Change My Destiny 9: The Fool Part 2
The City of Tristain
"Man, these clothes look great! What do you think, Kavaid?"
"The blues certainly compliment the blacks."
"Yeah, honestly. Oh well, might as well not keep the girls waiting."
"Ta-da! Well, what do you think? Don't I look pretty badass in these clothes?" Avalon emerged from the changing room, spinning around once to allow the girls a quick look. Kirche drooled, commenting on his sex appeal, while Louise just groaned. Tabitha looked up from her book.
"Bad…ass?" Tabitha's eyes narrowed in thought at the strange terminology. Avalon mentally hit himself. Of course they wouldn't get his slang. He made a note to be more careful.
"Don't I look menacing? Awe inspiring? I'll admit, I was never much of a shopper, but the stuff here was just too good to pass up. Seriously, thank you so much!" Giving a wave to the tailor, the young man bowed deeply.
"If there is anything else you require, do not hesitate to call me. Your clothes will be delivered to the academy within a few weeks. Thank you for your generous patronage." With that, he went to tending other customers. Louise wearily rubbed her temples.
"Have you finally made up your mind? Can we go now, please?" she begged. Avalon and Kirche took a moment to think, making her groan.
"Well, you know, I was thinking about—" Avalon started, a teasing grin on his face. Having had enough, Louise decided to put her foot down.
"NO! I don't care if you want to try something else, you're buying those clothes, whether you like it or not!"
"Oh come on, Louise! We've only been here for two hours!" Kirche whined, pulling the young girl into a hug. Louise, however, was having none of it. She pushed the harlot away before she was able to get a good grip.
"ONLY TWO HOURS?!" Louise shrieked, startling the other customers. "I've had nightmare about doing this kind of thing with my sisters, you know! And you!" She pointed menacingly at Avalon. "Of all the people in this world, never would I have thought you to be this vain of a peacock!"
"Vain? Who, me? No way! Besides, you were the one who said I needed to look like a noble, and this was the cheapest thing I could come up with that didn't look completely ridiculous and impractical. You know I came here with nothing but the clothes on my back. I need these and honestly it's embarrassing having to sit waiting in my room, in a towel, while Siesta washes the only pair of clothes I have."
Gone were the strange, cotton shirt, blue pants, and flexible white shoes, replaced with an elegant white shirt with a v neck, billowed sleeves, and a loose collar. To keep the sleeves in place Avalon had requested leather bangles for both arms. On top of his white shirt was a buttoned black vest with white embroideries in the chest. Instead of a full cloak, Avalon opted for a leather mantle on top of his vest with a short, dark cape over his left shoulder, reaching down to his waist. Underneath you could see traces of his dark leather pants, his riding boots clicking as he spun around in place.
Louise grudgingly gave Avalon several looks over, making him smile even wider.
"You look… presentable, I guess."
"Presentable she says," Avalon scoffed. "Well, whatever. I've gotten what I needed, so let's head on out. We're going to the wand shop next, right?" The group left the shop, and were well on their way through the main market plaza, the hustle and bustle of the afternoon keeping everyone busy. Children played in the streets with sticks and other toys, some even using rocks to draw on the stone floor. Passing through the central market and heading towards the western section of the city, the group passed by a few alleyways before arriving at a corner store. It wasn't away from the main road, but rather sat on an intersection.
In the end, Louise was right; he had spent a lot of time getting his clothes, so he sped things up at the wand shop. He opted for a five foot long staff of oakwood. He could sense the potential in it, seeing his magic easily pass through it when casting compared to the other woods.
As they left the wand shop satisfied, a commotion brought them to a stop.
"I don't know where your daughter is! Now please, madam, I have rounds to finish!"
"No! Please, won't you men do anything?! She's just a child!"
Nearby, a group of guards were being pestered by a commoner. She wore a plain, cream coloured dress and was rather short, going no higher than five feet. Long brown hair fell down to hour shoulders. The guardsman, encased head to toe in armour, looked ready to burst, his companions moving to join him.
"Commoners, always causing trouble," muttered Louise, her tone earning a dark look from Avalon, although she didn't notice. "Come on, let's keep moving."
Louise continued on, but Avalon moved to intervene. "Avalon!" Louise cried out after him. He quickly stepped between the guards and the woman, putting on a false expression of relief. The guards froze upon laying their eyes on his cloak.
"M-My Lord, is something the matter?" The guard asked.
"Sorry to intrude on your business," Avalon bowed his head lightly. "This young lady is an acquaintance of mine. I'll take care of things from here, and I apologize for all the trouble she's caused." Gripping the woman's shoulders firmly, Avalon led her away. The guards gave each other confused looks before shrugging their shoulders, and continuing on their way. The woman, extremely confused, tried to break free but Avalon wouldn't let her. He eyed Louise and the others as he passed, motioning with his head for them to follow, and quickly brought the woman to an alleyway. As her confusion passed, anger came.
