Note: Hello, I've got some news. This is a laid-back chapter, something that I plan to insert once and a while after significant events and fights. Next time, they'll be making their way to Beiser, and per Owny Ross's suggestion, explain more in detail why they're going with Duran. Also, there will be some updates on what the villains are doing, as the heroes aren't the only ones heading to Laurent.

Also, there will be Final Fantasy references along with Heroes of Mana callbacks.

UPDATE: I apologize for the tasteless joke I made in this chapter. It's been altered, and please forgive me. I don't know what I was thinking.

Night in Valsena

Also, fair warning, it gets a little adult here, though there's nothing too serious that happens—just a few words and references to some more 'intimate' practices.

"What's up with you guys? You were all gung-ho in there, but now you want to stay here?" Duran questioned him and the other five young people standing in the city square, the giant statue of King Richard towering above them.

"We've been walking for days now. And we've been cooped up for half of that." Angela answered. "Excuse me if I want to have at least ONE night where we can just have a good time before we have to get to the hard stuff again." she then stretched her arms out, giving out a light groan as she got all the aches out of her. "Besides, I'm not in the mood to go on the road again."

Duran huffed, turning to look at everyone else. "So, where are you wanting to go?"

"Well, I suppose that depends on what places you'd recommend," Riesz answered. "After all, this IS your hometown." She then looked at the statue of Richard. "You have quite a remarkable king."

"Indeed." Duran agreed, also turning to face the monument. "And an equally remarkable knight that fought alongside him," he murmured.

"What was that?" Hawkeye questioned.

"Nothing!" Duran answered, the thief not satisfied with that answer. Of course, Riesz shook her head, urging him to drop it. Reluctantly, he did, though she had a feeling that the slight wink he gave meant that he did it again to curry favor. "Anyway," the soldier continued, unsure what to do as a 'tour guide' per se. "We've got the basic stuff, provisioners, general stores," he then remembered something and gestured southward. "Though, I would check out the Old Joe's Tavern. Best drinks in all of the country. Perhaps the world." True, the young man hadn't had drinks from many other places, and while the beer from the dwarves was well brewed, it served only as a close second.

"Well, it's about time!" Hawkeye said. "I haven't had a good shot or two since I left Nevarl!" he then began making his way in the direction Duran had pointed to, yet stopped to look at everyone else. "Well? Does anyone else fancy a drink?"

"Maybe later," Angela said, gesturing to the left. "They've got a library, and I've needed some reading material." So she made her way in that direction.

"I...believe I'll be heading that way as well." Riesz said, not particularly liking how heat came to her cheeks at the 'come hither' stare the thief was giving her. She immediately followed Angela.

"The Hell Riders…" Kevin began. "Where are they?"

"You mean those birds we came on?" Duran asked, Kevin nodding. "I think that they were taken outside of the city."

"Where exactly?"

"Just outside," Duran answered. "I don't know where exactly." Kevin's expression fell. Then, Kevin began to move away from them.

"I won't go too far." the beastman said. "Just...going to take a short trip outside." with that, he went off.

"I...think I'ww go whewe Kevin's going." the small girl said, she tailed him. Soon, only Hawkeye and Duran were left.

"So, looks like it's just you and me, huh?" the thief asked.

"Actually," Duran said. "I've got some stuff I want to do before I go to Joe's."

Hawkeye was puzzled and disappointed that he wouldn't have a drinking buddy, yet he realized what the auburn-haired soldier was getting at. "Right! Your aunt and sister. Sorry." he apologized. "Well, guess I'll meet you later then." With that, he too went off, leaving Duran alone by Richard's statue, the young soldier leaning against its stand and folding his arms.

"That's not all you want to do, is it?" Faerie asked from within her host. Duran was silent, lowering his head. "It's not necessary, you know," she told him. "There's...no way you could've known about...my friends…."

"It doesn't matter." the young man shook his head. "I...I'm so sorry," he said. "I didn't know the sacrifice you had to make to get here." images of the night the Crimson Wizard visited Valsena came to mind. The numerous soldiers, like himself, strewn all around, unmoving, many having perished at his hand. "Someone like me...I should've known better."

Faerie was quiet for a short time, yet then spoke again. "You know," she began. "It's not as if they're...dead."

