Warrior stared with his hands pressing into the chair below him as Wizard walked to the table and dragged out a seat and sat on it with the three of them at her brothers and the Rhea's insisting. "W-When did you get here?!" the brother said throwing his arms around her. He was rather taller than her but didn't seem used to that fact as he nearly smothered her.

"O-On a trip for the school!" she said turning red and looking around as she held him back.

"So, you're his sister huh?" Rhea said sweetly after Wizard managed to pry him off of her. "Wowie, you two look real alike. Even the same "grrr" face."

"What..." she replied as the boy side eyed the Rhea. "Never mind," she put a finger up at Warrior, "what're you doing here?"

"Ohh you two know each other?" Rhea said placing her hands on the table and looking from one to the other. "Lovers?"

"No," Warrior said seeing the Wizard boy give him a look, "we were in a party."

"What?" Wizard boy said looking to his sister and to Warrior, "you mean...you're-"

"It's been so long," Wizard said staring at him, her eyes narrowed, "I'd thought you dead. My, how ragged. When's the last time you bathed?"

"That any way to talk to an old friend? are you still such a miserable sexless crone-"

"Hey!" Wizard boy said pointing a finger at him, "Who you think you are?! that's my family pal!"

"Cool your butt's guys," the Rhea said putting her hands up peaceably, "I'm sensing alotta animosity between you two."

"Hang on, is this...the guy? I mean...like the Priestess was?" the wizard boy thumbed at him and looked at his sister.

"...Yes..." she said.

The table grew quiet, a great contrast to the buzz about them. The brother looked as if he wanted to say something, but the Rhea tugged his cloak gently. He looked at her, and she shook her head, her small eyes staring at him.

"So have five years allotted you to act like a normal person and not an insufferable know it all?" Warrior said, still staring at her.

"Big words! wow, perhaps you've learned to not peak up all the skirts within a mile radius?"

"I'd cut myself before peaking up yours."

"I will thrash you day or night."

"Ohh, big trouble archhagi."

"Trouble? why would I give you trouble when you've clearly gotten yourself into some. Leeching off my brother of all things no doubt."

"Don't you have some school children to go and teach? or did you give up on them like you gave up-"

"Shut your damned mouth!" she slammed a hand in the table and stood. Warrior slowly raised too and that's when she saw the peg leg. Her expression changed, but only for a moment.

They glared, the other two preparing to separate each by Rhea looking at the good leg to tackle and the boy slowly sliding his wand from his trousers, hold person on the mind.

None of the tavern goers had truly noticed this yet, therefore it let the four of them all weigh options within their heads. But what they never could have prepared for was the arrival of Wizards colleague. Warrior was the first to see him, a tall man with a thin face and bushy black hair and a bright robe had walked in.

At first, he seemed like any of the other patrons, a calmness to his face, seeking a drink in these trying days. Then he looked over and saw Wizard and the others standing and his face morphed instantaneously into a devious smile. He walked over, almost cartoonishly sneaking and it was only then that Warrior actually noticed him, "Uh..."

"Madame fireball!" the man yelled as he wrapped an arm around her shoulder. Wizard jumped her spectacles nearly flying off and Rhea seemed surprised and the brother the same then angry, matching his sister so well that the only difference in looks between the two would be sex.

"gods damn it Alchemist what in the bloody bloody hells?!" Wizard yelled throwing his arm off herself. She looked ready to live up to the name he'd titled her.

"Sorry! couldn't resist!" he said stepping back and laughing deep in his throat.

"Ohh, are you her lover?" Rhea said hopefully.

"Yes, I am little miss!" he waved at them all.

"Shut up!" Wizard pushed him and he fell back into one of the seats, without missing a beat he kicked back in it.

"...Okay..." Warrior murmured and sat down, "friend of yours?"

"A colleague," Wizard said.

Her brother seemed a little miffed but tried to clear the air with a, "You teach with my sister?"

"You're her...oh wow I should've seen the resemblance sooner, yep I do. Are you two her brother and sister as well?"

"...Really?" Rhea said.

"Nope," Warrior said.

Wizard seemed fed up at this point, she pointed to the two of them with her hands, "He's from my old party and she's in...a party with my brother. Happy?"

"Reasonably," Alchemist said. "I'm surprised to find you in a tavern, thought you'd be busy with your class."

"What about you?" she snarked.

"Hm...you aren't wrong there. Fair enough."

"Oh, she flakes on her obligations all the time, let me tell you," Warrior said.

"Piss off, the both of you!" Wizard said taking her glasses off and cleaning the lenses.

"Okay," Rhea said waving her hands, "I can't keep this down any longer. What happened?"

