Viren Thornwhisper's Arc

Chapter 1 of 2

Viren pressed his trembling hand against the warped wooden door of the small flower shop. The sign above read SHOP in faded paint. He had signed the lease that morning, coughing through his weaker lung. This was his start. One day, the richest merchant family in Sandspire would beg him to decorate their feasts. The district did not welcome him. Dark, pointed tents loomed across the way, their weathered fabric flapping like tongues clicking judgment. Merchants leaned in doorways and watched him fumble his key. One spat at his polished boots. "Butterfly hands," a fruit seller muttered. "He'll be gone by the new moon." Viren swallowed and stepped inside. Dust drifted through golden light. He set down his crate of pressed petals and dried blooms. His pulse jumped. He gripped the counter until the dizziness passed. Then he began to build. By dusk, a spiraling tower stood outside his door. Bright desert flowers wound around a tall cactus pole, crowned with a small glowing lamp. Reds, oranges, and purples climbed toward the sky. Passersby slowed. A child pointed. A wealthy woman in silk paused, lips parting. "Oh, BEAUTIFUL," hissed a voice behind him. A small orange lizard stood with arms crossed, tail twitching. "Let me GUESS. 'I'll show them all with my pretty flowers!' " Shaska Driftclaw flicked her tongue. "Newsflash, butterfly boy — these snakes EAT soft things! (I should know. I've been chewed.)" Viren turned, breath shallow, and met her yellow eyes. "Then stand beside me," he said quietly. "They can mock two of us just as easily as one." Shaska blinked. The wealthy woman in silk stepped closer to the tower, reaching for a card to leave her name.