"Yeah." Lumina then spoke up. "Creatures like them...they're kinda like us, hun," he said.

"We're directly tied to Mana, so they more or less become one with it when they disappear from the world," Gnome added.

Faerie was still feeling Duran's guilt over how he'd initially refused her before. Still, she felt something else. "You're still hesitant about it, aren't you?" she asked, only to receive no answer. "It's fine. It's only natural. It IS a sword of legend after all." Duran drew his sword and studied it for a long moment, running his thumb over the blade. His father's sword. True, he hadn't been the one to wield the sword in the Peddan War, but he accomplished incredible feats for Valsena and the world.

"And the one he assisted wielded the sword," Faerie said. "Roget...oh, I remember him," Lumina said, remembering the green-haired youth fondly. "Roget was an extraordinary guy, but he was still just a guy."

"And those other guys were practically kiddos compared to us," Gnome added. "And look how they turned out!" he then paused. "Though...Roget, he-"

"Hush!" Lumina hissed. "He doesn't need that right now." the Light Elemental answered.

"Hey, it's not like he's dead-"

"Hush!"

He was unaware of what the two spirits were talking about, but ultimately, there were more important things to worry about. "True…" Duran answered. "But…"

"If it's any consolation, and I admit, I may not be the foremost authority on it…." Faerie said. "Just like you, he was afraid. And, just like you, he didn't let it get the better of him. And I can't think of anyone more fitting than you to wield it."

Duran's eyes widened upon hearing that, tearing his gaze away from his father's weapon. Still, it wasn't enough to keep his eyes away for too long. He had already broken this fine thing; could he handle such a thing as perhaps far more precious (though nothing could genuinely take away from the majesty of his father's sword)? He didn't need any reminder of what wielding the sword meant, let alone what it meant when one was called to hold it. Despite how much he wished otherwise, the world was in danger. Parts of it were at war with each other already, his kingdom being a perfect example of that. Something had to be done. The only question was whether or not he could do it? Could he, Duran, son of Loki, the Golden Knight, take up the Mana Sword? Could he follow the many others of legend?

Things were going; there was little time to decide whether the answer was a yes or no, as things had already begun.

Library

It was nothing compared to Jose's study, much less the castle library, but it seemed like a decent enough selection here. "So," Riesz began, with Angela surveying the shelves for something that caught her interest. "See anything?"

"Not yet." the sorceress answered. She walked alongside some books, surveying the titles. Chronicles of Corneria, Legend of the Crystals, Lunarian Dreams…huh. It was no Exploits of Minwu or Tales of Twin Mages, Palom, and Porom. "From the looks of it, though, I doubt there might be anything of interest here."

"Well, keep looking." the amazon urged. "There's probably something. Ooh!" she suddenly exclaimed, removing a book from the shelf. "The Wild Rose!"

"Hm?" the violet-haired sorceress looked over to see the cover displaying a young man with a sword and what appeared to be a large rose taking the place of the sun. "What's that?"

"It's one of my favorites," Riesz said, composing herself. "Alma introduced it to me; it's one of her favorites too."

"Alma?"

"Oh, my handmaiden. Mine and my bro-" Riesz paused, her expression growing sullen.

Angela bit her lip, not precisely caring for the mood this was heading. "So," she quickly said. "What's it about exactly?"

While she didn't sound overly cheerful, she was at least talking, Angela thought. "It's about a group of rebels called the Wild Rose that try to overthrow the Empire of Palamecia," Riesz answered. Granted, it's a little more complicated than that, as there are matters of politics and several more minor quests. Some involve visiting various towns, thwarting several of the empire's schemes." She then stopped briefly, flipping through the pages until she came to a familiar portion near the end. "Though it gets even direr when the Emperor rises from Hell."

"From Hell?" Angela questioned.

"Yes," Riesz answered. "See, the heroes kill him, and then it's revealed that he sold his soul to darkness and gained the powers of the underworld. Then, he brings Pandemonium, the Palace of Hell, to the surface." she scanned that particular passage. "And yet, the supposed King of Hell is brought down by mortal men and a woman."

"I think I heard that story once," Angela confessed. "Jose once said that, while not true, the white wizard in that book was based and named off the wizard Minwu himself."

