As the night swiftly passed, the three of them spent most of it contemplating over the pain inflicted by their encounter with the unyielding darkness within the cave—a darkness they struggled to shake off. This same darkness consumed the helpless griffin that they had killed. But where could a power like that come from? Selina echoed this question to herself, unsure of the answer. This was a question that was undoubtedly marked with confusion, concern and fear but was also marked with a sense of urgency because who could know what was coming next?

Aiken, who was across the room, had spent the majority of the night fixated on the tranquil streets of Uni through the window. Observing in silence as the inebriated individuals exited the always active brothel, struggling on their journey homeward. He found himself lost in thoughts about the dark-skinned woman he saw. This woman seemed familiar, her image stirring memories of someone pivotal in his life—his mother. But why did he remember her in that moment? Was it because he felt as if death was approaching? Or is there more?

Luna laid at Aiken's feet, her warmth pressed against him, guarding him out of concern and fear that something might snatch him away.

Their minds swarmed with questions, yet there seemed to be nowhere to turn for the answers they sought.

“Aiken…” Selina’s soft voice broke the silence wallowing amongst them.

He shifted his gaze, and looked in her direction. “Yes.” He said.

“I have a proposal for you.”

“A proposal?” He said.

“A job… I think that sounds better than proposal.”

Aiken placed his hand against his face and redirected his gaze to the slumbering streets of Uni.

“I’m listening.”

“I… I don’t know what’s going on but when the elders in Salem sent me out, they mentioned that anything I found regarding the disturbance I needed to bring it to the Vagabond Robin in Calavad.”

“The mysterious group of powerful mages working with the king.”

“But, I won’t make it there by myself and I think it’d be smart if I had someone powerful who could guard me while I try and travel there.”

“I see…” Aiken's mind roamed with various thoughts, yet he wasn't one to withhold his words. He decided to speak up and let a few things escape from his mouth. “If you ask me, you’re plenty strong on your own Selina.”

“With magic… but magic is not an unlimited resource, especially when using it for fighting. If I use up all of it, I need to rest to replenish it, which could take days to do and if I’m fighting that’s something that wouldn’t be possible.”

“And what makes you think I’m strong?”

“Call it a hunch but you wouldn’t carry a sword of that size if you couldn’t wield it to its best.”

Aiken chuckles. “The compliment is appreciated, but do you think compliments could pay for my services?”

“No.”

“Then what makes you think I’d accept your job? A mercenary doesn’t work for free Selina.”

“I don’t have any money to give you but…”

“But?”

Selina clasped her hands together, leaning forward as a deep breath escaped her lips. Her gaze fell onto Luna, who, even as an animal, displayed a hint of fear after the earlier incident, and a worry about what might unfold if they were to part ways. A presence teased them, and while Aiken appeared oblivious, Selina sensed it keenly. The shadow of that magic had unveiled glimpses of something unbelievable and inconceivable to her. She clung to the hope, however foolish it might seem, that together they could alter this fate. A mere mercenary and his companion, and a young mage.

“I’ll do any and every job with you that you pick up in any and every town and village we stop in, so that we can eat and continue on our travels and when we make it to Calavad I’ll find a way to make sure the Vagabond Robin gives you something that makes it worth it.”

Aiken, who was already intrigued by the mage, felt the desire in her words. “Why?”

“Because…” She took a momentary pause, allowing her thoughts to swirl within her mind until they aligned with the determination she harbored in her body. “Don’t you want to know what that was? Isn’t there something within you wanting to know the truth of what could be coming?” With a visage filled with concern and curiosity, Selina sprang from the bed and joined Aiken, gesturing toward the tranquil world beyond, her attention fixed on the silent scenery outside. “I think we can help each other in the long run.”

“You’ve got some spunk.” Aiken laughs. “I’ve got my own questions, and I know I won’t find the answers if I don’t chase after them. Luckily, they seem interesting enough to do so.”

“So?”

“I’ll take you up on that job, but Calavad is quite a ways away, which means we’ll be together everyday until we get there.”

“I’m aware Aiken.”

“Smart ass.” Aiken mumbles under his breath. “But before we can spend time worrying about Calavad, I’ve got a job to finish and a reward to receive. So we’ll have to visit the doctor’s clinic when the sun finally rises.”

