The journey back to the mountain pass felt far too quick. I hadn't been there since I had first gone with Ivor to see the landslide, many weeks ago. In the quiet times, whenever I was bed-bound or hadn't found sufficient busy-work with Erinn or her grandfather, I would get lost in my thoughts and allow my mind to wander, and in those moments, I had wanted to return. Just to see the Express again. To make sure it was really there. But I squashed my desires time and time again before they could take root. Now that it was the only thing I had left to do, I was shaking. What if it's faded from my sight completely? What if Stella couldn't fix it? And then, of course, the question I had pushed back into the dark and frightening parts of my mind almost each night: What if it does work and there's nothing to go home to?
If either Lanugo or Stella knew I was anxious, they didn't show it. The pair of them flapped excitedly towards our goal; Lanugo only taking brief rests atop my head, his dandelion-light body and tiny wings unable to keep up with the far more agile Stella on his own.
For her part, she hadn't stopped talking since we left Angel Falls. I forbade her from chattering inside my mind, but felt it best to keep her there while we were still among people for fear of someone noticing her. After all, one of the children of the village had already seen her as a brilliant ball of pink light the night she came to me – there was no guarantee someone with a better affinity for the supernatural wouldn't be able to see her garish little self exactly as she is. So she took the opportunity to stretch her wings and, as the villagers would say, "flap her gums". I was grateful for it though, her endless stream of nonsense was like a rope thrown in the proverbial water to keep me from drowning in my own worries. I didn't reply, she hadn't left me the room to, but I held on to every pointless word about each rock, tree and cloud she had an opinion on like it was the word of the Almighty Himself. Before I knew it, we had arrived.
"Here we are. All aboard!" Stella chirped, zooming towards the sealed door of the abandoned train car. It was at least a small relief to still see it still sitting there nestled among the trees, ghostly pale, shielded from mortal eyes. But my fears weren't yet settled.
"Aboard how?" I asked, ignoring the phantom pain in my palms as I remembered my first attempt to get inside, and tried my best to sound dispassionate rather than scared.
Stella just clucked and flashed me a self-satisfied grin. Knowing her as I did, I had expected a dazzling - if over-bearing - display of acrobatics and light; a silly series of hand motions or a few 'magic words' – something needlessly performative. Instead, with a snap of her slim fingers, a border of light shown around the door-frame, dissipated, then with a quiet hum, the carriage was open. Life and color bled back into the Express, the dull bluish white melting away to a brilliant gold. With a little else but a hair-flip, Stella drifted inside and I followed quietly after in a state of genuine shock.
The inside of the Starflight Express was a mixture of luxury and utility. It was all gold everything, with a greenish cast from the wall mounted lights that made everything glow as if it were imbued with magic. In the far back were the controls, a veritable wall of levers and buttons I couldn't begin to hope to understand. It was gorgeously detailed in it's design, but held no seating or bar. I almost laughed at myself, I had already grown so used to my half-mortality that I expected such things from something tailored to Celestrians. Of course there would be no seats, no drinks, no place for food. What would they need it for? With not even a stool for the captain, the place felt rather empty and alien, and despite its relative majesty compared to everything I had seen in the Protectorate, I could feel my brows furrow as I grappled with my disappointment. This was the Starflight, stepping inside was meant to be one of the most momentous experiences of my life, and I just felt so little. It only served to remind me that everything was so incredibly wrong.
"So here we are on the Starflight. What do you reckon? Pretty swish, isn't she?" Stella said with obvious pride as she scanned every detail of her old haunt. "I'd like to jazz her up a bit more, actually. It's still a bit on the plain side in here, wouldn't you say?" she said finally turning to me, one tiny hand planted on her hip, still not content to let me get a word in edgewise. "I'm thinking pink rhinestones with gold around them. That'd really make the place look stellar, don't you think?" she trilled, her eyes shining at the very thought of such a monstrosity.
I knew better by now than to entertain her fantasies or try to shoot them down. Best not to engage with lunatics at all, if you can avoid it. Either way, I was feeling much too sullen to even think of a way to barb her now.
Stella pouted. "What? Not bothered about my amazing interior design ideas, eh? I suppose you just want to get going, do you?" she asked in mock distress.
