Lodestar

Silence walked alongside us like a guard looming nearby, exerting its presence to keep what we had seen in the Observatory a secret. My mother was so close yet it felt like life and death separated us; she was locked in the depths of a lavish underworld and I was trapped in a world of facades.

Innes escorted me to my room and lingered in the doorway, his eyes never leaving the ground.When his lips parted, a soft sigh was the first to come out which was followed by the closing of his eyes.

I rested a hand over his shoulder. "I'll see you tomorrow, captain. Goodnight."

He lifted his chin and cleared his throat. "Goodnight, Myst." He gave me a curt bow of his head before turning and disappearing down the nearby staircase.

I gently shut the door and fell face down into the perfectly propped up line of pillows on my bed. The plush comforts of the room did little to quell the storm brewing deep in my core. I was sad, angry, and overjoyed all at once. My mother was here, but Innes was right, our reunion would have to wait.

All feeling in my body melted away within seconds after I tucked myself under the sheets. Feeling a strange coldness drift inside my blanket cocoon, I clutched my arms as I curled into a ball. When I woke in the morning, I found myself in the same position along with a slight crick in my neck.

"At long last, she has awoken," Lady Gira hissed as she paced the space in front of my bed, her hands clutched just below her breast.

I pushed myself up and rolled my neck as I gently massaged the small tender skin that began to sting with each movement. "Can't you knock?"

Lady Gira raised a brow at me. "Is this vicious temperament the result of your friendship with captain Innes? If so, I may arrange for you to—"

I shook my head. "Sorry, Gira. I've just been really," I sighed, not knowing how to finish that sentence. "I'm homesick," I blurted out. I slid one hand through my tangled hair and used the other to rub my eyes, trying to seem as normal as possible.

Lady Gira stared at me for a few seconds before resuming her pacing. "Fair enough. The next event you will be performing for should help bring back that piece of home you so adore."

I looked up at her. "What event? Is it another noble house party?" A shiver trailed down my spine like a droplet of freezing water.

Lady Gira chuckled. "The Tyrant's Festival is far more important than some lavish mansion party and you would do well to remember that."

My eyes widened. "Tyrant's Festival? Why does it sound—"

"Scary? Frightening?" she interrupted, causing a small heat to gather behind my ears. "It's not. It's the yearly celebration of our kingdom's founding; a day of celebration for all of Caledonia. This will be one of the biggest festivals in the world and you will be the main performer."

I stared at her, unaware that my jaw had dropped. I was going to perform at the kingdom's most important holiday! How could it get any better than this?

Content with my reaction, Lady Gira made for the door. "I'll leave you to contemplate the importance of your role here. In the meantime, try not to eat too much. You will begin practicing every morning and afternoon until we've achieved perfection. The Tyrant King deserves nothing less than that, of course."

Once she shut the door behind her, my head turned to the open balcony to my right. Sunlight from Shimmermount flooded past the thin curtains as a warm breeze welcomed itself into my room.

"One of the biggest festivals in the world, huh?" I repeated her words to myself as I closed my eyes. "Wonder what mother would say now."

I knew the way. How could I forget when its presence haunts me at night? How could I forget the tomb my mother was locked away into?

I rested my hand on the door that Innes and I had stood in front of before. With a small exhale, I whispered the word 'Kaiser' just as the captain had done. The ground began to shake and the familiar red haze surrounded me. I waited patiently for the mist to disappear and for the room to transform into the Observatory entrance.

The sight of the long and dark tunnel spreading out before me gave me relief. Some part of me suspected that the door would transport me to some other location. One could never be sure of magic.

I tiptoed in the tunnels until I saw the first bars of the cell they'd been holding Jhilza in. I wasn't surprised to find that the guard detail was lacking. When I shut my eyes and focused on my hearing, the nearest guard was one who was snoring far off into the distance. For a city that prided itself on its military, Luster City seemed to be less guarded than Orzon.

