As the armed men headed for Anna’s table, a barmaid stepped in front of them.

“Please, just…” she said.

The lead man shoved her aside roughly, sending her crashing into the chair of a huge man, spilling his drink all over his chest. The big man roared in pure rage and jumped to his feet, tossing his mug aside and lunging at the lead man. The big man slammed into him and knocked him to the floor where he started pounding his face with a meaty fist. The other armed men rushed over to help their leader, pulling the big man off him.

They started beating the big man, and their leader joined in as soon as he was back on his feet. The other men who had been sitting at the big man’s table saw this and leapt up, lifting the chairs they’d been sitting in from the ground and swinging them at the armed men as makeshift weapons.

The situation devolved into an all-out brawl with the travelers seated at nearby tables either getting up and running away or joining in. A barmaid screamed when a man had his face bashed in by a table leg. A young man on the other side of the room stood up and took off his cloak, tossing it aside. One of the men with him grabbed his arm but he pulled away and strode towards the bedlam.

“STOP THIS AT ONCE!” he shouted.

A golden pulse flashed out across the room, and he started to glow with a brilliant golden light. The brawl stopped immediately. It was as if someone had tossed a bucket of ice water on the men.

“Now then, let’s get this place cleaned up,” the young man added.

He leaned over, picked up a fallen chair, and set it upright. The other men started to help, save for one of the armed men whose face twisted in rage. He pulled his short sword and lunged at the young man. Anna snatched her mug from the table and threw it at the armed man. It struck his hand with such force that it shattered every bone in his forearm, wrist, and hand. His sword went flying, and he clutched his ruined appendage and howled in pain.

The young man’s companions seized his would-be assailant and twisted his arms behind his back to restrain him. He squirmed in their grasp, spitting curses at them as they pulled him away. Anna got up and walked over to the mess where she pulled a table upright. The young man walked over to her and held out his hand. She took it, and they shook.

“Thanks for that,” he said.

“You’re welcome,” Anna replied.

“How did you manage that throw anyway? I didn’t even have time to react,” he said.

“I’m an adventurer, and I usually hunt monsters. People are slow compared to them,” Anna replied.

“I see, so why were those men after you anyway?” he asked.

She shrugged.

“I’ve never seen them before in my life, so they were probably looking for someone else who happens to dye her hair like a rainbow, too,” she replied.

He frowned.

“I suppose that’s possible,” he said.

It was clear he didn’t believe her, but there wasn’t any way he could prove she was lying either. Thokri walked up beside her and gestured towards the mess with his thumb.

“Yer the one that was bellowing about cleaning up, so get to cleaning up, lad!” he said.

The young man flinched and then looked around.

“Uh, right!” he said.

He rushed off towards his companions as the rest of her friends walked up.

“I didn’t expect there to be paladin candidates staying in a place like this,” Barika said.

“How do you know they’re paladin candidates?” Voekeer asked.

“He used divine power when he stopped the brawl,” Anna replied.

“Ah, so what makes you think they’re just candidates?” Voekeer asked.

“They’re age, and the fact they don’t have holy swords,” Barika replied.

Voekeer nodded.

“Hope the lad makes it. He seems like he’d make a good paladin,” Thokri said.

“I have no doubt that he will, honestly, with as much power as that boy already has, it wouldn’t surprise me if he were commanding an order one day,” Barika replied.

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“Makes me feel kind of bad that I blew smoke up his ass,” Anna said.

“Don’t, child. What happened was none of his business,” Barika replied.

“Okay,” Anna said.

Barika walked away, heading for the nearest injured person whom she healed, and the rest of the party join Anna as she cleaned up. The armed men left the inn soon after, unwilling to lend a hand despite being the cause of the destruction.

“Hey, Elaine! Can I have some of your hair dye?” Anna asked.

“What color do you want?” Elaine asked.

“Black if you have it,” Anna replied.

“I do,” Elaine said.

“Thanks,” Anna replied.

“Don’t mention it,” Elaine said.

“Why do you want hair dye?” Voekeer asked.

“To dye my hair,” Anna replied.

“Why would you want to do that?” Voekeer asked.

“Because those men are looking for a woman with rainbow hair,” Anna replied.

“Will it even work?” Lyreen asked.

“I don’t see why not. I mean, my hair smells for weeks after we go into the sewers, so stuff definitely soaks in,” Anna replied.

“Even if it doesn’t last very long, she can just keep dying it,” Elaine added.

“Need any help?” Lyreen asked.

“No, I’m going to use all of me to do it,” Anna replied.

“Oh,” Lyreen said.

They finished cleaning up soon after and went to help Barika with the injured. Once everyone was healed, they got their room keys from the barmaid and went upstairs. Elaine tossed Anna a bottle from her pack before disappearing into her room.

