Aiden paused facing the group, dumping the few sticks he held in his arms with muffled clanks as they hit the damp ground. His eyes had widened as if it petrified him, giving him an eerily yet distraught demeanor, “Are ye absolutely sure it said that name?”

“Yeah, is there something wrong with that name?” Shifting upwards, it hit Sebastian as if a glass jar had whacked him in the head, “Wait, do you know who that is?”

“Aye, ah do, bit ah thought he wud stay in jail after stealing from th' wrong person.” One by one Aiden plucked the wooden rods off of the ground, letting off a dismal air.

“So what do you know about this pinche desgraciado?” Rejoining them, Camila had put her shirt back on, still damp and wrinkled from her straining it. Accompanying her was a sour note in her tone.

“Weel besides that-” Placing the pieces for the camp with a slight strain from kneeling, they cleared a small area of flammable leaves “- We wur, uh, pals to say th' least. We used to travel th'gither whin we wur younger, bit after he tried to frame me, ah left him 'n' that life fur guid. Last ah heard he wis doin' time in Sigvard City.”

Sebastian watched as Aiden lit a fire using a flint and steel he had taken out of a pocket. The embers produced a grey, silky smoke into the wind as the air was blown into it. Soon enough, a small flame had appeared, consuming the wood like food. A pleasant warmth surrounded the group as they scurried toward it to dry off. Silence had fallen before them, hearing the pitter-patter of rain crash onto the soil.

During the time, Sebastian had been trying to figure out some sort of connection between The Whisper, the soldiers, and Sephtis. “Why would a thief, that was thrown in jail, be working for the high king now?” It puzzled him, and asking Aiden for any more information would be useless since Sephtis must have joined the army after getting out of prison. “There had to be something that I’m missing here.”

Dinner wasn’t easy to find, unlike other times. They had the luck of catching three jackrabbits which were more than enough to fill their stomachs except for Aiden whose gut growled the entire night. At one point during his lookout shift, it howled so loud that Titan must have woken up since everyone heard a restrained snarl followed by Aiden apologizing. After calming her down, the environment settled as the storm passed by, leaving behind nourished flora.

During Nia’s shift was when the sun rose back up with its light, hitting each drop of water on every leaf and blade of grass, glistening magnificently as if they were jewels. A small breakfast made up of eggs they missed the previous night and the last of the bread Aiden had awoken them. Filling their noses with the whiff of cooked food, they all gobbled their “plate”, leaving only crumbs. Once everyone had their fill, the time to depart arrived.

Traveling through the emerald hills, farms with extensive fields rose from the horizon. From wheat to corn, they all specialized in some area of crop with variants of animals roaming in their enclosed space by fencing. People, hard at work, lived in their compact blanched housing, enough to fit only a few family members inside. Unusual to Nia, Sebastian, and Camila was the “A” shaped tiled roofs. The central attractions of every ranch were their white or maroon barns near their revolving windmills. Each one gyrating lazily with the help of their bleached sweeps to produce flour from grain at the bottom of the structure.

“We ur getting close, Northwich shoud peak oot any moment noo!” Aiden held onto Titan’s reins, holding her steady with the thumping vibrations her paws made as she ran.

It had been a long and tiring journey, but after many days of traveling, the town of Northwich appeared before them once they had ridden over their last mound. It looked to be around a few more miles away, though even from where they were, it looked enormous to the trio from Pueblanto. A large stone wall hugged the tall, wooden buildings inside, all adorn with azure tops. Near the far left side, a distinct grey, pointy construction stood, and on the right border of the barrier rose an olive dune. Since they were still far out, not much more could be seen except for the miniatures that were bustling around and the massive, cyan Lake Basa behind it.

“Look at that gorgeous bird!” Nia exclaimed out loud, taking notice of a white-tipped, black-feathered bird the size of the boulder it perched on, sticking out of the ground just below them. Its lengthy white crest composed of three thick plumes that ran down to its back, and the beak shone a silver shade.

Taken aback, Sebastian gazed on it for a few seconds as it preened itself, “I’ve never seen a bird that big. What kind is it?”

Scratching her head, Nia tried to recall her books on animals in her house, “Um, I don’t know. I have read nothing about this creature. It could be unknown to everyone for all I know.”

A low grumble emerged as Titan stepped toward the bird, now watching at the group with caution. “Whoa, easy thare lassie!” Aiden pulled back on Titan’s reins to get her to stop. “What’s gotten into ye?!”

With two strong flaps of its wings, the animal swooped up into the air, then flew away, leaving the area.

“Well, it’s gone now.” Camila nonchalantly continued forward, down the slope they had been on.

“Nice goin’ ye big dummy.” Aiden annoyingly smacked Titan’s ear, letting out a sad whimper as she sunk her head.

Not long after spotting their destination, they had arrived at its substantial, arching entrance where dozens of guards were at their position, patrolling each side of the lifted metal gate. Taking precaution, everyone slowed down while the triad concealed their faces by looking away from the stationed men.

