Golden fields stretched out in every direction around him while the sound of a pleasant melody being hummed softly came from the familiar house beside him. His eyes took in the beautiful scenery around him while he gazed at the distant mountains in the horizon. A heavy sigh left his lips as he finally acknowledged the woman's presence.
"So I really am asleep, huh? If I wasn't, I'm sure I won't be here."
"I'm not sure. To me, it feels like a nice morning."
She sipped on a cup of hot tea as she stared up at him with her dark brown eyes.
"Why don't you take a seat, Stef? You've been awfully tired these days..."
He scoffed as he sat on the empty chair beside her. She warmly smiled at him as she poured him a cup of tea.
Stefan stared at the woman beside him as she tucked a strand of her long, reddish-brown hair behind her ear. She glanced at him and wryly smiled at him as she handed Stefan the tea. He put his lip on the cup hesitantly as he took a small sip of the dark liquid inside. It was the same scent and taste that he had grown to both hate and love over the years.
"Still tastes like shit. Sweeter, but still horrible."
"How mean! I worked hard on that, you know?"
The woman pouted cutely as he put down the cup on the small table in front of them.
"Anyway... How's Luna?"
"Her? She's... She's doing fine. I guess."
The woman let out a deep sigh as Stefan reclined snugly into the chair he made long ago.
"Is that so? That's good, I guess."
The woman continued to smile at the weary Stefan as he continued to rest on his chair.
They stayed like that for what felt like hours. They watched as the gentle breeze blew over the wheat fields and how i made those golden stalks dance to its tune. Stefan waited for his daughter to run out of the door any minute now with the special kite he made for her. But in the end, no laughter or the sounds of feet running across the house filled his ears. Only silence and the soft humming of the woman beside him.
He wished he could return to a time just like this, but he knew that was not meant to be. So instead, he let out a heavy sigh as he softly called out to his wife. She perked up as he emptied the horribly sweet tea.
"Hey... Lily."
"What is it dear?"
"... Can I stay here for a bit longer? I'm really tired."
Lily smiled and pulled her chair a little bit closer to Stefan. She rested her head on his shoulder as she wrapped her arm around his arm.
"You can stay as long as you want, Stef."
The warmth of her gentle embrace soothed Stefan. Even though it was all a dream, even if the woman beside him is long gone, Stefan couldn't help but gently stroke the head of the woman beside him.
She was warm. Very warm. Her chest rose up and down gently with each soft breath she took. Her eyes gleamed brightly as she looked at the golden fields of wheat that surrounded their small and quaint home they built in Eimmenhmir. Stefan remembered only the exact opposite as he ran his fingers through her soft hair. He closed his eyes as glimpses of her cold, lifeless body flashed in front of him.
"It must hurt for you every time we meet like this."
He simply nodded at her. A soft sigh left her lips as she clutched his arm tightly.
"I'm sorry I couldn't protect you. It was-"
"It wasn't your fault, you idiot. No one knew that a Wyvern made its nest there. If anything, it was the damn guild's fault for not properly scouting that dungeon."
Lily sighed as she released Stefan from her grasp. She pulled away from him to pour herself another cup of tea. She looked up at the sun as it peeked just over the mountains.
"So please, Stefan. Stop saying sorry to me and start forgiving yourself. You've already done so much for me, and you still have those two girls waiting for you. "
"They're different from you, Lily. And how the hell can I forgive myself for failing to do my job? How can I forgive myself for lacking the strength to save everyone? How the hell can you even forgive me after I broke my promise to you?!"
"But you didn't break your promise."'
Lily smiled as she took away the empty teacup in Stefan's hand.
"You were there for me, remember? Even if you didn't save me, I was glad that you didn't run away from it all. I could still remember how you held me tightly in those final moments."
She smiled at the now crying Stefan as she poured tea into his empty cup.
"So don't burden yourself with the trouble we placed on your shoulders."
