".......I'm Elincia, mage of ice."
Cadence's smile grew at the fact that she was able to, at least, get a name from the strange creature in front of her. It seemed very young and quite possibly terrified. Cadence had to try and calm her. At least she assumed it was a her.
"Ok," said Cadence "Why don't you lower that shield. We aren't going to hurt you."
Elincia looked the Cadence up and down then directed her attention to the soldier who appeared to be the highest ranked. His armor was gold and purple and his helmet had the largest plume. She wasn't the most experienced when it came to anything non-magical and non-Ice Elf but she was able to work out that the one with the nicest looking armor was usually the one in charge.
He appeared to understand what she wanted and had the rest back away from her. Elincia took a deep breath and lowered her shield.
"I trust you. Please be nice people."
"You don't need to worry about that, the crystal ponies are as nice as they come. As their Princess, I kind of have to be just as nice,"
Cadence took a step closer and continued speaking.
"I've already said this but my name is Cadence, Princess of the Crystal Empire, and this is my husband, Shining Armor." She said, gesturing at the officer who smiled in response. He stepped forward and continued where Cadence left off.
"You must be freezing out here. We should get you back to the city and get you warmed up. Come on, you can stay in the castle until you figure out what your doing." Shining Armor spoke with a warm smile.
"Actually, this is my ideal temperature but I wouldn't mind going inside."
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The group arrived at the castle. The ponies had stayed relatively quiet through the ride and Elincia was fine to meditate in that time. When they landed she and the royals were led to a large dining hall where she was given a mug of hot cocoa and a blanket. She denied the blanket as she didn't want to be too warm. That would kill her.
"If this isn't too forward can I ask what you are? and why you seem to not like warmth all that much?" asked the Princess, sipping from a cup of tea.
"Its perfectly fine. My people are extraordinarily rare. I expect questions every time I meet someone new. I am an Ice Elf. My species have a natural resistance to the cold and too much heat will kill us almost instantly." She explained.
The two ponies were taken aback by that comment. Too much heat would kill her? What kind of existence was that? Neither realized that too much heat would any living thing. Also, who just comes out and says they might die if the heating is a degree too hot?
Elinicia looked down at her mug of hot chocolate. Where were the others? She had to get to them. They'd become her anxiety safety blanket and she had to get back as soon as she possibly could.
"Are you alright?" questioned Shining Armor "You've been staring at that drink for like two minutes now."
Elincia raised her head to look at the two worried royals. She must have been daydreaming for a while there.
"I'm fine. I'm just wondering where my friends are. We all went through the same portal but they didn't land in the same place as me. They could be in danger o-or already d-dead!"
"Calm down, calm down. You said you had friends with you? Maybe we can help out. Are they the same species as you?" said Cadence rushing over to calm the panicking Elf-girl.
Elincia took some breaths before responding.
"No, no, I'm the only Ice-Elf in the group. There is a Wood-Elf, Alejandro, but he's the only one who looks even vaguely similar to me. Ivan is a Human, and our leader even if doesn't like saying it. Mr Swede is a half-human/half-murling and Pajara is an Otir or Birdfolk. One or the other, it depends on her mood. We did have another at one point, a Tiefling named Xarakas Maukson, but he....he fell. We met Pajara after that."
"Oh, I...I'm so sorry for your loss." Consoled Cadence looking over at Shining Armor.
They all sat in silence for a few minutes before Shining Armor spoke up. "I've never heard of any of those except for Humans. If we send some letters out to the other kingdoms then I'm sure that at least one of them will know where your friends are."
Elincia's eyes went wide and she smiled. She thanked them for thee kindness they are showing to a complete and total stranger. Never before had anyone given her such courtesy. Every Inn demanded that she pay full price for a room even though she was technically a child by Human standards and as such was entitled to a discount on her room. Now, she was being allowed a room and food for free in a castle. If only those supremacists could see her now!
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After the letters were sent off the every other Kingdom done on this continent, Elincia asked if she could be shown to a library of some kind. If she was in a completely new world then there might be new magic to study! Hopefully something which could improve her current set of spells. Maybe something more.
She was nose deep in a book entitled 'The Fundamental Aspects of Advanced Elemental Magical Skills' when the door burst open and a small Alicorn flew through the door, shooting beams of magic through the the walls and ceiling all while giggling innocently. A number of Guards alongside Cadence, Shining Armor and an orange unicorn with a ginger mane and beard came crashing through the afterwards. Each was trying to grab the (what looked like) baby. Each was failing.
Eventually, Elincia placed an ice barrier around the flying child. Mainly because the roof had broken and was about to fall on top of it. The child seemed happy as it placed its hooves on the ice and drew little pictures on it. Cadence thanked Elincia for her assistance and explained that her daughter, Flurry Heart, some times lost control of her magic. She also introduced Sunburst, the royal crystaler. Elincia didn't know what that meant but could tell that he was a wizard at least. She invited him to her study session to help her learn more about the local brand of magic and she, in turn, taught him about the magic she was used to.
All in all, a productive evening.