The Witch of Flowers
Chapter 10: Meeting

It took several days for Iris to convince everybody that she had everything ready to travel to the Great Oak’s offshoots to strengthen the barrier protecting the continent from monsters. Still, she packed everything that Lux insisted she needed, including an outfit with the same style that she saw her grandparents wear whenever they left the Great Forest of Lux. It was meant to identify her as a high ranking envoy for the forest, for her home. She didn’t know what she was supposed to do as an envoy aside from what Lux and the Goddess had told her. She was to strengthen the barrier and inform Sauriel’s officials of the slaver situation, demanding that it be dealt with. At least that was what Lux had said. Beyond that, Lux hadn’t suggested anything. Every time she asked, he just said that she should just travel and enjoy herself before returning safely.

“I’m ready to leave,” Iris told Yuki again.

“Are you sure you have everything packed,” Yuki asked.

“Did you pack enough clothes, enough of the envoy outfits to last if you have to meet officials for a few days in a row?” Farris added.

“Of course I did.” Iris groaned. “We’ve been over this several times. Besides, even if I hadn’t, I can clean them using water magic. That’s how I’ve always dealt with dirty clothes.”

“I know, but those outfits are one of the few ways you can prove your identity if you run into trouble with nobles or royalty in the countries you visit,” Yuki said gently.

“Our presence will deter most troublemakers, but I don’t want to risk anything happening to you,” Farris explained.

“I’ll be fine,” Iris murmured.

“Of course you will,” Farris sighed. “But it’s more than you being careful. Some people might refuse to listen to you if you are not identified as an envoy of the Great Forest of Lux.”

“I don’t even understand what that means. Lux has only insisted that I ensure officials in Sauriel know of the slaver situation and inform them that if they don’t help deal with it there will be consequences. While the Goddess only wants me to help strengthen or reinforce the barrier protecting the continent from monsters. What am I meant to do aside from that? An envoy has to do more, I’m sure of it.”

Yuki shook his head, “Perhaps other envoys might have more responsibilities, but your responsibilities are much more important. Remember, the Goddess wants to ensure that you are happy before anything else. It is part of how your power will help repel the monsters. Let the other envoys take care of everything else. Perhaps another time you’ll be asked to do more, but strengthening the barrier protecting the whole continent is a big responsibility.”

“Still, Corrin, Logan, and Rachel had to train for over a year before they were considered envoys. I haven’t trained a day in my life on how to behave in formal situations. Luckily, I learned a little when I was staying at the palace in Phisofia.” Iris complained.

“It’s not necessary. You aren’t required to act formal. As an envoy of the highest level, you are essentially recognized as someone on the same level as even kings and queens of the other countries. You don’t even have to call people by their titles. So there’s no reason for you to worry about training. As long as you don’t set out to hurt anybody unprovoked, then there’s nothing wrong with how you act.” Farris explained.

The same level? Iris thought on that. That couldn’t be right. “I’m on the same level as royalty? That doesn’t sound right.”

“Well, it’s true,” Yuki said. “Lux is considered the highest official in the land. As his direct representative, you are at the same level as kings and queens and other royalty of the continent.”

Iris didn’t know what to think about that. Her position would let her interact with William as an equal. The thought came to her without warning. Logan had warned her that any relationship with him would come with risks to her safety, but the mere thought was enough to make her heart race in excitement. They could be friends, the thought made her smile.

“So, I noticed that you didn’t make any plans to bring a carriage through the forest,” Corrin pointed out.

“Of course I didn’t. It isn’t necessary and it causes more damage to the forest than it’s worth. You and your siblings can ride Farris and Yuki in their animalistic forms. I can easily keep up with wind magic.”

Farris and Yuki reacted at that. “Are you sure that’s a good idea? I don’t want you to overwork yourself. You just recovered?” Yuki’s voice revealed his worry.

“I’m fine,” Iris sighed. “Lux said I was fully recovered, and my magic is stabilized again so there isn’t much to worry about. If you are worried, we can take frequent breaks.”

“We would be taking frequent breaks anyways,” Farris frowned. “I will not have you overwork yourself. If there is any indication that you are overworking yourself, I will stop us immediately and we will remain where we are until you rest properly.”

