Morte, the lost Heir (ONC 2024)

6. Cats on the cobblestone road

The perpetually mist-shrouded towers of Oner city were already visible in the distance. Built on a gently rising hill, the city loomed impressively above the evergreen forests dominating the landscape.

Our small group heading to the city trudged wearily along the forest path.

"You could finally tell us how you know the heir to the throne!" Dupe pressed Tobi.

"Well, it's a long story. To put it briefly, we met in our childhood. I live in Dion, where my parents had a tavern, which I inherited. The prince and his family often spent time at the Dion Castle, where we met as children. One day, I found him running in horror; he wanted to gather honey, but the bees attacked him. I threw him my coat, saving his life, so we became friends. And every year around the same time, he would come to visit. He never missed this visit; we'd fish, eat well, and reminisce about old times. That's why it's strange that he skipped it this time and didn't even send a message explaining why."

"And you thought he might be in trouble because of this?" Aura asked.

"Yes, it's been bothering me that he was much quieter last year, too; something wasn't right with him even then," Tobit replied, adjusting his heavy backpack, which was the most stuffed of all.

"We noticed that too," Keenan chimed in. "Something was weighing heavily on his soul. I felt so sorry for him that I even gave him a horse to travel more comfortably to Aden."

"Aden? You didn't mention he went there!" Tobi wanted to be more pleased with the new information. "Well, damn! That's very far; I didn't expect to have to travel half the world because of him!"

"My wife could give you more details about why he wanted to go there," Keenan continued. "I don't usually meddle in magical matters; they're too elusive. I believe in raw strength."

"And by the way, why can't dwarves enter Oner?" Aura worried. "And what will you do while we're in the city?"

"They see us as thieves there!" Tobi burst out.

Keenan began to explain a little more extensively. "It's not that simple. There used to be frequent thefts and robberies, and rumors began to spread that the dwarves were to blame. Initially, there were just frequent brawls, with the dwarves always being the targets, but to avoid these, they were eventually banned altogether. I think it's better this way; at least the dwarves won't be victims of attacks without reason."

"I argue with that because, according to generalizations, we are banned. Wouldn't it have been wiser to catch the real culprits and punish the instigators who picked on innocent dwarves? But whatever, I don't want trouble, so I won't go in. And since we know we're heading towards Aden anyway, I'd advance towards the Tower of Insolence. That's the shortest route to Aden."

"It's the shortest and the most dangerous, so think this over. If I were you, I'd avoid it," Keenan replied.

"I want to hurry because they're waiting for me at my tavern. I'm the cook and the owner. I didn't tell them I'd be away for long," Tobi stopped as they reached a crossroads. "Then I'll go right. It's already late; I assume you'll stay the night there. See you at the entrance of the tower in the morning! Hopefully, our soldier friend will show up by then."

"I'll come with you! It would be troublesome to find a suitable place in the city to transform," Dupe said, joining the dwarf.

The small group split up: the orc and the elf girl continued straight ahead, while the dwarf and the half-dragon turned right towards the imposing tower.

Oner City wasn't as friendly as Narig. As they crossed the city gate, Aura felt they were being watched. People stared at them, and it wasn't clear whether the distinctive attention was because she was an elf or if all strangers were treated like that. Keenan's cheerful smiles and greetings to acquaintances didn't help either.

Cats emerged stealthily from the alleys, sniffing curiously at the air, but they never strayed from the dim light's safety. With bristling fur, they silently glided behind Aura, their eyes glowing with ancient light. This primal gleam surfaced from the depths of their instincts, as their terrifying ancestors once hunted these fragile little elf beings in the ancient forests. However, now domesticated as household pets, they were content to follow their ancient prey from a respectable distance.

For Aura, the dirty streets were not reassuring; their footsteps ominously echoed on the cobblestone road, and when they finally reached a larger square through narrow alleys, the girl breathed a sigh of relief. But everything here was strange, too: towers, balconies, and cone-shaped roofs protruded asymmetrically into the dark fog, giving the feeling that the architect hadn't finished his work for some reason. With her head thrown back, Aura tried to figure out where the rooftops ended but eventually gave up, dizzy from guessing the shapes of the towers reaching into the darkness, and quickly followed the orc, heading towards one of the unusually colorful buildings.

Its door opened as they approached the store, and a small, black-haired girl stepped out. Hands-on hips, she waited for them to get closer.

"Do you have any idea how much I worried about you?" She seemed on the verge of exploding, and Keenan was in big trouble.

The big orc, slightly leaning down, kissed her and grumbled about not causing a scene out here. Then Keenan invited the elf girl into the shop.

Nerina listened to the story with interest as Keenan unpacked his heavy bag. "Do you remember what kind of map he was so desperately looking for?"

"Yes, I remember exactly because it still bothers me... He was looking for the path leading to the Four Sepulchers, and despite my attempts to dissuade him, he was very determined. But I don't keep such maps in the shop, so I suggested he go to Aden, where I usually restock my supplies."

"What kind of place is this Sepulcher? What could he want there?" Aura inquired, amazed at how much was crammed into the seemingly small shop from the outside.

"There's an oracle there that predicts the future, but the place is dangerous; you can't just go down there. And that's why it still bothers me. I also forgot to tell him that he won't be able to manage alone there."

They had barely chatted for a few minutes when the door opened, and Sessom stood before them. Aura was surprised that he caught up with them quickly, and Keenan was eyeing his knife.

"I know we said we'd meet at the entrance of Dragon Valley, but it turned out to be quicker for me to come here. I have contacts here, and they told me an elf girl arrived. I thought I'd check if it was you. I guess Tobi didn't come in, and Dupe?" Sessom blurted out in one breath.

"Dupe went with Tobi, and they're waiting for us at Tower of Insolence in the morning. We found out that Morte went to Aden from here. But wait. If you weren't at the agreed-upon place, is the note we left there still there? And if someone finds it, who knows you?" Aura was seriously worried.

Nerina was worried, too. "What note did you leave there?"

"We wrote that we'd meet here, in this shop..., and unfortunately, we also mentioned Sessom's name..."

Nerina and Sessom both stared at the elf girl in amazement. Keenan was more interested in his knife.

"Let me get this straight. You're being chased and leaving a trail of where you are? Moreover, our shop is the meeting place?" As small as she was, Nerina could look as angry as ever. Everyone was ready for her to explode or throw something heavy at the two new visitors.

Keenan broke the tense atmosphere: "I'll return for my knife... I mean the note. I know a shortcut through the woods, so I'll go quickly. But if someone finds it in the meantime, it's unsafe here. Everyone should go to the tower quickly; we should leave right now. And no one can know where we're going!"

It was already dark outside, which could have been advantageous for them to leave unnoticed, but Oner wasn't the kind of place where you could walk around unnoticed; with every move, they felt like vigilant eyes were watching them.