Chapter 18 – Friction and Fog (William)

William sat in the shade of a tree near the training field. The grass was spotted with latticed shadows and patches of sunlight, for the tree had shed most of its leaves. Nearby, other apprentices ran across the obstacle course, shouting and laughing like they were having a great time.

Ironically, the training phase seemed nostalgic to William now. Despite the setbacks, the training and studying was a fairly enjoyable routine– running the course in the morning, attending class at noon, and browsing the library in the evening.

But perhaps the best part of training week was the fact that he was never alone. He thought back to the time Jacob stood up for him in class.

"He's not lying!" Jacob's words echoed.

"We're a package deal," Leon had said.

The more time had passed, the more William appreciated that stalwart moment from the brothers. Which, consequently, made their parting ways all the more painful. Especially when William had to distance himself from Jacob the last he saw him, on Saturday morning.

Now it was Wednesday, and the past two days had been uneventful. On Monday, he and Corvo began their investigation of the burglarized museum with Zoey. On Tuesday, their Ampharos mentor encouraged them to find new leads on their own… which led nowhere.

Today, Corvo had gone into Wolfhaven, following a lead for their case. He insisted on going by himself, saying it would let him move faster and avoid spooking whoever he was going to see. That left William alone. He had attended one of the professor's lessons in the meantime, where she lectured about tracking, though William found it difficult to stay focused.

So now he sat in the shade by himself, aimless and emotionally drained. He lifted his helmet, set it aside and massaged his temples. Eyes closed, he took a deep breath and sighed slowly.

"Guild work is stressful, huh?"

"More than I've anticipated," William replied.

…Wait, who said that?

William opened his eyes and glanced right. The first thing he saw was a pair of tusks, red eyes, and a smile from a familiar Axew.

"Andrew!" William sprang to his feet, a warmth blooming in his chest.

"It's good to see you too, William!" Andrew's smile widened.

"I hadn't expected you to arrive so soon." William leaned down to pick up his helmet. "How have you been?"

"I've been good!" Andrew replied. "Pa's doin' much better now. How 'bout you? Ya look kinda worn out; easy to see without your helmet on."

William let out a mild sigh. "Honestly? I am worn out. Between the crash-course training, fieldwork, and some fallout, I feel like I could do with a day off."

"Whoa, that sounds like a lot. What's goin' on?"

"Well, we hit the ground running during training. I landed on my face."

"Ouch." Andrew looked over to the obstacle course, then squinted at William's face. "…Do you mean that literally?"

"Oh! No, figuratively."

Andrew chuckled, and William fastened his helmet back on.

"It was in the classes we took," he explained. "I couldn't answer a question, which led to some… confusion and anger in the classroom. I wound up in detention for two weeks."

Andrew's expression twisted. "That don't sound fair…"

"Maybe not, but it wasn't all bad. The two guys I came with, Leon and Jacob? They volunteered to go with me."

"They did?" the Axew's face brightened again. "Well that's real sweet o' them! Good to have someone back you up when ya need it."

"Yes, it is." William smiled at the memory, though it was quickly fleeting. "But… unfortunately it didn't last."

"Oh? You mentioned 'fallout' earlier. What happened?"

William hung his head. "It's a little complicated." He tapped his thigh with his bone club. "We were given less food while in detention. And Leon was giving his to Jacob to keep him fed. It was taking a toll on him. So, I tried to get Leon some food, to help him keep his strength up."

"That's a noble thing to do," Andrew said, nodding. "I know what it's like to go to bed hungry. How'd that wind up with y'all stayin' away from each other?"

William had been reluctant to even think about the incident, much less talk about it. But something about Andrew's presence put him at ease. "To keep it concise, I broke some rules to do it. Jacob got involved too, he insisted. Leon found out, and said he doesn't want me involved with them."

Andrew blinked slowly. "…Wow. You try an' help a friend, then everyone gets mad at each other. Sounds like a no-win situation."

"That sums it up fairly well." William eased his shoulders. Being able to tell that story, and hear reassurance that he wasn't totally wrong, brought him more comfort than he thought it would.

"I'm real sorry to hear that, Will." Andrew bore a sorrowful expression. "Does that mean you're all alone now?"

Just as easily as it left, William's tension returned to him. There was no telling how Andrew might react if he learned that he was working with Corvo, of all mons. "Well, not quite," he explained. "I have two other friends here. One is working with a different mentor, so I don't see him as much. But my other friend and I, we're training under the same mentor."

