Ilana waved a wing goodbye as they parted ways. Kat was in a good mood, from what Ann could see. The woman had a bounce in her step that made her ears bounce slightly, and Ann was having a great time just watching the simple motion.

They’d headed out the front gates, guards in their shining armour saluting as they went. Once outside, Kat stretched, feeling the freedom that came from being outside the palace, and away from most people who’d recognise her.

“So, where to first?” she asked.

“Fuck if I know,” Ann shrugged. “You’re the one who grew up here. Market? Maybe somewhere fun to hang out? You have to know something fun to do around here.”

“Katlyn, let us start with the Marble Market. That would be a wonderful place to visit and see some of the things you can obtain here,” Bren suggested. “I need to pick up a new journal, as well, and I am sure we will find some other things to pick up.”

“That’s a good start, aye. Got an idea fer fun, fer later, but it’d probably only be fun fer me an’ Ann. Hmm, there’re some stables out toward the edge o’ the cavern. Might be some exotic beasties tae see fer ye, little lamb.” Kat reached down and pulled Rosalyn close for a hug. Rosalyn, in turn, wrapped one of her arms around Kat’s waist.

It was funny. Ann and Kat practically manhandled the Druid between them, showing their affection, and she had never complained. Ann was starting to think the smaller woman liked the treatment, but kept that to herself. It would be more fun to use that information later.

“So, the bookshop, go to the stables, then whatever the hells Kat has in mind?” Ann asked, confirming their plans.

“Sounds like a good plan to me,” Rosalyn said, pushing a horn into Kat’s side.

Ann felt a twinge of jealousy. Rosalyn could do that to Kat and the Protector barely even felt it, while it’d painfully jab Ann. She wanted hugs like that too, damnit.

Looking around, Ann realised she’d fallen behind the group as they’d set off, and hurried to catch up.

The city moved around them. Multi-story buildings prevented them from getting a good view from here, but they’d seen plenty from their vantage point during their lunch break. The inner city was separated into a few districts. First, the palace, which was set into the stone wall of the massive cavern itself. Just outside was the noble district, with its towering buildings and rich architecture. Stone and glass comprised almost all of the buildings here, with decorative carvings adorning the arches. Ann noticed as they passed that each house bore a symbol in stained glass set into their front door.

When asked, Bren explained. “The symbols of each family. Since our culture marks our citizens by mana signature as well as the family sigil on our badges, the noble houses take great pride in displaying their heraldry.” ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ N0veI.Fiɾe.net

“So your parents have one too?” Ann asked.

“Yes. Same materials and colours as that one, actually,” Bren said, pointing at a sigil. It was red and blue glass, with the depiction of a fire, and a deer striding through it.

“Kinda gaudy, right?” Ann asked, still not used to this kind of wealth being so outwardly displayed.

“Yeah,” Rosalyn agreed. “We just have the old crest great, great grandpa got us. It’s wood and we have it up on the mantle.”

“Most have their originals cast in precious metals,” Bren continued. “Silvers, golds, other metals special to their family if they come from a background of ore manufacturing.”

“Wonder what I should make mine?” Ann wondered out loud to herself. It was a bit of a strange thought, now that she paid attention to it. Making something like that would mean cementing herself in this time. Admitting that this was home. Not really like she had much choice in the matter, but it seemed formal.

“I would not worry about it for some time. It is usually something that is made when two people are wed,” Bren explained flatly.

Ah. Colour flooded her cheeks. So if she and Kat were to ever… no. Nope, putting that thought away, too. She glanced over at Kat, who winked at her. The hell was she supposed to think about that? She was definitely just teasing that time.

Annita forced herself to escape that train of thought by focusing on the architecture. She’d wanted to get a good look at all of this since she was first told about the capital. Studying to make background art had given her a passing familiarity with certain styles. Most of the buildings were gothic, festooned with columns, arches, and decorative inlays. The building they were passing by even had a few flying buttresses. She giggled to herself. I’m five, she thought.