Lily placed the cup of tea on the small table in front of them while she looked at the man she loves. His eyes were filled with tears and years of guilt that sucked away the brightness behind them. She wiped away some of his tears with her soft hands as she looked at the new scars that he earned over the years.
"I know that you still can't let go of the past, but that's okay. Just take your time and focus first on what you need to do, okay? You know well that I'll always be waiting for you here whenever you decide to take a rest."
Her voice was soft and comforting but Stefan could feel the hint of sadness and longing behind her words. She hugged him tightly as Stefan's vision began to fade. It was ending already, and he knew that she already said those words to him before.
Yet he couldn't help but tear up every time he heard those words from her. He reciprocated her embrace as he felt the world around him fade slowly. It always ended like this with words that need to be said remaining unsaid and forgotten. He clutched the figure in front of him as Lily slowly faded away into nothingness.
"I guess... in the end, it's still a dream. But I hope my words still reach you even if I'm no longer here."
"Lily!"
He yelled out loud as he reached out a hand in front of him.
And everyone looked at him as he jolted up from his seat on the table with tears and drool running down his face.
----------------------------------------
Stefan looked at the large bag that had served him well over the years and the large maps he rolled up beside it. These things are the only things he had on him when they first got here, and he felt glad that the inn they were staying at didn't throw them away. Riel and Semilia just watched as the strange man in front of them teared up at the sight of his maps and the smelly bag that he never washed nor aired out in the sun.
It had been a full week already since they returned from the dungeon, and all three of them were keen on meeting up with the other leaders of the dive before the big day. Semilia was looking at herself as she checked if the armor and a black bodysuit that she bought for herself fits snugly. Her shorts were a bit to loose for her liking, but at least they weren't as itchy like the last pair she bought.
"Hmm. I like this robe."
Semilia turned towards Riel as she swirled around in her new robes.
"How do you even pee in those things? Aren't they a hassle to take off?"
"A Mage keeps the secrets of their magic only to themselves."
"Okay then... Stefan, you only bought that chainmail shirt, right?"
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"What? Oh, yeah. Bought this chainmail shirt to replace the old one. The rest I either had it repaired or upgraded just a bit."
Stefan showed off his chestplate to the uninterested pair as Semilia took note of their expenses.
Most of their gold was gone already. It went to the families of those that died in the dungeon and Stefan insisted that they spend some of it on the supplies they will need to bring down there. She glanced at the large stockpile of high-quality Mana and Health Potions as well as three quivers filled with enchanted and regular arrows. She let out a sigh since she knew that they will surely have to hire a porter to carry all of that for them.
"Another expense added to the list then..."
Semilia muttered out softly as she placed her belonging beside the small stash. Stefan stuffed the maps and his new clothes into that smelly bag of his before he slung it over his shoulder.
"I'll be off to the blacksmith to pick up my gauntlets and my spare sword. You guys go ahead to the guild and hire a porter for all of that stuff."
"Yeah, yeah. I got it. You already have your money on you, right? Do you need more?"
"Nah. Got enough on me already."
Stefan waved them goodbye as he left the room. Semilia let out a sigh as she tightened the knots on her leather gloves to prevent them from slipping.
Riel followed closely behind her with the black staff the Goblin gave her as the two of them left their room and made their way downstairs. Semilia greeted the innkeeper kindly and left the nice granny a few gold coins as tips. She was a rare kind, that woman was. She didn't spit on the ground every time she talked with Semilia nor did she cast her hateful glares whenever she had her back turned towards her. She was genuinely a nice woman in her eyes.
The two of them walked down the busy streets with Semilia's hood covering most of her face. The city was bustling with adventurers from the nearby towns outside and around of the Aren Valley. Semilia let out an exasperated sigh since she knows that she'll have to talk to Liam about this later. She watched as a group of around nine adventurers flaunted their clearly expensive armor as they walked through the busy streets.
"Damn... And we're gonna be the ones leading those guys."
"You don't like them?"
"No, It's not like that. It's... It's just that they don't look like they have the experience for dungeon diving, you know?"
