It was maybe six more hours before Reiss made it to Thorsten. It would have taken an entire day of travel normally, but there was still a hop in his steps as he walked towards the gates.

Thorsten was larger than Jeralt by a measure. It had stone walls rather than wood and was built on a hill overlooking the Plains of Jeralt. It wasn't the first time he came here. His 1st Iteration had actually avoided this city, afraid of the larger crowds. The 1st had motioned for Oster. A huge mistake, but not fatal the first time around.

Thorsten's walls stood twenty feet tall, allowing room on top to patrol. Covered sections were placed sparingly, allowing soldiers and guards to shade themselves from the sun, lest they overheat in their armor. The walls were fancy enough to have crenelations and arrow slits. Anyone from Jeralt would marvel at the walls and the safety they provided. It could hold off hordes of ferocious horned-rabbits without batting an eye.

Reiss snorted.

Until the rabbits jump over the wall.

It was hilarious because it had actually happened once, in his 248th iteration, when Reiss said the wrong words to an adolescent druid. She took offense and decided it would be hilarious to send her fuzzy little companions rocketing over the walls of the city.

Thorsten could probably hold off any normal horde or army, but it had never be prepared for the attack of tens of thousands of tiny white furry creatures whom they couldn't kill because Thorsten's children ran among them with glee. The lone guard that fired into the furry crowd was summarily jumped by an angry gaggle of grossly upset girls.

And that was how the city of Thorsten fell.

Conquered by bunnies.

The 1st was right to fear them.

While the walls were impressive, Reiss had seen wonders that couldn't compare. Thorsten might as well have no walls.

Walking up to the gate, he fell in line behind the other visitors to the city. [Farmers], small-time [Merchants], and a pair of fledgling [Adventurers]. As the line moved up, he realized he was attracting glances and pointed fingers. The line of people whispered to themselves.

Reiss' eyebrows knitted a knot. Confused, he wondered why they would be so interested; he never got such a reaction in all his previous visits. Was it the hair? Did he still have fun on his face? His clothes were normal roughspun stuff. So, what could have attracted all their attention? It was probably the hair.

As the line moved up, Reiss got more and more paranoid. Did the Winter Sprites pin a sign to his face that said: "punch me". He hadn't checked his reflection since coming back again, did his scars from the previous iteration carry over somehow? No, scarring wasn't enough to attract such attention. It couldn't be the bouquet he was holding.

Finally, it was his turn. He walked up to the guards holding only a bundle of flowers wrapped ornately in colored paper. The taller of the two guards nudged the other one. The shorter one spoke with uncertainty.

"Reason for visiting?"

There was no toll; they wouldn't ask for any coin. He just had to state his business to move on.

"Delivery of goods."

The shorter guard examined him, noting the shabby clothes and absence of any coin purse or anything else of note.

"The flowers?"

"That's right. I was hired to gather flowers for an upcoming wedding."

"Oh, the Tillmore's wedding. Right, you can go on through then."

Reiss was about to do just that but couldn't ignore the gazes from the crowd behind him, the guards leaning over the wall, or the way the two in front of him kept shifting from foot to foot.

"Pardon, but is there something wrong?"

The shorter one stammered.

"What? Uh. No. There isn't. You can go right on in."

"I meant with my appearance. I can feel the eyes of every person on me. Do I have something on my face?"

The shorter guard's mouth tried to form words, but he just ogled Reiss. It made him a bit uncomfortable.

"No. There's nothing on your face. It's just. I mean, you... you're... how do I say it? Do you really not know?"

"I don't understand. What?"

"Honestly? I figured someone like you would get stares everywhere she went."

Hold up. What did he say?

"The color of your hair, the length, the way you tied it, the way you are sparkling..."

Oh, the stardust from the comet. It must still be stuck to him. That made more sense. But what about...

"I-, I mean. It's just that. You see-"

As the short guard continued to stammer, the taller one blurted out.

"You're gorgeous."

Reiss was taken aback by the intensity in the voice. The guard was actually a woman whose eyes were sparkling just as vibrantly as the stardust glued to Reiss. There were nods and murmurs of agreement from the line behind him. He heard a faint shout from the top of the wall.

"Are you single?"

No... They wouldn't dare.

Oh, but they did.

The taller guard abandoned most pretext and stepped forward into Reiss' personal space, whispering conspiratorially.

"You have to tell me how you did your hair. Do you use special soap? Would you be willing to share? If I could do something like that, men would be all over me."

"I am a man!"

Reiss hissed.

The female guard rolled her eyes.

"Obviously. Only idiots like my partner would think otherwise. But you are still gorgeous."

She eyed Reiss like a piece of meat.

"Say... if you are single..."

"No. I am spoken for. I apologize, but I really must be going."

The guard looked dejected as Reiss slipped past her and into the city. He heard a call from behind.

"Is that a no to the soap?"

=

The crowded streets of Thorsten practically parted for him as he moseyed his way on down. He was currently chewing on his pinky finger—a bad habit picked up after the battle with Labyrinthian Horrors.

Am I...

The thought frightened Reiss more than those horrendous amalgamations of flesh and serrated teeth. If it was true, he just lost a bet spanning over three hundred iterations.

Am I a trap?

No. It couldn't be true. It had never been true. It was the white hair and stardust. It would make anyone look like a trap.

I most definitely do not have a feminine face, Nell.

He could remember her incessant giggling as she insisted he was pouting. He was not pouting! He was crossing his arms and looking menacingly. Nell's giggles just devolved into a fit.

She made him admit he was pouting, but he refused to acknowledge that his face was "smooth as a baby's bottom".

I need to check this.

Reiss smushed his hands against his face in examination, changing the way a few of his admirers were gawking. He counted off a checklist.

"Hmm. No scars. My eyes haven't been blinded or scooped out. Nose isn't crooked, broken, or missing entirely. Ears?

Both lobes were present and unpierced.

"Eyebrows aren't burnt off. Lips? Not bruised, torn, or even chapped. Teeth?"

Reiss stopped suddenly at a pottery stall where a startled merchant allowed him to examine his reflection in the glazes.

"All here. Straight. Is that a bit of stardust between my teeth?

Oh no.

Reiss collapsed to his knees in the middle of the market, clutching his head. The older merchant who sold pottery looked alarmed and moved to help Reiss back up.

"Are you alright, miss?

"No. It can't be!"

His scream was muted but oddly high-pitched.

I really am a trap.

Reiss wanted to cry. Was this all it took? Reversing all the damage and age he accumulated throughout his lives by going back in time, magically changing his hair, destroying a comet summoned by immortal Sprites, and dancing in the stardust?

"How could this happen."

"Miss, do you need me to call for a healer? Are you well? Maybe it is the heat. Wait here, just a moment, let me fetch something."

The old [Potter]'s words just served to drive Reiss' turmoiling emotions into a deeper pit of despair.

Nell was right...

A single, sparkling tear rolled down his cheek, landing on the ground and evaporating into colorful lights.

=

"Here you are; this was my daughter's before she moved out. Stay out of the sun, now."

The old [Potter] waved to Reiss as he went on his way. He recovered enough to walk and was currently twirling a light blue parasol in one hand while holding a bouquet in the other.

All things considered, it was a nice gift—very kind of the older man to part with it.

Reiss debated banishing the stardust that still clung to him. Then he looked up at the parasol and decided against it.

"Maybe it's not all bad."

Childish laughter tickled his ears.