Even though she wore thick wool stuffed leather gloves, they weren’t cutting it. The northern winds coming down pushed away any semblance of warmth the autumnal season held from the end of the vernal season. Times like this made the forest a gloomy icebox. If not for the sea of white masks covering everyone’s faces and the endless stream of words that crashed about it, the streets might have been lifeless. A stream of cloaked and bundled up aos-si filled the wet and muddy road before her. Everyone had masks on with a nearly lifeless sway to their stride. Their stiff bodies jerked about and waddled in the cold, forcing a shiver to run down her spine.

  “All this and I’m just about to switch districts… That’s Tir-noNog for you.” Anemone huffed.

  Anemone shook her head and took another breath, focusing on her steps off the roots. She finally reached the shrub floor. The shrubs were most of the third district. The ground lacked even more sunlight, almost resembling night. Dry rotting wood filled the air. Blades of grass towered over knee-high mushrooms and homes nestled inside fallen branches. Both the First and Second Districts were just the lives of the tree dwellers. The third, however, had smaller residential structures. Now she had to get to the fourth district; another thirty minutes on foot. With all this time on her hands as she walked, it was hard to ignore her thoughts.

  Her mind wandered back to the day the barrier was under attack. Everyone fled into the bunkers; she had stepped up to help those kids lost in an alley. The disarray of the crowd had got them separated from their ama. But Rubus found her, and Anemone secured them, reconnecting the family together. It was a slight moment, but she held her chin high every time she remembered it. The moment her mind focused on Rubus; a scowl grew across hers. At that time, she had been brave, so why now did she do nothing? Rubus had defeated more gallu-lycans than she did that night during the assault. In her mind, she saw how he looked down on her the moment he stepped off that carriage. Spriggan knew he did, and so did she. Anemone gritted her teeth and clenched her fists.

  “What’s his problem…why does he think he’s top brass? All he does is pick fights.” Anemone muttered to herself.

  Rubus had started the fight with another Comrade-at-Arms, yet he had the heart to help a mother look for her kids. She did not know what his connection with Aron was, but she knew there was something there. They had been spending more time together, and that thought put Anemone’s heart on pins and needles. The more she thought about it, the more Aron preoccupied her mind.

  “I know I should talk to him… I just can’t. I don’t know how!”

  Anemone knew Aron was right. At some point, she would need to talk to Titania and face the fact that Aron might be gone soon. And soon it was anywhere from tomorrow to a year if he’s lucky. How would she manage that moment when it came? Trying to imagine life without him made her shake her head. Anemone pinched her cheeks and took a deep breath. Air filled her lungs, and she exhaled as she slumped in her cloak.

  As she kept moving, the conversations of the town’s folks sounded like a sea of words. It was mostly complaints about the weather and how much funding everyone had for their name. One conversation that stuck out was between a rotund yet muscular male demi-therian with a bushy tail and another slender demi-therian with antlers. Bushy Tail sat there, almost shaking in his boots, rubbing his hands together. From how much he shivered, he made her body want to jump even more. As if it had become much colder around her. The other therianthrope was as thin as his slender tail that coiled around. His hand crunched a stale bread loaf as he aggressively dipped it into a once steaming soup before him.

  “Now that the barriers are weakening, ol’ Titan-ass has turned tail.” The slender Demi grumbled.

  “Pfft, I don’t blame her,” Bushy Tail slopped his bowl down. “With that barrier breach a few days back and the lumen shortage, it seems like the world’s gone crazy. Maybe we should abandon ship, too? I hear Albion might take refugees.”

  “You know damn well that’s for elves and a few top-shelf aos-si! Muspell, I’m not surprised if that where ol’ Titan-ass is hiding.” The slender demi-therian snarled.

  “You think she’d leave behind her kid, though?” Bushy Tail leaned in.

  “The Wingless Princess? I don’t see why not; she’s nothing like her. I hear she’s barely keeping up with her fellow fae.”

  “You can’t blame the girl… No control over Elemental-Ars? No wings? As a fae, you’re practically a disgrace.”

  “Shit… that’s probably why Titan-ass was hitting Canopy Star. That secondhand embarrassment can do a number on anyone.” The slender one mocked.

  “By Behemoth’s gall!? Lower your voice!” Bushy Tail hissed. “The Canopy Star? I don’t know where you heard that! But lies! LIES LIKE THAT! That’ll get you beheaded. You’re not a part of the Armada.”

  The slender scoffed, “Oh, please! I overheard someone in the Armada saw it. Ol’ Titan-ass strolling out of a brothel wasted! And it wasn’t just once,” a callous smile stretched ear to ear.

  “Leviathan’s grace. How disappointing. Dagda and Medb roll in their graves.” Bushy Tail nodded in disbelief.

  The slender one exhaled, “I don’t blame her. Gotta get that stress.”

  Her face kept forward, not bothering to get a better look at them. Still hearing them say that made her throat catch.

