Conning Creek was a quaint seaside town, and Partitio paused his perusing of the markets to breathe deep of the salty air. It was so different from the dry, dusty atmosphere of the Wildlands, and the abundance of seafood was something that Partitio had never experienced back home.
"Shee-oot! Ochette'll be happy about this haul!" Partitio said to himself, grinning ear-to-ear as he held up the bag he was carrying, filled to the brim with fresh seafood he had managed to purchase. He was mostly interested in trying the octopus, as it seemed like a very popular base ingredient for many delicacies here.
"Ah, Partitio." He turned to find their resident apothecary walking towards him, and he gave her a friendly wave.
"Heya Castti! Anything catchin' your eye? I can probably help you get a good deal on whatever you want," he said with a wink. His smile faded, however, when he saw the look on her face; she was frowning, her brow furrowed, and her eyes kept scanning the crowd around them.
"No thank you, I'm not here to shop," she said, shaking her head, "Have you seen Osvald?"
"Osvald?" Partitio blinked at her, before humming as he scratched his chin. Osvald had been with the group when they first entered town, but Partitio recalled him rushing off almost immediately, after muttering something about his revenge…
"Aw, hells!" Partitio gasped, slapping a hand to his forehead, "I'm a right fool! This is where he used to live, right?" With his late family, to boot. Partitio cringed, cursing himself for forgetting something so important to Osvald. That was probably a lot of mixed feelings for him to deal with all by himself, and Partitio wanted to be there to help him get through it.
Castti nodded stiffly and wrung her hands together. "Yes, exactly. I'm worried about him, Partitio. You should help me find him."
"Alrighty then, but shouldn't we ask the other's for help too?"
"No. In fact, I think it should be you that speaks with him."
Partitio cocked his head to one side and raised a confused eyebrow. "Huh? Why me?"
"Well," Castti said, a small smile crossing her face, "Osvald always seems just a bit more…relaxed around you, compared to the rest of us. I wonder why that is?"
"Huh…" Partitio shrugged as he shook his head. "Beats me. But I'll do it. Where haven't you searched yet?"
"Well, I think there's a path leading out of town, that way." Castti pointed to the east, and Partitio punched his fist into his other palm.
"Thankee kindly, Castti. I'll go get our wayward scholar, you can count on me!"
"Thank you, Partitio."
Partitio left Castti in charge of his bag of fish, and he followed the road out of town to the east. The more he thought about it, the more positive he was that Castti had a point about Osvald being more relaxed around him. It probably had to do with how much time they spent awake together at night after everyone else had gone to bed.
He wasn't good at it yet, but Partitio was slowly learning more about fire magic from Osvald, and it seemed like he was the only one that he had offered to teach. It was a bit odd, because both Ochette and Castti had some experience using lightning and ice magic respectively, but Ochette's request to learn more was turned down. Partitio assumed that he just didn't want to be bothered to teach more than one person at a time, especially while traveling with the kind of weight that he held in his heart.
Partitio continued down the path, passed a small graveyard that overlooked the sea, until he finally spotted a familiar silhouette. Breathing a sigh of relief, he quickened his pace until he reached Osvald.
"Howdy Osvald! So here's where you've…gotten…to…" Partitio started, but he trailed off when Osvald turned to him, casting him a heated glare. Partitio froze mid-step, and when he glanced around, the color drained from his face.
Osvald was standing in front of the remains of a house that looked like it had been burned to the ground a long time ago. Some brick parts still stood, and the door was left to swing weakly on its hinges, making a dour creaking sound whenever the wind picked up. Partitio's eyes scanned the yard until they stopped at a charred child's swing, and the sight made his stomach churn. What kind of cruel, heartless monster could do something like this?
"What are you doing here, Partitio?" Osvald's voice, laced with anger, snapped Partitio from his thoughts. Partitio let out a nervous chuckle as he plucked his hat from his head to wring it in his hands.
"Ah, well…Castti was worried about you, running off alone like you did, and I remembered why we came here in the first place." Partitio's gaze fell to the ground, a wave of guilt passing through him. "I'm sorry, partner. I know this was your home…I just thought you might not want to go through this alone is all."
Partitio glanced up to find Osvald still glowering at him, and he winced, preparing to get chewed out and told to leave. However, after a few awkward seconds ticked by, Osvald huffed and moved towards the house.
