The ray of the sun beams through the thick of the woods as it begins its early morning ascent, the morning dew clings to blades of grass as I brush over them, running my hands up my arms to keep myself warm in the damp weather. The firepits long since burned out, and I haven't exactly bothered to try to rekindle it anyways, the ashen remains are dampened with the moisture of the morn and I'm not gonna even try to light it up with fire magic of my own. I'd like to avoid using magic for now anyways, unless it's truly needed, I've been able to stand colder temperatures anyways. At least talking with the parasitic bastard in my brain kind of kills the time if nothing else, standing guard sucks ass when there's nothing going on, but part of me is glad that nothing happened last night. I can't wait to get back, and I pray that nothing goes wrong on the way there too, I want a fucking bed made of cloth or hay, something that's a bit more comfortable for longer than a few days.

Come on you gross waste of skin, I thought you found our little conversations to be fun! Besides, you wanted me to come back, it's why you dunked your head into the void of your brain after all. 'Void' is the right word there too, seeing as the spot where those memories are meant to be is as blank as the rest of your head.

I'm a man of many regrets, not even including the ones that I can't remember now, the mission of rescuing you is gonna be mashed with those regrets too. I still don't know what you mean by that, how the fuck can't you access my memories?

You think I know? I just can't, there's nothing there to look for, not that there's much to look for to begin with. I ran through everything I could, but the second you get yanked into the abyss, everything fucking poofs. Like it never happened. Are you sure it happened? Your heads a bit fucked up after all.

I stifle a growl as I sit back down onto the ground, my sight flickering between the woods that surrounds us and the wagons themselves, rubbing my fingers against my temples. Quick check up on the surroundings as a 'guard', nothing's here, at least as far as I know. As for the memories, I know that they happened, I felt it all god dammit. It might've just been a dream, or a nightmare, but there's no reason for you to be unable to look at them. You can look through any past dreams I have, right?

Mhm, if you say so, psycho. I probably can, but it's not like there's much dreams to look for really, and that's including the dream room shit on top of it, as you've taken to calling that room. You'll probably forget about it all anyways, it's just a dream.

I feel my temper flare up as he speaks, huffing and furrowing my brow as I glare into the dirt. I'm not going to fucking forget about it, about any of it, I'll stain those memories into my fucking skin if I have to. I sigh and rub at my head again, trying to dull the throbbings of pain that pulsates through it to no avail. I can't forget it, I won't let myself. A hiss of pain forces itself out of my lips as I continue to knead at my head, such a fucking irksome, stabbing pain. Thankfully Adrian shuts his trap as I tend to my head, the stabbing dying down slowly, maybe doing this is just a placebo, but at least I can pretend that this is helping. Fucking headaches. I don't think Adrian meant to aggravate me so much, but the boiling of my blood burns like a fire.

I'm surprised that you shut up for once instead of trying to fill my head with your incessant slurs, cat got your tongue? Or did you feel the need to shut up for once?

Don't count on that happening again, your… lets say that your drive caught me off guard is all, I just said it was a dream that you'd forget, I've said far worse. Why are you acting like there's a stick up your ass cause of it?

I'm not gonna for- fuck, I'm gonna drop it then. I meant what I said when I was carrying you out of there, it's a bit of a long story. It's just, I dunno, it's not exactly the best memories.

Bah, it's not like we have much to do, we got plenty of time to talk bout your weird shitty dreaom. So long as we don't get jumped by some random mutt anyways, no need to worry about that, you know I'm basically eyes in the back of your head.

I mumble to myself before I start to explain the events of what happened in the nightmare to Adrian, the doppelganger thankfully silent and unprodding during the conversation, it feels odd to try to talk so long to yourself mentally. It's not like it took place that long ago, I still remember it as clear as day. The warmth from the little buddy, the sight and feel of that loathsome deformed place, the panic from running away from the abyss, that monstrous being... The fear of being consumed by the darkness still runs up my spine, a grimace forcing itself on my face, such a fucking terrible feeling. I tell him about the whole possession thing, too, I can't exactly leave that out. I stop myself from telling him about the surprise therapy session with that strange lady though for some reason, her dull sounding voice was… oddly not too unwelcoming, and some part of me doesn't want to tell Adrian about it. Maybe I should omit it for the time being, and try to work on it by myself?

...I don't think he needs to know, no, I can just make things up, that's not gonna be too hard. Hah, try to hide something from someone in my head, that's gonna be a fucking fun time. I just won't think of her then.

