When all of the travelers had come out of the inn and dropped off all of their belongings, Cyrus let out a small sigh, turning his face towards the skies overhead. He hadn't ever wandered this far south, but he had to admit that the air in Quarrycrest was crisp. He could certainly understand the appeal Odette had found in a town like this. Even if there were issues as far as leadership was concerned, the environment was nice, and Cyrus couldn't help but want to learn as much about the town as soon as he could.

But for the moment, Cyrus knew that he had other things to attend to. He needed to speak with Odette as soon as possible and hear if she knew anything about From the Far Reaches of Hell. He had been doing research where he could as they passed through various towns, but he hadn't found anything that could have been considered conclusive. Nobody seemed to have heard of the book at all, and that meant Cyrus had to hear everything Odette had to tell him about the situation at hand.

It was difficult for him to believe that ten years had come and gone since she left the academy. Odette had been Cyrus' mentor when he was first beginning his career as a scholar, and he still remembered everything that she had taught him. He had held her in high regard for years, and that was why when he left Atlasdam for his sabbatical, he found himself packing a letter that she had written for him ages ago. It was a matter of sentiment at the time, but now, Cyrus found himself beyond relieved that he had decided to bring it. The letter had directions to her home in Quarrycrest since she had offered to let Cyrus stay there if he was ever in town, and for the first time, Cyrus found himself in the area. He needed an extra reminder of where her home was, so he pulled the letter free from his bag. When dropping off everything else, Cyrus had pulled the letter out since he knew he would need it, and he unfolded the pages now to read over all that she had left him with ages ago. Years had passed since he last read it, so he might as well investigate it once more:

"You have all the makings of a great scholar, Cyrus. But allow me to offer you a word of warning: for all your intellect, you have always been clumsy in matters of the heart. I know that your research is more important to you than anything. But you would do well to give some thought to how you treat the fairer sex. You are more handsome than you give yourself credit for. If you are not careful, you might find your words and actions misconstrued by those around you."

Cyrus sighed as he folded the pages back together. The first time he had read that letter years ago, he had nearly fallen over from laughter, wondering why this was the last thing Odette had left him with before her departure. These days though, the truth of her words hit like a truck. Therese's jealousy had sent him away from Atlasdam by force, and even if he was taking the opportunity in stride, it was almost hilarious how prophetic Odette had been in her letter. Cyrus couldn't help but be embarrassed by all of it now even though he knew there was nothing he could do to repair the damage that had been done back in Atlasdam, not until all of this was over.

If there was one thing Cyrus knew though, it was that Odette was going to dissolve into an explosion of laughter the instant he brought it up. She may not have expected this scenario, but she knew that he was going to stumble into trouble one day, and stumble he most certainly did. Still, he wouldn't be able to avoid Odette forever. Her letter included directions to her home, and he had to follow them to go and speak with her. The chase of the truth mattered more than any amount of jokes Odette could sling in his direction. Cyrus switched the order of the pages so the directions to Odette's abode was on top of everything else, letting out a careful breath before he started in towards the main road of the town.

"I believe I know where we're going now," Cyrus told the rest of the travelers. "My friend's home is at the edge of town, though I imagine she would be more than happy to welcome us all inside."

"Then I see no reason to hold this off," Alfyn grinned. Everyone else seemed to agree in the silence, and they followed after Cyrus in the direction of Odette's home.

Ophilia wound up finding a pace at Cyrus' side, looking down at the letter still balanced between his fingers. "What is this friend of yours like?" Ophilia questioned. "You've mentioned wanting to meet with her, but you haven't said much about her specifically."

"Odette was a friend of mine back in the Royal Academy in Atlasdam," Cyrus explained. "She helped to mentor me through the earliest stages of my work, though she departed from Atlasdam ten years ago to come here."

"I see... Do you know why she came out here?" Ophilia asked with a tilt of her head. "I don't understand why a scholar would want to move so far from a grand academy like the one in Atlasdam. Is there something special to be found here?"

