Beyond the Bloodline-Chapter 237: A Day in Silverspire I

Silverspire City

Cassarean Region

November 30th

Year 2018

The morning sun broke over Silverspire City, casting a warm, amber glow that stretched over the bustling streets below.

Right after dealing with the Blue Moon Castle, Jamie and Miranda returned here.

Arranging them in order from Right to Left, after the Vampire’s Continent Nightingale, there was the Neutral Continent, then the Human Continent, Terranova and finally the Dwarf Continent, Mithrador before one finally got to Lupinora, the Werewolf Continent.

Things were arranged this way on purpose to keep the Vampires and Werewolves as far from each other as possible.

The same arrangement was carried out with the Angel and Demon Continents.

Anyway, each continent had entire Oceans that were at least thrice the sizes of the Continents between them, so Jamie and Miranda really traversed a very vast distance to get to Arnmouth and back—all before the clock hit 8.

Hand in hand, they moved through the crowd, using recognition inhibition spells to seamlessly blend in without drawing attention.

Anyone who saw them would just think they were another young couple relishing the day together, after all, they weren’t the only ones doing that today.

The city was abuzz with activity, as vendors set up colourful stalls along the cobbled streets, and children darted through the alleys, laughing and carrying strings of lanterns.

Banners with bright, swirling patterns hung from rooftops, fluttering in the light breeze.

It was clear that preparations were underway for some sort of festival—the annual Harvest Moon Festival.

From the golden sunflowers and autumn leaves decorating the storefronts and lampposts, Miranda was able to remember the festival’s name.

Musicians were warming up on street corners, and the faint strumming of lutes mingled with the morning hum of the city.

Jamie glanced around, a grin breaking across his face as he took in the festive energy surrounding them.

"Looks like we picked the perfect day"

He spoke as they walked and Miranda nodded, her eyes brightening as she took in the sights. The two of them were vaguely aware of some sort of festivities occurring by this time of the year, but it hadn’t been until this morning that they remembered which festival this was.

"Perfect timing. Let’s make the most of it."

With Miranda’s words serving as the cue, they began wandering through the city streets.

Vendors beckoned them over to try hot cider and honeyed pastries, and they joined in as townspeople pitched in to hang lanterns from archways and adorn fences with lush garlands of autumn flowers.

After assisting a bit with the preparations and getting their hands stuffed with snacks from the townspeople, they headed towards a café nestled in the heart of the city’s historical district.

The café itself was charming and warm, a little stone building with ivy draped over its walls and old-fashioned gas lamps flickering by the entrance. Inside, they settled by a window, a table dusted with sunlight filtering through the fancy lace curtains.

"Look at the pastry selection, they have everything here—from almond croissants to cinnamon rolls."

Miranda said, her eyes lighting up as she scanned the rows of baked goods displayed behind the glass. Clearly, she was far from full despite the snacks she ate earlier and the sight made Jamie chuckle as he glanced over the menu.

"Well, it seems like we’re not leaving without trying a few."

When the server arrived, Jamie ordered a frothy cappuccino with a slice of spiced apple tart, while Miranda opted for a lavender tea paired with a buttery pain au chocolat.

As they enjoyed their breakfast, they bantered easily, sharing bites of their pastries and stealing sips from each other’s drinks, just like any normal couple.

Every so often, Jamie would glance out the window, watching the festival preparations going on outside with more and more market vendors beginning to set up stalls.

After they finished, they wandered into the open-air marketplace.

The streets buzzed with energy, shops overflowing with colourful fabrics, fresh produce, handcrafted trinkets, and a hundred other delights.

Lively chatter filled the air as shopkeepers bartered with customers, festival musicians played on street corners, and the laughter of children rang out as they weaved through the crowds.

Miranda tugged him over to a jewellery stall where strings of gemstone necklaces glinted in the sunlight and picked up a moonstone carved pendant, its milky surface reflecting a pearly shimmer.

Calling it ’moonstone-carved’ was not just a nickname, it had actually been carved from actual moon rock.

"What do you think?"

She asked, holding it against her collarbone and Jamie looked at it in silence for a moment before pointing at a different necklace and speaking.

"It suits you. But so does that sapphire one over there."

The necklace he pointed to had a deep blue gem, Miranda glanced at it, then back at Jamie, instantly understanding why he picked that one—it was blue, just like his eyes.