What happened next?

We walked through the door, the light orb disappeared when I did, then I carried you out of there. Kind of anti-climatic, but I wasn't gonna start complaining, I didn't exactly wanna remain in that nightmare any longer than I had to.

I hum to myself and look around the area again, it feels like a token effort to at least pretend to guard the area from potential threats more than anything. More light leaks through the woods, too, the sight of both the sun and the moon is obstructed by the trees though. The only exit to this place is a singular one, too, straight out onto a dirt path. I wonder how we've managed to find such similar places to take up refuge for the night, not that I'm gonna start complaining anyways.

..Hm, I have no strong feelings towards this mess, I'm just glad that I'm not stuck in the mock purgatory any more, it was fucking awful. I still detest that you sent me there in the first place, regardless of if you meant it or not.

Hey, I said sorry, or at least I meant to. What about the possession stuff, though?

What about it?

You don't find that odd, or interesting, or something? Now that I know it's possible, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't worried about it

I'm not particularly interested in this whole mess beyond moving past it to be truthful. Don't worry about it too much ya waste of skin, I mean it when I say that I have no interest in controlling your body.

How oddly aloof of you, I expected you to spill some more garbage from your mouth instead of trying to palm it off to dismiss it.

Don't overthink it and blow a blood vessel, thinking isn't your strong suit after all.

Close enough to garbage, I'm still fucking appalled that I missed your shenganigans.

Hey, at least you're not alone anymore, right?

Next time I'm gonna leave you to rot instead. My ears flicker upwards as the rustling of grass and a gentle clanking of metal catches my attention, my neck snapping to the source of the sound, the potential threat hidden behind one of the wooden wagons. I leap to my feet and grasp at my hip, pursing my lips together as my hand passes through air. Where the fuck is my sw-

Ah, right, it was taken from me when I passed out. Did I fucking forget to grab it from the wagon? I knew that they took it from me dammit.

Fantastic, you have a great memory Zekey boy. You still have your fists don't you? You're a pugilistic brute that loves a good brawl after all, if only you remembered to grab the fucking mana crystal from your cloak pockets for once.

I make my way over to the source of the sound, paw pads pressing lightly against the dirt as I slink around, lowing my breath as much as I can. It's not the same wagon that Mabel's sleeping in, thank the fucking lord, maybe it's just someone else waking up? Who'd wake up so early anyways?

You know, it could just be Gerome, and you turning out to just be a paranoid bastard wouldn't be too unsurprising, it's very you after al-

Shut the fuck up for a second god dammit. My muscles tense as I pass by the horses, stiffly creeping my way so as not to disturb the animals, my ears twitching again as a soft muttering flows through the air. A soft thud coincides with the mumbling, the beating in my chest rises in its intensity as I peer over to the side of the wagon. And into the view of a disgruntled looking Gerome, the elder man slouched over a malformed looking sack with a guttural grunting and a wince, though his face morphs into that familiar looking smile, albeit a tad bit pained.

"Oy, good mornings young Zeke! Can you ah, help in carrying these things? Geromes back is not what it used to be." A soft sigh escapes my chest as he pleads with me, the hurried beating of my heart slowing to a crawl as quickly as it once rose. It was just Gerome, Jesus Christ, I was shitting myself god dammit.

Knew it, if only your paranoid delusions actually brought us out of shitty situations for once instead of flaring up pointlessly.

"Sure thing Gerome, are you gonna be okay?" I quickly step before him and grab the sack from the poor mans grasp, the clattering of metallic things smacking against one another inside the thing as I keep a lax grip on it. The weight sinks to the bottom of the sack, the hell's inside this?

"Old Gerome will be being alright, is not first time I've bit off more than I can chew." He winces again as he stands upright with his chest puffed out, a boasting grin on his face as he brushes past me, a quick gesture of his hand to follow.

"Does your back act up often?" I question the man as I follow close behind him, a hand pressed against his spine as he leans backwards, the cracking of bones filling the air alongside the airy sounding grunts that escapes his mouth, that overly jovial grin still plastered on his face.

"Oy, is something that happens more often now, than before, but Gerome is not feeble old man just yet! Don't do the worrying, Zeke." He brushes off the question with that friendly smile of his before turning away again, making his way towards the campfire. A shiver runs up my spine as I mumble to myself, something about his smile rubs me the wrong way at the moment. It doesn't look forced per se, it just looks somewhat bizarre, especially given how he must've seen me. I didn't expect him to put on such a friendly looking mask.

