Chapter 3: The patrol

The months began to fly by, Grez had finally found the motivation to start this training and learn what a patrol does while brushing up on other kingdoms' laws, culture and all that stuff she once considered useless. She had not realized just how rough and serious they took their patrols and she had gained a number of beatings because the patrol captain gave no mercy and made sure Grez would be ready to deal with whatever they ended up running into.

Grez and Elana had been bonding for awhile now too and because Grez was going to be in the patrol Elena had to join up too if she was to keep her position of guard or whatever Grez seemed to call her at this point. They were walking through the city casually looking around at the various goods people had to offer and at times they stopped to admire the things that caught their attention yet they had no desire to buy anything. Grez had been wearing her full armor everyday for the vast majority of the day so that she could become accustomed to its weight and to learn how to properly move in it while keeping the parts that were flexible and thinner so that she didn't accidentally allow any enemy to exploit that weak point. While browsing that one elf from the shop where Grez had been shopping so long ago came jogging up to them with a small wood box. "Hey I finally found you, been looking for the last few hours." She was breathing hard like she had run across the entire city which was entirely possible as Grez wasn't particularly tall and had a tendency to disappear into crowds. She opened the box and it was just as she had wanted, a small band with no discernible designs other than being metal and could very well have been found at any junk shop though that was the idea as the last thing Grez had wanted was to stand out even more than she already did." She thanked her for the item and handed her a few more solid gold coins as a thanks for delivering. "To the forge now so I can get this project done finally." Grez told Elana as they headed down the street.

It took a number of hours but Grez had finally managed to attach the small disc to the neck piece and just to be safe she used some small heated metal scraps to essentially weld the disc on it as the last thing she wanted was to lose it in the heat of battle. Elana wasn't all too sure what exactly it did or why it was necessary but she was glad they might not have to come back to the forge as she greatly disliked the extreme heat. Grez set the neck piece down and turned it around making sure it was properly secured and hidden from the front when worn. She strapped it and put it on, tightening it as much as she felt necessary. With a light tap on the disc it activated and a full helmet sprang out of it covering her head entirely with tear drop shaped holes for the eyes horizontally. Across the runes that were on the disc now were on the sides just in front of the ears. One touch and it folded back into the disc and her hair tumbled down her shoulders back its normal length nearly at her waist. Elana was a bit dumbstruck and surprised, she had seen magic and magic items sure but this was an entirely new concept. "How did you create that? It's crazy useful and awesome." Elana complimented grez on her very nice piece of armor. "I've been doing a lot of research and practice in enchanting plus since I was a member of the royal family I got to have the best teachers around." She replied, stroking her own ego and feeling quite proud of her creation. She strode off and flipped her hair behind her quite dramatically and headed for home before she got scolded by father again for missing their evening dinner.

Grez sat in her room dozing off while staring at the fire burning in her hearth though it wasn't actual fire as there would be no place for the smoke to go and she being a demon did not need any real heat unless the cold was within icy temperature. She was getting annoyed by this patrol training, it wasn't like she was learning to build a castle or the complicated mathematics of determining tax law. As far as she knew it was simply going out and traveling across their land and aiding anyone who needed it or chasing off and eliminating bandits while maintaining the peace. She hadn't realized how much time had passed until there was a knock on her door, she snapped out of her daze and opened it with a wave of her hand and basic magic. Elena stepped inside and she was fully armored with darker colored plate armor over a black chainmail as you wanted flexibility in the important areas and still have protection in the gaps between plates. Her helmet face was up and held by a pin, some type of bascinet or something. Grez had mostly slept through those classes about various armor types and their advantages vs weaknesses. "Do you wear that all the time? Seriously? You have to be either very ugly under the armor or insanely dedicated." Grez questioned as Elana came and sat down. "what if it's both huh? Maybe I'm just really disfigured and this armor is the only things that really gives me any sort of confidence?" She asked with a somewhat sly grin. Grez sighed and got up, she went to her armor stand and opened the cupboard where she kept her under armor clothing as she hated the feeling of the chain mail on her bareskin. Without thinking she threw off her clothing down to her undergarments and grabbed her under armor, Elana gasped and turned around quickly feeling her cheeks start to burn. "I will wait outside for you if it's ok?" She asked, trying to keep her voice level and even. Grez chuckled and replied "Don't worry about it, this will only take a second and it's not like we are different genders you know." She wasn't wrong yet something told Elana to peek anyway even though she knew it was wrong and immoral plus Grez was part of the royalty, Elana could face the headsman's ax for even being in the room while she was changing. "I'd like to stop by the pub for a round of ale if you don't mind, I have a feeling I am going to need it to deal with another day of the captains lectures." Grez went on talking to Elana while having no idea how uncomfortable she felt. Elana turned slightly to answer but she found herself fully looking back at Grez and it took a full five seconds before the reality that she was seeing the princess without anything covering her chest at all as she was fighting with some laces on her leather top they called a gambeson. Elana very nearly left the ground as she sprinted out of the room and down the hall.

