“Berlington. That’s where you’ll find him.”

Maria thought about Master Eardwulf’s words. Berlington. She had heard of it before but knew very little about it. When Eardwulf had messaged her a few weeks back, they had all gotten together to meet up at an outdoor restaurant because her master had longed to eat something aside from the guild food. He spoke of a man he once knew, known simply as ‘The Oracle’. He owed Eardwulf a favor, and the last he knew the old man was in Berlington, though not responding to any of Eardwulf's messages.

And thus a new quest had begun.

Find The Oracle.

But the road to Berlington was a long one. Eardwulf had provided the three with a horse-drawn carriage and a driver to take them to Berlington.

Maria lay along the bench of the horse-drawn carriage. The rhythmic clip-clop of the horses' hooves resonated beneath her with the creaking of the wheels. The scent of fresh hay and wildflowers wafted through the air and filled it with the fragrant essence of the countryside. Nearly two and a half weeks of riding in the back of an old cart, and camping out on the side of the road during cold nights. Maria was growing rather bored of it. The most she could do was lay back and watch the passing sky, or the fields of grass, forests, and distant mountains. Occasionally, they would pass by quaint villages, where people paused in their daily activities to catch a glimpse of the travelers. Maria would wave at them, and sometimes one or two might wave back. With a few that passed, she often wished they would be Matteo, Silke, and Kylian, and it could be a fun surprise and respite from the mundane experience of living out what she could only compare to the Oregon Trail.

This was the part of her grand adventure she had completely overlooked. Going from A to B. She wished everything was just a two-minute walk from each other like in most games she played. But no… everything was weeks away. She didn’t think Chariot or Tanalia were having that great a time either. Chariot spent most of the trip resting, or polishing her Crimson Petal, admiring the blade. Tanalia on the other hand, spent quite a bit of time off the carriage, wandering the forests. Every night when they stopped to make camp, she’d somehow manage to catch up and join them for dinner.

“We should be getting there soon,” said the man up in the front of the carriage.

“Thank god,” Maria muttered. If she had to walk all this way she would have dropped dead weeks ago.

As the morning air warmed, the trio rode over a grassy hill, and the kingdom of Berlington came into view. A massive, towering wall wrapped around the city, twice as big as the one in Oxfell.

“Woah,” Maria muttered. “Do all the major cities have giant walls like this?”

“They do,” Chariot said. “At least the ones that wanted to keep themselves safe from the demon king's forces.”

“Ah… fair point.”

“The walls didn’t always work. The siege of Berlington was only seven years ago, and it left the streets in ruins. They’ve done impressive work in rebuilding. The walls have only gotten thicker, and higher.”

Not only had the walls been strengthened, but a moat had been dug around the grounds as well. Only a few connecting bridges led to the wrought-iron gates into the city.

The guard's armor was heavily plated. In a way, it looked like it would be too heavy to move around in, with hardly any gaps in the armor aside from the slits in the helmet. The armor clunked loudly as one of the guards stepped in the way of the carriage, and brought it to a stop. He carried with him a halberd, freshly polished, and glimmering in the sunlight.

“State your business,” he said in a low, demanding voice that reverberated from the helmet.

“I’m just transporting some adventurers,” the driver said and gestured back to the trio.

“My name is Chariot, and this is Maria and Tanalia.”

“And what is your business?”

“Seeking religious guidance,” Chariot said proudly.

Tanalia scoffed and received a mean glare from the warrior.

“A quest for the adventurers guild,” Maria added.

The guard marched beside the carriage, and looked over the elf and witch, staring intently at them. Finally, he nodded and gestured for them to carry on. The carriage clunked forward, and they rolled under the large stone archway, and into the city street. Horse stables housing infantry stallions were positioned along both sides of the street. There were dozens of horses, all prepped in leather armor, standing strong, and sturdy.

“This is where I leave you, fine ladies,” the man said. He climbed off the carriage and helped the three down, though Tanalia refused his assistance and simply hopped over the side.

“Thank you for all your troubles,” Chariot said, and handed him a sack of gold coins.

“Don’t need to thank me, dear, this is my job after all to bring you fine people over meadows and under valleys.”

The trio watched him off, then ventured deeper into the city.

Wide cobblestone streets wound through rows of timber-framed buildings adorned with vibrant flower boxes over window sills and doorways. The air was filled with the enticing aroma of exotic spices and sweet pastries wafting from bustling market stalls. Merchants called out their wares, enticing the visitors with the promise of unique treasures and delightful delicacies.

“You there! Witch!”

Maria paused and glanced back as one of the merchants tried to beckon her over. She simply held her hand up dismissively and kept walking.