Gardens surrounded the building to their right. Lush trees rose above waist-high hedges, which wound throughout the place. Glowing green moss was growing, forming a path through the gardens.

“How do they keep all these things growing?” she asked. She couldn’t see any sunlight, but everything was well lit.

“Oh, I can actually answer that one,” Rosalyn said. “Never been here, but I heard a merchant talking about it once. Apparently, they have these focusing lenses they use to bring in sunlight. You can see a couple of the mirrors up there, and there,” she pointed to bright points hidden up among the stalactites. “Those redirect the light down on the city, keeping things alive and growing. Also gives the place a natural day and night cycle, so it’s not this dreary artificial light all the time.”

“Spot on,” Bren affirmed. “The lenses are higher up on the mountain, and select few artificers have access to them. We may be able to make the trip with Kat’s authority, if you would like.”

“No, I think I’m fine on that one,” Rosalyn shrugged. “It’s neat how it works, but the lens itself doesn’t interest me.”

“I guess I shall keep that interest for myself,” Bren sighed.

“Hey, I’m interested,” Ann piped up, putting a comforting hand on Bren’s shoulder. “C’mon, lambchop, it’ll be neat. Think about how far you could see from up there. There have to be some mountain animals up there you could check out.”

“Hm, yeah, guess you’re right.” Rosalyn looked contemplative for a moment, puffing out her already chubby cheeks, before nodding. “Ok, let’s do it then. Some other day, though. Plenty of stuff to keep us busy for now.”

“Like the market,” Kat reminded them. “Look, out tha’ gate.”

Through the gate at the perimeter of the noble district, they entered a starkly different area. Most buildings were either shaped from smooth granite, limestone, and other materials. The Marble Market truly fit its description. Buildings shifted from greys and the occasional red sandstone to glistening white marble, broken up by the occasional black marble. The streets, unlike the buildings, were of a traditional stone. The place was also meticulously cleaned, from what Ann could tell. Walls glistened, and as she trailed a hand across the facade of a shop they walked past, her fingers came back clean.

“This place is too rich for my blood,” Rosalyn winced, looking at the windows they passed.

“You and me both,” Ann agreed.

The shops were all incredibly wealthy. Boutiques, or other high-end business of all sorts, from artists, clothing, scribes and more. Dotted every couple blocks were cafes and restaurants. Every few feet, an iron light pole shaped like a vine growing around a tree branch broke up the path, giving the already shining area a mystical light.

The people were also spotless. Ladies walked by in dresses that flared from their waists, lined with thick petticoats. It seemed that old fashioned, even by Ann’s measure, dress work was back in vogue. They carried parasols, despite the complete lack of natural sun, and Ann saw a few wearing hats. Wide brimmed, decorated with flowers, and sparkling with jewels seemed to be the trend at the moment.

Men strode by, dressed in freshly pressed doublets of all colours. Brass buttons sparkled up their chests, and most she saw had a round metallic crest pinned above their hearts. Looking closer, Ann saw that these were family crests. Shoes varied from polished boots to the more foppish flats accompanied by stockings she was familiar with in French fashion.

Hair, she noticed, did not seem to follow any trends. With Vulhardrin thrown into the mix, it seemed that anyone was free to grow their hair out, or keep it short as they saw fit. Ladies wore long, intricate braids, much like Kat’s, while others let it flow free and natural. She saw a woman walking proudly along with her Avian husband, a few feathers that matched his plumage securely tucked into her locks.

“That’s too fucking cute,” Ann mumbled, trying not to stare at the couple.

“Hm? Oh my gods,” Kat gasped as she spied the pair. “Ye’re right. Feck, I never woulda thought o’ tha’.”

“Shame I don’t have feathers,” Ann teased, elbowing her girlfriend. “Maybe we can make us something with Rosalyn’s wool.”

“It’s not like that,” Rosalyn warned, headbutting her side gently, still holding on to Kat for safety. “Won’t do you good for clothing or anything like that.”