"Huh?" Wizard looked at her, everyone else soon following the gaze.

"Between you, between...him, we have to know!"

"Rhea!" Wizard boy took her by the arm, though the grasp was gentle, "it's a personal matter. Hell, I ain't even heard about-"

While the two argued, Wizard looked at Warrior and he looked at her. The latter shrugged and turned away, grabbing his mug and drinking from it. Then she looked at Alchemist, and he wasn't smiling, "It would appear to be your choice."

Rhea and her brother were still arguing, "-Don't force people to talk about their lives-"

"It's fine," Wizard said.

He turned, facing her, "But sis-"

"No...no it's okay. It's not something I like talking about admittedly, though everyone in the world seems to know anyways."

She cleared her throat and looked to Warrior, who just shrugged and looked away.

"There were...three of us originally. We met in a tavern, much like this one. Warrior was traveling with...a Fighter..."

Warrior paused at the mention of her, he placed his mug down and had never looked so utterly horrid. His hair was matted from sweat, bags under his eyes, his shoulders scrunched inward, the golden liquid of his drink was scrunched in his beard, and he wouldn't wipe until Rhea handed him a napkin.

"We made short work of several small-time creatures, rats and large roaches. But we wanted something bigger, the goal was to take down a dragon after all..." she sighed.

Her brother was holding her arm and she'd without noticing held his back. "I'm not sure who suggested the night before, but it doesn't matter. We wanted to take down some goblins. We even recruited said Priestess you two've met. She was...fresh out the temple."

"From what I hear, Priestess is big time famous. Funny how life turns out," Warrior said. They turned to face him, "That ain't just "A Fighter..." you're talkin about She's the best woman on the damned planet."

Wizard's brother raised an eyebrow, "You...knew her?"

"Lived in the same village. Grew up together. When her dad died, she wanted to follow in his footsteps as a martial artist. Help people. Stop all suffering is what she told me. I didn't know what that meant back then cause I was a stupid fucking kid, still am, I guess. Wanna know what I wanted from adventure?" he said in this fake giddiness.

"What?"

"Women, money, and fame," he said circling his index finger, "in that order. Wasn't supposed to be an adventurer at all, but a woodcutter. It's what my family did for the last five generations. But we had a sword, right? apparently, I had a great, great, great, great...you get the idea, grandpa. Who was some sorta adventurer once."

"...You left your family?" Wizard boy said.

"Yep. Dead of night we had a big argument about me signing up at that fucking guild, I left with Fighter and never been back. They...probably think I'm dead by now. I thought...my older brothers...the four of em taught me how to fight. But I was kidding myself. Call me the prodigal son."

"I want my gold back for that drink."

"What gold?"

"Enough..." Wizard said. "To get back on topic...the four of us went to a cave infested by goblins...without making much of a plan we...went in and...lost. Warrior lost his leg, that Priestess...not so much I suppose, my loss was the respect of anybody in the wizarding world."

Silence for a moment, "What...about the Fighter?" the Rhea asked hopefully, "she's okay, right?"

"...The goblins raped her, she was taken to a temple to heal her mind," Warrior said. There was a noticeable choke in his voice, but it was as blunt as could be. "I couldn't...stop them."

The entire table was soundless, save the noise of the other patrons. After a moment, Rhea reached out and touched the two, "H-Hey you don't need to talk about...never mind..."

"A..." Wizard shook her head, surprised by the brutal honesty of her old ally. "She...tried to stop them...but she couldn't. It was that Goblin Slayer who stopped them. Him and...and Priestess..."

Her brother was staring at the table as she talked about this. He realized something hearing about the mention of the slayer, but he kept his mouth shut until he was sure she was done speaking.

"I...I met him, that guy sis."

"What?"

"The goblin slayer guy, him and his group. The priestess too. She...I never thought..." he rubbed the back of his neck. "I was awfully rude to the lot of them...is all."

"It's alright, no need to feel bad about something from so long ago," the Rhea said tugging on his cape and smiling sweetly up at him.

"You met the guy?" Warrior said, "did he say more than one word in a sentence?"

"Not really."

"Figures."

"We were..." he looked at his sister, "actually headed that way, apparently the guild here's diverting some resources into frontier lands. Apparently, a town's been having trouble with...um..."

"Goblins?" Wizard finished.

"Yep."

"What about...what about giants?"

"Giants?"

"Yes."

"Well...um..." he rubbed his face, "not much, oh there was reports of giants among them, why?"

"Nothing...I just...heard..." she looked to Alchemist, "some things, you. Come."

The three watched oddly as the two went to step outside, Alchemist himself faltering with his usual smile and looking slightly confused. "Hell is that about?"

