Pyra 9, Imperial Year 1645
The Port City of Luminara – The Market Square
The locket was sold within the hour. A merchant specializing in antique jewelry took one look at the sapphire and offered three hundred silver marks. Elara haggled him up to four hundred. It was more than enough for lumber, stone, and tools. The supplies would be loaded onto the ship tomorrow.
With the afternoon free, Elara led her group through the market. Stalls overflowed with fish, spices, fabrics, and secondhand goods. The crowd was thick, but manageable. Roderick kept his hood up. Celia kept her scarf tight. Corvin watched for pickpockets.
Then they heard the laughter.
Three young women stood near a fountain, their heads close together. They were merchants' daughters, judging by their fine wool dresses and embroidered shawls. Their voices carried.
"Did you see him this morning?" one said.
"At the forge? I always see him. I make sure to walk past every day."
"You're obsessed."
"I'm appreciative. There's a difference."
The second woman fanned herself. "That hair. Silver like moonlight. I've never seen anything like it."
"And his arms. Have you seen his arms? When he works without the shirt…"
"Stop. You'll make me faint."
The third woman giggled. "I heard he doesn't eat. Just stands there, hammering steel, looking like a painting."
"He's a vampire. I'm sure of it."
"I don't care if he's a vampire. He can bite me any time."
The first woman swatted her. "You're terrible."
"I'm honest."
They laughed again, oblivious to the world.
Elara stopped walking. She stared at the women, her brow furrowed.
"Are they serious?" she asked.
"About what?" Roderick said.
"About him. The blacksmith. They're acting like he's a piece of meat."
Celia smirked. "That's what girls do when a man is that pretty."
"It's undignified."
"It's normal."
Elara shook her head. "I don't remember being like that."
Roderick snorted. "You don't remember?"
"What's that supposed to mean?"
Corvin glanced at her. "Back in the old days. High school. That senior from the baseball team."
Elara's face went blank. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"Kenji Tanaka," Roderick said. "Dark hair. Tall. Played third base. You followed him around for a whole semester."
"I did not follow him."
"You memorized his class schedule."
"I was the class president. I knew everyone's schedule."
Corvin added, "You used to sigh dramatically whenever he walked past the window."
Elara's cheeks flushed. "That was… a phase."
"A phase that lasted six months," Roderick said.
Celia was grinning now. "Tell me more."
"There's nothing to tell."
"You had a crush on a baseball player."
"I was sixteen. Everyone had crushes."
The women by the fountain laughed again. One of them was pretending to swoon.
Elara watched them. Then she sighed.
"Fine. Maybe I was a little like that."
Roderick clapped her on the shoulder. "A little."
"Shut up."
They walked on, leaving the gossiping women behind.
The Dock – Evening
The supplies were loaded. The ship would sail at dawn. Elara sat on a crate, watching the sunset.
Celia sat beside her.
"You're quiet."
"I'm thinking."
"About the blacksmith?"
"About him. About the women. About how strange this world is."
Celia nodded. "We've been through a lot. War. Demons. Running. It's nice to remember that people still have time to gossip about handsome men."
"I suppose."
"It means things are normal. Or getting there."
Elara looked at the sky. "Maybe."
"So. Kenji Tanaka."
"Drop it."
"What position did he play again?"
"Third base."
Celia laughed. Elara laughed too – a small, reluctant sound.
The sun set over Luminara.
End of Chapter Eighty‑Eight