I crossed my arms and fixed the pesky fairy with my best equivalent of Master Aquila's glare, putting on an emotional mask to better conceal my feelings. "You have me convinced you're connected to the Starflight, but just because you have a set of keys and bad taste in décor means nothing if you can't actually fly the thing." I reasoned, still not entirely ready to trust her or believe I could really be going home.
She rolled her eyes with a dramatic shake of her head before giving an all too heavy sigh for such a tiny thing. "Fine, fine. No more hanging about. I'm pretty keen to get back to the Observatory and see how everything is myself." she said rather more seriously.
A distressed squeaking intruded into our conversation, a cacophony of shrill notes puncturing the air. Confused, I looked behind me, out of the open doorway of the carriage car and saw Lanugo, frantically circling the small clearing outside, his little body heavy with every sharp note of worry.
"What? Didn't he follow us in?" I muttered as I raced towards him. "Lanugo!" I shouted, halfway down the steps of the Starflight. He stopped, his whole body swiveling towards the sound of my voice, but his face seemed frozen in panic, his eyes staring right through me. As I stepped down onto the hard packed earth of the clearing, Lanugo cried out in relief, homing onto me like a fluffy arrow. "Hey, buddy, 'Nugo, what's wrong with you?" I asked, holding the shuddering little pile of fur against me, painfully confused.
I heard an inelegant little snort behind me as Stella followed languidly behind, unconcerned. "He must have thought we disappeared into thin air, the simple thing. Sure he's used too seeing me do it, but it must have been a shock for his keeper to pull off such a feat."
The obvious hit me. "Ah, of course, he can't see it, and I guess he can't see anything within its field of protection either." I said, remembering that, while it was primarily used to shield itself from mortal eyes, the magic around the Starflight Express would work on even lesser creatures as well. I frowned, feeling a little ball of emotion start to form in my chest. "Does that mean he. . . he can't come with me?" I asked quietly, trying to swallow the lump in my throat threatening to choke me.
"Yep, that's right!" Stella declared, giving Lanugo a saccharine grin. "This trip is for super special stylish girls only – and Altairis." she giggled to herself.
I turned to face her head on, unable to hide the heartbreak in my voice. "Really? Can't you do something? Anything?" I asked, desperately hoping she was holding back on me.
Stella looked disturbed by my sudden earnestness, the tiny corners of her mouth turned down into a frown, her vibrant eyes avoiding mine as she twiddled her thumbs anxiously. "Well. . . sure, I mean, I can do all sorts of stupendous stuff you've never even heard of. Things your brain probably couldn't even hope to know!" She asserted defensively.
I squeezed Lanugo close to my chest. "I knew it. Surely. . . someone as talented as you are could easily come up with something. Silly of me to even ask, really, you're so smart and mysterious and even quite pretty now that I see you in natural lighting. I mean, I haven't met anything like you in all of my travels so there's probably nothing you couldn't do if you put your mind to it. And really-"
"Gah! Stop!" Stella screeched, throwing her hands up in frustration. "Just stop with the insincere condiments. I'll fix it so your. . . pet" she sneered, eyeing Lanugo, "can come aboard. Ugh, hold him out to me." She instructed, and I did so eagerly.
A moment passed, where they just stared at one another, Stella's large amber eyes, half lidded in annoyance, Lanugo's black pits emotionless. And then, with a well manicured finger, Stella plunked him right in the center of his fluffy cowprint head. With a soft surprised cry and a series of rapid blinks, Lanugo left my arms and drifted lazily through the air towards the Starflight, fluffing about its perimeter in a haze of curiosity. Like he was seeing it for the first time. . .
Something inside me stirred uneasily, and I couldn't place my finger on why. I had hope Stella could do something, and she could. She DID. And that scared me.
"Hmph. You owe me for letting you bring that glorified rat onto the Express. Now come on, we've got too much time to lose!" Stella said as she flew back into the carriage. I stared after her for a breath before following an ever delighted Lanugo inside.
"What did you do? I mean, I saw what you did but. . . how? How does that work?" I asked, almost terrified to know the width and breadth of the power she wielded.
Stella shut the door behind us after fiddling around with some knobs and buttons on the far side of the room, before letting out an impatient little sigh. "I told you before, I'm an absolute sensation! With a snap and a flick of my fingers, I can do just about anything. But. . . this wasn't all THAT impressive. You should see me in top form, then you can stand there with that gormless look on your face. I just gave the part of his pathetic monster brain that perceives the greater powers around him a little kick!"
