"More," I demanded as my mug hit the counter.
"Crivens, that's the fifth you've had this evenin' alone! Haven't you had enough?"
"Barkeep. Do your job."
"... As you wish. More coin for me…"
Yeah, the ale here in Bolderfall wasn't great, but it got the job done. Another restless night warranted a few drinks, I think. Besides, I had just pulled off another flawless pickpocketing session; I think I deserved to be treated for once.
The tavern was mostly empty, a few other thieves sitting at various tables. Why the bartender tolerates their presence, I'll never know; they were loud, crass, and thieves through and through. Maybe they pay him to keep his mouth shut…
"So," I began, pausing to sip my drink, "what's the word around town?"
"More or less the usual, lad," the barkeep shrugged. "I hear House Ravus has seen better days, though. Ever since the Lady's parents were killed, they've amped up security tenfold."
"Must be housing something special, then," I muttered, drumming my fingers on the counter.
"I'll bet me left arm there's untold riches just waitin' to be pilfered there. Many a thief has tried and failed to just get in there, let alone get away unscathed. You'd do well to steer clear of it, lad."
"Thanks for the advice," I nodded, getting up and leaving a pouch of coins on the counter for him. A few other thieves eyed me strangely, but I ignored them and left the building to take in that sweet Bolderfall air.
… Okay, so maybe it wasn't exactly sweet, but I guess it beat a musty tavern with equally-disgusting patrons. Making my way through the bustling streets of the slums, I reached the middle-class area and noticed a rapid change. People were smiling more often and weren't clutching their purses and backpacks quite as tightly here...
Heh. More for me.
Stealing was easy; now, stealing in broad daylight, on the other hand… not so much. I had to be incredibly wary of who was watching and who I was pickpocketing from. Eventually, I settled on a lone target; a young merchant girl with brown hair. She seemed to be scribbling furiously in a book of some sort; this would be easy.
Moving swiftly and silently, I managed to slink my hand into her backpack and pulled out… an apple.
'Damn. Well, it's something, I guess…'
"Oh! Hey, Mister!"
"Ack!"
Quickly hiding the apple in my coat, I looked down at the merchant girl; she was staring at me with wide eyes and… a smile. What the hell?
"Hey, you! How would you say your experience in Bolderfall has been thus far?"
"Why do you care?" I retorted coldly, raising an eyebrow.
"Ouch, okay. I'll just jot that down as 'rude to strangers'."
"Tch, whatever. I've got better things to do," I spat before turning to leave.
"W-wait!" the girl cried, grabbing onto my scarf a little too roughly. "Can you at least tell me your name?"
I turned to her and gave her an incredulous look. "... What? Why?"
"I'll give you mine if it helps," she offered politely, straightening her hat and posing goofily with a thumbs-up. Offering her hand, she went on, "Name's Tressa! Tressa the Merchant!"
"Uh, thanks," I remarked, my eyes darting suspiciously between her face and hand. "Don't really recall asking, but good to know."
"Sheesh! So sour," Tressa huffed. "Well, if you won't give me a name, I'll just have to give you one myself! How about… Fluffy? You know, cause of your scarf!"
"I already have a name," I argued, "and it sure as hell isn't Fluffy."
Before she could continue pestering me, I spun on my heel and fled the scene quickly. By now, the streets were bustling once more; the perfect getaway. With any luck, I certainly wouldn't be seeing that Tressa girl ever again. Now, to find that House Ravus…
Stupid old butler… if that even was his real profession. I beat him fair and square, how the hell did they manage to get the drop on me? And then that Cordelia girl had the gall to sound like she was actually concerned for my safety. As if…
After a few days of traveling north of Bolderfall, I had finally reached my first destination; the thriving city of Noblecourt.
"What a name," I snorted, shaking my head. "At least I'm bound to find something good while I'm here. Like a certain ruby stone, even…"
I made a beeline straight for the nearest tavern, hoping to pick up some intel and drinks at the same time. Hell, just drinks would be fine for the time being...
Taking my seat at the counter and ordering some ale, I decided to scope out the building. There weren't that many patrons aside from myself, some pretty dancing girl on stage, and five strangers sitting at a table, all chatting and looking over a large map of some sort. There was a cleric, an apothecary, some noble-looking fellow… gods, was that a snow leopard? How did that get in?
"Oh, bartender," an annoyingly familiar voice cried out. "Another round on me!"
Oh, gods.
"Tressa, I really don't think you're in need of more mead," the posh black-haired man said. "Especially considering your age…"
"Ah, c'mon, Cyrus," the apothecary argued, leaning back in his chair with a grin. "What's the worst that could happen? 'Sides, she's got Phili and me here to patch her up if somethin' happens to her!"
