"How does it feel to be back in Elida?" Lucinda asked, gesturing with her arms as they reached the town square around noon.
The townsfolk were busy buying and selling goods in the market as they made their way through the crowds. Kota adjusted his cloak, covering most of his face. He glanced around, seeing the areas he had run through in the past, which felt like only a few days. "Although it is calming to be here. The idea that my fight with that woman was over a year ago is still quite unsettling."
Sonya walked behind Kota, deliberately getting closer. "The past is in the past, prince," she reminded him. "We will find that woman, but we are here for a reason. We have to find your sister and figure out what our next step is."
Kota nodded as he fidgeted with the bandage on his left hand, making sure the marks of the curse lay hidden under his sleeve.
Lucinda walked up beside him and bumped his elbow with her own. "Why not take some time for yourself, grab some food and bandages, while Sonya and I take care of getting new clothes and gear for herself."
"Is it wise for me to be alone? Separating at a time like this?"
She nodded, handed him a small bag of coins, and gave him a smile. "I think you may be in some need of time for your thoughts. I trust you will do nothing to draw attention, correct?"
"We are far enough away from the prison that I should be fine. I will keep a low profile," replied Kota, glancing around at the busy marketplace and watching people's eyes. "Just make sure Sonya behaves herself. I will be fine, Sonya."
"What is that supposed to mean?"
The two laughed as Lucinda pushed Sonya forward into the crowd. "Nothing," she replied. "Let's just hurry, as we have a lot of supplies to gather."
He watched as they moved out into the crowd in search of new clothing for Sonya and other supplies they needed. Kota glanced down at the pouch of coins and went to turn around before bumping into a passing townswoman, making her drop her belongings on the cobblestones. Noticing the smell of flowers as he hurriedly went to pick up her supplies that had fallen. He focused on the supplies around the bottom of the woman's gray dress and her small brown boots. "I am so sorry. I wasn't paying attention to where I was going."
Glancing up, he noticed a young woman in a brown scarf. Her dark cherry-brown hair had been tied up in a messy braid resting over her left shoulder, and a formal cloak covered her clothes underneath. She smiled with soft red lips as her green eyes blinked at him while she held a now half-empty basket in her left hand.
"It is all right. I need to be more careful myself. A bustling marketplace is not an area for one's mind to wander."
Kota smiled, putting an apple in the basket. "A busy marketplace is a troublesome area to navigate with a clear head."
Kota watched her smile as he folded a piece of cloth he had picked up and placed it inside her basket before putting some of the fruit on top of the soft fabric. He looked around at the surrounding ground. "Is there anything else I missed? I would not want to have you lose anything on my account."
She investigated the contents of her basket and the surrounding area. "It appears to be all here. Thanks. My name is Rose. What's yours?"
Standing taller than the woman, Kota paused, captivated by her green eyes, unsure how to respond. During the long pause, he clenched his left hand into a fist and winced in pain. He could feel the curse spreading against his flesh.
"Are you all right, sir?" she asked, noticing the bandage on his wrist.
He loosened his fist and stretched his fingers, giving her a calm appearance and smile. "Oh, the bandages. Sadly, I had an accident while hunting in the woods the other day, and it's not completely healed."
She watched him for a second, eyeing his posture and appearance as people weaved in between and all around them. After a person walked in between them, she took a step forward while meeting his gaze. "You never told me what I should call you. You have a name, correct?"
Taking a step forward himself to avoid a busy buyer moving behind him, Kota stood straight and answered her. "Winters. You can call me Winters."
"As in the royal family of Damira Winters?" she questioned.
Her head turned sideways a bit, and she gave him a curious look.
Kota gave out a small laugh. "Regrettably, there is no relation between the royal family and me. I am just a hunter by trade."
"Where are your weapons then? Winters the hunter?" Walking around him, she eyed him up and down.
Kota turned to match her posture once again and looked at his side before reaching to find no bow or weapon. He smiled again and said, "Had a bit of bad luck. Ran into some unsavory characters who made me misplace most of my possessions. You are an inquisitive woman. Has anyone told you that?"
She stood straighter as Kota looked at her to gauge her expression. Then she set her basket down and grabbed a small bag full of coins from inside it. She opened it with one hand and pulled out a few coins. "I do not know if I believe you, but I will give you this as a thank-you for picking up what you spilled. A little advice, though: you might want to consider calling yourself by a different name. Locals here aren't quite trusting of the name Winters."
"I am not sure what you are assuming, butâ" Kota stopped as she moved her index finger at him.
