After leaving the shop, I quickly looked around, but there was no sign of Lyra. I pulled out my necklace and placed my thumb on a rune that represents a protector, Lyra's rune. My daughters spent weeks choosing a unique rune to represent each of us. They never told me what the rune they decided on for me meant, saying that I didn't need to know since it wouldn't be on my necklace. I never found that answer satisfying, but I decided not to push the topic.
I feel Lyra's rune slowly growing warmer. "Lyra's on her way. Let's wait," I say to Vayla. She nods and starts pacing, looking in shop windows. We were in the high-end part of the market district, bordering the noble district.
James's Jewelry was known as the best jeweler in town. What set them apart was that they did both enchanting and jewelry-making in-house, unlike similar shops, which either hired enchanters on a per-piece basis or run by enchanters who purchased jewelry to enchant.
The nobles stared at my dirty and untidy clothing with disdain. People look at my daughter with apprehension and keep their distance. They are probably trying to avoid one of my daughters, whom they call the 'Troublesome Twelve.' The nobles disapprove of their inclination to interfere in other people's affairs.
Lyra faced hostility from the city's nobles after becoming the guard's vice-captain. She took strong measures against their illegal activities, which made them hate her even more. Together with Asra, she helped the princess dismantle a huge underground slave market, which was being run by one of the three major noble clans, the Brathus family, last year.
After discovering who they sold to, many smaller noble clans fell. The Brathus family had their patriarch imprisoned, their land and finances seized, and the noble title removed. The princess wanted to exile the rest of the family, but the king allowed them to remain with their power removed.
I'm jolted out of my thoughts as Vayla exclaims, "Oof," after colliding with someone and landing on her butt. The other person, a woman with silver hair that falls to her lower back, golden eyes, and a confident smile, remains standing. She's dressed in an elegant black gown with purple highlights, wearing a large black sun hat to shield her porcelain skin from the sun. The sun hat had a pink, white, and blue striped ribbon tied around it.
As I walk over, the woman extends a hand and helps Vayla up." I'm so sorry she can get distracted sometimes and doesn't pay attention to where she's going." I say as I arrive.
"Oh, it's no problem. I saw her coming towards me and decided not to move." the woman said, smiling at me. It felt unsettling like she knew something I didn't.
"You can call me Sophia. When I saw one of Lyra's sisters here, I wanted to meet her. I wasn't expecting to meet her... parent as well, though." Sophia said.
"You know big sis! "Vayla nearly screams, looking at the woman with wonder. "She never talks about her friends."
" A bit. I've known Lyra for about a year, and we've worked on a few small projects together. I recently hired her part-time to see if she'd be fit for a position I have in mind for her." Sophia said, smiling at Vayla
Sophia continues," She talks about you and your sisters quite often. I've heard many stories about the twelve of you: The garden faerie, the one that walked into a noble wedding and eloped with the bride, and the gremlin who always finds her snacks. You have lived quite exciting lives."
She turns to me and gazes at me in a way that makes me uneasy. It's as if she sees beyond my appearance and is pleased with what she discovers. " I've heard a lot about you, August. 12 Living Blades by the age of 26, that's quite impressive. Most give the soul longer to heal." she says, staring into my eyes.
"I think that's why Lyra wanted to get me out of the workshop. I've been working on number 13 almost every day for six months, and she's just not taking form. She would show me how to shape the metal." I said, getting visibly agitated near the end.
"Be careful." Sophia cautioned, "We do not want you to make a Demon Blade accidentally, now do we."
I grimaced. Lyra was almost a Demon Blade. A Demon Blade is a Living Blade that the smith consumes their entire soul to make. Demon Blades were Among the forbidden arts like necromancy, blood, and mind magic. The last known Demon Blade was hunted down and killed 300 years ago. Since then, any smith suspected of intentionally making a Demon Blade has been arrested.
