A Day of Unwinding
"Iris—I mean, Alice-sama, please don't run off! Even though that man isn't here right now I'm sure there are others who are just as troublesome and uncouth as he is wandering about."
"I'm sorry, Claire. I'm just so excited to be out of the castle—I mean, the shop. Look, there's something happening over there; let's take a look!"
"Alice-sama!" Rain said, running after her.
Watching them run off, I sighed heavily and then wandered over.
A small crowd was formed around two individuals: a burly man who stood with arms crossed and another man with blonde hair and red eyes. Wait, this man—
"Oi, you drunk, you need to pay for that!" the burly man said.
"Hey, hey, Oji-san, didn't I already say it's been paid for? I properly compensated you," the blonde-haired man replied, waving a bottle of what I assumed to be an alcoholic beverage.
"You talking about this I.O.U?! Don't be ridiculous, you layabout! I can't run my shop on stupid slips like this!"
"What are you going on about, huh? That slip is a hundred percent good for redemption; it's backed by the um…what was it again? Ah right, the oh so illustrious House of Dustiness."
"Eh? House Dustiness?"
What a farce. Hearing such blatant lies and claims, I couldn't keep calm anymore. "Quit your lying you leech!" I yelled, pushing through the crowd. "There's no way nobles would pay for your tab, much less one as respectable and notable as theirs!"
The blonde-haired delinquent raised a brow and then angrily turned towards me. "And who the—" Seeing who I was, his jaw dropped. "A-Alright, Oji-san, I'll pay it later—just put it on my tab!" Then he quickly dashed off.
"Hey!" Me and the burly man yelled simultaneously. After sharing a quick glance at one another, Iris-sama and Rain walked up to the man.
"Excuse me, sir," Iris-sama said, "will this be enough to cover your losses?" She brandished a bag of coinage—one that was certainly worth more than a commoner's average earning.
The man grabbed the bag, and after briefly inspecting it, he gave Iris-sama an astounded look. "Ahem. I don't know where you got this money from young lady, but yes, it's certainly more than enough to cover that drunkard's tab. Although, to be honest, I feel a little bad having you pay for something you shouldn't."
"Worry not, citizen," I interjected, "that man shall be brought to justice. We'll make him pay his dues."
"Ah, well…I'm not sure who you guys are, but you don't need to worry about him; he's somewhat of a known trouble-maker around town. I'll just file a complaint to the police and they should take care of the rest; that being said, I'm pretty sure they're fed up with him as well." The man sighed heavily.
"Is he that much trouble?" Iris-sama asked.
"That man? He often gets into fights and arguments with random people about the smallest things, freeloads like you wouldn't believe, and is drunk the majority of that time. In all honesty, this town's inhabitants all have their quirks—but even amongst the rowdy ones, he's a shining example of someone with a rotten personality."
"You hear that, Rain, Claire?" Iris-sama remarked, turning to us with hopeful eyes. "It seems like there's a need for us to expend some justice here."
"Indeed," I said, nodding.
"Hold on, you two," Rain interjected. "Perhaps it's best if we leave such matters to the local authorities; it doesn't sound like the things this man is doing really warrants our attention or intercession."
"Rain," I said, "it's the duty of the gentry to dispense proper etiquette and behavior to the ones below us. Though I may agree with your suggestion to some extent, I can't just sit by and let that man do such incorrigible things in I— Ahem…Alice-sama's presence."
Rain sighed. "I suppose if it's something you're adamant on, Claire-sama, who am I to disagree?"
"Precisely, Rain. Now let us be off."
After searching around the town for the better part of an hour, we came up empty.
"Tch." I clicked my tongue. "Where could that man have run off to?"
"Claire, Rain." Iris-sama bid us over.
"Yes, Iri— Alice-sama?"
"I think we should take a bit of a rest."
"That sounds like a good idea, Alice-sama," Rain remarked. "What do you say, Claire-sama?"
"If Iri— Ahem, Alice-sama proposed it, I'm more than fine with the suggestion."
"Good. Let's head over to that place over there, then," Iris-sama said, pointing at a large building.
"That place?" Rain said. "I'm fairly sure that's this town's Adventurer's Guild."
"Adventurer's Guild? I see, a den of reprobates and questionable individuals. Perhaps we should rethink our decision, Alice-sama."
