Hi, My Name Is Elysia

Yuri woke to the smell of bread baking.

For a moment she lay still, staring up at the wood beams above her, trying to remember where she was. The last thing she recalled was blood, water, the wolves, and then….darkness. She sat up quickly, eyes darting around. The small room was empty. The bed across from her was made neatly, blankets folded. Baro and Keito weren’t there.

Panic for some reason began to rise until a knock rattled the door.

“You awake yet?” Baro’s voice came from the other end. “C’mon down before Keito eats everything.”

Her shoulders loosened. She slipped off the bed and smoothed down the clothes she was wearing. The floorboards creaked under her bare feet as she opened the door. The hallway led her down into the tavern below. Warmth wrapped around her the moment she stepped inside. The smell of roasted meat, the crackle of firewood, the buzz of quiet morning chatter from people she had never seen before.

Behind the counter stood a woman with cherry-red hair pulled back in a bun, cheeks flushed from the heat of the kitchen. She was heavier set, her apron straining across her middle, but her smile lit up the room. Her green eyes softened as she looked Yuri over.

“Well, there’s the little lamb,” the woman said. “Up and about already. You gave us a fright last night.”

Yuri’s lips parted, but no words came.

The woman came closer, brushing flour from her hands. “You’re prettier in the light,” she said warmly. “That white hair suits you. And those eyes look like jewels.”

Heat rose in Yuri’s cheeks. Compliments were foreign to her. She gave a small, stiff nod.

“What’s your name, dear?” the woman asked, tilting her head.

Baro and Keito had appeared from the far side of the tavern, bowls in hand, listening quietly. Their eyes settled on her, waiting.

Yuri froze.

The question twisted in her mind. She saw flashes of light…her father’s cold eyes, her brothers’ mocking smiles, the weight of her old name brought only sadness. Yuri Hyemi…. The girl who had been ignored, tormented, and unloved.

Her throat tightened. She didn’t want to carry that name here.

Not anymore.

“Elysia,” she whispered, the word strange but freeing on her tongue. Her heart raced. “My name is Elysia.”

Baro smirked. “Fancy. Guess we should’ve expected something dramatic.”

Keito’s gaze softened, and he gave a small nod, as if he understood.

The tavernkeeper clapped her hands together. “Elysia it is, then! My name is Rutha.” She guided her to a table and sat her down. “I’ll be right back with something for ya..”

Moments later, Rutha returned, balancing a tray with one hand.

“There we go,” she said, lowering it with a soft grunt. “Eat up while it’s hot.”

Elysia stared.

The tray looked like something out of a painting.

Thick slices of bread still steaming, golden crust shining where butter melted into the cracks. A mound of eggs, yellow and fluffy, sprinkled with fresh green herbs that released their scent into her nose. A cut of ham, edges crisped and brown, juices sliding across the plate. A bowl of berries…blue, red, and purple… on top there was sugar dusted so they glistened in the morning light. And to finish… a clay cup of tea, steam moving upward with the faint smell of honey.

Her stomach growled loud enough that Baro barked a laugh.

Rutha only chuckled. “Go on, dear. You won’t insult me by eating too fast.”

Elysia tore into the bread first. The crust cracked under her fingers, the inside soft and warm against her tongue. The butter melted instantly, rich and smooth. She nearly groaned in happiness. The eggs followed, light and airy, almost dissolving in her mouth. Then the ham, salty and not chewy, it was so tasty… enough to make her eyes widen. She ate faster than she meant to, cheeks blushing as she caught Baro smirking at her.

“Careful,” he teased, leaning back in his chair. “Food’s not gonna run away.”

Keito gave him a stern look, then told her softly, “There’s plenty. Eat as much as you need.”

Around them the tavern hummed with life. A pair of old men muttered in the corner over mugs of ale. A young woman laughed quietly at something her partner said near the window. Rutha hummed as she kneaded dough behind the counter, glancing back at Elysia with a smile now and then.

Baro leaned forward on his elbows, watching her. His grin was more playful than sharp now. “So, Elysia… where exactly did you come from?”

Her smile faded. The question was simple, but it hit harder for her. For a moment she saw the cliff, then the water. She forced her face to stay neutral, though her fingers curled tight in her lap. “Far away,” she said carefully.

Baro’s grin lingered, but he didn’t press. Keito studied her for a long moment before nodding. “Fair enough.”

Baro pushed back from the table. “Then let us be the gentlemen who give you the grand tour of Rynhaven.”

Elysia hesitated, then nodded.

The three of them stepped out into the streets, the morning sun spilling across cobbled roads. Merchants shouted over one another in the marketplace, waving bright fabrics, skewers of grilled meat, and pretty trinkets. Children chased each other past fountains where stone statues poured streams of water into basins.

Elysia turned in every direction, wide-eyed. “It’s so alive…” she murmured.

Baro laughed. “That’s Rynhaven for you. Loud, and quite messy, but you’ll never be bored.”

Keito pointed toward the harbor where tall ships bobbed on the waves. “Trade keeps the city breathing. Spices from the south, steel from the mountains, silks from the east. But it’s not just goods that pass through. Stories, songs, even magic… it all flows through here.”

Elysia tilted her head. “Magic?”

Baro snorted. “She says it like she’s never heard the word.”

Keito ignored him. His gaze was calm as he turned to her. “You don’t know? It’s what you used when we fought the wolves back in the forest. The world of Tara itself is shaped by it.”

