Chapter One Hundred and Thirty — Hoping For a Better Tomorrow
Chapter One Hundred and Thirty — Hoping For a Better Tomorrow Awen and I slipped into the Exploration Guild like a pair of mice aware that there was a cat waiting just around the corner. Awen hadn’t seen much of the director, but what she did see was more than enough to spook the usually shy girl. Mathilde was scary like that. Fortunately, the only person in the entrance hall this time was a grenoil secretary behind the front desk. The young woman looked up as we moved towards her. “We’re just here to deposit a quest,” I said.“A quest? Do you mean a mission?” the lady asked. “Ah, yeah,” I said. Quests were something else here. “We had a mission to scout out the location of some flowers and such in the area between Greenshade and Rosenbell. I have samples and a really cool map with flower types on it,” I said.“The mission was handed from zis guild?” the lady asked.“Ah, no, not really. We got it from the guild in Greenshade,” I said.She nodded slowly. “In zat case, I can accept ze mission, but ze rewards will be held until we can confirm zat ze mission’s completion was to ze client’s satisfaction. Zat might take some days.”“Darn,” I said. “Well, there’s nothing for it. Are there guild places in... Fort Sylphrot? That’s where we’re going next.”“There is,” the lady said. “I can give you a voucher zat you can present zere. It will add a few days to everyzing, but you’ll receive your due payment in time.”“That would be really nice,” I said. “I don’t know how much time we’ll be spending there, but it might be a couple of days.”The secretary nodded. “Very well then, miss. I’ll need you to fill out zis form, and zen I can process your request.” She placed a sheet on the desk before me, then a nice pen with a calligraphy nib next to it. I thanked her and started putting my samples and the map I’d gotten from the bees onto the desk. Then I started to fill out the form. It was mostly easy stuff, but I had to ask Awen for help with the dates and such. When it was done, I gave it to the secretary and smiled while I waited.“Ah, Miss,” The secretary said. She looked a little uncomfortable. “I can’t read zis language.”I took the form and looked it over. My handwriting was a bit sloppy, especially where I had fun drawing little smileys in all the loopy letters, but it was still readable. Then it clicked. I was writing in English, and the common language here was... whatever.“Oh no,” I said. “I’m so sorry! I forgot I’m using translation magic. Um. I don’t know how to write the local language.”“Awa,” Awen awa’d for the first time since arriving. “I can help you. I don’t mind being your secretary.”“Really?” I pulled her into a hug. “You’re the best!” The second form handed over was a lot more readable, probably. Awen’s handwriting looked neat and tidy, though I had some sort of gimmicky thing turning it to English, so for all I knew it could be totally sloppy.I thanked the secretary, then waited next to Awen for her to return with a voucher. It was a bit chilly in the waiting room, so I pulled Awen in for some recreational cuddling. She was just short enough that if I stretched onto my tippy-toes I could plop my chin atop her head. Awen must have been cold too, because she pressed into the hug with a content little ‘awww’ sound. And then the secretary returned with a grim-faced director Mathilde and a chunk of my good mood evaporated. I pulled back from Awen and faced the director while trying to tamp down my nerves. “Hello,” I said.“Good morning, Miss Bunch,” she said. “Miss Bristlecone.”Awen tensed up too. We shared a look and both knew that could be in a heap of trouble. “How are you doing?” I tried.The director scoffed. “I doubt you’re here for pleasantries.”“No, we’re just here to hand in a mission. Really, that’s it.”She eyed us, then looked to the secretary who gave her our report. “So you are. Well, perhaps it’s fortuitous that you’ve come.” Her attention fell onto Awen like a sack of rice falling from the heavens. Awen made herself smaller. “Your parents have hired the guild to find, and return you. There’s a sizable reward on the line.”“You can’t take Awen,” I said as I pulled my friend back and placed her behind me. I didn’t know how strong the director was, but I had to assume she was around Abraham’s level, which meant... that was bad. Still, Awen didn’t deserve to go back to her parents and I wouldn’t let this woman take her just like that.