Ryoka Griffin stood on the top of a snow-covered hill, facing the wind. Her arms were spread out, and she raised her head as the cold winter winds blew around her. The snow-flecked breeze tugged at her light clothing, a shirt and loose leggings, wholly inappropriate for the season. But the young woman paid no attention to the cold. In fact, such was her body heat that the snow had melted around her bare feet, exposing flattened grass underneath.<\/p>\n
She was completely still as the air ruffled her long hair. Ryoka breathed in and felt the cold in her lungs. But she let not one muscle move; made no concession to the elements. Her breathing slowed, and Ryoka became one with nature. She was one with the world. One with the cosmos.<\/p>\n
After another minute Ryoka opened her eyes.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is stupid.\u201d<\/p>\n
She dropped her arms to her side. She twisted her neck and heard a crick<\/em>. Wincing, she rubbed at her shoulders and looked around. Then she glared at her midriff.<\/p>\n \u201cHey, Ivolethe! Did you hear me? I said this is stupid. It\u2019s not working.\u201d<\/p>\n Somewhat predictably, Ryoka\u2019s midriff did not respond to her comment. But after a second, one of the compartments in her belt rustled, and a small head poked out. The tiny crystal head had bulging cheeks, and as Ivolethe flew out of the pouch she crammed the last bit of dried sweet fruit into her mouth.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s wrong, Ryoka?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n The young woman paused and eyed Ivolethe. The naked faerie was just as ignorant of the cold as Ryoka was, but she had clearly been feasting in Ryoka\u2019s pouch while the young woman tried to commune with the wind. The faerie was covered in bits of dried fruit; the sticky sweets clung to her like leeches.<\/p>\n Ivolethe didn\u2019t seem to mind. The faerie peeled a bit of raisin off her stomach while Ryoka pushed at her hair distractedly. She spoke with waspish exasperation, but trying to moderate her tone.<\/p>\n \u201cThis isn\u2019t working. I\u2019ve been here for over an hour doing what you said, and all I have to show for it is wet feet and sore shoulders.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHmm.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n The faerie eyed Ryoka skeptically, and then flew around her in a quick pattern. When she stopped she looked disappointed.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYou feel nothing? Even after taking in the wind?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAside from the need to pee? Nothing.\u201d<\/p>\n Ryoka sighed as the faerie scowled. She spread her hands.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know. What should<\/em> I be feeling?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThe wind.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n The faerie gave her a look as if Ryoka was insane. Ryoka gave the faerie the same look.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve been feeling the wind. But I don\u2019t feel a connection to it or whatever. Look, is there something else we can try?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI suppose we must try something else, then.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Ivolethe screwed up her face in concentration. Ryoka began stretching her sore legs, watching the faerie think.<\/p>\n In theory, they were right now studying faerie magic. That was to say, Ivolethe was trying to teach Ryoka how the Frost Faeries conjured snow and moved faster than anything Ryoka had even seen in the world. Trying was the operative word here, though.<\/p>\n \u201cAre you sure this is how you teach people faerie magic?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNo.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Ryoka paused as she grabbed her foot from behind, stretching the muscles in her legs out.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat do you mean, \u2018no\u2019? I thought you knew what you were doing! You told me to stand here and listen to the wind!\u201d<\/p>\n The faerie glared at her.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAnd I thought it would help! No wonder ye heard nothing, though, since all ye do is jabber on with your complaints!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m doing my best. But I don\u2019t even know what I\u2019m doing! What part of the wind are you talking about?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThere!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Ryoka\u2019s head turned as the faerie shouted. All she saw was a bit of grey sky. She turned back to the faerie, scowling. But Ivolethe didn\u2019t look like she was pulling a prank on Ryoka. She flew up swiftly into the sky, over a hundred feet in seconds, and then flew in a twisting, downwards spiral around the hill. The human girl watched her, entranced by the graceful motion.<\/p>\n The faerie flew past Ryoka in a rush of air, and then stopped. She looked down at Ryoka, smiling. Ryoka had to smile back.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cDid ye see it?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Ryoka paused and frowned.<\/p>\n \u201cSee what?\u201d<\/p>\n Ivolethe\u2019s smile faded and her face went slack. She gestured.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThe wind, of course! Did ye see as I followed it?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI saw you flying. That\u2019s all.\u201d<\/p>\n The tiny faerie slapped her forehead and shouted curses at Ryoka. The Runner listened, slightly impressed at the variety of insults.<\/p>\n \u201cLook, clearly I can\u2019t see what you can. You might be seeing something by magic or with your sense that I can\u2019t. Can you try showing me whatever\u2019s so important another way?\u201d<\/p>\n Ivolethe grumbled and folded her arms as she thought.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cPerhaps. But this is the most obvious way for me.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cReally?\u201d<\/p>\n Another scowl.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cIt is not as if I have practice teaching magic to mortals. The fey come into existence knowing magic. Teaching you magic is like trying to teach a fish to swim.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Ryoka opened her mouth to reply and paused. She frowned, raised a finger.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat do you\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n Ivolethe rolled her eyes, annoyed.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNo one teaches<\/em> a fish to swim, fool! They either know or they do not.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAh, right. Well, try thinking like a bird, then. Show me how a fish would teach a bird to swim or something. I don\u2019t feel anything so far.\u201d<\/p>\n A glare was the only warning Ryoka got. Ivolethe flew up, and then the wind changed. Ryoka felt that<\/em>, and she saw a wall of white snow swirl upwards and then rush at her like a wave.<\/p>\n \u201cHoly\u2014<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n The gust of wind and snow blew Ryoka off the hilltop. She tumbled down the slope, cursing and shouting. When she sat up, dizzy and bruised, Ivolethe flew down and grinned at her.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cDid ye feel anything?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cFuck you!<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n Ryoka threw a snowball at Ivolethe. The faerie laughed and flew out of the way. She conjured a snowball of her own and Ryoka raised her arm before it collided with her bare skin. The Human and faerie continued in this vein for several minutes. In the end, Ryoka stopped because she hadn\u2019t managed to tag Ivolethe once, and she\u2019d taken six snowballs to the head.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m tired. And the magic soup is wearing off. Let\u2019s go back into the city and try again later, okay?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cOkay.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n The two began to move, Ryoka starting at a jog and moving faster, Ivolethe flying high overhead, laughing in the cold. And though she\u2019d made no progress, Ryoka felt better. She looked at the faerie flying high above her and smiled.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n —-<\/p>\n <\/p>\n It\u2019s an odd thing. A precious thing. Friendship, I mean. I feel like every second I\u2019m going to make a horrible mistake and ruin things forever. But I don\u2019t. Instead, it feels like every time I\u2019m about to get into a fight or say something I regret I find a better word to say, or a better way to act.<\/p>\n I didn\u2019t lose my temper with Ivolethe. Okay, I shouted and threw snow, but that was because I knew she wouldn\u2019t care and I wouldn\u2019t hit her. She isn\u2019t like Erin. I can tell her exactly how I feel because she\u2019ll do the same for me.<\/p>\n It\u2019s so odd. Is Ivolethe a friend? Erin\u2019s one, I\u2019m pretty sure of that. But can I be friends with a faerie after only two days? It feels like it, but I\u2019m not sure.