The crowd that used to wait outside Vivi's smithy, it turned out, had not disappeared at all. Everyone had simply been kicked back a few streets.

Vivi sneaked past construction through a narrow alley and peeked into what used to be the main highway leading up, out of the Lowmoor district. Today, the street was packed to the brim with people. It didn't seem to be a riot. People weren't shouting angrily or fighting. They stood calmly in line, waiting for something. There were five lines, which led to a tall stall in the middle of the street that confidently blocked the street that used to haul traffic.

Atop the stall, a sign read, "Inquiries for the Lost Raindrop. Inside-carving test swings."

Hold on… Were all of these people lined up just to test her swords?

Lucius was laughing in her core. "Lucas did mention we had over a thousand offers. His marketing plan must be good."

Eyes were drawn to the alley, where Vivi stood in her dress, dumbfounded. A few demons whispered at first, until a louder man blurted out, "Hey, is that… her?"

More attention shifted to her. Those who had a clear view gawked at her. Behind them, heads tried to peek over their shoulders.

Dear lord. Vivi was actually famous. A carriage ride suddenly didn't sound so bad.

Guesses about her identity were already spreading. She heard many instances of "Vivi," which people must have known from the competition, though most called her by "Runeblessed." The name was regarded with an air of awe and mystery, as if the stupid name Grandpa came up with belonged to some legend.

Vivi sighed and nudged Lucius for a slight amount of ether. He was confused at first about why she'd need to shape ether, but then he grinned, realizing where Vivi was going. He shaped a hundred wisps, and her dress began glowing.

Rumors were already spreading. She might as well play along.

The lines dispersed as she took a calm step forward. Vivi held out her hand, and a dark glistering blade materialized to her hands out of thin air. With Moonlight and a glowing dress, she looked even more mystical—or so she hoped, at least.

The crowd's reaction showed that, if nothing else, her glowing dress radiated an aura of authority. Demons dispersed even further, silently watching as the runesmith whose swords they were queued just to test walked past.

I'm not answering any questions, though, Vivi thought. When she reached the stall—meeting eyes with a surprised member of Anthony's team running the stall—she filled her legs with ether, took aim, and jumped.

She landed atop the stall fumbling only slightly out of balance—and hopped down to the opposite and emptier side of the street, where the unrenovated cobblestone welcomed her to the older Lowmoor district she remembered.

"Hey!" a voice called. A guardsman. He stomped a hasty step toward her before pausing at the sight of her sword.

Vivi hid Moonlight back to spatial storage and called off her aura. She smiled at the guard before sliding into an alley. Thankfully, the guardsman didn't follow. She'd definitely used more than a hundred wisps at once for that jump.

"Once you're good enough at runesmithing," Lucas had said, "You are allowed to break a few laws." It seemed his words were true.

Lucius cackled within her. "I like it! Very bold! Did you look at their expressions? Everyone looked as if they'd seen a demigod!"

Vivi felt her face heating up, head registering what she'd just done. Gods, that was embarrassing. Lucas will hear of that.

"That showcase will bump prices up by at least ten million. Trust me. Act mysterious like that, and you'll grow into a legend in no time."

We'll call that taking a shortcut, Vivi thought with a sigh. She continued onto the next alley.

The usual scents of booze and tobacco still filled this street, the mood switching instantly as she left the new renovated streets. A disheveled man gazed at her from atop a set of stairs. Vivi added ether to her aura to dissuade anything funny the men here could attempt. She watched her step, making sure her dress didn't scrub against walls.

Despite Senith's constant warnings not to walk in the Lowmoor district alone, she wasn't attacked. The drunkards knew better than that. People stared at her, of course, but with a little bit of ether, Vivi's outfit shone like a purple glowstick within the dark alleys, offering her light, while conveying to others that she wasn't just another aristocrat.

The Lowmoor district soon passed, and she entered streets where mugging others was less common. Her dress was beautiful enough to stand out here as well, though most people didn't freeze at the sight of her like they had below. Common townsfolk weren't all runesmithing enthusiasts, and not everyone had been at the competition. Out here, Vivi was just another rich person. People made space simple because she was classier than everyone else.

Troublesome, Vivi thought. Walking had been so much easier in less showy clothes. She looked into her sixth sense and checked the rooftops. Vivi couldn't feel anyone following her. Someone of Lortel's level could probably sneak past her senses, but for now, she seemed to be mostly alone.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

The market square was back to its usual business. Stalls and markets filled the open area. Stepping in, Vivi felt a resemblance to Zand's hub, but the lack of steel bars, as well as the smiling townsfolk made her forget her guard. Stalls had pleasant canopies with smiling merchants. Women like Senith were out shopping, and very few had bodyguards.