“I also,” she continued. “Received a letter, and a bottle of wine, from Abraham, telling me to leave things alone. That Awen was probably in good hands.”I nodded. “She is! I mean, she almost died a few times, and we were in a lot of danger a few others, but she’s uh, grown a lot. Please don’t take Awen away.”“I, I don’t want to leave Broccoli,” Awen whispered next to me.Mathilde sighed. “Why do you always make me feel like some sort of villain, Miss Bunch?”“Um.”“No, nevermind that. I suppose it comes from being what you are.”“A, um, perfectly ordinary girl?” I tried.She didn’t look amused. “A Riftwalker. And a troublesome one, at that.”I felt a chill running down my back. My mouth worked, but I wasn’t sure what to say. “I’ll be watching your career with interest,” Mathilde said. “Your sort tends to burn bright. I just hope that fire doesn’t start an inferno, or that it doesn’t get doused too early.” She shook her big froggy head. “You two be careful. Bad times are stirring up.”This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.I swallowed. “We’ll do our best to make them better,” I said.She huffed, then made a dismissing gesture with a hand. I didn’t need to be told twice. Pulling Awen after me, I skedaddled half-way out the room, then ran back to get my backpack. On reaching the outside of the guild, we found an impatient Amaryllis tapping her talons on the ground. “About time,” she said.“Amaryllis!” I said before crashing into her with a hug. “Director Mathilde almost second-kidnapped Awen, and then she found out I was a Riftwalker.”Amaryllis stared at me. “And she let you go? Both of you?” We nodded.“Then she’s an idiot. Let’s not spit in fortune’s eye.” The harpy pushed me off, then started fixing her feathers. “I have arranged for teleportation over to Fort Sylphrot this afternoon. That leaves us nearly five hours before it’s time to leave.”The change of subject caught me flat-footed, but my mind caught up soon enough. “Okay? So we get lunch and wait?”“World no. You don’t teleport on a full stomach. I was thinking, rather, we go do a little bit of shopping. Nothing too extravagant. Your clothes are... nice enough, I suppose, but they’re ill-suited to the more prestigious Fort.”I nodded, a grin coming on strong. “That sounds nice. I’ve been wearing the same panties for two weeks now.” Awen stepped away and Amaryllis looked at me as if I’d just gotten on all fours and started licking the pavement. “I have Clean!” I defended myself.“Disgusting,” Amaryllis said. “Come. We’re buying you a wardrobe.” She hugged Orange (who had gone with her so that she wouldn’t be alone) close to her chest and stomped off with a huff.“Where am I going to put it?” I asked.“If you can’t even fit some unmentionables in your backpack then you need to relearn how to pack,” said the harpy who didn’t carry a bag because she had a banking ring. I protested the entire way down to the main road, but my protests fell onto deaf ears, and Awen was too busy breathing hard from the walk to leap to my defence.Amaryllis led us across a boulevard and into a shopping district with a few stores. “You’ll need something suitable for presenting yourselves in polite company. Don’t worry. I’ll be stowing it myself. World knows you’d find a way to lose it between now and this evening.”My curiosity was piqued. “What is harpy fashion like?” “High fashion? I have no clue. I’ve been gone for over a month, so all I know is likely outdated. But there are some staples that are always respectable. Usually lighter clothes, flowing pants that are very loose fitting, with some sort of large scarf or pelt to ward off the cold.”“Do you wear skirts?” I asked. “I’m not too fond of pants.”“We can fly, at least short distances,” Amaryllis said. “It would be the height of impropriety to wear a skirt. Not to mention the wind around most of the cities and estates around the Nesting Kingdom. You’ll just need to get used to pants.”I shrugged. “When in Rome,” I said.“Where’s Rome?”“Ah, nevermind.” I waved the question off. “So, what about colours?”“When I left, the trend was to wear darker colours. Blacks, greys, browns. I don’t think that has changed so soon. No patterns. Those were left behind last winter, and I won’t have you looking like more of a bumpkin than you are.”