It took a few days to get to the next city and Riki was amazed at the soldiers being able to ride and only stop when absolutely necessary. “We’ve had to do it before, when her Highness was trying to get us to the fight festival on time.” one of the soldiers said when Riki asked. “Yes, that was the day that our Princess got mad at Albie when he told her she was immature.” Riki turned towards Albie with a look that made him seem like he was walking on flames. “I didn’t say it like that!” Albie said as Riki backed him into a corner. “I just wanted her to respect her royal status instead of worrying about soldiers' opinions. I’m very grateful her Majesty sees us as friends and wants our opinions on things.” he rambled on trying to get Riki to let him off the hook. “Don’t be too mad at him brother.” Miyuki said coming out of her tent and stretching her arms. The morning sun shined brightly against her blonde hair, and it made her green eyes even more green. “He was just worried I wasn’t being respectful towards our family name, which is very commendable if you think about it.” She stretched and yawned out all the sleep left in her body and when she opened her eyes everyone was staring at her. Albie's face was red, and the soldiers quickly straightened their expressions. Riki smiled and walked up to her to pull her into a hug. “You really did get the looks of the family, Yuki.” “What do you mean?” She looked up at him as she hugged him back. “For anyone not to notice your beauty, even if you were covered in dirt, would render them a fool.” She smiled making her eyes sparkle in the sun, “That’s very kind of you, Riki. However, I think you’re over doing it a bit.” “He’s not wrong, my Princess.” Albie said as he bowed. Riki turned towards him, fuming again, “You, back off.” Miyuki quickly changed the subject for fear of more embarrassment. “Let us get this camp packed up we’re nearly to Bruxo.” the town of magic. “Yes, your Highness.” they all said as they packed away all the tents and utensils, they had used during the camp out. Once they were all packed up, they had about a six-hour drive to the town, Bruxo. This town was known for the magic Legends that surround its birth. Before Riki and Miyuki got in the carriage, Riki pulled her away for a moment. “What is it, Riki? We really should be going now.” Miyuki said as she slightly pulled his hand off her arm. “We’re going to Bruxo because you think Vanir is there, aren’t we?” Miyuki looked up at him in amazement. “You know about the others’ gifts?” “Ever since I was old enough to understand my dreams. I’ve had dreams with them, strange dreams where it just felt like a visit to the forest.” It was that real? This reminded Miyuki of the dream she had in the forest and how it helped lead her to her brother before her. “Yes, we are looking for him, but no one can know the reason why. Mother and Father made me promise. Now, let's get going before we’re off schedule.” They both go to the door of the carriage, Riki holds the door opened for her as she climbed in. “There's a legend,” Miyuki started saying to Riki and Albie after they set off towards the town. “It is said that the creator of the town built everything through magic." Albie and Riki listened with fascinated expressions. "They say that he lifted the dirt from the ground and made bricks. Created The border of the town through the will of wanting it alone.” she looked at them both and started laughing, “but that’s just a silly legend.” Albie put his hand out and said, “I heard that they have a festival where they choose a traveler to reenact the creator of the village during the parade.” “What a peculiar little town.” Riki said with his hand on his chin. “I was told, that when the creator first came to the land, he hated everything about it. He liked nothing about it, so he decided to create something that he liked. He tried to teach magic to the locals after he made the town, but he vanished when the towns people tried to use it against him. Only the locals he got to teach knew anything about magic. Descendents of those few have supposedly inherited strong magical abilities that get increasingly more powerful each generation. Now, they say the magic has stopped because of the betrayal of the locals so many years ago. Seems a lot is to be said about this town” They all laughed as they told the legends they had heard throughout their lifetimes, laughing about the overexaggerating people of the town. Riki and Miyuki would look at each other when Albie was laughing so hard his eyes were closed. They knew that the legend may actually be true and their brother, Vanir, may be in this town. It was like that for the entire ride to Bruxo, they laugh then look then laugh again. Entering the gates of the town is what made them all three come down from their jokes.