“Halt-” One soldier stood tall before them, “- for what reason have you come to Northwich?”

Taking the front, Aiden let Titan block the man’s sight from the rest of the group, “We ur just 'ere to pick up an order ah made a while back 'n' stay 'ere a few nights.” From out of a pocket on Titan’s saddle, hw slipped out a small parchment and gave it to the man.

The man skimmed it to himself, fingering every word. After finishing, he handed it back to Aiden, “Alright, you may all pass.”

Passing the arc, Nia walked Sunday next to Aiden, whispering to him, “Lucky you had a forged document.”

“Forged? This is real. Ah did say ah wis on mah wey 'ere whin ah met ye all.” A short chuckle escaped from Aiden as they continued onward.

The tetrad crossed the thick threshold from the hills to town as a cacophonous of chatter gradually flourished. People left and right walked to purchase their needs from stalls set up in the town center while gatherings formed around merchants standing on crates, advertising their products. Stores from the nearby buildings sold various items, bakeries left off their sweet, comforting aroma while restaurants released a savory trance. Upbeat harmonies performed on flutes and guitars arose over the noise, setting a merry atmosphere for the townsfolk. Hung high above the drabbed, bricked roads hung colorful decorations of various shades of blue. Flowers in the center of all the commotion had been arranged to form a two-headed serpent with vines as two pairs of lengthy whiskers overlooking everyone.

“Wow, is this what Northwich usually looks like?” Sebastian gazed at the ultramarine serpent’s deep spring eyes made of tinted glass, astonished by its magnificence.

“Na, ah do believe that they're preparing fur a festival o' some kind. Lest ah wis 'ere, 'twas less active.” Taking a second to search the square, Aiden snapped his fingers and pointed at a road going right, “Thare, we must go that wey. It leads to th' best tavern in toun!”

“But we’re here to get information, not sightsee, Aiden!” Nia petted her horse that was snorting, “And we need to leave the horses somewhere out of all of this, Sunday is getting anxious.”

Moving Titan towards the direction of the sign, he gestured to follow, “Ah know 'n' isn’t a tavern th' best place fur gossip? Plus, we need rest 'n' food -'' Taking a large whiff from his armpit, the stench burned the hairs in his nose, leaving him gagging, “- 'n' a shower.”

“As long as we find something that will direct us to this Sephtis guy, I don’t care.” Camila followed close behind with the rest accompanying her.

The route took them through two-story housings made of slabs of rocks as the first floor with wooden white panels separated by oak boards. Short circle top windows covered the row of dwellings they passed by. Their timber doors, attached to metallic frames, all had some sort of embroidery dangling from it, depicting the beast from before or an armored warrior wielding twin swords. With everything completed, the residents had indeed brightened up their streets for some kind of commemoration.

As they neared the end, the grass mound they saw before arriving came into view. What they hadn’t expected was that it was the tavern that Aiden had mentioned. An entrance had been dug out with beautifully sculpted doors hanging on its hinges, carved with half horses with their rear being of a fishtail, each one looking inward. An overhang made of dark lumber covered the entryway from above, with light entering the establishment through glass panes on each side of the doorway. Laughter merged among the clanks of mugs as it became more apparent the closer they walked. Customers exited with noodle legs, swaying side-to-side passing by. The stench of alcohol slowly manifested its way towards them blended along with varied meals. Finally, a sign hung just above the doors with the title spelling out, “The Gargle”.

“What is that smell?!” Covering her nose, Nia rejected the intoxicating aroma surrounding her.

“That is th' fine reek o' feasts 'n' aged mead!” Aiden inhaled satisfyingly, Titan licked her lips with anticipation.

The image of prepared food popped into Sebastian’s mind, salivating at the thought of eating well after so long, “I could go for some meat.”

Even Camila’s stomach grouched aloud, turning away from them with embarrassment, “...”

“That’s th' spirit, food’s on me!”

After tying their mounts at a nearby stable, the four walked into the crowded inn. The dining area was warmly lit by dozens of light bulbs attached to chandeliers hanging from the bricked, arched ceiling, creating a pleasant ambiance. Three lines of sturdy tables made of rosewood stood parallel to each other with matching chairs, all filled with clients cackling as they stuffed their mouths with cuisines and beverages. Covering the clean, tiled flooring were the hosts, taking orders as quickly as they could to serve their meals. At the far back, the kitchen prepared all the requests, seen through a half-circle opening in which waiters picked up the finished products. On each side of the large aperture, stairs led down to hallways with doors, guests climbing up or downward with bags on their backs.

Locating an empty table near the entrance, Aiden dragged the rest to it and sat on the individually cushioned seats. Shortly after, an attendant approached them wearing a stained, white apron and a drop of sweat running down her forehead, “How may I serve you today?” Her smile undoubtedly masked her tiredness.

“Hello thare, if ye can, ah wud lik' to order a smoked Tounguana and some mead. I’m feeling hungry today!” Aiden bursted out laughing with his hand on his stomach.