"She simply wanted to take a step away from it all, and she enjoyed this life so much that she decided to stay with it," Cyrus replied. "It was something of a retirement for her, though I know that she continues her pursuit of knowledge even now. She has her ways of researching the world around her from here, and I'm certain she's been doing so for the last decade."

"I see..." Ophilia murmured with a nod. "What about the letter she sent you? Was that her way of telling you where she's been living?"

"Yes... Though it also came with a prophetic albeit embarrassing warning," Cyrus answered, unable to hold back a wince. "Let's just say that she's bound to enjoy hearing about the reason I was banished from the Atlasdam Royal Academy."

Ophilia sighed. "It's hardly in your control, but I understand what you mean," she told him. "If you need anyone to vouch for you though, I would be more than happy to stand at your side."

Cyrus stopped walking a moment later. Their path had brought them through the streets of Quarrycrest and to a home that overlooked the primary plaza from where it stood on an outcropping of rock. Something out of the way like this was right up Odette's alley. Unfortunately for Cyrus, making fun of him was as well. "I appreciate that, Ophilia... Alephan only knows I may need it," he murmured.

Cyrus took in a careful breath before pushing it out and taking a step forward. He rapped his knuckles against the door, taking a small step backwards once he was finished. Inside the building, he heard distant shuffling. "Yes, yes, I'll be right there..." came a voice from within, and Cyrus smiled to himself. That was certainly Odette. Even after so many years, he still recognized her voice perfectly. Even if she was certain to immediately burst into laughter when hearing of his situation, Cyrus had missed her, and being this close to his old mentor brought a special brand of lightness to his chest. If he was going to be finding information-or a break from the chaos that his life had become-anywhere, it was going to be here with Odette ever at his side.

A moment later, the door swung open, and a blonde woman with her hair tied loosely at the base of her neck stepped out. Everything about her was clearly meant for adventure even years after her retirement, and her gray eyes shone in the bright sunshine overhead. Odette glanced over to Cyrus as he spoke, a smile spreading across his features. "It's been some time, Odette," he greeted her kindly.

For a long moment, Odette simply stared back at him. A moment later, she turned on her heel and walked back into her home. Cyrus blinked at the door, and behind him, Tressa and Ophilia shared a confused look. Alfyn simply shrugged. When the door swung open again a few seconds later, Odette blinked at Cyrus before sighing heavily. "You're still here," she began bluntly. "I guess I'm not suffering from fatigue-induced hallucinations after all." The flat tone of her voice implied easily that this was far from the first time this fear had been sparked for her, and she didn't seem bothered by it at all.

Cyrus, however, refused to be deterred by her behavior. Instead, he spread his arms out to his sides in a grand gesture. "It's me, Odette, in the flesh! Good to see you as hale and hearty as ever," he smiled.

Odette chuckled with a shake of her head. "And you're as insufferable as ever, no doubt. What are you waiting for? Come in already," she instructed. With that, she pivoted on her heel and walked into her home once more, waiting for Cyrus and the rest of the travelers to follow suit.

Cyrus nodded easily. "Don't mind if I do."

As was expected, Odette burst into laughter as soon as Cyrus had explained his situation.

He was sitting at the table in Odette's common area, one hand pressed against his forehead to shield himself from having to watch as his friend continued to fall short of breath from her laughter. It was exactly what Cyrus had seen coming, but that didn't make it any less unfortunate to see. He knew that he was going to need Odette's help to work through all of this, though he couldn't help wishing that perhaps she would find this a bit less entertaining. Then again, if she wasn't poking at least a little bit of fun at him, she wouldn't truly be Odette, so this was a price he would simply have to pay.

"How did I know that would be your reaction...?" Cyrus forced himself to question when he was finally able to muster the energy to ask the question. Of course he already knew where this was going. This was just like her, and he had known that for years upon years.

Odette finally managed to calm her laughter, though the wheezing aftermath of her chuckling could still be heard at the edges of her words. "We were practically joined at the hip back in the day. Just watching you go about was fun in and of itself," Odette replied casually. "I always had a hunch you'd end up in trouble with the ladies, but to think it would happen with the princess of all people! Somehow, you've managed to exceed even my wildest expectations."