He felt at a loss for words. Then a small gust of wind blew past him, moving the formal-looking cloak off Rose's right shoulder, revealing a space where her right arm should have been.
"Do you mind me asking what happened?"
Kota noticed that her stance had become more defensive as he finished his sentence. She reached down and picked up her basket again while she gave an answer. "An injury quite like your own, I assume. An accident. Wrong place, wrong time, and an infection of sorts. Destroyed my arm beyond repair. Do not worry, though. I can take care of myself."
Giving a small smile, Kota looked at his hand. "Sorry to hear that, but you do seem confident and capable."
Before her response, a small person in green dashed between them, nearly toppling Rose's basket. Kota swiftly reached out and grabbed her left arm, keeping her stable. "Are you all right?
She answered his question with a simple nod. He looked down and noticed the missing coin bag from the top of the basket. "I think that kid stole your coin," Kota called out, glancing around and seeing the kid move further away from them.
Placing a hand on her left shoulder, he told her, "I will be right back. I will get your pouch back."
Sprinting away, he focused on the kid as he headed toward the other end of the market area. He heard Rose yell, "Good luck!"
Kota turned to reply, but hesitated when he noticed she wasn't standing where she was before. Ignoring it as a visual deception, he proceeded after the young thief. He moved toward the edge of the marketplace, and the crowd thinned out. He scanned the crowd, turning in every direction. Finally, he spotted the green garb of the kid who turned the corner of a building to Kota's right at the last second.
Kota sprinted after him, moving through the crowd with relative ease, keeping his footing light. He reached the corner of the building, where he tripped and stumbled, falling to the ground. Grunting in frustration, he looked in front of him, and he noticed familiar brown boots and the bottom of a black cloak. He pushed himself off the ground before falling back as he remembered the boots belonged to the woman at the inn. Pulling himself to a sitting position, he breathed deeply, seeing there was no one in front of him.
"What the hell?" said Kota while a slight ringing echoed in his head. As fast as the ringing came into his mind, it disappeared.
Shaking his head, he refocused on the task at hand. He turned and saw that a wooden fence blocked the alleyway between the buildings. After searching for a possible entrance, he found nothing until the sound of jingling coins reached his ears.
"Throw it over!" Kota yelled, still searching for a way to cross over.
The youngster replied in a smug tone. "Please. You can't even get over this wall. We can eat well for a whole month thanks to this."
Kota could hear the kid toss up the coin pouch just to catch it in his hands again as he laughed in his direction. Walking up to the wooden fence, Kota pushed on it, feeling a slight give in the wood. Then he backed away from the wall. "I will give you to the count of three, kid."
The kid continued to laugh and ignore him as he counted down. "One... two... three!"
On the count of three, he ran straight for the wooden fence with his right shoulder. He crashed through the fence and stumbled. The kid jumped up from a box and stared at him as he rolled forward. Landing on the ground, he promptly stood and saw the young thief just an arm's length away. The kid ran, but Kota quickly grabbed his garb and yanked the coin pouch out of his hands.
Kota grabbed the bag and pushed the kid away from him. The youngster turned, revealing himself to be only ten years old. He attempted to grab the pouch from Kota, but promptly pushed him aside with his right hand.
"What is your name?" asked Kota, taking a step closer to the child as he moved a step back from Kota.
The child crossed his arms and smiled. "My name is Lookout."
"Wait, your name is Lookout? Who names their kidâ?" Kota uncrossed his arms as the young thief was looking behind him.
Kota pivoted his head and saw a piece of the fence hit him straight on the forehead, knocking him to the ground. Upon standing, the assailant pressed their foot into his back and bound his hands with rope.
The figure spoke as he stepped off his back. "Leave my thieves alone. Otherwise, something worse will happen to you."
Lucinda reached into the pouch she had tied around her waist and handed the vendor some coins, who then gave her some food supplies in a sack. She turned toward Sonya, who stood looking toward a blacksmith, asking her, "Do you think he will be all right by himself?"
She handed the sack of various foods to Sonya, who slung the bag over her shoulder. "Why send him alone if you expected trouble?"
They walked through the marketplace, moving closer to the edge of the stalls, when Lucinda glanced back. "I just think he needs to gather his thoughts. It will not help him if we keep reminding him of the bad that has happened in the last year."
"I doubt it will get better from here on. We are hunting a woman who kidnapped him and destroyed his sister's reputation," said Sonya as they moved closer to the blacksmith. "Not to mention the curse."