"That's a bit unfair now, isn't it Claire?" Iris-sama remarked. "Adventurers are good people."
"Hmm, perhaps there are a few notable people—like Mitsurugi-dono. Mitsurugi-dono… He's said to make his living here, is he not?"
"Mitsurugi-dono?" Iris-sama tilted her head curiously, seemingly pondering on the name.
"Iris-sama, don't tell me you've forgotten who Mitsurugi-dono is?"
Rain coughed gently. "Alice-sama."
"Ali—AH! That's right. Sorry. Ahem. Alice-sama."
"No, no, Claire," Iris-sama went on, "I remember Mitsurugi-dono; he's the adventurer who's spoken about frequently. I seem to recall him being at Megumin-nee's wedding."
"So you do remember."
"Maybe Mitsurugi-dono is currently there?"
"If Mitsurugi-dono is there, it's only fair to pay him a visit; besides, having someone like him along for this trip would make it feel a lot safer."
"But, Claire-sama, if Mitsurugi-dono sees us won't he know Alice-sama's true identity?"
"Hmm, you're right, Rain…but I suppose it wouldn't be too much of an issue. We've placed our trust in Mitsurugi-dono before."
"That's true, Claire-sama…although…Mitsurugi-dono did end up being defeated."
"A fluke—and underhanded tactics. No one could've predicted someone to resort to such desperate means of escape."
"F-Fair enough. Huh? Alice-sama?! Hold on!"
When we looked, Iris-sama was already quite far from us, making her way towards the town's Adventurer's Guild.
Upon entering the building, we were greeted with the raucous noise of laughter, yelling, and glasses clinking. It was a truly unrefined place.
Suddenly, Iris-sama pointed towards a table. "Look, it's Yunyun-san."
"Yunyun-san?" Rain said curiously. "She's Megumin-san's friend, isn't she?"
"Yes, the one who's always helping her sneak you out of the castle," I added, frowning slightly at Iris-sama.
She smiled brightly and then quickly pointed at the table once again. "Look, isn't that the mister from before?"
"It is!"
"Dust-san is really hopeless. Why should I buy you anything? Don't think I don't know you're exploiting my kindness!"
"Aw, come on, Yunyun, don't be like that. I know I have a habit of asking you to spot me for these things but it's only because of how much trust I have in you; I wouldn't ask these things of a mere stranger."
"I saw you asking others before you asked me!"
"There you are, you cretin," I said as Rain, Iris-sama, and I approached the table.
"Wha-?! I-I don't think we've met. Perhaps you got the wrong guy, yup. Alright, Yunyun, I'll just hold you to that drink next time. Gotta go."
I jumped in front of him and grabbed my blade. "You're not going anywhere until pay for the crimes you've committed."
"Oi, oi, don't you think that's going a bit overboard?" the blonde-haired delinquent said as he stepped back slightly.
"Claire-san? Rain-san? Iri…Alice-chan? What are you all doing here?"
"We were thinking of getting some rest after trying to chase down this mongrel for the last hour, but it seems that the Goddess of Luck made it so we'd cross paths once again."
"Hey, come on lady, I didn't do anything to deserve such a reaction, alright? Who are you, anyway? You're not with the police, so really what authority do you have to arrest me over here?"
"Eh, uh…I…" I couldn't very well say I was Claire Symphonia, the heir to the famous house of Symphonia and personal bodyguard of Her Highness, Iris-sama. "I… Th-That doesn't matter! I don't have to give you my identity! I'm simply a concerned citizen of this kingdom!"
"Well take your concerns elsewhere. This is Axel, not someplace for some high-strung noble to flaunt their sense of justice."
"Tch. Why you—"
"Claire," Iris-sama said, "why don't we have a seat and have a meal?"
"Iri… Ahem…if that's your wish, Alice-sama." I glared at the current source of our troubles. "Don't think this is the end of it, you."
"Hmm, tell ya what," he said, "what if I introduce you to some good food and drinks? You guys aren't from around here so I'm sure your knowledge on such things is lacking. In exchange, you'll drop whatever hostilities you have against me."
"What nonsense, of course—"
"That sounds like a great idea!" Iris-sama blurted out.
"Alice-sama?! We shouldn't take any offers from a scoundrel like him."
"Rain-san, what do you think?"
"Hmmm, I'm also a bit wary of taking such offers, Alice-sama," Rain replied.
