We quickly made our way across the overloaded plaza and regrouped at the front doors of the brick building. “Well,” I said, scanning over the group, “I suppose this is where we part ways.”
“No, not yet!” Lyn said, tugging on Lia’s shoulder. “At least have lunch with us before you go! They have a small restaurant here that’s quite good.”
I gave her an apologetic laugh. “I’m not sure we—”
“That sounds great!” Lia interrupted, quickly shifting sides to join the rest of their party.
Pursing my lips for a moment, I shook my head and sighed. “In that case, I suppose we will,” I chuckled.
“Perfect!” Lyn clapped. “I’ll make sure our accommodations are in order while the rest of you get a table.” She led us through the front doors into a posh lobby; the space was mostly filled by two large emberwood desks that each had their own queue of patrons, whose impatiently tapping feet were muffled by a thick, fluffy carpet that matched the interior brick walls. The opposite wall from the entrance had two large doors labeled with a range of room numbers, while a single glass door to our left revealed a small room lined with booths and tables.
Lyn took her place at the back of the nearest line and nodded us towards the glass door. “Make sure you order a basket of apple muffins; they’re the best in Lybesa!” Leaving her to her waiting, the rest of us made our way into the restaurant and took our seats around one of the few tables large enough for our six-person party. A young woman approached the table a few moments after we were settled and gave us a small bow.
“Good morning! What can I get for you today?” she asked with a wide smile. Her hand briefly pointed back to a slate board hanging beside the door to the kitchen. “We have three options today if you’re looking for a full meal, and plenty of assorted baked goods otherwise.” Her eyes landed on me as she waited expectantly.
I blinked at the slate board for a few moments, unable to read the words, then returned the server’s smile. “I’m certainly looking for a full meal. Surprise me; chef’s choice.” I felt a small tap on my elbow, and turned to find Lia watching me with her eyebrows raised. “She’ll have the same,” I added, nodding in her direction.
I caught an oddly severe glance from Josephine as I ordered, but the server simply nodded and proceeded to take the rest of the table’s orders. When she had returned to the kitchen, Layne grinned at me. “Lux, I didn’t know you spoke Lybesian,” he said, his eyes darting to the side to catch Josephine’s reaction.
“Oh?” I said innocently, momentarily grating my teeth in annoyance at my own abilities. “I suppose it never came up, did it?” I chuckled and scratched the back of my head as I raced to create a believable story. “The blacksmith I worked with in Doram was originally from Lybesa, and he tended to speak Lybesian around the shop when customers weren’t around. I’m sure I sound a bit rusty; it’s been years since I needed to say more than a few words at a time.”
“You sound quite fluent to me,” Josephine snapped. “You’ve been spying on me this whole trip, haven’t you? Both of you, I’m sure!”
“Gran, stop it!” Miles cut in. “It’s not his fault that you assumed he couldn’t understand you!” He turned back to Lia and me and gave us each a small bow of her head. “Sorry. Her hip has been bothering her lately, and it’s putting her on edge, is all,” he apologized, giving his grandmother a sidelong glare.
“It’s no trouble,” I smiled. “Josephine, I’m sorry that I invaded your privacy. It was not my intent.” I spoke with halting emphasis in an attempt to make the words sound like uncertain Lybesian. She grumbled and looked away in response, and I breathed a small sigh of relief.
“Any other secret talents you’d like to reveal?” Layne asked playfully. “You know, something fun like juggling, or mind reading.”
Looks like the chef is making us eggs, Lia giggled at the back of my mind.
“I’m actually quite good at juggling,” I laughed, “but I’ll have to get back to you on the mind reading. If I think of anything else, I’ll let you know when we stop in to visit on our way back from Ellawynn.”
“So you’re actually coming!” he said excitedly. “You’re welcome to stay as long as you’d like, you know. You can even swing by my forge if you’re feeling nostalgic for your apprentice days.” His eyes twinkled mischievously as he looked back and forth between Lia and me.
