The Forsaken Hero

Despite Aerion’s promises, I found his choice of restaurant to be rather...lacking. To be fair, it wasn’t entirely his fault. I was somewhat reserved when it came to food, especially at a place called the Vineyard, which seemed to specialize in fine wines. They didn’t even have any cream-filled pastries. Not that I wanted one.

As the sun reached its zenith, we made our way across the Burblebrook district. There were dozens of markets sprawled across multiple city blocks each. They began on the streets with fixed wooden stalls and spilled into the fields, parks, and meadows with tents and wagons. Colorful drapes of cloth overshadowed alleyways and hung from trees, a colorful canvas calling the eye to less established merchants’ wares. Oddly enough, the selection of goods was almost homogenous within markets. One had iron and steel works, from knives to buttons, while another had food items and baked goods.

”Who decides what markets sell what?” I asked.

”The technical answer is the guilds, but in reality, it’s the Splitbark family. They control the standard prices of commission, transportation, and tariffs. They also count the leaders of every major guild among their vassal houses.”

”So, um, like a bakers’ guild?”

”They’re a little more general than that. The Culinary Guild, for starters. There’s also the Artisans, Metalworkers, Carpenters, and the Spellweavers, just to name a few.”

”And the Dark Guild? ”

He stiffened, turning to look at me. His eyes searched mine, his expression giving away nothing. I remained impassive, but his eyes flicked down, marking the slight twitch in the tip of my tail.

”What of them?” he asked lightly.

”They’re dangerous,” I whispered.

His lips pursed, a questioning look in his eye, before he looked out the window again.

”You needn’t concern yourselves with rabble like them. They’re all adventurers and ex-military who ended up on the wrong side of society. They do the odd job here or there, breaking into mansions, silencing political opponents, but they know the lines they can’t cross.”

”Maybe they did, once. But...be careful. Please?’

”Always.”

I let out a soft breath, easing against the backrest. Whether he took my warning seriously or not was up to him. Without knowing how, why, or even when they might target Selena, this was all I could do.

Or was it?

”Aerion,” I said, gripping my skirt. ”If you call, they will answer.”

I had no idea if he had plans for them already, or if he needed a nudge. I didn’t even know what I was nudging him to do. But something inside told me it was important. And I knew better than to ignore that feeling.

It left a heavy atmosphere behind. We rode in solemn silence until the carriage stopped.

”We’re here. Would you like to proceed on foot?” Anrynth asked through the portman window.

”A lovely idea,” Aerion said.

I exited the carriage to find us on the fringe of a small, lively market, some half the size of the others we’d passed through. The market square was located in a park wedged between a steep hill face and a deep gully turned canal. Flowers blossomed everywhere, blooming in ceramic pots, spilling out of hanging, woven baskets, and packed into vibrant bouquets. My air was thick and heavy with aromas, filling my lungs,

I took a deep breath and let out a long, satisfied sigh. A hand on my shoulder startled me, and I turned, pouting slightly, to see Luxxa frowning.

”Please, wait a bit,” she said.

I looked around, blushing as I realized I’d taken a few entranced steps forward, before Aerion and the Starguard were ready.

But my embarrassment vanished as I looked around again, taking in the sight of thousands, maybe tens of thousands of flowers. It was like the wild fields of the Heartland Forest, all gathered together in one massive bouquet.

”I’ve never seen so many kinds of flowers,” I said as we finally set out into the stream of people heading into the market.

”I can’t say I’ve been here myself,” Aerion answered, scratching his cheek. ”Flowers have never really been my kind of thing.”

”What do you think of this one, Jenna?” I asked, pointing to a stall that had a dozen kinds of yellow flowers, from roses to daisies.

”Hmmm, not your color,” the mage said after a moment of thought. ”I can see the thought behind it, but trying to find a shade that matches your eyes is going to be impossible. They’re too glittery and beautiful.”

My face warmed at the compliment. I drifted from stall to stall, humming softly. The elves were friendly, nodding in greeting. I drew more than a few odd looks, but the gentle fragrance seemed to have a way of calming emotions, putting even the wary elves at ease around me.

