COMPASS OF TRUE LOVE - CHAPTER 8

Chapter 8: I took a stroll through the richest neighbourhood around and met a stylish troll, a knight in shining armour, a super sexy barkeeper and- FUCK!

We passed the first gates of Omar at late afternoon. The city was truly massive. Even though I spent six years of my life studying here, I never actually spent all that much time in the city itself. The ‘Grimbolt Boarding School of the Arcane’ sat atop a hill six hours by foot to the north of the city. We only really visited the city during the holidays and even then, we had very little time until we had to return to the school.

Now we had as many days as we needed to explore the city. Although Cassie and I both had our own plans. I still needed to find my blue friend and Cassie had to pick something up at some forge. Before we split, we decided to meet back up at an inn in the north of the city that Cassie was familiar with. Then she stalked off into the bustling streets.

For the first time since I received that letter, I was alone. I took the paper out again and read over it. The writing was Marlon’s. Unmistakably. But the signature said Marion. I thought back to the dreams I’ve had recently. The first time Marion appeared she acted like we had always been together. Like this dreamscape we were in was an alternate reality where Marlon was born as a girl.

Then, when she realised that I was panicking, she told me it was just a dream. So she was either self-aware, or I was partially aware it was a dream and it was a way of my subconscious to tell me I was dreaming.

But then the other dream happened. We were back at Grimbolt’s and we were back in that alternate reality. She was a girl. Instead of rooming with Josefine I roomed with Marion and we were a couple. She was self-aware again, but then she asked me if I was the real Sephie. So I guess her self-aware personality thought that I was not real? That I was… a part of her imagination maybe? That would mean that she was more than just self-aware. She was… real.

But how did she send me a letter? In this reality she didn’t exist. Because in this reality Marlon existed. Since they are the same person, they couldn’t exist at the same time. Or could they? How much the same were they? What if Marion was inside or Marlon? A part of Marlon. That could explain how she knew there was a ‘real version’ of me that differed from her ‘dream version’ of me. And that is how she contacted me. Through Marlon.

My gaze fell onto the compass in my hand. Right. I still had someone to meet. My first True Love. The blue needle pointed straight north. The green and purple needles were now joined, both pointing westwards. The yellow needle pointed northeast. Not that I cared. The orange and red needles still pointed the same direction as before.

It just hit me that I was about to meet a total stranger. Who was also destined for me. That felt weird. My body seemed to think the same, because my heart started pounding loudly. I shook myself and let out a deep breath. Then I walked northwards.

My route quickly took me through the towering stone gates that marked the city centre. I passed the giant cathedral dedicated to Irah, goddess of life. I walked through a beautiful avenue with large, lush trees on either side. To the left of me, I could see the towers of the ‘Blackhold’ loom over the rows of patriarch houses. Small patrols of white cloaked footknights marched up and down the streets wherever I looked.

Soon after, I passed a massive bridge that had a row of buildings on each side and ended with a keep on the left side. Once I reached the north side of the river, the needle pointed northeast. The yellow needle had moved again of course. It pointed southeast now. I winded myself through small, beautiful alleyways in between the large, gilded houses, always following the blue needle.

After a couple of alleys and small courtyards, I came across a larger structure. The building was visibly less pompous in design as the patriarch houses around it, but it was significantly larger. Along one side of it, I could see that it reached all the way to the river and even partially into it. I followed the façade until I found the door. Although doorway would be much more accurate. While it was made of wood, it was massive. Even a troll could pass without lowering its head. Above the doorway was a wooden sign bolted into the wall that read: Parzival’s. With no explanation who that was or what the purpose of this building was. Great.

I looked down at the compass again. The blue needle undeniably pointed towards it. The yellow one had also moved again slightly. Because of course it did. It now pointed south-southeast. I sighed. Then knocked on the door carefully.

There were a few heavy steps. Then the door swung open. A large grey arm came into my view. I looked up and saw that it was attached to a finely dressed torso. A purple silk doublet with golden accents. I looked up even further and found a thick, grey face staring down at me. “What’chu want little flower?” the stone troll grunted at me.

I felt like I stared for a little longer than comfortable and quickly rightened myself. “I’m Sephie. I’m uhh… looking for someone?” The troll raised one of his neatly trimmed eyebrows.

“Well, little flower, who might you be lookin’ for then?” he gruffed, although it was obvious that I amused him somewhat.

