Finding a suitable inn and checking in went rather smoothly for the adventuring duo. The Dragon’s Belly wasn’t far from where they had begun their search, and it also wasn’t so central to the city that their presence would be noted by many on the way there. They had chosen a room for two to dissuade the innkeeper from suspecting anything, and managed to head down to the combined restaurant & bar in the basement without incident, at least until something caught Clarisse’s interest.

  Even before they had descended completely into the tavern below, their ears were subject to the harmony of music. It wasn’t a recorded melody being played back by a recorder or something conjured up by magic alone. The general camaraderie and excitement of the audience betrayed a live symphony, one which even Clarisse recognized. She glanced back with a pep in her step as she went down the stairs, expecting Nikolas to share in the enjoyment but was met only with a pair of flattened ears and downcast gaze.

  “Nik,” Clarisse paused to make sure he was alright. “Don’t you like the song? It’s a pretty famous one in Ignisvell.”

  “Don’t mind me,” Nikolas sighed, attempting to raise his ears with a noticeable flinch. “Too many people. Loud voices. I’ll be fine if we stay in the back.”

  “I’ll be quick.” The redhead made a mental note of how sensitive his hearing was again before proceeding, albeit without her prior enthusiasm. She ignored the performers until they found a table in the far recesses of the bustling room, one which rended their line of sight to the stage.

  “Sorry. The suppression doesn’t apply well to the ears, or rather it wasn’t designed to at all. I still hear everything around me all the same.” Nikolas apologized as he slid into his seat.

  “Are you comfortable with wearing the mask all the time?” Clarisse asked, tilting her head slightly. “It felt hellish when I took it off even though I’d only been wearing it for a little while.”

  “I got used to it,” Nikolas shrugged, although avoiding her eyes. “PH:OV tends to take over without it, and that usually ends up messy for everyone involved.”

  “That’s unfortunate… you’re missing out on life,” Clarisse thought aloud, something which caught Nikolas’s ire. “I’d like to help find a way to take off the mask without losing control someday.”

  “I appreciate the offer, Clarisse, but it’s deeper than just suppressing PH:OV. He’s part of this body just as much as I am, maybe even more,” Nikolas elaborated amidst the loud celebration next to them that came with the end of the previous song. “Let’s focus on your training. You’ll need it, especially with whatever this tournament is going to be.”

  “Well, that was mighty nice of you.”

  “It’s just the truth. Don’t mistake this for any degree of collaboration.”

  “Hah! As if I would ever admit to anything of the sort…”

  “Yeah, that would blemish your oh so fragile pride, wouldn’t it?”

  “Big talk coming from the–”

  While the tsunderes hashed it out in Nik’s psyche, Clarisse waved a waiter over and ordered for them. She was still feeling hungry after their snack break at the cafe, psychological tussles between the lab experiments be damned. “I’m gonna check out the stage for a little bit.” She left the faux fox to deliberate with a tap on his shoulder.

  The stage presented a trio of enthusiastic personalities, around whom the restaurant’s crowd had converged with cheers aplenty. An elf stood tall in the lead, with a serene expression on his face as his voice passionately reverberated through the tavern. Well-dressed would have been an understatement to describe the blonde man, wearing a blue button-up shirt and white tie under a sturdy black overcoat that frayed apart as it went down, revealing a thick belt strapped to his waist to support a scabbard at his side. A golden gauntlet wrapped around his right hand, extending all the way above his elbow, stopping short of his shoulder. On either side of him were a pair of musicians, playing in practiced sync with each other.

  The one on the left caught Clarisse’s curiosity first with the strange manner of instrument he was playing: a sword run through the back-handles of a shield, serving as support for a line of wires going up all the way past the sword’s guard and held in place by a rag and some broad pins along the top part of the handle. The contraption made for a rather unique guitar, still complete with a graspable handle and a sharpened sword edge past the wires. With every pluck of the strings, its notes rang true despite the unusual composition. Its wielder would have seemed equally out of place if not for the talent of his dexterous fingers, as he was adorned in half-measures of armor. A pair of short pauldrons, knee-guards and a crimson plumed helmet lay over a rugged chainmail top and brown trousers, complete with cut gloves, boots and a cloak which wrapped around his neck like a scarf and waved behind him like a cape. The attire itself had certainly seen better days by the numerous dents, cracks and occasional stains and stitchwork done to fix it, but somehow it looked apt for the guitarist’s joyous demeanor as he strung away.

