Chapter Text
“Get back here!”
Birds flew into the sky as the door to Marquerite Bakery opened with a bang. Rosemary grinned as she turned around to yell back inside, “Don’t worry Chicory! I’ll be back before dinner.”
Before he could answer back, she quickly slammed the door behind her and ran off, careful not to bump into anyone. Chicory wasn’t that far behind though. He ran after his sister, not much caring about his state of dress.
Inside the bakery, Fennel chuckled at their antics. He didn’t believe for one second that Chicory would be able to catch up to his little sister. And he was proven right when he noticed his son return, dejected. Chicory rolled his eyes as he walked back to the kitchen. “Thanks for the help dad.”
“You’ll get her next time, buddy.”
Rosemary looked back with a smirk when she noticed Chicory head back to the bakery. He didn’t actually believe he was going to catch up, did he? Everyone knew Rosemary was the fastest runner in Pebble. She made sure Flowering Thorn was secured on her back as she picked up the pace.
The people of Pebble were still busy this afternoon. Cattles were pulling wagons while children were heading to the local park. Neighbors said their quick ‘hellos’ as they headed back home or finished any last minute shopping at the market. Rosemary weaved her way through the streets, waving ‘hi’ to anybody who greeted her.
It wasn’t long before she was at the edge of town. The homes were now further apart. Each one with a different shape and large gardens filled with fruits and vegetables. The most incredible garden in Pebble was that owned by the strongest mages in town.
“Sage! Sage! Sage!” Rosemary yelled as she ran towards the gate.
Sage’s mother, Salvia, ran out of the cottage, her hands already working on making a magic circle. “Rosemary? What’s going on? What’s wrong?!” she asked as she looked around, looking for any sign of trouble.
Rosemary skidded to a stop in front of Salvia, a sheepish smile on her face. “Sorry, Mrs. Cornflower,” Rosemary apologized as she scratched the back of her head. “It’s just that Sage called me over!”
“That’s what this is all about?” Salvia chided as her magic circle disappeared. “Come inside. I don’t need you bothering our neighbors.”
The household was in full swing. Five cauldrons were bubbling in the living room. A broom was sweeping away any extra dust and ingredients. Books and bottles of stuff flew from one shelf to another. Plants flourished as watering cans poured water on them with only Salvia’s magic keeping them afloat.
Neppy Cat greeted Rosemary as she entered the cottage. She leaned down and petted the friendly cat as he brushed up against her leg.
“Sage is in her room, Rosemary,” Salvia informed her. Without missing a beat, Salvia grabbed one of the bottles above her head and walked towards a cauldron.
Rosemary was careful as she headed to Sage’s room. She didn’t need Salvia breathing down her neck. But once she was out of sight she ran towards Sage’s blue door, Neppy Cat right beside her. Rosemary didn’t knock as she pushed the door open.
Sage let out a shriek in surprise at the intrusion. When she noticed it was Rosemary and Neppy, she frowned. “Really? You could knock, you know?”
“It’s fine Sage. It’s not like your changing or anything,” Rosemary shrugged her off. She entered the room and jumped on the bed. Neppy jumped next to her and sat down.
While the rest of the house was at work, Sage’s room was at peace. The window was open and letting a calm breeze in. Her books were organized in alphabetical order. On her desk was her signature hat. The cauldrons are on the shelves, as clean as the rest of the room.
“So,” Rosemary whispered, a mischievous twinkle in her eyes, “did you get it?”
Sage playfully looked around before heading towards her desk. Her eyes shined as she reached under her hat and pulled out a letter. “I did. I got it this morning,” she squealed.
“Yes!” Rosemary cheered as she jumped off the bed. Rosemary ran over to Sage and enveloped her in a big hug. “I knew you were going to get one.”
Neppy meowed happily at his owner. He leaped off the bed and onto the windowsill. Without another sound Neppy jumped away, heading towards the roof.
“Look,” laughed Rosemary, “Neppy is so happy for you, he’s going to tell all his cat friends.”
“Thanks,” Sage giggled. “Did you get yours yet?”
Rosemary let go of Sage then shakes her head, dejectedly. Sage placed the letter back on the desk and gently grabbed her friend’s hand. “It’s okay Rosemary. It’s still early. We still have time.”
“I guess,” Rosemary shrugged. Then she perked right back up. “Let’s forget about me. We need to be celebrating you!”
Sage nervously giggled as Rosemary jumped around the room. Then Rosemary gasped as an idea hit her. “Let’s go open your letter at the lake!”
“The lake?” Sage asked.
“Yeah,” Rosemary nodded. “This is going to be the greatest moment of your life. You need a great place to do it. And what better place than the lake.”
“But,” Sage started to play with her braid, nervously. “What if we see Hackberry?”
“Then I’ll give him an old one-two. Nobody messes with you when I’m around.” Rosemary bounced one more time before grabbing Sage’s hands. “C’mon, c’mon, c’mon!”
Sage thought about it for a while. The place where Rosemary and her would usually play and pretend to be brave warriors would now be the place where her life might change forever. And like before, her best friend would be by her side.
“Okay than,” Sage ran up to her desk and placed her hat on top of her head. She grabbed her letter before facing Rosemary. “Let’s go to the lake.”
The girls headed downstairs. Once they let Salvia know where they were headed, they ran towards their destination.
Cobblestone Lake was already filled with other kids when they arrived. Young teens dipped their toes in the water. Others were hanging upside down in the trees. Every time someone belly flopped into the lake, everyone would cheer.
“C’mon.” Rosemary grabbed Sage’s hand and led her to a more secluded part. They sat under a tree. Rosemary plopped down while Sage pulled her dress under her before she sat down. The breeze felt great as the shade shielded them from the sunlight.
Sage took her hat off and set it down while Rosemary placed Flowering Thorn next to her. The girls grinned as they looked at the letter. The sealing wax was shaped in the insignia from High Guardian Academy. They squealed in excitement.
“Are you ready?” Rosemary questioned. She was shaking in anticipation.
Sage slowly breathed in and out before nodding. But before she could take the seal off, the letter was swiped right out of her hands! “H-hey!”
Above them, covering the sun with his giant head, stood Hackberry Trout. His cronies, Guy and Cactus, were behind him snickering. Everyone around them stood frozen. The jovial atmosphere from earlier was long gone. Nobody made a move. Everyone held their breaths.
“Well look what we got here,” Hackberry jeered, “A letter from High Guardian Academy.”
“Give that back!” Rosemary demanded. She stood up and got in his face. “That belongs to Sage.”
“What’re you talking about Rhubarb?” He scoffed, “There’s no name on here. It could belong to anyone. For all we know, your little friend could have stolen it from someone else.”
“What?!” Sage nervously grabbed onto her braid. “I didn’t steal it. I would never steal from anyone.”
Hackberry rolled his eyes at her. “Whatever. I’m going to be a good samaritan and find the rightful owner.”
Guy and Cactus stepped forward standing at full height. Rosemary growled and reached for Flowering Thorn. Sage immediately grabbed her arm and tried to pull her back.
“Sage,” growled Rosemary as she tried to pull her arm out of Sage’s grip, “we can’t let them get away with this.”
“I know. But we need to be smart about this. It’s two against three. We need a plan before we start a fight.”
Rosemary glared at the boys. Then she took a step back.
Hackberry smirked. “That’s what I thought. See ya losers.”
Rosemary and Sage could only watch as the boys left. When they were out of sight, Rosemary screamed as she kicked a rock away.
“I can’t believe that… that… big-headed jerk! He thinks he’s better than everyone just because his parents work at Lyngarth.”
Around them, the other teens started to whisper amongst themselves.
“I thought he was going to come after me for a sec.”
“He took my cousin’s favorite necklace just last week.”
“Yeah, he’s been hoarding everyone’s stuff near his house. I tried to tell my mom, but she wouldn’t believe me.”
Rosemary growled as she crossed her arms, “This stinks. I could have at least punched him in the face.”
Sage picked up her hat and placed it back on her head. “That’s why we need a strategy. Let’s go back to my place.”
Rosemary huffed. She grabbed her sword and followed Sage back to Cornflower Cottage.
The girls immediately got to work when they entered Sage’s room. Sage grabbed one of her cauldrons off the shelf. Rosemary started to pick at a few plant leaves and vials at Sage’s instruction. Then headed to an empty room with a burner. Sage traced a magic circle and lit the burner on while Rosemary placed the cauldron on top.
“So, what’s the plan?”
Sage opened a book and started to flip the pages as she answered, “I read about a potion that’s able to make a smoke screen when it’s thrown on the floor. It was first made in Yasuke Kingdom, you know.”
