Raspberry Rose Chapter Four: Wilted Rose Part 1

Trigger Warnings: This chapter of Raspberry's story features drug and alcohol use, suggestive language, sexual situations involving a fantasy human character of 17 years old, violence, suggestions of physical and sexual violence, graphic descriptions, AI Art and fantasy-based interpretations of transgender identity and concepts. Nothing in this story is meant to be offensive and the overall message Raspberry means to express is to love and accept yourself, and the world will follow suit.

Not Caught Up Yet? Click here for Raspberry Rose Chapter 3: Areezah Part 1 or Part 2!

I was almost deafened by the fanfare that followed my debut on the center stage of Areezian nightlife. As I laid on my back, atop a bed of magical rose petals and tossed trinkets from countless new admirers, I soaked in the glory of what I knew to be my true calling. This is where zardons shine brightest, Darling: center stage, beneath a spotlight. I'm the most brilliant of them all and, by this time tomorrow, all of Areezah would have my name on their lips: Raspberry Rose. The sensations of a lifelong dream coming to fruition hit me with a euphoric swell, pumping in my ears with heavy heartbeats echoed by fanatical cheers and I could feel every cell of my being exploding within!

“Oh, you've all just been utterly lovely, Darlings! Remember, my loves, the whole world is a stage and if you’re not under the spotlight, you’re just an extra! I'm Raspberry Rose and I sincerely hope you all come back for a healthy dose of R and R!"

“Alrighty, folks of all gender identities, I hope you enjoyed the show as much as I did because that was wild! I've been your MC for the evening, Hollow Graphic! As a friend to you all, I'd love for you to stay, but as the owner of the establishment, I'm demanding you all leave immediately! Recent events have drastically changed the hours of operation for tonight! You don't have to go to your home and you're welcome to go to anyone that isn't mine, but you can't stay here! Have a good night folks and remember, in a cold and dark world, we are each other's warmth and light!”

Hollow's massive Attendant Cloud expanded to overtake the entire stage, swooping me up through a vortex into the cushioned interior next to the giant form of Hollow himself. I felt so small this close to him: he must have been at least 8 ft. tall, made all that more drastic by the glittering floor-length robes and jewelry dangling from what skin was free of glowing white tattoo ink. Soaring so high above the ground, I suppose perspective obscured how large he truly was.

With a few laps up and down the height of The Seedy Cedar, Hollow ushered out the remainder of the crowd who pouted and jeered their complaints, only for Hollow to wish them well and he'd assuredly see them again tomorrow. After about five minutes, those left within the facility were staff members, performers, and the enigmatic dealer of dalliance, drugs, and dreams: Grey-Scale.

“Well well well,” Hollow cooed, dreamily leaning over the edge of his cloud to look at the intimidating tycoon who was ultimately responsible for my arrival. “If it isn't the most handsome mug to grace The Cedar! I can only assume a gem of this fine quality found its way into my establishment by way of your quick hands, Mr. Grey-Scale?”

Grey-Scale, who was seated with January Rain across his lap, wordlessly pushed her leg aside and ran his hand across the root jutting from the wall of the hollowed out cedar tree. There were faint bits of glowing golden essence fading from the veins of the plants that I could see myself, even at this distance. He just stared at them, paying little mind to the rest of us as the light steadily diminished and vanished.

“Yes,” he managed to hiss out of his locked jaw before stepping towards Hollow and I. He straightened his lapel and stood upright, melting to a steely demur temperament before beaming with a fervent passion that seemed ravenous. “She's quite the star indeed, isn't she? I even plan on buying this place from you for her. We can open negotiations without mixed company, but I assure you, I can match any price you ask Hollow.”

The cloud beneath us darkened like a stormy sky before a powerful eruption, and I could feel a matched energy welling from within Hollow, but it was January that made the first outburst. “You're going to buy The Seedy Cedar for HER?! May I remind you that it was ME who introduced you to this place and Hollow to begin with?! You'd be nothing in this city were it not for me you sniveling little wyrmling! Also, certainly I'm the last person who should have to remind you, specific activities within Areezah have age restrictions, whether they be consensual or not. Either or any of the party members engaging in such acts break the laws of Areezah and all involved are subject to interrogation by the Coalition for any malfeasance. I’m sure you'd do right to keep that in mind, Grey-Scale, especially where this one’s concerned.” She took only a minute to inhale before turning to me with a snap of her neck that lobbed daggers into my soul.

“On the subject that is you-,” her hair swept against her shoulders provocatively and beautifully, but her nails extended from her fingers to rest mere inches from my throat like five sharpened blades ready to kill. “You may think you've made a splash here tonight, but don't delude yourself into thinking you're anything more than a ruddy red amalgamation of the rest of us. It’s cute that you put our own performances in your 'act' but if all you are is a copycat, then what are you, Darling?”

And as seamlessly as the scathing words crossed her lips, January's nails retracted and her entire body shifted into an exact replication of mine. Her entire outfit even transformed into a glistening reflection of The Rose Dragon before my performance. She looked like the most flawless version of myself I could imagine. With all my makeup and magic, it took me years to perfect Raspberry's look, but she did it with little more than a wave of her hand.

Hollow placed his hand on my shoulder, almost preemptively reassuring me as I began to feel my adrenaline fade and embarrassment grow. "Now now January, that's the nicest I've seen your macabre self look in ages, why don't you act like it? Besides, your little sexed-up vampire schtick is, forgive the pun, deader than the horse you're beating away at. Your attitude was fun at first, we all love a strong toxic bitch and all, but it's really been harshing the vibe and gotten kind of one-note. Change it up and get with the times or get to stepping Honey, it's your choice. Now, Mr. Grey-Scale, as for your proposition, tomorrow we'll discuss, but tonight, let's just enjoy Miss Raspberry's debut! Drinks all around!”

January stormed off without another word after Hollow drove that stake through her heart, but not before sharing a prolonged silent staredown with Grey-Scale I couldn't help but notice. Delilah, the snarky bartender who presumably informed January we were here, chased after her- pulling out some strange vials of her own from between her breasts. I didn't have much time to pay them any thought beyond good riddance; they would have just soured the taste the night anyways.

Hollow took me to meet the staff first, toting me above the ground from the comfort of his Cloud and they were all beyond lovely and gracious to have me. Clearly it was just Delilah's closeness with January that led to the lackluster service; everyone else was top notch and delightful, insisting I come to perform every night they work! No one, however, on the staff was more enchanted by my performance than the massive ogre bouncer, Gerty, from the entrance of The Cedar. She was in a fervor, pushing coworker and performer alike aside to get closer to Hollow and I.

"Miss Roseberry," she said, fumbling her colossal hands around the torn leather hand grips of her club. She wouldn't look me in the eye, but as I leaned over the edge of the Cloud to kiss her forehead, she jumped in place with glee- smiling a broken tooth smile through chapped green lips. "You so pretty. Please sign da club!"

