"Einervaene, come on!" Vadei impatiently called from somewhere else in the building. Likely from downstairs now that I was actually mindful of her impatience.

"O-Oh!? Right..." I sheepishly mutter as I quickly finish up what I was doing. Oddly enough, now that I was aware of how much time I had spent up here. I couldn't help but make mental remarks at myself. It was just a little gift that I was wrapping up!

How did I take so long...!?

"Coming!" I call back to her as I make sure the present was well wrapped. And, with a smile on my face, I left the room and bolted it down the stairs.

"Car-" Vadei began to say before one of my heels got caught on the stairs as my foot was going down. But, rather than fall, I quickly turned into a mobile bolt of lightning and appeared at the bottom.

"Say something?" I ask her with a nervous smile as I tried to distract from the fact I nearly fell down.

"You burnt the floor..." Vadei comments as she makes a harsh sniff.

"EH!?" I let out as I look down. Only to look back up with an annoyed frown as she had lied for the sake of a quick smile.

"You've gotten quite good at that." she then says as she leaves through the open door.

"Will you two be back for dinner later?" Omb asks as he leans his chubby cheeks through the kitchen doorway.

"Are you kidding? We're going to a place that serves food!" Vadei reminds him, much to his annoyance.

"More for me..." he mutters before he smiles and nods on his way back in there.

"I don't know, I wouldn't want to impose on her." I say to Vadei after making sure that I had everything.

"She's invited us to the opening of her shop, knowing full well it was going to be busy because of what it is... We're staying and helping!" Vadei barks with a straightened-out back.

And, I brush my bangs back as I smile, "I am fine with that."

"I hope she doesn't mind us pigging out, though." Vadei jokes as she rubs her stomach through the pockets of her jacket.

"As long as we don't get in the way of her actually doing her business, I don't see why not." I comment with a shrug as I try to remember the fact that she has to make money.

"Liada makes them in big batches anyway, I'm sure she won't even notice." Vadei shrugs.

"No, I think she will..." I mutter with uncertainty as I remember the last time Vadei went overboard with her snacking.

"Not with how many people she has coming once the doors open." Vadei goes on to remind me.

"I suppose." I let out as I recall the various future customers impatiently knocking on Liada's door. It was hard at times, however, to tell if people just wanted to see her in person or if they wanted to eat. Even after all this time, Liada was quite popular purely because of what she was.

For one reason or perhaps even two...

"So are we bolting over or walking?" Vadei asks as we start to distance ourselves from Suhurlodst.

"Hm, I think it will be better if we go up..." I mutter as I look out across the vast distance between here and the city of Thrurstradtur. It was a vast stretch of green that was only broken up by the single, lonely farm that occupied it. Even then, its purpose made it nearly blend in with it all too.

So, I then take Vadei's hand and prepare my spell as I steel my mind. I have gotten a lot better at this, but it was still very difficult doing this. But, I was ready nonetheless and I commenced the process. One moment we would be lightning, the next, normal people.

However, our transmutative hopping left us right outside the place I was hoping to avoid. But Vadei was quick to let go of my hand when we got there. So I followed after her uncomfortably as she ran up to someone. A barely dressed man with slightly green hair.

"Oh, thought I smelled a familiar burn." Seigunfrei greets as he rests his arms on the wooden bars of the farm fence. And while Vadei ran up to him to look onwards at the crops, I lingered a bit further away.

"You alright, Sei?" Vadei asks him casually as she leans forward to sniff the healthy greens.

"A bit knackered, but, all should be in order once I catch my breath." he answers before he turns to the man further beyond the fence. A man I have only come to resent because of what he has been encouraging with his so-called help.

"Is Nin here, then...?" I asked with a shaky voice as I noticed the distinct lack of his usual flare of magic.

"He went on down the mountain not that long ago as he got a callback on a job." he answers before he pulls out his own little communicator. And, hearing that, I sighed in relief. It meant he would be out of the city tonight if anything...

"Then how come you haven't gone with him?"