Rosemary’s eyes sparkled as the information. “And you’re able to make it?! That’s so cool!”
“I-it’s nothing. It’s a beginner potion so,” Sage waved her off. She felt warm at Rosemary’s compliment.
“Okay, so where does that leave me?”
“You’re my secret weapon of course,” Sage smiled. “How good are you with cardboard?”
Rosemary raised an eyebrow as she cocked her head. Where was Sage going with this?
The sun was starting to set. Shops and stalls around Pebble are closing up. Children are heading home after a fun day at the park and lake. Ranchers are leading their animals back to their pens and beds. Everything was starting to slow down.
“I still can’t believe that know-it-all got a letter,” hissed Hackberry. He had Sage’s letter between his fingers. “They must be really desperate if they want her there.”
“So, what’re you going to do with it?” Cactus asked as he followed his leader.
“Isn’t it obvious? I’m going to go to the academy.”
Cactus and Guy stopped to a halt, surprised by Hackberry’s declaration. They looked at each other before continuing to follow Hackberry.
“But wouldn’t they know you weren’t Sage? You don’t actually look like a girl,” Guy pointed out. “You’re kind of missing the long hair, the figure, the soft skin…”
“And the hat!” Cactus jovially added as he pointed at his head.
“Of course I know that,” chided Hackberry as he glared back at them. “But once they see how amazing I am, they’re going to regret turning me down. Now hurry up. I want to get home as quickly as possible.”
The trio picked up the pace. The adults paid them no mind while the children made sure to steer clear of them. Once they got to Hackberry’s home he looked around, making sure no one was watching them. He opened the back gate and ushered his friends inside.
The boys quickly made their way up the only tree in the yard and into an old treehouse. Even though they were too old, it did have its uses. Like hiding the stuff they’ve been taking from the other kids around Pebble. Jewelry, old watches, candy bars, and toys. Anything that looked to be valuable now belonged to Hackberry Trout.
Picking one of the chocolate bars in the pile, Hackberry sat down. Guy and Cactus sat in front of him as they picked their own snack.
“Now let’s see if she actually got in,” he crooned.
Suddenly the boys heard the sound of glass shattering. They looked around bewildered. Smoke started to surround them, shrouding them in darkness.
“Hey! What’s going on?!”
“Where are you guys?”
“Calm down,” Hackberry bellowed, “it’s just smoke. Just look for the door.”
With their hands in front of them, the boys tried to make their way through the smoke. But no matter how much they walked, they couldn’t find the door, not even a wall!
“W-what is that?!” Hackberry heard Guy scream out before he yelled in terror.
“Guy?! What happened? Where are you?” Hackberry looked around in alarm. He couldn’t see his friends anymore.
The smoke started to get thicker. Hackberry waved his arms in front of him trying to get rid of the smoke. It didn’t work. He jumped as he heard Cactus’s scream next.
Hackberry was distraught. He couldn’t see anything; he couldn’t hear anything. His hands were sweaty, and his heart was going a mile a minute. Tears started to well up in his eyes.
“aNd THen thEre waS OnE.” Hackberry shivered at the distorted voice.
Hackberry turned around and gasped. Through the smoke he could make out a tall figure. They walked slowly towards him, their feet silent. Their armor was bulky. But what caught his eyes was the sword in their right hand. It seemed to shine with every step.
“Who… Who are you?” Hackberry croaked as he fell on his behind. He tried to scurry away when his back hit the wall behind him.
The figure chuckled. Without another word, it raised it’s sword skyward and swung it towards Hackberry!
The boy let out a heart-stopping scream and rolled out the way. The sword only got a few strands of his hair. Hackberry got back on his feet and ran off. The swordsman wasn’t done with him, however, and followed in pursuit.
Hackberry dodged every swipe of that giant sword. He jumped, ducked, and rolled. He gasped when he finally touched a wall but yelped when he noticed the warrior behind him. The warrior charged at him; sword pointed straight at Hackberry. The boy didn’t hesitate and dodged. His eyes widened when he heard the sword splinter the wooden wall. Hackberry didn’t stay down though. He started to run away again.
Hackberry’s legs were aching, and his breath was becoming ragged. His face was covered in sweat and his feet ached with every step. Finally, he was out of breath and fell onto his knees.
“What… what do you… want?”
The figure walked forward. It’s armor was dull and scratched. It’s face was obscured by a horned helmet. It’s long cape was tattered and full of holes. Hackberry’s neck ached as he looked up at the figure.
“do yOU kNow WhaT yOU’Ve donE?” Hackberry gulped as the figure pressed it’s sword to his neck. “THe TriAd haS iNfoRMed me oF YoUR mISDeEd.”
Hackberry’s eyes widened. The Triad?!
“YoU haVE stOlen a LEtTer from A fuTure GUArdiaN. ThIs miSDemeAnoR Is PuNIshaBle by DEATH.”
“Please,” Hackberry begged, “This is… it’s just a huge misunderstanding. I… I was going to return it.”
The figure stayed silent simply watching the quivering boy. Seconds passed and it’s sword did not waver. Hackberry’s breathing became ragged. His eyes started to water.
“I’m… I’m sorry, okay? I-I’ll return the letter. Please… please just let me liiiive,” Hackberry cried.
The figure watched him for a few more seconds before sheathing it’s sword. It’s cape bellowed as it turned away from him.
“Return all you have stolen,” it breathed, “or I will return.”
Hackberry watched as the warrior walked and disappeared into the smoke. He sat there in silence. He was breathing. He was crying. He was alive!
The smoke finally vanished. Other than the gash on the wall everything seemed to be in place. Hackberry noticed Guy and Cactus in a corner of the room. He scrambled to them and checked them over. Other than their bumps on their heads, they seemed to be fine.
Hackberry looked around, exhausted. Nothing out of the ordinary jumped out at him. Then he noticed that letter near his pile. Hackberry snatched it from the floor and held it with both hands.
“This is all your fault,” he growled. “If you weren’t here, I could have… They would be…”
“Return all you have stolen, or I will return.”
Hackberry sighed. He looked around him as the tears continued to fall down his face.
“This is abuse,” Rosemary whined. “First you take Flowering Thorn, now this! The power has gone to your head.”
The Marquerite siblings stood outside their bakery. Customers came and went as they stared as Rosemary. She groaned as she fell to the floor, not paying any attention to the stares.
Chicory rolled his eyes as he handed her a broom. Not only did Rosemary come home late, but she also forgot to get home before dinner. Just because their dad let it go didn’t mean that he did.
“Sure,” Chicory deadpanned. “Now hurry up. You’re cleaning the toilets after this.”
Rosemary stood up and got to work, glaring at her brother’s back as he went inside. Sure, she was a little bit late, but she didn’t deserve this treatment. She was a Pebble citizen! She had rights!
“Rosemary! Rosemary! Rosemary!”
Rosemary jumped in surprise. She reached for Flowering Thorn only to grab air. She didn’t have it on her! That darn Chicory…
Rosemary was speechless as she watched Sage run towards her. Quiet, studious Sage was kicking up dust as she ran down the street, pushing people out of the way. She skidded to a halt before they could collide.
“I… I…” Sage forced out. She rested her hands on her knees as she tried to catch her breath.
Rosemary rubbed circles on her back, waiting for Sage to mellow down. When Sage got her breathing in order, she raised her arm showing her stolen letter.
“Wait, seriously?” Rosemary gasped.
“Seriously. Hackberry came by during breakfast. Said he was sorry and everything.” Sage then leaned in closely and whispered, “In fact, I saw Cactus and Guy returning the other things they stole.”
“Mission accomplished!” cheered Rosemary. She hugged Sage and spun her around in her arms. The girls laughed before the bakery door opened with a slam.
“Are you done, Rosemary?” growled Chicory.
Rosemary stopped to a halt. She placed Sage down before getting back to sweeping. Chicory sighed before digging into his pocket. “What’s the point? Here.”
The girls gasped as he whipped out a letter from his pocket. A letter that looked similar to Sage’s!
“When… when did this come in?!” Rosemary slowly reached for the letter. She held it carefully, not letting it get wrinkly.
“A tricksie delivered it last night,” Chicory shrugged. Rosemary gasped in horror. “We were going to give it to you yesterday, but you kept us up. Now get back to work.”
Without another word, Chicory headed back inside. Rosemary and Sage looked at each other then at their letters. Rosemary was the first to move. She opened her letter. Sage then followed her lead and slowly opened hers. The girls started to read their letter simultaneously.
Customers and passerbys jumped as Rosemary and Sage shrieked in glee, throwing their letters in the air. Rosemary hoisted Sage up and spun her around. But a passing wind broke them from their celebration.
