Abyssal Awakening

Listening to the crunch of the horse hooves against the snow, Alice pulled her fur lined coat tighter around her shoulders. A breath of cold air escaped her mouth as her eyes glimmered with childlike excitement and awe.

Above her, the darkened sky was illuminated by an ethereal dance of silken strands flickering in a multitude of colours. Ever changing, ever moving.

Jagged snowcap mountains loomed in the distance, shrouded by mist and basking in the lights above.

Located next to a large lake connected to a channel, the military outpost Kvia, could be spotted.

Alice could see tall watch towers, log cabins and small homes. Soft warm lights filtered through the frosted glass as silhouettes of happy families could be seen despite the nature of this location. Aside from the houses, she could also see large tents as warriors would patrol the outpost, ensuring public safety and making sure there were no intruders.

Amidst the frozen landscape, a warm village thrived.

As they approached the village, the carriage came to a halt just outside the gates of the outpost. Guards glanced down and gestured to their fellow warriors before opening the gates slightly.

Seeing the warriors that came out of the city, Alice understood that this was to check their identities.

The driver and the two northerners had papers that allowed them travel but that wasn't the case for Alice and Selen.

Recalling that Allura had given her an ID card when they had left for Zadash, Alice rummaged through her belongings before pulling out the card.

She wasn't sure if it would suffice but it was better than nothing. Plus, a Guild ID wouldn't let her travel between cities, merely allowing her to use the services of the Guild.

Furrowing his brows, the warrior guard examined Alice's ID before whispering something to his friend.

After this, the other guard jogged back to the outpost, allowing the other three to enter it.

Waving goodbye to the two men that she got close to on this journey, Alice looked at Selen who simply folded her arms and closed her eyes.

She didn't seem surprised that they were held back considering the only ID they had were ones belonging to the Abyss.

Considering the attitude that the other two men have shown towards those who use the powers of the Abyss, it is very likely that they may be rejected for entrance into this city.

"Pst pst, say, can you tell me what's going on at the border? The other two told me a little but I'm still not sure about the situation there. With there being such stringent checks, I'm guessing they're not giving you an easy time right?" Alice struck up a conversation with the guard and showed a harmless smile.

Naturally, she made sure to adjust her body so that he could see the wounds on her clearly. Though the same couldn't be said for her eye as she covered it with her hair.

Seeing her wounds, the guard scratched his cheek before nodded.

"There's been more and more ambushes as of late. The dogs of the kingdom are trying to target important supply lines so we need to check everyone thoroughly. I know it's beginning to snow pretty heavily but the checks should be finished soon so please hang in there okay? Once you're inside you can get the help you need." He sighed as Alice brushed her hair behind her ear and nodded her head.

"I see… Thank you. Seeing all of you working hard despite the weather really sets the heart at ease. If there's anything I can do to make your job easier, please let me know and I'll try my best to cooperate."

Hearing this, the guard chuckled and thanked her.

Not wanting to push the limits and annoy them by accident, Alice waited by the side.

This one piece of information was enough to give Alice a general sense of the situation at the border.

With the Inverted World being a dud, the fight resumed and now the Extalia kingdom is looking for ways to push for more territory from both the North and East.

Especially if they're going as far as sneaking ambushes towards supply lines like this. It meant that the kingdom didn't care whether or not the soldiers they sent here lived or died so long as they got the job done.

'Seems like heading back to the Abyss isn't going to be easy.' Alice sighed inwardly.

While she may enjoy her freedom on the surface, she needed to find a way back soon. Ria and Luke were bound to be worried. On the other hand, Alice wasn't worried about Kaden and Allura since they could sense her.

If Kaden needed her, he'd simply send a Raven.

'I wonder if the Underground has branches on the surface. If there is, I can send a message to Luke and Ria. Otherwise, the best course of action would be to enter the Abyss asap and see where we can meet up again.

'That being said… Luke should have a better sense of direction than Ria. The two of them… should be fine.' Alice sighed.

