The capital of Arterra, Arda, was the most magnificent city in all the continent. Everywhere in the city flowers bloomed pink, red, golden purple, all the exuberant colors of the natural world; the trees and grass grew above the clouds, their leaves verdant green–life giving. The fauna and flower vines of Arda hugged the towering trees, climbing up their trunks and decorating them in a magnificent coat. From afar they looked like noble ladies and from up-close their perfume scented the air like Spring eternal.
The infrastructure was no less marvelous than the saintly foliage. From the wealthiest highflying castlewards to the humble low-down hamlets, everything seemed perfect. In the skies steampunk magic mixed with archaic marble artificial islands made an epicenter for entertainment, education and privacy. And at the middle of it all was an enormous, white and gold palace overwatching the rest of the city. That was the royal residence the view below, yet, was not outshined a bit by the lavish life above. There was a unique charm about it all. The unassuming architecture, wooden houses that seemed to grow out of the trees, built by nature itself; the people moved like ants, working, farming, singing, dancing–modest.
On the ground, in a small perfume shop bustling with activity.
"Hey Shinra, bring me the yellow glass bottle, the round bottomed one with the sphere shaped stopper."
"Here, mama."
"Good boy. Look. I'm gonna show you how to make our family recipe."
Shinra stared with beady eyes.
"Start by filling the bottle with a bit of sap from the immortal wood, it has the properties of any other perfumer's alcohol but it makes your skin feel light and airy. Next add two drops vermalion and three drops of joyblossom oil. And put it somewhere cold. Vermalion oil reacts violently with just about anything, you don't want it setting the shop on fire. The last step, just add water to your liking. Simple, right Shinra?"
"Mm… mhm."
"Ok now you try."
Shinra grabbed another bottle and precisely repeated the steps with his tongue sticking out the side like a child (since he is one).
The perfume had a brilliant orange hue matching the yellow flask. It was a work of art and smelled of roasted honeysuckle.
"Look mama!"
"Good job Shinra. Now, can you help me get some ingredients from the market?" She smiled warmly.
"Of course mama!"
"Okay, here's the list. Take it to that old josser and he'll get you everything."
"Mm."
Shinra excitedly bounced down the stairs of the perfume shop and down the road towards the bustling Holiday Market. Stories told of a wealthy merchant named Varner Holiday who used to live here and established the marketplace 200 years ago. There was even a silver statue of him in the town center. He was a plump man in jester's clothes with an eccentrically long mustache and jolly grin–at least that's how the statue depicted him. Truly though, he was a people's merchant, something rare in the vicious world of business; and even though his kindness and generosity garnered the eyes of many wolves, his wit was unmatched. No one knows where he is now, if he's dead or alive, but before he left, he wrote upon a stone placard a riddle:
"Above the immortal's canopy,
below the scorching sands,
Between the lake of fire and ice,
Within the shattered lands,
There may you find the golden gate
Where my treasure lies awake."
Over the years, many people from far and wide or near came to find any clues of the mysterious message in hopes of finding the 'treasure' for themselves, however no one had succeeded. Some even claimed it was just a prank by Holiday to have people fussing over him after his death, assuming he had died. Shinra quickly passed the statue, going on this errand he had run plenty of times. Every time he went by, he would think about the riddle, even if it was just a little bit. It was pretty clear that the immortal's canopy was above the trees, however years of searching with no results left people respeculating. The scorching sands most likely meant the Falarahn desert to the East, occupied by the namely duke of Falarahn. The rest were a complete mystery, conjectures of the lake of ice and fire, and the shattered lands were all baseless claims that logically and physically led to nowhere. It was nothing important to Shinra as the son of a family of humble perfumers anyways; he had also arrived at his destination.
'Colonel Burnside Bo'Phan's Illustrious Lilytown Emporium'. Shinra could never get used to that name. Of course, a shop of such an eccentric moniker was operated by an equally eccentric man, the namely, Colonel Burnside Bo'Phan, who always wore a crooked wooden monocle and a tea green tophat to match. Deceptively however, he was neither a colonel nor the progenitor of this emporium. His father, Markus Morhouse was a hobbyist poet who wrote under the pseudonym Colonel Burnside Bo'Phan; and unfortunately, such an unconventional man named both his son and his shop with the penn name he'd fallen in love with. Colonel Burnside Bo'Phan, the person, son of Mr. Morhouse tried to keep it undercover for as long as possible, however his efforts were for naught. His embarrassing endowment had been leaked on his 40th birthday, and occasionally now, someone would banter him about it. May god have mercy on his name in his next life.
"Hey Mister, how's it going?"
"Hey hey, Shinra , look how much you've grown! I remember when you were barely at my knees. Now you're already above my waist. Time really flies fast when you're old."
He sighed.
"Anyways, give me that list, I'll find you everything you need as long as I've got it."
"Thanks mister!"
"Mhm, say Shinra, how old are you this year?"
"I'll be turning 9 years old this year, mister."
"Hm, good, good. Make sure to learn well from your mother and take care of the perfume shop. We're the only town in this city that can make perfumes of such quality, it's something to be proud of."
