Chapter 207: The Girl from Dullwater

The sun was beginning to set when Loh finally made her way back to the Scholar District. She had spent the entire day in the Trade and Commoner Districts, helping the families of soldiers who had been quietly discarded by Elzri to keep the true cause of Loh's brother’s death secret.

It was exhausting trying to keep her identity secret while helping the commoner families, but so far she had managed. There weren’t many families left on her mental list, soon she’d at least be able to bring them some peace and resolution for their fallen loved ones.

As Loh reached the Academy of Magic’s front gate, she spotted a young woman standing there. The human girl held a basket between her hands.

Loh squinted, “Louise?”

The young woman brushed her sandy hair aside and looked over, “Miss Loh!”

“I thought that was you,” Loh grinned. “Why are you standing out here? It gets cold in the evening.”

Louise glanced at the gate’s guards, “I came to see you, but the guards didn’t let me through. So I waited for you.”

Loh glared at the guards who withered under her stare, “I instructed all the guards to let a ‘Louise from Dullwater’ through if she ever came by.”

“S-she’s dressed in simple commoner clothing,” one of the guards stuttered. “We didn’t think sh-”

“Shut up, I’ll deal with you two later,” Loh snapped. “Louise, I’m sorry about them. How long have you been waiting out here?”

Louise scratched her cold rosy cheeks, “Um, since around noon, I think?”

Oh, the horrible things I will do to you two, Loh thought as she stared at the trembling guards.

Loh turned to Louise and noticed her shivering red fingers, “You must be freezing. Let’s go inside, I’ll make you a cup of tea.”

“Thanks, but I can’t stay for long,” Louise shook her head.

“Right, you’ve been out here all this time, sorry,” Loh said bitterly. “So, what brings you all the way to Hollow Shade? Have you finally decided to try your hand at professional baking? I can help you find an apprenticeship as I promised.”

Louise grinned, “Actually, I already found an apprenticeship. She may not be the best baker in Hollow Shade, but she’s kind and she knows what she’s doing. The best part is I found and got the apprenticeship all by myself.”

“Wow,” Loh blinked. “Well, congratulations.”

“Thanks, I just came here to let you know that I did it. I’m pursuing my dream. I wanted to say thank you, for helping give me the courage to get out of Dullwater once and for all.” Louise winked, “The gold helped of course.”

You didn’t need my help. You would have gotten out of that place one way or another, Loh thought. “You’re welcome, but you earned that gold fair and square, you're an amazing storyteller.”

“I don’t know about that last part,” Louise chuckled. “Oh! I forgot, there was one other reason I came here.”

“Hm?”

Louise reached into her basket and pulled out a blueberry muffin.

“It’s not much,” Louise said nervously. “I bet you can find a hundred better kinds of muffins in the Villa District’s bakeries. I made this one myself... my teacher thought it tasted good.”

Loh didn’t need to hear another word, she grabbed the muffin and bit into it without a second thought.

Louise winced, “Sorry, it’s cold. It was warm when I came here, but, well it's been a few hours.”

“Mm, that’s good,” Loh closed her eyes and savored each bite.

“Really?” Louise asked hesitantly.

“Miss Noir, you shouldn’t eat that!” one of the guards yelled.

“What if it’s poisonous!?” the other guard panicked.

“Get a grip,” Loh rolled her eyes. “I trust this woman, she wouldn’t try to hurt me. I’m getting tired of you two though. Go find your replacements for the next shift.”

“Y-yes, Miss Noir,” the guards bowed and ran off.

“I’d never try to poison you,” Louise said, frightened.

“I know you wouldn’t,” Loh said between bites. You’re too kind to ever poison someone. And my grandfather has helped build up my resistance to poisons ever since I was a child, but no need to bring that up, she thought.

Loh finished the muffin and licked her fingers, “Mm, now I’m hungry. Do you wanna go catch some dinner?”

“Thanks, but I should get going,” Louise bowed. “It’s getting dark. Undead sentinels will be crawling through the streets soon. Even with an iron name-plate I still don’t feel very safe.”

“You won’t have to worry about sentinels when you’re with me, I promise,” Loh smiled confidently.

“Hmm...” Louise looked up at the setting sun with uncertainty.

“How much of Hollow Shade have you seen so far?” Loh asked. “There are tons of different restaurants, with all kinds of different cuisine that will blow you away. I guarantee you’ll love it.”

