HE WAS BORED. Why was he guarding the cave? Because one person got hurt… He wished his sister was here; at least he had someone to pass the time with…
He looked past the cave into the trees. It was a sunny day with a light breeze. Random people watched him curiously in the distance, but most just admired the lake or left deeper beyond his sight.
That is why it was a surprise when a young man dressed like a hunter with a bow was moving fast toward him.
He was not sure if he was a threat at first, but as he stared, he knew him. I met him at the inn the other day. The boy completely ignored him and even blew past him into the cave partway before he stopped, stunning him. “HEY!” The boy jerked at the voice, reaching for his bow before he focused and saw who was shouting.
“Where did you come from?” the boy asked
“What?! , I'm guarding this cave…” I replied annoyed.
The boy relaxed a bit, looking from the cave to him once more. “Really?” He stared a bit, then said, “ I remember you from the inn; sorry, I forgot your name though.”
“It’s Arlin, you? “
“Coby, I wanted to see how dangerous the cave was that hurt my brother. We are going to hunt here.”
“We?” He looked around, not seeing anyone else. He wasn’t sure if the kid knew what he was talking about. “You ok? You do know you’re alone, right?"
“Hah, funny, no…” Coby shook his head, mildly amused, while looking once more in the cave. “Me and my brother Wolf’s sisters will be doing the hunting; I’m scouting.” Arlin slowly nodded at that but knew it was pointless.
“That’s not how dungeons work; they change each level, and depending on party size, sometimes the gods seem to know when people just want to gather."
"So it is easy, no monsters; other times it seems they want to test us…” He remembered the worst time when they pushed him to the edge because his mother was there.
“ Really?“ He deflated, hearing that. “Then I can’t help my brother like this…”
“Well, you’re not supposed to enter without a guild pass anyway; that’s why I’m guarding.”
“Guild pass? Why?"
“Um… because you end up like your brother if you’re not ready for what's deeper?“
"Also, the pass is just proof you know what you are facing and understand the risk that you can die."
"We never had an issue in the city since the dungeon was old, but this is new land, and people get too… Adventurous"
“Thanks for the info,” Coby started to leave much slower than before, surprising him. He must have wind magic; that wasn’t the first time he moved that fast…
“Before you go, um… maybe we can meet at the inn, and I can talk with your sisters?“ His heart was pounding; he was hoping for a chance to meet without her brother being so hurt. Maybe now she will notice him.
Coby looked confused. “Why?“ He was taken aback; he needed a reason to get close, stupid, stupid, stupid, think! … “I have been running dungeons solo for years; I even cleared a level three not sure what your brother needs, but I can fight, and you will be in better hands with me than without.”
Coby nodded slowly. It did make sense, but he wasn’t sure he didn’t know this man, and why did it look like he was in the shadows even in the light?
“ Hmm… let me talk with my family first when I find the time you are on guard duty, and we also have stuff going on.“ He panicked at that. When was a good time?
“Um… I’m staying at the guild hall, and you've got to go there for a pass anyway; meet me there or my sister. Her name is Zialia; she’s a wolfkin, and she works the front desk with Rosa."
"Either of them should be able to help you set a time we can all meet and go from there." He wasn’t sure if it was a foolproof plan, but it was definitely one of his better ones.
“Ok, Arlin, we'll meet again; till then, stay safe.” He was about to reply when Coby pulled the wind and ran away faster than he could reply, “You too; see you later… “ It felt awkward.
He never needed friends and was even happy just taking care of the orphans he wanted as a family, but seeing how far others were going for this one boy….
It made him realize he did want more; he just never felt like he had it, even from those who did take care of him. He sighed, Whatever, I still have to finish my shift. And back to boredom, he went as the day slowly passed.
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***
Though he was happy to walk again so soon, he had mixed feelings knowing his sitter was somehow blessed with power as good as his, if not better…
He knew it was wrong to feel that way; she got this power for him, but that bitterness of a twist in fate on the gifts was still weighing on him all the same.
