He struts towards me with a stiff gait, his wrist twisting the crooked blade into an upwards swing. It's easy enough to back peddle away from it, and to bring the flat of Edwards sword upwards, blocking the downward strike. I can feel his arms tremor and shake, his body pressing further into the blade, the pressure mounting. Is he trying to overpower me, then? Cause that's not going to work. He's caught me off guard once, and it's not likely to happen again.

The sound of metal grinding on metal fills the air as I twist my wrist, diverting his swing into the wood below. I take a swing at him, but he recovers quickly, his movements stiff yet fast, the brown scraps of his cloak almost seem to curl around the tip of the sword as he leaps away. He seems stiff, unnaturally so, but fast when he needs to be. The strength of his strike isn't as weighty as I thought it'd be, and he looks rather thin, too, maybe he's rather light? A strange mix for a stranger.

What's stranger is the thunderous thumping of my heart, something heavy weighing down on my chest as the blood rushes around my skull. The closer that the bastard is to me, the heavier the feeling gets. Something's wrong, something unnatural, I just can't tell what.

'Mn, tell me about it. Just stay focused on what's happening, I'll be the eyes in the back of your skull.'

My chin dips into a grim feeling nod, lips pursed together as he approaches with a swift stride. I duck underneath another swing of his, the twist of his wrist barely managing to block a hit of my own. We struggle for a moment, metal sliding across metal, forcing both of our blades upwards. My grip tightens as I bring the hilt down onto his face, his skull snapping backwards, body stumbling away. He trashes and twists, his sword arm swinging wildly through the air, his spare hand pressing upwards into the void, sinking into the black.

He still feels pain, then. That's good, that's probably something I can use to my advantage.

I crouch underneath his wild swings, lunging towards him, arms curling around his thighs. I'm lucky that this seems to be a rather light person, easy enough to lift into the air above me, I can still feel him waving around like a mad man up there, can't hesitate for too long. I lean back, grunting aloud as he continues to struggle, swinging his writhing body to drive him into the wood. The man slams into the ground, a sickening sounding crack echoing throughout the room, borderline bouncing off of the wood.

"Who the hell are you, answer me dammit!" I say with a growl as I back away from him, a sneer forcing its way onto my face, jabbing the tip of the sword towards the body. His chest rises and falls slowly, the sound of his wheezing seems to ricochet off of the walls. He looks… rather hurt, from what I can see anyways, it's difficult to tell. A pang of discomfort rings in my chest, lingering for a moment before shrugging it off. I sure hope it's nothing permanent.

'What are you doing? Why are you hesitating and thinking when he's vulnerable? Now's your chance to end this.'

I know, but I need him alive. If he knows who I am, then I need to squeeze out whatever I can.

'We both know what the real reason is, Zeke.'

Tch! It's not that, definitely not that. I know what I'm doing, just have some faith in me. I need him alive. His body shimmers for a moment, the wheezing that comes from him intensifying before suddenly falling silent.

That pressure in my chest weighs ever heavier on me as he slowly stands back up, hunched over and stumbling as he does so. His grip on the blade tightens.

"Little, knight." He says with a wheeze, body shuddering before standing upright. The hairs on the back of my neck stands on end, his chest rising and falling with laboured breaths. That deep seated feeling of something wrong buries itself into my heart, eyes glued to his shaking, outstretched arm.

"You don't have to do this." I mutter, keeping my eyes trained onto the being. He doesn't respond, but the oppressive aura that surrounds him continues to intensify, weighing down onto my lungs. He doesn't move like someone who's accustomed to battle, nor can he take a hit very well. Either he's not accustomed to fighting like this, or he isn't used to it at all. He does know that I don't want to do this, right? Why is he choosing to do this?

Maybe he doesn't have a choice, and this is the only option for him available.

I lean backwards, another swing narrowly missing my face, I can feel the air whip around the tip. He seems to become more desperate with his swings, his limbs shaking as he stumbles forward, sluggish swings and hasty jabs missing entirely, or sliding off of Edwards sword.

This fight feels so pointless, my heart isn't really into this, and he doesn't look like he's making any progress.

