Throughout Leona’s afternoon drill, she could not keep her mind off of her meeting with Tusund. Thoughts of her uncertain future laid upon her heavily like the jungle’s humidity. She found herself drifting though each of the drills on instinct while she pictured what might be beyond the walls. She imagined the calamity ravaged landscapes, beautifully colored like candy, yet as deadly as poison. Leona also pictured the monsters that stalked the jungle beyond the city walls. While practicing against the mages with blunted swords, she wondered if she would be able to survive the chaotic magic that awaited.

When everyone else had already left the training grounds behind, Leona remained to practice alone. She stepped up to a platform with a cutting stand that had been enchanted to regrow a column of vines. She flowed through different forms like water winding down a river, cutting at every edge. The orange glow of the setting sun highlighted the cut vines that toppled off the stand as the enchantment continuously filled in the gaps.

At last, she sat down to watch the sun disappear over the shadow of the wall. The air took on a relaxing chill. She wiped off her new blade and sheathed it. Looking at the base of the stand she could see all of her work. Most of the cuts had been clean, rarely jagged or sticking.

That afternoon, she felt like she was training for something more real. If she had to fight beyond the walls, she wanted to be ready. She didn’t want her blade to catch and be pulled away from her on a bad cut. In a way, she was already set on going.

When Leona finally left the fortress grounds, she could see the night guards hanging their lamps off the wall. The Chlorophanes at the gate were replaced by one great green-dragon that wrapped himself around the edge of the sunbaked wall. Leona could see herself reflected in the dragon’s glowing red eye.

She could hear the dragon speaking in her mind, warning her, “there are sounds of trouble on the wind tonight. Travel safely, fledgling.”

“Thanks for your concern, elder,” Leona replied, bowing down and raising her wings to a point.

Leona strolled back down the hill, sore and starving after her practice. She kept herself aware, as the elder had warned her. The shops in the street had been packed away for the night, but there was still plenty of people out. There were a lot more elves and draconians out at night. They tended to be more nocturnal than other people.

The city was well lit with all of the lamps and bioluminescent plants that lined the streets and buildings. Life continued as it had during the day, yet quieter due to people using telepathy.

Leona was tempted to fly home and avoid the city streets altogether, but city’s skyline was crawling with vines and branches that made flying unsafe. The splattering of stars that peaked through the trees above longed for her to join them in the sky. This city was suffocating, just for once, Leona wanted to take in an eye of sky. She wanted to see the curve of the horizon and trace a flight path under the silver scar. Sighing, her wings draped like a pristine cape behind her. She continued down Main Street.

Leona turned the corner, passing the flower posters again. The text of the vines glowed neon red. The shops window was darkened, but she thought she might have seen something moving inside, or was it in a reflection? She felt cold dots dripping off her scales. It was starting to rain.

Rain in Vera City always came down hard. The drops went plack, lack, tac against the giant jungle leaves. There was a steady stream running off the rooftops, pooling before being drained away. All of the rain sounds masked the approach of some men. They crashed into Leona. Her wings flailed and the men stumbled.

“Sorry, so sorry!” Leona hastily apologized.

An elf with tired eyes, black hawk wings, and long black hair hiccupped, trying to speak. His height was being supported by two others, both human men.

“Sorry, miss. We didn’t her ya coming,” a strong man with a curly red beard replied.

The other smaller man, with dark hair and sharp features, grinned mischievously and said, “We’re just trying to get this fine gentleman back to his inn.”

The bearded man eyed up her blade.

“Better hurry home miss. There are a lot of drunks like this fool out tonight,” he said.

The men went their own way and Leona felt safer turning her back, yet keeping them in the edge of her sight. The men dragged their elven friend into an alleyway, where she could see the flash of a knife.

Leona froze, turning back on them. She crossed the street with a breeze and slid her back against a wall. She peaked into the alleyway and saw the men threatening the elf. The elf held his hands up as the smaller man spilled out his purse. Hundreds of shinning scales, wings, and gems drained into the robber’s bag. Leona hid behind the wall again, listening to the riches clattering to the floor.

She heard a loud thump and peaked back around the wall to see that the strong man had the elf pinned to the wall. The other man held his knife to the elf’s neck. He had his hands around the long silver chain of a purple amulet.

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“No! You can’t have that,” the elf slurred his words, attempting to punch the men.

“Looks like a valuable steal to me,” the smaller man said pressing the knife into the elf’s skin.

The elf bared his teeth as the man tried to pull the chain off over his head. The elf shifted in the strong man’s hold and snatched the robber’s wrist. The elf’s grip was crushing. The robber yelled as claws dug into his wrist. Leona drew her blade, bracing herself for a confrontation.

The robber swore and yanked his arm away from the elf, only causing more damage. Enraged the robber plunged his knife into the elf’s shoulder. The elf kicked the strong man back away and tried to run. As he stumbled, both men knocked him to the ground. The elf pulled his face out of a puddle, black strands of hair hanged over his sharp eyes.

