“Wow Lee… your hair is really pretty- er I mean looks good.”

“Thanks Pike. I thought I would make it look a bit more professional for this trip. I don’t want to embarrass Tirany, hehe.”

Lee played with her new bangs giving a flat laugh, her own awkwardness covering Pike’s.

The reason she gave for her recent haircut was partially true. She couldn’t go to an important meeting in place of an Overseer and look shabby. Her short and clean cut hair would help her look the part.

There was another reason why she changed her appearance. An anxiety that lurked in the caverns of her mind, only ever creeping out when she let herself go too deep into the caves of thought.

They were traveling to the capital city of the Jisogden Empire, Ombregg, for an important meeting. This meeting would consist of all the major territories’ Overseers. Tirany had conflicts and couldn’t make it.

She sent Lee in her place. She had assured her it was common for Overseers to send assistants when they had conflicts and couldn’t make it.

Lee had made extraordinary strides in her work. She had graduated well past being a file organizer and was now considered a full on assistant, helping Tirany with a plethora of different tasks.

Even with great strides in her ability, she was still nervous. Who wouldn’t be nervous going and meeting with a bunch of different high authority personnel? Especially if those personnel have ties with a certain elven prison.

Lee had looked into it a bit. She was curious as to where she came into this world and she wasn’t talking about the birthing process. Waking up to being a prisoner would make anyone cautious.

Apparently what Shellorn had said about there being no elves anywhere close was correct. The different races were segregated into different countries in this world. She didn’t know of any laws in the empire that prohibited other races, but it seemed to be more of a social construct.

Her worries about escaping the elven prison had slowly diminished, seeing how separated she was from any elven authority in a human empire. Those worries never disappeared though.

It never hurt to be too careful, so she decided to change her appearance a bit. She just used the excuse of going to an important meeting as a secondary reason.

So why were Pike and Shellorn in the carriage along with her?

“I can’t wait! We are going to see the triumphant trio. This is incredible, you’re the best sister ever!” Pike’s eyes glowed.

“I am the best sister, aren’t I?” Shellorn smirked at her little brother’s praise.

It seemed that they had convinced the Vassauges to let them tag along for a little side trip.

Wait.

A thought had occurred to Lee.

“Do the Vassauges know that Pike’s your brother?”

When Lee and Shellorn first met the Vassauges, they both claimed to not have any parents. This was essentially true for Lee in this world, but a bold faced lie for Shellorn. This topic had never really come up since.

With the insertion of Pike into the equation, things became a bit more complicated. He lived with Shellorn’s parents, so if they knew about him, they would know about her parents and that they had deceived them.

A pit began welling up in Lee’s stomach as she prepared herself for the snarl of lies Shellorn had left behind for her to carefully untangle without letting them break.

“I ended up telling them about my whole family situation. They thought it was funny how I conned them into letting us stay at their place, heehee.”

All of Lee’s pre-emptive concerns were shattered in a single breath. Shellorn was truly amazing with how blunt she could be.

The void those concerns left behind were immediately filled by something else.

Whole family situation? You haven’t told me anything about your family. You always change the subject whenever I bring it up. I thought we were best friends? Why would you tell them and not me? Don’t you trust me?

Jealousy.

Her heart panged as the betrayal she felt snipped away at her heart strings. Her gaze shifted to the carriage floor and her voice turned somber.

“Shell… What happened between you and your father? Why are you so resistant to going home?”

Lee was able to piece together that whatever family issues she had, it dealt with her relationship with her father. Specifically, something big had happened about a year ago and she left to go live in the woods.

Shellorn’s goofy aura evaporated. She just stared blankly back at her.

Lee couldn’t read any emotions behind her friend’s eye, and it saddened her.

“I need some fresh air.”

Shellorn stood up and slipped out the back of the moving carriage. She presumably climbed on top like she had done multiple times on this trip already, but this time was a bit different.

Dammit! Why was I so direct? Did I just ruin our friendship? Why did I ask that? It's not for me to know. But I feel like it is. I want to know. I want to be closer to her.

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

Her eyelids began to bloat and tears began to leak.

Her nails dug into her pale thighs to the point they would leave marks.

“I-it's ok Lee. Please don’t cry. That’s just a sensitive topic…”

Pike hesitantly put a hand on her shoulder trying to console the pretty girl sitting next to him.

Then why did she tell them and not me! I’m her best friend, am I not? Am I so socially inept that I’ve misread everything and she hates me? What am I doing wrong!?!

She wanted to yell those words out from the bellows of her gut, but she held them in.

Wiping her eyes, her flushed face reappeared from behind her hands. She needed to not think about this anymore. She quickly changed topics, for her sake.

“S-so tell me more about this Triumphant Trio you mentioned.”

Apparently the reason why Pike wanted to tag along so much was to go to an autograph signing for colosseum fighters. Lee thought this was weird since most of the fighters were criminals.

