~ CHAPTER 21 ~
<< The Final Preparations >>
[BEGIN]
Place: City of Arceliaze, Central Illaminian District, Hipisemi Street, House #2
Region: Central Arceali Valley
Day: Nahstempnye
Date: Zshima 56th
Year: 5th Turn, 12
Tomorrow would be the day of the art showcase.
Today, it was my final day allotted for preparations.
Everything was just in time, from dresses to registration to permits – I couldn’t have timed it better if I tried.
As I awoke, I was greeted by the sight of Piera. Zerazani’s gift sat by my bed, fitted in a cheap glass frame from a local shop in the Illaminian district. Siranae had picked it up early in the morning before she had to rush to work. Same as I – one of the last days to toil under Mistress Julnii.
I smiled up at the visage of my sister, glinting in the sunlight. Siranae’s kindness wasn’t unnoticed, as I ran my paw along the edge of the frame.
After work, I would need to pick up the dresses from Yurushae in the New District, and then head up the Southern Arceali Valley to Ochli Village to claim our permits from the Merchant Guild house of Conveytion Chaila.
Siranae, herself, had promised to visit Kalae for a final session of last-minute lessons before the event tomorrow.
And Zerazani… well, God knows what she was up to, but she had mentioned last night doing final preparations for the showcase. She was likely up in Kura M’Zan taking care of such.
It was time to get to work.
I rose from bed, more rested than ever before, and snagged my bag from the bed frame. The scarf Yurushae had gifted me would have been a relief, but Mistress Julnii had already yelled a girl to tears about garments while working – I needed not make the same mistake.
I marched out of that house with a renewed calm, as I strode onward through the Illaminian District.
Last night’s flurry had brought with it a fresh layer of ice on the ground. However, the sun shone brightly above. It was fairly warm today, for winter, with not a cloud to be seen above. It was something like a portent of good fortune… one that even Mistress Julnii could not break.
Try as she might.
For indeed, as I left the Illaminian District and found my way to The Banquet Upon Paradise, that wretched woman was there to greet me, and demand I get to the carts to deliver materials to a client across town.
The carts were light these days. As improper as it may have been for a lady… my strength was now serviceable for the job.
I entered the warehouse in the back of the dismal business, looking upon the many broken and downtrodden girls.
From what little conversation I could extract from them, each of their parents had sold them out to the monstrous Julnii, simply because she had a measure of influence with a few Conveytion – a way to ‘make friends with powerful Poke’mon’… and giving them jobs to teach them some sort of responsibility.
These girls were not the silver-spooned nobles like those in the Arceali guild. They were lesser nobles, children of tradesmon, whose parents were forcing upon them the virtue of hard work…
…by having Mistress Julnii break them.
But… I noted… these girls were also considerably strong. Even moreso than I, as they’d been here longer.
I winced while taking up the reins of a cart. Even back home in Milan, I would not have been so far separated from girls like these. They should have been reading fine literature and learning skills of higher education, not toiling in the cesspool of Arceliaze’s business.
Their physical strength was not all that caught my eye. Even in their defeat and submission, there was a resilience in the workers of the warehouse.
They survived this place, day after day… they could endure about anything.
I wondered…
‘Wouldn’t they be better off working for someone nicer?’
My heart thrummed at the birth of an idea – but I had work to do. With a smile burgeoning on my lips, I started out with a cart at my back, ever more eager for the arrival of the showcase.
The day’s toil was the same as ever. Dragging and carrying and pulling that strained every muscle I used. I’d need time to recover after work, as always, despite my fortitude.
Though, with each sob from the other girls- with every tear they shed under Mistress’s Julnii’s cruelty- with every burning step I took…
…that idea grew. And grew. It banished the pain in my body. When none could see, that smile on my face bloomed.
I could feel myself rearing back… to knock down another peg.
My mind flooded with visions of business to come. Even as the day ended and I politely took Mistress Julnii’s pittance of 80 coins – for she had no more cheap shares to give – I could not help but imagine it the other way.
I admit I stared up at her… and imagined her begging me for funds and favor. A timid offering from a failing businesswoman, to be blessed with my services. I shivered with the thought.
