~
"Well, aren't you going to let us in. We are privy customers in need of your skills."
With little to no resistance, they allowed themselves in, Outis, only now recovering from the initial shock.
Now that they have let themselves in, there was nothing he could do to stop whatever unfortunate accident that may happen in a few seconds.
"We are close for th-"
A small blade had already been heaved in the air and aiming to kill, but surprisingly she caught the blade in between her fingers and her partner simply dodge out of the way.
"Wow. What a welcome!!" With a huff, the blonde nonchalantly made way for seat, as if almost getting pierced was no big deal.
She pulled an extra chair out and tap on the table.
"We aren't here for your not so legal drug dosage. What we are interested in is your lesser-known talent. We need you to make something for us."
It took a while for Outis to gain his senses as each time the woman talked, he would be drawn in a trance. He looked at the elvish siblings who were no longer hiding in the back corner but instead drew nearer to the strange women, also affected by their vocal cords.
"As you can see, our shop is currently closed for the day. If you have not so rudely barged in, then I would have the joy of telling you this when you were by the door. I am in no mood for foolishness."
However, he was curious. About their power, magic and siren-like voice, but that wasn't the issue at the moment. They had somehow found him, his area of work and rest and somehow gotten more information than he would normally allow. They could've been working for anyone and if he had to get rid of them, he would.
"We see that we enter at the wrong moment." It was the brunette that spoke this time. Her voice was different from the energy-inducing counterpart. Much calmer, like the gentle rocking of a boat on the calm seas.
She stood up and the blonde did the same and they started for the door, but before they could leave the same gentle voice returned.
"This won't be the last you see of us. We will be back on a more appropriate time."
They were gone but Outis kept his eyes fixed from where they came from. Finally, he let out a breath he didn't even noticed he had and turned back to the siblings, who were in an unfamiliar disheveled face which etched with worry.
"Is that the presence you felt?" This could throw a wrench in hi plans or...it could be a secret wild card.
"I...am not so sure anymore, Master." Sage had made way over to where remnants of the stranger still remained as he brush off some unwanted dust.
"At first it felt like it but then it was masked over and vanished once they spoke. It was as if their voice was the only thing that mattered." Basil also went over to the table, rubbing and tracing over it.
"I think we were all distracted." Outis, also made way over to the table, many scenarios and outcome rolled through his head.
Hopefully, this would be one time thing and they would never cross paths again, but he remembered all too well what dark-haired woman told him.
~
This was not the far end of Gailus. Instead, it was not too far from the costal capital, but what exactly did he expect from the Bridges, or the monks who guard the teleportation circle. In the end they were all a part of the church.
Nastius pulled his cloak closer to him as he walked down the crowded streets of one of the main cities in Gailus. The heat he felt was instantly unbearable. It was much warmer compared to Ignasualt, as Gailus was more of a temperate country and source of a considerate amount of Einshire's agriculture and fishing produce.
Despite this, it doesn't change the fact he was woefully not equip for the weather.
The one benefit to this though, was the beauty of the seaside city. Most of the buildings were made of carved clay and limestone and were bright of color which made walking down anywhere easy as there were very little dark areas. From far off the city looks like some kind of haven. There was also shade created by many hanging cloths on top of balconies which from the smell was used as a way to dry off fish and other plants.
Everywhere was full of life and people, but also the realities of living within this world.
"Please, just help my daughter!! Her sickness is getting worse." A mother plea on the steps of a small Church.
Though the design may all be the same, this one is much humbler than most. It was more tucked in the streets but was slightly more elevated than the buildings around it.
"You do not have pittance needed for this month medicine." Overshadowing the woman was the priest of the chapel, who stood out among the stilling crowd.
"NO!! PLEASE, we need this father." She grasped at his robe and cowered unto the floor.
"Touching the garment of one of the members of the Church of Vi is prohibited. Do you want to be spite!!" The priest simply tugged his clothes back with disgust as another member appear from the dark insides of the chapel and handed him a towel.
"Father, no. I-"
"What would you do if another reckoning happens." This brought gasp all over the gathering people.
The reckoning, or specifically the disaster, was a frequent phenomenon of the present day. Nastius had seen chaos caused by such event once one in a very long while, but there's been rumors of it have been sprouting about in many places. Droughts, flooding, and earthquakes were just some to name a few.
The Church, however, was quick to swoop in and fill the blank space of answers many people had.
Return to the Chruch.
This is the cost of your wrong doings.
Obey the Church.