Forcing out a giggle, she turned towards the rest, “And what might you all have?”

Sebastian tried to think of what they might serve in this area. Remembering back at the farms they saw while on the way to town, they had to sell meals based on them. “I’ll uhh… have a turkey leg?”

“Oh, crakin' choice!” Aiden smiled at Sebastian along with a thumbs up. “Whit aboot ye two?” He looked at his side where Nia sat and next to Sebastian’s right was Camila.

“I’ll have what he’s having.” Camila pointed to Sebastian and shrugged.

“I guess I’ll order a beef stew if you have any.” Laying her arms on the table, Nia slumped down, happy to be sitting down somewhere that wasn’t a horse or ground.

With a nod, the waitress left the table, slightly hunching as she walked away, passing all the filled tables.

“Aiden, I have to ask-” Sebastian leaned into him, “- que chintola is a Tounguana?”

“Oh! That is a long, green fish that lives in Loch Basa. It uses its long tongue to attack 'n' snatch up tis prey!” Looking at the wall behind Sebastian near the door, he pointed towards a painting depicting one being caught. “Look, that’s one noo in that canvas!”

Following Aiden’s finger, Sebastian turned around to face back. Just as he did, he smashed his face against someone that had just entered, making them fall back to the ground with a thud. As Sebastian held his nose in pain, he looked down to see a girl with dark brown skin holding her side where he had crashed into. A frayed crimson headscarf tied in a bun at the back covered her forehead and hair, hiding the top half of her ears. Below her rounded eyebrows and big brown eyes, she grunted with her full lips opened. An old, tattered top tinted by a faded yellow hugged her strong, curved upper half-tucked into black flimsy slacks as brown, strapped sandals covered her feet. Next to her on the floor lay two willow leaf sabres she carried in their black, damaged sheaths around her hip.

Finally regaining his senses, Sebastian gasped, “Are you okay? I am so sorry!” He stood up and offered her his hand to get up.

“I-I’m fine, thank you.” Her sweet voice stuttered as she took his hand and stood up, dusting herself off.

Hearing her, Sebastian felt horrible for what he did to this amiable girl who he just now realized was taller than him by at least four inches, “Is there something we can do to make up for it?”

“Why don’t ye let her sit wi' us 'n' I’ll pay fur her meal or anythin' else she needs?” Aiden spoke from behind Sebastian.

“You don’t h-have to…”

“Nonsense, it's th' least we can do fur th' trouble!” With a smile on his face, Aiden gestured to her to come sit next to where Sebastian's seat was. “We have room fur one more anyways!”

After the girl agreed, both Sebastian and her took their seats next to each other. Aiden called the server back and just like before, she was trying to keep it together, “Is there more you wish to get?”

“Aye, our friend 'ere just arrived 'n' she is wanting to order.” Turning his head to the girl, Aiden smiled brightly.

Fidgeting with her fingers, she pouted softly with her head down, “Um... bacon. I’d like to order bacon please.”

“Bacon, huh? Weel ye heard her, she’d lik' a plate full!” With a boisterous chuckle, Aiden raised his arms as if to perform on stage.

Quickly raising her head up shocked, she looked at Aiden, “W-Wait, I didn’t-”

“Coming right up.” With a weak grin, the attendant left once more to the back of the restaurant, dragging her feet like if she had rocks strapped to them.

The girl had been left speechless, unsure of what to say at the table full of strangers, so she slumped back to hiding herself.

Sebastian looked right at her, breaking the ice, “So what’s your name?”

“My name-” Taking a deep breath, she relaxed from her trembling, “- my name is Shani.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Shani. My name is Sebastian, that there is Aiden, Nia, and Camila.” Sebastian pointed to everyone respectfully, according to their name.

Shani waved at them without turning her head towards the group.

“I love your headscarf, it’s so pretty!” Nia beamed at her with her hand on her own cheek.

“I-It’s called a kanga and thank you.” Shani touched her head covered by the kanga and gave a small warm smile back at Nia

It was some time before the waitress returned, carrying in her shaking hands and arms were the dishes they all ordered, most dazzling was the one-meter, sizzling Tounguana. As it passed the table, they glared at how big it was besides Aiden who wore a big smirk, already holding his silverware. One by one they were distributed to their owner, the bouquet of spices and meats punching them in the face as the steam lifted up into the air before their eyes. Two large ceramic pitchers of water were placed in the middle of the table with tankards placed next to every meal besides Aiden, he was given his mead in a leather black jack cup. Everyone’s expression morphed into a hungry beast and began devouring what lay in front of them except for Shani, who gawked, watching the animals before her. Reverting to her own plate, she began to politely eat her bacon, delighted with every bite she took from the crunchy strips.

All that was left were empty plates and cups, not a single morsel or drop left after the feeding frenzy concluded. Bellies filled to brim caused them to slouch in their seats with their hands over their stomach, rendering them motionless. Shani closed her eyes, smiling, feeling a sense of peace come over her. A light tap interrupted her thoughts, she opened her eyes to see it was Sebastian gazing up at her. His lightly ruffled long hair came down to his shoulders, and his long eyelashes couldn’t be compared to anyone. She softly bit her lip for a split second to then realize he was calling her.