Cyrus sighed, allowing his hand to shift away from his forehead and rest on the table before him. "By expelling me, they hope to protect Her Highness' good name. Needless to say, there's no truth to any of this," he told Odette with a shake of his head.

Odette nodded. "Of course, of course. I'm sure it's all as you say," she said. "Her Highness and this Therese girl are just your pupils. They have no romantic interest in you in the slightest." The sarcasm in her voice was palpable, but Cyrus didn't say a word about it, knowing there was no point. He simply shook his head as Odette chuckled to herself under her breath. "You're something else, Cyrus... But it's a relief to find your powers of observation are as keen as ever." She shook her head once more, and Cyrus could once again sense irony to her words. Still, he had complete faith in his side of the story, and he wouldn't allow Odette's snark to get in the way of what he knew about the situation.

Odette turned to look at Cyrus once more, her arms crossed and a laugh on her lips. "Well? Did you come all this way just to entertain me? If so, congratulations on a job well done." She couldn't hold back another rogue snicker at those words, shaking her head at the thought.

Cyrus' cheeks would have burned with embarrassment had he ever bothered to show even a scrap of shame with Odette. If there was anyone he could trust, it was her, all of her peculiar thoughts on his behavior notwithstanding. He simply opted to shake his head, pressing his shoulders back in a show of confidence. "Save your congratulations for another time," he instructed. Odette's eyebrow raised in curiosity as he continued. "I've come in search of a certain tome. Are you perchance familiar with a volume by the name of From the Far Reaches of Hell?"

Odette let out a snort, recognition briefly flashing across her eyes. "A cheery title if I've ever heard one," she muttered. "I can tell you that it's a compendium of ancient rites and rituals. Not that I've read it myself, of course."

Cyrus nodded. "I know that much. I was hoping you could tell me more," he explained.

Odette shook her head. "Not much more. It touches upon necromancy, I believe," she told him bluntly.

"Necromancy?" Cyrus echoed in flabbergasted shock.

"Necromancy," Odette confirmed. "That said, as to what extent necromancy is discussed, I know little. I don't know anything more about this volume than you do. If you've been searching for it, then you've likely found more about it in your pursuit than I could have ever found."

Cyrus hummed, letting one hand come up to cradle at his chin. "Is that so...? I was sure that if anyone could enlighten me, it would be you," he admitted.

Odette shrugged at that, unable to hold back another few snickers. "Is that supposed to be flattery? Alright, just give me some time," she said. "As soon as I tackle the little pickle I'm dealing with at the moment, I'll do some investigating."

"A pickle, you say?" Cyrus questioned with a light smile. "Consider my interest piqued! I always took you for the type who chewed up and spit out your problems before pickles they could become!" In all his years of knowing Odette, she hadn't ever struggled with much of anything in terms of pursuing knowledge or truth. It was strange to hear her admit she had hit a roadblock, though that at least meant Cyrus would be able to return the favor of helping her after she had offered to assist him as well.

Odette simply snorted with a shake of her head. "Again, I find your flattery lacking. Anyhow, since you're here, perhaps I can put you to use. As it happens, a number of people have gone missing of late."

"Under suspicious circumstances, I presume?" Cyrus asked, raising one eyebrow in curiosity.

"Just so," Odette nodded. "Many quite literally seem to have been spirited away. One soul went to the neighborhood provisioner to buy some food and never returned. Another turned a street corner near the inn only to vanish entirely, leaving his friend who was strolling with him in disbelief. All told, ten men and women have gone missing in such a fashion in the past half year."

"How curious indeed...!" Cyrus murmured, a gleam of new life and vigor starting to rise to prominence in his eyes. This was certainly an interesting matter, and Cyrus was determined to put as much energy as he could towards unraveling the truth.

Odette sighed with a loose snicker. "Don't look so disappointed, you nut job," she muttered. "So how about it? Do you have any ideas?"

Cyrus thought about it for a moment before shrugging loosely. "It would be imprudent to jump to conclusions without conducting an investiga-"

"Great, thanks. Knew I could count on you," Odette smiled to him. It was her way of poking fun at him, and Cyrus couldn't bring himself to be upset. He was simply glad to be back in this familiar routine again. "I'll look into that tome while you're away."

