Chapter 26 - The Representative

The morning sun spilled its golden rays across an unfamiliar room, casting a warm glow on Lilly's face. She gently opened her eyes, and didn’t recognize where she was at first. But the memories from last night quickly returned to her, and she felt at peace. She looked over at Mia, who seemed to still be sleeping, and smiled. ‘I could get used to this,’ she thought.

The night before had been… educational. But also a lot of fun.

Lilly leaned over to the other side of the bed, giving Mia a light kiss on her cheek. She responded drowsily, not entirely awake yet. Lilly was a bit worried about the time, since she had an appointment with the representative from the garrison today. It was hard to tell the time though, since she didn’t know the positions of the sun here.

“Morning sweetie, I think I need to get going soon,” Lilly said gently, hoping to get a response.

Mia's voice was tinged with confusion. “Lilly? Oh, right.” She turned around to face Lilly, and shot her a sleepy smile. “You need to go already?”

“Yeah, I need to have a bath and stuff before I go to the Aether’s Echo today. I’m sure you need one too,” Lilly responded, smiling. She got out of bed with smooth movements, making sure Mia got a good look, before she started putting the red dress on.

“Yeah, you’re right.” Mia seemed to enjoy the view while she still could, putting a hand under her head to support it. “Gods, last night was perfect.”

Lilly looked back at her, pausing her movements, and smiled again. “It really was. I hope you don’t expect the Skyview restaurant on every date though.”

“Oh no, that’s old news now. Next time I’ll need something even better, something fit for a princess.” Mia made a haughty face, looking like a properly spoiled brat.

“As long as it comes out of your share I don’t mind,” Lilly responded, back to getting dressed. “Could you help me with the clamps on my back here?” She asked, partly to avoid using her flames and partly to get a good view herself. It was unfair if only Mia got one.

Mia crawled across the bed and helped her. “It’s a shame to cover you up, but I’m glad it’s only for me. Your hair might need some work though,” she said, pushing her hand through Lilly’s disheveled hair. Mia’s hair was still nicely braided since it had been rather tight.

Lilly turned around again, and looked into Mia’s eyes. “Of course, I’m yours, and you’re mine.” She quickly gave her a kiss, to make sure she got the message. “The hair will just have to do until I’m back home, I don’t have a hairband.”

Mia laid back down, looking like she needed a while to get started on the day still. “Do I come over later, so you can tell me the results of the meeting?”

“Sure, I probably won’t be gone too long. If they ask about what metal we can use in our items, what do I say?” Lilly asked, thinking of the meeting and the still ruined forge.

“We’re getting someone to install the new forge soon, with much better heating capabilities. Mithril should be fine at least, and maybe even palladium. I think I’m still far from using adamantium though, but I can’t imagine they ask for that,” Mia responded after thinking a bit.

“That’s good, I’m sure they won’t expect more than that. Remember to give me half the bill for that forge.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

Lilly could sense Mia rolling her eyes at her after that, but she let it go. “I’ll see you later then, honeybun.”

Mia made a grimace at that. “Please, not that one, my parents are using it constantly now to annoy me. Good luck on the meeting, sweetie!”

“Thanks, moanie!”

“Hey, that’s so much worse!” Mia was outraged, but Lilly was already closing the door, laughing.

About an hour later, and after quickly giving Gramps the fast version of why she was only coming home now, Lilly was on her way to the magical emporium again. Gramps had seemed a bit unsure of how to react, but she could tell he was happy for her, for them both.

Lilly had dressed up slightly, hoping to make a good impression on whoever she was meeting. Nothing too fancy, but still something she wouldn’t mind meeting a future employer in.

After entering, Lilly noticed that the Aether’s Echo seemed a bit more quiet today, like something had dampened the mood of the place. Timothy, the assistant from her first sale here, spotted her and came over, with a bit of a nervous expression. That made Lilly nervous as well though, had she been late?

“Miss Lilly, please follow me,” He said, as he guided her up a set of stairs right away. Lilly hesitated a bit, but quickly followed, sensing that they were in a bit of a hurry. “Uhm, am I late?” She asked anxiously, hoping nothing too bad had happened.

“Not at all, but we shouldn’t make the person who came to see you wait. You should prepare for a surprise.” He looked back at her briefly before stopping in front of the room Lilly had entered last time. “Do you feel prepared?”