“That’s fine. I haven’t seen much of Uni since I got here a few days ago, so it’ll be nice to get a look of some kind.”

“What do you mean? What were you doing the entire time you were here?”

“When I made it here, I immediately went into the forest, looking for the griffin.”

“You realize that we found the griffin pretty quickly by just walking straight right?” Confused, Aiken couldn’t understand her timeline of events.

“What about it?”

“And yet you got lost and captured by goblins instead of just walking straight ahead?”

Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

“Are you trying to make a joke?”

In that instant, Aiken recognized that for all of Selina's intelligence, she could also be quite absent-minded. But maybe that’s what made her interesting, she reminded him of a character in one of those epic stories about heroes saving the world that he loved to read when he was younger and while her bold display of determination wasn't required, it was appreciated. Aiken had already decided to take on the job; he had his own inquiries and genuinely believed Selina could aid him in comprehending why he had glimpsed a vision of a woman resembling his mother. And while the dark magic they faced didn't inherently frighten him, it left him with a profound, nauseating sensation. He understood that delving deeper into this could unveil something potent, and abandoning Selina to face it alone would undoubtedly result in her demise, and the values imparted by his mother made it impossible for him to even consider leaving an option, especially when aware of the potential risks of doing so.

But those dangerous moments will arrive in due time. Presently, the sun's shine started seeping into Uni, and the doors of the numerous homes and establishments began to creak open, gradually infusing the streets with renewed noise and activity. Now was the time to meet with the doctor and find out whether he had kept his word.

Aiken signaled Luna and Selina, and together, the trio left Aiken's tavern room for the last time, strolling slowly toward the doctor's clinic. Selina, wide-eyed, couldn't resist scanning the bustling townsfolk and the array of buildings around them. However, when they turned the corner onto Merchant Road, Selina succumbed to the clamor of merchants vying for attention, bombarding her with prices. Overwhelmed and uncertain, she promptly agreed to every shouted price, only for the merchants to realize, with disappointment, that she had no money to spare.

This made Aiken chuckle, but Selina was quick to respond.

“Are you laughing at me?!”

“I am.”

“It’s not my fault I don’t have any money.”

“No, but you did agree to those prices like you did have money.”

“What else was I supposed to do?”

Aiken scrunches his brows and chuckles again. “You could’ve said no.”

“But the items were so cute and cool.”

“Half of the items were old clothes though.”

“But they were nice enough to offer them to me.” Selina smiles.

“IT’S THEIR JOB TO DO THAT!”

Selina tilts her head, crosses her arms and furrows her brows. “But… why are you yelling at me?”

Aiken squints in annoyance, grabbing Selina's arm. He pulls her away from the greedy merchants, moving slightly in the other direction. They soon arrive at the open-for-business doctor's clinic, finding it empty inside.

“Are you sure he’s in there?” Selina asked with a bit of wonder.

“I’ll bet he’s locked himself in the back room.”

Aiken pushes against the clinic door, and it opens awkwardly with a slow, loud creak. At the end of its swing, one hinge comes loose, leaving the door hanging unevenly. Inside, the floor is strewn with stacks of paper, including important medical documents, many of which were destroyed, torn, or stained with water, which caused the ink on them to run. The few chairs the doctor had for waiting were shattered into pieces and scattered amongst the papers.

“I’d say the townsfolk let him off easy.”

Navigating through the chaos in the clinic, they step over the scattered mess. Aiken proceeds to push open the back door, revealing someone sitting in the dark. With their head cradled in their arms, the room was filled with the loud, slow sounds of their sobbing.

“I’m surprised your clinic is still standing, judging by the mess out here I’d say you got lucky.”

Aiken’s voice promptly caught the doctor’s attention, bringing his loud sobbing to a stop.

“Did you come here to berate me?” Raising his head, the doctor's eyes were plagued with dark circles.

“No, but don’t respond as if you don’t deserve the reaction.”

The doctor sighed, rising slowly from his place in the darkened room's corner. “I suppose you aren’t wrong, based on their outrage I thought I’d lose my clinic… So, I’m guessing you killed our griffin?”

“It put up quite the fight but we handled it.”

Leaning to the right, the doctor retrieved a brown pouch from one of the numerous drawers in the corner of the room. “Here’s your money, 2500 gold and as promised I admitted the truth to the families who were affected.”