"Stay if you want."
Partitio stared at Osvald's back, his brow wrinkled with confusion as he let out the breath he had been holding. He wisely remained silent as he replaced his hat and followed Osvald, who had stopped in the middle of the remains of the house. They stood together for a few minutes, and Partitio could only wonder what was going through Osvald's head at the moment. The latter finally spoke up, in a quiet, heartbroken tone that made Partitio's own heart ache.
"...I'm home."
Partitio tried to imagine coming home to Oresrush to find his own home in this same state - and his pops, dead - and the thought was too painful for him. He couldn't fathom the horrors that Osvald had been through, and Partitio found himself wanting to do something, anything to ease that pain.
Before he could stop himself, Partitio reached out towards Osvald. He did manage to catch himself before making contact, his thoughts conflicted on whether or not this was the right course of action. It didn't take him long to make up his mind, and he gently placed his hand on Osvald's arm, giving it a light - and hopefully comforting - squeeze.
Partitio's heartbeat hammered hard in his ears as he waited for Osvald to react, but he continued to stand stock-still, and the silence between them deafened Partitio even more than his heartbeat did.
"...'S quiet now." Osvald suddenly turned away, as if nothing had happened, and Partitio's hand slipped from his arm and fell to his side, causing him to frown. Well, he tried. It's not like Osvald had snapped at him again, or knocked his arm away, so Partitio chalked this up as a draw.
"...Since you're here, help me search for clues." Osvald said, turning to leave the house. Partitio watched him for a moment, and he scrambled to follow before he could be left behind.
"Ah, yeah, sure thing."
"Harvey wanted my research, so he must have been to my study. Come, this way."
Partitio continued following Osvald as he walked around to the back of the house, towards the cliff that rose high above them. He led Partitio through an opening in the cliff face, down a few flights of stairs, until they entered the room at the bottom.
Osvald moved to the back corner of the study, at the opposite end of a giant blackboard that spanned the entire wall, while Partitio stopped at the desk in the middle and gazed around curiously.
"So this is a scholar's study, huh?" Partitio heard Osvald grunt in response, and a small smile crept across his face; it wasn't much, but Partitio was happy that Osvald was at least giving him some type of response and not just ignoring him. As for clues, he didn't really know what to look for, so he wandered over to the bookshelf and perused the various tomes, most of which seemed way too complicated for him.
Partitio heard Osvald curse under his breath, and Partitio went over to see what he was looking at.
"...He's stolen every last one of my formulae." Osvald growled, and his lips pursed as his eyes narrowed into a glare.
"Bastard." Partitio blurred out without thinking, and Osvald surprised him by nodding as he crossed his arms over his chest.
"That I can agree with." Osvald sighed and shook his head. "If these were ordinary spells, I would not miss them. I don't understand why he would want them, either. He always took a different approach to the One True Magic than I."
Partitio scratched his head and shrugged. "Well, maybe he-"
"You there! Who are you?"
"Huh?" Partitio turned around to see where the voice had come from, and he was immediately smacked hard in the head with a well-aimed, heavy tome. He yelped in pain as he fell backwards to the ground, hands shooting to cover the large lump that was already forming where he was hit.
"What…in tarnation?"
"Clarissa! It's me, Osvald."
Partitio winced as he looked up to find that Osvald had moved in front of him, and a woman was standing at the entrance to his study, looking thoroughly unconvinced at Osvald's declaration as she raised a staff into the air. After a heated exchange of words and spells alike, Osvald had emerged victorious.
"Apologies, Partitio," Clarissa said as she bowed her head.
"Aw, no harm done!" Partitio said, "Gotta say, you've got quite the arm on ya, for a bookish type." He laughed, and winced as his head throbbed in response.
"Hold still," Osvald scolded, frowning as he moved his hand back over the bump on Partitio's head. Partitio sighed with relief as Osvald cast a weak ice spell to sooth his injury. It wasn't quite as effective as a regular healing spell, but it helped to ease the pain.
"Thankee kindly, partner," Partitio said, smiling as he glanced up at Osvald, who just grunted and rolled his eyes. Clarissa watched them with an eyebrow raised, before she turned to address Osvald:
"So, why have you returned?"
