Novels2Search
Death's Homecoming
47: The Sun Market PT 2

47: The Sun Market PT 2

Knights had begun to flood the golden square in pursuit of the intruders, so they were limited on time. Casty masterfully maneuvered around patrols as if she could predict where they'd search. After a few minutes, there were hardly any kiosks but extensive wood or stone structures.

Casty stopped occasionally, looked back at the two struggling to follow, and urged, "Stay close."

She continued, her short, mint-green hair thrashing around. Breathing recklessly, Vin wiped his face and looked at his longboard, which would have been perfect to use if they had run outright instead of stopping often. He and Gideon cursed in their native languages, continuing to heed their guide.

They evaded their pursuers without difficulty. It was unnervingly easy. The spell of silence may have played a large part in their escape, but it still felt too straightforward for the Archival Dimension.

Casty led them to a small shop slightly remote from the other structures. It was crafted with smooth, pale stone and had a triangular roof. Its exterior had accents of silver, along with other subtle natural colors, to complement the array of plants surrounding it. The curtains were drawn closed inside the sparkling clean windows, and the carved wooden door was shut with a hanging sign that clearly denied customers.

This structure was way too pristine to be abandoned, so Vin wondered how this shop became their shelter. The cohort tip-toed to the entry, adorned with glowing music notes. The young woman with eyes like green apples withdrew a key, unlocked the door, and shut it once they were all inside.

The first thing Vin discerned when he entered was the reek of a corpse among that of wood and metal. All the curtains were closed to give the illusion that no one was there, which meant the sun halo's light couldn't illuminate the inside.

It was dark.

Vin's eyes strained to make out the features of the interior or the twenty souls that resided inside. Burdened by the darkness, he lit a purple flame in his palm, which caused some startled whines but revealed everything.

It took time for his eyes to adjust, but he spotted the group of Ravenours he'd sensed, all now basked in the violet glow of his flame. A quick glance around revealed they were inside a well-kept music shop. The entire left half was an open clearing with a reception counter and larger instruments like pianos. Meanwhile, the right was crammed with long aisles filled with hundreds of smaller instruments and part replacements.

A wrapped body was in the corner, next to a grand wooden harp with golden strings. The protruding points at the sides of its head indicated that it may have been the shop's proprietor.

Unlike Vin, Gideon had no issue lowering his guard. The large-handed man crumpled onto the floor and caught his breath without concern. While down, his eyes happened upon his pants legs, where he saw a thin thorny vine swirling around his ankle like an accessory. Jazzy angrily ripped the flora off and cursed it as if it were responsible for his exhaustion.

Vin had steeped in the weeds, too, and tiredly eyed his own clothing for the vile vines. He hadn't marched through them like Gideon, yet he, too, was hooked. He pulled them off, recovered himself, and then moved to raise the Sphere of Silence.

Casty was the one to reassure the occupants of that depot that the new newcomers were, in fact, a guard of the princess and the Eternal himself. The Ravenours snapped their gazes at him, then dropped to their knees in prayer. Thrilled, they'd been saved, set free from their terrible predicament.

So they believed. However, Vin didn't offer them a single word. He commanded his flame to suspend near the roof, casting a charming violet light that veiled everything in the store like a lamp. Afterward, he aimlessly wandered down the shop's aisles with a dark, unapproachable aura about him, touching the instruments that loosely resembled those of Earth. There were Lyre, flutes, violins, harmonicas, and even bells. This made one wonder what kind of majestic orchestra elves conducted.

It had been three years since Earth was assimulated, and even though he was in a coma most of that time, it still felt like an eternity since he heard music. It was always his solace as a child; something about a good song was always- rehabilitating.

And, right now, he craved something melodic and somber. He combed his memory for anything helpful in playing these tools, and for the first time, it failed him. Then again, he often skipped his school's mandated music class to skate behind the campus, so there was no recollection to uncover.

Vin sighed and picked up the next tool he saw, which happened to be what he guessed was an elven clarinet made of polished, glasslike metal. He wasn't giving much thought to his actions. One minute, he was wandering around haphazardly. The next, he handed this instrument to Gideon and flatly asked him, "You can play, right?"

The slick-haired Ravenour was at the reception counter, giving his tyrannical speech to the survivors, when Vin interrupted him. The young, dark-haired man and every other half-dragon in that room stared at the misplaced human. Gideon snapped at him, grumbling, "Wake up, we aren't here to mess around."

"I know," Vin scowled, pushing the instrument closer to Jazzy and insisting, "Just play it."