Nina spoke up from the side, “Why do you look like you’re sucking a lemon? It’s not one of your cute faces."
Lena was also there and spoke her version of the situation: “Leave him be; he’s still recovering, and thanks again for sharing that mana potion; it helped.”
He nodded at that. They made it home safely a few days ago but had been doing nothing since Mom was still sick and Dad was still busy with Nebo doing deliveries; even Uncle wasn’t able to visit much anymore.
All that was left was him with nothing but time on his hands, not able to make anything new, and his sisters smothering him. They tried to console him by letting him know Coby was scouting the dungeon.
So they could search for his missing rare herb. It did not comfort him knowing the place that easily broke him; his family wanted to hunt even if it was necessary and for him.
“I’m back and have good news! Are you in the room?" He heard the voice of his brother and cheered up a bit.
“Yeah, where in the room?” Coby turned the corner and nodded to everyone.
“You found the herb? Nina asked with hope in her eyes.
“What?! No… If it were that easy, it wouldn’t be rare, you know that, right?”
She shrugged, “It was worth a shot, so what was the good news then?” Coby smiled again.
“I met the new guard at the cave. He says he fought in dungeons and can guide us deeper and knows what to expect." Everyone seems surprised at that, with Nina first to speak.
“Yeah… but can he fight?“
“I did not ask for details; he wanted to meet at the tavern to work out the details then.” Wolf glanced at his book while his brother kept talking, explaining his encounter in more detail.
He knew he would not be involved in the fighting, but he would be needed afterward if they succeeded.
“ Can I go with you when you go to the tavern?“ Everyone agreed easily; they would love for him to go; they wanted him involved. They knew he wanted to help, and though his power was amazing, it was not meant for fighting.
He felt better knowing things were finally happening and that they had a chance; they just needed to make it to the end."
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***
“Did you hear anything yet?“ He asked, hopeful.
“You have been asking for three days; it is the same answer, no… “ He nodded slowly to that; he felt a bit defeated. He was hoping they would rush over the same day after guard duty, but it seems even after three days of checking in, nothing…
Did they try without him? No… they still need a pass, and she would at least tell me about that.
“ Stop fretting, brother; they’re probably busy preparing.” She glared at him again. He was acting like a lovesick puppy to a girl he hadn’t even really met; it was getting on her nerves. Rosa saw the building tension, and she tried to break it up.
“Let me make some tea; it calms the nerves. My son was the same way; when he was trying to see his dad, he didn’t want to wait longer than he had to, even though we were away for years."
“It was an unbearable wait for him.” Arlin nodded and breathed out slowly; he had been a bit needy.
“Ok, just… let me know. I’m going to go walk in a circle somewhere else.” Ziala rolled her eyes and went back to assist a new guest who showed up during his recurring freak-out…
She did miss that about her other brother, Rock; nothing seemed to bother him. She needed to remember to write him later, wishing him well.
Things were settling down now that Arlin was staying in his room, at least for now, and she was enjoying the tea Rosa brought.
She was hoping her shift would end soon so she could go shopping when she noticed a few people in the distance staring at someone who had just entered.
Rosa stepped away so she would be the one to greet them. So she had her best smile to meet them and was surprised it was her.
She was much prettier than she remembered; was she glowing with a light? She chided herself; who she was did not matter; she was here for business.
She was sure, but it seemed she was hesitant to come to the counter. She watched as she took in the sight of the room. Ziala was mildly amused, as she did the same when she first saw the place.
It was different; they redesigned this one to fit the guild master’s desire for easier living and still doing business, but she doubted the girl knew the difference; she didn’t seem shy before. Why is she hesitating to come to the counter?
“ Do you know if I can get a guild pass here?“ Ziala was shocked. Why was she asking a random adventurer for help instead of me at the counter?!
The adventure, a young male smiled, happy for her attention, nodded eagerly, and pointed towards Ziala. She finally noticed her, so she nodded and smiled; there was no reason to be rude for her being uncertain.