Grez came out of the palace straightening her hair with her hands as she came upon Elana sitting on a bench with her face plate down and could have been simply staring off into the void. "You ok Elana? You very nearly left the ground you moved so fast." Grez asked as she sat down next to her but Elana was rather quiet so they sat there for a few minutes in silence contemplating. Elana started saying something quietly and Grez assumed it was to her but she could barely hear her at all. "I'm sorry? You are going to have to speak up or lift that thing, I've got no idea what you said." Grez told her while peeking over to look through the eye slit but Elana pulled back and just gave her a thumbs up but Grez slowly pushed the visor up until it clicked and stayed put. Elana was about to say something but she started coughing and feeling a bit light headed while Grez looked at her with genuine concern. "There's something you aren't telling me isn't there? We are partners you know and there's nothing you need to hide, I have no intention of judging you whatever it is." Grez put a hand on her shoulder to put her at ease but she simply replied "It's ok, just an illness I've always had, I have special medicines and herbs to keep it control and harmless." She grinned and stood up ready to get going. Grez sighed and stood up to stretch out before walking and soon enough they were quietly walking through the crowds and since they wore armor people were more likely to move out of the way and show respect. Grez had been thinking for a few minutes now and she knew something was far more wrong with Elana than she was letting on, when she coughed Grez could smell something on her breath. It smelled...well wrong and even had a hint of dark magic yet that was silly since Elana had no magic ability whatsoever. She'd have to keep a much closer eye on her as if they were going to run into trouble she couldn't have Elana breaking into a coughing fit and getting cut down, once they got back from their patrol Grez intended to go have a word with the healers in medical section just passed the forge as the forge is where the vast majority of injuries came from.

The captain was shouting at new recruits as they struggled with the weight of a Zweihander since they needed to be able to wield any and every weapon possible, the battlefield was not going to be predictable and if you lost your weapon then you need to use whatever you could find. "Come on you useless tin cans! You should be able to swing that thing like you are batting a ball in full armor!" He shouted, getting increasingly annoyed with their lack of progress until he noticed Grez and Elana coming to him. "It's about time you two, you're leaving in five bloody minutes! Get over to the patrol lodge and stop walking so slow!" He once again shouted and the two just nodded and hurried along the path they came from and headed to the main entrance as the patrol lodge was outside so that they could set out on short notice if something was wrong. The weather was starting to get cold as winter was making its way across the world which meant they would need to start giving the horse some proper winter horse shoes soon. The lodge was outside the massive stone gray wall and Grez often found herself admiring it as the blocks used were very nearly taller than her and it stretched pretty far up at least 30 feet at minimum. The lodge was pretty big as it had its own kitchen and cooks, forge and even servant quarters whom did the armor cleaning, housekeeping duties, laundry and a number of other things.

Grez and Elana approached the building and it could have been its very own castle. They stepped inside and a warm and inviting air rushed over them while the patrol members were double checking their gear then the captain noticed them. "Well it's about time you two came along, I thought I'd have to send a rescue squad into the city just to find you." He told them yet he didn't sound angry or annoyed though his appearance might make him seem far more of an intimidating fellow. He was a dark elf with dark skin that was the color of obsidian yet oddly he had a full beard that was jet black and fluffy and soft looking. "What are you staring at shorty? Princess or not it's quite rude to stare." He questioned Grez and she snapped out of it and replied "I'm sorry I was just enraptured by your beard, I have never seen an elf with one or one so soft looking." The rest of the patrol group started laughing and giggling uncontrollably until he gave them a stern look then turned back to the two ladies. "Go get yourself a quick soup or something then meet us at the stable, you have ten minutes and get something for the road as we'll be gone for at least a couple months." He told her and led his group of 3 outside. Grez and Elana headed to the right and into the dining hall to find a place to sit. "Ah it's about time don't ya think? Almost tossed this soup out as it was getting cold." A muscular orc woman told them as she set down two bowls and a fair hunk of bread before them. "Thanks. we are a bit behind on our first patrol." Grez replied kindly and the orc woman nodded and replied "Not ta worry lass, you'll get into their routine eventually." She walked away and brought two mugs of ale for them then went back to the kitchens. They greatly enjoyed their soup even if it was a little colder than normal but the bread was something else, Grez thought she might propose to whoever baked it as it was just that good. Afterward they got up and before they could ask the orc lady came back and she had two tightly wrapped bundles in a heavy cotton cloth with two rather big water skins.