“I won’t overwork myself. I understand your concern. Still, you don’t need to worry this much. I’m going to be fine, and it’s not like any of you will let me overwork myself even if I want to. The itinerary is specifically designed to make sure I rest properly too.”

Yuki and Farris nodded hesitantly. “When are you planning on heading out?” Logan asked bluntly. “It’s best if we head out soon if we want to get to the first rest spot before it gets dark out. Nighttime can be dangerous.”

“Now, if everybody else is ready. It’s not like our bags are taking up much space.” Iris gestured to the bags. They weren’t large, but they had spatial magic on them to store more without weighing as much as they should. Iris was surprised that such bags were rare. Her grandparents had used them regularly, and occasionally came back with more of them as gifts. Iris was more than ready to leave.

Yuki and Farris shifted into their animal forms with little more than a nod and quickly slid the bags over their backs . The bags were counterbalancing each other. Iris readied her magic as Logan and Rachel sat on Farris’s back while Yuki let Corrin sit on his back. They ran around Iris a couple times as they warmed up their muscles. She felt their own magic tingle across her skin. Iris let her magic loose and started towards the forest’s edge. Yuki and Farris chased close behind.

They broke through the canopy in a little over an hour. Sauriel’s border was just ahead. Iris was surprised to see how different the country felt compared to Phisofia. They were stopped at the border by guards. Farris and Yuki dumped their belongings on the ground and shifted back to their human forms.

“State your business,” one of the guards shouted.

A second guard hushed the first. “Those are envoys from the Great Forest of Lux. You need to be more respectful.”

“Ah, er, right.” the guard stammered, “W-what brings you here to Sauriel?”

“We are here by order of the Goddess and great spirit lord Lux. We are heading to the capital to strengthen the oak’s barrier.” Yuki replied, his voice more commanding than Iris was used to hearing from him.

“Do you require an escort?” the second guard asked.

“That will not be necessary,” Farris replied. “We plan to stop for a break after we reach Gradien.” That was where Corrin and his siblings were from. Iris had suggested they stop by their home to see if there was anything they needed to get from there or people they should talk to. Iris wondered if they would change their mind about staying in the Great Forest of Lux once this trip was over with. They had suffered while living in Gradien after their parents had passed away. Never mind the bad memories of being captured by slavers while living there. Still there must be good memories, memories of their family. If nothing else, Iris wanted them to take care of whatever unfinished business they might have in the area.

“Understood. Please inform any official if you run into any trouble. The issue should be solved immediately. We were recently informed that there was an issue with slavers operating in the area. Please be careful and watch your surroundings. If you happen to see any, it is safer not to engage them directly and call for guards to handle the issue.”

Were these the same slavers that had taken her last year? Iris swallowed. “We will be cautious,” Iris managed.

Farris picked up the bags and shifted back to his animal form, as did Yuki. The siblings returned to their backs. Logan looked anxious, but Rachel and Corrin looked almost calm as they started forward again. Iris let her magic carry her forward.

The feel of uninterrupted wind up against her face was exhilarating. It wasn’t as exciting as racing through the woods, with all the plants and animals around her, but it was still entrancing. There were so many new things to see as she ran through the plains. Iris noted when the siblings gestured for them to slow down. Iris had studied the map, but hadn’t realized they would cover this much ground in such a short time.

“Logan, is that you?” a young woman’s voice reached Iris’s ears. Iris noticed a young blonde woman carrying a bag of bread in her arms rushing towards them. “Where have you been, and what are you wearing?”

“Julia,” Logan’s voice cracked. Ah, so he had left someone behind after all. “I...we got grabbed by the slavers that were bothering the neighboring villages a year ago. Iris here rescued us but got captured in our place. Corrin, Rachel, and I are now envoys to the Great Forest of Lux escorting her to different parts of the barrier that protects the continent. I, this is the first time I had a chance to visit.”

“What? Are you okay? Were you hurt?” Julia asked in a rush glancing at him from all sorts of angles. “You look okay now, but this outfit covers a lot of skin.”

“I’m fine now. Do you know if the cabin is still there?” Logan asked.

