There is silence as Jonah rakes up piles of leaves under the watchful eyes of Riveria as she casually followed in step with him. One would think he would be half-hearted in this labor but there is a firm and brisk task as he raked up every leaf he encountered, even going as far as to pick up any leaves that failed to get caught up in his rake.

When a pile got too high to casually move, he went off to rake up more into another pile that he added to the first; then repeat this over to grow that pile.

Now, that pile is huge.

"So what now?" Jonah asked, breaking the silence.

"Now this," Riveria answered as she points her staff at the huge leaf pile. "Flame."

A small flame appears and soon spreads over the pile of leaves. Using minor wind magic, Riveria tends to it to keep the smoke vertical. The fire grows and they watch it burn standing near each other.

Just like those bonfires that burned the condemned back in Yharnam.

Flashes of Yharnam appear before his eyes.

No! He gasped inwardly.

The flashes quicken.

NO! He gasped inwardly more desperately.

The full moon is high yet under the clouds as the bonfire with the burning corpse upon it. He can smell the victim's flesh assault his nostrils. Revelers are ringing the bonfire looking upon their handiwork.

They stop to stare at Jonah then begin to slowly advance upon him.

"Mister Theron . . . ? Mister Theron . . . ?!"

Somebody is calling out to him.

"Jonah?!"

"What?!" He yelled to the unseen voice.

"Jonah, where are you?!"

"I am here!" He answered.

"Where is here?!"

"Y . . . Yharnam!" Jonah yelled desperately. "I'm in Yharnam! Th-They're closing in on me!"

"Jonah, focus on my voice! It's me, Riveria! Listen to my voice! You are at the Twilight Manor in Orario raking up leaves with me! Take my hand! Reach out and take my hand!"

"B-But they're closing in!" Jonah clamored as he watches Yharnam's mob close in.

"Jonah, they cannot harm you! Listen to my voice and take my hand! Reach out and take my hand!"

Jonah does just that and feels someone grabbing his hand. There is a gentleness to that firm clasp.

"Jonah, it's me, Riveria, and I have hold of your hand! Let me lead you away from them!"

He finds himself turning away from the fire, from that bloodthirsty mob attempting to close in.

With a gasp, it is daytime and Riveria is before him holding his hand. She has a concerned look.

"Welcome back," she said softly.

Up in the Twilight Manor, Lefiya has her face planted against the window with a shocked expression.

"Hey there Lefiya!" Tiona said as she walks up with her sister alongside.

But Lefiya does not answer as she continues gawking out the window with her face still firmly planted against the pane.

"What's wrong?" Tione asked as she walks up and looks out, followed by her sister.

"Hey, it's Jonah and Riveria!" Tiona proclaimed. "And they're holding hands!"

They watch as the two release hands.

"WHA-WHA-WHA-WHA-WHAT WAS THAT?!" Lefiya squealed as she finally regards the Hiryute Sisters with a shocked expression.

"Maybe Riveria is developing feelings for Jonah too," Tiona fretted. "I can't blame Jonah for becoming attracted to her 'cause she is a beautiful Elf after all."

"WH-WH-WH-WH-WHY?!" Lefiya squealed.

"Let's go find-hey, it's Ais!" Tiona stated.

"EHHH?!" Lefiya squealed as she presses her face against the window pane once again but with such force that she cracks it.

Jonah and Riveria take notice of Ais's approach.

"Why are you here?" He asked as she had gotten close enough. "I figured you of all people would not want to be anywhere near me."

"How did you disarmed me?" Ais asked with a subtle intensity in her tone and look.

"I was faster," Jonah answered with a shrug.

"But I've fought and defeated people who were faster than me," Ais countered.

Jonah winces at that remark as he understands that Ais is correct. As fast as any person might be in hand-to-hand combat, they could still lose to a slower but more skilled opponent.

It was my Insight that enabled me to disarm you because it helps me see possibilities that I could act on, is what the Good Hunter wanted to say. But he could not bring himself to reveal that secret as he understands that telling others about that could put a bigger target on his back.

"Intuition," Jonah sighed instead.

"Intuition?" Ais echoed.

"Yes, I just had a sense of what to do against you," Jonah said.

"Do you have any experience in swordsmanship?" Ais asked.

"No, I've only ever used the Saw Cleaver," Jonah admitted. "That doesn't take detailed skill in that I've only ever fought monsters. Though I'll admit that some of those monsters were human, as in still human that was." As he remembers his battles with Father Gascoinge, Henryk, Maria of the Astral Clocktower, and various other Hunters who went mad from the Hunt. "Why would you want to know all about that, Miss Wallenstein?"

"I," she began to answer as she fidgets somewhat, "I just thought that . . . that . . ."

"That I would teach you?" Jonah finished with a bemused expression.

Ais looks down in bashfulness.

"That's not something that can be taught," Jonah admitted. "It requires a sense of what needs to be done and to act as fast as possible on it."

Ais stares at Jonah.

"You have a point there," she finally answered.

"Mister Theron," Riveria said. "You have more leaves to rake."

"Right," he answered.

"Ice," Riveria chanted as she points her staff at the now smoldering ashes, causing a patch of ice to form over it.

"Well, I'll be leaving now," Ais said. "This was an interesting discussion, Mister Theron."

"Likewise," Jonah said dryly.

Ais turns around and leaves.

Oh, I should've asked why he smells like he does, Ais thought. But he might deny it and I doubt Riveria would believe me.