“Rosemary, the letters,” Sage reminded.
Rosemary placed her down and they ran after their letters that had blown in the wind. Fennel shook his head as he watched his daughter and her friend run off, her punishment all but forgotten on the ground.
“Take care of the front, Chicory,” Fennel called out to his tired-out son as he went upstairs.
While the downstairs of the building was their bakery, their upstairs happened to be their home. Fennel made his way up the stairs and to the third floor where their bedrooms were. He walked inside his room and closed the door behind him. Sitting on the bed, Fennel pulled out a key from his pocket and unlocked the top drawer of the nightstand and took out an old letter. It was yellowed around the edges and it looked like it had been folded one-two many times. Fennel let out a breath. With shaking fingers, he opened it.
His eyes gazed at the letters, not really reading them. His wife’s letters were always filled with her adventures. Stories filled with courageous heroes, and cunning kings; stories about hidden villages and strong creatures; stories that he would once tell his kids as their bedtime stories. But this was one story he couldn’t tell. A story about death and heartbreak.
Fennel placed the letter down and reached inside the drawer again. He took out a heart-shaped locket and held it in his hands. The locket opened and took out the picture inside with trembling hands. It was their last photo as a family. Chicory’s and Rosemary’s smiles were bright. Their eyes shined brightly as they looked down at the cheesecake. Fennel looked so proud of himself. Arms crossed and chest puffed out as he watched his children.
Then there was Lavender. Fennel’s eyes clouded as he stared at her. He would always remember her last words, the last look she gave him before she left.
“Dad! Dad!” Rosemary’s cries could be heard from downstairs. “I got in! I’m going to High Guardian Academy! Daaad!”
Fennel placed the picture back into the locket. He folded Lavender’s letter. Fennel looked at it once more and placed it back in the drawer. With a sigh he headed back downstairs, the locket in his hand, and the letter forgotten.
Chapter 2
Summary:
From Pebble to Lyngarth. And then a little bit of shopping!
Chapter Text
Rosemary and Sage stood next to their families as the citizens of Pebble cheered behind them. The last person to leave and study at High Guardian Academy had been Rosemary’s mother, Lavender. While others have tried to get in, many had been sent back home, dejected. This time, two children were leaving.
The girls held nervous smiles as they waited for their transportation. Besides them stood their luggage. Sage’s mimic, Chompy, stood beside Neppy’s pet carrier, as the poor thing sadly meowed.
“Good luck out there girls!”
“Show those other kids what Pebble’s Guardians are all about.”
“You better not come back,” Hackberry jeered before heading back to town.
The girls ignored him, facing their families. Fennel and Chicory looked proudly at Rosemary.
“A whole year away from home. We’re going to miss you, Rosemary.” Fennel softly smiled. He gently took hold of the locket around her neck. “Your mother would be so proud of you.”
“Would be? She is proud of you,” Chicory interjected.
“Sage, I’m thrilled for you to learn about elixirs,” Salvia beamed at her daughter. “Very important for a future healer.”
Sage’s dad, Timber, knelt to Sage’s level. “High Guardian Academy doesn’t just accept anyone, you know. You girls are going to have to work hard if you want to get in.”
The girls hugged their parents tightly. If they passed the Entrance Exam, they wouldn’t be back for a year. Instead, they would stay in Lyngarth studying to be Guardians. But if they didn’t, they would return home. Once the academy rejected you, you would never get another chance. This was their only shot.
“It’s here!”
The girls separated as they noticed a double-decker carriage coming up the road. Everyone stood awestruck at the Reinhorse pulling the vehicle. The sounds of other children could be heard, their voices excited.
“You better get a move on girls.” Rosemary and Sage picked up their luggage and headed towards the carriage.
The driver exited the carriage, hands behind his back. “Proof of Consideration?”
The girls handed him their letters and watched as he closely inspected them. His eyes were sharp as he looked at each one.
“They’re legit!” He called out as he moved aside. “We’ll handle your luggage. Any personal items should be kept with you.”
Sage placed her bag beside Chompy. She cooed at Neppy Cat as she picked up his carrier. Rosemary handed the guard her bag. “Sorry, but the sword stays with me.”
The driver simply shrugged. He picked up their bags and handed them to a man on the roof of the carriage. The man yelped in surprise when Chompy flew over and settled next to him. The girls gave one last wave goodbye to their families before entering. The double-decker carriage didn’t wait for them to get settled in. It began to move, leaving Pebble behind.
The inside was bigger than expected! Compartments were filled with children, bursting with energy. The girls looked through each one, searching for one that was empty. When they couldn’t find one on the first floor they headed upstairs.
“You’ll be fine, Zinnia.” Rosemary looked into one compartment. A blonde boy was calming down a girl who was heavily breathing into a paper bag. Rosemary watched as he rubbed circles on her back, speaking to her softly.
“Rosemary, I found one!”
Rosemary jumped and quickly ran to catch up with Sage. The girls sighed as they sat down. Sage knelt and opened Neppy’s carrier. The girls giggled as the cat jumped out and onto the racks above them.
“I can’t believe we get to ride a Guardian Bus!” Rosemary exclaimed as she looked out the window.
The Guardian Bus is a mode of transportation used to carry students to the nearest train station. Once they got to the train station the students were taken to Lyngarth where High Guardian Academy resided. The Guardian Bus were pulled by a 7-foot reinhorse. Though these creatures looked docile, they could become quite violent when threatened. The perfect creature to protect the students inside.
Sage sat down next to Rosemary and took two apples out of her pocket. She handed one to Rosemary who took a giant bite out of it. Neppy let out a sad mrow before jumping down and onto Sage’s lap.
Sage looked out the window and gasped, “Rosemary, look!”
Rosemary looked outside and squinted. Far away stood a small village next to a lake. In the middle was a round park. It looked so unassuming.
“Pebble looks so… small,” She commented.
“I guess it was small the whole time… and we just didn’t know.”
Rosemary grabs Sage’s hand as they smile at each other. They take one more look at Pebble until it disappeared from view.
---
“Alright,” bellowed out the ticket man. “Students stay together. Don’t go wondering off now, ya’ hear.”
Children of different sizes happily exited the Guardian Bus and marveled at the red train heading towards Lyngarth. They stayed huddled together as they headed towards it.
Rosemary and Sage marveled at the bustling station. Different colored trains heading to different locations. Orcs, elves, and nymphs walked among humans without a second thought. Rosemary nudged Sage as they walked by a group of Guardians exiting one of the trains. Their armor was scratched and bent from years of use. Their weapons, however, shined as they walked past them.
“That’s going to be us someday,” Rosemary beamed.
The train’s horn blared as the doors opened. Children hurried inside in a panic, trying to find good seats. Rosemary grabbed Sage’s hand and pushed their way through. Sage held onto Neppy’s carrier as he yowled through the chaos.
The girls sighed in relief as they found seats. Sage placed the cat carrier next to her and looked out the window.
There was still a crowd of students entering. Other passengers stayed clear of the crowd of students but hurried through the station. Inside the train was chaos too. The older kids ran to find seats next to old schoolmates. Others jumped in their seats, trying to get the attention of friends.
“W-wait for me,” a short boy called out as he ran after another. He was shoved left and right trying to catch up. The taller boy in front of him continued on his way, as though he didn’t hear him.
Once the crowd dispersed, the train blared it’s horns and started to move. Rosemary huddled closer to Sage to look outside.
The train left the station and went down the mountain. The sun had started to set, washing the sky in brilliant warm colors. The shadows in the forest below them grew longer. The other trainees among them start to settle down. Sage leans her head on Rosemary’s shoulder as they slowly drifted to sleep.
---
It’s dark and the moon is out once the train arrives at Lyngarth Station. The station is almost empty as the train settles in. Train workers get to work unloading everyone’s cargo. Inside, the students are slowly waking up. Unlike the chaos from earlier, the station was at peace.
Sage looks outside in search of her cousin. Instead, her vision is obstruct by two different families holding two different emblems. There had to be fifty people out there. The train let out steam, and Sage squints to see through the smoke.
“They’re probably waiting outside,” Rosemary reassures with a yawn. “Let’s go take a look.”
The girls exit the train and look around once more. A banner with the High Guardian Academy insignia on it stands tall. A man in blue stands beside it as he calls out, “Children with academy permission head this way.”
Most of the passengers head towards the voice. Those who didn’t have a place to stay were allowed to reside in the Academy’s many dormitories for the time being.