"I'm not so sure, Alfyn," the cleric sighed. "It really doesn't seem like a good idea…"
"I would agree with Professor Albright and Ophilia," a more mature-sounding woman spoke up. Based on her garb, she appeared to be some sort of huntress. "Twould not doe to letten one as young as Tressa drink."
'Oh, boy,' I sighed internally as I sipped my drink. She was one of those…
"You guys are so lame," Tressa huffed, folding her arms and sulking. "I'm an adult, y'know! If I'm old enough to fight pirates and find treasure, I think I can handle a little mead!"
My ears pricked up upon hearing this, a side effect of being a natural thief. Sure, treasure could mean anything to the little tourist brat, but…
As the gang continued to chat and drink, my eyes shifted from them to the little journal that was sitting on the edge of the table. It looked to be little more than a diary, but if there was any mention of treasure in there, it might be worth a peek.
Staying low to the tavern floor, I silently crept over to the table and deftly swiped the journal while no one was looking. Sneaking back to the counter, I took the book out covertly and began to read it. There didn't seem to be anything particularly noteworthy in it; the most interesting thing of note was that Tressa girl's various diary entries detailing her little journey. Still, there was no real sign of treasure, especially regarding any of the dragonstones.
"Well," I sighed quietly, "guess I'd better go sneak this bac-"
"Hey! Where's my journal?!"
"... Damnit."
Though a few of her companions tried to calm her down, it was to no avail; Tressa grew increasingly frantic and began interrogating the few other patrons quite roughly. I swiftly downed the last of my drink and left some money on the counter before making for the door. No point in possibly incriminating myself.
"Hey! You there, Scarfy!"
I froze in my tracks as I felt eyes on my back. Turning, I replied coolly, "Yeah?"
"Have you seen my journal, Mr.… Huh?!"
Sure enough, Tressa had been the first person to approach me, her four companions and the snow leopard not far behind.
"You know this guy, Tress?"
"Yeah… I think I met him in Bolderfall a few days before I met you, Alf," Tressa nodded, eying me warily. "Not a very friendly sort, though."
"Tch. Whatever," I huffed, turning to leave. "And for the record, no; I haven't seen your diary."
I didn't get very far before the snow leopard growled, walking towards me and sniffing at me. I could feel the hair standing on the back of my neck as my blood ran cold.
"What is is, Linde?" the huntress began. "Hast thou foundeth something?"
Think, Therion, think…
"Alright," I sighed. "The jig is up. The barkeep paid me to do it."
"I did no such thing!" the bartender cried as the dancing girl from before walked over to the scene, observing quietly.
As the group turned back towards them, I flung the journal in their direction and sprinted out the door and into the streets of Noblecourt. Like Bolderfall, the place was bustling and brimming with numerous travelers; if I played it safe and hid amongst the crowd, I could-
"Rawr!"
"Hark! Whichen way did he goeth, Linde?"
"Damn snow leopard," I cursed, not even bothering to look back as I shoved my way through the crowd. I was so focused on making a speedy getaway that I hadn't even seen the big guy in front of me before bumping into him.
"Oho! Mind yourself, lad," he chided, folding his arms and glaring at me. I could see that he was rather tall with a bulky build to match; that coupled with the blade at his side made him a poor target.
"Right," I coughed. "Sorry. I'll just be on my way- "
"There he is!" I heard Tressa shout from behind us. To my utter dismay, the crowd had largely dissipated and her little group was well on its way towards us, the dancer following close behind. As I turned to leave, I found that the big guy had a firm grip on my arm.
"Now hold just one moment," he stated firmly. "If so many people are after you, there surely must be some reason."
"Nope, no reason at all," I lied through my teeth. "May I go now?"
"Not until you confess to stealing Tressa's journal!" the black-haired scholar - Cyrus, I think - yelled with folded arms and a harsh glare. His fellow companions wore similar expressions, Tressa clenching her fists and staring into my soul.
"Hey, I gave it back," I explained, trying to find an opening.
"You threw it at me!" Tressa shot back.
"I mean, technically I was aiming for at the barkeep…"
"I cannot believe that you'd steal something and then pin the blame on an innocent man," the blonde cleric sighed, shaking her head in disapproval. "What would your parents think?"
"Do not mention them," I suddenly barked, causing everyone minus the big guy and the huntress to flinch. The snow leopard let out a low growl, glaring daggers at me. "... Look, I'm not gonna pretend like what I do is particularly savory or noble. That being said, I stole exactly one thing from you lot when I could have robbed you blind, and I was even kind enough to give that back. Now, I'm sure you're all quite busy, but newsflash; so am I. So why don't we just meet in the middle and agree to never see each other again?"