"Of course, Darling, anything for you!" This was similar, but cruder in execution, to how the rest of the staff approached me. Most of them had a fair deal of experience with performers, but I, to everyone's surprise but my own, blew all those to come before me out of the proverbial water.

The praise felt properly placed, almost mundane in a way as I had imagined and dreamed countless scenarios like this before, but now truly living these long overdue fantasies felt somewhat unsatisfying. Servers and token collectors would rush about the club: gathering coin, flower, and trinket to be taken with me upon my departure. As Hollow introduced me, one by one, to each of his staff, they clearly and sweetly looked to him as a father. It was as if I were coming home for the first time in a long while: my Rhyonis and Mals- father and siblings -all welcoming me back after a long trip away from them.

It all felt like a surreal dream to be quite frank, painted into my reality by the Sleepy Lover, Run-Darian. Be it the fading of my performance high, or the strange mixture of emotions that surrounded me the rest of the night, I was awash in a colorful swirl of introductions that took me back to watching my mother's projects: dyes seep into fabric products. Each person I spoke with bathed me in their personal stories and vibrant presence that was so unique from the last. It made me wonder how I survived so long in the monochrome crowds of Jerrym's frigid snowscape.

Despite the feeling of belonging and the comfort of surrounding love, it was the first time I had met any of these people, but it didn't matter. Nothing did. Not who I was beneath my magic and gowns, not who they were or how long we'd known each other. All that carried any significance was that we were happy, laughing, and enjoying each other's presence. It was almost enough to keep my focus away from Grey-Scale, but every now and then I would feel his gaze on my neck, eyeing me from across the room, through a crowd of people. He was silent, but those eyes roared in their intensity.

After some odd hours, I had met the total of twenty-five staff members: Hollow being the MC and owner of The Cedar, four bouncers including Gerty, and a mixture of twenty-odd servers and bartenders that all interchanged duties. This didn't include Delilah as, now that I'm retelling this tale, I can clearly recount I never saw her again beyond that night. I had never thought about it till now, but that, much like her, is irrelevant.

The night was wonderful and magical, spent inebriated with drink after drink that Hollow eagerly supplied. The remaining performers and I spoke on our experiences and bonded over a shared love of the stage. Periwinkle and Lavender were both fairly stale and I grew bored of them before too long, but Mikalys was a thing straight from a fairytale. He purred his words like a cat nestled in a warm blanket and spoke animatedly, waving his toned arms around like an excited man-child that made him all that much more endearing; beneath that over-sexed exterior was a simple sweet man just trying to make a living.

Every now and then, the strange half-elf duo would try to butt in and talk about their individual family histories that seemed to weirdly overlap or become one and the same, or untangle in the middle of the bicker babble that was their narrative. From what I gathered, their ancestors gathered flowers in Ish-Gahn's Fields of Angehlah. Whether they were cousins, siblings, lovers, friends, or rivals, I honestly couldn't tell. They seemed happy though and, aside from being irritating, they didn't bother anyone so I didn't see reason to question it, much less a desire to.

Until the early morning hours of an Areezian Spring day, we as a whole delighted in one another's company over drink, Roseweed, and with some coaxing from Hollow, Grey-Scale opened up his stash of Acidic Inhalant. Apparently, Grey-Scale was well known in the Fling Ring of Areezah. His concoctions were a huge part of his market and those drawn to the debauchery of the Fling Ring, with their no-holds-barred lifestyle, were the prime clientele.

As I came to understand it on that very night, in this ring of the city, there were places for every activity that could be viewed as 'indecent' to the regular, or basic, public. Anything from prostitution to gambling, to fighting coliseums, to recreational substance use, was permitted in the Fling Ring so long as the activities were between consensual parties of adult age for their independent species. These areas are heavily monitored by not only the Omnipoints within the Ring, but as well as the Shaded Coalition that stalked through the streets of Areezah like, as Grey-Scale put it, ‘rats full of shame and mediocrity.’

No one questioned my age or presence here, due to the fact that typically it's impossible to slip by the Omnipoints. Fortunately, it seems if you're Mr. Grey-Scale- beloved apparent kingpin and business mogul -your coin is able to grease even the most scrupulous of palms. I was hesitant to join in the revelry once the Inhalant was brought out, but as Grey-Scale smiled and eyed me down as if knowing I was battling the urge to try it, I felt my inhibitions melt away.

I wanted to try it. I looked around, saw the icy stares wax over my new friends, entranced by the swirling light creatures flitting above our heads. There was peace in their daze.

I needed to try it. Once again, Grey-Scale’s eyes met mine as he began to part the languid crowd, something in my gut wretched and churned away. Yet, something pushed me towards him.

I fought the urge at first, several times over, denying offers from the faces of various blurring strangers. My sense began to reel and swirl into one coagulating sensation of revulsion in my belly. I could only imagine this is what the fabric stewing in my mother's dyes felt like: heavy, saturated in fluid, and rolling over itself by the force of the current. It was made all that much worse by the sheer weight of the reassembled Rose Dragon clinging to my shoulders, hefty and as beautiful as it may have been.

"Easy there Rose, can't have you wilting already, the night's only begun!" Grey-Scale quickly swept my legs from beneath me and carried me over to a long booth where I could lay my feet up on a comically large throw pillow with willow branch tassels. He sat beneath me, placing my head in his lap and gesturing to some servers to bring glasses of water. For as much as he bore into me with that piercing gaze of his, in this hazy moment where we found ourselves alone for the first time since my performance, he wouldn't look at me. My heavy lids must have lingered for too long in the silence because, as he stared out across the floor, over the crowd and at the strange vines sprouting from the walls of the Cedar, he chuckled.

"What's so funny?" I went to adjust myself to a seated position, not wanting to lean into his agency any more than necessary, only to quickly crumble into it once more as that wooziness overtook me. I wasn't much of a drinker, and this was the reason; I hated not being at my peak. Grey-Scale eased me back into the stuffing of the booth, allowing me to settle comfortably beneath his arm. It was warm, safe in a way, almost like a silk shell as he opened up his coat and tucked me in beside him.

"You're funny," he said, matter of factly. Despite Nihaan knew how many cups deep he was, Grey-Scale still had a wavering, stoic demeanor that made him seem to take somethings as so plainly mundane, while others, like Janurary, shook him to the core. "From the moment the first muffled note of your performance crept through the floorboards of Lockstead's business suite, you drew me in. Never in my wildest years would I have imagined I would have delivered you to your destiny, but I'm honored to see you here."

"That Acidic Inhalant has your head so high in the clouds, Hollow can't even see you! Speaking of destiny as if it was anything less than my own wonder that saw me here! Regardless of what fate was told for me, I would see to my rise one way or another, Darling, don’t you forget that! You are just a conveniently placed rung on the ladder.”

He half-laughed, jostling me in his coat roughly with the force of his barrel-like chest. Chains and necklaces rattled against him like a strange percussion instrument, but it wasn't enough to hide the haunting clunking inside his lungs. It was almost grating to hear at this proximity. His laugh rolled into a sickly cough that would have him bump into me uncomfortably, irritation adding to my discomfort.

