"Human?"

Cter raised her distantly conscious head with a couple of dry smacks of her lips. It felt like it was made out of bricks. How she was able to lift it up alluded her amid the waft of freshly cooked food that surrounded her. With a couple of hard blinks and rubs of her eyes she managed to at least get the tiredness to take a walk around the building and away from her.

Whichever building it now was…

"Your Seven Sowls," a small monster with bunny-like ears informed with a friendly smile as he placed a wooden bowl with a viscous stew inside that bobbed with strange inertia against the lip of its container just barely without spilling. "You just let me know if you need anything more."

"...Yeah," Cter answered without really hearing what the monster said. He did a motion similar to a bow and left the human alone to figure out where she was again. She was...not in her carriage. That much was obvious to her. The scenery outside the large window next to her wasn't moving. It was still, letting Cter's eyes, accustomed to finding details in the streaks passing by her carriage's window, take in the Monster Country without hurting her neck in the process.

Well, hurt it more, as it was really, really sore in that moment. That was because of the...houses here in...Jarasevo. Oh, right. It was coming back to her. The houses, the endless walking, Jarasevo Time's Square, more endless walking, and then finally sitting down to finally eat here.

Wherever here was. She didn't really get a good glimpse, much less a good read, of the sign hanging outside. She would check on it later once she had recuperated with food and drink to soothe her aching skull and body.

With a heavy hand Cter picked up the handle of the wooden spoon half-submerged into the stew and leaned in for a taste. She'd never had proper monster cuisine before. Romrom had served some on occasion, but she'd always made a point to use Hjearta ingredients so that it would go down easily. Cter's nose didn't find anything particularly or drastically different about the smell of the stew, but the viscosity didn't so much remind her of food as it did slightly heated tree sap. Almost honey in how the drop forming underneath the spoon stretched all the way down into the stew again without breaking.

Would it produce a twang if she plucked it?

There were other customers around, so she had to tempt her temptation. It wasn't really difficult to do as her entire body screamed for her to just eat the stew already. The tickling heat from it upon her lips and tongue brought crusted wrinkles to her forehead covered in dried sweat.

Dammit, it's too hot. The steam from it was making her hesitate, yet her hunger wanted to eat it regardless. The tug from the elongated drop became too much for her fingers loosened due to her dilemma, and her spoon slipped out of her slick hand back onto the stew. Not into the stew, but onto, with a little bounce to boot.

Cter glanced down at her luggage with a contemplative shift of her mouth sideways. Her left hand reached down and undid the straps holding it close, plunging into the bag without looking. She needed only to feel around for the texture of wool-lined leather to find her… Aha!

Through her dress' neck-hole she pushed the sleeve down her left arm until she could slip her hand into it. She didn't bother to fasten the strap, and instead decided to hold still her mage's sleeve's chest-covering by tightening the strap underneath her right armpit. It would suffice for what she'd planned.

She might as well go ahead and see if she could find some memory about the tavern while she was in the process of summoning up Romrom's memories. With gentle calm she placed her left hand on the warm wooden bowl and closed her eyes. Cter recalled the reaction of the starter-memory and inverted it into action within her soul. She made sure to let the chilling radiance spread both towards the sleeve as well as inside her. When she could feel her shoulders relax the cold began sneaking its presence throughout her. Throughout her churning stomach and down her tensed legs. It was just like she was diving into the early spring lake back home. Cter made sure to let that memory resonate within her sleeve rather than in her body, otherwise she might've become too cold for comfort.

From her palm began a gingerly area of ice to reach out across the grainy surface with a quiet and melodic cracking to it as the moisture inside the wood expanded. The sound of some of the cracks already present in the wood expanding and others closing wasn't audible to the other tables, but it was enough for Cter to hear it. She dismissed her magic as the cracking turned less melodic, and breathed out an opaque cloud of vapor that dissipated as she opened her eyes again.

Another cloud formed as she breathed in and out again to return her breath to normal. On the one hand she was disappointed that more of Romrom's Jarasevo memories didn't reveal themselves to her, but on the other hand, most likely the one she was wearing her sleeve on, it also meant that she had control over her magic and the memories inside her sleeve. She did feel that she could focus it a lot better than what she did the first time she tried it. No icy fart this time around, which was for the better since she was in a tavern with strangers, after all.