“I’m okay with anything, I guess,” I said. “As long as it’s not revealing or uncomfortable.”Amaryllis grinned at me. “Usually you’d be trying to wear less, not more. At least, that was my sister’s advice when it came to catching a beau. Trust me, she would know. The woman goes through bachelors faster than most outgrow a batch of feathers.”I snorted and followed her into the first shop on the road. “I’m not looking for a beau,” I said. “What about you, Awen?”“M-me? Awa, no, no I’m not looking for any boys.”I nodded. “See. Bunch of celibate old prudes is what we are.”Amaryllis shook her head and surveyed the shop. For the most part, clothes in this world, at least, in the very few shops I’d seen, came in two varieties. Pre-made things magicked to fit the first person that wore it, and custom-made clothes made by someone with tailoring skills. We were looking for stuff of the pre-made variety, which didn’t actually leave that many options. It was rather obvious that the whole mass-production thing hadn’t entirely caught on. There were some clothes that all matched, but those were very simple things, probably meant to be worn by workers and the lower-middle class. It was good enough for me, but Amaryllis didn’t seem pleased by anything in the first two shops. For all that Amaryllis grew increasingly frustrated by the lack of ‘proper ladies garb’ I still had a blast. Awen was quick to play the doll whenever we wanted to see how something would look, and I got to try on a few nice outfits for my friends too.Even Amaryllis, who at first declined to try anything because she had a proper wardrobe in storage, eventually relented and tried a few colourful blouses on.In the end, we left having spent more time than money, and with only a few little things to show for it. “We’ll have to go looking through the stores in Fort Sylphrot,” Amaryllis declared. “More shopping!” I said.Amaryllis didn’t seem averse to the idea. We took our time on the way back, enjoying the sun and the gusty autumn winds. I hoped that the peace we had now wasn’t fleeting.
* * *
Chapter One Hundred and Thirty-One — Fast Travel
Chapter One Hundred and Thirty-One — Fast Travel I entered the mage’s guild with wide-eyes and a smile so big my cheeks were hurting. The place was incredible, with floating banisters, lights that hovered a few centimeters from the ceiling and a large desk made of some sort of still-living tree taking up the middle of the room.It felt like I had stepped into Hogwarts. Amaryllis, the party pooper, didn’t even gawk. She just walked straight up to the front desk and nodded to the young man with a plain wizard’s cape behind it. “We’re here for an appointment with Magister Dupuis,” she said.I spun around. There were big portraits above the entrance, each of a man or woman in elaborate robes and with complicated hats. “Broccoli!” Amaryllis was waiting by the side of a spiral staircase, Awen by her side, and her talons on her hips. “If you want to walk all the way over to the Fort then you’re more than welcome to stay,” she said.“Right! Coming.”Up the stairs we went, and then down a short corridor and into a large wood-panelled room. The walls were covered in ticking clocks with the names of cities on plaques next to them, and a spot in the middle of the room was cleared of anything except a wooden dais.A man was reading from a large tome off to one side, with a pointy-brimmed hat on his head held in place by a pretty red ribbon tied in a bow under his bearded chin. He turned our way, intelligent eyes scanning over us before he smiled. “Ah, Miss Amaryllis! And these must be your friends. Hello!”“Hello Magister,” Amaryllis said. “We’re here for our appointment.”“I assumed as much,” the man said with a chuckle. “I doubt you’re here for my conversational abilities!”“I wouldn’t mind talking,” I said.The magister barked a laugh. “You’re too kind, then. Not too nervous about teleporting?” I shook my head. “No way! I’m super excited. What’s it like? Will I vomit when we reach the other end? Or see eldritch monsters if I keep my eyes open when we move?”He shook his head. “I’m afraid not. I’ve got the Teleport skill, which means that this should all be quite smooth and easy. I do have some advice, if you’ll hear it.”I nodded. “Of course, you’re the expert.”His grin grew. “Nothing too complicated. Hold onto each other when we teleport, bend your knees just a bit, and keep your eyes closed.”“Because if I don’t close them I’ll be catching glimpses of the unknowable horrors between time and space?” I asked.