Hey guys! Welcome back to Hear a Tale! First things first - review time!

Thanks so much to CitrusChickadee for reviewing! Haha yeah, I always found it a bit odd that Olberic was apparently allowed to take three other people into what was supposed to be a one-on-one duel XD And thank you, glad you liked everyone's banter! Poor Cyrus, he'll get to finish a lecture one of these days, surely XD

Also, just so you guys know, I no longer have a buffer of chapters, and I'm in my last few weeks of college, so I'm busy and tired, heh. I'm gonna try to keep updates consistent, but if I have to miss a few weeks, that would be why! Thanks in advance for your patience :)

With that, on with the tale!

Relevant Events: Alfyn's Chapter Two (sort of)

21. Vacation

"Alrighty!" Alfyn declared, slinging his satchel over his shoulder and wiping the sweat from his brow as he turned to grin at his seven traveling companions. "Looks like that's the last of the patients who fell victim to Vanessa's 'cure' and couldn't pay her ridiculous fees. Everyone's taken care of and well on their way to becomin' healthy again!"

"You've done a wonderful thing for these people, Alfyn," Ophilia said, smiling.

"And without even charging for it too!" Tressa added incredulously. "Obviously Vanessa was a snake for bumping her prices up so high, but still…how do you even make a living like this?"

Alfyn smiled sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. "Aw, well…I get by. I mean, I charge for my services sometimes…just not when things are so desperate like this, you know? My main goal is helpin' people, not profitin' off them."

"Mhm…a noble sentiment," Primrose conceded, "though I needn't remind you that leaves are still necessary for, well…food and lodgings."

"I know, I know…I just can't really help it, I guess." The apothecary gave a helpless shrug. "Seein' people in need like that, it tugs at the heartstrings! And I especially wouldn't want to put a burden on these folks' pockets after Vanessa already did her best to take advantage of everybody. People like her just don't get what it means to be a decent apothecary!"

"Not sure I do either, at this rate," Therion scoffed, "though you're a better person than I am, that's for sure."

H'aanit rolled her eyes slightly. "Thou sayest that as though it is new information."

"In any case," Cyrus interjected before Therion could retort, "excellent work, Alfyn! You are truly an expert in your craft, and I very much look forward to witnessing what you'll do next with your skills."

"Shucks, thanks, Professor! I appreciate that, really."

"Speaking of which," Olberic said, "what is next for you, Alfyn? I presume you will continue with your travels?"

Alfyn nodded. "That's the plan, yeah. Though…I have to admit, I'm a bit tired from all this non-stop workin' over the past couple of days. Maybe it wouldn't be too bad to stay here for a day or two to take a load off for a little while?" The apothecary grinned slightly. "We are in Goldshore, after all. It would be a nice place for a short little vacation!"

"A vacation from what?" Therion asked dully. "Wandering around and killing things? Or completing certain very important missions?" The thief held up his right arm, pointedly jingling the chain link attached to the Fool's Bangle on his wrist.

"Aw, come on, Therion, it wouldn't be for long!" Alfyn assured him with a bright smile. "We've all been workin' real hard lately in lots of different ways - takin' a break for a couple days wouldn't hurt a bit! Just think about it, this place has got glitterin' beaches, clear water, an amazin' view of the sea and sky…who knows? If you give it a chance, you might just actually have some fun!"

"I…come on, please tell me I'm not the only one who thinks this is ridiculous." Therion glanced over at the others for help, though to his dismay, all of them seemed to be genuinely considering Alfyn's offer.

"You know…normally, I would argue against the Kindling being delayed for any amount of time," Ophilia admitted, "but…this town will be my next stop after I visit Saintsbridge. Perhaps familiarizing myself with the area beforehand would be beneficial to my journey…"

"I'm in!" Tressa blurted out, not bothering to hide the excited grin that lit up her face. "This place reminds me of home, only shinier! I wouldn't mind staying here for a bit at all!"

"It is indeed essential to allow both the body and the mind to rest regularly," Cyrus agreed sagely. "Taking a miniature holiday could only benefit us in the long run, I believe!"

"Oh yeah?" Therion asked flatly. "And if any of the people or objects we're chasing get away from us while we're lounging on the beach? The Dragonstones? Professor Pompous' book? Olberic's old traitor or H'aanit's master? What about Primrose's crow-marked men?"