Very curious strangers, apparently, as they'd all stopped their meal, some with their spoons and forks halfway either in or out of their mouth, or mouths. Cter had once again shouted for the monsters to notice her, but this time she did it through her magic and aura rather than her mouth and words. With a smile quickly plastered over her face to try and save it, she lifted up the bowl with both hands almost like a shrug. "Was a bit too warm," she said through a forced chuckle. Melting drops ran down her hands and over her sleeve which had lessened its glowing to a faint shimmer equal to the few shards of ice still on the bowl. Once she'd placed the bowl down again realizing that it wasn't really why she had done magic as a human that made the monsters curious.

But that she had done magic as a human at all to begin with.

There was a different sense to the eyes laid upon her though. Different from those at Jarasevo Time's Square. They were probing, yes, but they did so out of curiosity born out of awe and not confusion. Nothing really had to be said for Cter to understand that the monsters wanted to know more. It was a decision she would find strange afterwards, but in that moment she felt like it was her honor to share a bit more with these strangers that all had turned towards her out of interest to learn more.

She didn't feel hunger as she pushed away her cold bowl of Seven Sowls to have enough space to lay out her sleeved arm. "This is my grandmother Romrom," she began as she gently caressed Romrom's inscribed memories. Almost all of the occupied chairs had their edges taking on all the weight as the monsters leaned more forward. Cter could hear their question without a single of them asking it. "Yes, she is a monster." Cter's answer did not quell the burning question, but instead only fueled it into an erupting ablaze of gasps. The candle flame in front of her on the table almost shriveled away in shame. "My mother was an orphan who was adopted by Romrom in a village deep inside Hjearta, a week's or so travel away from Foermak, the capital."

"What was the memory?" was again asked without even a word uttered from the curious monsters. Even the murmur from downstairs had stopped. Could they hear it too? Cter didn't mind, which was a brief surprise to her before the joint genuine and inquisitive aura again tugged at her dress like a child asking its mother as carefully as possible if it could have another cookie.

Cter was well aware of that, and the feathery push that Romrom would do with her tail-feather when Cter's mother was away on her seamstress business. "After dinner, Cter," Romrom would say with the same voice Cter let flow out of her own mouth as she continued her story. Informing what was to her, obvious, but such an alien concept to the ones she talked to. She chose to speak with the same care that Romrom did as well. The same grandmotherly inflection born out of wisdom, but sounding like she's as young and on equal footing as Cter was.

"The memory I used was that of my monster grandma and I bathing in our village's lake the day spring had finally melted the winter ice from it. We wanted summer to come as quickly as possible, so we had to get going with it by swimming in the lake. That's what my grandma told me. To paint the leaves green, the berries red, and the wheat yellow."

Yellow-golden.

"To paint it all was my job to do. Have my laugh warm the flowers around me. Let my naked feet massage the soil and wake up the seeds sleeping inside. Have my soul shine just a bright as the sun." Cter touched her cheek gingerly with the tips of her right hand's fingers. It was burning hot. A different kind of hot that didn't hurt. That didn't make sweat or aching. Only warmth that would strengthen, and never fatigue. "That's what she put in my sleeve as well. The early springs we spent together." Cter turned her sleeve around to again study the glowing lines moving in arcane patterns across the fabric. They blended together into hazy colors as her eyes watered with nostalgic tears. "Thank you, grandma."

A collective and pleased sigh was exhaled by the monsters as they all returned to their eating. The ones that Cter made eye contact with after drying off her tears with her sleeve, causing the gentle glow to flare up for a brief moment, nodded in content with smiles both wide and high from the differently shaped mouths. She didn't have a mug to raise back at the ones that rose theirs for her, so she instead lifted up her bowl with a short giggle which the monsters mirrored.

Her spoon had an ever tougher time carving off pieces of her stew with her having chilled it with her magic. She pondered for a second to go down and ask for a fork and knife, but decided against it on the account that it might've been strange to ask for a knife and fork to eat stew with. Maybe she could try her hand at conjuring something sharp? If not a knife then maybe an icicle of sorts?

"Here."

Cter turned around to the voice over her shoulder, almost poking her eye out on the knife held out for her. She flinched back with a startled yelp.

"Oh no. I'm so sorry," the voice apologized as it retracted the knife a safe distance away. "I didn't think you would turn so much."