"Oh, that's good to hear!" Andrew gave a sunny smile once again. "Where is he?"

"We've been assigned to investigate a burglary. He went to find a lead, and asked me to stay here." William quietly hoped that Andrew wouldn't ask for more details.

The Axew tilted his head. "Huh. That don't sound like good teamwork, to be honest."

"Well, I tried yesterday, and I'm still worn out from that." The other day William had practically taken a tour of Wolfhaven, asking the townsfolk if they had seen any Aipoms. Not only did he find no leads, but having a couple doors slammed in his face discouraged him from socializing with any other strangers for now. "I don't mind." William shrugged.

"Fair enough. If I knew anything about solvin' mysteries, I'd help ya out. But all I can do is wish you luck."

"I think we're going to need more than luck," William said, though he regretted sounding ungrateful. "But thank you," he added quickly.

Andrew gave him another warm, patient smile, and reached over to pat his back. "Naw, you're right. Luck's good, but rest is better. Ya said you wanted a day off, right? How about we just hang out, take it easy?"

William glanced at Andrew with surprise. "Hang out?" he repeated.

"Yeah! We can get a bite to eat, play a game, see the sights. Just have fun!"

The Cubone blinked. He had been so focused on staying productive, the word 'fun' seemed foreign. Maybe that's why he was feeling drained? Either way, the thought appealed to him. "Come to think of it, that sounds really nice."

"Yeah, it will be!" Andrew pointed toward the guild hall. "Never actually seen the inside. Wanna show me around?"

William stepped forward, mirroring his friend's smile. "I'd be happy to."

The two of them walked by the obstacle course, where a small crowd cheered an Elektrike and Vulpix who were racing head-to-head. As they walked through the backdoor into the main hall, Andrew swiveled his gaze around.

"Wow! They packed a post office an' a library in here?"

"They did," William answered. "They're both open to the public."

"Let's check out the library!" Andrew scampered towards it. "I wanna see if they got a favorite book o' mine!"

They entered the library, where Andrew swept his eyes up the towering shelves in awe. That got a chuckle out of William– it reminded him of the first time he set foot in the library, just a couple weeks ago. With help from the Noctowl librarian, they found the book Andrew was looking for, as well as a vacant table to share.

"The Dialga Gates," Andrew explained, showing a book depicting the titular legend with a backdrop of a red sky and eclipsed sun. "It's awesome! So like, there's these wizards that wind up punchin' holes in time, an' other folks in the future figure it out. They explain it like time's a river with ice over it, an' they wind up goin' back a hundred an' eighty years. But one o' them runs into a wizard, who kidnaps him! And he winds up gettin' marooned…"

Andrew trailed off. Partially because he ran out of breath, and he suddenly looked sheepish from nerding-out. He scratched his headfin. "Sorry, I'm probably makin' ya bored…"

William shook his head. "Not at all!" He had picked out a geography book for himself, but listening to Andrew gush was too much fun. "If you're enjoying yourself, I am, too."

The Axew's smile lit up once again. "You should read it sometime! I'd tell ya more, but don't wanna spoil it. How 'bout you, what'cha reading?"

"Just a geography book, looking at places near Wolfhaven." William traced a finger over a map within the book, moving north from the guild's town. "This is where you live, isn't it? Cloudcroft?"

Andrew leaned in for a closer look. "Yeah, it is! Dusty ol' town on a mesa, Pa an' I live there."

"Born and raised?" William asked.

Andrew shook his head. "Neither, actually. We moved in about a year ago."

"Ah." William wondered what that experience was like, to move from one home to another. Corvo had talked about it before, how moving around all the time wasn't ideal, but seeing the world was a silver lining. "Well, do you miss your old home?"

Andrew made an odd expression. "Well… There ain't one to miss."

William tilted his head. "Not one to miss?" That sounded oddly similar to his own situation, how William had no former-home simply because he couldn't remember it. Yet Andrew had no signs of amnesia. "What do you mean by that?"

"My Pa an' I, we never really had a home, 'til recently." Andrew rubbed his shoulder, averting his eyes. "It's complicated."

A tide of guilt welled up within William, as he felt that he accidently pried into something personal. "Oh, I'm sorry," he said sincerely. "I didn't mean to. I didn't realize it was a sensitive subject."

Andrew glanced at him again. "Aw, don't worry about it. It's not like you woulda known."