Aiken grabbed the pouch and tossed it into his satchel along with the rest of his gold. “I hope admitting the truth lifted a weight from your shoulders.”

“In a way but now I have the responsibility of earning my people’s trust again.”

“You should be glad you even have the chance to do that, the townsfolk here are much nicer than some other places.”

“You’re very much right about that, which means I’ve got a lot of work ahead of me.”

“I wish you the best of luck and make sure you don’t forget this feeling, when your facade of security fell and you had to wallow in the mess that was left.”

The doctor nodded his head. “I won’t, thank you swordsman.”

“No worries.” With a wave of his hand and his payment secured, Aiken turned away, preparing to exit the clinic.

“Where will you go now?” The doctor’s words stopped Aiken at the door.

“Well, I’ve got a new job that requires me to travel to Calavad.”

“That’s quite the journey from here, though might I give a suggestion?”

“What is it?”

“Pay for one of the carriages by the south exit and have the driver take you to Aster, a village that occupies the halfway point before reaching the port city of Skamchil.”

“Sounds like a sensible plan.”

“In case the driver’s never been there, just mention that once you see a field of purple flowers you’re nearby.”

“Is it common for a driver not to know where this place is?”

“No.”

Aiken sighs, bidding farewell with a nod. The trio weaves through the lively streets of Uni, where townsfolk are absorbed in their daily tasks. Despite their fight last night, it feels as if nothing happened. The townsfolk, brimming with smiles and animated conversations, cultivate an atmosphere of warmth. One would never guess, that these same townsfolk harbor recently deaf children at home, grappling with fear and uncertainty about what lies ahead in their lives. Aiken wasn’t sure whether these people were strong in their emotions or easily deluded from their truths. But it wasn’t his job to figure that out. His job now, was to play bodyguard for a mage and make the long journey to the city of gold, Calavad.

“How much to drive us to Aster?” Aiken strides over to the only alert driver, engaging in conversation while the driver holds a freshly brewed cup of coffee, wisps of steam rising from his tin cup.

“For you, 100 gold.” The driver, a somewhat older man with sporadic greying hair atop his head, wore a wide smile that exposed a missing tooth. He spoke in a low and fatigued voice.

“Long night?” Aiken asked.

“Certainly nothing extraordinary, to put it mildly. The horny townsfolk spend their nights loudly expressing their enjoyment as they blow through their money, leaving us drivers awake throughout the night. It even lures some of the younger drivers into spending their money on indulgence instead of saving for more important purposes.”

“I’m sure it can’t be easy to not fall for that temptation.”

The driver sighs. “Yeah, I haven't forgotten when I was their age. I used to do the same, but it often meant being left without money for days at a time.”

“Trying to guide them like a father.” Aiken opened the back of this driver’s cart and ushered Selina and Luna inside.

“But, it often feels like I’m speaking to a brick wall when I do.”

“Maybe, but I’d keep trying, young people tend to be hard headed but the lessons eventually always get through. At least that’s what my mom would say if she were here instead.”

“Hmm, maybe.”

Aiken leaps into the back of the cart, drawing the hanging curtains closed. He then moves towards the front of the cart, poking his head out from where the driver would normally be sitting.

“I’ll give you 300 gold and maybe when you get back you can treat those young guys and show them that their’s more fun to have then just spending it at a brothel.”

The driver's smile widened into a broad grin, once again revealing his missing tooth.

“You’ve got a deal kid.”

Finishing his tin cup of coffee, the driver places it on the wagon's driver's seat. Aiken throws him the 300 gold, prompting the driver to quickly return to his seat and prepare his horses.

“You know for someone who seems so mysterious, you like to talk.”

Aiken glances at Selina and laughs. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

The echo of the driver cracking his reins resonated through the cart where they were seated, shielded by a white cloth from the sun and white curtains from prying eyes. The horses neighed loudly, and the sensation of them pulling the cart forward caused a slight jolt for the trio, eventually settling into a steady pace of movement.

“Neither of us got some sleep last night, I’d suggest using this time to get some. Who knows how long we’ll be traveling for.”

Selina laid down on her side of the cart and waved her hand. “I’m already one step ahead of you.”