There was something strange to the voice. It was...not strange to her ears. That it wasn't strange was strange though. Monster voices sounded different from human ones. Not enough to be off-putting, but enough to recognize immediately which one was human and which one was monster. The voice behind her with a knife was definitely human. Very, very human.

So much human.

Cter gulped as she felt her cheeks blossom again starting from her ears. She pushed her hands up to try and hide her cheeks tattling that her heart had began beating quicker. However, her hiding them in the first place was enough to have the voice behind her chuckle friendly to itself, prompting Cter's cheeks to almost ignite on their own.

"Forgive me if that I scared you, human."

She'd never heard a human voice that deep before, and so smooth to boot. Like the thickest syrup, with the darkest of color. Cter was almost afraid to turn around and meet the face of the voice. She didn't have to put the effort in as the man behind her took it upon himself to first insert the knife into her stew and then through the same motion sit down opposite her. She was looking down, and couldn't see his face through her brown hair as the man again found her bashfulness amusing. Not funny, but amusing. Funny she would call him out on.

Maybe…

Not likely…

"So you're a mage?" the man asked invitingly to give her a reason to speak.

Which she took!

"Yes."

But only partially.

How could she? She didn't even know if he heard it or not through her shy muttering.

"Soul's School?" the man pried further. "That is a pretty prestigious one, isn't it?"

It was the only one of its kind, so yes, it was. He didn't know? For being a human that's seemingly familiar with Jarasevo seeing as none of the monsters around had paid any attention to him, not even the small bunny-like one, he sure didn't come across as it. If anywhere, Jarasevo would've been the place for every human to know about Soul's School, right? Full of monsters and magic, in a country full of monsters and magic? Surely that would be enough to just know about Soul's School through the thick miasma of magic hanging over the humans in the Monster Capital?

But then, how came this one didn't know about it?

Should Cter have asked?

Yes.

Did she?

No.

For reasons she was trying to conceal but by the very act was revealing.

"Yes," she again answered through her lips that were pale in comparison to the rest of her face. "Soul's School."

"No wonder you did such dazzling magic, human," the man congratulated as he lowered a pair of brass-rimmed glasses onto the table. The skin on his hand was a deep tan which stood out to Cter. It barely produced any wrinkles as he bent his fingers except his index one which he pointed over to the cold bowl of Seven Sowls. "May I have a look? Do you mind? I'm very interested in human magic, you see."

The man did have a sleeve on, but it looked quite...inert? Almost like the practice ones given out at Soul's School. Was that why he was interested? Because Cter sleeve looked more...refined? Was it for the spectacle of her magic? A spectacle he enjoyed through his spectacles? "No, go ahead," Cter said despite thinking the opposite. It just slipped out of her for some strange reason that wasn't at all her heart taking over all thinking for her.

"Thank you, mage."

Mage…

He...he called her a mage!

In his voice!

A bashful chuckle just barely above a happily startled snort flew out of Cter's too-widely-dragged smile which she quickly subdued by moving her hands from her cheeks to her mouth. It was too late though. Her voice had already blown out the candle and dislodged a few drops of hot wax onto the man's wrist not covered by his magical sleeve.

The cold stew didn't shift as the wooden bowl fell from the man's jerked-back hand that he waved hard to cope with the solidifying wax. Through clenched teeth he inhaled deeply before blowing on his hand not-angrily, but still with some harshness whistling quietly. He didn't harbor anything against Cter though, that as much his aura told. To be honest it didn't say anything towards her. It was good, in a way, maybe.

She still felt bad for him as a human though, so much so that her left hand came off her mouth and opened towards the man. Cter felt him looking at her through her hair which she hadn't yet moved out of the way. "I can help..." she...offered? No, offered was too strong a word for what she did. The intent was the same, but it wasn't robust enough to be consider an offer.

As the weight of his large hand settled in her petite one Cter swallowed hard enough to be audible. It was as soft as hers were, perhaps even softer. He wasn't a farmer or an artisan of sorts. What could he have been?

With her thumb Cter brushed off the hardened drops of wax to see how much healing was needed. Not much, luckily, as she wasn't used to healing magic yet. She'd never done it properly, only with classmates and faked injuries. Maybe if she took a bite of her stew first she could use some of its healing to transfer over through her sleeve?