Silence wedged itself between them as they met each other's eyes… then broke off. How odd it was, that such jubilance could quickly give way to awkwardness with just a few words. William was torn between pondering the nature of socializing, and feeling uncomfortably self-conscious, wanting to break the silence.

But the silence was broken for him, as his stomach growled.

"Oh, the dinner bell's ringin'!" Andrew said. "Somebody's hungry!"

Suddenly, Andrew's stomach growled as well, as if it were barking back at William's.

"I must be starving," William replied, "I hear an echo!"

Andrew broke out into a contagious fit of giggles, covering his mouth as he struggled not to laugh too hard. It spread to William, who's laughter made it even harder for his friend to hold it in. Just like that, they'd jumped back to happiness. Thankfully, the librarian didn't come by to shush them, either.

"Food sounds like a good idea," William said as they calmed down. "Want to get lunch together?"

"Definitely!"

The two placed their books back where they had found them, left the library and entered the main hall. The clock behind the front desk indicated that it was a few seconds away from twelve-o'clock.

"Oh no," William said grimly.

"Huh? What's wrong?" Andrew asked.

A dull drone of stomping rapidly crescendoed into a stampede as dozens of guild members poured out of the doors, racing towards the dining hall.

"Lunch rush!" William exclaimed. "Run!"

The Cubone and Axew bolted across the main hall, laughing as they burst into the dining hall, escaping the wave of hungry guild members.

They were among the first in line, and as they grabbed their trays, an Aggron greeted them. "Hey there!" he called, waving a big spoon.

"Hi, Coach," William replied. "What's for lunch today?"

"Got ourselves some nice, stuffed shells," Coach said as he scooped three, jumbo-sized pasta shells onto each of their trays, filled with cheese and mushrooms, and covered with tomato sauce. He also served up breadsticks and side-salads.

"Wow, thanks!" Andrew said.

"Enjoy!" the Aggron waved as the line rapidly grew behind them.

William idly wondered if the guild had any rules about guests getting meals with members, but he decided not to worry about it as he and Andrew found a table to sit at. The two dined on their pasta, stretching strings of mozzarella with each bite.

"This stuff's great!" Andrew said after finishing his first shell. "Ya know, I thought this place would be all rough an' serious. But that Coach guy an' his food? An' the library? This place ain't so bad."

"Yeah, it's nice," William agreed. "Apprenticeship does have its advantages. It's not always so…" He stopped, giving Andrew a funny look.

"Somethin' wrong?"

"Uh, you have a bit of cheese," William pointed. "Stuck on your tusk."

Andrew reached up, pinching the string and, after feeling it, sheepishly stuffing it into his mouth.

William quietly chuckled. All the stress he had from training and fieldwork seemed distant now.

"Ya know," Andrew said as they moved onto their salads. "I think joinin' wouldn't be so bad. It's better here than I woulda imagined."

"That would be nice," William agreed. "But you have to stay with your father, right?"

Andrew nodded. "Yeah, gotta help out Pa for the time bein'. Would be easier if we had a bit o' wiggle room with money, but…" Once again his cheerfulness seemed to dull as his expression flattened.

William mentally kicked himself for bringing it up again. "Sorry, I shouldn't have mentioned that."

"No really, it's okay." Andrew set his fork down. "E'rybody slips up, An' too many folks beat 'emselves up too much when they do. If there's somethin' I don't wanna talk about, I'll letcha know."

The two met each other's eyes. Just like that, William felt a little better.

"Thanks, Andrew. I'll do the same."

They shared smiles, and Andrew wiped his mouth with a napkin.

"Let's test that out," the Axew said. "I wanna ask ya somethin'."

"Ask away," William answered.

"So that helmet ya got," he pointed. "That skull cap that all Cubones have. I was wonderin'…"

As Andrew paused, William braced himself. What was he going to ask– where Cubones get them from?

"…Do ya keep it on when you sleep?"

The surprise stunned William for a moment, then he laughed out-loud. "No, no way!"

"Oh, okay!" Andrew laughed heartily, too. "I was wonderin', cuz ya hardly ever hear about Cubones takin' them off! Just a burnin' question I had for a while."

"Well, you saw me without it earlier today, right?"

"Yeah, I did. Almost didn't recognize ya." A few seconds passed, and then he glanced away, as if suddenly bashful.

"Is something else on your mind?" William asked.