  To the right stood a girl, swaying from side to side as she played on her flute. Clarisse focused on her immediately, squinting to make out the girl’s identity. The brunette wore a full-length corset over a green tunic shirt, with an orange and dark green patterned scarf tied around her waist along with a series of belts over black leggings. Her arms were wrapped in leather gloves and a pair of strong-tipped boots laced up her shins. The cherry on top was a crooked, sage-colored hat, enamored with various feathers and reddish berries from the wild.

  Not a moment later than when she set her eyes on the berries adorning the flutist’s hat, Clarisse’s eyes widened in realization. “BERRY!” She waved frantically from the audience, hoping her friend would recognize her. “BERRYYYYY!!”

  The flutist caught her name being called out from the crowd the first time, but couldn’t pin Clarisse’s location. When she finally narrowed it down to the redhead, it took a moment for recognition to kick in, seeing Clarisse in her current outfit for the first time. Berry Relavoure waved back to her friend with a tiny wave during the next caesura that passed, and wore a slightly flustered smile for the rest of the song, occasionally darting her gaze to the excited redhead.

  Nikolas, sitting facing away from the stage, wasn’t left without his own concerns in Clarisse’s brief absence. Ever since their arrival downstairs, a nagging feeling that someone was watching him simply wouldn’t leave the forefront of his thoughts. Like the burning sensation of a speck of food stuck in an open wound in one’s palms, it demanded attention. He had become accustomed to Clarisse’s soft gaze, so it wasn’t that. The casual glances of the tavern staff didn’t fit the bill either, no. What he sensed was something more intentional, yet it was hard to pin blame on any one person among the camaraderie of the crowd.

  Déjà vu gave way to progress as Nikolas caught a momentary glimpse of something he was familiar with from accidental saunters past mirrors and contemplating over stagnant puddles. The flick of an ear, a rather long and sensitive one at that, not unlike the ones on his helmet.

  “Another kitsune?”

  “I saw that too.”

  “Although it shouldn’t be unlikely that we would encounter one of them in our time here…”

  “You’re finally going to get called out on your little bluff, huh?”

  “Not necessarily.”

  Nikolas trained his eyes to the same spot he had spotted the ear flick, waiting for the crowd to rustle and part even slightly. No such luck. In fact, the crowd spread to thicken the gap between him and his target in lieu of the performers on stage completing their finale for the night.

  “Clarisse! Look at you, out and about!” Berry embraced her friend tightly, “I didn’t think we’d run into you here. Are you adventuring like you said you wanted to?”

  “I am, I am…” Clarisse nodded, involuntarily feeling a prideful fluster brighten her cheeks. “You’ve changed a lot, Berry. It took me a while to recognize you. I love the new style though!” She complimented, tugging on Berry’s baggy sleeves.

  “Thank you! Your outfit looks pretty stylish too, I love those boots!” Berry grinned, pulling Clarisse along towards the rest of her quaint orchestra. “Clarisse, these are Noir and Valeri!” She gestured towards the elf and then the cavalier respectively. “I’ve been playing alongside them ever since I left Areane.”

  Clarisse’s attention first rested on the golden-haired elf, and then faltered to his comrade who was chugging a large mug of mead while his audience cheered him on. The guitarist had taken off his plumed helmet, revealing a jagged scar running down from the top of his head and crossing over his right eyesocket, which housed an inanimate white orb.

  “Pleased to make your acquaintance, young lady Clarisse,” The elf stood up from his chair to greet her. His knife-like ears wiggled slightly as he glanced back at his friend and chuckled. “Valeri certainly has a flair for partying, ha ha ha!”

  “Wow, he’s… he’s going strong,” Clarisse commented, shifting awkwardly as she tried to bury her concern for Valeri’s propensity for alcohol with a blank smile. “So, do you play in front of audiences like this often?”

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  “To any hosts hospitable enough, yes!” The tall elf nodded, placing a hand on his chin in thought. “It used to be just me, Valeri and Kaylin, but Berry has been a splendid student these past few years.”

  “Ah– Kaylin! I should introduce you two,” Berry exclaimed as she reached to her waist and brought out the ornate silver flute she had been playing. “Kaylin… are you up?” she whispered softly to her instrument, much to Clarisse’s confusion.

  The redhead was left in disbelief as the flute emanated a gentle glow, before disappearing altogether. A pair of metallic arms affectionately wrapped around Berry’s neck, their owner leaning on her from behind. “Hey babe~ what’s going on?” A seemingly human voice, but with a distinct tinge of manufactured reverberation from a tuning fork came forth from her, which made Clarisse gasp.

  “A sentient construct?!” Clarisse held her arms close to herself, almost hopping from excitement. “Here in Ignisvell too– that’s so rare!”