"A little flick, you mean." I thoughtfully added.
Stella shot me an annoyed glance before continuing. "Right, who knows how much power I could give someone with a sharp kick, want to find out? Hmph. He could see the Benevolesence Erinn's old man left behind, so I knew he had some level of perception, some things just do. I enhanced it, is all."
I was amazed. In all the stories and legends of the Starflight and our heavenly ascension, I had never heard of powers such as Stella's. "Ah! Wait, so why can't you just do that for me? Fix my blind spots?" I asked, suddenly hopeful.
Stella stood unnaturally still, a deep frown set on her face. "Er. Um. Well. . ." she stuttered out.
"Yes? What's wrong?" I asked.
Stella balled her fists and smacked them against her temples. "Gah! Why did you have to ask me that!? I'm the skipper of the Starflight Express! I can make people as aware of it's presence as I want! But. . . that's about it. . ." she trailed off in embarrassment.
I felt my shoulders drop in defeat. "So you lied."
She gasped, one hand placed against her chest in shock. "That's a terrible way of putting it! I just dressed it up as a little more impressive than it is. A little pizazz, a little flourish!" she exclaimed. "You can already see the Express so, there's nothing I can do to help you. Everyone has limits! It-it's more than you could do!" She accused. "And I helped your gross pile of flying dirt over there like you asked didn't I!? And I didn't have to, you know!"
I sighed and gave her a small smile. "Yeah, you're right. Thank you, Stella. Let's get going okay? Finding out what happened to the Observatory will help me understand what happened to me as well. I'm sure if there's a way of fixing me I'll find it there."
Seemingly relieved to have any scrutiny of her powers dropped, Stella bolted towards the complicated wall of knobs, buttons and wheels over on the far side of the carriage, pushing, slamming and twirling with a frenzy. It left me. . . concerned.
"Are you sure you remember how to do this?" I asked, sharing a skeptical glance with Lanugo.
Stella scoffed with a silvery sliver of laughter. "Such little faith for such a pious little Celestrian." she mocked, "Iiiiiit's TAKE-OFF TIME!" she screeched as she slammed both of her minuscule fists hard onto the control board.
My horrified protests were cut short as the Express lurched to life with a sudden, violent shake, only to then fall dormant once more with a sad wind down. Then silence.
". . .Oh, flap. We have a problem." Stella's usually bombastic voice sounded small in the sea of failure swallowing us.
"I can tell. Do you know what the problem is? It's it broken?" I asked, my heart fluttered in anticipation. Was I going home or not?
Stella continued to mutter to herself as if she hadn't heard me at all. "I thought it would fly if there was a Celestrian on board. I wonder what's wrong. . ." she rounded on me suddenly, "Hey, you couldn't see that benevolessence before, could you, even though you reckon you're a Celestrian? That must be the problem! I mean, it's a bit much to expect me to believe that Celestrian's can just lose their wings, isn't it?" she volleyed her accusations at me anew once her plan had fallen apart, and with each syllable I could feel my threadbare patience begin to unravel.
"No. I do not think it is 'a bit much' for you to believe me at this point." I shot back. "You've seen my left-over powers, heard my stories, know my fears. There is nothing else under creation that is like a Celestrian, there is nothing else I could be! And from where I stand, I believe you are the only one between us so far that has been caught in lie." I replied, forcefully relaxing my clenched fists.
Stella only squinted at me; her doll-like features intense in their scrutiny, my expression cold and unyielding. She broke first. "Ha! Don't get your knickerbockers in a twist! I was only saying." she replied with a practiced petulance as she turned away from me. "A-anyway, we don't have time for this. The Almighty won't be best pleased if we hang around here when there's big stuff going on."
For once I felt in perfect agreement with her. "Indeed, let us put our heads together and-"
"Ooooiiiii, Almighty matey! You listening?" Stella shouted, her hands cupped in front of her mouth, head angled towards the ceiling. "We're in a right old gherkin here, why don't you give us a flapping hand!?"
My mouth hung open. The disrespect, the familiarity of her actions dropped the bottom out of my stomach and I felt my meal try to evacuate. I couldn't breathe. Had I been struck down by The Almighty for aligning myself with such a wretched creature? Or was my heart just trying to crawl out of my throat? The very thought of speaking to The Almighty in such a tone disturbed me to my core.