<\/p>\n And how would I know? I\u2019ve never had a good friend before. I\u2019ve had \u2018friends\u2019, but that\u2019s just a word. But someone who\u2019s there for you even if it means risking their life? That\u2019s new. And Ivolethe is about as good an example of that kind of friendship as you can get. She\u2019s fearless, brave, and she\u2019s quite open about the fact that she\u2019s breaking rules to hang out with me.<\/p>\n Because that\u2019s the nature of Frost Faeries. They\u2019re the type of beings that go all-in with whatever they do. If they want to do something, they just go for it. And I like that about them the most.<\/p>\n Ivolethe and I return to the city in good time. I really only left it to practice her faerie magic, and since that was a bust we get back before it\u2019s even midday. The stream of people leaving and entering Celum is still busy, but I make good time.<\/p>\n For two reasons. The first is that I\u2019m a Runner, and I can essentially ignore most of the lengthy customs process the [Guardsmen] subject visitors to. The second is that I have a Frost Faerie sitting on my head, and news from yesterday has already gotten around.<\/p>\n It\u2019s a strange thing. If I were in the United States and I walked around with a dangerous creature like a Frost Faerie, I\u2019d probably be tossed in jail in a heartbeat. But in this world, I\u2019m just treated like a high-level [Mage], or any Gold-rank adventurer, really. If Ivolethe causes trouble I\u2019ll be held accountable. Aside from that, I\u2019m free to do whatever I want, and people give me a wide berth as an added bonus.<\/p>\n The Runner\u2019s Guild being destroyed would normally get me locked up and fined, but thanks to eyewitnesses seeing Persua and the other Runners grabbing Ivolethe, I got off scot-free. That may also have had to do with the fact that the Frost Faeries were busy raining ten kinds of hell on the Runners as they ran indoors, and the local Watch didn\u2019t want to paint a target on their heads.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhere are ye going?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Ivolethe\u2019s voice is small, but perfectly audible in my ears, even above the voices of the pedestrians shouting and clogging the streets. I run past them, finding less-crowded streets to turn down.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m going to visit Erin. Then I\u2019ll see if I can find Garia. I need to thank her for yesterday.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThe big girl with the heart of a mouse? Sounds boring.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n The faerie jumps off my head and flies into my pouch even as I dodge around a laborer lugging a sack of something along. She\u2019s so nimble! I can feel her rummaging around in there, and make a mental note to buy some more stuff for her to eat. I\u2019ve got the coin, and it shuts her up and keeps her happy.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s how it stands. Since yesterday, Ivolethe has pretty much been by my side day and night. She says it\u2019s interesting and I won\u2019t complain. She sometimes leaves, when I sleep for example, but other times she seems perfectly content to stay in my belt pouch. Especially when we\u2019re indoors. I tried to convince her to leave, but she bit my thumb once. She\u2019s agreed to stay in the pouch if I\u2019m indoors, though, and a steady supply of food means she won\u2019t break that promise.<\/p>\n I slow as I pass by the Runner\u2019s Guild on my way to Octavia\u2019s shop. A crowd of people, as well as a group of sweaty men holding shovels and pickaxes is gathered around the ruined building. The men are trying to excavate the building one shovelful of snow at a time, and not having much luck.<\/p>\n Some of the people watching this catch sight of me. I speed up as one of the [Receptionists] gives me a dirty look. Oops. I\u2019d better not rub salt in the wounds. At least Persua\u2019s not there\u2014I heard she was being kept by the [Healer] for rest overnight, even though potions mended most of the wounds I gave her.<\/p>\n Persua.<\/p>\n I shake my head and continue onwards. So many problems, and I don\u2019t have time to dwell on that. Erin comes first.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n —-<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Octavia\u2019s shop is as chaotic as ever, but I immediately notice Erin\u2019s presence as soon as I push the door open. Ivolethe pokes her head out of my pouch; she feels safe enough to do that here.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cSomething smells good. Is the innkeeper girl making more food?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cLooks like it.\u201d<\/p>\n I walk into the shop and hear voices arguing with each other.<\/p>\n \u201cI told you\u2014no, look at that! You\u2019ve ruined it with the potion!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt doesn\u2019t look that bad! Stop complaining\u2014I told you Ryoka will pay for the potions, and I want to see if it does anything!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll waste gold, that\u2019s what will happen! And\u2014can you smell that? It\u2019s burning!\u201d<\/p>\n Cautiously\u2014I\u2019ve seen how Erin experiments by now\u2014I edge into what should be Octavia\u2019s kitchen. Instead, it\u2019s been transformed into a second alchemical workplace, and two girls are bickering over a stew that\u2019s mostly green with something bobbing in the thin liquid. I clear my throat.<\/p>\n \u201cErin? Octavia? Everything going okay?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo!<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n They\u2019ve got good synchronization. I raise my hands as Octavia tries to complain about Erin using her potions in her cooking, and Erin offers me a taste of whatever vileness is cooking away.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not here to eat anything. I just need more of that Corusdeer soup, Erin. It\u2019s wearing off again.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cReally?\u201d<\/p>\n Erin frowns and goes over to an open cupboard. It\u2019s stocked with a half dozen jars of thick orange soup. Octavia rolls her eyes and calls after Erin.<\/p>\n \u201cI told<\/em> you that the soup was too thin this time! Too much carrot; not enough pepper!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt was worth a shot! Here you are Ryoka.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThanks.\u201d<\/p>\n I eye the mixture in the pot.<\/p>\n \u201cDo I want to know?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI think this one\u2019s a dud too. But we\u2019re getting close; I can feel it! I\u2019ve already figured out how to make mana soup!\u201d<\/p>\n The girl with stitches folds her arms and snorts.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s just a mana potion that\u2019s slightly more edible than the rest. What\u2019s the point?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt tastes better than your stupid potion!\u201d<\/p>\n As the two begin to bicker, I edge out of the store. Erin seems\u2026happy. At least, happy to keep doing this. I wonder why? I\u2019m willing to foot the bill for her project, but I\u2019d go nuts if I had to keep making failed potions all day. Or if I had to listen to Octavia for more than ten minutes straight.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cGot your magic drink?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Ivolethe pokes her head out of my belt pouch, staring at the orange drink. I look at it as well; it\u2019s just soup, but I feel like I\u2019m holding a potion in some kind of videogame. Even long after it\u2019s been bottled, the Corusdeer soup is warm to the touch; it\u2019s magical, and if Erin can make anything else like it, I\u2019ll shove gold down Octavia\u2019s throat as long as it takes.<\/p>\n \u201cSoup. And yes, I\u2019m good. Let\u2019s go find\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIs that you, Ryoka?\u201d<\/p>\n Someone calls out to me as I leave Octavia\u2019s shop. I whirl in surprise, and then smile.<\/p>\n \u201cFals?\u201d<\/p>\n The tall Runner steps out from the wall he was leaning against. I walk towards him, smiling. Why am I so happy to see him? Maybe it\u2019s because it feels like forever since we last spoke.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat are you doing here?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThought I\u2019d find you; someone told me you were hanging out here every day. How have you been?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGood. I\u2014good.\u201d<\/p>\n I hold out a hand to shake his, and then pause. Fals looks down and sees my two missing fingers from my right hand. His face freezes\u2014and then he clasps my hand gently as if nothing\u2019s the matter.<\/p>\n \u201cBad run?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n It\u2019s strange how I don\u2019t have to explain it to him. Fals nods at me, face growing serious.