As the vicaria pad drifted between the buildings, Lylen and Atzler watched amphobos people slipping underwater between them and rising up in the center of the building they desired to go to. An occasional breeze blew across them and the warm weather made this place almost seem like a paradise.

  “Have you ever been here before, Gunnolf?” Lylen asked.

  “Once,” he replied. “Escorted a couple of women from here back to Saha’dryr for Zarmhel.”

  “When we were here for a few days back before I got stuck in that ruin, we were watching these people move so casually underwater between the buildings. It was satisfying for some reason,” Atzler added in.

  “Where would you like to go?” asked the amphobos woman who was paddling them through the town.

  “Is there a tailor in this town?” Atzler asked.

  The woman nodded and paddled further into the town, passing by two more vicaria pads with passengers on them. One had a human woman, the other an aviar man with red and gold feathers and a beak like a hawk. Gunnolf paid neither of them any mind as they went by and turned at different intervals.

  After a few moments, they came to a rectangular building, small wooden steps led up from the vicaria pad leading into a doorway covered by a simple blue cloth. Lylen and Atzler hopped off the pad first, Gunnolf leaned himself against a post when he vacated the pad.

  “I will be here when you two return,” he said dryly.

  Upon entering, garments and clothes hung all over the front room and in the far back was a counter and just beyond it a tailor’s wheel and a large spindle of silk attached to it.

  “Do you see the shopkeeper anywhere?” Atzler asked Lylen.

  Lylen went to shake her head and a thud from above was heard, peering up the two of them saw a humanoid looking rat dropping from between the rafters and landing perfectly behind the counter, when she stood, they noticed she was covered in light brown fur and beady black eyes, wearing a short sleeve knitted black shirt and dark blue trousers. She gazed at the two elves.

  “My apologies,” she said with a deep bow, her words seemed to chatter together. “I was tending to my young ones on the floor above and didn’t hear you enter my shop. I am the tailor of Lilthiken. How may I serve you this day?”

  Atzler gaped with his jaw hanging open, “You’re the tailor?! That was really cool how you came down from the rafters like that!”

  “I’m of the raxen people, and many homes in Lilthiken do not have any way to access higher levels of homes without climbing the rafters,” she said. “Anyway, were you interested in some new clothes or a tunic perhaps?”

  The pair of them did their shopping and left the shop behind. Atzler walked out in a new purple shirt with a gray vest and red trousers while Lylen was in dark blue trousers and a green blouse.

  Gunnolf huffed seeing the pair finally emerge from the store, they boarded the vicarial pad once more. “To the Elder’s Home, please.” Gunnolf requested. “We shall visit other shops when our business is concluded there.”

  The amphobos woman gave a start, “Finally you speak to me.” Her stare went straight upwards to the black furred man. “Very well, to the Elder’s Home.” She paddled them through the town passing by what looked like an inn, the sign was written in a language not familiar though but the people coming and going out of the double curtains that served as its entrance as well as the sweet smell of food wafting from it gave it away. The amphobos woman noticed both elves staring at it.

  “The sign is written in Tulik, our native tongue if you hadn’t an idea,” she said with both elves fixing looks on her. “That’s the Fly Trap Tavern. Smells like Garshain Muup is today’s first meal,” she said.

  “What is that exactly? It smells so sweet,” said Atzler.

  The amphobos woman smiled, “Not often someone outside of amphobos or gilken shows interest in our cuisine. It’s a sweet egg dish, using sugar, mushroom cream, and olox fly eggs mixed marinated with blue algae, byria roots and you can’t forget a hint of garlic.”

  Atzler’s expression turned sour while Lylen grimaced. “Oh…” said Atzler. “Interesting choices.”

  Gunnolf flashed a wry grin that Lylen caught a glimpse of as he went back to emotionless.

  Reaching the largest and most round building in the town, the three stepped onto the wooden deck that ran around its perimeter. Posts that stuck up five paces above the railing also served as support for a wooden leaf covered thatched roof over the deck.

  As the three of them walked around toward the entrance of the building, just leaving it was an amphobos man in dyed blue leather armor with light brown flesh, it was Dar-gith accompanied by another woman amphobos who almost had a violet flesh to her with black spots on her neck wearing the same armor.

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

  “It’s you again,” Dar-gith said in surprise seeing Lylen and Gunnolf.

  Lylen spoke first, “It’s good to see you again, Dar-gith and Captain Val-Xan.”

  The pair of amphobos gave slight bows, “Are you here to close out your permit into the Kyros Ruins?” the woman named Val-Xan asked.

  “Yes, we should do that,” Lylen replied. “But we are also here to deliver an artifact we uncovered in the ruins. Are the Dual Elders available?”

  “They are in, but unsure if they are feeling the welcome of company,” Dar-gith said. “They heard some troublesome news this morning. The Princess of Illisea is missing.”

  Shock shot across the faces of the two elves.

  “What does that have to do with the Dual Elders of Lilthiken?” Atzler asked.

  Val-Xan broke in, “The Government of Saha’dryr has denied responsibility for this and tensions are rising now between the Illisean Escort and Saha’dryr. Low Land ruffians are being blamed which in turn has the Royal Escort from Listagan blaming it on some conspiracy between Saha’dryr and Lilthiken since these two cities are the closest to the High Capital.”