Anna went to her own room where she tossed her pack by the bed and undressed. Tentacles filled the room transforming the space into something out of her dreams. One reached out and took the bottle of hair dye from her hand, and another picked up the jug of water and began to pour it over her head. Several others wrapped around her hair and made sure that the water saturated it completely before the one holding the bottle pulled out the cork and dumped it onto her head. Her eldritch appendages worked the dye into her hair, making sure that every strand was thoroughly covered. They even put some on her eyebrows and lashes.

Good thing stuff doesn’t soak into my skin. Otherwise, I’d have black splotches all over my head and face!

Once they finished, the tentacles held her hair up, fanning it to dry it faster. Once dry, she used her tentacles to clean up, flinging any excess water and dye out of the window before sending them back to her dreams. She summoned an eye and looked at herself. She was shocked by what she saw.

I look so different now!

She marveled at the change for a few minutes before sending her eye away and heading to bed.

She woke up the next morning when the first rays of the sun touched her face and sat up in bed, looking around for a moment before getting up.

At least nothing else happened.

She got dressed and put her pack on before leaving her room where she waited for the others. One of the doors opened, and a paladin candidate walked out. He looked over and smiled in a friendly way.

“Morning,” he said.

“Morning,” Anna replied.

He nodded at her and then went down the stairs. A moment later, another door opened, and another candidate walked out. He greeted her in a similar fashion as the first before heading down as well. The paladin candidate who spoke up the night before was the next one out of his room. He paused when he saw her and furrowed his brows.

“You dyed your hair?” he asked.

“Yes. Well, sort of. Black is my natural hair color, so I guess I just dyed it back,” Anna replied.

“Well, if it means anything, I think you look better like this,” he said.

“Really?” Anna asked.

“Yeah,” he replied.

She smiled.

“Thanks,” she said.

He smiled and nodded before heading down the stairs to join the other candidates. Barika walked out of her room a few minutes later and stopped in her tracks when she noticed Anna.

“Goddess above! I almost didn’t recognize you!” she said.

“I know, right?!” Anna replied.

She walked over and took a lock of Anna’s hair between in finger and her thumb and rubbed it.

“I suppose now we’ll just have to see how long it lasts,” she said.

“Well, it only lasts about two months in Elaine’s hair, so I’m guessing a month in mine,” Anna replied.

“I had no idea that she’d started doing that,” Barika said.

“I think she’s feeling bad about getting old,” Anna replied.

“Old! She’s barely thirty! That woman is in her prime!” Barika said.

“Yeah, that’s what I said, but Lyreen keeps messing with her, and I think it finally got to her,” Anna replied.

Barika sighed.

“Those two are impossible,” she said.

Anna chuckled.

“Lyreen actually started eating more because Elaine keeps calling her skinny,” she replied.

Barika laughed as well.

“She does look like she’s filled out a little,” she said.

“She has, and Voekeer likes it,” Anna replied.

“Does he now?” Barika asked.

“Yep. See, the thing is, he actually prefers human women, but he never told Lyreen that, so please don’t tell her, or Elaine,” Anna replied.

“I won’t say a word, but I’m kind of surprised. I don’t think I’ve ever met an elf man who preferred human women over elf women,” Barika said.

“His first time was with a human woman, so that’s probably why he likes them so much,” Anna replied.

A door opened and Thokri walked out into the hallway.

“We should probably stop talking about this, child,” Barika said.

“Yeah,” Anna replied.

Thokri looked at her and rubbed his eyes.

“What’d ya do to yer hair, lass?” he asked.

“I dyed it just like I said I was going to,” Anna replied.

“Aye, that you did. Can’t say I like it, though,” he said.

“It won’t be forever,” Anna replied.

“Aye,” Thokri said.

Next out of their room was Rose who rushed over and started to run her fingers through Anna’s hair, smiling as she did so.

“I guess you like it?” Anna asked.

Rose nodded yes.

“I’m going to keep it like this until we get to the city of light, just in case those men are still looking for me,” Anna added.

Rose smiled at her and kept stroking her hair. Lyreen squealed when she walked into the hallway and spotted them, rushing over and taking a handful of Anna’s hair next to Rose.

“By the Tree, it worked!” she said.

“It did and really well, too!” Anna replied.

“It looks good,” Voekeer added.

“Thanks,” Anna replied.

Last out of her room was Elaine, as usual. She walked over casually and looked Anna over.

“Not bad,” she said.

“That’s it?” Lyreen replied.

“Yeah, she just dyed her hair. It’s not that big of a deal,” Elaine said.

“But she looks completely different!” Lyreen replied.

“No, she looks like Anna with black hair. Now come on. I’m hungry,” Elaine said.

She started walking towards the stairs, and the rest of the party followed.