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Lucinda turned around, focusing on Sonya's face. "I know what you mean, but without knowing our next step, we are walking blind. She's out there, and we'll find her before she causes more harm. Kota needs our support right now."
Sonya turned away from Lucinda as she walked away. "Whatever, Princess. I am going to get some new attire; you get the weapons."
Lucinda, frustrated, raised her hands and stomped to the blacksmith to ask for weapons for the three of them. She was eyeing each of the weapons he selected when a woman from behind her asked, "Is everything all right? You seemed at odds with your friend there."
Lucinda turned to see a young woman wearing a brown scarf, and her dark cherry-brown hair was tied up in a messy braid over her left shoulder. A formal cloak covered her clothes underneath. Lucinda met her green eyes and nodded. "Friends would be generous with that one. 'Reluctant travel companions' is the way I would describe us."
"I am sure everything will work out for the two of you then. Oh, I did not introduce myself. I am Rose," said the young woman, smiling at Lucinda as she gave a slight bow.
Lucinda looked at the blacksmith who set down a bow and arrows. "Pleasure to meet you, Rose. Name is Lucinda, and even though my friend there calls me Princess, I assure you I am not one."
Laughing, Rose noticed the different weapons in front of Lucinda before asking her, "Are you going to war, Lucinda?"
Lucinda shook her head as she put the bow and quiver around her back. She placed coins on the table while the blacksmith smiled and returned unwanted weapons. "Just replacing supplies. Like any group of hunters, we're always in need of new gear."
"Hunters, you say. Would you be friends with a handsome fellow who had a bandage on his wrist?"
Lucinda froze in her tracks as she firmly gripped the ax handle on the table in front of her. "How do you know about him?" she asked, breathing a little more heavily.
Rose took a step forward behind Lucinda, moving closer. She tightened her grip and was ready to turn when Rose leaned up against the table, revealing her missing right arm as the cloak slipped away from her body. Rose smiled as she answered. "He ran into me earlier and knocked over my basket. Nice gentleman, but you could tell he was hiding something. He helped me with the supplies he spilled, though."
Loosening her grip on the ax in her hand, Lucinda placed the weapons into a sack. "Sounds like him. He is always one to help anyone in need."
Rose moved from the counter and walked behind Lucinda. "Just be careful with him. Keep him within your reach. He seems like trouble."
Laughing, Lucinda tied the sack with a piece of string. "You have no idea, but I believe trouble seeks him out more than he causes it. Trying to keep an eye on that man is more trouble than it isâ" Looking up as she lifted the sack of different weapons, she froze, seeing the woman was no longer there. "Where did you go?"
She turned in every direction and saw her nowhere. Then she glimpsed Sonya out of the corner of her eye.
"Do you have all the weapons?" Sonya asked.
Lucinda stared expressionlessly at the space where Rose had stood before moving to face Sonya. "Yes... Let's go find Kota."
Kota moved his back against the fence he had broken through, and he used the wood to help himself off the ground. Taking a step forward, he looked over his shoulder as he stretched his arms, seeing his arms tied lightly together. Walking toward the other end of the alley, away from the fence, he struggled as he loosened the ropes. He shook his head one more time before the ropes came loose.
After looking at the ropes as he moved his hands around to the front of his body, he tossed them aside. Taking a second, he examined his waist as he felt for the pouch of coins that Lucinda had given him, and he found it gone. He let out a sigh. Of course, they stole my coin too... I wonder whether Rose was part of their plan. She seemed pretty interested in my name, he thought as he rubbed his forehead.
Kota advanced to the alley's edge, took a right turn, and observed a small crowd on the cobblestone street. He exhaled a deep breath before being pushed from behind, and he spun to see Sonya. He saw she was now wearing a dark red fitted blouse with eyelets down each sleeve, leading to leather bracers from her elbows to her hands.
Sonya stepped closer to him in fitted black trousers and leather boots and jabbed his shoulder with her finger. "I knew that noise was you! What part of keeping your head down did you not understand?"
Kota was trying to say something when she added, "We may be out of prison, but someone could recognize you. How are you supposed to repay your debt to me if you die or get captured again?"
Kota took a deep breath and closed his eyes for a second. "There was this lady, and she had..." Noticing her eyes and the anger on her face, he continued. "Not important. I rushed in, not thinking, and got attacked from behind. I am sorry."
Lucinda came up from behind Sonya and eyed Kota. She noticed the pouch of coins was no longer on his waist. "Yeah, I had a run-in with that Rose woman. She seemed nice enough at first. Did they steal the coin I gave you for food?"