  “I was just as surprised!” Berry grinned from ear to ear, cupping a palm around Kaylin’s silvery cheek and giving her a peck. “Clarisse is a friend from my hometown, Lin.”

  “Really?” The construct manifested a mischievous smile as her cyan eyes scanned the overeager redhead, who was on the verge of geeking out. “Got any embarrassing secrets about Berry for me? We should totes hang out later and share.”

  “Hey!” Berry protested at her partner’s priorities with her jaw held agape. “Not one word, Clarisse!”

  “But– can we still hang out? I’d love to know more about you!” Clarisse pleaded with both girls, desperate to confirm everything she had read about and reunite with a friend of years past.

  “Noir? Can we have some time off from training? Even just one day…” Berry asked her teacher.

  “I suppose events like these call for an intermission…” The elf contemplated for a few seconds, letting hope hang in the air before nodding in a self-satisfied manner. “After tomorrow’s training, the evening’s all yours. Does Miss Clarisse need to confer with someone as well on this, though? Surely you aren’t traveling alone…”

  “I’m not, no. I have an adventuring buddy. He’s over there!” Clarisse dragged Berry and Kaylin with her, carving a path through the crowded hall to the corner table where she had left Nikolas to brood ominously by himself.

  Nikolas’s surveilling gaze was already peeking around the corner when Clarisse approached, and he retreated with a quiet hiss and ears flat to his head when he saw she had brought company with her. A moment later he got up, discarding paranoia and restoring himself to common decorum. “Clarisse?”

  “Nik! This is my childhood friend, Berry, and Kaylin, the sentient construct! Berry and Kaylin, this is Nikolas! We’ve been adventuring together for just over two weeks now.” She introduced them with vigor that could be hardly matched by the parties in question.

  “Nice to meet you, Nikolas!” Berry beamed at him and her attention, similar to Clarisse’s, was caught by the way his ears moved in response to the rest of the tavern. She gave the redhead a slight nudge with her elbow, raising her eyebrows twice to tease her. “A kitsune, hmm!”

  “It’s not like that…” Clarisse retorted with uncertain hints of despair creeping into her voice. There was of course the matter of Nik’s secrets, at least the parts she knew of them.

  “Nikolas…” Kaylin’s reaction was far more muted in contrast, looking him up and down and yet unable to shake off a lingering feeling that something was off about the masked character. Something other than his gaze piercing through her, that is. “So you two are…?”

  “A creation of Zhevana. What is it doing this far out?”

  “Apparently nothing malicious, at least at first glance.”

  “I wonder, does it have the faculties to see through our guise?”

  “Just fellow adventurers. I’m showing her the ropes,” Nikolas dispelled the musical pair’s attempts to hint at anything more going on between them. “She catches on fast, though.”

  “Why the mask though?” Kaylin pressed forward, disregarding how uncouth it might be. “Can’t have anything to hide this far from Aniera, can you?”

  “An… unfortunate accident,” Nikolas replied in a blank tone, averting his eyes from the silver construct. “That aside, what are you here for? A rousing audience?”

  “We’re here for the Kurestral scouting tournament!” Berry replied with giddy excitement in her eyes. “And you?”

  “We uhh, we’re here for that too!” Clarisse filled in after a moment of meeting sights with Nikolas. “We heard about it from a friend but weren’t sure where exactly it was taking place…”

  “You should come with us then! We’re planning to train at the venue tomorrow.” Berry offered.

  “That–” Clarisse was all too eager to agree, but a flashback to the last time she had done the same made her pause and look towards Nikolas. Of all the fates she could envision for her friends, Kaara’s was the last thing she wanted. “Can we?”

  “Go on. Make the same decision. Cower and hide your strength like you always have.”

  “What happened in Junnhaven was partly my fault. I shouldn’t have stopped her.”

  “And what good does it do you to realize that now?”

  “We can try a different approach. The soul bond hasn’t been obvious to other people at first glance.”

  “I don’t see why not,” Nikolas shrugged in affirmation. “Are you also staying in this inn?”

  “We are!” Berry replied “Kaylin and I have a room to ourselves if you want to hang out tonight, Clarisse.”

  “I’d like that! You should come sit with us for supper, we ordered a few minutes ago.”

  Supper went by with brief discussion and lots of food, much to the hollow’s relief. The tavern emptied itself out gradually as they ate, with them being one of the last groups to leave. Sensing an opportunity for escape, Nikolas ventured towards the inn’s entrance instead of the staircase leading up to their rooms. “You can go on ahead. I’ll catch up with you later.”

  “Alright, see you!” Clarisse called back, already being tugged along by Berry to her room.

