Vallagrad vanished into thin air leaving the two girls free to continue their journey; Shalotte paddled vigorously while Dyenna sat up with a sharp smirk on her face, and with that the gods have been dealt, hopefully until it's too late to stop me.