  When did that even happen?! Anemone huffed. No! That’s not what matters…. It’s the… barrier…their faith….

  The words in her head stopped, and so did her feet. Hearing them lose faith in Titania made her heart skip a beat, but what else she heard made her stomach sink. Her fingers clenched her chest, but Anemone could feel a faint grin spread across her face. Anemone raised her hand over her mask, covering her lips, looking left to right, hoping no one saw her. The tightness unexpectedly eased in her chest as she thought about them venting their frustration.

  Why did I smile? They’re disrespecting here. What’s wrong with me?

  Anemone shook her head. Anemone thought only about how Titania’s disappearance had caused more unrest than she expected. That there might be less talk of her mother abandoning the Kingdom down here was a long shot. If anything, fighting was all that Titania did. In a world where many said there was nothing left to fight, whatever kept her busy enough was more than enough to keep them apart. After taking another step, Anemone noticed how much heavier her steps had become. As if she were dragging them through the mud of the Oryza Marshes.

  “She can go there, but she can’t look for me.”

  Anemone pulled her mask off for another quick breath. Her body shuddered, forcing a deep, chilling gust down her throat. Anemone coughed into her sleeve, and she could see the ever-so slight tilts everyone’s head made as they walked by. The sound of someone sucking their tongue and seeing flinching shoulders made her groan internally. A wave of oncoming strangers divided around her like a river parting around a rock. Each one follows another’s steps like a chain of Formica insecta. A pulse throbbed in her throat as she continued to march toward the border of the Fourth District.

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  “I know! I’ll put it back on in a second…they act like I have KleptOdmania.” She murmured.

  AHHHHH!

  A scream pulled her eyes to her left. From the corner of her eye, she saw an elf leap on another aos-si. He gripped her head as a gut-wrenching howl left her mouth. Anemone saw steam leave her body, and their skin cracked like glass. The female aos-si writhed about with glossy eyes swelling. The elf leaped off her landing on a goblin, who also began steaming up from the touch of the elf. Jagged crystalized spires began protruding from the back of the elf. As he sucked more Od out of the goblin, his skin became crystal-like.

  “What the Muspel is going on!?! A KleptOd here? NOW?!” Anemone questioned.

  Another cry from the crowd erupted. Panic sent everyone into a scurrying frenzy.

  “Save your Flux! It’s a KleptOdmaniac!!!” a voice cried.

  “It’ll steal your Od!!!” another voice shouted.

  “I DON’T WANT TO BE AN ODLESS!!”

  “RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!!!”

  Everyone scattered like ants fleeing a flood; and who would not. Sweat dripped down her brow, and her blood pressure peaked. Anemone’s breath grew ragged, forcing her to grip her chest. The stinging cold air bit through her gloves, burning her hands more. And with her mask in hand, Anemone ran away. After four steps, however, she stood still.

  “Wait! I’m a trainee… shouldn’t I—”

  Anemone didn’t even turn around. Her words stopped, and she froze in place. The swarm of aos-si shoved her aside as they all ran. She did not fall over; instead, her body became as heavy as stone. Soon her blood boiled, and she balled up her fists. The vision of the gallu attack flashed in her head again.

  The smell of the gallu-lycan’s rotten mouth punched her nose, as its maw repeatedly snapped at her throat. Anemone could hardly hold back the heft of its body as it drew closer, forcing her arms down. The sensation of her lungs crushing against her chest made her choke more than the cold.

  Even now, her eyes swelled in their sockets. When she turned around, his opaque eyes met hers. There was another victim in his hands. The KleptOdmaniac tossed the other goblin aside and took one step towards Anemone. She swallowed her spit, and his head twitched about with eyes still on her.

  “Muspel! This is not what I had in mind for excitement…”

  With a clap of her hands on her cheeks, Anemone snapped herself out of that trance. She wiped the sweat from her brow and shook her head as she crept sideways.

  “You can’t be weak, Ninlil… You’re an Anemone, you can’t run!” She mumbled.

  She wanted to spit those words out, but they strained her throat. The idea of running made her stomach churn. Anemone was an Arbor Magna knight in training. She had to play her part and not falter in her responsibilities. Even if she could almost get hurt. As soon as his knees bent, his body flung towards her. Without a second thought, Anemone jumped out of the way. The elf flew past her, heading towards someone else. As soon as Anemone landed, she rushed towards the prowling elf.

  “MUSPEL! Someone was behind me!? I can’t let them get hurt!”

  There was a slow, ragged pace to the stranger’s gait. Just from the tattered look of their hooded jacket, they were in no condition to fight. Anemone called out to them.

  “LOOK OUT!”

