Part 20
A new day was upon them.
"Weren't we going to the Gossipers Guild? I thought you mentioned something like that?"
Cyeen shook her finger.
"No dear Zoen, I never mentioned going into the guild. Drantu is a harsh place despite its look, they would eat us alive in there. Your masks are going to come in clutch in this place. A small issue, there's only two."
Zoen nodded.
"I can probably make one in a few hours, just need tons of flowers. I want to go for something stylish for my first ever mask."
"Then you handle that. We can get you all the flowers you need. Any specific colors in mind?"
"Red maybe? I'm thinking of making it for Jess."
Cyeen turned to Jess to see if she understood.
"Got it." was the demon's response.
Cyeen and Jess quickly made their way deeper into the forest to pick any wild red flowers they could find. They searched the area for a while until the noble drew her violet scythe and pointed it towards Jess.
"Jess, do you know how to actually create those swords you call constructs?"
Jess looked unphased.
"Of course? Othawise I couldn't beaht anyon."
"Okay, so you don't know. Approach me, I'll show."
Cyeen waited for the demon to get closer before summoning a violet outline of a knife.
"Whoa, empity knif." said Jess sarcastically.
"Don't go 'woah'ing me. I bet you don't know how to create one of these. I always wondered why your swords took different times to arrive and had highly inconsistent patterns of damage. After a little brainstorm i figured you summon your swords by pure instinct."
"So wha genius? I'm zupposet to calculate or sum?"
Cyeen began regretting saying anything.
"Yeag, you have to. This 'empity knif' you see in my hand is what one would call a vessel. Solely made for pumping full of essence to maximize its speed or damage. Too much essence and it becomes a slow unstoppable force, too less essence and it becomes a weak and fragile speed demon."
Jess lifted her eyebrows.
"Waid actually?"
The demon gave it a go, seeing the difference in the swords.
"And ya were keepin this all to yarself?"
Cyeen shrugged.
"I just thought you were doing it like that on purpose."
"Why ya..!"
But Cyeen had already lost interest as eg began searching around for red flowers. Jess was left there standing feeling a little stupid. Cyeen would pay this someday for sure. The demon began looking for flowers as well.
***
"Cyee! Found it!" yelled the demon.
Cyeen quickly followed her voice, not trusting Jess's words.
The noble emerged from inside some bushes, giving Jess a scare.
"Woa there! Look, red flowerz.
They hav som thorns tho." exclaimed Jess.
The noble closely examined the flowers.
"Euphorbia Milii? Hey Jess, what happened to the white liquid it had when you cut it off?"
"Oh that, I thinkg it'z all over me hand. Why?"
"Oh my god, that's a highly poisonous flower you dumbass!"
Jess looked at her hand which was in perfect shape.
"I guezz I'm immune?"
The demon then began picking the flowers, not forgetting to collecting the thorny stems after she was done with the flowers.
"Let'z go. I thingk we got enuogh." she said.
Cyeen could only nod under the shock. While they were on their way back, the noble couldn't stop herself from stealing glances at Jess's hand which increasingly got redder.
A minute or so later they arrived back at their camp. Upon seeing the flowers, Zoen's face dropped in horror.
"Jess do you know what those are? Just drop them there so I can treat your hands."
The guy pointed at a spot far away from the camp. Jess was visibly annoyed while listening to him.
"Why does everyone have a word to say about the flower I picked out for myself! It's my mask and I want that flower." she quickly sneaked a look at her hands. "Alright so what if my handz are red. It doezn't matter!"
Zoen sighed and emptied a whole canteen of water onto her hands before throwing the empty canteen at Cyeen.
"Can you fill this up please? We'll need at least ten refills."
Cyeen did as she was told unwillingly knowing she had warned Jess and the demon hadn't listened, so it wasn't her fault. Cyeen didn't want to do it.
The noble tossed the canteen to Zoen from a distance each time she refilled it. After the twelfth refill, Zoen just stored it back into his bag. Meanwhile, the forest was being filled with swears one couldn't imagine making up.
"My hands! MY HANDZ!!"
Zoen bandaged the demon's hands with a clean cloth before calling it a day,
"Zoen com back ya lazy fuck!" yelled Jess behind his back.
Zoen shook his head in disappointment.
"That's all I can do with whatever we have on our hands. Should have thought twice before touching those flowers. And you Cyeen, why didn't you stop her? You obviously knew they were poisonous."
Cyeen pointed at herself in disbelief.
"Me? You're blaming me? It's not my fault she didn't listen to me! I'm not her mother you know?!"
Zoen was way too tired for this. He just wanted to finish the mask. I'm guessing all the sap inside the flowers is on Jess's hands. He picked the flowers up and indeed, he was right. With a tired sigh he began working with whatever was in front of him. A voice was heard from the distance.
"Do you see what you have done Jess? I got scolded just because you couldn't listen to me for a second!"