"I see so much more for you than I think even you've dreamed of." He was, at once, stoic and stern, almost scolding me for not having met his aspirations for myself with my own. "This was but a taste of what's in store for you, and if this is what you can do in one night-,” he paused, only to wave to the twisting roots curling from the walls of the Cedar, tracing them through the air with his extended talon. I hadn't noticed before, but from his vantage point here, in the same velvet shell of the private booth we shared earlier, I could see golden veins, faintly, pulsing within the plant growth. "Then I can only imagine what you could do to this place if you owned it, Rose."

Grey-Scale had this tactic I was beginning to pick up on. With a base of flattery and a spice of dramatic flare and gesticulation, the imposing draconic man made everything a bit of theater. I can't say I didn't eat it up. Every time I did anything slightly wondrous, intentional or not, he made these promises of bolder futures than even the wildest dreams painted for me by that God of Dreams, Run-Darian.

"Come, let's get out of here. Tomorrow is going to be a big day and I think we've had enough for this one, wouldn't you agree, Miss Coal?"

Be it whatever power of persuasion he possessed, the intoxicants in my blood, or simply the fact that I was truly and utterly exhausted, I calmly acquiesced. To an expected chorus of boos and jeers at our departure, both Grey-Scale and I said our farewells, shook hands, kissed cheeks, and waved from the open windows of our air coach. A breath of fresh air filled my lungs when I could finally let my shoulders drop and dissolve into the plush interior of our vessel.

Areezah, the massive sweeping cityscape that stood splayed beneath us, peaking and dipping as it does, eager for me to write my story across its pages. Wind brushed my hair out of its tightly bound style as I giggled in the crisp night air, breathing the scents and sounds of untold possibilities and new beginnings.

“I don’t want to thank you,” I said, breaking the silence from my place outside the coach. I couldn’t open my eyes, they were heavy from the sleep threatening to overtake them, and the speed of the wind whistling against my lashes. ”I would have made it here on my own someday, to take it over, but I suppose I do owe you thanks, Mr. Grey-Scale.”

He said nothing for some time. I thought he may have even fallen asleep himself, but when I pulled my head back in from the sky above my new homeI saw him pensively looking out his own window, over the city he ruled from behind closed business dealings. Every moment we spent together before now, he had barely taken his eyes off of me, but here he sat, paying me absolutely no mind.

“January was right about us being seen together from here on out. We will take this city over Rose, together but separate. It’s going to be a long road and tomorrow we will take the next step.” All this was said through curtly closed lips and without a single glance. His demeanor was that of a completely different man than I had seen before. Neither sinister or malicious, but cold, empty, and calculating. He was drained, ragged, and he refused to let me see it through those equations formulating in his mind.

I took his hand, moved to the other side of the coach, and pulled his chin frill beard to make him look me in the eye. “Mr. Grey-Scale,” I purred through pursed lips, pouting my lower jaw out to close the gap between us as much as possible. “Whatever it takes to make this work, I’m going to do it. January, or any other performer, not even yourself, will be able to get in my way, do you understand me? For as long as I’ve imagined making life what I want it, only death and the Grey Lady could dare to stop me now that its sweet taste has met my lips.”

Grey-Scale smiled deeper and more genuinely than I had seen yet. It wasn’t a handsome or assuring thing, but determined and fierce. It was a smile that smoldered and bore into you with a confidence and assuredness of laser focus intensity. It was satisfaction. “Good. I'll have Missy assigned to be at your beck and call. For all intents and purposes, she's now completely under your employ."

This came as a surprise, yet serendipitous all the same. Missy was a huge concern of mine, the sweet bright girl trapped in Grey-Scale’s darkness would have caused me more anxiety than anything concerning myself. "I just have one question before we adjourn for the night and I'd rather ask it alone."

"What is it Rose?" He asked, leaning close and cocking an eyebrow, with an almost sinister quizzicality.

"Are you in love with her?"

"Missy? Has the Kollywump taken root in your skull child? She's my maid!" Grey-Scale threw his head back in laughter, slightly rocking the carriage back and forth, but I was stone serious.

"No, not Missy, January."

He scoffed a hacking sound from the deepest recesses of his chest and looked at me, truly aghast. "She’s a whore. Worse yet, she’s not even one of mine anymore. No, I don't love her."

That hit me harder than it would had he confessed an undying love for the woman. I sat with a fake smile across my face, alluding to pleased satisfaction, when in all reality I was sick to my stomach. His callousness, even towards January, was as ugly as the whole of him was extraordinary.

The rest of the flight to his home was in contemplative silence. We docked at the penthouse airdock we emerged from earlier that night and parted ways from the dining hall. Grey-Scale limped with an awkward gait weighed down by his sleep-craving form, a moment of weakness and fragility he hadn’t led on till now. A half-hearted kiss placed on the back of my hand and a quick clap of his own summoned Missy to escort me to my guest room for the evening. I watched as he spun on his heels and disappeared behind one door, and then who knew how many more.

“I despise that man, Missy,” I exhaled, admitting to both her and myself as I was beginning to understand what I had fallen into. She didn’t have a verbal response, but she took my hand and led me towards the door exiting the dining hall. “Just one moment, would you like anything, Darling?” I lifted the outer skirt of my dress to form a sort of carrying apron and hustled towards the massive dining table still sporting fresh fruit and glazed pastries.

“Nothing like a tasty midnight snack before some sweet dreams, eh?”

Missy was still quiet and despondent. I was almost too excited for the desserts to take notice of it, but as she half-heartedly smiled and took my finger in the whole of her tiny hand, I felt the energy warm within her. I reflexively smiled at the point of contact, offering whatever comforts I could to her. “What’s wrong, love?”

She pushed the door open with little more than a shove and turned to hold it open for myself to pass through. “I’m just very happy you’re here, Miss Raspberry.”

“Just Raspberry, Darling. My sister has no need to call me Miss.”

She blushed and tears welled in her eyes for a brief instant before she smiled and skipped to step with my longer strides. “Right, Raspberry, you’re so good and nice and I’m just afraid for you here. Grey-Scale wouldn’t hurt you physically, but his ambitions are ruthless and I just-,”

“Missy.” She was shaking and trembling so violently, utterly paralyzed in concern. “You’ve nothing to be afraid of. Grey-Scale’s ambitions should be afraid of mine. I won’t hurt him physically, but I will use up every last coin he puts down before me to climb until he has nothing left, make no mistake!” We continued to walk, my hand tethering her to me so as to not let her fall too far behind.

“Just, promise me you won’t stay here too long. If you insist on staying in Areezah, please just get away from here.” She wove wide circles through the air, motioning to the entirety of the penthouse as her choppy orange hair swept over those sweet dewy eyes.