“Well, less so now than I did a moment ago, but I think I’ll be fine.” Lilly quickly ran a hand through her hair to make sure it was laying nicely, and everything seemed to be fine. Her heart was beating a bit now though. ‘Who could it be to make such a reaction?’ She wondered.

Timothy opened the door and announced Lilly’s arrival, but she hadn’t expected that and just followed directly behind him, stopping suddenly behind him.

She looked into the room, and only found two people, Gallus, and a dignified lady in some spectacular armor. Her hair was very dark, and hanging straight down, and her eyes were a light, almost piercing blue. She seemed strong, and gave off a feeling much like Eolande or Eldrin, like an experienced adventurer. ‘But that makes sense, for a representative of the Garrison to be strong,’ Lilly thought.

Gallus, also looking a bit nervous, got out of his seat to greet Lilly. “Lilly, nice to see you again. This is Lady Selene, the Lady Protector of the city,” he said, gesturing elegantly towards the woman.

‘Oh, oh no. The protector of the city, a member of the Royal Guard, appointed by the King himself?’ “That Lady Selene?” She asked out loud, before she could stop herself. She had never expected the most important person in the city to be meeting her today, for a mere enchanting job. ‘No wonder it was so quiet here, with such grand visitors.’ Only now did she notice the golden bow around her torso.

“Indeed, I should think she’s the one you’re thinking of. Lady Selene, this is the enchantress I’ve told you about, Lilly Baker.”

Lady Selene looked at Lilly with an intrigued expression, and she almost seemed to notice something interesting before she started talking. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Lilly. I’ve taken an interest in your abilities, and wanted to discuss a temporary employment in the garrison. Are you interested?”

Lilly needed a short moment to gather herself, but she didn’t dare to stay silent for long. “Yeah, yes I’m interested, my Lady.” Lilly bowed a bit, hoping that was the right way to present herself. She hadn’t really gotten any training in stuff like this, but had read some stories of similar situations.

“No need for such formalities, I’m just an adventurer with a fancy title. I guess you want to discuss some things before agreeing on anything, right?” She gestured to the seat on the other side of the table, next to where Gallus was sitting.

Lilly walked over to sit down, trying to keep her thoughts in order. She was relieved to hear the Lady dismiss the formalities, since she struggled with just thinking normally right now. “Yes, uh, there are a few points I need to know,” she said, after she had gotten herself seated. “Let’s see, our payment, expected enchantments, material procurement, expectations in regards to metals, and duration, I think it was.” Lilly repeated the list she had kept in her head, hoping she had remembered everything.

“Indeed, let’s start with the easier questions. Most of our soldiers aren’t capable of using very strong enchantments, but those aren’t what I want you to focus on. If what I’ve been told is true,” she glanced at Gallus, “you should be capable of making some impressive enchantments already. So in terms of metals, orichalcum or mithril should be good enough. Especially if you can use crystals as well.”

Lilly took out a notepad from her purse and jotted down some notes, to make sure she remembered everything. She noticed Lady Selene smiling slightly when she looked up again.

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“That’s a good idea. As for the duration, that would depend on the results and the duration of the war. But probably at least a month, and more if you’re interested. At least as long as the results are satisfactory.”

Lilly kept writing, not seeing any issues with that. She would be able to learn a lot in that time.

“The magical materials will be supplied by us, and the enchantments will vary depending on the material. But a lot of it will be greater strength, mana amplification, magical attacks, agility increases, sharpness, that sort of stuff.”

Lilly had some questions about that. “Only singular enchantments, or are you expecting double enchantments as well?” She found it easy to ask questions about enchanting, compared to other things.

Lady Selene had the answer ready, leaning back on the couch in a relaxed manner. “Double enchantments are really only efficient if there’s too much capacity left in the base item, and based on what I’ve heard, that might not be applicable to you. You’re able to drag all the power from the materials and even add more during the enchantment?” She leaned forward a bit while asking her question, with an eyebrow raised.

Lilly had never used a material she couldn’t utilize perfectly, but she hadn’t used anything particularly powerful either. It was hard to say for sure. “That’s been the case so far, but I don’t know what my limits are,” she responded honestly.

Lady Selene looked intrigued by that, and paused for a while, thoughtful. Then, something seemed to click, and she looked back at Lilly. More specifically, she looked at her hair.

