"Yes," he said as he looked down with a frown.
It pained Vy to see the hardworking boy so upset. He was certain that his sky animal form would be an owl. But could it be something else?
"Dotty, could it be that the owl that Lycster keeps seeing is not his form?"
Dotty placed her hand on her chin and pondered for a moment. Her furry tail swayed behind her while her ears twitched as she continued to think.
When both of them heard what Dotty had to say, Lycster let out another sigh. He knew what Dotty said was true. Owls were cool to him, and it would be a practical form to have. Owls could silently soar through the sky, avoiding detection and it could see things that were far away! How cool was that?
"Don't worry," Vy assured him as she patted the boy on his head, "Let's take a break and get some breakfast in the dining district. I think we both earned a hearty breakfast."
Lycster's face immediately lit up with glee. Together, they left their house and walked towards the dining district. In the morning, the dining district had a vibrant food market filled with countless stalls each selling freshly cooked snacks and food items.
There were so many options for them to choose that even if they ate something different each day, it might take them more than a year to try everything. Although Lycster was shy and unwilling to accept Vy's money in the beginning, they have since forged a bond much like siblings.
Vy saw Lycster as her younger brother and he saw Vy as her big sister. The time they spend with one another only strengthened the unlikely bond they shared. They were thankful for the fact that the Baron's guards have not come looking for them in the Elves Alliance or back in Timbretune.
In Carole's letters, she mentioned that the Baron had sent his men to come and look for Vy and Lycster. But after camping out for a few days with no results, they eventually gave up and left. Thinking back to the events that transpired that night, Vy regretted showing her true face.
She should have at least put on some form of mask to hide her identity. But, she did not like hiding either.
The townsfolk also knew of the uncalled for arrest that the Baron made and did not treat them kindly either. With the daily newspaper that was delivered every morning to her house in the Elves Alliance, Vy kept herself up to date on any interesting news that was happening in the surrounding towns.
There were no news reports or wanted posters of Vyrena and Lycster which was a good sign. However, Vy knew that she would still have to be careful when she travelled to the towns that were under the Baron's watch. It never pays to be a little more cautious.
While Vy and Lycster waited for their toasted egg sandwiches in the food market, they met Clare, who was also getting her breakfast.
"It's nice to see you, Vyrena!"
"You too, Clare! How have you been?"
"Good! Oh, by the way, I received word from Tatiana! She apologised for not being able to make it as planned the previous time."
"Oh, that's alright. I understand!"
"But, she said she managed to get everything sorted out so she would be reaching later today."
"Today?"
"Yes! She would be staying at the Grandeur."
"The Grandeur? The hotel I stayed in the last time around?"
"Yes! That very one! She said she would let you know when she arrived but since we met here, I thought I might as well informed you now."
"Oh, what a coincidence! I was just about to give her a call later today. Thanks for the heads up, Clare," Vy thanked her.
Tatiana Springheart being in town was unexpected but definitely good news to Vy! Finally! An otherworlder she could speak to. It would be interesting to see what Tatiana was like and if she might know anyone else that was like them.
After a short conversation, they parted ways with Clare and decided to take a walk through the Antique market while eating their sandwiches. As they looked through the wares of each stall, Dotty flew around to collect the particles.
Since her second upgrade, she now needed a lot more for the next. Vy walked past the seller that she bought her geodes from, hoping for a second windfall. But the stall was already overwhelmed with customers.
It would seem like the story of her lucky finds was still drawing in customers for the stall. Lycster looked on at the crowd in amazement.
"Vy! Is that the stall you bought the geodes from," he asked with excitement.
"Yes, it is," she replied.