by A. D. Wills
“I see, a spy should always keep their identities secret after all."
Shyn dropped his head and sighed. “Speaking with you is almost more tiring than that tournament was...”
“Remember, you're the one who crept in here on your own."
“I wasn't...creeping in,” Shyn stalled.
“I never said I minded you joining me though,” Calaera paused with a bit of a growing smirk. “After all, this also gives me the chance to wonder what happened at the end of the tournament? It would have been nice to see you against Boroku, but I know father wouldn't allow it, would he?”
“Unfortunately something came up that was more important,” Shyn blatantly, and poorly lied to Calaera.
“Between you and Father, I haven't the slightest idea how Ethril got anything done during the war,” Calaera didn't believe Shyn for a second. “Then do you have any thoughts about the winner, Boroku? I thought he was quite impressive from what I saw of him.”
“I wasn't able to see any of his bouts, but judging purely based on who he defeated, and without injury, he's definitely deserving. Baldomir is no pushover. I have no doubt he will be a worthy escort."
“Then I can rely on you to not be so worrisome these next couple days?” Calaera joked, knowing Shyn was already fretting being away from Dreymond. Even behind his garbs, she could see the minor tells and changes in Shyn's demeanor.
“I'll be fine,” Shyn said, albeit not all that convincingly.
“Good, I'll be needing someone to help me handle Lorin's frantic panic that's sure to ensue beginning tomorrow morning,” Calaera' laughed a little at Lorin's expense, but she could see the worry lingering in Shyn's eyes. “He's going to be alright, Shyn. My father is going into the most secure place in all of Gamriss, alongside someone who you deem to be a worthy escort.”
“I know.” Shyn gave a twitching nod. He knew Calaera was right, but he just couldn't shake this feeling he would always get when Dreymond leaves for the Summit, since he's never been the one to escort him.
“But, you're more than welcome to stay here as long as you like, should you prefer to talk about it a little more,” Calaera eased Shyn's mind, who replied with compliant silence.
Both of them kept talking nearly all throughout the night in an effort to dissipate their respective jitters. Neither of them truly feared for his safety, but it was more a sense of comfort having Dreymond around. Neither Shyn nor Calaera thought much of Dreymond being gone, until of course it was only hours away from happening, when time seemingly went much quicker than they would have liked.
◆◆◆
The next morning, despite both Shyn and Calaera having stayed up most of the night, they both woke up on time—early enough to see Dreymond off, though Shyn did so from afar and out of sight.
Much to no one's surprise, Lorin's already been up for hours, and perhaps all through the night, but with the same energy he always maintained. He rushed around, made a beautifully prepared breakfast for everyone to eat, albeit a rushed one thanks to their strained time. He even had new royal blue robes for Boroku to wear upon waking—something much more appropriate in the presence of the world's leaders.
“Now are you certain there's nothing you've forgotten?” Lorin asked, as if to drag out a few more moments with Dreymond.
“Yes Lorin, there's no need to bring anything. It's really more of a formality at this point than anything else.” Dreymond couldn't stop chuckling away at an overbearing Lorin. “Truly, you've done more than enough to prepare myself and Boroku. I believe we are more than ready to leave, don't you think so, Boroku?”
“Yes my Lord. I'm well rested and fed, not to mention quite well dressed,” Boroku said looking at his royal robes.
“Then you have everything you need as well?” Dreymond held Calaera's shoulders.
“Despite myself wondering just how he found the time to do so, Lorin has assured me that everything is ready for me,” Calaera with a fond smile joked with her father.
“If anything at all comes up—anything—send word to Faella,” Dreymond reminded Calaera as he squeezed her shoulders, wishing he didn't have to part.
“Of course,” Calaera nodded.
Dreymond nodded with a big warm smile, and tightly embraced his daughter. “I know it is only a couple of days, but you will always be in my thoughts.”
Calaera nodded, and returned the tight squeeze she almost refused to let go of.