“Oh, come on, don’t be like that, I’m sure a fine witch like yourself would fancy—”

Maria simply kept walking and rolled her eyes. She wasn’t completely foreign to the more aggressive business tactics. It happened every day in Detroit.

The streets of Berlington thrived with life, vibrant with a medley of languages and accents, as people from all corners of the world gathered. Dwarves, though short in stature, wore proud robes and tight-fitting iron cuffs, and jewelry, with beards beautifully trimmed, braided, and adorned with jewels and rings. Elves, with long, flowing hair, wore thin silt outfits that left little to the imagination, and only served to highlight their perfect skin and perceived age. Other demi-humans were walking the street, none wolf-like like Lycia, but Maria caught glimpses of cats, elks, and raccoon hybrids roaming the streets.

Sunlight spilled over quaint rooftops, reflecting small glittering stones embedded in the streets and pine shackling. While children darted through the streets, laughing and playing as they chased each other in between alleyways, which even themselves looked vibrant and lush. The trio passed by smithies, where blacksmiths hammered away on red-hot pieces of metal, sending sparks outwards towards the road. Maria paused as they passed a cozy corner cafe, where a bard strummed a lute and sang like a siren to all the people who sat and ate. The cafe was abuzz with chatter as friends and families enjoyed steaming mugs of honeyed tea and savory pastries. The scent of warm bread wafts from the bakery across the way, enticing a hungry crowd. It was tempting, after all, she hadn’t eaten yet this morning. She could survive a few more hours though. All they needed to do was make it to the Church of the Lunar Goddess, and find the Oracle— But the overwhelming array of people and cultures congested in this melting pot of a city left her overwhelmed. She was practically twirling around as she tried to glance at everything she passed. It wasn’t gray, bland, or even smoggy.

She loved it.

“So, have either of you been here before?” Maria asked.

“I passed through here on my way to Oxfell,” Tanalia explained. “I didn’t stay for very long though.”

“I too have passed through this city once or twice before,” Chariot said. “I can’t say I’m familiar enough to know my way around it. This is a large city, nearly thirteen thousand people live here. There are several churches for the lunar goddess dotted about, though I’m not sure which one the Oracle would be at.”

Maria sighed. “Guess we have a lot of searching to do then.”

The trio walked through the city for hours, asking all kinds of folk if they had heard of the Oracle. To their surprise, a lot of people knew about the Oracle.

“I’ve gone to him a few times,” one elven woman said. “He helped guide me through my future.”

“He is a kind man,” said another person. “Strange sometimes, but kind.”

“I went to him at the church on Joran Avenue.”

“He’s come by the church on Wittlewood a couple of times.”

“I’ve never heard of him.”

“I always see him near the church on North Street helping the young ones.”

Maria sighed. The very fact he was so mobile between the various churches in the city certainly didn’t help. All she could think to do at this point was go to each church and ask about him there. Now she just had to figure out where all those churches were. Many of the roads bled together. The alleys and shops looked no different from the ones a few blocks down.

One of the churches was located along the massive stone wall encasing the city. Not far from it, the trio stumbled over the first street that looked distinctly different.

Just not in a good way,

The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

Several city blocks had been left in ruins, though painted a glossy white, to make the structures appear as though they were made out of marble. Scaffolding and support beams had been added to help keep the foundations strong, and along with hundreds upon hundreds of plaques nailed to each door, it was like walking through a surreal graveyard. Several craters in the street left behind by catapult fire and spells had been left unfixed. Along the sidewalks were nameless tombstones, arranged like guardrails.

At the center of the destruction was a large statue depicting the knights of Berlington standing strong in formation. A plague was nailed to the foundation.

‘Here is to be remembered all the lives lost in the Battle of Berlington.’

Maria remained quiet as they moved through the area. Even though most of it had been rebuilt, the simple fact that the ruined foundation had been left behind was a hollow reminder of what once was, left an uneasy feeling in her stomach. She almost couldn’t look at it. To think of just how many people died here in the streets, and all because of her father. If anything, it was all the more motivation to fix things. If his subordinates were out there somewhere, it was her duty to ensure they didn’t do anything else like this. She didn’t want to see this kind of destruction anywhere else.

After some searching, they were able to find two of the lunar churches in the city. Of course, the Oracle wasn’t at any of them, nor did the priests know where he was. According to the two of them, he hadn’t been showing up to any church lately. There was one church that he frequented more often than the others, and it was the one he lived fairly close to. Did either priest know his address? No.

The Church in the East District was all they had to work off of.

“At least we know he lives in the east district,” Chariot says.

Tanalia crossed her arms. “We’re in the west district.”

“So?”