In the shaded corner of the lowest level of the square, Vivi spotted something odd. She squinted her eyes. Those were definitely steel bars. Protecting what?

She moved closer. Are those slave wagons?

Lucius didn't need to respond. There were half a dozen wagons, four covered with tarps, but two were left uncovered, parked in the quiet and shaded corner of the square, where camel carriages were usually parked.

Guardsmen in dark uniforms were smoking pipes, leaning against one of the streetside buildings. The uniforms were similar to the blue jackets guards wore in Zand, just darker with more embellishments.

Lucius frowned, seeing them. "Those are Ingfried's men. Looks like they're transporting prisoners. We should leave."

Vivi frowned, hearing that. She focused ether into her eyes and studied the wagons, but it was still too dark to see. She had to get closer. The guardsmen seemed to be on a break, not expecting anyone to tamper with their wagons. Vivi moved closer from the side until she could see inside.

Sure enough, the caged wagons were filled with demons. Some sat miserably, others lay down, few stood. They looked even scrawnier than Zand's nimrods.

Then Vivi recognized a face.

It was a younger boy with a cracked horn and short hair. He wore a white tunic that had lost its color, and was ragged with cuts and holes. His eyes were depressed. Vivi squinted closer.

She had seen this boy in Zand. Specifically, in Aang's Union.

"Oh, crap," Lucius said. "Vivi, we need to go."

The boy's head sluggishly glanced at Vivi. Another man turned to see what the boy was looking at. He showed his face, revealing black eyes that made Vivi's heart thump.

It was Ven. Disheveled and beaten, but clearly the same man.

Her heart started to race. She quickly double-checked her surroundings. The guards didn't seem to be looking. She walked closer, right up to the cage.

Ven's brows furrowed. He didn't seem to recognize her. He rubbed his eye.

Finally, when Vivi walked within talking range, his mouth froze open. "Holy shit," he whispered. "Vivi? What the fuck?"

"Ven?" Vivi asked. "What are you doing here? Are these all nimrods?"

Ven let out a laugh, only to burst into a coughing fit. It took him a while to calm down. Nimrods around him were raising their heads. "Zand is destroyed. We're being transported to a new facility."

"A new facility?" Vivi asked. "Where?"

"Probably, Krathendrag on the sixth level. Or maybe just a regular prison." He coughed again. "Most of us are dead or sick. Been one hell of a last few weeks."

"What, what?" another voice asked next to him. A woman, who Vivi didn't think she recognized. "Who's this?"

"It's Vivian," Ven said. "The runesmith."

The woman blinked. "Oh!" she said in a sudden burst of excitement. "So she's the one the fiend's been crying about?"

Vivi's eyebrows rose. "The fiend?"

A grin appeared on the woman's face. She turned around and said into the wagon, "Emmy, come here you little idiot."

She lifted something up, what looked like a small figure. Its head was drooped low, limbs depressed. White hair with pink streaks clung together from dirtiness.

Eem looked like an abandoned rat.

Her head lifted up. The pink eyes that Vivi remembered being full of excitement barely had any light in them. Eem watched Vivi, though her eyes were out of focus.

Vivi's mouth hung open. "Eem? You're alive?"

At the sound of Vivi's voice, something finally seemed to register. Eem blinked, eyes opening wide as she stared at Vivi. Neither said anything.

"So…" Ven eventually broke the silence. "Does our runesmithing princess mind hauling us outta here?"

Vivi didn't respond. Eem was alive and captured, treated as some rag, like nimrods always were. The nimrods were already in Shivenar?

"Hey!" a voice called behind her. Two guards were stomping toward Vivi. "Miss, this is a prison wagon. These men are not for sale."

Vivi watched Eem for a moment longer. The guards walked up to her, frowning.

"My apologies," Vivi said. She gave a quick bow to the guards. Then she turned around, walking away. The guards merely frowned at her, but didn't follow.

Only when Vivi turned away did Eem react. The fiend grabbed hold of the bars, as if trying to pry them open. Her cries tugged at Vivi's heart. "Ivwi! Iwvi!"

Vivi bit her lip, walking off toward Coshi's palace. Her mind was racing.

Eem is alive! Vivi thought. But how will I get her out?

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