'You really are planning on letting him live, aren't you?'

He's worth more to me alive than dead, and if he's just unconscious, then I can pry something out of him when he wakes up.

'When? You mean if.'

I know what I said. I'll end this quick, for the both of us. I hope this doesn't hurt him too much. A flare of blue clouds my vision, the embrace of that familiar chill smothering my left arm.

He steps away, pulling his arm backwards with the flick of a wrist before lunging into me, his feet leaving the ground as he leaps forwards, the obsidian tip glittering in the dimming, meagre light.

I'm sorry about this, and I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me.

I smother the cold that wriggles in my gut as best I can, as well as the suffocating feeling that weighs on my chest, dipping into the man's desperate stab. The shrill squealing of metal rings in my ears as the jagged steel grinds against the flat of my blade, sliding off harmlessly, despite the awkward position I force my wrist into. I try to keep the magical flare that runs through my body as tempered as possible, swinging my body into his, driving my fist into his squishy gut.

His head lurches forward from the impact, skull mashing into my shoulder before bouncing off of my fist. His sword clatters against the wood, as does the rest of his body, limply rolling across the floor before coming to a dead stop.

The blue that engulfs my vision dissipates, my sight turning town to look over my arm. Blue wisps linger around it for a while longer before finally disappearing. Silence reigns the ruined house, the pressure that lingered in my chest slowly ebbing away.

The body doesn't move.

'So much for keeping him alive.'

"Shit!" I hurry my way over to the still body, the sound of rushing blood filling my ears as I drop the sword beside me. I kneel down beside him, my jaw clenched shut as I look over my hands.

Fuck fuck fuck, what am I going to do? I didn't- Oh god oh no ohmygod.

Pain lances through my skull, a grunt slipping past my lips as I hold a hand to my temple, kneading it vigorously.

'God dammit, stop panicking you shit. Get him off of his back, slowly mind you, and check for a pulse. Can't believe I have to help you with this.'

I stomach down the building bile with an uncomfortable swallow, nodding to myself, taking in a deep gasp of air. Alright, okay, just, calm down a little. I softly grip the motionless man's side with shaky hands, tentatively nudging him at first. No response, that's, I guess he can't fight now at least, right?

I slowly, gently, nudge him onto his side, keeping that same care as I lower him down onto his back. Thank god he's light, I just hope I'm not aggravating any wounds.

'Externally? Maybe not, but internally? That's another story entirely. Do you remember how to check for a pulse, or do I need to guide you through that too?'

I feel my lips press into a thin line, the thundering in my chest a consistent rampage, shaky hands hovering over the still body. He sighs in my skull.

'Tch, you're lucky I'm helping you through this. Easiest way is to put your fingers to the side of where his windpipe ought to be, might want to take your gloves off for this.'

I do as he suggests, dropping the gloves off to the side, hesitating for a moment before pushing my fingers into the void. A shiver runs up my spine as the tingling darkness engulfs my hand. I press further into it, my fingers pressing against something cold.

Something made of metal.

'That's not normal.'

I wrap my fingers around the metal, a cold heavy thing, the edges of it digging into my bare hands. I loathe the feeling.

'Get his hood off.'

My outstretched hand twitches, hesitating for a moment before grabbing the hem of the hood. I'm sure you have this on for a reason, but I need this off for now. I yank it back, the obscuring black shimmering before falling alongside it.

A small furred face stares back at me, eyes closed shut. Black fur streak down the man's cheeks, long orange hair splayed against the floor. Specks of red mar the orange fur around his mouth and nose.

My fingers tighten around the heavy collar, the unclean steel continuing to press into my flesh. There's things scratched into the metal, lines morphed into odd shapes, occasionally flickering a deep blue.

Rage builds up inside my chest, a snarl crawling past my lips. Who sent a fucking slave to do their dirty work for them?

That's what this collars for isn't it? It's a mind control collar, that's what the feeling was, and why it disappeared after our little scuffle. The pressure came from this disgusting thing, that's why he didn't let up until the end, he didn't have a choice. How fucking revolting. If I find the bastard who did this...