"Interesting…" Riesz trailed off, becoming caught in the old tale from her youth. Angela left her to it, continuing to scan the shelves for something of interest. "Say, what stories are popular in your kingdom?"

Angela was somewhat surprised Riesz was even asking her that, let alone have interest in her kingdom. Nevertheless, she answered. "Surprisingly, not many stories involve mages as the protagonists." the Princess said. One of the country's favorite tales begins with a boy and his Chocobo riding out in a vast field without a care in the world, the whole world ready for him to explore. Of course, this was followed by a giant rock from space crashing and crystals being drained of their powers, but the story was quite long, and Angela didn't want to spend too much of her time talking about things she read. She wanted to be doing the reading.

Then, she saw it. "Ooh!" Angela giggled and quickly snatched the book off the shelf. "Finally! I can get to where I left off!"

Outside

He didn't even get to speak before the door opened, revealing a blonde woman standing before him. "Hello, stranger." Stella greeted, immediately taking the young man in her arms.

Duran looked over the woman's shoulder, seeing no one. "Where's Wendy?"

"Up in her room, asleep," Stella answered. "As she should be. Poor thing's been through enough." she then sighed. "Though, you've been too."

"I...I'm sorry." Duran answered her. "I...I should've been here."

"And you could take on every single one of those women?" Stella asked rhetorically. "I don't mean this to bring you down, but you were outmatched. It's a miracle that you're still standing here at all." she then released him, allowing her nephew to face her. "So...it is true, right? You being chosen to wield the Mana Sword?" Duran stood still for a small while before nodding in reply. "I...even now, I still don't know what to say."

"Honestly, I don't know either." her nephew admitted. "It...it still doesn't seem real."

"I know," Stella answered. "I do. Neither Richard nor your father could believe it when the Dragon Lord first laid siege to this place. Let alone know that they would be summoned again to deal with him." she didn't let him see it, yet she couldn't help but grimly think, 'The world in danger again after only nineteen years...it seems that the times in between disasters are becoming shorter and shorter.' She then directed her attention back to her nephew. "Anyway, come on inside. We can-"

"N-No." Duran shook his head, stepping back. "Don't you remember? I swore not to enter my home again until…" he paused. "Until-"

"Until that Crimson Wizard is dealt with." Stella finished for him. She wasn't exactly pleased to hear this yet appeared to be expecting it nevertheless. "Just like your father." she sighed. "And just like your father, you intend to go through with it, don't you?"

"He...he can't get away with all that he's done." her nephew answered. "For all the lives he's taken...and it's not just me." Duran continued. "Angela, she said that he's been causing trouble in her home too."

Stella nodded. "He seems like someone with a lot of influence," she noted. "And while I still have reservations about your decision to go through with this...ultimately, given what I know now, perhaps it can't be helped." she tightened her grip on her nephew's shoulders. "...damn it." she hissed. So he was back, and now she had to let him go again? And it wasn't as if she could MAKE him stay either. He'd probably go off on his own again anyway. And, if by some slight chance he wouldn't, powers far higher than her authority now called him. Her control and ability to care for him had been stripped away from her, and there was no way for her to fight it. "Well...even if you can't return home," Stella said again. "Could you at least tell Wendy goodbye?"

Duran nodded. "First thing in the morning," he promised. "Sorry, but I've got to meet someone at Joe's."

"No, I understand," Stella answered. "Just, one last thing." she then breathed. "Faerie?" the winged woman manifested beside her host. "I won't lie; this young man is a handful."

Faerie nodded. "I can agree with that," she said. "Bullheaded,"

"Stubborn," Stella added.

"Lacking foresight," Faerie said.

"And you can't forget easily riled up," Stella said, noticing her nephew's growing anger with amusement.

"Are you done?" Duran huffed, arms folded across his chest.

"Scratch that." Stella then said. "Make that EXTRA stubborn." Then, she took Duran in her arms. "But I want ALL of that intact and ready to come home and drive me nuts." She then turned to Faerie. "Be sure that he makes it back in one piece."

"Oh, uh, yes, ma'am!" Faerie answered. "He shall come back to you, just the same as before!"

"I'll hold you to it." the blonde woman told her. "Now, go spend time with those other kids. You all have a long way ahead of you."

