A couple of hours later, we were walking down a wide road, heading from the ship to the long shoreline where hundreds of homes, shops, and warehouses loomed.

  Before we left the ship, Harrick had pulled me aside and told me I didn't owe him anything for the trip after all the help I gave, but he did make me promise to keep Sophia safe. Feeling like he'd been nothing but trustworthy, I explained our plan to the captain. The more I spoke, the more relieved he seemed. His only request was that I give the teleportation scroll to Sophia, which I agreed to. Before we parted, he told me he hoped to see me again.

  Leaving the ship, the four of us walked side-by-side down the road in the Dockside district. As we did, I couldn't help but notice the sheer size and number of the buildings. Everything here was bigger, more vibrant, and more congested than anywhere else that I'd been in Reial. Llyn made Galden look like a village in comparison.

  It wasn't just the size and scope of the city either. Everywhere I looked, something moved. Horses and a variety of other odd-looking draft creatures that I recognized from my studies pulled wagons full of everything someone could think of. Guards walked in small groups of three or four, their halberds glinting in the morning light, and adventurers wearing all manner of equipment walked from one place to the next on inscrutable tasks. Dozens of street vendors shouted and waved about their wares to anyone within earshot, and the smell of meat, bread, and fish permeated the air around us.

  I'd been to New York City once, and Llyn reminded me exactly of a medieval version of that city.

  "It's been a while since I was here. It still stinks." Vral's nose was crinkled up.

  "Speak for yourself. I think it smells fabulous!" Sophia's eyes were sparkling as she took the city in. She seemed to love it here.

  "You don't know what it's like having my nose, girlie. This city reeks of fish guts and human. Can't say I enjoy it all that much."

  Sophia laughed. "I'll admit, Dockside does have a certain smell. Maybe Highcliff will smell better for you?"

  "It better," Vral said as she eyed everyone that approached us. She'd been on alert since we left the ship.

  The little goblin walked directly beside me, while Sophia had taken Tristan's arm and was guiding the exhausted priestess along the thoroughfare, making sure to poke into the most interesting shops as she did. Her goal was to make sure Tristan was worn out before we got a carriage.

  Tristan yawned. "Is now really the time to be shopping?"

  "It can't hurt to browse, can it?" As she spoke, Sophia led Tristan to a menu hanging on the side of a restaurant. The smell of fried fish flowed out of the windows.

  Tristan sniffed loudly as she read the board. She opened her mouth to reply, but Sophia tugged on her wrist again. "Look over there!" She pointed to a jewelry shop. "Let's go look at it."

  Tristan gave me a long-suffering look as she was dragged away.

  "Poor girl. She hates being forced around like that."

  "She doesn't like being fussed over, period."

  "Yeah, but it's good for her. She can't be taking care of everyone else all the time. She needs to learn to lighten up."

  I nodded. It was true.

  As Sophia dragged Tristan toward a nearby bakery, Vral looked up at me. "When are we splitting up?"

  Sophia had told Vral the plan to split up in the ship's hold. However, Sophia and I had come up with the rest of the plan on the deck when Tristan nodded off. Now that we were inside the city and the noblewoman was playing her part expertly, it wouldn't be long now. "Soon. Sophia said we should take a carriage to Highcliff. Once she falls asleep, we'll hop out, and Sophia will take her to the grove. Hopefully, by the time she wakes up, she'll already be there."

  The goblin nodded. "That works." She frowned. "She's going to kill us, you know?"

  "Oh, it's going to be bad. I'm not looking forward to that talk."

  Vral shuddered. "We'll need to do something really nice for her to soften her up. If we're lucky, it might just make her yell a little gentler."

  "I wouldn't count on it."

  "I know."

  Tristan worried, and she always wanted to be there for us. But, in her current condition, she just couldn't. It was safer for both her and Sophia if they were protected in the grove. As the noblewoman and priestess disappeared into yet another shop, I saw Tristan yawn.

  It was time.

  I waved for the nearest carriage, a gaudy pink thing pulled by what looked like a giant squirrel, but it didn't stop.

  "Not like that. Like this." Vral waved her hand in a circular motion. At first, nothing happened.

  "Is that supposed to be different, or...?"

  "Quiet, you. I don't need your sass." She did the wave again.

  As she did, the girls emerged from a nearby storefront, carrying bags filled with what looked like pastries.

  A whistle emitted from a passing carriage. Vral said, "There we go," and looked pleased with herself.