Partitio listened as they two spoke about Osvald's motivation, and Partitio took note of the dark look in Clarissa's eyes when Osvald asked about her husband. He had a bad feeling about that, but Osvald seemed oblivious, so he pushed his curiosity to the side and stayed silent.
"Very well, I will ask the townsfolk." Osvald stopped tending to Partitio's injury and turned to head towards the stairs.
"What will you do once you've investigated this case?"
Clarissa's question hung heavy in the air, and it was left unanswered as Osvald continued walking until he had ascended the stairs and disappeared. Partitio scrambled to his feet and made to follow, turning back to tip his hat at Clarissa.
"T'was mighty nice to meet you, Lady Clarissa!" he said, and she nodded slightly, a distant look in her eyes. Partitio turned to follow Osvald, a frown crossing his face. He knew what the answer to that question was: Osvald was going to get revenge on Harvey. And one way or another, Partitio was going to help him get it.
With their investigation of the townsfolk yielding results, Osvald and Partitio went to find their companions at the tavern to enlist help for the confrontation with Captain Stenvar. Castti and Ochette volunteered, and while they prepared themselves, Osvald went ahead to scope out the guard outpost first, with Partitio by his side.
Osvald didn't really know what to make of Partitio. Most days he was overly optimistic, sometimes annoyingly so, but Osvald couldn't help but admire his willingness to help out anyone and everyone in need, while not being afraid to use force when necessary.
Teaching him magic was also not something he had planned to do, but Osvald concluded that it would be beneficial to him to review the basics of at least fire magic after being locked up and silenced for so long. Partitio was also a fine student, and Osvald had caught him practicing during their travels when the latter thought he wasn't looking, and he felt a bit of pride that his surprise pupil was taking his lessons seriously.
"Hoo-ey, I'm all riled up!" Partitio suddenly said, smacking his fist into his hand. "That scoundrel Stenvar won't know what hit 'em when we're through with 'em, right partner?"
"Calm down." Osvald rolled his eyes; that reckless eagerness to jump right into danger was going to get him into trouble someday. "Your head should be clear, lest you make some careless mistake."
"Aw, c'mon Osvald," Partitio whined, his tongue sticking out slightly as he stretched his arms over his head, "Lady Clarissa was right: you are too serious for your own good."
Osvald opened his mouth to protest, but as if summoned, Clarissa appeared before them at the top of the stairs. Osvald listened as she voiced her concerns and finally told her of Ethan's fate. Still…his mind was made up, and he continued on his way despite her protests.
They reached the gate to the guard outpost, and Osvald stopped to wait for their other companions. Partitio was oddly quiet next to him, but he eventually broke the silence.
"So partner, how'd you meet them? Lady Clarissa and Ethan?"
Osvald didn't see how this was relevant to their current objective, but seeing as they had to wait for Castti and Ochette anyway, he decided to sate Partitio's curiosity. As he told Partitio the tale, Osvald watched as his brow furrowed, and he nodded when Osvald expressed his confusion at Ethan's insistence that he take Clarissa as his assistant.
"Ah, I see now." Osvald raised an eyebrow as Partitio grinned at him. "Folks're at their best when they've work that gives 'em purpose. Ethan just wanted to make sure his wife had the same."
Osvald frowned as he crossed his arms over his chest. "How…peculiar. I don't follow."
"Let's see, how should I explain it…" Partitio hummed in contemplation as he leaned against the base of the lamp post they were standing under. After a few moments, he shrugged and looked up at Osvald.
"Well, it seems that she only stopped her research because she thought that taking care of Ethan was the better course of action, not because it was what she wanted to do for herself."
"For herself…" Osvald echoed, stroking his beard thoughtfully.
"Yep! And seeing her happy researching again must have made Ethan happy too. I see that with you, too."
"Me?" Osvald raised a dubious eyebrow as he gazed at Partitio over his glasses, and Partitio grinned as he rubbed at the back of his head.
"Well, maybe happy is too strong a word. Content might be a better one," Partitio said, "You always look the most content when you've got your head in a book, or when you're showin' me how to cast those fancy spells of yours."
"That's…hmm…" Osvald never really noticed that kind of change in his own mood before. Partitio was giving him much to ponder…
"Hey Pops, Parti! We're here!"
The conversation was cut short when Ochette suddenly launched herself onto Osvald's back. He sighed and rubbed at his temples as Partitio laughed at the familiar scene.