...Or I'm just over thinking it again, I don't think that he'd try to brush the incident aside if he really didn't like it. We'll just have to see in a bit, it's not like I can actually gauge what the man's feeling anyways.

For once, that's something that we can both happily agree on. The whole mental screeching to make you feel bad is my job you prick, so don't go about and give us both a headache.

I hum to myself as we approach the dampened fire pit, the old man mumbling under his breath as he kneels beside the ashen remains of it.

"Oy, would you be okay with goings out and getting some wood? Gerome has a little treat for the lot of you." He pipes up as he looks over to me, a preemptively thankful grin on his face as he stares at me. I roll my eyes and gently place the sack beside the old man before wandering away, towards the wagon that I often sleep in. Bastard, he probably knows that I'm not gonna be declining a request like that.

You'd make a pretty good laptop, you know that? No wonder that weird emerald looking bitch had an interest in you.

I ignore the verbal jab as I hum to myself, walking to the rear end of the cart with an ambling pace, stalling for a moment as I prepare to leap into the wagon itself. The emerald lady, huh? It's been a while since I've thought of her, I wonder how she's doing. I still remember how fearful that priest seemed when I brought her up. Father Levi, was it? I think that was his name, I don't remember him well, I remember what I can of the emerald lady very well, the way she looked, the pressure she put on my chest, the gloss of her hair and the shine in her green eyes…

Don't get too excited there, degenerate, get your ass moving.

I feel a light burning in my cheeks as I shake my head, heaving myself up and over the wooden gate into the dark of its insides, smothering the sound of my heavy breathing as best I can while I slink through the darkness, the soft breathing of Mabels sleeping form in her bundle of cloth the only sound in this place. I slowly rub at my temple as I look around the dark place as best as I can with the limited light. Smother that mental image of that lady, Zeke, I didn't exactly expect to be so distracted by the mere thought of her.

I feel my ears flicker up as my gaze falls upon a pile of metal, pressed up against the end of the wagon itself, the sheathed blade with the belt firmly attached to it lays beside the shield, an odd feeling stirring in my chest as I grab the both of them. The shield fits snugly in my arm, as expected, and the belt wraps around my hip just as well, there's a welcoming feeling that presses against my chest alongside the anxious one, a spare hand of mine resting on the hilt of the blade itself. I feel… odd, to have the same sword that I used to kill those keidran with by my side again. A guilty and solemn one, I guess, a clump of looming dread that writhes in my gut like a bundle of worms, it feels gross.

Lo and behold, you're also in the same room as the kid right now, you gonna turn her into a sword sheath too or something?

The hairs on the back of my neck stand on end as I walk towards the exit, my gaze falling and sticking to the bundle of cloth in the room, the bundle rising and falling with a steady breath in a comfortable sleep. I feel my frown deepen as I finger at the hilt some more, shaking my head again and moving out of the wagon, steadying my breath and beating heart.

You're a bastard for bringing her up, you know that?

I'm well aware, did you know that it's a delight to torment you?

I figured that, you bastard of a parasite. I land on the dirt in a huff, shaking off the feeling of dread as best as I can, taking in as much of the fresh and cold air as I do so. There's a tugging feeling in my chest, pulling my vision down to the sword, pressing my palm against the pommel. I hesitate for a few moments longer before gripping at the hilt, unsheathing the blade and inspecting the thing. My frown turns into a grimace as I take in the gross sight, the blade's chipped in some places and relatively dulled compared to when I first received the gift, stains of dried blood coloured a dark blown is splattered up and down the blade in a few spots, clinging itself to the steel. I swallow down the bitter feeling in my throat as I sheath the blade, twisting to march towards Gerome. I wasn't aware that it was so scuffed, so fucked from that fight. Or, maybe it was being put under pressure from the other times I've used it wantonly? I haven't exactly been taking fantastic care of it.

And whose fault is that?

No one but my own, maybe if I break the sword myself I won't be tempted to use the thing. I try to squash down the bitter feeling that weighs on my mind as I finally approach the old man, looking over the little campsite that hes set up himself, a metal stand holding up a large, seemingly cast iron pan with a fire ignited underneath it, the old man clasping his hands together with a happy little grin. The fire itself is small, almost malnourished looking, it probably won't last too long without more fuel to add to it.

"Are you planning on cooking?" I ask him with a level tone, looking between him and the fire itself, an unnerved feeling pressing against my chest as my blood pumps. Fucking fire, fuck magical fire especially, I'm just glad that I didn't see him use that magic.

