We arrived at the docks of Brightport a few days later. They were, as I predicted, lively with fishermen and merchant boats as men and women passed by with baskets with various items or nets full of fish. And like Nicole had told me, it smelled of salty fish. I must have put on a face because, as Laurance was beside me, he laughed.

"What? Don't take kindly to seafood?" He asked, a hint of jesting in his voice. I shook my head and said; "I think that isn't seafood...that's straight up rotten."

He laughed again, saying; "Well, I hope it doesn't make you sick. We do have to return to the docks to catch another ship back to Phoenix Drop. Stay here while I go discuss with the captain if there's anything he'd like from us before we depart from the ship."

I nodded and watched him off. Thorgi was in my arms and I could just tell that he was aching to get off and stretch his legs. "Don't worry boy. I promise we'll be off soon. Do you like fish?"

As if on time, he sneezed, his head shaking as if to say no. I giggled to myself and scratched behind his ear. He settled back into my arms nicely, allowing me to take in the sight of Brightport again. Unfortunately though, I couldn't enjoy it as much as my other visits. The conversation that Laurance and I had the other night kept repeating in my mind. The pain in his eyes even as he tried to force a smile. It caused an ache in my chest. I knew the moment I saw Rowan once again, I'd beg him to give Laurance an explanation. I don't think I am strong enough to get him to apologize but, Laurance at least deserved to know why Rowan made that decision. Maybe it could be considered payment?

As I stood there waiting, the crew let down the plank that attached the deck of the ship to the dock. They all started to get their tasks done and I felt awkward not being able to help. Granted, if I did lend them assistance, I do not know how much help I would be. Luckily, Laurance returned and said; "Good news. The captain said that he had a friend who's willing to sail us over to Phoenix Drop tomorrow morning. We'll have to pay a small amount but it won't be too much of a hassle."

"That's kind of him. Should we get our things and horses?"

"Yes, of course. Why don't you—"

"I'm helping you. End of discussion."

He smiled and sighed, nodding his head as he stepped to the side to let me take the lead. Even though we've known each other for a short period of time, Laurance knew he couldn't convince me otherwise.

—

"Okay, so Lord and Lady Irving are known to be pretty relaxed people. I mean, their sigil is a water jug for Irene's sake—" Laurance rambled to me as we approached the Lord's home. Brightport I soon realized was very quaint and homey compared to the last city we visited. Everything was small and bright, in my opinion. The only thing that seemed big was the large marketplace right outside the docks when you went up the cobblestone steps. But now since Laurance and I had a strict deadline, we wanted to move quickly. So no sight seeing this time. "They're older too and they truly don't have any conflict which leads me to believe that they will be more open to helping your cause."

"I hope so. I don't know if I can handle another rejection on that scale again."

"You'll be just fine."

Lord Irving's home was made of cobblestone and wood. Beautiful lanterns hung around the entrance and when we entered, the same atmosphere spilled into the home. It wasn't as big as the Zvhals' or Rosenburgs' homes but, it was still impressive and I could tell it wasn't a poor man's home. Unlike the other two places, the Lord was quick to see us. It was only a few minutes when we were let in by some guards that the Lord came out of his office to come see us. And like Laurance said, he was old. His hair was stark white but his eyes were a deep blue. His pale skin was wrinkled but, you could tell that he lived a fulfilling life with that skin. He approached me with the warmest smile, taking my hand gently to say; "Hello, Miss Aphmoo–"

"Aphmau. I apologize sir for the strange name."

He chuckled and waved it off, saying; "It's quite alright. Having a last name Irving doesn't do me any favors. Why judge? Now, would you two like some ginger, chamomile, and peppermint tea? A good remedy for those who were at sea. You may not feel it now, Miss Aphmau and Ser Laurance, but you may feel it in a couple of hours."

"Sure, if you think it will help. Would you like some Laurance?" I asked, looking up at my escort. He shrugged, his orange hair bouncing a bit as he replied with; "I don't see why not."

—

"Please send Rowan Withers my condolences on his loss. Phoenix Drop must be devastated," Lady Irving said, who had joined us shortly after. "We'll gladly inform our guards to be on the look out for them and this suspect. Right, dear?"

Lord Irving nodded quickly, saying; "Yes! O-Of course! Phoenix Drop actually is a village Brightport is very fond of. Anything we can do to help is a pleasure for us."

"R-Really?" I asked, setting my teacup down. "Thank you, so much."