“Maybe something small, then. A little decoration to remember you by,” Ann continued, having fun teasing the Druid.

“Only if I get some of your fur,” Rosalyn grumbled, looking away.

“You can have all you want, lambchop. So, Bren, you wanted some books, right?”

“Correct. My usual boutique is around the corner here. Barner’s Books. Right next to Noble’s Fashion Emporium. One of the best places to buy parchment, ink, and any… why are you laughing?” he asked, placing his hands on his hips as he watched Annita double over.

“Oh, no, it’s nothing,” she wheezed. “Back in my time, there was a book store called Barnes and Noble. It was a chain from the country next to mine. Just really funny coincidence is all,” Ann explained. She wiped her eye, standing back up. “So, is it all just stuff for writing, or do they have books there too?”

“Mostly writing. There should be a selection to browse, however. Nothing I ever found particularly interesting. You, however, might,” Bren shrugged, his robes fluttering with the motion.

The facade of the store was mostly glass windows, with bright white lights illuminating a series of floating shelves within. Open books floated to and fro, fluttering like birds in a cage, occasionally landing open to a random page. Ann had a flashback to movies she’d seen and decided this was way more magical.

A bell rang as Bren pushed the door open, robes whispering across smooth marble. The interior was about the same as the exterior. The entire place was brightly lit, floor to ceiling, by light crystals embedded in the walls and ceiling. Walking further in, Ann saw that even the floor had a few embedded. To the left and right were four rows of long wooden desks, arrayed with stacks of papers, ink, quills, reams of parchment, and weights to hold the paper down. Several men and women were busy either inspecting products or testing their quality at these tables. As she watched, she picked out several employees in suits assisting a few of the patrons, speaking in hushed tones as their hands glided over parchment, or deftly demonstrated the quality of ink.

Bookshelves lined the walls from floor to ceiling. Rich, dark wood made up the shelves, stocked with all manner of journals, papers, inks, paints, and several devices Ann wasn’t familiar with.

At the back, a desk sat with two employees, assisting customers with their final purchases. Even with the brightly lit room, they had simple desk lamps, along with ledges they scribbled their notes on.

Bren, taking the lead, made his way to a wall and picked out several journals. One was leather bound, the other a hard composite paper, and the last seemed like it was bound with stone. Hefting his selections, he made his way to one of the tables and sat at a bench. Without prompting, an employee appeared immediately.

“Welcome back, master Hedera,” the man greeted him warmly. “Here for another of your journals? Has the ink we sold you last time held up to the road?”

“Yes, quite,” Bren replied. He opened the stone bound journal, its cover clicking as it rested on the table. Humming, he flipped through the pages, taking note of something Ann couldn’t see.

“Ah, shalebound. An interesting selection. Our shop recently began carrying them. Supposedly, the practice is Grrn in origin. The pages are bound by traditional leather binding, but the cover is shaped from shale. Not by hand, mind. Stone shapers are required to give the covers their shape, but also reinforce the shale so it does not flake while retaining the lightweight of the stone.”

Bren nodded, closing the tome and reaching for the leather and composite journals.

The girls stood around, not really too interested in what was going on. The tidbit about the book covers being made by magic was interesting to Ann, but they quickly got into the details of the creation that bored her. She wandered off, looking through the shelves. Like Bren warned her, pretty much everything was blank and meant for writing on, rather than containing writing. There were a few display pieces of books using the company’s materials, and she picked through them at her leisure.

Most of it was dry. Writing detailing merchant movements throughout the kingdom, logs of philosophers, and other histories. A woman came up behind her, tapping politely on her upper back. Looking down, she saw a smaller human, brown hair done up in a tight bun dressed in a sharp looking vest and trousers.

“May I help you with anything, miss?” she asked.

“Just browsing. My friend over there is taking his time choosing his journal, so I figured I might read something.”