Or...maybe she could just offer the man a bite and have it heal him primarily instead of secondary.

…

"Were you planning on using your magic to help?" the man inquired, again amused. "I could just take a bite of monster food, you know? It heals us human well even if we're not trained to be mages."

Cter's hand felt less than empty as she let the man's tanned hand go. Not only had it been the first human she'd touched in over a month, close to two, but it was also...him. Just something about his voice, but how it sounded and how it was articulated, had Cter trusting him. He might as well had an immense aura the way his presence just was there like a warm summer's breeze.

A consequence of living close to monsters? Cooperation had been more and more possible ever since King Soulay discovered human magic. That was taught in Soul's School, and even demonstrated with some of the first human mages' writings. Even under their lifetime it had gone from being a possibility with special cases with both humans and monsters to being something that could be taught to so many more humans, and memories used from any monster barring the fundamental conditions of the Cooperative Connection.

Could it be that it was enough during Cter's age to just to live nearby monsters for years to be able to do magic? That would explain the inert-looking sleeve on the deeply tanned human.

"You don't have to feel bad or anything, human. It's no problem. It was an accident. I'm fine."

Cter realized her head had stooped lower as she disappeared briefly into thought. She shrugged. She had no clue why she did, but she did. It was up to the man to decide what it meant. The brief pause that followed her loose movement didn't exactly fill her with confidence. There was no space left inside her for any confidence to exist, even with the coaxing the man's voice had done for her.

"Guess I'll...guess I'll leave you to our meal then." His voice had changed. It was apologetic. Not through his words like what he said previously, but through the tone of it, as well as a hint of something else. Cter wasn't sure, but it was clearly there. What was it? "I do apologize that I only brought with me distress. It was not my intention. You can keep the knife. I fetched it from an empty table, I promise."

Yeah well it was already a bit late for Cter to not accept the knife seeing that the entire blade was submerged in her stew. The handle was beginning to slowly tilt down what with the stew warming up again.

As a last show of goodwill the man used a napkin to move the handle to the edge of the bowl so that it wouldn't disappear inside the Seven Sowls. After that he picked up his brass glasses by its nose with a single finger. "Human, it was nice meeting you." He stood up and stretched out his hand for Cter to take. She did, and was secured inside a firm and confident grip that shook with respect and utmost pride. "Goodbye."

Cter followed the man from underneath her hair as he walked towards the stairs and down it. She could catch his slicked and dark hair not moving at all as he took his long steps. The man veered to the side at the ground floor while fumbling with something inside his shirt, and disappeared from Cter's sight. She still didn't dare look up in case he'd forgotten something or would return to his table somewhere on the second floor. With a rather meek tug she brought her bowl back to her, turning it slightly so that the knife was within comfortable reach.

It sliced through the stew with less resistance than the viscosity led her to believe, and she made a cube for her spoon to pick up. It was a rather nice dark-orange color with pieces of both vegetables and meat sprinkled inside its opaque mass. Cter took a bite, and was immediately reminded that she was extremely hungry and parched. The stew melting inside her mouth brought a wave of comfort throughout her, and she eagerly gulped it down like a fish so that she could eat again!

A minute later she'd finished her bowl. She'd even gone as far as to scrape up the few pieces still stuck on the inside by again freezing the area with her magic and then bending it loose with her knife. One of the pieces she flicked inside her mouth bounced against her uvula which caused her to cough loudly and interrupt the monsters around her. She smiled through her coughing, waving for the monsters to return to their meals.

They'd love to have returned, but there was this loud coughing interrupting their peace.

A black griffon extended and closed its wing disapprovingly with a mutter. Cter sent the last of her coughs into the bend of her sleeve which had her lines of memories pulsating and fading away up and down her arm with each choke.

As it finally ended she sighed and leaned back in her chair. She was soothed, but she could go for seconds. Some water wouldn't have gone amiss too. Her head rolled over to the side to look out the window. The landscape was the same yet she saw it differently now with some food inside her. Same beauty to it even with her limited view, albeit more clearer to her. She tugged a content smile and exhaled long through her nose.

She felt that the view was familiar, which had to be Romrom's magic affecting her perception. Not much, just a slight cherry on top. She was aware of it which was all that mattered. She could enjoy it without fear that she'd get lost in it.