  One of the pink carriages, painted in a color that looked shockingly similar to cooked shrimp, pulled up next to us. On its side were the words "Castaway Carriages." A man hopped off the front bench and pulled open the door. Inside, the cab smelled faintly of cedar wood, roses, and fish. "Where to, traveler?"

  "Highcliff."

  The man rubbed his chin, considering my offer. "That's a far way out. And we'll have to go up the falls. It'll be fifteen crystals. I'll drop you off near the courthouse."

  Fishing into my pocket, I pulled out my crystal pouch. Remember how Sophia had dealt with Harrick, I said, "Seven."

  "Deal." The man held out his hand.

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  I paid him, then turned to the girls. "Ready?"

  Tristan yawned. "Yeah, let's go."

  All three filtered into the wagon, and I followed. Sophia had pulled Tristan down next to her, and the priestess was already nodding off on her shoulder. The noblewoman gave me a small nod as I sat down. The driver shut the door behind me, and the cart shook as the man climbed back onto the front bench. The cart lurched, and a moment later, a small window opened in the front wall separating the passenger carriage from the driver's seat."It'll be about an hour to Highcliff, so make yourselves comfortable."

  Sure enough, after five or so minutes, Tristan was fast asleep on Sophia's shoulder. The rest of us exchanged looks, reaffirming that we all knew the plan.

  I leaned close to Vral. "Keep an eye out, 'kay?"

  "Got it, boss man."

  Nodding, I stifled a yawn, leaned back, and got a few minutes of shut-eye.

  ***

  "Hey, wake up." Vral's voice tickled my ear.

  Yawning, I opened my eyes. Tristan was still slumped against Sophia, who seemed to have nodded off as well. Reaching forward, I gently squeezed Sophia's leg. She jumped, but when she saw it was me, she simply nodded and rested her head back on Tristan's.

  "I talked to the driver, told him our plans changed."

  I stretched and stifled a yawn. "Where are we?"

  "We just went up the lift. In a few minutes, we'll be in Silvertide. That's where we're getting off."

  I reached down and took her hand in mine. Squeezing, I said, "You're the best, Vral. Thank you."

  A big smile spread across her face. "You could certainly stand to say that more often."

  "I will."

  I looked out the window. The sea was far below and sparkling in the afternoon light. However, what shocked me more was the view. To the right of us was a series of white marble towers that jutted up from the tops of the cliffs and pierced the sky. I had no idea what they were for, but they were beautiful. We rolled down a half-dozen streets before the street opened up. The smell of bread and shouts of vendors could be heard all around us.

  The carriage stopped, and a moment later, the door opened. I held my finger up to my lips. Looking over at Tristan, I took one last look at the beautiful woman. Her long black hair had fallen out of her usual ponytail sometime during the ride and framed her face. I committed the sight to memory before stepping out of the wagon. Sophia gave me a small nod before the door shut behind us.

  "Thank you. Sorry about the mix-up."

  "Not a problem. Especially with the extra pay."

  "Extra pay?" I looked down at Vral, who shuffled.

  "What? I can do nice things for my friends, too. You don't get to do all the goody-goody things all the time."

  The man, obviously not tuned into our little group's dynamics, simply nodded and asked, "Can I go?"

  "Please. Get those two to the grove safely, okay?"

  "Castaway Carriages guarantees safe passage or your money back." I could tell he'd said that line a thousand times. "Safe travels, friends." The man shook my hand, then jumped back up onto his bench. With a wave and click of his tongue, the vehicle lurched and rolled away, heading east toward the massive trees in the distance. I watched until the carriage turned down a busy road and disappeared.

  "They'll be alright, you big softy. You should be worrying more about us." Vral tugged at my hand. "Let's go."

  One job down.

  Looking back one more time, I said a silent prayer to the Goddess, then followed Vral into the market.

  Silvertide, like everywhere else in Llyn so far, was teeming with life. Hundreds of people pushed through the streets in a rush to get to wherever they were going. More than a hundred carts and wagons ambled slowly through the busy streets, and hawkers were calling out to everyone who would listen. All the sights and sounds mixed with a cacophony of smells—good, bad, and terrible—made my head spin.

  "See what I mean?" Vral asked as she guided me through a particularly dense knot of people. "It stinks here. Too many people."

  "When were you here last?"

  "Before Galden, I lived here for a couple of years. Made some crystals doing odd jobs. Lots of work to be had if you don't ask questions and you know how to keep your head down."

  I shook my head. Vral was quite the character. I was eternally grateful she chose to join up with us.