Grez was about to say thanks but she spoke before Grez could. "Don't bother thanking me, I'm Mazoga and you can thank me by returning alive and maybe bringing back some of those things they call coconuts from Kellanara." Grez nodded appreciatively and headed out and the cold wind hit them or at least it hit Elana hard and she very nearly started shivering. They reached the stable and the group had their horse all ready to go for the trip. "Good you're back and on time. Get your gear sorted and tied then we'll head out." He told her as he climbed up on his horse which was white with various dark brown spots. Grez climbed up on her ash gray horse and Elana had a deep black one. They started heading but had to stop, "Halt patrolmen!" A voice shouted out to them and the patrol leader was frustrated at this point. "For the love of the gods what the hell is the issue now?!" He shouted back before looking and once he did look his face turned an ashen gray. The king was approaching with his normal royal guard whom were covered head to toe in their dark armor. Grez hopped down and waited patiently or as patient as she could. "What now father? Do you want me to tell you I'll miss you?" She asked in an unfortunately snarky tone but he just shrugged off her attitude. "I would like you to have a gift, I've been waiting quite a while to give it to you." He told her and held out a broadsword and unsheathing it from it's plain brown scabbard revealed a vivid sky blue with a dark gray hilt, the cross guard was a spiral on each side with a very red gem in the middle and a red gem on the bottom of the hilt. He held it out flat in his hands for her and she was actually in awe. She took the hilt in upper right hand and held it up letting it reflect the sunlight, the blue was mesmerizing to behold. She sheathed it and put it on her belt but she had to ask why. "Isn't this your blade? Don't you need it in case of emergencies?" Her father simply chuckled and put a hand on her shoulder and answered honestly. "If they got to the palace then clearly the guard are useless and there's hundred of normal blades around, I can easily use one of those." She threw her arms around him and hugged tight, she almost didn't want to leave but she'd been working toward this for a long while now and she was not going to change her mind now. She got back on her horse and waved goodbye as the patrol set off across the plain following the main road then so they would turn west for Kultia.

The wind rushed through Grez's hair and she felt a kind of freedom she hadn't felt for quite a long time. All the trees started to darken as winter made its way across the world and cooled everything to a pleasant degree. They were on the road to check the small villages and meet up in the bigger cities to get a report on latest news and if there was anything that needed taking care of while also showing any bandits or others that seek to do illicit or illegal things. There was nothing exciting going on at all and that was kind of bumming Grez out though it isn't like she expected to be on the front line of a major war but she at least expected some kind of excitement. They eventually stopped for the night in a small farm village and stayed at the small tavern and seeing as they were the patrol and providing protection for all the land's inhabitants they got a discount on the rooms. The men got one while Grez and Elana got another but neither was tired so Elana went for a walk around while Grez stayed in the room and relaxed. She had taken off her armor and only wore the gambeson but it was only for the chest as she simply had a thick cloth tied around her knees for comfort against the chainmail. She was laying down reading a book in her bed while the small fireplace lit the room. It was a familiar and comfortable feeling though the book she had was one that was in the room already. Elana came back as the night started growing late and she was carrying her helmet with her but she set it down on a table next to her bed and then noticed Grez. Her face turned red and it was obvious why she hid her face last time too though Grez was not paying attention. "I hope your walk was ok, I'd hate for you to get a cold out there and be forced to head home." Grezsaid trying to make conversation as she flipped another page but Elana was too flustered to answer and she struggled to get her armor unbuckled. She was a bit too focused on her armor to notice that Grez had gotten up and startled her when she attempted to help with the buckles on the plates side making her jump away a couple feet. "Elana. Seriously. Why are you so jumpy? Is this because I am not wearing armor or am I just doing something unusual? You aren't uneasy about my extra arms or claws are you?" Grez questioned her trying to get to the bottom of this issue that was growing a bit silly and somewhat irritating. "Oh uh n-no! I think you look fine how you are and I just worry about you know rumors about me being inappropriate with a member of royalty." She stuttered and spoke nervously, though you'd normally expect someone of the guard to be more calm and even grounded in terms of emotion yet Elana was obviously not guard or even warrior material so clearly she simply went for the highest paying position she could even if she was not cut out for it.

Grez stood with all four arms crossed and she simply stared Elana in the eye until she turned red again with nervousness. "I'm just tired and exhausted, sorry. I'll just head to bed and be fine in the morning I promise." Elana smiled and turned around to get into bed but Grez grabbed her by the shoulders and sat her down on her bed and sat next to her. "Elana just take a moment and say it, if things keep being weird between us like this then it's going to eventually cause some problems and that is the last thing we want while out on the field." Grez toldher and she tried to be gentle and kind about it while putting a gentle hand her shoulder to try and comfort her. Elana started to say something but there was a knock on the door and the captain stepped in for a moment. "Get some rest, we are leaving first light and having breakfast on the road. We are behind schedule as is and we need to pick up the pace." Grez and Elana nodded then he left but the conversation was gone too and frustrated Grez got into bed and Elana went to hers.