Rosemary watched as the blondes she saw at the carriage headed to one of the groups waiting for them. They bowed in front of a strict looking woman, who simply turned and walked away. Two servants picked up their belongings and everyone else followed her out.
“Mom!” The short boy from the train ran towards a woman with a kind smile. She wrapped her arms around him and spun him around as they giggled.
“Did you have fun this summer?” she asked. The older boy caught up to them and rolled his eyes at their childish display.
The woman gave the boy in her arm a kiss before placing him down. “Come along, you two. You can tell me all about it on the way home.”
The crowd behind her parted as she turned around. The boys walked behind her as their servants went to retreat their baggage.
“Sage! Over here!”
The girls turned to the sound of the voice. A woman was waving at them while her partner beamed at them.
“Cousin Anise,” Sage calls out as she and Rosemary ran towards them.
---
The moon is full, and the streets are empty as they walk. Anise carries Neppy’s cat carrier as Aloe leads them. Rosemary and Sage walked behind, slouched with drooping eyes.
Aloe and Anise stop in front of a building. Rosemary, with half-lidded eyes, keeps walking but gets pulled back when Sage calls out to her, “Rosemary!”
The couple chuckle as Aloe opens the door.
“Welcome to our humble abode.”
Rosemary and Sage gasp when they notice the long flight of stairs.
“Don’t worry,” Anise reassures. “It’s just a few flights up.”
The girls look at each other, astonished, and sag as they head up.
Aloe and Anise wait patiently for their guests by the door. Rosemary rubs her shoulders and Sage groans when they reach the door. The living room is pleasantly furnished. Plants of different types are scattered around. The walls are filled with portraits of old elves and cute knick-knacks. In one corner of the room, a bookshelf is packed to the brim with books.
“This way.” Aloe walks past them and into a hallway. She opens one of the doors and steps aside.
Chompy flies through and finds a spot under the window. Rosemary sets her bag and sword down before flopping onto one of the beds. Anise sets the carrier down and Sage opens it for Neppy. The grumpy cat stretches out with a huff.
“You girls get to bed. Tomorrow, we got a whole lotta shopping to do,” Anise informs them.
Sage blinks in surprise as she stares at her. “Really? I thought we would do the shopping after…” she trails off.
“If you don’t get in, we can cancel everything. No problem.” Anise walks up to Sage and looks her directly in the eyes. “But I know you’ll do fine.”
Sage blushes as she looks down at her shoes. The moment is then interrupted by the sound of snoring. Everyone looks back at Rosemary. Her legs and arms are splayed across the bed and there seemed to be a bit of drool dribbling down her chin. Anise and Aloe chuckled, “Goodnight.”
---
The moonlight shines through the window and into the room. Sage and Neppy sleep quietly. Rosemary, on the other hand, tosses and turns in her sleep, her face scrunched up.
The Marquerite Family sits in a field in Pebble. Rosemary admires her mother from afar, watching as she swings Flowering Thorn at an invisible enemy. Chicory sits beside her, accepting a sandwich from his father.
Lavender sheathed her sword. Her eyes are cast downward as she catches her breath.
“Mom?” Rosemary probed, “Do you… like being a Guardian?”
“Yes. Travelling and helping others in need brings me joy,” Lavenders smiles as she looks at her daughter. “But… it does hurt to leave… my family behind. Any day could be my last.”
Rosemary blinks. True. Guardian business was no joke. While they are sometimes tasked to look for lost treasures and find secret cities, other jobs required them to kill dangerous creatures or stop bandits harming a town. Rosemary couldn’t help but frown, worried.
“Rosie, your mom knows the risks when she leaves home. She’s out there making sure others get to live the same life we do,” Fennel reassures.
“And she gets to kick butt with that giant sword,” Chicory grins.
Rosemary nods as she looks at them and then at her mother. “Right. Mom’s being a true hero out there!”
Suddenly the sky darkened. The family look up at the sky as dark clouds quickly appeared. Rosemary stands as the wind picks up. She watches as the clouds form a funnel and heads towards Lavender! Lavender doesn’t waste any time. She draws her sword and jumps out the way.
The clouds miss but spread around Lavender obscuring her from Rosemary’s view. Lavender slashes through them and smiles at Rosemary. Rosemary gasps as Lavender throws her sword at her. The blade enters the ground in front of Rosemary. She grabs the hilt and pulls. It’s too strong for her.
“Mom!” Chicory calls out.
Rosemary looks over at her mother. Lavender stares at her as the clouds engulf her. Rosemary gives up on the sword and runs towards her. She tries her hardest to grab at the clouds, but gasps as the clouds pass through her fingers.
Rosemary could only stare in horror as the clouds head back to the sky. The sky begins to clear. The sky returns to its soft blue colour and the clouds are white, and fluffy. Lavender is gone though.
Rosemary turns around and runs towards the sword stuck in the ground. She grabs the hilt and pulls. It doesn’t budge. She grinds her teeth and tries again. Nothing. Rosemary gasps as she falls back and lands on her back.
“Come on!” She growls. She gets back up and grabs the sword again.
Large, gentle hands engulf her’s. Rosemary looks up at her father’s face. His eyes are dark, and his brows are furrowed. He gets on his knees and wraps his arms around her. Rosemary arms fall to her side. She feels tears in her eyes. They drop down her cheek when Chicory walks over and wraps his arms around her too.
The field around them is peaceful. Birds sing in the trees and a gentle breeze passes by. The sky is now cloudless. Their lunch is all but forgotten.
“It’s okay, Rosemary.”
“Are you okay, Rosemary?”
Rosemary wakes up. Tears are running down her face. She quickly wipes them off with the sleeve of her pajamas. Next to her, Sage worriedly looks at her.
“Do you want to talk about it?” She asks.
Rosemary shakes her head and lies back down again, facing away. She scoots away a bit to make room. Sage softly smiles and lies down next to her.
“She’s out there, Rosemary. You know that.”
---
The sun is high in the sky when Rosemary runs out the door and slides down the rail. Sage runs after her but walks down the stairs. “Wait for us!”
Anise and Aloe close the door behind them and follow the girls. The market is bustling early this morning. People walk from shop to stall and stall to shop. A group of children watch toys play through a shop window. Customers try their hands at bargaining at shop owners, who turn down offers left, right and center.
“Would you look at this place,” Rosemary calls out as she looks around in wonder.
The girls run ahead as Anise stops and looks up at the clear sky. Her eyebrows furrow as she frantically looks around. Aloe, noticing her wife’s worried look, gently links their fingers together. Anise blinks then looks down at their hands.
“Sorry,” she apologizes. “We just haven’t seen them in a while.”
Aloe gives her a faint smile as she kisses the top of her head. “I know. But there’s nothing we can do right now. We just have to wait.”
Ahead of them, Rosemary and Sage look around the market. A man in bright colors stands on a bench. Behind him birds of different sizes and colors sing. In a different stall a woman organizes warm colored scarves. They watch as someone purchases one and puts it around their waist. Then the scarf doubles in size and flies away with the laughing man.
Sage then stops and curiously looks at Rosemary. “Rose, why did you bring your mom’s sword?”
“You can never be too prepared Sage.” Rosemary unsheathed her sword as she took a few steps back. “You can never know when danger could strike! Like there, or here!”
Rosemary swings her sword around without care. The people around her shriek as they jump out the way. Behind her the door of the shop opens and an elf walks out, holding a few books in her arms.
“Watch it!” The elf cries out as she dodges the sword. Her books fall to the ground with a thump. Rosemary jumps when she notices her.
“Oops. Sorry, I didn’t- “
“I am so sorry,” Sage interrupts. She runs over and quickly picks up the books.
The elf, Thyme, ignores her as she glares at Rosemary. “You should watch where you swing that thing. You could kill someone.”
Thyme snatches the books from Sage’s hands and walks away. Rosemary pouts but sheaths her sword when she notices the people around her whispering and glaring at them. Her face turns red as Sage pats her on the back.
“We should wait for Cousin Anise and Aloe.”
“I know,” whined Rosemary. She leans back and looks up. The window behind her is full of books and parchments. Rosemary stands up straight and turns around. The sign next to the shop reads The Plot Plot.
“We found it!”
Rosemary looks around and finally spots Anise and Aloe in the crowd. She laughs as she waves her arms at them.
“What’re you guys doing over there?! The bookstore’s over here!”
“R-rosemary. You’re being too loud,” fretted Rosemary.
Aloe waves at Rosemary, and the couple run to catch up to them.
Up above, a shadow zipped through the sky. It chirped as it looked down at the crowd, it’s eyes flitting left and right. Then it’s round eyes landed on Rosemary’s sword. The creature cheered before heading down, using the building’s gutter downspout. It looked around when it landed on the ground, noticing they were no longer around.
