Etherealis

In her years of residing at Primotheus Capital, Agatha had never heard of a Blood Exchange before.

"Don't you accept Galleons or..." She paused, trying to think of another currency, but Galleons were all she knew. "Gold, perhaps?" she added, though she didn't actually have any.

The old lady raised an eyebrow and pointed at the sign.

On reflection, this could work in Agatha's favor. With no Galleons to her name, if blood was accepted as payment, she could still buy gifts for Liam and Aiden.

Agatha roamed the store, looking for other interesting items. Strange things filled the shelves, mounted on the walls, and contained within jars. There were even plants and old books.

After not finding anything else that Liam might like, Agatha returned to the shelf where the Dragon Dagger was displayed.

The old woman was still there, organizing scattered items.

"Have you chosen anything, Madam?" Her voice was thin and enticing.

Agatha continued to gaze at the weapons until her eyes landed on a boomerang. It had strange tribal writing carved into its body, with four small stones embedded in its edges—two blue and two red.

She thought of Liam because water and fire were his elements.

"How much is that?" Agatha asked, pointing at the boomerang.

"Ah, the Hydroflare Boomerang," said the old lady, "three drops of blood for that."

Agatha was still processing the idea of blood as payment, but with no Galleons to offer, she nodded.

The old woman used a device called the Bloodbinder Chalice, which emitted a soft, pulsing hum as a red mist seeped from the runes. When brought near a living being, the chalice could draw blood without breaking the skin. The extraction process was painless and hypnotic, leaving the subject in a trance-like state.

After she had paid with her blood, Agatha decided it was time to leave. She resolved to find a more suitable gift for Aiden elsewhere. It seemed there weren't any items for children in this peculiar shop.

As Agatha was about to step out of the store, something caught her eye. A sword leaned against a distant wall, partially obscured but sparkling enough to catch her attention. Its handle gleamed, momentarily blinding her.

Agatha's eyes narrowed as she approached the sword, recognizing the symbol carved into the handle. It was an eel slithering around a crocodile, a design she had seen before.

Upon closer inspection, she realized she was not mistaken. This sword was strikingly similar to Liam's. She had only seen his sword a few times, but the unique symbol etched into it was unforgettable.

How did Liam's sword end up here? Agatha wondered. The last time she saw it was during their first battle with Nysander. Did Liam sell it? If so, why?

Her mind raced with questions as she stood there, staring at the familiar weapon.

"Who owned this sword before? Has it been here long?" Agatha inquired, perplexed by the thick layer of dust covering the weapon.

The old woman approached and studied the sword alongside Agatha. 

"I've lost count of the years this sword has been here," the old lady replied. She took a clean cloth and wiped off the dust, revealing more of the intricate details. Agatha continued to stare, her intrigue deepening.

There was no doubt—it was identical to Liam's sword.

"Do you know if there's another sword like this? Maybe a pair?" Agatha asked, her voice hopeful.

The old woman shrugged. "What I know, Madam, is that this sword once belonged to the King of the Water Fae Kingdom. The symbol on the handle represents that kingdom."

Agatha stiffened at the revelation. King of the Water Fae Kingdom? King? Water? Fae?

"If I recall correctly, this sword isn't just any weapon. It's called Seafang," the old lady continued. "It's passed down to the successors of the King of the Water Fae. It has been held by several generations until it ended up in my store..."

Agatha's mind swirled with questions. If what the woman said was true, why was this significant sword here? And why was it identical to the sword Liam used? What did it mean?

Should she believe the old woman's tale? Why would she lie? There seemed to be no reason for deceit. If only the King of the Water Fae Kingdom possessed such a sword, did that mean Liam was a king? And most importantly, was he the King of the Water Fae Kingdom?

At first, Agatha thought Liam was merely a commander of the King of the Fire Fae Kingdom. She believed his mission was to find Nysander because of the harm done to the King and Queen. 

But if Liam was actually the King of the Water Fae Kingdom, why would he come to Primotheus Capital himself to assist the Fire Fae Kingdom? As a king, he could easily have ordered his knights to handle the task. 

Agatha tried to dismiss these thoughts. It seemed impossible for Liam to be a king. He had been in Primotheus Capital for more than a month. If he were truly a king, wouldn't the Water Fae Kingdom have sought him out to fulfill his royal duties?

She remembered that Liam had been summoned, which was why he returned to Fortunalia. What if he really was a king, and his return was due to issues in his own kingdom?

Agatha tried to convince herself that she was overthinking. Maybe the sword was just a replica, not the original Seafang, and it didn't mean anything significant. It could be a fake, not made by a master swordsmith.

While Agatha forced herself to accept this explanation, she suddenly recalled the news that had filled the Primo Herald over a month ago. 

The news was about the coronation of three new kings in Etherealis. Because there were Faes living in Primotheus Capital, the news spread to Eldoria. 

Agatha remembered that she hadn't paid much attention to what Clarisse had said about the coronation because she was preoccupied. However, she vaguely recalled the names of the three new Fae Kings: Ludwig, Killion, and Liam.

But it couldn't be her Liam, right? How many Faes named Liam could there be? It was a common name, so surely there were other Faes with that name.

Still, she couldn't shake the feeling that she needed to prove herself right and that all these connections were false.