A Sprinkle of Stardust

Chapter 6 - Departure

"Lyrani Esch?" The human behind the ticket window flipped through the bookings log. Her straw-coloured hair gleamed in the dim torchlight. "One-way to Yidelhorn?"

"Yes." Lyrani said in the Common Tongue. There was no other language she could use. The human woman wouldn't understand elvish, and the multitude of colourful human tongues were nothing more than enthralling but incomprehensible sounds to Lyrani.

Language had divided the realm once, keeping clans within their own borders until an enchanter who specialised in linguistics developed a tongue that everyone in the realm could share. Without it, none of Lyrani's missions would've been possible. Life wouldn't be as she knew it if all the clans kept to themselves, hoarding their skills and resources not out of spite but because they didn't know how to share them.

Not for the first time, Lyrani was glad her tutor had drummed the language into her mind, even as her reply rung out with a finality that made it sound like a death sentence.

She was at Irylen Station, taking the train to Yidelhorn that would start her on the route to Vlitavia. There was no going back once she claimed her ticket.

Lyrani took a deep breath. This wasn't just like any other mission, but it should be treated as such before she unravelled herself and the rest of the realm with her.

She was going to kill a criminal and escape without attracting any suspicion. That was all there was to it.

Lord Dundor had arranged for someone from the palace to transport Lyrani and Trelle to Vlitavia upon their arrival in Yidelhorn, a brownie city a stone's throw away from Elvenland's capital. Provided that went according to plan, the work would begin.

Lyrani pulled her cloak tighter around her as a cold wind swept through the wide station doors and up her skirt. She looked up.

If it wasn't for the flickering brightness of the torches burning on the walls and the reflection of hurrying passengers, she would be able to see the stars through the skylights.

The human tore a ticket from the roll, stamped it, then slid it through the slot in the window. "Safe travels." She smiled.

Lyrani took the ticket, bowed her head as maids did, then turned to face the bustling crowd in the station.

The restaurants overflowed with patrons enjoying meals before their trips. Others rushed for their trains while some sat on stone benches flanked by stone flowerpots housing daffodils, their voices blending into one another as they chatted with their travel companions or newfound friends.

There was comfort in the activity, in the sense that Lyrani was unseen.

Nobody had noticed her in her outdated maid's dress, looking lost with a box of pancakes in one hand, her trunk in the other and some heavy dresses draped over her shoulder.

She must be a sight, but it was for the good of the realm. At least, that was what she tried to tell herself.

The breeze pushed a lock of her straight, black hair onto her cheek. She pushed her mouth to the side to blow it away and craned her neck in search of her partner. There was no sign of Trelle.

Lyrani glanced at the ticket she held against her pancake box to check where her train was leaving from. Laden with as many things as she could carry, she plodded towards Platform 3.

A young fairy knocked her elbow as he ran past, nearly splattering her pancakes on the ground.

Lyrani took a moment to regain her grip on the precious parcel, then looked back at the laughing child as he jumped into an older fairy's arms.