"Much as I favor the idea," the big guy started, "thieves like you ought not be allowed to roam free. I'm all for turning you in to the authorities."
"Likewise," Cyrus agreed as most of Tressa's companions nodded in agreement.
Tressa, strangely, did not.
"I… I dunno, guys. Stealing is wrong, no doubt about it, but he did give me back my journal… Maybe we can let him off the hook on one condition."
"Name it," I declared, looking the merchant square in the face. "Rotting in jail isn't exactly gonna help me find what I'm looking for."
"Tressa, I must implore you to reconsider," Cyrus pleaded with nervous eyes. "Making deals with criminals strikes me as a bad idea all around."
"Indeed," Ophilia spoke up.
"I mean, he doesn't seem that bad," Alfyn sighed. "You know, for a thief."
I smiled bitterly in response. The snow leopard started sniffing me, making me freeze. It then began licking me with its rough tongue. Disgusting...
"It woulde appeareth that Linde has taken a liking to the thief," the huntress declared matter-of-factly. "Strange as it is, mayhaps he is not as bad as he coulde be."
"Oh, dear gods above," I groaned, struggling against the big guy's grasp. "Does she always talk like that? Doesn she knoweth not how stupide she soundeth?"
"... On second thought, mayhap Linde woulde prefereth having him as a meal over a companion."
"H'aanit, don't be gruesome," Ophilia gasped, holding her heart.
"'Twas but a jape…"
"Alright, alright," Tressa called, getting everyone's attention. "Now then, Mr. Thief; you should know that stealing is wrong and that you shouldn't do it."
"I mean, no shit it's wrong."
"Language," Cyrus chided.
Shaking her head, Tressa continued. "However, we've already met once before and, while you were quite mean to me, I can tell that you're not completely a bad guy. You're just…"
"... Devilishly handsome?" I joked sardonically. "Handsomely devilish?"
"Wha - ?! I mean," Tressa coughed, tugging on the collar of her shirt. I saw the apothecary snicker as she did so. "N-no! What I was going to say is that, in spite of your unsavory deeds, you seem to be not completely horrible as a human being. Therefore, I'd like to offer you a formal invitation to join our little family!"
"I… what?" I asked incredulously. I just… Huh?
"Tressa," Cyrus warned, "I really don't think - "
"Professor Albright, please! Don't you think this would be a wonderful opportunity to study a real-life thief up close?"
"Well, I suppose when you put it that way…"
"What am I, a science experiment?" I snarked.
"I'm not entirely comfortable with this, Tressa," Ophilia began, "... but I respect your decision as leader."
"Seriously? You guys let a little girl run your crew?" I asked flatly, raising an eyebrow. "Next you're gonna tell me you have a team name or something."
"Hey, that's a great idea!" Tressa chirped with a grin.
"Oh, of all the… on second thought, I think prison might actually be the preferable outcome here. C'mon, big guy, take me to the gaol."
"No takesies-backsies, I hate that," Tressa argued. "We are still gonna need a name though. How about… The Fateful Eight?"
"Too on the nose," Cyrus criticized. "What about… The League of Extraordinary Warriors?"
"Nah, too copyright-y," Alfyn said.
"Wait a minute," I interrupted. "Eight? I thought there were only five of you in the party."
"Seven, actually," the huntress replied. "I am H'aanit. The burly man holden you is known as Olberic Eisenberg, and the lovely dancer with us is Primrose."
"No need for flattery, H'aanit," Primrose spoke up. "Still… thank you. I take it you enjoyed the show, Mr. Thief?"
"Honestly, I was too caught up in reading a stupid diary to notice much."
"Okay, rude," Tressa huffed, sticking out her tongue at me. "That being said, are you still willing to join us on our little adventures?"
"I mean, it's either that or going back to the slammer," I shrugged. "Sure won't be able to get what I need in there, so… ugh. Fine."
"Yahoo!" Tressa cheered as the others chuckled at her enthusiasm. "We're still gonna need to come up with an official team name though. In any case, welcome to the team, Fluffy!"
Alfyn practically howled with laughter as my cheeks burned. "Fluffy?! Ahahaha!"
"Okay," I snarled, "for starters, that is not my name. It's Therion, alright? Second, why do we even need a name?"
"Perhaps naming our group will allow us to form stronger bonds with each other," Olberic mused, letting go of me.
Now that I was free from his grip, I could have easily fled. Still… finding the dragonstones could prove troublesome. Maybe I could use these strange people as stepping stones to get what I need before slipping away in the dead of night…
"So! Any suggestions, Therion?" Tressa piped up, bringing me back into the conversation.
