The afternoon had rolled around pretty quickly, and Maisie didn't know if it was excitement or sheer nervousness that froze her in place. She had been unable to leave the entrance of the tavern, and Kalthona looked at her with confusion.

"What's going on?" The axe wielder asked. Maisie shook her head.

"I don't know. My body has become stiff all of a sudden."

"Ah, the jitters!" Hide commented, giving the girl a little nudge and pushing her out of the tavern. "We all get that during our first major job." He added it with a wide grin on his face. Maisie breathed out, calming her nerves, then took a small step forward. Lyon watched on, annoyed by the attention the group was giving Maisie.

Bonney, who stood beside the knight, wasn't oblivious to the hatred flowing out of his body.

"The girl isn't from this world, so your being angry that she was summoned here as a Fairwood makes no sense." She reminded him. Kalthona had explained Maisie's situation to them as Maisie packed her bag.

"It doesn't matter where she's from. A fairwood is still a fairwood."He spat. He walked off, making a head start to the exit of the kingdom. Maisie, who heard everything, thanked Hide and Kalthona for their help, then ran after the knight.

Maisie wanted to be civil. She didn't know Lyon or his history with the elves. And judging just how angry he was at the sight of her, his hatred was personal.

Lyon could sense her mana closing up on him, so he picked his pace up. This prompted Maisie to do the same. The other three followed behind, intrigued by the show displayed before them.

"How long before Lyon starts to warm up?" Kalthona asked. Hide shrugged.

"I don't think he will," Bonney commented. "He genuinely doesn't like her kind." She added.

"Or maybe he's using his disgust as a method to cover up his guilt," Kalthona explained.

"Maybe." Hide and Bonney said it simultaneously.

Maisie finally reached the knight, and Lyon had given up trying to evade the elf. This gave Maisie enough room to study the man. He was around four to five inches taller than her and just as well built as Hide. The blonde man focused on the approaching gates, ignoring the intense stare coming from the elf.

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"You know hating me won't bring you any peace." She said it with a soft smile on her face.

"Are you threatening me?" He asked, angered. Maisie shook her head rapidly.

"Oh no, no. I'm just saying that hating someone who didn't do anything to you is pretty dumb." Maisie fixed her hood, making sure it fully covered her head and forehead. Lyon kissed his teeth, but deep down he knew she was right—not that he would admit to that. The rest of the team caught up to two, effectively ending any annoyance Maisie could continue. The group then left the kingdom and began their foot journey towards Milhania. Maisie was dragged forward by Kalthona, who then linked their arms together.

"You said the dragons are hostile towards humans. Why's that?" Maisie asked. Kalthona shrugged.

"There are various reports of being betrayed by humans in disputes over territory. All I know is that no one who's stepped into Milhania has come back alive, or so the stories say. I don't believe any of that is true, including the hostilities shown by the dragons."

"Why is that?"

"I had dragons growing up. They were considered guardians where I'm from." Kalthona's bright expression dulled at the mention of her home, and Maisie picked it up, so she decided to change the subject, pushing her curiosities about the species down.

"How did you join the guild?" She asked. Kalthona's mood perked up at the question.

"Well, I'm glad you finally asked me that," Kalthona stated, a little laugh leaving her mouth as well. "Umm, I was broke and needed the money." She answered.

"Fair enough."

"Yeah." The group continued walking, and Maisie would look back now and then, staring at the smiling Lyon.

'So that's what he looks like when he's happy.' She thought to herself. Kalthona followed the elf's line of sight and tried to hold back her snicker, but failed. Maisie, hearing this, lightly smacked her friend, then faced the front.

"What's his story?" She asked.

"He was the son of a general who led the Maribel Gold Brigade. A religiously fanatic group of knights led a vicious crusade across Eldoria, only to suffer defeat at the hands of the Fairwoods, although they're not given credit for that." She explained. "When he first joined two months ago, and Isaiah had told us his backstory, Lloyd was vocal about not allowing him in. He was probably pissed that his religion was perverted in such a way." She rambled on. "In the end, Lyon seemed to have regretted what he did, and we had to move past his past and welcome him in. Slowly, everyone began to warm up to him. Even Lloyd."

"Is religion all that important in Eldoria?"

"Oh yes. Every group has a different belief. Although I'm not religious, my family practices Bairaism. A religion that believes in a monotheistic god who possesses the power of divine judgement and divine reign." All this was intriguing to Maisie, and she wanted to learn more. The two girls continued chatting about religion, their quickened pace leaving the other three behind.

They had begun their journey, leaving the walls of Halia behind them as they remained blissfully unaware of the great danger waiting for them.