Cyrus nodded with a smile. "A fair trade, I'd say," he agreed. "Though I daresay that having the opportunity to solve this peculiar puzzle is a reward in itself."

Odette couldn't help but laugh at that, no doubt enjoying Cyrus' typical behavior the same way she always seemed to. "It figures," she whispered before moving towards the door and ushering in its direction. "Well, happy investigating!"

Cyrus nodded once more and moved towards the door, the other travelers hot on his heels. Primrose took up the rear of the party, glancing at Odette for a long moment. She was already burying herself in her own research, so she didn't look up at the dancer. Primrose lingered for a moment longer before walking out, a light frown on her face and recognition flashing in her eyes.

Once the travelers were just outside Odette's home, Therion crossed his arms as he looked to Cyrus. "Do you really think she's going to be able to point us in the right direction to find that book?" he questioned.

"I'm certain of it," Cyrus assured him. "Odette knows her way around research like no other. If anyone is going to be able to help us to find out where From the Far Reaches of Hell came from, it would be her."

"In that case, I suppose we had better get started in solvin' her puzzle too, huh?" Alfyn remarked. "Though I'm not sure where exactly we should kick off all of this..."

"The local townsfolk are bound to know something," Cyrus pointed out. "If nearly a dozen disappearances have taken place over the last half a year, then others have no doubt noticed what is happening. All we need to do is ask around and see what the townspeople have come to hear about the disappearances."

"Off we go then," Tressa smiled with a nod. She started off down the stairs that led to the main part of town, Ophilia trailing behind her. From there, the rest of the travelers were all too happy to file in Tressa's footsteps with Cyrus and Primrose taking up the rear.

Primrose glanced at Odette's home for another long handful of moments before realizing that everyone was starting to leave. She snapped out of it just in time to see that Cyrus was watching her, and she swiftly covered for her moment of distraction with a question. "So, Cyrus... Do you think you can solve the puzzle?" she asked.

"Oh, definitely," Cyrus nodded with a bright smile. "I am very much looking forward to the challenge!"

Primrose couldn't help but chuckle with a light shake of her head. "Your enthusiasm certainly is charming, but don't you find the scholarly life to be... Exhausting sometimes?" she questioned, clearly choosing the words as carefully as she could.

Cyrus tilted his head to the side in confusion. "You must forgive me, but I don't see how it possibly could be."

"Well, you lot can never let a mystery just be. You need to figure everything out..." Primrose murmured, and something in her gaze seemed to shift in a way that Cyrus couldn't put a finger on or describe. "You realize there's no end to it, don't you? That you'll never find all the answers? Life is too short to spend it with a furrowed brow and a nose forever stuck in a tome."

Cyrus thought about it for a moment before simply shrugging. "I rather enjoy the pursuit of new information. It brings me a rush like nothing else in this world, and I doubt I will ever tire of growing to understand the universe around us a little bit more," he explained. "Still, I enjoy your refreshing frankness."

Primrose thought about his reply for a moment, nodding to herself, before Cyrus filled the silence once more. "Pardon me for pushing the matter, but... I couldn't help but notice how infatuated you seemed to be with Odette. Have you heard of her somewhere before?" he questioned. "I seem to recall that she spent many years in Noblecourt before settling down in Atlasdam..."

Primrose hesitated once more, struggling to put the words together, before she nodded. "We knew each other rather well when she was living in Noblecourt... I imagine the only reason she didn't greet me was based on her not realizing I was here," Primrose replied. "I didn't want to intrude on your reunion though... Perhaps I'll return to speak with her a bit more before we leave Quarrycrest behind."

"I believe she would like that," Cyrus smiled. "I doubt she gets many visitors from the past living in a place like this, and if you two really were as close as you make it seem, she would certainly love being able to see you again."

