Chapter 44

"I know Orsted requested this, but you don't have to make the journey," Jade said to Ariel and Conner as they set themselves up with a week's worth of luggage to take with them to the Kingdom of Uslin on Asath.

"It's fine," Conner said. "You guys have perfected the teleportation, so you don't fall out of the sky anymore, and I have the week off. I've left a message that I'll be off the grid for a week, and Leo knows what's going on, so we'll be fine."

"But we haven't tried to teleport more than one person before."

"I thought that's why you were given the ancient runes, which are stronger? Wait, is this dangerous?"

"As I said, we haven't tested it with two people, let alone three."

"Well, there's no chance I'm letting Ariel go there with you, alone. What if you two get stuck on the other side? If Ariel is getting stuck on another planet, then I'm going to be right there beside her. Maybe I'll join your army and find a nice Elven girl to settle down with."

Ariel stared at him wide-eyed in silence.

"What?"

"You're planning on staying?"

"No, but if things go wrong, you need a Plan B, at least. Jade is in high regard over there, being a royal knight and best friends with the next in line to be king, so I think it's safe to say we'd be welcomed to some extent, and we'd have help, should we be unable to return. That said, I would have no idea what to do if we got stuck in a void because we attempted to teleport too many people. There's simply nothing I can do about that."

"I find it unlikely to come to that. Let's hope it doesn't come to that. Make sure neither of you let go of my hand; I will be the one to direct the teleportation. Based on my findings, thinking about the exactly location helps; it stopped me from falling from the sky the last few times."

"Wait, then how did you end up in our backyard in the first place?"

"By chance from the witch, I suppose. The second time, I thought about the first time, and it happened the same way. Not exactly a comfortable way to land, and it was good I had my armour on those times."

"Well, let's hope this works, and we don't end up in random places."

Using the place Leo showed him with stronger magical powers, Jade activated the runes, and light consumed them.

"Whoa!" Conner gasped, as a sense of weightlessness took over, only grounded by Jade's grip on him.

The light faded, and they found themselves in the newly built teleportation chamber with runes embedded into the walls and floor around them.

"Jade!" The knight guarding the chamber held his hand over his heart and bowed to him. "Welcome back."

"They speak English?" Conner's eyes widened. "I thought it was only you who did, Jade, because of your special power. How did that power work, anyway?"

Jade and Ariel looked at each other, and she couldn't help but remember their first meeting. A blush crept up on her face right away. "Um... Does it matter? Only works for his clan," Ariel said, and averted her gaze.

"Are you two hiding something from me? You know, you never told me how your linguistic magic works."

"I taught a few people some English," Jade said, interrupting him. "He was stationed here because of his excellent English skills, and so you can communicate with someone other than me."

"Are you sure you can't use your magic on other people to help them learn?" Conner asked.

"No; it only helps me learn."

"Oh, okay." Conner's shoulders slouched. "Uh, anyway, it's nice to meet you. I'm Conner." He held his hand out to the guard, who shook his hand. "Thank you for your effort to learn, and for welcoming us."

"Jade!" Orsted came bursting through the door, dressed head-to-toe in golden royal garb and more jewels than he'd ever worn before."

Jade sighed. "You've gone overboard," he whispered in his language to Orsted.

"Because I wanted to look my best to meet your beloved." Orsted turned his attention to Ariel and knelt down in front of her, his cape flapping as he pushed it aside. "It's a pleasure to meet you," he said, in English, and kissed the back of her hand.

"T-thank you. It's a pleasure to meet you, too." Ariel couldn't stop herself from admiring the intricate patterns in his royal garb.

"Please, come along. They will bring your luggage." Orsted waved his hand towards the door. He led them through the halls in the palace, garnering looks from everyone, but none with malice.

The vibe here is completely different from back home. I expected leers and confusion about being a different species. It's kinda nice for a change. Ariel smiled at the people she passed by, and Jade took her hand to make things clear.

Conner waved to them and said greetings, wondering how many worked and lived at the palace, and if any of them also knew English.

Orsted stopped in front of a door decorated with red flowers around the frame. "These are called fifill or bellis perennis."

"They look like daisies," Ariel said as she lightly touched a petal.

Orsted's eyes lit up. "You have the same flower?"

"I think it is."

Inside the bedroom were two beds, each with an outfit laid out on them. "For you two to wear to the welcome party." Orsted gestured to Ariel and Conner.

A colourful suit with red and gold awaited Conner, and a green dress with purple accents awaited Ariel, along with a variety of jewellery to choose from.

"You went above and beyond, thank you," Conner said as he held up the suit jacket.

"Don't worry, you will match." Orsted motioned from Ariel to Jade, before ushering him out of the room, closing the door behind them.

"Thank you." Jade bowed to him.

"Go get ready, too."