"They do look pretty annoying... But who am I to judge? What else-"
Riel was interrupted when a small girl bumped into her accidentally. Heads turned towards them as the young girl dropped the large and heavy crate she was carrying. Bottles of wine shattered as the crate broke against the cobbled streets.
"O-Oh no! I'm so sorr-"
The girl was yanked violently by her hair as a large man pulled her up from the ground. The girl didn't even resist as the man started to berate her in the middle of the street while numerous bystanders stopped and watched the chaotic scene that was unfolding in front of them.
"You fuckin' idiot! What the fuck did you do you damned bitch?! All you had to do was carry da' damn crate and you fucked it up! The boss is gonna' have me fuckin' head for this and what the hell are ya' gonna do about it?! Just one of these bottles are worth more than your pathetic life!"
"I-I'm so sorry... I'm-"
"Apologizin' ain't gonna do nothin' about this fuckin' mess on the ground!"
The man shoved the girl on the street as he picked up one of the intact bottles near his foot. He picked it up and threw it beside her in a fit of rage. It didn't her, but some of the shards cut into her as it shattered on the ground just beside her. The girl cried softly as the man continued to cuss at her angrily.
There were murmurs and whispers all around them as Semilia helped Riel up from the ground quickly. She already hated the man and was itching to throw him down onto the ground as well, but everyone on that street knew that it would be wise to just avoid what was happening. Riel at first didn't understand why, but a closer look at the girl's hand and the steel collar around her neck made it clear to her.
She was a slave. She had the brand on her hands and the steel collar served as proof of her status as a slave, and Semilia hated it. It meant that she couldn't interfere with what was happening and that the man isn't doing anything wrong in the eyes of the law, yet everyone around them knew that this was wrong. She gritted her teeth as she watched the man helplessly as he struck the poor girl with his fist. This definitely wasn't right...
"Oi! Get up, ya' useless piece of shit! The boss will be the one to deal with ya'!"
But before the man could strike her another time, Semilia grabbed his hand from behind and got in between him and the shivering girl.
"T-The fuck are ya' doing?!"
Semilia glared at the man as he yanked away his hand from her grasp. Riel just watched them from afar as the man began to shout at the Low-Elf in front of him.
"You are disturbing the streets with your shouting. I suggest that you take this somewhere else."
"Huh?! Are ya' saying I can't fucking discipline my own property?! Just who the hell are you to tell me that?!"
The man glared at the Low=Elf while she helped up the slave girl near her feet. Her ears can pick up the various murmurs around and the sound of someone calling the Watch.
"I am an adventurer. You might get away with treating a little girl like this, but you're causing a scene in a public space."
"Adventurer?! You're just a fuckin' adventurer! You ain't no guardsman to tell me what to do! The fuck can ya' do about it?! You're just trying to look good in front of all these people, aren't cha'?"
Semilia sighed as the man clenched his fists and gritted his teeth at her. He was clearly a thug, a low-life that worked in the shadowy parts of this city.
"I'm fucking telling you to quit making a scene already and scram. I'll gladly fight you here if you want to, but I'm in a hurry and I'm already tired of looking at your bald head."
Semilia glared at the man while he looked around at the other adventurers that now stared at him from a distance. He clicked his tongue and finally looked away from the girl in front of him.
"You'll regret pickin' a fight with me, gi-"
"Semilia. There's something weird with the wine."
Everyone's attention turned to Riel as she knelt beside a small puddle of wine. She dipped her finger and sniffed at it. Semilia looked down as well and picked up one of the bottles that survived and uncorked it.
She took a slight whiff of the wine's scent and immediately pulled away from it. The smell of burning, red wine made her nose crinkle but there was a faint but unmistakable odor within it that made Semilia throw the bottle to the ground. The bottle shattered all over the ground and her shoes were stained with the strange wine that pooled just beside her. She looked up at the man's face as he took a step back from her.
"What the fuck is this?! This isn't wine! It's poison!"
But as Semilia turned to look at the man, he pulled out a knife and charged at her.
