Moruh was becoming irritated with the continued ‘special’ attention given to the strange treefolk. His mistress had spent hours testing the ‘blessing’ that allowed Spring to cultivate essence plants. If they were to keep going, he would soon lose his position to her, so he could only press an uncomfortable but necessary subject to divert Anne’s attention.
“Mistress, shouldn’t we refrain from drawing the unfriendly attention of the mayor? Mr. Rick and Mr. Dorgh had both mentioned his antagonism to anything related to Riverend Town.” The blue feline stated in a wise tone while adjusting his hat.
“We should, but what would you have me do it? You know well that we need close contact with ALL the borderland towns with any half-decent adventuring efforts, and that includes Riverend.” Anne was annoyed with the familiar’s inquiry. Not because he was questioning her decisions but because he was right.
“Mistress, we could have sent someone in secret, maybe…” Moruh tried to present a solution but was abruptly interrupted.
“Oh, and that would have gone much better when he found out. Moruh, as much as I hate conflict we might need to stand against the mayor in this… I know that it might put our work at risk, but this is our duty. It’s the reason why we came to borderlands in the first place. Otherwise, we would have gone to the Solar States.” She started explaining in a harsh voice but ended up sighing.
The town had been much more receptive and rich in potential than she expected. Coming here had been a desperate attempt of staying low in the fray that would soon befall the borderlands while gathering her forces and growing in the craft. Unfortunately, it seemed like her hopes would be foiled by someone else’s games.
***
In a dark room barely illuminated by a few candleholders, seven robed figures held a secret meeting. Two of them were conspicuously thin and tall, while another two were very small and bulky. One of the figures, who was both tall and sturdy, seemed particularly irritated, and the remaining two didn’t have any remarkable features.
“What is it this time? You better not…” The irritated one threatened.
“I summoned the meeting because our situation changed… The Clows are sending an overseer to the town. She should be here in a week or so.” One of the thin figures who sat at the head of the table declared.
“Why? They never cared about this place, so why now? Tientree, you bastard… Her gift… Her gift awakened? Why weren’t we told?” The angry figure roared.
“No names! And that’s private business…” The thin figure warned.
“Gods be damned! Our lives are at risk, how is it private? You should…” The angry one protested.
“I didn’t know! She didn’t tell me… Are you satisfied now? Let’s move on to what matters now. The Clow is coming, we need to stop our preparations and hide our tracks.” The one at the head of the table continued.
“What’s her name? The Clow girl, I mean.” One of the ordinary figures with a calm and female-like voice asked.
“Why? It’s… Yana Clow.” The thin leader said.
“Yana, hum… The third generation holomancer? She’s an outcast, and doesn’t even have a position in the government.” The ordinary figure explained.
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“She’s a Clow nonetheless, and now an overseer.” The other thin figure, who had been silent until now, stated with an indistinguishable-gender voice.
“Holomancer? Aren’ all Clows neuromancers?” One of the small bulky figures asked with a heavy hoarse accent.
“They are. Holomancy is a rare branch of neuromancy that deals with illusions. Rumors say most of the Clows despise it, that’s why it’s not very known. The girl’s a natural though, and a strong one. I bet she can only practice holomancy, and that’s the reason why they despise her.” The ordinary figure with a female-like voice explained.
“Regardless, we need to hide our tracks…” The meeting continued as they tried to come up with measures to hide their plans.
A couple of hours later, the thin figure who had summoned the meeting left through a tunnel that led up to a room in the town's old warehouse. Mayor Ehran placed the robe on a wall hanger and adjusted his clothes before leaving. Instead of conspicuously sneaking out, he walk out calmly as if he had just finished the weekly inspection of the building.
The tall golden-haired elf was wearing a common pale red vest and trousers with only a golden pocket watch and a blue kerchief for adornments, yet his clothes and bearing gave him a noble air. He stored an old scroll in his pocket before moving towards his house, greeting by name all sorts of towners through the way.
When the villa came into sight, he breathed deeply as if he regretted something. Last night, when no one would notice, he had spent hours dismantling the anti-scrying arrays. Ehran could only leave behind the usual protection barriers that any wealthy family would have access to. Although blocking scrying wasn’t forbidden it would draw too much attention. Anyone would wonder what he was trying to hide behind such an expensive and powerful array.
Of course, everything that shouldn’t be scried or that could incriminate him had already been moved to a safe house outside the town. If only Asha had trusted them before the trip to the Seat. He couldn’t fathom why the girl would hide such a thing from them. Was it because of Ailen’s insistence and meddling on her path? The girl couldn’t still be indulging her fantasies of following other options, could she? Even after wakening her gift?
Ehran stopped looking for blame and started thinking of how he would proceed from now on. Asha’s gift was long expected, and though he tried to pretend otherwise, it was needed to achieve his plan. Placing his daughter in the game as one of his pawns left an unsavory taste in his mouth, but he had his duties, as did she.
‘It’s all for her’, ‘She would never be free otherwise’, the mayor could think of a dozen excuses for doing so, but nothing could erase the fact that her gift fit his ambitions just right. Is it the duty of a father to protect and seek a better world for his child, or is it the child’s obligation to follow in her father’s steps? Either way, Asha would also have her part to play.
On the balcony, the elf stared in the direction of the forbidden forest, considering if it was finally time to seek the mysterious bookstore. Months ago, he had paid little attention to the young woman, she was just another unfortunate dreamer who had come to add to the town’s list of failures. He planned to change everything, but he never expected the newcomer to play any part in it. Then, things started to change as she started to move pieces of his game and even pieces that he never paid attention to
Without any subtlety of a mastermind, the woman invoked people’s hidden desires giving them a way to pursue them. Even his miscalculation about Asha should have been due to the interference of the storeowner. He had considered forbidding her from visiting the store, but Ailen had a different opinion. His dearest wife hoped the bookmancer would inspire some sense into their child’s mind.
Unfortunately, the storeowner had helped their daughter to stray from the set course instead of guiding her to it. To complicate matters further, word of her sending adventurers to Riverend had come to his ears. And that would only make his plans more difficult.
Making a decision, Ehran looked for a book to take as a gift. However, something made him pause. A memory of nearly three decades ago, a seer who they trusted foresaw a change in the borderlands. The fall of the wall, which had also been foreseen by others, would bring a new sky to their world. It would birth new stars that would guide the land to a new era. The seer foretold that one of those stars would come to be in the small town which bordered the great mountains.
And now he wondered with the bookmancer could be this star. She did fit the guiding part of the prophecy, and she sure was drawing the ‘special’ to herself. Still, being or not a star, he would have to judge if she would be of help or an obstacle. Because even stars might fall.