"You really favor that word, don't you?" Warrior said.

"Shut up."

"Meh, you were talkin about goblins?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Thought they got wiped out."

"Pushed out of the frontier into the east desert, not exactly genocided. There'll always be an infestation of the bastards somewhere."

"Hang on a second..." Rhea said rubbing her face and looking up at Warrior, "so you're not a new adventurer."

"...No..." Warrior looked away, "I got ousted from the frontier guild."

"Why?"

"Attacked somebody."

"An adventurer?"

"Yeah."

"For what?"

"...Reasons..."

"You aren't a maniac, are you?"

"People like us have to be a little crazy to survive."

"A little?..."

"...Shut up."

"Are you finally giving in? how many tankards of ale-"

"Hush," she said holding a finger up to him. They were stood in an alley near the tavern, and she was looking very unsure. Teetering between one side and the other.

Alchemist watched her and he wasn't smiling, "Listen Evo, I won't tell a thing to any person about your story-"

Evocationist shook her head, "It's not about...not that."

"Then what?"

"...I think I've gone mad."

He looked more unsure then than he was before she'd said it.

"Either that or something is very wrong in the frontier, more than anyone knows. Including me."

He placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, "...Evo, I can handle those kids of yours just fine. Why don't you take some days away-"

"Before...any talk of me being insane...or...psychotic...what do you know of the ordning? beyond..." she sighed, "the giant hierarchy, correct?"

"Yes...goes from ogres to storm, but...why?"

She bit her lip, then murmured, "Because I have reason to believe it's shattered."

"Shattered?" he tilted his head funny.

"Yes, shattered."

He thought for a second, then he looked at her and looked a little surer, "How's that?"

"If I told you, you'd think I'm crazy."

"What if I already do?"

"Then take me back to the boat, if you can."

"...I like this side of you."

"...During the teleportation here, I was visited by a woman in a black dress. Not death, but...another. She spoke of the Archmage, told me to tell him that this ordning had been broken. I'm unsure why, even thought I'd gone mad. But with the reports of hill giants..." she shook her head, "perhaps not."

"Lady...in black..." he thought for a small moment.

"Any insight?"

"Failing to recall my dear. But...I'm sure the Archmage would be more than willing to hear your story. Even if it's all complete and utter poppycock."

She nodded along and then stopped, staring ahead but not at him.

"What?"

She didn't answer. There was a look of uncertainty, that she'd been given pause. Alchemist opened his mouth, then closed it and thought deeply. "Is...there a matter wrong with that?"

"No...not...well...I'm not...I'm..." she inhaled and exhaled, "I'm afraid, okay?"

"Of what?"

"Of...of being wrong. I don't want to be crazy. We both know my reputation and...if I'm wrong..."

"Evo..."

"It'll just be another failure on top another failure."

"You mustn't say things such as that."

"Why not? my history speaks for itself."

"If the ordning is broken, then that means a power struggle between all the giants of the world. Now hill giants may be manageable but think of cloud and storm giants causing mass destruction by their magic of weather and the sea. Untold deaths, destruction, I mean..."

"What?"

"We could always say that it was just a hunch because I'd heard strange tales of giants within the city."

"...I suppose that works. But I'm interested in this woman in black."

"Now that, you'll have to take a chance on."

"Fine..."

"Look..." he took her hand within his and smiled gently, "It's been hard, that much is true. But maybe this is...an opportunity?"

"To fail again?"

"To try again."

When they came back into the tavern the three greeted them and asked what matters they'd discussed, "We're leaving," Evocationist said pointing a thumb back.

"Already?" her brother said, looking a little sad.

"Important business."

"Let me guess is it magic?" Warrior said.

"No, giants."

"Oh..."

"Wait, hill giants? we're gonna go take some out in the frontier!" Rhea said.

"Ohh a common enemy!" Alchemist sang.

"Enemy? what's going on?" Wizard said sliding his mug away. "Sis what're you getting yourself into?"

"Nothing! not...yet..." she shook her head. The three stared at the two of them. "What?"

"You're a bad liar," Warrior said.

"Shut up you!"

"Can we come with?" Rhea said.

"What? no!"

"If there's a problem with giants, who'll take care of them but us big and strong adventurers, right?" Rhea flexed though no muscles were clear on her thin body.

"The boats just a couple blocks from here," Alchemist said pointing out of the door.

"Alchemist!" Evocationist shouted.

"Broken?" the old man said in the small office he'd made for himself. "How did you five come by that information?" he narrowed his eyes through the massive beard.

"I..." she looked about at the others, "wait...you know?"

