by V. A. Lewis
"Is this supposed to be a goodbye?" I asked, my smile withering away. "I’m not good with goodbyes. I don’t think I’ve said goodbye to any of my friends when I left them."
I thought of the people I had met in this world. All the friends I had made— however briefly we knew each other. From Rin, to Ihsan; Gessitt, to Theodore; or Karna, and Adrian. Even someone like Mr Walden, whom I barely even knew anything about, was included in that list. I never had the chance to say anything to any of them before I left, and I felt a tinge of regret about it.
"Perhaps that’s a good thing. Some believe that goodbye is final. That you only say it to people you’ll never meet ever again. If that’s the case, then by not saying anything to them, it means that you’ll eventually see them again. Whether that means sometime long in the future, or tomorrow, is something that only you’ll find out."
"That’s a nice way of putting it," I said, leaning onto my wooden staff. Still not smiling. But not feeling as bad as I did about it.
The sun stood high in the sky. Our shadows were mere specks on the ground. I watched as people came and went, passing us by every second. I saw faces I had never seen before, and names I would never get to know. I held my breath for a moment. And when I opened my mouth to speak—
I smacked a hand on my head.
"I forgot to collect my hat!" I exclaimed.
"Your hat?" the Plague Doctor asked, quirking his head to the side.
"My pointy hat— my [Witch’s] hat." I spun around, briskly making my way for the hat shop.
"...pardon? Do you need it now?"
"No," I said. "But it’s important for the mood of this scene! I mean, look at you."
I gestured at the Plague Doctor, dressed in his full plague doctor outfit. Meanwhile I was….
"You look cool in your costume, while I’m not even wearing mine! It’s the same as if I’m half naked, talking to a fully clothed man!"
"...I don’t think that’s equivalent?"
"Yes it is," I insisted, walking around a group of people blocking the way. "The hat is the most important part. And I want to look cool too!"
"Most important part of what? You being a Witch?"
"Mhm," I made a sound in agreement. Then I stopped, and pointed at him. "And by the way, it’s pronounced [Witch]," I corrected him.
"That’s what I said?" the Plague Doctor— Felix— just stared at me in confusion.
"No, no. You said Witch."
"Yes."
"But I’m saying [Witch]."
"What’s the difference?"
"You’re pronouncing it wrong! Look, you need to move your mouth like this— see? [Witch]."
"Wit[ch]."
"No, start with an ‘O’ shape—"
We arrived at the hat shop after we finished our entire discussion on Witches. I gave up trying to correct Felix after he inquired on how he should spell the word in his letter to the King of Taw; I obviously did not know what to tell him, so he ended up settling on sending an audio transmission via radio when he got the chance. It was better for him to pronounce it wrong, than for me to try and spell out a word that did not exist.
After we decided on that, we moved on to a different conversation as we stepped into the small building.
"...and the merits to getting a mask far outweigh the cons."
"But it’ll be stuffy and difficult to breathe!"
"And your identity would be better protected," Felix said, voice flat.
"I…" I cast a glance at the young woman looking at us from the counter. "I’ll think about it. Just let me do this for now."
"Hey, you’re back! Here to collect your hat?" the milliner asked.
"Yes, is it ready?" I politely inquired.
"Yep. Have it in the back. My apprentice will get it." The milliner turned around, and called to a room at the back. "Hey, Jay! Fetch me the purple hat on my desk, will you?"
Jay? I exchanged a look with Felix; it could have been another boy named Jay, but when I remembered what the Jay from the orphanage mentioned the day before…
And my suspicions were proven correct. Jay— the boy who tried to rob me a few days ago— walked out carrying a purple hat in his hands.
"Is this it, Ms—" He blinked at me. "Melas? Is this supposed to be yours?"
The milliner paused, pulling out a receipt. "You two know each other?"
"Yeah, we’re…" the boy trailed off, glancing at me uncomfortably. "Uh…"
"Friends?" I suggested with a shrug; that was the closest descriptor I had for our relationship.