Semilia dodged his swing and the other adventurers around them immediately charged the man. He let out an angry roar as he was pinned down by half a dozen people while people called on the Watch for help. The man was knocked out by one of the adventurers after he tried to put up a fight with his knife.
Riel wiped off the poisoned wine with her robe as she walked up to the panting Semilia. The two of them watched two Guardsmen rushing over to them while the other adventurers held down the unconscious body of the thug. She took note of the skull tattoo he had on the back of his head while she looked at the terrified slave girl with narrowed eyes. It was the same with her the brand on her hands as well.
"Skull with two swords..."
Semilia murmured softly as more and more guards approached the chaotic and messy scene around them.
Stefan sighed as he sat with Semilia and Riel in Watch Captain Iris' office. She was done questioning them about what had happened earlier. Iris already knew about the criminal gangs in the city, but this was different. The testimony they got from that thug told them that those bottles of wine were supposed to be delivered to the local lord's house tomorrow since he was holding a ball in his estate this coming week. A shiver ran down her spine at the thought of discovering this plot against the lord's life and she wondered just what those vermin are thinking by poisoning a bunch of nobles.
But the three didn't care about such plots and conspiracies. All they cared about is just getting out of the cramped office and going to the guild. Stefan only heard about what happened to the two sitting beside him after he saw them being questioned by guardsmen on the streets.
"God damn it. Why do you two always cause so much trouble for me?"
"W-What do you mean always?! I-"
"Portsmouth. Beat up a merchant after he sold you flimsy arrows. The tavern brawl at Throuinhal. Insulted that noble in Norrus."
"... Okay, you got a point. But this was different! Would you allow that to happen if you were there?"
"Fuck no! I would've punched that guy. Wouldn't even hold back on the punch as well."
"See?! Besides, that guy looked sketchy as fuck with that look."
"You two really get along, no? Anyways, I'd like to thank you on behalf of the City Watch. The local gangs here are becoming more daring these past few months, and this incident was just one of many these past few weeks."
"One of many? What the fuck?"
Semilia raised a brow as the Watch Captain let out an exhausted sigh from her lips.
"The local lord has been cracking down on slavery and drugs as of late, and the various criminal gangs around Aren didn't take it kindly. As of now, three high-ranking nobles have been murdered through various means while the nobles have begun to hunt down these gangs as retaliation."
Ah. So it's a war between upset gangs and hurt nobles?"
"If only it was that simple. It seems that there is more to this than just that. Just the other day, we found out that a minor noble from a nearby town was funding one of the gangs that operated there to assassinate a rival."
Stefan shook his head as he stood up from his seat. He didn't want to be wrapped up in some gang war or political intrigue, again. Their reports were placed neatly before Iris and Stefan already paid the fines for causing a public disturbance.
"Gods... We'll be leaving now, Iris. Goodluck with whatever you're doing with that guy in the cells."
"Take care. Tell Liam that he needs to keep a tighter leash on his adventurers as well! There's a dozen reports here about adventurers-"
"Bye, Iris!"
Semilia closed the door behind them loudly, followed by the sounds of the three of them running out of the barracks. The tired Watch Captain scoffed as she placed their reports under her desk with the other reports regarding his gang. She pulled out the portrait from under those reports along with the small pendant that came with it.
"What are you planning, Ilfris? Do you still hate them?"
She looked at the portrait of a young boy and a young girl. She knew them well since she grew up with both of them, and that's what made it hard for her to look at the picture. She was dead and he was no longer the boy she once looked up to in their youth. He was as good as dead in her eyes.
"How did it come to this, Zamyra?"
She asked no one and she waited for no response. Her sister is gone, and so is the answer for that question. There was only silence in her office as she stared at the man she's been chasing all these years. The sole reason she took up the post of her father.
"Wait for me, Zamyra. This will end soon enough, and you will finally be able to rest."
Watch Captain Iris said as she put away the two items and stood up from her seat. She will need answers, and the person being tortured in the cells across from her office is a good start.