"Kinda. I was just thinkin'…" He slowly turned, still looking quite shy. "Can I see it again?"

William gave him a quizzical look. "My face, you mean?"

Andrew winced. "S-sorry, dumb question, forget I asked."

"No no, it's fine." With a hand on each side, he lifted off the skull atop his head, then set it on the table. "…Come to think of it, I haven't yet looked at my own face without my helmet on. How do I look?"

Andrew smiled, looking a little more brave. "You look good."

"Thanks," William said, though he gave Andrew a suspicious look. "…There's no cheese stuck to my face, is there?"

"Hah? No," Andrew shook his head. But then he looked devilish, reaching for his tray. "Unless ya want there to be."

"You wouldn't dare!" William playfully challenged.

"I would dare. And I'd get both cheeks!"

The two continued eating, though they kept an eye on each other, as if Andrew were about to pounce on William with stringy mozzarella. As they finished and returned their trays, William decided to carry his helmet under his arm.

"Where should we go next?" William offered.

"How 'bout your room?" Andrew suggested. "Could just take it easy there for a bit."

Hesitation gripped William, as he didn't want to risk Andrew and Corvo seeing each other. But it was likely that the latter was still in town, gathering clues. "Alright, let's go."

The two made their way back to the main hall, where foot traffic had increased as more mons came and went, moving to their dorms, the library, out back, and so on. Yet before they reached the stairs, William stopped as he noticed an Ampharos standing outside the library, along with two other mons: a Lucario and a Dragapult.

Andrew took a few steps before noticing William had stopped. "What's up?" he asked.

"That's my mentor, over there," William pointed. "I wonder what she's talking about?" Curiosity compelled him to step closer, just enough to hear her and the other mentors, while keeping other mons between them as cover.

"We've gotta do somethin' about 'em," said the Dragapult. "That's the second time he blew up at me. Can't be havin' that."

"He's a sibling to one of mine," Lucario replied. "And he mentioned having trouble with him a few days ago. Perhaps I could ask him again, to get a better understanding."

"Well, we both saw how they acted in Myrrah's ward," the Dragapult added. "An' he said somethin' about a Cubone an' a Snivy, too."

"Did he, now?" Zoey spoke up. "Those may well be my own shadows."

A shiver cascaded down William's spine as he formed the same suspicion. These mons were probably mentors to Leon and Jacob. And by the sound of it, one of them was having a lot of trouble.

"We can flag 'em down later," Dragapult said. "For now, we gotta find some way to make Jake get a grip."

So they were talking about Jacob, confirming William's first guess.

"I could speak with him," Lucario offered. "Hearing his brother's perspective from another could help."

"Hmm, better you than me," Zoey said. "I've never had much tolerance for miscreants."

"Damn, Zoey," Dragapult replied. "I dunno what you just said, but it sounded harsh."

She cocked her head. "Regardless, I'll let you know if I find my shadows and talk to them about this."

The three of them nodded, then all split up in separate directions. Zoey moved into the mailroom, not noticing William standing nearby.

Andrew tapped his shoulder. "What were they talkin' about?"

"Jacob," he answered. "The Charmander, remember him?"

"Oh yeah, I do. Somethin' up with him?"

"I'm not sure, but it sounds like he's not doing too well."

William recalled how Jacob tried to approach him and Corvo last Saturday, at breakfast. The tension from their talk with Leon the night before that was still fresh in his mind, and Leon himself was probably nearby. So William played it safe, and told Jacob that they shouldn't be around each other.

He seemed so upset. William considered taking it back, but they had already moved to another table.

"Do ya think we should try an' find 'em?" Andrew suggested.

"I don't know," William said. "There's no telling how he'd react. Plus, I don't know where he might be, anyway."

"A'right, if you're sure. But if we do find 'em, I–"

"Hey Will!"

A familiar voice cut through the hall. William felt an iron ball drop to the pit of his stomach as he glanced toward the source: a Snivy, approaching him and Andrew from the hall entrance.

"Who's that?" Andrew asked.

William was tempted to grab Andew by the hand and run away with him, like the day they had met in the alleys. Yet he was paralyzed by uncertainty.

"I got us a new lead with our job," Corvo continued, just a few steps away. "We just gotta talk to–" He stopped short, training his eyes over Andrew. His expression told that he recognized the Axew. "Oh… Hey there, stranger."

"Stranger?" Andrew squinted. "Wait a sec, have we met?"