That is when Tiona comes running out of the manor carrying . . .

"Put me down this instance, Tiona!" Lefiya squawked while kicking her legs and waving her arms while slung over Tiona's shoulder.

"Damn it, Tiona, quit this foolishness!" Tione shouted as she follows in hot pursuit.

"What is this?" Jonah winced at the sight.

"Great, what is that foolish girl up to now?" Riveria lamented.

Tiona arrives before Jonah and places Lefiya down, then turns her around to face Jonah. Lefiya makes an expression as if having smelt something bad.

"What are you doing?" Riveria asked.

"We were watching you two from the window up there," Tiona answered happily as she momentarily gestures. "Well, Lefiya was, but we showed up and watched. Why were you and Jonah holding hands? Are you in love?"

"No!" Riveria and Jonah answered simultaneously, though Riveria's was more firm.

There is a moment of silence.

"I was not in the right place," Jonah admitted.

"You weren't?" Tiona pondered while scratching her head, then points down at his feet. "But you were standing right there."

"What he means is that he was having a flashback," Riveria answered.

"What's that?" Tiona asked innocently.

"It means I was experiencing something from back in Yharnam even though it was no longer going on anymore," Jonah answered. "Lady Riveria managed to get me out of it."

"Oh, well that's good," Tiona said, then looks back. "Hey Ais, what were you and Jonah talking about?"

"I was wondering how he was able to disarm me like that. But it turns out it was through intuition."

"Since you came up to Jonah and talked to him does that mean you've forgiven him like I have?" Tiona asked.

There is a moment of silence as Ais tilts her head.

"Well," Ais pondered, "if he is sorry that he disarmed me like that."

"I apologize for making a fool out of you, Miss Wallenstein," Jonah declared.

"Then I forgive you, Jonah Theron," Ais said.

"This is great!" Tiona exclaimed happily, then clasps Lefiya on her shoulders. "Now it's your turn, Lefiya!"

"HUH?!" Lefiya exclaimed.

"If Jonah apologizes to you for punching you then you can apologize to Jonah for blasting him with your magic!" Tiona explained.

She pushes Lefiya up toward Jonah, causing her to lean back and grimace up at him as he simply stands there staring back down at her.

"Very well," Jonah sighed. "Lefiya, I deeply apologize for punching a pretty girl like you."

Lefiya sneers as she grinds her teeth in displeasure up at Jonah, then glances back at Ais momentarily then back toward Jonah as she drops her gaze while bearing a humorously pained expression.

"O-Okay," Lefiya muttered while leering off to the side uncomfortably. "I . . . I'm s-s-sorry . . . I . . . I b-blasted you with magic."

"I accept your apology," Jonah said cordially.

"Hooray!" Tiona announced as she lunges forward with open arms and hugs Jonah.

But Lefiya gets caught up in that embrace and squeals with a mortified expression upon getting firmly pressed against Jonah.

"That's enough!" Riveria announced as she clasps ahold of Tiona's shoulder in the effort to get her to stop hugging Jonah. "Mister Theron has work to do. Now let go him."

"That's right!" Tione stated firmly upon grabbing ahold of Tiona on her other shoulder and pulls. "Now stop this foolishness!"

Tiona lets go of Jonah which in turn releases Lefiya from her predicament. The Elf girl is so bewildered by the experience that she has to be supported by Tiona, who ends up slinging her back over shoulder once again.

"Well, we'll leave you to do your work, Jonah!" Tiona announced. "Take care!"

And she hurries off while carrying a hapless Lefiya over her shoulder with Tione quick to follow.

"Such a simple-minded girl," Jonah mused while watching them leave. "And yet such a kind one."

"That she is," Riveria admitted. "Even though they both had a grim upbringing, Tiona never fails to smile and be joyful."

"Yeah," Jonah mused softly. "I've never met anyone like that back in my world, especially not from Yharnam . . . Well, back to work."

"I think we should avoid burning more leaves," Riveria suggested.

"No," Jonah stated intently at her. "I have to deal with this problem head on."

"Fine," Riveria sighed. "But if it happens again, I'm not burning any more leaves in your presence."

Tiona puts Lefiya down as the hapless Elf girl rasps a weary sigh.

"WH-WH-WH-WH-WHY THE HECK DID YOU FORCE ME IN ON THAT HUG?!" Lefiya grated in humorous despair at Tiona. "I never felt so mortified in my life! T-T-Touching another man so intimately like that, especially that man! I f-feel like taking a bath and burning these clothes!"

"Ahh, but he's so warm and firm," Tiona said dreamily. "He's also a fairly good kisser. And that other part of him got firm too."

"I DON'T NEED TO HEAR THAT!" Lefiya squealed indignantly while covering her own ears, then rasps upon lowering her hands as she makes a weary expression. "Seriously, what is it with you Amazonesses falling for men who beat you into submission?! I doubt any other kind of woman could ever fall for a man who did that to them!"

"I dunno, it just is," Tiona shrugs innocently.

Fifteen years ago, the One-Eyed Black Dragon was driven away. During its flight, some of its scales had fallen off, landing upon the ground. The inhabitants of a village called Edas discovered that those scales scared off other monsters, so they gathered ten of those scales and placed them throughout their village for protection, housing them in shrines.

But now, those villagers run around in terror . . .

". . . Monsters . . . !"

". . . They're so horrible . . . !"

". . . They're not afraid of the scales . . . ?!"

. . . As those scales lay upon the ground outside of their broken shrines.