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019d wondered where you went. I heard you were at Liscor from Valceif when he came back this way\u2014then nothing. Did you finish the delivery?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI did. Traded two fingers for it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut you did it. A good Runner never falters, and I\u2019ve never seen you even hesitate.\u201d<\/p>\n The compliment makes me feel better, even though I didn\u2019t know I\u2019d been feeling bad. I nod at him, and he smiles slightly in return.<\/p>\n It\u2019s so strange. The last time we spoke I still hated everything about him. But now we\u2019re\u2014okay. I look closer at Fals and see that he\u2019s changed a bit as well. He looks tired, and maybe not as happy as before.<\/p>\n \u201cHow have you been? Are you here on a delivery?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI was. Had to drag over a freshly-made sword for some Silver-rank adventurer in the city. It was a pain to track her down, but it was good coin. I was going to stop by the Guild, but apparently you had something to do with it being closed?\u201d<\/p>\n I blush.<\/p>\n \u201cOh. That\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t worry about it. One of the Guild workers filled me in.\u201d<\/p>\n Fals shivers a bit as the wind blows harder. He stares at my t-shirt and bare feet.<\/p>\n \u201cDead gods, you\u2019re making me cold just looking at you. Is that part of your friendship with the\u2026Winter Sprites?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThis? No, this is a potion.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh.\u201d<\/p>\n I feel Ivolethe rustling around in my pouch. She\u2019s paying more attention now that Fals is talking about her.<\/p>\n \u201cAre they going to press charges after all, do you think?\u201d<\/p>\n Fals shook his head.<\/p>\n \u201cNo; everyone knows how stupid it is to mess with the Winter Sprites. Besides, ah, there\u2019s some concern about what would happen if they did charge you. At the moment you\u2019re banned from the guild in Celum, which isn\u2019t saying much.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHuh.\u201d<\/p>\n I feel the pouch at my belt open. Fals blinks as Ivolethe flies up. She lands on my head, grinning at me and him.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWho\u2019s the shivering mortal, Ryoka? A lover of yours? Or just a prat?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cShut it, Ivolethe.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIvolethe? Is that the Frost Faerie?\u201d<\/p>\n Fals squints at a point just to the left of my head. I\u2019m intrigued\u2014even when she\u2019s sitting, Ivolethe\u2019s glamor works.<\/p>\n \u201cYup.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAll I see is a blur.\u201d<\/p>\n Gingerly, Fals nods his head towards Ivolethe, staring to the right of her.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m pleased to meet you, Miss Ivolethe.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHah! A mortal with manners! Too bad ye can\u2019t hear me, eh?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Ivolethe laughs and flicks a bit of snow at Fals. He splutters and wipes away the snow with a grin.<\/p>\n \u201cNot fond of anyone but you, are they?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSorry about that.\u201d<\/p>\n I flick Ivolethe off my head, making her shout in outrage. She hits me on the head with an icy pebble before retreating into my pouch. I grimace as Fals chuckles. He stops when I glare at him.<\/p>\n \u201cYou seem like you get along with her. I wish I could hear what she says\u2014I assume she speaks?\u201d<\/p>\n I nod.<\/p>\n \u201cIf we go indoors you\u2019ll be able to see and hear her. And believe me, you\u2019ll wish you couldn\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, as much as I\u2019d like to, that\u2019s dangerous for her, isn\u2019t it?\u201d<\/p>\n Too dangerous, especially for an immortal. I can\u2019t believe Ivolethe would take the risk, but again, she goes all in. Death might matter to her, but she\u2019d risk it for a friend without a second thought.<\/p>\n Fals notices my expression and grows serious again. He clears his throat as he shifts his weight from one leg to another.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sorry about Persua, Ryoka. I\u2019m not saying thrashing her was the right thing to do, but I know what she can be like.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah\u2026I was surprised not to see you there, though. It looked like she was having a party; were you busy?\u201d<\/p>\n He shakes his head, making a face.<\/p>\n \u201cHardly. I\u2019ve been staying away from Celum on purpose. Ever since she got the [Double Step] \u00a0Skill she\u2019s been taking away the jobs from all us City Runners. We can barely find any work. I tried talking to her, but\u2014she wouldn\u2019t listen.\u201d<\/p>\n That\u2019s surprising. I frown at Fals.<\/p>\n \u201cNot even to you?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNot to me or anyone else. It\u2019s funny, but you were right, Ryoka. Persua used to be part of the team, and we\u2019d help her and she\u2019d help us if we needed a hand on a tough delivery or someone got injured. But the instant she was better than the rest of us? She left us behind.\u201d<\/p>\n His expression is\u2014unhappy. Fals shakes his head and stares at his worn shoes, looking more worn and upset than I\u2019ve ever seen him. I stare at him, not sure what to say.<\/p>\n Part of me wants to mock him, to ask him what he expected. But I don\u2019t. Fals is a good Runner, and he believed in working together. That Persua threw him and every one of her friends under the bus the instant she rose above them doesn\u2019t surprise me.<\/p>\n What does surprise me is how quickly Fals was replaced in the Guild\u2019s hierarchy. He\u2019s the most senior Runner, and up until me and Persua, he was the best in the local area. Does that mean nothing to them?<\/p>\n What should I say? I think for a second, and then jerk my head.<\/p>\n \u201cCome on, let\u2019s get a drink.\u201d<\/p>\n He\u2019s surprised, but accepts after a moment. I lead Fals at a quick jog down the street. Another good thing. Runners don\u2019t walk if we have a choice, so we get to the Frenzied Hare in a third as much time as it would take if Erin and I went*.<\/p>\n *Especially because she\u2019ll stop and talk to everyone she knows. Oh, hey Wesle! How\u2019s being a guard? Hey Agnes! Out for a stroll? Hey Mr. Dog! Why don\u2019t I stop for five minutes<\/em> and scratch you between the ears!<\/p>\n Agnes recognizes me on sight, and in a moment she has one of the barmaids find me and Fals a table. I order a mild ale and he chooses a \u2018Firebird\u2019, which is some kind of a local drink. It\u2019s quite a bit stronger than my drink, which makes my eyebrows shoot up.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re not planning on running today?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t fancy going to another city for requests, and the Guild here is all messed up.\u201d<\/p>\n Fals shakes his head as he downs half of the fiery drink served to him and drinks from a glass of water quickly. He shakes his head as I sip my drink.<\/p>\n \u201cNot having a good day?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cTry week and a half. Ever since Persua got her Skill.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHuh. I\u2019d have thought you\u2019d be glad to be rid of her, even if she did abandon everyone here.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI suppose that\u2019s the one upside. She\u2019ll be running cross-continent deliveries if she makes Courier, and even if she doesn\u2019t, she\u2019ll probably move up north where there\u2019s more work.\u201d<\/p>\n Fals sighs as he sips at his drink again. His face is a bit red, but he still looks\u2026morose. Yes, that\u2019s the word for it. He looks morose, beaten down, depressed. After a few more minutes, he tells me why.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s just a bit frustrating. I\u2019ve been running and leveling up as a [Runner] for the last\u2026must be sixteen years already. I was the best in the area until you showed up, but you trained to be as fast as you are, so I don\u2019t mind. All my Skills are stamina-based and defensive, anyways. But Persua gets lucky one time and suddenly she\u2019s a better Runner than I am.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIsn\u2019t that the way the system works?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes. No. There\u2019s always chance in how the Skills get assigned, but there\u2019s a pattern to things! You put in the hard work, you get more Skills. But sometimes people can just get\u2014lucky! And it\u2019s not fair<\/em>, damn it!\u201d<\/p>\n He waves for another drink, jaw set. I feel for him; he\u2019s going through what I felt not too long ago. What I struggle with now, to be honest. It just bites him harder, because he\u2019s in the system and still not getting rewarded.