The Orb dawned over the great outer wall of Darune, pouring orbshine down upon the higher elevated area of the Commons Prefecture. When Lorayla and Ethany stepped into the orbshine, they found themselves near a large round fountain. Near the fountain and scattered about were merchants working at their carts selling food, clothing, and small, spherical crystals. Humans, elves, and dwarves flowed through the area, browsing and buying to their fancy.

Crowds of people always made Ethany feel uneasy. She felt comfort wearing her mask, however, knowing that none could see the tense expression on her face. When she and Lorayla made it to the fountain area, the smell of fresh food made her forget her insecurities. The awareness of her hunger became overwhelming. She nearly lost sight of Lorayla, having stopped to find where an intoxicating sweet smell was coming from.

“There are wonderfully peculiar smells in the air. One, in particular, a sweet scent, has entrapped my senses,” Ethany called out to Lorayla.

“It’s sweet-creamed oats,” said Lorayla, undeterred by the crowds and the aroma of food. “It’s made to smell magically inviting. Pay it no mind. It smells better than it tastes.”

“Sounds like it’s some kind of trap.”

“Only for your money, but never mind that. Stay focused! We’re about to enter Central Prefecture, then to my father’s.”

“You’re walking awfully fast,” Ethany noted.

Lorayla glanced down at her lower torso and slowed her pace. “I guess it wouldn’t hurt to slow some, but we must hurry. I just can’t believe it! The nerve of those judges, granting my father’s property to be auctioned off so quickly. No one should have it. It’s mine!”

Ethany spotted a faint glow of purple emanating from Lorayla’s clasped hands. The flowers she held withered. “I thought we were trying not to attract attention to ourselves.”

“What do you mean?” Lorayla asked irritably as the pair quickly closed in on a double-paneled wooden gate, noticeably smaller than the first gate they had passed through.

“Your hands.”

Lorayla came to a stop as she glanced down to see her hands aglow. She was so preoccupied with thoughts of her father’s land, she hadn’t realized she had activated her crystal. Clearing her mind, the glow around her hands disappeared. Lorayla slid the crystal into one of her pockets. “Let’s move,” she commanded.

The women passed under the gate’s stone frame where guards were posted on both sides. One of the guards, an old but stout man, recognized Lorayla and excitedly chirped to get her attention. “Lori, I thought the worst once I found out what happened to your father’s place. You’re alive!” the guard said cheerfully.

“Don’t have time for you today, Obin,” said Lorayla, glancing coolly at him. The guard’s excitement turned into bewilderment.

“Ey, what’s with the tough act?” Obin pinched his brow. “And who’s the pretty lady with ya?”

“Can it! Flapper-mouth!” Lorayla muttered. “No time to explain!” The woman felt a pinch in her conscience for speaking this way to an old friend of her father’s who had always treated her kindly. The only thing on Lorayla’s mind was securing her father’s plot of land. I must have a place to raise my son...but even then, how am I going to rebuild what’s been lost?

“What was that about?” asked Ethany when the gate was nearly out of sight. “Who was that?”

Ethany’s words interrupted Lorayla’s thoughts. “That was Obin, He visited the tavern every once in a while. He and my father always enjoyed talking about the good ol’ days. If I’d stopped to talk, he’d of kept us there for at least an hour.”

“Do you think he saw me?”

“What do you mean? Of course, he saw you. Even said you were pretty.”

“That’s what concerns me.”

“About what?”

“Just…nothing,” Ethany’s trailed off. “Are we almost there?”

“Nearly,” replied Lorayla. The two went on up a few blocks and turned a few more corners before Lorayla came to a stop. She looked around in trepidation, her pulse quickening and her breathing rapidly increasing. She recognized the area, vividly reminded of the frightful events that had befallen her and Zaniel that fateful night. A boisterous crowd of people farther up the street was a timely distraction in aiding Lorayla to maintain her focus. The crowd was assembled off the road near the remnants of some charred walls, which Lorayla immediately recognized as the place where her father’s tavern once stood.

It’s not fair. Can’t I just go back to my life as I knew it? thought Lorayla, feeling as though she were frozen in time and place. The pleasant memories of the tavern involving her father, mother, and Zaniel tugged at her to move forward, yet the dark memories of destruction, death, and violation felt like chains weighing her down and drawing her back. A tickle in her tummy instantly loosed her chains enough for her to proceed ahead. This is for my son! She lifted the hood of her cloak over her head, Ethany followed suit, and the two proceeded forward.

