Daybreak's Crest: A Zodiac Story

Chapter 15: Smoky Lavender Tea

"No." The guard's expression remained impassive. "Did you not hear the rules, merchant? The Tellus Republic prohibits weapons to be sold to anyone, including swords, lances, axes, daggers and tomes."

"I–I..." Cancer sniffed. "I just needed to make some money, and... m-my family... I need to help my sick mother..."

"You can only enter Saturis if you do not have weapons on you." The guard held out a hand. "We will collect the tomes here and now, and you can apply to take them back when you leave."

Cancer nibbled at her lower lip and slowly gave the guard a shaky nod. "A...alright..."

The guard passed her a sheet of paper. "Write down your name, the names of each of your tomes, the quantity and the date here. To get them back, you will have to visit the General Office in Section Hyperion, located in the southeast of the city, and fill in the form there."

Cancer scribbled down 'Catherine', 'Thunder x 10' and '11.04' on the paper, passing it back to the guard. "Y-you'll keep it safe, right?" She asked, the waver in her voice apparent as she stepped closer to the guard, pressing the sheet of paper into his hands. "I–I need to sell them in the next town and I need the money..."

"Yes." The guard said blandly, taking the tomes from her and dropping them into the box behind himself. "You can recollect them two hours from now."

"T-thank you..." Cancer slowly shuffled past him. The guard didn't even give her a second glance as he called out to the next person waiting in line. "Next!"

"That was great acting, Cancer!" Libra complimented softly as Cancer slipped around the wall, all ten of the tomes back in her hands.

"That was... unsettling." Virgo remarked. "I... I wouldn't have thought..."

"Oh, right, you weren't here when she joined..." Libra murmured.

"You mean... in the town in Neptae..."

"Galene." Cancer clarified. "And yes... that's..." Her face twisted slightly. "Something I was used to doing."

"Everyone." Scorpio muttered. "Let's go before the guard catches us, otherwise our time taken sneaking around him would be for nothing."

The four of them hurried around the twisting passageway down into the main city. The entrance was situated on a slope of some sort, winding down to the lower half of the city. Strangely enough, some of the windows on the buildings along the slope were situated at floor-level, directly next to their shoes.

"What a strange design..." Scorpio studied the windows across the wide street in front of them. "It would be good for spying."

"Is that... a good thing?"

"Depending on who you're talking about." Scorpio nodded to himself, deep in thought. "Yes, the Eirean Church may benefit from spying on people... though the Eirean hideout in Marsari didn't have these. Then again, Marsari didn't have slopes like these... it could be an intentional design or perhaps this slope..."

"Well, no time like the present. Let's go inside." Cancer had already crossed the road. "There's a door here." Without even waiting for the others, she pushed it open – earning a tinkle of a bell – and headed inside.

"Er, Cancer! Please wait for us!" Virgo called as she hurried across the road after her.

-x-x-x-

After marching straight past the guards with claims to be selling fruit (which, if the guard had considered checking their bags, would have realised that it was a blatant lie), Taurus, Gemini and Sagittarius found themselves in a somewhat sketchy backstreet alleyway. (Perhaps it was also due to the fact Taurus looked Gaebian enough – or just scary enough – for them to be ushered past rather quickly.)