"Golly Ochette, you're gonna throw out poor Osvald's back one of these times if you're not careful." Partitio shot him a wink, and Castti chuckled when she caught up to them.
"Osvald is more fit than you realize, Partitio," she said, and Osvald cut off Partitio before he could comment on that.
"Anyway, let's get this over with," he said, cracking his knuckles as he led the way into the guard outpost. He would get Stenvar to tell him where Harvey was, by any means necessary.
"Whew, I'm more tuckered out than a draft horse crossing the desert…"
Partitio yawned as he stepped out of the tavern and stretched, his body sore from the earlier confrontation with Stenvar. Osvald had managed to get the information that he needed from the corrupt bastard of a captain of the guard, and they had gone to celebrate at the tavern. After a few drinks, Partitio had excused himself to get some fresh air…at least, that's what he told his friends.
In reality, he had noticed that Osvald had disappeared again, and Partitio was worried about him. He kept an eye out for him as he strolled through the streets of Conning Creek. It was much more peaceful at night, as the market stalls were closed and he assumed most people were home enjoying dinner with their loved ones.
"...You're going after him, aren't you?"
Partitio froze when he heard the familiar voice of Clarissa, and he quickly hid himself behind the nearest building. Peeking around the corner, he saw that she was talking to Osvald, who had an annoyed glare on his face.
A deep frown settled on Partitio's face as he listened to the exchange. Clarissa was trying to dissuade Osvald from his chosen path, and Partitio thought that she'd have an easier time trying to wrestle a sea monster into submission.
The two seemed to be at odds with how they handled avenging their murdered loved ones. Clarissa was content with living her life to the fullest to honor her husband, and calling it an act of love. Osvald started walking towards Clarissa, and what came out of his mouth as he passed her made Partitio's heart hurt:
"I forgot what love was a long time ago."
Partitio ducked back behind the building as Osvald stalked by, and he slowly stepped out of his hiding place as he watched him go. The tone of his voice when he said those words…Partitio could practically feel the immense amount of pain that Osvald carried with him, and he found himself wishing that he could do something to ease that burden.
"Partitio."
Jumping a foot into the air, he whipped around to find Clarissa standing in front of him, arms crossed over her chest and an eyebrow raised.
"O-Oh, hey Lady Clarissa! F-Fancy meeting you here!" He let out a nervous laugh as he tapped his cheek. "I was just, uh, getting some fresh air, and totally not eavesdropping on-"
"Osvald…He acts differently around you," Clarissa said, ignoring Partitio's lame excuse, "He would never say it, but I think he trusts you. I…want you to promise me something."
Partitio noted the seriousness of her tone, and he slowly nodded. "Alright, what is it?"
"Promise you that you'll watch over him. That…you'll help him pick up the pieces of his broken heart." Clarissa's eyes took on a watery sheen, and Partitio pursed his lips, feeling a bit of moisture prick at the corners of his own eyes.
"I promise I will. I won't let him face this alone," he said, punching a fist against his palm. Clarissa offered him a small smile, nodding as she dabbed at her eyes with a handkerchief.
"I will hold you to that. Take care, and safe travels to you all."
"Thankee kindly!" Partitio waved as she walked away, and he turned to rush off in the direction that Osvald had headed. It seemed that his destination was the beach, and sure enough, Partitio found him standing on the sand, gazing up at the clear, star-spotted sky.
"Ah, here ya are, Osvald!" Partitio said, a smile crossing his face in spite of the sadness that he felt for his friend. Osvald was silent as Partitio moved to stand next to him, so he asked, "How're you holdin' up? That was a tough fight back there."
"I'm fine," Osvald said, glancing at Partitio out of the corner of his eye, "I accomplished my goal…with your help."
"Aw, that was nothin'! Your magic did a good chunk of the heavy liftin', and Castti made sure that we all got out of there without too many cuts and bruises!" Osvald snorted and rolled his eyes.
"Right."
"That was a pretty cool showing of your fire magic, by the way! Settin' all that coin on fire like you did!"
Osvald huffed and crossed his arms over his chest, suddenly looking unsure of himself, which made Partitio raise a curious eyebrow. "That was a rash decision. You probably could have used that money to further your own goals, but I destroyed it…"
Partitio frowned and shook his head. "Naw, those were dirty leaves, tainted with the blood of innocents. You did the right thing, Osvald."