”How about some red ones? Don’t they match my hair?” I asked.

”Technically, but they’ll just get swallowed up in the color. For flowers, you’ve got to match and contrast. Think white or green. Probably white to match the colors you like to wear,” Jenna replied.

”You know too much about this to be one of the fearsome Star Guards,” Aerion said, laughing.

Jenna stuck out her tongue. ”I’m just part-time.”

”Jenna!” Luxxa scolded.

”What? Xiviyah runs off so much it’s hard to keep track of her.”

”True,” Kahlen rumbled. ”If the Lord of Ash hadn’t run into that problem himself, I’d have been executed many times over for letting her out of my sight.”

”It’s not like that!” I protested, ”It’s just, um, things happen. That’s all.”

”Like being picked up by the demon horde for a few months?” Jenna said with a grin.

”It’s really true,” I mumbled, looking at the ground.

They all burst into laughter, and I smiled bashfully, playing with my hair. They always hovered so closely about me that I worried incessantly over them whenever we were apart. At least they were smiling about it. That meant they weren’t too upset with me about it.

”Nivaleas,” I said, turning to Aerion. ”One of the maids mentioned they got some rare flowers here. This is the Wildblossom market, right?”

”We’ve got the place right. But I haven’t the slightest clue what a Nivalea is,” he admitted.

”Oh.” My face fell before I brightened and looked at Jenna.

”I’ve heard of them,” she mused, stroking her chin. ”They’re supposed to be white as freshly fallen snow. Hence the name. But even I’ve never seen one before.”

”A pure white flower. Shouldn’t be that hard to find,” Aerion said.

I looked around, focusing on a tall merchant’s shop. It was one of the few permanent structures in the market, with a tile roof, walls crawling in ivy, and a brightly painted sign displaying a bouquet.

”We could ask there. I bet they know!” I said.

At Aerion’s nod, I made my way through the market toward it. It wasn’t overly crowded, but elves brushed by on every side, some close enough I could have reached out and touched them. They seemed completely ignorant of my aura, though, given we were out from beneath the canopy, they must have just not noticed it. Even I sometimes forgot about it during the day, when the stars blended in with the sunlight.

As the Starguard hastened to keep up, the back of my neck prickled, a shudder running down my tail. I froze in place, turning my head slightly. I made eye contact with a figure on the edge of the garden. It was a lone man, unusual in a market of flowers, but what struck me was his soul. It was sixth-level. Even among the elves, who were stronger on average than humans, a sixth-level soul was never a casual matter. Even stranger was that his cloak, a dusty blue, had the same enchantments my dress did.

The crowds closed again, the Star Guard forming a small bubble around me.

”I wish you wouldn’t run off like that,” Luxxa said. ”You shouldn’t get so close to strangers. Even with your wards, they can...is something the matter?”

I hesitated, rubbing my horn. ”Um...no. It’s nothing.”

I gave one last look at the man, but he was gone. A strange tingle ran through my soul, but I shook it off, forcing a smile as we made it to the shop.

The walls had more windows than rock and timber, giving a view into the rows of blossoms gathered within. Elves in aprons tended the plants, whispering spells to water and prune them. A wave of warm, moist air rolled over us as we entered, but the breeze didn’t leave the room. There was an enchantment at the threshold preserving the atmosphere inside.

Inside, the room was much smaller than what the windows hinted at. There were neat, tidy shelves with small collections of flowers that were neatly trimmed and presented. A large counter divided the room in half, with four elvish women behind it. A few other customers browsed the shelves.

”Um, excuse me?” I asked, approaching the only receptionist not currently engaged with a customer.

”Welcome!” Her forward-facing smile faltered as she glanced over my horns. Her knuckles whitened on the edge of the counter until her gaze turned to my companions. The moment she saw Aerion, she relaxed, and her smile warmed again. ”Welcome to the Newleaf Garden. We boast the finest, freshest flowers in all of Duskwood, grown right here in our locale greenhouses. What can I help you with?”

Before I could answer, Aerion rested his arm on the counter, leaning over it. ”If it isn’t Lady Newspring. However did you end up working at a flower shop?”