In the bookstore, the girls watch as books flew around them. They flew into shelves and out of shelves; they flew out of people’s hands and into the employee’s. The girls had to duck to not get clobbered by a particularly heavy book.
“Come inside,” urged the employee behind the counter. “If you’re guardians-in-training, your textbooks will be in the back.”
As they headed to the back, Sage took out her letter.
High Guardian Academy
Course Books
All Mages in-training should have a copy of the following
Beginner Potions and Poisons by Aarush Rao
Runic Lore and It’s Implications by Firoz Bello
Mermaids by Ajisai Shobu
Nymphs by Ajisai Shobu
“I guess I only need four books,” Sage commented as she looked up at all the bookshelves.
Rosemary took out her own letter from her pocket. She looked over at Sage’s and frowned. “Weird. I don’t have those books.”
Sage raised an eyebrow as she glanced at her letter.
High Guardian Academy
Course Books
All Swordsmen in-training should have a copy of the following
Basic Tactics: A Guide for Future Guardians by Florence Poulin
A Simple Guide To Simple Weapons by Luna Labelle
Mermaids by Ajisai Shobu
Nymphs by Ajisai Shobu
Anise looked over their shoulders to get a good look. “Makes sense. Rosemary’s a swordswoman in-training so learning potions and sacred language wouldn’t make much sense.”
Aloe picked one of the books from the nearest bookshelf and handed it to Sage. “And you’re going to continue growing your magical core. But don’t worry, you’ll take each other’s classes in your later years.”
Sage looked at the book handed to her. It was the potions book that was required for her class. “Okay. And at least we’ll have one class in common.”
“Now let’s look for the rest of your textbooks.”
When they exited the bookstore, Aloe pointed across the street to a clothing store. Though people were going in, no one seemed to be coming out with a parcel.
The clothing store was serene. The seamstresses were diligent as they took their measurements. They were stern with any child and parent that tried to argue with them. Rosemary was tense as she was fitted while Sage remained collected as she made small talk with her seamstress.
“My clothes will last the whole year?”
“Of course, dear,” the seamstress beamed. “Their enchanted to take damage of any kind. That school of yours will have you working you to the bone.”
Sage gulped at the thought as Anise and Aloe tried to hold in their laughter.
“We’ll have these shipped to your home before the school year begins.”
---
“Are we done?” Rosemary groaned, slumping into her chair.
They sat outside a small café. The streets were still busy. The café was a small relief from their shopping spree. Rosemary grabbed the orange juice in front of her and took a long sip.
“You’re tired already? We only went to two shops,” asked Sage.
“Yeah, for books and clothes. I want to go to the weapons shop! I want to see all the cool weapons. Maybe I’ll buy a dagger!”
“We can go later, Rosemary,” said Anise. “I was thinking we could go to the terrasphere shop close to here.”
Sage’s eyes widened. “A… terrasphere shop?”
“Well, you are going to the academy. And it might be a good idea to at least look at some, so you’re prepared,” said Anise soothingly.
Sage nervously looked down at her hands. Her fingers gripped her drink, and her hands were getting sweaty. Her foot began to tap the ground.
Sage pushed her chair back as she got up. “You know what? I want to take a quick look around.”
“By yourself?” asked Aloe. “We still haven’t found everything on your lists.”
“Just for a bit. Please? All this shopping is making me a bit nervous. First day jitters, you know?”
Anise hummed as she looked up at her cousin. Then she nodded. “All right. We’ll meet back here in an hour.”
“Yes!” shouted Rosemary, jumping up from her chair. “Let’s go look for those weapons Sage.”
She grabbed Flowering Thorn and placed it on her back. Sage waved at her cousins before running after Rosemary. The duo were unaware of a small creature lurking in a nearby bush. It’s round eyes were on Rosemary’s sword as the girls ran off.
This part of the market was filled with different fruits and vegetables. Farmers stocked up their stalls from their bounty that day. Children yelled trying to get customers’ attention, while parents tried to calm them down. Guardians stocked up on food for their journeys. Sage looked around in wonder at the different potion ingredients. Rosemary leaned into one of the stalls taking a whiff of the fruit’s freshness, unaware of a tiny pair of hands taking a swipe and stealing her locket.
“What is this?” Rosemary asked the man running the stall.
He looked at what she was pointing at and grinned, “That my dear would be guava. It’s native to Olmec Country.”
“Wow. It smells so good.”
Sage pulled her friend away as she started to salivate on top of the fruit. Suddenly they heard a strange chirp. They looked around before noticing a strange creature on top of the stall before them. The creature happily chirped as it waved something round and shiny in it’s paws.
Rosemary gasped, hands flying to where her locket should be. She glared at the creature as it held her locket above its head. Without another sound, it ran off.
Chapter 3
Summary:
There's no better time to get mugged.
Chapter Text
The creature jumped from one stall to another. Behind it, Rosemary and Sage pushed through the crowd as people yelled and glared at them as they ran through. But the girls paid them no mind, determined to catch the criminal.
“What is that thing?”
“A Tricksie,” answered Sage. “They’re the official messengers for High-ranking Guardians.”
“It’s a thief,” growled Rosemary. She reached a stall and climbed to the roof, ignoring the shouts from the owner.
Sage’s eyes darted around, wondering if it was such a good idea before following Rosemary. “They like shiny things, Rosemary. It was probably attracted to your locket.”
A few stalls away, the tricksie waved Rosemary’s locket in the air. It happily chirped before it opened it’s pouch and placed it inside. With one last smug look back, it ran off again.
“Though it’s a bit weird it took your locket,” mused Sage. “Well-trained tricksies just deliver letters and parcels. They’re not thieves.”
“Well, this one is!” shouted Rosemary. “And when I get my hands on it…”
The tricksie jumps down from the stall and runs towards an alley. Rosemary doesn’t hesitate and jumps down. The tricksie panics as it notices the girls closing in. It chirps as it climbs the nearest building. The girls are dumbfounded as they watch it crawl away. They look around before noticing a ladder nearby. Rosemary climbs first with Sage on her heels. The tricksie skids to a stop when it comes to the edge of the roof.
“We got you now,” Rosemary grins as she slowly inches towards it, careful not to slip.
The tricksie looks at them then looks down at the street. Rosemary and Sage gasp as they watch the tricksie grin at them and jump off the building. The tricksie jumps from wall to wall only to land safely on the ground. It looks up at them and cheers. It runs off again and through a crack in a wall, leaving the girls with their mouths wide open.
Rosemary’s face turned red. She couldn’t believe she was letting a little rat get away from her! Sage hummed before carefully making her way down. Rosemary vaults off the edge of the roof, landing with a thud.
“Did you notice anything about that tricksie?” asked Sage, walking towards Rosemary.
“Yeah,” nodded Rosemary. “It was making fun of us this whole time. But not anymore. If it likes shiny things, I’ll introduce it to Flowering Thorn.”
Rosemary unsheathes Flowering Thorn as they go around the wall the tricksie went through and through an archway. The girls look around in wonder. Trees obscured the sky, casting shadows to the ground below. Foliage covered the crumbled walls scattered about. Flowers of different shades of pink, purple, and blue gathered in the trees. Vines hung from the trees, connecting them to one another. Butterflies, dragonflies, and other flying insects scattered about.
“What is this place?” asked Rosemary. She walked up to a large pink flower and poked it with the tip of her sword. The flower moved from right to left before it let out a puff of purple smoke. The insects flying above it fell to the ground when the smoke hit them. Rosemary grimaced, taking a few steps back.
“I’ve never seen plants like this before,” Sage mumbled absentmindedly. She plucked a green fruit from a branch and took a quick sniff. It smelled so sweet!
Their wonder was interrupted by a familiar chirping. They noticed the tricksie was on a branch, waving it’s little paws around.
“You!” Rosemary growled. The tricksie jumped from one branch to another going deeper. “Get back here!”
She ran after the tricksie, leaving Sage behind. Rosemary pushed and slashed through leaves and bushes. They scratched her face and legs. But they weren’t able to slow her down. Rosemary kept her eyes locked on the tricksie. Her hand gripped onto her sword, itching to cut the thief down.
The creature jumps down from the branches and lands on a crumbled wall. It’s back to Rosemary, looking ahead. Rosemary didn’t waste time and grabbed it. “Got you!”
Her grin fell as she looked down at the creature. The tricksie didn’t put up a fight as she though. It’s ears were pinned back, looking up at her with big yellows eyes. Rosemary’s hand loosened as tears welled up in it’s eyes. It chirped sadly as it looked beyond the crumbling wall it landed on.
