Loren crouched beside Cassendir and pulled up the sleeve on his tunic. His markings still flashed the wrong colors. “It’s something magical. I think it overpowered Cassendir, and took over the others easily.” She said.
“Well how do we get him to stop? We have to get back on the road somehow, and as much as he’s a pain in the ass, I don’t want to leave him here.”
Loren stood, and looked back towards the inn. “Kae, please find something to bind Cassendir with.”
“Leave him to me, I’ll tie him to the horse post.” Kae answered.
“Please don’t look too happy about that.” Loren smiled at the huntress before heading back inside the inn.
The brawl was still in full force. Beastmen were slashing and biting at each other and other humans within reach. Punches were being thrown wildly, heads were getting kicked, and furniture was flying. Yet the entire time, all those fighting wore a blank expression much like Cassendir. Loren squeezed her way inside the inn and kept to the walls, dodging men and their fists. The princess attempted to find the innkeeper’s wife that Kae mentioned earlier, but a flash of yellow and green caught her eye.
A hooded figure stood in the center of the room. The curves of the person’s body betrayed her as a woman, and she wore a cinched bodice with no blouse or tunic underneath, and tight leather trousers tucked into knee high boots. She held her hands in front of her in a beckoning motion, and her body would shake with laughter as the men would try to reach for her, only to be knocked down in the brawl. Yellow and green light glowed from her chest, though Loren couldn’t see the pattern of her mage markings. Loren began to push her way into the crowd, shoving masses of sweaty armor and fur out of her way.
“Who are you?” Loren called, and the hooded woman turned to look.
She lowered her arms and turned her full attention to the princess. “That is none of your concern. You are not affected by my spells. I advise you to go. Simply go, and leave me.” Her voice was low and sultry.
“No. You have these men fighting endlessly for your affection, and you’ve put my friend under it too. Lift your spell, and lets all leave from here in peace.” Loren shot back.
The woman laughed, and lowered her hood. The dark mage markings swirled around her upper chest and crawled up to her neck, with dark flicks reaching out from the side of her face to her eye. Loren saw the mage markings as beautiful on other mages, but on this woman they only seemed to disfigure her, twisting her features into something unsettling to look at. Or perhaps it was the glint in her eye. “And who are you to ask such things from me, the Second of the Daughters?” she asked, mischievously grinning.
Loren drew herself up to her full height, looking proud and strong like her mother. “I am Loren Cyrael of Aldoran, heir to this kingdom. I demand that you lift your spell from all these men and leave my kingdom.”
The woman stared at Loren, dark eyes flicking up and down her form. Then, she broke into a laugh. “You? The youngest daughter of dragons and heir to Aldoran? Please. You are nothing but a child. Remove yourself, I would speak to you no further.” The woman turned away, lifting her hood back over her face with an air of finality.
“What?” Loren yelped as the woman began to walk away from her and the brawl surged to fill the space. The princess pushed her way through the melee, striking plate armor and Beastman fur with her elbows. “Wait! Lift the damn-“ she started but was cut off.
“Princess? Loren, where are you?” Kae said from the doorway of the inn. She craned her neck to see, but the princess was lost in the crowd. “Loren!”
The woman’s laugh rang out through the inn, and her mage markings glowed a shade brighter. Her laugh slowly died in her throat as she saw a flash of long dark hair moving through the crowd. Loren cut her way through, climbing over men heads taller than her, stepping on breastplates, shoulders, and heads. Her eyes gleamed a dangerous gold as she sailed over the crowd with one long jump. The princess crashed into the mage, ripping her hood off and grabbing her bodice.
“You will lift this curse!” Loren said through gritted teeth. “I am young, but don’t underestimate me, I will kill you where you stand!”
The woman laughed in her face. “Really, daughter of dragons? Kill me? You would go straight to that, instead of bargaining or bartering— my, my. You do have a bit of red in your family, don’t you? The Fourth Daughter was right.”
“Enough of your riddles!” Loren moved to draw her sword.
The tip of the blade was just about free of the sheath when Kae grabbed Loren by the wrist. She pulled back on the princess’s arm and twisted it, causing to drop the sword. “Loren, that’s enough! I know you don’t want this!”
“Kae, let me go.” Loren spat, glaring at the huntress. The woman laughed.
“This isn’t like you. You were the patient and diplomatic one. What’s gotten into you?” Kae asked. There was a look of disappointment in her eye, and Loren saw it. “I’ll handle this. What is your name?” she asked the woman. Behind her, the princess glared hard enough to blast holes into the back of the huntress’s head, but said nothing except a grunt as she retrieved her sword.
The woman smirked. “My name? I am Danna, the Second Daughter. What of it, girl from mud?”
Kae’s eyebrow