My eyes flickered open and were drawn to the room at the far end of the hall; the room where they'd dragged my mother into, though it was empty now.

I looked over to my left, noticing the figure on the floor as the person I'd come to the dungeons for.

"Jhilza?" I whispered, staring at the grotesque position she'd been left in. The sword that pierced her chest cavity was replaced by two thick spears that were crossed somewhere inside her body. The chains that clutched tightly onto her wrists were gone. My assumption was that she was too weak too resist constantly dying from the numerous weapons they'd been constantly lodging inside her body.

The faint smell of something sour lingered in the air. Its metallic tone didn't remind me of blood for it was more foul than that. It actually reminded me of Jhilza's acidic gift. Fitting for an assassin, I thought to myself.

"Come to laugh at me?" she hissed from behind the bars, blood trailing down from the corner of her lips.

I shook my head. It should be beyond me to feel pity for this woman and yet I did.

"I've come to free you." I softly pushed the unlocked bars open and inched my way towards her, wary of the pools of blood on the floor.

When the spears were within reach, I looked over at Jhilza, ensuring she was still alive.

"I'm not complaining but I'd love to not have two throwing spears nestled snugly between my ribs, if you mind," she coughed.

I grasped one of the spears with both hands, careful not to shake it lest I decided to twirl her organs around like soup. I had to hurry before Jhilza 'died' again and before my own hands were too weak to do the deed.

"Just pull it, damn you!" Jhilza cried out as her eyes began to close.

I did just as she demanded and wrenched the spear out of her chest. The sound of metal cutting through flesh sickened me and I could feel a geyser rising from my stomach.

"The other...please," she gasped.

I quickly cast the first spear aside and threw my hands on the second one. I made a mental apology to her before pulling it out.

Jhilza's screams filled the dungeon halls, echoing through the dark tunnels until they were out of reach.

I jumped back and landed my back against the bars. I'd freed her, but what was to become of me.

Jhilza panted as she lurched forward, catching her weight on her forearms. "Why-" she began before coughing out another gallon of blood. "Why would you...What would you have to gain from this?" she managed slowly.

I exhaled, collecting my thoughts as I stared at the pitiful state she was in. I wasn't going to let this city make a monster out of me.

"I need your help," I responded as I knelt down beside her. "Can you stand?"

Jhilza shook her head. "And you think I won't kill you once I've regained control over my body?"

"I believe in you and that's why-"

"Ha! Caledonia's fancies got to you? You pitying me, bitch?" Jhilza interrupted as she tilted her chin up just enough to glare at me.

I hesitated for a few seconds before throwing one of her arms around my shoulder. "I believed your words. The ones about the Gifted being unable to die. I dislike and fear you, Jhilza, but I don't think you're my enemy."

Using all of the strength in my legs, I hefted her up, making sure she was able to stand before I attempted to walk.

We staggered together in silence. Jhilza's heavy breathing grew more quiet the closer we were to the exit. I could feel her attempts to control her breaths, but they remained shaky at best.

"Rest your broken body,

Ease your fading spirits.

Come dawn, come daylight

Your strength can go the distance

Once more."

Blue petals drifted down onto her back and slowly seeped into her body. I repeated the song until what I thought was enough magic had coated the gaping hole in her body.

I closed my lips and checked her face for a reaction. If her wincing and gasping had gone, I knew I'd done my job.

"It's real, isn't it?" she asked, her face lowered to the floor. "Your Gift is the real thing."

I paused and leaned Jhilza against the wall, noticing how sturdy she felt on her own legs.

"I won't ask much of you, but I need your help in understanding what these Gifts should mean to me. They've brought me nothing but trouble." I looked at a small petal resting on the palm of my hand.

Jhilza released the hand she'd been holding against her chest, noticing that flesh now covered the hole that was once there. As if believing the sight to be a lie, she ran her other hand across her chest and ribs. When she was done inspecting herself, her gaze flickered up to me and upon noticing my lack of surprise, she straightened her expression and cleared her throat.