‘Uh oh.’

It had only been a few days since the last time that secret was revealed in this room, and Lilly started to wonder if it was cursed.

Lady Selene looked intensely at her, trying to pierce her skin and look inside, or at least that’s what it felt like. “Baker, you said? Does your mother have a different last name?”

“No, my father took her name.” Lilly knew where this was headed, but she didn’t feel like helping the process along just yet.

“What about your grandmother then?” She asked, clearly seeking a certain answer.

Lilly sighed. “She took Baker from my grandfather. Her original last name was Vermilius.”

“Aha, that’s a wonderful name. In any case, I’m sure we can figure something out to get you on board.” Lady Selene seemed a bit smug now, but she didn’t reveal anything, perhaps out of consideration for Gallus being in the room. “Your pay will depend on the market value of the result. You’ll get about the same as you would get if you sold the same items here.”

Lilly felt a bit grateful about her intention to keep whatever she figured out to herself, but Gallus already knew everything. “That sounds great then, I think I’m fine with beginning soon. And Gallus here knows about the Vermilion family already, so you don’t need to worry about him. I’m grateful for your consideration though.”

Gallus looked a bit unsure of what to say, but he confirmed what Lilly said at least. “It’s true, I noticed it by looking at her results so far.”

Lady Selene seemed happy to be able to discuss it openly. “Well then, that’s incredible. I had no idea that the old family still lived on. I felt a surprising purity and force within you Lilly, so I had to wonder. But don’t worry, I’ll keep your secret safe. I have a lot of respect for the founders of Thundrel after all.” She seemed almost child-like while discussing this, like her heroes had turned out to be more than just stories.

“Oh, don’t worry. At this rate, half the city will know about it in a year's time anyways,” Lilly said, frustrated that her secret kept being figured out. At some point it would cause problems.

“Hah, I don’t expect many people to figure it out like this, so don’t worry too much Lilly. I’m a bit special when it comes to seeing through people, due to my eyes.” She pointed at her right eye, and Lilly thought it looked a bit special. Both her eyes had a piercing feel to them, with dark blue edges that became bright towards the middle. “I was born to be an archer, you see. Ironically, I’m not very good at reading people, but I can vaguely see their cores somehow. And I can see super far of course.”

“Wow, is it related to some bloodline with you as well?” Lilly asked, feeling a lot more comfortable around Lady Selene now. Maybe bloodline powers were more common than she thought.

Lady Selene shook her head with a bitter smile. “Well, more like forbidden experimentation actually. Most of my family members were imprisoned after it was discovered, but since I was only 4 years old they sent me to an orphanage instead.” She was saying all this with a smile, but it really didn't seem like something to smile at.

Lilly didn’t know exactly how to respond to that. “... I’m sorry that happened to you. I’ve lost some family as well, but not… like that.”

Lady Selene waved her hand, making it look like it was no big deal. “Oh, it’s a long time ago now, and the orphanage was pretty great actually. I’m sorry to hear about your family as well.”

“Thank you.” Lilly nodded, still thinking about the experimentation Lady Selene mentioned. ‘Oh, Eldrin mentioned that enchanting people was very illegal. Is that what happened?’ Lilly pondered, thinking back to a lesson where she had asked him about that.

“Well then, do you have any more questions, Lilly? I don’t have any contracts with me, so we’ll have to go to my office to get it written.” Lady Selene asked, ready to finish the discussions.

Lilly had one burning question, but she hesitated a bit considering how busy Lady Selene must be. But obviously, as it had so many times before, her curiosity won once again. “Could I look at your bow? I’ve never felt anything enchanted other than my own products, and I’m guessing that’s an incredible bow.”

Lady Selene seemed to hesitate slightly, but it was understandable. The value of such a weapon must be immense, and the entire city depended on it for protection. But in the end, she decided the risk was negligible and handed the bow over the table to Lilly. “Be careful, it’s heavy.”

She probably meant it literally, but the weight of its responsibility was also significant, Lilly thought to herself.

As soon as she let go, Lilly felt her arms buckle under the weight. It almost hit the table before she managed to stop it. After getting a better grip, she gently put it down on the table so she could rest her arms and get a better position for sensing it properly.

The design itself was simple, with matte golden colors draped over a wide longbow. The only visible decoration was around the handle, where some foreign writing had been etched.