"Of course, my dear. Now, tomorrow the trip back should only be a few hours but, you should take some spare pouches for when you settle back in. We don't need you paling up and turning green when you finally return home," Lady Irving said. "It must be relieving to know that your journey is almost over." 

I grinned at her sweetly and nodded my head. "Yes. It will be nice to return home."

"Most people would agree on that statement," Lord Irving stated, adjusting in his chair. "You are welcome to take up any of the inns in our village, free of charge. We would have you stay here but unfortunately, we don't have that much space to begin with."

"Thank you, Lord and Lady Irving," Laurance said. "Your generosity is truly appreciated by both of us."

We said our goodbyes and headed on our way, not wanting to take too much of their time. They had smiles on their faces still as we walked away, even when I looked back. So it must've gone well and the help wasn't just given to us out of sympathy. Laurance said though, as we were walking along the pebbled paths of Brightport; "Excellent work, Miss Aphmau."

"You think so?"

"I know so. You have the same charisma as my sister, a future leader, I might add. I told you it would be fine," He said, adding a smile at the end as he looked down at me. His green eyes sparkled and part of me wondered if he actually did take a liking to me. "Now, shall we find an inn for the evening? Our pick, they said."

"I think that's a wonderful idea. I am also a bit hungry, I think. Any suggestions?" I asked, smirking as I crossed my arms behind my back. He gave a puzzled look as he spun around for dramatics before saying boldly; "Fish!"

We both laughed as we made it to the marketplace. It was dying down from probably a long day for the merchants and fishermen there. As golden hour approached, there were only a few stalls open and the people wandering around were sparse. So it was no surprise when something, or someone caught my eye. Laurance and I walked over to one the stalls, Laurance insisting I had to try their fried fish and I just nodded my head, a bit spaced as I tried to catch a second glance at whom I saw.

Green caught my eye. A green cloak, to be exact. Not as bright and bold as Laurance's but, muted with mud at the ends. My eyes followed it for a while, long enough for Laurance to put a wrapped fried fish in front of me. When I didn't respond, he must have been quick to realize something was wrong. "Everything alright?"

I took a moment longer to reply, peering at the man with more detail. His...wrists were tied and he walked lazily. As if he were tired. The others who were with him, a woman and two other men. The one man I could see had pale skin and dark blue eyes. Opaque enough to see across the marketplace. His hair was dark as the night and the rest of his outfit matched. And in his hand, we clutched an archer's bow in his first. And that's when I knew.

"That's him...that's the green cloaked man!" I sputtered, not allowing Laurance to process what I just said before running off. I called out; "Hey! Excuse me, could I bother you all for a moment!"

The man with dark hair snapped his head towards me, his eyes glaring right at me as if he was annoyed. He got the attention of the other two with him and started pushing the green cloaked man to walk. The four of them started rushing off and at this point, Laurance had caught up to me. "Come on, if we can catch them now, we can tell Rowan the good news, eh?"

I nodded and the two of us began to follow them. We pushed through crowds, apologizing if we were ever to harsh but luckily, the group in front of us made the clearing most of the time. At this point, they had picked up speed and were trying their hardest to get away. But we weren't far behind. Eventually, we were on the outskirts of the village and began running through a large field of tall grass. Unfortunately, it was difficult to get through with my dress and Laurance needed to stay with me so the group were able to get a bit further ahead. They reached the forest's edge first, a sinking feeling growing in my chest. We were able to get through but, I thought all hope was lost.

"They couldn't have gone far," Laurance mumbled to me, trying to navigate the thick forest with the looming darkness. After it growing silent, I heard whispers to the left of me and got Laurance's attention. I guided him towards the voices, him ushering for me to stay behind him. We eventually made it to a clearing, him stopping, saying; "Stay here. Look."

The four were there, the green cloaked man on the ground while the three stood there, discussing between themselves. Though the green cloaked man had his hood down and I could finally see him. His hair was a moppy, messy brown. It matched the color of rich oak it seemed and his eyes matched his cloak. Freckles and markings littered his face, dark enough to pop along his pale, grayish skin. Even Laurance found it odd, saying; "...he looks like he hasn't see sun since...well ever."

"Why are we just standing here?" I whispered. "If we go in now, we could probably take him for ourselves."

Laurance shook his head, whispering back; "No. Even with me here, we're far outnumbered and besides, they might just run off again. If we just stay here and listen, we can gather information and share it with Lord Irving and Rowan. It's better than nothing, right?"