"Oh come on," the scoundrel insisted. "You guys seem to be familiar with Yunyun; me and her are good pals. She can vouch for me. Right, Yunyun?"
"I sure can," she said with a frown. "Dust-san is an opportunistic delinquent who has some serious issues."
"Hey! Hey, come on, that's not a nice thing to say, Yunyun. Is this how you treat your friends? It's no wonder you have trouble keeping any."
"I-I don't have trouble keeping friends! And I never agreed to being friends with Dust-san!"
"Oi, oi, even someone like me would be hurt by such comments. You might've never outright said anything about being friends, but as I recall, you go out of your way to buy me gifts, food, drinks, and even help me out with bail occasionally."
"Th-That's only because I feel bad for Dust-san!"
I couldn't help but think that that seemed like a lot of stuff to do for someone that you weren't familiar with—and glancing at the others, it seems like they thought the same.
"There he is." The voice of a tired-sounding man came from behind us.
I looked over my shoulder to see three individuals: a tall man with a great shield, another man with long dark hair and light gear, and a small girl with green eyes and a peculiar tail.
"Ah? What are you guys going here? Finished with the quest already?" the man named Dust said.
"Unfortunately, we had to cancel it; turns out another party took care of the quest and the guild forget to take it down," the tall man replied.
"Well, at least we didn't have to pay the cancellation fee," the other man remarked.
"Hey, Dust." The young girl spoke. "I know you like to bother Yunyun-san a lot but who're these people?" She quickly bowed. "I hope our group idiot isn't causing you all trouble."
"Oi, Lynn, would you give me a break? These are my new acquaintances."
I frowned, turning towards the delinquent once again. "I don't recall such a thing. I don't associate with would-be criminals."
"Criminal?" the girl, Lynn-san, said. She sighed heavily and frowned. "What'd you do this time? Steal some more alcohol? Harassed some innocent bystander? Or did you get a little too friendly with the ladies?"
"Hey, come on. Why is it you immediately take some stranger's side and not your good and trusty mate, huh?"
"Cause I happen to know exactly how this 'mate' acts."
The tall man spoke. "Just so you know, Dust, we don't have enough funds to bail you out this time, so if you're doing some time you're gonna have to sit through all of it."
"Can you guys stop assuming I did something criminal?!" the scoundrel, Dust, retorted. "I haven't done anything wrong, alright? Anyway, I was just about to introduce my new acquaintances to some fine dining."
"Fine dining?" Lynn-san queried. "In Axel?"
"Of course. There just happens to be some if you know where to look. Would you guys like to join us?"
"No thanks, I'll pass; I'm actually supposed to be going out for some food a bit later. And aside from there not being enough seating for all of us, I don't think you're gonna be the one paying for all of this, are you?"
He looked away, whistling a small tune in the process.
"I thought so. Yunyun-san, I know you're a kind person, but please don't waste your money on this man."
"Hey, don't say that, Lynn; it's fine if you don't want to help out a buddy, but you don't have to go urge people not to help a man in need of help."
"You definitely need help in more ways than one. In any case, I'll see you guys later. Oh, and forgive my manners," she said, bowing once again, "my name is Lynn."
"I'm Taylor."
"And I'm Keith."
"I see. My name is Claire, and this is Rain, and this is our lady, Alice-sama."
"Oh, so you're nobles?" the young Lynn questioned.
There were a few reports I've read about this town; in particular, their general disdain for the nobility. If I said we were, would that pose a problem? Would admitting that pose a threat to Iris-sama?
"Ahem." I cleared my throat. "We're servants of Alice-sama—and Alice-sama is the daughter of a reputable store owner in the capital."
"Oh, so you guys are from the capital. Well, I don't know why'd you come to Axel of all places, but I do hope you enjoy what little this place has to offer. Also, if this guy causes any issues for you let me know; I know exactly how to get him to come clean."
"Really? Well, I'll make sure to contact you if any such incidents occur, Lynn-san."
"Alright, nice meeting you guys. Goodbye. See ya around, Yunyun."
"Goodbye, Lynn-san," Yunyun-san replied.
"Oi, Keith, you'll spot me, right?" the shameless swindler said as the two other men took a seat beside him.
"Sure, but I'm taking the lion's share of your earnings next quest."