“What happened to all that energy for earlier?” Rosemary mused. She headed towards the wall and gazed over it.
Cages packed to the brim with tricksies were stacked on top of one another. Bloody paws stuck out, wiggling about. The tricksies’ fur looked matted and dirty. Their eyes were bloodshot as they cried out. The happy chirp that Rosemary knew now sounded… distorted.
Rosemary noticed movement from the corner of her eyes. Two men, with giant swords strapped to their backs, walked through the chaos without a care. She quickly ducked behind her wall.
“This better be worth it,” muttered the tall one. “I don’t trust any of those freaks from Grimhild Country.”
“You think I do?” his friend snorted. “But a job’s a job. Besides, it’s funny watching those Guardians run around like chickens.”
The tall man walked up to one of the stuffed cages. He huffed at it and pulled a fist back before punching the cage. The punch was deafening and the tricksies quieted down. Nobody moved.
“That’s better. You magpies better be worth the ingems.”
The men laughed as they continued on their way. SNAP! They took out their weapons as they looked around. Other than the sound of the tricksie, they didn’t notice anything else. They carefully walked around, swords ready to strike.
On the other side of her wall, Rosemary covered Sage’s mouth with her hand. They held their breath as the men continued walking. Their eyes widened when they noticed the shadow of one of them getting bigger. The girls held their breath, doing their best to lean onto their hiding space. Sweat dripped down Sage’s face. Rosemary firmly held the tricksie with her other hand.
The shadow subsided.
The trio sighed when they heard their footsteps disappear. Rosemary took a peek over the wall. Other than the tricksies in their cages, she didn’t notice anyone else. Looking over at Sage, she placed a finger to her mouth. The girls were careful as they headed back the way they came.
“That was so close,” Sage sighed as they left the strange garden. She wiped the sweat from her forehead as she caught her breath. The men were huge, and their weapons looked sharp. Her mind went blank when they reached their weapons. If Rosemary hadn’t grabbed her, they surely would have seen her.
Rosemary looked over at the tricksie. The poor creature kept looking back at the archway, nervously rubbing it’s paws together. It looked up at Rosemary and let out a sad chirp.
Rosemary couldn’t help but frown. Those cruel men… shoving innocent creatures into those cramped cages. And all for what? Ingems?!
“We need to find Anise and Aloe.” Sage walked up to Rosemary, playing with her braid.
“But what about those tricksies? We can’t leave them behind,” argued Rosemary. Her fists were tense remembering those cages and their cries for help.
“We’re not going to leave them, Rosemary,” Sage placated. She intertwined their hands, hoping it would bring Rosemary comfort. “We’re just getting backup. We can’t help them out by ourselves.”
Rosemary looked down at their hands. Then at the worried tricksie. It was still looking at the archway and rubbing it’s tiny paws. She felt nauseous just thinking about leaving them for a second.
“No.” Rosemary shook her head before looking Sage right in the eyes. “We have to help him.”
Sage blinked. “Wha-?”
“Sage, he brought us all the way here. He made us run across the city to help his friends! There were other people back at the marketplace, but he chose us to help."
“She’s out there making sure others get to live the same life we do.”
“We’re future Guardians, Sage,” Rosemary reminded her. She walked over to the archway and let out a hand towards the tricksie. The creature sniffed her hand before he cautiously crawled onto it. Rosemary grinned at it and turned towards Sage. “We need to reunite this little guy with his family.”
Sage looked over at Rosemary. She stood tall, chest puffed out. Her eyes remained unwavering as she looked at Sage. The tricksie looked at Sage with big, pleading eyes. She sighed before nodding. “Let’s free those tricksies.”
Rosemary cheered. She wrapped her arms around Sage and spun her around. The tricksie climbed Sage’s shoulder and hugged her cheek.
“Alright, alright.” Sage disentangled herself from the group hug.
The girls and the tricksie ran back in. They slowed down when the sound of the caged tricksies got louder. They hid behind the same crumbled wall. They looked around, making sure the men weren’t around.
Rosemary ran towards one of the cages. She tugged on the lock. When it didn’t budge, she unsheathed her sword. Their new tricksie friend cheered her on as she aimed at the lock.
“Wait a second,” Sage hissed. “You’ll make too much noise.”
“How else am I going to break it?” asked Rosemary. Their friend nodded in agreement.
Sage rolled her eyes at them. She made a magic circle and aimed it at the lock. The lock glowed green then dimmed back to it’s original color. Sage took a step back. Rosemary aimed her sword at the lock again before swinging at it. The lock broke and fell on the ground without any noise.
Rosemary and Sage got out of the way as the tricksies ran out. The creatures glowed as they jumped out. They flew upwards and transformed to their avian form. They cheered as they flew over them. Rosemary and Sage grinned at each other as the once trapped tricksies flew in different directions. Their friend jumped and cheered as he watched his friends escaped.
“Let’s try this one,” Rosemary cried out, running to a cage. The creatures inside quieted down. They patiently waited for the girls to destroy the lock and let them loose.
But before Sage could place the spell on the lock, the two poachers bursted through. They were panting as they looked up at the tricksies that escaped then at the opened cage. They shook in anger as they took out their weapons, noticing the girls near one of the cages. The tall one stalks towards the girls, his face red.
“You little…” he growls before slamming his giant sword at the ground. The girls back away as the ground shakes, debris flying around them. The man bares his teeth at them. “I’ll kill you!”
He stands to full height towering over them. “I’ll skin you both alive and hang your skin over Lyngarth.”
Rosemary stands in front of Sage. Her sword is ready to block any attack he might throw at them. Even though her grip is tight around the hilt, her legs are shaking. Sage is no better. Her eyes are wide in fear as she stares up at the two men.
The poachers smirked at each other before they rushed towards the girls. The tall one’s sword clashes with Flowering Thorn. Sage is quick to put up a shield as the other man’s sword tries to strike her from behind.
Rosemary snarls at her opponent as she tries to push back. The man smirks down at her before pushing her sword out the way and kicking her down, splitting the girl up.
“Rosemary!” Sage cries out. She looks back at Rosemary as she gets back up. Sage sighs in relief then flinches when her shield breaks.
The man in front of her raises his sword and swings down at her. Sage rolls out the ways with a squeak. She quickly raises another shield above her as the man tries to strike her from above again. Sweat rolls down her cheek as she tries her best to keep her shield up.
With a roar, Rosemary swings her sword at the man. He effortlessly parries her attack. “Is that all you got little girl?”
He kicks her in the stomach again, sending her and Flowering Thorn flying. Rosemary lands with a thud while her sword lands a couple feet back. She groans as she tries to crawl towards her sword. When she’s close enough, she reaches for the hilt. Suddenly a strong boot stomps on her hand.
Rosemary cries out in pain. Tears well up in her eyes as she tries to pull her hand back. The boot doesn’t budge no matter how much she struggles.
“Did you honestly think you had a chance?” Rosemary looks up. The man had a crazed look in his eyes as he looked down at her. She flinches as he puts more weight on his foot. “Do you know how long we’ve been doing this? And you thought you could mess with us?”
Rosemary cries out again as he crushes her hand. The tears fall as she tries to pull back again. Using her other hand, Rosemary tries to slam her fist on his foot. But he doesn’t budge. He doesn’t react at her struggle.
Their tricksie friend screeches as it jumps from above. It lands on the man’s face and tries to claw his eyes out. The man screams as he steps back in surprise. He drops his sword, grabbing the tricksie with both hands. He throws it at a tree not bothering looking back at it when the poor creatures hits the tree with a crunch.
The tricksie’s breathing is shallow. The caged tricksies cry out even more as they look at their friend. Their tricksie doesn’t move as the man goes to pick up his discarded sword. Everything around Rosemary feels far away as she stares at the tricksie’s still body.
“She’s out there making sure others get to live the same life we do.”
“Hey,” the man calls back at his partner. “Stop playing around. We need to deliver the rest.”
With one final grunt his partner destroys Sage’s shield. Sage runs towards Rosemary, magic circle at the ready. But she shrieks when the man grabs her by her braid and lifts her up.
“Don’t bother struggling. You never stood a chance.”
Sage screams as he pulls at her braid. Rosemary slowly turns her head when she hears her screams. Sage cries as a sword is pressed to her neck.
“She’s out there making sure others get to live the same life we do.”
Rosemary grits her teeth as she struggles to gets up. Her body stings as she picks up Flowering Thorn. More tears fall from her eyes as she curls her broken fingers around the hilt. She grips the sword in front of her pointing it the men.