I couldn't help but agree with him and begrudgingly stayed at his side as we listened in. They spoke softly but loud and sharply enough for us to hear. The raven-haired man said, angrily to one of his companions; "You said she would not return from her journey in a fortnight. Based on the timeline you gave us, she should be in the middle of Sapphire Sea."

"Look, Rowan gave them the itinerary. They could have been able to get ahead of schedule, I'm sorry," He bit back. "Besides, after what has occurred the last couple of days, I apologize that I may have gotten frazzled and mixed up my information, Gene."

"For the man who was able to kill Lord and Lady Fyresmith, I thought this would be of no issue for you," The man who was named Gene replied, a hiss tracing his voice.

"But he didn't get the damn baby now did he?" The other companion, who was to my surprise a woman, said with the same frustration in her voice. She dropped her hood, revealing a long braid of silver locks and striking violet eyes. Laurance bit back a gasp and I looked at him with worry. His skin went pale and his eyes were wide. It was like he was seeing a ghost. "And now, thanks to your sloppy work, Zenix, we're all in this mess trying to clean it up. So the only person you have to blame is yourself."

"Z-Zenix?" I whispered in utter disbelief and to my horror, the hood of the other dropped to indeed reveal the man himself.

"It wasn't my fault that he decided to run in raging flames to save the kid! And look, I would like some grace here, Sasha! I did a lot of the heavy work to fix my mistake," Zenix shouted at her, the two going on to bicker like children. But I was too distracted.

Sasha? As in—

But my inner thoughts were answered by just catching another glance of Laurance, who now looked absolutely distraught. It was her.

"Join the club, Zenix. We all have had to do some dirty work to get where we are," Gene then said, to settle the bickering. The green-cloak man just watched, looking unimpressed before saying to them; "Look, if you were sent here to end me, just go ahead and do it. You've already wasted your time just dragging me all the way here."

Gene then chuckled, turning to him and kneeling down; "Do you think he would allow us to take the glory of killing you away from him? Heh, you're smart but, obviously not that smart. No. You've been a pain in his side now for the past five years, ever since you escaped. He just wants us to deliver you."

The man just nodded, saying; "Alright then. Doesn't explain why you dragged me here instead of summoning a portal on the other side of the sea."

"We thought it was a little dangerous to summon a portal where guards and fire were all around, don't you think?"

"Fire? Did he just say–"

Laurance shushed me, not aggressively but in a way that made me quickly understand that it was more important to listen than beginning to panic. But, unfortunately, fear was already rising in me. It was bubbling in my stomach as the fear of what state Phoenix Drop could be in at this very moment. How were my friends? What had happened?

The final straw, though, was transpiring just at that very moment. Zenix let out a groan, clutching his head for a moment and stumbling a bit. He caught himself on a tree, regaining balance before looking up. His eyes were now a dark, ruby red. Almost resembling the color of blood. His breath quickened as he clutched his first, saying with a snarl; "This doesn't mean–"

Gene's face formed into a smirk, as he said; "Congrats, Zenix. You've just gained immortality. Even I haven't been given that gift."

Zenix charged at him, gripping his black tunic and pushing him against another tree, shouting through gritted teeth; "You told me he'd survive! You promised me that he didn't have to die!"

Gene raised his arms, saying; "Says the man who stabbed him in the shoulder and left a decent cut on his face and neck. Even I can't control the amount of blood another man loses, Zenix."

Zenix let out a deafening cry, punching Gene square in the face before throwing him to the ground. He shouted to Gene; "He was my brother! Just because I was mad at him didn't mean he deserved to–"

"Oh quiet. In a hundred years, he'll be a distant memory to you. And you'll realize that his sacrifice led to the greater good," Gene said, calmly, getting to his feet again. "Sasha knows this. I know this. I'm sure green-eyes know this."

But the man had a look of horror on his face. He glared at the two of them, saying; "You'll pay for that."

"Ha! Are you upset about that bastard dying too? Rowan Withers was nothing. Just a spect. You'll both get over it. I can assure you."

And that's what made me snap. I jumped from the bushes and trees that we were hiding behind, immediately getting their attention. "He's not a spect. No one is."

"Aphmau, leave! Irene's sake just—" Zenix snapped at me , drawing his sword. "You out of all the people who knew him should be the least upset!"