Cter spent a while with her eyes moving from river to river after minutes of just watching them glisten in the far distance. Down the hills raised like shrugged shoulders without a head in the middle the rivers flowed into tranquil lakes where boats barely moved around on. Cter couldn't see from where she was if they were human or monster boats, but if she was to guess she'd go with monsters ones.

Just seemed like the obvious choice which she scoffed a chuckle at.

It only now dawned on her in the middle-to-late day that she was in Jarasevo. She was among monsters. She'd shown them her magic and they'd listened to her story. She was called a mage too! By another human! In Jarasevo!

She wiped a tear away from her eye, letting it hang on the tip of her finger before shaking it gently and letting the tear drop onto her sleeve. It again reacted, and she felt a slight surge of comfort from it. "A happy tear," she explained to her grandmother's soul. "It was a happy tear, Romrom." Even though it did nothing it still felt good to Cter to say it. Even with the awe and wonder that washed over her about the city she was still aware that she was almost two entire countries away from home. One country away was still somewhat close when she was attending Soul's School, but two?

The next tear that fell wasn't a happy one.

"May I take your dishes, human?"

With a clear of her throat Cter sat up straight in her chair again before addressing the bunny monster. "Yes, yes." She handed the bowl over. "Thank you." Her throat felt like sand as she spoke. "Could I get some water, please?"

The monster bowed with his head while letting his ears fall behind it. "Certainly." He nodded friendly towards Cter's sleeve. "No ice since you can make it yourself?"

Cter wasn't entirely sure how to react to that…

"Oh, I meant it with nothing but goodwill," the waiter explained with haste seeing Cter's expression mellow out. "We could all feel and hear it. Even downstairs." He put up a hand to show that it was fine before the mellow became solemn. "It was very soulfelt, don't worry. We were all a bit taken back that you were a mage, that's all."

Cter nodded to herself. Good thing she wasn't intrusive. She'd heard rumors about monsters being firmly against human magic despite all the good it had and would bring. She was taught at Soul's School to first get an apprenticeship before doing magic officially as that would show that she was a responsible mage. Just chilling a bowl of stew wasn't anything life-changing, and she did so out of distress, so no one would really blame her. Still she had a slight sense of wrongdoing lingering behind with her magic. She'd have to be more careful if she was to actually improve as a mage.

"Even more surprising was that Kry took an interest to you, human."

The slight sense washed away amid a torrent of both fear and eager surprise. "K-K-Kry?" she stuttered, stopping just short of grabbing the monster by its collar and lifting it up so that it could repeat it closer to her ear. "T-The M-Monster Mage?"

"The First Monster Mage, yes," the waiter corrected as if it wasn't a big deal.

Of course it was!

T-T-The man! H-He w-w-w-was Kry!

The…

A Monster Mage!

"He...he called me a mage," Cter whispered. Had she said it any louder she wouldn't have believed it.

"Oh? He did?" The waiter monster's ears piqued as he began tapping his thumb against the side of his long nose as he thought for a couple of seconds. "That's interesting. Although, I've not seen him talk to many humans outside the castle." He turned back to Cter with his brow furrowed slightly. "You're not on your way there by any chance?"

Where? Wait… "The castle?" Cter almost spat out. "Jarasevo castle?"

"Only one nearby," the monster answered after pretending to look around for another one. "Perhaps he'd be up for an apprenticeship? Wouldn't hurt to ask, right?"

A-A-A-A-Ask? A Monster Mage? Just like that? Cter had only recently maybe graduated! To go to a Monster Mage for an apprenticeship immediately was unheard of! To see one in person as a commoner was unheard of to begin with. Unheard of on top of unheard of.

Cter's head began spinning and she was forced to hold it steady as to not become faint. Seeing it, the monster waiter took his leave with a small bow. "I'll get you your water." His ears didn't bend backwards though like they did before. They stayed half-straightened as he walked down the stairs again, faintly mumbling to himself.

Through loose lips Cter blew a sigh akin to a rude raspberry. To whom she didn't know. To anyone? It was just...a deep one. From the tips of her toes and the bottom of her soul. Why did he approach her? Was he impressed with her magic? No, he couldn't have been. A Monster Mage wouldn't have been impressed by some snow! His sneezes probably held more magical potential than Cter's entire career combined!

But then why?

Why her of all people?

Of all…

Humans.