"Indeed, it broke three weeks ago. Though the information is not readily available to the small folk, there would be mass panic if that were the case especially in the frontier. How did you come by this knowledge?"

"...A..." she breathed. Then she felt the hand of her brother on her shoulder and when she looked at him, he was looking at her and nodding. Warrior was staring, waiting but there was something softer in his eyes. Alchemist was nodding along, telling her to go on. "Woman in black, while we were teleporting here, summoned me. She told me all of this. Then sent me away."

Silence, Rhea almost immediately befuddled, and the rest of them soon to follow. Even Warrior with his harsh expression went soft into confusion. "Oh, you all suck!" Evocationist growled.

"The Witch Queen..."

They all turned and the old man who seemed to be reminiscing about something, "Where exactly was this?" he said hopping up from his chair. Walking over, the archmagi took a bag from his belt and opened it. He fiddled around inside before pulling out a massive tome. Nearly the size of a fully grown man. He struggled to hold it up.

"Uh...she called it the palace of hearts. Wait you know her?"

"Oh did I..." he smirked and blushed under the beard.

"What."

"Bother it, the point is I know who you speak of. She works in odd ways, but the woman cares for the mortals of the material plane...by the way may one of you stronger types please help me? I'm about to fall!"

"Oop!" Rhea tugged on Warrior's sleeve, and he nodded. Before the old man tumbled over, the book sure to crush him, the two went and grabbed the book off him. Each held a side and set it on the old man's desk, the book opening nearly took up all of its space.

"Stronger than you look," Warrior said down at her. He rubbed his hands.

"Funny, I was about to say the same thing," she stuck her tongue out at him.

"Hardee har," he glanced to the book.

The other three helped the old man sturdy himself, "Bixby's Glory of The Giant's?" Wizard said, his sister and Alchemist already looking through the chapter index.

"A study on the history, variety, and types of giants. It is a tad old, five-hundred years, but to study it would be a net benefit."

"Yeah, you can handle that," Warrior said.

"What? don't you wanna know what we may be facing?" Rhea said as Wizard allowed her to sit on his shoulders to see the tome. The Archmagi was already starting a small lecture about Ogres, working his way up the ladder of giant strength.

"...I..."

"Come on Warrior," Evocationist said.

"I don't know how to read, and...the air's a bit stuffy."

"Weren't you buying scrolls a few days back?" Rhea said.

"I was trying to teach...never mind, I just...don't like enclosed spaces. I'll be back in a moment," he said going to the door and stepping out.

He let out a long sigh as he felt the cool air. Warrior had stepped off, about a dozen feet from the boat and sat on a barrel. Smoke from a small wooden pipe he'd made trailed gently in the sky as he people watched.

'Can you do it? to go and fight again? what would happen when you reach the frontier guild? this is a continent spanning matter, that woman couldn't exactly refuse him. Plus, you are being promised a share of the gold. Who cares about some stupid rank? will you just die once you get there?'

A boat had floated down to a dock behind the other ship on the other side of the channel running through the entire city. About a hundred or so feet apart. Passengers poured from the boat, and he watched them for a moment before puffing on his pipe.

There were many interesting parties: A family, the three children running about. A tall man wearing noble clothes and surrounded by guards, clearly some sort of ambassador from another city, and a woman in robes with the hood off, her black hair extremely long, down about to her knees. She walked by a beggar and turned and placed a gold coin in a hat he'd placed on the ground. There was something familiar about...

"Fighter!" he stood fast and rubbed his eyes and saw her standing there and speaking to the man still. Then he did it three more times and still saw her there. Looking around. He ran to the edge of the docks and called again.

She was blinking, and then she rose up and looked around. He called her once more. Then she saw him. They were both getting odd stares from the people passing by.

Warrior couldn't hear what she was saying, and he was looking about and saw a rowboat near him, "Stay there!"

It took him about two minutes to finally get across, he pushed, and he pushed on the oar's, some sailors yelling out at him. She was down by the dock opposite waiting for him and Fighter took him by the arm as he threw the oars to the side and helped him from the tiny vessel.

"Warrior!" she said, her eyes sparkling at him. They were about the same height. "My goodness it's been too long!"

"Y-You're...why're...I mean...I thought you were away...is this a dream?"

She was smiling and tears trailed down her face, "It's okay, it's okay. No, no dreams here, I'm all flesh and bone. I almost didn't recognize you."

Warrior rubbed his beard, "Y-Yes...you too."

"You look exhausted," she then looked down and saw his peg leg, and he saw her shaking a little.

He stared at her, his face twitched, something bubbling within that'd lain there for years. He fell before her on his knees, surprising Fighter. He bowed to her, placing his palms beside his head and he was crying.