"Eh, he mentioned how he needed to do more jobs to fill in for the money requirements, so I just let him take it on his own."

"Right..." I say as I turn to leave, only to stop as I notice that Vadei was not intending to herself.

"You still both got brought to the floor, right?" Vadei asks with a snicker.

"Of course, what else would you expect?" Seigunfrei asks her back with a loud, singular laugh.

"Some improvement?" she asks as her head turns back towards him.

"Try asking him to go easy on us."

"He won't ever do that." I say with a depressed tone as Vadei finally remembers what we were doing.

"Right, in a bit, then!" she tells him with a wave as she finally takes my hand again.

"I'll make a show later, so give Liadanann my regards." Seigunfrei tells us as he starts to wave as I start up the spell again. However, with this frustration now on my mind, I went a little too far with the distance. And we ended up crashing on the final stop.

"Practise more..." Vadei complains, clearly missing or ignoring my fouler mood.

"I will." I tell her with a nod as I watch her briefly hold her stomach.

"Now, let's hope it isn't too busy on the way in." Vadei comments as we start to move towards the slightly perturbed queue.

"It's only a smaller gate, so it shouldn't be an issue." I say to her as I make sure that the guards could easily find our passes. And, once I got them, we skipped right by the now annoyed queue with the guards just waving us in.

"Losers!" Vadei cackles as I put them away.

"You really shouldn't antagonise them." I tell her off with.

"Says the one who just couldn't hold in her excitement at us getting those damned things." Vadei remarks with a knowing smile as her nose starts to get busy.

"Should've made sure to wear perfume." I joke as I notice the difficulties Vadei was displaying with her expressions.

"And I would've thrown a bucket of water at you." she flatly comments but I knew that even with this tone that she was still joking.

"Found the good smells yet?" I decided to ask after a few minutes had passed us by.

"Yeah... That way." she finally answers with a stretched-out digit.

"I will never know how anyone can navigate this city." I comment before I look up at a passing airship. Only the government was allowed to use them so everyone had to walk. No magic either, that all got sucked out.

"I mean, the city does have this weird thing about it..." Vadei tells us as she tries to somehow gesture to nothing tangible.

"That is true." I say as a wave of magic washes over us and we suddenly appear vastly closer to where we wanted to go. However, now, we had to deal with an exceptionally large gathering of people. All for one dine-in bakery...

"Zap them gently and plow through." tells me with the corner of her mouth before I poke her to remind her of my absent magic. Smiling a little as she jumped back, yelping 'ow' to nothing.

"We'll just go around back, she told us where the key was." I tell her quietly before I start to go around the street to find an alleyway. And, quickly, we both filed into it and kept on going until we reached a small opening. But, although the area was filthy, as it was like a mini-dump, the bakery backdoor was well-cleaned.

If a little stuffed with old tools and equipment...

"Hello!?" Liadanann called out the moment we unlocked the door.

"It's just us!" Vadei called to her as we stepped inside to the lovely scented building.

"Lock it, please!" Liadanann calls back to us so I do just that. And, when we finally came across her. Vadei latched onto her for a hug.

"Hello!" she let out with a slight cheer as she enjoyed the hug from the large-chested woman.

"How's it been?" I asked as I simply went for a little wave while moving my present out before me.

"It's been a little hectic... But, I am really looking forward to having such a good first day." Liadanann informs us with a mixture of nerve-wracking excitement and held back terror. And I suppose the terror made sense when you considered the crowd... It would be mayhem sorting this all out once the doors opened at last.

"Well, I hope this somehow helps, then!" I tell her as I present the gift that I had made for her.

"Oooo, give!" she says as she greedily snatches it up before she then opens it up. And, contrary to how she opened it, she gently pulls it out and unfolds it.

"This is what took you so long...?" Vadei whispers to me with mocking disbelief...

"I thought she would like it..." I say with a pout before my face becomes engulfed my soft, clothed flesh.

"Thank you, Einervaene!" Liadanann nearly screams in delight before she quickly puts it onto her counter.

"I'm glad you like it!" I proudly answer as I giggle at the sight of my croquet within her bakery.