I reached into the coin pouched Felix gave me, and handed the milliner the rest of my payment to her. As Jay handed me my hat, I asked him. "You’re… apprenticing here?"
"Oh, yeah," he said with a bit of apprehension in his voice. "I just have been a bit of a troublemaker, y’know? I had been thinking for a while. If maybe I got out of Ms— my mom’s hair for a while, I could come back more grown and she’d be proud of me."
"Come on, Jay. I’ve spoken to Ms Sharity. She showed me all the things you’ve made. She’s proud of you."
The boy looked like he was about to retort, but he bit back his tongue. "...maybe. But I just wanna be better, y’know? I’ll just be living here, working and learning how to make hats and sew in general. I’ll go back and visit whenever I can. But I wanna be an adult. Help out, and not just be a nuisance."
"It’s good that you’re trying to improve," I said, putting on my purple pointed hat on my head. You were a bit of a jerk before, I left the words unsaid.
"Hey, uh—" Jay shifted uncomfortably where he was standing. "Thanks. For helping save Hannah."
"I— you’re welcome." I recalled what happened this morning; before I could get overwhelmed with embarrassment again, I took a step back and began excusing myself. "Now if you’ll…" I began.
"Wait, are you leaving?" Jay asked, calling after me.
I stopped right at the door. Not because I wanted to, but because a gloved hand grabbed me. Felix— the Plague Doctor— was motioning at Jay with his beak-like mask. I frowned. "You want me to— fine."
"Melas, what’re ya talking about? Why’re you with the Plague Doctor, anyways?"
"Listen, Jay. I’ll be leaving town today. No— not today. Right now." I took a deep breath, then turned around to face the boy. "So, uh, bye?"
That’s absolutely horrible! You can’t just say bye to a kid without any buildup to it! That’s too sudden!
Unfortunately, the damage had been done; Jay took a moment to register my words. Then he took a step forward. "Wh— but you can’t—" the boy caught himself from grabbing me. He looked me in the eyes. "Do you need to go right now? You can’t stay?"
"I’m sorry, but I only ever planned to stay here until I got this," I answered his question truthfully, lifting the brim of my purple hat as I did. "I enjoyed meeting you, Jay. It was fun… maybe. But I have to go."
"Where are you going?" he asked meekly, distraught by the news.
"Uh—" I wanted to lie, and tell him that I was going with the Plague Doctor. However I decided against it. "I don’t know, just— anywhere that isn’t in or near the Free Lands. Maybe the Taw Kingdom. Or maybe somewhere else. We’ll see."
"Oh… ok." Jay looked disheartened, and I felt bad about it too. "So this is… goodbye?"
"Maybe," I hesitated. It probably was; I had no reason to ever return here. However, it was always nice to leave things open ended, right?
So I gave the kid my most gentle, reassuring smile.
"But, hey, if we ever do meet again, I’ll be sure to buy my hat from you. And tell Ms Sharity and the others I said goodbye, too!"
"I will," Jay said, resolving himself.
"Bye."
I gave him a farewell hug, and he froze. When I let go, I did not rush off to leave; I slowly walked away, waving at him and the milliner as I did. And he waved back, even until I exited the hat shop.
For a while, I continued heading down the road without saying anything. It was
only when I was a bit aways from the hat shop, did I breathe a sigh of relief.
"That was difficult."
"But it felt good, didn’t it?" Felix remarked, popping up beside me.
"I guess?" I cast my gaze heavenward, as I stopped at an intersection. "It definitely made me feel something. But I don’t know if I liked the feeling."
"Well, whether you liked it or not doesn’t matter. You’ll have to get used to it."
"Mhm." I clenched and unclenched my fist. "Thanks for helping me with that, Felix."
"It’s not a problem, Melas. I am the Plague Doctor, after all. That’s what I do— help people."
"I know," I laughed cheerfully to myself.
