A Capital Idea

You had never been so eager to move as you were to get off this Gods forsaken ship and return to dry land. The short experience you had made it clear that mortals were not meant for the seas, and you began to seriously wonder about those who made such an experience their careers and lives. Worse, somehow they seemed to enjoy it. The final journey into port was the worst, not because of the rough seas, but by how close you were to your destination, and how slow the ship had to move to avoid others and pull into a dock. There had been a few times, seeing the coastline of the city, that you had entertained the notion of merely jumping off and swimming the rest of the way. Had you not been armored and Khilgana's sword to maintain, you might have done it.

The other reason you needed off the ship wasn't nearly so grim, and in fact much the opposite. Egrodimna, the capital city of the Elvish empire of Slyran Denolo, was a breath taking sight. First was just the mere size, it seemed to sprawl on forever. The city itself could be larger than your island home of Hylsa for all you knew. Nothing on that island was built to such scale as this, nor was it built with such skill of craftsmanship or materials. Every structure back home was built primarily of lumber your people chopped themselves and formed together as they could. Though wood was plentiful here as well, there was clear expertise in the use of stone, and in creation of all manner of interesting shapes that you hadn't thought possible. You wished very much to see it all, though that desire came a bittersweet realization.

If this was what the Empire was capable of, the little support and materials they provided Hylsa was made all the worse.

Thankfully, the crew of the ship had their work to do, leaving the gangplank open for you to depart the moment it was laid down. There wasn't a soul who seemed to stop you, or even acknowledge you as your steps hurried down the long wooden plank to the pier. Looking out as you went down, you saw that there had been someone anticipating your arrival. He was a tall, gauntly Elf, his blonde hair cut short in a way more common with Humans, from what you'd been told. His attire was formal and decorative, as he held a tablet of some sort in front of him, near his chest.

"Priestess Brenvira, I presume" He said with a charming smile. You couldn't pick it out, but something immediately made you leary. Your people are not normally this cheerful and gracious.

"It's just Brenvira, thank you" You responded as you gave a slight bow of the head.

"Oh, my apologies miss. It's just the report that I'd been given, said you were a leader of your church and blessed by Varissa herself."

"That latter part is true. I'm not a leader, merely a follower who was granted the First Sister's blessings." Your tone took a marked drop in pitch "We don't have the resources necessary to build a church, so we practice outside, or wherever we can find the space"

"Oh" his eyes grew slightly larger, his lips pressed thin. You could see the muscles of his neck tighten in guilt and awkwardness "I am terribly sorry for being misinformed, and that your situation has been that dire. Truly, it sounds like you've had a rough time of it."

"We're soldiers, we thrive in adversity" You responded in practiced certainty. You'd heard Matriarch Khilgana counsel the people of Hylsa many times harkening back to the history your parents' generation shared of all being members of the army.

"Not to take anything away from you, but adversity shouldn't be something anyone should be expected to live in for long. Forgive me and my poor manners, rambling on like this" He stuck a hand out for a shake "I'm Felith, I'll be your aide and guide during your stay in the capital."

His name caught you off guard, causing you to giggle.

"I'm sorry, miss, but what's so funny?"

"You" you replied bluntly after you caught your breath "Your parents gave you my people's name for midnight"

"Yes, well" Felith took it in stride "we can't all be so fortunate in our parents. That's when I was born, so my parents thought it was appropriate to mark that. Or, that's what they told me originally. I wish that had been true."

"What do you mean?" You asked, your curiosity having gotten better of you

"Well, I found out that I was born at night, but closer to dawn than midnight. It was suggested to me that midnight was the time when I was....conceived"

Your cheeks involuntarily flustered with how forward he had been with that information. Trying to move the subject away, you try to focus on matters at hand. "So," you began "what else does your tablet have to say about me"

"Oh, just things I've been tasked to know about you. My tasks and obligations. Boring bureacratic stuff"

"I see, and how did you know to be waiting for me now?"

"Oh, well, I've actually been out here all day. And, the day before to be honest. We can't be entirely sure how long it takes ships to make their journeys, so we must at times be inefficient and wait around."

"And the Empire can afford to lose you to just wait aimlessly for me?"

