The city within the inner walls was completely different from the rural sprawl without. The buildings were neat and uniform, set on streets of polished obsidian cobblestones and gutters. Crystal lights floated above light posts, illuminating the premature twilight cast by the spire’s shadow.
The city was built on a shelf that spiraled up the mountain, bringing it almost a quarter wide and slowly narrowing as it neared the palaces resting on the peak. Viewed from afar, it was like a tiny city wrapped around a needle shaft.
But with a bigger city ca more people. As soon as the gates opened, a tide of panic swept through the bear by n, won, and children, scattering them in all directions. Guards constantly rushed to the commotion, only to be turned back with a glance at Elaine.
The people here wore loose, flowing clothing dyed in bright, even garish colors. The n wore loose trousers and coats with trains that touched the ground, while the won favored tight bodices, loose sleeves with long slits in their sleeves, and dresses slit from the hip to the ankle, tied once midway down the thigh.
"You look great," R’lissea said, folding her hand over mine and pulling it away.
I looked down, finding I’d been gripping my skirts.
"Thanks. It’s just... their dresses are beautiful."
"The slits are really unique. I almost bought one a few years ago when the imperial princess showed up wearing one at an elvish ball I was attending," she said.
"Why didn’t you?"
She shrugged. "The slits in the skirt are a little high for . I don’t like a skirt that shows my thighs."
I nodded and, as subtly as possible, tugged the hem of my skirt over my knees. As much as I would have loved to wear a longer, more modest dress, they were too restrictive for my tail.
My gaze landed on another beautiful woman’s dress. It was cerulean blue, causing many n’s heads to turn--when they weren’t watching Fable warily, that is. If I wore sothing like that, then maybe Luke would actually notice--
I fervently shook my head, drawing an odd look from R’lissea. Warmth colored my cheeks, and I quickly looked away, hands bunched in my lap. I was here for Elise, and to save lives. It didn’t matter what Luke thought. It didn’t!
"The Life Hero is right," Elaine said, "Your dress might be simple compared to the court, but few will even notice it."
"Because of my horns?" I asked, gripping my skirts tighter.
"You need to have so more confidence in yourself. I was a little curious as to why he was so reluctant to allow you to co here, but now...?" she shook her head, chuckling. "I think he’s just nervous. Who knows how many of the imperial nobles would make a pass for a face and temperant like yours."
My mouth opened, and nothing but a squeak ca out. I quickly covered my mouth, blushing red. The two broke out into laughter.
"I don’t want anything like that," I said, biting my lip hard.
"Sohow, I think he’d be even more disappointed to hear that," R’lissea said.
Elaine chuckled and waved the way forward. "Co, let us find out for ourselves. There is still so way to go, so if you’ll follow And do be sure to look around. Our humble city has much to offer two beautiful ladies like yourself."
As we continued our wide, gradual ascent up the spire, I couldn’t help but be reminded of Western University. It was built in a similar manner, wrapped around a mountain. Blacksand City, however, was much steeper and didn’t have near the amount of magic woven into every part of life.
The general wealth and affluence increased as we climbed. Curiously enough, so too did the number of fountains pouring out hot, steaming water from ornate statues and ponds.
"And over here, we have Duke Letherbye’s fine establishnt. They’re famous for their Volcanic Lizard Steaks. Perhaps you’d like to try them?" Elaine asked, pointing to the most recent of her tour items.
"Are Volcanic Lizards monsters?" I asked.
"Yes, and quite rare ones, too. They go for a hundred gold a pound."
"What?" R’lissea gasped. "That’s insane! Who could afford that?"
"Is that a lot?" I whispered.
"So might say," Elaine answered, grinning as I jumped. She tapped her ear. "You’re not the only one with keen senses, you know."
R’lissea gave her a frown. "A hundred gold is more than a commoner makes in a few months. That’s more money than they might ever see in a lifeti."
"Why would anyone spend so much on food? Why not just have bread, or soup?"
Elaine recoiled, looking appalled. "Soup? Perhaps golden flamingo stew, or a good dragon bone broth, but how could a noble ever settle for sothing so simple?"
"No one in Heartland could even dream of buying sothing like that," I mumbled.
"Heartland? I’m offended you even ntion that backward kingdom in the sa sentence as the Blacksand Empire," Elaine declared.
I flinched, hunching my shoulders, before seeing the smile on her face
"Only teasing, of course," she reassured . "Yet it remains true. Our empire was founded before the seedlings of the Heartland Forest ever sprouted, prospering for hundreds of years and beneath dozens of emperors. Despite our population equaling that of the rest of the northern continent, we look after our own, and even the commoners have plenty."
"it sounds like a nice place," I said, wincing as a woman caught her child staring at and pulled him away.
She nodded, clasping her hands together. "It’s been my duty to guard it the last three hundred years since my master passed away."
Three hundred years? It wasn’t anything remotely close to the remnants, yet for a human or demonkin was staggering.
"Guard it?" R’lissea asked. "Guard it from what?"
Elaine shook her head. "Tis weren’t always as peaceful as they were before the demons invaded. A few hundred years ago, there were many more magical beasts wandering the land. A dragon could drop out of the sky, roast a village, and be gone again before we even heard about it. Now, we’ve got all the powerful creatures pinned up in the mountains or sealed away by so ancient spell."