“Yes, I can help you.” The girl smiled a radiant smile, and Ziala groaned internally.
Her brother was going to be dragged around by this girl’s whims, and she wouldn’t even be trying… It only took her a moment to reach the counter, much more assured of herself now that she knew she was in the right place.
“Hello, may I have a guild pass? Please, we will be a party of at least three going into the dungeon.” Ziala nodded but then spoke.
“The pass is more of an agreement than a bidding rule; it’s just a document outlining what crystal drops are worth, herbs value, and understanding that the deeper you go, the more likely you are to face death.”
She turned at that and went to one of the shelves where the documents were piled in a stack of copies made daily to hand out, so it wasn’t a hard process.
“Um…” Ziala looked at the girl at the counter, who was fidgeting.
“If you need something, just ask; I’m here to help.”
“ I was told there was someone who worked here who wanted to help….”
“ But I do not see him and am not sure who to ask.“ Ziala did not care, but she didn’t want to watch her brother wag his tail for this girl, so she saved it for their next meeting…
“Aye, he told me he said something about meeting over at the tavern if you guys set a date and time.”
“ I would like to go myself just to hear the details.“ She trusted them, but she still wanted to know what her brother was getting into, regardless of how many dungeons he ran, which did not make this safe.
“That’s fine; funny enough, my brother said the same thing, said he needed to see this person and make sure everything was good.”
“Since he got hurt, he’s been a little wary.” Ziala smiled at that. It was nice to know she wasn’t alone. She was thinking smart; maybe this wouldn’t be so bad. She came back to the counter with the paper.
“ My name is Ziala. We met before at the church, but you were with your brother at the time.”
“How is he, by the way? Is he healing ok? She showed shock at that.
“I’m sorry, how rude of me!“
“I don’t remember you,“ Ziala waved it off while smiling; she didn’t mind.
“My name is Leena, Len for short."
"Are you free tonight or tomorrow? We can meet then and go over the details.” Ziala asked, hoping to help her brother meet them sooner rather than later since he had been brooding for days already…
“Tonight is perfect; I was nervous coming here.”
“ I wasn’t sure when we would be able to meet up, so this is great.” Leena looked behind herself at the door. “I’ve got to let the others know just before dark, ok?”
"That should give us all a few hours to prepare.“ Zialia was fine with that; she could do some light shopping before the meeting, and it gave her brother time to prepare or, at the very least, settle his nerves and look less like an idiot.
“It’s a perfect time, though the tavern could be a little crowded. Business has been picking up there." Ziala said with concern,
It was then that Rosa came from the back, overhearing them talk. “Pish Posh, my husband runs the inn. I’ll talk to him and make sure he saves you kids a table if you’re planning something big. I want you all to be smart and safe."
“ Thank you !” Leena exclaimed, happy for the luck. Ziala knew Rosa’s husband worked there, but she felt bad calling in a favor like that, especially not even having to ask. Rosa saw her face and smiled.
“ Don’t worry, my husband loves to help, and if he knew you all were going on an adventure, he would want to make sure it started right with food and cheer .” Zylia nodded at that, grateful, and Leena started for the door.
“Thanks again.“ As she left the room seemed a little darker, as if a bit of light was lost. Rosa spoke from her side.
“ Your brother is not going to be happy to know he missed her, pretty little thing,” she mused.
“He will get over it; he is still going to see her later, it gives him. a chance to clean up; he needs a bath.“Rosa laughed at that.
“Well, he has been working up a sweat running in circles, waiting for one of them to show up. It’s nice he made a new friend.“ Ziala wasn’t sure if they were friends but bit her tongue vs. saying that she wouldn’t ruin whatever bond he was trying to form as long as he didn’t forget his family; she was fine with him having a life.
“I need to go let him know so he can focus on getting ready vs. moping some more,“Rosa laughed at that.
“Good luck, dear. I’ll send a runner to let my husband know before you get there,“ she said as she tended the counter, letting Ziala handle other business.