“We’ll have to see what the day brings,” I answered, ignoring the slight rush of warmth to my cheeks. “Depending on how long we end up staying, we could even visit the capital together. We could certainly use a couple of local guides.”
“Oh, that would be so fun!” Lia cut in, leaning forward on her elbows. “I’m sure you all know plenty of great places to visit in Ellawynn that normal tourists would miss.”
Her innocent statement sent Layne into an impassioned diatribe about the state of tourism in southern Lybesa; his list of grievances with the nobles that ran the Solarium Gardens and the specific regulations for visiting the famous Unity Cathedral fueled him until our food arrived. Lyn returned a few minutes later, bearing two room keys and a confirmation slip for their chartered wagon. When she heard the topic of conversation, she apologized profusely and attempted to calm her husband’s excited ranting, much to our amusement.
Lia and I enjoyed a lunch of poached eggs in a thick cream sauce, served atop a hearty slab of fresh bread. Lyn’s claim about the apple muffins turned out to be entirely correct; the crumbly treats were still warm from the oven and well-seasoned with fresh apples, cinnamon, and cloves. We stuffed ourselves with the sweet dessert as we discussed our plans for the next few days. Despite Lyn and Layne’s worries, we held firm in our decision to travel through the Midlands on foot, promising as sincerely as we could that we would be safe. While we didn’t explicitly detail our plans for hunting down the bandits that had ransacked Elise’s wagons, the combination of our impressive weaponry and total confidence seemed to put their minds at ease, and we eventually moved past the topic.
When the basket of muffins was empty, we all gathered our things and returned to the courtyard for a final goodbye. “Don’t forget, we’re the second road on your right heading north from Ellawynn, and then your third left after that,” Layne reminded us.
“Got it,” I said, absorbing the information for the third time since we had arrived in Lienna. “I can’t say for certain when we’ll be there, but expect us in...a little over a week, maybe?”
“Well, whenever you arrive, you’re welcome to stay as long as you’d like,” Lyn offered.
“You’ve all been far too kind to us,” Lia answered. “Kind enough that I’m sure Lux is suspicious as to why.”
I laughed as I noticed her presence lingering in the back of my mind, correctly picking up on the continual feeling of confusion I felt every time Lyn or Layne continued to show their generosity. “She’s right,” I said. “I’m not sure what we’ve done to deserve your kindness, but I hope we get a chance to pay it back in the future.”
“Oh, nonsense,” Layne said, waving us off. “Given the season, we expected a long, quiet trip full of suspicious glances from a bunch of strangers. Lia’s greeting told us everything we needed to know about you two.”
“It didn’t hurt that you look like you can handle yourselves,” Miles added with a grin. “Traveling in groups is safer nowadays, especially if they’re armed and armored groups.”
Layne scratched his fingers through his beard. “I suppose that helped, too. But it was mostly the greeting, I promise!”
“If that’s the case, I’m glad I said hi!” Lia laughed. “It would have been a very boring trip so far if we hadn’t met you.” She stepped forward and gave Lyn a tight hug, then worked her way down the line, giving a quick hug to Layne and Miles before ending with a respectful nod to Josephine. I followed her example, with a firm handshake to each of the men and a light hug with Lyn.
“It was lovely to meet you both,” Miles said. “If we don’t cross paths again
while you’re in the capital, you should come visit me in Almayn the next time you’re looking to take a trip. It’s only a few days west on foot from where you live in Mayaan. I’ll even paint your portrait, if you’d like!”
“Really?!” Lia asked, her eyes wide. “That would be amazing!”
“Of course!” Miles answered. “I don’t get to paint couples nearly as much as I’d like. It’d be my pleasure.” He grinned in Layne’s direction. “You can see an example of my work hanging over the mantle of Lyn and Layne’s dining room.”
“It’s true,” Lyn added. “He made it for us as a wedding gift. It’s a beautiful piece.”
“I look forward to seeing it,” I said, putting a hand on Lia’s shoulder. “However, that does mean we’ll have to start walking at some point.” I looked over the faces of our new friends and nodded. “Assuming everything goes as planned, we should see each other again soon.”