The red hot rage that burns my chest turns cold quickly enough, leaving nothing but chilly embers behind, lips dipping into a frown as I look over his face. Gods, he looks so young, no wonder he wasn't good at fighting, he barely looks older than Mabel. He's not a man, he's a boy.

Oh god, I just beat the shit out a child.

Did I just kill a kid?

My vision blurs, throat constricting as I let go of the kid, the shake in my hands returning with a vengeance. Oh god oh nonononon-

'Snap out of it!'

It's a struggle to hear him over the buzzing that clouds my skull, but it's enough to break me out of it, even for just a moment. I squeeze my eyes shut, forcing my breathing to slow, clutching my hands together, anything to dull the shaking.

'You're really cut up over this, aren't you?'

How the fuck are you calm about this? He's so young, why is he here? Why is he being forced to do this? I could've-

'Zeke.'

A cold wave washes over me, a shiver running up my spine. It's a strange feeling, but it's a soothing one, enough for my racing heart to slow its beating and for my eyelids flickering open. Blue wisps fade in and out at the edges of my vision, the shaking in my hands slowing down along with it all.

'I can feel what you feel, we'll get through this. Check his pulse.'

I swallow the thick feeling in my throat, reaching back down to the boy. My fingers slide under the cold steel, sliding over his windpipe, pressing into his neck. My heart races, muscle tensing.

There's a faint pulse, it presses against my fingers. It's faint, but it's there.

Relief floods my body, lips twitching up into a smile as laughter slips through my throat, spare hand running through my hair. Thank god he's alive, Jesus Christ.

'For now, at least. Congratulations, you managed to not kill someone, what do you plan on doing now?'

I uh, I'm not sure, I'm just basking in relief for now. I pull my hand away from the kid, rummaging around in my head for something, any idea. I could always bring him back to the barracks, I'm sure that the bastard captain would love to hear that his little bait got something out of it. Would it be safe for him though, or comfortable? I can't imagine that a prison cell is anything but awful.

'Why are you concerned about the wellbeing of someone who attacked you?'

He's not in the right mind, that much is clear. I won't let myself be angry at someone who had no choice.

'To call you a bleeding heart would be an appropriate term, and a more literal one if you keep this up.'

Maybe, maybe not. I'm not being blindly sympathetic, mind control is an abhorrent disgusting thing that should never exist. I know that it does exist here, this world's all types of fucked up, but I loathe it all the same. I don't have it in my heart to hate someone like this, their choice was torn from them

'Tch, fine then, just don't get us into shit. So, are you dragging him to the captain?'

I'm not sure, I really don't want to.

'Where else could he go? Please don't tell me you're considering bringing him to Anna's, that's a bloody awful idea.'

I was considering it at first. Anna could help me tear this collar off, it's magic, and she knows a fair bit about that. But I won't, I don't want to risk anything there, not when Mabel's so close. I grunt to myself, whacking my knuckles against the side of my skull. Fuck, I might have to bring him to the barracks. I really don't want to, but it's the safer choice for everyone else.

Sorry kid, I hope you forgive me for this too. How should I lift him up? He's a light kid, I could just throw him over my shoulder, but I don't want to risk breaking anything. Is Gerome still around? He should be, we could share the load half and half. Maybe I could lay him down flat on one of the tables, to keep his back straight? They're not very stable, I could break it off real easy. Magic? No, fuck no.

God, what a terrible night so far, I just wanna sleep.

The hair on the back of my neck stands on end, muscles suddenly tensing.

'Behind you!'

The world turns into a blur as I whip around, grabbing the sword and raising it to my chest. The clang of metal striking metal fills my ears, a dagger bouncing off of the flat of the blade. Cold and dark steel twirls through the air before its tip digs into the wood, standing upright.

"Look at you, as spry as ever!" A voice rings out, jovial and proud, the sound of the dull clap of hands ringing after it. "But that shouldn't be too much of a surprise, no?"

I keep my mouth shut and keep my eye trained onto the newcomer, a figure clad in black sashaying across the room before taking a seat. The old wooden chair creaks underneath him, especially as he leans backwards, the back of it resting against a table. Where the hell did he come from?