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019d say relax. Don\u2019t worry about it. Soon Persua will be gone, and you\u2019ll be the best Runner again. Well, aside from me. The Guild will be fawning all over you soon enough.\u201d<\/p>\n Fals stares at me and then laughs.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s odd hearing you<\/em> be the voice of reason. But you\u2019re right. It\u2019s just depressing seeing Persua of all people become so successful. If it was someone like Garia, I\u2019d be cheering her on. I wish it had been her, to be honest. She could use the help.\u201d<\/p>\n I frown over my drink. It\u2019s not even half empty and Fals is on his second tumbler. He\u2019s really upset. I guess I can listen; I was going to find Garia anyway, and she might be in here later.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s wrong with Garia? Is she hurt? Or is it something else?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShe\u2019s had problems of her own. Garia\u2019s a good Runner, Ryoka, you know that. She can haul as much as a horse around, but she\u2019s slow. And sometimes\u2014she gets lost.\u201d<\/p>\n The young man in front of me shakes his head, shoulders sagging. His words make me sit up in my chair.<\/p>\n \u201cLost? What do you mean?\u201d<\/p>\n He waves towards the window. Ivolethe rustles around in my pouch and I order a bowl of nuts to dump in there to keep her calm.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s the snow. Everything looks the same to her\u2014she loses track of the road. Her eyesight isn\u2019t as good as yours or mine, that\u2019s the problem.\u201d<\/p>\n Eyesight problems? Why would\u2014oh. They don\u2019t have glasses here. Or do they?<\/p>\n \u201cIsn\u2019t there a\u2014a spell that could help her out with that? Improve her vision?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh, it\u2019s not a matter of how far she can see.\u201d<\/p>\n Fals flicks his wrist dismissively.<\/p>\n \u201cIf it were, there are spectacles\u2014although it would be hard for her to wear those clumsy things while running\u2014or she could buy an enchanted pair. Pricey, but she could save up. Her problem is that she can\u2019t tell the difference between white and grey, you see? If she\u2019s on the road and it\u2019s just snowed\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n Color blindness. Oh. I close my eyes. There\u2019s nothing I can do about that. Fals nods wearily.<\/p>\n \u201cEveryone\u2019s got problems, Ryoka. Garia\u2019s a good Runner, but winter is tough for her.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSounds like it.\u201d<\/p>\n I sigh. I haven\u2019t been a good friend\u2014a friend at all to these people, have I?<\/p>\n \u201cI should hang out with her more. Talk to her. I know she\u2019s wanted to go on a delivery with me; I could do that now and then.\u201d<\/p>\n Fals smiles.<\/p>\n \u201cWould you? She\u2019d love that. In fact, she\u2019s invited me over to stay at her parent\u2019s farm\u2014thanks for helping her out after she got injured. I\u2019d go, but\u2026it would be better if two of us went rather than just me.\u201d<\/p>\n He pauses delicately and I consider the invitation. He\u2019s saying he doesn\u2019t like Garia, which is fair enough, I guess. It\u2019s not as if he has to like her, and he\u2019s still a good friend to her. And as for me?<\/p>\n \u201cWhy the hell not? I\u2019ll tag along sometime. Can I bring a friend?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cInteresting way of putting it. I\u2019m sure Garia wouldn\u2019t mind the company, and she tells me her folks are just as friendly as she is. I\u2019ll ask her about it when I see her.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShe might come walking in here soon enough. She usually eats here\u2014more often now that there\u2019s a new cook. Were you waiting for her?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat? No, I was going to see you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat for?\u201d<\/p>\n Fals pauses, cup touching his mouth. He lowers it and smacks his head.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat? Oh, of course! Dead gods, I\u2019ll start forgetting my own name soon enough.\u201d<\/p>\n He puts down his drink and leans across the table to me, smiling. Suddenly I remember that Fals doesn\u2019t like Garia. He likes me. <\/em>At least, I think he did at one point. Fuck. What\u2019s he going to\u2014<\/p>\n \u201cYou know those adventurers you were hanging out with? The ah, Horns?\u201d<\/p>\n My thoughts freeze. I focus on Fals.<\/p>\n \u201cYes. What about them?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI was just in Remendia, and I heard of a big celebration that was thrown in Ocre. I missed the festivities\u2014but apparently the city was celebrating a group of adventurers who just completed a dungeon crawl. They came out with a lot of loot. And guess what they were calling themselves?\u201d<\/p>\n I sit back in my chair, too shocked for words. The Horns of Hammerad? Gerial, Calruz, and\u2014<\/p>\n No, no. They\u2019re dead. It\u2019s just Ceria now. I remember that Erin told me she\u2019d formed another group with Pisces, Yvlon, and one of the Antinium. But I didn\u2019t realize\u2014<\/p>\n I\u2019m standing before I know it. Fals looks at me, concerned. I stare towards the door. Ocre? Not too far. It\u2019s only midday\u2014not even that. I can make it by tonight.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2014I\u2019ve got to go. I have to\u2014can you tell Garia? And Erin?\u201d<\/p>\n I look at Fals. He nods at me, understanding.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll let Garia know. But who\u2019s Erin?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShe\u2019s the other innkeeper here!\u201d<\/p>\n I shout at him as I run out the door. I\u2019m already picking up the pace as I run down the street.<\/p>\n It\u2019s too late now. They went through the dungeon and survived. Fals said that. It\u2019s all over now; why am I running? But I have to see.<\/p>\n The last time I left them, they were all dead when I got back. All dead. I never said goodbye. But this\u2014<\/p>\n They did it. I just have to see that. I have to look Ceria in the eye and congratulate her. I\u2014<\/p>\n They really did it. I\u2019m smiling, but my eyes are stinging as I race out of Celum and run through the snow.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n —-<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The young woman ran through the snow, dashing through snow banks, feet flashing across the ground. She ran fast. Well, comparably fast. To the faeries flying high overhead, she was as slow as a falling snowflake.<\/p>\n Oh, if pressed the faeries would admit that Ryoka ran faster than the snow in a literal sense. But to their eyes she was like a rolling stone, or a scurrying rodent, or the slow orbit of the sun. She moved, yes, but she ran against the wind, blundering through nature. She did not dance upon the world like they did.<\/p>\n And the faeries did dance, or fly, or maybe both at the same time high overhead. Ryoka ran on, not hearing as they flew and argued with one of their number.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhy are you following her? She\u2019s done naught interesting for days<\/em>, sister!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n One of the faeries complained to a faerie who flew closer to Ryoka than the rest. She sounded aggrieved, but the faerie in question\u2014Ivolethe\u2014just flicked her wings at her sister as she flew.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAh, buzz off if you feel like it! What I do is my own concern!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s ours if you want to give away our secrets!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Another faerie called out, voice high and challenging. She was younger than Ivolethe\u2014ancient by mortal standards, but younger in a way only the faeries would count. She flinched as Ivolethe glared at her.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201c\u2018Tis my business! Interfere and I\u2019ll pluck out your eyes you stripling whelp!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n She flew aggressively at the other faerie and the young one flew away, squeaking. But other faeries flew around Ivolethe, and they were not afraid.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cIt is our business, sister. You pay too much attention to her.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI have cause.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cAn \u2018if\u2019 on the sea of possibilities is not enough. You risk too much\u2014death, even!\u2014for a mortal. It is not as if she is prophesied.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cMy life is my own. Or are ye a king of mine, to order me about?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cNot I. But what if I was to tell our<\/em> king of what ye do? What then?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cYes! Stop following the mortal like a silly pet!<\/em> You stay in her belongings like a kept thing! Stop!