Primrose smirked slightly. "As much as I appreciate your concern, Therion, I do not believe taking a day or two to ourselves would jeopardize our missions. Though I would love to be in Noblecourt at this very moment, hunting down a crow, even I have to admit that Cyrus is correct. Rest is essential, and we are all currently worn and battle-weary. If we attempted to partake in any sort of fighting now, I would fear for most of our wellbeings."

"Just so," Olberic said with a nod. "I have waited eight years to chase the answers I seek. I see no harm in waiting another day or so. You will hear no objections from me."

"Nor from I," H'aanit readily agreed. "This town hath many great differences from the Woodlands and the village of my birth. I wolde liken to lingeren here to taken in the sights and to letten ourselves rest."

"Sorry Therion," Alfyn said with a sheepish smile, "looks like you've been outvoted."

"What else is new?" The thief sighed and shook his head. "Fine. Quick vacation it is. But don't come crying to me when this setback messes with all of your progress towards your own goals."

()()()()

After making a brief stop back at the inn to ensure that the costs of their rooms were covered for the next couple of nights, the eight travelers headed down to the beach at the southern end of town. True to the town's name, the shore glittered golden in the afternoon sunlight, and clear, gentle waves lapped at the sand. The day was warm, but not uncomfortably so, as a refreshing sea breeze gusted occasionally across the beach. Puffy white clouds dotted the sky, though they never blocked out the sun for more than a moment or two at a time.

In short, it was a lovely day to spend at the beach.

Each of the travelers, however, seemed to have their own ideas regarding an ideal day at the shore. Tressa, for her part, immediately dashed for the water, and Alfyn was not far behind. Somehow, a splashing fight broke out between the two of them almost immediately, though it was not quite clear which one of them actually started it.

Ophilia lingered nearby, combing the shallows for pretty shells and bits of sea glass. Several times, she nearly became an unintended victim of Tressa and Alfyn's water assault, but miraculously, the cleric managed to stay mostly dry. She bore them no ill will, even giggling at their antics every now and then, but nevertheless, she made sure to remain at a safe distance from the apothecary and the merchant's seawater crossfire.

H'aanit remained by Linde's side in the shade of a nearby rock formation. The snow leopard was not particularly accustomed to the balmy weather of the Coastlands, but it seemed that it was cool enough in the shade for her to be content to lounge there and push around sand with her large paws. H'aanit indulged the big cat's curiosity with a fond smile on her face, pushing cool sand into mounds that Linde would then paw at and flatten.

Olberic sat atop the flat rocks in question, his eyes closed and his face lifted towards the sun as he rested. The warrior was seldom ever fully relaxed under normal circumstances, so it was a rarity to see him reclined in the sun's warmth, his brow unfurrowed and his mind seemingly at peace. As such, all of the others deigned to leave him alone so that he might properly enjoy his moment of respite.

Cyrus, similarly, also spent most of the time on the beach resting, though in his case, it might not have entirely been by choice. At the beginning of their excursion, he had settled down in the sand with a tome to read, but somewhere along the way, he had ended up flat on his back asleep, with the half-read book left opened upside down on his face. Perhaps the combination of another late night spent studying and the lulling warmth of the sun and sand had been a bit too much for the scholar.

Primrose, meanwhile, stretched out in the sun, watching Alfyn and Tressa splash each other with no small amount of amusement. Having worked in the Sunlands for so long, the dancer was accustomed to relentless heat and aridity, so being able to relax in comfortably warm conditions without having to retreat into the shade had become something of a novel experience for her. In any case, her dancing outfit was already aptly suited for the beach, so Primrose was able to thoroughly enjoy the pleasant warmth of the sun and sand on her skin.

Therion, however, seemed a bit less than comfortable, sitting in the sand only a short distance away from Primrose. He had reluctantly left behind his usual shawl and scarf, revealing the plain white shirt that opened halfway down his chest underneath. He kept his right arm awkwardly hidden behind him as much as possible, not particularly wanting to show off the Fool's Bangle on his wrist, though knowing that his typical layered attire was far too warm for the weather.