She was grateful to Rosa and bowed, “Thank you, we owe you one,“ and she went up the stairs to meet her brother.
His room was the third door on the left, just past hers, and his mom was the guild master, though she saw herself as his sister; it was not official like with the guild mistress and him, but she was fine with that. Things changed slowly; she was happy they trusted her to come… that was enough.
She was about to knock on his door when she saw it was already open. It was hard to tell he was using his magic, which darkened areas, but she knew that if she was closer, she could see.
When she was able to peer inside, he was lying on his bed, tossing a wood block he had been trying to carve for a few days but lacked patience and was now throwing and catching with his magic.
“Is this all you're going to do all day?“ He freaked out, hitting himself while pulling the block back at the unexpected noise, grabbing his head.
“What do you want? Not in the mood right now…” rubbing his head where the block hit
“Ok, sorry for bothering you. I guess I’ll tell her to meet you another night.” She turned to leave.
“WAIT, WHAT?! She’s here? How do I look?” He started scrambling to look in a mirror and make himself look good.
“She had already left Romeo.“ He deflated at that.
“ Aha, guess they didn’t need me then. Thanks for letting me know… “ She was having fun teasing him, but now she felt bad he needed to get over this crush, or it really would hurt him… “They are planning the event tonight; Rosa even reserved us a spot.“ He jerked and did a 180, once again filled with life.
“ Tonight! Wait, we?”
“Yes… I’m going too. I don’t trust you not to act like a fool, and you know Mom will want me to make sure you’re not just saying yes to just anything.” He flinched at that, knowing he was putting the cart before the horse.
She trusted him, but he would still have to let her know he knew what he was doing and would be safe with these people.
She sighed, watching him flounder, lost in thought. Make sure you wash you smell, or your princess will be whisked away by someone else.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He tried to sound cool and indifferent, so she decided to pull a little on his string.
“ I wonder if at dinner if I should ask if she has a boyfriend.“ She is awfully cute. I bet she has one… maybe two?"
“ What? I mean, who cares…? This is business, and I’ll be happy even just being friends."
She smiled. “Sure… make sure you wash either way…” as she left to see if she could leave for the day to get some shopping in before the meeting.
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The tavern was busy with crowds enjoying their evening, but surprisingly, there was still space. Perhaps they got lucky, and it wasn’t as busy as they thought.
They were lost in thought, not sure what to do, when Coby noticed the boy from before with a wolf girl talking at a table in the corner.
“Hey guys, I see them follow me.”
Arlin was nervous. They had been here for about twenty minutes. He knew they had come a little early, but he wanted to be safe.
His sister worked out, reserving them a space with Rosa. It was nice they knew the owner, and the food was going to be comped, so it would give him something to brag about.
“Relax, brother, I’m sure they’ll be here soon; we should get some drinks to pass the time,“ she said in passing, feeling a bit of thirst building from the wait.
“No… I don’t want to have to get up and pee in the middle of a meeting. I’m nervous enough as it is…” He fidgeted a little under the table; she knew he was using his darkness to have something to do…
“ Well, I’m thirsty and getting a little bored waiting, so me getting a drink won’t kill anybody.“ She started to look for the waitress when she noticed a group moving their way.
“Never mind, they're here.“ There was a boy with rugged leather, sharp eyes, and a fox kin staying close to the boy we helped save. He doesn't look happy even though he was with two girls…. And of course, there's their Leena, she smiled to herself.
She was still glowing even here; heads were turning where she walked, and she didn’t even notice it made her mildly jealous; she wasn’t even trying.
“ Uh, Arlin, right? It’s me, Coby. This is my family,“ he waved behind him with them all, giving a greeting. It took a minute to get them all situated. Arlin was a little sad he wasn’t sitting next to Leena, but he was nervous enough he didn’t mind too much she was here. The waitress saw the now crowded table and came to help them.
