It was Carmilla's first time going outside since she arrived in the Realm of Life. The trees were smaller than what she was used to and in a weird shape. Outside of their unique smell and whisper, she couldn't recognize them at first glance.
She was used to big trunks and tall trees. So much of her time was spent climbing and traversing through those trees. She didn't really realize until now how much of a difference those trunks were to normal-looking ones. Sure, she learned about it through lectures and books, but she had never seen one in person.
Another big difference was the nature. Everything was so much greener and fuller with all kinds of flowers. In fact, as they were preparing to leave, Niana went outside to gather a peace-offering bouquet for Dalyor, Vaeri's friend. She had already collected different kinds from one patch of grass alone.
Inhaling felt easier. Carmilla theorized that the quality of mana in the air was the reason.
This realm was a safe space hidden from the circle of violence.
"I've actually gone to the overworld a handful of times in the past." Vaeri walked to her side, wearing a body bag and carrying a box with a rune embedded on its front.
Was it something important? It looked expensive.
She processed Vaeri's words and asked, "Are you finally going to reveal the real reason you saved me? 'Cause you've seen me before?"
Carmilla looked up at the woman, one eyebrow raised accusingly.
Vaeri was offended. Her mouth opened and closed as she tried and failed to formulate her thoughts. Eventually, she spoke, although with a stutter. "I am not that kind of person!"
Carmilla shouldn't believe her. They haven't known each other for that long. Her mind didn't agree.
The eyebrow ceased, and for the first time since escaping her district, she smiled. It wasn't wide or bright like Niana's, but a quiet smirk that was smug. "I'm kidding." When Vaeri didn't immediately relax, she added. "What were you doing in the overworld then?"
Vaeri couldn't relax. In the time that she got to know Carmilla, she was convinced that the woman couldn't smile.
'What a terrifying smile...' Vaeri thought. Her heart was raised like vulnerable prey in plain sight for a wolf to savage.
"The uh... the village is part of the Oracle Lake Faction. I was one of the Vitkars chosen to further my training. It was... an experience."
Carmilla observed her tense shoulders. Usually, Vaeri would hold herself with an upright posture. There were times when that posture would crack and fail, especially in the presence of her daughter. Other than that, she moved and presented gracefully.
As Carmilla listened, she couldn't help but notice this change in her body language. Perhaps talking about the overworld was a sensitive topic for her.
Vaeri looked her in the eye. Her shoulders were still stiff, yet her eyes were dewy like honey dripping on a leaf. "In my long life, it was the first time that I felt free from everything."
Carmilla hummed. She could say that she felt the same way as she observed the nature field around her. The mere action of observing the mother and daughter in their own bubble made her feel freer than in the years she spent growing up in the district.
She didn't respond, especially as Niana finished gathering her flowers and approached them to explain each one she picked and the reason why.
Vaeri didn't look at her again, but she felt it. A warmth hugged the scout. It shouldn't have brought her as much comfort as it did.
Carmilla did not need to say it. She understood. Her silence was her respect for the decisions that Vaeri made and how the consequences made her feel.
"Do you think Mister Dalyor will like this, Mimi?"
She didn't know why she was suddenly dragged into the conversation. Last time she checked, this Dalyor person was Vaeri's friend. There was little she knew about this elf other than what Vaeri told her.
She remembered Vaeri's words from the day she woke up. 'She doesn't meet other people often'.
This time, she looked closely. Niana gathered a colorful handful of flowers that not only reflected on their petals, but also on their stem as well. Carmilla couldn't identify half of what was present.
It was a beautiful arrangement; she would be happy to have received that if it were for her.
"Yeah. I think he'll love it, actually. You did good, Niana." She punctuated by ruffling her messy black hair filled with leaves.
Niana beamed, her eyes were literal sparkles. The little girl began jumping in place. "Mimi said it! If Mister Dalyor doesn't like it, he's not as nice as Mimi!"
Vaeri laughed. She kneeled in front of her daughter and began fixing her up. Getting rid of the dirt and leaves all over her daughter's body proved to be difficult with all of Niana's squirming. "My dear, if you don't at least look presentable, Mister Dalyor would run away thinking you're a wild animal!"
"Oh! Okay, Mama."
Carmilla let out a chuckle at how Niana comically straightened up. She doubted that the little child could sit still for a whole minute without imploding from all of her energy.
Her mother knew her well enough not to reach that point.
"All done!"
Like a little rabbit, Niana hopped ahead, all while meticulously eying the flowers in her arms to make sure that not a single petal was misplaced in travel.
"She sure is energetic." Carmilla decided to comment as they settled on a pace deeper toward the forest.
Vaeri sighed heavily, "You don't know half of it. She used to be such a quiet babe, and now she's zooming about like a wild gremlin! She must be close to awakening her magic, my parents told me that I was the same when I was younger."
Compared to her own experience, Carmilla didn't remember a time in her life when she was so energetic. Her magic awoke on a random day as she was playing around in her room when she controlled the rainwater on her windows.
"Or maybe, Niana feels safe enough to be acting like a gremlin," because you raised her. Carmilla stopped herself from saying the last part, as it might be too intimate to tell.
Vaeri paused in her train of thought. Her face was thoughtful as her eyes tracked the smiling child running in front of them.
Niana jumped through trees and bushes, coming back with more flowers added to her collection. Each time, she would wave it to her mother with a big, wide smile, proud of her work.
The thoughtful look on her face turned into a warm and motherly smile, one of pride and joy for the daughter that she had raised.
"Yeah. Maybe you're right."
Carmilla could see their similarities. She didn't fully understand what Vaeri meant when she said she saw herself in Carmilla. But it was different now; Carmilla could see a little bit of herself in Vaeri. Mainly, in the way she moved and held herself together. While the elf was more elegant than her, she could feel that familiar weight of responsibility.
---
It was a long walk from Vaeri's little cottage to the village. While it didn't take days to get there, the whole morning was spent walking.
Carmilla enjoyed the change of pace. She never really went anywhere in the district. Spending her whole life there, she practically explored every nook and cranny that there was, so there was nothing new to admire.
It was the same when she became a scout. Frequent patrols meant familiarizing herself with her surroundings for anything abnormal. The unfortunate thing about that forest was how homogenous it was. Even if she was stationed at two different locations, she would still find herself staring at the same tree. There was no variety.
Here, in the Realm of Life, it was different. The various mana points represented a different flower or shape of tree in the surroundings.
More curved trees were those that contained slow-flowing mana, their edges conforming to the shape of the tree with their purity. Trees with more leaves showed a large quantity of mana hovering in the air. While rigid trees had an extreme quality to them.
Every step was either a new sight, a new smell, or a new pattern of mana flow. Carmilla was enraptured. This was something she dreamed about when she was younger, yearning for Lilith in that comforting field.
Now, she walked in silence along with an elf and her human daughter. It was laughable to think that this was the kind of cards life threw at her.
It wasn't all silence, though. Niana made sure of that.
The longer they went on, the bigger the bouquet grew. It was more of a bush than it was the simple, beautiful bouquet it was earlier. Carmilla didn't comment on it. Vaeri was more than happy for her daughter's excitement.
For someone with a small mouth, she made use of it.