“Yea!”

With her showing just the slightest bit of interest in something he was passionate about, his voice almost turned to a yell and he began to jitter.

“So you see, before the attack on the castle a year ago, they were elite knights. But after the attack, they felt such shame in not keeping the princess safe that they stepped down and became arena fighters. Isn’t that so noble of them?

“Most arena fighters are either criminals or people looking for money, but they donate all of their proceeds to the empire. They are the definitions of true warriors. They are strong and yet care for the weak…”

Most of his words went in one ear and out the other. Lee was mostly using this conversation as a means to distract herself. She would occasionally give him a head nod or verbal confirmation that she was still listening, but besides that, Pike was essentially talking to himself.

Is this what having friends is like? Is it supposed to be painful sometimes?

All she could think about was Shellorn.

###

The sun slowly crept behind some distant trees, leaving a sea of warm colors behind. The repetitive noise of the wagon wheels going over dirt left Lee’s eyelids heavy. Her body was lying limp on the wooden bench and her mind was in a bit of a daze. Travel could be quite tiring.

Next to her Pike was asleep and sprawled out on the bench across from her was Shellorn. She was sound asleep.

Shellorn had come back down from atop the wagon and acted as if nothing had happened. She was her goofy usual self. Lee played along, acting as if that awkward tension had never happened. Even though they were acting like normal, she felt an invisible barrier beginning to form between them.

I just realized I’ve never seen her sleep before.

Shellorn always went to bed after Lee and woke up before her. It was a random thought, but seeing her friend sleeping felt quite weird.

The somber expression her face wore while she slept didn’t fit her. Lee was just waiting for her to smirk and jump right up saying she was faking it and start giggling.

That was the Shellorn she knew, but was there more than that she didn’t know? Did she want to know? Was it for her to know?

No matter how close two people get, there is always a part of one’s self that they keep hidden at all costs. Even if they were to open up that part of themselves, it would make them completely vulnerable. Most aren’t brave enough to take that step.

“Walls of Ombregg in sight!”

The driver yelled out, presumably to alert them of how close they were.

All three passengers awoke and leaned outside of the cloth veil to take in the sight.

Ahead of them was a sea of wagons, carts, horses and other modes of transportation. They all converged to a large metal gate that spanned almost the entirety of a section of the wall.

“Oh man, I don’t remember it being this busy last time.” Pike said, peeking out the back next to Lee.

“You don’t remember anything from last time, you were too little.”

“Do too.”

“Tell me a memory then.”

He clenched his fist at his pestering sister, “Well, we went to the colosseum and watched fights.”

“Do you remember which fights?”

“Well… No, but I remember them. The roars from the crowds, the clashing of metal. I remember it, I do!”

“That seems quite vague, you don’t seem like you remember it.”

“I-I do!”

“Shell,” Lee placed her hand on her shoulder, “Just give it to him.”

After this long journey, she had quite enough of the two siblings’ bickering.

“Fine. I guess you do remember it, but I bet I remember more.”

She stuck her tongue out at him.

“Nuh-uh, you don’t even like fighting. I remember all of the fights.”

“Oh yea? Then who participated in the second fight we saw?”

“Um… it was… it was a match against goblins. And it was the guy with a large beard.”

“And what was his name?”

“C’mon! You know I’m not good with names.”

“Sounds like you just don’t remember it as well as I do.”

Lee rolled her eyes at the pair and leaned back out the wagon, trying to muffle their argument with the view.

###

After a long wait, they had finally made it to the gate at the checkpoint. The sun had already disappeared and the only light source they relied on was the torches on the wall and the lanturn in their wagon.

The noise of the driver conversing with someone permeated through the cloth and then a moment later a knight in shiny armor stepped into the back of the wagon.

“Identification please.”

“Here you go.”

Lee handed him a letter with a large seal on it. Tirany had given it to her for this very reason.

He took it and stared at it for a second.

“I’m going to have to get this checked out by an official.”

“That’s alright. Thank you for your service.” The last part slipped from Lee’s mouth.

“Uh, yea… I’ll be right back with your forms.” The knight left, a bit confused.

Shellorn let out an exaggerated sigh.

“Man, why can’t we just get in the city already?”

“Because they can’t just let everyone come and go whenever they want.” Pike replied.

“Well yea, but we got the fancy letter and everything. Why does shiny boy have to go and get it checked?”

Her feet incessantly tapped the wooden floor. She was ready to get out and stretch her legs after a whole day of being trapped in here.

“Don’t worry, we're almost there. Then you have a whole city to explore.”

“I wonder if I could get on top of those walls.”

“They’d probably shoot you down Shell.”

A cacophony of footsteps approached from the other side of the cloth. This time when the knight stepped into the back, he was accompanied by two others and there were presumably more surrounding the wagon.

“Alright you three. Come with us.”

“W-what?”

“You are being detained on suspicion for criminal impersonation.”