Of course, this would cause fear in the hearts of many, especially the natives of Gailus to bend over, carrying more of their own their others. Eventually, they would turn on others who did not follow the rules of the church just to raise their own sense of righteousness.
Nastius suander passed the wary crowd, contemplating his next course of actions. Since he was already here, He might as well take this opportunity to visit the capital. Only the cruelest lived-in luxury, this might also be a chance to look through a pool of worst of the worst the world has to give.
He considered going to all three of the countries that made up the Einshire Empire, but then settled on two: Gailus and Lasivie.
Hopefully, he wouldn't have to stay long in Lascivie, their gluttony and debuachery was notorious in all of the land. Especially, their one and only Prince Gene Rux of Lascivie. Infamous and haughty, with a reputation that toped even the King of Ignasualt.
Nasius figured he would have to smuggle wherever he needed to. So far, no one had followed him, but he would have to do a better job of blending in his surroundings. Most people in Gailus don't go around in heavy cloacks and layers of clothing. Their fashion was robe-like and light to compete with the heat and sun.
He really was melting and drench in his own sweat, but thankfully, Gailians left their laundry to dry in plain view and easy access.
~
It was just another day to Sebastian. Although he never really spent hardly any time at the castle, he figured he would enjoy the ostentatious wealth his family line had gained from generation to generation. What always bemused his most was the labyrinth of a garden they had. It was created more than three hundred years ago by an eccentric uncle who many would have said, had gone off the trails. There would be funny conversations from different sides of the family, like his extremely obsessiveness towards beauty and perfection unto the garden, which even his own mother didn't see in his own life or the excessive mumblings and blank stares at every progression in his masterpiece. His life's work, his soul, and his chef-d'œuvre.
In the end it would be his last life work because he did nothing else afterwards and died quietly in a quaint chateau. The servants had found in his green room that had been turned into an art room with papers and drawing scatter everywhere. The light showed greatly from the large windows as in the center of it all was a giant marble statue and a wooden carved chair that held the outré uncle, slumped over dead.
For who knows how long he had been sculpting the giant rock into a thing of immense radiance. Though he was never known as an artist in any day of his life, the alcoholic uncle had created something legendary. Many could almost feel the silk cloths that would wrap around the maidens. Their faces hidden by thick cloths as they stood, talking idly. They almost felt real and the flowers and plant life both from the garden and made the piece ever more fragile that many guest would mistake the two and try to pick up the stone instead.
Sebastian sighed at the blip history lesson. It was a poorly held secret that the houses that made up the empire are all plagued by lunacy in a couple of generation. Despite this, he felt a deep admiration for this particular ancestor each and every time he would gaze at the statue, which he had been doing for over half an hour now.
The dead guy had achieved something he was too cowardly to do despite being called crazy and dumb in the head, and that greatness stood before him still. Although it had worn down by time and moss and cracks from weather change over that past centuries, he still liked it. Maybe one day he could be like him, but it already felt like he was living the dream but with less grandeur.
"Are we done with our forty-minute gazing and contemplation of wonder, your majesty."
"I was almost but now maybe I will gaze for another hour then." An impatient Frederick was behind him.
This was something he has done spontaneously and without a word for years to Frederick. Sebastian had insisted on calling it a blind date, but the guy seemed adamant about it not being it. Something about mindlessly staring at a statue without saying a word really didn't cut it for him.
However, he could feel the boredom wafting off his knight and gave in.
"Alright, I'm done. Now let's go."
It was not like he had somewhere important to be as he finished his princely duties ages ago and would not care to spend another second in a place that could be considered a brothel for the elites.
There was a secret tunnel off to the side of one of the hedges that would lead out into the city from the garden, but that was frequented by nobles looking for a good time and they would always try to get frisky.
To counter this was another passage that do the exact same but was rarely used unless you were someone who visited the garden regularly to escape unwanted interactions and sought a means of escape but only in their little head, until one glorious day they accidentally slipped into the fountain the statues he gave such devotions and desperate pleas to, sat on, and triggered an astronomical event they could only dream of: Escape.
"I can't believe I found this the day I humiliated and wet myself at a banquet." Sebastian felt a strange sense of ownership at the revelation as the creaking of stone opened a dark tunnel.
"I can. I was there." Frederick exhaled at the familiar story, stepping into the darkness and promptly lightning a well-placed torch.
Sebastian went in next and soon the walls above them closed shut. It didn't take long for them to exit the long tunnel. It was mostly dried and hollow with few skittering critters.
They emerged above ground into a more chaotic-than-usual city scape as a shop was caught on fire and the streets were in a state of lawlessness.
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