The man gripping Sage’s hair notices her. “You talk about me, but that girl is still up.”
The other man looks at what his partner is referring to and sneers. He runs straight towards Rosemary and lifts his sword above her head. Rosemary yells as she lifts her sword, ready to-
“Found you.”
Everyone stops as two figures enter the clearing. Their strides are confident as they take in the mess in front of them: the battered, dirty girls; the giant men fighting with said girls; the dirty cages filled with tricksies.
“So, this is where those tricksies came from,” the satyr murmurs. He reaches behind and takes out an axe. It gleams when the sunlight hits. “Ok then. Let’s finish this before it gets dark.”
The poachers look at each other in alarm. The man gripping Sage’s hair lets go and takes a few steps back. His partner’s eyes darts around looking for an escape. They were surrounded. The cages behind them and the strange men in front.
The humanoid fox besides the satyr chuckles, “Where do you think you’re going?” He snaps his fingers and flames shoot out, circling the area. “There we go.”
“Thank you,” grumbles the satyr. He charges at the poachers. The men are quick to move in opposite directions. The satyr doesn’t slow as he heads towards them. He swings his axe at the man closest to him.
The man blocks his attack. He grunts as he’s pushed back, almost tripping over his own feet. Axe and sword clash with every swing and Rossemary flinches every time. This fight wasn’t between a child and a man.
The other poacher slowly distances himself from the fight, steps quiet. His eyes dart around, looking for an exit. The flames around them aren’t going out. They remain steady and hot.
Out of nowhere clawed hands reach out for him, covering his eyes. The fox from earlier frowns as he concentrates. His palm glows as the poacher screams, causing the tricksies to struggle in their cages. Sage crawls back, as his screams cause her ears to ring. The poacher’s scream dies out as his body goes limp. The fox lets go, not caring as the body falls with a thud.
“He’ll be okay.” Sage looks up at the fox. He smiles down at her as he snaps his fingers. “He’s just having a nightmare.”
This time the locks glowed red before opening in unison. The tricksies cry out in joy as they jump out. Groups glow in different colors as they escape and fly away. The girls watch in awe as the creatures leave their imprisonment behind.
“No!” The last poacher cried out, watching the tricksies fly away without looking back. Using the distraction, the satyr runs behind him. Using the knob from his axe, he hit the side of the man’s head, knocking him out.
Sage runs towards Rosemary, jumping over the unconscious man. She looks over at the scratches and bruises littered all over her body. Rosemary winces as she looks over at Sage. Other than her ruined braid, she seemed uninjured.
A few feet away the satyr ties the two men together. He looks through the mens’ pockets, taking out daggers and vials. The fox carefully picks up the girls’ tricksie friend. He gently brushes his fur, careful not to jostle him too much. The tricksie blinked a few times, when he notices the fox in front of him. He lets out a screech as he looks at the ears and sharp teeth. The tricksie jumps down from the fox’s hand and scurries towards Rosemary, hiding behind her.
“He looks fine,” commented the fox. He looks over at the girls, taking in their injuries. He crouches down, taking Rosemary’s hand in his. Her hand glows blue, cooling it down. The fox reaches into his sleeves and takes out a roll of gauze. “We need to make sure the area is secure. We’ll take you to the nearest guild when we finish. For now, wrap up your injury”
He heads towards his companion. The creatures talked in hush whispers, making it hard for the girls to hear.
Rosemary and Sage glance at the men. They had no injuries, and their clothes and armor looked immaculate and clean. They walked confidently around the area, taking note of the extra cages and weapons. The satyr’s axe hung from his back again. The fox, on the other hand, held no weapon.
Rosemary cradled her broken hand. She had a bit of training before her mom left. Lavender used to have her practice for hours with a wooden sword. Rosemary remembers when she was finally allowed to use a real sword. Her mother had to duck a few times to get her new sword out of her hands. They would practice until sundown, enter the bakery smelling like sweat and sun, and get chastised by Chicory.
But this wasn’t training.
Her hand shook as their weapons clashed. Her breathing was ragged during their one-sided fight. She went up against a man with experience and only survived thanks to intervention. If the fox and satyr hadn’t arrived, they wouldn’t be here.
Sage reaches for Rosemary’s hand. She is gentle as she wraps the gauze around her hand. Rosemary thanks her when she finishes.
Neither girl says anything. Their tricksie friend appears in front of them with a smile. He chirps happily at them waving his arms around. Rosemary and Sage are befuddled as they stare at him.
“What’s happening?” Rosemary asks Sage. Sage can do nothing else but shrug.
The tricksie huffs at them looking offended. This time the tricksie reaches into it’s pouch and takes out Rosemary’s locket!
“My locket,” Rosemary gasps as she reaches for it. She cautiously opens it and flinches when the hinge snaps. The group stares at the broken locket.
“Rose.” Sage places her hand on Rosemary’s shoulder.
Rosemary ignores her and takes out the photo and unfolds it, revealing the entire family. The last photo they took together before she left.
“My dad gave it to me the same day I got my letter,” says Rosemary. She sniffs, handing the broken locket to Sage.
Sage tries to put the locket together but frowns when it bends and breaks. The tricksie looks down, guilty. Rosemary reaches over and pets it on the head. “That crack must have been the locket, huh? At least you’re fine.”
The tricksie doesn’t perk up. He hides his face in Rosemary’s hand. He chirps and looks up at her with big brown eyes.
“You know,” Sage starts. “We still haven’t gone to the blacksmith’s”
“Blacksmith?” Rosemary doesn’t move. She simply stares at the photo in her hands. “I don’t know Sage.”
“It’ll be a quick trip,” Sage holds up the locket. She grabs Rosemary’s hand pulling her up then looks down at the tricksie. “We’ll be back.”
Sage leads Rosemary out. Rosemary lets herself be dragged out, confused but a bit amused. The tricksie excitedly waves goodbye at them before focusing his attention on the creatures left behind.
The fox and the satyr return from their inspection. Cages, swords, a crate full of terraspheres, and a marked map of Grimhilde Country. They would need to report this later. But first…
The duo look around, noticing the lack of little girls. Only the tricksie from before remained. The tricksie looks up at them and happily chirps.
“They… went shopping?” Asks the satyr as he combs his beard.
The fox clenches his fists and bristled as he looked down at the tricksie. “What do you mean they went shopping?!”
“Ta-da,” announced Sage as she introduced the blacksmith shop.
Rosemary looked at the small door and then at Sage, an eyebrow raised. “Are you sure? I’m pretty sure they would be stomped with actual work.”
Sage tuts at her, crossing her arms. “Don’t lose hope. They might know how to fix it.”
Sage ducks down as she walks inside. Rosemary follows behind, accidentally hitting her head on the sign. The girls look up at the array of weapons hanging on the wall. Swords, axes, spears of different sizes and shapes.
“Customers!”
The girls look over and notice a trio of eyes staring at them. The eyes duck when they make eye contact. They look over at the girls again before running towards the nearest door. “Parsley! Parsley! Parsley!”
Rosemary and Sage look at the door then at each other. The girls twitched when they hear a clank from above, unaware of the dwarf entering behind the two.
“What is going on?” Sage wondered aloud.
“What’s wrong?”
Sage yelps while Rosemary gasps as they turn to look at the dwarf behind them. The blonde holds her hands up in surrender. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to scare you.”
She holds her hands out as she looks up at them. “Welcome! How can I help you?”
Rosemary and Sage take her hands in theirs. Rosemary then shows her broken locket.
“Can you… fix it?”
The dwark takes the locket and places it on the anvil. She takes out a magnifying glass as she inspects the locket. “Hmm.”
Rosemary worriedly glances at Sage. She rubs her hands together as she waits for the dwarf to finish her inspection.
“What happened?” she asks as she looks over at them. She raises an eyebrow when she notices their haggard appearance. “Did you guys get run over by a carriage?”
“We… got into a fight,” supplied Sage.
The dwarf blinks. Surely if they got into a fight, it would have been the gossip of the town. “You… A fight? And the Guardians let you go?”
“Not really,” mumbled Rosemary. “We left… when they weren’t looking.”
The dwarf laughs in disbelief. She wiped a tear from her eye as she calmed down. “Seriously?! Are guys new to Lyngarth?”
“Yeah. We’re going to the academy.”
“Really?! Small world! I’m attending too.”
Sage looked confused as she looked around. “But you work here, right?”
“Yup!” the dwarf grins up at them. “This place is my family’s pride and joy. I’ve been helping out ever since I was handed a rivet.”
“Parsley! Parsley! Parsley!” A chorus of voices rang out. The three boys from earlier run out and up to the dwarf known as Parsley. “We have customers.”