“Hey... Hey! Are you okay there?” Sebastian confusingly stared at Shani with one of his eyebrows up.

Noticing what she was doing, her face turned red, and covered her face with her hands, “Y-Yeah, I’m fine.”

“Okay-” Still puzzled, Sebastian continued, “- well I was asking if you had a place to stay and if not, you could stay with us. It doesn't look like you have many coins to spare.”

“Um… well, if you guys don’t mind, that would be nice of-”

The sound of metal walking on hard ground entered the restaurant. Two chatting soldiers strolled past their table, “- and so now we are getting more hours. It’s ridiculous, honestly!”

After seeing the guards, Shani quickly ducked under the table and pulled the chair back in to make it seem like no one was sitting there.

Perplexed, Sebastian looked below to see her shaking in fear, “What’s wrong? Are you in some kind of trouble?”

Unable to speak, she could only make eye contact with him like a frightened puppy.

“I see -” Coming back up, Sebastian nudged Aiden’s hand on the table, “Hey Aiden, I think we all need to get a room now.”

“Huh, where did she -” Stopped mid-sentence, Aiden saw Sebastian point down with a shrug. “- och, aye okay, guid idea.”

The host arrived once more at their location. After paying the sum of the meals, Aiden requested rooms for everyone. To their dismay, only two were available at the moment; a big accommodation for a few people and one smaller, just for one person. Thinking it over, the group settled on both, Camila taking the smaller of the two, commenting she doesn’t enjoy sharing rooms, especially right now. Her manner at Sebastian told him she was still mad, so he didn’t argue about her decision.

Tapping at the wooden surface, Sebastian looked down to where Shani was still hugging her legs, “Hey, we are about to go to our rooms. I can help you get past the men if you want.”

Shani shifted her head down and replied with a nod, still apprehensive about talking.

Pulling out the chair, Sebastian bent down and offered her his hand with a smile, “It’ll be alright, you’ll see. I’ll protect you.”

His eyes seemed to glisten, drawing her into them. As she took his hand, her trembling paused, allowing her to walk out. Once she was standing, she looked at the footmen sitting near the kitchen and clung on to Sebastian’s arm.

“Uhh… okay.” Sebastian turned to his side where she grasped him. “I hope she’s okay.”

Camila peered with a displeased stare at Shani, “I swear if she-”

Whispering, Sebastian interrupted, “Camila, we don’t know what is going on with her, just let it go for now.”

With a low snarl, Camila looked away, “Yeah yeah, do whatever you want.”

Picking up their belongings, they headed toward the right staircase that led down. Making sure Shani’s face was out of sight from the guards, she lowered it to the height of Sebastian’s head, his hair cloaking her face as they passed by all the chatter. Nearing the men, Shani clutched harder onto his arm, causing him to turn to her, closing her eyes and pressing her cheek on his shoulder. Seeing as they were close to the steps, he held the back of her balled up hand on his sleeve to help so she did not tumble down. Camila watched from behind with clenched teeth, another girl hogging his man and he was just letting himself. It sickened her.

It took no time to arrive at the doors of their rooms inside the stoned hallway lit by lights on the walls. Camila made a beeline into her room that was opposite of the suite they rented and slammed it shut, causing the wall and floor to vibrate from the intensity. The group stared at the spot Camila had been, even one of the waiters called down to ask if there was a problem. Sebastian reassured them by saying they swung it too hard by accident and that they were very sorry to alarm them. The conversation didn’t last, so they were free to continue into their quarters.

Unlike the dining area, the rented space they gained for a few nights was illuminated well with bronze wall sconces on the cemented bricked rock surfaces. The ceramic diamond tile flooring held four twin beds on each corner of the cubed area, all separated by a pair of long black cherry night tables with drawers. Each sleigh bed frame was constructed out of shaker maple, a caramel hue that matched the door on the opposite side of the room which led to the bathroom. Considering they were underground, there were no windows, but in their place were half ovals dug into the wall behind the nightstands that acted as shelves for potted flora, each one letting their dewy perfume into the air.

“Wow, it’s much nicer than I thought it’d be.” Nia walked over to one of the made beds covered by a burgundy quilt with hexagonal patterns and a stuffed white pillow. Resting one of her hands on the bleached cushions, the softness surprised her, “These are way better than what I had back home.” Settling down, she collapsed onto the comfy mattress.

“This is th' best place to sleep at fur a few nights. Th' tavern wis suppose to be a mining area at first, bit whin no ore wis found, th' owner turned it into th' place ye see th'day!” Aiden placed his war hammer and bag next to the far right bunk, then laid on top of it, “If ye know how to count, don’t count yin me, I’m aff to tak' a nap before ah bath.”

Heading inward with Shani, Sebastian closed the door behind them and noticed she was still closing her eyes, “Hey, you’re safe, you can let go of me now.”