Kota moved his head, responding to her question without saying a word. Then Sonya told him, "Good thing we were able to get some food ourselves. Princess can haggle. We can also hunt for some food later."
Lucinda moved in front of Kota, placing the sack of weapons down and carefully examining his forehead. "You are not a prince with a guardian anymore," she reminded him. "I know you always reacted first before thinking, but times are different now. Prioritize thought over reaction against an unknown foe."
"I know. I just learned an entire year has passed in the blink of an eye for me. My head is still spinning, and not from the hit either," Kota replied, turning away from her and leaving her hand at his head level.
Sonya did not move, but watched him as he turned back toward them.
Kota was about to speak when he heard the beating of feathers and watched as a hawk landed on his shoulder and cleaned its brown and white feathers. He was unsure about how to react to the hawk, but then Sonya walked over and started stroking the bird's feathers. Kota turned his attention to Sonya. "This is your hawk?"
She nodded as the hawk moved from Kota's shoulder onto her leather vambrace. "I did not think Arro could find me so fast, but he knows my scent well."
Kota paused, reflecting on the prison. "Is that why you had the bird mask in prison? To symbolize your little friend here?"
She nodded again as Lucinda moved closer, eyeing the bird. "If the bird can track your scent, then why couldn't he track your husband?"
"I tried to track him down using his scent, but I lost his scent about the time you disappeared, Kota," she explained while gesturing toward Kota. "I tracked him here, to Elida, around the same time of the incident with the prince. We lost his scent somewhere near the middle of town. It is as if his scent changed completely. A man was matching his description here, but that's all."
"Then it is by fate's hand you meet up with us and journey with us right now. This town holds its mysteries, I suppose," said Kota as Lucinda gestured toward the two of them to follow her. "What happens if they involve your husband in my kidnapping?"
Sonya looked over at him and sighed. "Whatever happened to him, I believe I will find out through you. Hopefully, one day, we can both find our answers. With any luck, he was not involved just here by coincidence, but he will answer for his disappearance."
Kota nodded in agreement as they moved through the marketplace, and Lucinda stopped for various other items of food and equipment for their journey. Sonya opened the cloth bag on her back and handed Kota both a new long sword and a bow with some spare string. As Kota sheathed the blade on his side, he felt a little at peace.
After some time had passed, Kota asked, "Where are we supposed to meet Alexis? I thought we would have seen her by now."
"She did not want to interfere with us gathering supplies, so she said she would wait for us somewhere hidden. There is a secret garden at the edge of town. We used it to plan some of what happened in the last year after she was banished. It is not too much further," said Lucinda, pointing in the direction they were heading as she walked.
"I'm excited to see you, but why didn't she rescue me from prison?"
Lucinda turned her head to see Kota's face as she spoke. "She desired it, but I lacked the power to bond the stones. She had to stay here and set the connection."
"I was meaning to ask, what exactly are the R'tal stones? And why were you not powerful enough?"
Lucinda raised her hand in front of her face in reaction to the sun. "They are old teleportation stones that use powerful calling to make them work. I am a mender and do not possess any offensive calling. Your sister can use her calling for both offense and defense, which makes her abilities more powerful than mine."
"So Aria, the princess of Mara, is a powerful caller herself?"
Lucinda nodded in agreement while Sonya lifted her hand, whistling as Arro flew into the air. He left them behind as he disappeared behind the rooftops. Sonya focused her eyes forward as Lucinda pointed at some vines against a wall at the end of an empty alleyway. "There is the entrance to the garden. Alexis should be inside."
As the group moved closer to the vines, they could hear a stringed instrument being played somewhere on the other side. Kota moved his hand to stop the group. "Wait."
Lucinda and Sonya turned toward him as he adjusted his clothes and hair to make himself more presentable. Lucinda chuckled at him as he tidied himself up.
"I've heard stories about you and Alexis, and it seemed you're not the formal type with her. She is the one who trained you to fight, after all," she said, smiling at him as he fidgeted with his clothes.
"She taught me all about the world and the blade, but it's been a year since I saw her. I was the one who caused this whole situation in the first place," said Kota, straightening up. "I just want to make this right."
The three of them pushed through a wall of vines and leaves, entering the garden. They glanced around, seeing a multitude of colors and shades in the sunlight gleaming through the opening of the courtyard above them. They saw a woman sitting on a bench in the center of the garden. She had brown hair braided on each side, meeting at her neck in a loose ponytail. She also wore silver armor similar to that of a Damirian royal guard, but it was a different shade. The armor and garb appeared unwashed and unpolished, with a darker hue.
