Mel took a deep, calming breath as she stood outside the local Tavern in Peliad, trying to psych herself up to go inside. She didn't get nervous that often, mostly just before a big battle, but those situations seemed to pale in comparison to this. What stood before her was much more daunting in her eyes. You see, she was about to go on what she considered to be her first ever date.

Yes, you heard correctly. Mel Darkthrop had never been out on a date before. Sure, Edward had invited her to have dinner with him and his friends at the Boar's Head Tavern a couple of times, but she never considered those dates, mostly because she had never held any romantic feelings towards the prince. However, this time it was a completely different story.

It had only been a few weeks since she met Spook, but despite that, she had quickly formed a close bond with him. They had run into each other in town a couple of times, giving them the opportunity to get to know each other a bit better. He helped her and her friends find the animal village of Harakauna, and told her where to go to find a beanstalk. Somewhere along the line he ended up asking her if she would want to meet him at the tavern for a drink sometime. She didn't exactly remember how it had all happened, mostly because she was shocked by it.

Mel was reluctant at first, not because she didn't want to accept, but because she felt like she shouldn't be wasting time when she had a quest to complete. Should she really be focusing on herself when there a dangerous orb to be found, and Gyendal was on the loose? She didn't want to seem selfish, but the truth was that she hadn't been able to stop thinking about him ever since their first meeting. There was just something so attractive about him. She had never felt the way she did before, and although she would never admit it out loud, she was frightened by her feelings.

Yes, he was handsome, but looks had never really been of concern to her. Aside from that, He was intelligent, and knew a lot about a lot of different things, despite the fact that he was an orphan and a thief. He was definitely sneaky, and cunning as well, and she had always liked those traits. Perhaps that was just because she used to be a thief as well. He was also quite charming, but not unpleasantly so, like many other men she had met in the past. Edward obviously being one of them.

Finally, there seemed to be something dark and mysterious about him, and that piqued her interest. She had always been drawn to things that were dark and mysterious. It wasn't exactly a good trait to have, for it was that exact trait that had put the world in danger. It was that exact trait that had caused her to give the orb to Gyendal, who was the very embodiment of dark and mysterious. It was because of that one mistake that she was hesitant whether to trust someone like that.

Eventually, they came to a point in their quest that left them unsure of what to do next. The Stonetooth Cave System was filled with locks, traps and puzzles, proving that her evil ancestor had gone to great lengths to ensure that no one would find his most dangerous creation; The Orb of Death. They had recently come across a lion statue that shot lasers out of its eyes, destroying anything in its path. They all knew that the orb was probably somewhere through the passage behind it, but none of them were willing to risk their lives by trying to pass through.

Mel had a feeling that Spook might know what to do, and so with a bit of prompting from Yvette and June, Mel finally accepted the offer to meet him for a drink. They managed to get her to wash her face and put on some clean clothes for the occasion, but that was the extent of it. Luckily for her, they didn't even attempt to get her into a dress, which she was grateful for. By now everyone in the group knew that Mel hated dresses.

"Here goes nothing," Mel said to herself, as she finally pulled open the tavern door and stepped inside.

It didn't take her long to spot the shaggy black haired thief, who was seated at the bar with his back to the door. Looking around, she was surprised to find that it was actually quite empty. Aside from Spook and herself, the only other customers were a group of three men, who were sitting at a table in the corner, playing a game of cards. She found this peculiar, seeing as the place had been packed the first time she came in to look for clues on the Orb of Death's whereabouts.

"Where is everyone today?" Mel asked, walking up to the bar and taking a seat next to Spook. "It's usually bust at this time of day."

Spook took a swig of his ale before turning to face her. "I'm not entirely sure, but I think they might be in the town square. I saw a bunch of people assembled out there earlier."

Mel nodded her head in understanding. That would definitely explain the lack of customers. June had told her earlier that there was a group of travelers who came every few months to share pieces of news from the places they had visited. Edward had mentioned that he might go with June to listen in. He was curious to know how Lydia was managing while he was gone.

"I'm glad you decided to accept my offer, Mel," Spook added. "I haven't seen you around town much lately. Have you found what you were looking for yet?"

Mel shook her head. "We're close, but we've reached another road block."

At that, Spook began to chuckle. "Let me guess, you want my help again."

"Maybe, but first I want to relax for a bit and have a drink with you."

He smirked, obviously pleased to hear that. As they waited for their drinks, they talked for a while. Spook told her about some of the places he had visited, and explained that there wasn't always enough work for him in Peliad, and so he would often go work in different towns. Mel understood why he did that. After all, the town was full of thieves. She knew all too well how competitive thieves could be.

Over the course of an hour, the two of them managed to consume three tankards of ale each. However, they both seemed to hold their own well enough. It was clear to see that neither of them were strangers to alcohol. Mel could honestly say that she couldn't remember ever getting so drunk that it affected her terribly. It made her feel a bit more confident and bold, but she never noticed any other side effects.

"So, how can I be of assistance to you this time?" Spook asked, throwing a money bag on the counter to pay for his and Mel's drinks.

Mel told him about the lion statue and how it was blocking their way, and she noticed that he seemed to recognize the description. "Have you heard of it? Do you have an idea as to how we can disable it?"

He nodded his head. "People used to use them to protect things like underground vaults and tombs a long time ago. They're not common anymore, but I have dealt with them before."

"Does that mean you'll help me?" Mel asked.

"For a price," he replied.

She raised an eyebrow at him. "And what is it that you want?"

His lips curled up into a mischievous smirk, "You."

Mel's eyes widened when she heard that. She didn't know exactly what he meant by that, but she could only imagine that he meant it in the romantic sense. She wasn't entirely sure if she was ready to be in a relationship of any sort, but she did like Spook a lot, and felt that maybe she could be persuaded with a bit of time.

"I don't think I'm ready to give myself completely over to you just yet, but I can give you something else," she said.

Then, before he could say anything else, Mel grabbed him by the tunic, pulling his head down to her level before capturing his lips in a bold yet passionate kiss. She felt him become rigid with shock at the sudden gesture, but it only lasted for a few moments before he regained the ability to move. In the blink of an eye, he had wrapped his arms firmly around her waist, pulling her into him.

Mel had never kissed a man before, but she had observed many couples over the years. A part of her had been curious, but at the same time a part of her had also been grossed out by it. As you can imagine, she thought the idea of exchanging saliva with someone was disgusting as a child. However, now that she was grown up, and had someone that she actually wanted to kiss, she could finally understand why couples loved doing it so much. It was a particularly pleasing experience.

The kiss made her realize a few things. First of all, she realized that she wanted him, even if she wasn't quite willing to admit it out loud yet. Second of all, she realized that Spook was much stronger than he looked. In fact, he was so strong that his grip on her waist was starting to hurt a bit. However, she made no attempt to break away from him. Third of all, she realized that the alcohol might have affected her a bit more than she thought. Heaven knows she would have never made such a bold move otherwise.

Eventually the two of them did pull apart to let their lungs refill with air, and as they stood there, gasping for breath, they looked into each other's eyes, and at that moment, both of them knew that their lives would never be the same.