Duran rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah. Guess so." He turned to Faerie, then back to Stella. "I guess...I'll see you tomorrow."

With one last hug that seemed to last for quite a while, Stella released her nephew, silently permitting him to leave her finally. He slowly began to make his way away from her, pausing to look back before heading off to the tavern, unaware of the tears that came to his aunt's eyes.

Outside the City

It took some searching, yet finally, at long last, he had found them. Not buried but dumped near the edge of the field lay the two Hell Riders, clearly dead, the blasts and magical blows from the Altenan mages having done them in. "Kevin?" the beastman heard a voice from behind call out. "Kevin!"

He turned to see a blonde girl rushing toward him. "Charlotte?"

"Swow down! I can't wun that fast…" the half-elf stopped upon seeing what exactly her far tanner and taller companion was near. "Eww." she grimaced. "What awe you doing out hewe?" she asked, turning her head away from looking at the dead birds. "Awen't you wowwid about getting a disease?" Suddenly, she heard ground being moved, looking to see that Kevin, to her surprise, was digging at the base. "What awe you doing?" he didn't answer, continuing to dig; Charlotte was surprised at how fast he was doing it. In what appeared to be little more than a minute, a hole in the ground had been excavated, and Kevin then folded the outstretched wings of the Hell Rider inward, making it so that it would fit. Realizing what he was doing, Charlotte went off, leaving the beastman alone.

Pushing the Hell Rider into the hole, Kevin began digging another spot for the other bird, and once he was done, he moved the avian specimen inside. Then, he began moving the dirt over the two pits, covering the birds. Stepping back, he surveyed his handiwork, then felt a tap on his side. Turning, he saw Charlotte again, with a bundle of sticks in her hands. "Hewe." she handed them to him; he was surprised that she had stuck around after expressing disgust at the sight of the two birds. Nevertheless, he took them and made markers for the two recently dug graves.

"So…" Charlotte began, not entirely sure how to start. "Are all those birds mean like those other ones?" Perhaps it wasn't the best thing to say, as Kevin had clearly dug graves for them, yet still, she pondered what prompted such a thing from him.

"They don't start that way," Kevin said softly. "They're separated from their mothers at birth and hand-fed by their handlers. And what they eat is picked out to ensure they grow up and big as fast as possible."

"They'we taken from theiw moms?" the girl asked, clearly mortified. "That...that's tewwible."

"It's how our society functions," Kevin explained. "We beastmen pride strength above all else. Connections like that are believed to weaken their warrior spirit. So, unless it's to build strength and make them better soldiers, there's no parental interaction outside of that."

"Why?" Charlotte asked.

"I...I don't know." Kevin confessed. "It's just the way things are." it was the way he once believed things were as well, considering such a way normal.

"But...but you'we, not wike that." the girl said. "You'we nice." even though it was clear that Kevin was far from being like his peers, she found herself with the burning question on her mind. "Why?"

Why indeed, Kevin thought. He wasn't entirely sure how the events leading to his falling away from his people's "traditional" way played out exactly. It just seemed to happen. Not right away, no, as it took some time, yet ever since that wolf pup entered his life...or seemed to be brought into his life by powers unknown, again, he didn't know how, yet it couldn't be denied that Karl was the catalyst for it.

And then he was taken away.

But now things could be made right again. He could gain his friend back. And if it weren't for everyone else, he would've done just that.

Joe's Tavern

"So, are your aunt and sister ok?"

Duran nodded. "Well enough, I guess," he answered. "Though everything will only be fine once that crimson bastard is made to pay."

"Hey, c'mon now," the thief said, though a part of him knew he shouldn't be talking. Indeed, he knew the power and allure of vengeance, and he had sworn that he would also have his due with a certain witch. "None of that." he continued still, regardless. "It might be a while before we get to do this again, so enjoy yourself!" he then took a sip of his beer. "Whoa, you're right! This stuff IS good!"

Duran, despite himself, smiled. "The best." he attested, taking a swing of it. Suddenly, the bar's entrance opened; to Hawkeye and Duran's surprise, Riesz entered and took a seat to the left of Duran, though this didn't stop the thief from sending her a wink. Instead, she only nodded in acknowledgment. "I thought you were going to the library with Angela."

