“To Terise’s we go, to Terise’s we go,” I hear Jyrasck hum an easily replicable tune as we walk to the butcher shop we stopped at a couple days back. After memorizing Jyrasck’s simple tune, I start humming it as well.

“Hi-ho a Cheerio, Terise’s place we go.”

When we finally arrive at the store, we’re harmonizing and singing in sync. Jyrasck enters first, I feel the smell of raw meat hit my nose like a rock.

“Hello?” Jyrasck calls out, seeing nobody behind the store’s counter.

Slk, slk, sl-k. I hear the sounds of some unknown activity slowing to a stop.

“Hold on, I’ll be right with you,” an elderly voice calls out from out of sight. I attempt to look through the door where the voice could only come from while still in front of the counter.

A whiskery-haired old man walks out of the door, “hello. I’m Terise and this is my butcher shop. How may I help you?”

“We’re going to be in town for a couple days and want to get some pocket change before we head up to Belduar.”

“Belduar is the place where you need all the money you can get, come to the back and I’ll show you the ropes.” He opens up the counter and motions us in.

We walk into the door to see lots of dead animals strewn as they were suspended above a table by string. On the table is a half-cut piece of light pink meat and a large knife sitting beside it. Old Man Terise explains the jobs he needs done. Skinning creatures, cutting up creatures, boxing creatures, putting them up on display, or customer service. Seeing as my stomach couldn’t handle the cutting and skinning parts, plus the boxing felt icky, so I settled with the stocking shelves.

Really nice ladies came by consistently throughout the day, Jyrasck even befriended some while he did customer service. Though when I asked about it he shuddered and moved on. I wonder why that was the next couple of days we did that. Apparently the total was twenty or something, and according to Ross’ expression when Jyrasck showed him, that is a lot of money.

When I wake up on the last D’melio day. Mist was already gathering up her stuff.

“So the others are in Belduar and soon will we,” I smile groggily. “What’ve they been doing anyways?”

Mist pauses for a second, “last time I checked, Knives overheard something about Curio and there was a lot of rage.”

“I wonder where that could’ve been,” I muse, getting up to join the cat-eared girl’s packing.

Soon after we finish (and decide whether or not to bring the soaps with us), we meet up with Jyrasck and Ross. “Where’s your stuff?” I ask, noticing a lack of luggage.

“We’re not going at the actual crack of dawn. That’s just a saying,” Ross stifles a laugh.

“. . . Wha . . ?” I hang my mouth open a little, contemplating what just occurred.

“Yeah,” Ross mocks me. “Did you forget about Titus’s analysis?”

“Oh yeah. When will I get that anyways?”

“We have to see Titus to do that,” Ross explains. “I can do that while Jyra can help with your lack of riding experience. I plan on heading out in the afternoon-evening time so take note. Horseback is essential in the real world.” Jyrasck jumps at his name before nodding with affirmation. After finishing up the long-winded explanation, Ross wanders off to take care of some things. Mist and I turn to Jyrasck expectantly, which he grins a sheepish, “I wasn’t actually listening” grin.

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Mist sighs before dryly explaining to Jyrasck what Ross just said.

“Ohh, yeah, we can go do that. I can teach the basics,” Jyrasck shrugs and we walk to the stable.

----------------------------------------

I hope he found someone like her uncle or something. I think to myself. It would suck to go through all that pain and misery just to have nothing to go back to.

I scour the market for the fanatical Titus. He’s the type of person who wouldn’t change after the mantle shift of 10 AE., so knowing that… I catch sight of a black trench coat with a sparkly interior.

Titus. I bob and weave through the people and catch the curly-bush-haired male.

Titus yelps,”Oh! Ross, are you here for the results?”

“Uh, yeah.”

“Okie, right this way!” I follow, mimicking his weaving motions until we arrive at his gadget-filled tent. “I think it’s right…” he starts to sift through his junky space, I keep on alert, jumping away from barometers, odometers, and other items until I hear a little “aha!” before he puts some paperwork in my hands.

“Here we are, this is the miss’s ancestry and her currently living relatives with their respective ids,” Titus explains and gives me a little flask which I assume is filled with the analyzed material.

“Alright, thanks,” I sweatdrop at the material. Sure there wasn’t that much paperwork, but trying to make minimal contact with the flask is harder than thought.

“No problem,” he beams before darting off once more. I quickly grab my satchel bag and neatly pack the items up in it.

I start walking back to then remember Lillian. She’d like it if I tell her I’m leaving, so I go over to the graveyard and tell her I’m leaving for Belduar and to wish me luck in the place. I know she wouldn’t want me to go, because of all the rumors from the elderly ladies in town.

Once I finish, I remember Jyrasck visited the post office one night. I guess it wouldn’t hurt to see if there’s any letters for him. I walk over to the place, promising myself it will be the last stop as I enter.

“Hello,” I walk up to a staff member. “Is there any mail for a Jyrasck?” The staff member muses for a moment before walking into the back, it takes a couple minutes before she returns.

“I have one for a ‘Jyrasck Yoliho’, is that who you're looking for?” She flaps a letter lightly and slides it towards me.

“Yeah, I think so. Thanks,” I smile sheepishly and pocket the letter.

“Pleasure meeting you, sir.”

“You too, ma’am.” And I leave for the stable where Jyrasck and the others are to be.

. . .

When I arrive, Jyrasck is finishing up the basics he could teach before we set out. I paid for three horses (since Mist wasn’t comfortable with them yet) and we set out. The trip was time for everyone to gather their thoughts.

“Oh, Jyra.” I remember the letter, “I have something from the post office addressed to you.”

“I don’t need to see it, since we’re gonna see them soon in Belduar,” he shrugs. “We can stay at my inn for free since I work there and my old man’s the owner.”

“Nice, and I also went through Titus’s data. Apparently you,” I nod to Cana, ”have a relative on the outskirts of Belduar.”

Cana’s liquid brown eyes light up, “really? Who is it? My parents? Grandparents?”

“According to the match-up, it’s a close relative. Uncle, Mom, Aunt, I dunno.”

“Let’s hurry up then! I wanna meet them!” Cana flicks her reins, though it does nothing.

We arrive at Belduar early in the morning, Jyrasck excitedly orders us to follow suit to a tavern with a nice, white-backed sign saying, “Yoliho Inn” and below it, “family-owned, well-known”.

Jyrasck bounds in, and struts up to the bar, “hey Fareed. I’ve returned with companions, stories, and a new handkerchief for the bawling old man!”

The bartender looks up, blinks, and smiles. “Welcome back, bestselling bard. Did you read the letter before you came?”

“Nope, I just thought it was unneeded since I was already coming back and all. Why?”

Fareed chews his lip a little, “some… things happened after you left.”

“Like what?