“I don’t know,” she muttered.

“Come on, I’ll even let you pick, and believe me I don’t do that often,” Loh chuckled.

“...Why?”

“Huh?”

Louise looked her in the eyes, “Tell me why you want me to come with you and I’ll go.”

Loh laughed and shrugged, “I’m hungry, why else? I mean, I have to admit it’s nice to eat with a pretty girl. And I think that goes for both of us, am I right?”

She sighed, “Thank you, but I should get going.”

Louise turned and walked away.

Loh raised her hand, “Wait! Just wait.”

“Yes?”

“I…” Loh bit her lip. “I don’t want to eat alone.”

She slowly walked back and wrapped Loh’s arm around her own. “...Okay, let’s go.”

Loh sighed with relief. “Great,” she whispered.

~~~

The streets grew more crowded as they neared the Villa District. Various merchants and aristocrats, ranging from humble Houses to wealthy Great Houses, walked down the night streets.

“It’s so lively at night,” Louise said. “The Commoner District is so different.”

“Yeah, people around here don’t really have any need to worry about sentinels here,” Loh said.

“That sounds nice,” she muttered in wonderment.

“~Sooo~ What have you been up to? Besides baking of course.”

“Well, after you left Dullwater, the villagers and I went looking for my uncle. He had disappeared, you see.”

“Oh… Right, I forgot about that?” Loh swallowed. “So, where was he anyway?”

Louise rubbed her eyes, “It took two days, but we found his body out in one of the fields. His body had been torn to shreds by some animals, we think maybe a valley lion got him. He probably wandered off into fields in one of his drunken moments... There wasn’t much left when we found him, but we buried what we could.”

Dammit, Stryg, you brilliant fucking savage, Loh thought wryly. She wasn’t sure if she should be angry that Stryg killed Louise’s uncle or happy that he was so good at hiding it.

Loh cleared her throat, “I’m sorry for your loss.”

“Oh, please, from what I remember you hated him, threatened to kill him even,” she said bitterly.

“Nonetheless, I’m sorry for your loss,” she squeezed Louise’s hand.

“...Thanks,” she wiped her eyes. “After my uncle died I stayed with my aunt for a while, to make sure she was okay. Once I thought she’d be alright I made my way here, to the City of Shades.”

“Must have been quite the change,” Loh grinned.

“It was and it was also difficult. When I first arrived I tried looking for my ex-fiance, Witt. You know, I think his parents knew he was dumb so they named him Witt in the hopes that it might change his fate.”

“Well, seeing as he left you, it clearly didn’t.”

Louise chuckled, “Yeah, I guess not. I eventually gave up looking for him, the city is too big. Now I’m just focused on becoming a master baker. One day I hope to open up my own shop.”

“Please, let me know when you do. I’ll be your first customer.”

“I’d like that,” Louise smiled.

As they chatted and walked through the busy streets, the people froze at the sight of Loh. They bowed repeatedly and quickly moved out of her way. It was as if an invisible shield protected the two of them from the crowds.

“Okay, I know you’re an aristocrat and all, but why is everyone acting this way?” Louise asked.

“It’s my cloak,” Loh lifted the edge of her white cloak. “You see the sigil on the back?”

“You mean those black flames?”

“Yeah, it’s the symbol of House Noir, one of the Seven Ruling Houses of Hollow Shade.”

“Ruling House?” Louise’s eyes widened. “So you’re actually a really important scary aristocrat?”

“Only when I want to be,” she winked.

Louise bumped her shoulder with her own, “If they only knew you, they’d know you’re not scary at all.”

“Oh?” Loh batted her eyes. “Then what am I?”

Louise stopped in her steps, turned, and looked at Loh, really looked at her. “You’re quick to anger, impatient, and a bit of a drunk.”

“No, please, tell me what you really think,” Loh smirked.

Louise stepped close until their faces were merely an inch apart, “...You’re confident. You have this air about you like you’d command whatever room you’d enter with ease. People must admire the brave, dashing person you put on display.”

Louise smiled ruefully, “But you’re lonely. And even though you’re hurting, you won’t ever admit it, to anyone, will you?”

Loh swallowed and licked her lips, “...You got all that from just a look?”

Louise stepped away and glanced at the crowds, going about their evenings. “Don’t worry, Miss Loh, I’ll keep you company, at least for tonight.”

Loh reached out for the young woman’s hand, hesitated, and faltered. “And after that?” she asked quietly.

Louise breathed out heavily, “Who knows? That’s for us to find out.” She didn’t look back at Loh, but she reached out anyway and grabbed her hand.

“I’d like that,” Loh smiled.

