"It's beautiful!" Yalch exclaimed while flying through a short bush to make his way to the Xiwaoan tree. A thick and sturdy trunk rose from the ground. The color of the wood was a milky white, down from the roots all the way to the thin branches that reached to the sky. Orange and white flowers decorated the canopy. A light breeze passed by, making all the branches sway in unison, mimicking the flickering of a flame.
Miwah ran to the tree in Yalch's wake. She stood on the roots of the tree and looked up among the entanglement of blooming flowers with her hand over her eyes. "This is the perfect time for the Royal Fire Blossom to start sprouting cherries!"
"I can see why it got its name," Tamma remarked as she walked around the surrounding shrubbery to get a closer view of the tree for herself. "The colors of those flowers are absolutely gorgeous. It really does look like it has been set ablaze."
"My family had one of these back at my home in Taipen." Miwah reached up towards the closet branch only to stop before touching the plump fruit dangling in front of her fingers. "Would Chaston be upset if we ate some of the cherries?"
"Doubt it. Chaston is a rather generous fellow. He wouldn't mind it if we snacked on a couple of pieces of fruit. Even he’d agree that it would be better than just letting them fall the ground to rot."
"Excellent." The seamstress plucked a handful of cherries, making a crisp snap as the fruit was severed from the branch. Miwah then cupped her hands together and showed the bounty to Tamma.
"Those look delicious!" the hunter said with hungry eyes.
"They taste as good as they look. Royal Ember Blossoms are sought after for their fruit. Not only is the tree rare to come by, but they require an excessive amount of attention to keep growing strong. Our family was fortunate enough to have one come into our possession as a gift from one of my father's pupils. We had it for as long as I can remember.
Everyone took turns caring for it. It was tedious; making sure the water was just right. Getting rid of creatures that would try to eat it. Cycling out the soil. But every year, the harvest was more than worth the work. We ate what we could and gave the rest to the other of the students of the dojo."
Tamma took a single cherry out of Miwah's hands and plopped it in her mouth. She chewed a few times, her face showing satisfaction when she got a taste of the fruit's sweet center. She bobbed her head, smiling with eyes opened wide. "You weren't lying! This is better than any of the fruit you’ll find out in Abbus Forest."
"I want to try one!" Yalch said. He let one hand slip through the small mound of cherries in Miwah's palms.
"But... I assume that you cannot eat," Miwah replied, confused.
"I know," said with arms slump by his side. "But that doesn't mean I don't want to join in on the fun."
"Aww... poor Yalch." Tamma picked up another cherry and plopped it in her mouth. "I guess that's one of the downsides of being an immortal spirit, huh?"
"Don't rub it in."
"I thought I would never taste one of these cherries again. They are exceedingly rare in Xiwao, let alone anywhere else in the world. I think I will visit here once I get settled in to Farrowport more."
"Chaston wouldn't mind once he finds out that you're a friend of mine. Especially if he knows how important this tree is to you."
"Thank you. That is a relief. It is nice to know that there is a bit of Xiwao here in Farrowport that I can always visit." She gave the tree a gentle press with the palm of her hand. “And I will be conservative with the number of cherries I eat.”
"Looks like you got two favorite places. The bathhouse and now you've got this Ember Blossom to help ease your mind."
Miwah giggled. "Maybe Farrowport is not as bad as I had originally anticipated."
"Eh. I wouldn't go that far, lass. Farrowport's got more than its fair share of problems."
"Like the Cutthroats!" Yalch called out.
"Exactly."
"And that creature you found inside the grizlewulf that came from the Ghenka boat,” the ghost replied.
"Is that your way of telling us to get a move on?" Tamma asked with a raised eye.
"I'm a Mentor. That means it's also my duty to make sure that Purifiers stay focused on the job at hand."
"Fine. We get the message, Yalch." Miwah said sarcastically before eating a few more cherries and offering the remainder to Tamma. The hunter accepted them and stashed them away inside one of the pouches fastened to her belt.
"Hope you had fun on your little detour, Miwah. Now it's back to playing sick,” the hunter said.
"Joy." Miwah grabbed her hood and flung it over her head again.
"The closer we get to the Governor's District, the less Xiwao-friendly the people will be. There's a whole lot of love for Remcroft up there and not too much for the country's enemies."
"Understood." Miwah made sure the hood hid her face and she returned to her hunched and sickly posture. “I just hope this charade keeps working.”
“Don’t see why it wouldn’t. We managed to get past those two guards on the way here.”
“Yes, but those two did not seem too serious about their job. If we are going to get closer to the wealthier part of town, then it would make sense to assume that their security will also be stricter.”
Tamma shrugged her shoulders. “Eh. I’ve been up there on more than one occasion. Like I said, it depends on whose shift it is.”
All three travelled through the orchard and ended up on the main path once more. Continuing along the trail, the willows became less dense, giving view to the reclusive part of Farrowport. Further up, tall buildings of beige brick with stories upon stories lined the horizon. One structure loomed over the others, containing ornate stained-glass windows throughout the numerous towers that surrounded the main section of the building.
"I assume that is where the Governor stays?" Miwah poked out and angled her head up enough to look at the peak of the building. A large red and white flag swayed back and forth.
"You're right. She stays on the top floor. That is, when she's in Farrowport. Someone with her kind of money and power would probably spend as little time in Farrowport as possible."
"And what about Chaston? Where is his office?"
"He’s got a room in one of the buildings on the other side of the estate. It's a small area where he shares the space with a few other advisors." Tamma put a hand on Miwah's back and gently nudged her back down. "Now keep up the routine. I can see one of guards by the fence."
Tamma grabbed the seamstress' hand and tugged it, guiding her along the path. The sound of the estate became more apparent with a few moments. The distant sound of horse hooves and small chatter grew louder. Surrounding the area was a long stonewall with the entrance blocked off by a metal gate with a single person blocking it.
"State your business," the lone guard demanded. He took out his sword, placing it in front of the large metal gate, blocking the pair from advancing any further. The guard looked younger than the ones down by the willow trees. His hair was short, dark red and unruly with a few long strands that dangled in front of his face. The man's beard was just as unkempt with bits going in every which direction, looking short and patchy.
"I've got a sick one that could use some magical healing."
"Let me guess," he said mockingly. "Nothing deadly. Just makes you cough a bit and a case of the runs, right?"
Miwah began to tremble. She turned her head to Tamma to look for a clue as to how to handle the question. Tamma didn't notice Miwah's sudden and desperate plea. Her eyes remained locked with those of the guard. Both stared at each other with borderline derision as the silence ensued.
"And who is this you got with ya?" the guard proclaimed. He grabbed the hood before he could finish his sentence and flicked it back. Miwah scrambled to cover her face with her hands. She quickly turned away, trying to hide her perfectly healthy body away from the guard. "She looks all right to me."
"But she's—" Tamma began, trying to block the guard from examining Miwah any more by putting herself in front of the guard. She put her hand against his chest to get him to stop, only to be met with a sudden and mean glare from the man.
"I'm not hearing it! I've got orders from the leader himself to not let anyone in that looks suspicious." He stepped back and clumsily withdrew his sword from the sheathe. The guard then pointed the tip towards Tamma, struggling to keep it from wagging from side to side. "And that means you!"