“So, that’s fairly far from here. We’ve been walking all day.”

“Let’s just take a break then,” Maria said. “Maybe find something to eat.

They stopped at one of the bakeries and finally got something to eat. Maira couldn’t help but salivate over the sweet smells. There was a narrow alley beside the bakery. It was lush with foliage, and flower beds. Even the alleyways in this city looked pleasant. She never wanted to see another alleyway like the kind she had from back home ever again. Maria sat on a stone bench, kicking her legs up against a stone wall and blocking the path ahead as she inhaled the pleasant, and sweet aroma.

“Are we sure he’s even in the city right now?” Tanalia asked.

“He has to be,” Maria said. “Master Eardwulf said he operated in Berlington.”

“If this turns out to be a big waste of time, I’m not going to be happy.”

“You’ll be fine,” Chariot said. “This comes with the job. If we want to find The Ringleader, we must first find the Oracle. Wouldn’t be much of a quest if we knew exactly where to look.”

“It would certainly make things easier though.”

“Excuse me, madam,” a young, high-pitched voice said.

The trio turned their heads to a small boy standing before them. He was skinny, though not quite malnourished, and covered in dirt and grime, as if someone had rubbed it in his face, leaving behind streaks that looked almost like war paint. No more distinguishable from any other homeless person. Maria quickly realized her legs were in the way, and tucked them in.

“Oh, sorry.”

“Do you have any spare change?” he asked.

Maria inhaled deeply. An instant wave of memories came flooding back of all the times she had been approached on the street in her hometown by homeless men and women asking for change. For as selfish as it sounded, she had grown tired of it.

“I could give you something,” Chariot said and approached with a gold coin.

The young boy took the coin and smiled. “Thank you, miss!”

“Now give him the rest!” another voice came from behind.

Two more kids blocked the way out of the narrow alley, both having drawn small knives. A group of three rounded the corner behind the skinny boy, all with weapons.

“Oh, you little—” Tanalia growled and quickly drew her dagger.

“Put your weapon away, we aren’t hurting them,” Chariot said.

“They’re trying to rob us!”

“Give us all you have,” said another one of the children. They all looked the same, hair a mess, skin covered in dirt, and eyes wide.

“Back off, you little brats,” Tanalia growled.

Maria sighed and rose to her feet. “Don’t do this,” she warned.

“Or what? There’s six of us and only three of you,” the one furthest in the back yelled.

The first boy who approached them grinned and crossed his arms. “You heard them. Hand over the coin. That is unless you want to beat up a bunch of children.”

“I certainly wouldn’t mind,” Tanalia said.

A high-pitched whistle zipped through the air. A trail of golden sparkles zigzagged from high above before landing in front of the kids and exploding in a shower of red and yellow sparks. A clapping boom popped the sky as the children quickly turned and ran from the barrage that quickly followed. Smoke filled the alley.

“Hey, where are you going?” the first boy asked, and growled before retreating with the others.

Both Tanalia and Chariot stumbled back and braced themselves for any other oncoming attacks.

Fireworks.

Maria would recognize them anywhere.

When the smoke cleared, and the children had fled, the trio relaxed a bit.

“Are you three alright?” said a voice.

Maria glanced up. There was a man above her, a tiny man, probably only six inches in height. A pair of translucent wings, shimmering with a faint opalescent glow, extend from his back. At first, Maria couldn't tell just what they were. They looked like the wings of a swallowtail, cicada, dragonfly, and cockroach all layered on top of one another. He was wearing a tailored vest made from iridescent beetle wings, each tiny scale shimmering in a myriad of colors as he moved. His trousers appeared to be made from snug-fitting spider silk wraps. His hair was cut short.

A fairy?

“Are you three alright?” the fairy repeated.

“Yeah,” Maria said, chuckling nervously.

“Good to hear. They didn’t take anything from you before I arrived, did they?”

“No, thankfully.”

“Names Ilihorn,” he said, bowing forward while still in mid-air.

“I’m Maria. This is Chariot and Tanalia.

“A pleasure to meet the three of you.” He hovered lower to the ground until he was at eye level with the trio. Maria couldn’t help but get lost in the endless black voids that were his eyes. No light or reflection was coming from them, not an ounce of white. His skin seemed to have a slightly pinkish tint to it. "Would you mind extending your palm?" he asked.

Maria held out her hand, and the fairy landed gracefully on it. He was near weightless, wearing a pair of supple leather boots crafted from deer hide, and dyed in shades of moss with delicate embroidery.

"Thank you," he said. His wings shimmered like glitter.

“We should be thanking you,” Chariot said.

“I’m sure a crowd like yourselves could have taken them. I just wouldn’t have liked to see such young troublemakers get injured.”