She put her arms on it, and sent the flames inside to get a proper sense of it.

‘Holy moly!’ Lilly found a gigantic space inside the bow, probably ten times larger than the mithril blade Mia had made a few weeks ago. It was like standing in a room where she couldn’t see the edges, showing an immense capacity for mana. She could sense some incredibly complex systems as well, symbolizing the enchantments it had. The threads they were constructed of also seemed much thicker than what she was used to, which she guessed was related to the power of the magical materials used. There seemed to be 3 of them, each more complex than the next.

But the space seemed to be badly utilized, Lilly thought. There was room for another enchantment at least, even considering the increase in capacity required. As it was now though, making another enchantment would be impossible. The systems hadn’t been limited in area, so they all spread out across the entire bow.

‘But what material can the bow be made of to have such a large capacity? Even adamantium should be much lower than this. Are there hidden crystals inside the bow, to increase the capacity? Or is it made by some special process, like Eldrin mentioned.’

“What is it made of?” Lilly asked, hoping to get some insight.

“I’m not perfectly sure, but it should be the heartwood of some ancient tree. It was part of a gift from the elven kingdom, given to Eldoria when the previous king married.”

That was an incredible revelation, holding an item with such historical value was a first for Lilly. She felt nervous about even touching it now, in awe of its significance. “It’s made of wood? But it’s so heavy,” Lilly exclaimed, having never felt wood this dense before.

“It is, but we don’t know how it was made. The elves are experts at using wood for magical artifacts, while most of the other countries use metal and crystals,” Lady Selene patiently explained. She held out her arm, indicating that she wanted the bow back now. And Lilly was happy to oblige, scared of even touching it the wrong way now.

Lady Selene put the bow back around her torso with graceful movements. “Then what do you say we go fill some documents? Then I’ll give you a short tour of the barracks while we’re there.” She seemed eager to get going, and so Lilly didn’t feel like she could keep wasting time.

“Sure, I’m ready. I look forward to seeing the place,” Lilly said, getting out of the couch. “Thank you for setting up this meeting, Gallus, and also for the dinner yesterday. It was wonderful!” Lilly turned to Gallus with a big smile. She felt like she owed him a bit for that dinner since they had gotten the best table.

Gallus also got out of the couch, nearly effortlessly. “No worries my dear, it was a good business deal for both of us. I reckon I won’t see you for a while, but don’t hesitate to come over if you have any questions about magical items.”

“I’m sure you’ll see me before long, see you later.”

“Me too Gallus, it has been a pleasure,” Lady Selene bowed to him before walking towards the door.

Lilly followed behind her, down the stairs and out of the store. She noticed looks following them, but that was expected. They stepped on the cobblestone streets of Thundrel, towards the port of the city where the garrison was stationed.

“Do you usually have bodyguards, Lady Selene?” Lilly asked, thinking about how important she was to the city right now. She felt a bit nervous due to the unusual quiet of the streets.

“Oh, I try to avoid bringing them if I can. They’re annoying, and I’m perfectly capable of protecting myself. And please call me Selene.” She walked a bit in front of Lilly, and turned back to look at her with a clever smile.

Suddenly, chaos erupted. Lilly's world spun as an unseen force struck her. The hard cobblestones met her back with a jarring thud, sending her breath out of her lungs. Her vision swirled, cobblestones and sky merging in a dizzying dance as she struggled to comprehend what had just happened.

As she attempted to reorient herself amidst the panic and confusion, time seemed to slow. There was something red splattered on the stone around her, and Lady Selene was down on one knee, holding a single fist ready for combat. Her right arm was hanging lifelessly down from her shoulder, red with blood. Despite the apparent pain etched across her face, her eyes remained alert, scanning for further threats. Bystanders were turned towards them, shocked by the sudden commotion. A few screams were ringing out as people saw the blood, and they began running.

In this brief lull, a figure emerged from the edge of her blurred vision. They stood at the edge of some grooves in the ground, their body tense as if they had just finished a swift, sliding movement away from Lilly's position. The figure had a ferocious look, looking around for escape routes, and holding a dagger in their hand.

Lilly's heart pounded in her chest, a cocktail of shock and disbelief swirling within her as she recognized the familiar figure. "E– Elly?" The name was a whisper, a plea for this not to be true.