Teva was surprised that Wolf was here and walking?! She thought he was hurt… He must have been healed. Her heart skipped a beat thinking he was here for her, but then she noticed he followed everyone to a table.
It was only then she noticed the others, Nina, his sister, and Coby, meeting the other two. She felt lost but needed to know, so she pushed forward.
“Hey! Full house. I was wondering why these two were not ordering. What can I get you?” They all took turns explaining a food and drink they were interested in as she nodded along.
“No problem, I’ll be back with the drinks, and it is a short wait for food from there.“ She smiled. They all seemed distracted, barely noticing her. She gave them a chance to settle before she tried talking.
Wolf stared at Arlin and Zilia, not sure how to proceed. Arlin saw his discomfort matching his own and decided to break the ice.
“You ok, uh, Wolf, right? I noticed you were not limping. So you managed to get a potion? That's impressive; they're not cheap. Wolf shook his head, looking unhappy.
“No, my sister healed me; she got a powerful blessing.“ Arlin timidly looked at Leena. He noticed her glow, but he thought it was just him liking her. Now he paid more attention.
It was a soft light that flowed, “Amazing.“ The words slipped out. His sister noticed and frowned, but nobody else did. They were trying to cheer up Wolf, self-loathing for his weakness.
“Relax, brother, that is the past after we get the herb. You be the hero, and everyone will sing your praise, promise.“Leena tried consoling him.
'I don’t want praise just to heal Mom, and if I can, others…” Ziala had a pang of guilt knowing she got one of those potions, but also a bit of admiration that he was trying to make it so that nobody would suffer.
“ A noble goal,“Ziala said to show support, to which the foxkin got excited.
” Right! He is too hard on himself, which is why he needs me so he can stay home working on a cure and stuff. I’ll do the fighting." She grabbed his head in a playful hug as he tried pulling away. Arlin felt a bit of jealousy.
How they all seem so happy together… The banter went on for a little while longer when the waitress finally brought their drinks.
“Sorry for the wait,“ as she was setting them down, Wolf finally noticed her and blushed, so he remembered she thought. “Hey, I remember you. It’s been a while, cutie. How have you been?“ Wolf losing his depressed mood.
“ Um, I’ve been good… Busy, got hurt recently, but I’m ok now.” He fidgeted a little. Nina was not happy that even after all this time, he was still interested in this… Cat. What did he see in her? Her tail and hair were white. She had rosy cheeks and a bigger bust than hers, which was annoying, but she was nothing special…. Arlin spoke up to try to hype Wolf up and make himself look good.
“ He took on a monster and managed to get his leg broken, but kids, tough. I was there and helped him in the church when it happened."
Teva was shocked. Why was he doing that? She would have helped if asked…
“ I helped him kill the skeleton and got him to safety. I made it to the church where they helped.“ Nina chimed in with indifference. Wolf was embarrassed; neither version of this story made him look good or feel better, and it was all true…
Teva saw his look and wanted to show support vs. dwell on the past.
“Wow, you’re the talk of the town, and you’re walking. How did you pull that off? Last I heard, you've be down for months. I would love to visit you, but you never kept in touch,“ she playfully pouted, waiting for an answer.
“I healed him. I got a strong, light blessing,“Leena spoke up, happy to see her brother shy vs. depressed. Even if Nina did not like it, it was good for her brother.
“No way your family is truly blessed! You should visit more, though I miss hanging out. Still, I know you’ve been busy.”
“We’re fine,” Nina retorted, not amused at how friendly she was. Teva noticed and smiled. She could sense that she liked her brother a little too much… Maybe that’s why she stopped visiting and to keep Wolf away…
“Well, let me go check on the food. Grumpy told me it’s on the house for you all, or I would definitely try to get you a discount, cutie.“ As she turned to leave, she used her tail to wave bye and shook her butt ever so slightly just to tease him.