No time to be caught up in imagination. With the coins dropped into my bag, I walked onward to the New District, eager to collect the dresses from the terrifying Yurushae.
The errand thankfully ended as quickly as it began – Yurushae did not force me to act out any more conversational performances, even though her servant seemed reluctant to let me back in, lest I cause Yurushae more distress. I dispensed the needed pleasantries, doing my best not to scowl at the unkind servant.
Two dresses, perfectly fitted to my and Siranae’s proportions, woven of fine materials and stitched perfect and sturdy. Yurushae assured the garments could rival the vestments of even the finest Conveytion.
I had to hope it was true, for they would be soon put to the test.
Now I walked, two boxes tucked under arm. The day’s light was waning with every passing moment. The rush of nobility, and the pressure of their scrutiny, was palpable in the air. It was exhilarating, for all it was leading to.
One final task… up to the village of Ochli.
The walk took me past the Illaminian District, then through the X-Eye District – it’d been a while since I’d seen it. And, as I continued, and the buildings grew smaller with the city fading into the South Farming District…
…I could see rolling hills of farmlands ahead, with small wood cottages accompanying each plot. It was certainly closer to a ‘farming’ district than the North Farming District was, with all of its factories and whatnot.
Eyes turned upward, I could already see several collections of buildings dotting the valley that towered over the city. I needed to follow signposts to figure out which cobblestone road led up to an ‘Ochli’, rather than ‘Wiz’ or ‘Sholx’ or ‘Vyxi’ or whatever other villages were scattered about the landscape. I clutched those dresses as if my very life depended on it. The slope that I treaded was no ordeal, at least not yet. But I dreaded having to chance fine gowns down a dirty hill.
At last I did come to Ochli. The approach was thankfully much less steep than that of Gur’Don, for Ochli was nestled behind a little hill midway up the valley, inside a small wooded area. I puffed, smile stuck on my face, as I searched about for the Merchant Guild’s house.
As I rounded the bend, the ground leveled and I could not even see Arceliaze past the hill and trees – as though this village was a small, tucked-away community of secrecy.
And gracious did it ever seem so. Houses were scattered about here, large and nestled deep among the trees and in their shade. Then a small man-made pool of water, a courtyard for what looked to be a sport of some kind, and a stairway up the hill to a ‘lookout lounge’.
I huffed. These errant streets and villages could use more sensible guidance, but I supposed, with the disrepair that infested Arcea, orderly transit was a low priority.
The clustered field of forestry was certainly distinct from Arceliaze’s paved streets, and more natural still than the gaudy architecture of Laesi. Some part of me detested being ‘separated’ from civilized society, but a small departure would do me no harm.
And there, at the end of the cobblestone road was… surprisingly, a rather modest log and wood mansion. Rather, it was modest compared to the disgusting excess of what I’d seen before. This building was only two stories tall and sported multiple wings with several entrances. Rather than being situated to be on full display for the community, it was hidden away behind several rows of trees – it seemed the abode was more for escaping than showing off.
Regardless, it didn’t mean much, considering the building was still swarmed with Poke’mon going in and coming out. It wasn’t nearly as bad as the Office of Commerce, goodness no. All these Pok’mon were well-dressed with fine hats – clearly all established business owners. All the same, I bolstered myself for another frenzy amidst a crowd, even if this place lacked the density and chaos that pervaded Shara’s home, or that dreadful Office.
I knew better than to let my guard down.
When entering through the propped-open double doors, I could see the foyer of the mansion. Several parlor chairs lined the edges with circular tables by several fire places, all giving the impression of a woods cabin that had simply been stretched and grown several times its normal size.
So… this was the Merchant House of Chaila, our patron Conveytion for our business.
My eyes wandered the interior of Chaila’s home. It had been some time since I visited anything similar to a log cabin. That cozy atmosphere all but dissipated, when such a cabin was scaled beyond its norm. What comfort was there to be found, when the place stretched wider than a forest clearing?
