SECOND BOOK OF THE CHRONICLES OF FANTASILIA SERIES
𝘈𝘯 𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘨𝘶𝘦. 𝘈 𝘴𝘪𝘦𝘨𝘦 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘛𝘦𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘚𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘴. 𝘈 𝘥𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘫𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧.
Xanthiene Vivenca, af...
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2412 Strilaxis 17, Velpa : Jered Axilia
Depandes was a noisy city.
That fact became clear as soon as their party crossed the border to the Inventors' Capital. Hundreds of brownies made up the sea of brown flooding the cobbled roads. Some were talking with each other while some screamed into a weird, metal device in their hands. Xanthy's eyes swam among the horde, noting hammers, saws, and an occasional brass instrument known for making bellowing noises straddled by the hurrying fairies. The amount of pointed ears in this city alone was astonishing.
The roads were packed and garbled; the air was hot and sticky. Their horses could barely meet the current as throngs of brownies hurried in every known direction.
"What is with this traffic?" Xanthy called to Cyrdel who sat in another mount. There were so much screams, clanking, and whirring that Xanthy had to shout to stay above them.
The brownie shrugged. "Hasty preparations for the holiday, I'd guess," he yelled back. "There is a great craft duel happening later in the evening."
Xanthy settled back into her place behind June. What in Toreza was a "craft-duel"?
A loud honk made Xanthy jump. What the—
A four-wheeled, bronze cart strutted by, its back loaded with fresh produce. Xanthy's jaw dropped as she watched the brownie seated at the front of the cart pull different kinds of levers to make the cart move its four legs one at a time similar to how a dagrine would. A cart walking on its own? Wow. The brownie operating the cart saw Xanthy staring and he waved his hat at her. Xanthy smiled warmly at him.
June urged the horse in time to avoid another walking cart from colliding with them. They continued north, wading past bustling brownies and the noisy market. Twice, Xanthy ducked as a mechanical bird zoomed past her. Their beaks emitted a stringent cry and its gears clinked and clanked as soft whirrs filled their entire body. Both of those times, too, her face unwittingly pressed into June's cloak where she caught whiffs of its snedil fragrance.
The traffic thinned like pouring water off a basin when they reached an open square. A huge mansion of some kind stood in all its white glory in front of Xanthy. A huge arch guarded the edge of the property where tall walls spanning the entire property stemmed from.
Xanthy whirled to Cyrdel who barely batted an eyelid at the grand estate. He urged his mount forward. Panic gripped Xanthy's throat. Shouldn't it be illegal to trespass in properties? Someone clearly lived in that mansion.
Then she noticed how brownies generally strayed away from the property and how stately-dressed fairies entered it with chins held high.
Passing brownies now did a double take at Xanthy and her friends. Cyrdel, sensing the growing interest in their entourage, kicked his horse's flank and galloped faster through the shining building.