I shook my head, and glanced down at my hands. Opening and closing my palms as I did.
"Say, are you sure you can't come with me?"
I felt a sense of deja vu; as if this happened before. And it did. Just a few minutes ago. Except now, my role was reversed. But unlike Jay, whom I politely let down, I never got my response.
I looked back up, and just as I expected, the Plague Doctor was gone.
He was nowhere to be seen. Not anywhere in the emptier street than before. He had left before I even asked my question, as if he knew the question was coming. And he did so without saying even a single word.
"Stop being so cool," I muttered under my breath.
It would have been nice if we could have hung around each other for a bit longer. I had only just met him, but I liked him a lot. It would have been nice to get a companion; to have someone whom you knew and could talk freely with. And I was going to get one, eventually. It just was not Felix. Not now, at least.
Because this was a passing encounter. We met at a crossroads for a moment— and only a moment. Now we had to continue down our respective paths. There was a chance we could meet again in the future. But this was not the future; it was the present.
And the present held one thing, and one thing only for me:
I’m going on an adventure!
With a goal in mind and a place to go, I started down the road ahead of me.
Chapter 10: Interlude IV - Lilith
"Is that really it?" a voice asked, sounding a little bit disappointed. "I thought it would be grander than that. I’ve seen portraits. And pictures— you know the ones taken for reconnaissance during the Free War? And it made it look way nicer than this."
Edith turned from where he sat on his horse. He glanced past his four companions who were also looking in the same direction as him, and at the girl who spoke. She was a beautiful young woman, dressed in garments that matched her appearance. And while the lack of armor may have made it seem as though she was unprotected, the dozens of mana crystals engraved throughout her clothing implied otherwise.
"What?" the woman said, taken aback by the staring. She flipped her azure hair back with one hand, and huffed. "I’m just saying, it’s nothing amazing. Every time I am allowed back into Xanderia, I just get mesmerized by how wonderful everything is. This pales in comparison to our majestic Capital city!"
"Saintess Lilith," Edith finally spoke out, adjusting the open helmet on his head, "I don’t believe we’re here to sightsee. We’re here on official business. At the formal request of both the Free Cities and the Chained Cities in Besha."
"Fine," the woman said, pouting. "But I don’t really see what makes this place so special. It’s even got its own title and everything!"
The man shook his head. He grasped at his horse’s lead, pulling it as he did. He took off in a gallop, and his companions followed after him.
"Hey, wait for me!" Saintess Lilith called out.
And the group of six— one Saintess and five Inquisitors— rode down the gravel road, towards the gates of the city up ahead. Together, the delegation from the Holy Xan Empire entered into Boleria, the Free City of Trade.
"—but those Abominations have not once left the city!"
"And you’re sure about this?"
"When can I go? I’m bored. I want to explore!"
"Yes. We were unable to investigate for the first two months due to the dangers surrounding a scouting mission, but after we appeased the Slaves— ahem, the Chained Cities— by outlawing slavery, and no other cities in Besha were attacked by a horde as large as the ones that took Bys, we sent a small group of riders to survey the scene."
"And what did you find?"
"I bet they were just hanging around the city. Abominations tend to do that. Hey, is there any entertainment in this city? Anything I can do for fun?"
There was a cough. The Bolerian official politely bowed her head to the woman interrupting him. "I’m sorry, Madam.... Saintess. While your conjecture was correct, I feel like your… comments are disrupting this meeting."
Saintess Lilith sat up, her head snapping at the elderly man who said that. Her malachite green eyes flickered, and she smiled. "Are you saying my presence is not necessary? Am I allowed to leave?"
"No, Saintess Lilith," Edith ordered, "sit."
"I’m not a dog!" the Saintess exclaimed in feigned annoyance. "I’m a Saintess of the Holy Xan Empire," she said, indignantly folding her arms, "I feel like I should be treated with more respect."
Another Inquisitor— a woman with pointed ears— leaned over to Edith. "Sir, don’t you think we should just let her go? If you want, I can tail her. Keep her out of trouble."