"So do you have anything we can ha-" Vadei starts to say before I pinch her mouth shut.

"Is there anything we can help you with?" I correctly ask.

Liadanann giggles first at our antics, though, "You can make sure all the tables and that are ready. And, if you don't mind... Maybe help the crowd come into my shop calmly..." she explains fine at first before some old fears become apparent.

"Still nervous around humans?" Vadei decides to ask.

"Vadei!" I let out, knowing full well where this might go if she dug it up too much.

"No, it's fine. But, yes, a little. But, back when this was just an old blacksmith, I had some time to get used to it all."

"I'd be hard-pressed to even remember what this place once was." Vadei says as she sniffs the air. Likely to make a point regarding the vastly different smell of the place.

The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

"The oven is a converted forge and many of the chairs are made with old parts." Liadanann giggles as she shows off her craftsmanship in the meantime before a timer suddenly goes off.

"Don't worry, I've got it." I tell her as I was closer to the entranceway to the other side of the counter.

"Use the thicker gloves." Liadanann tells me as I open up the seemingly complex oven.

"Got it." I say once I pull the tray out. Smiling as I enjoyed the smell before she came by to take it out of my grasp.

"Now to put these out..." she mutters before the moves the empty tray back into the oven. A nervous stutter takes her over as she looks back at the full shelves and cabinets.

"You have enough, Liadanann, it'll be alright." I tell her as I try to move her out to the open floor so she can open the place.

"I... Uh..." she lets out as she freezes up, "Thank you for being here, you two." she eventually squeaks out.

"No problem, so long as you feed me." Vadei says friendly at first before humorous greed made its way to the front.

"Vadei!" I snap disapprovingly before Liadanann shows us how much Omb has influenced her.

"Feel free to eat all you can once I give the word!" she laughs out as she pulls us in for one final hug.

"Now, get to it!" I tell her with an encouraging tone and expression.

"Alright... And, that's it, The Blacksmith's Kitchen is finally open..."

"Now open the door." Vadei comments after the distinct click filled the air.

"OH! Right... Can someone put up a blocker on the staircase, please." Liadanann suddenly says as she makes sure the door stays closed until it is done.

"Right, right." I say as I put one in place. With my eyes briefly lingering on the upstairs as I recall what it was for. Liadanann's bedroom was up there. As well as...

"Welcome one and all! Please come in orderly and I'll make sure to have you leave fulfilled!" Liadanann declares, drawing me out of my thoughts.

"What do I do? What do I do!?" I let out as she quickly gestured us closer to the counter.

"Alright, the first few customers are probably going to want to snatch up a... HEY! NO FIGHTING IN MY BAKERY!" Liadanann begins to explains before she has to shout down a start-up fight.

"Sorry..." the young boys say as they get into their seats.

"Yeah, just, make sure everyone is in their seats and then serve them while I try and handle the wandering lot." Liadanann finishes before she hastily runs behind the counter. A process she probably couldn't make any louder if she tried. What, with her large body, tail and sharp claws...

"And here I thought I escaped slavery." Vadei jokes lightly as she puts on an apron just to give the impression that she worked here.

"Mush, then." I laugh out after hitting her with a towel.

"Just you wait..." she mutters before we get to work helping out our friend with her business. And, within the tighter confines of this building, it was easier to grasp just how many people were here. She might even have to briefly hire security to make sure the walk-ins were orderly and calm. However, carrying about all this freshly baked food was something else.

It made me understand why Vadei was so insistent on getting freebies. And, going by the expressions of most people, it was tasty enough to warrant eating as much as they could. It wasn't long before my own mouth was watering and the emptiness of my stomach became apparent. When was the last time I ate anyway...?

Well, I would just have to forget about it for now as more people had suddenly appeared. Where had they even come from!? We just sorted them out a moment ago! So many, in fact, that I was struggling to navigate about.

"H-Hey!" I let out as I struggled to get past one group before I thudded against the counter.

"Back in you go!" Liadanann ordered me frantically before she nearly slipped up on her own floor.