Corvo's eyes darted between the two. "What? Nah, I think you've got a mix up–"

"No, I've seen you before. I recognize your voice!" Andrew arched his back, like he was ready for a fight. "Why are you here?"

William said nothing as his body locked up. All the stress and tension he felt earlier weighed him down with force, like he had just crashed into the ground.

"Well like I was sayin'," Corvo replied with an equally tense tone, "I found a lead for the stolen coins we were lookin' for. I came by here to tell my partner, so it's just business, you dig?"

"What? Partner…?" Andrew shook his head. "This here's a joke, ain't it? I mean, this guy can't be a guild member." He turned his attention to William. "Right?"

William hesitated, but after a few seconds he looked Andrew in the eyes.

"…He is," William finally answered.

Andrew's jaw hung open, looking between William and Corvo in disbelief. "…And he's the guy you're workin' with. Your… partner."

"Hey, I'm standin' right here, tusks," Corvo spoke up. "If ya got questions, I can give ya answers myself."

"Oh, yeah, sure," Andrew's voice dripped with sarcasm. "Lemme just ask the guy who lies for a livin'. All ya did was try an' swindle all my gold, that's all."

"Hey, I'm the one who got ripped off!" Corvo took a step forward. "Thanks to you that medicine was a hole burned through my bag! And ya got to keep it in the end, didn'tcha?"

"That don't change the fact that ya tried to price gouge me, when my pa was in pain, needin' that medicine!"

William clutched his helmet, turning his knuckles white. This was even worse than when Leon got upset. Around them, his two friends seemed unaware of the guild members staring at their spectacle.

"Andrew, Corvo," he spoke up, desperate. "Please, we should–"

"I've got my own needs too, tusks!" Corvo raised his voice, shutting out William. "What, ya think you're the only one who has it hard? I hadn't had a proper meal for three days straight until I joined this adventurer's club!"

Andrew narrowed his eyes. "No," he said in a low voice. "I know damn well what an empty belly feels like. Don'tchu be pullin' that card with me. We had a deal, and you–" he emphasized by pointing, "tried to screw me."

The growing crowd started to murmur in excitement, like a fight was about to break out.

William inched closer between the two. "Guys, please, calm down–"

"So I'm the bad guy here, huh?" Corvo pressed. He stepped closer, lowering his voice to a hissing whisper. "You weren't gonna get that medicine legit, and you know it! So don't try to act like you're all high and mighty!"

"I did what I had to!" Andrew nearly-shouted. "You're just a greedy sonuva–"

William's heartbeat flailed like a Pidgey in a cage. "Both of you–!"

"Don't you even start!" Corvo countered. "You don't know a damn thing about me, tusks!"

"My name is Andrew!" he took a step towards Corvo. "An' I know that a guy like you's got no business in a guild!"

Corvo leaned back, crossing his arms. "So, you're gonna make me leave?"

By then, a loose circle of mons surrounded the three of them. Andrew's hands curled into fists, and his mouth twitched. He turned his neck left and right, popping his joints.

"Don't…" William breathed, clutching his helmet so hard it hurt.

"C'mon then," Corvo dared, unsheathing his vines. "Hit me."

Thump!

Corvo and Andrew both jumped, though neither of them had attacked. They turned their heads toward the noise– William had dropped his helmet, letting it hit the floor.

Andrew's hard expression softened. "Will?"

Corvo took a couple steps back and mumbled something under his breath.

Without a word, William turned tail and hustled away, as the crowd parted to make room for him.

"Will, wait!"

The Cubone rushed out the back door, overwhelmed by emotions he could scarcely describe. All he knew is that he had to get out, and do it now. So he rushed out the backdoor, past the training field, and toward the warm-colored foliage of the forest. Away from the noise.

Deep in the woods, Autumn had claimed all of the trees. Half of them had warm-colored foliage, while the other half had shed their leaves. William hurried through, crunching fallen leaves beneath his feet. He came to a stop only once the guild was out of sight and when he couldn't hear the clamor of the training field anymore.

He arrived at a spot near the river, where the steady hum of flowing water calmed his nerves. Nearby was a large tree stump, offering a place to sit. William rested upon the wood, setting his club at his side. The breeze blew gently, which felt chillier than normal as it swayed the trees. Distancing himself from the fight kept him from losing it, but the stress it caused still clawed at him.