Nina wasn’t amused, but Arlin was loving it. He thought she was friendly, but she was usually more reserved. Coby was indifferent, as were Leena and Zialia, but Nina was doing a very poor job hiding her opinion…
“ Are you feeling better, brother?“ His sister Leena asked, and as much as he hated to admit he was. A feast was served, and despite antagonizing Nina earlier, Teva showed respect to them and let them enjoy their meal in peace. After everyone was full and more comfortable with each other, they decided they needed to know more about what they could do.
“Um… as fun as this diner is, if we’re going to work together, we should at least know the extent of each other’s power or what we’ll be doing for this mission. Arlin spoke up, addressing the whole reason they were there. Wolf sighed and went first.
“ I won’t be helping in dungeons, but I do have a rare blessing, at least level four, what I was told, but it is balance… So I can’t do any physical magic. I recently learned I can copy any potion I know how it is made just with mana.”
Arlin was drinking while listening at first, thinking, Poor kid for a weak blessing, then choking when he heard what he could do.
“ Cough cough, what? How is that weak?! That’s, like, super powerful…” Wolf Shurg.
“Yeah, I can help, but only if I learn the effect from crafting it; if I don’t, it’s a wasted gift vs. those that can just do the magic.” Arlin was amazed the kid was downplaying such a strong gift; everyone needs help, but not everyone has a gift that can help everyone…
“ No magic here,“ Zialia spoke next. “ I do have a lot of guild knowledge and can use some connections, but it is limited for now.” Arlin nodded, proud of his sister, and went next, trying to upsell his greatness.
“ Level three darkness got really good with it; it can grab things, fade into shadows, or even use it as a weapon."
"fought dungeons for years solo, so. I know my stuff.” He looked around to see if it worked.
and was pleasantly surprised to see everyone looking at him with admiration, even Wolf, whose power he felt was better, though he noticed beyond a bit of recognition that Leena’s attention was still on her brother, which soured his pride a bit.
“ Got wind magic level three,“Coby said. “Can sense things from about a mile away. Very hard with more people around, um… Increase my speed or my arrows, but it requires focus. I prefer time to set up but can react in a moment if needed."
"I helped my dad hunt wild monsters for years, so I too have experience with them." Arlin was impressed, and so was Ziala. He did look skilled, but now more so.
“I don’t really like talking about mine, but level four earth, I can control earth like water, use it as armor weapons, make it light as a feather, and go for a long time before I get tired unless I burn my mana rushing.“
She looked at Wolf when she said that he pretended to drink so as not to notice she trailed off at that, but Arlin was speechless. He thought his shadow power was good, but she was a step above that. He knew beastkin got more magic, but this just seems unfair. Even Ziala was jealous, knowing she was a beastkin and did not even get a level one blessing….
“Um… I’m not sure,“Leena spoke next. I recently got my power; it… can’t heal the weakness curse,” she said in a sad, low voice.
"But it did heal my brother where Bishop Light and normal potions failed, so that is enough for me."
Arlin wanted to comfort her, but it wasn’t his place; plus, she had her brother and Nina already doing that. Wolf was self-loathing over his fate, but he still loved his family and everything they did for him.
“I’ll be honest, I heard stories of people with less doing more. I think we can do this!“ Arlin said with pride Wolf was still unsure and asked something he had been wondering for a while.
“ How come the strong adventurers don’t farm the herb? Is it that rare? How will we even know if we will get it?“ Zialia spoke next since she saw her brother was unsure.
“ Technically, it is easy to farm, and anyone can do it, but it spawns once a month on each floor no matter how many adventurers try, and it is the first to get its rights to do whatever with it, and most want money or a powerful potion, not healing a… normal person.“ Realizing how insensitive her words were…
Knowing she had no right to judge when she gained from those choices, “Sorry, I know you’re waiting to help others, but that is why…” Wolf nodded slowly, not liking knowing money could solve this, and the poor suffered.
“It’s not that simple,“Arlin interjected after his sister’s statement. “ I know the guy; he did help me but set me up to fail. I was a fool then and made some bad calls, but he only helped for personal gain. It’s why he won’t make any more potions.