After taking a few minutes to watch the thief squirm, Primrose finally addressed him, a wry smirk on her face. "What's wrong, Therion? If I didn't know any better, I would think you didn't want to be here."

"I don't," Therion grumbled with a sharp scowl aimed in her direction. "We're wasting time just lounging around here…the only sands I care about seeing are those of Wellspring. The faster I get the other two Dragonstones, the faster I get this damned cuff off of me."

"Oh, lighten up, will you?" Primrose said teasingly. "Taking a moment to rest won't kill you. They say running yourself ragged too much makes your hair go white at a young age, you know…is that what happened to you, perchance?"

Therion gave her a flat look. "Very funny. But you're not the one with a sign declaring you're a criminal stuck to your wrist, now are you? So don't expect me to apologize for having better things to worry about than sunbathing and enjoying the view."

"Mhm…I wouldn't be so quick to denounce the view," the dancer drawled, making a show of letting her eyes roam over the place on Therion's chest where his shirt opened up. "It's quite nice from where I'm sitting…"

After a moment of staring blankly at her, the thief's face suddenly reddened and he looked away. "Knock it off," he mumbled indignantly. "You don't need to tease me every chance you get, you know."

Primrose winked. "Who said I was teasing?"

If possible, Therion's face turned an even deeper shade of red.

The dancer laughed. "I mean it! Come on, you're a good looking man with a sharp wit and quick fingers, and yet you always cover your face and hide yourself away. It's nice to see you like this for a change, really! There's nothing wrong with letting yourself relax and step into the light every once in a while, you know."

"I'm a thief, Primrose," Therion said dryly. "It's not really like I have a choice in the matter. Covering my face and keeping a low profile are what's helped me survive this long without ending up on the wrong side of a set of bars for years on end."

Primrose arched an eyebrow. "Well…you're not on the job now, are you?" she pointed out. "Nothing you're doing right now is breaking any laws. True, the bangle may indicate that you've thieved in the past, but as far as anyone else would be concerned, it also shows that you were already caught and punished for it. Nothing to worry about on that front, is there?"

"Nothing but the shame and ridicule it invites, sure," Therion spat, bringing up his right arm to glare at the cuff. "It's called a 'Fool's Bangle' for a reason, you know. The sheer embarrassment is supposed to deter any further crime."

"Oh, really? Does it often succeed?"

The thief shrugged. "No idea. I'm sure as hell not hanging up my lockpicks once I get the damn thing taken off, though. The life of a thief is the only one I'm suited for."

"Hm…I suppose we'll have to agree to disagree on that front." Primrose shrugged. "In any case…my point still stands. There's no harm in allowing yourself to take things a bit easier for a day. Look around! There's hardly anyone else here at the moment, and it's not like any of the seven of us are going to actually judge you based on the sight of that cuff. For someone who works in the shadows almost constantly, one would think you would jump at the chance to finally enjoy the sun a bit for a change."

"Tch…one would think wrongly," Therion scoffed. However, he did reluctantly let his right arm relax, not attempting to hide it behind his back like before. "But…fine. I guess I can tolerate sitting around here for one day. Or two, depending on how stubborn Alfyn ends up being about this whole 'vacation' thing. I'll at least try to put up with it, so…are you happy now?"

Primrose smiled fondly. "Very much so."

Suddenly, a spout of water came arcing over the short stretch of beach from the water to where they were sitting, splashing directly into Therion's face. The thief spluttered for a moment as Primrose let out a short burst of laughter.

"Hey, Therion!" Tressa, the evident culprit, called out from where she stood in the shallows. "You'd better not be acting like a boring old grump over there!"

Therion scowled, opening his mouth to prepare a venomous retort, but at the last moment, he seemed to think better of it. Instead, a wry smirk came to his face as he stood up, crossing his arms.

"At least I'm not acting like a childish little brat!" he called back, grinning at the offended look on Tressa's face.

"Oh yeah!?" the merchant shouted, hands on her hips. "You want to come over here and say that!?"

"She's got a point, Therion!" Alfyn laughed as well, gesturing at Tressa. "She might be small, but she's a fierce little lady! I wouldn't talk to her like that unless you plan on followin' through!"