She smiled softly, but before she could say anything, the vendor chimed in.

"For you, a special price, as a gift for such a lovely couple."

Jamie and Miranda exchanged amused glances before Jamie used his phone to pay the credits, accepting the sapphire pendant in return.

They continued their exploration, pausing at various stalls to admire the hand-painted vases, intricate wood carvings, and fine leatherwork that lined the streets.

As they approached a particularly popular stall bustling with patrons, Jamie’s gaze fell on a small wooden figurine—a figure with wolf ears and a bushy tail, standing tall.

Its features were so sharp and lifelike that he instantly recognized it as a likeness of himself in his half-wolf form.

He picked it up with a laugh, turning it over in his hands and admiring the impressive detail.

The vendor, busy serving customers, glanced his way with mild curiosity and raised an eyebrow, confused by Jamie’s reaction.

"See something you like, young man?"

The vendor asked, trying to decipher Jamie’s laughter, completely unaware of who he was addressing.

Jamie shot Miranda a playful look, then leaned closer, lowering the recognition inhibition spell just enough for recognition to dawn on the man’s face.

In an instant, the man’s eyes widened as he recognized the real-life version of his carving.

But before he could exclaim, Jamie raised a finger to his lips, chuckling quietly.

"Let’s keep this between us, shall we?"

Jamie whispered, waving his phone over the POS machine in the vendor’s hand before pocketing the figurine.

The vendor nodded vigorously, his mouth still open in stunned silence as Jamie slipped back into the crowd with Miranda, the two of them sharing a laugh as they left the bewildered vendor behind.

"That’s one way to make an impression."

Miranda spoke with a teasing smile, nudging him with her elbow as they continued down the row of stalls.

"Always good to leave a little mystery behind."

Jamie replied, his eyes twinkling with mischief as they moved on, weaving through the crowd and blending seamlessly back into the vibrant city.

As the morning wore on, they found themselves at a small flower shop, noticeably decorated for the festival.

The shopkeeper, an elderly woman with kind eyes, approached them with a bouquet of wildflowers.

"Every couple who passes through gets a bouquet for the festival."

She spoke as she pressed the flowers into Miranda’s hands before adding.

"Free of charge."

Miranda accepted the bouquet, her face lighting up as she offered her thanks. They continued on their way, the bouquet tucked securely in Miranda’s arms and as they passed, many townspeople spotted the flowers and called out to them, reminding them about the night dance of the festival and telling them to come for sure.

Their next stop was the famous Silverspire Library, a grand building with high stone arches and towering spires that rose against the sky.

Inside, it was quiet and filled with the scent of old books and Miranda navigated to a particular section with familiar movements and pulled out a history book.

She showed Jamie its contents that spoke about Deities and battles that barely hinted at the truth, especially one which ’claimed’ he was the mastermind behind.

"The heck?! I didn’t do any of this! Why does this paint me as the bad guy?!"

Miranda quickly used a spell to mute the sound of Jamie’s voice or the whole library would have known that their real Clan Ancestor was present.

Just then, there was a chime of the clock tower outside that informed them it was lunch time and they left the library, making their way up to a bustling food plaza.

The place was lined with food stalls offering everything from steaming bowls of stew to roasted meats on skewers.

As they strolled through the bustling plaza, Jamie and Miranda eventually found a cosy, shaded spot at an outdoor café that overlooked Silverspire’s bustling main square.

A gentle breeze rustled the leaves of the trees around them, and their table was set with a woven cloth in the city’s signature colours: deep forest green and silver.

They ordered an array of dishes typical of Silverspire’s unique cuisine, along with frosty glasses of local honeyed wine.

They ate with the comfortable ease of two people who knew each other well, trading bites and making small comments on the flavours.

Midway through the meal, Jamie couldn’t resist adding a dash of his playful mischief. He picked up a small, vibrant red pepper from a plate of smoked venison, biting into it with a wink.

"What’s that?"

Miranda asked, looking at him with a raised brow and Jamie responded while waving his hands.

"Oh, just a little something to wake up the taste buds."

Mid-response, he cast a small spell and when Miranda noticed the magic power movement she raised a brow in curiosity.

"What are you—"

Before she could finish, Jamie leaned over and kissed her, his lips warm against hers.