Mirefield

Eleanor and I returned home the following night. At the sound of our carriage, everyone in the village came rushing out like a swollen river, their faces the brightest I’ve ever seen.

“Verity! Verity! We heard the news!” hollered Rebecca, one of the village girls. “You won, you won! Come celebrate with us; we have a big feast for you!”

“A feast!? For me!?”

“You heard her, Veri; let’s not skip such a generous offer!” Eleanor chimed in, patting my shoulder.

“If you all insist… Though don’t call me Veri in public!”

Nestled in the heart of town square was a celebration fit for a royal wedding. Included in the festivities were roasted boar, community vegetables, and a selection of exotic ingredients, many of which I’ve only seen back at the capital. Chief among the dishes was a whole razor catfish, some twenty feet long.

Aside from the food, there was a variety of goods for sale and games available, none of which I was fond of. Of course, Eleanor pressured me to participate. We ended up playing a shooting game with toy bows for an hour. In the end, Eleanor won and asked for another round, but I declined, having had nothing to eat since yesterday.

Before we could begin eating, however, I was bombarded with tokens and gifts, then asked to give a speech. It was a disaster, to say the least.

“Would you like to try again?” Eleanor asked as she prepared my plate.

“Try again? You know these things aren’t my speciality.”

“Very well, but at least eat up. You’ve been skimping on the portions lately.”

An overwhelming pile of food covered my plate. “Eleanor! This is far too much! I thought we went over this already!”

“Can’t hurt to try again, can it?”

Refusing to budge, I divided my portion to a bare minimum before transferring the rest to Eleanor. She reluctantly accepted her plate and ate with the village’s children while singing to the tune of live music. I strained my ear to listen in, only to be interrupted by one of the chief’s aides.

“Lady Verity, Chief Roland has requested a personal meeting with you. Can you please allow me to escort you?”

“What for?” I replied, eyeing the messenger.

“Sorry, but I haven’t been informed. My orders are to escort you and only you. I apologize for the inconvenience.”

“Only me? What about my servant?” Can she come with me?”

“No, she can not.”

Ugh…

I beckoned to Eleanor and informed her of the request, hoping that she would advocate for staying with me. On the contrary, she encouraged me to go alone, leaving me to fend for myself. Guess there’s no other choice.

Due to the celebration, we had to take a detour via the sewers of all places. Although the stench was as horrific as I imagined, the guide kept focus on the path ahead, never missing a beat as we navigated the maze. Fifteen minutes later, we arrived at a dead end with a ladder leading up into a cellar. A lone guard armed with a poleaxe greeted us.

“Is this whatcha’ call her name, ‘Lady Variety’?” the guard asked, spitting in my face as he examined me with a lantern.

Gross!

“This is indeed her, but her name is not—”

“Lady Variety! Boy, you look a lot different up close. Wait, can you show me a trick with your staff? It’s so—”

“Can you please allow me to escort her to the chief!?”

“Aw, fine; go right ahead, y’all!”

Per instructions, the guide led me to the chief’s throne before excusing himself. Being my first time in the manor, I examined everything from the hanging plants and chandelier to the peculiar antiques adorning the walls. Perhaps most captivating of all was the throne itself.

Unlike the one paraded by King Jervis III, the throne was diminutive. If anything, it appeared worse for wear, as evident by the peeling paint and chipped wood. Nonetheless, sweat began running down my back. All around us were the chief’s closest officials and royal guards, their attention dead set on me.

“Ms. Verity, congratulations on your victory over Hubert! You’ve honored Mirefield to the highest degree and have warmed this old man’s heart! For this accomplishment, as well as your previous feats, we’d like to bestow a gift,” Chief Roland said, handing over a small wooden duck.

“A toy?”

“Don’t be shy. Open it and see for yourself.”

Splitting apart one half of the duck, I discovered a silver key engraved with Mirefield’s insignia, accompanied by a flurry of celebratory paper and sparks.

“Gah!” I screamed before falling backward. “What kind of joke is this!?”

Chuckling, Chief Roland gestured for a nearby guard to assist me. “Sorry, I wanted to lighten the mood before the next topic! And if you’re wondering, that’s the key to a state-of-the-art atelier and homestead!”

“Come again?”

“Hah! You’re hilarious, but I assure you, it’s no joke! For such a talented and skilled magician as yourself, what better place is there to hone your craft than a dedicated workshop? I’ve taken notice of your… current living situation and believe that you deserve better, so please accept this donation willingly.”

Sighing, I stuffed the key inside my pocket. “You mentioned a certain topic? What is it?”

“Ah, I almost forgot!”

“You almost forgot?”

“Children these days… Ahem! I’ve received a formal request from the king himself. The details are inscribed in this memory stone. However you carry this task, make sure that you do it alone and without drawing attention,” Chief Roland stressed as he tossed the stone to me.

I replied with an ultimatum. “I deeply apologize, but unless my aide can come along, I’ll have to say no.”

A moment of silence elapsed as the chief took a sip of his wine before he made his decision. “It’s a deal then! So long as you keep the task a secret from the public.”

“Chief Roland, is that not reckless? Our orders were specific,” rebutted one of the chief’s advisors.

“Oh, I’m sure Ms. Verity can fulfill the task! We have nothing to worry about. Just look at the determination in her eyes—”

“Chief Roland, she has already departed.”

“And that she did! Well, now all we have to do is sit back and watch everything unfold…”

* * *

What could possibly warrant such secrecy? And why choose me to do it? The questions spiraled in my brain as I returned to Eleanor. She was stuffing her face with a mango, the juices sticking to her black hair and blouse.

“Welcome back! I saved you some dessert,” Eleanor offered, extending a piece of her fruit.

“I’ll pass… There’s a pressing matter to discuss involving this memory stone.”

After explaining the nature of the mission, we hurried to a private corner of the village to decode the stone with my staff. Once unlocked, it disappeared into the ether, with the message stored in our possession.

It read:

Dear Variety,

As you are the winner of the 10th Fossilium World Championship, we would like to extend an invitation to join us in pioneering the next step forward in the game’s history! The full details will be revealed in due time once you visit the location in this message. Everything will be provided; you do not have to bring anything but yourself.

It should also be noted that any violation of the confidentiality of this mission will result in charges as ordered by a court of law. This may include up to 10 years of imprisonment and/or a 500,000 gold fine.

The location is marked here on this drawing at…

“Back to the capital again? Sounds like fun! Maybe we can spend time as tourists!” Eleanor cheered.

“Fun? What’s the point? It’s probably just some campaign to raise public sentiment for the kingdom. What better way to improve Ragos’s reputation than to show off the world champion?”

“In that case, why bother going? It’s not like there’s gold attached.”

“Even if not explicitly stated, there likely is some reward being offered. Anything helps, so as long as I can contribute it to Mirefield. That’s all that matters to me.”

“Whatever you say, Veri. Though we’ll need some disguises to stay undetected. Which I just so happen to have some!”

“You do? Where?”

“Sit tight; I’ll be back!”

And with that, Eleanor ran off into the distance.

This can’t possibly go well…