He slowed his pace, eyes drifting toward the sun above. “Long ago, there was only silence. The skies were dark, and the land was empty. Then the “Sunder” came. A star from beyond broke from the heavens, scattering pieces of itself across Tara. Wherever the shards fell, the world changed. The seas boiled with light. Forests bloomed overnight. And the air itself began to hum with power. That power spread into the veins of every living thing.”

Elysia stopped in her tracks, staring. “So magic… came from the sky?”

Keito nodded. “Beasts grew stronger. People learned to call on it. And some races, like the elves were touched deeper than others.”

The word caught in her throat. “Elves?”

He looked at her, gaze steady. “You haven’t noticed? The ears. Your hair. You’re not human. You’re one of them.”

Her hand lifted to her ear slowly, fingers brushing the pointed tip she had tried not to think about. Her breath caught.

Baro grinned at her stunned expression. “Congratulations. You just found out you’re a lot rarer than you thought. Man it’s like you were born yesterday or somethin.”

Keito’s tone was gentler. “Elves carry the closest connection to the Source…For them, magic is instinct. For humans and others, it takes study, training, sometimes even bloodlines to master. But for elves…” He glanced at her gem. “It breathes through you.”

“Oi.”

Baro’s voice cut through her thoughts. He slowed his stride and stared at her feet. His brows lifted. “You’re barefoot.”

Elysia froze mid-step. Her toes were blackened with dirt and dust from the road. She curled them against the stone instinctively. Keito’s eyes softened. “You don’t have shoes?”

Heat rushed to her face. She shook her head, suddenly embarrassed.

Baro let out a sharp laugh and slapped his axe against his shoulder. “No wonder you look like you’re walking on nails. C’mon, first stop’s the cobbler.”

Before she could protest, he was already leading the way.

The shoe shop was tucked between a spice stall and a weaver’s stand, the scent of leather rolling out the door. Inside, the walls were stacked high with boots of every shape and size, from slim sandals to heavy traveling gear. An old man hunched behind the counter, his fingers stained from years of work. He glanced up, his eyes flicking from Baro to Keito to Elysia. His gaze lingered on her white hair, then dropped to her bare feet.

“Another stray, eh?” he grumbled, though his tone held no bite. “Sit.”

Elysia obeyed, sliding onto a low bench. The man shuffled over, muttering about “children who don’t know how to care for their feet,” and began measuring.

Baro leaned against the wall, grinning. “See? Already looking less like a lost girl.”

Elysia shot him a glare, but her cheeks blushed anyway.

When the cobbler returned, he handed her a pair of simple boots. Soft leather, sturdy soles. She slipped them on, wiggling her toes against the padding.

“Better?” Keito asked.

She nodded, quiet. “Thank you.”

Once they were outside again, the noise of the market filling their ears, Baro stretched his arms over his head. “Guess we should make this formal. Name’s Baro.” He swung the axe off his shoulder and let the blade rest against the ground. “Mercenary. Best you’ll ever meet. And the only one with the guts to save you last night.”

Elysia raised a brow. “You nearly got eaten.”

His grin widened. “Nearly. Didn’t, though.”

Keito sighed but didn’t argue. He placed a hand over his chest, bowing slightly. “Keito Azumi. Knight of the Silver Wardens. I’m sworn to protect the people of this land. That includes you now.”

The difference between them was funny, Baro’s cocky attitude and Keito’s calming presence were vastly different but somehow, it fit.

Elysia looked from Baro to Keito. “How… did you two even meet?”

Baro laughed loud enough to turn heads. “Finally! She asked. Thought you’d never be curious.”

Keito rubbed the bridge of his nose. “Don’t encourage him.”

But Baro was already grinning, axe resting against his shoulder. “Picture this: I’m knee-deep in a brawl at a tavern three cities over. Some idiot mercs thought they could cheat me out of coin. Tables flying, mugs shattering, you know… normal night.”

Elysia blinked. “Normal?”

He winked. “For me.”

Keito cut in smoothly. “What he’s not saying is that he started it. He smashed the first mug on one of their heads.”

Baro let out a laugh. “Yeah, but only because they deserved it. Anyway, right when things got good, this guy…” he jerked his thumb at Keito, "… walks in, all polished armor and perfect hair, like he’s about to give a sermon. Starts demanding everyone ‘stand down in the name of the Silver Wardens.’”

Elysia’s lips twitched. “And did they?”

Baro leaned in. “Not even close. Place went wild. Chairs, fists, a damn chandelier. But Keito…oh, he fought like he was born in the middle of a battlefield. Still had the nerve to glare at me while blocking a table someone threw at his head.”

Keito sighed, though the corner of his mouth Elysia saw the faintest smile. “And Baro saved me from a blade I didn’t see coming. That’s how the fight ended, both of us standing back-to-back, covered in ale and blood.”

Elysia blinked, then laughed despite herself. “That’s… ridiculous.”

“Ridiculously cool,” Baro corrected, smirking. “Been stuck with him ever since.”

Keito shook his head, but didn’t argue.

They turned down a quieter street, the noise of the market fading. Ahead stood a tall stone building with banners flapping from its roof green cloth marked with a golden crest shaped like a flame and a sword. The sound of clashing weapons and shouting voices drifted out from inside.

Keito gestured toward it. “The Adventurer’s Guild. If you want permanent housing, you’ll need to register. It’s the simplest way for newcomers to gain rights in the city. A roof, work, protection.”

Baro grinned. “And maybe some coin if you’re not half bad with that water trick of yours.”