Since Heron’s Anima wasn’t as flexible and stretchable as Yuriko’s or Gwendith’s, he had developed another tool to enhance his senses. His eyes and ears were as honed as they could possibly be, though that might change once he embarked on his Physique Refinement. He was supposed to use his Ennoia for it, but he had absolutely no idea how.

Yuriko’s Radiance and Gwendith’s Heat had obvious applications, but Wind? Well, he got an inkling of an idea from Lieutenant Cillian Coinoch, though he couldn’t apply it immediately. A bit more research and experimentation was in order.

Then, there was the fact that he had sworn fealty to Yuriko, even if she didn’t realise it. The emphatic link between the two of them had been surprisingly insightful if more than a bit embarrassing at times. He thought to tell her about it but he was sure that she already had a connection to his emotions and mental state through her Mien, so really, what he had now was just making things even. The downside, of course, was that he had trouble sleeping in the evenings.

He honestly wasn’t sure what to feel about Yuriko and Gwendith’s entanglements but decided that it wasn’t really his business and let them be. If things changed between them, it would only be then that his opinions would be valid. Sort of.

That aside, his workaround to not being able to effectively sense things with his Anima was to use his connection with the Ennoia of Winds to get a sense of everything within a certain radius. The first time he did it, he was able to get a good sense within ten paces, though he had to define what he could sense. He had been overwhelmed with every mote of dust, every tiny insect, and their every little movement when it happened. He almost blacked out but he was able to cut the connection in time. He managed to refine it so that he had practically the same technique that Gwen’s cousin, Asami had. The Wind Scour technique was a useful base, even if it only detected human-sized and bigger beings. He had a lot to work on if he wanted to detect shapes, terrain, and movements too.

The exercise did have the advantage of allowing him to progress his Ennoia quickly. Already, the lattice around his core covered nearly fifty percent of the surface. Yuriko said that progressing to Colligia needed complete coverage.

The Wind Scour technique active, he could feel both Cillian’s and Gwendith’s forms walking slightly behind him. Though he could not tell what their expressions were, he knew Gwen well enough to know that the curly-haired blonde was more than a little amused. About what, Heron didn’t know.

Felbridge was only a few hundred paces from where the Wind Darter landed, and he was able to get a good look at the towering walls. There wasn’t a ditch around the walls, probably to avoid weakening the earth near the ravine. As it were, Heron thought that the town had been built too close to the edge. But then again, maybe they used their ‘spells’ to strengthen the stones and stabilise their foundations.

As soon as they ended up at the back of the line, the adventurer group that was in line ahead of them turned, almost as one. The group consisted of three men, one human and two catkin similar to Kassy, and a Sha’ledras woman, whose exposed biceps and quads looked so impressive that if not for the presence of a modest bosom, and the clear flare of the hips, would have passed for a man. Each of them was armoured with thick leather coats sewn with metal discs, though the Sha’ledras only wore a leather vest over her pale blue shirt.

“Greetings,” one of the catkin, said.

He had orange hair while his feline ears had stripped black patterns on them. Aside from ears, tail, and claws, he looked mostly human. Pinned prominently on his lapel was a hexagonal badge with twin short swords crossed. Heron recognized the symbol. Sheamus Dorn had spoken of Adventurer’s Society crests and the meaning of the signage. The crossed swords meant that this catkin was a competent melee warrior. Not that it precluded other skills, just that it was his greatest competency. More importantly, it meant that the Society that operated back near the Empire was somehow related to the guilds here. Still, he told himself not to rely on preconceptions.

“I am Preza Arroyo, Iron-ranked Adventurer. I noticed you came from that strange flying ship…”

Heron nodded in return. “Heron Muryh. Yes, we did.”

“Ah, you are a foreigner?”

“Yes, is it a problem?” Heron kept his tone smooth and even, with a little bit of warmth.

“Ah, no. I’m not from Bresia myself, but border nations are where most of the Founts appear, and where most adventurers flock to,” Preza admitted.

“You’re Iron?” Cillian asked.

“Yes, though it is not my first year.”

“Iron ranked?” Gwendith repeated. “How does it compare to others?”

Preza laughed. “There are only two ranks, miss. Iron and Steel. One is Iron until one is an adventurer for ten years, then one is Steel. The last rank, Adamant, is for the branch leaders or the Inspectors.”

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The other three members of his group nodded at that. Heron noticed that the other two men had returned to their watch, while the Sha’ledras woman stared at the sloop. When he looked back, he saw Yuriko lounging against the railing.

“Are you passing through Felbridge?” Preza continued.

“Yes, though we’re taking the chance to sell some resources we looted from a Chaos Fount,” Heron said.

“Oh, which one? Most of the nearby ones have full delve schedules.”

“It was a new one. Unfortunately, it was unstable and collapsed even before we reached the core,” Cillian said. “Ah, I’m Lieutenant Cillian Coinoch from Duskfoot Guard. I’m escorting Heron and his group to Nirlith.”

“A pity,” Preza mused, “about the Fount. But there are more than enough around here to keep us all busy every day.” He laughed at that. “Could you tell me the aspect?”

“Earth and Metal,” Cillian said. “Though I will also inform the guild when we get there.”

“Thank you kindly,” Preza said. Heron was content to let Cillian continue the conversation, especially when Gwendith nudged his side.