It bothered me not. I had business to attend to, and I strode on through the waves of stranger Poke’mon. I stared, searched for the spot where a girl might snatch her permits.
However, I did not need to search for the spot. In a way, the spot searched for me.
“Excuse me, Miss?”
Behind me, a soft and polite voice spoke. I flinched, but turned to the voice with a tender smile.
Looking back, I could see a rather short woman with a simple face, two large and bright flowers on her head and what looked to be a long skirt made of leaves. A loose sash hung over her shoulder, with a gold brooch bearing a peculiar sigil on it – a sharp-snouted ferret with a swirl around it. Perhaps the symbol of Conveytion Chaila.
At the least, she wasn’t painful to the eyes.
“Might I help you with anything?” The woman said with a kind smile.
“Oh, well- yes, you may~.” I laughed softly, just barely not haughty. “I’m with the Helping Hands of Coronatus… I had some permits to collect for my business. I don’t suppose you’d be able to help me get those?”
I grew nervous, uttering the name of our business out loud. Some part of me still feared it was fraudulent, somehow. But my face only radiated with a calm joy.
From under her sash, the woman took out a small, glossy card, eying it quickly before looking up at me with a smile.
“Adelaide Imperator di Milan of Kollovan?” She asked softly, setting the card back in its place. “I’m happy to report that the office of Conveytion Chaila has accepted your proposal and formally grants The Helping Hands of Coronatus its permits. Please, follow me…”
The woman beckoned me to follow, leading me along towards the other end of the foyer. I was brought to a waiting area, where she guided me to sit whilst she quickly vanished into another room, and returned a moment later with a small wood lockbox with Chaila’s insignia on it.
She approached, opening it up and letting me see the stacks of thick-sheet paper inside – a wealth of certificates.
“Here we go,” the woman said, leafing through the certificates one-by-one. “That’s one subpermit to contract workers. One subpermit to implied permits under client contractees. One subpermit to non-financial operation outside municipal zone. One subpermit to physical labor. One subpermit to intensive physical labor. And finally one subpermit to non-physical labor.”
The woman lifted the stack to show me another sheet, a document binding my business to The House of Chaila.
“The regulatory body of The Office of Commerce in House Chaila shall hold The Helping Hands of Coronatus to codes 0234, 4487, 4491, 5044, and ARZ-243 – That’s regulations for Western Partnerships, Labor Commerce, Physical Labor, Cross-Country Operation, and Arceliaze Service Businesses.”
Finally, the woman closed the lockbox and nestled it in my hands.
“Thus, your monthly fee to The House of Chaila comes to 2,300 p.” The woman said with a warm smile. “Would there be any questions, Miss Adelaide Imperator Di Milan?”
While I was not so petty as to suddenly begrudge the Merchant Guild for that charge… I could now understand the animosity toward the Leaf Guild. Why, even a hearty breath came with a fee in Arceliaze.
Still, my polite nodding and kind smile did not falter. On the mention of a charge, I produced my pouch of coins, withdrawing the heavy 2,300 p that was requested.
“None so far- I only thank you for your expedient generosity,” I said. “Your guild is a kind lot, aha.”
“Of course, we always wish to support our member organizations at The House of Chaila,” the woman said, giving me a small bow. “Please, if you need any assistance with permits or scheduling value appraisal, you may access our member resources at any time – we’re here to help you be successful.”
So that I could continue to give them their monthly fee, no doubt.
I handed off the coins, and took the permits just as quickly. I feared that, if I lingered, I’d be asked to attain another form with another charge, and another day to finish it all.
I laughed softly, nodding, and thanked her once more. I knew I was indebting myself further, and I would come to terms with these financial siphons in due time.
But, for now… my spirits were as light as air. Every detail had been organized to its end, every tiresome task put to rest. And the day was still young.
I turned, strolling out of the Merchant House…
…before breaking into a run in the open air.
Had it always been so fresh, so crisp and freeing? I couldn’t be sure, but it was heavenly now.
There was no time to waste. I had to return home, brew some sweetened tea and set things in order for Siranae. This was too wonderful of a feeling to be dogged by my anticipations of tomorrow. The hill slowed me only a smidge, while I raced along toward the Illaminian District, tails flicking eagerly behind me.