“It is. The landlord attempted to sell it and its contents off after you were taken. He got arrested pretty quickly after that. Apparently, the guards found out that he was selling off his less secure clients to the slavers in the nearby villages. I took over the business and have kept the cabin safe in case you ever came back.”

“He was involved?” Logan’s voice rose.

“Yes,” Julia answered.

“We will need to speak with the guards who might know more about that situation before we head for the capital,” Farris said quickly.

“The head of the unit responsible for the arrest lives in the capital, if that helps you,” Julia added.

“It does,” Logan confirmed. “Do you know if they’ve managed to get any information on the slavers?”

“Honestly, no. I wish I did, but most of the information about the slavers is kept under wraps, probably to keep people like the landlord from working with them,” Julia admitted.

“Is it okay if we rest at the cabin. We have money to pay for accommodations.” Logan asked.

“Of course, it is your place after all. Since I took over the business, perhaps we could renegotiate terms so that there’s no risk of you losing the cabin.”

“That won’t be necessary, though I think we will work with you some more,” Corrin interrupted. “As envoys we were given something of a salary. We have enough to pay off the loan in full as long as the interest rates were the same as they were before. When we aren’t around though, it might be good to rent out the cabin to travelers. Father wanted to open an inn at one point after all.”

“Turning the cabin into a traveler’s inn? I guess that would be a good use of the cabin if you have to keep working outside the village,” Julia murmured.

Iris frowned, “Doesn’t an inn need someone to manage it. Miss Julia appears to already have a lot of responsibility taking over a business, to manage another business sounds difficult.”

“Oh, it’s no trouble at all. My brothers can take over the business for me. They already help me so much. Also, turning a family cabin into a small traveler’s inn won’t be too difficult. Most everybody in town is pretty close knit, so if any trouble arose, there would be a lot we could do to fix the issue. Oh, I’ve been rude. You must be the Iris Logan mentioned a little bit ago. Thank you for rescuing him and his siblings from the slavers.”

“I would have done it for anybody. I wasn’t expecting to see any slavers in the Great Forest of Lux, especially with the treaty’s terms. I wish they hadn’t been taken in the first place though.”

“I agree with that. Still, there’s nothing to be done about it now other than try to move forward,” Julia said, glancing at Logan with a sort of longing that reminded her of how she felt towards William.

“Were any of our belongings taken by the landlord before he was arrested?” Logan asked, interrupting Iris before she could ask another question.

“Not that I know of,” Julia replied.

“Okay, then we should head there immediately. I need to check on something.”

They walked in relative silence to a decent sized wood cabin on the edge of the village. Julia handed Logan a key and he quickly opened up the front door before rushing inside. Iris heard things rustling inside the cabin as he likely searched for something important to him. Iris heard a crash of something falling over as he continued and began to worry over the state of the cabin. Hopefully, Logan didn’t get hurt with all his rummaging.

Logan returned outside a few moments later, stopping her concern in its tracks when she saw that he was holding a small box. Iris recognized it as a small ring box like those used when proposing marriage to romantic interests in the books her grandparents had given her to read. Logan fell to one knee in front of Julia, “Julia, I know I’ve been gone for over a year, but I hope you’ll still consider what I have to say. Things might be a bit chaotic for awhile, but I can’t imagine living my life without you in it. Please, would you marry me?” Logan’s voice cracked at the end as he opened the box in Julia’s direction to reveal a pretty diamond ring.

“Oh,” Julia gasped, placing her hands over her mouth. “I’d love to, Logan. Yes, of course, let’s get married.”

“Oh, thank the goddess,” Logan let out a sigh of relief. “Here, put on the ring. When would you like to get married? When we were kids, you mentioned an outdoor wedding in a field full of flowers.”

“I need to talk to my brothers. They’ll want to be there, and I’m sure they’ll want to talk to you as well.” Julia said as she took the ring offered to her and slid it on her fourth finger on her left hand. “We can have the wedding after you’re done with the things you have to do as an envoy. You mentioned something about strengthening the barrier protecting the continent. That sounds really important.”

“That is more my responsibility,” Iris explained. “Everybody else is just here as escorts for protection. If you still want to marry in a field full of flowers, I can help with that. My unique magic involves flowers so it is quite easy for me to make a field full of flowers no matter the season, though they won’t stay alive long if you choose winter for your wedding.”

