[WARNING! Unedited! Don't buy!]
Selis slumped on a bench near the town square, groaning.
A pair of kids skipped past, laughing. A bard nearby sang a song about heroic knights slaying darkness (he was off-key and definitely drunk). A couple argued over which brand of fertilizer worked best for roses.
Life went on.
And here was Selis. So close, yet as far as ever.
But even if the trail was cold, and even if her investigative methods were . . . not exactly subtle or successful, she wasn't the type to give up.
The second layer of the capital was where the threads began.
And if there was any truth to the rumor that Emerald Blood had been locked away, somewhere behind those pristine golden walls—then Selis would find it. No matter how long it took.
She stood up, wiped the dirt off her face, and whispered to herself, "Alright. Round two. But this time… maybe without yelling at bakers."
Somewhere in the city, the truth waited.
