Lost Fantasy-The Flowers of Stelis (Arc 2) [Hiatus]

Chapter 22

The next day, Mistivera walked down the winter streets of Astalan alone. The cloudy winter sky above was a color of dark grey, making the world beneath it dark and gloomy. Snow covered the paved streets of Astalan, and with each step, the pedestrians had to made sure to not slip.

The dark red winter coat that she wore provided warmth to her body, but not to her face and hands. She huffed out some warm air, along with some white mist, into her hands as she breathed and rubbed her hands together. This made it possible for her hands to warm up once again and feel her fingers.

She turned into a dark alleyway without anyone noticing, and she then proceeded down the alleyway, turning when she had to, until she finally arrived in front of an old wooden door that was run down by time. She knocked gently on the door and proceeded to look around her surroundings to make sure that she wasn't followed by anyone there.

"Who is it?" A voice asked from the other side of the door.

"Mistivera," she announced in a soft whisper as she looked into the small peephole on the door.

"Princess Mistivera Lilith Verltz?" The voice sounded quite surprised and excited at the same time. "I'll get the door opened right away."

Mistivera continued to remain cautious and wary of her surroundings as the door opened. From the other side of the wooden door, Mistivera could hear the sound of locks being unlocked as well as bars being lifted. The door then slowly opened, and Mistivera entered immediately such as to minimize the chance of anyone seeing her enter.

Beyond the door was a small secluded neighborhood with little sunlight shining though due to how close the two buildings on either side were to each other. However, there proved to be abundant room since the bottom floor of the buildings had no walls, allowing for more space to be utilized. Walking about the place were beings that humans would call monsters. From goblins to Demons, these monsters walked the place, chatting with each other as they shared information and conducted trade.

"Welcome, Princess," the man that opened the door smiled as he greeted her.

"Hello Gorgan," she greeted the werewolf man that was in his human form. "I'm here for the things I asked."

"Right." Gorgan gestured for Mistivera to proceed to the deeper regions of the neighborhood. "Please proceed to the trade hub. It's safely in the hands of Hannah, the Slime."

"Got it," Mistivera smiled as she walked past the werewolf.

This Demon outpost lies within the bustling human city of Astalan, and it acted as a base for higher Demons and intelligent monsters for trade. Initially, it was a temporary lair for the few Demons who settled down in the human city. However, as time went on, the lair developed into a trade outpost as well as a residential neighborhood for Demons and monsters, hidden away from the wraths of humanity and the influence of the Church. Being the only safe haven for their kind in this hostile city of Astalan, the creatures that utilized it called it the Astalan Haven, similar to how they saw the place.

As Mistivera walked down the neighborhood streets, numerous monsters and Demons lowered their heads and greeted her. A group of young Demon race children, after seeing her, stopped their play and ran over to greet her.

"Princess Mistivera!" A young imp boy called out to her as the boy circled around her in the air, flapping its little wings behind him.

"Did you bring sweets for us?!" a little dryad asked.

"Sorry," Mistivera responded in a gentle voice, bending her legs slightly so that she was closer to the children. "I don't have any with me today..."