“I’m fine with any season if I’m honest. Life is too short to be picky about that. I was devastated when I thought I’d never see Logan again. Most people who enter the slave trade never exit it alive, so you rescuing him from that fate is more than I could have ever ask of you.”

Iris shook her head, “A wedding is a once in a lifetime thing usually, so it should be perfect. Now tell me, what flowers do you want to be in that field of flowers.

The wedding was scheduled for a week later. Logan was relieved to have at least a little time to get his head on straight. Iris had sent a message back to the forest with Farris, informing great spirit lord Lux of the change in plans. The itinerary was going to be delayed by a little over a week, and he was going to bring Julia along to travel for their honeymoon. Logan wasn’t sure if he liked the idea of not. It could be a dangerous trip, especially with the slavers still out there.

Still, Julia’s brothers, Matias and Pete were going to take over the business until they returned. They were still deciding what to do with the cabin. Most of it depended on where Julia wanted to settle down. Did she want to stay in the village with her brothers or would she want to move to another country or one of the cities they visited during the trip. She could even move to the Great Forest of Lux.

Logan didn’t know what he wanted aside from staying with Julia. He didn’t want to stop being an envoy, but if it meant that Julia was happy he would do anything. Still, he didn’t want to be ungrateful to Iris and the sacrifice she made for them to be safe. She had nearly died from the torture she suffered during her captivity. Something she suffered in their place. It was why he didn’t want to stop being an envoy. Helping Iris seemed like the right thing to do after everything that had happened.

He hoped Iris would avoid suffering again. After everything, she deserved happiness. He caught her glancing in the direction of Phisofia several times. Logan swallowed. Despite his warnings, it seemed she wouldn’t listen. Logan hoped that the longing she felt wouldn’t lead to her being hurt again. A couple days after they had sent off Farris to explain the delay, he returned with a response. “Great spirit lord Lux said that the delay was okay, but he sent somebody along to join us until we reach our first real destination.”

“Who?” Iris asked.

The shadows around Farris rippled and a feminine figure rose from the darkness. “I decided to tag along,” Nyx said as her form became more defined.

“Nyx. I thought none of you could come,” despite her words Iris sounded so happy with Nyx’s presence.

“Lux can’t come, and I can’t stay away from the Great Forest of Lux very long myself. My duties require me to spend most of my time within the forest. Still, I would never miss a marriage of one of our envoys.”

Iris smiled, “That’s nice of you. I’m sure Logan and Julia will appreciate it.”

“I do appreciate it,” Logan confirmed. “I’ll tell Julia when she comes back from visiting her brothers.”

“I look forward to meeting her,” Nyx shot him a soft smile.

Iris acted as the flower girl in the wedding, a fitting role, Iris thought, as she was able to create the flowers that were thrown. Julia chose the colors and types of flowers being thrown as well as the flowers in the field that she had wished for when she was younger. Iris was pleased with the result. Logan and Julia looked so happy joining their fates. Logan’s siblings looked to be happy as well with the situation. Julia’s brothers seemed a bit more apprehensive at least until Nyx spoke with them briefly about the situation they faced.

Iris noticed that a few people came from outside the village. None of the others recognized them either, at least as far as they could confirm before the wedding. They didn’t disturb the wedding so at least there was that. Iris stayed for the wedding reception, not sure what she should do. Corrin had said that he was willing to dance with her, but Nyx had insisted that unless Rachel had somebody she wanted to dance with then he should stick with his sister. She expected the strangers to talk to the newlyweds once the ceremony was complete, but they stayed at the outskirts of the reception, watching her and the envoys. Iris didn’t feel all that uncomfortable with their gazes. They didn’t hold any hostility to speak of. In fact it felt similar to how her grandparents watched over her.

It was when the other guests were leaving when the strangers approached. There were four of them, three men and a woman. “Miss, may I ask, are you Iris of the Great Forest of Lux?” one of the men asked her.

Farris and Yuki immediately drew close, blocking the strangers’ advance. “Who’s asking?” they snarled.

Nyx walked up and slapped the back of their head with her hands. “You must be Garrick and Vessa’s children. It’s been ages since you visited.”