I brushed away the thick layers of luscious fabric to allow the space for my knees to caress the chilly marble flooring outside the guest bed chamber Missy pointed to, suggesting our destination. "So long as you promise to come with me. I'd be worried sick about you here and, if you'd like that, I'll work that into whatever deal I strike with our host tomorrow."

She didn't say anything, whether she couldn’t find the words or the voice, but threw her arms around my shoulders and became engulfed in red and pink clouds. I stood up, surprised by just how light she was embraced around my waist, even under the weight of heavy sobs. We pushed through the doorway together, I kicked off my shoes to some unseen corner asleep in darkness, and stumbled through the unfamiliar room. Missy was already asleep, it truly warmed my heart with how comfortable she was with me and, as I crawled into bed with her, we slept in each other's arms and a blanket of rose petal garments.

It was an extravagant sleep, truly something out of a storybook, like a legendary respite before some grand adventure. Through my tightly shut lids and stuporous state, Balasar’s rays pushed open the white silk curtains of my temporary room. Even in this less than lucid circumstance, I could feel the heat from the light painting myself and the new chamber I found myself in, dressing us for the day with rays of golden light.

“Good morning Missy!” I hazily rolled over and reached out to pull her small body close, but there was no one there- just bundles of scarlet that met my grasp like lush earthen moss. There was a clattering at the door to the chamber just as I swung my legs off the bed and began to remove the outermost layers of the garment. "Hello?"

At my voice, the door burst forth revealing a rather cheery looking Grey-Scale. He toted a silver platter of sparkling juice, sunny side up eggs lathered in a bright red fluid that seemed to glow with magical cinders, and a stack of sizzling toasted bread glistening with butter that caught the early morning light like crushed diamonds. There was even a crystal serving boat with ruby red raspberry jelly cresting the open top. It would have been a remarkable display were it not for the pink rose weed wrapper stuck between his lips and a matching fresh one beside the eggs on the platter. I looked closer at the dish as he neared and realized it was littered with various items less appetizing than the decedent breakfast, such as a crystalline ash try and two vials of what I instantly recognized as Acidic Inhalant.

"Grandest of mornings Rose! I hope this selection will be to your liking. Missy woke me out of habit and I had her alert the cooks and fetch you a fresh outfit from the Gallery for the day. How did you sleep?" His eyes were dilated and he smelled deceptively delightful as the sweetness of burning roses danced through the spacious room. I wondered just how much he had already consumed of his own product before offering it this morning.

"I slept beautifully to be honest. If I could be frank, and- sincerely, I do appreciate all you've done for me -I don't want to stay here. If need be I can tell my parents where I've went and they'd have no issue sending gold for my own place within the city." I kept it as curt as possible, refusing to allow the delight to cross my face as I tucked into the plated meal he placed on a sparse writing desk with the loose garment held to cover my chest.

It was abhorrently good; I was disgusted by myself with the noises I made as it graced my belly. Be it the hunger I ignored from the expediency of the events of the past few days, or the fact that it was truly that good, I didn't care and continued to smash the edible pieces of the arrangement to bits while he watched.

He pushed aside the shimmering quilt that dressed the bed sloppily and crossed his legs as I stepped behind an ornately carved wooden partition. I could hear the clattering of coins filtering into a satchel of some sort, but continued to undress myself and wait for Missy behind the opened panels. They seemed to be lacquered mahogany, finely detailed with what looked to be a visual retelling of the tale of the Chasm's Claws protecting Areezah from an unprecedented flow by the Fire Worn Spires.

He was quiet for some time. The door was tragically still as I waited with bated breath for Missy to break the tension with her arrival. Through the panels, I could feel him staring at me as he sparked another rose weed joint, unstoppered a vial of the Inhalant, and took a deep, prolonged huff. He exhaled the fumes as they, from how I experienced the night before, tickled the sinuses and brain stem until they became jarringly numb. I didn’t care for it, but as he exhaled, releasing the high-strung tendons within his muscles, I honestly craved it for myself- to feel anything other than his gaze.

“This should be enough. Take this coin purse with you on your Areezian expedition today. Enjoy the city, get some food, new garments, and look for a place you see as fitting.” With a strained noise, like holding the air in his lungs as he spoke, he stood and took several staggered steps closer. His hand appeared over the partition panels and I could smell that acrid pungent odor of the Inhalant rolling off of him like steam from a bowl of soup.

I jumped with a frightened start but reached for the small sack that was offered. “This seems real light for all that, it’s gotta be all platinum if you expect me to stretch it that far. . . Mister Grey-Scale.” I uttered his name deceptively sweetly, though, internally, I was grinding my teeth against the words. I couldn’t let my attitude get too far away from me until Missy and I were safely out of his home. Although, part of him seemed to enjoy my indignance.

After I listened for the four strides it took him to return to a comfortable distance from the partition, I curiously opened the grey leathered pouch, loosening the drawstring to peek inside. It nearly caught my breath, the glittering sea of white sheened platinum coins that endlessly rolled over each other within the dimensionless interior. Bottomless Pouches and Bags of Holding were a pretty common thing for adventurers and business folk, but I had never held one physically to examine and I was truly mesmerized by both the value of what it contained, and the very magic it was. I almost opened my mouth to speak, but as I heard the door handle jostle open and, subsequently, Missy entered the room. I breathed a sigh of relief and placed the pouch on the suede lounge chair to my side.

“Oh, I hope this one is alright to take, Mr. Grey-Scale,” she mousley chirped, shuffling awkwardly through the room with what sounded like a heavy package. I poked my head around the corner to see her struggling to drag the robust garment bag through the chamber and Grey-Scale doing nothing to assist. If I had been clothed, I would have just done it myself and relieved her of the burden meant for me, but HE watched us mice like a hawk.

“Thank you, Missy,” I interjected, not allowing him a chance to respond. “Our host was just on his way out for a meeting with Mister Hollow Graphic, weren’t you, Mister Grey-Scale?”

There was a poignant pause at my dismissal of him. I heard Missy audibly hold her breath and Grey-Scale sighed through upward curled lips. “Indeed. I hope you ladies enjoy the city, feel free to use the coin to your heart’s content. It should be more than enough to purchase any goods you may need, and if you do see a cottage or another sort of home you like, by all means, make it your own. But I assure you, after these plans with Hollow are finalized, we’ll be able to build you your own castle, truly fit for a queen, your Majesty.”

He left something in the air with those words. They sat heavy in the room even after he took his long strides and second glances back at both of us. Departing with a curt click of the doorknob, there was a sense of lingering surveillance whenever he would leave a room.

Missy and I breathed a shared sigh of relief. Together and physically free of that gazing shadow Grey-Scale constantly toted on his coattails. She smiled at me and scurried behind the partition to place the garment bag on a hanger rod lowered to her eye level.

"Here Missy, I can raise it for you, please take a seat, this looks enormous and must have been quite the effort to get up here!"