"I just might…" Therion said softer so that Tressa would not hear him. He glanced down at Primrose and smirked. "Got any interest in putting a couple of arrogant kids in their place?"

The dancer chuckled. "You realize one of those 'kids' is only a year younger than you, don't you?" However, she stood as well, her smirk mirroring the thief's. "That being said, though…I would gladly join you on that endeavor."

With a nod, Therion kicked off his boots and began heading down to water, a cocky grin on his face and Primrose following close behind. He took pleasure in the way that Tressa's confident expression slowly faded, her eyes widening as Therion reached the shallows.

"H-Hey now," she stammered, backing up. "What are you - !?"

Therion quickly leaned down, dipping his arm into the water, then abruptly splashing a wave of seawater right into Tressa's face. The merchant yelped and retreated, running to hide behind Alfyn as she rubbed the brine from her eyes.

"No fair!" she insisted. "I-I wasn't ready!"

"Really now?" Therion said, still smirking. "If you weren't ready, then challenging me wasn't exactly the smartest move, now was it?"

"Ha! He got you good, Tressa," Alfyn laughed, though he too was cut off by a jet of water suddenly smacking him in the face. "H-Huh!?"

Primrose chuckled, flicking the seawater off of her hand. "My, that was fun. If I might add, Alfyn, the look on your face made it particularly entertaining."

The apothecary blinked. "I…huh!? Hey, I wasn't ready either!"

"Looks like they're both willing to play dirty," Tressa declared, stepping out from behind Alfyn once more. "Come on, Alf! Let's team up and show them how it's done!"

"R-Right!" Alfyn grinned and pointed at the dancer and the thief. "You'll see! Cheatin' won't get you anywhere in a fair water fight, you can count on that!"

Therion snorted. "Sure. We'll see."

Within moments, salt water was flying even more rapidly and chaotically than it had been before. With four travelers darting through the shallows, each one aiming to thoroughly soak the others, the crossfire grew much more widespread, and at one point, Ophilia had to flee with a startled squeak lest she find herself drawn into the briny conflict as well. The cleric retreated to the shade where H'aanit and Linde sat, and the three of them watched the reinvigorated splash fight with much amusement. Even Olberic eventually sat up to spectate, chuckling to himself every now and then, yet Cyrus remained soundly asleep with the book still covering his face.

The thief, merchant, apothecary, and dancer continued their watery brawl until the sun finally began dipping beneath the horizon and they were all too exhausted to carry on. They were all surprised, Therion most of all, to realize that the thief was actually allowing himself to have a bit of childish fun for a change. Primrose too had shed her usual serious demeanor in favor of a bit of lighthearted playfulness, but even then, that was becoming a more and more common occurrence the longer she spent traveling with the other seven. For Therion, on the other hand, this was likely the first time he had actually let himself laugh and even play since their group was formed, and, most probably, even longer before then.

Truth be told, it really wasn't as bad as he had thought it would be.

Granted, he did not plan on making a habit of it - he had far more important things than splashing in the waves to worry about - but he was forced to admit that taking a moment to relax a bit wasn't actually the end of the world. Or rather, he would admit it privately, but wouldn't give any of the others the satisfaction of conceding that they had been right all along.

Though Therion would not be surprised if they all simply took it upon themselves to make that assumption anyway.

For the time being, though, the sullen thief's heart felt a little bit lighter, and as he, Alfyn, Tressa, and Primrose finally left the water, Therion found the beginnings of a smile teasing at the corners of his mouth. His gaze swept over the shore, eventually landing on a certain fast-asleep professor, and the small smile quickly transformed into a crooked smirk.

"Hey," Therion whispered wryly, leaning down slightly and nudging Tressa's side. "Take a look over there."

As the thief pointed, the merchant craned her neck to look, catching sight of Cyrus sprawled out on the sand. "Oh, wow…he's really out cold, huh?"

"He sure is. If all of our shouting didn't wake him, I doubt anything could at this point. That said…" Therion's smirk curled further. "Wanna bury him?"

Tressa blinked, then stared blankly at him for so long that Therion was almost certain that she would refuse. She proved him wrong, however, when she gave a single, solemn nod. "Let's do it."