"Come on, no excitement, not a word? Here I thought you'd be pleased to see me!" He chimes up with an almost exasperated tone, a gloved hand held to his chest in mock offense.

"Who are you?" I question him, forcing myself onto two feet, gripping the sword as I hold it in front of me. He gasps, the hand already to his chest clutching at cloth.

"You don't remember me, Little Knight? Was our time so meaningless, does your memory not wish to stoop so low to the point where it would remember me? I'm hurt, honestly!" He pushes himself off of the chair, arms held outwards. The colour of his cloak is a deep black, as if gorging the already meagre light, clinging to his body. The crystals strapped to the collar of his cloak glow with an unnatural blue light, a blue mist stirring within. The shadow that hides his visage doesn't seem like a natural one, not in the slightest.

There's a buzzing in my skull, it niggles and squirms at the base of my neck.

Something flashes in my mind, the glimpse of a memory, the beckoning of an outstretched dark glove.

"For the future!" He cheers in my skull, voice filled with mirth and excitement.

"Stranger?"

"Bingo! I guess I was important enough to remember, huh?" Despite how boisterous he sounds, there's… something else underneath it, underlying resentment of some kind. The gems in his cloak shimmering along with his movements, a hand resting on his hip. "It's quite the surprise to see you around here of all places though, why are you here?"

"I could ask you the same thing." My heart races as I stare into his face, or at least, where it should be anyways. Bloody illusion magic, bloody magic. Why is he here, why now?

"Can't I visit a friend? I did miss you after all." He holds a hand back to his chest, almost mockingly.

"Perhaps you'll forgive my paranoia, then." I don't trust him, and he doesn't seem to know about my unique circumstances.

"But it's the truth, honest! I heard along the grapevine about someone sticking their nose where it didn't belong, and when someone mentioned it wasn't a human, I just had to investigate. Here I thought it was a rather loyal slave, but here you are! Although, I suppose 'slave' is still an apt enough term, no?"

"I'm a slave to no one." I growl, my fur bristling. Annoyance stirs in my chest as the bastard laughs.

"Oh but you are, aren't you? There's a certain someone that'd you'd give it all for, isn't there?" His cocky voice lingers for a moment at the end, an outstretched hand reaching to me. I can't see his face, but I sure as shit can feel the bastards smirk.

'Hah, he isn't wrong.'

Aren't you meant to be on my side?

'It's not like I haven't ribbed you for dumb shit before.'

"I've made my choice, I've been given something to strive towards. I'm owned by no one, I'm not a slave."

"Do you really think that, little knight? Perhaps in the technical sense, but what if your choice is to be a slave to love? Perhaps there's no legal control over your head, but control over your heart, your mind?" Cold clutches at my heart, he has to be talking about her, isn't he? Not Mabel, but the lady. I need to get a foot into the conversation, I don't want him controlling and pushing it about.

"What are you a slave to, then?" I ask, squeezing my hand around the hilt. He hums, a hand moving up to sink into the dark, to cup his chin perhaps?

"The truth." He replies after a while, his once animated voice sounding oddly hollow. A strange feeling silence reigns the room for a moment, arms dropping to the side. "You know what I'm talking about, don't you?"

My head tilts to the side, brows knitting together as I stare. What the hell is he on about? Do you have any idea?

'I have nothing, but he doesn't seem like the most stable of people.'

"No, no no no, you don't. How odd, I always thought you did, did you not see, or did you refuse to see? Perhaps, it was only to me?" He mutters underneath his breath, his voice half muffled. Something about how he acts seems strange, and off putting. I remember the man being a lot more composed than this, a cockier man that pushed the boundaries. He seems a tad unhinged at the moment, my ears straining to hear whatever he's talking about underneath his breath, though I can't decipher anything from his mumbles.

What happened to him? There's a burning sensation in my chest, the grip on the sword tightening. Stirring behind me brings my attention away, neck twisting to look down to it. The kid stirs, a soft sigh barely audible over the other man's ramblings.