“We'll have a feast when I return, fit for even your Uncle to indulge himself in when he's recovered,” Dreymond smirked, spurring a face of glee out of Calaera.
“Then I'll wait eagerly for your return home,” she said after one last quick embrace.
“Alright, then let's hope we have a quick trip to Faella. Hopefully we aren't the last ones there,” Dreymond jested.
“Safe travels, Milord, you won't go unmissed, please do take care!” Lorin said as Dreymond and Boroku made their way out of the keep.
Dreymond and Boroku proceeded toward a carriage sitting outside the keep waiting for them. Red cushions all over, closed doors for supreme privacy, with someone at the reins to guide them on the way to Faella. It had everything to ensure a nice comfy ride, fit for one of the world powers.
“If we're going to be on the road traveling for a while, it's always a little better to do it with a bit of comfort, right?” Dreymond patted the plush cushions.
“Indeed, this isn't so bad at all,” Boroku flashed a wide, closed-eye smile. “And it appears that we are getting quite the warm send-off.”
Boroku pointed his attention to the cheering crowd, waving, and hollering for Dreymond—wishing him safe travels, and a speedy return on their way out of the city.
“You really are fortunate to be so loved by everyone here, my Lord,” Boroku noted.
“I know, I consider myself to be very lucky indeed,” Dreymond looked like he wasn't all that happy or proud, even if his words said otherwise. "Now, Lorin told me you wish to speak with me personally? I have to say I'm flattered, but I'm not so sure I'm interesting enough to enter a tournament for,” Dreymond let out a warm, self-deprecating chuckle.
“On the contrary, my Lord, you don't give yourself enough credit.”
“Then feel free to ask me anything, and I'll do my best to answer to the best of my ability.”
“If you don't mind, I would like to wait until our ride back from the Summit. I think we're both still a little tired from the tournament, and the short nights I'm sure we both had,” Boroku noticed Dreymond's tense, stiffened shoulders, alongside his tired eyes fighting to look alert. “Perhaps it's best we rest a bit to remain alert before the Summit.”
“You know, I wouldn't say no to that. Thank you,” Dreymond slumped his shoulders, sinking into the cozy seats, and rested his neck on the top to drift away.
Boroku and Dreymond settled in, enjoyed the lulling rolling of their carriage outside of Lyndenwell, and into the neat dirt road cutting through the lush green valleys on their way to Faella.
Next stop, the Summit of Leaders.
Chapter 15: Caden
After a good day's ride, and another night spent sleeping in the wagon on the road, Caden, Zasha, Snillrik, and Sappo neared their destination. They rumbled along a dirt road cutting through some golden grassy plains, so high up and thick they couldn't see much of anything else on either side of them. Other than some singing birds, and mildly unsettling unseen rustling, it was peaceful morning on the lonely road. Not a single other traveler in sight.
On their way over a little rolling hill, the grassy plains faded away into rich dark soil, and a huge assortment of massive bright flowers appeared up ahead. Even from so far away, they towered and sprouted up into the skies.
“Huh, wonder what that is,” Caden asked.
“That's the city, Floralopolis,” Zasha replied, pointing at the map she was in charge of for now, being the only one with any clue where to go.
“Fascinating. I wonder what it's like there,” Snillrik pa
tted their chest, and Achi handed the notepad to them to start sketching out the village. “I never could have imagined a city like this existing—one purely made of flowers. Amazing.”
“As long as these flowers aren't going to suddenly try stomping on us...” Sappo reminded them of their last adventure.
They rode along the terrain changed into massive bits of brown mulch caked all throughout a foamy, almost bouncy, ground beneath them. It smelled as if they were in an earthy garden after a fresh rainfall. Up close, they saw the giant red, purple, yellow flowers—any kind of color you could think of, all bunched together, and standing well over fifty feet tall. Their stems so thick, it would take a good hour getting around one of them. It was like they were ants waiting to be stomped on, entering a whole new world from where they just were, just barely still in view over the hills behind them.
