On my name I swear, I truly meant to go back to the river and wait for Arthur and Anna.

The need to distance myself from Ulet had outweighed my desire to watch the imaginary battle unfolding between the dragon and Siegfried. If the introduction Dreamtongue had given his story had not told me how it would end, I may have not been able to remove myself. Starting a story that focused on the struggle between a warrior and a dragon by introducing the warrior as a dragon slayer left very little room for me to worry.

So, I had left the heart of Erosette and returned the way I had come, gathering snippets of stories from each fire I passed.

Standing at a little fire, complete with a little black pot, a wide eyed little boy tried his best to scare the other children gathered around him.

“It crawls out from under your bed and crawls up the walls. It’s got eight black eyes and eight black legs and eight black fangs.” The little boy said, holding out his arms and baring his teeth in the light of the dimming fire.

Not far from the children, a larger fire burned. Surrounded by what must be the children’s parents and their friends, a woman with deep burgundy eyes and a strong jaw called to the little boy. “Garon, must you tell such a dark tale?”

“Stop it, Mother! I’m just getting to the good part,” Garon shouted. Without pause, he continued. “It shoots out its web and wraps you up in it, blanket and all. When you can’t move and it sucks all the strength out of you with its silk, it crawls down and makes you watch it eat you alive.”

Once he had called her mother, the resemblance between the boy and the woman became clear. It was not as alike as I was with my mother, but some of the features were there.

One of the other children spoke up, evidently unaffected by the terror Garon had tried to inflict them with.

“If it’s small enough to fit under your bed, how is it big enough to wrap you up?” A little girl piped up.

The child fire grew even dimmer as Garon voiced his displeasure at the girl’s disbelief. “You don’t get it. Tell her, Gaught! Like you told me!”

Garon’s mother shook her head and let out a weary sounding sigh. “You are where he has been hearing things like this?”

The fire underneath the adult’s pot spun like fallen leaves being picked up by a sudden wind. Taking form, the shape of a serpent extended its head of flame to Garon’s mother and spoke in a hiss. “My lady, my apologies. You know he will not sleep without being told a story.”

Neither could I, when I was young. It had not been that long ago that my own mother would tuck me in every night and talk me to sleep. Garon and I had much in common it seemed.

“Dear?” Garon’s mother called to her son, but he was looking at me.

It was awfully rude of a child to not listen to their mother. Even I knew that.

“Dear?”

Fuck. The slow pace I had taken so I could listen to the story about the spider had gradually turned to stillness. Probably wondering why some strange girl was lingering in the street, I had gained the sorceress's attention.

“Is everything alright, dear?” She asked, her maroon eyes focused on my own.

“Oh, yes, I’m sorry. I was just passing by.” I sputtered. With an apologetic smile, I began to move again. Every child around the little fire and every adult around the larger one, including the serpent of fire, were all staring at me.

The sorceress stood and stepped out into the street after me.

Fuck.

“But your feet are injured and you look like you have been dragged across the ground? You are a maiden,” She walked right up to me and ran her hand over the front of my dress. “Yes. This is a maiden’s dress. Has something happened to you?”

I was filthy. The tops of my feet were scraped and red. I could see how she would think that something unfortunate had happened to me.

“No,” I said, not knowing what I was going to say before I started speaking. What could have Millime gotten herself into to end up in the state I was in? “I, uhm, lost a game of Points.”

“At Seven Columns?” She questioned me.

“Yes.” I nodded. What the fuck is seven columns?

“But you are a maiden? They do not allow sorceresses to play.”

“I, uhm. . .” I said.

Garon’s mother smiled. “Smart girl! You didn’t tell them. I should have tried that,” She opened her arms and gestured to where she had been seated before. “Come sit with us, my familiar can see to your injuries and you can tell me how you tricked old Bry into letting you in.”

The serpent of flame raised its head in my direction. The same fear that I had felt about Ulet’s bird possibly being able to see through my glamor rose back within me.

“I have to go.” I blurted out, turning from the sorceress with the maroon eyes and walking quickly past her fire. If she called after me, I did not hear it because a beastial roar erupted from the heart of the city and drowned out everything but the pounding of my own.

When I glanced back as I turned onto a side street, there was confusion on her face, but she was not following me. Still, I turned again and continued to distance myself. I walked through a small street that seemed to be made entirely of different bakeries and slipped into an empty alleyway just as another roar came from Dreamtongue’s dragon.

The small space between buildings was the only place I had been in Erosette that was not completely full with people and I took the opportunity to lean back against the wall and close my eyes for a moment.