"There's too many...!" I point out before I have another order shoved at me.

"Then ensure they leave!" Liadanann reminds me with a nod before she barks orders at her customers to get them out of here. She even started to get uppity towards the seated ones just to make room.

"Gods help us..." I heard Vadei mutter as she passed me by. And I couldn't agree with her more.

.

.

.

"Thank you so much, you two... I couldn't have done it without you!" Liadanann laughed out with exhaustion as she slammed her apron down.

"I want my food now!" Vadei demanded from the table we were sat at before her head collapsed against it. And as Liadanann chuckled to herself as she gathered up what was left over. I turned around to glance outside. It really has been a while since our workday started. The sky was now orange and it was blending in rather well with the largely brass city.

But, the food that was soon dumped unceremoniously before us was a far better sight. And, in a fit of mannerless hunger, we all dug in. Liadanann didn't even seem to mind as she had a stuffed mouth before she even got here! However, being so aware of my failure made my appetite go away decently fast.

"Thank you!" I let out before my hunger suddenly came back as if I had not eaten a thing.

"It's the least I can do for my two cute slaves." Liadanann jokes mostly at Vadei before she patronises her a bit with strokes and wiggles.

"You sho-" she started to complain before she bit into a jam-filled doughnut. And while her expression said one thing, her finely-brushed tail said another thing.

"It surprised me, though, I never thought you would've been this busy..." I let out as I put down a small pie with a sturdy but still sweet crust.

"I had a feeling it would've gotten this busy, but, seeing it in person is something else." she breathes out with a mixture of exhaustion and excitement.

"I'm more so surprised that you kept your composure! To think once upon a time you'd be cowering at the sight!" Vadei laughed before I glared at her.

Yet, Liadanann's laugh made it go away, "Yeah, I get it completely. But it's all thanks to you lot, really, you've helped me get over my old phobias."

"Well... When you put it that way." I smugly grin before I treated myself to another sweet delight.

"Are you still serving, by any chance?" someone asked as they stood up from their table with their money out.

"There might still be something..." Liadanann began to say before the doorbell rang in what felt like forever. Which is odd because it had been going off all day to the point of insanity.

"N-Nevermind..." the customer said before he retreated to his table. So I turned around to see who it was...

"N-N-Nin!?" I let out in shock before I nearly jumped out of my seat. Wasn't he supposed to be out on a long job!? He wasn't supposed to be back here today or even tonight!?

"Oh, hi, Nin! I'm sorry, but, I haven't had the time to make you dinner so would you be fine..." Liadanann began to say before he dropped a large sack of money on the table. So ladened with thick bars of precious metal that the table shook even after the initial thud.

"Missing rent." Nin quietly let out before he walked past the vacating customers. He stopped initially at the staircase blocker but he quickly moved it aside.

"So I'll make it as soon as I can?" Liadanann finished as she got up to briefly follow him.

"Don't mind me, just make sure to sleep well." Nin told her before he finished the climb and headed to his room.

"Einervaene?" Vadei asked as she saw my expression sour and my body quake.

"He's going to..." I didn't even finish as I tried my best to keep my anger contained.

"It's fine, Einervaene, he's had a long d-"

"I'M NOT ON ABOUT THAT! I'M ON ABOUT WHAT HE WILL DO WHEN HE STEPS OUT OF THAT DAMNED DOOR!" I scream angrily before I suddenly rush to the bottom of the stairs.

"Einervaene!" Vadei snaps as she tries to interfere.

"Is my staff still upstairs!?" I ask Liadanann as I recall that I had left it here last time.

"Y-Yeah but-" she tried to say before I rushed upstairs. And within moments, my carefully made weapon was in my hands and I was staring down Nin's door. If one could see my hands, they'd probably be able to also see just how white-knuckled they were. And with three loud bangs, one of those hands hit his door.

"NIN!" I snapped loudly to no avail. However, banging the door revealed that it hadn't been closed properly. So I walked into his room uninvited and only found myself becoming angrier. Each wall was plastered with his detective work. His bloody vengeance was the decoration...