Primrose smiled at that, looking down at her feet with a careful exhale. "Thank you," she murmured. She didn't say anything beyond that, but Cyrus hoped that his encouragement had been enough to push her into deciding to spend time with Odette later. He wanted nothing but the best for them both, after all, and this seemed like a fitting way to bring them both joy.

"For the time being though, I believe it's time for us to speak with anyone who may know something about the recent disappearances," Cyrus continued, not missing a beat in pressing on. "Odette wouldn't ask us to solve this mystery if she had not already come to struggle with it. That means we need to do all that we possibly can to unravel the puzzle at hand."

"Where are we going to start with this then?" Tressa asked from the front of the group, turning to glance at Cyrus over her shoulder. "If we just walk around asking people questions without any sense of direction, we're going to make this a lot longer than it needs to be. Do you have a plan in mind?"

"Odette mentioned that one person rounded a corner near the inn and disappeared. If you ask me, the best place for us to begin our search for information would be to speak with those who spend their time in that area," Cyrus replied.

"I hope we can solve this sooner rather than later," Alfyn muttered. "The last thing I want for any of us is to head back to the inn only to be caught off guard by somethin' like this. I mean, we already heard that someone went missin' while they were walking with their friend who was probably only a few paces away. I don't want anythin' bad to happen to us as long as we're here. That would turn our one day stay into somethin' much worse than it has any right to be..."

"I am certain that we won't run into any issues on the way to uncovering the truth," Cyrus assured him with a smile. He paused to look around the area for a moment before directing his focus to a young man standing near the inn as he counted through his leaves. Upon closer examination, he appeared to be a young miner working within the town, and he perked up when he realized he was being approached. "Excuse me, young man. Could I ask you a few questions?"

The young man immediately went tense, and he looked over the travelers before he started to relax his demeanor. "Y-Yeah... Go ahead," he replied warily. He didn't see any notable threats among the group's faces, it seemed, but he did his best to carry himself cautiously regardless.

"What do you know of the recent disappearances that have wracked Quarrycrest?" Cyrus questioned. "We heard that a few people have been vanishing here close to the inn, and we were wondering if perhaps you might be able to enlighten us as to any other pieces of information we might be missing."

The young man relaxed fully at that before leaning in closer to Cyrus. "I've seen it happen twice," he whispered intensely. "People would just be walkin' around here, and when they rounded the corner by the inn, they'd vanish. I would chase after them, but that was it. When I got there, they were already gone. They always vanish into thin air."

"When did this happen?" Cyrus asked, his eyes narrowing thoughtfully.

"First time was about three moons ago," the young man replied. "That time it was the dead of the night. Second time was about three weeks ago. The disappearance was around this time of day too... And that was all it took. They were gone."

"Do you have any idea what could have happened to them?" Cyrus inquired. "Is there something near the inn that could have caught their interest, for example?"

The young man shook his head vigorously. "I don't know, and even if I did think there was somethin' around there, I wouldn't want to go looking for it. That place is dangerous, and I'm not going to march to my own doom by sticking around there for too long," he told Cyrus quickly. "Somebody who's lived here a bit longer might be able to tell you, but I don't want to get close to that side of town."

Cyrus nodded his understanding before bowing his head kindly. "Thank you for the explanation, good sir," he said. With that, he took a few steps away, turning to the travelers in the process. "We should do our best to listen to what the other local townsfolk have to say on the matter. If there is something of note near the inn, we must learn about it as soon as possible."

"How about we talk to that man over there?" Ophilia suggested as she pointed to an older man stepping away from a stall on the edge of the merchant quarter. "He's older than the man we just spoke with, so he might be able to answer our questions about anything of interest near the inn."

Cyrus started walking towards the man a moment later, tapping him on the shoulder as soon as he had the chance. "My apologies for intruding on your day, kind sir," Cyrus began. "Might I ask you a few questions about the recent happenings of this town?"

The older man stared at Cyrus for a long time, clearly trying to figure out if he could trust him, before shrugging. "Why not?" he relented. "I just hope you're not trying to drag me into any kind of trouble. Whatever it is you want to do, it had better not be anything nefarious."