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n More voices urged Ivolethe. She snarled and flew at them, but the faeries just flew around her, shouting.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYes, come away!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ll tell!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cYou went into the place of iron! Fool!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIt was my choice! My risk! And ye hardly helped!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Ivolethe roared at them, her voice lost to Ryoka as the girl leapt over a frozen log below. She pointed at the other faeries, accusing.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhat was that tripe ye brought to revenge me? Destroying a building? Throwing snow and ice at those fools? \u2018Twas hardly an hour passed before you forswore vengeance and flew off as if naught had happened!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n One of the faeries laughed at Ivolethe\u2019s anger.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYou<\/em> went into the home of iron uninvited. You<\/em> dared them and struck first. If you had died, we would have called for vengeance. But you are alive and only your pride is injured, so be content with that! And because of you, the mortal has a dire oath sworn against her, a prophecy of vengeance and blood!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI know.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Ivolethe sighed. The faeries grew silent then; they respected oaths and vows of vengeance more than they did lives. After a while, the other faeries began to fly off. The ones around Ivolethe urged her to join them, but she just shook her head.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cA little longer. A little longer. What is time to we?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cCareful, sister. Do not wait too long.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cTeach her if you will! But there will be consequence and dire reckoning!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cAye.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Ivolethe nodded, watching her sisters fly off. She flew lower, and whispered the words.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThere always is. But it will come no matter what I do or do not.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Then she flew next to Ryoka and had fun creating patches of ice to trip the girl up.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n —-<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Ceria Springwalker was not a half-Elf for whom socializing came to naturally. She could not be a social butterfly, or social squirrel, or social anything, really. She had friends, and she could enjoy a night at a bar or one of the parties in Wistram easily enough, but she\u2019d grown up solitary, and gotten used to being alone once she\u2019d left her home.<\/p>\n Most half-Elves were like that. And so while Ceria was perfectly content to have people fawn over her and buy her drinks (or have her buy the bar a round of drinks), she eventually had to retire from the crowds and go to her room in the inn.<\/p>\n Below, she could hear the party still going on. Pisces and Ksmvr were busy entertaining the mass of people crowding the tables below, and she knew they had to be drinking heavily even now. Pisces could put away a surprising amount of liquor despite his thin frame, and Ksmvr seemed to be almost immune to the stuff.<\/p>\n The world swam in a not-unpleasant way as Ceria lay on her bed and grinned. Some people would say that drinking before the sun had even set\u2014in the winter, no less\u2014was unacceptable. But those people hadn\u2019t just cleared an ancient dungeon and come back with treasure, now had they?<\/p>\n It had probably been a bad idea to drink the last two\u2026three mugs, though. Ceria was just contemplating a nap when she heard a commotion on the stairs. She sat up warily, and her eyes flicked to the door. She had no gold on her\u2014rather, she and the other Horns of Hammerad had a letter of accreditation magically sealed, allowing her to draw the coin she needed from the Merchant\u2019s Guild if need be. It was useless to thieves, but they didn\u2019t know that and already twice the bouncers at the inn had caught people trying to break into their rooms.<\/p>\n Were they now going for a more direct assault? Ceria focused on the [Ice Spike] spell although she really didn\u2019t want to kill anyone. Maybe a blunted [Ice Shard] spell? Or just set their clothes on fire? She heard someone shouting, and then pounding feet. She raised her hand\u2014<\/p>\n And Ryoka burst into the room. The young woman\u2019s hair was a mess, and she was breathing heavily. Sweat ran down her forehead, despite her light attire. Her eyes fixed on Ceria, and the two young women stared at each other.<\/p>\n \u201cRyoka?\u201d<\/p>\n Ceria stood up slowly. She heard someone shout, and then Ryoka was tackled from the side. Ceria ran out and shouted at the men trying to wrestle Ryoka. She heard faint shouting, as if someone tiny and far away was trapped in Ryoka\u2019s belt. It was almost like a buzz. But Ceria had no time to wonder what that was.<\/p>\n \u201cStop, stop!<\/em> She\u2019s a friend!\u201d<\/p>\n She shouted at the inn\u2019s security and eventually managed to get them off Ryoka. Ceria pulled the Runner up, surprised at how warm Ryoka felt. Then she managed to soothe the [Innkeeper], and got Ryoka into her room before she could start any more trouble.<\/p>\n \u201cBring up a tray of drinks, please. Something strong to take the chill off.\u201d<\/p>\n Ceria closed the door and pulled a seat out for Ryoka. The taller Human girl sat, looking around. The room Ceria had been given was huge, the biggest in the inn, meant for a couple. She was alone in it, befitting of her role as the team\u2019s leader. In truth, it was too big for Ceria but they weren\u2019t planning on staying in the city for more than another night, and it was perfect for talking with Ryoka.<\/p>\n That was, if either of them could speak. At first Ceria was buzzing with questions\u2014how had Ryoka heard they were here? How was Erin doing? Had she heard about the Goblin attack? What about Rags? But then she found herself tongue-tied, unable to say a word.<\/p>\n When had they last sat together in a room, the two of them? In the inn with the Winter Sprites, so briefly. And before that? So long ago…it had been the day they\u2019d left Esthelm, the day Ryoka had unwisely picked a fight and the Horns of Hammerad and the other adventuring groups had gone to Liscor. So long ago. A lifetime ago.<\/p>\n Ryoka was thinking the same thing. She sat, looking Ceria up and down. Ceria saw her eyes linger on her skeletal hand and smiled just for a second. That had to be\u2014<\/p>\n \u201cYour fingers.\u201d<\/p>\n The words slipped out of Ceria in a gasp. She stared at Ryoka\u2019s right hand, at the two healed stumps of scar tissue where her fingers should have been. Ryoka started, and held up her hand. She smiled, almost ruefully.<\/p>\n \u201cI keep forgetting how many people haven\u2019t seen this. Yeah, I lost my fingers.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHow? Where? Was it on your delivery?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah. The one south. It went\u2026south.\u201d<\/p>\n Ryoka laughed a bit while Ceria stared at her hand. She looked away, but then deliberately held her hand out to Ceria.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s not exactly as bad as your hand, although I wish I\u2019d kept the bones.\u201d<\/p>\n Ceria gently reached out and touched Ryoka\u2019s hand. She didn\u2019t know what to say. Losing fingers was normal for adventurers\u2014it was all too easy to lose body parts when a monster was in your face. But it was never easy, not with a friend\u2014<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sorry.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt happened. There was nothing I could do to stop it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cA monster did it?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGoblin. Bit them right off.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGoblins\u2014you mean, the ones that attacked Esthelm?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSort of. It\u2019s a long story.\u201d<\/p>\n Ryoka\u2019s expression closed off a bit. She looked pained, older. Ceria saw her shake her head.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll tell you later. I\u2019m not here to dwell on my mistakes\u2014and I\u2019ve got a lot. I just had to come here, to see you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou certainly did it dramatically. Couldn\u2019t you have asked to see me rather than run up the stairs?\u201d<\/p>\n The young woman grinned and shrugged, abashed.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re a celebrity now. They were turning away everyone who wanted to talk to you. I don\u2019t think they would have accepted my word that we were friends.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cTrue.