  Gunnolf was silent as he listened, his face was an enigma for all to set eyes upon it. Lylen and Atzler exchanged concerned glances.

  “The Dual Elders are troubled by this, because if the Princess isn’t returned to her Escort, it will surely be considered an act of war and the Illiseans will most assuredly invade once word reaches their King. Lilthiken has a population of fifteen hundred people and a militia of five hundred or so. Saha’dryr has nearly double ours, but it will be bloody and brutal if the Illiseans invade with full armies,” Dar-gith explained.

  “Where was the Princess last seen?” Atzler asked.

  “In Saha’dryr two days ago,” Val-Xan answered. “She had a meeting with the Governor of that city so say our reports. We both are sending our units to search the Waterfall, the Kyros Forest and even the Jakara Woods. None are permitted to enter the Kyros Ruins until we find her or know what happened to this High Princess. Increased activity from few water elementals down at Kyros Lake has created trouble lately as well which could make the search more difficult.”

  “Which water elemental?” Lylen asked.

  “Pisces,” Val-Xan replied.

  “It has nothing to do with us,” Gunnolf said but his memories of the last war wanted to plague his imagination. Both elves turned to him as he calmly stood there. “We are here to see the Dual Elders and complete the first part of our assignment, before we move on with the second part.”

  “But Gunnolf, aren’t you worried about a possible war?” Atzler asked.

  The kobold bowed his head, “Not particularly. There are other lands to travel to if such a thing breaks out. Even if we find this Princess, she could already be dead and what then? The Illiseans will want justice and thus, a war would be inevitable.”

  Dar-gith nodded, “He does have a point. But that is only if she’s already dead. If she’s alive, it could prevent all of this potential calamity.”

  “We can post a reward of twelve-hundred Zoa for dealing with the Pisces if you three take aid us in taking care of them,” an older voice chimed in from beyond the two amphobos. Using canes, two more amphobos approached, one had light blue flesh and the other dark yellow and both wrinkled and leathery, indicating they were quite in their late years. Each wore a white robe with a golden medallion around their necks with waves like water engraved on them. The male had the yellow skin and green eyes while the female had the light blue flesh and lavender colored eyes.

  Both Dar-gith and Val-Xan turned and knelt before them. “Dual Elders, we did not expect you to approach,” Val-Xan said hurriedly.

  “Rise Val-Xan and Dar-gith. You both have objectives to fulfill,” the older woman said, her voice was shaky but still held a sense of authority.

  The older gentleman broke in, “How about it, mercenaries? Will you consider aiding the Lilthiken and the Low Lands for a good price of twelve hundred?”

  Gunnolf approached as he nudged Atzler, “The artifact. Give.” He held out his right hand.

  Atzler passed it to him and Gunnolf approached the two elder amphobos to place it in the scaly hands of the older woman.

  The old man gave a start, “Don’t I know you?” he gazed at Gunnolf long and hard.

  Gunnolf calmly replied, “You must be thinking of someone else.”

  “I remember someone like you, fought in the war of twenty years ago, like a demon on the battlefield spilling the blood of dozens of soldiers by the second. A lady was with the man you remind me of, and now I remember why you are familiar.” The old amphobos man focused on Lylen. “You almost have the woman ronin’s face.”

  “Me? I’m only twenty-three years old,” Lylen replied. “With all due respect, I think you’re confusing me with someone or perhaps all elvish women look the same to you?”

  The older amphobos woman broke in, “I see it as well. That woman was a fierce demon on the battlefield. A shame she perished in Osinara though.”

  “Enough! We didn’t come here to make comparisons on people of the past.” Gunnolf said with agitation. Kill everyone here. Just pull the blade and end them all. The kobold shoved the thoughts down as he strode away shaking his head while the Dual Elders stared at him along with Dar-gith and Val-Xan. Finally, the elderly woman gazed at the odd cube in her hand.

  “By my tadpoles, where did you procure this?”

  “The Kyros Ruins,” Atzler said.

  “The Ilixidara Cube,” the old amphobos woman muttered incredulously.

  “Is it valuable?” Lylen questioned.

  Both the elders exchanged looks and then faced the three of them, “It is a key,” the old man said. “A key to unlocking Ilix Ruins.”

  Atzler was left puzzled while Lylen gaped in amazement.

  “The Sealed Ruins of Ilix,” Lylen gasped. “Remnants of the Empire of Dryads from the first century.”

  “Indeed,” replied the elderly amphobos. “Thank you for bringing this to us, would you be inclined to fulfill our other request?”

  Atzler and Lylen nodded, “If it could help prevent war, we would like to aid in that,” Atzler said.

  Gunnolf huffed and all attention went to him, “I suppose the money is decent. Pisces can be a temperamental entity, bring items and gear that grant protection from water.”

  Both elders bowed slightly as the elder woman said, “Thank you all so much. We will entrust the compensation to one of our soldiers to give you once the Pisces are dealt with. Please meet some of our soldiers on the southern edge of Kyros Lake.”