"...Did I?" Osvald mumbled, going silent as he tugged at his beard, his brow furrowing as if deep in thought. It was a look that Partitio had seen him make before, usually when Osvald was studying a new tome or when he was examining Partitio's progress with fire magic. He was probably thinking very hard about something, so Partitio stayed quiet as he took the time to admire how beautiful the calm sea looked as it reflected the night sky.
"Partitio…What do you think of my plans for revenge?"
The sudden question gave Partitio pause, and he turned to see Osvald studying him intently over his glasses. Osvald seemed so dead-set on getting his revenge, so he was surprised that he was even bothering to ask someone else's opinion.
"Aw shoot, Osvald, wouldn't you rather ask someone with a bit more life experience this question?" Partitio knew that he was young and a bit naive about the world outside of his small hometown, so he wasn't so sure that his opinion would carry much weight.
"No, I want to know what you think. I wouldn't have wasted my time asking otherwise," Osvald said, his tone dripping with annoyance as his eyes narrowed. Partitio's eyes widened as a fuzzy feeling appeared deep in his gut. Huh, maybe Clarissa was right about Osvald trusting him…
"Hm, well…" Partitio said, placing a hand on his hip and grabbing the rim of his hat, "I think that you have every right to get your revenge. What Harvey did…it was unimaginably evil, and he ruined three separate lives in the process. Five if you include Lady Clarissa and her husband."
"And, if you want a different perspective on it," Partitio continued, turning towards Osvald as he pushed the brim of his hat up with a finger, "Someone who could commit such horrific acts shouldn't be left to his own devices. Who knows how many more lives he could ruin if given the chance?"
"I…see." Osvald's voice was quiet, and that thoughtful look returned to his face. A soft smile crossed Partitio's face as he placed a hand on Osvald's arm.
"Don't worry though! I've got your back no matter what happens, and that's a promise."
"Hmm…A promise…" Osvald briefly glanced down at Partitio's hand on his arm, before his gaze turned upward. "Very well, but I don't like owing a debt, so…I promise to help you too."
"Yeehaw!" Partitio whooped, punching a fist into the air, "That's the spirit! We'll make a hell of a team, partner."
"...If you say so." Osvald stared up at the sky for a few more moments, and when he looked back at Partitio, he did something that made the young merchant's heart skip a beat:
Osvald smiled at him.
The scholar was normally a quiet, stoic man, and hadn't really shown much emotion in the time that Partitio had known him, besides bitterness and anger when discussing his plans for revenge. So seeing a genuine smile on his handsome face, one that actually reached his eyes, was…incredibly beautiful.
Partitio suddenly felt his cheeks grow hot, and the warmth that blossomed within him was hotter still. His heartbeat hammered hard in his chest, and he stared at Osvald with wide eyes and a slack jaw. He had felt a similar feeling a few times in his life, but what he felt now was something deeper, stronger, more passionate-
Uh-oh…
These were all the signs of a crush for Partitio, and a mighty big one too. He swallowed thickly, his throat suddenly drier than the air at high-noon in Hinoeuma. He was dumbstruck at the realization of these feelings, and his thoughts were too scattered at the moment to make heads or tails of them.
Partitio was yanked from his thoughts when Osvald's face appeared mere inches from his own, and Partitio's breath hitched at the sudden closeness. Osvald then pressed the back of his hand to Partitio's forehead, a frown crossing his face.
"Are you feeling well, Partitio? Your face is red."
"U-Um, I-I'm feeling r-right as rain!" Partitio stuttered, forcing a laugh as he quickly jumped backwards and waved his hand in front of him. "I'm just…uh, I really, really need a drink!" With that, Partitio spun on his heel and practically sprinted back to town, leaving a very confused Osvald in his wake.
"What in the hells has gotten into him?" Osvald wondered aloud, sighing as he shook his head. He gazed up at the sky for a while longer, and when he thought back on the promises that he and Partitio had made to each other, he closed his eyes and smiled.
"A hell of a team, huh?" Osvald mumbled, placing a hand over his chest as he opened his eyes again, before turning around and heading back to town himself. He was so used to being alone and relying on himself, but now, with Partitio and his other companions by his side, the heavy burden of the path that he walked seemed ever-so-slightly lighter.