“Kids should be beaten from time to time,” Tanalia said.

“Chariot’s right,” Maria said. “We can’t just beat up kids.”

“Why not?” Tanalia shrugged. “It’s self-defense. They tried robbing us, it’s only fair we get to rob them in exchange.”

“You were going to rob them?” Chariot glared back at the elf.

“No, I’m just saying that taking an eye for an eye is fair.”

“We’re not doing that.”

“Well, of course, they’re gone now.”

“Those little rascals,” Ilihorn said and glared back down the alleyway. “They’ve been getting a lot of people in trouble lately.”

“What were those things you used on them,” Tanalia asked with a not-so-subtle hint of intrigue.

“Oh, we call them firecrackers,” Ilihorn said. He reached into the little grass satchel hanging from his hip and tossed a small seed. It cracked and popped before exploding into colors. “It scares them well enough, but it doesn’t hurt. At least these little ones don’t. The bigger ones we make for festivals, however, could leave a mark or two.”

“You speak as though you’ve dealt with them before,” Chariot said.

“That I have, unfortunately, plenty of people have been. They work for Rynec.”

“Who?” Maria asked.

“You haven’t heard of Rynec?”

“We only just arrived in this city.”

“Oh. Well, he’s a well-known criminal who started operating in this city some time ago. I’ve thankfully never run into him and hopefully never do. He’s been employing children to help him rob people.”

“Isn’t the whole point of being a criminal to not be caught?” Tanalia asked. “If he’s this well known why aren’t the guards out looking for him.”

Chariot sighed. “He works for the Thieves Brotherhood, doesn't he?”

“I believe I’ve heard that name thrown around, yes,” Ilihorn said.

“That’s why,” Chariot told Tanalia. “The Thieves Brotherhood pays off the kingdom guards no matter the town they’re operating in. As long as they keep the flow of gold, their guards won’t do anything. It’s sickly, to be honest. Corrupt.”

“You’re telling me you’ve never accepted a little gold to turn a blind eye?” Tanalia asked.

“Never. It’s immoral. All the members of the Thieves Brotherhood deserve to rot in a cell for the rest of their lives.”

Ilihorn nodded. “I can only hope people as immoral as what he sounds like can be brought to justice. We Fairies from the Northern Kingdom of Eldermyst have had our fair share of troublemakers. Though the Dark Fairies are a lot more violent than these here children.”

“I’m curious as to what a fairy is doing in Berlington,” Chariot said. “You’re fairly far from home.”

“Is it uncommon?” Maria asked.

“I’ll admit, it is quite uncommon for one of my kind to be so far from Eldermyst,” Ilihorn said. “But, internal conflict in the kingdom has been growing more and more uneasy. I simply wanted to get away for a while and see the world, perhaps pursue my dreams beyond the forest walls.”

“Oh. Well, good for you,” Maria said.

“Thank you, my dear. I must be off, however. I wish you three the best of luck.”

“Wait, hold on just one second,” Maria said. “We’re actually looking for someone if you could help us.”

“I can most certainly try.”

“We’re looking for someone called the Oracle. He works for the Church of the Lunar Goddess. We’ve been told he works in the church in the east district of Berlington. You wouldn’t happen to know about him, or know where that is?”

“The Oracle… Yes. Yes, I do believe I have heard of him. I attended a service some weeks back and was introduced to him. He seemed like a kind old man.”

“I thought fairies worshiped a different god,” Chariot asked.

“We do. Excuse my curiosity though, I know little about humans aside from what I’ve read or observed from the people of Brightwater. I thought it would be interesting to learn more about what humans believe in. The people of Brightwater don’t have a Church for the Lunar Goddess, and I must say they should, I think they’re extraordinary buildings.”

“Did you attend the church on the east side of the city?”

“Unfortunately no, my business is done here in the west district. I do know of the church, however. If you follow the main street, it will take you around the entire city in one loop. Once you enter the east district, head for the marketplace, and the directions to the church should be much easier to follow. I don’t remember the exact street name, but they have signed over there.”

“Oh, well thank you, you’ve been a big help,” Maria said.

“Not a problem my dear. Even if I may not be big, I’m glad my assistance was. The three of you better stay safe out there. These streets aren’t the cleanest at night.”

“Noted,” Maria said. “Thank you.”

Ilihorn gave one final polite bow, and zipped away, vanishing once he flew out into the street.

“He seemed nice,” Maria said.

“Most fairies are,” Chariot explained.

“I take it there are several different kinds?”

“In a way. Most of them come from Eldermyst.”

“Hm. Good to know.”

“Mhm. Now, let's find the Oracle.”