Chapter One Hundred and Twenty-Nine: Let the Wardens Decide

Christina's Arc: Bend or Break

"That's pretty much what happened," I said, sitting on a bench in the guild hall's courtyard.

It's hard to imagine that we've been playing this game for three whole days! Did the teachers and students just have class around us like some monument to strangeness?

I can't see that being the case because Ayame couldn't go a day without kissing Christina's ass.

"So, your flower drained the life from the woman, and you started to feel better when it did?" the Madam asked.

Madam Justicia True Strike sat on the well across from me.

The sun shone down, illuminating the flowers, which seemed to hum.

"Yup, after she basically killed me—"

"How do you know it was a killing blow?"

"For the first time, I can honestly say I know what it feels like to have my shoulder separated from my body. Trust me when I say she had me dead to rights," I said, then I took a bite out of the bread she bought for me.

"Wow, that must have been a terrifying experience, but what's even more fascinating is that you healed without a scratch on you."

…

"You don't believe me, do you?"

The Madam held her hands up like she had been caught in the act.

"Hey now, I cannot argue with the giant flower or the dried-up corpse we found. I'm in awe of everything you've told me. It's hard to believe that you are a bloomwarden, Knox."

I swallowed the sweet bread.

"Why is it hard to believe?"

The Madam stood up, walked over to me, and sat down to my right.

I tried my best not to stare at her, but wow.

I don't know if she's got more muscle than cleavage, or more cleavage than muscle.

I looked away and lowered my bread.

"It's okay to look at me, sugar. I don't mind. Keep telling me what happened."

"What was wrong with my flower?"

She moved the hair from my face.

"I've met several bloomwardens; none ever talked about blooming a flower that killed its victims to heal them. However, I'm not a bloomwarden, nor can I tell what's genuinely uncanny about your flower."

"Do you know how I did it?"

"Do you really not know?"

I nodded.

She covered her mouth with her hand and smiled.

Then she beckoned me closer, so I moved.

I thought we were close enough when she sat down, but she wrapped her arm around me and pulled me in.

Well, I can't say I hated it.

Her chest pushed into my arm, then she wrapped my cloak around me from my left. It lay on my lap.

"Okay?"

"This is how I knew you were a bloomwarden, Knox."

"Because of the symbol?"

She shook her head.

The Madam moved her lips closer to my ear.

I could feel the warmth of her breath against my skin.

"I knew because of your seed, Knox."

"M-my seed?"

Her fingers traced the part of my cloak that sat in my lap.

Then her nail snagged something.

It was a pocket.

She dug a seed out of my cloak's pocket.

Well, what do you know… She could tell from my seed. I didn't even know I had seeds. I probably shouldn't let her know that I didn't know…

"Oh, those seeds…"

"Would you believe me if I told you that someone else packed my cloak?"

The Madam nodded enthusiastically.

"If what you're saying is true, then it could have been a bad seed," the Madam said.

"Well, the seeds are how you accomplished those feats, Knox. I've seen bloomwardens carry thousands of seeds at a time. Each seed does something different. The Grand Warden has plants growing out of her body."

"That's too much for me."

Madam Justicia stood up.

"I agree. However, part of me understands why she chose to devote her body to nature. She was an elf; she's lived for longer than I'd want to. Just imagine how difficult it was to watch every non-elf friend die, only to repeat the cycle."

One of the Iron Cinders guild members walked in.

"Excuse me; I hate to disturb you, but Theo is here for the bloomwarden," she said.

Damn, that boy is persistent.

"Well, Knox. Your Thornkin lover is here."

"We aren't lovers… It was just a kiss. A very intimate kiss, but still a kiss."

"Interesting. Can you show me how intimate it was if it was just a kiss?"

My face felt hot, or maybe it was the sun.

The Madam smiled.

"Knox!" Theo yelled, standing in the doorway beyond the well.

Shit…

"Hey, I told you to wait," the guild woman yelled.

Theo tried to run around the guild woman, but she caught him.

"Hey, let him go."

She released him, and he ran around the well and grabbed me by the sleeve.

"Come on, Knox. I don't like that woman," Theo whispered.

I do, damn it.

"Oh, Thornkin boy, your horns are starting to grow back."

They didn't look like they had grown that much.

Theo shrugged.

"Knox likes them out," Theo said.

Yup, yup, yup, yup, freaking yup.

"Oh, you two are so cute. Okay, I guess I should talk to Shadow now."

***

I arched my back, stretching as much as I could, then took off my hat.

Sitting in the courtyard isn't as fun now that Knox is gone. I have tons of paperwork to fill out after both incidents.

Hmm. My secretary is still standing in the doorway.

I sighed.

She must want me to go back to work.

"Such a peculiar boy. He told me the purple flower drained a woman's life, but what was more alarming was the thought of roots piercing flesh," I said.

…

"I understand, but we can't deny the injuries or the roots weaving through her body, Madam. The boy is dangerous."

I sighed.

"Let the wardens decide that."

The sun beat down, prompting me to put my hat back on.

"Is it hot to you?"

She held her hand out into the sun's light.

"Yes, Madam, but it's cooler in the shade."

"I suppose. Knox was unperturbed by the heat. He didn't even sweat, yet he was out here for hours. I'm going to have a chat with the ronin woman. Keep an eye on Knox, and have the mages send a message about this incident to the Bloomwardens' Guild. I don't want to be accused of anything."

"Yes, Madam."

***

When I found Shadow Song, she was facing away from the doorway, fastening the buckles on her armor.

"Are you going to leave without saying farewell to the boy?"

She placed her hat on her head.

"It ain't like we're kin. I met him the day of the raid."

Perhaps her hasty departure is for the best. Who knows what will happen once the wardens get him.

"I see."

"You gonna stop me? Tell me I'm wrong for cutting ties after he waited?"

"Not at all. I know of your road oath; there isn't room for anyone else, so no, I won't say anything. But did you know that he killed a raider?"

Shadow Song turned to face me.

"Good for him, but it ain't like bloomwardens are banned from killing—"

"He used piercing roots. Did you know that?"

…

"I mean, they use poison flowers—"

"I'm not talking about a slow death from poison spores, Shadow Song. Besides, they rarely use it because a change of wind could mean poisoning your team. However, the roots Knox summoned pierced bone; the purple flower drained everything from the raider, and he doesn't know how he did it."

Shadow Song sighed.

"I ain't ever heard of a bloomwarden who could make nature kill folks like that. But maybe they could've always done that, kill people with nature, but chose not to because of their oath, or something."

"You may have a point, but I can't ignore how dangerous that ability could be—or his willingness to use it."

…

"So, you gonna kill him?"

I drew my sword, pointing the blade toward the floor. I stroked the focus dividing the blade.

"I'm not sure. We've sent a message to the Elder Warden about Knox's ordeal. I do fancy him for his warmth, and his aura feels harmless—"

"But if the flower pushers say he's a problem?"

"Then I'll probably send him their way, so they can decide it for themselves."

Shadow traced her belt with her left hand, clearing away any loose cloth from the handle of her blade.

"If they tell you to carry out the order?"

I lowered my eyelids.

Well, I didn't expect a fight within the guild hall. That is rather frustrating, but we can't afford to help rebuild the town and the guild hall.

I slid my sword back into its scabbard.

"I don't think they'd ask me to kill him, and even if they did, I'd refrain from murdering the boy who helped this scant little frontier town."

"What I'd care to know is why you weren't here to protect the town your outpost's in. You are oath-sworn."

…

"Well, if you must know, it all started five days ago with a herd of mutated Mossbacks that attacked a town, killing hundreds of people."