"Ah! So the fox finally awakens, he was always a resilient one." I grit my teeth and ignore the bastard, kneeling beside the keidran, slipping my fingers underneath the collar as I look over him. His chest rises and falls steadily, albeit a tad slow. I can feel the beating of his heart, pulsating around my fingers. Relief floods my body once more, a delighted feeling sigh escaping my lips. Thank god he's alright.

"Is this kid yours, Stranger?" My mouth turns sour as I look away from the kid, teeth grinding against each other.

"Naturally, I've a penchant for finding good ones, after all." I can feel the blood draining from my hand with how tight I'm squeezing the hilt, that red hot rage building up inside my chest once more. I stand upright, even as the man continues to speak. "Those with potential, those with talent, either have their uses."

A shudder runs through my body, fire flooding my veins. Something about his voice, about how cocky and casual he sounds, I loathe it, I hate him.

"Ohohohoh, would you look at that? I haven't seen such anger in your eyes for a very long time, I'm honoured, truly!" The elated tone of his voice just makes me hate him even more, as does his clapping. "Alright, you've had your fun kicking a keidran around, haven't you? Get up, Fox."

The pressure inside squeezes my heart, looking away from the Stranger, down to the kid. He slowly drags himself onto his feet, stumbling before straightening himself. Then, he finally opens his eyes, a half lidded stare that ignores mine.

I've never seen a pair of pink eyes before.

And I've never seen eyes so dead, so inattentive, his gaze is more a lifeless husk than anything.

The fire inside burns.

"Get over here Fox." I can barely hear the Strangers demand over the blood rush, though the fox does as he says, the soft patter of paws against the floor

Disgusting, abhorrent thing.

I won't allow it.

I reach out and grab the fox, tugging him by his cloak away from the bastard and onto his ass.

"Oh? Do you want more of him? It's not like you to play with your foo-"

"Shut it." I bark through gritted teeth, standing in front of the boy myself, blade tip directed to his chest. My seething breathing reigns the room, on the verge of being contorted into a growl.

"You're not the Little Knight, are you?" His sudden question takes the wind out of my sails, staring at the man with a raised brow as my grip loosens. I don't respond, though his uproarious laughter forces a flinch from me, my ears twitching.

"I knew something was amiss! The Little Knight would've beat the little boy to a pulp the moment he dared strike him at the very least, he wouldn't hold himself back, just to then stand in front of him! The Little Knight wouldn't waste time to save someone else, to put his neck out that wasn't HER from the very start!" His shrill, almost manic sounding voice rings in my ears, he chokes and sputters mid laughter, keeling over himself. I keep my mouth shut, even as my nerves twitch. He stops after a while, a hollow sigh coming from him. "Does all this amuse you, do you think that this is fun for me?"

"What are yo-"

"Silence! I'm not speaking to you, Not Knight!" He screeches, jabbing a digit towards me, the other sinking into his hood. He shuffles about, his hood dipping backwards, as if looking to the ceiling. He doesn't make a sound, nor does he move, just standing still in pure silence

'Fantastic, he's gone mad.'

I wonder how long he's been like this, it's… kind of sad to watch. Did I do this to him?

'Hell if I know, must've lost his mind for a while though. Can't imagine that it'll get any better for him, especially now that he's found you.'

"Ah, they're silent, they're always silent, they never appreciate me." The Stranger mutters, his body shuddering.

'Lunatic it is, fantastic, how is it that you attract the more interesting sort of people?'

No idea, universal karma maybe? God, this entire situation went off the rails, hasn't it?

"Not Knight!" He suddenly bellows, a finger still jabbing my direction."You are one who shoulders the visage of another, but for what purpose?"

"Why should I tell you anything, Stranger?"

"Why? Because I'm curious of course! You're so much more different than the Little Knight, you're a new piece in this little game, and that makes everything so much more exciting!" He both looks and sounds so animated, his arms waving about as he speaks, he sounds so genuinely excited about all of this. Anger flares in my chest, a game, a fucking game!? Is this some sort of sick joke?

"Christ, you're a mad man." I try to smother the anger, though I can still feel it leak out through my voice.