Before they could bring anymore harm to the elf, Leona stepped into the ally. She took a deep breath and yelled, “Halt! In the name of King Alder of Verlass you are under arrest!”

The men turned their attention to her. The man with the knife raised it in defense and mockingly called out, “only if you can catch us!”

The strong man stomped on the elf’s wing and pulled his partner into a run. They laughed as they ran to the end of the ally. Without chasing them Leona turned to the vines on the wall and whispered to them. When the robbers were nearly to the end of the ally, the vines along the walls sprung to life and lunged at them.

The robbers yelped and screamed as they were taken off the ground. They tried to cut themselves free, but the vines quickly gained control of them. The knife they held was released, splashing into a puddle below. The vines set across the city by the king would hold them until the city guard responded.

Magic that was as vast and potent as the king’s scared Leona. His influence was rooted into the structures of the city itself. His magic was like a vast spider web, all Leona had to do was wake it up. Even if he was far away, sleeping in his fortress, Alder would sense this and easily learn what had taken place. Leona brushed her hand across the vines again thanking him with fearful respect.

Grumbling to himself, the elf had already pulled himself off the ground and was leaning against the wall. His clothes were torn and dripping water and blood. He ran his hair back behind his pointed ears and rubbed street grime off his face with a handkerchief. He looked more offended than anything.

Leona sheathed her sword and rushed over to offer him a hand. The ground around him was glittering with valuables, but he paid them no mind. When Leona reached him, he was complaining about his ruined coat.

“I mean, sure, you could fix the torn bits and the enchantment, but what about the stains? That’s never going to come out. It’s ruined!” the elf lamented.

He seemed to be talking to himself. Leona was nervous, but she reached out.

“Excuse me sir, are you alright?” she asked.

“Thank you miss, but I’m fine,” he replied curtly. “This by far, has to be one of the worst places I’ve passed through. The night clubs may have been worth the stop, if the drinks were better than garbage juice!”

As he was walking away, Leona rushed again to his side saying, “you are injured, where are you going? I saw what they did. Shouldn’t you go to the hospital?”

“Can’t,” he said, brushing off her concern. “The whole family would be storming the gate if they knew where I was. Can’t have that happening. I’d sooner walk myself into the Dread Sea, before going home again.”

Leona was baffled. Judging by his silver rimmed coat and other ornate silk garments, she imagined that the elf must be some kind of stray noble. What was he running from? An unsavory marriage? Confused, she watched him fixing his coat collar, he held himself upright and walked as if he had barely been scratched.

He went up to where the robbers were bound and reached up to snatch their money bag. The robbers had fear in their eyes, expecting an act of retribution that never came. The elf poured everything back into his purse, then turned back to Leona.

“I suppose I should thank you, this could have been a lot more unpleasant. You may call me Hawk,” he said, shaking her hand. “Everything left on the ground is yours to keep.”

Before Leona could say anything else, the elf raised his hands up into the rain, casting a spell. The water along the street gathered into one place, pulling all of the gems and money along with it. The simple spell left the elf heaving, dark wisps flowing out with each exhale.

“Now that…. that’s worse than the knife,” he coughed. “Good practice for a mage though. It’s off to the next town for me, see you around dragon.”

Leona gathered up the money fast and ran to the end of the ally. She looked in every direction, but Hawk was already gone. She thought that he couldn’t have gotten far. She ran in each way, nearly slipping in the rain. There was no trace of him, blood or otherwise.

Trusting in Alder’s vines to hold the robbers she returned home with a heavy bag. When she got home, everyone was already asleep. Leona quietly grabbed the stew her mom left for her in the ice box. She stuck it by the forge to warm up in the residual heat. Then she went to her room.

She threw her cloak back on its hanger and set her sheaf’s belt to hang off her desk chair. She slowly poured out the treasure that she had gathered onto her desk top. Colorful scales and thin wings shined red, blue, and green under her lamp light. The tear gems that mages used were angular, yet smooth. They looked like glass and were colored like soap bubbles.

With this much money Leona would not have to work for months. Her parents could also make use of the gems and really ramp up production. It was beyond fortunate, but it would not last forever. If Leona became a noble like the elf, than this money would become pocket change to her. This was only a taste of what would come.

Overwhelmed with joy, she nearly missed the coin that was buried. The gold coin was decorated with the seal of the Monarch of Watzelland and on the back was the elemental symbol for water. The coin raised more questions about Hawk. He had traveled from the other side of the world, bearing the favor of a monarch. Leona tucked it into her pocket and laughed. If a man so weak in the ways of water magic could travel across the world, then maybe she would be just fine outside the walls.

Leona happily ate her stew then went to bed. It was hard to rest with thoughts of adventure on her mind. In the morning she would share the news with her family and hopefully set out with Tusund.