Through the streets of the great citadel, a cloaked figure carefully picked her way. The sun blazed overhead, casting shadows directly below all of Bastion's occupants.
All around, people clad in a mix of enchanted armor and clothing that could only be manufactured in the Waking World passed the woman without giving her even a glance.
That was just as well.
If they looked at her too closely, they might have grown suspicious.
'Maybe I should have worn the Fraudulent Facade.'
No, that would have been a poor choice. The filigreed mask was very recognizable, thanks to years of Dreamscape escapades.
Wearing it would have been too big of a gamble, so the Master relied on a simple scarf draped around her mouth. With the augmentation of her golden bracelets, people barely registered her presence.
Pulling at the hood of her cloak, the woman sped up her pace, careful to make sure her steps matched her movements. Her heart pounded in her chest. She was so close.
Or at least she thought she was.
'Still can't keep a map in my head to save my life.'
About the time the lady was about to lose hope, she rounded the corner, and the view caught her breath.
Before her, a grey stone castle as large as a city stood proudly on the far side of the pristine lake. The ancient walls scarred by a thousand sieges were reflected in the shining water.
Thankfully, the floating woman would not be visiting there today. A shiver went down her spine.
The slight ringing of steel could barely be heard over the noise of the city, reminding the Master of the powerful Sovereign that resided there.
Pulling her eyes away from the stunning fortress, the woman at last spotted her the answer to her query on the shoreline.
"Cafe and Memory Boutique?" she muttered.
A fuzzy memory came to mind. But before the Master could fully grasp it, the thought disappeared like the morning dew. She shrugged it off.
There were more important things just now.
The modest cafe gave the woman pause. There was something strange about it that she couldn't quite put her finger on.
'No…there is no way that the building has feelings…'
While the Master was still contemplating the brick cottage, a stunning woman in a beautiful white flowing dress exited with a man and child. The statuesque Transcendent was easily recognizable.
'Saint Athena.'
"Ling, you mustn't hug the lady so tightly. You could crush her." The mother was calmly explaining to the little boy. "Not everyone is built to withstand strength like ours."
"I know I'm not," the man smiled.
Athena raised her eyebrow at her husband. "Who tries to break whom, hm?"
The man coughed and pulled at his collar. "Your mother is right, Ling. Gentleness is key. We want our beast farm to be very successful and so we can't go killing our customers, alright?"
Ling's tiny face displayed puppyish eyes. "But Auntie loves my hugs!"
The child was so distraught that the Master looking on could not help but send a small amount of comfort to him as a tear streamed down his cheek.
"You know what I love?" the man asked. "Racing you to the market!"
Ling's ears perked up, and the pair went running off. Saint Athena lagged behind at a leisurely pace, a motherly smile on her face.
The sight made the cloaked woman feel a pang of longing for her own family. Her lips formed into a thin line.
She was here for them, and her mission was not through.
'Don't look back.'
As the Master pushed through the door, a melodious sound rang through the cafe. The bell above the door might have looked small, but the Memory was loud.
'I wonder what enchantments it has?'
Sadly, the cloaked woman was not there to talk about one of her favorite subjects, she was there to meet someone.
The cafe was neither full nor empty, boasting a light crowd of about six tables of people. Most of the clientele was female, and many of them were glancing toward the kitchen.
'Is the food service so slow that they are watching for their orders?'
The Master felt for signs of life in the kitchen and frowned. Something very odd was going on...
"Welcome!" A smartly dressed woman in a suit came toward her. Suddenly, her smile grew wider. "A fellow floater. There aren't many of those around."
"Excuse me?" the guest was taken aback. "I don't..."
"I am sure it isn't noticeable to most people. Is it related to your Aspect?" The hostess tilted her head.
The visitor coughed. "Not exactly..."
"Aiko!" A voice called from the kitchen.
The petite Awakened stiffened. "Ah, sorry. As the boss says, there is time for chatting when I'm off the clock. Let me show you to a table."
"I am actually looking for someone, but I don't see him." The Master frowned behind her scarf.
"Are you looking for Master Roan?" Aiko's words caught the woman off guard yet again.
She was, but the sudden declaration made the visitor lower her voice. "How could you possibly know that?"
"He came in a while ago but had to leave suddenly. He left a note."
Out of her pocket, a small scrap of paper floated until it was snatched from the air by the eager guest.
Reading it over quickly, the Master hummed softly.
It seemed Roan was followed and decided to change the meeting location at the last moment.
"Did you look at this?" the woman questioned Aiko.
The hostess held up her hands. "Hey, I'm curious but not suicidal. I don't go around reading notes from Masters no matter how curious I am."
'She's telling the truth.'
"Thank you for your time. I shall be on my way."
"So soon?" Aiko cleared her throat.
A coin was tossed into her hand by the patron as she turned to leave.
The petite hostess looked down at her hand, and her smile widened. Her fingers coiled around the coin like greedy serpents.
"A pleasure doing business with you!"
Reaching the door, the woman paused and turned on her heels.
'Not good!'
She paled and turned around and hurried back toward the hostess.
"On second thought, I've changed my mind. I would like a table. Preferably one in the corner...or the kitchen."
"The boss doesn't let anyone in the kitchen. But I can put you away from the window." Aiko watched the other woman nod as she tugged at her hood.
"That's fine. Lead the way."
'And hurry!'
Aiko guided the patron toward the back of the cafe.
Taking a corner seat, the skittish guest ducked her head.
Behind her, the door opened to admit a lovely, grey-haired mundane woman with a dignified air.
Aiko handed the cloaked woman a menu before attending to her new patron. "May I help you?"
The new guest nodded. "My husband is planning on meeting me for lunch here in a little while. I was hoping to have some tea while I waited."
"Of course. Take a seat wherever you like and I'll be right back." Aiko nodded as she disappeared into the kitchen.
'Don't come this way...don't come this way!'
But the plea to the dead gods did no good.
Even as the cloaked woman ducked nearly under the table, her counterpart drew near.
"Oh! I didn't realize anyone was sitting here," the older woman apologized as soon as she saw the hunched figure. "I guess I am not the only one who prefers to be away from the door."
When no answer came, the white-haired lady forced a smile.
"I'll find a different spot. Have a nice day."
As she turned to leave, the figure finally spoke.
"You too."
Those words were all it took. Leaning down, the lady stared beneath the brown hood as her voice broke.
"Noble?"
Pulling down her scarf, the Master's eyes swirled as she met the other lady's gaze. "Hello, mom."