“I wonder how these flowers even came to be—how they're sustained too. I would imagine they require copious amounts of water, sunlight, and maintenance at this size,” Snillrik rambled on.
“Would it matter if you knew?” Zasha asked.
“Not exactly, but perhaps it leads to other discoveries. Actually, you might be surprised by the origins of some of my inventions...”
“Don't care.”
“Well, that was just a little bit rude,” Snillrik huffed.
Zasha shot a look over her shoulder.
“But I have seen ruder, yes, not the rudest ever by a long stretch,” Snillrik awkwardly chuckled off until Zasha turned back around.
“So where is everyone then, or the village?” Caden asked.
“Up there,” Zasha pointed up at the huge bulbs that cast an encompassing shadow down in the valley below.
“All the way up there?” Sappo muttered, shifting his eyes up to a nervous shake.
“We can just shoot my launcher up there, press it, and it'll pull us up to the top in no time at all...probably,” Caden pitched.
“We're not doing that,” Zasha shot down.
“Oh thank goodness...” Sappo breathed a sigh of relief.
“We're taking one of those.”
On cue, hundreds of yellow stamen from the sprawling city looped, and curled over the bulbs, stretching all the way down until they hovered a few feet above the ground.
“No. No, no, no.” Sappo shook his head, closing his eyes.
“What's the big deal? These things can definitely take your weight,” Caden cluelessly remarked.
“That's not what I'm worried about!” Sappo refuted, but Caden's words sent him into a new kind of panic. “But what if it can't—we don't know if it can. There probably aren't any Ursine here to test it, right?”
“Guess you can just stay back here on your own then,” Caden shrugged in teasing.
“Snill, are you going too?” Sappo asked.
“I have to admit, I want to see what it's like up there.”
Sappo sighed, watching everyone step off the wagon to head toward the base of a nearby flower, waiting for the next set of stamen to fling on down. He wanted to go along, but heights, not to mention being flung into the air like that, were a couple of Sappo's many fears.
Before he could come to a decision, the stamen rolled on down to the ground.
“Come on Sappo, now or never!” Caden held his hand out, running toward a stamen.
Snillrik, Zasha, and Caden all grabbed hold of their own stamen as tight as possible, while Sappo wracked his brain with the seconds rolling by.
“Alright fine, I'm coming!” Sappo scrunched his eyes shut, forcing himself out of the wagon. As much as his mind told him to stay put, he ran over toward the nearest stamen to grab.
The yellow stamen wiggled around, lending the hint they were about to recoil back up to the bulbs. Sappo managed to reach, and clutch hold of the very bottom part of one the moment it shot back up.
The four of them launched through the air—their faces flapping about, unable to so much as open their eyes. All any of them could hear on the way up was Caden's joyous laughter somehow chiming in through the beating winds.
At the end of their ride, the stamen flung them down together onto buoyant, fluttering, yet solid ground. Upon opening their eyes, they were treated to a sight like no other in Gamriss, Floralopolis.
Within each expansive colorful bulb, a small city resided full of Arthros, and Mushroamers—two species unique to Floralopolis. The former, ranging between humanoid types of bees, dragonflies, butterflies, and ladybugs. All of them have their own roles in keeping all of Floralopolis pollinated, and healthy too. The hardy Mushroamers, strong, stubborn, and stout mushroom folk with their differently colored capped heads, and mold that would act as facial hair, or a variety of other mossy features.
It felt like a completely different world up there for anyone visiting. Rather than use any kind of stone, there were intricate stacks of little shops built out of mulch, plant matter, and rich soil. The pathways and roped bridges all over were created by the very silk some Arthros might use for a cocoon, with some little flower buckets carrying others all around the city, and over into neighboring bulbs for prime convenience. There was even an Inn on the far end; a tall dirt wall with an array of burrowed holes, filled by crystal clear water droplets which acted as windows for each section. Anything you might find in another city, Floralopolis had any visitor well covered in its own unique way.