That fight wasn't an isolated incident. This was the second time William had found himself at the center of conflict. First with Leon, and now between Andrew and Corvo, both within the span of a week. He rubbed his temples, trying to understand the situation.

Corvo was the common factor in both incidents. Leon was upset because of the theft, as well putting Jacob at risk, even though they had no intention of involving him. And prior to that, Andrew and Corvo had clashed before William met either of them.

William had supported Corvo most of the time. Despite the Snivy's reputation, he tried to befriend him and satisfy his own curiosity. And now… William had to question if it was worth it. Leon's disdain was abundantly clear, and Jacob wasn't likely to forgive William either, for turning him away. He was the only one who could actually empathize with William over amnesia. Losing him was a heavy loss that became clearer as time went on.

That left Andrew and Corvo. With so much animosity between the two, he'd likely have to pick one or the other to remain friends with… Yet, hadn't the damage already been done? They both knew that he had the gall to befriend their worst enemy, so… They probably despised him now, just as much as they hated each other.

"If I hadn't popped up out of nowhere, everyone would be better off, wouldn't they?" William leaned down, covering his face with his hands. All of these conflicts were his fault…

"Hey."

Someone spoke up behind William, jolting him upright as a pair of tears slid down his cheeks. He glanced back.

It was Andrew. He stood at respectful distance, looking at William with a concerned expression. At his chest he held a familiar skull helmet.

"You left this behind," he said. "Thought ya might want it back."

Not only did Andrew come to check on him, but he also brought his helmet back? William wiped his cheek, feeling his hard tension melt into a soft warmth. "I would," he said quietly.

Andrew walked around the stump, handing the skull over. "Can I sit down with ya?"

"Please do," William replied, fastening his helmet back on. He moved his bone club aside to make room.

Andrew sat right next to William, close enough to share his warmth. The Cubone remained quiet for a moment, basking in the moment. Just knowing that someone else cared made everything seem better.

"I'm really sorry," William finally said. "For storming off like that."

Andrew shook his head. "I oughta be the one apologizin'. I just got so mad when I saw 'em."

"Did you two fight?"

"Nah. After you walked out, one o' those mentor guys came an' broke up the crowd. We both calmed down an' hashed things out. He told me what's goin' on with you and the brothers."

"So…" William glanced up, half-heartedly meeting Andrew's eyes. "You're not mad at me?"

"Course not," Andrew said, as if the idea was ridiculous.

"But… I made friends with someone you hate." At those words, William drifted back towards his gloomy mood. "Everyone's been angry cuz of me."

"Nah, Will." Andrew reached over, gently rubbing his back. "Ya never meant to hurt anyone. It's all just been a buncha misunderstandings, an' they came down crashin' on ya. An' me blowin' up on Corvo didn't help, so I'm sorry 'bout that."

Andrew's words were all things William had wanted to tell himself, but he could neither articulate nor believe them himself– not in his downtrodden mood. He scooched closer to Andrew, grateful to have a stalwart friend like him. "That makes me feel better," he said with a cracking voice. "Still, isn't it a bad thing that I'm getting close to Corvo?"

Andrew tapped his tusks for a few seconds. "If it were me, I wouldn't wanna get close to 'em. You already know why."

"Right…" William averted his gaze. He still wasn't sure if trying to befriend Corvo was ultimately a good or bad thing.

"But there's somethin' different about ya, Will. I think ya see good in folks even when others don't. If there's anybody who can take a crook and help 'em clean up, well, I reckon it'd be you."

Slowly, William turned to face Andrew again, and saw that he was smiling as warmly as ever. "You really mean that?"

Andrew nodded. "I do. An' I want ya to know that I still wanna be your friend, too."

Something trembled within William, as if that iron ball in his gut melted along with all the tension he had been carrying. The next thing he knew, he was leaning into Andrew, who had opened his arms. They wrapped around each other, leaning onto each other's shoulders as they embraced. A few warm tears slid down his face.

"T-thanks, Andrew…"

"It's okay," he rubbed William's back. "It's all okay."

They parted after a while, and though William was still a bit shaken, he also felt refreshed.

"So, about Corvo," Andrew began. "He mentioned findin' a clue about that case you two are workin' on."

"Oh right," William replied, wiping his other cheek. "What did he say?"

"He said somethin' about gettin' supplies, then meetin' up with us so we can go meet his guy."

"Wait, us?" William tilted his head. "What do you mean?"

"His next lead is up north, at Cloudcroft."