"Haha, alright, alright; a real buddy I can trust to always have my back."
"Honestly, I really should stop indulging you."
"You really should," Taylor-san remarked. "Hey, Dust, it'd be a real help if you cleaned up your act; you'd have more money to actually do things and I'd have fewer things to worry about."
"Right, right, I'll get on it."
"*sigh* sure you will."
"Now then, ladies, let's start off with some drinks, shall we?"
"Um," Rain interrupted, "I think we should start with some food first. Also, Alice-sama isn't old enough for such a thing."
"Rain-san!"
"Ah, well, I wasn't planning on getting the little lady anything like that."
"Now, now, Alice-sama," I said, "a woman of refined tastes should maintain proper etiquette; drinking amongst strangers isn't something you should do…perhaps when it's just me and you."
"Claire-sama!"
"It's fine, Rain," Iris-sama responded, "I'll refrain from such activities; I'd like my first time to be with someone I can really enjoy the moment with."
"Yes," I said, nodding, "first experiences are everything; it should be done with someone you absolutely trust and know."
"I've heard it can be particularly bitter or leave a burning sensation in the pit of one's belly."
"Wait, Alice-sama, how do you know that?! Did that man teach you another incorrigible thing?!"
Rain interjected nervously. "Hold on, you two, what exactly are we talking about again?!"
"Uhhh, I'm not interrupting something, am I?" the delinquent said. "You know, this place has some decent rooms if you're looking for a bit of privacy."
"Is that so?"
"Claire-sama," Rain said curtly.
"Ahem! I mean, such drab accommodations wouldn't do for Iri…Alice-sama."
"Ehhh?" Dust-san remarked. "Sure beats the hell out of sleeping in a jail cell. Then again, can't say I'm as picky as you nobles. Adventurers like us can pretty much sleep anywhere."
"Speak for yourself, Dust," the taller man, Taylor, said. "Don't listen to a word he says; although adventurers are prepared to spend some rough nights, we don't make it a habit to sleep in jail cells like him."
"Wouldn't be an issue if the police around here weren't so corrupt. Anyway, all this talking has me thirsty.
The degenerate let out a whistle and signaled over one of the barmaids.
"What is it…you'll be having today?" she said, looking away with a slightly disgruntled expression.
"Let's start it off light; give me four mugs of Wyatt Honey Beers and an order of Smoked Frog Legs." He looked towards the rest of us. "Alright, your turn; what'll you guys be having?"
"Oi, Dust, I'm paying for all that stuff, you know?" the other man, Keith, interjected.
"Ah, my mistake, add two more Honey Beers to the order."
Besides shooting him an indignant frown, the other adventurer said nothing.
"I'll have a cup of Fortune Beer and a Lizard Steak Burger," Taylor-san stated.
"I'll have a cup of water," Rain said. "Do you serve some fruit juice?"
"We do," the barmaid replied. "Grape and Apple. The Apples are in season as well."
"Sounds good. Alice-sama, would you like to try it?"
Iris-sama nodded. "I'll have some if you don't mind."
Following Iris-sama, I gave my order. "A cup of Sauvignon Blanc, please."
"Sau… I'm sorry, we don't serve that here."
"Rite Challay?"
"..."
"Noble Ritz?"
"..."
"Hallowberry Bloom."
"Um…"
"Goodness, what is it you all drink here?!"
"Claire-sama." Rain gave a nervous chuckle and then ordered for me. "Can you bring a cup of the best wine you have on hand?"
"Um, sure. Will that be all?"
"Yup," the blonde-haired fool replied.
"Ok, I'll be back in a few moments."
After the barmaid left, he looked over at the Crimson Demon sitting beside me. "Oh, Yunyun, you're not getting anything?"
She twitched slightly and then looked down. "I'm…I'm ok. I-I ate already."
*Grrrr* The sound of her stomach quickly disproved that claim.
After spending a little over an hour at the town's Adventurer's Guild, Iris-sama, Rain, and I departed and began roaming the streets once more. Yunyun-san was invited by Iris-sama to join us, however, she said she had to tend to her duties as the Crimson Demon's new chief.
"See, Iris-sama?" I said. "You should really take note of Yunyun-san's diligence; she places her duties above her own desires."
Iris-sama frowned.