“Not by choice, work has held us back and they always visited us before we could make plans to come out.” Iris was shocked by the man’s words. They were Garrick and Verra’s actual children. She was just an unrelated woman with freakish hair and a unique magic that wasn’t exactly normal. “If she had told us we had such a cute niece we would have visited anyways.”

“B-but I was just entrusted to them, not their actual grandchild,” Iris shrunk away from the strangers.

The woman giggled, “None of us are their actual children either. Vessa couldn’t have children, but wanted to raise them as her own. We were all orphans with nowhere to turn when we were adopted. I was five when I was adopted by them. The name’s Kimberly by the way. The oldest of us is Seth. He’s the head of the magic tower in Sauriel.” she gestured to the black haired gentleman, before moving on to the tall man with dark brown hair, “And this is Aaron. He runs the academy in the capital. Ah, you might not have heard about the academy. I’ll have him explain later.” Kimberly gestured to a regal blond man with a sword at his side. It was a good quality sword, Iris could tell at a glance, “Elliot is the leader of the country’s judiciary knights. He investigates criminal activity in Sauriel, arrests criminals, and conducts interrogations when necessary. He’s probably the busiest of all of us.”

Iris looked up at Elliot. Nyx quickly stepped between them. “As nice as all of these introductions are. I think I should talk to you four separately for a moment before you continue your conversation with our sweet Iris.”

“She’s our niece,” Elliot said dryly.

“And she was entrusted to the great spirit lords by the goddess. We were the ones who decided that Garrick and Vessa would be a good fit for raising Iris safely. I must ensure you understand the whole situation before one of you does something that hurts her.”

Iris didn’t understand how the four could hurt her. They seemed to accept her as their niece despite being adopted and never meeting her before that moment. Still, Nyx was blocking her from saying anything to object.

“I apologize for suggesting you might hurt your niece. I didn’t mean it in a way you might think,” Elliot glared at the great spirit lord of darkness. Nyx was keeping him from his niece, family he hadn’t known existed until a little over a year ago when the magic letter appeared in front of him while he was working. It was essentially his parent’s will. They had wanted him to watch over her when she left the Great Forest of Lux, but then the borders to the Great Forest of Lux were closed so suddenly.

“Then how did you mean it,” Elliot bit out.

Nyx sighed. “I’m sure you’ll understand, after all your work is connected to the issue at hand. You see, the reason the border to the Great Forest of Lux was closed in the first place was that Iris disappeared not long after Garrick and Vessa passed away. She had rescued three people from a group of slavers that had managed to evade the barrier and got captured herself. She’s spent over a year in captivity under the watch of an extremely cruel owner,” Nyx bared her teeth at the word, “and their family. She was essentially starved and tortured until she was rescued by the prince of Phisofia.”

Elliot felt bile rise up in his throat. His little niece had suffered so much. “Were the slavers caught?”

“That’s,” Nyx’s hesitation was enough for Elliot to understand the situation. “We’re working with Phisofia to try to replace them, but I’ve heard that someone connected to the case in Sauriel was arrested by the head of the unit dealing with the slaver issue on this side of the border. I don’t want Iris too close to this investigation. If the slavers get ahold of her again, we might never get her back.”

“I won’t leave her side for the length of her stay in Sauriel,” And afterwards he wouldn’t leave her alone long. He wouldn’t let her suffer that horror again. He remembered the files he had read on attempts to rescue the slavers’ victims in a raid. So many dead bodies, so many people hurt beyond recognition. Those that survived, never came out the same. The thought of his little niece in the same situation filled him with dread. No, he wouldn’t let that happen to her.

“That would be much appreciated,” Nyx bowed their head to him. “We failed Iris so much already. I do not want to see her hurt again. She is fully recovered physically, but If you happen to know of anybody who can help her recover mentally and emotionally from what she suffered I would be grateful.”

“There is a professor at my academy from Kojiquin who teaches a medical field called psychology. It’s a relatively new science from what I understand, but it helps people suffering from maladies that are not physical or magical in nature,” his brother Aaron supplied. “I could see if she’s able to help. If not, perhaps she could give a recommendation for someone who is just as skilled as she is.”