Gideon looked down at the thing. He was aware of the elven contraption yet never actually saw it in person. When Vin initially met the young man in the forest, he pegged him as someone who knew how to play jazz because of their broad hands, dark features, and effortless, almost too-cool vibe. At some point, Vin just held that notion in his head without asking the man if they knew how to play music.

Turned out he couldn't.

As a matter of fact, Vin hadn't heard any sound other than a war whistle inside the Ravenour's town. He hadn't seen a single person sing, hum, or even dance, for that matter.

He realized that music didn't exist within the Ravenour's culture. But that didn't mean it had to stay that way. Uncaring about the other half-dragons watching, Vin forced the instrument into Gideon's possession, "This is the least you can do since I brought you along with me."

Gideon clicked his teeth and scowled at the clarinet Vin had shoved into his hands. "What am I supposed to do with this? Beat someone with it?"

Vin jumped up and sat on the reception counter before crossing his arms, "Blow into it. Move your fingers. Even you can manage that."

With a reluctant huff, Gideon brought the flute to his lips. The first note was a strained wheeze, prompting a discouraged stare from Vin. "Relax, you're not rallying an army. Just breathe."

Glaring, Gideon tried again. This time, a shaky, uneven sound wobbled out. His claws fumbled over the holes, producing a clunky series of notes that further buried Vin's hopes. Jazzy looked at the bothersome human and muttered. "It's awful."

"Yea. It's terrible." Vin agreed, throwing his head back in defeat. "Still. It's something."

Gideon stared at the flute, then raised it once more. The following notes weren't perfect, but they filled the air, tentative and alive. For the first time, the silence felt less heavy.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

No more than two minutes later, he halted and glared at the human, "First, you hook Tristen on skateboarding, and now I'm supposed to learn how to play this thing for you like a jester."

Vin dragged a hand across his face, exhaling deeply to flush his miserable mood. His voice was calm but edged with dry amusement as he said, "If you hated it so much, you wouldn't be strapping it to your belt."

"I'm only keeping it because you wouldn't shut up about it."

"You don't always have to be so difficult," Vin retorted. He still craved a good song, but Gideon had helped to relieve his melancholy. While mostly aggravating, the young man was somewhat fun to quarrel with.

Casty, the short, mint-haired woman who guided them, approached Vin sitting on the counter and gave an overly dramatic nod. She apologized for her associate's behavior and thanked him for ensuring the princess survived.

Curious, she questioned how he and Gideon could move so freely without attracting attention. She'd never known the guard to be, as she put it, modest.

Vin massaged his skull, agreeing that Jazzy was far from subtle. He glanced at the stranger, finding her light-colored scales and mint-green hair overly jovial. Most of the Ravenours he'd met were large, intimidating, and had black scales and horns, but she was petite and rather vibrant. She reminded him a lot of Tristen. In any case, he didn't want to unwittingly reveal that Maeve had seized several spells from their town's armory, so he simply told her they moved with magic.

Not daring to interrogate him, Casty walked closer and inspected his longboard; her voice was as sweet as her eyes were sour, and she inquired, "Excuse me sir, I was also wondering why your skateboard looked different from the ones we used in training."

Vin's brows raised, and he thumbed through the archives of memory of the day the Ravenours captured him. "Right. You were a part of the twenty students."

Her face lifted in awe, and she said lightly, "I'm honored you remember me, sir."

"Yes. All of your trainees were Maeve's retainers."

"I didn't know," he said, lifting his new tool to answer her prior question. He pointed out the noticeable differences, such as its size and larger wheels. Then, he went over its uses in great detail. For example, it was faster on a straight than a regular skateboard, but its weight made stunts difficult.

"It's also known as a cruiser; there are even off-road versions with much larger wheels that could rove over dirt and sand. If you ride one downhill, you could easily move faster than race a horse. And-"

Vin stopped, looking at the young woman who'd whipped out her Journal and began taking notes. She stopped writing when he hushed and looked at him fervently, "Sir?"

"Sorry, I didn't mean to talk so much," he said with an exhale.

Casty squeezed her notebook and pen, stepped forward, and exclaimed, "No, sir, I'm always eager to learn. Tristen isn't the best teacher... And he doesn't know anything about your world, so learning from you is a privilege."

Vin's eyes opened. Rambling about skating had only weirded people out, but Trisen and this new face genuinely wanted to know more. He adjusted his seat on the counter, held out the longboard, and told her. "Test it if you want."

Her face flared in thrill; she looked like she could pass out. Before Vin handed the tool over, Gideon emerged between them, reminding him that Maeve was waiting to hear about their success. Vin and Casty simultaneously glared at the slick-haired Ravenour. They hated his timing, but both knew he was right.