The carriage slowed as they got to the entrance of Bruxo, which was a big arched opening in the wall that surrounded the town. It was made of a dark-red brick much like the rest of Bruxo. As they entered, the town square seemed to be right there. The bakery was next to the library, which was substantially bigger than the last one Miyuki had been to. There was a bank next to the boutique and the inn was on a lot next to the merchant store. It was all surrounding the circular middle of the town. There sat a large statue of a man dressing in drapes and seemed to be standing on the cloud. “That must be the creator.” Albie said as he walked up to the edge of it. “Actually, we call the god, Deluix.” an unfamiliar voice said from behind them. Miyuki turned around like her brother to see the owner of the town’s merchant store. “Sorry, if I startled you. I saw from inside my shop your curiosity and I thought I’d come out here and help out.” the old man smiled as he walked up to the statue with his hands folded behind his back. He was a tiny man and had a grown-out beard that was all grey now. He stared at the statue's face for a moment and turned to the group. “Before, Deluix came here we were living on stumps of trees. Eating the leaves or grass, or so the legend goes.” He looked at Albie, “He is supposed to be the creator of the entire town, And the parts he didn’t finish have been persevered for generations.” Miyuki walked to the man's side to look at the statue, but when she looked back at the merchant, he was staring at her and not the statue. “Nytoe?” He asked with tears in his eyes. “What?” Miyuki said, “I don’t know what you’re talking about, but my name is Miyuki.” The man wiped his tears as he came back to his senses, “You must forgive me, my old mind is playing tricks on me. I thought... Never mind” He looked back up at the statue but with sad eyes, like he had lost something special. Miyuki placed a hand on his shoulder, “Who is Nytoe?” she asked softly. “She was a girl in the town around my age. She was meant to be here forever, but she didn’t like being stuck here. She left at night, and no one's ever been able to find her. I have to assume the worst by now.” “That’s not exactly true. You said it yourself, she’s your age and you’re still here. So, shouldn’t that mean she would still be here too.” She smiled at the merchant trying to make him feel better. “You have her smile, Are you here daughter?” Miyuki looked surprised; did she really look that similar to a woman she’d never met? “I don’t believe I am, sir.” The man’s face was aged but you could tell he looked at Miyuki a different way than the rest of the group. He showed them around the town and even the preserved area of the town, that’s the supposed unfinished part of the city. It looked like spikes coming up out of the earth and turning in every direction. The only difference is these spikes looked like sand and not the rest of the village. “Has every building here been built by Deluix?” Albie asked as he walked past the preserves. The man turned around and said, “All the buildings structures were built by him, but we have done some modernizing.” “That explains the difference in material.” Albie whispered, making Miyuki laugh. “Now, what are you lot laughing about-” The old man looked directly into Riki eyes, and his demeanor changed. He seemed afraid of them and kept backing away, never taking his eyes off Riki. “Forgive me, the story wasn’t mine to tell. This is as much information I can give you.” Then he hurried back in the direction of his shop. The group gathered in a small circle. “Why did he say that like he was a part of some illegal operation?” Albie asked, “More importantly,” Miyuki said, “Why was he so scared of Riki?” “He didn’t seem scared until he looked directly at me.” Riki said with a sad face that reminded Miyuki of a puppy one of the maids got. “I’m sure he was just intimidated by you, brother. If I saw you on the street without your friends, I wouldn’t have thought you friendly.” Miyuki said trying to justify the man's actions. “I say we check into an Inn, and we get some much-needed rest from walking around all day.” “Yes, your Highness.” the soldiers said as they all started walking towards the Inn. When they checked in there were three rooms available, which means two to each room, or they could get two and do three to each room. Riki wanted the three to each room, but Miyuki convinced him to get all three. “If you’re really uncomfortable,” she said, “Then you can bunk with me and leave the soldiers to choose their roommates.” Riki contemplated it for a moment. “I don’t think that it’s my comfort we should be considering.” “You’re right, but I don’t really have a preference. Albie and I have travelled in the carriage for days together but then there's you.” Riki looked at Albie who was having trouble controlling the redness of his cheeks, which made Albie unsure. “I’ll bunk with you. No way am I leaving you to him.” He glared at Albie as they walked to their separate rooms. “I respect her, you know. Please don’t think so lowly of me.” Albie said as he and another soldier walked into the room across from theirs. “Goodnight, your Highnesses.”
