Oh, my, goodness. I love this place. I am so at home here! Joey lit up the second they arrived at the Victoria’s, a converted warehouse on the other end of Mercadian Promenade that was a strange fusion of oldtown, Opechea Falls, and a mage-designed building. The rough-hewn rafters were a visual delight with twirling lights hovering above them, giving off a spectrum of colors. Drenar is still looking around in awe at the various kin species–and this place attracts all sorts. Dragons were dining at oversized booths, with what appeared to be a yakaniku grill setup. Except, the Nevarran Red sitting at the table was using a controlled flame burst to cook food on the grill, with the azure silver pair across from him cheering him on, and enjoying drinks from large pitchers.
Off to the right, a pair of wargens are chatting with a dark-furred kitsune with a tawny face and body accents, all dressed in casual wear, and laughing about some joke. If she wasn’t in public, she wouldn’t mind being in her true form–but she also sees a few humans leering at the merry group from a table in the back, and one of them tosses back a drink with little restraint. She’d seen that look before. That silent, baleful look people gave to other Kin, when words might bring too much attention. Though, that didn’t stop everyone.
It’s a reminder that it’s going to take an awful lot of work to undo a culture. However, she has friends who would never give up on that endeavor.
“Joey? Joey, are you gonna order? You’re doing that thing,” Drenar calls out to get her attention, and she blinks, and comes back to a less unkempt Drenar peering at her with curiosity. “You alright?”
“Yeah, just taking in the sights. I love Victoria’s place. She’s a wargen who runs the place, and opened it, eh, like a few years ago? And honestly speaking, I think their loaded fries are the best. Not everything has to be magical to be appreciated,” she adds with a sly wink.
“Uh huh, like you, Miss Pyromist? He says with a smirk and leans in. “What do you say we put these tests off tomorrow, take a weekend, and go somewhere? There’s been nothing on the Talons for weeks, and the Conclave seems to have given us a really wide berth. Probably due to Levine and Nick stern talking everyone down, and no one wanting to mess with the entirety of the Valkyries.”
“Are you taking a break from work? Young man, you have studies to finish!” she teases, and is grateful that he didn’t pry too deep into that link between them. Then again, She has a feeling that he knows the limits of how far to listen in. Some thoughts were in the moment…and didn’t always need to be aired out to the world. She taps her menu and finally decides on a plate. The waitress stops by in an instant, and Joey peers up at that spry fey the greeted them. Drenar tries not to stare, but she also realizes something: he has never seen a fey up close, before now.
Where there was a mostly humanoid body, there were some not-insignificant differences. The fey had feathers across their bodies in various iridescent colors of blue, white, and green. Two large wings of similar color banded feathers came out of her back, and her face was mostly human, but with long, pointy ears–almost like an Elven from the fake fantasy books she’d read as a kid. The fey have disproportionately large eyes compared to normal humans. She smiles warmly at the two of them, a pen and pad ready.
“Hey Joey, it’s been a while!” she announces with interest. “And uh, who’s the kid?”
Before Drenar could get offended, Joey takes the initiative and heads her off. “This is Drenar, we’re currently working together on a joint venture, let’s say. He’s looking to study at London Academy.” She also passes on a private message.
{Play along, remember: we don’t want a target on our backs, but Sierra I’d trust with my life.} Drenar blinks and then slowly nods.
“Yep, I’m looking to further my studies. I’d heard great things about the place when Joey was talking about it, earlier,” he added a slight smirk. She loves how he can roll with it and not put up too much resistance. “I hadn’t decided on a major, yet. I do have a draconic background, so, magic isn’t an issue. It’s picking a specialty that suits me.”
“Joeys’ the mad genius with the alchemy. Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t mention my name, I’m Figs, Joey’s been a regular here since we opened! Though, where’s Kyle?” Figs asked with a wide-eyed look of curiosity.
“Working. The attack left him a little uh–he loves the comfort of his workshop, let’s say,” she added on a quieter note. Almost no mage in the town didn’t know someone who hadn’t worked at Asqualia at one point, even given its security. “But, he's doing better now.”
“I would say I worry about you, dear. In here it’s one thing, but there’s an unease going through the town. Conclave guys are ramping up soldiers everywhere. Lots of crackdowns on anyone even remotely infracting on veil protocol. It’s getting a little ridiculous, isn’t it? Anyway, you having the usual, Joey?”
“Figs, of course I am! Drenar, whatcha having?” she asked with a smile.
“You know me—a bacon cheeseburger with caramelized onions. I hear great things about it,” he replies warmly. Figs takes off in a flutter of wings, and Drenar does track her motion a bit.
“Hey, don’t stare,” she teases. He stammers for a second, then frowns at her.
“You told me to engage my academic curiosity,” he shoots back, and she sighs. “I wasn’t staring. I didn’t realize the fey were so…birdlike. When I think of fey, I think of things from Irish folklore. Definitely not that,” he added as an aside. “Man, I feel like the straight man in a world filled with craziness.”
You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.
“You’re not, though. Plenty of people have been late arrivals on this front, Drenar. Besides, a few more trips to the Promenade, it’ll be plain and routine,” she assures him.
“Nah, it won’t. Despite the danger we find ourselves in, that little bit of figurative magic is never going to fade out for me, that sense of wonder, and all these little secrets of the world that have been hidden in only one doorway from me. It kind of makes me wonder what would have happened if I hadn’t gone to Mount Syren, how different things would be.”