“It’s more like the difference in lighting can hurt your eyesight. Plus Fort Sylphrot can be quite the windy place. You might also want to make sure all of your equipment is on tight, just in case.”I was a bit disappointed, but I nodded all the same and made sure my hat was on nice and tight. “Will do,” I said. “Why do we need to bend our knees?” “I tend to prefer teleporting in a handspan over the ground. Which means a bit of a drop on arrival. It can be jarring if you’re standing tall and straight. I once had an entire group of soldiers fall onto their backs on arriving. Terribly embarrassing.”I gave him a thumbs-up. “I got it,” I said. “Is that all we need to do?”“Well, there’s the delicate matter of payment....”Amaryllis was quick to pull a page from her ring. In no time at all, a small pouch that clinked of gold was handed over to the wizard who stashed it away in a little vault. The magister brought us over to the large dais off to the side, then he did something on a panel sticking out of its side that made the platform shift just a tiny bit. “This adjusts the level on which we stand. See, Dirt is actually round, so you need to stand at an angle where, upon arriving, you won’t fall flat on your face. Of course Fort Sylphrot isn’t terribly far, so it’s barely noticeable. Ahh, is that cat a familiar?”I blinked and looked down to Orange who was winding her way around Awen’s ankles. “Oh, that’s Orange, she’s my spirit kitten,” I said.“Might want to unsummon her then,” he said. “Or you can try holding onto her. Spirit animals tend to do as they please.”I picked Orange up and hugged her close. She must have been in a good mood because she didn’t fight me off or anything. “I think we’re ready,” I said.“Wonderful! Get closer now, yes that’s right. You’ll want to link arms, just like at a formal.” The magister directed us close together, Amaryllis on my right, Awen on my left, and then we all linked arms. It was a bit awkward, but not too bad. “Very well, now close your eyes....”I shut my eyes as tight as I could.And then a cold breeze was slipping past my legs and face a moment before I dropped no more than a couple of centimeters. The quiet tick-tocking of Magister Dupuis’ room was replaced by the murmur of a crowd, broken by the occasional whistle and the distant chug of airship engines.“You can look around, we’ve arrived,” the Magister said. I blinked a few times and took in the form of a huge wall and the top of a large mountain. We were just outside a city, standing on a white-brick courtyard next to a gatehouse. I hugged Orange close, but the kitty wiggled out of my grasp and climbed onto my shoulder.Behind us was a gorgeous scene, mountain tops rising up to a cloudy sky, and beyond them a grassy flatland for as far as the eyes could see. In the other direction were more mountains, peaks and jagged sides rising up way above us to touch the sky.“Welcome to Fort Sylphrot,” the Magister said. “I’m afraid this is where we part ways.” the wizard bowed. “Thank you for using the Mages Guild’s services this afternoon. I wish you ladies the finest of days.”“Ah, thank you,” I said.“Indeed, thank you, Magister Dupuis,” Amaryllis said. Awen murmured her own thanks to the man a moment before he disappeared without so much as a ‘zorp.’ The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.Grinning from ear to ear, I took a deep breath of thin, cold air and turned back to the walls of the fort. They were tall, made of shaped stones that were the same colour as all the mountains around us. “So, this is Fort Sylphrot?” I asked.“It is,” Amaryllis said. She looked caught between being glad she was back home and a strange form of melancholy, so I pulled her into a sidelong hug. “Get off me,” she said. “The guards are looking our way.” She might have been complaining, but she wasn’t doing anything to push me off. “It’ll be okay,” I said. “Awen and I are with you!”“Aw, we are,” Awen said.Amaryllis huffed and began stomping her way over to the gate. There weren’t all that many guards there, nor were there any carts or anything leading up to the gates. I guessed that being halfway up a mountain in the middle of a range kind of made carrying stuff overland complicated. We moved over to the gate where the guards saluted us. “Greetings,” one of them said. I hadn’t seen that many harpies since coming to Dirt. Sure, I’d spent a lot of time with Amaryllis, but that was about it. The guards were some of the first boy harpies I saw. The one that had spoken looked a bit older than the rest, with a few of his feathers looking a bit dull and worn along his arms and head. He wore a thickly padded gambeson, but no metal armour. I supposed that it made sense that harpies in general would want to avoid heavier armour if they were able to fly. “Hello,” Amaryllis said. “Can we enter or will there be trouble?” Amaryllis asked.