Chapter 14:

The Town of Flowers (4) 

 

The man remained quiet for a few moments, intently observing the girl. Izuchi herself was unable to parse whether the man was pondering how to proceed with the information she had provided-

-Or if he simply was ogling her.

“...Right now?” Finally questioned the man, his eyes narrowed. No longer did he look at her with wonder, now he did so with the same eyes one would show a snake under a tree.

“Yes.” Replied Izuchi, her distance from the man remaining the same.

“Where is he?”

“Outside, trying to climb to a window on the second floor.”

“How do you know?”

Izuchi looked away the moment that question was hurled her way.

“...I overheard him…?”

Skepticism overflowed from the man’s eyes, but Izuchi was determined to sever any connection he might’ve drawn between Taccilas and herself.

The man grabbed something from behind the counter with both hands. It was long and made with a combination of steel and wood, a variety of charms dangling down from it.

A rifle, and he takes good care of it, too.

He pulled it up and walked around the counter. “If you don’t mind, get at twice your arm’s length from the counter.” The tone of his voice had changed once again. He had become like a king at war, his palace threatened- under siege.

Izuchi crossed her arms and breathed through her nose, unwilling to budge.

The man simply grabbed her by the shoulder and dragged her the length he believed to be appropriate.

“ Don’t touch me! Who do you think you are?!” Scoffed Izuchi in retaliation.

“I’m no idiot, missy.” The man locked the main door as he spoke. “Walk up the stairs, please. I’ll be right behind you.”

“No! How dare you treat me like this?!” 

Izuchi felt cold steel against her back. Shivers ran down her spine upon realizing his weapon was pressed against her skin.

“Miss, I’m trying to be nice. Now come on, please walk up the stairs.”

“...Why?”

He sighed before delivering his reply. “For all I know, you could be with this person trying to rob me. You could be trying to lure me away from the bar, or maybe setting up a trap. That would be a pretty stupid idea, mind you, but I’ve lived through even stupider attempts at plans. So I don’t know what exactly is happening here, missy, but I do know I’m going to help your organs experience fresh air if you’re trying to trick me.”

“Dreadful… Absolutely dreadful…” Whispered the princess.

“So, one last time, please walk up the stairs.”

Izuchi did as commanded, following the stairs towards the second floor of the establishment. He followed closely behind her, she could feel his gaze from below,  running across her body.

But she didn’t utter a word.

 

Once on the second floor, he instructed Izuchi to head towards one of the rooms. Its wooden door was closed, but she was instructed by the man to open it- slowly.

A variety of barrels and crates filled out the cramped room. They were made out of bronze and rough stone and their tops were left slightly open.  An appearance rather rustic, like that of a barn, or perhaps a warehouse for a new-age factory. 

Within, who would they find, but a tan boy wearing a yellow scarf, as he leapt into the room through the window.

“Izuchi?! What are you-” He cleared his throat. “Sir, I can explain.” 

“Sure you can. Get down, boy.” The man showed no intention of aiming his weapon towards Taccilas, a fact the boy realized when he heard a tinge of nostalgia in his voice.

“Thank you, sir.” And he did as requested.

“Do you know each other?”

“No.”

“Yes.”

Respectively replied the princess and the boy.

“Wait- Rude!” Complained Taccilas upon hearing Izuchi’s answer.

“Don’t try lying to me again, I saw both of you talking in front of the workshop. Close that window, we’ll keep talking downstairs.”

Taccilas did as instructed and locked the window behind him. It took some effort to do it without removing his hands from the pockets of his jacket, but fortunately the garment was flexible enough to allow for such a feat. 

Izuchi did no more than click her tongue.

Taccilas headed down first, followed by Izuchi, who herself was followed by the man. 

“What are you after?” He asked as they stepped downwards.

“We need coin.” Replied Taccilas matter-of-factly.

“Coin? Money? Well, that’s not so bad! I thought you were after my woodwine!” The man’s laughter injected the room.

“What’s that?” 

“Wait, you don’t know?” Asked Izuchi.

“No wonder you were looking for coin instead!” Exclaimed the man as the group stepped back into the main room, himself stepping back behind the counter. But his rifle he didn’t yet put away. 

“...But enough of that, who are you, missy, boy?”

“Shouldn’t you introduce yourself before asking for our names?” Replied Izuchi.

Despite having pointed a weapon at one of his guests, the man was still compelled to show a good face to them. Thus, “...Of course, Hezcann’s the name.” He replied, a smile plastered on him- a fake one perhaps, or perhaps not, the boy and the princess found themselves with differing answers. 

And so they too gave their introductions.

“Taccilas, at your service.”

“I’m Princess Izuchi la Kaalinn.” She raised her voice, as if looking for someone who would listen to her beyond those two fools who knew not of her title.

“Hm. Forgive me, but I’ve never heard about either of you. You must be new here.”

Izuchi’s eyebrows twitched at the comment. Taccilas thought he could see steam coming out of her ears, her hair a real flame.

“Yep, the ship we came on crashed at the beach.” But Taccilas spoke before she could hurl any of her complaints.

“Ah, two castaways, then. Sorry to hear that.”

“Three, actually.” Interrupted Izuchi.

“Oh, where’s the other one?” 

“Inside that white building over there. She’s heavily injured.” Izuchi pointed outside, towards the building in which Mitali was being treated.