Yeah, that makes sense.

Kinda?

Maybe Kry was there to make sure she wasn't planning on anything. But then, how did he know that she would be there? Did he and the other sense her all the way from the castle? The thought sent a chill up Cter's spine, and then down it. If the Monster Mages could read her aura even though she wasn't using magic from such a great distance then how much could he read when he was right next to her with her soul and aura exposed?

He even wore glasses to help read her like the open book she was.

But didn't have to wear them because he could read her even without them!

Cter looked down through her luggage's fabric, frame, and contents until the sealed scroll inside was visible to her mind. Its allure had her breath shortening for a moment as the wave of anxiety fueled by the inspection she was put through without her knowledge stirred within her. Now she had two tests she was unaware of whether she'd passed or not.

That day…

Singe her soul.

What else should she do? Just waltz up to the castle for no reason?

"I could offer you a reason to travel up to the castle and get an audience with Kry, if you want, human?"

The almost religious sound of water being poured for Cter's parched and aching head to replenish itself with wasn't fierce enough to undo the petrified blinking she stared with towards the bunny-eared monster. In its free hand was an envelope with a purple, crested wax stamp on it sealing its fold. Despite not getting an answer the monster put first the almost full jug on the table next to the wooden mug. After some attention-grabbing taps with one of the corners he leaned the letter against the metal jug. The crest was on its side, but still Cter could tell what it depicted.

The Delta Rune.

"You saw the extension of the sign outside, human?" the monster asked friendly but received an unfriendly silence in return. It didn't faze him though as he continued with just as much hospitality as before. "This tavern is a Royal Supplier, and has been so for many years. In fact, this is the tavern Queen Toriel worked at before she ascended to where she belonged."

Cter drank from her mug greedily.

She refilled it.

And drank again.

Refilled it.

And drank again.

It was only after five full mugs of water had washed away her headache to a headnuisance that she released her mug's ear from her tensed grip. She inhaled to make sure the headache didn't return from lack of air, and stared the monster in the eyes.

"What?" she said without emotion. Which one would be appropriate to display the mix of confusion, uncertainty, and suspicion mixed with slight disquiet. "Queen Toriel? Here?"

The monster nodded without any faults or pretend to his movement. "She's a much better queen than she was cleaning tables, that's for sure." He refilled Cter's mug to empty-out the jug which he took to his chest with both his small hands. "It's from her that I recognize the aura of someone who is destined for more than what they have found themselves in." A chuckle had him drumming his claws on the metal jug. "Oh if the previous owner I bought this place from knew that she would have charged me so much more than what she did. A nice bird monster she was. Raven-black plumage."

The monster's eyes then rested on Cter's sleeve.

"Romrom?" she asked with eyes widening wider than her bowl. "My grandma?"

"She needed money to make the journey to Hjearta and to keep her promise, and I offered to buy out her stake in the establishment which she accepted. I won't say that she lost it to me in a game of human cards because then she'd be really upset with you if you brought that up next time you met her." With a playful bounce of both his eyebrows and ears the monster bared a mischievous row of teeth against Cter's sleeve before looking up and meeting the human's stunned face. "Tell her that her friend that's superior to her in cards that is in no way correlated to her losing her half of the tavern hopes that she is doing well. You can use my name if you prefer, human." He offered his left hand so that Cter could shake it with her monster limb. "I'm Krygino."

"Cter," Cter returned while trying to smile back. She couldn't though. It was officially too much to take in for her. A Monster Mage talking to her and now with Krygino's tavern not only being the one Queen Toriel worked in before, but that Romrom was involved with too! The fact that it was the same surprise to Cter spun her mind once again. No wonder she felt she sorta recognized it and decided to enter. It must've been from Romrom's hazy memories that she felt compelled to.

And this Krygino monster knew about Romrom's promise too. That must mean that the two were close. How close though?

Cter paused briefly to first think about if she really needed to know, and more importantly, if she wanted to know. She quickly concluded that prying further would most likely cause those latent memories to flare up inside her sleeve, and she wasn't fully sure if she wanted that. There wouldn't be a lot of relevant magic she could extract from that kind of...memories...should it be the case. It wouldn't be relevant to her and Romrom's connection.

If anything it might've lessened it if Cter learned too much and became a bit too familiar with her grandma's businesses during her youth.