Ophilia did put forth a half-hearted effort to dissuade the two of them from bothering the scholar, but otherwise, the rest of the travelers made no move to stop them as they crept towards his sleeping form. Though the cleric watched helplessly while Therion and Tressa carefully began to scoop sand onto Cyrus' legs, the other four pointedly turned their heads away from the scene, each hiding smirks.

Before long, Cyrus' body was completely engulfed in sand, save for his head, which was still covered by an overturned book. Miraculously, the scholar remained asleep through the entire ordeal - perhaps he'd had an even later night than the others had assumed - and didn't even stir when Therion and Tressa stepped back, dusting off their hands and grinning impishly.

"A pleasure working with you, Tressa," Therion chuckled.

Tressa gave a satisfied nod. "For once, Therion, I think I can agree with that."

The thief's grin shifted into a wry smirk. "And now…the fun part." He cleared his throat, then cupped his hands around his mouth, calling out, "Hey, Professor! Wake up, we're heading out!"

Finally, Cyrus jolted awake, the book on his face falling askew so that only half of his head was covered. "Wha - huh!?" The scholar blinked rapidly, his eyes darting about for a moment, until he seemed to remember where he was. "O-Oh! Of course! I…hm? What the - !?"

Cyrus' head jerked a bit as he struggled to move, though the volume of sand piled onto his body was enough to pin him fully in place. "Who - !?" He craned his neck, twisting his head about as far as he could as he bewilderedly glanced at each amused traveler - until his gaze finally rested on the snickering thief and merchant.

The professor's expression dulled.

"I…suppose I should have guessed as much," he sighed. He shook his head, letting the tome slide off of his face completely. "Very funny, you two, haha, you're quite clever indeed. You've had your fun, now would either of you be so kind as to help me remove this sand?"

"Ah, sorry, Professor," Therion replied with a shrug, "but I'm afraid I cut my hand on a piece of sea glass back there in the water…I wouldn't want to aggravate the injury, you know?"

"Wh - sea glass isn't even sharp!" Cyrus spluttered indignantly, then directed a pleading look at the young merchant. "Tressa? A little help, if you would?"

"Okay, okay," Tressa laughed, "I'll get you out of there. Though…we did pile on a lot of sand. Just warning you, it could take a while!"

"Perhaps Linde may helpeth thee," H'aanit chimed in, though the small smirk that played at her lips was mildly worrisome.

Cyrus blinked. "Er…no, no, I'm certain that won't be necessa - "

"Linde? Diggen him out."

With a swish of her tail, the snow leopard bounded towards Cyrus, sending sand flying in the process. The scholar yelped as Linde began scraping at the sand that covered him with her large paws, her actions precise enough to not actually hurt the man, but swift enough that it was not entirely clear whether or not an accidental mauling was about to occur. Fortunately, however, the big cat made quick work of the sand pile while barely even touching Cyrus himself, allowing him to stand up of his own accord once enough of the weight was off of him.

"W-Well now…" Cyrus said faintly, pushing himself to his feet and dusting the residual sand off of his clothes. "I…thank you, Linde." He gave a short nod to the snow leopard, who sat back and chuffed contentedly.

"As for the two of you…" Cyrus sent a stern look in Therion and Tressa's direction, though his disheveled appearance undercut the seriousness of his demeanor. "I certainly hope you're pleased with yourselves."

Therion shrugged. "I am."

"Sorry, Cyrus," Tressa said sheepishly, though she sharply elbowed Therion as she did so. "It was just a little joke, you know?"

"Indeed…well now." The professor shook the last bits of sand out of his hair, straightened his sleeves, then adopted a mischievous smirk of his own. "I suppose you two will simply have to be on the look out for my retribution in the near future."

The thief scoffed, though even he found it difficult to keep the grin off his face. "Honestly, Professor, I would love to see you try." With that, he turned on his heel and headed inland, his shadow slowly lengthening with the setting sun. The others followed him off of the beach, most of them chuckling quietly amongst themselves, and though he didn't turn to face them, Therion couldn't help but think that something in their odd, ragtag group's dynamic had shifted that day.

Even as he walked ahead, with his back to the other seven, it somehow still felt as if, in that moment, he was closer to them than he'd ever been before.

See you guys next time for Tale 22: Mother Nature!