Unable to see her face, Kota listened as she played the lute, the calming music echoing in the small garden, harmonizing with the surroundings. Lucinda waved, indicating they should wait. She moved toward the woman and swung her right leg over the bench. Straddling the seat, she waited for a second, listening to the music the woman played.
Lucinda leaned in, whispering something inaudible to Sonya and Kota amidst the music. Then, suddenly, the music stopped, and the woman playing the lute stood. Leaning the instrument against the bench, she put her right hand on Lucinda's right shoulder, keeping her eyes forward.
Kota saw the hand with the mark of the royal bloodline and moved closer. "Alexis, I have never been happier to see you in my life!"
She turned around and looked at him with her deep blue eyes, smiling. Being of noble blood, she wore exquisite blue and black cloth underneath her silver armor, which was layered beautifully. She moved around the bench, revealing armored leggings and a skirt that wrapped around her waist, forming two coattails behind her. She stood beside Lucinda to see him better before he started moving quickly toward her, embracing her in the garden.
Alexis paused before returning his embrace. "You have no idea how long I have waited to see you again, Kota. Without Lucinda's help, I would never have found you."
"I thought I might have gotten you killed that night with my antics," he said, letting her go before taking a step back. "After that woman found me, she attacked Lukas, and before I blacked out, my thoughts were on whether you had survived."
Glancing over at Sonya, Alexis nodded in greeting, not knowing who she was but knowing that Lucinda trusted her enough to bring her to this location. Thus, so did Alexis.
Kota saw she was focusing her eyes behind him, looking at his new ally. He moved aside and raised an arm to Sonya. "This is Sonya. She fought with me in prison before Lucinda ran into us. She is the main reason we were able to escape from the prison. A fire caller who knows her way around an ax."
"Before Lucinda?" asked Alexis, looking back at Lucinda. "We will have to catch up on the move. We have to get Kota to the capital. The king will want to hear about your return."
Sonya nodded in agreement as she watched the reunion between them. "We shouldn't stay here long, anyway," she said. "Kota might have drawn some attention to himself already with his act of blind chivalry earlier."
Alexis turned toward Kota with a look that he had not seen in a while. "Why am I not surprised?" she sighed. "Lucinda, you need to watch him more. Kota, you are not an innocent prince anymore; an unknown group hunts you."
Lucinda moved around the bench, stating, "It was my fault. I thought he could use some time to himself to focus his thoughts. I did not foresee him doing anything to hurt his safety."
Kota's feelings sank as he felt the disappointment in his sister's voice. He felt a sharp pain in his left hand, which he instantly grabbed and squeezed. Grunting in pain as he watched the black vine-like marks move a little past the bandage into sight. He breathed more heavily as he stumbled back a step, closing his eyes. Sonya caught him before he fell any further, keeping him upright.
Sonya glanced at Lucinda, who reciprocated, inching closer before Sonya guided him to the bench Alexis had occupied. She kept Kota upright with his head against her left shoulder, as it was not armored.
"Once we have more mending sessions, he will start feeling it less. For now, I can only do so much," said Lucinda, looking up at Alexis as she knelt next to Kota.
Alexis examined the marks, which had continued to spread since the prison. Kota watched as his sister turned away from him to keep her emotions in check.
"So, the curse Aria mentioned is real?" Alexis asked as she looked at Lucinda, who was holding her hands over the mark on his palm, mending it.
Kota stayed still with his eyes closed, leaning against Sonya, as the pain in his arm slowly subsided, diminishing the effects of the marks that had spread up his arm. Lucinda lost her footing and fell to a sitting position, then took a breath before standing up. She looked down at him as Alexis stretched her arm out and touched his cheek.
Lucinda watched him open his eyes and stated, "Someone in the castle must know about this curse, or at least something to point us in the right direction." She paused as she and Sonya helped him stand. "First, we must get you to the king and figure out our next step. We should not be going blind with an unknown enemy after us."
Kota agreed as he took a step forward after the quick session with Lucinda. She looked at the two siblings and said, "The king will be joyous to see that Kota is alive and well. With a bit of luck, he'll see that you were tricked into the actions that got you banished from his sight."
Alexis said nothing. Instead, she nodded at Lucinda's statement and smiled at Kota, happy to see him alive again. His sister reached down, grabbing her lute as she urged the group toward the garden's entrance. Kota watched as the women in front of him headed toward the entrance, and then he followed quickly behind them.