Chapter 206: A Lone Princess

The emerald canopies of the Elven Kingdom began to thin, replaced by the rugged, salt-swept cliffs of the Dusktell province.

Corisande was alone for the first time of her life. She felt a little overwhelmed but she had to steel herself, the road ahead needed it.

Her mother always told her that a time would come when she would need to be incredibly strong. Right now was that time.

Corisande rode the white mare she had bought toward the coast, a pang of guilt tugged at her heart. Speaking of her parents, she couldn't help but imagine her father, King Galadrien, standing on that sunlit balcony, his face etched with a worry that aged his immortal features.

She knew her departure would hurt him. She was his "Cori," the light of the Elven court. But that was exactly the problem.

To the world, she was a fragile princess to be guarded; to the Heroes' Party, she was a tool for Aethelstan's ego. Right now, it was time for her to find her path, and it all seemed it led to the Outworlder.

Percival.

How did he know? she wondered, the sea breeze whipping her purple hair. No one outside my father has ever called me that. It's like he looked into my eyes and saw a memory that hasn't happened yet.

That mystery, combined with the reality that the Heroes' Party was a slaughterhouse in the making, drove her forward. If Evernia was going to survive the Demon Gate Worlds, she needed a partner who actually knew how to survive them.

She rode until she reached the fishing town of Unigarry.

The town looked like a cluster of barnacles clinging to the grey rocks of the coast. It was the gateway to the Dividing Sea, the primary route for those seeking the human kingdom of Valoris without aerial carriages.

As Corisande trotted through the cobblestone streets, the atmosphere shifted instantly. She was an elf, yes, but she was much different compared to other elves here.

She was a vision of royal violet, blue and gold, her purple enchanted armor gleaming under the overcast sky.

The townsfolk stopped in their tracks. Corisande was used to the stares—she was an Elven princess, after all—but here, the gaze was different.

The commoners stared at her like she was a myth come to life. Above their shoulders, their unawakened Class Crests hovered like ghosts:

· [Fisherman - Lvl 30]

· [Sailor - Lvl 12]

· [Fishmonger - Lvl 14]

Corisande always knew she was particularly beautiful, she'd used it to advantage though tried to make sure it never got to her head. More than anything it was slightly annoying when people stared.

Nevertheless, she kept her chin high. She needed information.

"Excuse me," she said, pulling her horse to a stop beside a young ship worker who was hauling a crate of smelly kelp. He looked up, his jaw and pointed ears literally dropping as he took in her striking features.

"G-Goddess?" he stammered.

Corisande didn't really smile. "Not quite. I'm looking for a captain setting sail for Valoris today. Are there any?"

The worker blinked, his face flushing a deep crimson. "Well yes yes! A famous one that goes by Norwick. He's at The Barnacle's Breath, the alehouse just past the dry docks. He's the only one crazy enough to brave the currents today."

He leaned in, a bit too close for her liking. "If you need a real guide though, I'm free after sunset..."

"Thank you for the directions," Corisande interrupted sweetly, her tone ending the conversation before it could go any further. She clicked her tongue, and her mare moved on, leaving the boy staring at her retreating back.

Not long after, she found the alehouse. The moment Corisande pushed the skinny doors open, the raucous laughter died a sudden, strangled death. The sailors and dockworkers froze with mugs halfway to their mouths.

Corisande ignored the usual stares. She scanned the room until she spotted a man sitting in a corner booth, hunched over a map and a tankard of grog.

He looked like a sailor. Thanks to the hat he was wearing, and the thick, salt-and-pepper beard.

She walked toward him, the clink of her armor the only sound in the silent room.

"Are you Norwick?" she asked, her voice clear and direct.

The man looked up, his eyes sharp and calculating despite the ale. "Depends on who's askin', Elf. And whether they've got the coin to match that fancy armor."

"I'm looking for passage to Valoris. I hear you're leaving today."

"I am," Norwick grunted, leaning back. "Across the Dividing Sea. It's a four-day ride if the winds are kind, and a week in the Abyss if they aren't. It'll cost you twenty gold pieces for a private cabin."

Corisande knew it was an overprice, but she didn't care. She reached into her pouch and placed a small stack of heavy gold coins on the table. "Make it thirty, and we leave within the hour."

Norwick's eyes widened a little. He swept the gold into his pocket. "Deal. My ship is the Seabreaker. Middle pier. Get your things."

"Ahem."

A voice cut in from the neighboring table. Corisande turned to see a group of Awakeners watching her.

At the center was a young man around her age, wearing a roguish leather duster and a confident, lopsided grin. Above his head, his crest shone bright and blue: [Weapon Summoner - Lvl 42].

"That's a lot of gold for a solo traveler," the boy said, standing up. "I'm Xayx. Leader of the Silver Dawn party." He gestured to the three others behind him—a sturdy-looking Barbarian and two Archers. "We were just talking to Norwick about our own passage to Valoris. We're heading there to hunt some of the newer Gates popping up near the border."

Corisande studied him. He was handsome in a conventional way, and his party seemed competent enough for standard Gates, but there was a certain "rookie" energy to how he carried himself.

"I'm Corisande," she said simply.

"Well, Corisande," Xayx said, stepping closer, his eyes scanning her purple armor with appreciation. "A Healer of your caliber shouldn't be traveling alone. Valoris is getting dangerous with all the Demon Gate talk. My party... we're looking for a fifth. Someone with a bit of spark. You look like you could lead us just as well as you could heal us. What do you say? Join the Silver Dawn? We share all loot equally."

The alehouse held its breath. It was a classic offer, the kind most lone Awakeners would jump at for the sake of safety.

Corisande looked at Xayx, then at his friends, and finally back to the map on Norwick's table. She wasn't truly considering the offer. She had just left a party and had no intention of joining a new one.

Her path led elsewhere.

"I appreciate the offer, Xayx," Corisande said, her voice sweet but firm as stone. "But my purpose lies elsewhere in the Human Kingdom."

Xayx's grin faltered, his pointy ears falling. "You're turning down a Lvl 42 Summoner's protection?"

"Don't think too highly of yourself, Mr. Xayx. I'm just turning down the noise," she corrected. She looked at Norwick. "I'll be on the Seabreaker. Don't be late, Captain."

With a graceful turn, she marched out of the alehouse. The silence followed her until the door swung shut, at which point the whole room erupted into feverish whispers.

They were still stunned by her beauty and her character.