Seth frowned. “When I go back to the capital, I’ll fetch an artifact imbued with powerful protective enchantments. In the message I heard from the border, she plans to go to the capital anyways. Is that correct?”

“Yes,” Nyx sighed. “As master of the magic tower, I have another thing I’d like you to investigate. The slavers were using a sort of twisted magic to pierce through the barrier protecting the Great Forest of Lux without detection. It was how they were able to evade our detection when we tried to track Iris down after her capture. It seems this same twisted magic is weakening the barrier that protects the continent from the monsters that threaten its safety. I would appreciate it if you could investigate a way to combat this twisted magic to ensure Iris is not left vulnerable again.”

“Twisted magic,” Seth narrowed his eyes. “I think I know what you are talking about. A little before I received the magic message from mother and father, there was an attack on the magic tower that bypassed all our defenses. We’ve been working towards a countermeasure ever since, but since almost all the witnesses died during the attack we haven’t gotten any concrete information on it. If I had known that they were connected to the slavers I would have.” Seth had nothing but hatred for slavers. Seth himself had been a victim of slavers, though not for long. Garrick and Vessa had rescued him before they adopted him.

Elliot hoped that Iris’s situation didn’t bring out the same terror in his brother that he had suffered when he had first been adopted. “If that is all, I’d like to spend time with my niece.” Elliot ground out.

“Of course. Just give her time to accept that she has family she never knew she had. I think Garrick and Vessa were trying to keep her origins a secret from her when they lived. She found out she was adopted on her own, but she didn’t know why until she visited the church of the Goddess before she left Phisofia.”

Elliot couldn’t care less about the reason behind him having a niece. She was family. That was all there was to it. He strode away from Nyx and over to Iris who was talking with two animal people from the Great Forest of Lux. He wasn’t fool enough to mistake them for demihumans. Even demihumans weren’t allowed to enter the Great Forest of Lux arbitrarily.

“I know that they are family, but you should still be cautious when strangers approach you,” one of the two animal people scolded his niece. Elliot agreed with the advice.

“I could tell they weren’t hostile, if that’s what you’re worried about Farris,” Iris shook her head.

“That doesn’t mean that they wouldn’t hurt you. People can hide their hostility,” the other animal person hissed.

Iris sighed, “I know that but...their gaze didn’t feel uncomfortable, not like the slavers or,” Iris froze, and Elliot could tell that she couldn’t even talk about those animals without hurting, without fear striking her heart. He’d make sure those animals couldn’t touch her again, ever. “Their gaze felt so similar to my grandparents. I guess it makes sense considering they raised them.” Iris quickly finished.

“Just,” the second animal person looked frustrated. “Just don’t be so careless around strangers. I don’t want you to disappear again.”

“I will be, Yuki. They were an exception. They’re honestly the only strangers I’ve felt safe around since... I mean, aside from William and Brent, oh and Sarah and the palace healers in Phisofia but I think that’s because William and Brent were responsible for my rescue and Sarah was just so nice.”

Elliot thought on the names he heard. Nyx said that the prince of Phisofia was responsible for her rescue. William was probably Prince William, but who were Brent and Sarah? He approached quickly, hoping to join the conversation to ask, but the two animal people glared at him. “Be that as it may, you should still be cautious,” Yuki said quickly, slowly easing the glare on him.

Elliot couldn’t stay away any longer, “I apologize for the suddenness of our introduction. I did not realize that you had not been told that you had more family outside the Great Forest of Lux.”

“If I had known, I might not have hesitated to leave as much as I did. I felt like I never wanted to leave my home in the forest and was apprehensive of what the rest of the world might be like. Despite everything that happened, the time after my rescue made me realize that the world had so much more to offer than just the forest where I grew up. I do think I want to see more of the world, and hopefully my duty will allow me to do so.”

“From what I heard from the messenger from the border, you plan on going to the capital to reinforce the barrier that protects the continent from monsters. I assume this duty you speak of is connected to that,” Elliot didn’t like the idea of such a great burden on just one girl’s shoulders.

“Yes, I am really worried about the situation at the southeastern border of Phisofia. Sarah lives near there, and we became friends after my rescue. I’ve been helping with the potion shortage there, but there’s only so much I can do from the forest. The goddess had suggested I strengthen the barrier at the different saplings of the Great Oak Tree. From what I understand one of the offshoots is in your country’s capital.”