'This always happens, doesn't it. Whenever Tristen even mentions skateboarding, something comes up, and I can't speak with him.'

The mint-haired Ravenour walked toward the back of the purple-lit music store, saying, "I'll just need a moment to collect my things."

"Take all the time you'd like; you're not coming with us," snarled Gideon. Casty sprang angrily, picked up a windpipe, and threw it at the tall man's head. The two began to bicker like cats and dogs about her joining them. At some point, it devolved into them arguing about which retainer princess Maeve trusted more, her guard or her adept spy.

Vin sat idly by and watched. He wondered if all of Maeve's subordinates were misfits like Gideon, Tristen, and Casty. The other Ravenours separated the quarreling pair. After that episode, Jazzy stormed to the all-knowing Eternal to plead his case. "You don't want to travel with her. She'll just disappear on you."

"Let it go..." Casty said with less vigor.

The guard extended a strict finger toward her, shouting, "I will not. Maeve gave us our mission, and the first hint of danger you ran!"

The nimble young woman became quiet and hung her head in a shame that only she understood. There was definitely extensive history between the two. That was something to consider while the room went quiet.

After a fleeting reflection, Vin shrugged his shoulders. There was nothing to lose by bringing her alone. Even if she fled, they'd be none the worse. Also, remembering how vexing it was to travel with Gideon made him angry all over again. It also helped that Casty memorized the layout of the surrounding area so it would be easier to navigate in the future.

The guard fought him on his decision while Casty collected her possessions. She returned with a small satchel around her shoulder and passed an apple to the men, informing them she knew the most accessible fruit stand to loot. It became harder for Gideon to plead his case after she put food in his belly.

Vin lowered the longboard and brought the ripe, red fruit to his mouth, primitively salivating at its delightful taste. His teeth sank into the firm skin, the crisp crunch echoing faintly in the quiet of the elven shop. He savored the perfect blend of tartness and sweetness, a luxury he imagined wouldn't be abundant going forward.

Gideon was reluctant, but Vin knew he was acting problematic to save face. He'd eventually eat the apple after some resistance.

Wanting to thank his provider, Vin's gaze flicked to Casty, who had already been staring at him with interest. Her posture stiffened when he met her sight, and she hurried and looked away. Vin tilted his head in confusion and took another bite of the fruit. He inadvertently began to stare at her curiously colorful appearance, scanning her from top to bottom.

When his eyes landed on the young woman's foot, the taste in his mouth bittered. His carefree mood instantly evaporated like mist, and a fierce scowl immersed his face. His stare alone could burn a hole in the thin, sinister vine curling around Casty's ankle like a living chain. He and Gideon could have been coincidental since they crossed the flora bridge. But her?

Vin hopped down from the counter and crouched beside Casty. He yanked the vine off her ankle and stood with it in his palm. It was slim but dense, faintly pulsing like a heartbeat. It was living.

"Casty," Vin called, his voice inlaid with daming demand. The green-eyed woman stiffened like a child caught with a hand in the cookie jar and reacted with a nervous stutter.

"You've been hiding in this market the entire time, so you never crossed the bridge, right," Vin questioned.

"Correct... Only the day we appeared in the city," she replied.

Vin looked back to where he and Gideon had torn off the plants, and there were no signs of the pest. The only conclusion is that they reformed when they weren't looking and slithered onto Casty.

Vin instigated a bitter violet-colored flame in his hand that burned the thin plant, then asked, "Is there a rear exit?"

Casty observed the deadly flame, then checked the rest of her body for anything that may have stuck. Vin was impressed by how quickly she pieced the situation together and answered his question, "No, but there are large windows at the back of the store."

Gideon grabbed the human's shoulder and leaned in, his voice low enough not to cause a panic but curt: "What's going on?"

"We were probably tracked h-," Vin froze mid-sentence and turned his head toward the door they entered from. There, he saw an expanding glow that seeped from beneath the entry as if the brightness outside had amplified. An accumulation of light was a characteristic sign of the spells of Elven fighters.

Casty jolted toward the surviving Ravenours, ushering them to the building's rear. Not taking his eyes off the door, Vin picked up his longboard, the partially eating apple in his other hand begging to be consumed.

He stayed poised and ready to act; every muscle was taut and ready to respond. Though, as the moments dragged on and the light intensified, a creeping unease settled in. It didn't take a genius to figure out that the longer the mana charged, the deadlier the attack would be. When the light reached its peak, flaring unnaturally bright, Vin instinctively stepped back, muttering gravely. "They're about to breach."