"Cloudcroft?" William repeated. "Isn't that…?"

Andrew smiled and nodded.

So their investigation was leading them to Andrew's town, of all places.

"Are you saying you want to help us?" William asked.

"I do."

"I appreciate that, but I hope you don't feel compelled to do so. You're not in the guild, after all."

"But you're my friend," Andrew assured. "An' that's a good a reason as any."

The warmth within William doubled, and he smiled more widely. Once again he was fascinated at how quickly the mood had changed. Earlier, he thought he'd mope in the woods for a while, come back to two angry former friends, and… Well, he didn't want to explore that hypothetical path any further.

"Then we better head back to the guild," William said, focusing on the present. "We can rendezvous with Corvo, let Zoey know what's happening, and we can head north together."

"Yeah! An' when we get there, we can stay at my place! I'll make caramel apple pie!"

"That sounds great!" William cheered. His eyes were drawn to Andrew's backside, as the Axew's tail swished back and forth. "You're wagging your tail?"

Andrew cocked his head. "I mean, you are too."

Wait, what? William twisted himself around and saw that, indeed, his own tail was wagging. He didn't even know when he started, but he didn't mind.

Nearby, the shrubs and leaf piles rustled, and twigs snapped.

William sat up straight. "What was that noise?" He reached over and grabbed his bone club.

The two stood up and craned their heads around, scanning their surroundings. A white mist settled on the treetops, blocking the sky and even reaching down into the forest. Nearby, several silhouettes navigated through the veil, moving in formation.

"Aw hell," Andrew said. "Did we attract some ferals?"

"I don't think these are ferals…" William said grimly. He tightened his grip on his club, raising it.

William and Andrew stood at each other's backs, eyeing the other mons hiding in the haze.

"I count four on my side," William remarked, keeping his voice low.

"Same here," Andrew whispered. "There's eight of 'em."

William's heartbeat quickened as his gaze darted left and right.

"…Who are you?" he called out. "What do you want?"

The silhouettes said nothing. In unison they stepped closer, slowly. Each shadow grew larger and clearer with each step.

Among the crowd was a large bird, a towering bear, and the unmistakable shape of twin armblades belonging to a Scyther. The rest were a mix of quadruped and bipedal mons, too blurred by the mist to identify.

"I don't think they're here to sell cookies," Andrew said in a tense voice.

"I'm inclined to agree," William responded as his pulse beat faster.

Panic leaked through Andrew's tone. "What do we do?"

William looked for an opening, a weakness, anything he could exploit in their formation. The crowd had him and Andrew enclosed, tightening their circle as they stepped closer. They left no opening, so he and Andrew had to make one.

He glanced at his bone club and the strange symbols etched on it: a circle, within a triangle, within a square, all contained within yet another circle. Suddenly an idea raced across his mind, like lightning tearing across the sky, and he had no time to wonder where it came from.

"Can you make any flames?" William whispered over his shoulder.

"Dragon Rage," he whispered back. "But I can't hit 'em all."

"You won't have to."

"What'cha thinking?"

The shadowy mons came even closer, raising their arms.

"Use Dragon Rage, then switch with me. I'll do the rest."

"G-got it!"

The silhouettes had nearly stepped out of the fog.

Andrew took a deep breath through his nose, focusing his energy. His red irises glowed.

The unknown mons were about to cross the clearing…

The Axew opened his maw and fired a draconic, yellow-indigo fireball.

In the blink of an eye, he and William spun and traded places, and the latter hurled his club forward with all his might.

The Bonemerang sheared through the draconic flames, fanning them out as deep-purple embers showered the fog. But something even flashier happened– the bone club ignited, luminous with yellow and violet flames.

The encroachers stumbled, jumped, and rolled back as the whirling, flaming Bonemerang fanned fire in every direction, lighting up the forest with vivid colors. Within seconds a draconic ring of fire cut through the fog.

"Now!" William shouted.

He and Andrew sprinted toward an opening. Their footfalls roared as leaves crunched and twigs snapped. And they burst through the blockade before it could form again.

"This way!" Andrew called, taking the lead.

William kept pace behind him, hesitating for only a split-second as he heard a whirring sound to his right. Reflexes kicked in and he raised his hand, snatching the orbiting Bonemerang.

The club still glowed with draconic fire and was warm to the touch, though he had no time to examine it. He and Andrew ran deeper into the forest, vanishing in the shroud of fog.