"What?" he asked me with an uncaring tone as he rose up from bedside brooding session to stare me down. Yet, he clearly did not grasp the severity of my emotion and he just casually took off his mask and hat.

"You will stay here tonight! You will walk downstairs, and you will join us for cakes and treats!" I growled knowing full well what was going to happen if he didn't listen to me.

"No." he simply said as he moved forward slightly.

"I am not... LETTING YOU LEAVE THIS BUILDING!" I tremble out to him before I scream in his face.

"Einervaene, enough!" someone snaps behind me as I advance upon Nin.

"P-Please..." I then tearfully beg as memory after memory comes rushing into my head. Of his bloody hands and his wound-covered body. Memories of cut open limbs and yellow-stained bandages. Groans of pain and sadistic fervour...

I didn't want to see it again... Not anymore... No...

"Get out of my way." Nin told me before he used his size to push past me before he headed elsewhere.

"Don't you walk away from me... DON'T YOU WALK AWAY!" I demand from him as I slam my staff pommel down furiously. Then, I aggressively snapped it out of the floor before I approached him.

"You are trying to stop me?" he asked back coldly as one of his hands curled up into a fist.

"I... I am!" I answered nervously at first before I filled my spine with courage. The courage to stop my friend's stupidity before it got him killed...

"Step aside." he warned one final time as he exploited the device the government had given him. And, within moments, the bakery flooded with his aura and I had nothing to stop it bearing down on me.

"Outside!" Liadanann snaps once before Nin stops what he was doing. And, with a nod, he grabs me roughly and quickly takes us outside. With his arm roughly throwing me to the ground...

He threw me in anger...

"I ask again. Are you trying to stop me!?" he asks me as he trembled in anger. Clearly one final attempt to diffuse this situation. But I had no intention of listening to him and I just scrambled to my feet. Holding my staff out defensively with a stern gaze.

"I will make sure you do not fight him tonight." I told the man I loved with a shudder in my body. Yet, the moment I finished that sentence, he charged at me and grabbed my neck.

"STAY OUT OF MY WAY!" he roared before he brought us high into the sky. And with a single throw, I found myself soaring over the city until I was above the grass. Yet, to ensure I would not be harmed. I converted my body and crashed down as lightning.

"You idiot..." I mutter as I feel my ability to use magic come back under these circumstances. And before he even crashed down after me, I shot up at him. Filling him with volts before I sent him flying away. Then, with a technique I had been mastering specifically for something like this...

I came down upon him again and again without leaving this spot in the sky. But that just made him roar once more and explode with magic. And my opportunity was lost. The confusion as well saw him close the distance and latch onto me again.

"I WILL NOT LET YOU COME HOME AGAIN A BLOODIED MAN!" I scream at him as I turn into my lightning form and shock him with a mere touch. Punching him again and again with all the fury I could muster. To the backdrop of thunder did each punch land. But he had changed in these past few years...

All that pain... It only allowed him to persevere through it and I was held hostage!

"LET GO!" I boomed as I tried to fill him with all the voltage I could muster.

"No." he said to me quietly as my body started to freeze up at the sight of his cocked back fist.

"N-Ni-" I let out fearfully before I felt the full brunt of his might. And when I finally stopped rolling. I shook my dazed head and spat out blood. Barely registering my reversion to a normal body.

This was not something that stopped him, though. And I was quick to feel more punches and kicks. I could barely muster a defence before I was then chucked overboard and piled into the ground. Yet, with quick action, I escaped the follow up and grasped my staff again.

"Don't think that will be enough to stop me..." I tell him as I show the efforts of my training. The training I undertook for this precise moment. When I finally had enough of this behaviour.

And, with a flash of blue lightning, I spun my staff around to my front. Holding it inline with his running body before I fired off a spell for the first time in anger. And as I did so, I screamed in anger as lightning spectres lashed out at him over and over again. My bodily partially converted into electrical power.

With one final push, I then sent all I had at him to send him flying back. And, some confidence even came back to me. I saw the way he was now limping. And I had never felt stronger.