"Listen to ya? I haave never haerd anything mo' stup..."
The voices couldn't be heard anymore. He had moved far away the instant they began arguing. I thought they were cool with each other. He thought as he finished detailing the last part of the mask. The guy went back towards the camp to see Jess teaching Cyeen how to kick properly. He wasn't even surprised at that, just curious on how the argument ended.
Jess felt a finger on her back.
"Here, have your poisonous mask." said Zoen, handing her the mask.
The mask was mainly made out of the insides of a rosewood tree. It covered her face starting from on top of her eyes down to the end of her nose and was decorated with the euphorbia milii. The spiked stems were used like ropes as the thorns on the inside were removed just to be able to loop around the demon's head.
Cyeen rubbed the side of her face.
"Hey Zoen, where did you find a rosewood tree? I don't think they are supposed to grow in the same habitat as this flower."
Zoen paused.
"I found the tree about two hundred meters away. Now that you mention it yeah, it's strange."
"Halo, guys? Can ya help me put it on? I wanna move on quickky." said the demon, butting in on their conversation.
Zoen made a thumbs up before approaching her. The sensation of the spikeless stems pressing against her forehead creeped Jess a little. After he was done helping his sister, Zoen told Cyeen to put on her mask.
Now, everyone had their masks on as Zoen wore his dove themed mask.
Jess had something to say,
"We look too funy riyght now to bi honest. Too funy that we need a nayme fo' this."
Zoen lifted his hand like a student,
"Masked vigilantes?"
Jess was quick to dismiss the suggestion.
"Zoen wi ar niether ten year olds or vigilantes. Any otter sugestions?"
Cyeen raised her hand this time,
"Makeshift gang? Since you know, we really look out of place?"
Jess thought for a second, she couldn't believe she had found Cyeen's idea funny.
"Alrite, it'z fine fo now. Makeshit gang, let'z go gossip."
Cyeen's face dropped.
"Maybe we should change it after all."
***
Drantu. Finally back at this place, I wonder what's been happening ever since I left. The makeshift gang was walking along a sidewalk now. Their attempt at hiding their identity had led to them drawing way too much attention. Other than that, it was actually pretty successful.
They were lost. That was for sure. Cyeen kept turning them into corners she hasn't been in, taking routes no native even dared entered just to look knowledgeable about this duchy. She led the group with the fear of being cast aside if she wasn't useful enough.
Jess started whining,
"Can'd ya find thiz guild fazter, my handz are killin' me!"
The noble was just as ready to start whining as her left hand was stinging like hell. Only thing that held her back from whiningwas to not be lumped into the whatever Jess was categorized as.
"Just let me concentrate please? I have never been around these parts either." Cyeen calmy stated.
"Yar useless!" the demon yelled out.
Cyeen had to clench her fists to not sucker punch Jess. Zoen butted in before the situation escalated.
"You guys want to eat somewhere? I saw something mouth watering a second ago."
Jess immediately jumped at his suggestion.
"Fo sure!" she lifted her hands "Gonna need a litle help. I canot eat with me hands like thiz."
Cyeen simply preffered nodding. Now that everyone agreed to eating something, the two wouldn't be fighting amongst themselves for hours. This was a pattern Zoen managed to catch on to. Full stomachs lead to full tolerance.
***
Raven's beak, that's what this restaurant was named. It was built in front of an important figure's statue meaning it took the attention of visitors more than any other place. That very same statue had belonged to the first duchess of Drantu, Zatraion.
This restaurant wasn't only a tourist attraction, it also filled the air with the delicious smell of fresh bread each morning, luring people to come eat their breakfast here.
And this very restaurant which was usually calm and dignified was now filled with loud chewing and biting sounds. The source of the noise? A masked demon who was gobbling up whole meals like a hungry animal.
"Jess, are you sure you aren't full already?" asked a concerned looking masked guy who was feeding her.
And next to them was another masked individual, properly cutting her food into pieces before eating them. Just like how the dignified people of this restaurant usually did. A lot of people were stealing glances at the owner, begging for him to do something with their eyes.
The owner was also terribly concerned. Three masked people couldn't be a good sign. Wearing masks wasn't that common outside auctions so these three could actually be filty rich individuals, doing something about them had a possibility of leading into her head being lobbed.
The owner rubbed her eyes before going to the back, maybe her problems would be solved if she ignored it for long enough.
Cling!
The front door had been opened. A new customer perhaps. And indeed, someone had entered. An individual that was pretty interesting looking nevertheless. She didn't look native to Drantu. Maybe a foreigner, thought whoever saw her.
Hair as yellow as the golden sun, eyes as blue as the endless ocean and a grin that could kill someone. Cyeen was able to see the appearance of this person that entered the restaurant. She was a person the noble started caring more about the more she traveled with the siblings.
The voice in her head whispered in fear.
Fragen.