"Of course, but mister… I don't want to stay here forever."
"Hm? Why's that?"
"Well, I read in some books that there's a lot of places that exist outside of our humble Lilytown, and even Arda. I would like to see them. Every night I dream about flying over the immortal canopy and through the different lands I read about, deserts and oceans and jungles and… and, and…"
Sigh 'kids these days.'
"Hahahaha! You've got quite the vivid dreams. I used to have them as a child too, not anymore though."
"Why not mister? Also, I'm not a child anymore, I'll be 9 years old this year."
"Yes, yes, Shinra, I know, but there's something you need to know."
Old Bo'Phan's voice got more serious, prompting Shinra to lean in.
"Outside of Arda exist many cities all under the rule of King Arterra, however outside of these walls also exist unimaginable dangers for common folk like us. If it wasn't for the nobility that protect our towns and cities, there would be no Lilytown, or any of us, that is likely. When I was younger like you, I used to dream about adventure and glorious battle, but I soon realized that life was not for me. I just wasn't cut out for it. Plus you have to be a noble, or you won't make it anywhere. Sadly, us common folk will rarely ever get the chance. But if you really want to try, the royal academy holds an entrance exam every year for people aged 12 to 15. Realistically, you stand no chance, however it is not impossible. You have three years."
"Um, mister…"
"Here's your stuff, now get back before it's too late. I don't want your mother to be worrying about you."
"Ah"
Colonel Bo'Phan quickly led Shinra to the door with a basket of what he asked for and sent him on the way before he could ask anymore questions.
"Hai, kids these days."
…
"Mom, I'm back!"
"Mm, good, you can leave the basket with me. Go have fun now, just don't cause any trouble."
"Okay!"
Shinra hopped down the steps of the perfume shop and headed opposite of the town square with an encyclopedia of herbs in his hand. Since ever he could remember, learning about herbs and fauna always brought him the most joy. He had kept journals of every herb, every insect and animal he had come across in his short nine years. All of this, of course was enabled by the fact that a seemingly endless and enchanted forest, the perennial grove, lay near Arda. It was given this name because of two reasons. One, because as the seasons shifted, it would remain relatively unchanged. Second, because upon its first discovery, the clutteredness of the trees and wildlife; the general claustrophobic feel and the explorer's initial lack of knowledge towards how vast the forest actually was, caused it to be dubbed the Perennial Grove. Many magical beasts and wondrous fauna inhabited the forest, and for Shinra, who lived relatively close to the border of the city, it was only a short stroll away.
Shinra soon arrived at the city gate where he was greeted by an old guard lightly clad in leather pads. They were familiar since Shinra had come and gone so many times, so only a short greeting ensued as he let Shinra pass on by. Outside the city gate he was immediately greeted by the freshness of nature. An evergreen thicket was all that he could see. This was the Perennial Grove, and it was the same as Shinra remembered it. Some people hypothesized that its longevity came from the immortal wood since it was nearby, and even though this is the most popular theory, there was no way to prove it. Shinra liked change, he couldn't stay in one spot for so long, however, inside the forest, life blossomed in a myriad ways, especially the plants. It wasn't uncommon for a new species or mutation of plant to be discovered every single time Shinra went, which was about thrice a week. There were also no dangerous beasts that inhabited the forest so close to the capital. This was ensured by the fact that teams of middle-class workers, such as the town guard would regularly survey the surroundings, making sure there was no danger to any of its citizens. Teams of noble children, led by their mentor, would also come down regularly from the royal academy to gain life skills. Shinra continued walking. The sun was still high in the sky, so he had plenty of time to explore.
Shinra skipped across the grassy terrain, humming the tune of a song his mother sang to him as a toddler. He squeezed past trees and climbed over rocks until he reached a new opening with a dense field of opaline flowers. Each stalk had multiple thin stems with two tear-shaped petals attached. The entire view glowed of a milky iridescent white as the sun beams bounced off.
'I've seen this somewhere… ah, they are called opal rainflowers.'
'Hmm?' A rustling sound came from nearby.
'Is someone else here? Hunters? Explorers?'
It wasn't uncommon to meet another group in the forest, especially since Shinra never went too deep into the forest.
'Hm?'
From the bushes came an old man with short blond hair and dressed in a white frock coat the same color as the rainflowers.
'Nobles?'
He knew they came down occasionally, but he had never seen them this close in person. Following the nobleman were two kids, a boy and a girl, probably around Shinra's age–nine.
"Hmm?" the nobleman spotted Shinra from afar looking at them.
"Kid, what are you doing here?"
"Ah, umm… looking at the flowers?"
"Are you telling me the truth? What do you have in your hand?"
"Ah, it's my notebook where I document all the things I find. Its fun…" He gave a big smile, not knowing how to address a nobleman.
"Let me see." Shinra handed over his journal to the old nobleman and waited in anticipation.
"Hm… mhm… it seems I have troubled you. I apologize. I've never seen a kid your age looking at plants for their entertainment. Those alchemy bastards would do better to be more like you, mhm, pardon my language."