"That's weird. . . He's probably too busy to notice us or something. . ." Stella said with a little shrug before casting her attention to me. "Alright then, Altairis, here's what we'll do: we'll follow the road to this Stornway place. When we get there, we'll help lots of people and get loads of Benevolessence. That should make that Almighty oaf prick his eyes up!" she said rather cheerily, as if she had concocted the most devious of schemes. "Ha! Look at your face! Not too swayed over by the idea or something?" she asked, her head tilted in curiosity.
I made a sad wheezing sound, wanting to vomit my lungs up at her feet in equal parts rage and fear, but my body would not comply. At last I was able to dryly swallow the sick in my throat and reply, "Y-you. . . I. . . no, no problem at all. . ." I lied bitterly.
Stella pumped one tiny fist in the air as Lanugo followed suit and she declared her brilliant plan a-go. A plan to be carried out purely by her unlucky sidekicks, of course.
Reeling from Stella's disrespectful display, I took a few moments outside of the Express to collect myself and mentally pray for forgiveness on Stella's behalf. I couldn't very well let my only chance of getting back home be struck down by righteous thunder or something, least of all when she was traveling around inside my own head most of the time. Afterwards she popped back into my mind – already very much over the idea of making the journey further east herself - and Lanugo got settled atop my head, his small hands clinging to my high ponytail, his face resting in my riot of pink curls. With my travelsack kept high on my back and my money purse fasted tightly to my hip, we were ready to move on.
It wouldn't be my absolute first time going beyond the borders of Angel Falls, but it was the first time in decades, and as I made my way forward a surge of excitement rose in me that helped quash the nervous quivering inside I couldn't quite shake from earlier. Things were not going to plan, but I knew I had to trust Stella. It was frustrating and frightening, but there was no denying after what I'd seen her do today that she absolutely knows how the Starflight ought to work. If doing more good work is all it would take, then I was happy to continue my duty. It was the sort of thing Master Aquila had just been promoted to do himself, actually, an itinerant Celestrian of sorts. The thought I was still following his lead brought a small smile to my face as I crossed through the cleared mountain pass and into the wide open land of Stornway before me.
It was breathtaking so up close. I could always glimpse the great open plains and the coast even further beyond when I would fly around Angel Falls, but spying slivers of its beauty over the mountains could never do it justice. It was so vast from the ground. Like an ocean of green, but even as I was swallowed up by it's immensity, there was the coastline far to the east, and then the ocean beyond it, seeming larger than my imagination could comprehend. The flattened dirt road sprawled out across the wild countryside in all directions, all well maintained except for one ever so slightly overgrown, far along the wall of the mountain side, like a cut nearly finished scabbing over. The old path to the Hexagon, I assumed lie that way, and I made a mental note in bright red to avoid it at all costs. Among the sunny hillside were large patches of wild flowers; orange, yellow and white, all waving cheerily in the refreshing breeze. I could see small forests in the distance, but nothing as dense and free as the woods on the other side of the pass. Stornway was as lovely as the area of Angel Falls, only more manicured and cared for; though nothing would ever be quite as picture perfect and put together as The Observatory.
The greatest difference between the two sides of the mountain of course was the city of Stornway itself, set atop a high hill like a king on his throne, over looking all he owns. Stone walls stood tall and proud around the cities perimeter, and deep inside a castle stood even higher still with light stonework spires reaching towards the sun, with flags waving from atop the tallest peaks of the city for all to see. Following the road east, my little team and I found our way to the city entrance without delay.
Stornway was shocking in how different it was from what I had grown accustomed to. Angel Falls was a small, sleepy town nestled away from everything else. The Observatory was even further removed from other people, we all had plenty of our own space up in the sky, and a certain dedication to keeping quiet and to ourselves. The sheer amount of bodies moving from one place to another here, all the clicking and clopping of shoes and horses and wobbling wagon wheels hitting the brown slate streets, the shouting and bartering from the marketplace up the street in the center of town, buskers playing a jaunty tune nearby collecting coins clattering together in their instrument cases, choruses of laughter and the ringing of a grand church bell echoing off every wall in the city. . . it was a thick cacophony of life. I could feel them, the humans and their mortal energy, like a low hum buzzing in the back of my head. It was overwhelming, and so very exciting.