“Indeed a sapling of the Great Oak Tree does reside in the capital of Sauriel,” Elliot replied hesitantly. “Still, I’m sure such a reinforcement requires a lot of energy. Your travel should be slowed to make sure you have enough rest to complete the task you are setting out to do.”

“It isn’t exactly trying. It just takes a decent amount of focus. The travel is really the hardest part of this whole thing since I use my magic to keep up with Farris and Yuki, but a short rest is all I need to feel back to normal,” his little niece shrugged.

Elliot wanted to gape at her response. The church mages struggled to maintain the barrier from the Great Oak Tree’s saplings, but Iris was claiming that all it took was for her to focus when using her magic.

“I wonder,” Seth said from beside him. Damn, Seth wasn’t particularly sneaky, but Elliot hadn’t detected his approach. Had he really been that distracted? “Perhaps your pool of magic is greater than average. For you to maintain wind or movement magic to keep up with two animal people for travel with only short breaks, your magic pool would have to be quite sizable, and then there’s your statement about reinforcing the barrier. Have Garrick and Vessa ever tested your magic pool?”

Iris shook her head. “Not that I know of, how do you do that?”

“There’s a crystal that is reactive to magic. It is often used for new recruits to the magic tower to see where their potential lies. As the head of the tower I could test yours in secret once we get to the capital if you’d like, that is,” Seth added.

“I don’t see why not,” Iris shrugged. “I’ll do it. What is the magic tower anyways?”

Seth looked a bit shocked that she hadn’t heard of the magic tower. Elliot wasn’t sure what to think. It seemed their parents kept his niece sheltered from the rest of the world while she was growing up. Why they didn’t tell any of his siblings about their niece was anybody’s guess. Perhaps it had to do with her unique magic. Her hair was green, but her parents never said anything about that, perhaps it was a change that occurred when she was in captivity. The only reason he recognized her as his niece was the unique magic she used during the wedding, throwing flowers just as they formed under her magic. “It’s a place where talented mages train and research magic and magical artifacts. Some even make enchantments and the like,” Seth explained, simplifying the explanation.

“Do you think the magic tower could help me figure out how to get my hair back to normal?” Iris asked.

“It wasn’t always this plantlike?” Seth asked.

Iris shook her head. “No, when I found my grandparents after they passed the flowers sprouted in my hair, but it wasn’t until I was fighting the slavers before I was captured when my hair turned kind of planty. It feels kind of soft like moss now that I’m recovered, but it was very brittle and wilted when I was still recovering.”

“Interesting. I’m not sure if it will turn back. It sounds like it’s connected to your being now, but I’ll research some older texts to see if there’s anything I can do. It might be that your unique magic has been used so much that it’s changed you down to a fundamental level, but it might be possible to make your hair only appear like this when you are actually using your magic.”

“You could also ask at the Church of the Goddess, since it seems that you have a connection to the Goddess as well. It might not be something that you have to worry about, though it is eye-catching.” Kimberly sighed. Elliot knew why their niece being eye-catching was concerning Kimberly. It would be difficult for her to hide her identity from the slavers who had captured her before. Never mind the fact that she could be targeted by anybody with nefarious purposes just because she looked different from the average person.

“I don’t particularly mind my hair being like this, it’s just that sometimes it might be dangerous to wander around with hair like this. It draws attention, and the slavers only ever really saw me with this hair. I...while if there was somebody who was ready to apprehend them, I wouldn’t mind acting as bait so that they could be taken down, I don’t think it’s wise to look like this when nobody else is around to help. After all, the slave crest basically shut off any conscious use of my blessings.”

“You will not act as bait,” Elliot said sharper than he intended. There was no way he would risk his niece’s safety like that. It was too dangerous to even consider, and if anybody suggested it, he’d likely gut them if they didn’t take no for an answer. The fact that the slave crest could interfere with blessings was something even more concerning. Usually blessings were immune, but they must have used a different type of slave crest on her. “Is the slave crest gone now?”

“Yes, the prince of Phisofia removed it when he rescued me.”