"Oy! Am goings to be cooking, ah, meat, a lot of meat. Gerome is good at cookings, just not good at explaining cookings, da? Will you be going to get wood? " He waves his hand dismissively as he flashes that jovial looking grin of his, looking up to me as he sits cross legged. I purse my lips together and gesture to the sheathed blade, answering him with a nod. His smile persists, though its intensity drops as he motions to the dirt.

"Take seat, young Zeke, you have bad look on your face, you are having bad thinkings, da?" He tries to speak in a low and understanding tone, but it seems so off with the rest of him, if that overly mirthful looking mask is just a mask, then he wears it pretty well.

"That's one way to put it." I answer with a muttering, resting my chin on a hand as I look into the dirt. He hums to himself, caressing his chin with a hand.

"Let Gerome guess, you are worryings about how I think, da?" He asks again with that smile of his, somehow it seems more gleeful when I nod in return, it's not like I'm gonna lie to him. He suddenly chuckles, though it's a mirthless one, the gleeful smile on his face falling flat and saddened.

"Battle is, sad, but that's obvious, da? Gerome has done far worse than young Zeke, would be bad to put you down for it. Gerome likes keidran, are good people, but not all are good people, as sad as Old Mother would be, is not possible in world. Do be talkings to Edward some more though, da? Poor boy, worried like a mother hen, though he always be acting stern." He lets out a loud but good natured laugh, his overly friendly smile reigniting on his face as he looks down to me. I can't help but smile in return, a friendly fluttery feeling in my chest.

"Thanks, old man." I finally chip up as I send him a smile, snickering as he holds a hand over where his heart would be.

"Don't be wounding such an old man! Now hurry up, go be getting wood, fire will die out soon and pot is not hot!" I give the old man a mock salute as I stand upright, a smile on my face as I look down to him.

"I'm not exactly hungry, so I'll pass the food onto Mabel, if you don't mind." I pipe up as I rub at the back of my head, and a niggling feeling on the back of my mind. I really haven't been hungry lately, is that something to worry about? Gerome chuckles in return though, giving me a wink as he motions away from me.

"Ah, to be young again." He says almost wistfully, his bright and wide smile belies his words though, waving him off as I move towards the woods. I uh, dunno what he meant by that exactly, but I'll just take it as a compliment of some kind. I hum to myself as I approach a tree, unsheathing my blade and swinging at the deadened branch that latches onto it, tucking the beginning of the wood pile under my arm.

Hey, Adrian?

Whats up shitstick?

You remember those monsters I described to you, right?

Sadly, I can feel how fucking uncomfortable you are with just bringing them up too, what about it?

Do you have any idea what those could be? What could act like that?

Fuck I know, how the fuck are you expetcing me to understand what that nightmare was meant to mean?

I dunno, but it's nice to just hear another point of view I guess. I can hear the parasitic doppelganger hum aloud in my skull as I grunt, cutting down more branches to add fuel to the fire. He shouldn't need much, right? How much is he planning to cook?

Well, what in your mind could possibly be seen as absolute monsters with no humanity, complete and utter beasts, only to act with a degree of self preservation and caring for others of their own race?

I purse my lips together as I freeze, the memory of those monsters caring for one another brushing against my mind. My limbs feel both heavy and numb as I continue to focus on the task at hand, just collect the fucking wood Zeke.

I very much don't like what you're suggesting, Adrian.

I know, but it sounds fantastic to me.

….

The final march towards the towns sign is a thankfully quiet one, Edward awoke with minimal hassle, as did Vector. Lucy was another story, the miniature mage a pouting and huffing mess, I wonder if she was so flustered from being shaken awake by Edwar, at least it was humorous in its own way. The food that rests in my stomach feels both uneasy and welcoming, it tasted nice, but the numbness from Adrian still rests on my shoulders, the little bastard. At least Mabel scoffed down the food with a ravenous vigor, her embarrassment afterwards was endearing. Maybe I should get her some more food, maybe from that inn? Would kids even be allowed in an inn? I dunno, but it's the only type of place I know that serves food. The kid looks borderline scrawny, probably didn't get much food from being a slave, who am I to deny her gratification anyways? Granted, I don't have money left, but that's why I'm getting paid.