  The twilight atmosphere of Mystogann was familiar, all too familiar for Nikolas. Just another quiet place with few lurking in the dark abscesses of the city. He glanced back once at the inn, closing an eye to confirm the trio’s souls before heading off into the night, as he was prone to do before he had met Clarisse.

  Sat in the middle of the bed in her nightgown with her diary in hand, Clarisse felt refreshed to be the object of attention in the room for once.

  “How’s everyone doing back home? When did you leave?” Berry asked, eager to hear news of home.

  “Home… everyone’s fine,” Clarisse replied with a somber smile. “Mrs. Hyberd’s bakery was still the most popular store next to town square before I left. She even gave me a few loaves to last my first week when I left. It was about a month ago... Mr. Richter knew a lady in Junnhaven, so he sent a letter which helped me find a place to stay in her building. Mr. Baldwin was kind enough to pay for my travel…” The more she thought about it, there had been so many people who had helped her every step of the way when she had decided to become an adventurer.

  “Your mom must be proud…” Berry congratulated her “You’re going to become an adventurer just like Mr. Lenue! He did so much for Areane when we were kids…”

  “Y-yeah… she was,” Clarisse replied, her expression suddenly losing its luster. “I kinda feel bad for leaving her alone. I’ve been writing letters to her, but still… Do you ever think about that, Berry?”

  “I do, all the time,” Berry empathized with the redhead, and Kaylin gave her a pat on the back. “But when I go back, I want to be someone renowned, y’know? Kaylin and I will host the biggest concerts Areane has ever seen!"

  “I can weigh in on this as well,” Kaylin mused, “Miss Zhevana is still asleep, but if she were awake she would want each of her creations to strive for greatness.”

  An awkward smile creeped onto Clarisse’s face, it was hard to imagine that she was talking to the creation of one of the three legendary dragons of the olden days, and that her friend had managed to enter a partnership with her. “You’re right. I’ll have to try harder so I can be proud of myself when I decide to return.”

  “Do you still have the same plan?” Berry asked, leaning closer to Clarisse and speaking in a coy tone. “The one you used to tell us about… joining a hero’s party, falling in–”

  “Shh-! Shh shh shh!” Clarisse suddenly launched herself forward to cover Berry’s mouth. “Don’t out me like that!” She blurted in a desperate attempt to safeguard her secrets.

  “Hmm~ whatever could that be?” Kaylin slowly pulled Clarisse back by her shoulders. “She can tell me after you leave too, you know. Or you could say it yourself…”

  It took Clarisse a few seconds and a couple of deep breaths to calm herself, and then some more to build up the courage to confess the naive dream she had touted as a child. “You know those heroes from other worlds? I wanted to join a party like that and explore the world, eventually find someone I loved and settle down with them, just like my parents got together…”

  “That’s cute,” Kaylin laughed heartily, giving Clarisse another pat on the back. “Not a lot of people think like that nowadays… too many are burnt out from the war to be doing anything meaningful in life.”

  “I think you can still do it!” Berry held Clarisse’s hands in hers, encouraging her. “Have you heard of the hero in the east? His party took down a demon lord! I think they only had four members including the hero though… there might still be a spot for a fire mage!”

  “Yeah, I’ve heard of him!” Clarisse replied with fleeting excitement, remembering shortly after that Der’kravicus wasn’t actually a demon lord, and the rest of her conversation with Nikolas. “Although, I’m not so sure I want to join that party. I still need to train lots with my magic before I’m on their level.” She had of course chosen to omit the matter of them being diametrically opposed to Nikolas, a bridge she’d have to cross at a later date.

  “That other guy you’re with, Nikolas, what’s up with him?” Berry asked, confused why someone as ambitious as Clarisse would ever choose to set her sights lower. “You’re not with him just because you owe him or something, right?”

  “I’ve heard of adventurers like that… they’ll take you under their wing and stick their debts onto you in return for teaching you meaningless platitudes and sharing gear they would’ve discarded anyway…” Kaylin backed her girlfriend up.

  “N-no, not at all. He’s not like that!” Clarisse crossed her arms over her diary tightly, clutching it to her chest. “He saved me from bleeding out in the forest, bought all my new gear… he’s been a real help. I wouldn’t have made it this far without him, and I like him. He’s just not as good at making friends…”

  “As long as you know what you’re doing…” Kaylin sighed, stretching her arms before laying flat on the bed. “I’m gonna call it a night here. You can keep talking, but just remember we need to train in the morning.” With that, the silver construct compressed herself into the shape of an ornate flute once more, leaving the childhood friends to spend the rest of the night catching up.

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