The wind was at my back, billowing down the hill and racing along with me as I ran with my future in my paws. Past the other pedestrians on the street and the shops and stores – I’d let them all look, if they must, at the girl engulfed in a passion. No less passionate than Zerazani. No less ambitious than Kalae.
What exhilarating freedom this world offered, that I had never known in my own world. House ownership. Business ownership. The opportunities were intoxicating. I was drunk with the rushing imagination of what was to come.
Whatever would Mother say if she were to see me now, running through snowy streets with such feverish excitement? This certainly wasn’t proper behavior, and she’d likely admonish me for displaying such childishness. I’d never have a suitor at this rate.
Did I even care?
I felt the frigid wind of Arceliaze rush through my lungs, perhaps for the first time. Something strange had happened.
Yesterday, Arceliaze was a prison. Arcea was a wasteland of my own future, wherein I chased the echoes of opportunity. All of this world – the expanse of Tulaan, it only hindered my efforts to return home.
Today, my future was in my own grasp. I was not a beggar, no student or peon – I was a businesswoman, making use of all I’d learned. In one day’s time, the fertile roots of Coronatus would sink deep into the soil of opportunity. Siranae’s kindness made sure of it. Zerazani’s kindness made sure of it.
Even in the pain of her absence, I was free to be as unrestrained as Mother always feared I would be. There would be time for dreadful suitors another day… today, I was the pioneer of my life.
Running forward towards that noisy, musical district, I knew Siranae ought to be at Kalae’s home getting the last of her lessons. Thus, down the Cio Tumfo road I went, taking a few bends past gambling parlors until I saw the ‘Fast Coin’ sign, brightly lit like a welcoming finish line.
I laughed amidst my frantic run, more than once having to grip and tighten my hold on the loose items of my future. I came to a skidding halt as I saw Fast Coin, almost failing to recognize my goal. My dearest friend awaited me.
A bright, immature smile stretched across my snout. With a few hops to the front step, and with joy brimming, I rapped upon the front door with a single paw.
Freedom. Freedom… at last.
And when the door swung open, when Kalae came to greet me…
…there she was. The Audino with poise and confidence, smiling at me with an excitement in her eyes.
The woman who had helped make it possible. The woman that was now so much closer to the life she dreamed of… and, if I could help it, it’d be a life lived in the way she wanted.
She was free. Free… at last.
I could hardly contain myself. I placed the boxes and my bag aside… and strolled up to Siranae giddily, clasping her hands in my paws.
My mind and my words were a blur. Regaling her with utterly pedantic tales of my work day, and the trip to Chaila’s house – and the dresses. I pulled them out from the boxes, unraveling them like ancient tapestries of the Lord himself. Even if I was too apprehensive to don mine, I basked in its majesty.
Kalae barely registered in my mind, but I offered profuse thanks for her aid all the same. Even her greed-stained endeavors were the kindest mercy, when I had so little to fret on. When Siranae was all the more resplendent.
Like a bolt of lightning, Siranae and I were off. Dresses stowed at home, permits sealed away for their safety, as I indulged Siranae in an evening of errands around the Illaminian District. Any other day, I would have felt too tired to strain myself- but this was a day to live.
Carrying a family’s boxes from an old storage room, sorting purchase documents for a local merchant, standing guard beside one of those gambling parlors. Menial tasks that lasted us into the night… I minded them not.
I was with Siranae, and our future was on the horizon.
We were free.
Place: City of Arceliaze, Central Illaminian District, Hipisemi Street, House #2
Region: Central Arceali Valley
Day: Shiroffkove
Date: Zshima 57th
Year: 5th Turn, 12
~ THE DAY OF THE ART SHOWCASE ~
“Zerazani said she would be meeting us there. Ah, and… please take a deep breath.”
Siranae pulled the drawstrings on the back of my dress, trying to not make it too tight, but still ensuring the midsection snugly fit my body.