When I made Lyra, I put everything I had into her. I fell unconscious the moment I finished her. I woke up with my head on Asra's lap while she was talking to Lyra. After they agreed to help each other with something dense, Asra realized I was awake and scolded me for almost killing myself. I was banned from using the forge for a year after that.
"Are you alright?" Sophia says, snapping me back to the present. Sophia and Vayla are looking at me, concerned.
"I'm fine. Sorry for worrying you. Just got lost in my thoughts." I say, trying and failing to give a reassuring smile.
"Oh, Dad, did you and Vayla get the necklace ordered already." Lyra's voice behind me causes me to turn around." I got the things I need. Are we re---?" she freezes, staring worriedly at Sophia.
"H-Hello, Lady Sophia. I didn't expect to see you today. " Lyra says, clearly nervous, which is rare for her.
"Hello, Lyra. I was just having a little chat with these two. It was lovely finally meeting the family you talk so much about." Sophia replied, her confident smile turning into genuine happiness as she gazed deeply into Lyra's eyes.
Lyra blushes. "I was going to introduce you to them soon. I've just been busy with Dad overworking himself, all my work as vice-captain, and the new job. I haven't had much time."
"Speaking about your new job, did you get your uniform yet?" Sophia asked her, her grin turning mischievous.
Lyra's blush deepens." Y...Yes, I just got it, actually." she says, gesturing to the large bag she now carries.
"Wonderful, I can't wait to see you in it," Sophia says in an almost seductive voice as she walks closer to Lyra. She lightly cups Lyra's face with her right hand and leans it to whisper something in Lyra's left ear. They gaze into each other's eyes momentarily before Sophia breaks away.
"I'm sorry, but I have to leave now. I have a packed schedule today, and I can't afford to be late for a meeting," Sophia said as she walked away without waiting for a response.
Lyra collapses onto her knees, her face a dark crimson, and breathing heavily.
"Well then, that was definitely something. Is this something we need to talk about." I ask, dreading her saying yes.
"NO!!!!!!" lyra screams
"Alright, Alright, so where are we going next? Your plans are never so simple," I say as I help Lyra off the ground.
"Have either of you eaten anything today," Lyra asks. After Vayla and I shake our heads, she sighs and continues. " right, let's get a late lunch, then we'll go home, get you cleaned up, and have a bit of family time before you go out to dinner with Asra."
"I'm going out to dinner with Asra?" I ask, a little confused.
"Yes, she wants to talk to you about something." Lyra says, a slight smile on her face.
"Alright." I sigh before continuing, "Let's get going then." when Asra wants to talk alone, it means that something is on her mind.
It could be like when she told me she was a lesbian when we were thirteen. I didn't know what the word meant then, so she spent an hour answering all my questions. I was amazed. I couldn't understand why all women weren't lesbians. It sounded so much better than all the other options. She gave me a strange look when I told her I wished I could be a lesbian too.
Or it could be like when she tried talking to me about gender. Something about the conversation put me on edge. It was right after I made my eighth daughter, Izzy. I was consumed with worry something was wrong with me. Gender almost always matches the smiths. 1 in 100 Living Blades would be a different gender than their smith, but I had made eight women in a row. It was unprecedented for a male smith to make so many female blades. I felt like everyone was looking at me like a freak. "the smith who can't even make Living Blades of his own gender; what's wrong with him?" the thoughts I convinced myself they were thinking rang in my head constantly.
Then, Asra and I had one of our chats. It had gone well until she asked me if I wanted to be a boy or if I wanted to be a girl. I almost told her I was so close, but I ran. What I wanted was something that wasn't allowed. No one could ever know, not Asra, not my daughters.
I stop as a hand lands on my shoulder. "Dad, Vayla, and I would like to eat here. Is that alright?" Lyra looks at me with worry in her eyes.
" yeah, let's go in. Maybe getting some food will help me be less distracted, "I say, forcing a smile as I walk into the restaurant.
