Dying Lily & Wilted Rose

Illegal Road Trip

'What's this?' you gasp. Two chapters? That's right, I've decieved you!

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"Wow, you never cease to amaze me," Penelope said, inspecting the shard of the glass bottle Yvonne discovered. "And you found the shop with just this bit of letters?"

Yvonne bobbed her head. "Yup! All I had to do was narrow down the possibilities and track the shop down."

Holy heck, how many have the patience for that? She's a fucking genius.

"This is great, let's go there right now."

"I'll lead the way!"

It didn't take much effort to slip past the security and leave the palace grounds. Once they were out, the world became a blur of rooftops and handholds as they made their way to the outskirts of the city.

Penelope wasn't born here, where the buildings were crumbling and barely standing, she recalled from her faint childhood memories.

Her mother was a (merchant? traveler?) woman who never really stayed in one place for long until she fell ill, and that's about as much Penelope remembered of her.

There was probably once a time when she knew more, but the time loops and her years surviving in the duchy had all but buried those memories deep in her mind.

Shame. I can't even remember her name or face.

"This is it," Yvonne said when they finally arrived in front of a rickety building with windows so dusted you couldn't see anything inside.

Penelope pulled the cloak's hood over her head, hiding her distinctive hair color, patted the dagger strapped to her thigh, and stepped forward and opened the door. A bell sound rang, and they entered.

The stark contrast from the outside was clear. The building looked like it'd fall apart any minute, but inside the shop it was well kept and clean that you wouldn't think it was the same place.

"Magic," Penelope muttered.

"An enchantment," Yvonne countered, "Cast on an object or something to keep it going. There isn't someone actively using magic here."

"You can tell?"

"Kinda?"

"If you're not planning on buying something, get out," a voice interrupted, nearly causing Penelope to jump in surprise; she hadn't sensed her.

She was a tall woman with an unhealthy complexion, short curly red hair, and dark green eyes shadowed by heavy bags.

Penelope felt a shiver run down her spine. The stranger looked too much like her for comfort.

She eventually regained her composure and said, "A bunch of assassins came here the other day and bought some explosives and a magic-purging regent. Did you make them? Sounds pretty illegal."

The woman crossed her arms and leaned on a potion shelf. "Why? Here to arrest me?"

Penelope mirrored her expression, tilting her chin down and narrowing her eyes. "I have every right to, but seeing as I was the one who got a faceful of all that, I think I deserve some answers."

That seemed to stump the woman for a moment. "So you're that 'damned wizard bitch.'"

She shrugged. "Probably."

The woman hummed. Then she turned to look straight at Yvonne's direction. "And you? You were here yesterday, did you track me down?"

Penelope felt her blood freeze as her hands grew clammy and cold. She made eye contact with Yvonne who looked equally shocked.