\u201d<\/p>\n Ceria laughed, and the hardest part was over. She looked at Ryoka, marveling.<\/p>\n \u201cNot a day\u2019s passed since we got out of Albez, and you find us. How?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cA friend of mine heard a rumor about some Silver-rank team that cleared a dungeon. I raced over here, and every person on the street knew where you were staying.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh? So you know what we\u2019ve been up to?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cA bit. Just the important details. Although to hear other people say it, you guys went into the Ruins of Albez and slaughtered every monster you saw until you found a treasure vault.\u201d<\/p>\n Ryoka grinned at Ceria. The half-Elf had to laugh.<\/p>\n \u201cHardly. We were digging around in that place aimlessly for over a week! If it weren\u2019t for the map Olesm found\u2014dead gods, there\u2019s so much that has happened! Did you see Pisces and Ksmvr in the common room?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI did. They didn\u2019t recognize me, though. Of course, they were both drunk.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cEven Ksmvr? I might have to go down and see that.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s still drinking. I\u2019m not sure if the Antinium can get alcohol poisoning, but you might need to stop him.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019ve got antidotes for that. I\u2019ll go down in a bit. For now\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n There was a polite knock at the door. Ceria broke off and got up. The [Innkeeper] himself was at the door with some drinks for her and Ryoka. She took it and thanked him before sitting with Ryoka at the table again. The young woman shook her head as she eyed the stiff beverage.<\/p>\n \u201cThey treat you like royalty, don\u2019t they?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnything for the heroic adventurers. I haven\u2019t felt this pampered\u2014ever.\u201d<\/p>\n Ceria sighed as she stared at her drink. She should have ordered water, not more alcohol. She paused, and looked at Ryoka. The other girl was staring at her.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNothing. It\u2019s just\u2014you guys really did it, didn\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n She looked at Ceria, something in her eyes. Ceria Springwalker shook her head, smiling, feeling something in her heart move.<\/p>\n \u201cIt wasn\u2019t nearly as easy as the rumors make it out to be. We nearly died several times. Yvlon is getting bits of metal cut out of her arm as we speak. We\u2019re not even sure if we can remove the armor without damaging her arm\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut you did it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes. We did.\u201d<\/p>\n How she wished. How she wished she could have said that to Ryoka at another time, in another place. In an inn in Liscor, laughing with delight as the other adventurers celebrated down below. But that moment would never come.<\/p>\n And yet, she knew that Ryoka was thinking the same thing. Seized by a sudden impulse, Ceria grabbed her mug. She lifted it.<\/p>\n \u201cTo the old Horns of Hammerad. We did it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou did.\u201d<\/p>\n The two clinked mugs and then drank. Ceria gulped the strong alcohol down and then sighed.<\/p>\n \u201cIt doesn\u2019t feel real. I keep pinching myself, and I still can\u2019t believe we\u2019re alive.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re telling me? I just heard about all this, and I\u2019m still in shock.\u201d<\/p>\n Ceria laughed lightly.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, we\u2019ve had a day. I just keep thinking I\u2019m going to wake up in the pit again or\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n She paused, and ignored Ryoka\u2019s inquiring look.<\/p>\n \u201cAnyways, the rumors are partly true. We\u2019re rich, we\u2019re famous, and we got out of Albez with a load of treasure and some magical artifacts. Pisces and Ksmvr are trying to get rid of it all today, but we\u2019re set for a long time.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m glad.\u201d<\/p>\n That was all Ryoka said, but Ceria heard everything she meant in it. She nodded, and then remembered.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve got money for Erin too\u2014we talked, and there\u2019s forty gold coins waiting for her.\u201d<\/p>\n Ryoka whistled softly.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s a lot more than she said she lent you.\u201d<\/p>\n Ceria grinned.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019d give her even more, but we don\u2019t have that much gold to toss around.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe rumor I heard coming into the city was that you and the others were set up for life.\u201d<\/p>\n The half-Elf had to laugh at that, ruefully.<\/p>\n \u201cWe were. We pulled in nearly a hundred pounds<\/em> worth of gold and gems, did you know? That would be enough to outfit us in style or pay for our retirement\u2014Pisces, Yvlon and Ksmvr\u2019s, at least, I\u2019d run out before I died of old age\u2014but we spent it instead.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOn what? Magical equipment?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo. It\u2019s going to the people who died in Liscor.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh.\u201d<\/p>\n Silence descended again, but not for too long. Ceria explained.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re giving them each a share. If we can, that is. Direct family\u2014lovers\u2014it\u2019s hard to confirm, but we\u2019ll give all the relatives of the dead what we can. It\u2019s not enough, but it\u2019s something.\u201d<\/p>\n Ryoka nodded.<\/p>\n \u201cNoble of you. Not sure it\u2019s practical.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNeither am I. But Yvlon\u2019s said she\u2019ll forfeit her share of the magical artifacts if need be. I\u2019m not sure it\u2019ll come to that, but she\u2019ll have last pick at any rate.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cArtifacts? You mentioned those. You came away with more than just gold and jewels?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIn a sense.\u201d<\/p>\n Ceria grimaced as she explained what they\u2019d recovered.<\/p>\n \u201cBurnt and mangled, mostly. But they\u2019re powerful. The trouble is, we can\u2019t figure out what they do or if they\u2019re still dangerous.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI can see that\u2019s a problem. Can\u2019t you hire another [Mage] to analyze the stuff, though?\u201d<\/p>\n Ceria shook her head.<\/p>\n \u201cNot in this city. There\u2019s no one high-level enough to tell us what the items do, or whether they can be repaired. Pisces and I have had a look at the enchantments, but the more complex a spell is, the harder it is to\u2026untangle the individual spells I guess is the best way of putting it. And since they\u2019re all damaged, it\u2019s even more of a mess.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI see.\u201d<\/p>\n Ryoka frowned.<\/p>\n \u201cMagical weapons, huh?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd a bag and the pack of a dead adventurer. Frankly, I suspect those two might be the more valuable pieces of loot. I\u2019m sure the bag is actually a bag of holding, and if that\u2019s the case, who knows what could be in there?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut you haven\u2019t opened it?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cToo risky. The bag and the pack are both trapped, at least, so we think. There\u2019s a binding spell that prevents both from being opened\u2014or damaged\u2014and I don\u2019t want to mess with either one. If the wards are anything like the dungeon we just went through, I wouldn\u2019t want the bag opened even if I were on the other side of the city.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWas it really that dangerous down there?\u201d<\/p>\n Ryoka looked inquiringly at Ceria. The half-Elf hesitated. She didn\u2019t want to lie, but she didn\u2019t want to tell the truth either. Even remembering the ordeal made her shudder.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was\u2014bad. Very bad.\u201d<\/p>\n She didn\u2019t press for details, but Ryoka\u2019s expression told Ceria she would listen. And Ceria knew she had to tell her. Slowly, she began to relate the entire tale to Ryoka, skipping over only the parts that were too hard to tell her, the details of the pit.<\/p>\n \u201cNear the end, I think we were all a bit insane, even after the spell had ended. We made a lot of bad mistakes, and we lost the majority of the treasure because we made a mistake.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt wasn\u2019t your fault. None of you were thinking straight.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s true enough, but we should have fallen back. If we\u2019d just taken the time\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n Again, Ceria had to make herself break off. There was no use going over the moment again and again. She turned the topic away from the past and onto the future instead. She made her tone lighter.