 “Let’s begin already!” said a finely clothed man as Lorayla and Ethany quietly edged up to the back of the crowd. “We don’t have all day! Time is mezos!” stressed the man. Sounds of agreement echoed through the crowd. All eyes were on a dwarf dressed in slacks and a coat that bore Darune’s symbol of Eden. He stood on a staircase pedestal allowing him to be at eye level with the tallest of the crowd, which was a mix of mostly elves and humans, with a pinch of dwarves and fymphs near the front.

“Ahem,” the dwarf addressed the crowd, clearing his throat. “I have decided that we will begin the auction,” he began, casting an uneasy look of uncertainty at the guards on either side of him. He pulled a small green crystal out of one of his vest pockets, which immediately took to the air, hovering upon green wind above the dwarf and the crowd. “This auction is taking place on this 4th day of Juliper, the year 202, in the Age of Alliances, lot 54 in the Central Prefecture of Darune. All official documents and rights related to this matter will be stored and available in the offices of the Judges in the Judges Prefecture. Let all in the crowd be aware that, from this point forward until the auction is over, the crystal before me will contain the memory of this transaction and will be added to the official records. By remaining here, you agree to be a part of this official memory. When the auction starts, state your official name and prefecture when you place your initial bid.”

“That is my land!” Lorayla loudly proclaimed. All turned from the auctioneer and gazed upon a lady dressed in a dark cloak and an old woman standing near her.

“Ah!” the auctioneer puffed out his chest. “Of course, it is, after you’ve won the auction, that is.”

“No, that’s just it. This property is not to be auctioned off. It belonged to my father before his passing. Therefore, it now belongs to me!”

The crowd gasped and whispered at Lorayla’s declaration.

“Preposterous!” the auctioneer snapped. “The death certificates of the owners have already been checked and signed off.”

“Obviously, it was an error,” one shouted from the crowd. Lorayla’s heart skipped a beat when she heard the man speak. He was wearing a hood over his head and he came near Lorayla. “Could it be?” he asked with a smidgen of excitement.

“Is it her?” said a fymph who was sitting on the person’s shoulder, covered by a small coat and hood.

“Sn...Snider?” Lorayla asked hesitantly.

“That voice! It must be you!” the person replied in shock. He and the fymph removed their hoods almost in unison.

“Ceecil!” Lorayla joyously exclaimed while pulling off her hood. “And… Snider!”

“Bless my elven eyes!” said Snider.

 “It is me!” Lorayla assured them, then looked at the auctioneer. “And this auction is forfeit!”

“Nah, ah ah!” the auctioneer said condescendingly. “The auction will go on as planned! If you are who you say you are, you’ll have to submit a grievance with the Judges, who will then have to review your case.”

“That is not fair!” argued Lorayla.

“Indeed! This is a travesty of justice,” seconded Snider.

“There’s no way we can immediately verify who she says she is,” retorted the auctioneer. “The auction for this property has been signed and sealed by the Judges. The auction will proceed!”

“You think your auction will keep me from my rightful property?” challenged Lorayla.

“Is that a threat!?” The auctioneer looked to the guards, who quickly moved in between the auctioneer and the crowd, ready to draw their swords from their scabbards.

Lorayla’s grip tightened around her crystal as Snider stepped between her and the guards. “There’s no problem here, sir.”

“What are you doing?” Lorayla said between her teeth. “Get out of the way! I’ll handle this!”

“Whatever you’re thinking, don’t!” warned Snider. “We can report a grievance later. It’s not worth you getting arrested or killed!”

“Besides,” chimed in Ceecil, “we’re here to bet on your property.”

“If we win, we’d surely return your property to you,” continued Snider, giving a quick glance and wink at Ceecil.

“You don’t have to do that,” said Lorayla, her anger subsiding somewhat from the gesture of her friends.

“At the very least, give us a chance. If we fail, we can always try the grievance,” Snider assured her. He wrapped an arm around Lorayla and gave her a heartfelt squeeze. “And welcome back from the dead,” he said in relief as he released her.

“You have no idea what I’ve been through...” she said under her breath.