Slowly, she opened her eyes and let go of Sebastian’s arm. In a soft voice, she spoke, “I’m s-sorry for causing you trouble.”

“It’s okay, don’t worry about it. Besides -” Sebastian shrugged, then took a seat on the bed to his right as he nervously laughed, “- she was already mad at me so it’s whatever.”

“I feel like the only one she isn’t mad at is, Aiden.” Nia commented, sitting back up and plopped her items down near the back left corner bed.

One of Aiden’s hands rose and pointed at Nia, “That’s true.”

“Okay then...” Resting against the footboard, Shani let out a brief sigh.

“Oh, I have an idea -” Nia sat up, feeling some energy brought back to her, “- we should check around town to see if we can find out anything.”

Thinking, Sebastian placed his hand on his chin, “That wouldn’t be a bad idea. Staying in one place we won’t learn anything new.” Facing Shani, he asks, “Do you wanna come with us, or do you want to stay in here?”

Not knowing exactly what to say, Shani pondered, “I-I mean I would feel safer in here, but it would be nice to go out too.” She glanced at Sebastian for a quick second and nodded, “Okay, I’ll come along.”

The trio exited the suite and passed the dining area. Luck was on their side, the restaurant had filled up more so passing through the guards was easier than before having no reason to hide Shani. Once outside, they walked back through the same road as before to arrive at the town center. Like before, there were still packs of people in every direction and chatting all around. There were two other paths they could take; one behind the giant flower serpent in the middle, and the other to the left of the main gate.

“What do you think, should we head towards the middle of town or the other way?” Nia pointed to their options, each way decorated just as lively as the one they had just come from.

As Sebastian was about to speak, he became distracted by a nearby stall selling small carved figurines of both the twin-headed beast and the warrior. “Hold on, Nia. I’ll be right back.” Curiosity getting the best of him, he walked on over to inspect the toys up close. The little shop had been orderly set up; to the left were the beast, and to the right were the warrior with its double swords in various poses.

“Welcome to my little setup! Would you be interested in buying one of my many figures?” An old man with a scruffy short beard stood behind the stand.

“I’m just here to see, but thank you.” With a small smile, Sebastian picked up one of the serpent toys while the man tended to another customer.

It wasn’t the best miniature he had seen, but it certainly wasn't the worst for it being the size of his palm. The creature intrigued him though; two heads on a long, scaly body. It had a pair of huge fins on either side of its back jaws, one at the top of the heads, and multiple that ran down its spines. Both sets of whiskers were made of thin string that had been glued right onto the wood so they wouldn’t come off, probably for the sake of the children that bought these. The serpent, held up by a small stand, was made to look as if it were water. Sebastian turned the sculpture upside down to see the bottom to find a name burned onto it; Namazzi. Sebastian put the figure down at its original place and picked one of the warriors. There wasn’t much detail to these unlike Namazzi’s, each one of the champion toys had different armors and when turning their bottoms up, they had no name. The only object each one had in common were the twin weapons. “Interesting…” Sebastian thought, returning the figurine back.

On his way back to the others, Sebastian apologized, “Sorry, I got distracted.”

“What did you see?” With a slight tilt up of her head, Nia inquired.

“Nothing really, just some toys. Not that well made, to be honest. The only thing that was intriguing was the name of the creature, Namazzi.” Sebastian pointed behind the giant representation of the serpent. “Let’s go that way.”

“Hmm, I may have stumbled on that name once or twice, but I never really paid much attention since these gigantic beasts are just myth. It’s supposedly one of the elemental gods.” Looking at where he was pointing, Nia swerved through the people to get to the location with the pair following her.

Once they had broken through the cluster of folk, Sebastian continued as he remembered, “Oh, I also saw that every warrior looked different except for his swords, which all looked the same.”

“T-They might hold some sort of importance to the town, like a legend. I’ve heard the area a-around Lake Basa praise the hero and worship Namazzi, so maybe the blades are important too.” Chiming in, Shani trailed behind Sebastian, squeezing out of the pack of crowds.

“Hmm, I hadn’t thought of that. You might be right.” Sebastian then cocked his head back and turned to her, “Wait, you’ve heard? You’re not from Northwich?”

“No, I-I travel a lot. I arrived this morning with the help of someone to pass the gate. A-Also -” Looking up into the sky, Shani continued, “- my friend is waiting outside.”

Both Nia and Sebastian didn’t comment on what Shani had said, but looked at each other confused by what she could mean.

Continuing walking down their route, they eventually reached the central square of Northwich. Like the town center, it was jam-packed with residents and adorned for their celebration. The large, square plaza held four beautifully, towering, chiseled pillars of different stains on each corner; blue, brown, red, and white, all surrounded by a circular bed of flowers. At the very middle of the quadrate grew a small circular park, filled with trees and blossoming plants. Upon reaching the pedestals closest to them on their right, the cobalt support at the top had been carved with waves and below it were three signs in a triangle on the stone itself; a heart at the top, a circle to the left, and a cracked gem.