"Come now, Claire-sama," Rain remarked, "we both know how diligent Alice-sama has been; she's been handling a lot of political and diplomatic affairs while His Majesty and His Highness have been absent. I believe it's fair for her to take some liberties from such duties while the moment presents itself."
"WAH!" A blonde-haired woman dressed in clerical robes yelled and then quickly clasped her hands in a prayer-like fashion. "Thank you, Aqua-sama, for this most gracious bounty. Alice-chan!" She quickly pounced at Iris-sama but I got in the way.
"Who are you?! How dare you be so forward with Iri—Alice-sama! Wait, I remember you, you're—"
"Cecily-san, how are you?" Iris-sama said with a smile.
"AHHHH! Alice-chan! You're so cute! Wanna go and play together? I have a lot of fun things we can do back at the church!"
"You're that Axis Cult Priestess," Rain said. She turned to me with a desperate look in her eyes. "Quickly, Claire-sama, we must leave."
"Hold on," the priestess said, grabbing onto my arm, "where do you think you're taking my precious loli?! Ever since my beloved Megu-tan left I've been running low on my quota of being around lolis. I won't allow you to snatch this blessing away from me, you heathens!"
"Like you're one to talk!" Rain retorted in palpable distress. "Claire-sama!"
"Wait," the priestess said as she desperately grabbed onto me, "don't leave! I can sense a sense of kinship between us! You like lolis too, don't you?!"
This woman was part of the clergy?! She was dangerous, incredibly dangerous. There was something about her crazed demeanor and statement that called out to me. Few were the times in my life I felt so in danger; I had to leave, I had to leave as quickly as possible.
Breaking myself free, I grabbed Iris-sama and bolted away from the crazed woman.
It took more than a few minutes to lose her but, eventually, we did.
"What a…fearsome character," I said, catching my breath.
"Cecily-san is a bit odd but she means well…I think," Iris-sama remarked.
"Alice-sama, you must promise us that you'll never go near her!" Rain ordered.
Iris-sama smiled. "Umu, I promise."
"Good." Rain let out a heavy sigh. "Now, I think we've been away from the castle long enough, let's head back."
"Huh? But there are still some places I want to visit!"
"Alice-sama," I said, "please comply. It was extremely troublesome trying to convince His Highness to not join us on this trip."
I thought back to that moment. Even after convincing His Highness, I would have to go on and convince him not to send a regiment of royal guards to escort us.
I shook my head and sighed at the thought.
"Yes, Alice-sama. Besides," Rain went on, "I'm sure His Highness and His Majesty would love to spend more time with you. Are you going to turn them down now that they have the opportunity to do so?"
Iris-sama looked down remorsefully. "I…I suppose not."
"Ho? What's this? The chirimen's daughter and her two unreasonable attendants?" a tall man wearing an ostentatious mask said.
"Huh? Vanir-dono?!" I said in surprise.
"Unreasonable?" Rain remarked.
"Hachibei!" Iris-sama yelled happily.
"What bring thee to these parts, young master?" Vanir-dono asked. "Did thou come to visit Moi?"
Iris-sama smiled. "I came to see Onii-sama's home again."
"Ho? Then Moi supposes the young master will need no escort today?"
"Yes, please!"
"Alice-sama!" Rain interrupted. "Forgive us, Vanir-dono, but we were just about to return to the capital."
"Is that so?" He looked down at Iris-sama, noticing her saddening expression. "Then before thou leave, would thee like to see Moi's place of residence?"
"Vanir-dono's home?" I queried.
"The magic shop Moi runs. Perhaps thee would be interested in a few trinkets before thee all leave?"
"The magic shop?" Rain said questioningly. "Yes, I remember seeing it the last time we came here; however, the shops in the capital already provide sufficient necessities."
"Moi can guarantee thee will find something notable."
"Rain, Claire, can we go? Please?" Iris-sama pleaded.
Claire and I exchanged glances.
"I suppose it's fine—but this is our last stop!" Rain stated. "We really must head back soon, Alice-sama."
"Ok," Iris-sama replied, happily nodding her head.
After following Vanir-dono back to the magic shop, we entered.
*RING* The doorbell rang as we entered.
"Welcome back, Vanir-san. Oh? Customers?" A woman wearing dark purple robes and long dark hair greeted us. "Welcome to our humble magic shop, is there anything I can get you?"