"You speak so carefree. What's going to keep me from strangling the life out of you right here and now?" she asked with a grin.

I'd remembered the desperate look in her eyes when two spears had lodged themselves comfortably in her chest and chuckled at her current attempt to seem menacing.

"You said it yourself. Gifted can't die. I'm going to then assume that your attempts at 'assassinating' me are nothing but lies. If I can't die then what you would be after is the small window of time in which I would be unconscious," I paused, watching for the small twitches on her face that signaled a hidden panic. Sure enough, the tip of her nose jolted followed by the slight downward curling of her lip. "You've been trying to kidnap me, Jhilza."

She remained unmoved for the next few breaths before clicking her tongue and smiling at me. "Well done. Seems someone in Caledonia does have some sort of intelligence."

Before I could ask her a question, a faint clattering of metal echoed from the tunnels behind. My eyes widened as I pointed Jhilza towards the enchanted doorway from which I'd come from.

"A door with no way out. Perfect," she hissed as she ran her hands across the stone surface.

"Vagra!" I quickly muttered, activating the door's hidden magic.

The room around us began to spin as the ground rumbled. The red mist surrounded us just as the dust from the ceiling began to rain down. Within a few moments, we were transported to a small altar area that was dimly lit by a few candles and a small torch.

"This way," I nodded towards the entrance to the hallway maze.

My heart was beating rapidly in my chest. I'd just broken someone out of prison, for Vagra's sake! For some reason I couldn't understand, it felt like my entire body was awake despite it being the dead of night. I shouldn't be this energetic or excited about leading an assassin out of the palace, but I was. It was forbidden, but it felt oh so right.

Once we exited the hallway maze, I peeked around the corner to see if any guards were near the staircase.

"No one's here. I guess even the guards have bedtimes," I whispered.

"Locked in the very bowels of Luster Palace, huh? Von would have my head if he knew," Jhilza rambled before turning to me. "I owe you one. If you need answers, I'll provide what I can, so listen carefully. Head to the city and ask for the Lodestar's bakery," she quickly finished before turning her attention to the staircase below.

"Lodestar," I mumbled. "Thank you, but will you be able to find your way out?"

Jhilza glanced at me over her shoulder, her cheeky grin returning as petals danced around her. "Go pretend like you didn't just break a criminal out of the palace prison. I can slither my way out of here."

I spun on my heel and made my way upstairs, dashing into my room as if the god of haste himself had blessed me. I gingerly shut the door and slid out of my blood soaked clothes. After throwing on a white night dress, I stared at the pile of blood-soaked clothes on the floor, wondering how I would dispose of such a thing.

Without any ideas, I instinctively threw them under my bed and made sure they were tucked close to the wall. I paced around my room, checking to see if they were visible in any angle. When I was sure they couldn't be seen, I threw myself onto the bed and went willingly into a slumber.

Due to the importance of the Tyrant's Festival, Lady Gira had insisted on daily practice to ensure that my performances would be perfect. As per Lady Gira's demands, the center of the city as well as a few other streets had been sealed off in order to prepare it for the festival. My practice took place on the city center square, the busiest crossroads in all of Luster City. On any other day, merchants and soldiers would flood the square, but not this week I suppose.

Lady Gira had brought along two other women to my practice. Yelena, the seamstress responsible for all of the clothes I'd been wearing since my arrival, and Omina, a retired opera singer who used to grace nobles the world over with her impressive vocal range and moving arias.

Yelena had been circling me like an animal inspecting its meal. She carried a small sketchbook on her person and her eyes would often wander towards my waist. There they would remain for what seemed like hours.

Omina on the other hand would just not keep quiet. While I danced and sang, she would either hurl a few 'critiques' my way or lean over to Lady Gira's ear and probably slander my performance there. For a woman who frolicked with nobles for almost two-thirds of her life, she lacked the subtlety and genteel manners the aristocracy possessed.