“I guess you’re right,” Lia sighed loudly. “I hope your trip goes well, everyone!”
“You too!” Lyn answered, her drawn brow betraying the worry hidden behind her cheery voice. “Primes watch over you.”
“See you soon!” Layne called out as Lia and I started across the courtyard. We both turned and waved our final goodbyes when we reached the road, then began our trip south along the main thoroughfare. Lia skipped ahead of me and pulled me along by my hand; despite the fact that she walked backwards through the crowd, she deftly wove her way between the pedestrians, staring at me the entire time with a wide grin.
“Can I...help you with something, Lia?” I asked, failing to fight off her infectious smile.
She hopped towards me and wrapped an arm around my waist as she tucked herself against my hip. “We made some new friends,” she said, still watching my face intently.
“We did,” I agreed. “Out of all of the possible encounters we could’ve had on the road, that was one I hadn’t prepared for.” My brow furrowed as I thought back over the past few days. “I still can’t figure out why they were being so nice to us. Do you think they—”
She reached up and jabbed a finger into my cheek. “No! No more suspicions.” Her finger shook my head back and forth as she emphasized her point. “They were nice to us because they’re nice people, and we’re nice people. Or, at least, I’m a nice person, which was enough.”
I gasped with mostly dramatized indignation. “Hey, I was nice! What did I do that wasn’t nice?!”
“I’m just teasing you,” she laughed, shoving me with her hip. “You were nice enough once you figured out Layne was a blacksmith.” We turned a corner onto a less-occupied street, and the rolling hills of the Midlands came into view ahead of us. “I’m not sure I’ve ever heard you talk so much.”
“There are only two things that I’m really good at: blacksmithing and fighting. I’ve been fighting nonstop since I showed up in Yoria, but I haven’t had much of a chance to do any smithing.” I stared off into the distance, picturing the space I had marked out behind our house. “Once I get my forge set up, I’ll be able to keep the smithing talk at a more manageable level. Probably.”
“I guess that’s fair,” Lia conceded. “Still, I’m sure you’re excited to visit with them once our trip is over.”
“Yeah, I am,” I said, absentmindedly spinning my thumb around the golden band that encircled the pommel of my sword. “I, uh, hope you won’t be too bored when Layne and I work in his forge.”
“Oh, no, it’s okay,” she answered quickly, looking away. “Lyn had mentioned some...things that we could do. I think she knew Layne would want to show off his forge.”
“Perfect,” I sighed in relief. As the Midlands grew closer, I scanned out with Detection to ensure our path was safe. “You know, even though we haven’t made it to Ellawynn yet, I feel like we’ve been on an adventure already. A successful one, too.”
“I know what you mean.” She nodded her head towards the hills ahead of us. “I bet there’s another adventure out there, too.”
***
13. ADVENTURE
We unloaded our belongings and rolled out our sleeping mats as the sun began to dip below the horizon. Our afternoon of travel had been far more efficient than the time spent with our friends; not only were we able to move at a magic-enhanced speed, but the lack of traffic made our progress easier as well. Foot traffic had abruptly stopped when we left the buildings of Lienna behind, switching to a steady stream of wagons that passed us in both directions.
“I think we’re good to go,” I said as my mana returned to me. “We’re clear out to a couple miles in every direction, and the hills should keep any noise from traveling that far, regardless.”
Lia rolled her neck in a slow circle and stretched her arms out behind her back. “After sparring every day for a month, it’s been weird to take a few days off.” She drew her paired longswords and admired the blades in the orange pre-dusk sunlight. “You said no enhancements?”
“Right,” I nodded, drawing my sword in turn. “We’re well past the point of being able to go all-out in training matches. I’ve never healed anything more severe than a stab wound before, and I’d rather not try to reconstruct a fully shattered arm the night before we meet a bandit crew.”
“Yeah, and I’d feel bad if I hurt you that badly, too,” she smirked, twirling her swords casually at her sides.