It feels weird to stand in front of the sign, too, it's as if I've been away from this place for a rather long time. How long has it been anyways, a week at best? I'm not really sure, but that doesn't matter too much, what does matter is what I'm gonna do after all this mess. I murmur to myself as I scratch at my chin, a puzzling predicament indeed, and the flickering of my ears doesn't really help with my thinking.

While it's of no concern to me, I feel as if you might want to respond to your friend.

I hum aloud and shake my head, twisting my neck to turn to a familiar face, his eyebrow raised and his arms crossed. I feel my cheeks burn lightly as I rub at the back of my neck, an embarrassed feeling smile on my face.

"Can you uh, say that again?" I ask awkwardly, the edges of my lips curling further upwards as he sighs, pinching at the bridge of his nose.

"Very well, your contract to the job is more or less finished as of now, though I'll have to speak to Uncle to finish it up, smooth out the creases if you will. While you're free to do as you wish, I'd prefer you to remain within the town for the time being, to meet up at the Inn within a reasonable amount of time. It shouldn't take long." He states loud and proud with his chest puffed out and a serious looking glint in his eye. I can't help but feel somewhat amused by it, snickering to myself as he finishes up, seeing him so serious and clad in that guardsman armour is just funny in a strange way.

"Aye aye current boss man, are you paying for this date or am I? Perhaps we should go dutch?" I offer the man in a sarcastic tone and a raised brow, chuckling to myself again as he groans aloud, rubbing his hand over his face. Ah, it's fun to mess with this dork, god bless him.

"It's no- just, go do what you want to do Fuzz, I'll see you soon." He finishes the conversation with an exasperated tone, waving me off as he marches down the hill. I give him a lazy salute and a wave in return, even if he can't see it. I hum to myself and scratch at my chin once more, the fuck was I gonna do again? I know I should visit Anna some time, but I'll likely do that later.

"Fuuuuuuuuuuuuzzy!" I let out a grunt as something dives into my side, stumbling for a moment before recuperating, looking down to the gnat that's lodged herself into me, her chin resting on my side as she looks up to me.

"Hiya!"

"And uh, good morning to you too Lucy, what are you up to?" I ignore her uh, strange quirkiness, a small sigh of relief in my chest as she lets go, shrugging and clasping her hands behind her back. Here I was hoping that I'd go throughout most of the day without some shenanigans.

"Nooothin much, are you gonna be doin much?" She asks with a sickly sweet tone, a delightful smile on her pale face, her clothes swishing alongside the wind.

"That's what I'm wondering." I reply with a deadpan tone and a shrug of my own, the small lady giggling in response. I feel like she wants something from me, just don't know what.

"Weeeell, there's an inn around here right? And you haaaave to go there, so why dontcha get us a few drinks? I'm sure you're a little tense at the moment after all~" She finishes what I assume to be a less than subtle suggestion with a wink, giggling again as I cough into my hand, my face burning again. Jesus christ, this chick's weird, the way she unnerves me is almost an art, or a well crafted persona.

It's your fault that she's tagging along with us, quit whining. I'd rather we not spend more time than what we need to though.

"You just wanna experiment with magic and shit with me some more, don't you?" I accuse the mage as I cross my arms, her mouth opening wide as she lets out a mock gasp, a hand raised to her lips.

"Why would ya ever think that, Fuzzy?" A smug looking grin rests on her face as she continues to look up at me, edging ever closer. I sigh to myself and rub at my temple, god dammit.

"Alright alright, fine, I'm gonna get paid later, I'll get us some grog then, okay?" I fold to the lady pretty quickly, honestly, her little squee of glee is her immediate response as she skips away, I imagine that she still has that grin on her face. A boisterous laugh from behind me forces me to jolt in surprise, a thick arm wrapping around my shoulder as I'm dragged along into a one armed surprise hug.

"Oy, lookings for cute lady, young Zeke?" I hear the friendly taunting of Gerome filling my ears as I shiver, pushing myself off of the foreign man as I turn to face him, a shit eating grin plastered on his face.

"Ich, I think I'll pass, nothing wrong with a few drinks to celebrate right?" I respond to him with a shrug, his laughter filling the air once more.

"Young Zeke be correct there! Gerome and Vector would be joining, but work stuff, you understand da? Also, where are you takings child?" He questions as he digs his hands into his pockets, rummaging through them, what's he looking for?

"I get you Gerome, don't worry about that too much. I'm taking the kid with me, might as well get her some more food." I answer with another shrug, my gaze looking over to his wagon for a brief moment, the kids still in there at the moment, probably sleeping off her breakfast for now. I look back to Gerome, a confused look on his face as he looks to me.