“Well, as you can see, we don’t carry many books. These are all display pieces and are off limits for casual reading. I do have some personal books I might be able to provide, if you are willing.”

“Yeah, sure, what’s the harm? What’ve you got?”

“Well, several. An adventure novel of a brave Bultrong taking on a Seed alone. Another is a romance. It is short, but sweet. The women it features are fantastic together.”

Ann stopped her there. “Yeah, I’ll take that.”

The woman nodded, scurrying off before returning with a thin book clasped in her hands. “It’s one of my favourites. A quick read, so you’ll have time.”

Turning it over, Ann read the back. “Scales and skin. Love between a Reptilia and Inlon heats up. Can they make up for their differences and find desire in each other?” Grinning, she held up the book. “Thanks. I’ll give it back in a few.”

“Of course, miss,” the woman said, giving her a slight bow before moving on to another customer.

Ann cracked the cover and began to leaf through the pages as she leaned up against the wall.

“What’re ye readin’?” Kat asked, startling her.

“Something one of the employees gave me to help pass the time. Seems like some kind of smutty little short novel. Snake lady and an Inlon. Pretty steamy so far.”

Kat leaned in, looking over the pages. “Oh, wow. Ye were undersellin’ tha’. Wait, two? How the feck does she handle, oh!”

“I can’t believe she just handed me porn,” Ann muttered, turning the page to a detailed description of the partners fucking passionately. The Reptilia had some creative uses for her tail that the Inlon seemed to be loving. Both women were blushing heavily by the time they finished reading, and Ann snapped the book shut. “I… god damn, that’s hot,” Ann whispered, trying to rid herself of the boner she was currently sporting.

Kat was flushed, and not much better than she was. “Bettin’ Rosalyn’d enjoy that too,” she replied quietly. “Where is our little lamb?”

They looked around and found her sitting on a stool by one of the tables, an elderly gentleman in the employee uniform speaking with her. They were going over journals of a similar sort to Bren’s.

“Guess our magic users are both the types to write stuff down, huh?” Ann commented.

“Aye, guess we picked up some smarts tae counterbalance some o’ our, er, tendencies,” Kat chuckled.

“We’re plenty smart. Just in different ways,” Ann replied, defending the two of them. “You’re damn good at figuring out fights. Hells, we both are. Despite your hatred for it, you know a good amount of politics, too.”

“Feck, I hate tha’ ye’re right,” Kat grumbled. “An’ ye’re damn good at figurin’ people out. How fast were ye ready tae trust Rosalyn? An’ don’ tell me it was completely cause she was adorable. Think the only people I’ve seen rankle ye ‘ave been Rowena an’ Arthur, an’ they did tha’ tae themselves.”

“Being friendly isn’t really that big a deal,” Ann deflected. “Just putting on a smile and trusting people is easy enough.”

“Nah, ye see ‘em for who they are. Even Rowena. Ye said she overstepped, aye. I was ready tae just tell ‘er tae feck off. Ye still see somethin’ tha’ can be worked with. Better than me, that’s fer sure.”

“Love you too, darling,” Ann purred. She leant over and kissed the side of Kat’s head, then wrapped an arm around her waist as they watched their scholarly companions.

After a few more minutes, both pairs made their choices and ushered to the counter. A quick exchange of coin and they rejoined the pair by the bookshelves. Rosalyn was practically glowing with pride as she leafed through her blank journal.

“Happy?” Ann asked her girlfriend. She set the lurid novel down on the shelf behind her.

“More than,” Rosalyn giggled. The Druid sidled up to her Lupine lover, displaying her haul. “We never really had much for books or things to write with. I made do with what the previous resident left behind and memorised everything I could. Kinda got really used to storing everything in my head. It’ll be so nice to be able to just put it to paper instead. Oh, and that lovely gentleman helped me with some charcoal that’s good for the road and how we live, so no worries on things breaking, getting ruined. It’s so cool!”

“So,” Bren huffed, shifting his bag from one shoulder to the other. “Where to next?”