  Her voice echoed through the empty road and pulled their attention. A turn to the side revealed a face for a split moment. From afar, Anemone could hardly see any of his facial features. The only thing she noticed was his sand bronze skin shined with a gold luster. Soon, a mask covered his face after a flash of light. He slowly turned back with a stumble. Despite the Od stealing elf rushing towards him, he did not move. From the shrug of his shoulders and lumped posture, he seemed rather worn to the bone. However, as the elf swung his arm upward, the stranger in the tattered navy hood stepped to the side. He evaded the strike, and the two quickly began fighting. Or at least that’s what she thought. Anemone’s steps slid into a hush as she observed him. His movements were like the wind; every strike flowed around him.

  It was like looking at a child trying to catch a fluttering petal. The wild blows of the elf had no chance. After another volley of rabid swipes, it was over in a second. With the flick of his wrist, the Elven KleptOdmaniac went up in dust, practically evaporated. Sparkling shards of dust blew in the wind. Her jaw dropped. All other aos-si had already fled. The only two standing there now were her and the hooded stranger.

  “Where is the KleptOd?” Anemone questioned. “Did he?”

  That mask gazed at her as if nothing had happened. With deep-set eyes accented by metal and a bent, crooked nose, the mask stared ominously. The hair that lined the top of the mask flowed with a gray, billowy texture. Anemone froze in place as they stood there unmoved. Her eyes scanned his shredded sleeve. A faint golden glimmer from his fingertip caught her eye. Although she could not see his face, his presence felt familiar. The stranger pointed at Anemone and whispered words that flew into her ears like a whisper.

  “Don’t trust him, he has ingested the venomous ash—Follow the river to the brick maze to the vial of venomous ash. Pass the one marked with a star. Speak no words. Touch neither the ash nor the vial. Then dream the path to the false one of venomous ash—hear his words. The poison in your story. Find the hero with the traveler’s grimoire—stop him.”

  The light from his finger flickered from gold to purple. His finger snapped, echoing a piercing sound that warped and squeezed the world. Every sense in Anemone’s mind melted away, except sight. As Anemone regained focus, armored fae crashed down from above. All of them wore shiny steel armor that still glistened in the gloom of the damp day. All of them had their swords pointed at the stranger. In the blink of an eye, the stranger vanished, and they flew to the ground. The sound of armor crashing against the cobblestones and wooden crates echoed through the streets. Anemone looked around and found every soldier on the floor.

  “Impossible… I didn’t even blink.”

  They all stood up and shook off whatever blow that was landed on them. Every knight frantically looked around as if to confirm what had happened. They all had a purple sash with two golden streaks across it. Those streaks stated their rank was higher than hers. They were the Phloem Guard’s defense force, and she was hardly a cadet. Yet they stood no chance. After a few moments, all the Arbor Magna soldiers turned to the sky with a salute.

  “Commander Airelle!” a knight shouted. “Both targets have escaped!”

  “I can see that, Green-wing! Your Phloem Guards! You should be able to find that pest and the KleptOdmaniac.” Airelle commanded.

  Airelle landed on the ground not too far from Anemone. He stood erect, commanding the four others, phloem guards. When Airelle met her gaze, he approached her with the same pressure. Anemone is almost gasping for air.

  “Princess Anemone. It seems we beat you to act ever so slightly.” He scoffed.

  A whisper caught her ear.

  Don’t trust him

  Anemone swallowed her spit. “It seems you have.”

  “Tell me? Did you see what happened?”

  She had to scramble her brain for anything to say. Something was off. A part of her wanted to say she saw someone fighting something, but it was hard to recall. Although she had seen little, she at least remembered that some sort of brawl occurred.

  “Yes commander. It was a scuffle between someone perceived to be infected. They were feral and attacking someone in tattered clothes.”

  “Is that all?”

  “Unfortunately, sir. From my distance, I could not see a thing.”

  The air thinned around her, but his breath was as solid as the frigid clouds above the upper canopy. Even from beneath his mask, you could tell he looked down his nose at her. From the way he tilted his head, his sharpened glare penetrated her heart. As his eyes stayed locked on her, a shiver ran down her spine. Anemone, however, did her best to stand still, unnerved by his presence. His hand rose to her face with a slight brush. It seemed thorns had brushed against her face. Anemone placed her hands behind her back and stood at attention, gripping her arms.

  “You may be Arbor Magna, but masks are still mandatory.” He scoffed. “Even for royals. Do your best to abide."

  “Yes, Commander.”

  His presence almost made her gag on her words. She had forgotten that her mask was in her hand. Airelle spread his wings and launched himself into the air with a single flap, like a loose arrow. Every time they met, the way he looked at her made her want to scrub her skin. Anemone slipped her mask on and turned away, pondering what had taken place. In an instant, an unknown individual who left swiftly defeated Tir-noNog’s local police force, the Phloem Guard, with a warning. Anemone hardly heard a voice. Instead, it seemed as if someone had written those words into her mind. Even now, it was as if that scene was slowly being erased from her memories. But that was not what caught her mind the most. Anemone bit her lip and gripped her right arm, piercing her sleeve.

  “Why did I not act?”