"From what I'm hearing, maybe the man who killed him shouldn't be speaking about who should be upset!" I cried, trying to hold back the tears. "You...you did all of it. Not him...not the man sitting right there. You had the gull to look at me and say that I could be untrustworthy. You had the gull to look at Rowan and say that you wished you were able to save the Lord and his wife when you're the man who did it. And then...then..."

His sword fell, a look of pain washing over his face as he meekly pushed out in response; "I didn't mean to kill him...I promise."

Just then, Laurance joined me at my side, his sword drawn as well. And for good reason, cause Gene drew his own, saying; "Well, Zenix, I'm afraid we'll have to kill two others. Shad did say he didn't want any witnesses."

"Touch her and I'll take the liberty of killing you myself. My oath may be promised to a dead man now, but I did assure him that she would return to Phoenix Drop," Laurance threatened, then took a look at Zenix and said; "Maybe at least one oath given to him will be kept."

Gene sighed, looked to Sasha and said; "Take green-eyes to Shad. We'll be right behind you."

Sasha nodded, grabbing the green cloak man and taking out a small red orb. Laurance quickly shouted to her, saying; "Sasha, don't! Come with Aph and I, please–"

"Why would I go with the man who dropped me?" Sasha bit back, throwing dagger like eyes at him. The words were so cold that even Laurance faltered. She whispered something into the orb and a bright purple portal appeared. She then disappeared into it with the man...the only man who could have given me answers.

But now we had a bigger issue. Two men with swords ready to pounce onto us. I placed a firm grip on my satchel that still held Thorgi, who was now growling at the two. Laurance still seemed shakened and I feared that we might not be able to escape this. I said to him; "Laurance, it doesn't matter now. The man is gone but, we have our answers. We should just leave."

"Oh dear, didn't you hear what I just said?" Gene said, in a mocking tone. "No. Witnesses."

And with that, he charged at us, his sword meeting with Laurance's with a loud noise. Thankfully, Laurance was able to push him back, pushing me out of the way before Zenix came charging at me. His sword caught his' and the two began to duel it out. I never had realized truly how frightening a sword fight could be but, seeing the absolute strength and passion these two had, I realized it was nothing to take lightly.

My heart skipped, seeing Laurance being pushed back against a tree. Zenix raised his sword, about to swing. Laurance dodged it, only losing his green cape in the process. It felt to the ground, now a large gash in the middle of it. Gene grabbed my friend, pulling him by his hair yet again, Laurance was able to get out of his grip by throwing him down and getting to his feet once more.

"Aphmau run! Go get help!" Laurance shouted at me, still keeping his focus on his opponents. And just at that moment, Gene pulled a dagger from the ground, throwing it at him. It had managed to slice at Laurance's thigh, making him yelp in pain and stagger for a moment.

"Laurance, I'm not leaving you!" I replied, trying to see if I could find anything to help. To my disappointment, my mind could not come up with anything. "I'm not letting you—"

"Stop worrying! I'll be fine. It's my job after all," Laurance managed to throw another one of his charming smiles at me, even with pain in his eyes. "Now go, please."

With tearful eyes and shaking legs, I ran off into the forest back towards Brightport. I took a different path than the one we took to get to the clearing to hopefully not be followed. And thankfully, I wasn't. I just needed to get back as quickly as possible, me repeating to myself my goal over and over again; "Get to Brightport, get guards, help Laurance. Get to Brightport, get guards, help Laurance."

I can barely recall what happened after I saw the village's lights in the field. I remember running up to two guards by the outskirts, telling them what was happening. One of them ran off to the forest while the other ran with me back to the village to get more guards. Then when a couple more went off, he escorted me to Lord and Lady Irving's home again. I think I begged him, crying almost, to let me go help but he told me it would be more helpful for Laurance if I stayed here. Even Lord and Lady Irving told me so once I arrived.

I think I then told them what had happened. Retelling the story to the best of my ability and answering any questions. I told them I wouldn't be sleeping that night, even with their insistence after giving me a room in their home. I told them I would once Laurance returned safely. But he never came back that night. And when the sun rose, I was told that they had not found them.

Except for Laurance's not teared green cape. One of the guards gave it to me, as if it was my right to have it. When I saw blood splattered on it...I think all the air left my lungs.

Lord and Lady Irving insisted I still get on the ship promised to me to return home. I only agreed to do so when they promised me to send letters with any updates on Laurance. But when I stepped onto that deck, without my companion and escort, knowing I would return to a Phoenix Drop without Rowan Withers...I finally let out my sobs.