~~~

Doctor and mage adept, Lucy, knocked on the door with the tip of her foot.

“Come in,” came the voice from the other side.

Lucy fiddled with the doorknob as best she could, both her hands were busy carrying half a dozen books each. After a few fumbling tries, the knob’s lock clicked and the door swung open.

Maeve stood at the center of the room, her fingertips glowing with a soft red light. Red ward sigils floated around her in a half-formed spell.

“Good evening, Lady Mora,” Lucy bowed her head.

“Hey, Dr. Lucy, just in time, I needed a break,” Maeve smiled with relief.

“No, you don’t. Your sigils’ end strokes are still too long and half your beginning strokes have curls for some reason.”

The women turned to the owner of the lecturing voice; a young man sat at Maeve’s desk reading a book. His blue skin suggested a northern drow, but his slit pupil eyes and strange color irises suggested otherwise.

Lucy still didn’t know what to make of him. All she knew was that he was a talented 3rd-year at the Academy of Magic. He wasn’t a chromatic red, but he seemed incredibly knowledgeable in the arcane language, a necessary skill in red’s ward spells.

“Oh, come on, Stryg,” Maeve groaned. “I’ve been writing these stupid sigils for two hours non-stop. My fingertips are burning.”

“Signs of overheating from excessive use of mana,” Lucy inferred.

“She can go a little longer,” Stryg said.

“I really don’t think I can,” Maeve wiggled her fingers in the air.

“Stop being a baby,” he said.

“A little rest can’t hurt,” Lucy said.

“You should listen to her, she’s a doctor,” Maeve nodded repeatedly.

“...Fine,” Stryg sighed.

“Sweet!” Maeve fist-pumped the air. “I need a drink.”

She walked over to her desk, grabbed her decanter, and poured out a glass of wine. She nudged Stryg’s arm away and sat down on his lap.

Maeve sipped her glass and sighed in satisfaction, “Much better.”

“Yeah, whatever, you lazy vampire,” Stryg rested his chin on her shoulder and went back to reading his book.

“Lazy!?” Maeve pouted. “I literally work all day, managing my House’s businesses and keeping my workers safe. Then I come home and I gotta practice the stupid arcane language for hours each night.”

“And you still haven’t improved much,” Stryg said.

“Easy for you to say, you’re just reading a book.”

“I’m studying for my exam next week. Professor Rime is an ass, but he won’t bother me if I ace all his assignments and exams. Which I am and will.”

“I don’t even know who that is,” Maeve muttered.

“Just another stone to be stepped on and past.”

“You really have a beautiful way with words don’t you?” she smirked.

“Says the girl who can’t even spell a single word correctly.”

“In the arcane language! And it’s not my fault this language is so damn difficult.”

“Stop making excuses for your ineptitude.”

“Fuck you.”

“You already did that, multiple times.”

Maeve leaned back and looked at him, “You know, sometimes I just want to bite that stupid calm expression off your face.”

“Noted,” he licked her lips and kept reading indifferently.

Maeve rolled her eyes and took another swig of her drink.

Lucy found herself staring at the petite vampiress sitting in the hybrid’s lap. She had never seen Maeve so vexed, yet so relaxed. What an odd sight.

Lucy put her books down on a nearby table and glanced at the duo. She wasn’t certain why this Stryg person was helping Maeve, though the two clearly shared an intimate bond. To what extent? Lucy didn’t know. She had asked Maeve, but the merchant princess refused to answer the exact nature of her relationship with the blue hybrid.

“I brought the books regarding chromatic red’s potions you had asked for, Lady Mora,” Lucy said.

“Thanks, I’ll need them,” Maeve said. “For all his talk, this guy doesn’t know anything about potion spells. I guess I’m not the only inept one here.”

Stryg stiffened. He closed his book and put it aside.

“You know,” Stryg wrapped his arms around Maeve and nestled his mouth over the crook of her neck. “I think I’ll have a drink now too.”

“You really are a greedy one aren’t you?” Maeve rolled her eyes.

Lucy backed away to the door, “I just remembered I had something to do, yeah, um, I’ll come back later, yup, so, uh, bye.”

Lucy slammed the door shut.