"You are, takings child to inn?" He seems a bit startled by that, his eyebrow raised as he stares into me. I purse my lips together as he seems to stare into my soul, with almost judging and confused eyes, letting out another sigh as I pinch at the bridge of my nose.

"Yes, I know, it sounds weird, but I don't know where else sells food. Other than the food market anyways." I finally answer the judging man, our eyes connecting as he continues to stare. He suddenly breaks the connection as he lets out a joyful laugh, eyes squeezing shut along with it. I feel, uh, confused, what?

"Oy, am surprised is all, normally people don't be takings kids to inn, but Gerome understands what you mean. Just don't get into trouble, da?" He finally speaks as his laughter dies down, a mirthful grin on his face. I can't help but feel flustered as I rub at the back of my neck, awkwardly laughing along with him, it's not my fault I dunno where the fuck a food joint around here would be. I yelp in surprise as he tosses a decently sized pouch towards me, catching it with a hand, the clinking of coins filling my ears.

"A gift from me, for takings care of child and doing far more for me than you had to, do your best. Take good rest too, might be calling on you later." His smile looks… I dunno, it looks more personally friendly and warm than before, giving me a wink of his own before dipping out of the conversation, heading towards Vector. I can't help but feel confused, though warmth still stirs in my chest regardless, a smile on my face as I look inside the pouch itself. The glistening of silver and gold coins flicker in the meagre sunlight.

That's a fair bit of coin, what a nice little tip. He's probably just trying to buy your silence.

I'll probably check just how much is in this later, and maybe, but I'd like to imagine that he's just thankful. I smile to myself and tie the opening together into a knot as best as I can, I'll probably end up throwing this in my bag when I get the chance. I whistle to myself as I make my way over to Geromes wagon, pulling myself up and over into it, kneeling beside the mound of cloth with a smile on my face. I brush it away, revealing Mabels face to the cold air of the outside world, her nose twitching as she mumbles to herself. I feel bad for waking her up, it's an almost serene looking moment, she's so fucking cute god dammit.

Bah, you're fucking weird, hurry it up.

I roll my eyes to myself and brush a hand against her face, softly nudging and petting her cheek, the girl silently mumbling to herself as her eyelids flicker half open, part of her golden eyes visible behind it as a yawn escapes her maw. The cloth of my cloak falls from her arms like a drape as she stretches, a purr coming from her chest as I ruffle her scuffed hair.

"Cmon kid, you gotta get up, we've got places to be." I say in a low voice to her, ruffling her hair softly, chuckling to myself as she squeaks out another yawn, it might take her a bit to wake up. I stand upright and start to rummage through the stock, pursing my lips together as I lug crates aside, where the fuck's my bag? I swear I didn't leave it too far from the exit.

Look at the furthest in the back.

Ah, there it is, thanks Adrian.

I'd prefer if you didn't mention it, I have an image to maintain after all.

I roll my eyes as I loop the messenger bag over my shoulders, slipping the coin pouch into it, I hope that it doesn't rustle around too much and spill the cash everywhere. I wonder how it got up there anyways, I guess someone moved it? Bah, no point in trying to question it too much now. Mable continues to murmur under her breath as she stands on unsteady legs, wobbling from side to side as she groggily rubs at her eyes, the cloak hanging over her like an enlarged blanket, purple scarf poking out from the neck of it. She looks like she's barely awake, holding onto that wisp of a thread, poor girl.

I gently guide her to the exit, lifting her out from it and onto the ground, the little squeak of surprise bringing a smile to my lips even as she shivers, curling the oversized cloak around her shoulders.

"You gonna be okay kid?" I ask her cautiously, placing my hand atop her head and rubbing gently, her immediate response being a high pitched hum of approval and nuzzling back into my hand. I'll keep an eye on her anyways, I think this is, what, the second time she's gonna be walking through a town populated by humans? I think I carried her the first time, when she was still sleeping.

"Awh, arentcha two cute~?" A teasing voice brings me out of my thoughts, along with her giggling, sighing to myself as I turn to face her.

"Are you ready, Lucy?" I ignore her question with my own, nestling my hand into Mabels hair, the small keidran pressing against my side. I'd like it if she stayed close, I don't want her running off.

"Yupa yup!" She responds in turn, that light hearted grin stained on her pale face even now. I resist the urge to groan as we begin our walk, my neck twisting to glance at the sign again.

Welcome back to Dartwood, I guess.