I stifled a squeak from the pull of the strings. I was used to form-fitting attire as a human, but the extra pressure added by fur in the midst caused momentary discomfort. But that sensation faded, leaving only the sheer comfort and poise of my gown.
The dress was an expertly crafted fit, tailored specifically for my anatomy as a Buizel. The fabric breathed beautifully and felt as smooth as a second skin.
The Audno leaned down, helping to fluff out the bottom portion of my dress. Her own dress was much more simple to put on, not requiring any help doing so.
“There… we… go…!” Siranae smiled, looking me up and down. That excited look in her eye been brimming since the moment we’d woken up, and it remained once we reunited after work. “My, Adelaide, you look so… graceful…!”
At her comment, I giggled gently, twirling my dress and letting its puffiness swirl about me. It was almost fairy tale-esque, and it birthed both joy and embarrassment in my heart.
Siranae bounced a little on her heels, swaying lightly and letting her low-cut dress to twirl merrily. My head bobbed up and down, watching Siranae’s mirthful bouncing.
“I can’t believe it. I simply can’t…! My very first party…! And in Kura M’Zan no less…!” The Audino bounced again, her hands shaking with excitement. “This is it, Adelaide! The real thing…! No longer a pretend game or a training session. It’s a real, actual party of nobility! Conveytion attending – can you believe it-?! Oh, but, I must suppose these things were more common for you. Oh I do hope to follow your lead…!! To see and hear all things I never have before but always dreamed of!!”
Once her gentle words had run out, I took up her hands in both paws.
“I do hope to make the evening more magical, more prosperous for you,” I said. My voice had dipped to a lower, more dignified tone. “And the Conveytion are as intimidating as they are exciting… but, make no mistake-“
I lifted her hands higher, my smile only widening.
“While I will attempt to lead… your training, and your diligence, they will serve you well. We are nobility, as far as other nobility are concerned. Do not forget… that you belong in splendor such as this, my dear.”
Siranae’s gloved fingers curled around my hands. The Audino’s callouses and cuts were all but hidden. Her make-up was applied well, and she looked as dignified as any noble of Arcea possibly could.
But it was her expression. The confident smile. The determined glint in her eye.
“Yes… we belong in the splendor, Friend Adelaide. Together, as a unit.” Siranae said. She shifted, hooking her arm around mine confidently. “And thusly shall I endeavor to make this night successful.”
She straightened her back, puffing her chest.
“We shall mingle and meet the Conveytion. Look them in the eye. We shall acquire their business.” Siranae said, her confidence mimicking my own. “And from there we will show our goodness for the whole world to see. It shall be story book, top to bottom, beginning to end.”
She patted my hand, looking towards the door.
“And thusly… shall we begin, Adelaide Imperator~?”
I kneaded those gloved hands, deep enough to feel the bare ridges of her callouses. Not to shame her… but to assure her, that it was okay for her to have them.
“I adore that we have this chance. With you by my side… I know that success is certain. Team Coronatus must have its time to shine,” I said softly, almost grinning.
I rubbed a digit against her hand in turn, taking another deep breath. After only some few weeks, such a noble affair felt distant… but, with Siranae, not so distant that I could not reach it once more.
“Ready to depart, my Dear Siranae~.”
Arm in arm (as I never bothered to correct that gesture), Siranae and I departed the home and the Illaminian district at once.
The day was fairly warm, compared to the last few days. It had actually rained last night rather than snowing, which had broken up the patches of snow that plagued the ground. However, many of the fire-breathing Poke’mon still worked to clear away dangerous sheets of smooth ice that’d formed, which only made the snowy streets feel warmer. I walked with my head held high through the warmed streets – even if my arm tensed against Siranae’s, whenever I had the displeasure of passing by one of those fire-breathers in the act. Honestly, what a beastly way of maintaining a town.
But I let not even an ounce of grief cross my delicate expression.
For Siranae walked with a confident gait. With me at her side our dresses mingled their colors to give a resplendent look. And when we both crossed the threshold of the New District…
…we blended right in.