Buildings lined the busy streets, with bright red and orange tiled roofs adorning each one like the scales of a great dragon. Stretched between each one there were lines of friendly blue and gold banners, tied from roof to roof, cutting the sky into a million little slivers of colorful daylight. Though houses were crammed in close together at every angle, places in the city were still dotted with small, well tended lawns and gardens, and the public areas themselves were adorned with beautiful flowers nestled in baskets and barrels and planted along the footpaths. It was crowded and noisy, and a part of me wished I could fly up to the roofs above and get some needed space from the sudden crowd of loud strangers, but it wasn't altogether unpleasant. There was an atmosphere of mirth, almost festival like, all around. I smiled at the thought of little Erinn trying to assert herself in a place like this. I was suddenly very grateful she had a woman as cunning as Patty to help her.
I felt a little tug on my hair as Lanugo shot forward, a drawn out trill of joy rippling out of him as he fluffed in the direction of the main square. I quickly snatched him from the air and into my arms as he desperately struggled against me, like a spoiled child being told no for the first time. "Sorry 'Nugo, I know you want to go make friends like in Angel Falls, but we really ought to find Erinn first and foremost." At he mention of her name, Lanugo began to lessen his hopeless fight against me. I smiled. "We may be staying here awhile after all. I'm sure we'll both have plenty of time to meet new people. Lots of head scritches and tummy rubs in the future, I promise." I said in my most soothing tone, imploring him to stop squirming around for good. Lanugo made a pathetic little whimper before ceasing his struggle and falling gently into my arms in surrender. "You're a very good boy." I said, patting him on his soft tummy as he rumbled happily in response. Satisfied, I began to move forward, looking for this fabled inn Erinn's father had run.
As soon as I had lifted my head up and started walking, I felt myself collide into another person, eliciting a short "oof" from my chest and jarring both myself and Lanugo terribly. "Oh!" I exclaimed, startled. I immediately went to apologize, but just as I was getting my bearings, the small stranger ran off past me without so much as a word. I hadn't even had the chance to see their face, only the matted red hair on the back of their head and scrawny pale limbs poking out through a dirty, too-small set of rags. "Huh. Must be in an awful hurry I guess. . . No manners though." I shrugged, surely in such a busy town, this type of rudeness would be fairly typical. I regained my composure and took a close look at a nearby town bulletin board's local map.
Nestled down in the lower left corner towards the entry of the city is where I found the Quester's Rest, and it was quite a sight. Standing at least three stories tall, it was made from large stone blocks and lightly stained wooden beams that held it together like polished muscle. There were little balconies jutting from the sides on the higher floors, small wreathes of wildflowers hanging from each railing, donned with bright ribbons. Small rounded windows dotted the building, and at the very top the roof shone with the same vibrant red and orange tiles as the rest of the city. Out front were lush bushes filled with bright red, trumpet-like flowers; clearly not native to the area, their unique shape and spicy aroma unlike anything I had come across before. There was a large well off to the side of the building surrounded by a small lawn, and a cobblestone path leading around the back of the building and towards the main street. It was an impressive building even in a city of impressive buildings. By the time I had got there the sun was just about to dip below the top of the city walls and bathe the city in shadow. I quickly made my way inside in hopes of finding my friend, and a warm bed.
The inside of the Quester's Rest was saturated in golden light, let in by it's many windows. Unfortunately it only highlighted the much less grand state of it's innards. The air was choked with dust, dancing in the beams of light, stirred up by my arrival. The white candles adorning the walls and tables of the large foyer were all either crooked or melted away into nothing, their wax hardened into streaky drips along the walls. Walls that I imagine were at some point white, but had a distinct tinge of yellow from years of smoke. The gray stone of the floor was old and uneven, the gaps between each piece visibly collecting dirt, and the blue threadbare rag of a mat at the door did little to counteract this; I feared wiping my shoes on it with any great force for fear it would tear like tissue beneath me. The tables filling the room were large and accommodating, but simple and paired with horrible little stools that looked like they'd wobble to and fro against the uneven stone ground. Not that I could be sure, as the room was devoid of anyone that looked like a costumer. A drink sat unattended, a slight film covering the top. There were two large counters, one to the right as you enter, and another much larger one on the far side of the room, where I assume you'd check in, and if the many shelves of alcohol were any indication, it served as the inn's bar. Coincidentally it looked like the only area that wasn't covered in a coat of dust.