"Shop owner whose-only-good-skills are racking up debt and tempting unbeguiling men, has thou accepted another order of useless garbage?"
"I-I haven't! An-And I'm not! Would Vanir-san please stop saying such things in front of people?!"
"Then what is this crate? Moi had not seen it before he left."
"It's the new shipment of mana crystals we got from the castle."
"Ho? Didn't Moi tell thee to have them shipped over to the capital? What good will come selling these here?" Vanir-dono sighed. "Never thee mind. Moi will sort these. Now go do what thee is moderately skilled at and prepare some confections for our esteemed customers."
Some minutes later, the store owner returned from the back of the shop to offer us some tea and desserts. While Rain and I sat down to enjoy these snacks, Iris-sama perused the shop.
"Hachibei?"
"Hm? Is there something the young master requires?"
"I was wondering, is there's anything you sell that can control something from a distance?"
"Ho? Control? Like a person?"
"No, no, nothing like that. Actually…that might be something I could use next time Rain and Claire are preventing me from going out."
"Alice-sama!" Rain and I yelled incredulously.
"Please don't give her any such things, Vanir-dono," I said. "And if you do sell such a thing in this shop, I'll have to confiscate it: such items are illegal."
"Even if Moi had such an item for sale, what gives thee authority to confiscate it? Are thou not a simple servant, perhaps?"
"Eh— Ahem. I mean, I won't confiscate it, but I'll have to report the shop."
"MWAHAHA. Worry not, Moi sells no such potion in thy shop."
"Hachibei." Iris-sama tugged on Vanir-dono's sleeve. "Can you show me that item over there?" she said, pointing at something in the opposite end of the store.
"Ho? But of course. Right this why, little master."
"Hold on, Alice-sama, I'll go with you," I said, preparing to get up.
"No, no, Claire. You two can stay here. I'll just continue looking around with Vanir-san."
"Worry not, woman-who-has-an-unwanted-penchant-for-wearing-male's-clothing, no harm will come the young master; Moi will personally see to it that she remains safe and sound."
"Va-Vanir-dono!"
"Lifeless shop owner, please provide our customers with more desserts!"
"R-, Right!"
A few more minutes passed before the store owner came by with more tea and desserts.
"Here you go," she said, placing a new platter before us. "Can I get anything else for you?"
"Actually, I was wondering where Alice-sama has gone. I can't really see her from here."
"Oh, I just saw her and Vanir-san speaking on my way over here. Would you like me to pass on a message?"
"Yes," Rain interjected. "Please tell Alice-sama that it's time to head back."
The shop owner nodded and then went on her way.
"Rain, what do you think of Vanir-dono?" I asked.
"I'm not sure, Claire-sama…however, I personally feel a bit wary of him. I don't believe he's a bad person, but…I'm not sure; I can't really put my finger on it."
"Same. Do you think he could be saying something dangerous to Iris-sama?"
Rain paused as she pondered on an answer. "...perhaps, but at the same time, I feel like he wouldn't be the one to try such things with Iris-sama. As gullible as she might be, Iris-sama is a good judge of one's character; she wouldn't be misled by a truly malicious individual."
I sighed." If only that applied to that man, I think the two of us could rest a little easier."
Rain gave a tired chuckle. "Yes, perhaps."
"Rain, Claire." Iris-sama returned.
"Alice-sama, we must return now."
"Yes, I know," she said. Then she turned towards, Vanir-dono. "Thank you again, Hachibei. I promise to compensate you appropriately."
"MWAHAHA, Moi is looking forward to it."
After saying our goodbyes and exchanging proper etiquette for the farewells, we departed.
"Alice-sama," Rain said as we walked, "what is it that you discussed with Vanir-dono?"
"Hm? Oh, nothing at all. I simply asked him about some small questions, that's all."
"Really?"
"Mhm. By the way, thank you, you two; I'm glad that you helped me get out of the castle. I'll be sure to compensate you two as well."
"That's not necessary, Alice-sama; I'm only glad I can be of assistance."
"If you're giving out compensation, Iris-sama, another bath with you shall be more than enough," I remarked.
"Claire-sama."
Iris giggled. "Very well, Claire."
"Alice-sama?! Please don't encourage, Claire-sama! Geez, I swear. Am I the only reasonable one here? *sigh* Anyhow." Rain raised her staff. "Teleport."
