espite being unfamiliar with the street names, I found the new location for The General Muir. It was relatively easy once I discovered the countless guards standing outside a single storefront in the merchant district. As I approached, I could tell they were expecting me. The soldiers gave me a wide berth while still keeping their hands clasped onto their sword hilts.

Inside was a beautiful storefront with walls lined with silk tapestries and decorative wallpaper.

"Well?" The Attendant asked expectantly, gesturing to the room around him.

"It's beautiful, Degrasse," I replied. "I'm sure the next tenant will love this place, whatever is left of it."

He flinched as I intentionally left out his title, something I'm sure he connived very hard to achieve.

"Oh, come now, Mersault. We can all be friends here. All work for the glory of Salinel. Put in the time, and I could see about putting you on the Assembly. They vouch for Wizards of all types, even those from... less flashy schools."

"I'm not a Wizard, Attendant," I said, dropping the massive but light bag onto the ground.

"Hmm." He replied, still unconvinced. "What do you have there?"

"A present." I opened the bag revealing crimson cloth orbs that floated out of the bag, each lighter than the air around it.

"Oh, marvelous."

He caught one of the balloons I lobbed in his direction, inspecting it as the rest spread out to corners of the building.

"What do they do?" He inquired.

I ignored his question. "Where's Deanne?"

He snapped to one of his guards, who walked into an adjacent room and brought out the bound helpless old woman. I waved her to me, and the Attendant struck his arm out in response.

"Ah, ah, ah. What do they do?"

"They float," I replied. "With enough of them, I'm sure you could lift a significant amount, but right now, there's just enough to lift the cloth itself."

I reached out for Deanne, and the Attendant dropped his arm, allowing her to pass through.

"And if you let us stay in Hearston, I can make more of these and other presents that yourself and Salinel will have the first pick of."

"Would we not have that already?" The Attendant asked.

"Well, maybe, but it is more accessible in a larger city. Who knows if I won't be tempted to move, Dulcrois has a wonderful tailoring community, I hear. We'd fit right in there."

The Attendant snapped his fingers, and guards surrounded with their swords drawn.

"That's what you don't get, Wizard of Hearston." He laughed. "We would never give some unknown a shop of his own and the potential to run off to some other power. The rules of this world are to find power and take it. If you don't, someone else will, and you'll be left in the wake of their destruction."

He pushed the balloon down and let it float to his chest. Then kept repeating this process like it was a game.

"I'm afraid you won't have the chance to move anywhere. So a craftsmen's dungeon is where we'll keep you. The family that took you in? Will be dead by daylight, and so will anyone else in that backwater town if they question our choices. You'll spend the rest of your life creating for the sake of Salinel and be happy about it because I can give you something that not a lot of other people get in life, purpose."

Deanne looked frightened and tired. I wrapped my arm around her shoulders in a comforting brace and clutched the strands in my hand as tightly as possible.

"But first," I replied after a long silence. "Let me tell you some more about these balloons. After all, I spent all morning hunting butterflies."

"Butterflies?" The Attendant questioned while clutching the ballon in his hands.

I focused on each strand clutched in my fist, starting with the strand connected to the balloon in the Attendant's hands. It broke apart slowly, peeling back layers of fabric until it revealed the prize inside of each one. A yellow butterfly radiating more heat than a blazing campfire.

The Attendant threw his hands away, but it was far too late. The radiant firefly lodged itself into his chest, cinders radiating from his body starting from his sternum. He pried at his chest, but his fingers returned as charred stumps.

"Please help!" He pleaded to the guards around him, unaware they had their own infernal insects to deal with.

I disassembled each balloon and added it to the fabric until I made a sheet about the size of a twin-sized bed.

Without missing a beat, the yellow insects spread to all corners of the shop, engulfing the silk and tapestry-lined walls immediately. The ones that weren't committing arson flew after the guards looking to do more severe damage.

I wrapped the sheet around Deanne and myself. Looking back, I saw the Attendant had become no more than a charred husk. We breached the front doors with a couple of fleeing guards. Fortunately, at the moment, they were more concerned with evading the flames than capturing arsonists.

"Please, help the Attendant! He's still inside." I yelled out, knowing it was far too late.

But as the soldiers checked inside, we slipped into the chaos of the surrounding street. Managing to sneak out of the city's perimeter with ease. As we headed back on the road to Hearston, we turned back to the city behind us. The fire had clearly spread, creating smoke pouring over the city's walls.

"Promise me something." I requested from Deanne after minutes of silence.

"What?" She replied.

"Leave Hearston."

"No, I already told you it's where I want to-"

"I don't care," I replied, cutting her off. "You have a daughter and two grandchildren that rely on you. The town helped them secure a cart and two horses. We've emptied out everything from inside your home that wasn't destroyed. Please, just leave."

There was silence as she processed my words, only broken by her laughter.

"Fuck, you're just like her, aren't you?"

"I'm sorry, what?"

"Roselyn, my other daughter. She was just like you, different than everyone else. Wanting to do things her own way, the right way." She continued laughing. "She was so proud when she was conscripted by the Salinel League of Voyagers. So was I, at least until she didn't come back to us. Everything always had to be her way, and she fought until she made it happen."

"Guess it's genetic." I joked, bringing a smile to Deanne's worn face.

"Fine, you win. We can leave once we get back."

My heart stopped when she used the term 'we.'

"You know I can't come with you, right?" I looked back at the growing flames erupting from the massive stone city.

She nodded her head in response. The rest of the walk we spent in silence. I noticed the tears streaming down her face and put my arm around her shoulder, pulling her close to comfort.

Before the cart headed off, I said goodbyes to the family that housed me for more than a month. For Colter and Jessica, I stitched together dolls for their respective interests. Jessica got a knight with long flowing locks rolling off her grey armor. For Colter, I made a mage with a red ball in its stumpy little hand. All I had to work with for a needle was bone, but I still felt like they were semi-accurate representations.

"Thank you!' Jessica said while throwing her knight into the air and catching it repeatedly.

"Thank you," Colter said more pensively.

"Isn't that what you want to be, Colt? A powerful mage?" Deanne inquired.

"Well, it's just. I did, but now I think I want to be a tailor."

I smiled, tussling the boy's hair. "Look for me in about five years. After that, I may need an apprentice."

The boy nodded excitedly and walked away, ready to help his aunt get on the road.

"We have something for you too," Deanne said, pulling a polished burgundy box from behind her back. "I got you this the day before the Attendant showed up, as thanks, now it doesn't seem like its quite eno-"

I took the box from her hands and wrapped my arms around her, sinking in for a moment.

"Thank you for everything."

As the cart rode away, I mapped out my next steps. Dulcrois, the city of Wonder, was allegedly filled with men and women who knew the answers to all of life's questions. Hopefully, someone will understand why I was brought here and how to return to my old home.

I stopped. "Do I want to return?"

No, you do not.

"Well, then what do I want?"

Broke paused for a moment before replying with his iconic answer. Information unavailable.

"Right, so Dulcrois it is."

I pulled Deanne's gift from my bag and examined the outside. A redwood finely polished to the point that it caught light from the moon and stars above. A plush purple velvet held four needles of varying sizes and metals inside the box. A handwritten note was left inside as well.

Star,

Every soldier needs his sword. So we thought ours deserved one as well.

To our needle-knight.

-Deanne, Katherine, Colter, and Jessica