A slight probing feeling began at her wrist which she reacted to by dislodging her hand from Krygino's. "Forgive me," he said after a shaky swallow. "I...I felt a hint of Romrom...and I..." The monster composed himself as best as he could and straightened both his back and long ears. His nose still juddered though, even after him trying to cough it away. "H-How about I let you have y-your meal for free in exchange for you delivering the letter for me?" Cter could almost hear the quickness of which his eyes moved from her sleeve to the envelope now laying on its back with the Delta Rune on full display. "You can probably also ask to see Kry for an apprenticeship while you're up there. The letter might be thin, but it should be enough to stop the castle doors from closing immediately in your face."

"So commoners are not really allowed inside?" asked Cter as she picked up and inspected the envelope between her long and index finger.

"I'm afraid to say that it is because you're human, Cter." Despite Krygino saying it softly and with no ill meaning in his words Cter still felt a frown take over her. She understood why with her head, but hearing it for the first time brought a defensive reaction from her heart. "While the doors are still closed for commoner monsters without an invitation, naturally, humans need twice the invitation, if you understand what I mean?"

She believed she did, and put down the letter again to look at it with her arms folded on the table and her upper body leaning on them as she studied the detail on the Delta Rune stamp. "And this would be enough?" It was similar in texture to the one stamp Romrom used to seal her own important letters, but the Delta Rune one was more intricate on a much glossier and expensive wax. "Should I mention that Kry had spoken to me as well?"

"I think you should," answered Krygino after returning from looking over his shoulder and waving to a new customer. "He's a monster in all senses except physically, so cooperation is still in order with you as a human, isn't it? He probably is halfway up now in a carriage or something so he'll be there when you manage up Castle Hill. He doesn't like much walking."

Cter wasn't sure if that was correct or not, both Kry's dislike for walking and that he was in standing to cooperate with her just because she was a human. The confidence which it was said though was unmistakable that Krygino had waited a long time to say it. Him squeezing the metal jug tighter around his chest like a prized possession was endearing in a way, so Cter played along with it. "I guess." Not too much though as she still wasn't completely sure if Krygino was only doing this because of some obligation towards Romrom or something. There's still some faint glow on Cter's sleeve where he had held it without asking.

"Do you need directions, human?" Krygino stole another glance from Cter's sleeve as he said that. "Or do you already have some?" He tugged another nostalgic smile which had Cter moving her left arm to pick up the letter again to break his gaze. That he looked wasn't uncomfortable, it was the implication of why he looked that had her feeling some unease.

"I think I can find my way to the castle on the hill," Cter answered back with a nod. "Thank you very much for your hospitality, Krygino. I'm sure to pay you back."

"You do that by delivering the letter and wishing your grandma well from me the next time you see her." Krygino began cleaning off the table as Cter walked pass him. "How is it you mages say goodbye now again?" he asked over his shoulder as Cter was taking the first step down with her luggage carefully placed on the next step.

She turned slightly around and brushed some of her dark-brown hair over her ear. "May your heart and soul shine together." It was the first part of the goodbye.

"May your heart and soul shine together," Krygino repeated with a bow. "Human."

"And may your memories serve you well," Cter said back with a kneel of her own. "Monster."

She again felt many eyes upon her as she reached the ground floor of the tavern. Not as many as up above, but enough that she felt her aura gingerly probed. They faded away behind the front door that she closed behind her. Finally she could catch a glimpse of the name of the tavern written on the sign, with its extension below it proudly bragging about its Royal Supplier status.

Romrom planned for her to come to this tavern, that Cter had come to know. She doubted the planning went as far as inviting over a Monster Mage to meet Cter, but meeting Krygino she certainly planned for. She would have to ask later about him.

But not too much.

That was for later though.

As Cter stood in the shadow on the tavern looking up and tightening her eyes against the brightness reflecting off the magnificent castle up on the hill she felt the letter in her hand gaining some weight. Not enough to make her drop it and run away, but enough to let her know that things were about to happen. Important things. Things that would determine her future.

Despite the day though, she felt ready for it. Kry's voice calling her a mage still echoed inside her head. His dark and supple voice reverberated like a thorough massage, and formed a smile that spelled both excitement and worry.

She'd do it though! This was why she had traveled miles and countries to Jarasevo! She was ready!

She was determined!