  Pushing past the crowd, we continued northwest. That was where Farvad said Elna was, but, seeing the city in person, I wasn't so sure we'd be able to find her as easily as he'd suggested. All I could do was hope it would turn out. As we walked, we passed a few guards standing at every street corner. Each carried a tower shield emblazoned with the crest of a stylized bird rising over crashing waves. I wondered if that was Sophia's crest. Or maybe it was her uncle's? I didn't exactly know how that worked here.

  We eventually made our way to the western edge of the giant market ring and walked down the busiest road. Before long, we were on a massive stone bridge. Underneath us, spaced about ten feet apart, metal grates revealed rushing water rushing about twenty feet below our feet. I realized that the entire district was built atop the bridge that spanned the eastern and western sides of the cliffs.

  After walking nearly halfway across the bridge, we came to a large square. In the center, a man-sized cage swung from a metal pole in the cool breeze. Inside the cage was a decrepit man. He was barely more than skin and bones, and his skin was blistered and cracked from exposure. The man's eyes swam in their sockets. He was clearly delirious.

  "Thieves don't get treated well in Silvertide," Vral said as she went to walk past.

  I followed, but as I did, I noticed the man's clothes. While filthy, torn, and bloody, his robes were well-made. The same symbol as the one the guards wore was emblazoned on his shirt, except instead of a bird, it was a sword cutting through the waves. "You see that?"

  "Yeah, that's the Duke's crest."

  I shook my head. "No, the guards are all wearing one with a bird on it. That one has a sword."

  "Huh. Weird." She shrugged. "Probably stole them from one of the higher-ups, got caught. That's why he's locked up."

  I wasn't so sure. Walking up to the cage, I nearly fell over from the smell. He smelled like he was rotting. Taking a deep breath, I pulled my canteen out and uncorked it. However, before I could do any more, a nearby woman shouted at me.

  "You! What are you doing? Step away from him!" A guard ran up and stepped between me and the caged man.

  "Sorry, he just seemed so pitiful."

  She shook her head. "He is. About dead now, too. Good riddance."

  I paused. That didn't seem right to me. "What'd he do to deserve this?"

  "What's it to you?" The guard's eyes narrowed.

  "He looks like a nobleman to me. I'm curious."

  The woman rolled her eyes. "He's a traitor. Got what he deserved if you ask me." She spat on the ground.

  I tried to look confused. "Sorry, we're not from here. Did something happen?"

  The woman's eyes lit up with zeal. "Some knights were paid off. Had their way with the late Duke's daughter, slit her throat, and escaped into the night. And this disgusting rat let it happen. Kept the door open for them to do the deed." She kicked the cage, which swung violently from its chain. The man's head rattled against the bars, but he hardly seemed to notice.

  "So, what is he, then? A warning?"

  She scowled. "He's a promise. He and his wife, who's strung up on the other side of the bridge, are a reminder that we don't tolerate treason here in Llyn. Anyone who aids in a conspiracy against the kingdom is punished to the full extent of the law. No exceptions. Now shove off and leave him to rot. Goddess knows he deserves it."

  I couldn't help but shudder. I knew this kind of barbarism existed in Reial, but I hadn't seen it firsthand. Taking a final look at the man, I turned and continued west. So the duke was telling people Sophia had been murdered? Thadrian's face popped into my mind. Even though I hardly knew him, the one thing I did know was that the knight loved her with all his heart. He'd been turning in his grave right now if he hadn't crumbled to dust.

  "Bastards." Vral's voice shook. She was bristling with anger. "Elida was a good woman."

  "Elida?"

  "Alitar's wife. That was the guy in the cage. I didn't recognize him until we got close."

  "Were they nobles?"

  She shook her head. "No, but they're high-ranking servants. Good people. They treated me right after I was bought by Sophia's dad. Made sure I ate enough, always spoke to me nicely. They were like a mom and dad to all us servants there."

  "I'm sorry."

  Her head turned to me. Her red eyes were practically glowing with rage. "Promise me something."

  "Anything."

  She bared her teeth. "If we get the chance, you and I are gonna kill Sophia's uncle. Promise me you'll help me tear him down. Make him regret ever being born. For Elida. For Alitar. And for Sophia. Will you do that for me?"

  You receive the quest [Down with the Duke] from Vral Tuvigh the Goblin.

  [Down with the Duke]: The duke of Arante has punished the innocent in his rise to power. Your hand could be the hand of justice.

  Do you accept this quest?

  We stood staring into one another's eyes. Heat washed over me. Her anger fed mine. "Yeah. I can do that for you."

  [Down with the Duke] accepted.