“It’s complicated,” I said. “I just know that they are here and I really need to talk to them.” The amusement on the troll’s face quickly took over that stone façade he tried to put on.

He ran his massive hand through his shoulder-long, slick, blue hair. “Well damn. That sounds very serious little flower. Lemme talk to the boss man, huh?”

With that he disappeared back into the building. He left the door wide open, so I snuck a few glances inside. There was a large open room inside that looked like a tavern space at first, until I noticed the rows of bookcases and glass vitrines scattered across the room. So it was a shop? And a tavern? The troll lumbered over to a booth near the bar and stuck his head through the curtains.

There were very few other patrons in the establishment, although there were also a few booths along the edges of the central room and there was a very prominent, red carpeted staircase that wound its way up around the left side of the bar.

Most patrons sat around the tables, a few stood at some of the bookcases and vitrines. There was also one of the white cloaked knights leaning against a wooden pole chatting with another patron I couldn’t quite see. I looked down at my compass. It pointed right at the knight. I gulped. Before I could work out how I would even approach him, the troll lumbered back across the room.

“Alright little flower you may enter. Welcome to Parzival’s!” he bellowed heartily as he gestured me inside. I carefully stepped in and the door fell shut behind me. The troll sat down onto a large chair near the door. He daintily picked up a book that laid face down on the small table. It looked comically tiny in his massive hands but he seemed content.

My gaze fell back to the knight in shining armour. Then to the bar. A drink first, I decided. I made sure to keep my posture up, channelling the etiquette lessons from Grimbolt. I strode over to the bar with fake confidence and promptly sat down on one of the barstools. I didn’t even glance at the knight once. Yay me.

“Heya sweetheart what can I get’cha?” the barkeep beamed as she slid over to me. She looked like a young woman, but from her slightly pointy ears I could tell she was half-elven. She had short blonde hair and golden eyes. She was slightly taller than me and wore a black blouse that only had the bottom two buttons up, revealing almost her entire chest.

“I’ll have something strong. Not too expensive though, please,” I answered, my eyes still awkwardly fixed on her chest. A slender finger cupped my chin and pulled my head upwards.

“Eyes are up here sweety. How about a local whisky? Cost you four silver a glass,” she lilted at me with a smirk.

“Y- yea that sounds good,” I muttered. “Sorry.” I could feel my face flush red with embarrassment but the barkeep seemed to take it with humour. She quickly fished out a square bottle from the cabinet behind her and poured some of the brown liquid into a small glass with a flourish. Then she stowed the bottle and slid the glass over the counter to me.

“Dex called you little flower, though I assume you have a proper name, right?” she asked while I cupped my drink.

I took a small sip. It felt like it burned its way through my throat but it left a very sweet aftertaste. I looked back up at the half-elf. “I’m Stephanie. You can call me Sephie though.”

“Well Sephie, it’s nice to meet’cha. I’m Lenore, your local enby barkeep,” they beamed back at me. I studied them for a moment. I’ve never met a non-binary person before, but we learned about them in our Foreign Cultures class. Many elves identified themselves as non-binary. They used they/them pronouns, which did need some getting used to the first time I had to write a paper about them. I was still proud of that one, since it was my first paper will full marks.

“So, Sephie, what brings you to Parzival’s? You look like the magic sort, though given you asked for a cheap drink I assume you won’t be able to afford anything magic in here,” they asked.

I thought for a moment how to answer that question. “It’s complicated. I’m looking for someone,” I said, calmly. “Although I guess I’ve found him and now I’m trying to find the courage to talk to him.” I shot a glance back to the knight who apparently had finished his conversation and moved over to the other side of the bar.

Lenore raised their eyebrows. “What’chu need the lordling for? Forgive me but you don’t seem the noble kind to me.”

Lordling? Was this guy high nobility? My heart started racing and any effort I put into my composure immediately faltered. Lenore gave me a questioning look. “Yea I get it, it’s complicated. I’ll check on my customer,” they sighed and slid over to the young lord.

I took another sip from the whiskey. Then I slowly fumbled out the compass and sat it down on the counter. I followed the blue needle. It pointed left of me. I looked over to the lord. Then I frowned. He was to the right of me. I looked to the left of me and pair of heterochrome eyes stared at me. “So how’s this drink compare to the other one?” she asked.