Sticking out like a sore thumb was the fancy gated elevator in the back left corner and the massive set of stairs to the far right, each roped off by a plush red cord. All around in every corner and free space were sacks and boxes and barrels and every kind of storage container your could imagine, draped with sheets and old tablecloths. The place had a distinct feel of having just been unearthed after a long time buried and forgotten.
In the center of the room there was a small group of people all huddled together as if they had just been talking intensely to one another. Erinn and Patty I instantly recognized, and across from them was a tall and elegant looking woman with orange hair tied up in an elaborate braided bun with a bright yellow ribbon, while wearing a striking two toned dress of yellow and black. She was flanked on either side by an older couple, in garb that suggested they worked for the inn in some capacity. And all of them were staring at me and the bundle of fluff in my arms.
"Oh, Altairis!" Erinn cried, her sweet voice filled with delight. "You came and visited just like you said you would! And with Lanugo too!" she said as she hurried to my side, scruffing Lanugos fluffy cheeks with her nimble fingers.
I laughed at the happily chirping bundle in my arms and greeted Erinn with a broad grin. "I realize it's a sooner visit than you had probably imagined, but it turns out I had some business here before I traveled home. I figured, why not stop and see a good friend and get a place to stay at the same time?"
Erinn gave me an apologetic smile that was so common to her it may as well have been her signature. "I'm afraid we've only just arrived recently ourselves, though. We're not quite ready to take any guests yet." she replied, her head of purple tresses hung low, sheepishly eyeing the state of the inn around her.
Patty strode next to Erinn and gave her a reassuring clap on the back. "Hey, don't sweat it, sweetie. I'm sure Altairis didn't come here just to stay." she said rather presumptuously as she turned to me, slender arms crossed. "I bet you came 'cause you were worried about Erinn, huh? You wanted to see how she was getting on, riiiight?" she said smirking. It made me slightly uncomfortable, she was good at doing that.
I answered with an awkward grimace of my own, "S-sure. Of course I was curious at least. . . " I admitted.
Patty's expression was like that of a cat enjoying the torment of its prey. "And you'd just love to help a girl out, so what if I told you there was something you could do to help out here?" she continued, knowing full well she had led me right where she desired.
Even Erinn caught on to what she was doing. "Um, Patty, what are you saying?" she asked with a disapproving frown.
Patty brushed her off with a causal flip of her silken steely blue hair and explained. "Well from what I've seen, young Altairis' got a knack for encountering all kinds of people by chance." she gestured to herself and Erinn. "If she tried to drum up a bit of business for us, I bet we'd have a full house in no time!"
Erinn turned to face her squarely, her forehead creased and bright eyes suddenly intense. "Patty! We can't ask Altairis to do something like that! The inn isn't anything to do with her!" she replied with an amount of heat and force in her voice that surprised me.
The older woman smiled patiently at her charge as if she were explaining something to an angry child. "Making people feel like they wanna help you out is a knack too, honey. You should be glad you've got it. If Altairis' got nothing better to do and feels like lending a hand, don't turn her away! You could do with the help!" she said swinging one long, elegant arm outward, sweeping across the messy foyer to punctuate her point.
They both turned to me, Erinn looking a bit guilty for what we all knew she was going to ask. "Yes, I suppose you're right. . . Do you think you might be able to help out a little bit, Altairis?" she said, sheepishly folding her hands together in front of face as if in prayer.
I took back my earlier sentiment regarding being happy that Patty was here, but cut my sigh short and gave them both an affirmative nod. After all, I had come here to help people hadn't I? Though I couldn't shake the feeling that being so plainly used soured the whole idea somewhat.
Erinn lit up. "Oh thank you, Altairis, I really do appreciate it. It's just, I have so much left to do with the place right now I couldn't possibly go advertising on top of it. . ." she gave the dusty wreck of the inn another glance, and I could practically see her mentally calculating all she had left to clean and pack and straighten out. After all, the inn she ran at home was in a constant state of perfection; there was no chance she would lower her standards, regardless of the challenge.
Erinn and the others invited me to sit and rest my feet a minute before heading out, conveniently allowing them to steal away Lanugo for an intense session of petting and prodding and all sorts of well-earned pampering. It seemed busywork fell to the wayside when faced with a cute monster. We both gratefully accepted the opportunity and for my part also accepted a particularly strong drink whipped up by Patty herself, and made introductions to the other people working there.