I had seen more and had more interactions with people in the last few hours than I had in all of my life before. Whipping violently between panic and excitement several times since crossing the river had left me feeling thin, but a smile spread across my face despite it all.

In part, the overwhelming slurry of faces and voices and feelings should have made me want to go running home to my mother. It was a lot, just as I had said to Anna it was, but I found that my appetite for it knew no bounds. I wanted to live there. I would forget the manor and well house without hesitation if it meant I could be a part of the sheer amount of life that every brick and stone of the city teemed with.

I could run away again.

There was absolutely no reality where I would leave Anna behind, but I could ask her to go with me. She said she would be whatever I needed her to be and I believed her, but did that extend to being a runaway? Would she leave her mother and brother behind to go with me?

Even if she would, I did not know if I should ask her.

“Thank you all!” Dreamtongue’s golden voice echoed into the alleyway. Cheers and applause followed quickly after and by the sound of it, his night had ended.

Pushing myself off of the wall and opening my eyes, I set off to find Anna and Arthur. Before I could leave the alley, The small hairs on the back of my neck stood on end and a shiver shook me down to the stones beneath my soles.

Autumn.

A staircase was cut into the ground a few steps to my right. I could not see the bottom of it, but it stepped down towards the back of one of the bakeries. The warm glow of the city dimmed and died at the top of them, an unnatural darkness seeping up from the ground.

Autumn.

Something was watching me.

Something dark and cold.

There was nothing at the bottom of those stairs. Not a rat or a spider or roach. No life at all, only a void that sucked everything out of the air.

And, it was watching me.

Autumn.

Calling me. . .

My arms and legs would not move. My eyes were drawn to the staircase and I could do nothing but feel the cold truth that I was truly alone. I wanted nothing more than to turn and flee, but I knew I would answer the calling and there would be no one around to care.

Then, as if nothing at all was strange or out of place in the alleyway, a group of red cloaked girls appeared and walked right by the staircase. Striding confidently and completely involved in their own conversations, none of them noticed me or the stairs as they passed.

With one last glance at the seemingly normal staircase that was no longer drawing me in or devoid of light, I decided that I no longer wished to have a moment alone. As soon as there was enough distance between the uniformed girls and I that I would not raise suspicion, I followed them out of the alley.

Their cloaks hung to just above their elbows and tapered down to a point at their waists. Each wore a dress that was similar to mine in style, but not color. Pink, crimson, maroon, and every other shade of red made the group look like a bouquet of warm toned flowers. They wore shoes that were barely shoes. A thin bottom covered their soles and were held to their feet by thin straps that ran over the top and up and around their ankles. Just like the dresses, the color of each girl's hair differed, but they were all tied back in a braid like what Anna had done to mine. There was a unity that held the group together despite their differences. The uniforms, the confidence they walked with, the constant back and forth of their chattering and laughing, I couldn’t help but continue to follow them as they navigated the crowded streets without hesitation.

A large walled garden that looked like someone had cut a perfect section out of a lush forest and dropped it into the middle of Erosette came into my sight after several blocks of what looked to be homes, and the girls walked right through the open gate.

Somewhere, in the back of my mind, I knew I should not have been so willing to throw myself into such a dark and hidden place with little to no apprehension. The only thing I should have been doing was going back to the river and waiting for Anna and Arthur. In truth, I should have been asleep in my room, but I was a long way away from my bed and the forest garden was very close.

And, I liked their shoes. They looked comfortable. The way the thin straps would shift and reveal a pattern of suntanned skin with every step, there was something pleasing about it. As silly as it sounded, that was all it took for my hesitation to dissipate.

This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

Passing through a cluster of tightly packed trees, I could no longer see them fully, but the sound of them was enough for me to know which bends and turns on the twisted path for me to follow.

“-how she is when she is here.”

“-take me on a date. Can you believe that?”

“I’m hungry, do you-“

“Jai said he would be waiting for me tomorrow after-“

“Pshhh. Jai is just trying to get under your dress, if I were-“

“ -did I give my-“

I could never hear a full sentence or follow the flow of conversation fully and I only caught glimpses of their red cloaks through the gaps in the branches. Still, I wanted to know who Jai was and what they wanted that was under somebody's dress. Why is she the way she was when she was here?

Those questions were enough to carry me past the pink marble statue that sat in a round of leafy vines at the gates and into a circular courtyard. A fountain, twice my own height, spewed streams of water that fell down in perfect arcs. Uniform sections of the patterned brick that paved the space were missing. Tangled mounds of thorny vines stood in their place. White stoned buildings surrounded me, leaving only the sight of the night sky over my head.