Riki walks into the room and sees two separate beds against opposite walls with footlockers at the end of each. There was one desk up against the window of the room with dark red curtains that were drawn back. Miyuki fell onto the bed as Riki went to close the curtains. “It’s funny, that lady that brought me to that tree, she said I'd find one of my brothers but wouldn’t say which one. I thought it was Vanir, since there was a magic show in that town.” She laughed, “But, I now see that was probably a man pulling cheap tricks on the locals.” she said glumly. “Would you rather have found him?” Riki asked as he sat on the chair at the desk, propping his feet on it. Miyuki walked up and pushed his feet off. “Now, I won’t choose which brother I like more. However, if you were not the one I met; I don’t know what the others would have done to stop that bear from tearing me to pieces.” “Yes,” He continued, “You seem to attract the most peculiar things.” He was talking about Albie, and he knew Miyuki noticed. “You know, I didn’t hand pick him to come with me. Our parents, the King and Queen, chose for me. So, it was only natural that I make nice with him and it’s just luck that he’s actually pleasant to be friends with.” Riki smirked as he looked out the window, “I didn’t say anything, Yuki.” Miyuki jokingly scoffed and threw a pillow at him as he laughed at her. “You have not so much brain as ear wax.” she teased as they threw the pillow back and forth. When they stopped laughing and calmed down, Miyuki asked a question that had been on her mind for a while. “Do you see the old lady in your dreams a lot?” Riki looked at his hands, resting his elbows on his legs he looked at her now, “I only see her when somethings happening that I need to be aware of. Most of the time, though, it’s just our brothers and I, or what I imagine them to be.” “How do you imagine them?” Miyuki asked moving to the foot of the bed to listen well. Riki thought for a moment then continued, “I’ve always picture Cato as the quiet type, not because he’s shy, but because he doesn’t like other people.” Miyuki added, “Which means he wouldn’t care about his appearance, so he’d be scrappy.” Riki laughed and said, “Exactly! When I think about Vanir, I see a ray of sunshine almost. Someone that lives for nature wants to learn everything about it. What do you imagine when you think about them?” Miyuki looked up and smiled. “I think of them both as lively people, but only when around people or things that make them feel more like themselves. I mainly see Cato as a teacher or an inventor.” She paused, “I see Vanir as a playful yet reserved, like every fairy looks up to him but would never try to double cross him.” Riki seemed confused, “Wait, fairies?” Miyuki looked at him, “You’ve never seen a fairy? I would have thought if I've seen it then you must have definitely seen it.” “You’ve seen fairies? When?” She tried to remember the last time you saw one, “When I was up in the trees a few nights ago.” she replied. “Is that why you were up there so long?” “No, it wasn’t in my hand for long and it disappeared when I looked away from it.” She looked at him waiting for his reaction, but it looked like he was stuck in amazement at the new knowledge. “Fairies?” he whispered though he didn’t think she heard him because he seemed startled when Miyuki said, “Yes, fairies.” He thought it over, but then he changed the subject. “How many times have you seen that woman in your dreams?” he asked, “I’ve only seen her twice in my dreams, but I felt her presence and I've heard her voice in my head when I'm awake. Like she’s guiding me.” Miyuki told him, still unsure of it herself. “She gave me hints to which brother I would find first, though she couldn’t tell me specifically.” Riki fell onto his bed, “At least, you found me and were closer to being a family again, right?” she chuckled, “Yes, I guess so. However, I feel like I've been doing all the hard work, good sir.” Riki faked being offended, “How dare you say such a thing. Who was it that said if I wouldn’t have saved her, she wouldn’t be here right now?” “Okay, so you did one thing.” She joked, “Actions speak louder than words, young princess.” her brother spoke with a smug look on his face. Miyuki scoffed then smiled; she was happy to have had these moments with her brother. Now all that was left was to have moments like this with all three.
Happy Holidays!
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