Ginny was the somewhat severe looking but ultimately quite chatty lady I had seen earlier, with the prim yellow and black attire. She oversaw the safety boxes for any of the costumers particularly precious belongings – not that anyone had felt confident to leave anything nice in their hands in a long time 'Mostly they just left!' she had told me.
Everyone there spoke so highly of Edwinn and seemed so impressed by Erinn and how she herself must be some kind of prodigy. I felt confident Erinn would do everything in her power to turn the place around, but it was hard not to feel they were right in putting their faith in her, but for the wrong reasons.
A thought crept up on me then, very suddenly, that having faith and seeing the results you wanted regardless of how it actually got done was the whole basis of my life and career. The idea made my stomach do a little flip, what could that mean for the things that I held faith in?
Ginny's voice cut into my thoughts and drug me back to reality. "-and she, Patty that is, she thought I would be the one to fix this place up but honestly I had hardly even step foot in an inn before, much less ran one. Kind of ran it into the ground though didn't I? Hahaha!" she snorted a bit as her deep laugh bellowed throughout the main foyer. Its intensity was positively bewildering, but no one else seemed phased. Even Erinn herself seemed to have already become numb to it, too busy running to-and-fro shuffling things around to be shocked into inaction.
Having had quite enough of the drink I was starting to believe was some kind of toxic elixir Patty had brewed up to punish me with, I smiled politely and excused myself. I was starting to feel a buzzing heat swelling in the back of my head, a tell tale sound of Stella's impatience at work inside my brain. She was bored, it seemed my rest was over. I made a beeline for the back desk and asked if it were okay if I left money for a room later that night. I explained to Erinn that I feared by the time I got back the place would be open and taking in guests, and without good reason to hold a room for me, I might be out of luck. She tried to pretend Patty wouldn't conveniently forget to keep one available for me if I hadn't paid ahead of time, but she relented and said she'd hold onto my money for me and have a room paid for in my name as soon as they were open, then I could pick my things back up from Ginny afterwards.
I reached down to my hip where I carried my money and felt something suspicious. I felt nothing. A sudden wash of cold panic flooded over me as I checked the other side, thinking maybe I had just looped it differently than usual, but no. My coin purse was no where to be found, not a single spare piece of gold tucked away in a pocket or pouch anywhere.
"That's awful! Do you think you could have dropped it somewhere?" Erinn asked, her voice steeped in concern.
I shook my head, my frustration mounting. "No, no. I'm sure I had it with me when I stopped by the Expre- er, no, I know I had it with me by the time I got here to Stornway. It wasn't much but. . ." I trailed off. I hadn't thought I would need gold if I were really going back to the Observatory but, I had planned to keep it in my room there as a souvenir of sorts. Now I felt absolutely doomed without it here among the mortals.
Erinn rested her delicate chin in her fingers thoughtfully as she spoke. "Well I'm certain you couldn't have lost it in here, we'd notice for sure if there were money lying about. . ."
"-Hasn't been any money in this place for years!" I heard Ginny loudly chime in from her corner of the building with an accompanying cackle.
"Where else did you go?" Erinn asked, determined to help.
I frowned. "Nowhere, that's just it. I got here, looked around a little bit, then that kid ran in—ARGH!" I could feel the heat in my face bloom as realization hit me. "That little urchin." I seethed.
Erinn eyed me up and down, her voice wavering. "A-altairis? What's wrong? What are you talking about?" she asked hesitently.
"Where's Lanugo?" I demanded.
Erinn clutched the front of her apron. "I-in back getting a bath by the wait staff. Should I go get him?" she answered, her voice light and cautious in my sudden anger.
I shook my head. "No, let him be. Look, I've been robbed," I spat, "but I'll be back with my money soon." I promised as I spun on my heel and stormed away, carried off by my indignation, not heeding Erinn's pleas for me to wait.
I could no longer see the sun over the high city walls, their shadows stretching forward ready to engulf the town like ink spilled from a well. Only the castle set atop it's high hill still shone in the light, like a beacon for the people below, imploring them to not be afraid of the night. Unfortunately my business would more than likely take me only deeper into the shade.
I tore the city map off one of the nearby bulletin boards and with a grim determination began my search.