Parsley laughed as she looked down at them. “I know.”
The triplets look up at Rosemary and Sage with big, blue eyes. Their eyes twinkled as they took them in. The girls awkwardly waved at them.
“Now,” Parsley started as she sternly looked at them. “Have you finished sweeping the stables?”
The boys look at one another. The boy on the right and the one on the left looked down as their middle brother answers. “No…”
“Well, get back to it! You know to leave the front of the shop to me.”
The boys run back the way they came as Parsley sighs. She shakes her head when she hears the door close. “Sorry about that. That was Nettle, Thistle, and Clover. They like to help the customers and give me extra work.”
“You work here and look after them?!” Sage asked. “That seems like a lot.”
“Not really… I’m pretty free most days,” Parsley trails off, eyes distance. She turns around and picks up the locket from the anvil. “Don’t you worry. I can fix this!”
“Really?” Rosemary beams at her.
“It’ll be fixed by tomorrow. I’ll bring it to you at the academy. Deal…”
“Rosemary.”
“Sage.”
Aloe and Anise enter the guild in a hurry. The place is packed as people walk back and forth. Some stand around as they talk to each other. Others head out as they look at their maps. Aloe and Anise crane their necks looking around for any sign of blue or pink hair.
“There!” Aloe points ahead.
Rosemary and Sage are sitting on chairs, heads down as they’re chastised by a fox. Behind the fox, a satyr seemed to be handling paperwork.
“You two needed medical attention. You can’t just run off whenever you want. We need to make sure you don’t have any more wounds.”
“We said we’re sorry,” whined Rosemary.
Aloe and Anise walk over to the satyr. “What happened?”
The fox’s ears twitched as he looked over at them. “We got complaints of two girls disturbing the market. Pushing children and running above the stalls. They also fought against two poachers. And they were also seen running on the roofs!”
“They… what?!” Aloe shrieked.
“We never pushed children!” Rosemary stood up with her hands on her hips. She had no qualms glaring at the fox. Sage held onto her hat as she stared up at Anise, hoping her cousin would get them out of there.
Anise looked at the creatures before putting her hands together. “I am so sorry. They’re new in town. I didn’t think they would get in trouble.”
Rosemary and Sage curled. Sage’s face was red as she used her hat to hide her face. Rosemary clenched her fists as she bit her lip.
“And you are?”
“I’m Anise and this is my wife, Aloe. We’re their… guardian.”
The satyr finally looked up from his paperwork and smiled. “So, you’re in charge of these two heroes.”
Rosemary and Sage jolted up. Sage let go of her hat while Rosemary stood a bit straighter. Their eyes gleamed as they looked at the satyr. He walked over to them, pushing the fox aside.
“They rescued the missing tricksies. If they didn’t release them, we wouldn’t have found them and arrested those poachers,” he explained. “You should be very proud.”
The fox rolled his eyes before walking away. Anise and Aloe looked at the girls in disbelief. Rosemary grinned up at them, while Sage blushed at the compliment.
“We are,” beamed Anise.
Sage pushed back her sheets as she got into bed. Rosemary jumps on her bed as she tells the couple about their adventure. “You should have seen the way they shined when they flew away! They looked like little beams. Pew pew.”
Sage giggled at Rosemary. She turned to her cousin and asked, “So do you know what’s going to happen to the tricksies?”
“They’re being treated by a Guardian,” explained Anise. “Once they’re checked over, they’ll be returned to their original owners.”
“Really? That’s going to take forever,” exclaimed Rosemary, finally sitting down on the bed.
“Tricksies are clever,” said Aloe. “They’re able to return to their owners by themselves.”
“That means our tricksie friend will be able to go back to his owner too!” The girls looked at each other in relief.
“You two were very brave today,” stated Anise. “You saved precious creatures and now they’re being reunited with their families. You got to be a Guardian, in a way.”
Aloe steps closer to Anise, taking her hand. The couple gaze into each other’s eyes. Rosemary gagged at their affection before settling into her bed.
“Goodnight little fruitcakes. We’ll make sure you’re up at first light,” beams Aloe.
Anise smirks at the girls as she leans in. “We still need to finish that shopping list.”
Rosemary groans and Sage sighs. Aloe and Anise laugh at their reaction before leaving the room. The room is silent. Rosemary makes a bit of room in her bed as Sage gets out of her bed and into her’s.
“Goodnight, Sage!”
“Goodnight, Rosemary.”
The school halls are empty. Without the students walking around going to or skipping class, the halls felt cold and cruel. The satyr and fox walk in silence, their steps echoing. They enter a lit room filled with stacks of papers and books. Bookshelves were stuffed with heavy textbooks, folders and knick knacks. Sitting near one of the desks was the Sacred Alphabet teacher.
“Welcome back,” greeted Caraway as he stood up.
The fox huffs walking past the teacher. He sits on one of the chairs and takes out a folder from his pile. The satyr shakes his head, handing a file to Caraway. “Our report. Please make sure the Triad get it.”
With a single wave the satyr exits the room, leaving Caraway with the fox. Caraway looks through the report taking in all the details. His eyebrows shoot up when he gets to a certain point. He squints at the words, glances at the fox, then back at the report.
“Professor Shobu. Is this true?”
Shobu looks up from his work, noticing Caraway pointing at the report. The fox smirks before holding up the folder he was looking at, waving it around. “You must be so excited Caraway. Lavender’s daughter is joining the Academy this year.”
Caraway tried snatching the folder from his hand. The fox’s smile gets sharper as he kept Caraway away. “Shame on you, boy.”
“Professor, did you know she was going to start this year? Surely the Triad would have let the staff know,” grilled Caraway. His eyes didn’t waver from the folder. He was focused, trying to come up with a way to take it away.
“The Triad thought it was best if I took her on. They want someone with experience to ‘mold these rags to future Guardian!’ Make sure they don’t get into too much trouble,” bragged the fox.
Caraway’s eyes finally landed on the fox’s smug form. Counselors were usually chosen based on the student’s chosen track. Bards, archers, and beast tamers were given to Professor Reed. Caroway mostly got witches, mages, and warlocks. If a student needed special attention, like Rosemary, it was still known to all the other staff members. So, it was a shock that the Triad didn’t make an announcement. Didn’t let him know.
“Please, sir. Let me take her on,” begged Caraway. “I haven’t been able to find Lavender. I want to, at least, keep her daughter safe.”
The fox looked Caraway in the eyes, his playful demeaner disappearing. The man in front of him stood up, back straight. His eyes are shining as he looks at him. But his expression was serious.
Shobu looks at the folder in his hands. Seconds pass before he hands it to the man in front of him. Caraway smiles as he grabs the folder but frowns when the fox doesn’t let go.
“I’ll trade her for one of your students,” explained Shobu.
Caraway immediately let go of the folder and stares at the fox. The Cultural Studies professor enjoyed playing with the teachers and the students. He spent days sending the first years off on little missions around the school, while torturing the third years with stories of the awful creatures they might encounter. He would mostly hang out with the older teachers like Redbud and Phlox after school, while ignoring him and Dretch. So, seeing him serious for once was a bit unnerving.
Shobu’s expression didn’t waver as he waited for Caraway’s answer. Caraway glanced at the folder before letting out a sigh. “Why?”
“Maybe I don’t want to look after Lavender’s kid. I already had to deal with one Marquerite, I don’t want to deal with another.”
“Surely the Triad would have taken that into account,” mumbled Caraway.
“Which is why you should give me an agreeable student,” said the fox. He waved the folder in Caraway’s face. “So? Don’t you want to help the elderly?”
Caraway eyed the folder before reaching out again. Shobu grinned, letting the folder go. He headed to Caraway’s desk and looked through his pile. He looked through each name, not bothering to open them.
He stopped at one folder and opened it. He looked through it before nodding. Shobu looked Caraway’s way, holding up the folder in his hand. “I’ll take this one. Pleasure doing business with you.”
Caraway couldn’t see which student he picked. He placed Rosemary’s folder on top of the others, promising to look over it later. He picked up the Tricksie report and headed towards the door. “I need to give this to the Triad.”
Shobu walked back to his desk, looking through the folder. A young mage from a small town. Her family mostly focused on old magic. While her grades were admirable, her magic didn’t stand out from the other old magic users. She was plain. Boring. The only thing interesting about Sage Cornflower was her friendship with Lavender’s daughter.
(Talking.shrimp) (Guest) on Chapter 1 Sat 28 Dec 2024 09:40PM UTC
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Mr_Onyx on Chapter 1 Sun 12 Jan 2025 09:51PM UTC
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