[M] The Beast of Ophela (Holey & Lu321)

[Holeypaladin]

Günter watched as the princess approached the unconscious demigryph, ready to intervene if it suddenly awoke and tried to attack her. Thankfully, it seemed as if her spell worked on it, causing the creature to show signs of hypnosis.. some sort of simple compulsion spell, perhaps, but effective enough for the time being. He helped her back up into his lap and began to make his way back towards the city, feeling her warmth lean against him and wrapping his arms around her waist to hold her steady.

"Well, that spell seemed to have worked well enough for now," he remarked, though he made sure to pay attention to the phantasmal steed's reactions... if the hypnosis should start to wear off, the horse would be the first one to notice, after all. Chuckling a bit as she mentioned an alternative story that would work better than his own suggestion, he said, "That sounds an awful lot like the truth, though... the only thing we might be able to change from what really happened is the time when I caught up with you."

As he held the girl steadily in his lap, he gazed at her pointy ears and dark hair. From what he knew of elves, they had their own sub-races, and one could tell by looking at them what it was. Sun elves, for example, had light skin and golden hair tones, while moon elves tended to be pale with more silvery hair tones. Wood elves had earth complexions, such as darker hair colors, but they usually had primitive civilizations lived in treetop villages, rarely building cities and civilizations like the high elves did. Though Talia looked much like a wood elf, her kingdom seemed more reminiscent of sun and moon elves, making him wonder. "So what sort of magic would you say is your specialty?" he asked her, figuring he'd be able to figure out more about her ancestry by cross-referencing her appearance with her magical talents.

[Lu321]

"I find that the more truth you tell, the easier it is to lie. Especially in situations like these. Big lies could be dangerous, possibly even get you killed for being alone with me. The simpler we keep it, the better chance there is for keeping us both out of trouble, at least for the most part." she sighed, formulating a question in her mind.

Before she could ask her question, he asked his. Thinking for a long moment, she tried to find a way to explain it right. "I dabble in a lot, but I was born with a talent for more natural spells, as in the elements and plants and such. My mother is half wood elf, so it does make sense genetically. That having been said, my father is a moon elf, so I do have a bit of talent in that area as well, if that makes sense." she explained, trying to make it less complicated than it really was.

"So, can I ask you a slightly idiotic question? If you could have anything in the world, what would you have?" she asked, curious, but also concerned about his answer. She had a feeling that if everything went well, her father might ask that question. She wondered what he would choose. Riches were a good option, but so was land, or even a better post.

[Holeypaladin]

"Hmm... you have a point," the knight said with the princess with a nod, squeezing her a bit in his lap, partially to test how tightly she would allow him to hold her. "I tend to be truthful most of the time, so I don't have much experience in deception. I leave that to politicians." Royals like her were nothing if they weren't politicians, after all... though she hadn't shown much interest in politics herself. Quite the opposite, in fact, considering how hard she fought against marriage arrangements.

Listening as she explained her magic, he nodded, contemplating the combination of dendromancy mixed with high elven spellcraft. "You do seem to take after your mother, in both your looks and your magic," he remarked. "I take it she's the result of a marriage alliance with one of the wood elven tribes? It must have been quite the culture shock for your grandparents." Wood elves were typically thought of as primitive savage by the high elves, after all.

Thinking over her question, the knight shrugged. "I wouldn't say it's an idiotic question," he remarked. "Though it is something I've not given all that much thought to. An ultimate weapon that could put an end to the war with all of the Empire's enemies might be a good choice, but I'm not sure such a weapon exists in this world." On a more practical note, there were some things that he might like for himself... though he was hesitant to tell the beautiful princess as he rode with her in his lap.