She waved her hands in protest, giddily flitting around the dressing area with an expertly practiced step. "No need, Raspberry!" Missy continued to dance and push buttons in furniture I didn't even notice; they were almost perfectly aligned with the even surface of the item, pressing in small recesses that caused various effects. "Everything back here is automated by Steamfinger Technology, watch!"

As she twirled, so too did the implements she activated with each precise flick of her wrist! The rod slid into place about three and a half feet taller than before to come to my eye level and hoist the hefty bag so as to not crinkle against the ground. The curtains draped against the windows pulled upwards to allow the early dawn of Balasar to paint the room in vibrant white light, and were tucked behind tassels that beautifully ribbon-knotted themselves around the thick wool. Gentle, relaxing music even began to beat from unseen speakers lain within the walls like melodious heartbeats.

"This is amazing Missy, and you seem to be in just as an amazing mood which makes it all the better! What'd you bring for me to wear today?"

Missy was a vision in the sunlight and the smile she wore that did more to illuminate the room than a thousand suns. It was the type of happy that could only be described as joyous. "Oh I hope it isn't too demure for your taste Raspberry. It's beautiful and stunning, and red of course but-,"

"Stop right there, Darling! You had me at red! We must see it!" We almost raced to the rack in our fervor, myself to pry the garment bag open as she steadily unzipped it from the bottom half-way up, my grasp finishing the task for her.

"MISSY!" I screamed in delight, gazing upon the truest, most beautiful scarlet sun dress I had ever seen. It was plush velour and just by touching it I could feel the curvaceous form of it and just how breathable the material was. "I live, and is this a silk sash, and oh my gods this hat!" The more of the garment I took out, the more that was revealed to be stored within the bag alongside it in hidden pockets. Like a spilled glass of water, a long silken ribbon poured from over the left sleeve and, as it bundled at my feet like a bloody puddle, it felt just as cool to the touch. Behind the dress itself poked a wide-brimmed hat that swerved in a massive dip to dramatically cover the face and neck area with a sheer mesh curtain, affixed with diamond and ruby beading. The threading of the mesh and alignment of the beads gave the illusion of dew drops and crimson spiders on a surrounding web. It was an absolute serve, Darling!

I, obviously, put the sundress on without a moment's hesitation as Missy held the hat and sash a loft for me to affix. While the dress fit like a glove, I tightly cinched the waist with the sash, breaking up the scarlet velour with the shimmering silk between my hips and bosom. When I felt each set of curves above and below were appropriately accentuated, and a quick prestidigitated hairdo was finished, I adorned the fabulous headpiece over my crimson curls.

"Truly a vision of a Rose, as always Raspberry!" Missy watched from the chaise lounge, comically large around her as she weaved her fingers together to support her chin. She dreamily watched and sighed in time with me as I took in the image of the reflection standing in the floor-length mirror panel of the partition. Even without a shoe, I almost needed to bend to see myself fully, but I was gorgeous nonetheless.

"Thank you Missy, for everything. I'm so excited to have met you and even more so to get a place of our own. I don't want to bring it up, but Grey-Scale really does give me the worst feeling."

She stilled in her giddiness at the mention of his name. Though there was still that sense of exuberance about her, in just the shadow of his memory, she dimmed. "I'm excited too Raspberry, but I must confess I'm also terrified. I haven't left this penthouse in well over a year and even before then, I wasn't much of a social butterfly. With you though, I'm looking forward to seeing the outside from a new perspective!"

"Nothing will harm you, not while I'm near Darling. Besides, we're of a like mind dear Missy," I proclaimed, twirling on my heels and conjuring a set of rose thorn stilettos that wove around my feet and ankles to lift me another six inches off the ground. The gem-studded veil spun with the momentum and caught the light between us as I looked her dead in the eye and smiled. "I have been cramped in doors for far more of my life than I care for and am much too fabulous not to be seen by the entire world! You, my fine, sweet friend, are also too delightful and bright to not shine for all to see as well! I understand nervousness, but believe me, with that smile and bone structure, Darling, I may not even be noticed!"

Missy beamed with every word and was already pressing buttons in mechanisms and bounding for the door before I could collect the coin purse. I fashioned myself a carrying bag and parasol from more conjured roses and vines. I took one last longing look at my floral opulence for enjoyment in the mirror and strutted towards Missy, who was holding the door open for me.

"I know just what I want to wear and I have so much I think you'd like to see based on what I remember of the city! Wait here and I'll be right back!" In a flash, she was gone down the hall, leaving me alone with the familiar and haunting suits of armor that made poor decoration and less quality company.

"Hurry back Darling, I'll be here with the recycled cutlery." I took a seat between two of the garish figures on a backless couch beneath a painting of what looked to be yet another abstract rendition of Chasm's Claws. It made me think of what Grey-Scale had said about his ancestry and how I had essentially abandoned mine. By this time, Leoravich and Vermalde would probably have returned home from the Fey Forest to find our manor in Jerrym as cold and abandoned as the Skeletal Wood.

Looking over my nails and filing them down on the reinforced thorns on my bag, I had the thought to call them, to send them a quick psychic message magically to inform them of my whereabouts. The words swirled in my head and were jumbled letters of nonsense each time I tried to focus on one to speak first. Just when I had thought of what was most fitting, and if I actually wanted to follow through with it, Missy returned skipping through the halls.

"I'm ready!" She wore a Lolita-esque dress with soft yellow cotton for the lowest level of the fabric. Over top were intricate lace patterns of pastel yellow and white with flecks of gold and orange beads embroidered into the lace hanging over the hem. She also had returned with a matching parasol of her own tucked over her dark parchment brown skin and ruffled shoulder sleeve. Her shoes were rounded at the toes like a doll's and shined golden as the light hit the gold leaf spackled design along the exterior of it.

"You really are coming for the spotlight Missy, I love it! Cute as a golden button dipped in diamonds!" She took my hand as we held our individual accessories in the opposite. We smiled at each other and laughed in the excitement of our shared adventure, two girls without anyone looking over their shoulders. "Onward, together ma'am!"

The rest of the day was a beauteous blur of color and bounty the likes of which I had never even dreamed of! Jerrym was a fairly flat and colorless city full of boring colorless humans, but from the moment Missy and I stepped out of Grey-Scale's penthouse, Areezah was a world of color! The attendant who operated the elevator that took us from the top floor of the Tree-Top Tower to the streets of the Spring Ring was a sight to behold themself.

"Hey it was good seein' ya Missy, been awhile, enjoy the city for me okay?" They were a tall blue-skinned person with fish-like features along their neck that led me to believe they were partially amphibious, and the way they spoke with a gurgling rasp was unlike any accent I had heard. Though they glowered with an air of general displeasure, they seemed to lighten at Missy. She returned the courtesy despite growing obviously more uncomfortable the lower we traveled.

"Yes, it was great to see you too Marita. Pardon my nervousness, you know how I am about going out. I'm excited to be going with Raspberry here though, she makes me feel confident enough to conquer anything out there!"