"I did," Riesz answered. She then turned to Duran. I wasn't aware that your kingdom had such an extensive collection!"

"Really?" Duran asked. The truth was, he hasn't visited the library much as of late.

"Yes. Especially the Chronicles of Cornelia. Records of that Kingdom were thought to be lost centuries ago."

Duran grinned. "That was one of dad's favorites." the young man remembered what Loki had told him when he said he wanted to become a knight.

"When I read of how the Warrior of Light had slain the beast Chaos, who was, in reality, the disgraced knight, Garland, I knew I wanted to be just like that," Duran remembered hearing his father say. "Sure, it's far more than that, but if I had to be honest, all that I learned now, none of it would've happened had I not dived into old stories."

Stories of old. Legends of heroes, monsters, villains, cataclysmic events, everything now happening to a young man who had just accepted the task laid before him. The only thing was, despite all that he had gone through, it only felt like now his journey was starting.

And he was unsure of how it would all turn out.

Library

"...taking her in his arms as she straddled him in the chair, the brown-haired, scarred man embraced the dark-haired beauty, her chest heaving as he poured his long-time affection into her." Angela inwardly squealed. Finally, it was about time they got together! It had been, fifteen plus chapters since the two even met! She pondered whether or not she could convince the library to allow her to buy this, seeing as she'd probably need reading material for the road.

"Hewwo, Angewa." she heard a girl say, turning to see a, had she not known her, small 'child' with full, blonde hair enter.

"Charlotte?" Angela said, surprised. "When you'd get back?"

"Just a wittwe bit ago."

Angela rose a brow. "You mean 'a LITTLE' bit ago."

"That's what I said. A wittwe bit ago."

"Little."

"Wittle."

"Li-TTLE."

"Wi-TTWE" Charlotte said, folding her arms. "I speak a common wanguage, you know!"

"Yeah, sure. Whatever." Angela just went back to her reading.

Charlotte then saw the cover of what she was reading. It showed two figures embracing each other, the two seemingly lovers. A young man with a noticeably peculiar hairstyle and a large scar was tenderly holding a woman with long, dark hair dressed in a blue dress, tiny wings appearing from her back. "What'cha weading?"

"REA-DING." Angela corrected, and Charlotte pouted. "It's about a guy named Squall and his friends and how they get wrapped up in the plans of an evil sorceress trying to rule over not just the world but time itself." the Princess explained. "All the while, he finds out that his love, Rinoa, is made a living vessel for the sorceress, so not only does he have to save the world, but he has to save his love too."

"Sounds a wittwe compwicated." Charlotte said.

"Well, you're a kid. Kids wouldn't get stuff like this."

"I am NOT a kid!" Charlotte huffed and stomped away from Angela, having had enough of the magician.

Angela was somewhat surprised at how heated the munchkin got. Of course, she didn't mean anything by calling Charlotte a kid. She was just...well, so small! Ultimately though, the girl was long gone by the time Angela wondered if she should say something, so she returned to her reading.

Bar

"So, how many can you get down?"

Duran turned to Hawkeye. "What's that mean?" he asked, raising a brow.

"Just curious." the thief answered back. "I mean, given how well you know this place, I assume you ARE a regular here."

"Well, I wouldn't say I'm a regular…"

"And I wouldn't say you're good at lying."

Duran was taken aback but then steeled himself. "None of your business, man."

Hawkeye smirked. "Well, not that it's anything to you," he took a swing of his beer. "I can pack around...fifteen."

The auburn-haired soldier then turned to him. "I don't mean to brag,"

"Yes, you do."

Duran was silent for a moment. "I can pack around sixteen."

"Oooh, impressive." the violet-haired, tanned young man said. "Though I think...last time, I got myself seventeen."

Duran sat stone-faced. "Eighteen."

"Scratch that. Nineteen."

"Twenty."

The bartender happened to be right there at that moment, immediately sensing what was about to go down.

And go down it did.

The two had started the counter at where they left off, both of them having drunk three beers. Then three became four. Then five. Then six, seven, eight, nine, and by the time it reached ten, everyone in the bar gathered around and saw what was happening. And with that, any hope of Riesz's that this would be stopped went down the drain as a crowd gathered around and began to encourage them to go on.