"That's enough, Mystaline," Gira commanded as she raised a hand at me. "You may take a break. Be back within an hour. Find lunch somewhere nearby but don't stray too far from the guards' sights unless you want a sequel to what happened before."

I nodded and sped out of her sight. It had been days of this ruthless back and forth between the palace and square. My body was aching from all of the practicing and my throat was constantly dry. The heat from the light from Shimmermount grew more intense with each day. The closer the season drew to spring, the more it felt like a hellish punishment to even set foot outside. I assumed that Shimmermount would be a nightmare come summer. With the sun at its peak, Shimmermount's light would be both blinding and fiery.

"Milady, please stick to the streets right in front of the square," one of the guards instructed, pointing to a small area of food merchants just ahead. "There's a dangerous criminal hiding within the city, so be careful who you speak to."

I paused, realizing that I'd almost forgotten about Jhilza. "I will. Thank you. Before I go, are there any shops or stalls that sell sweets here?" I'd been craving cake and cookies since Lady Gira started me on this schedule from the pits of hell. It seemed like the more I danced, the more I craved sweet foods.

The man nodded, his chain mail clinking underneath. "Yes, Lodestar bakery sells those infamous milk cakes. They're right behind the building over there." He pointed towards a small house that sheltered a narrow alley from Shimmermount's fiery sunlight.

"You have my thanks," I said before heading towards the alley.

Truth be told, I'd completely forgotten about saving Jhilza's life, but only because Lady Gira's schedule has me running like a Kyros chicken with its second head cut off. The moment he mentioned a criminal stalking the streets and the Lodestar, the memory of her slinking down the stairs came rushing back.

I reprimanded myself for letting my need to perform overtake my need to find answers. What use is singing and dancing to me if I won't have long to do either?

I looked down the alley and found it just as repulsive as the alley the captain had taken me through. Back then I'd ventured the backstreets out of pure excitement, but now only pain and fear spur me on. Every moment I wasted playing around like Gira's doll was a moment my mother spent tortured and alone.

"Lodestar?" I muttered aloud when I arrived in front of a tiny brick storefront.

The scent of butter and milk wafted into my nose as soon as I opened the door. I was greeted by a tiny bell, alerting the shopkeepers that I'd arrived.

"Welcome," a dark skinned woman grinned at me from the back of the store. "Took you long enough."

"Hello, Jhilza," I made a small nod towards her.

Jhilza glanced at the man beside her. "I'll be in the back." She turned to me before making her way to the very back of the store.

Bad enough the bakery was tiny, the small storehouse it did have barely had enough room for me to stand a few paces away from Jhilza. She may have lost her urge to kill me, but that didn't mean I shouldn't be wary of her.

"Come on then. What is it you'd like to know?" she began.

I rubbed my elbow and glanced nervously around the room. "I can ask anything?

Jhilza leaned against the wall behind her and crossed her arm. "You saved me from perpetual death so I owe you something. I'll answer what I can but don't be surprised when I omit certain details. You're either not privy to them or I just don't know."

I nodded, carefully noting her conditions. I took in a deep breath, aware that I had to get my answers within the hour otherwise Lady Gira would send out a search party.

"Jhilza," I exhaled before a small pause. "Why did they bring my mother to Luster City? And for what crimes?"

The assassin chuckled. "Oh, Camilla? Prepare yourself, little girl. This one's not an easy story to hear."

"C-Camilla?" I stammered. "No, my mother's name is Gretel!"

She raised a brow at me, her grin spreading uncontrollably like fire through a forest. "Oh don't fret. She does this to everyone."

I couldn't hide the confusion which found its way into my face in the form of knitted brows and bewildered eyes. What in the world was this woman talking about?

Heyo, just wanted to drop a little notice that the banners and page break images are going to change from here on out. I'm not the same designer and I'm always looking to improve my designs, so look forward to those changes.

Also! Noticed how the banner caught fire? Huh. I wonder why...