"Oh, you've had that confidence in you all along, I'm just here as your entourage today, Darling. These are your streets Missy!" I winked at her and snapped my finger on each syllable of her name to let her know just how striking she was.

"She's right," Marita agreed, looking us both up and down and whistling a long note that carried us the last two floors of the descent. "You're both gonna start a runway down the Fabrication Nexus lookin' like that!"

They were not wrong. Without surprise, as we clacked our heels down the stone roadways of Areezah, we stole eyes, jaws, and double glances just as easily as our parasols caught the sun from our backs. I waved my hand and summoned thin petals, sheer enough to be seen through, and carried them on a gust to place them gently on mine and Missy's eyes. All the while people of all walks of life and races lifted or adjusted their eyewear to get a better look at the Golden Girl and Raspberry Rose strutting past!

We absolutely ate it up and giggled to each other as we held hands and walked to see whatever seemed worthy of our attention. We would pass larger groups of people and Missy's hand would tighten on mine, hinting for me to make a distraction or find something to occupy us for some time. Between snack huts, toy shops, and fashion boutiques, I would check in with her mentally with magic messages where she would tell me she needed to be alone to ground herself, and return minutes later, sometimes a little longer. I wasn't sure what it meant, but I would take the opportunity to entertain the masses and spread roses, kisses, and even a few autographs to a few patrons of the Seedy Cedar from the night prior.

When Missy returned, we would rejoin hands and find ourselves to whatever wonder caught our attention next. It wasn't long before another episode would overtake Missy and she would need to find a space to be alone which was becoming increasingly more difficult as the hours passed and we approached high noon.

I was starting to feel guilty about taking her so far out of her comfort zone, about putting her through this, but after every reunion, she assured me she was fine and wanted to stay out longer. "I really want to see one thing, but we have to promise not to tell Mr. Grey-Scale we used it okay?"

"Sure Missy, whatever you want Darling, today is for us!"

She looked sheepish, but I could tell that the desire was greater than the fear and, for Missy, that was something to be interested in alone. As if she knew the path by heart, she pulled me through a crowd that was so tightly knit, I nearly cut several passers-by with the thorns on my heels.

"Ahh, here!" She stopped us at an unassuming black rod sticking out of the ground with a 5 ft. radial circle around it no one seemed to walk through. We had passed several other of these poles that didn't have a circle drawn around them, and those ones people strolled by with no issue, but they seemed to avoid this one. "I see this go off every night from my bedroom window and I've been so curious to see it up close!"

"What is it, Missy?" I was beyond interested now, anxious with anticipation as her face took on an almost sinister grin. Her tiny body was almost three-quarters the size of the pole itself, yet she jumped to press the jade button on the top and pushed the rod all the way into the cobblestone street! "Oh gods, what is it Missy?!"

"MAGIC!" As she screamed the word, the closest of the pedestrians leaped back as the circle around us began to glow with a swirling blue and green light. Purple arcane sparks popped and whirled, solidifying the light and emitting a purple smoke in the semblance of a track that made me think of the carts in the mine shafts back home. "Here we go, hold on!"

"To what! Ahhhhhhh!"

"Yay, weeeeeeee!" Missy laughed like a maniacal toddler as the vessel that formed around us whisked forward and up along the smokey, ethereal tracks. All the while I screamed and struggled to find footing in my heels on the frictionless arcane surface around us. "Take us to the Spring Quarter's Forest Ring, please!"

As Missy asked, I was about to scream in panic but a soothing voice seemed to emanate from everywhere within the cart. As it did, the wild momentum steadied to a gentle rocking before cruising at a steady, even pace.

"To the Spring Quarter's Forest Ring, of course, and thank you for asking so politely! We also thank you for trying out the most recent model of the Magimotive Railway. This is a completely complimentary service to citizens and visitors of Areezah. Though it is still in development, it is a project of the Hallicianous Enchantment Corporation and has been extensively screened for safety before being implemented even to this stage in its development. We at H.E.C. put the utmost care in our goods and services to ensure you, as the consumer, get the most out of your life while using them. You'll be arriving at the Spring Quarter's Forest Ring momentarily and we thank you again for being patient with the Magimotive Railway and any quirks you may have experienced today. Please file any concerns with your nearest Hallicianous retailer. As we say at H.E.C., Magic is the heart of Everything!"

Missy was ecstatic, bouncing in place as she marveled at the scenes whizzing by through the window magically sized for her in the side of the vessel. Meanwhile, I was scrambling in the corner to find footing, but as I thought of a chair to prop myself on, one manifested beneath me and lifted me to a full sitting position.

"Wow, these Railways are pretty amazing, why was Grey-Scale so annoyed by them?"

Missy didn't really pay much mind to me at this point, she was too thrilled to be seeing so much more of the city, safe from crowds. She did answer though as we slowly began our descent into what looked like a canopy of fluffy pink leaves.

"He has a spare few grudges against the H.E.C. for one business agenda or another. I've heard him say some vile things about the elvan people in the last few Phases since these Magimotive Railway Test Vessels have been implemented." I did vaguely recall him saying something about these not being in his favor, or that it was a farce to not charge for a service, but I couldn't see what impact that had on him.

The arcane rail system touched down around another black rod emerging from the ground in the middle of the pink forest. Its bottom of solid light pressed the rod into the ground with its descent, dispersing as it did and deposited us just outside the diameter of the circle around it. Once we were safely past the perimeter, the black rod retracted from the ground and waited to be pressed once more.

"I do have to admit," I said, brushing off the folds in my dress and looking around at the pretty pink petals above us. "Despite the minor issues, that was rather amazing and this is just lovely!"

Missy wandered a short ways away, spinning and giggling as she twirled through the leaf-filtered sunlight. She kicked off her shoes and walked barefoot through the moss, reveling in the peace of freedom. I only ever wanted to see her painted in that light.

"Darling, I've decided this is where we should construct our home! Once I take Areezah completely over with the power of the stage from the Cedar, we'll construct a peaceful cottage for just ourselves and call it the Haus of Rose. I can see it now, can't you?" I steadily began to match her steps, removing my own heels to follow in her tiny bounds to mirror her dance; a tiny pixie in radiant light.

Without words, she expressed her jubilation with the brightest smile and leaps through the air. Each spring catching herself on the ground, rolling and laughing through the light blades of grass. It occurred to me she had longed for this for far longer than I originally anticipated. Tears began to fly from her cheeks as we danced, casting glittering stars across our forest stage. She threw her arms around me and I felt, for the first time out from under a spotlight, I was where I was meant to be.

From the Forest Ring, we took an extra long ride on the Magimotive Railway, asking it to change location several times during its course. Happily, the H.E.C. attendant altered the course for us and we took an impromptu tour of the city from above before deciding it was time for an early dinner. Despite being so small, I learned Missy had quite the large appetite, having stopped at several snack shops already today. But after all the excitement, her stomach growled with just as much exuberance.