“This must be the second pillar of creation; water.” With her hand, Nia pointed at the engravings below the capital, “Yeah look, the subdivisions are in a triad formation; health, tranquility, and ice. These four towers must be depictions of the Four Pillars of Creation.”

“Very right you are, young lady.” A frail, old lady wearing an aquamarine cassock and a small golden necklace with a square pendant approached Nia, “Are you interested in learning about our magnificent Pillars of Creation?”

With a smile, Nia lowered her head as a sign of respect, “Thank you, but we are in a hurry right now.”

“I understand.” She imitated Nia and continued on her way without another word.

Walking by the other pillars, they saw each one had unique designs;

Alternately from the last, the top of the fire column had etched flames covering it. Under the capital were its divisions, consisting of; life, destruction, and embers. Notably, the signs they had connected happened to be a single hand, half circle, and smoking pile of ash.

The air cover had sculpted clouds with its tri parts; storm, pollution, and wind and its emblems being thunder, smoke, and gusts of wind.

Earth’s cap appeared to show like rocks with its crests; nature, death, and strength associated to a tree, two bones in a square, and a triangle.

Their shafts matched each of the pillars elements, creating uniqueness between all.

Passing around the park, rows of seats were being constructed diagonally upwards with logs supporting them up between the air and earth pillars. As the men built in front of them, people wearing exquisitely made old-fashion outfits walked close to each other with papers in their hands, speaking out loud. While some only read their papers, others practiced fighting with dull-shaped swords.

“Huh, looks like they are preparing to perform a play of some kind. They made those costumes to look from many years back.” Nia glanced at the scene before her. “Makes you really think how much we have advanced as a society.”

“Yeah, it’s pretty fascinating.” Facing forward again after the rehearsal distracted him, Sebastian spotted a peculiar house that was unlike the rest he had seen so far. The owner had painted its roof green, so that alone made it stand out from the blue beside the dome of glass attached to it. “Hey Nia, look. I think that’s a uh -” Snapping his fingers, he tried to remember the word, “- greenhouse! It’s a greenhouse right, with all the plants and stuff?”

As she heard the word, Nia turned to what he was talking about. Sure enough, in front of her was a glasshouse full of plants with vines sticking out from an opened triangular glass with the name, “The Verden” above the main entrance. Excitement crept up on her. The possibility of what she was looking for could be in there or any useful information about it, “I-I think we need to go check it out.”

As they stood at the reflective door, the trance of flora seeped out with the help of a slight breeze. Knowing they wouldn’t get any info just standing, Nia opened the door, allowing the warm sun from the outside to gently hug the foliage as the green glow greeted them. A small bell rang as the entrance opened, alerting the owner of potential customers. Coming from the house attached, a sweet young voice resounded, “One second, I’ll be right with you!” While the trio waited patiently, they took a gander around the crystalline room they had just closed the exit to. Numerous potted flowers, small shrubs with berries, and vegetables in rows of shelves covered the walls with moss ropes climbing up the panes into the outside. In the den's heart, a hexagon rack stood as high as six feet tall with more greenery. Trickling water could be heard coming from its location as well as the drops splashing right beneath the walnut grated flooring. Looking closer, lily pads floated above the surface of the water with small assorted fish swimming throughout their space.

Snickering under her breath, Nia commented, “Talk about a greenhouse, am I right?”

“What do you -” Sebastian frowned and slowly turned to Nia, “- you’re saying that because this is a greenhouse with a green roof, aren’t you?”

Nia wiped off a small tear forming under her eye as she continued to giggle, “Nah, that would imply I’m a pun master.”

He shook his head disapprovingly, letting out the saddest sigh he has ever let out, “Why are you the way that you are?”

Footsteps coming from the adjacent door opening scurried the aquatic swimmers away from the source. A youthful lady appeared wearing a long-sleeved onyx button up tucked into hickory trousers the length to her ankles. A cream sun hat covered her wavy blond hair in a duel braided bun. Her leather gloves and shoes were dirtied with fresh soil and had tears at the upmost top of them. She wiped her sweaty forehead with the back of her hand, leaving a lengthy smear of dirt as she smiled, “Sorry, I was in my private garden. So, how may I help you?”

Deciding on how to best say what she searched for, Nia replied with a slight shake in her voice, “H-Hello, I’m sorry to bother you, but I am looking for a specific plant.”

“Well, what kind of plant are you wanting to buy? My glass dome may not be that big, so anything I may not have here, I could be growing it in my field out of the city walls.”

Surprised, Nia asked, “You have a field?”

The lady laughed with a quick snort, “Of course I do! I’m the one who arranged the Namazzi in front of the main gate and anything else you see with flowers around town. I’m the greatest horticulturist in Northwich, Cecilia Bennett, at your service.” With her arm against her stomach and the other extended outward, Cecilia bowed before them. By accident, her stretched hand tipped over one of the pots next to her, spilling the soil and plant all over the counter, “Oh shoot!” Hurriedly, she sat the pot up right and scooped up the dirt, funneling it inside with her hands.

