THIRD BOOK OF THE CHRONICLES OF FANTASILIA SERIES
𝘈 𝘣𝘳𝘰𝘬𝘦𝘯 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴. 𝘈 𝘥𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘥𝘺𝘯𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘺. 𝘈 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘦𝘥 𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳. 𝘈 𝘥𝘦𝘧𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘤𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘨𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘴.
Two sides of the same coin are brought to the light...
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2412 Iclis 05, Jyda
Xanthy folded her hands on the table, the awkwardness growing around them like a hungry cloud. Canelis sat stone-faced opposite her, the sword laid flat on the wooden surface. Was it natural law for pixies to sit like they're going to war?
They left the caverns yesterday. June retrieved their paulsaris from where he left the animals to graze and their journey began. Canelis had ridden with Xanthy and the whole time they rode from Xai-Ren to Yin Alora, Xanthy tried her best to engage the pixie in a proper conversation.
Between grunts, nodes, and the occasional yes or no, Xanthy could feel the waves of cold flowing off Canelis and seemed to stab her in the back. It wouldn't be too long before a real weapon buries itself in her skin.
The image reminded Xanthy of the corpses she'd seen in Yin-Alora and that froze her tongue on her mouth.
Then, they surged past Yin-Alora until the last hour of the day bled from the sky. June tipped a piece of what he called fol sigra for a room for three on a counter of a stable place by the border between Peltra and a city in Lanteglos called Nanvera. They had spent at least three hours catching up on sleep in one of the rooms on the second floor of the place.
By morning, June woke Xanthy up. "I've got to fetch something in the City," he whispered as to not wake Canelis. But, knowing the pixie, she's probably listening in, anyway. "Wait for me in the bar downstairs."
Now, Xanthy was almost tempted to go out of the tavern and look for June. Only he could make the pixie utter more words even though it often involves disemboweling. Ugh. Small talk was not her forte. It was usually Lebayou's area and he's the only one who talked to her back then.
All kinds of fairies streamed in and out of the tavern, taking with them all the clatters of mugs, thuds of footsteps, and the occasional merry chatter. Versallis clinked against wooden counters. High-pitched and low-pitched ones laughed or talked in low tones. It was a normal day for everyone.
Xanthy kept her eyes on the open doorway guarded by a small gate that swung back into place whenever someone shoves it open. It was nailed in the middle of the doorway and barely covered the whole thing. Who puts short doors like this?
Still, the doorway gave her a good view of the city and its residents as well as its visitors. Merchant carts trotted past on multiple occasions bearing all kinds of products like textile, food, or sometimes, even a slew of fairies. What was that about?
Brick buildings of various shapes, sizes, and height peppered the distant horizon, painting the air with a golden tinge because of the off-white and beige coat of the majority of the walls. The air in the tavern was humid and thick. Sweat ran at the side of her face and lightly soaked her back. Was it always this hot in Nanvera? It's almost worse than Depandes.
Xanthy wiped at the sweat beading on her forehead and slapped her hand on her thigh. The dust shifting with the wind wasn't a pretty sight nor breath, either. She cleared her throat to dislodge a film of allergens from the back of her nose. Canelis looked up from the table. Oh.