“Wow...so you've been here before, Zasha?” Caden couldn't stop gazing, and started to wonder what the other bulbs might hold.
“No, but I know about it."
“I wonder what's in the other bulbs,” Caden couldn't help but wonder, looking at all the variety of colors from their red bulb, speckled in yellow dots.
“Probably like any other city, just more of what we see here,” Zasha poured cold water on that. “And we're here to get the information we need, nothing more.”
Snillrik nodded along, feverishly working to draw everything they can in their rough blueprint-like notes that properly resembled those of a frantic inventor.
“At least we're not the only outsiders here...” Sappo muttered, seeing smatterings of humans, and a couple others conducting their own affairs.
“This place has a famous honey hive somewhere in one of these bulbs. Apparently it's pretty sought after, along with other things you can only find here, like some pollen that cures baldness.” Zasha glanced over at Snillrik.
“There's a giant beehive here?” Caden perked up.
“I never said giant.”
“Yeah, but it's got to be giant if it's up here, right?” Caden's eyes may as well have been the stars themselves.
“We're here for one thing, remember?” Zasha grabbed Caden by his shirt, pushing him ahead of her to make sure she could keep an eye on him. “You can just buy some here anyway if you're that desperate.”
“Oh...uh, we kinda don't have any more coin left,” Caden conceded through a bashful chopping chuckle.
“What...”
“Well, I used it all to buy a wagon, and some food."
“Whatever, it doesn't matter, forget it.” Zasha swiped her face, took a deep breath, and carried on.
“You know, by the way...all of us Vessi are without hair,” Snillrik shook in their defense, far too late to the punch.
Zasha only looked back with a puzzled look of embarrassment for Snillrik.
The four of them carried on through the silken streets, smitten with every inch of the vibrancy of Floralopolis, tempted to branch off and visit all of the special shops they've never seen before, and most of all, a stand selling a wall of jars filled with that same honey Zasha mentioned.
Caden licked his lips, and rubbed his hands at the sight of the stacks of jars, but remained on track following behind the others at the back.
“Who do you think we should ask for directions?” Sappo asked.
“That's who we're going to see. I know someone who can help us,” Zasha mumbled.
“Wait, you said you've never been here,” Caden reca
lled.
“I haven't, I just know someone here, or at least someone a part of something that can help us...”
“Of course, yes, not suspicious whatsoever,” Snillrik grumbled.
“There's an information broker here who will be able to tell us how to get to Qwayke,” Zasha explained through a rushed sigh, without any interest in lingering on the matter.
“A little clarity goes a long way,” Snillrik muttered, walking behind Zasha.
The four of them made their way up and down flower cupped lifts from one silken road to the next, following Zasha's lead throughout Floralopolis. Thankfully, there didn't appear to be any guards, or anyone who might be looking for them either. The Mushroamers and Arthros didn't seem to care about their presence at all, and remained focused on their respective tasks at hand, making sure everything in the chained city operated smoothly.
Down the street, Zasha approached a hooded individual whose appearance was entirely concealed from head-to-toe, leaning against a connecting alleyway without anyone paying them any mind.
“Not conspicuous at all whatsoever,” Snillrik leaned in whispering to Caden and Sappo, watching Zasha conduct whatever her business was.
Sappo couldn't stop looking all over, keeping his head on a worried swivel so as to not let them get blindsided.
Zasha turned around, and flicked her head off to the side, silently signaling for them to follow along down through the alleyway ahead.
“Wait, that guy wasn't the broker?” Caden groaned.
“Relax, they're just up ahead. And when we get there, don't say a word, got it?” Zasha ordered.
“Yeah, yeah, I got it...” Caden said, distracted looking around their shiny surroundings.
Zasha took what she could get, and they proceeded ahead down the narrow silken alley caked in coiled cobwebs. It eventually led them to a dead-end, a stretching silvery wall before them, when it morphed into the face of a silky spider with its hundreds of tiny eyes circling around in skin-crawling fashion.
“What is your business here,” it snapped in a salty hissing whisper.