"To ensure that you're well received and taken care of, absolutely. You are our lovely, honored guest, after all. "

Felith's formal cordiality seemed overly forward to you, but you were willing to let it go, recognizing it was likely just a matter of difference of culture. "I assume that there is a plan, than?" You asked

"Well, yes and no. The itinerary given to me anticipated a full day of activity, you meeting people, ensuring the magistrate and others are aware of your presence, things of that nature." Felith looked out towards the sun, rapidly approaching the water's edge "as it stands, we'll have to truncate that down for the time being, but don't you worry. I won't leave your side"

Your head shifted to the side slightly as your eyes narrowed "Why would we need to change our plans?"

"Well, to be honest, many of those who you are scheduled to meet with have left their offices or are finding creative ways to be indisposed." He sensed your disapproval, seemingly, and offered comment before you spoke up "Not everyone has a soldier's discipline, unfortunately. You're going to find people around here are a bit softer than you're used to. I would suggest becoming used to it now. You trying to single handedly take on every lazy bureaucrat won't suit you well."

"What about you?" You asked pointedly "Are you one of them?"

"Oh, no" He chuckled slightly "I'd hardly even call myself a bureaucrat at all."

"Why not?" You asked, curiously

"Well, it's a complicated answer. I've never been particularly good at numbers, or staying still for that matter. But, when your father moves rivers for you to have a comfortable position, you don't really have a choice but to get in the water, you know what I mean?"

You nodded "Quite well. It sounds like we are both servants to higher missions, not of our choosing."

"I don't know about all that." His eyes broke to the side for a moment in another short laugh "I like how that sounds, I'd like it even better if it were true. If I can help you along on your mission though, I'll call that a win. Deal?" His eyes fixed on yours at the end. Something about him and his words made you feel **** and squirmy inside, in a way that you couldn't immediately describe.

"Yes, of course." You smiled gently, giving a slight bow that you weren't entirely sure needed to be given after the fact. "So, since your old plan is being thrown out, what's the new plan?"

"Well, at the very least, we need to get you situated with a place to put your head down at the end of the night. Fortunate for you, I have that already worked out" He reached into a pocket and tossed you a humble iron key "Your own apartment. I'll show you where you'll be staying shortly. It's nothing extravagant, but you'll be comfortable, I'm sure. Beyond that, get something digestible in your belly, replace that hardtack the Sailors eat. Dreadful stuff, isn't it?"

"Oh, it's terrible" You nodded along "absolutely devoid of any joy in it"

"Or moisture, for that matter" Felith added, causing you to both chuckle "clearly takes a stronger constitution than mine to make a life on a ship, because I'd never survive as a Sailor."

"That makes two of us" you nodded along, smiling comfortably now.

"Well, after a decent meal, I was hoping I could show you about town a little. Get a few steps under you touring the great city of Egrodimna, help establish your bearings. After that, a rare opportunity in the evening, if you're interested."

"What kind of opportunity?"

"Let's call it a night of culture. I know your background is being raised by a bunch of soldiers, but even warriors can appreciate poetry, song, and dance, right?"

You nodded quietly, curious where he's going.

"There's a number of theatre's in the city, with plays and dances. By lucky coincidence, my wife has unfortunately fallen under the weather, meaning I have an additional ticket for a grand performance tonight."

"Oh, I don't know about that" You began earnestly "I'd stick out like a weed. Everyone would be paying attention to the Drow soldier in the audience, and not the stage. I wouldn't even know what to wear."

"I understand. It's a private seat. Even if anyone saw you, there'd be no way they could bother you or interrupt you. I won't let that happen, not on your first taste of culture. As for attire, not to worry. You can borrow one, I'm sure there's something that will fit you."

The idea did begin to sound more appealing, though there was some hesitation still. The forwardness of this rather kind Elf was still a little suspicious. "And, your wife won't mind you attending with another woman?"

"Oh, it won't bother her at all. She understands this is all just part of the job." Something about his wording struck a bad nerve. You weren't sure how to feel. You were nervous about how forward he was being, and yet the notion that this is all just him completing a task felt worse. What's going on? You started to wonder to yourself. This was completely unlike you. What was it about this Elf man that was making you feel so uneasy? For as much as you were wary about his slow approach, you seemed to want more of it. You wanted him to be real. You also felt that this was a distracting matter. You were here on a mission, after all, and you're immediately getting swept up in the comfort of the system you were here to change. Was that why Fileth was really here? To doll you up and pamper you so you forget your true purpose?

Another voice rang out in your mind that you won't be able to succeed here without finding people that you can trust. For the moment, this handsome fellow seemed to be trustworthy. You believed him when he said he wants to help. That has to count for something. If you can only trust and count on one person moving forward, it would be nice if Fileth was it.