Edith hesitated. He looked at his companions. The other four Inquisitors seemed like they were getting sick and tired of the Saintess after over a month of travelling. Her constant whining, pranks, and general attitude was difficult to deal with, even for the most disciplined of individuals. They were practically begging him to let the Saintess do whatever she wanted.
The man turned back to Saintess Lilith. She had her head down, with her eyes opened wide, looking up at him. "Please?" she pleaded. "I never get to leave the Gates of Hell. I just want to see something… new."
The squad leader for the mission saw this, and he wavered. He took a deep breath, opening his mouth to speak—
"No."
And that was that. The Saintess slumped over and began to complain, but Edith could not let her do whatever she wanted. Because while his companions may have thought he was simply the leader of their team dispatched to deal with the Abominations, he had another task. A secret one. And it was simple:
Don’t let the Saintess escape.
And as annoying of a job it was, he was not going to let that happen, no matter what.
The Inquisitors spent a night to rest in Boleria before heading off to Bys. They were given luxurious accommodations, sleeping in the best rooms and dining on the best foods the city had to offer. Edith had a little too much to drink, so he went to bed early, and was woken up by a light rapping on his door.
"Ugh, who’s there?" the Inquisitor asked with a groan.
"It’s Hadi," a female voice said. "I need to speak with you, Sir. It’s urgent."
Edith got up out of bed, grabbing his weapon just in case. He opened the door, and was faced with the only Elf in their group. Her pale blue skin would have made her blend in with the darkness of the night, if not for the lamp she held in her hand.
"What happened, Hadi? Is it about the Saintess?"
"Yes, Sir. You asked me to keep an eye out for her tonight— in case she decides to sneak out. And I tried, but—"
Edith snapped. "You let her escape?!"
"No! She was just there one second, and the next…" the Elf woman trailed off. "It’s my fault, Sir. I don’t know where she went."
The man pinched the bridge of his nose. "I— it’s fine. Go back to bed. I’ll find her."
"You will, Sir? She could be anywhere in the city. How will you…?"
Edith shook his head, turning around as he did. "That’s an order, Hadi. I will handle this."
"I— yes, sir." Hadi said, saluting him as she did. Then she left.
Edith shut the door to his room, and rummaged through his bag. There, he found what he was
looking for. The Inquisitor pulled out a round object the size of his hands. It looked like a compass at first glance, but when he opened it, it was quite clearly not a compass.
It was a tracking device. Not one that showed the exact location of the person it was tracking, like some sort of radar. And it certainly could not find someone more than a hundred miles away. That level of sophistication required a machine that spanned the size of multiple rooms— something which only the disgraced Scientist Bertrand of the Holy Xan Empire could build. And even then, its range was not limitless and it only gave a general vicinity of its target. Only good for finding where escaped criminals were hiding.
This tracking device simply pointed in the direction of its target. Even more vague, perhaps. But it was useful when you were finding someone close by. And Saintess Lilith could not have gotten too far.
So Edith left his lodging, and began scouring through the streets of Boleria. It was empty. Dark. And very few people were out and about. He saw some refugees, some criminals, and a few patrols of guards. But no Saintess.
He continued heading in the direction his tracking device was pointing him in. Getting further and further away from the center of the city, although the Grand Market of Boleria still hung in the background behind him, too large to simply disappear from view.
The streets did not exactly get poorer the further away he went from the rich palatials that was the domed building. But he noticed a decrease in guard patrols, and an increase in both suspicious looking individuals and beggars sleeping on the side of the roads. Eventually, Edith found himself walking down a dark alleyway, where even the moonlight could not reach.
He heard whisperings. Hushed voices. And when he finally turned around the corner, he saw—
The Saintess talking to a burly man. The juxtaposition between the young, beautiful woman, and the thug dressed in rough clothing, would have made any random person seeing this panic and fear for the girl’s life. But Edith knew better.