Not enough profit and a waste of his time,“ Coby spoke up with a frown upon hearing that.
“Isn’t that normal? I am not saying I agree, but nobody can run a business for free, and charity is the church; it is why we give to them to help them give back."
“ AND HE WON’T,“ Arlin retorted. He saw everyone look at him with a mix of surprise and concern from his outburst. “Sorry, like I said, we got a past, and… just don’t trust him is all.“ His sister patted his leg under the table in comfort.
The group knew it was getting late and needed time to process the turn of events and agreed to meet at the lake. When Arlin was guarding, they worked out the details more with fewer people around and a not-so-crowded table as they all were getting up to leave. Teva noticed them leaving and dashed to Wolf to give him a surprise farewell.
“ Hey, don’t forget me like before. I want to know how your adventure turned out, ok? And we are friends, remember?” She proceeded to wrap him in a hug, to the surprise of all, and despite Nina’s disapproving glare, Wolf was flustered and surprised by the attention.
“ Um. Yeah. Sure. I’ll try and stop by more when things calm down, I promise. Sorry, I…have been so distant lot has happened.”
“Ok, cutie, it’s a promise then. Good luck with whatever got you all riled up. I wish I could help. But I think you already have your hands full, or I would be with you."
“ What could you do? We don’t need a mascot cheering from the side, and Wolf has us already. We will be fine. Nina, tired of being sidelined, spoke up, surprising the group. It was only now they noticed the tension forming wasn’t just friendly banter. Wolf, caught in the middle, wasn’t sure how to reply.
“Relax, foxie, this cat got claws, and I can do magic too, remember, and just because you don’t want to stay my friend does not mean the wolf does not…"
She flicked a finger, and a few water droplets sprayed on Nina’s face, angering her before she could retort. Leena intervened, calming her down while the Teva laughed and slipped away. “Bye, cutie!“ With that, the crowd was wondering what was happening.
But the group, not wanting to cause a scene, left it at that and went about their business. The innkeeper saw the recklessness and frowned when Teva rounded into the kitchen humming to herself.
“Why did you do it, kid? You are usually more reserved than that,“ the girl deflated, losing the confidence she had shown before.
“Don’t play dumb, Grumpy, you know Wolf was my friend… Nina too.”
"She just wrapped up in some adventure with him and excluded me at any cost, so I’m just reminding them I exist before he forgets forever…"
Icarus scratched his chin. "Well, you’ve always done good work, so it’s fine, I guess, but you shouldn’t set your sights on someone you barely see anymore; there could be no compatibility." She smiled sadly at that.
“No… I saw the way he looked at me; he at least gives me a chance, and that is all I need. I can make it work from there.”
“Very bold girl, don’t get your heart broken chasing dreams, though that kid's going to be famous if the rumor is true and you won’t be the only one chasing his tail… “ She smiled at that.
“It doesn’t matter how many try, I just need to be the one he chooses; everything else doesn’t matter after that,” he sighed, knowing she had already made up her mind for years, it seemed, and pity the boy who was lost in his own adventures.
“ Table three has been waiting for his plate, and try to keep the water magic in check, ok? I don’t need my place wrecked from a magic fight."
“Ok~,” she said cheerfully, already planning how to make more time for her future man; he just didn’t know it yet.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡszAVO1I78T
Outside with the group parting, Nina still fumed but did not say anything; she was trying to be the better person.
Arlin wished them well as he left with his sister, upset he couldn’t get closer to Leena but excited at all the things that happened. His sister just felt relieved it was over, as that was a lot to process.
Leena and Coby are the most neutral, taking the information and planning what was to come. Wolf was mixed on how he felt; he had been self-loathing for a while, but seeing Teva again and how supportive everyone has been made it hard to have any doubt.
He was loved and his gift. Was just that… a gift. He doubted he had time for Teva; he cared too much about helping his mother vs. chasing girls, but afterward? ….107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjkIp7bIFUk
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