"Unhand me, you ruffian! Who are you?! What do you want from me?!" The woman thrashed now, and Avalon promptly let her go, allowing her to stumble away. She turned towards him, putting her hands up in a feeble attempt to look menacing. "Are you here to take me away too?!"
That caught Avalon's attention.
"Miss, please, calm down. I mean you no harm, honest. I only wished to keep those guards from assaulting you!" Putting his hands up, Avalon gave her a soft expression of concern, though the lady didn't look convinced. Avalon was about to continue, but Kirche, Tabitha and Louise finally rounded the corner.
"Avalon, just what do you think you're doing?" demanded Louise, stepping forward. The woman's eye's widened in surprise, and rushed towards Louise, taking her hands. Louise looked disgusted as their hands made contact.
"Those uniforms…! You're a student at the Tristain Academy! Oh, thank Brimir for this blessing!" Utterly confused, everyone could only blink as the woman began shedding tears, her head bowed low. "Please, you have to help me find my daughter! She's all I have left in this world!"
Without hesitation, Avalon stepped forward, placing a hand on the woman's shoulders. She looked back at him, but quickly bowed her head again as she eyed the cape on his shoulders.
"Don't worry, we will help you." The seriousness in his voice made the girls blink in surprise. The woman looked up at Avalon again, before sobbing words of thanks. However, Louise sternly moved the woman aside.
"Avalon! You can't be serious about this! We came here on business; we don't have time to help her!"
"Then we'll make time. Besides, we're just helping her find her daughter. I can find her in seconds, trust me!" He was about to speak to the woman again, when his face brightened up.
"Hey, I have an idea! We could use this as a test!"
"What do you mean?"
"You've been training like I told you, right? Well, this is your chance to show me how far you've come! Try and find her daughter by sensing her presence, then leave the rest to me!"
Louise gave Avalon a deadpanned look before sighing in defeat.
"Great! Then let's find a place where we can lay low for a while. Do you guys know any places?"
"Charming Faeries Inn," Tabitha spoke. Avalon nodded.
"An inn sounds good. But where is it?" added Kirche.
"Um… Excuse me, my Lady, I know where it is. I live there with the rest of the staff," said Teresa, raising her voice slightly. The group turned to her in surprise.
"Very well then, lead the way," said Louise, although she still looked peeved. They then headed towards the Inn. It wasn't far off from where they were, residing near the western end of town. It looked much like any other Tavern that the girls had seen, and in Avalon's case, in video games. It was a large, wooden building, teeming with lights and laughs and singing. But what they found inside was not what they expected.
"Welcome to the Charming Faeries Inn," chorused the maids of the tavern. They were all dressed in differently styled maid uniforms, but all of them were far from the formal versions they had seen at the academy. Each left something exposed; some had their legs showing, others their backs, others their fronts. A fair amount of skin was shown, but nothing too erotic. It was borderline tame for an entertainment establishment. Louise blushed at the sight of the wear, while Kirche openly excited. Tabitha blushed lightly, hiding her face behind her book. Avalon shook his head.
But what bothered him the most was…
"Oh! Teresa! You've come back, and with company!"
A giant hulk of a man named Scaaron skipped towards them. He was dressed very effeminately. The white boots, black short shorts, purple crop-top, lipstick, and makeup burned Avalon's retinas and sent Kavaid into a hysterical laughter in his mind. Scaaron's movements were exaggerated and his tone of voice was higher than he expected from someone who could convincingly play the role of the terminator, his thin, curly moustache and goatee combo not doing any favours.
"Teresa, did you find May?!" Scaaron asked, taking Teresa's hands up in his with a worried look. Sadly, Teresa shook her head. Scaaron's expression also fell.
"But there is no worry. These kind nobles have offered their help." Teresa then gestured to us, and we all introduced ourselves. Scaaron jumped with joy.
"Oh! Thank you, thank you so much for your kindness my lords! Oh, where are my manners? I am Scaaron, and I welcome you to my establishment! Please, wait a moment and we will have you seated! Free of charge!"
Curtseying with thanks. Scaaron went back to managing the Inn. Deciding to take their chances, the group did as they were told and thankfully, they were seated by a more normal person. She had long, black hair tied into a French braid, and wore a light green dress with an apron on top. She gave the group a big smile.
"Hi! My name is Jessica, and I'll be serving you tonight. Is there anything you would like to drink?"
"Water, please," said Avalon. Teresa nodded for a water as well.
"Red wine," added Louise.
"Another water," said Tabitha.
"I would like some red wine as well, thank you," said Kirche.
Jessica nodded, jotting down our orders.
"Two waters and two red wine, coming up!"
"This… actually isn't that bad," Avalon commented as Jessica left. The Inn was well lit, very clean, and from the number of customers, very popular. Though the girls were dressed in sexily clad uniforms, all they were doing was serving drinks, allowing them to get touched on occasion for tips. Aside from that, there were no indications of sexual activity. Avalon didn't sense anything wrong, and as he swept his senses over the entire Inn, there were no presences upstairs.
"Can you really find my daughter?" Teresa asked.