"Of course not," Cyrus promised him. "We're investigating the recent disappearances that have plagued Quarrycrest, and we were hoping that perhaps you would be able to enlighten us as to a new piece of information."

The man sighed before shaking his head. "Good luck figuring out what's going on. People have been trying to dig for months now, and they haven't found anything," he muttered. "But if you really want to ask, I suppose there's nothing I can do to stop you."

"Do you know of anything of note near the inn?" Cyrus asked. "No matter how insignificant you believe it to be, we would be more than happy to hear all you know about it."

The man nodded. "As a matter of fact, I do," he replied. "There were some old sewers around that area, but I don't think they're in use anymore. After Morlock came into power, he didn't bother trying to keep them in good condition, so they're probably empty and filled with a bunch of monsters that crawled in from the tunnels..." He examined Cyrus carefully before frowning. "I hope you're not planning on going out in that direction. All you're going to find is a claw to the stomach."

"Of course not," Cyrus told him, holding back the truth of his intentions with a smile. "Thank you for the information, sir. I appreciate it." The older man nodded back at him before he turned away and walked in the opposite direction, leaving Cyrus to divert his focus towards the other members of the party. "It seems as if we've stumbled into the truth behind the incident at hand."

"Maybe we should go over everything we know first," Alfyn suggested all too quickly, clearly covering for his anxiety. "I don't know about the rest of you, but I don't exactly like the idea of chargin' into an abandoned sewer without knowin' for sure that this is where we're going to be findin' the people who have been going missin' these last few months."

"Yes... I agree," Ophilia chimed in, a frown overwhelmingly present on her features. It was easy to figure out why; if Morlock was the reason the sewers had been abandoned all these years, he was likely yet again the root of the group's problems even though they had never met him. His presence was still crisp and clear in all of their minds even without needing to cross paths with him.

Cyrus nodded his understanding before letting one hand come up to cup at his chin. He easily retreated into his own train of thought from there, thinking through all they had heard up to this point. So far, it seemed as if the disappearances all stemmed from someone in the sewers abducting people when they dared to come too close. The last disappearance was recent as well, a sign that the culprit was no doubt still in the sewers waiting for their next victim. The party would have to tread carefully as they planned their next move.

In the meantime, Cyrus was more than happy to discuss all they had learned up to this point. Taking a bit more time to prepare never hurt, after all. Besides, this gave Cyrus the perfect chance to show off his deductive skills, and he absolutely adored the idea. No matter what, the outcome wouldn't change. They were going to find out who was responsible for the recent abductions and bring them to justice no matter what it took.

Who would have ever imagined their Quarrycrest adventures would end up taking a turn like this?

We're kicking things off with a bang here! Woohoo!

I'm really excited to finally be in the definitive tail end of chapter two. All we've got left in the way of chapter twos are Cyrus, Tressa, and Olberic's segments, and I'm ready for all of them. Of course, before we get ahead of ourselves, we have Cyrus' chapter, and it's already tons of fun. I love writing the banter between him and Odette, and it really does feel like the two of them are weird little siblings with how much they bicker. I also took this chance to mention the link between Primrose and Odette since I wanted to foreshadow it a bit before the side quest about it later in the story. It fit Primrose and Cyrus' original party banter slot perfectly, so how could I refuse?

Now that chapter talk is over, I have two other things I want to mention. First of all, happy fourth birthday, Octopath! I meant to say this last week but completely forgot, so I'm saying it here! Second, Champions of the Continent released yesterday, and with that, I want to clear up an obvious fact: Champions of the Continent was not out in English when I began this story, and as such, I didn't factor in any of its lore as part of the exposition at the start of the story. Whoops. I'm not going back to change it either, so I'm sticking with my new content here. Fixing this to be COTC compliant would upend a lot of what I've done up to this point, so I'm just going to leave it how it is, especially since nothing from COTC has the potential to be covered here to begin with. I just wanted to clear that up now that the game is in English-speaking regions.

With that all out of the way, I'm going to finish off things here. Next week, we'll pick up with the next bit of Cyrus' chapter two. Until then, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Feedback is appreciated as always. Have a nice day, everyone!

-Digital