"Umm… mister, could I have my journal back."
"Right, here. Now could you tell me about this flower?"
"Yes, I think it's called an Opaline Rainflower. They grow in big batches and require basically no sustenance other than sunlight to grow. They sell for a pretty penny in the villages since their petals don't wilt easily and make good dyes. Your coat might be made from these flowers. Ah, sorry."
"No, no. You got it perfectly right." He looked to the two kids standing behind him.
"Did you two get that?"
"Yes father." They both replied in unison
"You're quite an interesting kid, you know that? Most children your age are busy playing around or showing off how strong they are to their friends."
"..."
"I quite like the wilderness here as well. How about you come with me for a little bit and teach these two some things along the way? They would do well to hang around some good people their age."
"Sure… but mister, how do you know I am the same age as them?"
"Hm? Oh, right. You don't need to worry about that. Just leave it up to magic."
"Magic… can you teach me?"
'Hm?'
'Did I say something wrong?'
"Hahahahahah, what an interesting kid, especially for a commoner. Let's take a walk for now. You can lead the way. And explain to these two anything that looks interesting to you."
"Ah, okay."
They walked for a while and the sun began to set. The old man was friendlier than Shinra had imagined. He had thought nobles were always a lofty bunch that didn't place them on the same level as commoners. Maybe this old man was just an exception.
Shinra spent the rest of the afternoon talking about plants to two of the old man's children, who unfortunately seemed slightly disinterested.
"This is a bleeding vine. It looks green on the but starts to bleed a red liquid once you cut into it, hence the name. There's actually nothing dangerous about it, and the vine is edible with a similar taste to honey."
"This is a… this is…. That's…."
"This is a… hm? I think it's a rose hydra… but they are only supposed to have five flowers per stem. This one has… six? Um, mister can you look at this for me?"
"Something's finally trumped you huh, I thought you'd know everything around these parts based off of how you were doing so far. Let me see what it is."
"Hm? It has six flowers. That's quite odd."
"Yes, do you know what it is? I thought it was a rose hydra, but it has one more head, and its a bit darker than what it should be…"
"Indeed, step back for a second."
"Mhm."
The old man walked forward and examined the flower.
"Stay near me."
He reached out to grab one of the petals but stopped when he felt something was off. Suddenly, a sharp needle shot out from the center of one of the flowers at lightning speed. The old man was surprised but unphased. He, in the blink of an eye, managed to block it with a hand; the needle bounced off like it had hit metal.
"What an interesting thing…" He muttered to himself.
The flower started to flail around wildly now that its cover was blown, revealing its weapons. But before it could do anything, a magical barrier formed around it, uprooting and lifting it up. In the root of the plant was a purple colored stone whose color seemed to seep slightly into the roots; it was also reflected in the darker color of the mutated rose hydra.
The calm, intrigued expression of the old man had become slightly more serious now as he plucked the stone from the roots and twiddled with it in his hand.
"Um… mister, what was that thing?"
"I'm not quite sure either… don't worry about it too much. Let's go. I'll take you back to the city gate."
"Thank you mister."
"Also, stay out of the forest for the next few days. I will come back in two weeks after I attend to other matters. I fear a bad omen is upon us."
Those words sounded ominous to Shinra. He wasn't too sure what an omen was but it sounded like bad business to him. He would not go into the forest like the old man said.
Shinra started to retrace his steps to the city gate when a whistling sound stunned him for a brief second. It was loud. He turned around to see a huge, baby blue wyvern landing before the old man.
"Get on kid. Did you think we were walking back after seeing that thing? I don't want any of you getting hurt after all."
"..." Shinra was in shock. He had only seen wyverns in books before, never in real life, and to ride one…
"Hold on tight. I'll catch you if you fall."
There was plenty of room for the four of them. The old man stood up like a statue, unphased by the turbulent movement while the kids all held on to a groove between its scales.
"Wow, mister, we're so high up."
"Hahaha, I'm surprised you aren't scared. You really are different from the others."
"We're here."
The wyvern slowly spread its wings and descended like a parachute. It landed with a soft thud, making the three kids jump a little bit.
The town's guards were quite scared at first, but when they realized that it was a tamed beast, they calmed down a little. Still, they had never seen a creature like this in the flesh before.
"Thanks mister!"
"Mhm, there's no need. I quite enjoyed your presence despite being the same age as my kids."
"oh , I'm sorry I forgot to ask earlier, but what is your name mister?"
"Hmm… You can call me uncle Arland."
"Okay! Thank you uncle Arland."
Shinra ran back home as he waved goodbye to the old man.
"Father, he's a commoner. Why do you let him call you uncle?"
"I'll do what I want. He's a very bright kid… much brighter than you two."
"Father!
"Let me tell you, once you get to the academy you will have to survive on your own. I will not be helping you, at all. And despite my status, the real world is a cruel place. Fate is an equally cruel tyrant. The earlier you learn the longer you'll survive in the 'real world'."