“Ah, I’m assuming Alerizzin is healing her, right?”

“Yes.”

“Then she’ll be fine. More importantly, I’m curious now, where are you from?” Alas, Hezcann set down his rifle, nudging it into the same place from where he had first picked it.

As it had before, Izuchi’s commanding voice surrounded every nook and cranny of the room. “I hail from the Dukedom of Illeryna, Sea of the Untouchable-”

“Alright, that sounds nice, missy. What about you, boy?” Hezcann interjected.

One didn’t have to watch her carefully to notice Izuchi’s purple eyes twitching each time Hezcann interrupted her. In fact, it would take great cluelessness to not notice. 

“...I lived in Wakamohan until a couple days ago.” Taccilas had thought about his reply for a couple of moments, unsure of what his reply should be.

Izuchi observed him, perhaps intently for the first time. In their few days together, she had never seen him being contemplative, opposite to how she usually perceived him- Brash, rude, and impulsive, someone to be avoided whenever possible.

“Hm, that would make both of you better traveled than most people I know! It must be rather lovely to get to see so many places.”

Taccilas and Izuchi both looked at each other- gold and purple meeting. Through their sorrowful expressions, an understanding was found.

“...Yep!”

“A-Absolutely wonderful, indeed.” 

“But, sir.” Continued Taccilas. “I have a question.”

“Go ahead, boy.”

“Where are we…?”

For an instant, Hezcann was taken aback. Normally, people would know about the locations they were traveling to, but he didn’t miss a beat, and remembered the ordeal this two wannabe thieves had gotten themselves into.

“...Of course. Izuchi, missy; Taccilas, boy; please, allow this humble servant  to welcome you both to Laeffe, the Town of Flowers! I hope you enjoy your stay!” Hezcann’s tone developed great grandeur as he spoke. If one wasn’t located at the town in question, one would’ve thought he spoke of a mighty and ancient metropolis- unharmed by rust or flame. 

Such was the pride with which he spoke.

“And where’s… that?” Further questioned Taccilas.

“In the Duchy of Phillemine, around a few hundred kilometers south of the Eclipse Sierra.” The voice that accompanied those words was disinterested, perhaps even bored. Contrary to the spectacle he had infused his first answer with.

“Thank you, sir.” Replied Taccilas.

“Oh, at least we’re still within the Steel Kingdom’s borders.”

“That’s correct, missy. But let’s get back to business.” With that line, Hezcann went behind the counter and took one more glass from the roof, placing it right beside the one he had taken out for Izuchi. “You tried to steal from me… And even if you failed, you need to pay the price.” Despite the threat, his tone was as friendly as when he first welcomed Izuchi.

Taccilas gulped. 

The door behind him was locked.

He didn’t have the keys, nor was he sure if he had the strength to kick it open.

The windows, perhaps, were his only option. He didn’t know if they were made out of reinforced glass of a similar material, but if push came to shove, he could-

“So work for me.”

“Huh?”

“I’m in a good mood today, and you didn’t actually steal anything, so just work for me for a little bit. I need some extra hands either way, my other couple of waiters just ditched me a few weeks back.” Hezcann grabbed a bottle from the shelves behind him, the liquid within bearing a color resembling oak wood. It had a label with delicately written letters- handwriting so pompous that Izuchi struggled at times to make it out. It read:

Made in Laeffe

The Sea Bee 

Spirited Woodwine

Hezcann Narelli

Year 157

A miniature drawing of the building they currently stood on was painted between the second and third lines of text. The only difference worth mentioning was the increased size of the sea bee that overlooked the entrance to the building.

“Are you going to pay us?” Taccilas said it as if it were the most natural thing.

Without a singular shred of hesitation.

As if he were inviting a friend to play- 

-Perhaps as if taking a sibling on a journey-

-Or putting a child to bed.

“Ha! Bold question, boy! But yes, you’ll both have a salary.” Hezcann poured the woodwine onto both glasses and, with great speed and delicacy,  pushed them towards his potential employees.

“Then I’m in!” Exclaimed Taccilas- a defiant smile showing itself.

Izuchi turned to look towards Taccilas, then back at Hezcann, and once again towards Taccilas. Repeating the movement nearly thrice before finally speaking her mind. “Wait, why am I being punished?! He’s the one that tried to rob you!”

“Punished? Missy, do you have a place to stay?” Asked Hezcann.

“...We can sleep on the ship!” 

“Sure, real safe. Do you have any food? Or water?” 

“...No.”

“Maybe you have some money then!”

“...We don’t have any.”

Hezcann snapped his fingers. “So, let’s both help each other!”

“Ugh… I-I… Very well.”

Taccilas could tell, something was off with her voice. It cracked just the tiniest bit under the air, and it lacked the punch of authority her words- regardless of her actual position- commanded when she spoke to him.

It nearly felt like she was about to cry.

“Alright! Now, I’m just going to need both of you to drink some woodwine.” Hezcann pointed at the glasses.

Taccilas grabbed it-

-And downed it completely without a shred of hesitation.

“I can respect that. Your turn.” Hezcann locked his dark blue eyes with Izuchi.

“It- It looks like-” 

“I know. Please, trust me and drink it.” Interrupted Hezcann.

And so, just like Taccilas, Izuchi downed the entire glass in one go. The coldness of the woodwine rushing through her system.

And thus, a contract was made.