Even with that overbearing aura from before... It was clear that I was still his superior when it came to magic!

But he was not swayed, and with drawn back arms; he roared. He roared as loud as he could as his power exploded around him furiously. Unlike mine, however, it was blue from its destructive, raw nature. And he launched out of a crater before he redirected himself at me.

"Fool." I simply said as I dashed right under him with a flash before I called down a storm right on top of us. Trapping him in a web of ceaseless lightning as the ground burned. With a wave of fire expanding out from me before something grabbed me.

"GET OUT OF MY WAY!" he roared as he roated through the storm and swung me about. My spell ended the moment I hit the ground at the end of this arcane grip.

"GAH!" I let out before he rushed down with his shin going into my side. He sent me flying elsewhere before he caught up again. And with an overhead slam, he redirected me into a new crater.

"JUST STAY OUT OF MY WAY!" he roared down at me furiously before I brought another storm down on us. Yet, he was quick enough to leap away and I used that moment to stand up again. With lightning launching out of my hands to attract my staff magnetically.

"I won't let you... I won't..." I tearfully tell him as I take ahold of my staff with both my hands...

It was clear that I needed something stronger to handle him. But the only spell that I had with that kind of power I hadn't even mastered. I was still in the phase where I needed to utter it to cast it... It was just so beyond anything I had ever done before.

"JUST GO!" he roared animalistically before he charged me for what had to be the final time. There would be no do overs after this.

I needed to prove my strength so that I could pressure him into complying in future! This government and the people within it be damned! If I had to take my friend out of this country... I would!

"World of Storms!" I chanted as I began to sort of dance with my staff as my aura spread out and solidified. And once he was within its spherical domain. I turned into my lighting form and sent out portions of my power to lash out at him.

Either they directly lashed out at him or they sent bolts at him. His clothes burned away and his roars of pain were drowned out by all this power. To my utter shock, however. He made it to me with a fistful of magic and a determined glare.

And no matter how much urgency filled me, I could not finished the spell and I felt it strike my gut.

"AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!" I screamed as I was suddenly hit by the combined backlash of his spell and my failed one. Eerily familiar spasms filled me as his magic filled the air and mine collapsed upon me.

"For the last time... STAY AWAY!" he snapped angrily as his magic became like fire.

"I... I won't let the man I love do this to himself... I won't..." I struggled to tell him while also struggling to my knees. With a body still full of uncontrollable spasms.

"Love...?" he repeated confused at first before he cackled cruelly. And my heart sank as I heard it.

"Yes... Nin, I love you... Do you hear me!? I LOVE YOU!" I tearfully let out as I tried to appeal to his heart... But I feared that his anger blinded him completely.

"No, you don't... You never loved me earnestly. Only she did... Only my precious Larishazza..." he maddeningly cackled as he approached me slowly.

"DO NOT TELL ME HOW I FEEL!" I screeched at him as I finally started to get the spasms under control.

"You feel nothing!" he snapped as he brought his left arm forward. And with his cape damaged, it was far easier to see it. Not that I needed the help anyway...

"You are wrong... You've been wrong about how I feel for so long..." I spit back at him while also trying to make it clear.

"Stay out of my way." he snorted before he turned around all of a sudden.

"I will leave." I suddenly blurted out as anger filled me once again. Tears streaming down my face as soon as I realised what I had just said.

"Go on, then." he snorted once again.

"I... I mean it! I will leave, you won't ever see me again!" I told him as I slowly got up to my feet once again. And although my legs shook as much as they did, I did not waver.

"Fine by me."

"FINE THEN! I'LL LEAVE! YOU WON'T EVER HAVE TO PUT UP WITH ME AGAIN! I WON'T EVER HELP YOU AGAIN OR ANYTHING!" I screamed at him as he continued to walk away. But, when he threw something at me, I fell to my knees. It was the bracelet he wore... And just like that, all that love I once felt disappeared.

Like a dream that was forgotten as soon as I awoke...

"Please, come back..." I let out tearfully regardless.