"Drink, drink, drink, drink," they cheered, Duran and Hawkeye continuing to guzzle down the foamy alcohol, while Riesz only sat there, sighing in disappointment. A night out or not, someone should at least conduct themselves appropriately.

Suddenly, she heard the door opening, turning to see Angela entering the bar, Kevin and Charlotte following suit, the beastman's face just as red as hers once was. It didn't take much to deduce what he had just seen. "What's going on here?" the Altenan Princess questioned, looking at the two young men guzzling drinks.

"It's useless," Riesz said. "It's beyond my power to do anything now."

Then, Duran and Hawkeye noticed the three others that had come in, specifically Kevin. "Hey, there you are!" Duran shouted joyfully, clearly not entirely there. "Come on over! You're about to witness me claim victory!"

Hawkey took another swing before promptly setting his empty drink down. "Yeah, right! I've just gotten another on you!"

"Another!" Duran then cried out, another drink coming his way.

The bartender rolled his eyes yet ultimately obliged. "Aren't you going to do anything to stop this?" Riesz asked.

"Miss, it's a miracle that this place was untouched by those mages. And this beer's about to go bad, so the sooner I get rid of it, the better." Riesz was flabbergasted. How could he be so blase about this?! The man behind the counter then turned to Angela. "Anything for you, miss?"

"None for me, thank you," Angela said, sitting beside Riesz.

"Good for you." the other Princess said, but the sorceress shook her head.

"Don't get me wrong," she replied. "I just don't think this place has any champagne." Riesz sighed in disappointment. And here, she thought she had an ally.

"I want some!" a voice called out from further below.

"Forget it!" Riesz told Charlotte. "You're not getting one drop!"

"Aww, why not?" the blonde argued, yet the amazon's will was unwavering.

"No means no, young lady!" she sternly told her. "And if I see you trying to sneak just ONE sip, I'll-" Riesz stopped herself. Just what was she doing? True, she had no intention of letting Charlotte have even a taste of the liquid poison (a poison that she too had drunk, so she was something of a hypocrite), yet here she was, lecturing her as if she were her mother. Charlotte even huffed and pouted as if she were her child. Or maybe a younger sibling, a younger brother.

"Hey, Kevin!" Duran greeted, rather pleasant. "Come on over!"

"Me?" the beastman asked, gesturing to himself. "Um, yeah? What is it?"

"You're just in time," Hawkeye said, narrowing his eyes at the Valsenan soldier. "I'm just about to show this amateur how to pack his liquor."

Duran growled. "Technically speaking, you're only sixteen, so I've been at this longer than you."

"Age has nothing to do with it." the thief answered back, reveling in Duran's frustration. "See? I can tell that it's all going to your head already. Any minute now, you're going to drop."

"Why you…"

"Hey, hey." Kevin stepped in. "Um, could we not do this? Please?"

Duran seemed to not care about what Kevin had to say, yet Hawkeye glanced at the beastman. "Say," he began. "Perhaps Duran here has a chance after all." he then turned to the bartender. "Hey, mind sparing another?" the man behind the counter went to get another mug; Kevin was confused. "You familiar with this stuff?" Hawkeye asked, noticing Kevin's wide, confused eyes.

"Um, well...yes?" true, he knew what it was, yet truthfully, he hadn't precisely consumed any of it during his life. That wasn't to say it wasn't common in the beastmen society, far from it. If there was anything more common than brawling, it was drunken brawling. He wouldn't have been surprised if more than a few were filled with booze when they went out at night in Jadd. "But, what are you-" Kevin found a fresh mug shoved in his hands before he could finish.

"C'mon, join us," Hawkeye said; Duran was confused by this.

"Why? He's never going to catch up at this rate."

"Well...no. But at least you'll have second place." Hawkeye answered, Duran only taking another swing of his beer.

Second place? What? THAT was the reason they invited him? Granted, Kevin sensed that wasn't entirely true, Hawkeye seeming very genuine. He was probably just goading Duran on, the two still in hot competition with each other, yet still, the comment resonated with the beastman, his hand reaching to his throat. The marks from his last training session with Ludger remained, his training partner having made sure to leave some reminders on his person. Second place...well, technically third. Ludger's smirk of victory, his father's harsh words...he immediately took a swing, gulping the whole thing down. Then, he firmly set the mug down on the counter, Duran, Hawkeye, and the bartender were taken aback by Kevin's sudden vigor. "Another."

