Talia stepped into Drudgery Village, her boots leaving prints in the muddy ground. The streets were narrow. The shacks were crooked. And the gardens looked like they survived out of pure stubbornness.
Talia looked around. “Okay, just blend in. Act normal. Nothing weird going on here.”
Her robes flowed with magical energy as she walked. Stares. Whispers. Two kids pointed at her and giggled.
“Hey!” a voice called. “You lost, Sparkles?”
Talia looked over and saw a man leaning on a fence. Arms crossed. A smug grin on his face. His tunic had patches in at least three places, and his expression said, “I’m here to judge you.”
Zane.
Next to him, a woman with wild red hair and dirt-streaked clothes was squinting at Talia like she was some kind of shiny vegetable.
Lyra.
And lastly, leaning against a tree like he either understood the secrets of the universe or just didn’t care, was Darius.
“Sparkles?” Talia repeated, crossing her arms. “That’s ridiculous. Who calls someone Sparkles?”
Zane waved lazily at her glowing robes. “Uh, maybe everyone? You’re lighting up the whole street.”
Lyra tilted her head, circling like a curious cat. “Do you always dress like a chandelier, or is today special?”
Talia tugged her cloak tighter. “Excuse me?! These are perfectly normal traveling robes!”
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Lyra snorted. “Normal traveling robes are patched up and smell like goats. That—” she pointed at the fancy fabric, “—looks like a shiny wizard tried to impress a dragon.”
Zane burst out laughing. “She’s got a point. Is it glowing? Or is it just enchanted to scream, ‘Look at me, I’m definitely not normal!’”
Talia huffed, her hands turning into fists. “It’s called high-quality craftsmanship! Not that you’d understand.”
Darius finally spoke, his voice calm but sharp. “You say you want to blend in, yet you shine like a lighthouse.”
“I do not shine—” A burst of magic shot out, making a nearby chicken squawk and run into the bushes. Talia froze, her face bright red.
Zane doubled over. “Oh no, she’s blending in so well, she’s scaring the chickens!”
Talia lifted her chin, trying to act dignified. “I’ll have you know these robes are enchanted with powerful spells you wouldn’t understand.”
“Oh yeah?” Zane leaned in, squinting at the stitching. “What’s this one do? Protect you from rainbows?”
Lyra shook her head. “No, no, that one’s for rogue butterflies.”
“It’s for deflecting high-level magic!” Talia squeaked. “You can’t just walk around the kingdom without some protection!”
Darius stepped forward. “Protection from who?”
Talia blinked, suddenly feeling all their eyes on her. She waved her hand dismissively. “Oh, you know. Bandits. Wild animals. Rogue mages. Nothing worth talking about.”
“Should we be worried? Should you be worried?” Zane leaned in closer. “Are you about to explode? Are we about to explode? Because I have plans.”
Lyra gasped, clutching her bag. “Oh no, not my carrots! They’re too young to explode!”
Talia flailed, trying to explain. “No one is exploding! I’m perfectly harmless! Just an ordinary traveler—”
“Who glows,” Zane interrupted.
“—and definitely not running from anything,” Talia added quickly, ignoring him.
Darius’s eyes narrowed. “You move like someone not used to mud and labor. Yet here you are. Why?”
Talia’s heart skipped a beat. “W-well, what kind of question is that? Maybe I just… wanted to see the countryside!”
Lyra clapped her hands together. “Oh, of course! Nothing says ‘countryside tour’ like visiting the poorest village in the kingdom. Did your shiny robes bring you here, or are you just lost?”
“I am not lost!” Talia glared. “And for your information, I’m here for very important personal reasons. So it’s none of your business!”
Zane smirked. “Translation: she’s totally lost.”
“I am not!”
“Oh yeah, definitely lost.”