“Uh,” the guard said. “We’ll need to see your passes,” he said. “Just as a matter of security.”Amaryllis huffed and pulled a page from her ring. A moment later-after using the wall as a table-she had a little booklet in hand which she passed to the guard. I noticed that the pages all had tabs on them, probably to make it easier for someone with talons to sift through it.The guard stood taller and his head feathers puffed out a bit. “Miss Albatross, ah, forgive me, ma’am. I didn’t recognize you.”Amaryllis waved the comment off. “I’ve been away for a bit. We’re heading straight to my estates, all three of us. Is that well?” “Of course ma’am,” the guard said as he gave her back the booklet. “Welcome home.”Amaryllis huffed and walked past the guards, so it fell onto me to thank them for all of their hard work, at least until Amaryllis started tugging at my collar.We paused just beyond the gate, Amaryllis turning to face me with her talons on both of my shoulders. “Okay. Let’s get this over with right away. We’re going to walk over to my family’s estates. Between here and there, please try to get all of your gawking and country bumpkin-ing done within one fell swoop. I’ll grudgingly play the tour guide for you.”“You have tour guides?” I asked.She rolled her eyes. “Fort Sylphrot is second only to the capital in terms of importance. More so, if you take into account its strategic value.” I nodded, then, finally, took some time to look around. The entire city felt a little small, with a footprint that was much tighter than Port Royal. But unlike the chaotically organic Port Royal, Fort Slyphrot was built vertically. Hardly any of the buildings I could see were shorter than four stories, with some reaching six or seven. There were stairwells all over, and large balconies overlooking the tight streets below. The vast majority of the people moving about were harpy, but there was the occasional human and even the rare grenoil milling in the crowd. A crowd that was surprisingly colourful. Most of the people walking by had clothes in dull colours, browns and greys, but their plumage made up for it. From bright, canary yellow, to peacock-like feathers atop the head of groups of young men. I couldn’t pin the kinds of birds most of the harpy were like, though some were rather obvious. Wide-eyed owl-harpy salesmen were hawking food with loud hoots and a few dark-feathered crow harpy were preaching from a street corner. The food stalls were filling the air with the scent of freshly cooked meats and breads, which was nice because the stench of bird poop would have been overwhelming otherwise.Above us, younger harpies were skipping from roof to roof with cheerful whistles, completely ignoring the no doubt lethal fall below them.“This place is so alive!” I cheered.Amaryllis trilled, her chest puffing out with pride. “Of course it is. The Nesting Kingdom is one of, if not the, greatest kingdom on all of Dirt.” I decided not to poke at her patriotic bubble, not when she seemed so happy. “Are you going to show us around? What kind of food do they have here? Oh, are there any special armours and weapons for sale? What about the airships? Your family is big on those.... Can we do some window shopping? Is it called window shopping when you’re shopping for an entire ship?”Amaryllis scoffed. “I’m certain we can squeeze some time for all of that later. Come on, there are a few things I’d like to show you.”“What sort of things?” I asked.Instead of answering me, Amaryllis turned to Awen who was being quiet and demure while also taking in everything around her. “Have you ever been to a proper bath house, Awen?”“I have,” Awen said with a nod. “They are quite popular in Mattergrove, and Greenshade has a few for the noble ladies. Um. It’s a place to trade gossip, mostly. We always took a bath at home before and after.”Amaryllis snorted. “Well, I’ll show you a proper bath house later. You too, Broccoli.”“I’m pretty clean,” I pointed out.“You wore the same underthings for far, far too long. You might be clean, but that doesn’t mean you’re clean.”I blinked at that. “Uh.”“Oh, nevermind. Come. We’ll stop by my house first. If the world is kind to us we’ll manage to avoid meeting anyone from my family until later.”
* * *