After leaving the shop, I quickly looked around, but there was no sign of Lyra. I pulled out my necklace and placed my thumb on a rune that represents a protector, Lyra's rune. My daughters spent weeks choosing a unique rune to represent each of us. They never told me what the rune they decided on for me meant, saying that I didn't need to know since it wouldn't be on my necklace. I never found that answer satisfying, but I decided not to push the topic.
I feel Lyra's rune slowly growing warmer. "Lyra's on her way. Let's wait," I say to Vayla. She nods and starts pacing, looking in shop windows. We were in the high-end part of the market district, bordering the noble district.
James's Jewelry was known as the best jeweler in town. What set them apart was that they did both enchanting and jewelry-making in-house, unlike similar shops, which either hired enchanters on a per-piece basis or run by enchanters who purchased jewelry to enchant.
The nobles stared at my dirty and untidy clothing with disdain. People look at my daughter with apprehension and keep their distance. They are probably trying to avoid one of my daughters, whom they call the 'Troublesome Twelve.' The nobles disapprove of their inclination to interfere in other people's affairs.
Lyra faced hostility from the city's nobles after becoming the guard's vice-captain. She took strong measures against their illegal activities, which made them hate her even more. Together with Asra, she helped the princess dismantle a huge underground slave market, which was being run by one of the three major noble clans, the Brathus family, last year.
After discovering who they sold to, many smaller noble clans fell. The Brathus family had their patriarch imprisoned, their land and finances seized, and the noble title removed. The princess wanted to exile the rest of the family, but the king allowed them to remain with their power removed.
I'm jolted out of my thoughts as Vayla exclaims, "Oof," after colliding with someone and landing on her butt. The other person, a woman with silver hair that falls to her lower back, golden eyes, and a confident smile, remains standing. She's dressed in an elegant black gown with purple highlights, wearing a large black sun hat to shield her porcelain skin from the sun. The sun hat had a pink, white, and blue striped ribbon tied around it.
As I walk over, the woman extends a hand and helps Vayla up." I'm so sorry she can get distracted sometimes and doesn't pay attention to where she's going." I say as I arrive.
"Oh, it's no problem. I saw her coming towards me and decided not to move." the woman said, smiling at me. It felt unsettling like she knew something I didn't.
"You can call me Sophia. When I saw one of Lyra's sisters here, I wanted to meet her. I wasn't expecting to meet her... parent as well, though." Sophia said.
"You know big sis! "Vayla nearly screams, looking at the woman with wonder. "She never talks about her friends."
" A bit. I've known Lyra for about a year, and we've worked on a few small projects together. I recently hired her part-time to see if she'd be fit for a position I have in mind for her." Sophia said, smiling at Vayla
Sophia continues," She talks about you and your sisters quite often. I've heard many stories about the twelve of you: The garden faerie, the one that walked into a noble wedding and eloped with the bride, and the gremlin who always finds her snacks. You have lived quite exciting lives."
She turns to me and gazes at me in a way that makes me uneasy. It's as if she sees beyond my appearance and is pleased with what she discovers. " I've heard a lot about you, August. 12 Living Blades by the age of 26, that's quite impressive. Most give the soul longer to heal." she says, staring into my eyes.
"I think that's why Lyra wanted to get me out of the workshop. I've been working on number 13 almost every day for six months, and she's just not taking form. She would show me how to shape the metal." I said, getting visibly agitated near the end.
"Be careful." Sophia cautioned, "We do not want you to make a Demon Blade accidentally, now do we."
I grimaced. Lyra was almost a Demon Blade. A Demon Blade is a Living Blade that the smith consumes their entire soul to make. Demon Blades were Among the forbidden arts like necromancy, blood, and mind magic. The last known Demon Blade was hunted down and killed 300 years ago. Since then, any smith suspected of intentionally making a Demon Blade has been arrested.