<\/p>\n \u201cAfter Yvlon gets treated and we\u2019ve had another day to rest, we\u2019re going to have to think hard about what we want to do next.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAs adventurers, you mean?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNot that. I mean, not yet. I think we\u2019re all in this now; we\u2019ve been bit by the adventuring beast. But we need to improve ourselves first. We all leveled up from that dungeon\u2014several times actually! But if we want to continue, we need to get those artifacts analyzed. They\u2019re the difference between us being Silver-rank and Gold-rank.\u201d<\/p>\n Ryoka nodded, thinking hard.<\/p>\n \u201cAny idea how you could do that? I have one idea, but it would be\u2026risky\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo need for risk. I know how to get everything looked at. It\u2019s just a matter of time and effort.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cReally? How?\u201d<\/p>\n Ceria drained most of her mug, grimacing as she remembered it wasn\u2019t water she was drinking.<\/p>\n \u201cOne place where we know we\u2019d find people able to dispel the magic and maybe even repair the artifacts is Invrisil.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe City of Adventurers?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cEveryone just has to mention that.\u201d<\/p>\n The half-Elf rolled her eyes and laughed with Ryoka. But then she grew serious again.<\/p>\n \u201cYes. It\u2019s one of the most famous cities on the continent for a reason. It\u2019s the center of the Human lands, and famous teams pass through there all the time. If there were any place aside from Wistram where we\u2019d get the gear looked at, it\u2019s there.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSounds good to me. Only one problem though\u2014isn\u2019t Invrisil over four hundred miles north of here?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSix hundred? Something huge. Anyways, none of us want to make the journey, but that\u2019s the place we have to be. A trip would take weeks\u2014maybe as much as a month and it would take far too much coin and time, not to mention the danger if people knew what we were carrying. But\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut\u2026?\u201d<\/p>\n Ceria grinned.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, we were talking about it last night. This morning, rather, while we were getting over our last hangover. If it\u2019s too much time and effort for the four of us to go north, why not hire someone who can get there faster? Someone we can trust? They could take the gold and get the gear analyzed, and then send us a [Message] spell and ask what we want to do and bring the gear back. Of course, we\u2019d have to have complete faith in the Runner brave enough to do all that\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n At first, Ryoka\u2019s expression was intent, but then her face went slack with surprise. By the time Ceria had finished, she was shaking her head.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s a lot of trust to put in a Runner. I wouldn\u2019t trust anyone like that, myself.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAre you sure?\u201d<\/p>\n Ceria teased Ryoka.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re the person who saved the original Horns of Hammerad all that time ago. And you went into the crypts to rescue me. I\u2019d trust you with our gear and coin, and so would Yvlon. Pisces is on the fence, and Ksmvr just doesn\u2019t know you that well. But if we got you an escort\u2014another Runner who can fight maybe\u2014the real issue is how you\u2019ll carry all that gear without attracting attention.\u201d<\/p>\n The young woman\u2019s expression was bemused.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2026may have something that could help with that. But before we go to all that trouble, I might have an even better idea. I happen to know a local expert in magic myself.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cReally? Who?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll introduce you.\u201d<\/p>\n To Ceria\u2019s incredulous surprise, Ryoka unbuckled her Runner\u2019s belt and laid it on the table. She called out, and to Ceria\u2019s astonishment she saw one of the compartments was moving.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cHey. Ivolethe. You can come out here.\u201d<\/p>\n The large pouch vibrated and Ceria leaned back as she heard a voice!<\/em> It was a voice, but something was very strange about it. She heard someone speaking, that much was obvious. And yet\u2014<\/p>\n She heard the words. It sounded like\u2014\u2018are ye sure?\u2019. But it couldn\u2019t be. Ceria rubbed at her ears; the sound was almost ethereal, if that could apply to a voice. It felt almost as though she was hearing the words in her mind<\/em>, like a stray thought. Then Ryoka opened the pouch and something flew out.<\/p>\n A Frost Faerie, a Winter Sprite, one of the beings of winter Ceria had seen every year, flew into the air, whirling as vapor trails formed behind her. Ceria gasped and pushed her chair back in instinctive surprise. And fear. She hadn\u2019t forgotten how the faeries had attacked her last time she\u2019d met, and all half-Elves had learned very early on that the Winter Sprites were not friendly towards them.<\/p>\n But something was different about this faerie. She wasn\u2019t the half-blurred form Ceria saw in the sky. Ceria knew the faeries had their own glamor, an illusion she could only partly see through thanks to her Elven heritage. But in the confines of the room, the magic that kept her from being seen and heard was gone.<\/p>\n She was\u2014real. So real and delicate and wondrous that Ceria couldn\u2019t believe her eyes. But what her eyes saw made her stare even harder.<\/p>\n She saw something else, behind the form Ryoka saw. She saw a flash of color\u2014a face, far larger than the tiny faerie\u2019s wrinkling her nose at Ceria in displeasure. The elfin being flicked her hair\u2014<\/p>\n And then the image was gone. The tiny faerie flipped her hair, flipped Ceria off, and then jumped up onto the mug with the drinks. She dunked her head in it and drank, lowering the level of the liquid quite a bit. Then she sat on the cup and glared at both Ceria and Ryoka.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI do not wish to speak to the offspring of whores and slatterns.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s a rude way to say hello.\u201d<\/p>\n Ryoka glared at the tiny faerie whom she introduced as Ivolethe. Ceria just stared, awestruck. When she finally found her voice, all she could do was stammer.<\/p>\n \u201cHow did you\u2014do you know what\u2014Ryoka?\u201d<\/p>\n The young woman was grinning like a child holding a huge sweet.<\/p>\n \u201cShe\u2019s a friend of mine, Ceria. A Frost Faerie. And she\u2019s teaching me their magic.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cTheir <\/em>magic?\u201d<\/p>\n Ceria\u2019s eyes turned back to Ivolethe. The tiny faerie made another rude gesture.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t stare at me so, bastard-daughter!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n The words stung and brought Ceria back to earth. Ryoka frowned hard at the tiny faerie and pushed her into the cup. Ivolethe spluttered and shook liquid off her wings, shouting in outrage.<\/p>\n \u201cStop that. Ceria\u2019s done nothing wrong. Why do your people hate her so much?\u201d<\/p>\n The faerie sneered at Ryoka.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWe don\u2019t hate her, fool! We hate what she has become, what her existence means! <\/em>Ask her about her people and their sin!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Ceria bit her lip as the faerie spoke. She didn\u2019t know about sin\u2014but she knew what the faerie meant. Ryoka glanced at her face and scowled at Ivolethe again.<\/p>\n \u201cStop being rude. I asked you to come out because I thought you could help, not shout insults. Calm down.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWould you like a drink?\u201d<\/p>\n Ceria offered her mug to the faerie. Ivolethe snorted and kicked the mug back.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI won\u2019t drink from your cup, half-breed!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Ryoka\u2019s eyes narrowed.<\/p>\n \u201cIvolethe. She offered you her cup. That was an act of good faith.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI piss in your good faith!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n The faerie shouted at Ceria, but Ryoka flicked her back into the mug again. When she came out shrieking<\/em> in outrage, Ceria just sighed and spoke to Ryoka.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t think it\u2019s worth it, Ryoka.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI do. And if Ivolethe is my friend, she\u2019d heed my request.