The thorns were the same kind that had left half a dozen puncture holes on the bottom of my foot and the pink marble statue in the garden was a larger version of what stood behind the manor, but wherever I had wound up was infinitely more beautiful than the hillside or the garden back home.

There was an issue, however.

Having left the darkness between the trees and stepped into the courtyard fully, the group of girls I had been following were nowhere to be seen.

Vanished, gone, I could not even hear their voices any longer.

Something suddenly grasped my shoulder.

I screamed and whipped around, my aura flaring within me.

A pale faced man with eyes the color of blood dropped down into a ready stance and raised his fists at me, his wide brimmed hat unmoving atop his head.

“Who are you, girl?” He demanded. Though he had not attacked, there was a tension in his limbs that acted as a promise of violence depending on how I answered.

“I. . .” I began, but my words fell away.

The group of girls with their short red cloaks and sparse shoes walked out of the dark garden.

“She has been following us for a while.” One said.

“Probably wants to sneak in here and steal something.” Another added.

“If I looked like that, I would steal a bath and a change of clothes.” A third said, sending the rest into pointed laughter.

I did not find it funny because it was pointed at me.

Seemingly finding nothing in my stance that indicated his promise needed to be fulfilled, the man rose to his full height. “All of you go to bed. I normally don’t give two dust bags about your curfew, but you know how she is when she is here.”

“But what about her?” One of the girls asked, already moving towards the tall building on my right.

“Are any of you the overseer? No? I didn’t think so. Go to bed.” The man said.

“Goodnight, Nocti.” The girls each mumbled as they listened to the man and entered the white stoned building on my right.

The man waited until they had all entered the white stoned building before he turned his crimson gaze back to me. He did not speak, he only peered at me from under the shadows of his hat silently.

“I was just going.” I muttered, unable to make myself move towards the garden for some reason.

“Why were you here in the first place? Is there a reason you were following the underwitchs?” The man asked.

Underwitchs.

“Shoes.” I blurted. Why had I not just gone to the river and waited? In what reality has it been a good idea for me to wander off alone.

“You wanted to steal their sandals?” The man asked, only his eyes visible underneath the shadows of his hat.

“No, I did not want to steal anything. I liked their shoes.” I corrected him. Why could I not move? It felt almost as if he was holding me in place with nothing but his gaze.

He held his hand behind his back. “You expect me to believe that you wandered in here because you liked their sandals?”

“To be fair, I do not know where here is. And, you should believe me because it is the truth.” I answered honestly, choosing to meet his constant gaze with my own.

“Hmmm. What is your name?” He turned away from me and began to pace back and forth in front of the gate.

“Millime.” I said.

“Lie.” The man answered.

“What?” How could he tell?

“You were not lying when you said that you did not know where you were and that you like the underwitch’s shoes, but Millime is not your name, ”The man said, straightening the brim of his hat between two fingers. “If I had to guess, you are the type to fight or flee if I pressed you for more. So, I will not, but you must swear to me that you will not return here.”

“Why?” He was playing with me. I did not know the game or what was at stake, but he seemed to be enjoying it.

“Because, I could have you draped in chains merely for setting foot in the garden. A young girl like yourself would not enjoy that, I don’t think. Because I am a gentleman, I do not wish to do that. However, I am bound to perform my duty. If you cannot swear to me that you will never return, I will see you arrested.” The man said.

Lie. I thought to myself. Nothing in his demeanor matched what he had said.

“I will swear it, for a price.” I answered, hoping my assumption of his playfulness was correct.

It was slight, but I thought I saw a small smile flash across his face while he continued to pace.

“Freedom is not payment enough? Hmmm. I cannot give you sandals. Generally, I do not keep such things on my person.”

“Three questions. Answer them and I will swear what you have asked of me,” I said. He was smiling, and I found myself beginning to enjoy the game he had begun with me. “First, where can I get sandals like what they were wearing?”

“A waist of a question. Every cobbler in Erosette sells them.” He answered quickly.

“Second, where did I wander into?” I continued.

The man laughed. “Could you imagine a rabbit wandering into a lion's den and being innocent enough to ask the lion where it was?”

“Maybe, but what if the rabbit is actually a fox and the lion is being tricked.” I answered. There was something about him that reminded me of Sam. Threat if imprisonment included, his brand of intimidation was much more enjoyable than my little blue demon’s.

The man laughed harder than before. “Shame you have to leave, you are quite entertaining. This is The Mother in Red’s garden. It is where she cultivates what she finds meaningful.”

“What the fuck does that mean?” I blurted. I knew there was a garden, but what about the fountain and the buildings? Terrifyingly powerful had been the displays I had seen from angry red, but I doubted that she could grow buildings.