“That would be impossible to predict. But I can tell you this: no one in Asqualia would likely be alive,” she stated quietly. “I don’t think I would’ve seen the danger in time if you guys didn’t cross paths with us. Alright, Now onto brighter topics!”
“We can do bright?” he asked while leaning in. “Alright, whatcha got?”
“Well, assuming we ever get out of this mess, what are you going to do once we’re out of danger? Saving the world sounds like a one-time deal,” she says with confidence. He folded his arms across the table, and gave it a good thought.
“I don’t know. There’s so much I haven’t seen. Magic I never even knew existed, people and cultures that are completely unknown to me. I suppose, getting caught up with that? Academia? Kiera let me know that mom was sitting on funds that she set aside for myself and Evan.”
“Oh! You could go to London Academy, like I said before! Sorry, I really didn’t want to lead Figs astray. Because, you know, the Talons might get ideas,” she said with a hand wave around the room.
“Well, we didn’t come unprepared, is all I’m saying.” he rubs at the watch on his wrist, but–he’s put it on his other hand. On his left hand? She has never asked him about that scar on his right wrist, and she has a feeling she knows what it is--from before. But, perhaps now isn’t the time to ask about it. He continues before she lingers on the idea. “Anyway, I think I’d like the idea of going to the academy. But then, I wouldn’t be with you guys.”
“Teleportals exist, Drenar,” she laughs.
“Oh, right. I keep forgetting that part,” he adds with a contented sigh, then smiles at her. “You want me to go to your alma mater? I mean, could you put in a word? And not because we’re dating, either.”
“I think to be fair, Amaranth could put in a good word for you. Weirdly, we haven’t gotten a mention from him, yet. I thought for sure he’d make contact with us.” She pondered this, why was he being so elusive? It’s not that he hadn’t spoken to her briefly, but he had been very brief and hadn’t given any details on what he had been doing lately. Maybe it’s some kind of special field research?
They eventually drift off to talking about the academy, and Drenar shows a keen interest in it–he might be a tad older than most of the mages, but he has more than made up for it with his tactical acumen and fast learning. There’s nothing in the last two months he hasn’t been able to handle, and academics should be an utter cakewalk for him. Dinner is eventually brought over by Figs, and they dig into the meal–she has to laugh, and Drenar has to bolt down his food because he constantly fears Julia might steal it! She laughs at some of his commentary on the food. Sometimes, there’s magic even in the mundane!
A ping goes off on her phone, and she glances down at the message. It’s from an unlisted number, and she debates just letting it go to voicemail. But then, she feels a twinge. Something is setting off her danger sense, just at the edge of her ability to sense it. She’s learned that it’s only as useful as you can pinpoint the source and that sometimes it can be set off by relatively mundane things, especially if you’re a skittish kitsune who is afraid of people unmasking you.
She answers the phone while Drenar glances at her in curiosity. “Good evening, who may I ask is calling–”
“Joey, it’s me.”
She almost drops the phone when she hears those three words, and she feels both immense relief and instant tension. “Amaranth? Why are you calling me on–”
“Joey, you have to listen right now. Malena sent word to me that you were in town earlier today. I had to ditch my phone and I’m on my backup one. I’m being tracked.”
She taps Drenar’s arm to get his attention, and he leans in subtly, while she keeps the phone on normal speaker. He’s focused now and taps Remari out of instinct. “Professor Amaranth? How bad is the situation?”
“I’ve got first-hand information that I think bears grave concern for you two, and the rest of your friends. I don’t dare to give this information over the phone. I need to meet with you two, immediately. I came in by one of the maintenance entrances of the Promenade, can you meet me somewhere private?”
“What about Nick’s house?” Drenar asked quietly while snapping his fingers. “Amaranth, who’s tracking you?”
“Don’t know, but my guess is it’s the Talons. Where are you two currently–wait, no, don’t tell me. I don’t want to give these opportunists a chance to take you two out. Rashalda, if you’re as sharp as Joey’s made you out to be, then you understand you may have studied previously undiscovered phenomena a couple of months ago. Malena forwarded me the report, but I made a connection no one’s found yet.” Joey can hear him walking at a hurried pace. “Danger sense is going off. Damn. Guess I need to get to ground, fast.”
“Meet us at Victoria’s, you must be right nearby if you came in by Broad Street,” Joey instructs him. “It’s down the street, a big converted building on the left, meet us inside.” She flags down Figs, who looks puzzled. “Figs, we need a private room for a late arrival, think you can get us something?”
“Sure thing Joey. I’ll go clear one for you guys, no problem.” Figs takes off in a flash of feathers, and Joey looks back to her phone. This is bad news, no matter which way this is going.
“Amaranth, without getting into detail, we’ve seen some very strange things lately. What do you think you know?”
“I’ll risk a hint. She returns to the cradle of Kin.” Joey has a vague idea of what he means, but then there’s a shuffle of feet on his end. “I’ll be there in two minutes.” The phone clicks off, and all their plans of normalcy just went out the window.
“Joey, what did he mean by that?” Drenar asks, and she sees that look on his face, like he knows they’re already back in the thick of it.
“Someone else thinks Gaia is alive.”
----------------------------------------
Want to support my author efforts? Go check out my patreon, where I host both The Legend of the Luminaires, and my new story, Newly Broke Heroine with advanced chapters past public release! Every little bit helps guys, and keeps me driving to deliver awesome stories! The image below takes ya there!
image [https://i.imgur.com/UUgopDB.jpeg]
Discord | Ko-fi