They say the hardest person to admit things to is yourself. But they haven't been through what I've been through. Sometimes, the only thing you can do is put up a mask and hide your true self away.

Uh. So. ...The Thursday_Prompt was perfectly suited to follow up on the previous short story and bring a satisfying conclusion to this mystery. However, the characters are the ones who write the story. I tried to ignore Ida's little problem, but it insisted to be given the spotlight. After all, Linara is not the type of person who would ignore it. At the end of the day, these short stories are meant to develop the world of Alka, and I think this one does it nicely. Also, I managed to put a few different meanings of admit into this one :3c (confess, welcome, allow, etc.)

Glossary:


magic: Every spell in Alka requires ingredients of some kind, and many of these spells come in the form of potions. The art of spellcraft involves careful measurements, specific techniques, and also a touch of etherial manipulation. Without a mage's inborn talent, not even a person following a spell's recipe to the letter can hope to create one for themselves.

ether: Sometimes called lifeforce or mana, this is a mysterious energy that suffuses the world of Alka, allowing mages to cast spells and giving rise to many strange, magical plants and animals.

alk: The anthropomorphic residents of Alka call themselves alks to differentiate themselves from the animals that they resemble.

Toria: The city of Toria was founded on the Bay of Anat, and it is this bay that shaped the capital of Verdania into what it is today. Once a place of orthodox order as the supreme seat of Belbatoria's worship, the constant flux of trade in and out of the harbor brought alks from all over Alka, each one changing the city bit by bit. Now, it is known as the most diverse and free city in the world.

Verdania: With its numerous trade routes, wealth of magical resources, and status as the seat of Belbatoria's worship, it is not uncommon to hear people say that Verdania is the center of the world.

Belbatoria: The proud goddess of order, light, and knowledge. Of all of the gods and their followers, hers are the most numerous, with devotees across the entire world.

Scourgebane: A title bestowed by the king of Verdania to the brave knight who not only fought off the monstrous hordes to the south, but also decimated the barbarians, bandits, and black magicians. Everyone in Verdania knows of him, but few know that he wielded the sword of Ceremona: Ceres. (To learn more about Linara and the Scourgebane, read Animus.)

Ceremona: The forgotten goddess of life, hospitality, and union. The only clue as to how widespread her influence used to be is the fact that every alk of every nation, no matter their language, uses the word "ceremony" to describe the same thing. Even though few actively worship her, she is the second most involved goddess in the affairs of mortals.

Hali'Tuin: This is best described as a continent of extremes. Hali is a humid hellish jungle, full of deadly animals and virulent disease. On the other side of the Twin's Divide mountain range, Tuin is a frozen, desolate wasteland. Despite the harsh conditions, the people that live there, the Halini and Tuini, have managed to carve out a niche for themselves with clever inventions and mighty magic.

The Peaks: The high concentration of mountains, volcanoes, and rocky spires have led many to come up with all sorts of nicknames for this continent: The Hedgehog, The Pincushion, The Needles, That One Trick With the Swords Stabbin' into the Barrel, and more. Its inhabitants, the Peaksfolk, do not care, so long as no one bothers them needlessly, and as long as they do not bring along their wicked magic.

zoomorphic: Sometimes, alks, especially snakes, birds, and mers, are born missing certain anthropomorphic traits or with extraneous ones, more closely matching their animal counterparts. Depending on the culture, such differences are either accepted or even celebrated, or they are erased with impunity.

mer: The common term for any sort of marine alk, but especially fish alks.

alkmorphic: This is the term the residents of Alka use instead of anthropomorphic.

soaproot: Though this is technically a water-aspected plant, it is more often used as a cleaning agent in all sorts of applications, from personal hygiene to spellcrafting devices.

esper demon: Although rationalized by alks as another subset of monsters, esper demons are not truly monsters. Instead, they run the gamut of various mental disorders, from schizophrenia to ADHD, and more besides.

rigouren: On Earth, this esper demon is called OCD: obsessive-compulsive disorder.

aesidhe: A Peaksfolk word for witch, warlock, or even a magician of any kind. Aesidhen and their spells are so feared, the Peaksfolk have figured out many different ways to combat them, defending their land.