"Me? Mad? Of course I am! I'm mad because I know the truth of my life, and I embrace it wholeheartedly, because despite how much I loathe it, I believe in it. I know that it'll end, perhaps in the far flung future, perhaps tomorrow, but I don't care. All that matters to me is here and now, and I will live my life to its fullest." He clasps his hands together as he finishes, leaning forward, ever so slightly. "That's why I'm mad, Not Knight, I'm mad because I know my purpose, thanks to her. I thought you the same, but clearly that's not the case, do you know your purpose?"

The silence is deafening, and I can't help but look away, stirring in my thoughts.

"I don't know, not entirely. But I don't need to know all of it to know that I want to stand up for those who can't, and for those I care about." I finally answer with a huff, looking back to the man and staring into the darkness. In truth, I don't think I've given it that much thought, but I want to try my best, as much as I can anyhow.

"Heh, heheh, hahahahah!" He throws his head back, laughter filling the room once more. It's not as shrill or manic as before, but it's still unnerving, I almost feel insulted from it. "Haaah, forgive me, Not Knight. Hearing that from your lips is hysterical. If that's what you believe your purpose to be, then let it be such! Although, that does mean you want to take the Fox off of me, correct?"

I nod, I haven't forgotten about the boy after all. I twist my neck for a quick glance, just to look over him. He sits still, patient and unmoving, legs crossed with hands in his lap. His half lidded stare still looks onwards, unfeeling and emotionless. At least the pressure on my chest is manageable, if nothing else.

"To use your own words, he 'can't stand up for himself', can he? Do you plan on trying to convince me to let him go, to buy him off of me, to kill me for him?"

"Any of those, should they work." I hate this man, but I'd love to avoid death if I can.

'Do you really think you could kill someone again, Zeke?'

I don't know, and I'd like to live without having to do it, but the odds of that happening in this world seems unlikely.

"Hah! Death it is, then, that's the far more fun option, don't you think? A battle to the end, a life and death situation really gets the blood russian." I already figured that this would happen, no matter how much I wished for it not to. I tighten my grip on the blade, ignoring the swirling of my gut. He holds a hand to the air, a single finger pointing to the ceiling. "But! Not here, and certainly not now. A fight here in this dinky little house isn't a worthwhile end for either of us!"

'What?'

"...you want to hold this thing off until later?"

"Correct! There's not enough excitement in the air, there's not enough stakes for it, the stage hasn't been set!" I resist the urge to sigh, though it's pretty damn close, pinching the bridge of my nose with a spare hand instead.

"Alright, do you plan on handing over the fox then?"

"Of course not, he's a part of the stakes after all, a reason for you to keep your drive going. Unless there's something else you want to offer up?" He trails off with the twirl of his wrist, hand held out to me.

The fox's small body lays amidst the mound, covered on all sides by the blankets and sheets alike.

"No." A shiver runs up my spine as I speak, giving the poor boy another glance. I'm sorry kid, I really am, but I don't want to risk her. "I don't trust you, not in the slightest."

"I don't expect you to, it is a risk, and risks are fun, aren't they?"

No, not in this case, though I figure he'd disagree.

"Get out of here, prick." I growl, shoving Edwards sword back into its sheath. I loathe this decision, but I'd rather not risk it.

'I'm surprised you haven't tried to attack him here and now.'

I want to, I really do, but I know nothing about him or how he fights, just that he can use magic. I pray that he knows about basitins general magic resistance so he doesn't bother to use it on me, otherwise I'm fucked.

"You're so sour, very well then. Come here, Fox." My chest burns as the boy stands upright, walking past me with that stiff gait of his. It hurts to restrain myself, but I have to. He stands beside the Stranger, the collar around his neck shimmering with a deep blue as he swivels around. It hurts even more to see his stare. "There we go, that wasn't so hard, was it?"

I grunt, a heated huff blowing through my nose, the grip on the hilt tightening.

"Aw, don't give me that look!"

"When do I get to kick you around?"

"So hasty, why don't you want to let all this simmer for a while? Is it because of the boy?"

"Mn." The Stranger chuckles, planting a hand atop the kids head and ruffling it. It looks far too rough to be friendly.