\u201d<\/p>\n Something about the way Ryoka phrased her statement spoke to Ceria. It certainly had an impact on Ivolethe. The faerie stared up at her, incredulous.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYe\u2019d invoke our friendship? For her?<\/em>\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAbsolutely. She\u2019s my friend as well. And all I\u2019m asking is if you\u2019d consider looking at her magical artifacts.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNo! Nae! Never a million times over!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cIvolethe\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNever a million times and one!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cCome on.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNo!<\/em>\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Ceria stared at the two arguing and rubbed her eyes. She stared at her mug and decided she wasn\u2019t doing any more drinking, possibly ever. \u00a0Ryoka kept pressing the insistent Frost Faerie.<\/p>\n \u201cIvolethe, I\u2019m asking you as a friend. Unless your friendship with me isn\u2019t worth that much?\u201d<\/p>\n Ivolethe\u2019s eyes narrowed dangerously, and her voice deepened far more than should be possible.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cPlay no games with me, mortal. <\/em>Friendship is not a bargaining tool.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cSorry.\u201d<\/p>\n Ryoka actually looked chastened. <\/em>Ivolethe fanned her wings out, sniffed, and then seemed to relent. She didn\u2019t look directly at Ceria, but her tone made it clear she was speaking to both girls.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cEven if I did consent, my help would avail ye naught.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhy\u2019s that? Can\u2019t you read magic? I thought faeries knew more magic than any mortal.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cTrue, but what we understand is not your odd system. I could read the flow of magic within such objects, but knowing the ken of such strange things is beyond me. The wh\u2014the halfling is right. Find a proper spellcaster to do your work rather than bother me.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n With that, the faerie jumped back into the pouch and closed it in a huff, pausing only to drink Ryoka\u2019s cup dry. Ryoka stared at Ceria and shrugged.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, it was worth a shot.\u201d<\/p>\n Ceria stared at her friend and shook her head very slowly.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re going to have to explain what happened to you<\/em> while I was away.\u201d<\/p>\n The young woman grinned.<\/p>\n \u201cI can do that. It\u2019ll take a while, though.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve got time. You could tell all of us over dinner. We could visit Yvlon then hear it from you.\u201d<\/p>\n Ryoka nodded.<\/p>\n \u201cGood idea. And while we do, I can talk to you about Erin.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat about Erin? Is she okay?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShe\u2019s in Celum right now.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat?<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll tell you the entire story, but the long and short of it is that she needs an escort. And we also need for Pisces to track down Toren\u2014the skeleton.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n Ceria\u2019s mind raced ahead of Ryoka\u2019s answer and she groaned even as Ryoka told her.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s done it. Pisces actually\u2014no, maybe he just made one that could think. But that crazy fool actually\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n Ryoka frowned as she followed Ceria out the door. The half-Elf stomped down the corridor, suddenly in a foul mood.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s he done? What\u2019s this about Toren?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ll get Pisces to explain right now. If he\u2019s not sober I\u2019ll freeze him until he is. It\u2019s his stupid idea with the undead. It goes all the way back to when we were at Wistram.\u201d<\/p>\n Ceria paused as she reached the stairs leading down. She halted Ryoka silently. The young woman looked at her, and she had the presence of mind to whisper.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat? What\u2019s wrong?\u201d<\/p>\n The half-Elf frowned. She lowered her voice to a whisper as well.<\/p>\n \u201cPisces and Ksmvr were down there with half the city drinking and having a party.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhy\u2019s it so quiet?\u201d<\/p>\n They exchanged a look. Ceria raised her skeletal hand, calling magic into it. Ryoka pulled a bottle from her belt. The two crept down the stairs.<\/p>\n The two were ready for anything\u2014bandits, a crazed mob, enemy mages, monsters\u2014even an evil undead skeleton. But neither of them had expected the smartly dressed, professional [Butler] that stood in the middle of the common room, waiting for them to come down.<\/p>\n He was the odd thing out in the world of celebration and cheer. Pisces, Ksmvr, and the many, many guests in the inn were all paused in the midst of their reveling, staring at the man in his black uniform and trim mustache. He bowed to Ryoka, arm over his stomach as she descended, staring at him.<\/p>\n \u201cRyoka Griffin?\u201d<\/p>\n Ceria looked over at her friend as every eye turned to the Runner. Ryoka had a dark look on her face as she stared at the man. She crossed her arms.<\/p>\n \u201cWho\u2019s asking?\u201d<\/p>\n The [Butler] straightened and gave her a dignified nod of the head. His words were crisp and precise.<\/p>\n \u201cMy name is Reynold, Miss Griffin. I am a [Butler] in direct employ of the Reinhart house. I have come here at the orders of Lady Magnolia.\u201d<\/p>\n Ceria had never wanted a [Butler]\u2014she\u2019d never considered even having one before now. But now she wanted one. She stared at the man, mind buzzing with the implications of what he\u2019d just said. Lady Magnolia<\/em>? She wanted Ryoka? Why?<\/p>\n Ryoka\u2019s face was completely hostile as she stared at Reynold.<\/p>\n \u201cOh? And what does Magnolia want with me?\u201d<\/p>\n The man gestured towards the door. Through it, Ryoka could see a carriage, sitting horseless on the street. But it was not a simple carriage. It had to be one of the nobility\u2019s carriages, the kind pulled by magic creations similar in nature to the fire construct Ceria had faced in the dungeon.<\/p>\n \u201cThe coach awaits you outside. If you will come with us, we will bring you to the estate of Magnolia Reinhart.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd if I refuse?\u201d<\/p>\n Ceria stared at her friend in shock. But Ryoka looked quite serious. Reynold nodded once.<\/p>\n \u201cI will not force you to come with us.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWise.\u201d<\/p>\n Ryoka sneered down at the [Butler]. He raised one finger, cutting off her next words.<\/p>\n \u201cHowever, I must caution you that Lady Magnolia did not send just me.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n Outside the inn, the doors of the carriage slowly opened. Ceria saw someone emerge from the carriage, but it was not Lady Magnolia. Not Magnolia, and yet a tiny bell in Ceria\u2019s head\u2014her [Dangersense]\u2014rang the instant she laid eyes on the woman.<\/p>\n Ressa, the head [Maid] in Lady Magnolia\u2019s employ, stepped through the doors, staring around the room full of silent people as if they were specks of dirt and she had a dust cloth. She stopped, her black and white dress swirling around her as she met Ryoka\u2019s eyes across the crowded room.<\/p>\n The older woman did not smile. She didn\u2019t frown either; she just looked at Ryoka with cold eyes, weighing her up and down and finding her wanting as before. Ressa\u2019s face was implacable as she looked Ryoka straight in the eye and spoke.<\/p>\n \u201cLady Reinhart is expecting you.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Previous Chapter<\/a> Next Chapter<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Ryoka Griffin stood on the top of a snow-covered hill, facing the wind. Her arms were spread out, and she raised her head as the cold winter winds blew around her. The snow-flecked breeze tugged at her light clothing, a shirt and loose leggings, wholly inappropriate for the season. But the young woman paid no […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":52856846,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_searchwp_excluded":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"patreon-level":0,"patreon_level":0,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[11693083,349],"tags":[7224,250708,4330244,4472517,11693079],"twi_volume":[11693132],"twi_collection":[],"class_list":["post-2723","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-volume-3","category-writing","tag-fantasy","tag-inn","tag-web-novel","tag-web-serial","tag-writing"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
\n