Watching as Cecilia repotted her herb, Nia continued with some hope in her, “Well, I’m looking for a plant that grows a fluorescent red fruit that is supposed to cure any disease.”

“A plant that grows a red glowing fruit? Hmm -” Finished cleaning the surface, Cecilia turned around to Nia, “- I grow nothing like that.” As she thought to herself, she leaned against the door, tapping her finger on its glass, “Plant that grows a fruit… why does that sound familiar?” As if she had been zapped, Cecilia backed off the exit, “Oh wait, I remember! It was in a book about mythical flora I have in my study. Hold on, I’ll be right back and fetch it!” Quickly, she went back inside her home, leaving Nia with her mouth opened, about to ask what she meant.

After a brief wait, Cecilia returned with a girthy book the size of her forearm. She placed it on the counter and flipped through the pages, “No, no, no, not here… There!”

Nia, Sebastian, and Shani closed in to take a look at the book Cecelia had brought. With one of her long fingers out of her gloves, she pointed to a paragraph in the middle of the page. A picture of a stem blooming a luminous, burgundy, bulbous shaped fruit spotted with what looked to be seeds all around it, hanging from its side covered the following paper.

Following along the print on the paper, Cecilia read out loud the text, “It says here; The plant’s chemical attributes are unknown as there are no actual records of it being used except for one, which is where the legend comes from. The myth involves the use of it in an experiment to create a fluid, but this herb hasn’t been documented in reality.” Cecilia continued below where the italicized text lay, “Once, a man scoured the land for anything to heal his wife from a deadly disease she mysteriously obtained. Day and night he looked until he was given a clue from a cloaked stranger that led him to his goal. Upon returning to his sick wife, he concocted a brew that healed her of all diseases, even scars she had from her past. Knowing that if anyone else got a hold of this recipe, they could easily temper with it for ill doings, so he hid the location of the plant. As the man grew old, a thief entered his home ordering him to give up the directions for both the plant and the formula or he and his wife would die. The man sneakily only gave half the preparations to make it, but refused to say where the plant was. He was beaten, tortured for days until he broke, only giving the thief a riddle; In the highest land of Nuria, when the cold day is el dia, where none perturb is where you’ll find the herb. Once the thief got what he wanted, he killed both him and his wife, never to be seen again. Word got out about the riddle and many travelers have sought this mythical plant, but none have ever succeeded.” Exhaling, Cecilia closed the book, “Well, that’s all there is to it. I’m sorry to say, but what you are looking for is just a myth.”

“This makes little sense -” Nia thought to herself aloud, “- If it’s just a myth, why would three thieves kill a merchant last week for only spreading the rumor?”

“Well.. what if he wasn’t just a merchant and knew more than he let on?” Sebastian put his hand on his chin.

“Hold on a second -” Confused, Cecilia looked at both of them who were standing next to her, “- someone was killed recently because of a myth? That’s outrageous!”

Since their arrival into the garden, Shani finally spoke out with her usual nervous stutter from behind them, “U-Unless it’s not a myth? Maybe someone is intentionally hiding the truth. The legend did say that it could be used for bad intentions.”

Physically shaking, Cecilia checked her surroundings to see if anyone was listening in, “I think your friend might be onto something. If what she says is true, let’s pretend we never had this conversation to begin with and you don’t go looking for it for your own sake.”

“Are you going to be alright mam?” As if to reach out, Nia lifted her hand toward Cecilia.

“I will be fine, I’ll be on the lookout for any dangerous people. If I suspect anyone, I’ll have no choice but to go into hiding or flee, I’ll also send word to you through this.” Revealing an Obliriumite stone the length of her finger from her pocket, Cecilia splintered a small piece of the black rock with the edge of the counter. Handing the meager chunk to Nia, she picked up her book with her arm wrapped around it, “Now for the time being, you should be off and never inquire me of this again. I have a lot of work to do, but it was nice to meet you all.” Without another word, Cecilia darted back through the door into her house.

When they returned to their room to a snoring Aiden, it had turned night time. Nia kept repeating the riddle, trying to make sense of it, “What could it mean?!”

Sebastian lay on his bed with an arm and leg dangling off the edge, “Well, el dia means “in the day” in this context, but beyond that I don’t know.”

“Hmm… Maybe we have to climb the tallest mountain in the day?” Slumping down, Nia rested herself on her mattress, “If that’s the case, that would be Mt. Elra in the Yadi Ridge, but I do not know how to get there.”

“Are you seriously wanting to climb up the highest mountain in Nuria when the whole point of all of this journey was to find the missing people, including my family?!” Sebastian shot up irritated, now sitting and glaring at Nia from across the room.

“Sebastian, I know why we escaped and our plan, but if I don’t find this, my dad will die either way! Think of it this way, if we head out to Mt. Elra, we might even find something to lead us to all that had been taken.”