I jumped. Fell to the floor. The entire room turned towards me. “FUCK, NYDIA WHAT THE HELLS!”

*****

-Lilyfay-

The last of the guests was ushered out of the temple. It pained me a little to see faithful followers turned away like that, but it was necessary. At least according to my mothers. The way I saw it, this entire conversation didn’t even need to happen.

The two paladins standing guard bowed deeply, then slipped out of the doors as well and closed them behind them. I was alone in the nave of the cathedral. Rows and rows of empty wooden pews. I slowly moved over the carpet that laid in between the benches until I reached the steps that led up to the altar. My eyes studied the statue of Irah that was chiselled into the rock, then they fell to the door next to it.

I let out a long sigh and slipped into the back chamber.

It was a hexagonal, blackened stone chamber with a high ceiling. In the centre stood a small pool of holy water and each wall was decorated by a coloured mural. Next to the pool stood two angelic figures.

To the left stood a raven winged, black haired, pale, tall, muscular woman. Her irises were pure black and she had a dark lipstick on. Her flowing robes were dark blue and were only hung around her neck, revealing her shoulders and arms. On her shoulders and arms were purple pauldrons and bracers that were connected by thin metal bars. Even though they were pure metal, they bent like they were string with every movement she made.

To the right stood a white winged, golden haired, fair skinned, dainty woman. She had bright green eyes and wore a light green dress that was held up at her shoulders. A deep V-neck revealed most of her cleavage and her arms were bare. While the tall woman looked grim, the smaller one had a comforting smile on her lips.

“Mothers,” I greeted them calmly.

“You messed up,” my mother stated. Her disappointment was clear. “You let that girl take the artefact. No challenge. No guardians. She is wielding a divine artefact! For heaven’s sake Lily what were you thinking!?” she accused.

“Ahem.” My mom gave an apologetic look. “What your mother was trying to ask you, dearest, is why you let the girl take the artefact like that. The poor lass has already turned a part of the landscape into a tropical rainforest by accident. Power like that is very scary to mortals.”

I sighed. They wouldn’t let this go, would they? I really couldn’t help it at the time. The poor girl was so confused. She was so heartbroken and looking for love. And she tried so hard to find the hidden temple. I kind of… fell for her. So I let her take it. Just like that.

You see, divine artefacts are very rare and very very powerful. So usually there’d be a bunch of guardians, riddles and challenges before any mortal could claim one for themselves.

Except when Sephie walked into my hallowed halls… I kind of… didn’t do any of that.

But she was just so cute! I couldn’t help it. But that wasn’t the kind of answer my parents were looking for. Gods I felt pathetic.

My mother still gave me that judgemental look, while mom had a mixture of desperation and compassion on her face.

“I just… felt like she needed it,” I stated. Mother scoffed. Mom frowned. Yikes that excuse didn’t help. “Look… she was heartbroken, alone and desperate. And she was weak. If I put any guardians there, she would have died.”

Mother rolled her eyes. “Then she would have died. Lots of people die. I exist because they do. They die. I take care of them. She wasn’t yours to take care of.”

Mom looked away sheepishly. She obviously wasn’t comfortable with that. Assigning people to gods always felt weird for her. Especially with deities that spanned such broad topics as our little family.
She and mother were the deities of nature: Life and Death. I was one of the many deities of emotions, Love.

“Mother she still had so much life to live. It’s not like her fate was sealed or anything. She wasn’t dead yet. And I saw so much love inside her. Is it that much of a problem that I give someone another shot at finding love?”

Mom stepped closer and put a hand on my shoulder. “I know you meant well dear. But things are getting out of control. The girl has no control over the power the artifact gives her. And we can’t risk him finding her.”

“She’s too dangerous. Especially if he finds her. She needs to be stopped,” mother stated.

I can’t just… kill her though. I lo- I liked her way too much for that. What if… “What if I keep an eye on her? Make sure she doesn’t mess up anymore?”

Mother began rolling her eyes again. Then she stopped to think. “Fine. Keep an eye on her.” She stepped closer to me as well and her hand cupped my cheek. “You know, you keep falling in love with mortals like that. In the end we always have to console you when they die. I’m just trying to look out for you, sweety.”

I know she was trying to be compassionate, but it came off as judgemental again. Not that it mattered. I got what I wanted. Sephie would be safe. For now.