"And thus, the Goddess looked down on the world, as man fell farther and farther into ruin, and took pity on us. She gave us what no king could, and we received a blessing so that we could rise from our past sins and grow into a bountiful nation! We must give praise to the Goddess for our blessings, we must praise the Rebirth!"
"There's a Verdant
here?
" Guindolyn mumbled to herself as she could hear the common sermon echoing throughout the main square. It wasn't the first time an acolyte had made the journey into Borea from the east, but it's a rare occurrence to be sure. Fortunately, such a distracting presence made it easier for her to go unseen through the crowd.
She finally had her first hint of these mysterious assailants, but even the Boss didn't know much about the pin that she showed her. It was her network that first saw evidence of a string of mysterious deaths all around southern Borea, with the town of Volaq being the next logical hit. The Boss told Guin time and time again that she was delusional that she would be next, that there was no rhyme or reason of these deaths.
But she knew.
There was a peddler near the north end of Volaq that might have more information. She goes by no name, but she always has what you want. Guindolyn had only had contact with her once before, as she was accompanying the Boss for a certain refill which required her to cough up a Queen's ransom to get. The Peddler smiled at Guin after the transaction, as if she knew she would need something from her. That memory always gave her chills.
But here she was, out of crowded areas and into the parts of Volaq that most don't want to think about. The drunks were still passed out where they were thrown out after drinking too much the night before. Cloaked figures shifted around the darkened alleys, some pausing to investigate who had entered their domain. Guin knew better than to do anything that would look aggressive, tensions can be at a breaking point between some of these gangs and thieves and she did not want to be in the middle of it.
If ever one got too close to her, she flashed the small brand on her right hip showing she was under the Boss's protection. Of course, the shameless moaning that filled the forgotten streets all around her was a constant reminder that there are other fates than what she was hiding from. She glanced at the closest couple out of the corner of her eye. She recognized the tattoos of the one who was pinning her prey against the wall from a well-known tribe that held influence not just in Volaq but all over south-eastern Borea. The more concerning thing that Guin noticed was that of the brand of the moaning woman, pinned under the strength of the tribalist. One her right hip, she had the exact brand as Guin.
Guindolyn brought her hood down lower as she would rather choose her partners. Hhana was enough for her.
Not a moment too soon, she saw the Peddler, already looking at her with a sharp smile on her lips.
"My, my, a new customer?" Her voice was slightly strained, but still easily heard. Guin walked closer to her before carrying on the transaction.
"I have something that I heard you might know about." Guindolyn knelt down and spoke with a hushed voice to make sure that no prying ears could hear.
"I know many a thing, yet there's still many more things I don't." The Peddler cackled at herself. It was impossible to tell the age of the sitting Peddler. There were almost no hints of wear on her skin yet she talked in a way that was older than the Rebirth itself.
"Do you know anything about this?" Guindolyn put the pin in the waiting hand of the Peddler. Her smile faded as she concentrated on every ridge and tarnish of the metal. It was hard to discern if the hunched woman was having trouble seeing or if she was an expert appraiser. Guin kept watch of the few passersby as she waited, but they all seemed to give the Peddler plenty of room.
"Ah."
"You know what it is?" Guindolyn tried to keep her voice down despite her excitement.
"Oh, yes, right away." She cackled once more. "I wanted to see the Borean silver shine, though. There're not many things made of this quality. Only up north can you find such pure silver."
Guindolyn swallowed her scream. She did not care about where it was made, how it was made. There was only one thing she wanted to know.
"What
is
it?!" The question still came out louder than she wanted.
The Peddler didn't answer right away. She looked up at the young Guin and stared into her eyes. Guin could not look away. The Peddler's pupils were milky teal, as if a painter stopped after one brush of paint on a fresh canvas.
"I have a question before I can answer yours."
The strain in her voice was gone, Guin felt a strange pressure weighing on her.
"Why are you wanting to know about this?"
The question was blunt but had a danger behind it. It's as if Guin answered wrong then she will not leave this alley.
"I fear that people are trying to kill me." Guindolyn lowered her voice as much as she could. "People that are wearing this."
"Do you know the reason for this fear, little one?"
"...Maybe." Guindolyn cringed a little. She could still hear the Boss laughing at her and berating her. Even Hhana let out a giggle when she told her. But this might be her last chance. "My mother died when I was seven. We lived alone in a small house, simply but happy. My mother treated me well, doting on me as much as she could."
"As a mother should." The Peddler nodded sagely.
"A week before she died, I overheard her saying something to a friend of hers. I can still hear it in my mother's voice: 'She is more important than anything else, she's the Ice Queen's blessing.'"
"You're saying that your father is the Ice Queen?"
Guindolyn nodded silently expecting the Peddler to laugh at her absurd claim just like anyone else, yet there was only silence.
"How many know about this?"
"The Boss doesn't believe me, and the only other person is my partner Hhana."