He felt her create a soundproof barrier around the two of them. “What is it?” he asked.

Gwendith smirked, and said, “You know…” she drew out the word, “both of you are funny.”

“Eh?”

“Both are waiting for the other.” Gwendith leaned in. “You know, all you need to do is ask.”

“Ah, yeah.” Heron tugged at his collar, feeling a bit hot around the neck. “I’m…uhm, I’m fine.”

Gwendith snickered then withdrew the barrier. The line, though long, had not taken more than a few minutes. Soon enough, they were at the gate. Cillian presented his badge of rank, as well as the cover letter of his mission documents. The soldier at the gate saluted as soon as he saw the rank and took down Heron and Gwendith’s names on the log book.

The wall was roughly five paces wide. The gate tunnel’s ceiling had murder holes in it, and through his Wind Scour, he could sense that the hallway above was empty. Well, it wasn’t as if the town was under attack.

Just inside the gate, Heron saw a collection of stagecoaches and carriages, pulled by either real horses or Steelds. The ones pulled by the mechanical horses looked far more ornate and luxurious than the others. Cillian headed towards one of the stage coaches pulled by a Steeld, spoke with the driver and gestured for the two of them to climb aboard.

“To the Adventurers’ Guild, please,” Cillian repeated.

“Aye, sir,” the driver replied.

The climate was still quite cold, so most everyone wore a coat of some sort, though they seemed to relish using bright colours as opposed to the greys and blacks that most men’s fashion back in the Empire was. At the moment, neither he nor Gwendith wore their Light Infantry Armour. He was in a waistcoat and trousers while the other wore a similar outfit, though her bottoms were a wide, voluminous pair of trousers that could pass for skirts if she didn’t move so vigorously. Gwendith’s clothes were a pale pink and white combination while he wore sensible greys with blue highlights. The driver was wearing a bright yellow jacket and brown pants, while Cillian retained his uniform.

The main thoroughfare was quite busy, with carriages and wagons driving on the right-hand side of the road. It didn’t take much longer before they arrived at the first square, which had a fountain in the middle. There were market stalls, street vendors, hawkers, and hundreds of pedestrians dodging between the landcraft, and Heron’s Wind Scour gave him a headache due to the conflicting senses.

He did see a shop that had canvases and paints displayed near the corner. He couldn’t understand what the signboard said so he asked Cillian.

“Mer’s Portraiture,” was the response.

“Why?” Gwendith asked.

“Hmm, I don't usually bring painting supplies on missions,” Heron said. “I think we’ll need them soon.”

“Hmmm, I suppose.”

The guild building was one of the bigger ones in the square. Its walls were whitewashed and the main doors were thrown wide open. There was a bit of music coming from within, but if not for Heron’s Ennoia, he would not have been able to hear it over the din. The stagecoach driver stopped near the guild and they dismounted.

Cillian didn’t lead them into the main hall, however, but headed towards the side entrance. Coincidentally, Preza and his group came up behind them, headed to the same area.

“Hello again, Mister Muryh,” the catkin said politely.

“Hello. I suppose the guild has the best prices?”

“More like the buyer of choice. Only the guild or the Republic’s Delver’s Office buy materials from Chaos Founts. The Chaos taint can jeopardise those who aren’t proficient in removing them,” Preza shrugged.

While they were speaking, a white orb approached Cillian. He received it and nodded to himself, then said to Heron and Gwendith, “The magistrate allows the Wind Darter to cross the ravine and park at the eastern side of Felbridge. If you’d like, I can head over to the ship and inform Lady Yuriko.”

“Sure, go ahead,” Gwendith said. “Heron, I’ll go shop around. No need to wait for me.”

“Alright, Gwen.”

Once the two of them left, Heron entered the side entrance. There was a line, but each group were taken by an attendant to a different room, and soon enough, it was Heron’s turn.

“Good afternoon,” he said, “I have twelve Jin or Earth elemental claws mixed with a bit of Metal.”

The attendant nodded and said, “Please follow me.” He was led to a small chamber which had a weighing scale in the middle. “Drop them here, please.”

Heron nodded and opened the backpack to retrieve the claws. When he looked up, he noticed the attendant’s surprised look. “That’s a nice spatial bag,” he commented idly.

“Huh, yeah,” Heron said.

After all of the claws were set on the scale, the man operated the scales and said, “One twenty silvers. You want that in golds, silvers, or broken down into smaller pieces?”

“Can you divide it into six pouches of twenty silvers?”

“Sure.”

“Thank you.”

Heron left after getting the coins. He wanted to go buy his painting supplies and he just had enough time to do it before he had to leave to reach the Darter by sundown. Although…hmmm, he could have a night out in town. There was little doubt that they would leave by tomorrow, so this was the only time he had to explore. He was actually surprised that Yuriko had opted to stay aboard instead of walking around town, but maybe she was tired of gawkers.

He was just about to enter Mer’s Portraiture when loud bells broke the late afternoon bustle. He saw a few worried looks, and some soldiers running towards the wall.

“What’s happening?” Heron asked a passerby.

The young woman he accosted took a look at his face and flushed. She coughed then said, “It sounds like a Chaos Fount overflow. The monsters are probably headed here.”

Heron nodded and sighed. Trouble always followed Yuriko, didn’t it?