The three young women and the rest of the onlookers of the match watched on with amazement and perhaps a little bit of horror as the beastman chugged down twenty whole beers in mere moments, immediately catching up to his two opponents. Then, the three all began in a match against one another (or rather, two re-initiated theirs while a third party interjected himself), chugging down beer after beer. On and on this, it became clear to everyone that slowly but steadily, they were succumbing to the effects of the alcohol.

"You…" Duran began, voice becoming slurred. "You reach your limit...yet?"

Hawkeye took another swing, his cheeks flushed. "No way…" he answered with a giggle. "Though...you're looking a little green." In response, the other young man took another drink.

"Green?" Kevin asked, voice completely normal. "What's that mean?" how he wasn't affected, no one knew, yet all the same, the three kept going. On, and on, and on, and on.

"Bring it on," Duran said. "I can go...all night…" that was all he got out before all went black, he slumped down on the counter, face down, and loud snoring began to emit from him.

"Well...one down." Hawkeye giggled. "Guess that just leaves you and me-" he began to say to Kevin, yet he too found the world around him slipping away, soon joining Duran in darkness.

Angela smirked at the scene, Kevin only looking at the two slumbering young men, confused. "Oh, did I win?" he asked, face as red as a ripened tomato.

The bartender was left speechless, along with the once cheering crowd. "All of it…" he stammered. "They drank...all of it."

Kevin curiously poked both Duran and Hawkeye and placed a finger on their throats. "They're still alive," he confirmed. Then, he found himself breaking out into mad giggles for some reason.

Riesz only sighed, getting up from the counter. She then went over to the three, clearly disappointed in them. Then, she turned to Angela. "Help me with these two, would you?" she then heard something being picked up; she looked to see Charlotte had snatched a near-empty mug. "Don't even think about it."

Inn

"And you didn't think to stop him?"

"What was I supposed to do?!" Faerie protested, having taken a break from being by her host's side, and went into the other room housing the three young women (well, two and one pseudo child). "I've never seen alcohol before; I didn't know what it'd do to him! And by the time I did, it was beyond my power to stop either of them!"

"Course, even if you did, it probably wouldn't have been too unusual," Angela added. "Everyone there was probably drunk enough to start seeing faeries flying around."

Faerie tilted her head. "That can happen?"

Riesz only sighed, massaging her temples.

"Oh, lighten up!" Angela told her. "We're probably not going to be able to do this often, so loosen up a little!" Riesz said nothing, the other Princess rolling her eyes in response. 'She's got a broom shoved up even higher up her ass than Jose.' she thought, getting into bed and opening the book from the library. It was a shame she had to return it in the morning, yet she had made it a good way through since she last read, so at least there was that.

Charlotte had already fallen asleep, light snores coming from her; she sprawled out, her covers already all over the place. Riesz settled into bed, taking a book she had borrowed from the library. Of course, unlike Angela, her reading was more on the 'clean' side. Seeing as there was nothing more for her to do here, Faerie returned to her host's room and retreated to him.

Hawkeye and Kevin were out cold; from the looks of it, Duran was not much better. While the bond didn't limit her ability to sleep, she did, however, have the ability to read now and delve into Duran's subconscious. And while he hadn't slipped into dreaming yet, she began to see images of a familiar sword manifest and the tree it resided in. It was hazy and not well defined, but it was there nevertheless. The young man simply stared at it in fascination and trepidation, not moving from the spot he was in. Both out of hesitation, yet perhaps because it was not time yet. He removed his father's sword from its sheath, studied it, and then looked at the sword stuck in the massive root. He had no idea why he was doing such a thing; it had been decided for him already. And he had already accepted the task. Still, regardless, the question remained.

Could he?

Note: Next time, things will get going again, the guys going on the road and the set up for when they go to Laurent. Also, while I can't speak for sure, I'll eventually show how things are going in Laurent, whether when the party arrives or giving small previews before they come.

I hope you enjoyed it and I'll see you next time!