"Now arriving in the Spring Ring Business District! The nearest eatery is the Basilisk's Bounty about half a mile south of the Magimotive Post you'll be departing at! I recommend the Hydra Nuggets but be careful, if you don't finish them in one bite they can multiply in your belly!"

"I'm sold!" Missy exclaimed, elated at the prospect of an endless food supply. I, on the other hand, grew queasy at the thought. "That's where we're going! I mean, if that's okay with you Raspberry?"

Stomaching my nerves and hesitation, I threw on a brave face for Missy's sake and laughed it off. "Of course Missy, whatever you want! This is a day for us both to take the city, remember? Whatever your heart desires, it's on Grey-Scale's coin, Darling!"

As expected, the crowds gathered as much as they parted from our path once we emerged from the Magimotive Railcar. Eyes gathered, causing Missy to blush redder than my attire, but I waved the attention away and sashayed past the onlookers with delight.

In a matter of minutes, we found the establishment suggested by the attendant and we entered. Missy switched moods with myself the moment we passed the threshold. Every patron of the Basilisk's Bounty bore a plastic bib and strange headdress that partially covered the tops of their eyes. Before we even approached the host, they screamed my name and rushed over with a pair of menus in shaking hands.

"Oh my god! Raspberry Rose! I saw you at the Cedar last night and you were FEM-omenal! My name is Horrice and it's an absolute pleasure to have you here. Anywhere you want to sit in the house or patio, the Bounty is yours babes!"

Eyes began to gather on us with the commotion which calmed my nervousness on the surface, but I worried about Missy's anxiety. Clearly, it was for nothing as she was so invigorated by her hunger, she began to push through the crowds for both of us. Voracious and driven, she guided us through the cave-like decor of the establishment.

"Make way, diners, superstar Raspberry Rose approaching and I'm hungry!" Amongst a flurry of murmurs, and larger folk pushed aside by Missy's diminutive form, we emerged through a stony exit that led into a fenced-in patio area decorated with what appeared to be stone-carved creatures. Everything from tiny fairies to massive serpents were scattered around the exterior lounge of the Bounty; Missy and I both stopped in our tracks at the sudden sight.

"They aren't really petrified creatures, Darlings," a cool seductive voice called from somewhere behind what looked to be a recoiling vampire. With a rapid, fluid movement, dreadful and erotic as she was, it was none other than January Rain slipping from the shadows. "Everyone out, now!" As she shouted, the patrons of the Bounty, and the staff, scrambled for the exit and rushed past us. Missy had might as well been turned to stone alongside the statues in the presence of January, but as the crowd parted, I stood behind her and steadied her quivering form.

"Wow, I haven't seen rain clear a crowd like that in some time. Must be that smell that comes along with January Rain specifically."

"Oh save your sorry excuse for shade for a sunny day, it'll serve you better then, Rosebud." January licked her lips as she strolled through the abandoned lounge area, caressing intimate parts of a stray sculpture or two as she did. "Besides, I truly meant for this to be a pleasant exchange, I honestly wanted to thank you."

There was a long pause before Missy's stomach growled and broke the silence around the three of us. She hadn't looked away from January's feet, but as the gurgling noise broke the tension, she looked to her own for safety.

"And apologize to you, Missy," she added, and then, something I didn't think I'd ever see, she approached and kneeled to look Missy in the eye. Her flawless vampiress visage melted away and she revealed a creature I couldn't have imagined January ever allowing herself to be caught as. I held my breath, awestruck, by the featureless, grey-skinned creature kneeling before my friend. If she wasn't so remarkably plain looking, I'd almost call her ugly, but as the light reflected off her high cheekbones and almond-shaped eyes, there was still a hint of striking beauty.

Missy was just as stunned as I was, stuttering in place and scrambling for the words I couldn't muster myself. "You and I have been under the thumb of Grey-Scale for far too long. I can see that Miss Rose here is the thorn that'll finally get him to remove the pressure from us Missy and we can be free of his shadow. I'm so relieved to not have to perform anymore and have been looking to leave the Cedar for some time. This is my chance to escape. From what I've heard leave the lips of my clients, you'll be leaving his employ as well?"

Missy meekly nodded, stunned into silence at the confessions of this version of her tormentor, January Rain. I could tell she was still searching for words and as they continued to escape her, I was at a loss myself.

"I was never very good to you, and I truly do apologize. My ambitions and greed have turned me into a vile shadow of who I really want to be. I worship The Mistress for the pursuit of self-satisfaction She embodies, but there is only so much self-indulgence one can achieve before they steal from that of another. Grey-Scale taught me that some time ago and his avarice is going to be his end, mine most like, and that of everyone around him. You, Raspberry, use him while you can to get somewhere safe, but know that he is absolutely using you for something, and will ruthlessly pursue what he wants; plucking every petal he can along the way. There is no love in that ashen heart of his and he will take until nothing is left of you, do you understand me? You are young, talented- potentially, conceivably, under a specific light and angle, maybe beautiful- and a star, don't let the night consume you."

She stood up to her full height and transformed back into the black-leather-clad January I knew and believe I may have been growing to moderately enjoy. As she moved to walk past us, I grabbed her hand on an impulse and stopped her from leaving.

"Thank you, January. Please, if you would, join us for dinner. What's your story?"

She gave an inquisitive look to us both, slightly retracting her hand before smirking and reversing the grip to grab my wrist and guide me towards her previous seat. "I hope you like scary stories, Darling."

It really was a scary story. I was struck sick to my stomach as she recounted her journey through life. Missy had completely lost her appetite at the story and sat beside me in silence, refusing to even look at, let alone eat the Hydra Nuggets once they were brought to our table.

January regaled us with her childhood in the Fey Forest as a member of a race of cursed elves known as the Changelings. Her ancestors were transformed by the arrival of an object referred to as the Gem Pine during a Sentience Shockwave. For a hundred miles out from the Pine, the elvan folk that lived within the Fey Forest were transformed into these Changelings that could, at will, physically transform themselves into whatever they desired, so long as it was a medium-sized humanoid.

The Changeling that fathered her was unhinged, physically and mentally violent towards the Changeling that mothered January, and herself after she was born. The actions he took against them ranged from insulting words to invasive acts that January alluded to that I didn't need further explanation to understand. She spoke completely emotionlessly during her retelling as if she had said the words over and over to the point where she felt nothing but numb towards them. She talked about the horrible things she would be called and the forms she would be forced to transform into, and the acts instructed to perform, yet she was unbothered. I, on the other hand, reeled at the thoughts of how thankful I was for Leoravich, that I escaped with a single slap across the face.

Changelings age at the same rate as elves and don't reach adulthood until about 120 years of life, she explained. After nearly a century of this abuse, she escaped. With nothing but a lust for life and ambition propelling her forward on barefoot, she emerged from the Fey Forest, a free being, trekked towards Areezah, and never looked back.

Once she found the city, January did what she needed to to get by for some time. For years, she would rob and steal and cheat and, eventually, seduce her way through the city to survive. Upon reaching adulthood, she ambitiously took to the Fling Ring and partook in whatever substance or activity she could to numb the memories and her present as she did what she needed to provide for herself.