"Absolutely, I just need you to do something for us." Avalon held out his hand. "Take my hand, and think about your daughter. Don't worry about anything else, just think solely about her. About how she makes you feel; about what she means to you."
Teresa looked unsure, but she nodded, taking Avalon's hand. She thought about her young baby girl, about how she had raised her on her own since she was born. About how Scaaron found the in the streets and kindly took them in, raising her as one of his own. Teresa thought about how the girls of the inn adored her, doting her with the nicest clothes they could afford and offering to take care of her when she was busy with her shifts.
She thought about how her father suddenly came back and took her away.
As this happened, their drinks were brought, and a soft green glow enveloped Avalon's hands. He concentrated on her feelings, identifying the signature that Teresa emitted. A tear fell down her cheek, and she unconsciously squeezed Avalon's hand tighter. Avalon responded in kind. After another few moments, he let go.
"Alright, that should be enough. Louise, did you get that?"
Louise, who had closed her eyes in concentration, opened them.
"Yeah, I think so. So what now?"
Taking his water in hand, Avalon downed it in one go, before placing the cup back down with a satisfied sigh. "Now, we just need to follow the trail." Avalon turned back to Teresa. "Do you want to stay here, or come with us?" She looked unsure for a moment, before the barmaid stepped in.
"Teresa, you should go with them." Teresa looked up at the barmaid in surprise.
"Jessica?" The aforementioned girl sighed.
"Go with them. She's your daughter, and one of our own. We won't let whoever took her get away with it." Teresa gave Jessica a thankful nod, before moving to go upstairs.
"I… have a few things I need to prepare. I will join you when I am finished." And with that, she rushed off upstairs. Avalon was about to request a refill, but Jessica interrupted him.
"You know, its not everyday that a noble steps up for a commoner like you are. If you don't mind me asking, what's your stake in this?" She looked over each individual at the table, her eyes playful, but Avalon noticed them slightly narrow, her stance guarded. "Teresa is a good woman, and she's been through a lot, especially after she lost her daughter. What could a commoner like her possibly offer in return for something like this?"
"Normally, I would agree with you. We came to the city to get supplies, but this one here," followed up Louise, frustratingly gesturing to Avalon, angrily drinking, "decided that this little detour was worth the effort."
"Louise, don't be like that. Helping people is a good thing."
"As much as it pains me to realize it, Louise has a point, Avalon. Helping strangers cross the street I can understand, heck I'm sure even Louise knows that what you're doing is the right thing. But I think that she's angry because she's realizing that this is going to be a common occurrence with you." Kirche gave Louise a sly smile, who harrumphed in return. "Besides, isn't it a little strange that you would go this far for someone you don't even know?"
Avalon frowned. Even here, people thought that he was strange. It frustrated him to no end.
"Avalon…"
"I know, Kavaid."
"If doing the right thing makes me strange, then I would rather be the strangest person in the world than ignore someone who I can help," replied Avalon. Louise sighed, giving in. Jessica looked mildly convinced, although there was still a little doubt in her eyes.
"If that's the case, do you mind doing a favor for me?" Louise's head shot up, but Jessica gave her an assuring smile. "Its related to what you're doing, I promise."
Her face turned serious.
"The thing is… this isn't the first time this happened. Someone has been taking children from all over the city. We don't know where they end up, but I'm willing to bet my paycheck that wherever Teresa's daughter is, that's where those other kids are. If you can find them, please, help them." Jessica lowered her head.
Avalon agreed.
The trail had led them out of the city, and to a mansion by the cliff side near the ocean. Louise had recognized it as soon as she saw it. Teresa broke down into tears, her face falling into her hands. Avalon held her close as the look on his face hardened.
"No, not him! It can't be!"
Avalon reached out with his senses, feeling the energies swirling around the mansion. It felt wrong. It felt twisted, like there was a sensation of air trapping itself in his lungs. He didn't recognize the magic, but he could tell it was not natural. Louise's voice interrupted his thoughts.
"Count Mott's estate… I should have guessed."
"Who is he?" Kirche asked.
"Mott is the royal messenger of Tristain," Louise replied, her face frowning with worry. "It means that whoever he took, they're probably is under his services now. Even if we were able to find them, with his ties to the crown, he can probably legally escape whatever punishment is decided, if not outright null it."
"No, he doesn't have them as servants." Avalon stood up, his eyes locked on the ground below the mansion. "Whatever he did, he did against their will. Don't you sense it Louise? That place is filled to the brim with some form of twisted magic." He shook his head. "I've never felt anything like this before." He turned to the group, brandishing his staff. "Kirche, Louise, stay here and protect Teresa and secure our escape route in case things go south. Tabitha and I will sneak in and see what we find."
Tabitha was already standing up, ready to follow. Kirche looked unsure but nodded.
".…Be careful Avalon," whispered Louise, closing her eyes.
"And take care of my friend. I know she's strong, but if Tabitha gets hurt, you'll be the one to pay." Kirche gave an uncharacteristically serious look, her brow creased. Avalon gave her an assuring smile before taking off with the silent girl into the sunset.