Waiting for the IDs to be checked, Alice felt as though she was about to fall asleep in the cold.

Even if it was Abyss ID, surely it shouldn't have taken this long right?!

Just as she was about to reach her limit, the guard that jogged in earlier came out and whispered something into another guard's ear.

Nodding his head, he smiled and walked over to Alice and Selen.

"Sorry for the wait, everything's been checked and approved. You'll need to get further approval and a temporary travel pass if you want to travel to other towns without going through this process again. Unfortunately, we can't do it here." He apologized as Alice received her ID.

"Ah it's okay. Thank you for telling me. Where do we need to go if we want to get a travel pass?" Alice asked curiously.

"You'll have to travel inland towards the capital. As long as you're away from the borders, it should be relatively easy to get it approved. I'm not exactly familiar with the process but this should be roughly correct."

"I see… Thank you. Let me buy you a drink as thanks if I get a chance while I'm still in this town okay?" Alice chuckled, giving him a small wave while entering the town with Selen.

Meanwhile, the guard's friend gave him a side eye and proceeded to elbow his ribs.

"Ow! What was that for?"

"F*ck you."

"???"

###

Stretching her body and then flinching from the wound, Alice walked around the town with a skip in her steps.

"Seems like you're quite excited." Selen raised an eyebrow while walking behind Alice.

She felt like she was babysitting a kid with how energetic Alice was being despite her wounds.

"Just a tad. This is my first surface town after all. The mead here should be pretty tasty right?" Alice grinned while licking her lips.

"What's with you and mead?"

"Don't mind it. I'm just an alcoholic. I wonder if they sell spicy skewers too… Well I have plenty of time to look around. What plans do you have now that we're at a town?" Alice glanced back.

She was curious about what Selen wanted to do after this considering the fact that she broke off her attachment to the Zenia family.

With the contract now dissolved, she was free to do whatever she wanted.

"I… Think I'm going to wander the surface for a while. Maybe for a year or so. Maybe more." Selen replied after a brief pause.

She glanced up at the multicoloured sky and softened her gaze.

"I've spent too long shackled to the Zenia family. It's about time I live my life outside of their shadow." Selen smiled, breaking her stoic disposition.

"Hou~ Sounds nice. Indeed, the Zenia's have done too much to you." Alice nodded her head approvingly.

"Of course, I'm not going to avoid them. If I do come across a few Zenias, I may as well clean up the dirt while I'm there."

"Oh! Heroic sort. Perhaps in a few years once the Zenia's are rooted out, some bard may begin singing your story." Alice chuckled.

"You realise that this includes you right? Like it or not, I doesn't change the fact that you're blood was the start of it all." Selen narrowed her eyes but Alice simply shrugged.

"I mean you're free to try and come kill me if you ever decide to. I will retaliate in kind. But seeing as how you've cared for me and kept me alive till now, I don't think you're planning on doing that any time soon. You know as well as me that I have a grudge against them too." Alice turned around while looking for the nearest tavern.

"Everything I do will be working towards the goal of ending the Zenias once and for all. You're free to come stop me or help me. But if you're coming to stop me, just be prepared to die since I won't spare you twice." She warned.

Despite her injured state, Selen could tell that Alice was willing to struggle as hard as needed in order to survive.

"I don't plan on doing that. The Zenias have only given me pain, why would I join hands with them again? But that only makes me wonder about you. Seeing as how you're… the first daughter and all." Selen shook her head with a sigh.

"Don't worry about that. I've left that all behind. I'm not the first daughter or part of the Zenias anymore. I'm simply Alice Agnelia, student and daughter to Allura Agnelia." Alice laughed as she truly felt free from the Zenias.

Hearing this, Selen nodded her head.

"I overheard some northern folks earlier talk about a good tavern with some drinks. You should be able to get some mead and skewers there."

"Oh! Lead the way!" Alice grinned as the two girls made their way through Kvia and towards the tavern in question.

Alice's first night on the surface, free from danger.