I rocked forward as Fable ca to an abrupt halt and looked away from Elaine to see what had happened. A child had fallen from the crowd, scraping her knees across the cobblestone beneath Fable’s paws. She couldn’t have been older than six.,
The girl sniffled and tilted her face up in the beginning of a sob. Her eyes locked on Fable, and the color drained from her cheeks. She let out a tiny whimper and started to cry.
A hush fell over the street, the air thick and heavy. People shifted uneasily, eyes darting away from the child. A woman burst from the doorway of the bakery, her face a mask of desperation.
"Please!" she choked out, dropping to her knees and pulling the girl into a desperate hug. "She’s just a child. She didn’t an to!"
The woman’s plea in the suffocating silence drew more eyes as people turned to see what was happening. Words lodged in my throat, and I gripped Fable’s fur, chest tightening with panic. What was I supposed to do? What could I even say?
"Please, my Lady, forgive ," the woman cried, throwing herself at Elaine’s feet.
The eyes left , and I slumped, heart hamring in my chest. Another second of those terrible eyes, and I might have been the one to start crying. Now Elaine could deal with this, and I wouldn’t–
A bitter chill gripped the street, a tense pressure more constricting than any crowd. R’lissea took a sharp breath, her mana surging to reinforce our wards. Slowly, dread twisting my stomach, I turned to Elaine.
Her face was cold and frosty, lips twisted in a sneer. "You dare plead for rcy?"
"M-my Lady, please, spare us," the woman stamred.
The child started to sob, ignoring the woman’s frantic efforts to hush her. Elaine’s eyes darted toward for a split second before narrowing at the commoners again.
"You were warned of the importance of this negotiation, and yet you dare jeopardize it with your miserable existence? Your insolence cannot be tolerated."
She turned her back, and aura gathered around her in a hazy aurora of fiery energy.
"Punish them as you see fit, Oracle. They dared insult the leader of a demon horde, so I won’t even ask for your magnanimity. Feed them to your wolf, if you wish."
An angry murmur rippled through the crowd, growing stronger as Elaine ntioned as a leader.
The crowd turned again to us, fear in their eyes. The hands of those closest to us twitched, instinctively reaching for the mother and child, but Elaine’s aura rose a notch, paralyzing even the bravest soul.
The little girl looked up, paralyzed by fear. There was sothing... Familiar about her, tugging in the shadows of my mories. This wasn’t the first little girl to look up at in fear like that. She wasn’t even the first who feared when I ca with no other intention to save her.
My heart stilled as I rembered the village stricken by the basilisk. Its na had long since been lost to , but I could never forget what had happened there.
Fable."
My voice was soft, but it carried through the street. People held their breath as Fable lowered himself, allowing to slip from his back. R’lissea caught my hand, but I turned back, giving her a reassuring nod.
"Be careful," she whispered, and let go.
The eyes of the crowd followed as I walked toward the kneeling mother, but I no longer trembled. My tail rustled, but it was an agitated swish over a nervous twitch.
Tears stread down the mother’s face, but her eyes had lost their spark. She shivered as I leaned over, hands on my knees, peering down at her child. The little girl shook all over, staring up at . Her knees were bleeding, scraped raw by the obsidian streets. Her eyes glistened with tears, giving a warped reflection of my face, frad by dark horns and crimson hair.
"I haven’t co to hurt you," I said, crouching beside them.
My hand shook slightly as I reached out, intending to stroke the child’s head. The mother flinched, drawing her close, and I hesitated, turning to glance at the crowd. There had been a flicker of sothing, though what exactly II couldn’t tell. An aura, maybe?
"May I?" I asked, turning back.
"Y-you’re a demonkin... I..." The woman squeezed her eyes shut. "Please, don’t hurt us."
I shook my head, sighing, and touched the girl’s head. She went rigid, her eyes wide and unblinking, staring into mine. I took a deep breath and let a trick of mana flow from my soul, soul casting a first-circle healing spell.
A gasp rose from the crowd as soft green light enveloped the girl. She squird as it stread to her knees, knitting together the scrapes and washing the blood from her skin.
It was only a first-circle spell, but a residual tide of mana bounced back into my soul. It was almost imperceptible, an occurrence with every spell, but it left breathless, my soul wavering.
I teetered a bit as I rose, but Fable’s flank pressed against my back, steadying . I leaned against his broad shoulder, panting.
The mother rose unsteadily and stumbled away, keeping her eyes on the ground. The girl, held to her chest, looked over her shoulder, watching with wide eyes. They disappeared into the crowd, which began to disperse.
"Co. We are close," Elaine said, walking away without looking back.
R’lissea offered her hand, pulling back onto Fable.
She leaned over and whispered in my ear, "You did good. Even if you did use magic."
"You were right," I said, giving her a tired smile. "We’re here to help these people. I’m not going to lose sight of that again, no matter how hard It might be."
She touched my hand, the gratitude in her eyes warming my heart. But as Fable began moving again, my smile faded, replaced with a frown. I watched Elaine intently, tail twitching with thought. Just what had she been thinking?"
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