Not liking the situation, Sebastian knew Nia made a good argument. This could push them to where the kidnapped are being held, but the thought of having to scale a mountain made his feet ache. “What sane person would climb up Mt. Elra? There was nothing up there, but snow and cold winds. It’s suicide!” Shaking his head, Sebastian stood up, pacing back and forth, trying to combat Nia’s point.

“Okay, but what if there is nothing up there? You have to consider that, Nia. It even said it in the story, “many travelers have sought this mythical plant, but none have ever succeeded.” What chance do we have of finding it?” Sebastian paused and looked Nia straight in her eyes, “We might not even be the first to go up there!”

With a soft sigh, Nia stood up, “There is no certainty we will find it, but at least we would have traveled the length to potentially find the villagers or even get information of where they are.”

Putting his fingers on his temples, Sebastian shook his head, “I hate it when you’re right -” Sitting back down, Sebastian continued, “- but you even said it yourself, you don’t know how to get there and I can tell you this much, Camila or I sure as don’t either. Who knows if Aiden knows too or if he would want to help us since we’ve only known him for a few days.”

“I-I know the way there…”

Both Nia and Sebastian turned their heads to where Shani was, sitting on the edge of her bed, “You do?”

“Yeah, like I said earlier, I-I travel a lot. I’ve been to a lot of places in Nuria and Mt. Elra is one of them, though I haven’t climbed to the top before.”

Nia stood up and walked to where Shani rested, then squatted in front of her, “If it’s okay with you, would you be okay with showing us the way?”

Shani shifted in her seat, resting her arms on her legs as she scratched the back of her head, “I-I don’t know, I came here to Northwich to look for something. L-Leaving before I find it would make my journey pointless.”

“Well -” Sebastian joined Nia near Shani and looked up at the girl, “- what are you searching for?”

“I can’t really say what it is, b-but it’s in the center of Lake Basa on its island. Well… at least I think it is.”

“You think it is? Is it like an object or what?” Nia sat on the floor, crossing her legs as she questioned her.

“To tell you the truth, I-I don’t know myself, but it’s important for me to go. I’ve been following clues all around this land and hopefully this will be my last stop to find out -” Shani caught herself and quickly stopped talking, “- n-never mind.”

Tugging at her ponytail, Nia nodded, tightening her lips to hide her displeasement, “Alright, we’ll help you. After we return, do we have your word that you will help us even if you don’t find what you are looking for?”

With a slight nod of her head, Shani agreed, “I promise. I never go back on my word.”

“Okay, thank you.” As Nia stood back up, a loud kaboom followed by crackling penetrated through the walls of the tavern, causing Nia to almost jump out of her shoes from fright.

Aiden suddenly woke up, but as he tried to stand up, he fell right on to the hard ground, “Whit wis that?!”

“I think it’s the festival starting. Should we take a look? I mean, we have nothing else to do at the moment.” Stretching his legs back up, Sebastian looked at Nia amusingly from her scare.

Composing herself, Nia went back to her bed, “I’m alright, I’ll stay here. There is something I’ve been meaning to read but had no time to do so.” Reaching down to her stuff, she opened her bag and plucked the scarlet book she took from the decrepit shack in Willbury Woods.

“Sounds good, what about you Aiden?” Sebastian watched as Aiden picked himself up and couldn’t help but to laugh a little.

“Hauld yer horses, it's awready nicht!? Ah gotta git gaun! Ah don’t wanna be too late 'n' have th' enchanter be closed!” As fast as he could, he put on his shoes, picked up his war hammer that was resting against the wall next to his bed, and ran out the room, “I’ll catch up wi' ye at th' center o' toun!”

“Well, then -” Sebastian turned back to Shani, who had just stood up, “- do you want to go?”

Her heart fluttered. The offer felt like he had just asked her out. Realizing her daze, Shani immediately cleared those thoughts, “What is going on with me? I’ve never acted this way!” Inhaling, she accepted his proposal, “Y-Yeah, it might be fun!”

“Alright then!” With a smile, Sebastian waved at Nia and shut the door. “Oh wait, I gotta ask Camila!” He took a step forward and knocked on the door opposite to theirs, “Hey Camila, we are going to the festival to check it out. Want to -”

A bang to the door from the other side startled both Shani and Sebastian, “WHY DON’T YOU GO ASK YOUR NEW GIRLFRIEND?!”

He knew she was still mad at him, but this was being too much even after telling her they didn’t know what situation Shani was in. They were going to need to have a talk and soon, this can’t go on for much longer or it could get worse. His head pressurized inward like it was being crushed.

“A-Are you okay?” Shani worryingly looked down at him as he held his head in pain. She couldn’t bear to see him struggling like this, even if she had just met him.

“Yeah, don’t worry. I just got a headache, that’s all.” Exhaling, he took her hand as he moved up the stairs to the exit of the hallway, “Come on, let’s see what this festival is all about!”

Blushing, Shani followed her pulled arm in front of her, “O-Oh, okay!”