"Don't you worry, Not Knight, what happens to him will be in your hands, in one way or another." I don't like the way he says that, not at all. The Stranger raises a hand, a deep blue light engulfing it. "Until next time, I know you won't disappoint!"

The blue twists and twirls as it snakes down his arm, covering the both of them, like a thick smog. He snaps his fingers, and the magic intensifies for a moment before disappearing entirely, taking the two of them with it. There's no bright light, no ceremonious display.

They're gone.

I sigh to myself, running a hand through my hair, gods what a mess. I lean down and snatch up my gloves, quickly throwing them on. That's not exactly how I expected tonight to go, not at all, I just wanted to get food dammit. My gaze sticks to the floor for a while longer, looking over the dagger.

...I'll bring that along with me, just in case. It slips in my pocket easily enough, but I really ought to get a sheath for it, I don't want it carving up the insides of my cloak. I feel like I'm forgetting somethi- oh, right.

"Gerome! Are you still hanging around here?" I call out to the merchant as I waltz across the room. I might as well grab the bag of coins now, better sooner rather than later, even if Gerome isn't likely to forget about it. The clamouring of boots against wood echoes through the backside of the house, as does tapping of coin against coin, passing the hefty bag from hand to hand. The merchant's head pops out from a door frame, concern plain on his face, drops of sweat beading his forward.

"Is all good now?"

"We're fine, probably, did you hear all of that?" He lets out a relieved sounding sigh before coming into the room himself, an awkward smile on his face.

"Is ah, very eventful night, no?" I hum to myself, tossing the sack of coins over to him. He clamours to catch it, but he manages anyway, without spillage too.

"Tell me about it. I imagine that the captain got what he wanted, right?"

"Da, will be very glad to hear of all this."

"Good for him." I sigh to myself, digging hands into my pockets. God, I'm so bloody tired, I want to sleep god dammit.

"What does young Zeke plan to do now?"

"I'm going to Anna's, I'll catch up with everyone in the morning. After bringing you to a more savoury part of town, that is." I answer, as much as I'd love to just go to Anna's immediately, I don't want Gerome to be walking around alone at night, especially not tonight. The merchant loves that answer, a jovial grin creeping up on his face as he walks up to me, wrapping an arm around my shoulders.

"Bahahah, Zeke is good friend! Many thanks for helpings tonight."He cheers, the hold around my neck tightening. I know it's in good conscious, so I shrug it off, slipping away from the jovial man. My eyes move down to the sack of coins, just for a moment. It wasn't really useful tonight, was it?

"What were the coins meant to be used for?" I ask. Gerome looks rather bashful, a hand rubbing the back of his neck.

"Was meant to be used for, ah, encouragement with answering some questions." I let out a snort of laughter, rolling my eyes. Talk about useless.

'I'm not remotely surprised.'

Neither am I. Our time here's up, I want to get out of this house, preferably before it falls on top of us.

…

I'm beyond grateful for a silent, uneventful walk.

The door swings shut, the latch clicking into place soon afterwards. I don't know why Anna still left it unlocked, I guess she expected me to come by much sooner, or people really don't come over this way.

My brain feels fuzzy.

'It's always fuzzy in here, I'll tell you that much.'

I don't even have the energy to bite back at the bastard, humming and dragging myself across the floor instead. The call of bed is a strong one indeed.

The door to my room swings open, stumbling into the room, I can't even bother to close it shut behind me. I slip the bag off of me, hitting the ground with a thud, gloves and cloak joining soon after.

'Won't the knife cut up your pocket?'

Dunno, maybe, too tired to care. I ignore his groaning, my lips twitching upwards as I approach the bed.

She still sleeps, curled into a ball, still surrounded on all sides by blankets and sheets.

It's adorable. I don't have the heart to wake her, even to slide a blanket out underneath her.

'It's going to be cold.'

I can stomach it for a night. I gently lower myself onto the bed, skirting around the sides of the circle of blankets, drooping eyelids already obscuring my sight. Despite the comfort of being around here, uncertainty still stirs in my chest.

I can't let anything happen to her, or to the people I want to care for.

And to do that, I need to prepare, I need to know more.