We were just as they – nobles in strong, loud poses and fine garments, showing ourselves off to the world as we walked towards a well-to-do gathering. I could feel the shake of excitement in Siranae’s arms. Even the trudge up the steep western hill of the Arceali Valley did not slow us down. If anything, that trek was child’s play, now that I didn’t have a heavy cart weighing me down courtesy of Mistress Julnii.
My smile only widened, as we crested into the higher echelons of society. My gown bounced and fluttered with my steps, my comrade moved in perfect synchronization with me. I did not need a gawk of validation to know how wondrous we both were. I only wished that Julnii might know what importance I carried now, but that would be clear in due time.
Up the bright white cobblestone road Siranae and I hurried, towards a massive, flashy collection of buildings that shimmered on the side of the green hills, always looming far above Arceliaze. Though I’d passed it by quickly during my work before now…
…now I had a moment to look. To take in the surroundings.
Our steps tapped on patterned smooth marble streets. The village’s ornate grandeur outclassed even the new district. This village wore its long history with pride, in every brick and mortar and arch and fluttering flag all the way up the steep road of marble.
This… was Kura M’Zan.
I dragged to a halt, staring up at the overly picturesque facade. All at once, it was fantastical and farcical, a page ripped from a fairy tale and painted across reality. Why, it resembled something Zerazani might craft for her own amusement, even the cooled streaks of marble beneath us.
And… somewhere in my heart, I was intimidated. I had known greater nobility than I, back home. But this was the nobility of another world…and all at once, it was foreign to me. I was foreign to it.
But my grip on Siranae did not relent. My smile only burned brighter.
I would belong in this place, even if I must scrape a hole into the facade myself. We would belong here.
My pause made Siranae look at me, her ears swiveling as though scanning to be sure I was well. But my smile assured her to continue on.
“Do you feel nervous?” Siranae asked. “I’ve never felt such a mixture of fear and excitement, myself.”
I could feel her pace quicken, our footsteps clacking against the smooth marble walkway leading up the hill. I giggled, even amidst Siranae’s faster steps. I bowed my head just slightly.
“Perhaps, my nerves are reaching me. But I have never had so much riding upon a social gathering like this…” I said, arm locking tighter with the Audino. “And yet, I feel a calmness unlike any other. After all-“
I looked ahead, my smile persisting.
“I am accompanied by the kindest, strongest girl in Arcea. There is nothing to fear.”
I had seen the darkest parts of Arcean nobility – perhaps there was a fear of exposing Siranae to that once again. But… I also trusted her. Perhaps, I figured, she would keep me safe as much as I did her.
Still, this party was likely to be more my element. And for as much fun as it may be for Siranae, we were, first and foremost, here for business connections.
We would be under scrutiny the moment we were perceived and would thusly have to scrutinize in return.
I would have to recall whatever data I could in order to propose and finalize these business deals, to open opportunities and craft my public image.
And all the while, showing no weakness.
For, if Zerazani was to be believed – respect was taken and not given in the upper echelons of Arcea. Like wolves, the elites were ravenous and ready to tear at the throat of opportunity.
And yet, my fangs were sharper still.
Thus, as Siranae and I thundered up the hill, passing beautiful, colorful buildings and finely cultivated trees and hedges, our dresses fluttering in the billowing wind of the valley… I looked upward towards our destination.
The Nors Aloch hotel, there at the top of the hill. Signs pointed up towards the building far above.
Even from here I could see the white marble walls connected to the building with accompanying watch towers. It looked more like a converted fort turned noble inn, where visitors from abroad would rest whilst visiting Arceliaze.
To our left and right – I could see other Poke’mon. Various shapes and sizes and colors, all walking or waddling or hobbling along in different silken vestments of different styles. I could see the loose robes of Arcean garb, the puffy, frilly gowns of the Illaminians, and the jagged, sharp dresses of the Quayoffi style.
And all of them walked with us, up the hill, towards that massive hotel.
This was it.
The true beginning of The Helping Hands of Coronatus:
< SOCIAL EVENT 01>
THE NORS ALOCH ARCEAN ARTS SHOWCASE & BANQUET
~ CHAPTER 21 ~
<< F I N I S >>
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