Some years later, she met a young Grey-Scale, fresh into Areezah himself and a year shy of adulthood. January began to lose herself in the story, dreamily recounting their early days together in the city. His lust and ambitions were more powerful than even hers; the way he demanded attention and access wherever he wanted with steely confidence swept her right off her feet.

He had begun to form lasting relationships with other figures of power who looked the other way at his age. By the time Grey-Scale had begun to mix his mitt in the circulation of recreational drugs, he had amassed enough gold, contacts, and favors to bypass whatever limiters Areezah had set in place specifically to prevent his type of business.

Once she grew tired of his back-alley dealings, January broke things off and continued to live as she had, performing and living as she saw fit. Unfortunately, the damage was done and the pairing had become so interwoven in each other's social and business circles, they became toxically involved and Missy ended up receiving the brunt of it.

Confirming this with her silence, Missy sat back with a rigid spine and watched January calculatingly. As the conversation progressed, Missy had grown bolder, eating her Nuggets and even making direct eye contact with the formidable Miss Rain.

"Like I said," January sighed, taking a sip of her wine and stealing one of Missy's now cold Hydra Nuggets. She bit into it with her sharpened canines with a sickening squish and then another before swallowing the morsel whole. "I wasn't the kindest to you Missy, in fact, I was down right, wicked and cruel. I sincerely apologize, though years have passed and no words can undo the scars left by hands ruled with anger. That part of my life is long gone and I know there are no amends I could make to truly undo anything."

"I don't need an apology," Missy spoke clearer than I expected, taking me back as I was still sitting, digesting all January had told us. "We're all getting away from Grey-Scale. That's all I want, for all of us."

As if on cue, from somewhere echoing within the back of my mind, Grey-Scale himself spoke a message to me as I had thought to do to my parents earlier. "Rose, meet me back at the penthouse! Bring Missy too. The meeting with Hollow went swimmingly and we've much to discuss!" Chills went down my spine with his words and I shuddered, visibly, among my companions.

"Let me guess, that was the grey-scaled devil himself?"

January looked at me over crossed arms, lifting her large round breasts, and we shared a long knowing glance. She stretched her arms and back, cracking her shoulders before moving to stand to take her leave. She left five platinum and two gold coins on the table beside her empty plate and smiled as she clacked her extended nails across the wooden surface.

"That should more than cover the total cost of the meal. I appreciate your company ladies, it was a good time, truly. I hope to share another table with you soon, somewhere out from under the thumb of some scaly man!"

"January," both Missy and I spoke in unison, watching her curvaceous form dart around table edges as she swayed her hips. She looked back, her sleek cut bob sweeping to brush across her exposed shoulders."Yes?"

"Thank you, and I- I forgive you." I allowed Missy to speak for herself, knowing how important it was for her to find her voice, even in the face and thunder of a rainstorm. "You're much stronger than I knew and I'm glad you made it here!"

January smiled and flipped her hair, continuing to walk through the Basilisk's Bounty and leave for whatever grand stage called her name. "Everyone is Missy, believe me!"

Our stomachs full, minds reeling, and feet sore, we continued to follow in January's path, drawing the eyes of many an onlooker. She didn't say much, but based on the lightness of her step and the half smile she wore tucked beneath her blushed cheeks, I could tell Missy was content with the day.

One short Magimotive ride later, we found ourselves back at the first one we departed the Spring Ring from. Night had begun to creep across Areezah as we approached Six Night Hour and the sky darkened more beneath growing storm clouds. Faint drops of cold rain had begun to fall and kiss our cheeks as well as the cobblestone roadways beneath our aching feet. Once we entered the entryway to the Tree-Top Towers, I collapsed into one of the lush sitting chairs gracing the lobby.

"You take a load off Raspberry, those heels are insane and you must be exhausted. I'll go inform Mister Grey-Scale of our arrival and ready a bath for you!"

"I just need a minute to catch my breath and before we go to bed tonight, I want to know your story too Missy!" She darted for the elevator and happily greeted Marita operating it. I'm not sure she even heard me before she was ecstatically sharing our adventure for the day with her friend and I smiled, allowing them to take the rise to the top of the Tower together.

Rain had begun to tap against the glass doors and bay windows of the lobby like a lullaby or a melodious memory. It was an all-encompassing dancing, like Missy in the Forest Ring, as it stepped across the cool clear barrier. My mind swam in the puddles growing into rivers between the cracks and creases within the cobbles, reliving the events of the day myself in utter bliss as the drops continued to sing their song.

Shattering me from my day-dream, somewhere far above, there was the sound of shattering glass and a single scream that followed. I believe I knew what had happened before the crunching thud struck the street outside the lobby doors and the howling wails of pedestrians confirmed it.

My mind left me and my feet whisked forward, leaving the thorn shoes I donned all day cast aside by my seat. The initial drizzle had evolved to a torrential downpour within the Areezian night and a crowd had encircled the entryway to the building, which I could feel ejecting me like the vomit in my esophagus. I scoured the crowd for any sight of that amethyst-toting wytch, praying She was here and this was just a nightmare. But She wasn't, and this was all too lucid a reality.

The magnificent hat I bore was cast off as it was pelted by the rain. Diamonds and rubies clattered to the street as the mesh was torn and ripped with the velocity I tore it from my head. At the center of the crowd was a small body, draped in soaked gold and yellow fabrics, bearing glittering round-toed shoes. Murmurs danced like maddening whispers around me, blotted out by the rain and white noise ringing in my ear like a siren.

Missy was twisted and sprawled out in painful angles as her skull was unrecognizable against the stones. Were it not for the vibrant, orange plaited-hair obscuring the ghastly sight, or her mousy halfling body donning the beautiful sunrise-colored outfit she was so excited to wear, I wouldn't have been able to identify her.

It was there, surrounded by strangers, clutching the tiny broken body of someone I loved in the streets of Areezah, that I watched my tears mix with the rain, washing the blood around us like sanguine dye in a mixing tub. It painted my pale skin and the sheer ivory silks of her inner frock the most disturbingly beautiful hue of red. For the first time in my life, I hated the color. I wailed, broken as my friend, and wilted.

"MISSY!"

Click here for Raspberry Rose Chapter Four: Withered Rose Part 2! (Coming Soon)

Hey there, I'm Austin and I really appreciate your time and hope you enjoyed this piece! I've always got a lot of things in the works, so be sure to keep an eye out for me! If you liked this, leave a heart or subscribe for all my new Vocal Publications!

My stories are set in the fantasy realm of Rhyonis, made for the Fifth Edition of the Table-Top Role Playing Game Dungeons and Dragons. If you're interested in supporting me, be sure to check out Rhyonis' official website here for compiled stories, lore, and in-game information!

Content Disclosure: Art featured in this piece is generated with AI using Wonder.

As always, in a cold and dark world, we are each other's warmth and light!