"Tch," I scoffed, folding my arms. "I don't suppose 'Merry Band of Assholes' is very high on the list?"
"Well. No need to be hurtful," Ophilia mumbled, rubbing her arm and looking away. Suddenly, I felt kinda guilty...
"Heh. You're funny, Fluffy," Alfyn chuckled, shaking his head. "I don't think that'll fly well with the locals, though…"
"How about," H'aanit proposed, "Thosen Who'de Seeketh to Purge - "
"No. No," I growled. "Anything but that."
As H'aanit sulked in silence, Tressa began forming an idea in her head before smiling.
"Ooh! I have a really good one," she exclaimed, hopping up and down like a child in a candy store. "Well, there's eight of us, right? And, in spite of us having our own paths to follow, we've somehow managed to be brought together and travel with each other, right?"
"I really don't like where this is going," I sighed.
"So," Tressa began, striking a stupid pose. "I propose that we hereby and forever call ourselves the Octopath Travelers!"
"Roll credits," I huffed. "Can I go now?"
"A splendid moniker, Tressa," Cyrus applauded. "All in favor, say 'I'."
"I," Alfyn nodded.
"I!" Ophilia cheered.
"I," H'aanit smiled.
"I think you're all insane, and that is by far the worst name I have ever heard for anything in the history of Orsterra."
"Shut up, Therion!" Tressa barked. "I'm the captain, and I say Octopath!"
"Yeah, but - "
"OCTOPATH!"
"Okay, geez," I sighed. "Octopath it is…"
"Yaaaay!" Tressa squealed, jumping up and down. Everyone smiled at this, even Olberic and Primrose.
"Yay, great. Now what?"
"I'm glad you asked, Therry," Tressa answered with a wink. "Let's get down to business!"
I'll admit it, there were definitely worse ways to start an adventure than by eating in a fine bar with seven strangers. The food was pretty good, and the ale even better. Just where the hell did these people find all this money anyway? Maybe sticking with them would be good for my pockets in the long run…
"So," Alfyn started, holding his mug. "An apothecary, a thief, a cleric, a dancer, a warrior, a merchant, a scholar, and a huntress all walk into a bar…"
"Gee, how original," I noted quietly before sipping my drink.
"Don't mind him, Alfyn," Ophilia stated. "Go on."
"... That was it, really," the apothecary chuckled nervously. "Truthfully, I've always kinda wanted to say that, haha…"
"Really now?" Cyrus asked, picking curiously at his mutton with a fork. "You just so happened to be saving that particular joke for a situation where you'd find yourself sharing dinner with seven other talented individuals?"
"Man, you can read me like a book, Professor!"
"Well, you're not exactly a full-blown novel, my medicinal companion."
"Oof. No need to be mean, now. That is Therion's job, after all!"
"You're damn right it is," I chuckled quietly.
"So, Therion," Ophilia said warily, "what brings you all the way to Noblecourt? Tressa said you were from Bolderfall."
"I was looking to surround myself with beautiful women and good mead," I quipped, causing her to blush. "Being blackmailed - now, that was just icing on the cake."
"Ha," she coughed before pausing to drink some of her water, "w-well then…"
"Keep an eye on this one, Ophilia," Olberic warned, staring me down. "I suspect that he's not above stealing more than just material possessions…"
"Geez. You steal one book and you're a criminal for life…"
"But you haven't stolen just a book, now have you?" Primrose prodded, raising an eyebrow and smirking.
"..."
"Hehe. I thought not."
"That reminds me," I commented, reaching into my pocket and pulling out a small pouch full of money. I'll never understand why they're called "leaves", but…
Shaking my head, I passed the pouch over to Tressa.
"Oh? What's this for?"
"That apple that went missing from your bag a few weeks ago," I smirked. "I figure that should be enough."
"Thou wouldst stealen an apple from a young merchant? For what reason?"
"Probably to look like even more of an asshole," Primrose giggled.
"Language, Primrose!"
"Oh, come off it, Cyrus!" Alfyn laughed. "A little more alcohol and you'd be swearin' like a sailor in no time flat!"
As the group continued to laugh and chat, my gaze shifted from the table to a nearby window. A crow sat on the branch of a nearby tree, peering inside. As I returned its steely gaze, the bird suddenly flew off, leaving a single black feather behind. Maybe it was an omen…
"... What a crock of shit."
In any case, this bunch of misfits was certainly an odd one, but I wasn't exactly bored when in their presence. In fact, I almost felt like I was having some measure of fun for some reason… heh. I really don't think they can be trusted, but they're certainly entertaining if nothing else. Maybe this won't be so bad after all…