When I made Lyra, I put everything I had into her. I fell unconscious the moment I finished her. I woke up with my head on Asra's lap while she was talking to Lyra. After they agreed to help each other with something dense, Asra realized I was awake and scolded me for almost killing myself. I was banned from using the forge for a year after that.
"Are you alright?" Sophia says, snapping me back to the present. Sophia and Vayla are looking at me, concerned.
"I'm fine. Sorry for worrying you. Just got lost in my thoughts." I say, trying and failing to give a reassuring smile.
"Oh, Dad, did you and Vayla get the necklace ordered already." Lyra's voice behind me causes me to turn around." I got the things I need. Are we re---?" she freezes, staring worriedly at Sophia.
"H-Hello, Lady Sophia. I didn't expect to see you today. " Lyra says, clearly nervous, which is rare for her.
"Hello, Lyra. I was just having a little chat with these two. It was lovely finally meeting the family you talk so much about." Sophia replied, her confident smile turning into genuine happiness as she gazed deeply into Lyra's eyes.
Lyra blushes. "I was going to introduce you to them soon. I've just been busy with Dad overworking himself, all my work as vice-captain, and the new job. I haven't had much time."
"Speaking about your new job, did you get your uniform yet?" Sophia asked her, her grin turning mischievous.
Lyra's blush deepens." Y...Yes, I just got it, actually." she says, gesturing to the large bag she now carries.
"Wonderful, I can't wait to see you in it," Sophia says in an almost seductive voice as she walks closer to Lyra. She lightly cups Lyra's face with her right hand and leans it to whisper something in Lyra's left ear. They gaze into each other's eyes momentarily before Sophia breaks away.
"I'm sorry, but I have to leave now. I have a packed schedule today, and I can't afford to be late for a meeting," Sophia said as she walked away without waiting for a response.
Lyra collapses onto her knees, her face a dark crimson, and breathing heavily.
"Well then, that was definitely something. Is this something we need to talk about." I ask, dreading her saying yes.
"NO!!!!!!" lyra screams
"Alright, Alright, so where are we going next? Your plans are never so simple," I say as I help Lyra off the ground.
"Have either of you eaten anything today," Lyra asks. After Vayla and I shake our heads, she sighs and continues. " right, let's get a late lunch, then we'll go home, get you cleaned up, and have a bit of family time before you go out to dinner with Asra."
"I'm going out to dinner with Asra?" I ask, a little confused.
"Yes, she wants to talk to you about something." Lyra says, a slight smile on her face.
"Alright." I sigh before continuing, "Let's get going then." when Asra wants to talk alone, it means that something is on her mind.
It could be like when she told me she was a lesbian when we were thirteen. I didn't know what the word meant then, so she spent an hour answering all my questions. I was amazed. I couldn't understand why all women weren't lesbians. It sounded so much better than all the other options. She gave me a strange look when I told her I wished I could be a lesbian too.
Or it could be like when she tried talking to me about gender. Something about the conversation put me on edge. It was right after I made my eighth daughter, Izzy. I was consumed with worry something was wrong with me. Gender almost always matches the smiths. 1 in 100 Living Blades would be a different gender than their smith, but I had made eight women in a row. It was unprecedented for a male smith to make so many female blades. I felt like everyone was looking at me like a freak. "the smith who can't even make Living Blades of his own gender; what's wrong with him?" the thoughts I convinced myself they were thinking rang in my head constantly.
Then, Asra and I had one of our chats. It had gone well until she asked me if I wanted to be a boy or if I wanted to be a girl. I almost told her I was so close, but I ran. What I wanted was something that wasn't allowed. No one could ever know, not Asra, not my daughters.
I stop as a hand lands on my shoulder. "Dad, Vayla, and I would like to eat here. Is that alright?" Lyra looks at me with worry in her eyes.
" yeah, let's go in. Maybe getting some food will help me be less distracted, "I say, forcing a smile as I walk into the restaurant.