Elliot wanted to ask more about the situation, but noticed Iris getting uncomfortable with the focus on slavers and her time in captivity. No he wouldn’t ask her about the situation. He could send an information request to the prince of Phisofia if he had to, but there was no way he was forcing his niece to relive the pain she suffered during her captivity. “Good. When are you planning on leaving town for the capital?” It was the only question he could come up with, but it came out rough and not at all how he meant it. He hoped she didn’t think that he was hurrying her along so he wouldn’t have to deal with her any longer than necessary. More than anything, he wanted to spend more time with his niece, get to know her. “Not that I’m trying to rush you or anything.”

Iris shook her head, “I didn’t think you were. It depends on how long Logan and his family want to stay here. Since Logan’s wife is planning on joining us now we have to consider her in our plans too. Nyx has been working on a revised plan to give Lux before she returns.”

“You mean great spirit lord Lux?” Elliot tried to confirm. Considering how relaxed Nyx was around Iris, perhaps all of the great spirit lords were the same around her.

“Yeah, he told me he preferred for me to call him just Lux since I’ve known him since I was a baby. Is there a problem with how I’m addressing him?” Iris asked.

“Not exactly. If he’s given permission for you to speak to him that way it is perfectly fine, but you might want to be more cautious around other people, just in case.”

“So what should I call him around others?” Iris asked. “Is it Great Spirit Lord Lux?”

“That is perfectly fine,” Elliot sighed.

“Alright then, I’ll try to remember to call him that whenever I’m around other people,” Iris nodded.

“Don’t worry about it too much. You are an envoy for the Great Forest of Lux, so if you slip up people will hopefully assume that it is because of your position.”

“I hope you’re right about that. Still, I’ll try to just call Lux Great Spirit Lord Lux when around others to be safe,” Iris said with a sigh.

“We were planning on returning to the capital after confirming if you were the niece we were looking for. It would probably be easier on you and the rest of the people who came with you if you made the trip with us. We have enough influence in the capital to make the trip go smoother with the city guards and the like. Also we know safe places for you to stop along the way,” Elliot suggested. Hopefully she would take him up on the offer. He didn’t want to risk her facing any unnecessary danger.

“I suppose it would be safer,” Iris murmured, “Especially since Julia is coming with us now. I do want to follow the itinerary I made with Lux as closely as possible just to be safe, but some minor modifications could be made to make the trip easier, as long as Nyx passes along the changes to Lux before she leaves for the Great Forest of Lux again.”

“It would indeed be safer if you stayed with your aunts and uncles as much as you can during the trip,” Nyx said from behind them. Elliot flinched at her sudden interruption, not noticing her presence until she spoke. It was to be expected as she was the great spirit lord of darkness. Still, Elliot wasn’t used to failing to notice people around him. It was a necessity in his work, the reason he was still alive after all of the cases he had taken on. “Honestly, if they weren’t so busy or their work wasn’t so important, I’d suggest one or more of them take a few months off to ensure the whole trip goes smoothly.”

That was a thought, Elliot frowned. His work was important, but it wasn’t like somebody else couldn’t take his place for a couple months. “I’ll ask for a leave of absence for a few months once we return to the capital. If my boss refuses, then I’ll file for resignation.”

“You shouldn’t need to go that far,” Nyx said smoothly. “There’s Iris’s position and purpose to consider. Just say that one of the great spirit lords requested that you act as an additional escort for a couple months due to your expertise handling slaver cases.”

Iris was ready when they finally continued their trip to Sauriel’s capital a week after the wedding. In that time, she got to know her aunts and uncles a bit better. Of all of them, she felt the most comfortable around Elliot. He seemed gruff at first, but his attitude barely hid his protective nature. She supposed it was good that she felt comfortable around Elliot since he was going to be joining them for the whole of her trip to the saplings of the Great Oak Tree. Iris enjoyed the way he described everything about the capital in so much detail that she felt as if she had been there before. It made her want to stay for longer than her itinerary allowed, but perhaps she would just visit it again once she was certain the barrier protecting the continent was fully reinforced. After all, she had family here in Sauriel, a family who accepted her no matter her origin. With this new family she now had two homes, two places to return to. Perhaps one day she would have a third home as well. As it was, Iris was ready to see more of the world to replace the places she wished to visit once more.