10

  Hours passed, and it was now late afternoon. The day was coming to an end, and Eisenburg was no farther than a few steps away. Unlike the Pale, Eisenburg was different. During the seasons, it had autumn-colored trees throughout the year that sparked fire leaves that burned brightly. The town held a population of less than a thousand.

  The buildings were old yet remained strong throughout the centuries they stood. Orange lamps were being lit up as Omar walked the small trail path into the town. A bridge connected two sides of Eisenburg. One towards the market area, where travelers usually stayed, and the residential side for its townsfolk. Omar glanced at the flowing river that went on across the town. His face flushed encaptured by the beauty of the autumn towns aesthetic.

  The market was as busy as ever. Hundreds of travelers were in town, shopping for a variety of goods, from medicines for the sick, to gear for a group of adventurer’s next quest. Eisenburg had it all. It was the established bridge between everything in the Pale.

  Omar closed his eyes and sniffed the air. He smiled peacefully. “Smells like cinnamon. Just like Maeve said.”

  “Sir.” A small white elf child horseback halted Omar, making his horse neigh in frustration. Pulling the reins, the horse calmed down and gave an agitated huff. “Can you spare a divis to invest in archery for the elves?” the child begged.

  Omar reached for his pocket and flipped two silver divis coins to the child. He winked. “Don’t miss,” Omar joked, as the kid smiled happily at Omar.

  As he continued through town, he heard a Spaniard causing a fuss with one of the vendors. “What? Twenty-five for this? For this drink? What do you take me for, a fool?!” Omar turned his head to notice a tan shirtless man cussing out one the vendor who sold him the drink. The man had tattoos covering his body, and he wore a neat bun. Upon his side, he carried three pistols strapped tightly to his upper thigh. He clenched his fists, burning a coiled flame.

  “Niko… control yourself,” a silver-haired woman begged him to stop.

  “No, listen, Rhea. He says twenty-five for this wine, correct?” The woman nodded. “But listen. When I want to trade for another pistol, it’s a hundred divis. So, what he is saying is, if I go get four bottles from the carriage, I can trade it for the pistol, right?”

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  “That isn’t courtesy for trading, sir.” the poor white elf vendor mumbled.

  “What is it then? Either you are undervaluing the pistol or over-selling the wine!” the man screeched.

  Omar tried to walk away from the scuffle, but a hand brushed against his horse, stopping him from going anywhere.

  “That guy is something, to say the least.” Malakai laughed. “But he is my best friend.”

  “Fancy seeing you here!” Omar hopped off the horse to shake his brother’s hand. “Thought you would be gone by now after the two of us escaped the capital.”

  “Hanging around for now. I’m hoping you’ll come with us. We sail for the Prime Lands, so it will be about a year-long journey,” Malakai emphasized. “Not leaving till I hear what your plans are.” He noticed the letters. “I see he has you doing his biddings already.”

  “Come now, brother.” Omar sighed. “Besides, I have thought about it, and–”

  “Who’s the handsome devil, Mal?” The silver-hair woman walked up and hugged Malakai’s side. “He almost beats you in looks.”

  Malakai sighed. “We’ll finish this later, little brother,” he muttered. He turned to Rhea and his friend Niko who came over with a bottle of wine, but his forearm was lit with flames. “Niko. Rhea. This is Omar, my little brother. He’s the one who lied about being me to join the King’s guardsmen.”

  The two of their eyes widened in dismay. They turned to each other in a panic, which was soon followed by intense laughter. “This is him?” Niko asked. He offered his flameless hand to Omar. “Niko Martinez, Captain of El Conquistador.”

  “Pleasure.” Omar accepted his hand. He jolted back in shock when Niko’s once bare arm erupted in flames; however, they didn’t burn Omar. The fire felt cold to the touch, with an almost gel-like texture.

  “Rhea Phizer. Believe you met my adopted family. I’ve heard you’ve grown especially fond of my sister…” She winked.

  “Wait. Your Luna’s… I mean King Phizer’s daughter?” Omar backed away in shock. An epidemy of disgust fell deep into his stomach.

  “Adopted.” Malakai laughed. “She stayed with the Phizer’s for years. She may as well have been one, but she does not like to claim the Phizer name. She is just toying with you. Right?” He looked back at her.

  “Yeah, I go by the last name Silva now. Rhea Silva. I would rather not be affiliated with that King in any way whatsoever.” She rolled her eyes.

  “Anyways, we’ll be here for another week, Omar. Stop by, and we can talk about our next adventure if you’re interested,” Malakai said.

  “I can make time now,” Omar responded. “These letters can wait.”

  Malakai smiled, tapping Martinez on the shoulder. “Then let’s grab a drink. Martinez said he is paying!” Niko shot a look at Malakai, flames shooting up his arms once more. Malakai gave him a mischievous grin as Rhea did her best to calm the tattooed man. Chuckling to himself, Malakai put an arm around Omar, as they walked into a small tavern.