“Is that your third question?” The man said, his pacing having taken on a playful jauntiness.

“No.”

“Then ask it.” He insisted.

“There is a manor on a hill somewhere outside of the city. I need to know how to find the bridge that leads to it. Can you tell me?”

The man stopped his pacing and became very still. “What business do you have at the manor?”

“I don’t. I’m supposed to meet my friends by the bridge.” I half lied. Everywhere on the river bank was by the bridge depending on how general the question I asked was.

“Hmm. You aren’t lying, but you are not telling me the full truth,” He sighed. “You go back through the garden and turn left. Continue straight until you see the river and then turn right. You’ll see the bridge not long after that.”

“Thank you. I’ll be going now.” I took a step towards the garden and then felt like there was nothing in the world I could do to raise my legs.

“Your swear?” The man reminded me.

“I swear that I, Millime, will not return to this place.” I swore seriously.

The red eyed man laughed again, throwing his head back and letting the light of the night hit his pale face. “A fox indeed. You are no rabbit, girl. Now be on your way before I change my mind.”

“And you are no lion.” I said as I made my way into the darkness within the trees. When I turned around to take one last look at him, the courtyard was empty.

From somewhere that I could not see, I heard his voice again. “This is a school, girl. Now be gone.”

I had no way to prove if it was the truth or my imagination, but it felt like his red eyes watched every step I took back through the garden. It was only when I followed his directions and saw the clear water of the river running in front of me that I felt I was no longer being watched.

Something I had never seen in Erosette hung over the city. Dark clouds swirled and rolled across the sky, low rumbles of thunder underpinning their movements.

Most of the street that ran along the river had emptied. Some gatherings were still placed here or there, but their fires had begun to die down. Occasionally, I passed a person that had decided to lay down and fall asleep on the grassy river bank like it was the most comfortable place in the world. It spoke to the safety of The Mother in Red’s domain. If people could sleep without fear in the dark of night of Erosette, there had to be little bad that happened there. Maybe, it spoke to The Red Mother’s demeanor as well. If her place was so safe and the weather was always perfect, maybe Angry Red would not burn me alive like one of the flower buds from the other night.

“Autumn.”

The sound of my name alone was enough to dispel any thoughts of safety.

Being suddenly grabbed from behind for the second time that night was enough to make me feel like a fool for ever thinking I was safe.

Just as I had with the red eyed man, I whipped around with my aura at the ready.

Impact.

Anna threw her arms around me and squeezed me tight. “Where have you been? I’ve been looking for you all over.”

She pushed me away just enough that she could look me over and then kissed me on my cheek.

The embrace and the worry made a warm spot bloom in my belly. The kiss, even if it was just on my cheek, turned the bloom to a blaze.

“Absence makes the heart grow fonder.” I said, tightening my arms around her in turn.

“If I grow any fonder of you I won’t be able to function.” Anna sighed.

“Hey,” Arthur cleared his throat and walked up to us. “I hate to interrupt whatever this is, but we have to get back. It’s almost morning and it looks like rain.”

As if morning had been a magic word that allowed my tiredness to catch up to my mind, I suddenly let out a full bodied yawn that lifted me to the tips of my sore toes.

“What happened with Sorceress Ulet?” I yawned.

“Nothing. She apologized for being rude the last time she saw us. She asked about you, but then she left. We’ve been looking for you since.” Anna answered me.

“Hey, we can talk when we get home. Here is the plan,” Arthur said, stepping into the river. “I’ll go up first and distract the guards. When you see me climb the wall, start heading up the hill. Got it?”

“I won’t lie to you, little brother. That might be the smartest idea you’ve ever had.” Anna said, her face looking shocked at Arthur’s intelligence.

The tall man did not answer. Silently, he crossed the river and began to move up the hillside quickly. I lost track of him shortly after when another yawn forced me to close my eyes.

“Can we go to bed now?” I sighed.

“Not yet, there are some things we need to do first, " Anna said, stepping into the river. “You are going to walk with me this time. No walking on water.”

“What do we have to do? It’s already tomorrow.” I whined. Slumping my shoulders and letting my head drop, I followed her into the current.

“First, we both need to bathe. Second, I have something I want to try.” Anna said, a wry smile on her face.

I gave her a hand onto the manor side bank. “We are in water now, can that not count as bathing?”

“Absolutely not.” Anna laughed.

We took a breath once we were on solid ground once again and Anna pointed at Arthur as he scaled the manor wall and disappeared over the top of it.

“How was it? The city, being out of the manor, was it what you thought it would be?” Anna asked as we began to walk again.

“No, it was better,” I smiled and took her hand in my own. “Which is why we are going back tomorrow.”