“Oh, that’s very sweet of you,” I scoffed. I moved a few yards away to a comfortable starting position, then pointed my blade at her. “No enhancements means no magic shifting swords, either. Pick a form now and stick with it.”
“You’re no fun,” she pouted.
“Hey, if you want to rely on tricks to win all of your fights, be my guest,” I shot back. “But you know as well as I do that we’ve both fought people recently who were better fighters than we were. Do you want it to stay that way? Relying on enhancements and magic swords to keep you safe?”
“I get it, I get it,” she answered, shaking her head. “I’ve only been training for a few months, you know. I shouldn’t have to compare myself to the General until I’ve had years of practice.”
“That’s true. I trained almost every day for five years in Alderea before I had my first taste of real combat, and I still didn’t feel ready when the time came,” I said. “That’s the best part of practice, I think; no matter how long you work at it, there’s always room for improvement.”
“Is that your excuse for whenever I beat you during our sparring matches?” she laughed, dropping into a combat-ready stance.
“Why don’t you come and find out?” I taunted, waving her on. She dashed forward with a wicked laugh, and our blades sang out over the rolling hills as our fight started. Her bravado held some merit, as she had grown more consistently able to best me during our training matches in the past month, but the vast majority of her victories came from our sessions using combat enhancements. When her magical abilities were pushed to their limits, I found it difficult to keep up with her incredible speed in battle, and I often found myself on the punishing end of a blunted longsword. On the other hand, duels that relied solely on our physical prowess rarely ended with me gaining more than a single bruise.
As we clashed back and forth across the campsite, I couldn’t help but smile at Lia’s progress. I could see influences from all of the notable opponents she had faced throughout her months of training: the General’s adaptability, my own deliberate and measured strikes, Marin’s aggressiveness, and even an aspect of Val’s defensive tactics. They all coalesced to create a style truly unique to Lia, and beyond that, a style which seemed to change every time we fought. Depending on which strength she leaned into, I found myself facing a different foe every night we sparred, which always kept me on my toes.
After a half hour of constant clashes, I called off the fight with a raspy laugh. “Well,” I said, fetching a canteen from our supplies, “I’m definitely going to feel that in the morning.”
“Tired already?” she called out, joining me at our be
drolls. “I could keep going all night.” She snatched the canteen from me and took a long swig, spilling a few drops down the side of her chin as her arm trembled from exertion.
“Mhmm,” I chuckled, lowering myself into a cross-legged position. “You’ll have to find somebody else to practice with, then. My old bones need a rest.”
“Old bones,” she snickered, sitting down across from me. “You don’t have old bones. You just have an old brain.” I raised an eyebrow in her direction, then closed my eyes and took a deep, centering breath. She giggled softly before joining me in meditation. Our campsite glowed with pulsing blue and amber lights as the mana ebbed and flowed within our bodies, then finally shot out in all directions.
“Lux?” she asked after a few quiet minutes had passed. “Do you ever think about how weird this all is?”
“Weird how?”
“It’s like…” she started, pausing to find the right words. “Before I met you, magic was mostly a storybook sort of thing. There was always some level of it in the Unity Church, of course, but it was mostly just little things like glowing crystals that you can buy in curio shops. Apart from the King’s Primes, it was easy to forget magic really existed at all.” I felt a fresh wave of mana wash over me as Lia expanded the range of her Detection. “Now, though, after everything I’ve learned, it feels sort of…” she paused again, then sighed, defeated. “Weird.”
“I see what you mean,” I said. “Magic didn’t exist at all where I was born, but it was commonplace when I first learned about it in Alderea, at least in terms of combat enhancements. I’m not sure what people thought about magic in Hedaat, to be honest. I never asked.” I stopped momentarily, surprised by the gap in my knowledge. “But here, based on the rules from Unity, I see how our powers would seem strange. Impossible, even.”
“Yeah, exactly!” she exclaimed. “At this point, I’m not sure anybody would believe me if I told them what we could do. I wanted to talk to Lyn about it, but...I know I shouldn’t.”
Restart Again: Volume 3 Page 27
